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The Official GMAT guide is a definite must and depending on your aspiration level you may want to add additional material to your prep. material with the KAPLAN guide being relatively high in difficulty level. After preparation with material of reasonable
level of difficulty most candidates have found that the actual GMAT was relatively easier and went on to score their highest ever score on the real GMAT.

B-School Rankings: What they don't tell you about choosing business schools.

You carry a business school marquee with you all your life and so it is important that you choose the right one for yourself. Just like when choosing a life-partner, compatibility is more important than looks (rankings in this case). And, of course, imagine an arranged 'marriage' in such a case! You sure don't want to be hooked to a B-School because your family/friends thought that this is the right school for you.

Be proactive and research schools before committing yourself to them. International B-School applicants often over-rely on rankings provided by the likes of Businessweek or US News. With all due respects to the rankings, make sure you don't fall into that trap of blindly following them. It is not as much about the rankings themselves, but what goes into making these schools great in their field... faculty, research, facilities, student opinions, employer opinions, specializations/courses offered, location, alumni network, average GMAT scores, student diversity, and many more.

Often local students in the US choose B-Schools based on factors like cost of living, the city in which the B-School is located, intended post-MBA job/industry location, local weather conditions, proximity to their hometown and availability of job opportunities for spouses, in case they are married. These may seem trivial to many Indians but can be important factors for local students in their home country where an MBA is considered to be a huge commitment.

For international students especially from the developing world, monetary factors like availability to scholarships, financial aid, etc., can be especially important deciding factor when choosing between B-Schools. Absence of a transport system in small cities can also be deterring factor from choosing a B-school that is located in a small city, particularly so as you then need to have your own vehicle, insurance, a driver's license, etc. For those international students who intend returning to their home country and working for local companies, it may be important to consider the brand value of the school in that part of the world as well.

It is important to go to a school that gives you the best fit rather than going to the school that is ranked high. Harvard is numero uno to the world but may not be the best school for you. If you don't like the school, it can be a torture all the way, getting worse as days go by. You do this only once and sure enough, you do not want to get it wrong. Besides, the monetary commitment may be in the range of Rs.50lacs to Rs.60lacs for the elite schools.

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