Marcus Hedahl Reviews

I had a very positive overall experience with Manhattan Prep and my specific instructor, Marcus Hedahl. I began my GMAT journey with Manhattan Prep in October 2018 when I started the in-person course. The course provided a strong foundation from which to learn the GMAT content and allowed me to better prepare myself for the official tests to come. After completing the course, I completed 3 tutoring sessions with Marcus, who was also my instructor for the course. This helped to further solidify my knowledge of the GMAT content and strategy for how to attack the test. Without the assistance that Manhattan Prep and Marcus shared with me, it would have been incredibly more difficult to experience success and achieve my 700 score.

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I decided to enroll in the course after it came highly recommended by a few colleagues. However, I was utterly disappointed by Manhattan Prep's live class for a few reasons.

Firstly, the course is unbelievable expensive (even for an undergrad the course will run you about 1000 dollars). I used a few free online trials from other companies (all of which offered their services for a fraction of the cost of Manhattan Prep) and was much happier with my free trial then I ever was with Manhattan Prep. Also, Manhattan offers no score increase guarantee at all.

The teacher was incredibly smart, but I did not see much use for his being there to be honest. There was not much teaching going on in this course. Most of the material was learned beforehand through Manhattan's Strategy Guides (Overall, those are quite helpful, even to me, and I am a visual learner). Thus, the class conisted of us solving a few problems, and the teacher going through explanations, but Manhattan Prep gives the same explanations through their learning software.

Further, I could tell the teacher did not really want to be there. He did not seem to care about his student's performance, and it was clear this was just another job for him.

Manhattan's learning software (atlas) is actually quite good due to the comprehensive syllabus, and high-quality OG explanations, however, all of this can be had for a fraction of the cost using Manhattan's cheapest offering.

Overall, I might be inclined to recommend some of Manhattan Prep's services, but definitely not the live course. It was a waste of valuable time and money.

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Manhattan Prep provided me with everything I needed to get my target GMAT score. First and foremost, Marcus was a great teacher. He made class engaging, challenging, and worth your time for students of all levels. He also provided some really useful study tips and techniques -
such as tracking questions missed - that helped me to use my independent study time efficiently.
Following the Manhattan Prep's syllabus/study plan and taking their online practice tests made it really clear what I needed to do to prepare. By the time test day came around, I felt confident that I had done everything I could to be ready. I only had to take the GMAT once to get my target score of 730.
Finally, the free one-on-one consultation with a Manhattan Prep tutor after the class finished but before the GMAT was really helpful for developing a final-stretch study plan and giving me a confidence boost going into the test.
Would highly recommend Marcus and Manhattan Prep!

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I signed up for the GMAT with a relatively tight timeline, and knew I would have to work hard and cram to be prepared. After doing research, Manhattan's 9-course option seemed like a great fit for this.

The class was several hours after a workday in the middle of the week, which I expected to be a bit of a challenge. Marcus did a great job of keeping a rigorous curriculum relatively lighthearted and engaging, while still drilling down on the concepts and making sure that we all understood. He made sure that everyone in the class kept pace, but did not slow the course down if anybody was struggling, instead taking time before/after class to help with specific areas of focus.

I went into the GMAT relatively cold on the subject matter, especially having not taken any kind of quantitative course in four or five years. I came out of it feeling confident about the test, and the score I received (which was substantially better than my initial one) went from being a "reach" score, to one that I felt like I could achieve on any given test. I could not have asked for a better program or instructor.

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I had a highly positive experience taking a GMAT prep class at Manhattan Prep on Wednesday evenings from March to May 2017. I came in with little familiarity with the GMAT's format as well as a poor understanding of the level of effort necessary to prepare for the exam. Manhattan Prep did a fantastic job of acclimating me to the exam's content and providing excellent resources for preparation.

The most impressive part of the class was, however, the instructor, Marcus Hedahl. Marcus has an exceptional grasp of the GMAT's topics and does a great job of coaching students through the content effectively. Even more impressive, Marcus brings energy and engagement to the class despite its three-hour runtime at the end of the workday. There was never a dull moment over the course of the nine-week class.

Marcus helped me better understand what score range I could reach by test day. Initially, I was happy with the 80th percentile I was getting on Verbal in practice exams, but Marcus encouraged me to push for the high 90th percentile. After putting in additional work on Reading Comp and Critical Reasoning, my Verbal score on test day (44) definitely went a long way in bringing my total score up into the 700s.

I was also really pleased with the wide array of resources- both online and printed- that Manhattan Prep included in their 9-week class. In the final weeks leading up to test day, I used the online video lessons to refresh on earlier topics. I also used topic-specific practice question sets to drill hard on weak points.

Thanks to Manhattan Prep's first-rate instruction and excellent resources, I went from prep scores in the mid-600s to a 730 on test day.

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I'd highly recommend Manhattan Prep, and specifically Marcus Hedahl as an instructor. I improved over 100 points from the 600's into the 700's from the beginning of the course to test day in a little less than three months.

Manhattan Prep has the GMAT down to a science, without a question. (Not to mention, the customer service is incredibly professional, responsive, and all-around very helpful). Specifically, Marcus knows the exam backwards and forwards, and has tips, tricks, and invaluable insights into how to approach the exam, which I imagine are unparalleled among other prep companies. He also makes each class fun, lively, and engaging, which makes a real difference with a 3 hour class after a full workday. He's patient with everyone in the class, and has really great advice on how to approach various question types, common mistakes, study habits, and generally anything at all related to the test. I really can't speak highly enough of Marcus.

I would recommend focusing less on strategy books and more on practice problems, but as far as prep companies to use, Manhattan Prep is undoubtedly the way to go.

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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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