I need a sincere opinion on my case

[Kareem]

Hi,

I've just took the gmat a couple of days ago, and i've scored 570 (Q38 V30), although I've studied a lot and used many books; OG11, OG Quant, Manhattan SC, Kaplan premiere, Kaplan 800, Princeton, gmat math bible, ace the gmat, manhattan number properties & 800 score.com

I am feeling that i can really do much better than what im currently doing, but im not sure how.

Im seriously considering signing in one of those manhattan gmat online courses but given its extremely expensive prices, im not sure if i would get the jump i need or not (i.e. 700+), i'm afraid after registering i'll find the class starting something like this ("Okay, the gmat is a test which has basically 3 sections....etc.") In other words, i will really appreciate being in a class where people around me are just about the same background/score range. I dont want to be in a class where someone asks the very basic questions, like "Is the gmat paper-based or computer-based?". You know what i mean.


I know that i should now focus on my weak areas, but im so confused now, im not sure anymore what are my weak areas!? Or how to find them?

What do u sincerely suggest for me?


Thanks a lot in advance.

Kareem

[Guest]

Kareem,

I was in a similar position. I too bought all the same books. My suggestions:

1. It seems that you are too concerned with just hammering out problem after problem. Honestly, you do not need half of those books. You need to figure out what you are doing wrong. Also, make sure you are timing yourself on every question. It doesn't matter if you get the answer right, it's whether you can get it right in less than two minutes ( or near two minutes). It's about quality not quantity. Learn from your mistakes!

2. I too was skeptical about the online course. Actually, it did cost more than what I wanted but there were a few tips that have proved invaluable. Those few techniques in DS helped me tremendously. I was having problems finishing the real exam. During my last real exam, I had about five minutes to spare. There are a few people asking silly questions but overall, if you have the money to spare, go for itl

3. In my honest opinion, the best resources have been the manhattan GMAT books, the manhattan GMAT self-study plus, the OG books of course, and the GMAT Math and Verbal Bibles. Manhattan GMAT is great for fundamentals. The Math Bible's fundamentals are not that great. If you need a lot of 600-700 level questions this source is good. Also, if you have the money, buy the Challenge sets. Focus on these three resources and you will do fine.

Remember, quality over quantity. Study why wrong answers are wrong and make sure you know why you are getting a problem correct. Most importantly, use the timing materials and the OG tracker that comes with the Manhattan GMAT course. You need to simulate the exam as much as possible even with practice problems. Also, the tracker will let you focus on your weaknesses.

Just my opinion

Good luck

[GMAT Eater]

Kareem, Yes I recommend a MGMAT course.

MGMAT courses are geared mostly towards people around your score level.

Be forewarned, only you can improve your GMAT score. MGMAT can merely facilitate it.

Be prepared to put in long and frustrating hours. Nothing worth having comes easy, including a high GMAT score.

Hi,

I've just took the gmat a couple of days ago, and i've scored 570 (Q38 V30), although I've studied a lot and used many books; OG11, OG Quant, Manhattan SC, Kaplan premiere, Kaplan 800, Princeton, gmat math bible, ace the gmat, manhattan number properties & 800 score.com

I am feeling that i can really do much better than what im currently doing, but im not sure how.

Im seriously considering signing in one of those manhattan gmat online courses but given its extremely expensive prices, im not sure if i would get the jump i need or not (i.e. 700+), i'm afraid after registering i'll find the class starting something like this ("Okay, the gmat is a test which has basically 3 sections....etc.") In other words, i will really appreciate being in a class where people around me are just about the same background/score range. I dont want to be in a class where someone asks the very basic questions, like "Is the gmat paper-based or computer-based?". You know what i mean.


I know that i should now focus on my weak areas, but im so confused now, im not sure anymore what are my weak areas!? Or how to find them?

What do u sincerely suggest for me?


Thanks a lot in advance.

Kareem

[StaceyKoprince]

Thanks for your advice guys - it's always good for people to hear from other students, as I have an obvious bias in my answer (though I do try to remain as neutral as I can and I do believe that many people can meet their goals via self-study).

So, I do often start the "about the test" lesson during class 1 with "First you'll write two essays, then you'll do the quant section, then you'll do the verbal." Of course, by the end of that same lesson, we've also discussed the scoring algorithm in depth and the implications that has for your timing and all of the decisions tied to timing that you have to make as you take the test. Similarly, the first class starts with the basics of DS (what the five answer choices mean, AD/BCE, etc) but then that same lesson moves on to strategies that help you to better interpret what information you've been given and move through any DS problem more efficiently. We don't assume that everyone knows the order of the test sections or the DS answer choices before that first class starts - but we also don't assume that we have to spend 20 minutes discussing that info.

Actually, you can sit in on a first class for free, so instead of listening to me talk about something that I obviously like, why don't you just go sit in and see what you think for yourself? :) You can find the class schedules on our web site (click on the "free events" tab and look for "trial class" entries).

One of our self-study programs also allows you to view tapes of the classes instead of sitting in on a live class. You can move at your pace, so if you already know something, you can skip over it. (Though if you're generally not happy with your score now, I think it's better to watch everything and then decide what you want to use - because you might not even realize until you've seen a lesson that you were struggling with something!) This is less expensive than a live course, but you don't get interaction with the teachers (to ask questions), so you'll have to decide whether that drawback is worth the savings.