BYU MBA Through the CIS Recommendations, and shared experiences from those who have been there, done that...

1. Ok, I’ve decided to apply to BYU, where do I start?
2. First question: Why an MBA? 
3. Second question: Why BYU? 
4. Third question: Why CIS? 
5. Preparing for the GMAT 
6. More coming soon...

it’s now time to master the GMAT Test!!

“The GMAT exam is a standardized assessment, delivered in English, that helps business schools assess the qualifications of applicants for advanced study in business and management.”

Putting it into simple words, the GMAT exam is THE real screening process, the key selection criterion for many MBA Schools, including BYU.

Introducing the GMAT Test

• Eevaluate your English skills
  
• Take a mock-up exam right upfront to see how close you are from the target score.
• Make a weekly plan to set aside a number of hours to study, and STICK TO IT!.
• Keep track of your improvement. Simple things like: percent of right answers per every 20 questions, time spent to solve questions, etc. will help you keep focused and being efficient.
  

* Depending on all of the mentioned above, plan for a 1-2 year period to pass the exam.

Preparing for the GMAT Exam

The GMAT Website (http://gmat.com/) is a very good point to start. They have specific suggestions to prepare for the test. I'd also suggest a couple of extra items below.

Understand your learning style

The first thing is understanding your learning style. Many people enjoy sitting by themselves in front of a book for hours; while others prefer having somebody else explaining the concepts for them.
For those who like attending formal courses, I’d recommend looking for the most popular schools globally: Kaplan and Princeton Review, but an official list of schools can be found here. (See other Mexican schools below).

Get and study the official guide

If you want more sample questions to study, you can buy Official Guide for GMAT Review, 12th Edition, the Official Guide for GMAT Verbal Review, 2nd Edition, or the Official Guide for GMAT Quantitative Review, 2nd Edition. Each Guide has hundreds of real GMAT questions, answers, and explanations.

From some friends, I’ve heard the recommendation of studying the official guide three times. They say, doing that will get you at least 600 points at the exam. (Not confirmed).

Presenting the GMAT Exam

Additional Info

• GMAT Prep. DON’T TAKE IT, unless you have spent some time studying and feel confident on passing the real exam.
• Cracking the GMAT
• Kaplan Higher Score GMAT v3 (part 1) and (part 2)
• English Cambridge Review GMAT
• Thompson Peterson ARCO GMAT
• Princenton Review Practice Test
• Barrons GMAT
• AAA English GMAT 2004

**For those living in México, the three most popular options for preparing the GMAT are:

• Las Velez: (http://lasvelez.com/) I took some courses with these ladies. I think they have been around for quite so long (10 years?) that know their business very well. I’m sure they’ll teach you the GMAT trick for a not-so small amount of money.
• KAPLAN (http://kaptest.com.mx/) I used some of their books and mock-up exams and found them challenging and more realistic than other options out there.
• Princeton Review (link here) I have some friends that took their courses and apparently their are more oriented to English-speaking students

It is great to hear you're interested on the BYU MBA program. As I’ve said before, I’m sure it will do great things for your professional opportunities.
The question is now : What do you have to offer to the MBA Program? For this non-trivial question, please make sure you provide yourself with a thorough answer because the admission criteria is definitely not a “piece of cake”, and the competition to get accepted increases every year.
In order to accept you at the MBA Program, the Marriott School of Management requires the following criteria:

REQUIREMENT AS STATED AT THE WEBSITE	WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
Commitment to the mission of BYU and its sponsoring organization, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.	- An ecclesiastical endorsement from your bishop
Evidence of management and leadership skills	- At least 2 years of post-graduation professional experience
Academic ability	- GPA not lower than 3.0 (preferably 3.5 or higher) - GMAT score not lower than 600pts (preferably 673 or higher)
Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
Completion of proficiency exams.	Approve an undergrad course on Accounting, and on Statistics
For International Applicants Only: Strong English skills as evidenced by the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).	- TOEFL score of 240 or higher

Other requirements not mentioned before:
- Submitting all your documents fully and on time
- Doing well on the interview with a member of the admissions committee
- Attending the International Student Orientation (International students only)

GMAT, the first step

Although the list may seem long and difficult to cover; when watched it closer, it all comes down to one thing:

APPROVING THE GMAT TEST!!

I just don't know how to say it clearer: FIRST FOCUS ON the GMAT Test, and all these things shall added unto you. The GMAT test is the real screening tool…
So many worried aspirants approach us, as graduates students and the admission committee members, with such a detailed/specific questions about the program, the life at BYU, the diplomas, etc.; that it seems that they just don’t get where they are in the application process, and what it the most important task to accomplish.
BEFORE YOU TAKE ANY FURTHER STEP in the application process, please get to know about the GMAT test; understand its purpose and main sections, fees; even schedule and take your first test (if possible), to see how close you are of getting into the program. We’ll discuss the GMAT Prep topic later, but hopefully, I have emphasized it enough.

The remaining steps

The Marriott School has put together an easy-to-follow list of steps in order to prepare and apply to the MBA Program. Please, make sure you read it thoroughly and ask any questions that may show up.