GMAT Test Prep: A User's Guide
Your GMAT exam score, while only one part of your business school admissions application, can be the difference between getting accepted or rejected at your first-choice school. In fact, 55% of the 250 MBA admissions officers who responded to the 2008 Kaplan Business School Admissions Survey said the GMAT is the most important factor in the business school application. While schools look at the complete package, they will be turned off by a lower-than-average GMAT score, which they use to determine how successful you will be academically. That's why many applicants spend a great deal of time preparing for the GMAT—and doing whatever they can to increase their score. Often, they turn to test-prep companies for help.
In the past few years, these companies have worked to improve their online offerings and create more personalized materials and courses. "We don't believe in one-size-fits-all. We respect the fact that the students who come to our class are not all at the exact same level," says Scott Shrum, director of MBA Admissions Research at Veritas Prep. "It is our job to know the GMAT and arm you with the tools."
Indeed, Shrum's competitors agree that offering personalized attention is a must for today's test-taker—from homework assignments based on your particular weaknesses to computer readouts analyzing your GMAT results, helping you decide where to concentrate your efforts. Whether you haven't looked at a geometry problem since the 10th grade or are an engineer exposed to various quant problems everyday, GMAT test-prep companies are aiming to get your attention. And judging from your comments on BusinessWeek's Business Schools Forum, they have apparently succeeded.
If you're thinking about preparing for the GMAT, you have a wide range of options—from taking the free practice tests offered by GMAC, the creators of the GMAT, and studying on your own, to private tutoring with one of the test-prep programs. The best way to determine what course of study is right for you is to take a practice test first, then determine a reasonable goal, and then decide which, if any, program would help you arrive at it. Here is what you can get out of some of the more popular GMAT test-prep companies:
KAPLAN
While not about to rest on its laurels, Kaplan still believes that experience is its greatest strength. "Our objective is to offer 40-plus years of GMAT teaching experience in a way that is comprehensive but also personalized for every student," says Andrew Mitchell, director of GMAT programs for Kaplan. With 160 centers in the U.S. and others in France and Britain, in addition to online courses, Kaplan also reaches a large audience. The company's Smart Reports offer live feedback on each student's progress based on the results of practice exams. A partnership with Pearson VUE allows students to take one practice exam in the room where they will eventually take the real GMAT, to get a feel for what it will be like on test day.
Kaplan offers traditional classroom courses, advanced classes for those who score a 600 or above on the practice test and want to improve their score even more, and live online courses, where students see their instructor via webcam. If your score doesn't increase, you're eligible for a full refund, and if you're not satisfied with your score or don't feel ready for the test at the end of your course, you can retake the entire course for free.
"The reason we've been in business for so long is because we back up [our promises] with this guarantee," says Mitchell.
source: businessweek
No comments:
Post a Comment