What is GMAT?
Congratulations on your decision to pursue an MBA. It is a big step towards non-linear career progression.
It all starts with the GMAT, which is a standardized test used almost universally by the best business schools around the world, as part of their assessment of candidates for admission to their programs.
How important is the GMAT?
If you visit the admissions websites of the top business schools, they would have you believe that “GMAT is only one of the criteria” they use to assess candidates for admissions. This framing may lead one to underestimate the importance of GMAT.
Pay attention to the actions, rather than words, of the top schools and a somewhat different picture emerges. Check out the list we have compiled of median GMAT scores for admission to top b-schools (scores are awarded from a maximum of 800).
GMAT is only one of the criteria the schools use; however, not all criteria are born equal – GMAT is a very important criterion when it comes to admissions decisions.
The situation has been further exacerbated by b-school rankings, which have essentially made average GMAT scores of entering class as one of the metrics against which the reputations of these schools are measured. It’s no wonder that the schools are motivated to keep their average GMAT scores high.
Can coaching help improve aptitude?
There is plenty of research on the subject of aptitude and whether it can be influenced by coaching. But all of it is irrelevant.
GMAT is not an aptitude test, and unlike many standardized tests it does not even pretend to be one. The “A” in GMAT stands for “Admissions” not “Aptitude”.
The key is to recognize that a high score on GMAT is a good indicator of how well you do on the GMAT – not how good you are at mathematics, english, business relationships, etc.
Based on our years of experience coaching candidates for the GMAT exam, we can confidently assure you that good coaching can dramatically improve test performance on the GMAT. In fact, the primary metric we use to measure our success is not how high our candidates score, but how much they improve.
What sets Top MBA’s GMAT coaching apart from the rest?
Our numbers speak for themselves. Our mean improvement (the average amount by which our candidates increase their GMAT scores) is 83 points. That’s the difference between Duke (700) and University of Buffalo (620). That’s the difference between 86% employment with average starting salary of $108,000 (Duke) and 54% employment with average starting salary of $54,000 (University of Buffalo).
The secret is our approach. First of all, our GMAT coaches have done well on the GMAT – all our coaches have scored at least 750. So they know what it takes to excel in the exam. But it’s not enough to do well in the exam to be a good teacher. So we have continuous training and refresher sessions to keep them ahead of the game. And by assessing them on how much their pupils improve, we maintain industry-leading quality standards.
We focus on the needs of the candidates and tailor our programs completely to the areas of greatest potential improvement, in order to efficiently achieve unmatched results.
Our coaches tell us that while GMAT verbal and quantitative sections are often dubbed as English and Mathematics, and do require some understanding of those two domains, competence in English and Mathematics is not a prerequisite nor sufficient for success. In fact, the way in which English, and particularly Mathematics, are taught in our school system, following the “correct” methods could often be a disadvantage in the GMAT. At Top MBA, we do not compete with English teachers, Mathematics teachers or coaching institutes that focus on academic approaches to solving GMAT questions. Rather, our coaches impart, in addition to the required domain knowledge, the all important test-taking skills.
Additionally, as a policy, we NEVER take on groups of more than 3 candidates. From a short term perspective, we should welcome large groups, because the larger the class (i.e. the more the number of candidates in a class), the more money we stand to make per manhour invested. We do not coach groups larger than 3 candidates because based on our experience that is not productive and not in the best interests of our candidates.
We are successful individuals, and can afford to keep the interests of our candidates first and foremost, focusing on how best to maximize their GMAT performance. While on one hand this means we take on fewer candidates and therefore may have lower brand-recognition on the street compared to some larger establishments that provide coaching for a multitude of tests in overcrowded classes, we are happy to have a very high reputation among a group of very successful people.
Coaching locations
We understand that you are a busy professional, and we work hard to be as flexible and accommodating as possible. For instance, we will do our best to work around your schedule, and we can set up the coaching sessions at your home, office or the quiet, corner coffee shop.
At the moment, we offer coaching in Central London (zone 1) locations as well as post code N5 (in zone 2). Coaching is also available zones 2 and 3 for an additional charge to account for the coach’s commute time.
We do, on occasion, entertain requests for intensive coaching (1 session per day) package (12 sessions or more) for groups (minimum 2, maximum 3) within EU for an additional fee of £500.
Fees
As mentioned elsewhere, we do not compete against English and Mathematics scholars. Our coaches are highly successful business people, whose time is very valuable.
We focus on the developmental needs of the candidates and improving their performance on the test.
Yet, by not maintaining expensive Central London real-estate, having extraneous administrative costs, or paying steep franchise fee, we are able to keep our costs low, and pass these savings to our clients.
For example, our 24-hour GMAT one-to-one coaching package is priced very competitively compared to, say, Kaplan’s.
Before you buy a package, we strongly urge you to request a free evaluation, as we are unable to accept all candidates that may want to work with us.