Hi Team!
These are some resources we’ve accumulated over the years of helping students prep for graduate programs. You know we’re a bit more business focused so these resources are too. They’re not technically hidden but they’re kind of off the radar.
1. Career Accelerator – Prepwise.com
I’ll try to keep the link updated here, but search for career accelerator. It’s held each May – ONCE A YEAR – and is Kate’s much more accessible (though still kinda spendy) program to help you think through all the stuff you need to think through when building a career and a life.
It’s really best for students who have competitive backgrounds and at least 2 years of work experience. It moves fast. The total program lasts 6 months, but the 1-weekend bootcamp is good enough to get you moving in the right direction, particularly if you don’t have the work experience yet.
Program is for smarties.
2. GMAT prep question bank 1 – click here
Okay, the weasels at GMAC have made this MUCH harder to find, but that link will take you directly to Question Pack 1 which is $30. They’re trying to get you to buy the bundle at $130 that includes 4 more prep tests. YOU DO NOT NEED MORE TESTS if you prepare wisely. But it does help to have the additional questions. Save some coin and just get QPack 1.
Download the free GMATPrep software at mba.com (also available at that link). Then buy Qpack 1. That’s what my tutoring students use and it is almost always all they need. If you don’t have a copy of the official guide, typically buying one – any edition 12+ on Amazon is cheaper. Avoid all the other books. Until I see better guides, just skip the private brand GMAT study guides you find online. Most of them promote the same idiotic mentality of burn and churn. At best that promotes memorization of the material, but really it just wears you down with nothing to show for your hours.
The GMAT is not well handled with burn and churn (answering 10,000 questions over and over). Avoid.
3. Schaums Elementary Algebra, 3rd ed – local and online book stores
I love this book for reintroducing math in a very accessible way. It does have 2000 problems, but they are there as mini-quizzes and are very, very brief. Most of the questions can be answered in under 10s. So, if you need to remember math basics, start here. Straight forward, relatively well edited.
This is good for reintroduction of math for any of the exams: GMAT, GRE, MCAT, etc.
4. What Color is Your Parachute, any ed – local and online bookstores
This is – so far – the best all-in-one career guidebook I’ve seen for students. If the Prepwise Career Accelerator is too much for you, start here.
Fair Warning: the book is a bit hippy-dippy.
So, put on some yoga leggings and brew up that chai.
The book will take you several weeks to get through. Really. First, it’s huge. Second, if you do the work well, it will take time to think through things. The author tries to make things bite sized, but they’re kinda elephant-sized bites. So, fair warning. Unfortunately a lot of students don’t quite get through all of it and end up needing to do more work a few months later and then a few months later and then a couple of years later.
Still, it’s a great book. Takes a lot of discipline. You can do it!
5. Barking Up the Wrong Tree blog
This is Eric Barker’s blog. It’s required reading at MissMentor and frequently gives us something to think through and even implement. If you want to understand how you’re wired and why, this blog is great. Eric isn’t the expert, he just gathers them and interviews them (or pulls from their books).
His email list seems harmless. I’ve been on it for a few years and I don’t think I’m getting any spam from it. Your mileage may vary, but he seems on the up and up.
6. BONUS!! MissMentor’s 2nd edition grammar book
To celebrate the 2nd edition, we’re making it free April-May 2017 with a coupon code for Amazon kindle and iBooks. The coupon code will go live April 1. Or leave your email here and we’ll send you the direct link.
Best for folks who learned grammar kinda-sorta at some point and just want a refresh. Prepositional phrases? Whaaat? Yep. Basic sentence structure and elements in a relatively fun, short read.
Second edition is updated to provide a little more explanation on some basics and to update my super, killer, awesome drawings with slightly more modern references – no one knows snookie anymore?? – who knew she’d drop from fame so fast.
Fair warning: I was doing stick figure art before it was cool. Just sayin’