Beat the GMAT Community-- I just wanted to outline my Business School app experience.
I'm a college Junior at a large State University. In May of 2008 a Professor approached me about applying to the new HBS 2+2 Program and I decided to drop a significant internship that I had confirmed for the first half of the summer prior to heading to Oxford University for the remainder of the summer. Currently as I type I'm at Oxford studying Shakespeare in order to finish up a double major in Political Science and English.
From the beginning I decided to put everything I have into becoming a successful applicant, and therefore took out a loan from Sallie Mae in order to receive the very best coaching and consulting prior to applying.
I began working with a Stacy Blackman Consultant in mid May and with Veritas Prep on May 21, in preparation for a June 21 test date.
Over the month period I worked very hard at learning the material. The first week I finished a book a day of the Veritas booklets. However in the second week I took a week break to attend a major conference in Washington D.C. Although I was able to meet Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John McCain, also watching Hillary's speech conceding her run in person, after returning I felt like this was a poor decision. However I got back on the horse.
I started my GMAT experience at a low point, as you can see. For the two weeks up until the application date I focused mostly on practice test after practice test, which in retrospect I'm evaluating.
GMATPrep 2008-05-20 31 28 500
VeritasPrep 2008-06-12 23 44 570
VeritasPrep 2008-06-14 34 41 610
VeritasPrep 2008-06-15 34 44 630
800score 2008-06-16 44 0 0
VeritasPrep 2008-06-17 27 28 510
VeritasPrep 2008-06-18 24 39 550
GMATPrep 2008-06-18 37 41 640
As you can see I hit 44 on each section in the 800Score test multiple times, but wasn't able to put the two together to achieve a 720.
The two Veritas tests prior to the GMAT Preptest at the end I felt like I was burned out from all of the Practice Testing I was doing daily and it showed.
Prior to test date I was confident nonetheless.
On the test date I arrived at the test at 7:15 am energized about a test that could potentially change my life.
With this in mind I killed the AWA using the Veritas Template Model, achieving a 6.0.
Official GMAT: 38Q/31V 570.
I turned out to be very nervous during the test, and think that I placed too much emphasis on the overall outcome on the test in relation to my getting into HBS. Perhaps the fact that the test was my first official and that I placed so much pressure on myself led to a lessened performance.
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My overall application to HBS otherwise, from a personal humble opinion is above average, other than my GPA, which is a 3.78 Major Average, 3.51 overall.
For the essays, while at Oxford I wrote at least four drafts of each and my Stacy Blackman Consultant worked 1-on-1 with me to bring out my story.
From an extracurricular standpoint, I'm a former Division 1 decathlete on a National Championship track team, started my own non-profit with a Rhodes scholar that has mentored 45 low-income students nationwide in helping them get into the college of their choice, have worked for a few Congressmen and was an Assistant to an Ambassador in writing a book about Presidential Greatness.
The recommendations were very solid too- two page recs from people who know me very well and have close relationships with me- the Dean Emeritus of our Political Science Department and a 2006 Rhodes Scholar who I worked with 1-on-1 on the non-profit. The latter also helped in further drafting the rest of the application in its Final stages while here at Oxford- luckily we were in the same location at New College.
In the section of the application where I could add additional information I stated that I'll be taking the GMAT again in mid-July and sending the new score ASAP, because the 570 I feel is not a fair representation of my capabilities.
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While at Oxford, since I've exhausted all of the Practice Tests and Practice Problems on the Veritas Site, I've bought the Manhattan Online test bank and 6 GMAT CATs.
I think my Preparation has to be more comprehensive. I have not used the OG at all because I felt that computer questions were more skill-specific to the actual test (on a computer). This could be incorrect.
At this point I have 8 days until the test. Perhaps I've given myself less time than is ideal. However I am certain that increasing my score, even significantly, is a definite possibility.
In my opinion, based on the rest of the application, GPA and such, I feel that if I were to score above a 650 on the GMAT I'd have a very legitimate chance of getting in.
Any feedback on preparation for the next week would be appreciated very much. I have honestly given this my all and want to work smart AND hard, rather than just hard, which is most likely what I did last month.
Thank you Beat the GMAT!
SC
I'm a college Junior at a large State University. In May of 2008 a Professor approached me about applying to the new HBS 2+2 Program and I decided to drop a significant internship that I had confirmed for the first half of the summer prior to heading to Oxford University for the remainder of the summer. Currently as I type I'm at Oxford studying Shakespeare in order to finish up a double major in Political Science and English.
From the beginning I decided to put everything I have into becoming a successful applicant, and therefore took out a loan from Sallie Mae in order to receive the very best coaching and consulting prior to applying.
I began working with a Stacy Blackman Consultant in mid May and with Veritas Prep on May 21, in preparation for a June 21 test date.
Over the month period I worked very hard at learning the material. The first week I finished a book a day of the Veritas booklets. However in the second week I took a week break to attend a major conference in Washington D.C. Although I was able to meet Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John McCain, also watching Hillary's speech conceding her run in person, after returning I felt like this was a poor decision. However I got back on the horse.
I started my GMAT experience at a low point, as you can see. For the two weeks up until the application date I focused mostly on practice test after practice test, which in retrospect I'm evaluating.
GMATPrep 2008-05-20 31 28 500
VeritasPrep 2008-06-12 23 44 570
VeritasPrep 2008-06-14 34 41 610
VeritasPrep 2008-06-15 34 44 630
800score 2008-06-16 44 0 0
VeritasPrep 2008-06-17 27 28 510
VeritasPrep 2008-06-18 24 39 550
GMATPrep 2008-06-18 37 41 640
As you can see I hit 44 on each section in the 800Score test multiple times, but wasn't able to put the two together to achieve a 720.
The two Veritas tests prior to the GMAT Preptest at the end I felt like I was burned out from all of the Practice Testing I was doing daily and it showed.
Prior to test date I was confident nonetheless.
On the test date I arrived at the test at 7:15 am energized about a test that could potentially change my life.
With this in mind I killed the AWA using the Veritas Template Model, achieving a 6.0.
Official GMAT: 38Q/31V 570.
I turned out to be very nervous during the test, and think that I placed too much emphasis on the overall outcome on the test in relation to my getting into HBS. Perhaps the fact that the test was my first official and that I placed so much pressure on myself led to a lessened performance.
----------
My overall application to HBS otherwise, from a personal humble opinion is above average, other than my GPA, which is a 3.78 Major Average, 3.51 overall.
For the essays, while at Oxford I wrote at least four drafts of each and my Stacy Blackman Consultant worked 1-on-1 with me to bring out my story.
From an extracurricular standpoint, I'm a former Division 1 decathlete on a National Championship track team, started my own non-profit with a Rhodes scholar that has mentored 45 low-income students nationwide in helping them get into the college of their choice, have worked for a few Congressmen and was an Assistant to an Ambassador in writing a book about Presidential Greatness.
The recommendations were very solid too- two page recs from people who know me very well and have close relationships with me- the Dean Emeritus of our Political Science Department and a 2006 Rhodes Scholar who I worked with 1-on-1 on the non-profit. The latter also helped in further drafting the rest of the application in its Final stages while here at Oxford- luckily we were in the same location at New College.
In the section of the application where I could add additional information I stated that I'll be taking the GMAT again in mid-July and sending the new score ASAP, because the 570 I feel is not a fair representation of my capabilities.
------------------
While at Oxford, since I've exhausted all of the Practice Tests and Practice Problems on the Veritas Site, I've bought the Manhattan Online test bank and 6 GMAT CATs.
I think my Preparation has to be more comprehensive. I have not used the OG at all because I felt that computer questions were more skill-specific to the actual test (on a computer). This could be incorrect.
At this point I have 8 days until the test. Perhaps I've given myself less time than is ideal. However I am certain that increasing my score, even significantly, is a definite possibility.
In my opinion, based on the rest of the application, GPA and such, I feel that if I were to score above a 650 on the GMAT I'd have a very legitimate chance of getting in.
Any feedback on preparation for the next week would be appreciated very much. I have honestly given this my all and want to work smart AND hard, rather than just hard, which is most likely what I did last month.
Thank you Beat the GMAT!
SC
and scarter it was an interesting analysis..
