Chapter 2 of Should I Stay or Should I Go? Surreptitious Tips for an MBA thrusts us into the high-stakes world of the GMAT, where months of preparation culminate in a tense yet exhilarating test-day experience. Efraín Ochoa masterfully captures the anxiety, strategy, and ultimate triumph of earning a 720, weaving in rich vocabulary perfect for GRE aspirants.

Disclaimer

• All characters and events in this chapter —even those based on real people—are entirely fictional.
• The following chapters contain coarse language and situations and due to its content it should not be read by anyone.

Chapter 2 “Taking the GMAT”

The sun hung high in the sky as I pulled into the test center’s parking lot. My stomach twisted into knots, the familiar grip of anxiety tightening with each passing moment. For weeks, the GMAT had consumed my thoughts, an omnipresent shadow lingering in my mind. Steve’s small white pill—my daily companion—was supposed to alleviate this turmoil, but even as it dissolved into my system, a sense of foreboding persisted.

Stepping out of the car, I was met by the crisp scent of freshly cut grass—a cruel reminder of the serene world outside these sterile walls. I inhaled deeply, shouldering my backpack as I joined the slow procession of test-takers filtering into the building.

Inside, the proctor nonchalantly handed me earplugs and gestured toward the computer terminal where fate awaited me. Settling in, I hovered my fingers above the keyboard, exhaling slowly as I braced for the challenge ahead.

The math section blurred past in a rapid stream of numbers and symbols, my mind racing to outpace the clock. I wasn’t worried—I knew the tricks. Numbers had always been my ally. But as the verbal section loomed, something shifted. The test, once linear and predictable, seemed to warp around me. Time bent and stretched, words dissolving into a haze of meaning. Steve had advised me to pick the right date, but this deviation felt unforeseen.

And then, just as abruptly as it began, it ended.

The screen flashed a glowing 720—pulsing with an energy I could almost touch. Euphoria surged through me, threatening to break free in an unrestrained cheer.

Yet, I tempered my reaction, aware of the others still battling their exams. Calmly, I submitted my scores to London Business School, NYU, and UCLA before rising to my feet, legs trembling beneath me.

Emerging into the sunlight, with my spirit full of fruition let loose a triumphant whoop, the sound ricocheting off the nearby buildings. The GMAT’s weight had lifted, and I felt unshackled for the first time in months.

I fished my phone from my pocket and dialed Marcos, my boss at the consulting firm.

“I did it,” I blurted, unable to contain my excitement. “I scored 720.”

A brief silence followed before Marcos’s voice crackled through, tinged with congratulatory bravado.

“Well,” he mused, “I guess I’ll have to beat that score next year.” His playful challenge barely concealed the underlying competitiveness.

I grinned. The game was on—the winner took home a Johnny Walker Blue Label bottle.

The celebration called for something special. As luck would have it, Stereophonics was set to perform across California, and I jumped at the chance to pair a concert with a UCLA campus visit. One email later, I’d secured a tour from a second-year student eager to share their experience.

Walking UCLA’s sprawling grounds, I felt the pulse of the campus beneath my feet. This wasn’t my first exploration—I’d scouted universities in the Bay Area and Boston. But those excursions left me cold, their surroundings failing to ignite my excitement.

Stanford and Berkeley are nestled in sleepy towns. Babson was more of the same. Harvard and MIT offered academic prestige but couldn’t thaw the frigid Boston winters.

I craved a vibrant environment, one where concerts and cultural events lay within reach. UCLA’s proximity to entertainment giants felt serendipitous—business intersecting seamlessly with my passion for music.