Sharing my GMAT experiences

Sharing my GMAT & MBA appliaction experience

I thought it would be a good thought to put down my experiences so far on preparing for GMAT and then the subsequent processes after that.

To start with ,the most important thing about going for an international MBA is planning. The whole process takes around 12 to 15 months - starting with GMAT,TOEFL, Applications, Interview and finally culminating with visa. So the planning becomes critical on when to give GMAT so that you have sufficient time for the other steps. On the other hand , a wrong timing can mean loosing one year or atleast one semester(fall or spring). 

Also based on when you start ,you need to decide whether you want to go for fall semester or autumn. Most of the good schools have a fall intake and scholarship options are higher for fall.Once you decide on this ,you can calculate and book a date for GMAT.

GMAT & TOEFL
Well, let me make it clear from the outset that GMAT is the easiest step in the whole process of application for the Indians. So considering that , it is worthwhile to use that as a advantage and make the most of it by getting a good score - anything above 700 is considered good but the higher the better because in India 700 is a below average GMAT score. You well realize this when you apply for ISB ,hyderabad. And once u start interacting with other Indians , you will realize that a 750,780 is not very uncommon. So a good score at GMAT is critical for a number of reasons

1) To be compeititive with other indians with similar profile.
2) To get shortlisted initially for interview and then for scholarship.

Now inorder to prepare for GMAT , there are the standard set of books - the Official Guide to GMAT, Kaplan,Princeton and then 1000 question sets at score top.Most Indians are weak in english and so there is a book from OG specifically for english. And there is no substitute to reading novels and newspaper editorials if you are planning for a international MBA. It will not only help for your GMAT but later on for your application.So start reading and contemplating what you read because that will help you for your RC's also.You can also refer to CAT mathematics for basics and simillarly other CAT material for english also.But beware of not wasting time on things that are not required for GMAT.

Besides there are the online tests and site material for kaplan and princeton.There are two essays in GMAT which are also important. MBA.com lists all the topics and it is good if you just browse through each topic and have few points in mind for them. There are also websites which have sample essays for each topic. The actual topic you would get in GMAT would be either same or pretty close to one of them in the list.

The average preparation time varies from person to person.A good way to judge where you stand is to appear at some free tests conducted at IMS or Princeton review.That will also give you a idea of whether you need to join a coaching center or prepare on your own. My suggestion is prepare on your own as there is no substitute to time that you need to invest for practice.

Take lot of practice tests and chill out during the actual exam.Its much easier then CAT or XAT. So you can do well if you relax.

Before the GMAT, it is good if you have the list of colleges you want to apply. This will save you a few bucks later on.

Once GMAT is through, TOEFL should be a cakewalk . Take it as soon as possible and send the scores to the schools you have decided to apply.Again a college list is handy.

Application
This is the most critical and difficult part of the whole process. This starts with the first step of selecting which school you want to be in.Ofcourse there are number of ways to select the school of your choice based on GMAT Score, Location(US,Europe,Asia,Australia), Fit with your profile, Scholarship options, Private vs Public and your choice of specialization to name some.USA.com,forbes,business week come up with a list of schools which is a good place to start your research.Princeton website also provides lot of information and comparism for the school.But there is no substitute to going through the school website to identify whether the school culture fits your profile.This is a time taking process and will decide your future.So spend time and effort on this. 

Also there are world MBA tour fairs which are good first hand source of information for each school.This is something that should not be missed and which can also be used for information and to demonstrate your interest during interviews.

Once the list of school is ready, browse the website of each school for detailed information and old or current year applications. The process starts around July or August and the first deadline is generally around November ,with second around Febuary and third around April.As a international student it is important to apply by the second round so that you have time for visa .

Making a successful application is a long process which requires a lot of patience,perseverence and self discovery. Each application consists of a setof questions whose sole purpose is to try to know the applicant through these answers.All the answers have to be true, honest and that is the key.The most important thing is to spend time discovering the true self - trying to find answers to questions like "Goals,Why MBA,Why this college,What are your strengths and weaknesses?" .But the key is to allign these answers to the requirements of the college and trying to fit your answers to the college requirements.

It is good to draft answers to these questions and do a lot of self-introspection to understand who you are. Also it is critical to talk with your friends, mentors, peers so that they can highlight your strengths and weaknesses. Also identify friends who have gone through this process and have them read your application.

Also avoid copying material from anywhere on the web.It is very critical that it is unique and differentiates yourself from the thousands of other applications.

Try to script a story in your application which will interest the admission committee and strike a chord with him. If you are able to do that , then Bingo!!

Transcripts

You would need transcripts for every college you would be applying to. So start this process early and apply for the transcripts to your undergrad college.This may take few weeks and so it is helpful if you have the transcripts with you by the time you start applying.

Interview:

The interview is the last 30% of the full process. At this stage the college is trying to gauge whether what ever you have written in your essays is true or not.They have reached some conclusion and they want to gauge if they are correct. So it is important that you are thourough with your application and highlight the points in a clear and concise way. A little bit of interview preparation is good and always helps.

It is good if you put down the points briefly in excel or word.That ensures that it does not seem like you have remembered the answers but also makes sure that you do not miss any point.

It is very important that you prepare questions to ask in the interview.This always gives a positive edge to you.

To be continued...

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