Gregg Lachow Reviews

I took a "live online" accelerated offering of the Manhattan Prep GMAT course, and it was money well-spent. It was quite a quick turnaround from starting the course to taking my test--9 class sessions were packed into 4 weeks (Wednesdays & Sundays), and I took my exam 3 days after the final class. However, over that time I saw a 60-point improvement from my first CAT to my test. The online format was great because it allowed me to log into class from my home or on the road, but the "live" aspect helped keep me accountable--there were definitely cold calls! Gregg really helped me focus on content and tricks that would yield great improvement in my results!

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I studied for the GMAT in 2017 with a private tutoring package for 20 hours. Gregg Lachow was my tutor, and we met exclusively online via Blackboard. I wound up scoring a 760, up from a 630 MPrep CAT before the sessions began and an official test score of 710 back in 2013. I had four scores in the low 700s in official tests during my MPrep course before I scored the 760.

Private tutoring worked for me because I had a few specific problem areas with the format (timing, test anxiety, rushing) and content (quant and main idea questions in verbal). Every tutor is different, so I can only speak to my experience with Gregg and the MPrep materials.

I used MPrep study guides including "Foundations", the scratch pad, Interact, and all six of the online CAT. I also used the OG, "Verbal/Quant Review," GMAT Prep, GMAT Focus (a sort of online simulation of the quant section), and the GMAT Club forums. So I pretty much availed myself of every scrap of prep material out there in the world. In total, I probably studied for a few hundred hours over the course of eight months on top of applications/work. Manhattan Prep practice and CAT problems for quant were more difficult/discouraging than those I faced on test day and its verbal problems slightly easier. I think that the most helpful guides for me were the "Foundations of Math" and the "Sentence Correction" guide. Overall, the CAT scores did roughly track to my actual performance although I think that the GMAT Prep ones were more lifelike. Interact is fairly useful for getting the big ideas and practicing the common problems, but it may not be the level of detail needed to score in the 99th percentile.

We began the tutoring sessions by reviewing my study habits, target score/timeline, prior performance, and test-taking habits. I liked the overall organization of the entire study background/plan/schedule/notes in a single shared Google doc.

With Gregg, I covered each section/topic of the GMAT over the course of about a dozen 30min-1.5hr sessions. Each session was recorded and saved, so I could concentrate on the material and not obsessive note-taking. After each session, I would watch the video and jot down the key takeaways. I was skeptical of online tutoring at first, but I'm glad I signed up for them just for the recordings. They were invaluable.

Gregg is a wiz: he knows the test inside and out and can walk you through tough questions with aplomb. He's good at making sure you nail the execution (process, process, process) rather than rush to the right answer, even for areas of relative strength. He breaks down the test into the smallest pieces (from fully understanding the question to jotting down the givens and understanding how the test makes problems hard). He not only teaches the concepts, but also explains how the test can complicate those simple concepts with traps. If you find yourself falling for "the right answer," then Gregg can help you correct these ingrained habits. He also can translate "GMAT-speak"–the sometimes overly-specific and non-everyday meanings of keywords–into ordinary English. And he excels at forcing you to take a step back and approach the test and each question in the right mental/emotional/intellectual way.

Although he's stronger in verbal, especially sentence correction, for quant he excelled at showing me how to spot common traps and tricks that I couldn't via independent study, explaining the intricacies of CAT scoring and how they relate to skipping/timing, and providing tactics for every single problem type (not just DS/PS, but rate/work vs. geometry vs. statistics, etc.). If you have nailed quant, then I'd say he would make an excellent standalone verbal tutor as well, with perfect SC accuracy and an eagle eye for RC/CR pitfalls.

All in all, he both prepared and coached me to perform at my peak level on test day. I definitely recommend him as a tutor because I wouldn't have hit my score without him.

The folks who work in the offices are friendly, and the customer service is excellent. The website is somewhat confusing to navigate because there is so much content, but overall has amazing resources and no downtime. They even threw in GMAT Navigator (OG answer guide) for free, which was nice.

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I generally do test well, but my first blind GMAT really showed how different the test is from what I was used to. The Manhattan course was really helpful in getting familiar with they types of questions and the strategies for approaching them. And after a few weeks and a few practice tests, the individual sessions that come free with the course were extremely helpful in taking an honest evaluation of where I was in my studying process and where to focus the rest of my time before test day to maximize the outcome. The diagnostic reports that come with the practice tests are super helpful in pinpointing the specific areas to focus on.

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I took the 9 week course with Gregg Lachow. He was an excellent instructor. I found that the class moved at a good clip which I really appreciated since I was aiming for a high score. He was very clear in his explanations and as good at responding to all types of questions. I found him to be equally adept at verbal and quant. He has a passion / gift for teaching and a great attitude. He is also pretty funny which helps due to the boring nature of the topic.

In some ways, the course is really what you make of it. I sort of stopped doing the homework halfway through and I didn't get nearly as much benefit (no surprise there). So I strongly recommend doing all the recommended and required homework. I still really was able to master the fundamentals and techniques. The Manhattan Prep method is excellent as are their materials.

Since I didn't do all of the homework I ended up doing a lot of self study with the official guide which I also recommend. I also took advantage of many of the online resources.

Ultimately I scored well and I think it was in large part thanks to Gregg's class.

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I could not be happier that I signed up for the Manhattan GMAT course with Gregg Lachow. I took the GMAT with just self-study before the IR section was introduced and received a 700. My goal was to increase my score from one that I felt was good, to a score that was great.

Gregg is a very effective teacher. Without his help, I would not have reached my goal. He does a terrific job of breaking down problems, and can help students to develop the skills needed for the most difficult quant and verbal questions. He even goes out of his way to share insights on the whole MBA application process.

When I took the test, I felt well prepared and confident. I kept Gregg's lessons in mind, and received a 750.

I highly recommend Manhattan GMAT and Gregg. Take his course if you want a great score.

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