M.Stephenson.2010

Also, on a different note, I've just put together a list of all the different free practice CATS. Any opinions you have on which practice tests are worthwhile, and which aren't would be appreciated. I intend to practice with the Kaplan, GMATPrep and Manhattan tests for sure but there seem to be a wealth of other free tests out there. I'd prefer not to waste time on them if they aren't adequate preparation.

Hey Jayhawk, Thanks for the Amazon tip. I'm definitely going to be putting that into practice. I know that towards the end of my studying I will be getting nervous and will likely make purchases just to make sure I have everything I need. With respect to your admissions, fortunately B-School, exactly as you said, are looking for individuals from all walks of life. You learn predominantly from your peers, and so they certainly want a group of diverse individuals. I think more than direct management experience, they seek those who are leaders. They want to develop leaders, and so whether or not you have the experience yet is not the issue, its whether you have the potential to thrive in environments that require strong management skills. A less typical, and more interesting application is always a plus for Ad-Coms that read hundreds of applications about the typical everyday business manager, so I wouldn't worry. I definitely don't plan to go to grad school right away. I really don't think I'd benefit from an MBA without first gaining real world experience, and I know Ad-Coms aren't all that receptive to undergrads so I'd rather wait and hopefully have a better chance of admittance to some of the top schools. I do know however, that I'd like to begin my MBA within 2-4 years of graduation at the latest, and so I can write the GMAT now and it will still be valid for another 5 years.

"For instance, sadly, it took me 6 months to understand finding average rate. Suddenly, after reading all kinds of methods to calculate it, I realized my own method for calculating it." Honestly, there is nothing sad about that. If concepts aren't making sense in the comfort of your home (or the library, or what have you), they certainly won't make sense on test day. Doing whatever it takes to master the concepts now will pay off later. Your definitely playing it safe with the early testing date. I'm rolling the dice and hoping my first test will be adequate, and therefore will be booking it in late August. If it doesn't work out, I likely won't end up taking it for another year, until I graduate (I'm third year UG). I too come from a smaller school and feel I need a strong GMAT to compensate. My grades are stellar for quant-oriented courses, but its easy to dismiss them considering I'm not being educated at a "top tier" institution. Just keep in mind that there is much more to an application to the GMAT. Yes, its important and yes, a great score will help any application, but it will help you rest easier at night knowing its only a small piece to the puzzle. All the best with the studying, and I will keep you posted on my progress and anything along the way that may prove valuable.

Jayhawk, It seems that we are in very similar situations. Personally, I have always done well academically, but to excel, I really need to know where I am going and what it will take to get there. Hence, I have been putting a lot of work into simply figuring out what materials I need, so that just like you, I can get down to business knowing that if I master everything I've covered, then I should only have to take the test once. Definitely keep me posted on the EZ Solutions Logic and Stats book. I'm buying all of the EZ Solutions book (and now that you've mentioned it, will likely purchase the Math Workout by Sapienti), but won't be cracking down for a few more weeks. Knowing if Project GMAT is worth the time/purchase would certainly be helpful. When do you plan to take the test; If your not applying to study until the 2010/2011 academic year, you likely have some time on your hands. I'm hoping 20-25 hours a week for about 3 months, perhaps 3.5, will be adequate for me. I don't plan on applying for quite some time actually, but would prefer to put the test behind me now so that I can spend the coming years doing what I would consider, "more value-added" activities.

Hey, thanks for the read! A lot of great insights there. I'm in the process of putting together all of the resources I will need, and will then begin studying for the quantitative portion of the exam. Once I begin with the verbal studying, and have some opinions regarding resources, I will be sure to let you know. Thanks again!

Hey Jayhawk, That does help a lot actually, thanks a lot, I do appreciate it. I have too been hearing great things about the EZ Solutions package and I am on the same page as you with respect to wanting to achieve much more than an average score. My goal is 720 (ambitious, but not extraordinary) and so I need to prepare with the proper material. That being said, I'm the type of person who leaves no stone unturned, and so I'm worried that EZ Solutions alone (for quant, of course), in combination with the OG (and I'm considering going with Kaplan Advanced, as well), may not be enough. You mentioned that you were going with additional resources as well; is this because EZ Solutions are insufficient or are you simply looking to strengthen weak areas. That is, is there something that EZ Solutions is missing that I will need to address otherwise. On a different note, what are your thoughts on materials for the verbal section? I've read mixed reviews on PR's Verbal Workout and haven't found any other source that appears adequate. Thanks again for your help!

Hey everyone! I too have been hearing great reviews for this set of nine books. I've been trying to digest all of the different suggestions I've been reading, and this is the one set I'm yet to read anything negative about (excluding costs). I feel like with these 9 books one could prepare well for the quant section, however, was hoping someone could comment on what resources would be needed to be prepared for the verbal. I'm trying to consolidate everything I've been reading to come up with the "optimal" GMAT preparation package, if one were to exist. Any comments here?

Hey everyone, I've been reading countless reviews on the different materials one can use to prepare for the GMAT and have found that most of the commentary is regarding the quality of the actual practice tests/questions that accompany the books. Does anyone have any suggestions as to which book has the most comprehensive introduction to the material itself. I'd like to get up to speed on the material before worrying about jumping into practice tests. Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

Hey everyone, I'm currently a 3rd year BBA undergrad at what would be considered a well regarded Canadian business program, however likely unknown outside of the country. I have a GPA in the 3.95 range, decent extra curriculars and although am yet to write the GMAT, would hope to score in at least the average range for top schools in the US. I feel like I have an outside, outside shot perhaps at admissions; I know very, very few students are admitted directly from undergrad, but at a few top schools there seems to be an increasing acceptance of college seniors. Not an overwhelming amount by any means, but versus a few years ago, they are at least considering applications (Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Cornell). I know my chances would be slim, and if I was to be rejected I would obviously plan to reapply down the line with improved work experience. But how badly does re-applying impact your second application? Is it worth the risk of rejection to apply now? Would my application be less well received if its my second time applying?

Once again thank you all for the advice. I keep hearing though that Econ programs prepare you well for a PhD in finance, but only if from Canada or the UK, but not in the US. Why is this, and do the adcoms tend to agree?

Prawler: I posted that last comment before reading yours. I've read that Masters in Finance programs are generally geared toward practicioners, am I wrong here? This also takes me back to my poor math background dilemma: I need the math background to get into PhD, but would likely need it to get into a Masters of Finance program as well. Are there any Masters level programs that would prepare me for a PhD that I would be competitive for without the math background (as the whole idea is to gain the math background)? Thanks again!

Thank you everyone for your responses! What I've gathered at this point is that I need to take more math classes and more importantly that I don't necessarily need to do them at a masters level, but that taking them while studying my BBA is fine (correct me if I'm wrong). So quickly then, when applying to Finance programs, is it safe to say that the only prerequisite as far as your pre-PhD studies is coursework heavy in mathematics? That is, whether I get a math minor with my undergrad, a masters in finance, stats or economics etc. they will all make me equally competitive as its simply the common denominator of math that they are looking for? And along the lines of math studies, you mentioned a minor looks better then scattered coursework. The way it works at my university is you can get a minor, next in line is whats called a "Math Option", next a general BA in Math and then an Honours BA in Math. It would likely take an extra term for the minor, year for the option and then closer to 1 1/2 - 2 years for the general or Honours BA. Is there value added in spending that extra time getting an option or BA, or is there little difference between that and a minor? This kind of goes back to my original question as well; whether or not a masters degree in statistics, finance or economics would help - the way I see it is if there are 1-2 year programs could I simply get a masters as opposed to more undergraduate coursework. Lastly, although I understand all finance programs require intense quantitative abilities, are there any known to any of you that perhaps require less, or admit you to a Masters program/qualifying period to gain the math background before admitting you to PhD. Basically, if there are schools that are just fine with a math minor (you mentioned Pitt) as long as the rest of the application is strong of course, I'd like to apply to them. Thanks again everyone, and please don't perceive my questions as laziness and lacking the effort to find the answers myself - I've been searching endlessly for the "right" answers only to get contradictory information. This board seems well informed so I take what you all say with greater weight. Thanks!

I hope that all of you are doing well! I have been reading this forum for quite some time but have not registered until more recently. I was hoping you could all weigh in with your thoughs/advice/suggestions. I am a 3rd year BBA student (Concentration in Finance, Minor in Economics) at a small Canadian LAC. Although my University is well regarded for Business within the country, it is a small program and not very well known outside of Canada. My current GPA (rescaled) is in the 3.95 range. I hope to pursue a PhD in Finance at a 20-30 ranked University in the United States, or a second tier program in Canada. I am yet to take the GMAT or GRE's as I'd like to consider what my next step should be in preparing myself to be a competitive applicant at the aforementioned type of schools. Let's assume my GMAT and/or GRE scores would be about average for the Quant section, above average for the Verbal based on the schools to which I will apply. The big question is, if you were me, what would be your next step in preparing yourself to have a competitive application. Being that I will have only a BBA, and very limited math background (Business Calculus,Statistics) I know that I will need to take more quant courses; I'm not scared of math, I just know that getting 90's in business math courses doesn't mean all that much. Considering this, what would you do next? Would a masters Economics program provide me with adequate quant background/ a solid application? Could I get an MBA and use electives for math courses to prepare/ be admitted (right now my application would be most competitive for an MBA as I only recently decided I'd like to go the PhD route). What do you see being my options here? Are there schools that will admit you without a quant bg and have you perform extra course work initially? Are there schools that value work experience (I could gain industry experience from a BBA immediately.) I know I have provided you with little information, but the idea is that I am looking for some direction as to what I should do to build a solid application. Any advice would be appreciated!!!