Manhattan Prep GMAT Course Reviews

Overall, I think Manhattan GMAT is a great program dedicated to helping students obtain their personal best scores.

I took the 9 week in person class at the Chicago-Evanston location. While the time commitment and work load were demanding, I think it really helped me stay on top of my studies and focus. Being in a classroom helped me focus during class; other than that though, I am not really sure if the in person class is significantly better than the online class, since the instructors and work load are the same. Looking back, I probably could have benefitted the same amount from the online course. But like I said, being in an actual classroom helped me zero in on the material being presented and not get easily distracted.

What stands out to me, however, is not necessarily the course itself but the course materials. They literally provide you with EVERYTHING you will need to study. From study guides which explain topics in detail to an online practice question tracking system to 6 online exams-- this course really covers it all. I never felt as if I didn't have the materials to succeed- it was just a matter of me utilizing them often. Even purchasing the materials alone will drastically help you improve your score.

After the 9 week course, I waited 3 weeks and then took my GMAT exam. This exam did not go as according to my plan. I had been consistently scoring upper 600s on my practice tests, and then scored significantly lower on my actual exam (640). Needless to say, I was a bit upset. However, Manhattan GMAT did not abandon me once my course was over. They offer a free post-exam assessment for individuals who feel they did not perform to their best ability on the exam. In this one hour session, an instructor who had previously reviewed all my practice tests and exam scores helped me identify the specific areas I needed to improve upon, as well as practical things I could do to improve my score. For the next 30 days, I really buckled down and focused on the areas I was weak in, as opposed to just covering ALL the material again. This ended up paying off!

I was very pleased with my score in the end-- it was my target score all along and I reached it. I know I couldn't have gotten there without the guided help from Manhattan GMAT.

Tips-- be sure to use the OG Archer tracking system from Manhattan GMAT; also, before you take the test make sure to download the free GMAC material and practice exams since those are exactly the same format as the test so you can get familiar.

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I started this prep course having never opened a GMAT prep book, and improved my score 80 points from my initial practice test to test day. I went into the GMAT feeling prepared and ready to take on the test, and I was able to achieve my goal score on my first actual GMAT.

Abby provided a clear overview of how the course and the process would work. In class, she was patient and did a great job explaining strategy and reviewing practice problems. She challenged us to ALWAYS answer, even if it's a guess, which was great prep for the test. She encouraged group discussion when we disagreed about answers, and forced us to use the proven strategies when approaching problems. She was always available via email when we had questions, and created a non-threatening environment for a prep process that could potentially be viewed as highly competitive, given how the GMAT works.

Overall, I can't say enough nice things about Manhattan GMAT. The homework seems daunting at times, but you need that level of work and practice to go into test day feeling ready. I qualified for the post course assessment, and I was so glad I did! I had a half hour phone conversation two weeks before my test date that gave me a clear gameplan for what exactly I needed to focus on leading up to my test.

I highly recommend this course. It's expensive, but in the long run, given what you will pay for an MBA program, it is so well worth the investment! You do need to be ready to commit 5-10 extra hours a week to homework, so make sure you do the course during a time period when you have that time available,

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I did some research and asked around about other courses and the most positive I kept hearing about was Manhattan, minus the cost. It is expensive, but it was worth it because I had heard many success stories from others and I knew I needed a top score. I have taken the course twice, both in-person and online.

The in-person class was great, the instructor (Liz) was incredibly smart. She explained all nuances of an entire class of problems while explaining the answer choices. Her focus was all about why the wrong answer is wrong and why the right answer is right. She would also go over tips to improve guessing odds and she wouldn't stop there, she would make sure that all different methods of approaching the question have been exhausted and beaten to death.

The books are very good and many will recommend just to buy those whether or not you take the course. If you're tight on money that might not be a bad idea, because you get access to their online tests if you simply purchase a book. The books help give the same unique way of tackling all the different problem types that they discuss in class. The OG Archer explanations are also way better than in the official guide itself.


Overall the course helped force me to push myself, do the practice, come to class, and ultimately know the best way to tackle the whole process. Expert advice every step of the way. In a Nutshell MGMAT is the best period, but opt for the in-person class it because I feel its a million times better than the online version.

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With no previous experience in studying for the GMAT, I decided to take Manhattan's 9-week online course. I found the class sessions to be somewhat helpful, the self-study materials to be more helpful, and the practice CAT exams to be most helpful.

Prior to the course (or any preparation)- my first practice exam - February 2012 - I scored a 720 (95% Verbal, 81% Quant)

By my third practice exam - March 2012 - I scored a 740.

By my fifth practice exam (on mba.com) - April 2012 - I scored a 750.

On test day - April 2012 - I scored a 760 (99% Verbal, 85% Quant

In addition to the 3-hour weekly course, I probably averaged about 8-10 hours per week (+4 more hours whenever I took a practice CAT). About three months elapsed between my first look at any GMAT materials and my test-day, so FAST IMPROVEMENT IS POSSIBLE.

I found some of the math materials to be helpful in teaching shortcuts that are useful for common problems (Prime Trees, Probabilities, etc).

I believe that it is easiest for a course to improve one's sentence correction skills, as this is the most objective verbal category. And Manhattan definitely succeeded here. My improved speed and accuracy in sentence correction accounted for much of my improved score, and I owe this entirely to the MGMAT materials.

Finally - the CAT exams. I believe MGMAT's CATs are a very accurate portrayal of the real exam, and the ability to review incorrect (and correct) answers was very useful in understanding my weaknesses. It was not until the 5th exam that the CAT question bank had exhausted 700-level questions. This is better than most (all?) other GMAT preparation services.

In short - I would definitely recommend Manhattan. I found the materials to be extensive, the program to be customizable to my own needs, and the practice exams to be better than the competition's. If you can afford Manhattan's class, you won't be disappointed.

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I chose Manhattan prep because I read very positive reviews on their prep books and I knew I wanted hands-on instruction and a structured course to force me to study (I'm a pro at procrastination). I started studying before the beginning of my course, just reading through a GMAT official guide coursebook. I took the pre-first class practice test and got a 590. My goal is to attend a top 10 school, so I knew I had a long way to go.

Throughout the course I did all of the prescribed prep work. They estimate it will take about 15 hours (outside of the three hour class) per week. I think it could be a little less than that but... I definitely dedicated one entire weekend day to studying and a few hours a few days a week to studying. I took another practice test during the course resulting in a 50 pt rise. My final GMAT score (which I took a week and a half after my final class) was 150pts higher than my initial test.

When I did contact my instructor outside of class, he responded very quickly. He was always willing to chat after class about test strategy or specific questions. Manhattan GMAT is very attentive to its students- a service that is reflected in the high price. It is very easy to reschedule a course if you need to miss.

Both Quant and Verbal review were incredibly helpful. I think the Quant instruction in the classroom is invaluable- multiple ways to solve the problems + how to NOT solve the problems + how to guess the answer if you can't figure it out? This incredibly thorough type of instruction is SO worth the money. Also, there is a wealth of information and a wealth of extra practice material on the website. The CAT tests are awesome, too.

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This course gives you all the tools to excel on the GMAT, and I would strongly recommend this course to anyone who wants to get a 700+.

Marcus was an amazing instructor and kept the class lively for the students (which is hard to do for a 3-hour period after a long day at work). He is also incredibly smart and really knows his GMAT. I was consistently impressed with his teaching ability. The material was extensive so I felt like Manhattan GMAT gave me all the resources I could ask for in preparation for the test.

However, you can't expect to just go to class and then get a great score on the GMAT. You also have to put in a lot of work outside of the class, which Manhattan GMAT readily admits. After I took the course, I took the test for the first time and did poorly (640) although I was scoring a 700 on my practice tests. I was really upset. However, as instructed by Marcus, I set up my post-course assessment with Manhattan GMAT, which is a 45 minute phone call with a special instructor to talk about how to improve your score the next go-around. I received wonderful instruction that included a concrete study plan in preparation for the second try. One month later, I got a 720!!!

THANK YOU, MANHATTAN GMAT!

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The 9 week class is a very very good class. It is a great way to get started studying. You cover all of the basics and really entrench yourself in the studying process. The structure provided by the class set me up to continue studying for the test 5+ weeks after the class ended as you get in the happen of studying a certain amount everyday/several times a week.

One thing I will say is that when I did take the 2 free GMAT prep tests and then the actual GMAT (in addition to the 6 Manhattan practices), I did notice a pretty big difference between the two (Manhattan vs. Gmat prep).

Manhattan Quant is much more difficult and calculation driven than Gmat prep and actual gmat. This is a good thing. If you can get to a point where you are doing well on your manhattan quant sections, you will be fine on the gmat, because I found it much theory based (number properties etc.) than the manhattan tests.

On the Manhattan Verbals, I was having no problems at all (44-45s on all practices) as I got into Gmat prep and the actual gmat, my verbal score dropped 2-4 points. I'm not sure of the reason why. I did notice that some of the critical reasoning questions are structured differently in the GMAT prep/GMAT tests than in Manhattan. I think that the Manhattan tests were much more blatant about what kind of CR question you were tackling.

Ultimately between my first Manhattan practice and my last GMAT prep practice i had a 140 point difference. On test day, I screwed up verbal and ended up with a 80 point improvement.

scores:
manhattan 1: 630
manhattan 2: 690
manhattan 3: 750 (don't have breakouts now, but was getting significantly higher on verbal than math on all of these tests. Got 2 45V and 1 44).
manhattan 4: 700
manhattan 5: 720
manhattan 6: 740
gmat prep 1: 720
gmat prep 2: 750 (50Q, 42V)
Actual Gmat: 710 (46Q, 40V)
*Update Gmat 2: 730 (46Q, 44V)

(i have the breakouts of the other tests at home and can update them later)

Overall, I think Manhattan is a great course and will prepare you for the gmat, specifically the quant section.

Update: I retook the GMAT a month later and improved my verbal 4 points to get the 730 i was looking for.

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Manhattan GMAT is not for the faint of heart. The syllabus reads like a text book, as do the actual guides. But, if you are willing to put in the effort, and do the assigned homework consistently, this course will pay off big time.

Beyond the quality of the content and materials, my instructor was very easy going and actually found a way to make a 3-hour, after-work course fun and interesting. Instead of focusing on tips and tricks, he taught us the underlying math and verbal concepts, which, paired with hundreds of Official Guide practice problems and drill sets, made taking the actual exam feel easy.

Manhattan GMAT also provides some amazing online tools, the best of which is OG Archer. The tool allows you to input your answers from Official Guide problems, and then see your aggregated progress and performance, broken down by problem type and subject area. This tool made it easy to stay on top of the homework and see progress throughout the course. During self-review in the last few weeks before the actual exam, the OG Archer reports were critical to reviewing only what I needed to. Also, the free one-on-one session was helpful in overcoming some difficult concepts.

Manhattan GMAT is not the easiest course, nor is it the cheapest. But if you are looking to break 700 or even 750, and are willing to put in the hard work and time, this is the course for you.

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Great teacher, kept the course entertaining and fun. From what I've heard many of the instructors are similar in that way.

Beyond teacher specific things, the structure of the course is great and is particularly useful if you're the kind of person that does well in a structured environment. The class does not require anyone to do any of the readings, but it's still a great way to be somewhat held accountable and have a study plan laid out for you.

The computer adaptive tests were quite accurate in my case and a great way to keep track of your progress. The analytics behind MGMAT is one of the true differentiators, as it allows you to really dig in to your problem areas.

All in all, the course is top notch. It's pricey, but you might be able to get your company to pay for as part of an educational stipend.

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The course was nothing short of excellent. I found the analytic approach to tracking your progress really helpful. The one-on-one office hour sessions were also really very helpful to understand concepts that I was not understanding completely.

The biggest thing that I valued was the post-course assessment one-on-one session with an instructor to develop a strategy for internalizing everything and preparing for my test. After my course, I was getting a 630 score on the practice tests, but following the advice from this post-course assessment helped me raise my scores tremendously. When I took the test I ended up getting a 710.

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