Beaten by GMAT - 650 (Q 46, V34). Need Advice.

[maddy_kaps]

Today I had a dissapointing experience with GMAT. I prepared for around 4 months and was scoring constantly above 700 in GMAT Prep. I could not complete one question in Verbal and ran out of time. I think that hurted me badly.

I am confident about my abilities and feel that I can hit 700 mark.I am planning to prepare for 2 more months but I am running short of study material.I remember all OG, princeton ,kaplan question by heart and have no idea wat else to refer.

Can somebody advide me on this.I heard too much about LSAT.Is it worth doing. From where I can get this. Any other suggestions related to preparation are most welcome.

[VP_Jim]

Honestly, a 650 is a pretty decent score. It really depends on which programs you want to apply to, this would fall into the average GMAT score for a lot of programs out there!

In my experience, the OG guides (orange, green and purple) are really the only study materials you need. When you study, keep in mind that it's about QUALITY, not quantity. You mentioned that you know the guides you do have by heart - does this mean that you know, for all the questions, WHY the wrong answers are wrong and the right answers are right? Or do you just "know" which answer choice is correct for each question? Really analyze the questions and their answers, this way you'll be able to pick apart the reasoning behind each on the actual test as well.

As for the LSAT, I'd recommend looking into the test as fodder for more reading material, but you can also get great practice by just reading more works of literature, dense articles in renowned newspapers, etc. etc.

Good luck!

[Musicolo]

Today I had a dissapointing experience with GMAT. I prepared for around 4 months and was scoring constantly above 700 in GMAT Prep. I could not complete one question in Verbal and ran out of time. I think that hurted me badly.

I am confident about my abilities and feel that I can hit 700 mark.I am planning to prepare for 2 more months but I am running short of study material.I remember all OG, princeton ,kaplan question by heart and have no idea wat else to refer.

Can somebody advide me on this.I heard too much about LSAT.Is it worth doing. From where I can get this. Any other suggestions related to preparation are most welcome.

I honestly don't know why some people, including you, complain about 650? Its avarage for almost all business schools. You must be really insecure in the rest of your application documents to be wanting to aim at 700 by all means. I know people who got accepted into top business schools with less then 650. Your GMAT will be considered only in conjuction with other documents and not on itself. 650 is a great result. If you studies four months and used up all your prep materials maybe its not about how much you know but rather the psychology of test taking. If I were you, I would rather prepare myself psychologically then work more on the substance. I have never in my life prepared any exam for more then a month, let alone four months. So why do that with GMAT????Will it take you that long to prepare all your future MBA exams???Relax and enjoy your 650. They are well earned and you should be happy.
Good luck
Dino

[benpack03]

Obviously the guy above has never studied for a professional licensure exam such as the Professional Engineer's exam....I studied nearly a year for it. If you want something bad enough you have to go and get it - and to say you never studied for more than a month for something is unreal for the average Joe or Jane. Maybe you are brilliant or something? In anyway, please do not post things like this please? It is just not very realistic in the MBA application stage of 2009 and this economy.

Maddy, I scored a 650 also - but unfortunately due to the INTENSE competition this year - I wasn't even close at the schools I applied to. I am studying now and will apply in 2010. We just need to keep hammering and we will get there.

Please keep in touch with me and we will see how we both do.

[benpack03]

P.S. In todays 2009 field, 650 is BELOW average - 700 is about average at the top 25 schools THIS year......hate to break it to you guys.....

[Musicolo]

Obviously the guy above has never studied for a professional licensure exam such as the Professional Engineer's exam....I studied nearly a year for it. If you want something bad enough you have to go and get it - and to say you never studied for more than a month for something is unreal for the average Joe or Jane. Maybe you are brilliant or something? In anyway, please do not post things like this please? It is just not very realistic in the MBA application stage of 2009 and this economy.

Maddy, I scored a 650 also - but unfortunately due to the INTENSE competition this year - I wasn't even close at the schools I applied to. I am studying now and will apply in 2010. We just need to keep hammering and we will get there.

Please keep in touch with me and we will see how we both do.

Hm, interesting. But, id rather you didn't post things like what you have just said. You are exaggerating and blowing things out of proportions and scaring the sh*t out of everyone attempting to take the GMAT. I am not surprised that people are so scared. Thanks for average Joe or Jane comment. I don't feel a need to post my resume here in my defense.
One can hardly compare the GMAT with Professional Engineer's exam and I know it too well what it means to prepare a professional exam. GMAT is hardly a professional exam. Its not something that can enhance your CV or serve as an extra qualification. You only take the GMAT test in in order to get into an MBA or graduate management course and it is the test, I may add, which some schools do not even require. If you would compare the GMAT, graduate admission test, with professional exam such as Professional Engineer's exam or Judicial Exam for the Bar, I think you are totally getting it wrong. If you think you need more then four months to prepare the GMAT, perhaps MBA is not for you. And no, it doesn't take the genius or brilliance.

My comments are indeed realistic. If you think you are guaranteed entry with score over 700, you are totally wrong. It takes more then just average or well over the average score to get in. People with perfect resumes, international exposure and work experience, interesting social and vocational experience are known to gave gotten in with scores below 650. 700 as an average is totally exaggerating and id advice you to take it easy and relax.

Good luck
Dino

[benpack03]

Dino,

Yes, in my opinion it was and is as hard to prepare for as the PE exam, so yes - I would know that. Also, no a 700 will not get you automatically into a top business school now, but if you don't get the score it is very hard to get into a top 25 school in 2009's landscape unless you are a minority, female, both, or are super super extraordinary, or lucky. I disagree, I'm not scaring anyone, I'm just saying - don't dumb this test down. Take it for what it is, for the average person you need to put in several months of serious prep. You can do it, its just I underestimated the test and you see what happened.

My apologies if I offended you. I don't think it came out like I meant it. Thats the problem with posts, there is just no enunciation.

[joeschmo]

If you have a decent GPA, getting a 650 on your GMAT will get you in at most schools. I got accepted to the school I wanted and I got 650 as well.
I wouldn't go through the torture over again with studying if you can prevent it.

[Musicolo]

Dino,

Yes, in my opinion it was and is as hard to prepare for as the PE exam, so yes - I would know that. Also, no a 700 will not get you automatically into a top business school now, but if you don't get the score it is very hard to get into a top 25 school in 2009's landscape unless you are a minority, female, both, or are super super extraordinary, or lucky. I disagree, I'm not scaring anyone, I'm just saying - don't dumb this test down. Take it for what it is, for the average person you need to put in several months of serious prep. You can do it, its just I underestimated the test and you see what happened.

My apologies if I offended you. I don't think it came out like I meant it. Thats the problem with posts, there is just no enunciation.

None offense taken. I still think you are exaggerating and again, speaking from experience, you can definitely get into top 10 business schools with 600 if other aspects of your application are really strong. Several months preparation, well, it depends on how many hours per week are we talking about...
Good luck
D

[maddy_kaps]

Here is my profile,

Indian Male
B.Tech with GPA of 3.3, pursuing MS in Software Engineering from Arizona State University and maintaining GPA of 4.0.
want to enroll in 2010 session.
Total work exp - 5 years with IT firm
International Exp - 8 months -US
Extra-Curricular - decent.

Target Institutes - Insead, Oxford, Cambridge, ISB, Great Lakes,India.

Do u think with this profile, I can make it with 650.

[maddy_kaps]

Got an AWA score of 5.0.