Taken all MGMAT CATs, been struggling to do well, retaking

[akritidokania]

Hi,

I gave the GMAT a year ago and got 590. I retook it last week I got 680.

The schools I am targeting need 750 and up (I also want to get that)

I am planning to retake it in a month since I am applying this year.

I need help, I feel stuck with what should i prepare with.
I got (Q49, 32V) in the original GMAT.

My CR is really bad and I am getting better at SC, but really I need to work hard on these. I am doing error logs and I have already consumed all the MANHATTEN GMAT CATs, are there more I could use?

I definitely am going through and mastering every question in Manhattan tests and seeing my weaknesses, but with all this I need test prep too because 700s can become tough

Please help!
Thanks,
Akriti

[StaceyKoprince]

I am not aware of a single school that requires a 750, let alone higher. Which schools are you talking about?

A 750 by definition is so high that only 2% of test-takers score that well. Any school requiring that wouldn't have very many applicants...

Next, most people would need much more than a month to go from 680 to 750+. (Congratulations on your 680, by the way!) I have seen people study 6 months to a year (and still not necessarily make it to 750+).

So the first thing we need to straighten out is the goal score. If you really need 750+, then you're going to need to give yourself more time. If you don't really need 750+, then let's figure out what you really do need.

You may also want to have a conversation with an admissions consultant. Some people think that, because some part of their application is below average, they can offset this with a higher GMAT score, but it doesn't typically work that way. Once you get above 700, most schools just say "Okay, you can handle the work! Now we're going to take a look at the rest of your application."

Your quant score is 81st percentile and it's the higher of your two scores. If you're going to hit 750+, you have to hit 51 on quant (you have to hit a top score on either quant or verbal to reach 750+).

Your verbal score is 65th percentile, so most of your work will need to come on that side, regardless of whether your eventual goal is 750+ or something like 700 or 720.

To figure out what to study for quant and verbal, I need some more in-depth analysis of your weaknesses.

First, read these two articles:
https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/inde ... lly-tests/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... -the-gmat/

Was that your mindset while taking the test? Were you studying in the ways described? If not, what do you need to do differently?

Next, use the below to analyze your most recent MGMAT CAT (this should take you a minimum of 1 hour):
https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/inde ... ts-part-1/

Figure out your strengths and weaknesses as well as what you think you should do based on all of that analysis. Then come back here and tell us; 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!)

Don't worry about taking more CATs now. You've got the data. Use it to figure out what you need to study. Then we can talk about how to do more CATs to assess your progress.

[akritidokania]

Great,

Thanks Stephanie.

I have been doing couple of things:
1. For Quant - I know I have to hit a quant score of 51 and I need to work on probability and absolute values. I also need to work on work problems and get quicker at solving problems. I also sometimes see my self getting caught up in details and don't move ahead in sense of time but I haven't had major timing issues. Over the weekend I am sitting down and jotting down my weaknesses if I dont have a way to share the excel sheet with you.

2. For verbal I have been having some issues with SC, but getting better. But for CR - I am really bad at keeping my focus.

I am attaching my Plan for gmat excel sheet (I tried I couldn't :(). IT has two tabs at the bottom. One my schedule and the other my error log.

You could get a peek into my gmat work.

For schools I am targeting Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Sloan (for now)

I have been talking to alum of these schools as well as talking to admits of this year and they all recommend having a score of 730 -770 for sure.

I work well with overarching goals and reaching a middle ground. That is just how I work and it has worked well for me.

In addition to that, while I was giving my exam I did feel I was losing focus and had to re-read some CRs and RC again just because I couldn't concentrate.

Thanks for all those articles. Going to read them now.

I couldn't attach my excel sheet - could you suggest, how I can share that with you?

[StaceyKoprince]

The schools you listed do have average scores in the low 700s - but remember what "average" means. Not everyone who was admitted has scores at or above the average, right? :)

That's not to say that you shouldn't go for a really high score, but be aware that no school requires that. In fact, by definition, many people with scores lower than 720 are getting into these schools, too. If you tell yourself you have to get 750+, you're ratcheting the stress up so high that you might fail just from that! It's a lot better to think "I'm going to go for a 700+, and if I can get to 750, I'll be ecstatic!"

We won't download and open any files for security reasons - but, actually, you shouldn't be sending me all of the data anyway. Once you've done your analysis, synthesize it. Then tell me, for example, "I've got a timing problem, as evidenced by A, B, and C (cite some data points) and I plan to do X, Y, and Z in order to fix it." I'll then tell you whether I agree with your analysis and your plan and also tell you anything else I think you should do. :)

[A private tutor would look through everything for you - so if you do feel you need more support, that's one option. I'll just let you know that I also make my private tutoring students do their own analysis as I do my analysis; then, we get together to discuss what we both found. You learn a lot more when you figure things out for yourself.]

The verbal section is the last section, so think about how you're spending your mental energy on the earlier sections, especially IR and quant. Because you need to have enough mental energy left to last you through verbal, there are times when the best decision is to let an IR or quant question go, with that eventual verbal section in mind.

eg:

I also sometimes see my self getting caught up in details

That might not cause major timing problems, but it is using up your limited mental energy. Really think about the trade-offs as you spend your mental energy - it's a finite resource.

Even if you're going for a 51 on quant, you still won't answer everything correctly. One of my students recently guessed outright on 4 questions and still scored 51 on quant. (And I'm sure she didn't just get lucky on all 4 - plus I'm sure she had other questions wrong as well.)

This article can help:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... you-crazy/

You can also work on stamina while you're studying. Plan out what you're going to do over a 2-hour period. Then GO for 1 hour, no stopping, no checking email, no getting up for something to eat, etc. Take a 15 minute break, then GO again for 1 hour. Then take a more substantial break.

(Note: I'm specifically NOT recommending that you do what I just described for 3-4 hours. It's actually *more* mentally taxing to study than to take a test, because when you're studying, you're trying to create new memories, not just access old ones.)