Second GMAT Strategy

[geenaojoseph]

Hi,

I took my GMAT on July 27th after about 6 weeks of full time preparations and scored only 660(Q48,V33).
My Gmat prep scores were:
1.Gmat prep1-680(Q47,V37)
2.Gmat prep2- 700(Q48,V38)

As you can see, Verbal totally let me down for the real game, this is particulary vexing because I finished the section with almost 1.30 mins to spare( the verbal questions were by no means of the 600 level, atleast according to Gmat prep questions)

I was really dumped seeing my verbal score , but have decided to not let it do so(Gmat may have won the battle, but the war is still on).

I would like to retake the gmat on Sept 15th as I am going on a pre-planned(unavoidable) three week trip.Would it be possible to improve my verbal score drastically (say to 40s) in such a short time. I understand that really depends on my efforts.

Last time I prepared I was literally in a GMAT cave- no social interactions , no shopping, nothing except on Sundays. I remember thinking I cant wait for this to be over. This time around, I want to do it more joyfully, rather than stressing myself out.

Would it be advisable to delay my second take till I am scoring in my desired range? If I retake around,say, 1 year from now, how would it reflect badly on me during the admission process?( I intend to apply only for Ivy league colleges,so aiming for a 750+)

Please advice on my retake startegy and share any tips on how to really improve verbal( please do suggest some verbal targeted courses if possible).

Thanks a ton,
Geena

P.S: I know I run the risk of getting a later reply, but had to add this- My first time preps where majorly based on MGMAT's 8 strategy guides, of which I extensively used the quant and SC,CR strategy guides. For RC, I make short notes as I read(trust this is what MGMAT advices), this has helped me tremendoulsy. For practise, I used OG13, Official Quant and Verbal review(2nd Edition).

Also,I had noticed that when I practiced on a certain weak area(say SC), my performance in a strong area(especially CR) would deteriorate. When I start focussing on reboosting my "strength", I notice that my weak area(usually SC) goes back again. Its like a trade-off, is there anyway I can progress into a consistently great performance across all sections.(<- this phenomena is specially true for me in the verbal section, I am a non-native Englist first language speaker).

Would appreciate any insight that you could share!

[StaceyKoprince]

First, 6 weeks is not much time. Second, 660 is a good score, not a bad one! I know you want a better score, but feel good about how far you've come already. :)

Next, improving your verbal from 33 to 40 is a jump from 68th percentile to 90th percentile. That will be a challenge in 4 weeks - some people might make it but most people would need more time.

Do you have to take it before your trip, because of deadlines after? Or are you just trying to get it out of the way so that you're not worried about it on your trip?

Here's your permission: you don't need to worry about this while you're on your trip, even if you take the test afterwards. It's okay to take a break, even a 3-week break. You'll need maybe a week to get back up to speed when you get back, but that's okay.

So here's what I'd recommend. Push yourself to do as much as you can before you leave for your trip. If it does happen to come together by then, great, you can take the test before you go. But if you need more time, you'll take a break and then give yourself more time when you get back.

I agree that you don't want to stress yourself out this time. This shouldn't be a full-time job - you actually won't learn as well when you try to do nothing but GMAT.

So, alternatively, do work between now and your trip, but don't even plan to take it till after, later this year sometime. I wouldn't wait a whole year just because you have made some good progress and you'll have to start all over if you wait a year. But you don't need to get it done in the next month.

Okay, so this is what I'd do if I were you. Study for the next month and see what kind of progress you can make on the verbal on your own. While you're on your trip, think about how that went. Are you able to push yourself enough on the verbal or do you need some outside help? If the former, great - keep going after your trip. If the latter, when you get back, look into some programs and sign yourself up for a class.

We don't have a class that focuses only on verbal. Most of the more reputable programs do both verbal and quant - but I think that's good because it'll help you keep up your quant skills. Plus, you could still learn more on quant! Most people like their stronger skill more, so you'll get re-energized when you study quant. :)

You could also work with a private tutor but that's really expensive.

If you'd like some more specific advice / resources, use the below to analyze your most recent MGMAT CAT(s):
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ice-tests/

Then come back here and tell us the results of your analysis and what you think you should do based on that analysis. We'll tell you whether we agree and advise you further. (Note: do share an analysis with us, not just the raw data. Part of getting better is developing your ability to analyze your results - figure out what they mean and what you think you should do about them!)

And read this:
https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/inde ... lly-tests/

and this:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... -the-gmat/