GMAT (Focus Edition) TUTORING

First, it's important to understand that "test-optional" in MBA admissions basically means "submit a score unless you are a Nobel Prize winner". While most admissions committees refuse to openly admit it, these scores still matter for all but the most exemplary candidates and every other applicant should look at the standardized testing portion of the application as an opportunity to shine rather than as an obstacle to avoid. After all, it's impossible to fix a subpar undergraduate GPA or change a less than stellar entry on a resume, but it is possible for just about everyone to buckle down and spend 2-4 months really studying to get a great GMAT score.

Now that we've established that the standardized testing portion of the application remains important, why should you choose the GMAT over the other tests that are available for MBA admissions? More than any other MBA admissions exam, the GMAT encourages test takers to develop skills that pay dividends in the classroom and in the boardroom. While the GRE and Executive Assessment in many ways position themselves as "easier to prep" exams, in our expert opinion the time put into preparing for the GMAT is well spent to encourage logical thinking and build basic mathematics skills that will be applicable to any future business endeavors.

Because it doesn't allow a calculator on its Quantitative section, the GMAT requires successful takers to build a basic mastery of arithmetic and the ability to complete various mathematic calculations manually. While this can seem daunting to students who've relied on a calculator for years, understanding how to use factors of 10 to multiply or divide as well as how to manually manipulate fractions, percentages, and exponents facilitates a better understanding of basic business concepts such as profit, interest, and growth rates. This refresher will be invaluable as you begin accounting and economics coursework; a good GMAT score can even help applicants avoid remedial math coursework as a condition of acceptance.

At the same time, the GMAT has eliminated what many believe are the most arbitrary concepts from the GRE and 10th Edition of the GMAT. Gone from the old GMAT are the need to study English grammar for the sentence correction questions and to brush up on plane geometry formulas for the legacy GMAT Quantitative section. In contrast, the GRE will still test incredibly obscure geometric concepts in its quantitative section and the Executive Assessment still contains 3-5 sentence corrections in its verbal section. Furthermore, the GMAT does not require the substantial vocabulary study that is necessary to excel on the verbal section of the GRE. Nothing is more arbitrary in the realm of graduate admissions exams than the GRE continuing to test knowledge of arcane antediluvian verbiage that no one has used in centuries.

Lastly, when the GRE in 2023 switched to a shorter format exam, it had a very serious ancillary effect on the scoring mechanism. Because the GRE is adaptive by section and the first sections have been truncated by 40%, the margin for error on that exam, especially the quantitative section is incredibly small. Missing as few as five questions on the quantitative section can now render a 160 score for that most important section to MBA admissions committees out of reach. So, the "easier" exam now has a much harder scoring curve.

• Luis R. I had a phenomenal experience with MyGuru. Stefan was very helpful and constantly available. Even though I had to switch tutoring appointments around constantly due to my job, he was always flexible and able to accommodate. As an international student I did not have much standardized test taking experience and never had a tutor before. However, Stefan really helped me improve my core skills and also helped me develop crucial test taking strategies. I was able to see improvements after every single tutoring session with him. Overall, he helped me improve my GMAT score by 90 points (from 650 in diagnostic test to 740 on the actual test), which was way above what I thought was possible. On top of that, Stefan refunded all of my unused tutoring hours that I had prepaid for, as I was able to reach my target score much sooner than expected. I highly recommend using MyGuru if you are preparing for the GMAT, I am convinced that I could not have achieved such a high score without Stefan's help. Thank you!
• Loyd B. It has been a while since we have talked and I wanted to provide you with an update. I will officially announce that I will be attending Wharton this fall for business school. I want to personally thank you for playing a huge role in helping me make this dream come true. The GMAT prep and guidance Stefan provided paid off and helped me land my dream school. What you do works... Within our group, you have HBS (Wale), Stanford - GSB (David) and me (Wharton).
• Max P. MyGuru was by far the most important resource in my GMAT prep! Without what I learned in my tutoring sessions I wouldn't have gotten close to the 760 that I ended up with! The sessions were incredibly informative and efficient. Each one was also tailored to my specific weak points unlike some other programs. Just 5 hours of instruction completely changed my view of the GMAT. The strategies that my personal Guru, Stefan, helped me master were applicable to not only the regular in person GMAT, but also the Online test. If you want to master the GMAT, MyGuru is your best option!
• Lindsey A. I couldn't have asked for a better experience with MyGuru.  Prior to MyGuru, I initially used a Manhattan prep self-study program to prepare for the GMAT exam and was able to score a 680.  I wasn't satisfied with this score and was looking to push higher up to my goal score of 720.  I reached out to MyGuru for additional tutoring and Mark immediately paired me with Stefan. I worked with Stefan through videoconferencing which was a very easy and convenient way to receive tutoring. I would highly recommend using this option as you can receive tutoring anywhere (Starbucks, work office, home, etc.) and is very useful for people with a full-time job or a busy schedule.  Stefan created a customized schedule for me based on my needs and we did a crash course refresher over a month-long period in order to push my score into the higher percentiles. I enjoyed working with Stefan and he was very flexible with my schedule as I had to change a few schedule times due to work conflicts.  In addition, Stefan provided me with structured assignments and unique test taking tips that were much different than the standard Manhattan prep tips I had learned.  I appreciated this different way of thinking as it helped me feel more comfortable with the exam and improved my overall test taking abilities.  Stefan is strong in both categories (Quant and Verbal) which was very beneficial as he had specific tips for each section.  He specifically helped me to improve my overall timing, critical reasoning skills, sentence correction methodology, and data sufficiency abilities. Ultimately, I far surpassed my goal score of a 720 and received a 760.  I am more than pleased and very appreciative of the help that Stefan and MyGuru provided to me.  I highly recommend test takers try MyGuru instead of the general test-taking companies as you get more bang for your buck and a personalized experience which can lead to highly successful results, as shown in my case!
• Aristarchus A. 100% recommend MyGuru for GMAT. I put off getting a tutor for the longest time due to the cost, but MyGuru was quite affordable and my tutor was quality. They have low cost for online, and you can save even more by joining a small group with some friends. I was able to raise my GMAT score by 100 points after 12 hours of online tutoring.
• Dave K. MyGuru was a great fit for me. Because of my work schedule, I do not have a lot of free time during the week and it was very beneficial for me to have tutoring sessions over skype. I was able to work right up until the scheduled appointment, meet with the tutor (Stefan in my case) and then finish up some work afterwards. Stefan did a great job of walking me through the material and coaching me in test-taking strategies. Towards the end he really did become a guru for my studying effort and went above and beyond in strengthening my mindset and talking me through the pre-test jitters. I can't recommend Stefan and MyGuru enough. Stats: First practice test was a 660 final and official score was a 750. Made that improvement over the course of the eight week program with Stefan. Thanks again guys!
• Mason C. Worked with Steve - was absolutely thrilled with the teaching. I went in looking for help on the most difficult of the quantitative questions on the GMAT, and Steve was able to break down the problems with me. His teaching improved my understanding massively in a short time, and as a result, my score improved by 50 points. Definitely recommend Steve and MyGuru for any tutoring needs.
• Mahnoor R. After having scored a 610 in my first GMAT take to my dismay, and spending countless hours and money on online courses I turned to MyGuru from a LinkedIn review for tutoring and safe to say, getting tutored from Stefan was a game changer. He moved beyond discussing concepts and discussed test strategies and execution strategies which is exactly what I needed at that stage to get my score up. He was very clear and effective in his tutoring approach and the 700 score I finally got could not have been possible without him!