760 (Q49, V46)

[ursula]

Just wanted to add a footnote to this long thread:

I received my official acceptance today for the full-time MBA program at the John Molson School of Business (Concordia University) in Montreal, including a full tuition waiver

At the same time, I will also be doing GMAT teaching/tutoring for Veritas (see shameless plugs posting), so I'll continue to hang around these forums - although I'll probably need to cut back on the frequency and/or length of my posts

[bazooka76]

Congratulations Ursula!!! You have been a great help around here. Without doubt, you are sure to do a good job as an instructor and as an MBA student.

[mhd_obai]

Hi dear ursula
Hope u r well this is for you and other Guys..:



:o:o:o

[rxs0005]

U !!


congrats on a great score , I think getting a great score in GMAT is much enthralling than getting into a grrat B-school!!

I need some advice from all of you what is the best source for studying the below areas in Math: I jsut dont seem to get them!!

Probability / counting
Mixture problems
Velocity problems

thanks a lot

rxs0005

[nachi]

Hi Ursula!
Congrats for the great score!
I am a new entrant to this group. I have been preparing for the CAT-GMAT exam using the Kaplan course material. Inspite of a decent preparation, I have been getting a series of low scores in the Kaplan GMAT Tests.

I tried a Princeton GMAT test on Saturday and was surprised to get a score of 690!

I am confused. Not sure whether the Kaplan Tests are tough or my preparation is not upto the mark.

Please help!

Originally posted by ursula

Today was G-day, and I nailed it!
Quant 49 (90%), Verbal 46 (99%), Total score 760 (99%)

I don't usually use animated Smilies, but here they come...


Thanks, Erin, for hosting such a great forum, and thanks to all of you who've contributed your insights, frustrations, challenges and successes - you've been a great help!

I promise to put up a detailed post about my prep, strategy etc. tomorrow, but today I'm taking the rest of the day off to go snowboarding!!!

[ursula]

rxs0005:
I found the material at deltacourse.com useful for counting methods / probability. The cost is quite reasonable. Also, sign up for their free GMAT problem of the day email service - they offer good practice, and you get the solution the next day.

For velocity problems, you just need to know the basic formula (velocity = distance/time) and keep rearranging it to fit the specific problem. You'll get better at it as you practice more. Just make sure you understand all the explanations for these types of problem in the Official Guide. There are also a number of velocity problems in the Problem Solving forum here, but quite a few of those are more difficult than what you'll likely see on the GMAT. You may also find the Kaplan Math workbook useful (chapter 4 deals with Word Problems, including rate/velocity). If you have specific questions you don't understand, post them in the Problem Solving forum - somebody will usually respond quite quickly.

For mixture problems, it's not so much a question of remembering a specific formula. The trick with those is mostly to read the question attentively and then to attack it logically (for example, when you dilute a solution, all of the original ingredients are still in it - you've just lowered their concentration). Sometimes it helps to pick some numbers, and work your way through a mixture problem that way.

nachi:
Don't worry about the Kaplan scores. Their tests are good practice, but their scores tend to be demoralizing and are not a good predictor of the real thing - most people end up scoring 50-100 higher. (I'm pretty sure the Kaplan scoring is deliberately low to get people into their courses). Princeton scores tend to be closer. Have you done a PowerPrep test yet?

Keep reading this forum. You'll pick up a lot of useful stuff here. Also, if you don't have it already, get a copy of the Official Guide. Most people here (including myself) consider that to be the single most important resource.

[rxs0005]

Ursula,

thanks for your time and patience for replying to my query

rxs0005

[sdanquah]

Wonderful work ursula, you really deserve the score you had, After putting up all these hardwork, nothing befits you better that the 760 you had. I read a few of your math post and the solutions you gave. it gave me the clue that you are very bright and that you will succeed on the GMAT.
I am planning to take the GMAT.y only concern has always been RC. how did you study for the reading comprehension. I believe i am not the only one who is finding problem with the reading comprehesion passages in GMAT exams. Any strategy here and there for us to follow.

thanks

[ursula]

This question keeps coming up, so at the risk of repeating myself, here’s an executive summary of various RC tips I’ve given on these forums and in private emails:

For RC, it helps to simply do a lot of reading, particularly using subject matter in an unfamiliar field (e.g. social science, politics etc. if you're a "techie"). Read for understanding, don't just skim. Make sure that after a first reading you can identify the SCOPE of the passage (subject matter, and which particular aspect of that subject matter the author addresses), the TONE (reveals the author's bias), and the author's MAIN POINT (to what conclusion is he trying to lead the reader?)
It’s important to understand that GMAT reading is DIFFERENT from normal reading. Most of us usually read for two reasons: 1) for enjoyment, or 2) to learn something. GMAT RC does not fit into either of these categories. In fact, you can forget everything about a passage the instant you hit the "Next" button after the last question for a passage.

Some specific stragies to improve RC performance:

1) Don’t skim. Read to understand at a fairly high level (but not with the purpose of memorizing). You should be able to pick up Scope, Tone, Author’s Main Point (STAMP) after first reading. Otherwise you’ll waste too much time re-reading, or risk selecting off-track answers

2) Maintain a positive attitude – you’re in the home stretch (don’t tune out!)

3) Practice active reading to maintain focus: Engage with the content, look for scope, tone, author’s main point; anticipate where the author is going next, what would you expect in the next paragraph?

4) Use scratch paper to make brief outline of key elements of argument flow (with line #)

- Names – Keep theories straight - who is saying what?

- Transitions in reasoning (watch for trigger words: therefore, however, but, in contrast, on the other hand, contradicts etc.)

5) Watch for opinions / loaded language (obviously, clearly, unfortunately, improbable) – these are often more important than factual details

6) Skim over factual details – don’t be too concerned with what these details say, focus more on WHY the author included them (usually to strengthen or weaken a conclusion)

7) After reading a question, try to prephrase the expected response. Attack RC in the same way as quant: solve the problem first, then (hopefully) find your answer among the choices

Hope this helps...

[sdanquah]

thanks ursula. What a good piece of advice. this will certainly help