The GMAT Club Blog

Scoretop Scandal: A Little Clarity

The Scoretop Scandal is a messy business. Angst runs high; solid information about the scandal's implications for many applicants has been scarce.

BusinessWeek, however, has just posted an interview with GMAC's Peg Jöbst that should relieve anxiety for many and heighten it for a few. In Ms. Jöbst's words:

"GMAC is limiting its investigation to those individuals who a) posted GMAT questions they saw on their GMAT exam, and b) posted a message on Scoretop confirming that they saw items from the Scoretop Web site on their GMAT exam. In these instances, GMAC will cancel GMAT scores and notify schools to which those scores were sent."

If you were a VIP member of Scoretop, I strongly urge you to read the interview in its entirety, but the above quote summarizes GMAC's position.

A few other points from the interview.

• An applicant will have  "a right to appeal any decision GMAC makes. Test takers will be notified in writing if GMAC is taking action and will have a period of time to appeal the decision."
• She cautioned all test-takers "Do not purchase, request, or share materials that claim to be 'real' or 'live' GMAT questions in any form. In addition, be wary if you see discussion threads in which test content is shared and real or 'live' questions are confirmed as accessible via the site or any participant(s) of the site (online or offline). Do not share any test content with anyone else after you have taken the test."
• It is "not likely" a candidate who falls into the categories discussed above and and his or her test canceled will be allowed to take the test again.

More News on GMAT Cheating

There is a continuation of the ScoreTop bust stories on both Business Week and NPR (podcast). However, a more interesting piece caught our attention - a GMAT Cheater ring was busted in Los Angeles. It offered a high score for $6,000.

GMAT Cheating Controversy Grows

Thought originally reported that only a few thousand GMAT test takers were involved with Scoretop's service, the number is up to 6,000 people who are facing potentially having their scores canceled. Business Week reports more. I don't think there is a precedent to such case. Interesting to see if the cheaters will be expelled. Hang on.

MBA Admissions @ Accepted

I am pleased to inform/remind you of a few, time-sensitive items of interest for MBA applicants.:

• “Bold and Brilliant Essays” at the Manhattan GMAT Open House in Santa Monica, CA. this Thursday evening June 26th 2008 6:30-8:30 PM. I will discuss the why, what, and how of MBA application essays. You already know the who. And how much? Free.
• The last MBA Admissions Telethon for 2009 applicants will take place on July 15, 2008 at 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM PT/4:00 PM – 6:00 PM ET / 10:00 PM – 12:00 AM GMT. The telethon is your opportunity to obtain a FREE mini-consultation from top-notch MBA admissions consultants. Please register to reserver your spot and obtain call-in information.
• The Techie`s Guide to MBA Admissions is on special this month and 25% off. Learn how to distinguish yourself within this --arguably the most crowded -- sub-group in the applicant pool. Only through June 30, 2008.
• Accepted is having an early-bird discount for MBA applicants. Those who buy now are not only getting an early start and competitive edge, they are saving $$$. Check it out.

Admissions Consultant's Conference

The AIGAC conference was great. Worthy of all my anticipation, excitement, and gushing.

Twenty-six graduate admissions consultants representing 15 consultancies from six countries and four continents gathered to improve skills, talk shop, and share best practices on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. I am proud to say that seven Accepted editors participated in the conference, the largest contingent from any consultancy.

On Wednesday morning we toured Chicago GSB, met with Rose Martinelli -- who addressed us and took questions -- and other Chicago staff. In the afternoon, we traveled to the other end of Chicago, and met with Kellogg staff, a student in Kellogg’s 1Y program, and then heard from Beth Flye.

On Thursday we had three presentations. I served on a panel discussing “Best Practices in Admissions Consulting.” Later that morning, directors of admission from Anderson, Haas, Kenan-Flagler, London Business School, and Tuck, participated in a panel discussion hosted by AIGAC. In the afternoon we had a chance to speak to additional admissions directors including representatives of Michigan Ross, Georgetown, Cornell, Indiana Kelley, Haas, Anderson, Tuck, Kenan Flagler, INSEAD, and Yale. It was a wonderful learning experience for all who attended.

OK. Enough about us.

A few points of interest to you:

• Chicago plans to release the 2009 questions in roughly two weeks. There will be changes in the questions. The PowerPoint question will return.
• Kellogg plans to release its question in two weeks.
• We discussed the current high interest in CSR. The panelists emphasized that interest in CSR has to be substantiated by previous behavior. They also emphasized that while idealism is wonderful, they are teaching business skills. Show that your goal requires what they teach.
• Although HBS has made the goals essay optional and other schools may move away from it, these panelists stressed the importance of goals. While acknowledging that goals do change, they unanimously believed that direction and a good reason for pursuing an MBA are valuable. Furthermore, if you don’t know what to do after your MBA and are in “self discovery” mode, you will suffer from stimulation overload and an inability to prioritize among the many activities and recruiting events that begin as soon as classes start.
• Christie St. John of Tuck emphasized the importance of refreshing or acquiring quant skills before you arrive on campus. The others agreed. If you haven’t had or aren’t comfortable with accounting, calculus, and statistics, take courses either at a local community college or online.
• We asked about trends: Their response: Increased applications last year and this year.

A couple of pictures:

Accepted Editors at the AIGAC Conference (from left to right) Linda Abraham, Cydney Foote, Sonia Michaels, Sachin Waikar, Tanis Kmetyk, Robbie Walker, Katherine Kidd (non-staff ), and Judy Gruen.

The Best Practices in Admissions Consulting Panel and Discussion with (from left to right) Jeremy Shinewald, Linda Abraham,  Anna Ivey, Chioma Isiadinso, and Maxx Duffy.

MBA Admissions Round-up

Let's look at a few MBA items:

• Accepted and Manhattan GMAT are teaming up for a free MBA admissions information session. on  Thursday June 26 from 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM at MGMAT's Santa Monica Center.
  

  During the first part of the session, I will explore the purpose of the MBA application essays, suggest an effective structure, and recommend writing tools you can use to craft distinctive, engaging essays that will personalize you and take you well beyond the boxes and numbers contained in other parts of your application.

  Then, one of ManhattanGMAT’s expert instructors will separate fact from fiction with respect to the grueling GMAT exam – you’ll walk out knowing how the GMAT works, what it tests, how business schools interpret scores, and why short-cuts and tricks will only get you so far. Sign up today!

  Remember, if you purchase an MGMAT prep course or tutoring and enter  the coupon code  AACMG, you will get 10% off your GMAT prep.

• Beautiful B-School Photo Contest Winners.

And the winners are...

1. Eric Nie for a delightful Darden shot.
2. Melanie Kanter for  a stellar Stanford photo.
3. Brian Kindle for a spectacular picture of the Chicago skyline.

Thanks again to our judges:

• Graham Richmond – Co-Founder and CEO of Clear Admit; Co-founder of AIGAC
• Iday (Chicago) - Author of etc, etc.
• Necromonger  Author of Let me wear a Suit. Please!
• Achilles - Author of Experiences- My Life
• MBA Runner Girl - Author of MBA Runner Girl
• Christof Meyer - Author of Square Method Design

• Wondering about Chicago's Powerpoint question? BW's Alison Damast interviewed Rose Martinelli, associate dean for student recruitment at The University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business, about that very question in the new BW Getting In blog.  Here is an excerpt:
  
  
  The [powerpoint slides] that stood out were from the students who showed a side of themselves that wasn't in the rest of their application, Martinelli said. "You could tell when someone figured out how to work with the ambiguity and really embraced that, rather than saying, 'I'm going to play it safe and regurgitate what is in my application already.'"
  
  Hint: Every essay -- not just the powerpoint or creative ones -- should show "a side of [you] that wasn't in the rest of their application."
• Social Networking and MBA Admissions. The Wall St. Journal surveys the MBA social networking scene in "Internet Gives MBA Schools Global Reach." MBA forums, chats, Facebook, blogs all provide you with great ways to learn about the different schools. There is no shortage of information. Perhaps there's even a glut.

GMAT Club's Free GMAT Tests Policy Updated

Big news at GMAT Club - we have updated our complimentary access policy to our GMAT Tests.
Usually these tests are available for a fee of $79, but any member can gain complimentary access via 3 different avenues that ensure that the most active and helpful members are always rewarded:

   * 50 Kudos (if other members feel that your contribution is substantial, they will award you Kudos points)
   * 100 Forum posts and 25 Kudos
   * 200 Forum posts and 90+ days of membership (any member who has 200 posts and has been a member for 90 days will get a complimentary access to GMAT Club's tests automatically - both conditions must be met)

As always, anyone can get instant access to the 25 Math and 5 Verbal GMAT Tests by paying the $79 access fee. More information about GMAT Club's Tests is here.

Big thanks to all  members for their contributions and good luck on the GMAT!

Consortium Chat Transcript and New GMAT Tip Article

We recently added the Consortium transcript and an additional GMAT article to Accepted.com. Here are excerpts:

• Consortium Student Chat Transcript

mba2008 (Feb 5, 2008 8:10:33 PM)
     What advice would you give us in preparation for returning to (a) the orientation program and (b) returning to school?

  RayHernandezDARDEN (Feb 5, 2008 8:11:37 PM)
School can be overwhelming when you start. If this link still works, this talks about transitioning into the first year http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/sep2007/bs2007096_544524.htm

  AprilTaylorINDIANA (Feb 5, 2008 8:11:41 PM)
     Definitely get some rest before starting school...It goes by fast!

BernieTraywickEmory (Feb 5, 2008 8:14:47 PM)
MBA 2008 -The OP will be a great advantage for you. Make sure you research the companies you may be interested in so that you can have a good interview. It will give you a great head start in your search for an internship. You may have the internship before you start B-School which will make it easier for you to focus on school.

• "Top 5 GMAT Study Tips" by Chris Ryan, Director of Instructor and Product Development, at the leading test prep company, Manhattan GMAT.

1) Go to the source.

Many religions have holy books, right? The Official Guides from the GMAC, in their orange, purple and green splendor, are the holy books of the GMAT religion. Every other book, as good as it may be, is just commentary. Only the Official Guides contain problems retired from the real GMAT. Thus, your efforts must be centered on the Official Guides.

   

The other "holy" source is GMAT Prep, the free practice-test software that you should download from mba.com. This software has its drawbacks, but it also has two unique benefits: it uses the real GMAT algorithm, and even more importantly, it contains retired GMAT problems, many of which aren't in the Official Guides. There are two tests offered on this software; you should consider 'saving' at least one of them for later in your preparation to use as a measuring stick. The GMAC folks have told us that they plan to release more products soon; these should also become part of your GMAT preparation depot.

Though the GMAC sources are the best, don't ignore third-party resources. Not surprisingly, I believe that the ManhattanGMAT resources are great. For instance, our computer-adaptive exams supply crucial explanations and analytics that GMAT Prep lacks. Our Strategy Guides break down the core principles and give you lots of relevant practice.   

But one way to measure the greatness of any third-party product is the degree to which it reflects the content of the GMAT. And when it comes to the content of the GMAT, GMAC products have no equal. (This is why ManhattanGMAT's curriculum is built around the Official Guides, which all of our students receive.)

For the remaining tips and a 10% discount on Manhattan GMAT courses and tutoring, please click on  "Top 5 GMAT Study Tips."

GMAT Tip

No, Accepted is not going into the test-prep business, but we are building a GMAT section on our site that will expand over time.

Our good friends at Manhattan GMAT have written the first article,   "Top 5 GMAT Test-Taking Strategies," Here is the first of the five tips.

1) Turn the page.   

Imagine you've just clicked "C, Next, Confirm" on a tough Data Sufficiency problem involving two overlapping triangles and lots of labeled angles. One of the statements was utterly baffling. You spent too much time deciding between C and E, and now you think you probably chose wrong, with your luck.    

Forget all that. 

You are facing a new problem. This is the only place your mind should be. Take out a "blank sheet of mental paper" and dive in.    

Now, as you get into this new problem, a whisper in your head tells you that the problem is too easy, so you probably got the last problem wrong, and by the way - you're doing poorly overall.

Turn that whisper off.       

You should not spend an instant of your time wondering about the past or about "how you're doing." You truly have no idea how you're doing - and if you did know, it wouldn't help you anyway.

The only opportunity you have to affect your fate is THIS problem. Forget about one minute ago. Focus on the here and now, and do the problem as best as you can.

For the other four tips and a special Manahattan GMAT offer exclusively for Accepted.com's visitors and clients, please take a peek at "Top 5 GMAT Test-Taking Strategies."

Upcoming Information Session and Networking Mixer

If you are in Philadelphia on Wed, Feb 6^th from 7:00 – 9:00pm, check out  the free information session and networking mixer for GMAT test takers and future MBAs organized by ManhattanGMAT and ClearAdmit. The event is taking place at the Clear Admit Office, 2101 Brandywine Street, Suite 202.