considering a tutor... is it worth it??

[karenmeow]

im considering getting a tutor.. but is it really worth it?? its so expensive! i took the kaplan course, but ive been scoring 580-590 consistently on their practice tests (even the diagnostic)

i scheduled my test for july 30th and now im worried!!!!

what do you guys think?

[wawatan]

i think you should call gmat center to postpone your test. it only cost 50 dollars. if you feel you aren't ready, most likely you arent' if you are only scoring that on kaplan test, you can still score well on the real thing assuming you did everything in timed condition. hiring a tutor is expensive but if you can afford it go ahead. your learning curve will be much faster with a tutor. you should hire someone who have taken the gmat and score above 700. i think manhattan gmat have private tutors. you can also check craigslist (if you are in america).

[Ian Stewart]

First, don't trust the scores you get from company diagnostic tests. Do the closest thing to the real thing- the GMATPrep tests that you can download for free from mba.com. These are real GMATs, with retired questions. If your score on GMATPrep comfortably exceeds your target score, you'll likely be fine on your real test, just as long as you continue with a focused review of the material. If your GMATPrep score is low, tuition can be very beneficial, just as long as you can find a good tutor. Private tutoring is expensive, and some tutors are much better than others; a bad tutor will not be worth the money, but a good tutor should be able to help you to make a remarkable improvement to your score. Just be aware that you will also need to do quite a bit of work on your own- hiring a tutor is not enough. I've given some advice about finding a good tutor on the webpage in my signature below, in the 'About GMAT' section, which you might find helpful. Good luck!

[lunarpower]

if you find yourself a good tutor, with experience, knowledge, and flair - and if you prepare for the sessions, as described below - the sessions will be well worth the investment.

in any case, though, it's essential that you prepare for your tutoring sessions. you can maximize the value of each session by doing the following:
* provide the tutor ahead of time (if possible) with a brief overview of your biggest strengths and weaknesses.
* come ARMED WITH QUESTIONS - the more specific, the better. bring examples of problems with which you've had trouble.
* bring LISTS of items you'd like to cover, so that you and the tutor can set a tentative schedule of items for the allotted time. a good tutor can find a great many takeaways and connections in a single problem, so it's essential that you discuss ahead of time how much material you'd like to discuss in how much time.

good luck.