ursula Posted April 6, 2004 Author Share Posted April 6, 2004 Originally posted by jjomalls If I may ask...what did you do to prepare for topics that are barely covered in the Official Guide - primarily statistics and probability? I found that even the Kaplan Math Workbook doesn't cover that material (except basic mean & median), so in the last few weeks before my exam I signed up for the material at http://www.deltacourse.com. It's online only, and you can't easily print it - you have to go through it one page at a time. But the price is pretty reasonable ($27), and it certainly helped me get a better grasp of this stuff. You can also sign up for their free GMAT problem of the day (sent by email). Their website is a bit heavy on the hype - for example, their "advanced algebra" stuff turns out to be one single article about sqrt(-1). But overall I think their material was worth it - at least for me (I'm 46, and it's been a looong time since I last saw a factorial ;) ) The comb/perm/stats/probability questions posted by some people on the problem solving forum here are far more difficult than what I would expect to see on the GMAT, and I'd never expect to solve those in 2 minutes. But trying to follow those threads and working on some of those complex problems also helped me increase my understanding. I must say that on my actual exam I really didn't see anything particularly complex on any of these topics, though. However, being prepared certainly helped my confidence in dealing with the problems I did get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erkki Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 Yeah, I think just knowing the formulas for combination and permutation and knowing which is which should be enough prep. You shouldn't have to worry about spending hours practicing those types of problems. And for probablility, I didn't see anything that was more difficult than a simply-worded conditional probability problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nakyo Posted April 9, 2004 Share Posted April 9, 2004 thx for sharing~ very good experience~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tam Posted April 15, 2004 Share Posted April 15, 2004 Well done, Fabuluos scores! :D I wish you the best of luck. TAM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angels Posted April 15, 2004 Share Posted April 15, 2004 Thanks ursula for the great advice and motivation. your og grid has been a great help. and congratulation for your success. after reading your post, things have started looking brighter. All the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ursula Posted May 5, 2004 Author Share Posted May 5, 2004 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 :D 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 ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazooka76 Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhd_obai Posted May 19, 2004 Share Posted May 19, 2004 Hi dear ursula Hope u r well this is for you and other Guys..: http://photographs.mccumber.us/540/autumn2002-05.jpg :D:o:o:o[banana][bounce][banana] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rxs0005 Posted May 23, 2004 Share Posted May 23, 2004 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nachi Posted May 24, 2004 Share Posted May 24, 2004 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... [w00t][banana][bounce][dance][bounce][banana][w00t] 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!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ursula Posted May 24, 2004 Author Share Posted May 24, 2004 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rxs0005 Posted May 25, 2004 Share Posted May 25, 2004 Ursula, thanks for your time and patience for replying to my query rxs0005 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdanquah Posted July 27, 2004 Share Posted July 27, 2004 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ursula Posted July 27, 2004 Author Share Posted July 27, 2004 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... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdanquah Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 thanks ursula. What a good piece of advice. this will certainly help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comrade Posted August 27, 2004 Share Posted August 27, 2004 Hi Everybody, Well, am new to this forum. Have been reading the old mails. Am preparing for GMAT, working full time in Delhi. I have been working with the [tooltip=Official Guide]OG[/tooltip] for quitesome time now. Have not touched Kaplan or Princeton etc (though taken 1 princeton practice Test & 1 Nova Practice test). PP CAT1- 550(42Q & 23V). Princeton - 620 Nova - 650 (45Q & 26V) Everytime i sit to take another test, i sit headstorng that this time i will def. score 700+ but always got dissapointed. Don know what is really requied to get there. Quant Blues: I have been preapring for quite some time now. Have finished 50-60% of the [tooltip=Official Guide]OG[/tooltip]. Am confident about my Quant skills but i failto understand why my Quant score is not increasing inspite of rigorous analysis. DS is taking a toll on my score. I am very bad with inequality questions. Verbal Blues: by my consistent score of 25+ in the verbal section, i have now come to believe that i am somewhere wrong in the strategy to attemt the verbal section. I often run short of time in the end due to which i resort to wild guessing for around 3-4 questions. I am typically targeting a score of 700+ in order to apply to Berkeley, Cornell, Tuck, Queens Canada etc league of Business Schools. I am very very dissapointed to see a score of 550 on the closest to GMAT Powerprep. Just after taking that test, i felt as if i am wasting my time. I have already got admission in the Asian Institute of Management, Manila for 2004-06 but i have deferred my admission till the next year. If nothing works out, i would join AIM in July 2005. But i wanna see myself in a Top League US/Canada university. Please pour in your suggestions as to how can i improve my score and my confidence which is sagging down minute by minute. Also, i have heard the score increases gradually from your 1st practice test to about your 7-8th practice test. Is this a myth or this is actually true. AM I CAPABLE OF SCORING A SCORE OF 720+. Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comrade Posted August 27, 2004 Share Posted August 27, 2004 Ursula, Great score... Congrats for this score and your admission in Canada. Best wishes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comrade Posted August 27, 2004 Share Posted August 27, 2004 Hi Everybody, Well, am new to this forum. Have been reading the old mails. Am preparing for GMAT, working full time in Delhi. I have been working with the [tooltip=Official Guide]OG[/tooltip] for quitesome time now. Have not touched Kaplan or Princeton etc (though taken 1 princeton practice Test & 1 Nova Practice test). PP CAT1- 550(42Q & 23V). Princeton - 620 Nova - 650 (45Q & 26V) Everytime i sit to take another test, i sit headstorng that this time i will def. score 700+ but always got dissapointed. Don know what is really requied to get there. Quant Blues: I have been preapring for quite some time now. Have finished 50-60% of the [tooltip=Official Guide]OG[/tooltip]. Am confident about my Quant skills but i failto understand why my Quant score is not increasing inspite of rigorous analysis. DS is taking a toll on my score. I am very bad with inequality questions. Verbal Blues: by my consistent score of 25+ in the verbal section, i have now come to believe that i am somewhere wrong in the strategy to attemt the verbal section. I often run short of time in the end due to which i resort to wild guessing for around 3-4 questions. I am typically targeting a score of 700+ in order to apply to Berkeley, Cornell, Tuck, Queens Canada etc league of Business Schools. I am very very dissapointed to see a score of 550 on the closest to GMAT Powerprep. Just after taking that test, i felt as if i am wasting my time. I have already got admission in the Asian Institute of Management, Manila for 2004-06 but i have deferred my admission till the next year. If nothing works out, i would join AIM in July 2005. But i wanna see myself in a Top League US/Canada university. Please pour in your suggestions as to how can i improve my score and my confidence which is sagging down minute by minute. Also, i have heard the score increases gradually from your 1st practice test to about your 7-8th practice test. Is this a myth or this is actually true. AM I CAPABLE OF SCORING A SCORE OF 720+. Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ursula Posted August 27, 2004 Author Share Posted August 27, 2004 Hi comrade, Welcome to TestMagic! This is a great resource, and I'm sure you'll find a lot of useful information, tips, and discussions here. Whatever problems you may be having, you are not alone. Start by taking a few days to read through old posts, and make sure to use the search engine to look for specific tips. For example, try "inequalities" - you're not the only one who has problems with those ;) Cracking 700 is not easy, but I believe that with determination and effort you can do it. Some people here have seen score increases of over 100 and even 200 points. For some inspiration, take a look at this one: http://www.www.urch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12127 Once you've absorbed some of the "accumulated wisdom" posted on this forum, you should be able to apply the advice and tips to your own situation. You'll find forum members here are usually very helpful in answering any specific questions you have, but you need to start by taking a look at all the stuff that's already out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vingmat Posted September 29, 2004 Share Posted September 29, 2004 Congrats, dear ma'am. I just saw the your post regarding your admission. You definitely were a terrific influence in my journey to crack the GMAT. More than anything else, the psychological boost I leveraged from some of your posts - especially the ones you put up in response to my panic posts after my absymal scores on PR 3 and 4 is beyond words.... Once again, Thanks a Lot....along with Kaplan, [tooltip=Official Guide]OG[/tooltip], ARCO etc. YOU were definitely a factor in that 780 I got... This one is to your Genuine Interest in Helping People... [clap] [clap] [clap] All the very best in all your future endeavours. :grad: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ursula Posted September 29, 2004 Author Share Posted September 29, 2004 Thanks for your kind words, vingmat! :o You have certainly proven once again how critical it is to believe in yourself, and I'm very happy that I was able to contribute to your success. I wish you all the best in your future endeavours. I'm sure you'll do great, no matter what you decide to do - just follow your heart! As you may have guessed from my reduced posting frequency, I'm well into the first term of my MBA program now, with piles of unfinished readings, multiple assignments due this week, cases, term projects, presentations, not to mention midterms starting in a couple of weeks... I'm starting to see now that the GMAT was just a warm-up for the main event :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
locopoco Posted October 4, 2004 Share Posted October 4, 2004 hi Congrats once again on the excellent score.i am taking my test on the 14th.have given paper based tests of ets and have scored 670 680 710 730.gave a pp after doing my og,got 760.please advise on how to schedule my time for the next 10 days.thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMATOCT Posted October 6, 2004 Share Posted October 6, 2004 Ursula, I have also scheduled my GMAT on 17th october. I have gone through [tooltip=Official Guide]OG[/tooltip] and Kaplan 800. Gave around 5 paper tests and scoring around 650. Please advise on how to schedule my studies in the last week. If you can let me know what you did during last week of your preparation that will be great. Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidnguyen Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 It's really a nice advice. Thanks ursula! David davidvietnam@gmail.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shahnaj Posted October 8, 2004 Share Posted October 8, 2004 Dear Ursula I have also the same question as David..Just 3 days left of GMAT.I have 3 days remaining. I have so far given 18 practice tests- 10 paper based and 8 CAT of kaplan,prinston and powerprep. I have also solved the ETS official guide maths and other materials 1.5 times. I am scoring between 550-680.Now would you please help me what to do in the last 3 days that would be most effective use of the time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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