GMAT Prep - Books/Classes Worth It?

dshin525:

I asked a good friend who went to Wharton how he studied when i was getting ready to take it. The 1st time he took it, he under 600. He took a condensed course and some self study. The 2nd time around, he took a couple weeks off and just did practice problems over and over every day from 9-5, like it was his job. He scored 740 or 760 and got accepted to Wharton. I took his approach...took a week off, and just did problem after problem for 5 straight days. The more problems i did, it seemed like i was training my brain to think differently and it got to a point where even before i finished reading the problem, i had a good idea as to what the answer was going to be. So M-F practice problems...Sat didnt do anything, and Sun took a practice exam from mba.com Scored a 690. Not the greatest I know. Had I studied for a few more days, maybe I would have done better. But it got me into where I wanted to go.

& where is that? (curiosity)

I used the Veritas Prep online lectures (self-paced, not live) and their study guides. I believe it cost $500. They did help me out a lot. Yes, it sucks to pay that much but you have to think about it as part of the investment in the whole B-school price. It's a very, very expensive ordeal nowadays. Good luck!

I took the two practice tests that you get for signing up, plus a free veritas practice test to get you to pay them. Didn't study much more than that and got a 770.

Can't discuss the LSAT or MCAT, but the GMAT was not hard and not something that an intelligent person should have to prep thoroughly for.

Only remotely hard part is data sufficiency questions given how meta they are.

If you remember 8th grade math and know grammar and the fact that correlation != causation, you will do fine.

Appreciate the help so far. How important is the GMAT in terms of admissions? I know that if you get a 175+ on the LSAT, you can go to pretty much any top 10 Law School. Also, read some quick reviews and am deciding between Veritas Prep Books (not the live course) or GMAT Pill. Anyone know the Pros and Cons of each?

online resources are more than sufficient

I would get a $50 general prep book plus the GMAC Official Guide, put like two weeks in and see where you are on a test that comes with the prep book and see if you feel self study could work for you. If you are nowhere near where you want to be then sign up for a course. This way you don't blow $500 finding out that self study isn't great for you and then have to pay $1200 on top of that for a course. Then if you feel like self study could work for you then get the Veritas or buy the Manhattan GMAT book set.

Honestly though, in the grand scheme the extra $600 for the course isn't that much. You are prob going to spend $500 taking the test twice, each app is $250 and the cost of the program is obviously way more...

I highly recommend Manhattan GMAT, especially if you are not quite there on the Quant. It took me from mid 600's to low/mid 700's which can be the difference from keeping you out and allowing you to get in. If you go the course route go with these guys.

As for your question about how important the test is, as someone above said a low score can keep you out but a great score won't get you in. That being said you need a decent score though so put the time in and check off that piece.

^^^ Really good advice by the guys above. GMAT is a litmus test. Bad score can destroy you.

Def agree about some self prep before dropping hundys on anything. You might score a 700+ right now in your sleep. After a month of studying, I realized that I needed significant help.

Received a msg to respond to this thread.

As far as resources, we recommend a 2-pronged approach: 1) Official Guide to the GMAT 2) GMAT Prep software downloaded from mba.com (computer adaptive)

We recommend sticking to these sources for the most realistic types of questions you'll actually see on your exam.

rmahal, we're glad you are considering the GMATPill course. To help you decide, make sure you watch some of the sample videos on our site. If you like them, then you'll definitely like what's inside. Just make sure it fits your learning style.

There aren't too many good resources on reading comprehension---here are some teasers you may like: http://www.gmatpill.com/practice-questions-explanations-gmat-prep/gmatp…

I wouldn't necessarily say doing well on the SAT = doing well on the GMAT. The math is more reasoning and less calculations. The verbal focuses more on sentence structure and logic. The types of people who take the SAT are a bit different from those who take the GMAT. You can read more about the differences here: http://www.gmatpill.com/about-the-gmat/gmat-vs-sat/

"A low score can keep you out but a great score won't get you in" -- that's right. You don't want to screw up and you also don't want to spend way too much time studying. That's why efficiency is key.

For busy professionals like yourselves, it's all about maximizing effectiveness in the little time you do have free. Study less. Score more. : )

Hi rmahal,

While everyone has his or her own style and approach for preparing for the GMAT, I recommend a formal class or private tutor of some kind. Beyond the curriculum, a key benefit of a class is the discipline it provides. Between classes, homework, and practice tests, you are likely to make the GMAT a part of your daily routine and gain the practice that you need. Because the test is taken on a computer in a strange environment, practice and familiarity with the test is crucial. You should allow about two months for prep, and ideally you will not be distracted by essays and other aspects of the process during that time. All in all, two to three months is a fair amount of time to budget for the GMAT, when you consider study, first attempt, and then possible restudy and retake. Having that out of the way when you work on the application is a big bonus, so try to schedule all of this during the first half of the calendar year, during your “candidacy” phase.

Hope this was of help.

Cheers,

Conrad and the Stacy Blackman Team

@OP:I would wager that most people who scored 170+ on the LSAT did so without spending a grand(let alone two) on a course.

The response on this topic has been really helpful. Just purchased the Official GMAT Guide two days ago and I'm going to attempt self-study for two weeks, just to get an idea of where I'm at. If I don't see significant improvement, then I'll reevaluate and see where to go for additional studying. Thanks again everyone.

Manhattan books and OG

Yup. Thats all you need. the manhattan books and the OG guide. Worth every penny

ManhattanGMAT also offers a class in NY and Boston. I took the Boston class at 140 Clarendon in Copley square last year. It was pretty good.

i'll just go ahead and concur - i used the og, nothing more, nothing less

I used Manhattan GMAT guides and the OGs exclusively. If you're good at teaching yourself concepts through reading, this will be plenty sufficient.

What about Power Score? I used it for the LSAT and thought it was excellent. How does it stack up?

another vote for mgmat books + OG

Also agree - the Manhattan GMAT books were the best for prep. If you know you are the type of person that needs a structured system, I'd recommend signing up for one of their courses (in person or online is pretty much the same from my understanding). You'll likely get the most of the books that way. This all depends on how much time you have given yourself to prep. Good luck!

What does OG stand for? Online guide? Or is it th official guide book?

The official guide sorry

OG+Manhattan

heres the link for OG, you want this along with the green and blue (quant and verbal)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470449748?ie=UTF8&tag=timtee-20&linkC…

Thank you all will let you know about my score in few months!

Looking for some clarification...When you guys say Manhattan GMAT and the OG books do you recommend going through both sets or either set as a stand alone guide? Do they mostly overlap with their content or complement each other well?