Hi,
I have been working for the last 3 years since I graduated from college. I am trying to make it to the 2nd round of applications for the top 4 b-schools in the US. My lack of experience when compared to the other counterparts applying to these 4 schools will need me to be fairly competitive on my GMAT.
I procured the Guided Self Study Plus few days ago. This is my first shot at GMAT, and I am aiming for a score above 730 on my official exam that I would need to take around last week of Nov, or first week of Dec.
Here are a few questions: (Some of them might come off vague: Sorry!!: Any suggestions would be appreciated)
1. Am I over my head, and have not gauged the amount of time left to accomplish this task?
2. I found the Syllabus_Overview-10_week_Self-Study.pdf as well as the Study Organizer (excel 2003). Is the study organizer just a descriptive form of the pdf file?
3. If I follow the Study Organizer; does it cover ALL the problems in the 8 strategy guides and the 3 Official guides? The reason I asked this is I noticed EXTRA in the week
column. Would 10 weeks of the guide prepare me for the target score or is the EXTRA section very critical and I need to try to accomplish that too in the next 10 weeks?
4. Since I am working full time, what is the approximate time/week I would need to dedicate to follow the Study Organizer for the next 10 weeks?
5. Other than following the Study organizer, are there any other suggestions that would help me achieve my goal in the next 10 weeks?
Thanks!
GMAT Forum
2 postsPage 1 of 1
- StaceyKoprince
- ManhattanGMAT Staff
- Posts: 9361
- Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2005 9:05 am
- Location: Montreal
Most people feel like their in over their heads on this exam. :)
Most people study for between 2 and 4 months, with 3 months about the average. It typically takes longer if you're going for an extra-high score (as you are) - but that also depends on your starting score. (One of the first things you do should be to take a practice test to determine your strengths and weaknesses right from the start.)
The study organizer includes everything from the syllabus and also includes additional stuff. The syllabus includes all of the major stuff that you really should do. The study organizer includes absolutely everything that you possibly could do. I usually tell my students to follow the syllabus (in terms of what to do) and to use the study organizer just to track what you do - but don't worry about doing all of the extra stuff in the study organizer.
The syllabus covers all 1,400 questions in the 3 OG books (and, therefore, the study organizer also covers them).
The amount of time you need to study depends a bit on how much of a score improvement you're trying to earn. Most of my students study for between 10 and 20 hours a week outside of class. I generally recommend studying 1.5 to 2 hours max on work days and one or two 2-hour study sessions on week-ends. (And no study session on the day you attend class - or, in your case, watch a class.)
Pay special attention to the "how to study" strategy lesson taught in class #2 - it's critical that you study in the most effective way to make sure you maximize your learning. The strategy lesson includes 10 questions you should ask yourself as you're studying a particular problem.
Also, use the resources here to help you! It does take a little while to get answers to your questions because the forums are free and we get a lot of traffic - but you will get an answer eventually.
Good luck!
Most people study for between 2 and 4 months, with 3 months about the average. It typically takes longer if you're going for an extra-high score (as you are) - but that also depends on your starting score. (One of the first things you do should be to take a practice test to determine your strengths and weaknesses right from the start.)
The study organizer includes everything from the syllabus and also includes additional stuff. The syllabus includes all of the major stuff that you really should do. The study organizer includes absolutely everything that you possibly could do. I usually tell my students to follow the syllabus (in terms of what to do) and to use the study organizer just to track what you do - but don't worry about doing all of the extra stuff in the study organizer.
The syllabus covers all 1,400 questions in the 3 OG books (and, therefore, the study organizer also covers them).
The amount of time you need to study depends a bit on how much of a score improvement you're trying to earn. Most of my students study for between 10 and 20 hours a week outside of class. I generally recommend studying 1.5 to 2 hours max on work days and one or two 2-hour study sessions on week-ends. (And no study session on the day you attend class - or, in your case, watch a class.)
Pay special attention to the "how to study" strategy lesson taught in class #2 - it's critical that you study in the most effective way to make sure you maximize your learning. The strategy lesson includes 10 questions you should ask yourself as you're studying a particular problem.
Also, use the resources here to help you! It does take a little while to get answers to your questions because the forums are free and we get a lot of traffic - but you will get an answer eventually.
Good luck!
Stacey Koprince
Instructor
Director, Content & Curriculum
ManhattanPrep
Instructor
Director, Content & Curriculum
ManhattanPrep
2 posts Page 1 of 1