Well, today was a great eye-opener.
First, I looked at AWA for the first time. Getting used to AWA is a task in itself. Not that I am not used to pen down my thoughts, but the very fact that I need to remember the template makes me pretty nervous. I went through the AWA template given by Chineseburned on GMAT Club and found it really helpful. I am already so much indebted to GMAT Club and its members, that I think I will be dedicating this blog to all of them. They all are such a great help!
Back to the templates for AWA. Went through both the templates in detail. The analysis of an argument talks first about properly defining the argument, then analyzing its weak areas and suggesting how they can be strengthened. This is more of an objective analysis, and you need to analyze the assumptions, the flaws in deduction and provide with better solutions to these weak areas. And your conclusion in the end should summarize your analysis.
Analysis of an issue, on the other hand, is more subjective. Once you restate the issue as seen by both parties, you can take a definitive stand, and then prove how your stand is correct. Of course, you need to support your point of view as well as prove how the other point of view is not logical. In the final conclusion, you need to state that though there is room for various opinions, you strongly claim that your stance is correct.
Phew! Was blown out in the first hour of the day when I read all this. I think I need to work on these pretty hard. And I have total of 30 minutes (that means 15 mins each) to handle these two questions during the actual GMAT. (Updated on June 9)
What followed this was a chat with my friend, Surya. He was very prompt to point out the bigger picture to me, about time-lines of MBA admission processes. I got my act together in the evening and got the information about Wharton, Harvard, Berkeley-Haas, Kellogg and Booth. Berkeley has only 240 students per class and I thought Kellogg was also another option I can drop off. So the best three are Wharton, Harvard and Booth, and if not these, then Kellogg, Berkeley and one more. Another important thing is I need to make sure I have at least a score of 720 on GMAT, to even reach the average level of GMAT scores in the classes of these B-Schools. Need to really slog my a** out in the coming two months.
Two months?! Yes, I realized the first rounds of admission processes for these schools start as early as September, and even if I apply in round 2, I need to put in my application by December 2011. This easily means I should be over with my GMAT by September or October, the earlier the better. So will now go full throttle to crack the GMAT!
Worked on DS in the evening and found out I was taking it too lightly. Not only was I getting quite many problems wrong due to silly mistakes, but I was not really trying to put in a linear equation for each option. Yes, it struck me that if we are able to create a linear equation (an equation with only 1 variable, preferably that whose value is asked) from either option, or both options or none, we are able to answer the question. Of course, no need to solve till the end, but understanding the problem and creating the equation is most important. Will use the strategy tomorrow.
Sorry for the long post. Will publish the balance sheet in a couple of minutes. Almost 11 now and really want to sleep...
Thanks Surya, for making me aware of the big picture!
Update on June 9:
I was wrong about the AWA. These are two 30-minute write-ups, meaning I will have 30 mins to handle each one of them. Life looks a bit easier now ;-)
First, I looked at AWA for the first time. Getting used to AWA is a task in itself. Not that I am not used to pen down my thoughts, but the very fact that I need to remember the template makes me pretty nervous. I went through the AWA template given by Chineseburned on GMAT Club and found it really helpful. I am already so much indebted to GMAT Club and its members, that I think I will be dedicating this blog to all of them. They all are such a great help!
Back to the templates for AWA. Went through both the templates in detail. The analysis of an argument talks first about properly defining the argument, then analyzing its weak areas and suggesting how they can be strengthened. This is more of an objective analysis, and you need to analyze the assumptions, the flaws in deduction and provide with better solutions to these weak areas. And your conclusion in the end should summarize your analysis.
Analysis of an issue, on the other hand, is more subjective. Once you restate the issue as seen by both parties, you can take a definitive stand, and then prove how your stand is correct. Of course, you need to support your point of view as well as prove how the other point of view is not logical. In the final conclusion, you need to state that though there is room for various opinions, you strongly claim that your stance is correct.
Phew! Was blown out in the first hour of the day when I read all this. I think I need to work on these pretty hard.
What followed this was a chat with my friend, Surya. He was very prompt to point out the bigger picture to me, about time-lines of MBA admission processes. I got my act together in the evening and got the information about Wharton, Harvard, Berkeley-Haas, Kellogg and Booth. Berkeley has only 240 students per class and I thought Kellogg was also another option I can drop off. So the best three are Wharton, Harvard and Booth, and if not these, then Kellogg, Berkeley and one more. Another important thing is I need to make sure I have at least a score of 720 on GMAT, to even reach the average level of GMAT scores in the classes of these B-Schools. Need to really slog my a** out in the coming two months.
Two months?! Yes, I realized the first rounds of admission processes for these schools start as early as September, and even if I apply in round 2, I need to put in my application by December 2011. This easily means I should be over with my GMAT by September or October, the earlier the better. So will now go full throttle to crack the GMAT!
Worked on DS in the evening and found out I was taking it too lightly. Not only was I getting quite many problems wrong due to silly mistakes, but I was not really trying to put in a linear equation for each option. Yes, it struck me that if we are able to create a linear equation (an equation with only 1 variable, preferably that whose value is asked) from either option, or both options or none, we are able to answer the question. Of course, no need to solve till the end, but understanding the problem and creating the equation is most important. Will use the strategy tomorrow.
Sorry for the long post. Will publish the balance sheet in a couple of minutes. Almost 11 now and really want to sleep...
Thanks Surya, for making me aware of the big picture!
Update on June 9:
I was wrong about the AWA. These are two 30-minute write-ups, meaning I will have 30 mins to handle each one of them. Life looks a bit easier now ;-)
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