ozzie,
That may be true. I'm not sure that it would make much sense for Kaplan to do that though, even though it may seem true. If the first impression of Kaplan is the book, and the book isn't very good, there would be very little reason for a person to think the classroom would be worth $1,000+ if the student doesn't think the book was worth the price. I don't think it's natural to think "Well, I didn't like the book very much, but I'm sure the classroom would be worth all the extra money." First impressions are first impressions.
I think one of the main benefits of the classroom is the structure. The information may be better, but certainly, when you get a group of people together to discuss the information and problems, and have someone in the discussion that has scored in the 90th percentile (and higher than that many times) it makes it much easier to understand things. I believe this is why GMATClub is so popular. When preparing for the test, we can come here, read questions, answer questions, and discuss our approaches with people that have scored 750+, many people that have scored in the 99th percentile. Other than a structured setting like a classroom, I think GMATClub is one of the best resources out there. Certainly THE BEST free resource.
One of the things about Kaplan that I respect so much is that they prep in so many different areas taht it is easy to fail because of trying to be everything to everyone means you don't really do anything for anyone. But Kaplan has worked very, very hard to makes sure the stuff they put out, and the classes they offer are excellent. If you could see behind the scenes and see the extent to which the company goes to strive for excellence, I think most people would be impressed as well. Now, I wish they paid like
Manhattan GMAT! But then again, to require 99% and already have an MBA from a top school like
Manhattan GMAT requires is totally different than almost any prep course offered regardless of test.
ozzie123 wrote:
jallenmorris wrote:
As a Kaplan Teacher (in training) I can say that their classroom material is very good quality stuff. The CATs are difficult, but like everyone here says, the harder questions (like GMATClub Challenges) make you better. Kaplan is an advocate for plugging in numbers, but not in every case. As you said, there are some questions that it just doesn't work. There are others, that for the vast majority of testers, plugging numbers is going to be the fastest way to tackle a tough problem. There are people that can do any problem without plugging numbers, but plugging numbers in where it can be helpful, does work for everyone.
ozzie123 wrote:
Not to sound cocky or anything, but Kaplan should change the name of the book to Kaplan 700 or the likes since the question is definitely not that hard. I found that the GMATClub test questions a lot harder. And the explanation for the answer is abysmal at best particularly because they are a big supporter of "plugging in numbers". I'm not against this strategy, but some questions really can't be easily solved by plugging numbers because on a 800 questions you will likely find 2-3 answers that fits your pickup number if you don't pick broad enough. In fact, all 800 (or at least 99 percentile) test takers I know (which is not much by the way) rarely use plugging number method.
I'd say, if you have a strong basic, you better go with Kaplan's CAT test as it offers a better tough question that is challenging compared to their book. I've heard first hand from former Kaplan student that their classroom material is far faaaaar better than their books (obviously, their tutor is their money making machine, not their books)
jallenmoris - yes indeed. If you have the time and money, it's better to attend Kaplan class instead of learning from their book. I know a friend that was enrolled into their classroom program and my previous tutor is Kaplan's ex-trainer/tutor. Derived from their experience, I'm pretty sure that Kaplan only keeps the best method for their class, not their books
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15 Dec 2008, 06:42
