Manhattan Prep GMAT Course Reviews

Wasn't sure if the class would be worth it, but I signed up for the Accelerated 9-Session class, and it gave me the structure and resources I needed. It also prepared me mentally so I wasn't stressed out about the format of the exam come test day. Jonathan Schneider was a great instructor and makes the different sections less daunting with the careful and precise way he breaks down problems. Despite the fact that it was an online class, I still felt the pressure to participate just as I would have in a normal class. MGMAT will provide you all the resources you need, but ultimately it's up to you to build a study plan that will get you to the score you want.

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Manhattan GMAT gives you two things: a structured approach to studying and great teachers.

The structured approach was key to studying after I was done with the courses. I was initially overwhelmed and doing problems all over the place, but the structured approached focused my attention and let me invest in one top until I fully understood.

Eric Caballero was the man! He kept classes light and engaging, and was very up front about the true amount of investment it would take to do well. He also made himself available over email and after hours. Eric has been doing this for many years and it shows.

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When I first started studying for the GMAT, I couldn't remember how to find the area of a triangle. Manhattan Prep's course was awesome because it outlined everything I needed to learn, and gave me a plan of attack. Ryan walked our class through subjects like geometry and algebra in bite-size amounts so we didn't lose confidence. After learning the basics, I wanted to move at a faster pace. The course was perfect because Ryan would teach us the main concepts in class, and then I could do the hardest practice questions on that subject in Manhattan Prep's online platform. As I went through the ups and downs of finally getting above a 700, but not being able to break a 45Q score, I would have been lost without Ryan to turn to for guidance. He gave me advice that allowed me to make a couple breakthroughs in my performance. The actual test felt pretty easy because I had test techniques and the subject-matter knowledge to succeed thanks to Manhattan Prep.

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I am so thankful for Manhattan Prep. I came from the nonprofit world and I’m also in my early 30’s which means I haven’t practiced math in over 10 years. When I took a practice test I got a 520 and I was hoping to just break 600, which seemed like an incredible feat. I had Chris Peckover as my teacher and his energy and positivity towards me encouraged me to to persevere. He’s a genius, has strong EQ (which means he knows how to explain things to his students in a way they can understand) and has terrific energy. I’m pursuing my second masters and so I’ve experienced a lot of teachers. Chris is one of the best teachers I have ever had. He really wants to see his students succeed. I also highly highly recommend the post-exam assessment after you take your first GMAT. They review all your past practice tests plus your actual GMAT to help give you helpful strategies. I took the GMAT twice (620, 670). I just received my acceptance letter into the school of my choice, USC! So thankful to Manhattan Prep and Chris Peckover.

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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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Before committing to a prep course, I decided to do a fair amount of digging on GMAT Club since a prep course is a pricey investment. I was between Kaplan and Manhattan Prep, and, ultimately, decided to take a 9-week course with Manhattan Prep’s Elaine Loh in Santa Monica. I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into, but looking back, I could not have made a better choice.

The 9-week course was very structured and easy to follow. Elaine’s fun and upbeat teaching method kept me engaged and I actually looked forward to going to class. I made sure I did all of the homework so that I came to class prepared in order to tackle new material. I highly recommend keeping up with the homework in order to maximize the value you get from the course. Additionally, Elaine’s explanation of practice questions and Manhattan Prep techniques was easy to understand and extremely thorough.

I think the best thing I can say about Elaine is that she truly cares about her students and isn’t lying when she says she is your teacher for life. I had my struggles. My first practice CAT score was 550. Even after the course ended, I was still struggling and very frustrated. I emailed Elaine novels and she always replied promptly even though she didn’t have to. When I scored a 740 on my second GMAT attempt, the person I was most excited to share my news with was Elaine. She was absolutely instrumental to my success and all the long nights and weekends studying were worth it. I could not have succeeded on the GMAT without Elaine and Manhattan Prep!

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The course moves at a very fast pace, so be prepared to put in many hours of additional work outside of the lectures. My instructor was Joe Martin and he was fantastic. He was very engaging and seemed to truly care about the success of his students. I would say this course is perfect for anybody who is striving for a top score. While I was only scoring around 650 on the Manhattan GMAT practice exams, I managed to get a 730 on the actual exam on my first try. So don’t let the practice exams get you too nervous! They are far more challenging than the actual exam. The course also has a seemingly never-ending amount of resources for students to utilize, so you’ll always have material to practice with. I highly recommend using their Navigator online tracking tool, it is very helpful in tracking your progress. I also found the mobile app to be helpful. While it is not ideal for very tough problems, it is a good way to practice basic concepts while on the go. Overall I would highly recommend both this course and my instructor.

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The pros of this service were the Interact courses which were very engaging and the practice GMAT exams that were very accurate in predicting my actual GMAT score. The major con was the course instruction itself would often times lose momentum due to getting bogged down on a particular student's question or lack of participation and we would not always finish the topics. I also felt that once the course ended, I was left to my own devices. I decided to use another course instruction after Manhattan prep and found that I had more success with the alternate service. Looking back, this service was very expensive and I saw better results with a less expensive service. I just didn't see the return that I was hoping for.

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When I first started my GMAT journey, I assumed it wouldn’t be that difficult. I had always been a strong student…this will be easy. Much to my surprise, my initial score on a practice exam was abysmal (which, I was told, is not uncommon). I wanted to apply to a top ten school, and my mind was set on a 700+, so, it was time for tutoring. I decided to take the Manhattan GMAT Boot camp as well as use Reed Arnold as a private tutor. The resources and instruction at Manhattan are truly incredible. Be aware, that your score will not jump without commitment, but each teacher I worked with was patient and supportive along the way. The boot camp is a bit of a firehose, but both Laurel and Dhivya made a somewhat daunting two weeks more enjoyable. Both instructors were personable and kind, and most importantly, spent a tremendous amount of time assisting each student with developing the correct INDIVIDUALIZED strategy for studying, focusing on specific topics to help boost our scores. This test is not a “one size fits all approach”, and they really help you to recognize this. Their instruction was thorough and clear, and if you are working with a limited amount of time to study – WITH FOCUS – it is the best way to learn all of the material on the test.

Reed deserves a medal for putting up with my ebbs and flows of commitment over the past few months. He was attentive and supportive, and extremely responsive to all questions and needs along the way. His feedback was direct (and appreciated!) – he certainly didn’t sugar coat it, but it really pushed me to get to where I needed to be. His one-on-one instruction was very clear – he was articulate in explaining difficult topics to me, and even I claimed I understood something, he’d keep pushing with more difficult problems until I had mastered a concept. With his support, I developed a clear and manageable strategy for conquering the test – and wound up scoring over 700 on my first try. AND, even when I decided to push it even further to try to boost my score a bit more, he was extremely accommodating and continued to support me along the way. This is not to say that everyone who enrolls will miraculously jump over 150 points – as he explained – it takes a very methodical approach. Constant review, repetition and practice is key.

A+ overall. I highly, highly recommend to anyone looking to take the GMAT. It was worth the investment, and I am far more confident in applying to school.

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I took an in-person course with Jamie Nelson, and I highly recommend her class to anyone considering taking the GMAT! Jamie is very engaging, and you can tell that she has many years of experience helping students master the GMAT.

The in-person class was definitely beneficial for me, as I was working full time while trying to prepare for the GMAT. Committing to a Manhattan Prep course helped me to develop a prep routine. I attended the three-hour class once a week and followed the assigned homework very closely. Jamie provided supplemental resources for my weakest content areas to help me master the basics.

When you sign up for the Manhattan Prep In-Person Class, you receive a ton of useful prep resources: Manhattan prep strategy guides, the most recent Official GMAT Guide, access to pre-recorded online lessons, 6 MGMAT practice exams, and the list goes on. Additionally, once you have completed the prep course, Manhattan Prep offers a one-on-one post course assessment meeting with an instructor to outline a custom study plan for you to follow from the time the course ends until your test day.

Ultimately, I was able to improve my score by more than 200 points (from my first practice test to the actual exam) and couldn’t be happier! Manhattan GMAT Prep classes are definitely worth the investment.

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