> MBA podcaster is one-stop site that features different podcasts helpful for students preparing for GMAT and also for those who got into an MBA program.

Here are some of the podcasts by topic that I like -

General MBA - Part Time vs. Full Time - MBA , MBA Salaries,
, Online MBA Programs, Executive MBA, Tips for International students seeking MBA
GMAT - About the test, B-Schools that don to require GMAT , Compare GMAT Test prep Companies

Explore more from MBAPodcater which will help you in your MBA pursuit.

Labels: GMAT, MBA, MP3, Podcasts

Becoming efficient in Verbal Vocabulary is difficult for even native english speakers. Entrance tests like SAT and GRE has a devoted section that test verbal vocab skills.

VerbaLearn is an online learning system for students to build their vocabulary skills. Students learn improved word usage and pronunciation. Here is video demo of Free "verba Learn".

Labels: Deals, GMAT, MBA

MBA is a sought-after graduate program because of its demand even in slump times like in 2008. Here is a good data from MINT - A WSJ publication Indian site.

If you are MBA graduate or an a student deciding to join B-schools in India, this analysis gives some idea of what schools to join based on the salaries or placements or the industry wise.

Here are my few observations :

Salaries

> Except IIM-A, The highest Indian salaries rose for all B-Schools meaning MBA grads got paid highest record salaries in year 2008.

> The highest salary of Indian 70 laks and US- $360K is paid to IIM-A graduate

> The average salaries in all top Indian B-Schools were around 17 laks where as US is around $80K

Placements in US companies

> One in four students placed at overseas
> IIM Bangalore tops the list with 52% placements overseas.

Note : The data is from May 2008. I'm looking forward to see what happened to MBA placements data when the financial meltdown happened around July/August of 2008.

Labels: GMAT, MBA

EduFire is web 2.0 tutoring site making easier for GMAT test takers to find tutors and learn with them. EduFire started as a language learning site, based on video tutoring and conversations. Say if you are in India and is preparing for GMAT, EduFire has tutors from around the world, it is easy to find the tutor who matches your criteria. If you are a tutor you can make some decent money that your students pay and Edufire collects 15% service fee. Tutors can set their own prices. Other similar tutoring sites focus more on K-12 education, EduFire focuses on the 18 to 35-year-old students.

The tutoring rates for GMAT as of writing this post varied from $12 to $69. The fee is based on hourly rate. After a session (may contain multiple hours) is finished, a student will receive an invoice to pay the tutoring fee. Student pays EduFire, and EduFire send the funds to tutors via PayPal within 48 hours.

How good the service will be compared to that offered by Kaplan or Princeton Review ? My opinion EduFire needs more time to build a database of tutor ratings as students take these lessons. Once this model catches up I feel it will compete strongly against Kaplan, Princeton Review, GMAT Manhattan and Veritas in online GMAT tutoring space. One more observation I have is when GMAT tutors compete among themselves in EduFire then there is a good chance that hourly rates may come down drastically.

Business Model is good that a medium/channel is provide by Edufire to bring tutors and students together. It is just not GMAT they have other tests too -- ACT, CPA, DAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, NCLEX, PSAT, SAT, TOEFL and TOEICIf it clicks or disappears in vacuum is to be seen.

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Labels: Education, Edufire, GMAT, Kaplan, MBA, online, PrincetonReview, SAT, Tutor, Veritas

The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) on its website announced that it completed initial investigation of GMAT test takers using Scoretop.com. Good news for many GMAT test takers who are the members of Scoretop is that only 84 test takers scores are canceled. Out of which 12 test takers will not be able to retake GMAT for 3 years as they posted GMAT live test questions on Scoretop. 72 test takers scores had been canceled because they said they saw live questions appear on Scoretop.com.

GMAC in its FAQ web page clarified many questions that was bothering GMAT test takers.
1) More than GMAT test compromise, GMAC stressed that ethical behavior of the canceled scorers is taken seriously in the whole process.
2) GMAC went to extent of comparing the questions posted by canceled scorers on Scoretop.com and the GMAT questions they answered when taking the test.
3) It is not just US test takers all geographic areas are affected.
4) GMAC has completed and suspended its initial investigation. The users who are in doubt of their possible score cancellations can relax.
5) For further questions contact Ashok Sarathy, director of the GMAT Program, at asarathy@gmac.com.
6) GMAC has sent letters on Friday, September 5, 2008. to all the affected test takers informing them the cancellation decision.

Related articles from kalyansuman.com

-> GMAC sues GMAT forums/Users over "live" questions

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• Biz-school exam maker seeking Web cheaters
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• Is It Test Prep... Or Is It A Copyright Violation?

Labels: cancel, Cancellation, Controversy, GMAC, GMAT, Graduate Management Admission Council, Graduate Management Admission Test, MBA, scoretop.com, Test, US

Devin Griffin got accepted into Wharton business school with two year tuition of 80,000 per year for his MBA paid. Business Week writes a letter to the admission committee by Devin made that possible to consider him for the school's scholarship.

Business schools are an expensive affair with students taking loans and pushing themselves into serious debts of $100,000 and more in the economy where jobs are uncertain after an MBA.

Tips to get free MBA:

1) Students who start their own business and have shown excellent community outreach programs.
2) Some schools automatically select students for scholarships.
3) Think ahead (2 or 3 years) before you start your MBA.
4) Apply for scholarships in the first round of MBA applications.
5) Target scholarships that aim for only Women, country based, and diversity.
6) Demonstrate leadership and highlight the cause.
7) Write out Fellowship that you are seeking.
8) Go to business school where your grades and GMAT score is above average that other students. And
9) Do part time MBA where your employer sponsors Tuition reimbursements. (Remember this type of free MBA comes with a price that a) Some corporations require that employee stay one-year with them after completion of MBA or pay back the tuition. b) May not be getting the full tuition reimbursement and have to pay taxes.

Any other tips you know of to do MBA for free and avoid huge debts ?

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• 10 secrets for getting into a top B-school
• An Insider's Guide to America's Top Business Schools The truth about student life in the nation's premier MBA programs.
• How to get into business school
• Tomorrow's Douchey Business Leaders Today [The Second Generation]

Labels: Business school, BusinessWeek, free, GMAT, Kellogg School of Management, MBA, tips, United States, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

GMAC in its latest survey reported that 2008 MBA applications are highest in the last five years. Specially in full-time programs where 77% of the survied people said they saw application levels increase compared to 2007's 64%. Part-time and executive MBA has applications rise but not at the same level as full-time MBAs.

The 2008 Application Trends Survey includes responses from 521 graduate management programs at 273 educational institutions in the United States, Europe and other parts of the world. About two-thirds of the respondents are U.S.-based.

Here is GMAT trends from GMAC survey :



The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is administered by GMAC and is used
by approximately 4,000 graduate management programs at some 1,800 business schools around the world to screen MBA applicants.

Labels: Applications, GMAC, GMAT, MBA, United States

GMAC, owner of the GMAT exams reportedly planning to sue (or sued) GMAT forum , accusing it of illegally obtaining copies of "live" test questions that they then use to help students practice GMAT tests. These are the cases of improperly using official GMAT materials.

This poses a risk to some students' scores and their careers though there is no fault of their own as they were allowed to practice on a test questions with other students in the forums. These kinds of actions of copyright infringement may divert all the attention to the growing GMAT test preparation online centers. This is a good move and I agree it gives some back door test preparers an unfair advantage on GMAT.

As a general thumb of rule If GMAT questions are from material approved by GMAC that's either in a book or some other form, then it's probably OK. Remember as a test taker one agrees that they will not disclose GMAT questions after the test. It's not a good idea to disclose questions from actual GMAT's and they may have some dire consequences.

One forum posted on this topic back in 2007 :

GMAC is also threatening to (a) find out who posted the live questions, ban them from taking the GMAT, AND reporting the names to b-schools, and (b) potentially finding out who looked at or discussed items labeled "live" (that is, people who knowingly looked at live questions) and doing the same to those users."

Here are some forms of GMAC copyrighted material reported in one test prep forum.

GMAT Sets these are upto 20 plus sets that seems to be having live test questions, Gmatter Software has software download that reportedly uses some "live" questions, 1000SC is related to sentence correction part of GMAT which is popular and heavily circulated over internet for practicing sentence correction part of GMAT. Similarly there are 1000RC - Reading Comprehension packages and finally Official Guide or OG is official GMAT tests and practice tests that is bit vaguely mention not to discuss or distribute such material.

GMAT official guide is available for purchase from popular book stores and is a must-have if you prepare for GMAT.

To Sumup all this information is from some forums and websites and though their validity is in question but every test taker signs an agreement not to post exam questions this is just not with GMAT tests but take for example Microsoft certification tests too.

sources:

Don't post copyright questions

Don't post scoretop questions

Labels: GMAT, GMAT TEST RESOURCES, MBA, OG

Kaplan's free online GMAT services
Click me for Free GMAT Practice test from Kaplan

Thank you for your interest in Kaplan's free online GMAT services.

To preview the online components of our GMAT classroom, premium online and private tutoring programs, including a free full-length GMAT practice test, get started here.

Simply purchase your free course (you will not be required to enter credit card information) by clicking on the "Sign up" button above and completing the registration and purchase process. After completion, the course and practice test will be accessible from the syllabus located on your own, personalized student home page.

Good luck!

Other GMAT test resources

Here are some other GMAT test resources I got it off internet that may help all GMAT test takers : (May not be free but are good GMAT test resources)

1. PowerPrep GMAT CAT
2. Ascent Education
3. Arco
4. Axxent
5. 800 Score
6. English Test
7. GMATBuster
8. GMAT Cram.com
9. GMATExams.com
10. GMAT Practice Tests
11. Gorilla Test Prep
12. Manhattan GMAT Tests
13. R&B Consulting Prep Software
14. Realtestquestions.com
15. ScoreTop Online Verbal-Quant Tests
16. TestMasters
17. TestPrep New York
18. Upstart Raising GMAT Simulator

Labels: free, GMAT, GMAT TEST RESOURCES, Kaplan, MBA

Now that you know about MBA so how to get admission into a good MAB program in US.
The first stop is to know about GMAT and then MBA school rankings.

What is GMAT ?

The GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) is a 3-1/2 hour standardized exam designed to predict how test-takers will perform academically in MBA (Masters in Business Administration) programs. GMAT scores are used by graduate business schools to make admission decisions.

Do I need to take the GMAT for admission to an MBA program?

To gain admission to an MBA program, chances are you’ll need to take the GMAT. About two-thirds of the 1,300+ graduate business schools around the world require GMAT scores for admission. Schools that do not require GMAT scores nevertheless welcome GMAT scores to help access an applicant’s qualifications.

NOTE: Schools that do not require GMAT scores generally have relatively lenient admission standards and/or are located outside of the United States.

How important are GMAT scores in the B-school admissions process?

Each graduate business school develops and implements its own policy concerning the use of GMAT scores in making admissions decisions. Many schools screen applicants by combining GMAT scores and undergraduate GPA (each school determining for itself their relative weight), then ranking all applicants in their initial pool accordingly.

In addition — especially after the initial screening of applicants — admissions officials consider subjective factors such as work and other relevant experience, recommendation letters, application essays (personal statements), and reports of personal interviewers. In making difficult decisions between two or more similarly qualified candidates, admissions officials rely less on GMAT scores and GPA and far more on these other, more subjective factors.

What is GMAT's format?


GMAT tips :

About Essays:

Assuming a very good application aside from a sub-average GMAT score, great essays might carry your application

Practise and practise:

DO TONS OF PROBLEMS until you tend to recognize what they want quickly.
Practice catching your mind slowing down
ALWAYS keep your mind SHARP, especially in the Reading Comprehension sections

GMAT resources:

Offical Guides (OG) , Kaplan and Princeton books are preferred by many GMAT test takers.
I'll dedicate one post of all the resources that will be required to prepare for GMAT.

Labels: GMAT, Kaplan, MBA, OG