How Not to Take the GMAT

Um. Here is an article on how not to take the GMAT.

Since I have basically blocked my entire GMAT experience from my mind - from test prep to taking it the first time to getting a math tutor to taking it again - I have been out of the loop, but apparently, according to Business Week:

"The cheating scandal erupted in June, when GMAC announced that it shut down a test-prep Web site, Scoretop.com, that it had successfully sued for copyright infringement after discovering that it was posting "live" GMAT questions. Unlike the retired questions used by legitimate test-prep publications and services, the "live" questions on Scoretop were still in use on the GMAT exam. While the operator of the Scoretop site had already left the U.S. to return to his native China, thousands of Scoretop users were left worrying that their hopes of getting an MBA would be derailed by GMAC's probe."

And now the scores of 84 dumbos who used the cheating site have been cancelled. Of course, these kids are also being allowed to retake the test "immediately" - which I think is pretty lame. Cheating is cheating. Regardless of who provided the questions or how easily accessible they were, these test-takers absolutely should have known better than to use the "live" questions as part of their test prep. They deserve to be punished more severely than just having to retake the test. Heck, I had to take the test twice and I was an honest, ethical test-taker!

Personally, I think they should have had to wait a year to retake the exam and reapply to programs. Some of the test-takers who were caught cheating had been accepted to such prestigious programs as the University of Chicago. Fortunately, many of the test-takers had been rejected by other programs, but the article does not say if they are matriculating elsewhere.

I certainly would not want to be going to school with anyone who cheated on the GMAT! I mean, how lame is that? Grow up, get over yourself, prepare for the test, and suffer through it like the rest of us did. Earn your acceptances, don't cheat to get them.

Sheesh!

Wherefore art thou MBA?

So this is it. My final week before commencing my MBA. The two-and-a-half-year process of GMAT prep, applications, and decisions decisions decisions is finally coming to an end.

Though really, when I think about it, this has been more like a six-year process. When I graduated from college, I thought I wanted to be an archaeologist and looked into PhD programs. When I realized that I was not meant to be the next Mrs. Indiana Jones, I thought perhaps a master's degree in Museum Education or Public Administration would be best.

But the longer I both worked and volunteered for various non-profits throughout New York City, the more often I thought to myself, "I could run this place better than these people... well, if I knew anything about adminstrating a business." Eureka! And a Master's in Business Administration is the degree that stuck.

I have doubted myself many times and in many ways throughout my grad school process, but I have never once doubted that the MBA is the degree for me. I am passionate about the non-profit world, and a few causes in particular, and I have seen too many people waste too much energy trying to do good things for the world through disoranized organizations. So while I feel that there does need to be a balance between functioning like a business and maintaining the heart of a non-profit, I think non-profits have a lot to gain from becoming a little more business-minded.

So that's why I'm here. Now, we'll see where I go.