Should You Retake the GMAT?

Many people ask me whether they should retake the GMAT. I do not want to sound as if I don't have confidence in them and so I end up telling them that they can certainly improve it. And almost always I end up helping them personally with my time and effort. But if you do not have such a support system you might wanna reconsider that decision.
In order to benefit people who are in such a dilemma, and not a good one, I am writing this article which will help you take a stand on this tough question.

Read it at my website. Retaking the GMAT

I am sure it will help. Even if you are not in the same boat, you might wanna read it for so many reasons. Leave a comment or two!

Take care all. Once again the LINK

Tuck Admitted Students Weekend ASW

ASWome! Just came back from Tuck School of Business, University of Dartmouth in Hanover NH. And everything I have heard about Tuck is so true! And things I never heard about Tuck are so overwhelming too! Seriously guys I now know why B School Applications are so important. Because they know their stuff man. More than me, the adcom guys know that I am gonna be a great fit in their school. It was two days of immense fun, knowledge and caring. First thing you feel about Tuck is that everyone is so caring and so super helpful. It sounds cliched but thats how it is. They are all so passionate. I mean if you are not sure about Tuck, they are completely gonna rewire your brain. The place is like a Robert Frost's poem. The school looks as if it is a beacon of knowledge. The whole thing is fantastic. Nestled in the idyllic Hanover, it's a gem of a school.

And I don't know why no one hears so much about Tuck, when it is the best School in terms of placement and jobs. I am not kidding, it IS. Go check. Everyone gets a job, great jobs. Even in recession, everyone here was happy. People have 3 jobs with super awesome pays. The alum network is fantastic! I mean fantastic.

I will write more about it, the whole thing. Too tired after two days of driving around, drinking beer, attending sessions, lectures, events, dance parties, international lunches, student hosted dinners, etc etc :D

I am so sure that I am going to Tuck. And hell they even have financial aid without a cosigner now!!! Fantastic!

Making a timeline for your GMAT to B-School Journey

Before you start your GMAT preparation, you MUST have a timeline. Basically a good time to start the GMAT preparation is the start of the year. I will tell you why!

Let’s work backwards. Eventually you will have to apply to a B-School. Let’s say you are an international applicant, you must apply no later than Round 2. Now you would ideally want to apply in Early Decision Rounds or Round 1, and keep a few backup schools in Round 2. This translates to deadlines around Oct 1st to Oct 15th for the first set of applications. Now I am an expert on Applying to B-schools (that’s a different story!) and I know that even for the best writers, it takes around 2 months to write a good set of essays. But to make them great, plus filling out those lengthy forms, managing your transcripts, supporting documents and constantly poking your recommenders will add another 1 month to your timeline.

Now that means July, August and September are consumed in applying for the October Deadlines. Now you may like it or not, many people have to retake the GMAT and so keep that 1 Month buffer in your plan. That takes care of June too. BTW you cannot retake the GMAT within one month of your last attempt. So that’s why the 1 month buffer.

So that leaves you with 5 months. An average student takes around 3 months to prepare. All my students who have prepared gave the tests before May end. Now this may have started making you anxious. So now you see why I ask you to start early! So anyway, the point is you should start your preparation in full blow by March so that you have a good time line. But use that time in Jan and Feb to see what you are up against.

10 tips for your GMAT that actually help

Whatever you do, whichever way you plan your studies, however long is your timeline, there are a couple of things you MUST keep in mind. These 10 points are my most repeated ones whenever I am giving advice or sharing my experience.

1. Take a test date: After dabbling with the idea of GMAT for a maximum of one week, take a diagnostic test and based on that take a test date. It may be 2 months later, 3 months later, but you HAVE to take a test date to stay motivated and on track.
2. Read the best books: I cannot stress this enough. It's actually very obvious: you save time, you learn only correct stuff, you do not waste time and energy over whelming yourself. So only get the highly recommended bare essentials except if you have special needs with a particular topic or section.
3. Have your Basics strong: Give time and effort in strengthening your basics. It's a fixed cost you incur, but the foundation has to be strong to capitalize on it. It's not just about GMAT. When you get into a B-school, you will need these concepts again. You don't just want a shallow, short-term knowledge base. So before solving problems it's always a good idea to study that topic from a trusted source.
4. Practice / Study daily: No brainer. To be consistent in your performance and build a good stamina for the exam you have to practice daily as if it's the last day of your prep. Practice as if you are taking the actual test. Give your best in every problem, every line of the book.
5. Take atleast 10 mock tests: Anything fewer is not going to be a true representative of your preparation. So if you want to have a fair idea of your final score, take no more than 10. 2 GMAT prep + 4 Kaplan + 2 Princeton/Manhattan maybe.
6. Do not rely solely on Mock Test Scores: They are not correct most of the times. I recommend relying on your accuracy levels for a fairer judgment.
7. Keep 1 Month in case you have to retake GMAT: Try for the best, prepare for the worst. Even after lots of hard work, sometimes people fail. That doesn't mean you give up. Get back and retake it. But space that 1 month before the application season which starts around June. So keep that buffer.
8. Have a reasonable goal: Don't under or over assess yourself. There are things which might be stopping you from getting your dream score, but you should figure that out in that 1 month. After that, it's just an excuse. If your goal is a 720, make sure there no major glitches toward getting that number. There is no point analyzing after you have screwed up; well there is, but it's always better to do that before the exam.
9. Get the help when you need it: If you get stuck, get help right away. No point waiting for something to happen. Get help, ask people, get the impediments out of the way as soon as you encounter them.
10. Stay healthy: It's weird but you won't believe how many times people say that they screwed up because they were on medication. Stay fit. Stay positive. Live healthy. Take out time for hobbies, fun activities. GMAT does not mean 2 months of jail. Have a good life, balanced life. Enjoy the journey.