From Spanish Lit to GMAT Math: A 650 Score Journey

June 2022 GMAT 650 V27 Q50 (Online Comprehensive Course + Dustin’s Finisher)

Exam Scores:

• First Attempt: 550 V20 Q47 IR4 (Cancelled 12/14/2020)
• Second Attempt: 590 V26 Q45 IR3 (Cancelled 07/02/2021)
• Third Attempt: 540 V26 Q38 IR2 (Cancelled 08/28/2021)
• Fourth Attempt: 650 V27 Q50 IR 3 AWA 4.0 (09/30/2021)

Academic Background:

Tamkang University, Department of Spanish

Admissions:

• University of Texas Dallas Master of Marketing
• Arizona State University MS Business Analytics
• Michigan State University MS in Marketing Research (34 credits)
• University of Denver (Daniels) Denver, CO MS Marketing (47 credits)
• Univresity of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL MS Marketing

Final Enrollment:

Arizona State University MS Business Analytics

Preparation Status: Full-time preparation for the first half, then forced to study while working QQ

Preparation Time: 08/2020 – 09/2021 (Over a year)

English Proficiency: College Entrance Exam Level 14 / IELTS 7.5

Study Materials: OG 2021, 2020 PP1-PP4, GWD, A2 Online Comprehensive Course Materials, Dustin’s Finisher Materials, Kaomanfen, various English news platforms (National Geography, BBC News)

Introduction:

I’ve always wanted to study abroad, but my family initially opposed me going on exchange or studying abroad just for that reason XD
After a lot of persuasion, they finally agreed, so I only started serious planning in 2019 (I should have planned better in college, which is why my GPA is so low at 3.0).

But honestly, it wasn’t that serious. Knowing GMAT was difficult, I decided I had to find a cram school. Without doing much research, I chose a really bad one – I won’t mention its name to avoid trouble QQ. A big reason for choosing the wrong school was that I thought the A2 course was only available on weekdays and missed out ><

Because of the wrong cram school (excuse 1) and the fact that test centers were closed both online and offline due to the pandemic (excuse 2), I procrastinated for a while until offline centers reopened. I started my GMAT journey in September 2019 and immediately scheduled my first attempt for December.

After taking the A2 course, I realized I had been slacking off in English classes XD. I was confused about many grammar rules and used them incorrectly. I could handle short sentences, but long ones were a disaster QQ. It was only through the standard English course that I discovered how much I was lacking. Thanks to this, I finally learned to identify the subject, verb, and object in SC!

KH’s math materials were also incredibly helpful. They are concise and focus on key points, making it easy to practice along with the textbook. The “28-Day Plan for Working Professionals” was also very practical. I diligently followed it during my fourth attempt, and it paid off with a score of 50. Although I’m a bit disappointed I didn’t get a perfect score ><

First Attempt:

From August to December, I spent every day working on OG, PP, and GWD. To get through as many questions as possible, I didn’t review my mistakes thoroughly. The worst part was that I couldn’t even articulate a coherent thought in English. When I didn’t understand, I resorted to “trash” methods and guessing, which were all incorrect approaches. I should have focused on improving my understanding of sentence meaning and reading speed, but I neglected these crucial areas.

A week before the exam, I consulted with Kory. He immediately pointed out my failure to grasp the meaning of the questions. So, I took the test with a sense of resignation, and predictably, my Verbal score was only 20, far from my goal. Immediately after the exam, I requested an ESR report and scheduled a consultation with A2. A2 wasted no time and had me work on CR “dolphin questions.” While I chose the correct answers, I completely failed to understand the meaning of the questions and answers, and my translations were clumsy and nonsensical. At this point, I knew I had been studying the wrong way all along, stubbornly persisting with the wrong methods. I wish I could go back and tell my past self to stop wasting so much time XD

After the first attempt, I was still very discouraged, so I took the IELTS to de-stress. I thought I would see some amazing improvement, but that didn’t happen either hahaha

Second to Fourth Attempts:

After a two to three-month recovery period, I realized I couldn’t keep de-stressing and immediately enrolled in Dustin’s Finisher course.

The Finisher course had a very heavy workload and was quite stressful. I had endless homework every day, and at that time, I was already working full-time. I had to cope with work pressure during the day and then dive into studying at night. This included “human language” training, various practice exercises and reviews, and Q practice problems. After the third attempt, KH introduced the “snake game” (a practice method), which was immensely helpful. I’m also very grateful for Dustin’s study group mechanism, which motivated me to study and discuss problems with others!

While my score isn’t top-tier, it’s sufficient for my needs. And thanks to the guidance from Dustin, A2, Kory, and KH, I was able to achieve a score I’m happy with!

SC

When I first encountered this section, it was like a foreign language to me. All five answer choices seemed correct, and I had completely forgotten the rules of grammar. I couldn’t even identify the subject, verb, or object. I’m very grateful to A2’s comprehensive training program, particularly the “A” book and Manhattan Prep’s “700 Essential Words for the GMAT,” which clearly organized the fundamental grammar concepts. Through repeated review of these materials, I overcame the initial challenges. In fact, improving my grammar has greatly benefited my professional communication, whether in writing emails or preparing project documents.

Dustin’s Finisher course further elevated my SC skills. Through “human language” training, sentence construction exercises, and the concept of absolute vs. relative modifiers, I learned to approach questions systematically rather than relying on rote memorization of techniques.

Having a solid grasp of SC, along with good grammar and a “human language” benchmark, can only benefit your performance in CR and RC.

CR

CR was a completely new type of question for me. Initially, I couldn’t even understand what the questions were asking and would randomly select answers, using “good/bad” logic to eliminate options. Unsurprisingly, my scores were very low.

However, after post-exam consultations with A2 and training in Dustin’s Finisher course, I learned to understand the meaning using my own words and to think critically about the answers instead of being led astray by them. This not only improved my accuracy but also saved me time by preventing me from getting bogged down in irrelevant options.

RC

RC is a challenging section that integrates skills from SC and CR. It requires not only strong reading comprehension but also logical reasoning abilities. It’s nearly impossible to master in a short time unless you’re a native speaker.

In the beginning, I just kept practicing questions without fully understanding them, fearing I would run out of time. This was counterproductive. Later, through “human language” training and reading articles on topics I found interesting daily (like those from National Geography, which cover a wide range of fascinating subjects – thanks to my study group members for the recommendations!), I noticed significant improvements in my reading speed and comprehension. Combined with logical training, where I would form my own answer before looking at the options, my performance in RC improved dramatically.

Q

As someone from a purely humanities background, my math skills were terrible from kindergarten through high school, let alone in college where I barely used math. However, I discovered that my poor performance was due to not using the right study methods. Thanks to the materials prepared by Teacher KH, along with practice from JJ (GMAT question sets) and the “snake game,” I finally achieved a score of 50, which was a pleasant surprise! In the last month before the exam, I practiced 50 math questions daily to maintain my skills, and my mental calculation also improved significantly XD

Conclusion:

The preparation process was indeed grueling. I had to give up my beloved anime, video games, and time with friends to focus on studying. However, by remembering my initial goal for taking the exam and my small American dream, I found the motivation to keep going. I want to thank my study group members and my boyfriend for helping me solve problems and practice “human language” QA daily, as well as all the teachers for their hard work in preparing and delivering their lessons.

I hope all fellow students achieve their target GMAT scores soon and regain their freedom!

Related posts:

Office Workers: Bidding Farewell to Sluggish GMAT Progress, The Last Mile from 650 to 700 Understanding Dustin’s GMAT Data Model (595-675) Break Through 630: Smart Strategies to Reach 700 on the GMAT Boosting My Score: A2 and Dustin’s Advice