GMAT preparation

catalyst · #1 07-31-2007, 12:01 AM

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

mrclean368 · #2 07-31-2007, 11:14 AM

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.

Misfire · #3 08-01-2007, 01:35 AM

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.

GoldenBears · #4 08-01-2007, 02:19 AM

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.

hamburgerHELMUTh · #5 08-01-2007, 11:29 PM

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.

hanster · #6 08-01-2007, 11:40 PM

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.

hamburgerHELMUTh · #7 08-01-2007, 11:49 PM

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)

lennytheduck · #8 08-02-2007, 07:54 PM

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.

schaef · #9 08-03-2007, 02:12 PM

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.

cata1yst · #10 08-05-2007, 08:17 PM

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