theGMATpro

I would say A, but wow that is a tough one.

For some reason my previous post got messed up and didn't come through as I intended, so let me give another try at it so as to be as helpful as possible. The GMAT idioms are a very tricky area for many students (definitely for myself). Let me briefly share how I conquered them: the trick is that the GMAT has a long list of predictable idioms that you just need to internalize. You need to spot, extract, and replace them (as per the Manhattan GMAT method, which I highly recommend). The idioms are tricky for people because they do not notice when the GMAT is testing them. The list above as well as this other GMAT idiom list is a HUGE start at being able to recognize them (here is another document with a list). Finally, you just got to do LOTS of problems.

First, you are dealing with combinations not permutations since this answer does not consider order (i.e., whether Michael is chosen before Anthony etc.) So, the combination formula is n!/((n-k)!k!). Then, you plug in the numbers and get the number of possible sub-committees. Then, you deal with the fact that you are only interested in a certain number of sub-committees (namely ones that include Michael and also include Anthony). For more information on combinatorics, check out the following links: Combinatorics (Wikipedia) Combinatorics (Math World) Combinatorics (GMAT Study Guide) I hope this helps.

A good friend of mine got 760 w/ 49 verbal and 47 quant. The key is consistent performance on both sections (although a REALLY high score in one can bump you up). I do some tutoring and here are some results I've accumulated (total, quant, verbal): 740 48 44 740 49 44 740 47 45 730 49 40 730 49 41 730 48 42 730 50 40 730 47 44 730 50 38 730 48 41 720 49 40 720 50 36 720 48 41 720 48 40 720 48 40 710 49 37 710 48 40 710 46 42 710 45 41 710 49 36 700 49 37 700 49 35 Here is some more information on the GMAT Score Breakdown: http://www.platinumgmat.com/about_gmat/gmat_score_breakdown

I posted this basic comment in another similar thread, but I saw this one going so I thought I'd contribute to the knowledge here. 1.) Read the example essays in the AWA chapter of the official guide. VERY HELPFUL! (You can get it here at any store or Amazon) 2.) Read the AWA Template and sample essay: http://www.platinumgmat.com/about_gmat/awa_essay_template 3.) Practice (I've taken the GMAT twice and the first time I really got thrown for a loop b/c I'd never practiced the writing section. I know it sounds lame, but you really got to cover all bases--it is psychological).

Here is another GMAT idiom list composed of idioms from the Official Guide (11th Edition) and the Official Guide (verbal supplement): http://www.platinumgmat.com/about_gmat/sc_gmat_idiom_list Also, make sure to thoroughly read the Official Guide (here at Amazon)

Here is an AWA Essay Template that I came across and used. It worked for me. Let me know if it works for you: http://www.platinumgmat.com/about_gmat/awa_essay_template Also, make sure to check out the examples in the 11th edition official guide (you can preview at Amazon.com).