As a film producer with a background in PR, I knew that setting my sights on the top European MBA programs was a tall order. The clear weakness in my application was my lack of solid quant skills, so I set about studying for the GRE knowing I would have to pass the 161 threshold in quant to make my application competitive.

I began by taking the Manhattan Prep course, but I found that it was not very flexible and I could not tailor it sufficiently for my specific purposes. I needed to start with the basics, and find a site or program that would help me reach my goal within the short 3-month period before applications were due. I was told that Target Test Prep offered both an online platform and private tutoring, and had a stellar track record helping potential MBA students reach their target scores. I signed up and it completely changed the way I approached studying for the better. The program is broken down into modules, each of which builds on itself, making it both intuitive and powerful. Each section has three quiz levels, Easy, Medium and Hard, and has a dashboard that lets you gauge how far you have come in terms of question difficulty and material covered.

My progress was slow at first as I dusted off my scant knowledge of the rules of geometry and the various ways to solve quadratic equations. Because of the way the course is built, I never felt rushed and was able to spend as much or as little time on topics as I wanted, depending on how easy or difficult they were for me. Detailed videos are available for many of the questions, so you can go through each one step by step until you are sure you understand how to come to the resolution yourself. I also worked with a Target Test Prep tutor, whose advice, support and patience during the process were absolutely invaluable in helping me progress to my target score.

When I first started on my GRE path, my baseline quant score was under 150. I was determined to reach 161 and put in many dedicated hours, often three or four every day during the week and eight each day on weekends, over the course of three months. After studying with Target Test Prep for two months I sat for my first GRE and only fell short of my goal by one point (Q 160 / V 163). Though disappointing, I was also relieved that I was well on the right track if I continued down my path. In the three weeks leading up to my second GRE test, I alternated taking two CAT exams per week with focused study of my weak topics. I took my second, and luckily final, GRE two days before my applications were due and received a 162 Q/165 V. I was beyond thrilled with the outcome and applied to INSEAD, Judge and Oxford. I received offers from all three schools and am thrilled to be starting at my top choice in the Fall.