The following post originally appeared, in its entirety, on Clearadmit.com
Congratulations! You’ve made the decision to go back to school. Maybe it’s something you’ve been thinking about for awhile, or maybe it was an impulse decision made over the holidays and too much spiked eggnog. Regardless of how you got there, it’s 2016, you’re committed, and ready to tackle everything all at once…
Not so fast! Before you start trying to study for the GMAT, write personal statements, secure letters of recommendation, etc. let’s talk planning. And, what’s a better time of year than January to get started?
Before you do anything else, start by outlining what’s involved:
• GMAT
– When should I test?
– Do I need a test prep course? Tutor? Self-study?
• School / program research:
– What type of program should I choose? Part-time? Full-time? Executive MBA? A 1 year program?
– Do I want to stay local? Relocate?
• Budgeting / finances
– How am I going to pay for this?
– Can I afford to not work?
• Personal statement
• Pre-requisite / supplemental classes
Next, pull out a calendar, preferably a multi-year calendar. Start by figuring out when you’d like to start your program. If the answer is more than 6 months out, take a deep breath. You’ve earned yourself a little breathing room.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll do a deeper dive into some of the tasks you’ll be facing. Let’s start with one of the most important, the GMAT.
How Do You Learn Best?
They say the GMAT is just one piece of your application, and it is! That being said, you want to ensure you’re dedicating a significant and dedicated portion of time to GMAT preparation. Start by thinking about how you best learn. Do you have the self-discipline to buy a book or online course and set aside time to study on your own? Or do you thrive in small group environments where you can learn from others and discuss strategies? Or maybe you prefer one-on-one private tutoring and having a dedicated person customize a learning plan for you.
Inventory Your Skills
Maybe you were a liberal arts major who did everything possible to avoid taking a math class in college. If that’s the case, math might feel like a foreign language. The Graduate Management Admission Council® (GMAC®) offers two tools that can help. The first is a paid product, GMAT Focus that provides you with feedback on your quant skills. With feedback more specific than “data sufficiency isn’t your thing,” GMAT Focus is a great first step, especially if you’re trying to remember what PEMDAS stands for. The second tool is a free software called GMATPrep that includes two full length practice tests (and also leverages the proprietary GMAT scoring algorithm). Taking a practice test and getting an approximate score is a great way to identify some potential areas of weakness from content and skills to pacing. Feedback from one or both of these products will help dictate what your GMAT preparation roadmap looks like.
Chart the Course
Finally, take time to plan out your GMAT preparation journey. You’ll want to carve out 2-3 months where you can devote consistent study time. This doesn’t mean a 6 hour marathon session every Saturday; it means 3-5 days a week of pacing drills and meaningful study sessions. Starting early gives you the luxury of being able to sketch out your study plan so your time is better spent. No one ever went from couch potato to marathoner by going out and running 20 miles every Saturday. Success on the GMAT won’t come overnight either.
If January/February/March isn’t the right time for GMAT prep, there are plenty of other things you can do now to prepare your applications. As previously mentioned, we’ll touch on all of these tasks over the next few weeks so you can put together your best application and find the program that will be the best fit for your skills and future plans.
The above GMAT Tip comes from Veritas Prep. Since its founding in 2002, Veritas Prep has helped more than 100,000 students prepare for the GMAT and offers the most highly rated GMAT Prep course in the industry.