Manhattan GMAT 9-Session In-Person Prep Course Reviews

I took the 9-session GMAT prep course in early 2016. I had never taken any GMAT practice tests or anything. I had no idea about the format of the test or event that it was computer-adaptive. This course is well worth the money. If you are actually serious about taking the GMAT and are going to be willing to put in the time and effort, I would recommend it. Yes, there is a lot of homework each week, and it requires some discipline to work through 10-15 hrs per week, but it's worth it. Jamie was a great instructor and had a bunch of tricks that made the test much more manageable. The first test I took at the beginning of the course, I got a 540. A few weeks after the course ended I got a 700 on the real test, which I was happy with. It is possible to work your way up from a low score using this course. Highly recommended.

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I highly recommend taking the class if you’ve got the funds for it. Manhattan Prep was invaluable in teaching me core strategies that helped drive my score from 620 (First CAT) to 750 (actual exam 2nd attempt). Even though I was targeting a very high score (750+), the class and the materials provided were all that I needed to reach my goal score. Signing up for a class comes with:
• Syllabus and homework schedule
• Copy of the latest Official GMAT guides
• Manhattan Prep strategy guides - which cover all the content that could come up during the real exam
• Access to plethora of online resources, such as 6 CAT exams (great for tracking progress), online office hours, performance analytics (helping in identifying strengths and weaknesses), Post-Exam Assessment, etc
I found the classes themselves engaging and well-structured. The instructors are passionate about teaching, are experienced, and have scored in the 99th percentile. I took the Sunday class with Laurel Hanson, who was great at keeping me engaged through each 3 hour class (not an easy thing to do!), and offered useful strategies to reduce exam stress and fatigue and master content.
While the classes are very useful, reaching your goal score may take some self-studying, as you identify weaknesses and areas of improvement while working through the syllabus and taking practice CATs. I spent several months self-studying after the class and scored a 720 (Q50 V38), which was close to my target score, but not quite there.
I went back to Manhattan Prep and signed up for a Post-Exam Assessment, which is included if you took a class. After filling out a questionnaire about my exam experience and study habits, Manhattan Prep put me in touch with instructor Jamie Nelson, who came up with a new study plan that was specific to my strengths and weaknesses and offered additional strategies to maintain my quant score and improve verbal. I kept to my new personalized study plan, and a month later, I took the exam a second time and scored 750 (Q50 V42).
The great thing about Manhattan Prep is even if you’ve finished the classes, you will still have the support of the instructors and resources to guide you through your GMAT preparation until you reach your goal.
Again, I strongly recommend going with Manhattan Prep if you’re deciding on a course to take. Great instructors, invaluable test-taking strategies, and pretty much everything you need if you’re targeting a high score.

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I took the GMAT three times. Before my first exam, I largely did self-study using the Manhattan GMAT books. However, after several months of studying, I took the exam. To my surprise, I was not satisfied with my score or performance! After months of debating what I needed to do, a lot of people recommended me to Manhattan GMAT. I signed up for the 9 week prep course and my instructor was Jessica Hanzlik.

Jessica was an awesome teacher! She takes the time to explain the topics and also things to look out for when you see certain types of questions. Not only does she take time to frequently ask if anyone has any questions, she also gets the classroom involved and makes sure everyone understands the problem/answer, before moving on.

The course and homework take a lot of time, but I followed all the strategies and tricks that Jessica presented and finally finished with a score that I'm not only comfortable with, but one that exceeded my score expectation. I am very thankful for Manhattan Prep and Jessica! I don't think I could have increased my score by over 100 points without them. Remember, if you find the exam as difficult as I did, by staying disciplined and doing all the thing asked: flashcards, error logs, improving your weakness areas, you can get the score you want!

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I completed the 9 week Manhattan prep in person class with Dan Bartz in the first quarter of 2016. First off Dan is an amazing person and a great teacher. He was willing to go above and beyond to help me reach my goal.

The Manhattan books were really useful and I found the explanations in the Navigator to be insightful (for the most part). At first I didn't see the value in the strategy supplements, but after going through them I really was able to see the gains that I wanted.

Going through the GMAT process is a miserable, but Manhattan Prep helped me get through the process and break the 700 threshold.

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I cannot highly enough recommend Logan Thompson as a GMAT adviser / Manhattan teacher. He is patient, thoughtful in tailoring in each class to student needs, and is genuinely and earnestly there to support you. Here is my story:

I decided to take a Manhattan course after base-lining around a 720, but had reservations about how expensive the class was and whether a 'general' gmat class would help someone who already was doing well. Logan helped address these concerns when I talked with him, and from the very first class through my own GMAT (well after the class) applied his background in mindfulness and the Manhattan network to answer a steady stream of questions -- form grappling with understanding the theory behind tricky problems to helping me study more effectively. Even with a range of skill levels and even English proficiency in the class, each day was carefully and thoughtfully tailored to student needs.

What set Logan apart from another excellent teacher was his integration of mindfulness into the classroom. Rather than reducing the content we could cover, taking 10 minutes each class to learn about and practice applying mindfulness in a GMAT and high pressure environment helped the class stay more focused and more quickly move through questions. Hopefully his lesson designs will be adopted by Manhattan more broadly as there sounds to be wide interest, but regardless, no one will do it better than Logan.

I sat for the GMAT this past weekend, and scored a 780. If you are uncertain whether to take a class with Manhattan, talk to Logan who will happily skip any sales and cut straight and honestly to helping you think about your needs and options. But if you do take a Manhattan GMAT class, do so with Logan.

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I did a TON of research into prep classes and ultimately decided with Manhattan Prep. For me, I knew I needed an in-person/structured format to keep me on track. I am very happy I did. When I took an MP diagnostic, I got a very upsetting score of 520. How would I ever improve to my goal of 700+?? Thankfully I took my class with Kim Cabot!

Thoughts on Manhattan Prep: the materials they provide are second to none. With the 9-session prep course, you get all their books, full suite of tests, and interactive lessons/OG answer bank. I was referencing these materials for months after the course and found them to be invaluable learning and practice tools. Be warned, their tests (particularly Quant and IR) are much more difficult than GMAT Prep in my opinion, likely by design. In addition, they offer phone support: end of class review/personal study plan + retake advice.

Thoughts on my instructor, Kim Cabot: very engaging and SO knowledgeable. If I didn't have an instructor like Kim, I likely would have psyched myself out of taking the test long ago. Not only did she teach the technical skills in an engaging manner, but also the tips & tricks of being a GMAT boss that were only provided in the context of a classroom — such as when it came to timing, proving to be invaluable. She brought insight to both core sections very well, helping emphasize the importance of verbal even when we (the students) were all so focused on quant. She was also very accessible and personable.

In the end, I got a 760. For a score like this, definitely be prepared to put in the work. Overall, though, I definitely recommend Manhattan!

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I took Ryan's in-person class in Downtown San Francisco (Financial District), and it was entirely worth the value. My score went up over 100 points from my initial practice test. The strategies are invaluable, and the homework assignments logically map out the material. The strategy guides allow you to focus on individual weaknesses in addition to the homework. I was focused more upon improving my raw quant score, but I definitely benefited from the verbal prep as well. I think there is a benefit to meeting in person, but I could also see the value from an online course. Highly recommend!

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I signed up for the 9 week group classes and had a great experience. Mark was both knowledgeable and cared about our personal success taking the GMAT. I cannot speak to how Manhattan compares to other programs as it's the only one I've done, but the 9 week program includes a lot of "bonus" resources that I found essential when prepping for my test.

The sheer number of people that use Manhattan means they have a huge pool of data with which to generate learnings and for you to compare yourself to in your practice exams. This means their grading is more accurate which then helps you figure out where you should be focusing your study time.

After you complete the course Manhattan provides an hour long one on one session with one of their counselors to identify your weak points (based on your practice tests) and create a study plan for you based on your test date. I found this to be a big time saver when I was studying as I could drive home the sections I needed help with. After your first exam, if you plan to retake the test, Manhattan also includes a follow up one on one to figure out what went wrong (or right) and how you can improve your score. This last session proved crucial as I was able to improve my score from a 660 to a target 700.

Overall I would highly recommend Manhattan prep's 9 week course. The money I spent was well worth the score I got and the weekly meetings helped me stay on track when studying. The content is thorough and from what I hear, it's the best of all the prep programs. Good luck!

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Without this course I would not have achieved the results that I was looking for. Avi not only helps you absorb GMAT but content but also helps you implement the best test-taking strategies. There are no tricks or gimmicks with him, it just comes down to seeing things in a different, simpler, and all around more elegant way. This holds true for both Verbal or Quant. My turning point in the course was when Avi challenged us to ask ourselves under what conditions we would "enjoy" writing the test. This led to us asking ourselves, with his prompting, whether we were working as analysts trying to solve questions in the most menial ways or as potential managers who rely on "reasoning". After all, as Avi would tell you the GMAT is neither a math nor an English test, it's a test of reasoning. Without him, I would not have had the confidence to improve my score from a 610 to a 730. I would highly recommend taking his in-person course or specifically requesting his help online.

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I signed up for the in-person session and was very pleased with the lessons, increasing my score from 610 to 760 in a matter of a few months. The price did seem high, but was on par with other prep courses that I looked into. Whitney was absolutely fabulous and committed to helping us with whatever we needed outside of class time. The class size was good and the online platform was much more interactive than I expected, which was great. The Manhattan Prep practice tests did seem a bit harder than the actual GMAT, but I think that helped me prepare even more for the real exam. Overall, I would recommend this course.

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