The day before I was going t take the GMAT reality hit me and I went into a panic, "I CAN'T TAKE THE TEST AND MAYBE SCORE A 500 THAT LOOKS STUPID!!!!"
I rescheduled for October 29th.
But wait, if you reschedule less than 7 calendar days it costs another $250. Yes. I ate the $300 I already paid and shelled out another $250 to reschedule. I hate life and I hate how GMAT Prep just eats money, but at least I won;t have a 500 on my score report.
My GMAT Prep class starts next month. Instead of taking college algebra and retaking intermediate algebra online, I am just going to take elementary statistics.
I am going to put all my focus into an application to one school : UC Irvine The Paul Merage School of Business. I will apply round 1 for Fall 2011 and if I don't get in I can decide if I want to apply to Pepperdine University's Graziadio Graduate School of Business and Management since their deadline is usually in May. Or I can spend the year strengthening my application by retaking the GMAT and taking business calculus and accounting and applying to UCLA and USC.
The road to an MBA is epic, even before you get into a school!
My algebra class ends in a few weeks. I'm so excited! Working seven days a week and going to school four days a night is exhausting!
Reading about your experiences about prepping for the GMAT brings back a lot of 'fond' memories, haha.
ReplyDeleteI think you made the right choice though about resetting your test time even though it was pretty costly. GMAT scores are pretty important to an MBA application and recruiters sometimes ask for your score also.
My brother went to UCI for his undergrad and he really liked it. I heard a lot of good things about their MBA program too. I was considering going to UCI since I went to UCSD but decided to go to Purdue's since I had roots from Indiana.
I run a blog too at http://www.krannertmba.com. Just random stuff about my experiences at Krannert and as an MBA student.
Good luck on prepping for the GMAT!
haha GMAT Prep is pretty soul consuming.
ReplyDeleteUCI is moving up the ranks and maybe in the next 5-10 years it could move up into the top 20.
I will definitely be reading your blog! I've only been to Indianapolis a few times when my cousin was living out there. It's a nice little city. I've never been out to where Purdue is; I know its outside of Indy. Indiana people are pretty friendly. Good luck in your studies.
Yes GMAT prep is incredibly time consuming! Which class are you taking?
ReplyDeleteI'm taking a prep course through UCLA Extension. It;s half the price of the big companies, but I am hoping it's not half the quality.
ReplyDeleteHey Lisa,
ReplyDeleteI took the GMAT twice and between the two attempts, I rescheduled the dates three times. Its always best to take the test when you feel comfortable. Good luck with your preps.
Given the time and money investment in a bschool application decision, I am of the opinion that its best to apply to a set of schools in a round rather than a single school, unless you are very sure you want a particular school.
I was an applicant to UCLA for the Class fo 2012. I was interviewed and waitlisted whereupon I declined my waitlist to attend Babson College in MA. If you decide to apply to UCLA, feel free to reach out with any questions you may have.
RB
http://babsonmba2012.com
@Babson MBA: You are right and I've gone through a few different plans in my head since I last updated.
ReplyDeleteI still may not apply to UCLA since I will not make their Round 1 deadline.
Thank you for reaching out to me. One of my professors at Boston University got his MBA at Babson. He is actually the professor who said to me I should have got my MBA instead of pursuing my MS in Television Production.
Thats awesome Lisa! Good luck with your applications and hope to read more about your apps in the coming year.
ReplyDeleteNaveen
Babson MBA Class of 2012