Manhattan GMAT 9-Session In-Person Prep Course Reviews

This course was a great starting point to getting me kicked off on my GMAT prep. You go through all the content and get familiarized with all the different types of questions, guided by an instructor who knows the best techniques and teaches you how to approach the exam both from a holistic viewpoint (timing, mindset, scoring system, etc) and a sectioned viewpoint (specific question-type techniques).

I found that ultimately, my score only got better the more I practiced on my own and the more practice tests I took. This course was super important in guiding my approach and ensuring I was tackling questions and problems the right way.

Read More

I took a 9-session GMAT prep class with Manhattan Prep in the fall of 2016 and had great success. My instructor was David Mahler and he did a really good job at getting the class involved and fostering discussion around the questions. I took a practice test completely cold before attending the class or reviewing any materials and got a 600. After completing the class I studied independently for another month and then scored a 720. My target score was anything above a 700 so I was very happy with my result. Below is pro/con summary of the Manhattan Prep (MGMAT) class:

Pros:
- Attending class keeps you motivated and focused on studying for the GMAT and provides a structured curriculum
- MGMAT study materials are very good
- The class forces you to take additional practice tests which is very valuable and you can the practice tests at their office in the test environment which is similar to the actual test
- My instructor, David Mahler, was very patient and good at explaining the material and get the class thinking on their own how to solve problems
- The course provides a good homework curriculum outside of class. There is significant homework (if you are serious about studying, around 15 hours a week) but in my book this is a good thing. The homework is typically studying lessons from MGMAT materials and then associated problem sets in the Official Guide.

Cons:
- My only complaint is that I would have liked to focus on more advanced math concepts in class (the homework curriculum and study guides include advanced math concepts, however we did not go that deep in class)

Bottom Line: If you are serious about scoring well on the GMAT and putting in the work, there is no doubt that Manhattan Prep will boost your score. I would 100% recommend to anyone planning on taking the test.

Read More

I took the Manhattan 9-week Prep Course in Santa Monica, California. At first, I was not sure if it would be worth it especially for the hefty price but after reading reviews on GMAT Club, I decided to pull the trigger. The course was very structured and the teacher did such a great job walking us through all the problems.

One thing that I absolutely appreciate about this course is the techniques that you learn in both recognizing and solving the problems. In addition, there are also various timing techniques that you learn here that you do not normally learn whenever you self-study.

Overall, Manhattam GMAT is the best value!

Read More

I completed the 4-week bootcamp in London in December 2016 and took the GMAT 3 times after bootcamp, getting 720 (42 Verbal / 45 Quant) on the last try. What I loved about the bootcamp was that the classes were structured according to the actual GMAT timing - two ~75m sessions per day and during class we had 2 minutes to work out every question. We learned not only content but invaluable strategies and mindsets that were crucial to acing the test. After the bootcamp, students had access to various free one-on-one sessions (either via Skype or in person) where instructors helped to closely review our strengths/weaknesses and analyze our performance on practice/actual GMAT. I’d highly recommend bootcamp to those who prefer short and intensive studying and have time for a 4-week full-time immersion.

Read More

The Manhattan GMAT course is suitable for any learner, whether you're totally new to the GMAT or have taken it beforehand. I personally took the course a second time. It had been 2 years since I had took the course the first time around (after which I scored a 700) and I knew that I wanted to not only brush up on the topics but also build on my weaknesses. (FYI the course is at almost a 70% discount if you take it again).

Joe's teaching style was incredibly clear and structured. Never during the course did I feel confused by Joe's explanations to the answers of various problems or the approaches to them. In fact, he was so super clear that I'd often hear Joe's voice in my head guiding me through problems on my practice exams and my actual GMAT.

Oh and the interact virtual lessons on the MGMAT site are amazing. I watched them again the week leading to my exam. Super helpful.

I definitely think this is the best course out there. I saw growths of 80 points during each of my courses (620 to 700 and 700 to 740).

Read More

Having decided to take the GMAT but with absolutely zero experience with the test, I knew I needed a class to help me guide me through my studies. I was referred by several friends to Manhattan Prep, who all had excellent things to say about the program, and signed up for the 9-week in person class. I scored a 590 on my first practice exam (going in completely cold), and over the course of the next 9 weeks, increased my score to 700. On test day, one week later, I felt completely confident and scored a 720. The class is structure, detailed online solutions, and wealth of knowledge in the various strategy guides very extremely useful resources. In addition, Ryan's teaching style was very effective. He really forced us to think through each problem deeper and in a different way than I ever would on my own. An great experience with Manhattan Prep enabled me to improve 130 points in just 10 weeks; I highly recommend the program to anyone taking the GMAT.

Read More

For someone who is bad at self discipline, the Manhattan GMAT in-person prep class was essential for me. I tried the Kaplan online classes but had difficulty holding myself accountable. Mark from Seattle Manhattan GMAT was fantastic. The class size was small. Sometimes, there were only 3 students so it almost felt like a private session. I recommend taking the exam 2-3 weeks after the class is over so you don't lose momentum but still have time to do some last minute review. You should also take the exam multiple times to get yourself accustomed to the adaptive format which was the most difficult part of the test for me.

Read More

I was someone that would always try and start a self-study course only to let it go to waste. I dreaded standardized tests and had no confidence, until I started my studying with Manhattan Prep's in-person class. I definitely needed a class to get me on a strict schedule to study and besides Christine, there were some great other instructors at Manhattan with a lot of options if you missed a class. Their offices are also convenient and nice, and preferable than trying to study at home. I felt the homework load was very manageable and effective, and that their tests were a little harder than the official GMATPrep's, but perhaps that sets you up for success in the end. I also complemented my studies with a Veritas in-person tutor to focus mainly on Verbal and my weak areas, but can say the unique Manhattan resources like the Navigator were the best out there. All in all, I started my first practice test at 640 and ended with a 760 on the first attempt, and can attest that these resources were reasons I was able to get there.

Read More

After about a month of attempting to self-study using the Offical GMAT Guides, I realized I needed more structure and content review, so I decided to take a class. I had heard great things about Manhattan Prep, so I decided to try it. Overall, it was an awesome experience! I did the online class and was worried about staying engaged, but the instructor did a great job of utilizing student responses and even calling on us to explain our reasoning on the microphone to the class so it was a really good online class experience. I was especially grateful for my instructor, Seb, because he gave us difficult practice problems in class, so you really learn even if you’re already scoring pretty high on your own. Seb was also very available before/after class and over email for extra help and questions. Manhattan sends you TONS of resources, both physical and online, which is great but also a little overwhelming. Seb was really helpful in telling us how to prioritize the homework and which resources would be most helpful. I don’t know many people who would have time to do all the homework and read all the resources, so having help to choose which things to spend my limited time on was great. Seb was also wonderful at helping me get to know the test in addition to the materials. He gives you tricks for guessing, timing, and understanding how/why GMAT writes its questions, which really helped me get a top score! Overall a great experience that helped me to pace my studying and make sure I had been exposed to all of the content!

Read More

I generally do test well, but my first blind GMAT really showed how different the test is from what I was used to. The Manhattan course was really helpful in getting familiar with they types of questions and the strategies for approaching them. And after a few weeks and a few practice tests, the individual sessions that come free with the course were extremely helpful in taking an honest evaluation of where I was in my studying process and where to focus the rest of my time before test day to maximize the outcome. The diagnostic reports that come with the practice tests are super helpful in pinpointing the specific areas to focus on.

Read More