Up for the Forth Attempt

I started preparing for GMAT 2 years back during my first job. I was suffering from ADHD. I did not discover about my illness till my third attempt. It's 2 days after the third exam I was diagnosed with ADHD. Might be partially attributed to my society where such symptoms are not taken seriously.

Though, I worked in one of the top 3 investment banks and one of the most reputed Hedge Funds, my intuition and concentration was really bad. My English was horrible to an extent that I had to rephrase my sentences many times to make anyone understand what I want to say.

First Attempt:

I gave my first GMAT 4 years back in my college days w/o much preparation and I got 570 (q50 v19). I had strict deadlines for ISB Young Leadership Program so I just prepared part time for 2 months and wrote it.

Second Attempt:

After 2.5 years of my first attempt I thought of preparing again.

In my second attempt, I went to following classroom coaching in Bangalore

• Jamboree
• Ivy GMAT

Through this rigorous preparation, I was able to increase 9 points on verbal section: 650 (q49 v28).

I took 6 months break after I received my score and switched job to a Hedge Fund as Senior Member.

Third Attempt:

I knew, for an Indian IT Male, to land up in a top 25 USA colleges this score will not take me anywhere. Also I exhausted almost all the study material by then so I made a mood to prepare for it the way I prepared for IIT JEE (one of the toughest Bachelors exams in India) so I did following things:

• I took 2 months break from my job (leave without pay) and prepared rigorously. 
• Subscribed to E-GMAT verbal classes for Non-natives
• Subscribed to GMAT Club tests
• Took a subscription of Eyeq Advantage to increase my reading speed to an average one
• Took a subscription of Lumosity
• Became active in GMATClub and Manhattan forums

Through this I was able to increase my verbal score with 6 more points to reach 690 (q50 v34).

After I received my score, I was happy about it for 3-4 days until I received my profile evaluation. 4 out of 7 consultants said that for Indian IT male, top 25 US colleges is a really tough target.

Apart from leave w/o pay in last two months, I almost invested quite a substantial amount to prepare for GMAT (3 attempts and 3 coachins). Trust me, with Indian standards, this is a huge amount.

In 2 days, I have an appointment with a doctor for ADHD medication. I hope his medication will help me out.

I know, for many of you, this sounds crazy but I reached glass ceiling in my country. I got best job in my favorite domain so further growth will be very slow so I am left with only one option i.e. to give one more attempt and prey God.

Preparing again. Need some moral boost. Hope I will reach my target.

Important words for RC

I am a not native English speaker and had very bad knowledge of English. My memory is also weak so I cannot sit down and learn "Word Power Made easy" or similar books.

Having said that, to make my journey smooth, I made a pledge that whenever I will encounter words that I don't understand, I will write them down in one place. 

Some of these words might be very easy for you but they were not for me. However, if you find any of them worth learning, you can put them in your notes. If you solve RC Passages exhaustively you will find each and every word over there:

1. Dissenting: hold or express opinions that are at variance with those commonly or officially held.
2. No less: It's just an inversion. e.g. No less people killed in blast than in earthquake. It means "People killed in blast are not less than those killed in earthquake". 
3. Salvaged: save, recover, rescue
4. Subsume: include, incorporate, consider
5. Formidable: Difficult, tough, daunting
6. Surge:
7. ascendancy 
8. vociferously 
9. Menacing: Threatening, alarming
10. Decry:
11. Affluent: rich
12. Impromptu: unprepared, unplanned
13. Diminution:  a reduction in the size, extent, or importance of something.
14. Purported: supposed, claimed 
15. Hasten: Hurry, rush, speed
16. Reinstate: Restore, Return, Re-establish
17. Thwarting: Awkward, Uncomfortable, Uneasy
18. Vile: extremely unpleasant.
19. Fatal: deadly, lethal, mortal, causing death, death dealing, killing;
20. Obliteration: the action or fact of obliterating or being obliterated; total destruction.
21. Perished: (of rubber, food, etc.) lose its normal qualities; rot or decay.
22. Resentful: feeling or expressing bitterness or indignation at having been treated unfairly.
23. Disdain:  the feeling that someone or something is unworthy of one's consideration or respect.  Contempt, scorn, scornfulness, contemptuousness, derision,disrespect; 
24. Scornful:  feeling or expressing contempt or derision.
25. Contempt: contempt is disapproval tinged with disgust: to feel contempt for a weakling. disdain is a feeling that a person or thing is beneath one's dignity and unworthy of one's notice, respect, or concern: a disdain for crooked dealing.
26. Contend: assert, maintain, hold, claim, argue, profess, affirm, aver, avow, insist,state, declare, pronounce, allege, plead
27. Convoluted:  extremely complex and difficult to follow.
28. Rebuttal: Prove wrong or false
29. Disgrace: loss of reputation or respect as the result of a dishonorable action.
30. Gloomy: dark or poorly lit, especially so as to appear depressing or frightening.
31. Futile:incapable of producing any useful result; pointless.
32. Frailties:the condition of being weak and delicate.
33. Gauche: awkward, gawky, inelegant, graceless, ungraceful, ungainly, bumbling,maladroit, inept;
34. Imperative: of vital importance; crucial.
35. Retrospect: a survey or review of a past course of events or period of time.
36. Resonant: sonorous, full, full-bodied, vibrant, rich, clear,
37. Contrived: created or arranged in a way that seems artificial and unrealistic.
38. Outlier: a person or thing situated away or detached from the main body or system.
39. Brevity: concise and exact use of words in writing or speech.
40. Overwhelmed:   have a strong emotional effect on. (general used in positive sense)
"I was overwhelmed with guilt"

synonyms:

overcome, move, stir, affect, touch, impress, sweep someone off their feet, strike, stun,



41. Qualify a view (Imp in RC questions): Weaken or soften it (Put a boundary).
42. Concedes/Concession (for CR): admit or agree that something is true after first denying or resisting it.
43. Ethos:  The characteristic spirit of a culture, era, or community as manifested in its attitudes and aspirations. e.g. ."a challenge to the ethos of the 1960s"
44. Elicit:  <Replace it with "bring">  evoke or draw out (a reaction, answer, or fact) from someone.  (Response)
45. Complacent: smug, self-satisfied, pleased with oneself, proud of oneself, self-approving,self-congratulatory, self-admiring, self-regarding;
46. Evict: Throw out, expel, eject, remove
47. Impediment:  a hindrance or obstruction in doing something
48. Obscure: Not clearly expressed or understood; uncertain
49. Obviate: remove
50. Obsolete: out of date
51. Revital: Re-energize
52. Veteran: A person who has great experience in something
53. Repudiate: Reject
54. Rhetorical:   The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the exploitation of figures of speech and other compositional techniques.
55. Underscore: To emphasize (something) or show the importance of (something)
56. Underlying: To form the basis or foundation of (an idea, a process, etc.)
57. Rescinded: Cancel
58. Revoke: officially cancel
59. Retrospect: Refer back
60. Pragmatic: Practical
61. Indigenous: originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native.
62. Refute: Prove wrong or false
63. Seldom: Rarely
64. Sparsely: thin
65. Foreshadow: be a warning or indication of  (a future event)
1. e.g. "other new measures are foreshadowed in the White Paper"
66. Stringent: Strict
67. Foster: Encourage the development
68. Aristocracy:  the highest class in certain societies, typically comprising people of noble birth holding hereditary titles and offices.
69. Monarchy: A system that has some  Monarch/King.
70. Plausible: Believable
71. Straying: move away aimlessly from a group or from the right course or place.
72. Perpetuating: Continue, Make something continue indefinitely
73. Linger: wait around, stay, remain, stay put, wait; 
74. Lateral: Horizontal, sideways (not vertical)
75. Predate: exist or occur at a date earlier than (something).
76. Assimilate: Take in, Absorb, pick up
77. Contemporary: living or occurring at the same time.
1. "the event was recorded by a contemporary historian"
78. Reconcile: Restore friendly relations
79. Stimulant: a substance that raises levels of physiological or nervous activity in the body.
80. Proliferation: rapid increase in the number or amount of something.
81. Innate: inborn, natural
82. Beneath: Neeche
83. Novel: Strikingly new, unusual, or different.
84. Ubiquitous: Found everywhere
85. Proponent:  a person who advocates a theory, proposal, or course of action.
86. Inhibit: Restrains, prevent, hinder
87. Onset: Beginning of something, specially something unpleasant. e.g. Onset of a disease
88. Preclude: Prevent from happening. e.g. India precluded Ebola virus.
89. Impetus:Force, drive, thrust, momentum
90. Lobbying: Persuade, influence
91. Concession: Compromise, adjustment, modification
92. Contention: Claim
93. Bolster: support or strengthen.
94. Disinterested: Neutral (Imp for tone questions)
95. Conjecture: guess, speculation, surmise, fancy, notion, belief, suspicion
96. Profound: very great or intense. e.g. John has profound interest in studies
97. Probes: Feel, examination, research, scrutiny
98. Meticulous: (in GMAT prep) showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise. e.g. GRE is a test of Meticulous Study.
99. Paternalism (in GMAT prep) (or parentalism) is behavior, by a person, organization or state, which limits some person or group's liberty or autonomy for their own good. Paternalism can also imply that the behavior is against or regardless of the will of a person, or also that the behavior expresses an attitude of superiority.
100. Ripe: mature, ripened, fully developed, full grown, ready to eat, soft, lush,juicy, tender; 
luscious, sweet, full-flavoured, mellow
101. Commencement: Beginning of something
102. Discerned: perceive, make out, pick out, detect, recognize, notice, observe, see,spot; 
103. Disseminate: Wide spread.
104. Precedent: preceding in time, order, or importance.
105. Galvanized: Covering karna; shock or excite (someone) into taking action.
106. Embraced:  hold (someone) closely in one's arms, especially as a sign of affection. e.g. John embraced Jacky when Jacky got good marks.
107. Aesthetic: concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty.
e.g. "the pictures give great aesthetic pleasure"
108. Virtuosity: great skill in music or another artistic pursuit.
109. Radical: relating to or affecting the fundamental nature of something; far-reaching or thorough. e.g. "a radical overhaul of the existing regulatory framework"
110. Impersonal: not influenced by, showing, or involving personal feelings.
111. Unison: simultaneous performance or action or speech. e.g. We studied in unison
112. Virtue: behavior showing high moral standards.
113. Extradite:  hand over, send back, send home
114. Ambivalent:  having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.
115. Unprecedented: never done or known before
116. Concurred = Agree
117. Emancipation: Meaning 1: Giving Equal Rights to Women. e.g. Feminism means Emancipation.
Meaning 2:  the fact or process of being set free from legal, social, or political restrictions; liberation.
118. Complacent:  pleased or satisfied, esp extremely self-satisfied
119. Peculiar: Strange
120. Marginalized:  treat (a person, group, or concept) as insignificant or peripheral.
121. Empirical: observed, seen, factual, actual, real, verifiable, first-hand
122. Ravaged: severely damaged; devastated.
123. Intrigued: arouse the curiosity or interest of; fascinate. - Ex -"I was intrigued by your question"
124. Upheaval: a violent or sudden change or disruption to something. e.g. Your attitude is upheaval to our friendship.
125. Engendered: cause or give rise to (a feeling, situation, or condition).
126. Extrapolating: extend the application of (a method or conclusion) to an unknown situation by assuming that existing trends will continue or similar methods will be applicable.
127. Plaque: Yellow covering on Teeth
128. Plague: A disease that spreads from roddents. Generally used in rhetoric to show spread of a problem.
129. Ancillary:  providing necessary support to the primary activities or operation of an organization, system, etc. e.g. We provide ancillary support to Finance activities in MS.
130. Feudalism:  the dominant social system in medieval Europe, in which the nobility held lands from the Crown in exchange for military service, and vassals were in turn tenants of the nobles, while the peasants (villeins or serfs) were obliged to live on their lord's land and give him homage, labour, and a share of the produce, notionally in exchange for military protection. Take it as Zamindari system.
131. Fraught:  (of a situation or course of action) filled with (something undesirable).
132. Benevolence: Kindness
133. Cult: craze, fashion, fad, vogue;
134. Ascribe: regard something as being due to
135. Cupid:In classical mythology, Cupid (Latin Cupido, meaning "desire") is the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection. 
136. Imitative: similar, like
137. Norm:something that is usual, typical, or standard.
138. Amorphous: shapeless, formless, unformed, unshaped, 
139. Comouflage: the disguising of military personnel, equipment, and installations by painting or covering them to make them blend in with their surroundings.
140. Kayak:  a canoe of a type used originally by the Inuit, made of a light frame with a watertight covering having a small opening in the top to sit in.
141. Capsize: overturn, turn over, turn upside down, upset, upend, knock over, flip over, tip over, topple over, invert, keel over, turn turtle
142. Ostensible:  stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so.
143. frivolous: not having any serious purpose or value.
144. Triumph:   a great victory or achievement.
145. Instigate:  set in motion, put in motion, get under way, get going, get off the ground,get in operation, start, begin, initiate, launch, institute, lay the foundations of, lay the first stone of, sow the seeds of, set up, inaugurate, found,establish, put in place, organize, get working, 
146. Barren:  too poor to produce much or any vegetation.
147. Atypical:  not representative of a type, group, or class.
148. Doctrine:  a belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a Church, political party, or other group.
149. Suffrage: the right to vote in political elections.
150. Assimilate: take in and understand fully (information or ideas).
151. Conferred: grant (a title, degree, benefit, or right).
152. Expedient: (of an action) convenient and practical although possibly improper or immoral.
convenient, advantageous, in one's own interests, to one's own advantage, useful, of use, of service, beneficial, of benefit, profitable,gainful, effective, helpful;
153. Insofar:  variant spelling of so far as (see far).
154. Characterized: describe the distinctive nature or features of.
155. Succumb:  fail to resist pressure, temptation, or some other negative force. yield, give in, give way, submit, surrender, capitulate, cave in; 
be overcome by, be overwhelmed by, be conquered by, be beaten by
156. Ratchet:  a situation or process that is perceived to be changing in a series of irreversible steps.
157. Intrude:  put oneself deliberately into a place or situation where one is unwelcome or uninvited.
158. Judicious: wise, sensible, prudent, politic, shrewd, astute, canny, sagacious,common-sense, commonsensical, sound, well advised, well judged, well thought out, considered, thoughtful, perceptive, discerning, clear-sighted,insightful, far-sighted, percipient, discriminating, informed, intelligent,clever, enlightened, logical, rational; 
159. Pedantic: excessively concerned with minor details or rules; overscrupulous. overscrupulous, scrupulous, precise, exact, over-exacting, perfectionist,precisionist, punctilious, meticulous, fussy, fastidious, finical, finicky;
160. Chronology: the arrangement of events or dates in the order of their occurrence.
161. Allure: attract, lure, entice, tempt, appeal to, whet the appetite of, make someone's mouth water, captivate, draw, beguile, bewitch, enchant,win over, charm, seduce, persuade, lead on, tantalize; intrigue, fascinate;  informalgive the come-on to
Meaning: powerfully attract or charm; tempt.
Ex: Her cat eyes are alluring
162. One half: 0.5
163. Turbulence: Unrest, disturbance








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All the best!