$1200 for a GMAT Review Course?

[SarahC07 0]

I've decided I want to go after a MBA. Fall application deadline is May 1st. I think I can round up everything fairly quickly, with the exception of my GMAT scores.

Should I drop $1200 on a GMAT review course that will end on April 22nd? Or should I buy a book and study on my own?

Or should I move to Hawaii and be a beach bum?

[pilotdave 0]

I'd start with a book like Kaplan and see how it goes. Comes with a CD with practice tests, so you can find out where you stand. I got lucky... before I studied, my school dropped the GMAT requirement.

The GMAT looked a lot harder than all my MBA classes combined.
Dave

[lawrocket 3]

Drop the scratch and take the class.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[BIGUN 1,068]

When I recevied my letter for grad school, it was conditional on an acceptable GMAT score. That GMAT score had to be completed within the first 12 hours of grad school and I was to be a probationary student until completion (plus they had some magical formula of GMAT score, overall GPA, GPA in your major times the number of posts you had with Prof. Kallend).

Before grad school started, it just so happened there was a GMAT test going on that spring and I thought, why not take it just the cost of the test fee, then see where my weaknesses are and study up or take a prep depending on how well I did and in what areas and then re-take it during the fall test. As it turns out, I scored high enough without any preparation at all. You might also check with the school, some of them have a different GMAT threshold for business and non-business undergrad majors (business grad majors being expected to score in a higher percentile).

Just planting a thought if you can take it to see how you might do before all the expense. It was challenging, but not scary so.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[VideoFly 0]

It depends on what the stakes are. If you will need a high score to enter a program or job, you might want to take the course. Oftentimes, it is not only what you know, but it is also your test-taking strategies that bring in the very high scores. Quality test courses teach you what to expect and how to approach problems. Many times, with the right strategies, you can deduce a correct answer that you might have missed without proper test preparation. While $1200.00 is a lot of money just to take a test, it is a small investment if a rewarding future depends on the score. In any case, you might want to shop around and make sure you are taking the best course for the best price. There are a lot of expensive but weak courses on the market.

[skydvr808 0]

I think it depends on which school you're applying to. If you're going for a top 10 school, it might be worth the investment as the admissions for these schools are highly competitive and a higher score may give you a competitive advantage. If not, I'd check the average GMAT score of the current student body and decide whether you can get by with just a Kaplan book.

[NWFlyer 2]

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I think it depends on which school you're applying to. If you're going for a top 10 school, it might be worth the investment as the admissions for these schools are highly competitive and a higher score may give you a competitive advantage. If not, I'd check the average GMAT score of the current student body and decide whether you can get by with just a Kaplan book.

If you're going for a top 10 school, forget about this year and get serious and reapply next year. You're far too late in the admissions cycle to bother. The classes are mostly full at this point. (Sorry, but that's the reality check here from someone who attended a top 10 school and has conducted interviews for one... the classes are primarily filled in the first two rounds of admissions, which are over by now for the top schools.)

As for the test, I agree with what others have said - buy a book, take a practice test, and see how you do. If your practice scores are coming up in an acceptable range for your target schools, screw the class. Or if you have the self-discipline to study by yourself using a test prep book, screw the class. Test prep is about learning the types of questions that are asked on a particular standardized test, then drilling yourself in those question types till you know how to do them in your sleep. If you have the discipline to do that yourself by buying a book or two save yourself the $1200.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[Remster 24]

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I think it depends on which school you're applying to. If you're going for a top 10 school, it might be worth the investment as the admissions for these schools are highly competitive and a higher score may give you a competitive advantage. If not, I'd check the average GMAT score of the current student body and decide whether you can get by with just a Kaplan book.

If you're going for a top 10 school, forget about this year and get serious and reapply next year. You're far too late in the admissions cycle to bother. The classes are mostly full at this point. (Sorry, but that's the reality check here from someone who attended a top 10 school and has conducted interviews for one... the classes are primarily filled in the first two rounds of admissions, which are over by now for the top schools.)

As for the test, I agree with what others have said - buy a book, take a practice test, and see how you do. If your practice scores are coming up in an acceptable range for your target schools, screw the class. Or if you have the self-discipline to study by yourself using a test prep book, screw the class. Test prep is about learning the types of questions that are asked on a particular standardized test, then drilling yourself in those question types till you know how to do them in your sleep. If you have the discipline to do that yourself by buying a book or two save yourself the $1200.

Actually, this year's class have already been filled for most if not all top schools. Warton, Harvard, etc all were sending the invitation letters in Jan-Feb. Who knows about the little schools like Duke ;-)

Sarah: which schools are you thinking of? Do a bit of research and find out what the average, and the range of GMAT scores were of the last couple years. This will give you an idea of what your goals are.

As a reference: I did mine last year by simply doing the online tutorial that came with registration (it a neat tool. PM me if you are curious about it), and had a decent score. I wasnt going to a top school so I didnt need a score in the 700s.

By comparaison, my boss was applying this year to the top schools. He did his GMAT 1st by only doing the tutorial, and got 700. He wanted more, so he studies A LOT (about 20 hours a week for 10 weeks, on top of work) and he was feeling very confident about it. He got 710 the next time... Still was good enough for Warton, as he got accepted there (but didnt get in at Harvard, Stanford, and NW; he doid get in somewhere else thoo.. cant remember which).

Being a white, North American male, he probably was on the very low end of the GMAT for being accepted. From talking to him, after he taled with a few people at Warthon, we was in deed on the cusp, and it was his essays that tiped him in.

Remster

[NWFlyer 2]

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Actually, this year's class have already been filled for most if not all top schools. Warton, Harvard, etc all were sending the invitation letters in Jan-Feb. Who knows about the little schools like Duke ;-)

Round 3 (final round) deadline was March 3.

You might find a Top 10 or 20 school that has a straggling deadline but you'd probably be throwing your money away at this point.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[Remster 24]

I re-read Sarah's post, and she does say the deadline for her school of choice is May 1st. I still say look into the averages, and ranges of scores for you rprogram, and do the free tutorial to gage where you are at.

Remster

[skydiver30960 0]

...and remember those two wonderful words: TAX DEDUCTION!

Elvisio "Takes the sting off, at least a little" Rodriguez

[SivaGanesha 2]

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Should I drop $1200 on a GMAT review course that will end on April 22nd? Or should I buy a book and study on my own?

Just as a data point--I took the GMAT about two weeks ago and scored 770 on combined verbal/quantitative and 6.0 on the analytical writing essays--and that was without any preparation at all. I'm not sure it is worth it to spend $1200 on a GMAT review course. Maybe you can take the test once very soon--it is offered pretty much daily and I think you can find a slot especially if you can go on a weekday--without sending the scores to any schools. That is a $250 investment rather than $1200 and should quickly establish what, if anything, needs to be improved on.

Good luck with your application SarahC07!!!

Thanks to NWFlyer for the info re the classes mostly being filled up now. I had been hoping to apply this year but I will only make the final round of applications now and it sounds like that is not a good bet. Plus it would be something of a rush job re getting references, etc.

Well at least the GMAT is done so I can focus on other parts of the application for next year. I think the scores are good for five years or so.

What other things do they look at in the admissions process besides GMAT scores? Looking over the application they seem to focus on a lot of things that weren't looked at when I applied for a PhD, for jobs, or for a green card.

"It's hard to have fun at 4-way unless your whole team gets down to the ground safely to do it again!"--Northern California Skydiving League re USPA Safety Day, March 8, 2014

[Remster 24]

If you scored 770, then you are in the top 0.5% os people taking the test, so I'm not too sure how representative your data point is!

Good job tho!
I think the score are actually good for 10 years with a special request, but yes, 5 years is the standard.

Quite a few schools have fairly standard admission essays they require. Others ask fairly personal and interesting questions. I think those essays play a pretty important role either if the rest of the application is average in helping (or hindering) the acceptance, or, if the essays are terrible, I wouldnt be surprised if they compromise an otherwise solid apoplication.

But, with 770, you pretty much have your pick of schools.

Remster

[SivaGanesha 2]

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Quite a few schools have fairly standard admission essays they require. Others ask fairly personal and interesting questions. I think those essays play a pretty important role either if the rest of the application is average in helping (or hindering) the acceptance, or, if the essays are terrible, I wouldnt be surprised if they compromise an otherwise solid apoplication.

Thanks! What I was getting at is that the application I started asks a lot about leadership roles held as an undergraduate, in graduate school, in the workplace, and outside the workplace. I'm wondering how important it is to have had such background.

"It's hard to have fun at 4-way unless your whole team gets down to the ground safely to do it again!"--Northern California Skydiving League re USPA Safety Day, March 8, 2014

[NWFlyer 2]

Here's my take on the application process (free, so take it for what it's worth ):

You don't have to have any particular background to get into a top school. Every applicant has a story. Figure out what yours is. Then figure out how to make sure that your entire application tells the story. That means that your essays, your interview, your recommendation letters, etc., all emphasize the same themes. Yes, you can have some influence on what your recommendation letters say, in fact, the folks you ask to write the letters will probably appreciate it if you sit down with them and talk through your goals for the MBA before you ask them to write the letter. Talk through why you want an MBA and what your story is, and say "these are the themes I'm emphasizing - would it be possible for you to use examples in the recommendation letter that help to reinforce that theme?" Writing those letters can be difficult - any help you give will probably be appreciated. And the more you help make your recommendation letters less generic and more specific, the more helpful and memorable they will be to the admissions committee.

Interviews matter to most top programs. Interviews matter a lot to certain programs and at some can be the thing that sways you if you're on the cusp of getting in or not. Know why you want an MBA, why you want it now (at this point in your life/career) and (most importantly) why you want it from that particular program. If you haven't done your homework on what differentiates that school from the others and why it's the right fit for you, your interview and essays aren't going to stand out.

Strong GMAT scores will definitely help you. But they're not the only thing you need. Think of the whole thing (scores, grades, work experience, interview, essays, and recommendations) as a package - if you can make the whole package stand out, you'll stand the best chance of rising above the crowd.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[skytash 0]

I bought a number of books and just had a very vigorous study schedule. The key to the GMAT is repetition. Make sure that you get yourself the books that come with CDs, like Kaplan and just keep doing them over and over again. There is an absolute limit that everyone reaches no matter how hard they study as a lot of it is about mental agility, how quickly can you re-focus on a verbal from a geometric problem etc. To really work on mental agility and improve it all you can do is train it and train it.

In the end I also got a higher GMAT score than I ever got when practicing at home and put that down to additional adrenaline focussing me more - a bit like that funny feeling as you climb out of the plane. I'm sure all skydivers are people who perform better under pressure considering we choose to put the pressure of being-dead-if-we-don't-act on ourselves by choice.

tash

edited to add: I should have considered that whole beach bum idea - why didn't I think of that??? Oh yes, British beaches are cold

Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

[ahegeman 0]

Go to MBA.com and download the practice tests written by the same people who write the real test. Take a look at your score and then decide if you need a lot of help, a little help, or none at all. I did that, decided my practice test score was good enough and saved myself a bunch of aggravation. My final score ended up being within 10 points of my practice test score, so I think the practice test is a pretty good representation. The practice test looks and feels just like the actual test. Its free and you won't have to waste $250 on it, not to mention potentially putting a lousy score on your score sheet that you'll be dragging around forever.

Here's a tip. Nobody really gives a shit about the writing score. A 4 is as good as a 6. Just don't get a truly lousy score on it. The essays are first. You should be able to finish them plenty easy. Don't sweat them and wear yourself out before the important part of the test - the verbal and math portions.

I see that you live in Houston. One option you may want to consider is a program offered by UT (Austin) McCombs School of business. Its a very good business school. They ship the professors down to Houston and you take classes every other Fri/Sat for 22 months. That still leaves plenty of time for fun on the other weekend, and lets you easily manage a full-time job. I'm doing the equivalent program that UT runs in Dallas, and I am very impressed. PM me if you'd like to know more. Might be a bit late to apply for this fall, though.

As an aside, I think its adorable when people just happen to have to mention how well they did, knowing full well its a fabulous score, but mention it casually as though its no big deal and anybody else could do it.

---------------------------------------------------------------
There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'.
--Dave Barry

[SarahC07 0]

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edited to add: I should have considered that whole beach bum idea - why didn't I think of that??? Oh yes, British beaches are cold

Heh, yeah - sometimes I wonder why I want to make myself work so hard...

[SivaGanesha 2]

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Here's my take on the application process (free, so take it for what it's worth ):
...

Thanks for the info, NWFlyer!!!

"It's hard to have fun at 4-way unless your whole team gets down to the ground safely to do it again!"--Northern California Skydiving League re USPA Safety Day, March 8, 2014