Mark Sullivan Reviews

I've been working with Mark ever since I enrolled in his Advanced Course back in October 2018. At that point, my sister had already taken a regular course with him and suggested that I enroll in the Advanced Course to see if I could raise my score to the 700+ level. I'm not a great test taker and I think timing in the GMAT is especially difficult, but - after his Advanced Course and several private tutoring sessions - Mark really helped me get to the 700+ I was hoping for.

Mark is a GMAT expert (he'll be able to walk you through the best way to solve any problem you throw at him), but he's also excellent at helping you maximize your study time -- he really makes an effort to identify the areas of improvement that will help you achieve the largest score improvement on the test. In particular, I think the private tutoring sessions were especially helpful because Mark and I were able to look into my weak areas much more closely (i.e. advanced absolute value, inequalities, or geometry concepts that I was too shy to ask in class). He was also able to show me quant problem shortcuts that were tailored to my specific weaknesses and create a personalized study plan that allowed me to efficiently tackle low-hanging fruit given my tight timeline. And while the private tutoring sessions are a little pricey, Mark is willing to work with whatever budget you may have. In the end, I'm extremely glad that I decided to work with Mark and I thought the Advanced Course/private tutoring sessions were absolutely worth it.

My GMAT journey was not an easy one for me (scoring a 670, then a 680 in which my verbal and quant scores essentially flipped), but I'm glad I didn't give up. Seeking the right kind of help can really make all the difference and I think Mark was key throughout my whole process.

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Mark was great to work with throughout my GMAT studying process. Not only is he just super smart and skilled at the GMAT, but he made the material digestible to everyone in our class even though we all had varying experience and skill with the test. He also was really approachable and helpful when I had questions throughout the class and even made himself available to help afterwards. Of course, at the end of the day you have to do the work to get a good GMAT score, but it sure is a whole lot easier when you feel like you have partner guiding you throughout the process.

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I signed up for this class at the beginning of 2019 after doing quite a bit of research on the course and the instructor, Mark Sullivan. Like many prospective GMAT takers, I had tried (and failed) the self-study route on multiple occasions. When I finally decided to get serious about taking the GMAT and going to business school, I knew that I needed professional guidance. What really sold me on Mark was the fact that according his Manhattan Prep bio, he was a self-confessed Seattle Mariners fan. As a Seattle native and long-suffering M's fan myself, I knew I had found my instructor.

All jokes aside, I realized shortly into the first in-person session that I had made the right choice. Mark has the unique ability to keep students engaged and excited about GMAT content throughout the 3-hour classes. It had been several years since I had been in a classroom environment; at first, the idea sitting through a session that long seemed daunting. But Mark breaks down each topic by using easy-to-digest examples and explanations, and I left every session feeling inspired to study on my own. My winter class had 7 students, and we were able to work with each other (without pressure) each week to tackle problems and collaborate on various subject areas.

I scored a 600 on my first practice test, which I took a week before the course started. It was demoralizing. However, Mark reassured me that my "stretch" target score of 730 was still attainable if I put in the effort. For me, the key was the way in which Mark guided our studying. Instead of assigning hundreds of practice problems, Mark showed the class how to focus on a particular set of problems and subsequently evaluate the strategies we used during the set. As a result, you learn how to identify problem types and solve them in a much more efficient manner, rather than blindly trying to solve as many questions as possible.

I never needed to cram for the test, nor did I ever feel like I was drowning in my GMAT studies. I studied for about an hour each day outside of the course--consistency is key, rather than trying to put in 4 to 6 hour days on the weekends. The course ended in early April, and I took the GMAT in mid-May. I highly recommend purchasing the add-on 1-on-1 "coaching sessions" with Mark, as those really helped me hyper-target areas of opportunity before my exam date.

In the end, I got a 740 on the GMAT, a full 140 points higher than my initial diagnostic test. Without Mark's wisdom and coaching, there's no way I would've reached my target score. For the sake of brevity, I'll finish my review by stating that this course opened up doors to MBA programs that I previously thought were closed. Thank you, Mark!

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This course is set up for 5 classes for students who have already achieved a 650 or higher and want to excel into the 700s. I suggest already being familiar with the Manhattan methods to some degree (self study the books or take their other classes), but it’s not 100% necessary as it is all covered in details.

This course was perfect for me. Extremely detailed step by step, problem by problem schedule. A complete roadmap for success. You have a main path to follow with plenty of optional work to fill in gaps. Trust in the program, forget everything you know and do the test the way they teach you and you’ll crush it.

Mark specifically is very engaging. The online atmosphere quickly feels like you are in person. He is polite and very responsive to individual questions during class and after. Cannot tell you how impressed I was with an online class.

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My knowledge of the subject matter was rusty and I was having trouble concentrating for the 3 hr period. Apart from the content, I found the guidance regarding test-taking and attitude very helpful. It really helped me see this exam in a new light and treat it as a decision making test. I was nervous going into this preparation and my mock test was giving me <700 score.

Mark was very responsive to our questions - both in and outside the class. The class size was small and I was able to get all my questions answered (and I always had a lot!).
The online class gave structure to my preparation and regularity. The advice around timed sets helped with the timing issue. I felt within the short span of 5 weeks, Mark was able to capture the crux of the material that helped me push my score beyond 700.

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I had prepared on my own using the Manhattan Prep Interact (on demand) option for two months. However, I never really found improvement. I constantly got 650s on all of my practice tests and on the actual exam. However, I switched to the live online advanced course (to help those struggling to break the 700 barrier), and it was a tremendous help. My instructor, Mark, was very knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and offered great strategy and advice. It was a lot of fun going to class. At the end of the course, I took the GMAT again and was able to break the 700 barrier. Manhattan Prep is correctly referred to as the gold standard of GMAT Prep. It was such a big help. Definitely upgrade to the live online class

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This review is for Mark Sullivan and the Manhattan Prep Advanced Course.

I started studying for the GMAT in October 2017 and used a variety self-study resources. I made my first GMAT attempt in February 2018 and scored a 700 (Q43/V42). I was slightly disappointed because my goal score was 720. But I figured I was close, so I hit the books again focusing solely on quant for another few months, and took the test again in May 2018. I scored a 680 (Q44/V39). I was incredibly frustrated and I was losing faith in myself. This is when I decided to call Manhattan Prep, looking for a private tutor.

While on the phone, they informed me of Mark Sullivan's Advanced Course, so I decided to give it a try. This was the best decision I could have made. I would highly recommend this course for anyone who needs help getting from the high 600's to the low/mid 700's.

Mark's approach was a complete game-changer for me. Quant problems had always really intimidated me, but after studying with Mark I felt like I could dismantle any problem. He taught me to focus on recognition of what the problem was testing, rather than just banging content into my head over and over again. In addition, I was already strong in Verbal, but Mark was able to help me develop consistency and speed better than ever before by teaching a rules-based approach that supplemented my ear.

I was calm and confident going into my third GMAT attempt, and I came out with a 730 (Q47,V44)!!!

After 10 months, 14 practice tests, and two real tests, my third and final GMAT attempt was a success thanks to Mark.

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Through this class, I was able to hold myself to a schedule, follow a comprehensive learning curriculum, and gain tips on how to specifically ace the GMAT test format / CAT.

Materials - By going through the 10+ MP booklets and online videos, I was able to learn everything covered on the GMAT from the true basics to more challenging problem types. They offered a systematic way to identify and solve every type of problem so there was no mystery.


Teacher - Mark was great - he taught with succinctness / clarity and created a very comfortable classroom experience where every student felt compelled to ask any type of question and participate. You can truly tell he is a master of every part of the GMAT.

Classroom setting - I definitely gained more through self-studying afterwards than in class. The classes had people from all different backgrounds so we spent a lot of time covering really basic problems. However, the classes did help reiterate and cement some learnings.

Resources - Online portal was great, especially the Navigator tool that offered more detailed solutions to every single Official GMAT problem guide. The problem list was also good to target specific areas.

In the end I improved by 150 points and got above 700!

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I started working with Mark after taking the Manhattan Prep 10 week course and scoring well below my goal (650 with goal of 700). After this, I decided to invest in private tutoring and started working with Mark Sullivan. I took the GMAT again, and scored 720 thanks to Mark (47 quant, 41 verbal). He quickly diagnosed my weaknesses, and then provided a clear plan to hit my goal. He focused on the biggest hitting items / content areas and devised a plan that I could manage with a full time job.
Outside of providing excellent tutoring services during my paid sessions, Mark was always available to respond to emails and provide feedback on practice tests. I never felt like I was “on the clock” – if we ran slightly over the time allotment, I didn’t feel that he was rushing to end the session. Mark was really a source of positivity and made me feel confident going into the test.
Very highly recommend Mark for anyone needing personalized tutoring!!! Just wish I’d started working with him from the beginning.

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As someone who travels frequently for work, the online virtual weekly class was rather convenient for my schedule.

While I had been interested in applying to business school for sometime, I dreaded the prospect of preparing for another standardized test. My class instructor, Mark Sullivan, eased that dread by presenting the course content in a way that was intuitive and enjoyable. Mark was successfully able to frame something I had been dreading for years into one of the highlights of my week. Mark was extremely friendly, answered my emails promptly, and genuinely cared about my success on this test. The flipped class method that Mark uses for his class encourages you to leverage all of Manhattan Prep’s best resources.

Manhattan Prep lived up to the hype for me. Their online resources are easy to use and access no matter where you are. The courses provide extensive data for you to continuously strengthen any weak areas.

Prior to this course, I had minimal GMAT experience. Within two months and two weeks I had an official score of 720. I will be taking the GMAT again soon to see if I can improve that score even more.

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