GMAT preparation
 

Hey guys,

Just looking to see if anyone has specific advice on how to prepare for the GMATs, methods of studying, best to study, what material to use, etc. I will not be taking them for awhile so I have plenty of time to prepare.

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated. If you want any more information just ask!

I checked the Search but apparently this hasn't been brought up in s/l yet.

Thanks!
Bill

Re: GMAT preparation
 

I'm preparing for it now, I just bought a Kaplan book (2008 premier edition). I plan on taking it in about a month or so. It will be a challenge for me since I'm going back for my MBA 10 years after undergrad. It seems pretty good for what I need. The customer reviews on amazon (07 version) are pretty mixed. With the book you get a cd rom with practice tests and online membership for 6 months.

Re: GMAT preparation
 

I'd take a GMAT class. There's a lot I teach about getting around the content of the test (like doing the math without actually doing the math). It's a fairly predictable test if you've got someone to teach you the patterns it follows.

Re: GMAT preparation
 

I'm taking a class right now... I started studying a week ago and I am taking it on August 15th so I had to get a private tutor from Princeton Review to cram my studying into so little time. Plus, I scored a 750 on the practice test so I figured the general classes would go to slowly anyway and I would get more value out of a tutor.

What area are you in? When are you applying? What are your target schools? How strong is the rest of your application? I would definitely recommend studying hard, but whether or not you take a class/hire a tutor is dependent on a lot of different things... I can help you out more with more specific info.

The PR tutor is going well and it's only $1600 for 16 hours, which is almost the same exact cost as a 32 hour class - ask yourself which one you will get more value out of, or whether it's even worth it to pay for a class.

Also, I am in college and I am going to try to apply directly out of undergrad, so the odds are stacked against me pretty hard so I am really counting on a 770+ score to help even out my mediocre GPA/lack of experience... on the other hand people with tons of work experience and credentials and/or great grades/degrees are less reliant on high scores.

Re: GMAT preparation
 

I bought both the Kaplan books, the regular and the GMAT 800.

Studied on and off for 4 weeks I think, did a few practice test off the gmac website and from the kaplan books.

My strategy was to immediately identify any weaknesses I had, and then correct them.

Ended up with 780. I don't think that most people need the courses, only if you aren't good at independent learning. I have terrible discipline and did well.

Re: GMAT preparation
 

780? o.O What school did you end up going to? I thought a ~700+ with a good GPA and a great three or four years in big corporation will get you in top 10 and anything better gets you in the top tier?

i was about to start a thread on getting an MBA after several years out and their experiences. Might as well do it here.

Re: GMAT preparation
 

I'm starting at Notre Dame with close to a full fellowship. I got rejected at University of Chicago which was my first choice, and a couple of other schools.

Reasons I suspect led to my rejections:
My GPA was mediocre 73%
I'm Canadian
I haven't worked for a big corporation, most of my experience is entrepreneurial
I haven't worked in 18+ months (Poker)
I come from an Engineering background (don't know if this is positive or negative)
I'm only 26 (low end)

Re: GMAT preparation
 

That test is a joke. My buddy took a practice test the day before after being out of school for 3 years and scored in the 87th percentile. Just take it.

Re: GMAT preparation
 

Some people can just take it and crank out a 700+, as the actual content is really basic.

If that's not you, thoughtful preparation can yield great results. You'll probably hit a wall quickly if you just take practice tests over and over, but studying test patterns, identifying patterns in how/why you're getting specific question types wrong, etc... can really do wonders. FWIW, I do teach/tutor for one of the big prep companies. PM if you have any specific questions.

Re: GMAT preparation
 

Buy the Official Guide 11th Edition. This is the GMAT bible.