Noob needs advice

[jerrykantrell]

Hi All,

I am a hopelessly lost noob
I was wondering where I could get information on stuff such as :
1) The best time to take the GMAT
2) How this whole Round 1 or Round 2 of the admission rounds etc...work ?
3) The best way to approximately gauge how much one may score in the actual test, and especially since I am not a native speaker of English.
4) Is NGO experience considered full\part time exp. ?

I look forward to receiving an answer from anyone,
Thanks in advance

JC

[beatthegmat]

Hi All,

I am a hopelessly lost noob
I was wondering where I could get information on stuff such as :
1) The best time to take the GMAT
2) How this whole Round 1 or Round 2 of the admission rounds etc...work ?
3) The best way to approximately gauge how much one may score in the actual test, and especially since I am not a native speaker of English.
4) Is NGO experience considered full\part time exp. ?

I look forward to receiving an answer from anyone,
Thanks in advance

JC

Hi JC:

You've come to the right place!

To start your prep, I recommend looking at the following resources:

https://beatthegmat.blocked
https://www.beatthegmat.com/wiki/

To answer your questions:

The best time to take the GMAT depends on the individual. If you intend to apply for Round 1 (which usually has a deadline of October), then I recommend taking the test 2-3 months prior to that deadline at the very least. You want to give yourself time to take the test twice, if needed.

Rounds refers to the different periods of time you can submit your application to business schools. Do some research on the schools you intend to apply to and figure out when their deadlines occur. As a rule of thumb, it's recommended to apply R1 or R2 and to avoid R3.

The best way to gauge your GMAT performance is to take a GMATPrep test. Download the software for free at MBA.com

NGO experience can be full-time experience, if it was a full-time job. Sounds interesting!

Best of luck to you, hope this info helps!

[bates88]

There are some very helpful articles on www.review.com and www.businessweek.com about applying to b-school. Definitely check those sites out. They also have a lot of info about specific schools.

My GMAT prep materials, which I highly recommend: Official Guide, 11th edition, GMATPrep official tests, and Princeton Review's Cracking the GMAT.

[jerrykantrell]

Wow thanks you guys,

I have seen the site admin (that means you beatthegmat) personally answer so many queries, I find that so hard to believe, and I appreciate your commitment\drive in doing so.
And you just made my day by saying that it is counted as full time experience.
I am a generic Indian Software engineer, I quit my job at a generic Indian software company and will be joining an NGO and will work there for a year or two(full time) before writing the GMAT. The NGO is meant for the girl child, a demographic frequently neglected\ill treated here.
I hope to learn a lot from you guys.
Also, Bates88, I will check these sites out, in fact that was gonna be my next query: how do I learn about the various schools

Ave!

[beatthegmat]

Wow thanks you guys,

I have seen the site admin (that means you beatthegmat) personally answer so many queries, I find that so hard to believe, and I appreciate your commitment\drive in doing so.
And you just made my day by saying that it is counted as full time experience.
I am a generic Indian Software engineer, I quit my job at a generic Indian software company and will be joining an NGO and will work there for a year or two(full time) before writing the GMAT. The NGO is meant for the girl child, a demographic frequently neglected\ill treated here.
I hope to learn a lot from you guys.
Also, Bates88, I will check these sites out, in fact that was gonna be my next query: how do I learn about the various schools

Ave!

Thanks for your kind words.

Check out this link to kick off your b-school research: https://www.beatthegmat.com/viewtopic.php?t=3265

[jerrykantrell]

Wow thanks you guys,

I have seen the site admin (that means you beatthegmat) personally answer so many queries, I find that so hard to believe, and I appreciate your commitment\drive in doing so.
And you just made my day by saying that it is counted as full time experience.
I am a generic Indian Software engineer, I quit my job at a generic Indian software company and will be joining an NGO and will work there for a year or two(full time) before writing the GMAT. The NGO is meant for the girl child, a demographic frequently neglected\ill treated here.
I hope to learn a lot from you guys.
Also, Bates88, I will check these sites out, in fact that was gonna be my next query: how do I learn about the various schools

Ave!

Thanks for your kind words.

Check out this link to kick off your b-school research: https://www.beatthegmat.com/viewtopic.php?t=3265

Thanks, will definitely check it out.

JK