GMAT tomorrow morning!

[xyxysdaddy]

When I took my first dry CAT exam about six months ago, I scored a dismal 530. The program I'm applying to is a dual program offered in a distance learning environment, but 530 simply would not cut it. My preparations were done using the 15 book set of Veritas Prep books, and while my verbal has always been much stronger than my quantitative, I did still utilize the written topics offered. After a quick run through of the Arguments and Math Essentials books, I tested at 540--I realized at that point I wasn't taking things seriously enough. Allowing the kids to climb on me like a jungle gym, and not deciding to test until about 20 minutes before testing, beer in hand....just didn't add up.

At that point I shifted gears, hit the Veritas prep hard for about two months, and then I picked it up to gazelle like intensity for the past month, taking three CAT exams during that time span. I'm happy to say that for my past three CAT exams my scores were 620, 620, and 630.

Tomorrow morning I'm sitting for the exam at 8am, and I am feeling quite confident, though not cocky. I'll report my results afterward. I credit where I'm at to the Veritas books and a lot of discipline and hard work. I get annoyed when I see people write about wanting to jump 100 points in a week thanks to some miracle. If you want to jump 100 points, you need to bust your butt and invest a lot of time.

[RyanJW]

Best of luck to you tomorrow! Hope your studying pays off. Look forward to hearing the results.

[xyxysdaddy]

Thank you. It's taken a lot of discipline to avoid the books this weekend, just trying to relax. I feel like at this point as long as I put up 6-something I should be good to go.

[xyxysdaddy]

Well, GMAT was this morning and here is my feedback:

• Overall score was a 570.
  I was really gunning for a 6-something.

From my practice tests and my mental preparation, I do believe that it was a case of just not showing up on game day--something unlike me.

Something I really do want to touch on for the benefit of others...while my quant score was very similar to what I've been hitting on my Manhattan practice tests, my verbal (far and away my strong suit) was a full 20% off what my lowest practice score was. I did feel going through the test that it was insanely challenging in comparison to what all of the CAT exams prepared me for.

All of this said, I was coming into this with the GMAT as the final puzzle piece for admission into my top choice program. My belief this morning was that so long as I do not blow the exam (ie 520 range or lower) the rest of my admission portfolio will see me in. The school told me afterward that they'll submit my file and we'll see, but they sounded confident.

I will let everybody know at that point.