GMAT Preparation

Data Sufficiency – General Strategy

vivian kerr September 5, 2010

The toughest thing about data sufficiency questions is the format. Luckily the answer choices never change. They are:

A Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) alone is not sufficient.

B Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (1) alone is not sufficient.

C BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient.

D EACH statement ALONE is sufficient.

E Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are NOT sufficient to answer the question asked, and additional data are needed.

The math itself is the same math tested in the Problem Solving section, but the actual questions are distilled into two types: “yes/no” and “value.” For “yes/no” questions, you only need enough information that will allow you to conclusively answer either yes or no. There is no “correct” answer. Our task is merely to determine when we have enough information.

For “value” questions, consider what information would be necessary to solve the problem. What pieces of information are missing? For example, to draw a line on a graph we might be missing information such as the y-intercept, the slope, or two points on the line.

Once you determine the type of question and have analyzed the information given, analyze the first two statements independently of each other. Try to “forget” statement 1 before you move on to statement 2. Don’t underestimate how challenging this can be!

Write out A through E on your scratch paper as you practice, and use the process of elimination to narrow down choices.

If 1 is sufficient, eliminate B, C, and E. The only two options are A and D.

Conversely if 1 is NOT sufficient, eliminate A and D.

Simply by appropriately analyzing the first statement, you can eliminate two or three answer choices! If statement 1 is challenging for you, you can start by analyzing statement 2. If statement 2 is insufficient, then choices B and D can immediately be eliminated. It doesn’t matter which statement you analyze first, as long as you start by looking at them individually.

If neither statement is sufficient on its own, then the options left are C and E. Try combining the statements to see if together they would provide enough information to arrive at an answer. If they don’t the answer is E.

Avoid calculating whenever possible. Data sufficiency questions are not supposed to involve long and drawn-out calculations. If you find yourself doing a lot of math, there is probably something you’re not seeing. Remember that variables can equal a variety of values: negatives, positives, integers, fractions, zero. Don’t simplify when you don’t know what a variable can equal, and don’t assume variables are positive integers!

Is c > 2 if a + b + c > 0 ?

(1) c > a + b + 2

(2) a + b + 2 < 0

This is a “yes/no” question. The question is asking if c is greater than 2. First let’s analyze the given information before looking at the answer choices. We are told that a + b + c > 0. If we isolate c, that gives us c > -(a + b). To answer this question, we need to determine the values of a and b.

If (a + b) = -2,

c > – (-2)

c > 2

Then the answer would be “yes.” What about if (a + b) was smaller or larger than -2?

If (a + b) = -1

c > – (-1)

c > 1

The answer would be “maybe” since there are numbers larger than 1 but smaller than 2.

What about if (a + b) was smaller than -2?

If (a + b) = -3

c > – (-3)

c > 3

The answer would be “yes” since all values greater than 3 are also greater than 2.

So we have determined that we need (a + b) to be a number less than -2. Let’s express that as an inequality.

a + b < -2

Now we can evaluate the statements. Statement 2 is equivalent to our inequality and is therefore sufficient. Notice how much work we did before reading the statements!

Know the Game

jake becker August 28, 2010

Back in February, I wrote an overview on how to maximize your study efficiency. Today, I’d like to discuss the five general tasks that every efficient GMAT student must do. Here they are, in order:

1. Know the Game

The GMAT is essentially a puzzle in which the players are given a very rigid set of rules. While your MBA application is read holistically, the GMAT is a purely objective assessment and doesn’t consider your resume in its calculation. For this reason, you must operate under its and only its parameters.

The Quantitative section has two question types, each with its own set of rules, and the questions rely on the proven rules of Geometry, Algebra, and Number Properties. First, become comfortable with the types and topics of Quantitative questions, and then you can master the art of solving them. Since the parameters of Data Sufficiency games differ from those of the Problem Solving, their solutions may not found in the same manner, even if they test the same content.

Likewise, the three Verbal sections are built around the well-defined rules of English grammar, the structure of a logical argument, and literary technique. The GMAT is very limited in the ways it tests these broad topics. Identify the types of questions and common solutions for each Verbal section. You may not be able to synthesize all the information for every given question, but build the foundation before you jump in.

To do this, go through a course book, make flashcards (BTG has great ones), and take detailed notes of the ins and outs of each question type or topic. You’ll internalize them better by going through these materials with a critical eye, and have your own personal book to reference moving forward.

2. Remediate

As you answer practice questions, you’ll inevitably get things wrong. Take an active approach to learning by identifying which rule(s) you ignored, missed or were unaware of. Take a moment to look up the rule, study its qualities, and return to your practice. Use a tool like Grockit Analytics to track which rules are particularly troublesome and focus on those.

3. Master

To master the GMAT, you must be able to digest every rule presented in a question and quickly draw a logical conclusion from that information. You may spend some time doing personal remediation on the rules of triangles, but still have trouble combining that knowledge with the specific Data Sufficiency parameters.

(For example, you may know that “the measure of an exterior angle equals the sum of the two opposite interior angles,” but overlook this fact when determining whether a given angle measurement is sufficient to find another in a complex diagram.)

While practicing, keep in mind that knowledge of each rule does not imply knowledge of every combined set of rules. The more questions you answer, the better you will be become as analyzing each one.

4. Accelerate

Next, get faster. When you first start studying, speed should not be a major concern. As you practice more, however, you’ll need to discover shortcuts, tips and better strategies to arriving at the correct answer. This is where personal tutoring or timed questions come into play.

Even if you answer a practice question correctly, there still may be a better or faster way to solve it. Do not be satisfied with a correct response. Be satisfied with the best path to the correct response.

5. Simulate

You’ll hear this again and again. Take full length CATs (including the essay) to practice synthesizing all the rules, in all their combinations, under a time constraint. This in itself is a skill. Periodically do this and repeat steps 2 through 4 until test day.

Good luck!

p.s. I’m not usually one for silly acronyms, but it just so happens that this one spells “KRAMS.”

Sentence Correction: General Strategies

jordan schonig August 20, 2010

The Sentence Correction portion of the GMAT Verbal tests grammar and mechanics. About 15 of the 41 Verbal questions are SC, so SC constitutes the majority of the three verbal question types. With SC questions, you’ll be presented with a sentence, part of which or all of which is underlined. You’ll have five choices that rephrase the underlined portion, the first of which repeats the original. Your task, as expected, is to choose the best option. What does “best” mean in this case? According to the GMAT, the question tests “correctness and effectiveness of expression,” and you should pay attention to “grammar, choice of words, and sentence construction.” The answer should be “clear and exact, without awkwardness, ambiguity, redundancy, or grammatical error.”

That seems like a lot to ask, and indeed it is. Luckily, there is a limited number of specific errors that SC questions test, and it’s crucial to learn each one. Before you learn these common errors, though, you need to follow a certain plan of action. Here’s how to attack an SC, step by step:

1. Read the whole sentence slowly and carefully. We all have different reading speeds, but as a good rule of thumb, you’ll want to read the sentence significantly slower than you would read a novel. For you fast readers who don’t subvocalize as you read, you might want to try subvocalizing SC sentences; sometimes it’s best to hear the mistake rather than see it.

2. If you notice what looks like an error in the underlined portion, try to identify the type of error before you move on to the answer choices. Why? The test writers are clever, and many of the incorrect choices appear correct.

Remember, there are basically three ways an answer can be wrong:

- It violates a grammar rule.

- Its wording is unclear.

- Its wording is nonstandard (these will often sound incorrect)

3. If the underlined portion appears correct, make note of it, but read every answer choice carefully before you rule it correct.

4. Examine answer choices individually. If you found an error in the original, eliminate choice A. If any of the answer choices repeat that error (and they often do), then eliminate those answers. Try to look for additional errors in the answer choices and spot other choices that repeat those errors. It’s imperative that you group answer choices together based on common errors; this strategy save you precious time.

If you were unable to find an error in the original sentence, search for errors in the answer choices to quickly eliminate them. In other words, when you can’t find the error in the original, never try to search for the correct sentence –always work by elimination. If you can spot errors in each choice, then you should choose A as the answer.

5. If you’re down to two choices that both seem fine, identify the differences between the sentences, and only examine these differences. The error will always lie in that portion.

A systematic method is just as necessary to solve SC’s as is knowledge of the grammar rules. Wrong answer choices are designed to be seductive, so firmly adhere to a system to get the job done.

Know the Percentages: Use a Multi-Pronged Approach to Maximize Your GMAT Study Time

andrea alexander July 10, 2010

We retain: 10% of what we read, 20% of what we hear, 50% of what we see and hear, 70% of what we talk about with others, and 95% of what we teach to others.

How can you use these statistics to improve your results from GMAT prep? Mix up your approach! Too many people concentrate solely on doing practice questions from books, and don’t see progress as quickly as they would like. If we retain 10% of what we read, then working alone out of a book is probably not the most efficient way to master GMAT materials.

20% of what we hear is retained; that’s one of the great advantages of taking a GMAT prep course that involves lecture and discussion, either in person or online. Just reading—for instance, doing practice questions or homework assignments—will get you 10% retention. Just attending class and listening, but not keeping up with the out-of-class readings, will allow you to retain 20%. If you combine the two, though, and learn through reading and listening, your retention increases to 50%.

What if you can’t afford a pricy preparation course, or don’t have access to one in your area? Online options combining outlines and practice questions on your computer with audio lecture and discussion can be more affordable and easier to schedule if your location or time constraints make a traditional class impractical. If that doesn’t work for you, at least consider finding a study buddy with whom you can talk through practice questions, or look for some recorded lectures that you can listen to on your computer or Mp3 player.

We retain 70% of what we talk about with others, so becoming involved in an active dialogue about GMAT issues can be a huge boost to your study experience. If you’re one of the many people who read online GMAT forums but don’t get involved in the discussion, note that taking a more active approach can increase your retention. Your time commitment can remain the same while the benefits increase dramatically.

And finally, we retain a phenomenal 95% of what we teach others. To teach well, you need to understand the material yourself, which is a major part of that retention statistic. But making it your goal to understand an issue or question thoroughly enough that you can explain it to someone else is a great target. Feel free to start small with this; maybe you just want to understand data sufficiency questions dealing with ratios, or the use of pronouns in sentence corrections. Tackling the issues one at a time may allow you to develop the depth of understanding that will make you a good teacher.

Once you’ve developed knowledge, share it! Join an in-class or online discussion and add your new expertise to the mix. Your best bet is to share your knowledge in a forum where you can get expert feedback. That way, others can benefit from your understanding, and any misconceptions or holes in your learning can be discovered and corrected before test day.

So how, in a nutshell, can you apply these percentages to your study plan?

READ practice questions and explanations,
LISTEN to lectures or discussions,
DISCUSS issues or questions in a group, and
TEACH others what you’ve mastered!

Adding this multimedia approach to your usual study routine will increase your retention and maximize your study time, which can decrease your stress and anxiety—all factors that will make a big difference on test day.

How are you maximizing your GMAT preparation? If you’ve got a smart approach, share it in the comments!

REPEAT AS NECESSARY – TIPS FOR ACING GMAT QUANT

martin sobolewski June 24, 2010

So you are starting the initial phases of your GMAT preparation and you are probably wondering how to ace that quantitative section score. You feel pretty well versed when it comes to verbal, but the math is what is nagging at you. You spend many sleepless nights tossing and turning about those combination/permutation questions, as well as rate and distance problems, not to mention multi-variable calculus questions that just might pop up (ok, that is a joke, there will be no calculus on the GMAT). But all kidding aside, what are the best ways to increase that math score to put you over that 700 milestone? Good question, and I hope to answer some of these concerns and calm some of the nerves so that you are confident going into the final weeks of your test preparation.

Back to the Basics

No matter how good you are at math, I would suggest buying a GMAT guide (Princeton Review has a good one, think it is called “Guide for Cracking the GMAT”, or something along those lines) and brushing up on all the different kinds of math questions that they might throw at you on test day. This might sound very rudimentary and obvious, but the fact is test-takers fail to realize and understand what types of math questions they will face come test day. If you have a solid working knowledge of the typical questions, this is the first step in boosting your GMAT quant score. As you are probably aware, there are some areas in quant that the last time you saw such math was when you were wearing tube socks and playing wall ball at recess. “What is the difference between a multiple and a factor?” you say? If you don’t know the answer to this, you definitely should get up to speed with these elementary, yet key fundamentals.

Make a Plan

Nothing big was ever accomplished without a plan. Organize your game plan, your plan of attack if you will, before you start studying. I’m not here to tell you how you should structure your plan, but lay out on paper how long you think you will need to review, do practice problems and practice tests, and then brush up on weaker areas. This will probably take at least two months, so have an idea of how you want to allocate your time and stick to it. If you don’t keep up with your plan or feel that you are pressed for time, perhaps you need to think about pushing your test date back. Regardless, just thinking about how you approach your studies will serve you well in the end.

Practice Practice Practice

As you go along in your studies, more specifically when doing hundreds of practice problems, you will invariably get a feel for and find your weaker quant areas. This is a good thing!! Don’t get discouraged when you come across these areas, it is an absolute blessing that you have identified your Achilles heel. You won’t be able to find these weaker areas if you aren’t practicing literally hundreds of questions (I suggest the Official Guide for GMAT Review for good practice problems). After hundreds of questions, you will be able to tell what your strengths and weaknesses are. As far as strengths go, it probably doesn’t make too much sense to keep practicing these types of problems that you are comfortable with. As you go along, start to hone in on the areas that are giving you trouble. Perhaps you can keep a spreadsheet or notes of what types of questions are holding you back.

Repeat as Necessary

Now that you have found your weak areas, I suggest doing multiple iterations of these types of questions. In your final few weeks, make it your goal to really focus on these areas and master these types of questions. This will give you confidence as your test day nears, as well as the ability to tackle those problems that you are missing. The key here is repetition; just do as many as you can. Soon you will discover a comfort level with once more difficult types of questions and you will be on your way to acing the exam. Most folks seem to struggle with time on the GMAT quant section, and increased exposure to hundreds of questions within your “bad” areas will really serve you well on test day. As you go from question to question during your exam, you will really thank yourself for your efforts. You will be amazed how many similar questions you see and will probably even tell yourself “Cool, I just did a question very similar to this last week” and the preparation will come in very handy. The Boy Scouts don’t have the motto “Be Prepared” for nothing. Put in your time and it will pay off. Good luck!!

Using a Passage Map

vivian kerr June 9, 2010

Okay, so you’ve practiced making passage maps (outlining and taking brief notes as you read) and you’re confident that you can handle any passage type the GMAT throws at you: science-based, social studies-based or finance-based. (See Grockit’s earlier post for a note-taking refresher! Reading on a GMAT CAT, without it being a CATastrophe).

Now how do you use your passage map to help you get more questions correct? The key to using your passage map is to identify which type of GMAT reading comp question you’re looking at, and knowing where to find the correct answer.

Let’s review the four main GMAT Reading Comp question types:

- Detail – These questions ask about the supporting points of the passage and are fact-based.

How to Answer: Identify the keywords in the Detail question and refer back to your passage map and the specific paragraph that contained the detail. Try to use your notes on that paragraph as a prediction FIRST, and only delve back into the passage if the answer choices are too narrow.

Example Question: According to the passage, which of the following is true of copyright protection?

We know this is a detail question because of the phrase “according to the passage”. The keywords here are “copyright protection”. Look back to your passage map to identify which paragraph contained those keywords. Let’s say it was the third. BEFORE looking back into the specific lines of the passage, re-read what you wrote as the main idea of the third paragraph. Chances are, whatever point the author made about copyright protection was in support of that paragraph’s main idea. Try to use the information in your passage map as a prediction FIRST. It is often enough to help you eliminate the 4 incorrect choices. Only if absolutely necessary should you re-read the specific lines of the passage.

- Main Idea - These questions ask about the main points of the passage and require you to understand the purpose of the passage as a whole.

How to Answer: The last thing you should include in your passage map is the Purpose of the passage, in your own words. Don’t allow yourself to start answering questions without it, since almost every passage will have a Main Idea question. Refer back to that part of your passage map and re-read what you wrote. Scan the answer choices and eliminate choices that are too specific or only relate to one part of the passage.

Example Question: Which of the following statements best summarizes the main idea of this passage?

This is the classic “Main Idea” question format. Go to the bottom of your passage map where you wrote down the Purpose, and use it to eliminate answer choices. Don’t fall in love with one of the choices, even if it seems like the right answer. Always be methodical and read every answer choice. On your scratch paper, write out A through E and scratch out the choices that don’t fit the main idea. If you are left with two, choose the one that best fits the scope of the passage.

- Inference – These questions require you to understand what is

How to Answer: As you read each paragraph, take notes not only on what is directly stated by the author, but also on anything he implies by his use of certain words or phrases. Look for any descriptive adjectives that will reveal the author’s opinion, and trust your own impressions. Think of a passage like a body of water. There is always much more going on beneath the surface.

Example Question: The passage implies that family farms, compared to large-scale corporate farms…?

We know this is an Inference question because of the word “implies”. Here the keywords are “family farms” and “large-scale corporate farms”. Find where each was mentioned in your passage map. What was the author’s main point about the two types of farms? If your prediction is a little more complicated than your passage map notes, write it down BEFORE scanning the answer choices. Inference questions can be especially challenging and there may be two answer choices that are very close. Find the best match based on your prediction.

- Tone/Author’s POV – These questions ask about the author of the passage or the mood/tone of the entire piece.

How to Answer: Put yourself in the author’s shoes. In your passage map, you should have taken notes on the author’s point of view throughout the passage. How does he feel about each of the topics he discusses? I like to write down a happy face or a sad face next to each new topic for easy reference! It’s okay if the author has mixed feelings too, but pay attention to his specific likes and dislikes.

Example Question: The tone of this passage suggests that the rise of agribusiness makes the author of this passage most likely feel which of the following?

The key phrase here is “rise of agribusiness”. Go back to your passage map and locate where the author first introduced this topic. Did he reveal emotion in his use of descriptive words or phrases? If he has mixed feelings about the “rise”, what does he like and dislike? Make a prediction, writing it down if necessary, and eliminate answer choices that do not logically follow. Remember that the tone of GMAT passages will be scholarly, so you can often eliminate informal or extreme verbiage.

One of the best things about Grockit is that, just like the GMAT, all of the passages are online. Practice making passage maps with your scratch paper every single time, and you’ll be primed for Test Day success!

When is a right time to start preparing for the GMAT?

nand sharma June 3, 2010

“When should I really start preparing for the GMAT?” This is a question that goes through the mind of every test taker. The answer depends on when you want to attend business school. GMAT scores are valid for (5) years, so you don’t have to go straight from GMAT preparation to the application process if you don’t want to. This post is intended more for people who want to finish the process– from GMAT to attending a B-school– in a single shot (taking the GMAT and then applying to schools right away.)

First of all, you need to understand the B-school application process. Let me give you a summary. You’ll want to allow yourself about three months for the application process. Most of the schools have a couple of rounds in the application process: early bird, round 1, round 2, round 3, etc. Although there are many rounds, typically it is round 1 and round 2 deadlines that you should plan your applications around. I have visited many schools and talked with the admissions committees of schools, and typically there are a lot differences between your acceptance rate in round 1 and that in round 2. Round 3 becomes more competitive and you might want to avoid that. Round 1 deadlines for most schools are in the first week of October, and Round 2 deadlines are in the first week of January. In order to come up with good applications, write quality essays, plan school visits, and talk to professors, you will require about 3 months before the deadline.

You can also plan to spend about three months on your GMAT preparation. If you’re hoping to attend one of the top 10 schools, you’ll need at least a 700 on the GMAT, so make sure you give yourself enough time to take advantage of study options like Grockit to secure the best score possible.

Let’s look at the process backwards from the Round 1 application deadlines. If you take your GMAT by end of June, you are in a good position to submit your applications in Round 1. Even if you didn’t secure your target score in GMAT, you would still have ample time to take another shot at the test in July and still apply for Round 1. And if you miss the Round 1 deadline, then you can plan to apply in Round 2, which statistically is very similar to the Round 1. If you are planning to apply in Round 2, then you should be done with your GMAT by the end of September at the latest, to have ample time for your application preparation.

So in summary:

Round 1 applicants—Start preparing for the GMAT beginning in March or April, and take the test by the end of June.

Round 2 applicants- – Start preparing for the GMAT beginning in May or June, and take the test by the end of September.

This should give you enough time to prepare for the exam, plan your applications, and hopefully get into the school of your dreams!

And finally, remember the 5P’s – Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance. That’s the reason we are here at Grockit: to help you achieve your best from start to finish.

Breaking Through the Plateau: Reach the Next Level in Your GMAT Prep

andrea alexander May 31, 2010

Many people are familiar with the idea of dieting for weight loss. It’s a slow process, requiring discipline, mindfulness, and hard work… a lot like studying for the GMAT, right? During the first few weeks of their weight loss plan, the pounds (or kilos) fall off easily, and they get into a routine of diet and exercise. After a month or so, though, the progress stops and weight loss slows to a crawl. Some people even regain some of the weight they’ve lost, despite continuing with the same good habits that took those pounds off in the first place. Unfortunately for them, those people have hit a plateau.

Plateaus can happen in test preparation, too. The routines that yield such great results when you start out studying—drilling questions from the OG, reviewing grammar and math concepts, reading explanations and discussing them with fellow GMAT aspirants—don’t lead to the same gains on your practice tests a month later. Sometimes, your score will actually drop from one test to the next. And just like those dieters, you can bust through your plateau by mixing up your routine. Some of the tips and tricks that are used for weight loss will work just as well for you, if they’re adapted to your purposes.

What Dieters Do: Mix up their eating plan

How You Can Adapt This Approach: Think of your “food” as the information you’ve been learning to support your studies. If you’ve been concentrating on books from one source, and getting all your knowledge from the same place, try reaching out to a different source for the same information. Learning all your grammar from a text written by Jane Doe? Maybe John Smith’s text will explain the concepts in a way that gives you a new understanding of them. Have you been loyal to Company A’s math lessons? Perhaps trying out the methods espoused by Company B will help. The basic idea here is that feeding your brain a new kind of information can help you see things in a new way, and that can help you reach new levels in your prep.

What Dieters Do: Change their exercise routine

How You Can Adapt This Approach: Your “exercise” is the time you spend doing timed practice, either on individual question sets or full-length tests. If you’ve been focusing on one of those—let’s say you’ve been taking a full-length test every week, but not doing much timed practice on individual questions—switch your focus. Don’t take a test for two weeks, and instead spend that time really paying attention to the specific question types. Or if you’re a slave to the clock, and all you ever do is timed practice, try turning the timer off. Give yourself permission to spend 10 minutes on a single question, if that’s what it takes for you to really understand it.

What Dieters Do: Seek extra help

How You Can Adapt This Approach: If you usually study alone, try to find a study group to work with regularly. It’s great if you can do this in person, but if that’s not an option for you, there are online study groups you can join as well. Getting feedback from other students can help you improve your approaches, and if you understand something that your fellow group members don’t, explaining it can help to cement your knowledge. If that doesn’t work, consider hiring a “trainer.” In weight loss, one great way to break through a plateau is to work with a trainer. The test prep equivalent is a tutor. Even an hour a week can give you new motivation and show you methods you might not be familiar with on your own.

The common denominator here is CHANGE. If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting the same results. Introduce new knowledge, routines, or resources into your study plan, and you can get your numbers moving back up where you want them.

Have you found a great way to break through a plateau? Share it in the comments! Make sure to practice on Grockit!

Joint Degrees

chase cairncross May 14, 2010

The time is now to start planning for a joint degree. Do not wait until you are halfway through business school to realize that your dream of working in medicine, public policy or even law is greater than your desire to use your MBA to become a consultant or banker. Knowing ahead of time allows you to plan properly and take advantage of any synergies or time savings.

If you are thinking about doing this you need to ask yourself the following questions:

Is it financially viable?

Unless money is no object this will at best cost you one more year of making zero income. Most joint degree programs which include an MBA can be thought of as adding one additional year onto the other program. For instance, law degrees typically take three years to complete, whereas a JD/MBA typically requires four years to complete.

Will the culture be right?

Having taken classes in multiple graduate programs I can attest to the fact that the culture is quite different. Law schools and medical schools tend to have younger students with less time devoted to networking than a typical business school. Public policy and Urban Planning schools might have students who have been out of undergrad for a longer period and who might be fully employed. These differences, good and bad, will take away from some of the features of business school.

Do I need both degrees?

Some people like to collect degrees or just hang out in academia. Without constraints it is not that bad of a gig, but most of us have to deal with reality. Think about what career you are seeking and if the additional degree is truly necessary or just something you would like to hang on your wall. If you want to be the corporate M&A guy at a law firm, then it might make sense, but on the flip side you might be the banker whose group makes him read every legal document it comes across.

Can I fulfill these interests with electives?

Most business schools are tied into universities that offer a slew of graduate degrees. Often these programs will allow a portion of your business school elective classes to be taken in other disciplines. I quenched my public policy interest by taking a couple of classes at that school and took a class at the film school just for fun. I doubt any of those classes will help my career, but they were a lot more interesting than another financial statement analysis class.

Can you get into both programs?

Depending on your schools of choice and your test scores you might not be able to get into both schools. For example, a certain Ivy League college might have an up and coming business school that you could easily get into but their law school might be ranked at the top.

Do you want to take another test?

Most graduate programs use the GRE as their admission test, while business schools use the GMAT, law schools use the LSAT and med schools use the MCAT. If you love studying for and taking these tests this won’t be a problem, but it will add to the cost and the time it takes. Some test sites allow access to both tests so check that out too.

I am sure there are more but that is a good start. If you still want to go for both, good for you and best of luck.

How to start preparing for the Quant section of GMAT:

nand sharma May 3, 2010

Some of you have left math behind, planning never to touch it again, and all of a sudden the GMAT comes along. You know that you were good in math but now that there has been a lag, you’re afraid you won’t be able to catch up on the fundamentals. The lines, polygons, integers, triangles, and (worst of all) the permutations and probabilities start to bother you. You know you knew this stuff– in fact you were always a grade A student—but now you have to get back up to speed.

What’s the best way to do that? Well, that’s probably a little different for everyone. But always remember this: if you were good in math at one point of time, you are still good in math. You have not lost your Quant skills, so don’t lose your self-confidence! It’s just a matter of logging the hours of study time before your math skills come back to you, and then, believe it or not, GMAT Quant practice can be fun!

The best way to begin your Quant preparation is to get the Official Guide notes and go through them. Try to not only read them but also to find and work out similar formulas. This will help you to brush up on some of the formulas and the topics. For faster results, though, try this method: read a topic from the Official Guide, and immediately get to the Grockit site and play a game on that topic, preferably in a group. That will help you pinpoint your weak areas, and the practice games will help your brain find those math skills that are lurking in there somewhere. Do this for each of the topics, starting with what you consider the easier ones and working your way up to the tougher ones.

Next, identify your weak areas. We all hate some topics but still we know that we have to prepare to face them—that’s a reality both on the GMAT and in life. The best thing to do for those topics is to schedule a game with a tutor who can help you and whom you consider strong in that particular area. Follow this process, topic by topic, and you’ll start to see your skills return.

Once you have refreshed your Math fundamentals and played games with the Grockit website, it’s time to see where you stand on with your GMAT score.

Here’s how you do it: Go to mba.com (the official GMAT® website) and download GMATprep software. The software has two mock tests and is the most accurate practice software available. Use the tests wisely since there are only two of them.

Take your first test after you have figured out the Quant and Verbal fundamentals. For verbal, follow the same strategy as mentioned above for the Quant. Do not try to complete the Official Guide (OG) before taking GMATprep Test 1. The software has some questions that are repeated from the OG and may skew your score.

After the first GMATprep test, you’ll start to see the results that you get from studying the OG and using Grockit for collaborative learning. Happy studying, and we hope to see you in a Grockit game sometime soon!

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Breaking Through the Plateau: Reach the Next Level in Your GMAT Prep

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