#isb Archives - GMAT 30

The sensational story of Pranav Srimal – score improvement from V35 to V44 (98th %ile), from 690 to 750 (98th%ile), and then through to his dream at ISB

Paramjit Das — Sat, 18 Nov 2023 17:40:20 +0000

Pranav Srimal’s GMAT Success Story: From 690 to 750 and an ISB Admit

Introduction

Meet Mr. Pranav Srimal, a determined individual who conquered the GMAT with an impressive score of 750 (98th percentile), securing admission to the prestigious Indian School of Business (ISB) on November 17th. Mr. Pranav Srimal went on to scale the lofty heights of the GMAT with a stupendous score of GMAT 750 (98th%ile), with a V44 (98th %ile) in his third attempt, a score securing him coveted Indian School of Business Admit (ISB) on the 17th of November.

Initial Challenge

Pranav’s path to reaching a GMAT 750 wasn’t easy. In his first GMAT try, he scored a respectable 690 (85th%ile), which, although a solid effort, wasn’t sufficient to secure him a seat at his dream school of ISB. He realized that while he was strong in Quantitative skills (he consistently scored either a Q49 or Q50), his performance in the GMAT Verbal section, especially Critical Reasoning (CR) and Sentence Correction (SC), needed work. That’s when he decided to seek guidance from Paramjit Das, a decision that he says he is “incredibly grateful for“.

Guided by Expertise

Under my guidance, Pranav quickly learned that relying on shortcuts and tricks wouldn’t be sufficient to break the GMAT 700 barrier. He needed a deeper understanding of the underlying logical frameworks in GMAT CR, and advanced grammatical ideas in GMAT SC. So, he shifted his focus from seeking quick tips and tricks to building a solid knowledge foundation in GMAT Verbal via GMAT30’s Live Immersive classes.

Progressive Improvement

In his second GMAT attempt, he achieved a score of 710 (the 90th%ile on the GMAT), showing that he had developed a strong grasp of fundamental concepts. However, he still needed to improve his question-solving skills and mock exam performance in GMAT Verbal. That’s when he opted for a deeper revision of GMAT30’s session recordings and I was only too happy to provide added mentorship — simply put, I was absolutely confident of and believed strongly in Pranav’s capabilities to score a GMAT 99th %ile. I helped Pranav refine his approach to handling questions, emphasising the importance of using concepts to eliminate answer choices rather than guessing.

Dedicated GMAT Preparation

For his third and final GMAT attempt, Pranav had done everything he could to prepare, including solving over 100 GMAT club questions, attempting 20+ mocks on various platforms, and discussing numerous doubts with me through chats and live sessions. This time, he entered the exam with a sense of satisfaction, knowing he had given his all. We at GMAT30 felt quietly confident in the outcome, knowing we had given our best with Pranav.

Stellar Outcome and ISB Admit

When he saw the result on the screen after the exam, it was an indescribable feeling. This success came after months of preparation, setbacks, and tremendous hard work. According to Pranav, the focus on conceptual clarification was key to his stellar score, and “I can’t thank Param enough for his guidance, support, and motivation”. And, lo and behold, the ISB interview came shortly after, followed by the dream ISB admit too! And we are happy — few have deserved this more than Pranav has — a journey embarked upon more than a year during the Covid time finally came to fruition!

GMAT30’s Success and Learnings

Pranav’s score was a hattrick in our three GMAT 700 scores achieved in the month of September for GMAT30! His score was a stupendous, fantabulous, once-in-a-lifetime score of GMAT 750, with a superlative V44 (98th %ile). The simply stunning 98th %ile score was achieved over the course of a long graft, dedicated concept building, and live doubt solving. While we have seen some stories of my students getting GMAT 730+ in as little as a few months, this story goes on to show that everyone’s journey is different — Pranav faced several family crises during this period, which he overcame with great resilience and versatility — and it is aokay to take longer to achieve your dream score. What is most important is that we get there, even if the duration is slightly longer and the path more non-linear than others’. This was a real rollercoaster, right down to the very last minute — including a test center glitch in which Pranav couldn’t get a print-out of his unofficial scorecard from the center (they raised a case), and we had to spend an anxious few hours following up with the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) for updates to his case. But boy, does it feel extra special to have contributed to the relentlessly Herculean journey from V35 a year ago (GMAT 690) to V37 (GMAT 710) to 05 Sept, 2023 V44 (GMAT 750) — the coveted 98th%ile!

What you can be absolutely assured of with us at GMAT30 is that we WILL BE BY YOUR SIDE till the day you write the exam — no matter the course validity (we have unlimited validity on our courses). Well done, Pranav, and many many congratulations on your amazing journey and your ISB admit!

The post The sensational story of Pranav Srimal – score improvement from V35 to V44 (98th %ile), from 690 to 750 (98th%ile), and then through to his dream at ISB appeared first on GMAT 30.

From GMAT 610 to 730: GMAT Dominator and ISB Admit Vaibhav Sinha (GMAT 730) — a mind boggling 49%ile point GMAT Verbal score improvement in 3 months

Paramjit Das — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 20:58:47 +0000

Vaibhav Sinha’s GMAT Journey: A Spectacular V28 to V44 Transformation

This is the story of Mr. Vaibhav Sinha, who went on to dominate the GMAT in his second attempt with a stupendous score of GMAT 730 (96th%ile), with a GMAT Verbal V44 (98th %ile). What makes this feat among our most unique is that Vaibhav accomplished this almost superhuman GMAT score improvement from V28 (49th %ile) to V44 (98th %ile) in a matter of as little as 3 months! This massive improvement in GMAT Verbal also secured him a seat at the prestigious Indian School of Business (ISB Class of 2023). Here’s his full story:

Unveiling the Journey

The stupendous, the ultra-amazing, and fantabulous Mr. Vaibhav Sinha — indeed, any superlatives are insufficient to capture the significance of Vaibhav’s mammoth Herculean feat — who scored but a 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦 V44 (98th %ile in Verbal) on his GMAT attempt last November (2022). I was requested to keep his identity secret back then for professional reasons, but now I am overly excited to introduce you all to Vaibhav Sinha.

Dedication and Curiosity

Vaibhav has easily been one of my most dedicated students who epitomize curiosity and perfection; such was his level of interest and curiosity to understand the nuances of every concept in depth that our Whatsapp conversations after (almost) every session used to read like official emails Vaibhav wanted to make sure that he left nothing to chance in his preparation this time around, ensuring that every grammatical concept and logical framework was crystal clear in his mind. Vaibhav was so systematic in his approach that his error log used to read like official government documents. It is this mix of systematicness and curiosity, coupled with his aspirations for perfection, that led to his scoring a stellar V44 (98th percentile) and an impressive GMAT 730, securing an Indian School of Business admission.

Sacrifice for Excellence

This score did not come without sacrifice; indeed, excellence requires, nay demands sacrifice. I remember Vaibhav sacrificed his yearly practice of visiting his family during Diwali to practice more and concentrate on his upcoming GMAT exam. Get better every day. Put in more work every day. Clarify every concept better. This 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒆-𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒔 on the associated delta improvement is what drove both me — the GMAT tutor — and Vaibhav — the GMAT student every day leading to his exam.

Maturity and Mock Exam Preparation

While there was a feeling of urgency and a sense of wanting to “get done” with the exam, Vaibhav didn’t book the test date until he had scored a 760+ in at least 2 of his full-length mocks, yet another sign of the tremendous level of maturity he has developed at a young age of 24! I can confidently say that, although I taught Vaibhav Sinha the Verbal section of the GMAT, he taught and reinforced in me, time and again, the importance of putting in the hard work, the importance of striving to be better, and the importance of “getting there” every single day. It is no wonder that Vaibhav has secured an ISB seat, with hopefully a few placements coming his way

Conclusion

Vaibhav Sinha’s GMAT journey, marked by a remarkable V28 to V44 GMAT score improvement, serves as an inspiration for aspiring test-takers. His commitment, curiosity, and sacrifice emphasize the importance of consistent effort and a relentless pursuit of improvement.

(Some of) our sessions with our achievers:

Keval’s testimonial on scoring a GMAT 760 (99th %ile)

Vaibhav’s journey from a V28 to V44 in 3 months

𝐔𝐣𝐚𝐥𝐢 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚’𝐬 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐕42

𝐒𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐲𝐚 𝐌𝐮𝐤𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐚𝐝𝐡𝐲𝐚𝐲’𝐬 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐕40

𝐒𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐲𝐚’𝐬 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐕40 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩

𝐔𝐣𝐚𝐥𝐢’𝐬 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐣𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥-𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩

The post From GMAT 610 to 730: GMAT Dominator and ISB Admit Vaibhav Sinha (GMAT 730) — a mind boggling 49%ile point GMAT Verbal score improvement in 3 months appeared first on GMAT 30.

From GMAT 620 to 740: Entrepreneur and ISB Admit Maitreyi Mahajan (GMAT 740) — a stunning 37%ile point improvement in 4 months

Paramjit Das — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 10:10:50 +0000

Unveiling the Journey of a GMAT 740 Scorer

How does a conversation with a just-out-of-the-exam-center GMAT 740 scorer end?

“𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲!”

Me: “𝐒𝐨 𝐚𝐦 𝐈! 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐫!”

Dedication and Nerves of Steel

Meet the co-founder of Takshila Learning and Stanford aspirer, Ms.Maitreyi Mahajan, an amazing woman, a perseverant woman, a woman not only running her own business but acing the GMAT within 4-and-a-bit months — in short, a woman with nerves of steel who truly embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of today’s India. Right from the time we started the sessions, around the end of June, to the day she wrote the exams, Maitreyi followed every piece of advice to a T, not hesitating to ask the toughest of questions during our GMAT Verbal sessions, the questions related to those pesky participles, articles, logical frameworks, and modifiers. Maitreyi had a single-point agenda—improvement to a score of GMAT 740+ (from her previous GMAT score of 600-610) and get admitted to Stanford. And we worked dedicatedly towards it. And it shows!

Meticulous Approach to GMAT Learning

At no time did I feel overwhelmed by extending our sessions to 2-and-a-half hours. Not once did Maitreyi complain about the level and quantity of homework assigned. She did not hesitate to get even the tiniest of her doubts sorted. She updated the error log as though her life depended on it. And in some way, perhaps it did. For the GMAT was her life, and Stanford was her soul. I couldn’t recall Maitreyi failing to clarify a question that she felt even 1% uncertainty in. Such was her commitment that I felt awed of a 25-year-old possessing such a lethal combination of tactical nous and hard work. At no point did she not see the target in her mind’s eye.

Chance hath no role in the GMAT

We followed every concept session with at least a full 1-hour analysis session of the homework. Maitreyi never left anything to chance. Therefore, even our GMAT Verbal RC sessions were deeply analytical, as were our CR sessions. I knew she was destined for greatness when she discussed every question she got incorrect in RC passages during our sessions. A true businesswoman, Maitreyi was humble, ready to learn, yet never getting ahead of herself or overconfident—a truly amazing trait. This belief was reinforced further, if there was any doubt when she asked me to even rate her AWA, a section ignored by (most/all?) test-takers. She left no stone unturned. She left nothing to chance. Stanford was her target and her arsenal was always loaded. And it shows!

GMAT Analytical Excellence and Human Humility

Maitreyi‘s GMAT Verbal improvement journey is one many GMAT aspirants can aim to follow—a lesson in humility, skill, dedication, hard work, and entrepreneurship, a lesson in how to never take anything for granted. And it shows!

How does a conversation with the just-out-of-the-exam-center GMAT 740 scorer FEEL?

“Finally! Those late-night sessions were worth it; The extra doubt sessions were worth it; Those extra phone calls were worth it; The mock analysis sessions were worth it; Those pesky questions that may have frustrated us both were worth it; In the end, all of it was worth it.”

Rarely have I been so thrilled with a GMAT 740 (97th %ile) score; perhaps the closest I came to feeling such ecstasy was upon seeing my scores. And it shows!

The ISB Application Process

Maitreyi also took my guidance for her ISB applications, a service I was happy to provide pro bono. Although she had achieved a superb GMAT score, we went over her essays and vision at least thrice. We structured her story and edited the essays to ensure that her vision for joining ISB was highlighted. The systematic Maitreyi didn’t take her applications for granted. Remember, clearing the GMAT is only part of the hurdle. Getting an invite and clearing the interviews quite another!

A Message of Encouragement

The blog concludes with a heartfelt acknowledgment of Ms. Maitreyi Mahajan’s achievement and a wish for her continued success. The final message is clear: go strong and continue the journey towards greater accomplishments. Although Maitreyi couldn’t get into Stanford, she joined the ISB class of 2023, her second dream school.

Explore Maitreyi Mahajan’s GMAT Journey

For those seeking inspiration, Maitreyi Mahajan’s full video “In Conversation With GMAT30” provides a deeper insight into her experiences, challenges, and the path she took to conquer the GMAT.

Maitreyi Mahajan’s full video of InConversationWith GMAT30

(Some of) our sessions with our achievers:

Keval’s testimonial on scoring a GMAT 760 (99th %ile)

Vaibhav’s journey from a V28 to V44 in 3 months

𝐔𝐣𝐚𝐥𝐢 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚’𝐬 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐕42

𝐒𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐲𝐚 𝐌𝐮𝐤𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐚𝐝𝐡𝐲𝐚𝐲’𝐬 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐕40

https://gmat30.com/the-sensational-story-of-pranav-srimal-gmat30-v44-gmat-score-improvement/

The post From GMAT 620 to 740: Entrepreneur and ISB Admit Maitreyi Mahajan (GMAT 740) — a stunning 37%ile point improvement in 4 months appeared first on GMAT 30.

Ujali Verma (V42) – The Lady of Steel and her journey

Paramjit Das — Sun, 15 Oct 2023 18:27:59 +0000

Unveiling the Triumph of Ujali Verma: A GMAT 730 Success Story

This is the story of Ms. Ujali Verma, who tamed the GMAT on her second attempt with a stupendous score of GMAT 730 (96th percentile) and a V42 (96th percentile). Ujali had achieved a GMAT Verbal score of V36, with a 680, in her first GMAT attempt. This is a story of how Ujali tackled adversarial conditions that would have deterred many and tamed the GMAT Verbal section.

A Tutor’s Pride: Nurturing GMAT Success Stories

As a tutor, I have always believed in the transformative power of education. Over the past month, I have had the privilege of helping 3 students secure the coveted GMAT 730+ and V41+ scores. By establishing a strong rapport with my students, I create an atmosphere where they feel comfortable expressing their doubts, concerns, and goals. It is with great pride and enthusiasm that I share the success stories of my students, highlighting the strategies and methodologies that have empowered my students to unleash their full potential and illustrating the tenacity and determination that my students show during the journey.

The Strong-Willed Ujali Verma: A Visionary GMAT Achiever

The latest GMAT 730 scorer, among a burgeoning list of such scorers, is the strong-willed and magnanimous Ujali Verma. Ujali and I worked together over 4 months dedicatedly on the Verbal section. When Ujali approached me in February through a reference, she had secured a 660 on the GMAT, with a Verbal V36 (79th %ile). She had a very clear vision from the time we had our first call in terms of potentially working together, and it is this vision and strong-willed dedication, coupled with a to-do attitude, that I admire most about her and aspire to learn from. Her vision required a score of at least 720 to make any time or resource investment worthwhile. We understood clearly where the majority of this improvement was to come from—the Verbal section.

A Vision Focused on GMAT Verbal Mastery

We worked on the most advanced of Verbal concepts and further strengthened an already well-established base. This had to be the best course of action, as her base was fairly robust (she had scored a V36 previously). We kept track of the progress at different stages of our journey through an error log. Any questions stemming from the document were dissected and analyzed in great detail. We planned the schedule around mocks and the final exam. All in all, we demanded a lot and held each other accountable.

Some people think that being demanding is negative. However, I think that being demanding contributes to growth. Ujali (rightly) demanded from me conceptual clarity, progress tracking, and mock analysis. I (rightly) demanded from Ujali her explanations and thought process for incorrect questions, completion of a certain number of questions, and documentation of her mistakes. In this way, our demands from each other played a tremendous role in and paved the way to Ujali’s securing a 16 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 improvement in 4 months, a feat she achieved while living in a foreign country, having a packed work schedule and familial commitments. This growth could not have resulted without the demands.

Ujali’s Phenomenal Improvement in Verbal Scores

Ujali’s exceptional GMAT 730 exemplifies her grit, relentless hard work, vision, and my belief in her potential. With a meticulous focus on advanced grammar in Sentence Correction, she leapfrogged from a V36 (79th percentile) to a phenomenal V42 (96th percentile), achieving a remarkable 17 percentile improvement in just 3 and a bit months! While, on the outside, such an improvement may seem remarkable, it wasn’t the least bit surprising to me. The amount of hard work we had put in merited this improvement. The sacrifice that Ujali had made merited this improvement. We analyzed till the very last day leading up to the exam. The thoroughness of Ujali’s efforts warranted her improvement.

Nerves of Steel: Ujali’s Steadfast Commitment

That Ujali had the wherewithal to approach Verbal methodically despite scoring a V36 on her first attempt speaks of her vision and our belief that she can reach the echelons of V42+. That she managed this while living in a foreign country during civil unrest is a testament to her courage and willingness to learn. She progressed with ice-like calmness and ruthlessness. That the Lady of Steel never left anything to chance, taking efforts to ensure that all her doubts were sorted, is a testament to her nerves of steel. Her ice-like calmness and relentless dedication set her apart. She leaves no stone unturned, seeking clarity with utmost precision. Ujali‘s nerves of steel shine through, making her a true inspiration.

Ujali Verma is a true exemplification of the ladies of steel who live in our world today. Many well-deserved accolades to her!

(Some of) our sessions with our achievers:

Keval’s testimonial on scoring a GMAT 760 (99th %ile)

Vaibhav’s journey from a V28 to V44 in 3 months

𝐔𝐣𝐚𝐥𝐢 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚’𝐬 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐕42

𝐒𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐲𝐚 𝐌𝐮𝐤𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐚𝐝𝐡𝐲𝐚𝐲’𝐬 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐕40

Why am I struggling so much on the GMAT as I always did well on standardized tests?(Opens in a new browser tab)

The post Ujali Verma (V42) – The Lady of Steel and her journey appeared first on GMAT 30.