Redemption

This was a post back on 7/19/14.  Not sure why I mentioned all the specifics on the exam when at this point I already had gone through all the work to apply into Chicago Booth in May of 2014, and was accepted shortly after. Regardless, here are my thoughts about my final GMAT exam.

I can't believe I haven't written in this blog since taking my GMAT on May 1st, because so much as happened since then.

First of all, I took the GMAT which should be an entry all by itself.  Let me start off with some pre-test activities.
Since my exam started at 2pm, and I took this day and the day before off so that I can focus just on the exam.  I spent those days going over formulas and my flash cards which included content/questions that I frequently encountered while doing practice problems, but still had a hard time mastering. The morning before the exam, Joann made me a nice breakfast, and then we when to the gym to shoot hoops.  I think this will be my new routine anytime I have such an important day with high stakes, because I felt very awake and alert while taking the test and my stamina was also strong.

After I felt all ready to go, Joann drove me to Pearson Vue in Bloomington, which is where I took my first GMAT exam almost a year ago and bombed.  But that didn't stop me from choosing this location again since it's the closest center to my home and the facilities are nice.  Plus, every time I drive to church, I am see this building and wonder if I would ever give myself a second chance to redeem myself.

Test began with the IR portion, which felt pretty comfortable for as I was taking the test since the questions I encountered all seemed manageable.  But then the unthinkable happened, I ran out of time and completed only 8 of 12 questions!!  This was a good wake up call, because right then and there I realized that my time management will have to be more disciplined until the I'm done with the test.

Next was the writing portion, which was low stress for me since I know I just needed an average score to show the admissions committee that my ability to write a good application essay is at the same level as I demonstrated during my GMAT writing portion.

After I completed these first two sections, I took a water break to prepare for the Verbal and Quant sections, which are the only two sections that determine my score.

Quant goes first, and as always I find this section to be difficult. Even though I got a 790 on SAT math, GMAT Quant has always been challenging for me.  The questions are a lot trickier to solve in the amount of time given.  The one thing I learned from all my prep is that I need to be fast at determining if I have a chance in answering a question correctly and quickly, and if not guess and move on.  There two questions that I felt I should have known, but couldn't quite figure out in time and so I had to guess and move on.

I'm taking the GMAT tomorrow at 2pm!!!!  Lord, you are my only hope.  Last year  I know I rushed myself into taking the official GMAT by watching lectures online from Manhattan GMAT, and not studying everyday or practicing all the problems.

This time I moved past watching lectures, especially since I no longer have access to them (that's how I long I've been "studying" for the GMAT), and this time I focused a lot more time on Verbal and even completed all the questions on the Official Guide and watched all the video explanations. I'm hoping that the 630 on the MGMAT test and 660 on the Official GMAT Prep software will land me a score in the 660 range.  But I can only get this score with God as my strength.  I can't say I'm done with this process until I know my score, but I've learned so much about myself through this journey.  I've learned that I need to exercise my brain like I exercise my body, and as I do I'll get stronger and stronger.  Now that I am running almost 4 days a week I notice I can run a lot faster for a longer period of time.  I know that if I keep studying and learning new things, I can become a wiser and smarter man than I was in college.

I finished my practice test and scored a 660!  Granted, I recognize some of the reading comprehension I'm really proud of this score.  Quant:  46 (71 percentile) and Verbal: 35 (81 percentile)

Today I take my last practice exam before I take the official gmat in 5 days.  Even though I know I need more time to study, practice and and get help I feel as if this is going to be the last time I take the GMAT.  I'm going to allow myself one more try by end of Summer in case I don't get the score I want, but now seems like the best time to get this test over with.

This has been a humbling experience.  Getting a good score is not easy for me, even though I've spent so many hours prating problems over the years.  It's humbling to apply and interview to business schools where they'll accept or reject me.  

I've been trying to work out and sleep more so that my mind can be as sharp as possible.  And just like the little muscle I've gained, I realize how the brain is a muscle that continually needs to be strengthened by giving myself mental challenges everyday like studying the GMAT or learning something new through a book or business article.  I feel like studying for the GMAT has helped jump start my brain to start thinking academically again and become more of a critical thinker.  I think that's what the GMAT is really testing.  They want to know if David Synn can keep up studies as he reenters a learning institution, all while managing a full time job and taking care of his family, who by the way is only comprised of two people at the moment. I know I can do this, and hope to get at least a 650 on the test.  I'm giving myself a number, and to prove I can do it I need to get a 650 on this practice test, where I expect to seem some repeat questions from when I took these practice exams last year. 

I end in a prayer to my Lord, Savior, Helper,  Creator, Master, and friend.  Lord, you know how weak I am and how little I can be.  God help me now and on Thursday to do well on this test. Only you can make my mind work and only you can make me click the right buttons.  I'm just part of your never ending love story, so please use me to overcome this obstacle, because I know I can't do this by myself.  May my efforts be pleasing to you as I put all my hope in you.  Thank you that no matter what happens, you love me the same and will one day come to take me to spend eternity with you.  How can I not be happy while I live out my time on earth, in preparation for eternal life with you.   Thank you for Joann, please always keep her by your side as you continue to form her path to you.  She a is lovely doe and I thank you for joining our paths on earth to follow you, even though our paths are a little bit different.  I know that this only makes sense to you, and I'm so glad how omniscient you are.  

I'm officially taking the official GMAT in one week. Next Thursday as a matter of fact.

For now, I'm working on neutralizing my weaknesses.

Today the lesson is for sentence correction. 

1) Identify subject verb agreement
2) prounouns - correct verbs?  clear antecedent?
3) comparisons - parallel markers
4) modifiers
5) meaning

I took a practice test last Sunday and I got a 630 (42 Quant 57% /  34 Verbal 69%), which is a somewhat decent improvement after my streak of getting 580 in different CAT exams AND the official exam.

Kind of bummed because I wanted to get at least a 650 and then sign up to take the GMAT in two weeks from Saturday 4/13.  I simply ran out of time during both the Quant and Verbal sections.

I need to guage my internal 2 minute clock, because I spent 4 and 5 minutes on certain Quant questions!  That really killed my score, because I couldn't even answer the last question.  NO WHEN TO GUESS AND MOVE ON DAVID!!!!  

I realize that I need to study more around number properties, square roots, combinatorics, and so on.

On the flip side, I think the 34 on Verbal or 69% percentile was the best I've scored so far.  If I can maintain and improve on Verbal and raise my Quant score, I should really be able to get a 650 on the official exam.   

On Data Sufficiency, the graphs are drawn to scale.  Use the graph paper to estimate lengths.  I spent 4 minutes on a problem, because I just couldn't give up.   MOVE ON!!!


For any set of consecutive integers with an odd number of terms, the sum of the integers is always a multiple of the number of terms. For example, the sum of 1, 2, and 3 (three consecutives -- an odd number) is 6, which is a multiple of 3. For any set of consecutive integers with an even number of terms, the sum of the integers is never a multiple of the number of terms. For example, the sum of 1, 2, 3, and 4 (four consecutives -- an even number) is 10, which is not a multiple of 4.