test prep

Debbie sent me a link to a story that contains this fabulous passage:

José Solís, 36, shut down his application process for a master’s in business and environmental science because of noncompetitive GMAT results. After taking the test in 2009, he knew grad schools were “going to blow right past me in the application process.” While working for an architecture firm in Houston, he started taking algebra, statistics and accounting classes at a community college, which was less expensive than commercial prep courses. “I really learned the fundamentals and not just tricks,” he says. “Taking all these courses kind of got me back in the mode of studying again.”

Almost a year later, he retook the GMAT. “When I saw my score, which you can see instantly, I almost fell out of my chair. It was exactly the average of the schools I was applying to.” As an afterthought, he took the G.R.E. and scored just short of a perfect 800 on the math. He has accepted a fellowship at the University of Michigan.
A Little Rusty?
By KATHLEEN McELROY
Published: July 22, 2011