Manhattan GMAT 9-Session In-Person Prep Course Reviews

I took the 9 Week Manhattan GMAT Complete Course with Avi Gutman in Toronto this past spring. Manhattan’s course content is very well-structured, with weekly homework and online lessons that complement the in-class discussions. I was immensely impressed by the resources that I was provided with, and never felt the need for additional lessons or practice questions. While I do not have experience with other providers, I can’t imagine a more comprehensive course than that offered by Manhattan.

By far the best part of this course was its instructor, Avi Gutman. Avi is a brilliant teacher, and his knowledge of the GMAT is incredible. Avi follows the weekly content structure laid out by Manhattan, but does so in a way that adds significant value beyond what you can learn online or from a textbook. Avi emphasizes that the GMAT is a test of strategy and logic, not a test of your math or English skills. He teaches techniques and approaches to tackling problems that are not “textbook”, but are simple, intuitive and incredibly effective under the pressure of the GMAT. Avi is extremely patient and generous with his time. He is very responsive to emails, even on weekends and his days off, and is always happy to speak with students before or after class to answer any questions that they may have. Our class had a broad mixture of backgrounds and abilities, and Avi found a way to cater to the entire range of students.

Following the completion of the course, I scheduled several private tutoring sessions with Avi. I was struggling to get my Quant score to my target, and was beginning to panic as my GMAT date fast approached. After our first two hour session I was flooded with confidence. While Avi is a great teacher in a classroom setting, he truly shines on a one-on-one basis. He found a way to quickly relate to my struggles, breaking down problems that I found challenging into very simple, easy-to-approach methods. This gave me tremendous confidence moving forward.

After a number of private tutoring sessions, several more practice CATs and many practice Quant problems, I finally wrote my GMAT and scored a 740. Quite a leap from my initial CAT score of 630! I could not be more thrilled.

I would highly recommend Manhattan GMAT, and particularly Avi Gutman, to anyone. Over the past 6+ months Avi has been a great instructor and friend, and I will always be grateful for his help and guidance.

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Before studying for GMAT, I was advised by a couple of friends to consider taking a prep course with Manhattan Prep. As I wasn't sure about that decision yet, I decided to attend the first "free" class to see what it is about. I learned within that class that not only do I need to follow a good structure for my studying, I do need to take a course with Manhattan Prep and more specifically with Avi.

Avi showed to me throughout the course that there are techniques to do well in GMAT and those techniques are not easy to grasp unless someone who is well experienced in the field can show them to you. Manhattan Prep has a great curriculum for studying for GMAT, but I think having a creative, intelligent and experienced instructor/tutor is also a key. Avi showed us ways to solve problems that you won't necessary see them in any books. For taking GMAT, you need to know the shortcuts and creative and smart ways to solve problems. In all the class I attend, Avi never ceased to amaze me with his thought process and tricks to answer questions in such a short period of time.

I am very happy that I attended the first class to see things for myself and to make a wise decision about my goals of applying for business school. GMAT is not an exam that can easily be done well at by studying on your own.

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Ceilidh isn't a great GMAT teacher; she's a great teacher. She naturally puts people at ease, challenges them, and creates an environment where we can learn from her and each other.

I took the in-person course at 6 pm on Thursdays. Everyone showed up chipper and ready to go. We engaged with Ceilidh and with each other, not just looking for an answer, but all the ways to get there.

The books and course were excellent at covering strategies and tactics, but also for learning the material. When I hit tough questions on the test, I was able to fall back on a really firm foundation.

I like Manhattan GMAT, but I think Ceilidh is aces. Her class is 100% worth your time, energy, and money.

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Jonathan Schneider is truly an amazing teacher. The 9-week 3-hour course helped me overcome so many of my fears of the GMAT. I took the GMAT once and received a 710 - quite a bump from my first practice score of 580.

Jonathan was always helpful in analyzing my strengths and weaknesses and in teaching the material. I loved how the class not only taught content but also frameworks/methodologies for thinking through the test.

From the class alone, my weaknesses in Data Sufficiency and Word Problems were very quickly strengthened. I ended up getting a 51 in Data Sufficiency (via the comprehensive score report) - which was much better than my expectations. In verbal, I was able to close the gap on my weaknesses in Sentence Correction through the class & follow on work.

This class in addition to the Manhattan Prep material is second to none. Jonathan has I highly recommended it to any serious GMAT taker

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Amazing course so far. A lot of materials are provided with excellent explanations on understanding key concepts to succeed on the GMAT. So far, both my instructors are explaining concepts on how to succeed on the GMAT with regards to time allocation. Dejan is spending a lot of time in answering questions and providing feedback on areas to focus on. For example, he said skipping every 3rd question on the GMAT is an effective strategy as you can still score in the 700s with completing all questions (making sure easy questions are not missed). Furthermore, they often have easy and hard (trap) examples and spend time explaining how a question that appears to be hard is actually easy if you re-organize the question.

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I completed the 9-course prep class and then studied independently for 3 months. I needed the prep course because as I am still in college I didn't exactly understand what the GMAT was testing. If you're someone who needs structure or needs a study partner, its highly recommendable to take the course, otherwise I 100% recommend purchasing the books. I know I wouldn't of scored a 700 on my GMAT without them. I recommend learning the ins and outs of every one of their workbooks including the foundations. After you thoroughly understand the concepts, go through the official GMAT review books testing yourself with time constraints and referencing the Manhattan GMAT review books while reviewing problems. Everyday make sure to allocate time to not only quant but all aspects of the verbal because the verbal is something where practice makes perfect since its not as conceptual. For quant make sure to recognize where you can use the Manhattan GMAT shortcuts because they will save you a lot of time on game day.

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Manhattan provided a great deal of value. I was able to score a 760 on my first attempt at the exam. Abby Berry was an excellent teacher and the timelines are laid out well. In addition to the classwork, you get access to the online interact sessions, which provide a second chance to review items where you need extra help. The books are well laid out and provide a lot of practice. GMAT Navigator is an excellent tool to track your progress against the official guide. I only took the test once, but I think they give you access to the materials for 18 months from when you sign up, which seems very fair. Customer support response time is excellent. I wanted access to their advanced quant book and sent an email on a Sunday afternoon. I received a response within an hour.

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Liz Moliski of Manhattan GMAT was one of the best overall instructors I have ever had. Unlike most people who have the ability to score 780+, Liz not only understands the topics tested but also has the ability to explain them to the basic levels. Additionally, Manhattan GMAT was one of the most comprehensive programs available. They provided the books, classroom instruction, online resources and even online interactive instruction to really give you bang for your buck (which, however, is on the higher end). All products were of the highest standards. I would highly recommend this fantastic program to anyone trying to get into the top schools.

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I highly recommend Manhattan GMAT and Ceilidh for your GMAT prep. Though it was a big investment, I have no regrets. Ceilidh made the material fun and I looked forward to the three hour class after a full day of work--that's a sign of a great instructor! Though there's a set curriculum, Ceilidh definitely catered the content to the particular needs of her students and was always available to answer questions or talk through concerns. She got all of the students to look differently at problems and to push ourselves to try different approaches until we found the strategy that worked best for us. The course and Ceilidh's guidance were definitely key to getting a score that was well above my goal.

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Manhattan GMAT is the best GMAT prep course available in my opinion if you're trying to get a 700+ score. The strategies and content are all solid. While the other courses I tried out through free sample classes were good, I felt like MGMAT was really meant for those targeting 700+ scores and top schools. If that's not what you're going for, then other courses may be fine. Kim is an awesomely smart and funny teacher. No doubt the course is expensive too. It's important to note that cost wasn't a priority for me so it's not a review for value either. I really think if you have the means and want to do the best possible MGMAT is the way to go, and if the cost is an issue then do the online course or get the books because their books are best too in my opinion.

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