Manhattan GMAT 9-Session In-Person Prep Course Reviews

Manhattan GMAT is excellent for those seeking a comprehensive course that will push your score to its full potential. My first practice test was disastrous. Manhattan GMAT's classes helped me to shake out all of the dusty old cobwebs known as jr. high math and implement strategic test taking techniques / easy tricks to earn extra points. As a result, my score improved over 200 points (760 on actual exam).

I knew I wanted to be in the over 700 club, an ambitious goal given my first practice test. My teacher was not only knowledgeable, but an encouraging. It takes an enormous amount of work, patience, and stamina, but with Manhattan GMAT's help it is definitely possible!

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I took the 9 week prep course with Avi in May 2014. Avi's ability to breakdown seemingly complex quant problems is extremely helpful if you are new to the types of questions on the GMAT. I think what helped me the most was the multi-approach that Avi employed to solve every quant problem that we discussed in class. Only when you see how a quant problem can be solved in multiple ways, will you step out of your comfort zone and approach these problems in a more strategic way under a time-restricted environment such as the GMAT.

I strongly recommend Avi to any student new to the GMAT.

thanks Avi!

Q49/ V38 -> 710

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Manhattan GMAT's program is excellent and was a huge factor in my success taking the test.

First of all, the quality of the teaching is fantastic. I took a course with Ceilidh and she was awesome. She rightfully focused on ensuring we approached problems and topics in a logical and determined way, and did a great job of pushing students not get hung up on extremely difficult or tricky topics. The trick with the GMAT is knowing when to move on, and not being stubborn. That's the best lesson Ceilidh taught us.

I started off the class getting a 660 in the first CAT (practice test) after our first lesson. While that was an encouraging sign for my starting level, I did not realize how difficult it is to improve one's score without a systematic and structured approach. The course, along with the excellent materials, website, and online supplemental information (such as the Interact lessons), did a great job of honing me in on such an approach.

The one thing I would say is that if you are strong in quant, it is important that you realize that some extra work is necessary to get prepared to face the toughest questions (given the test's adaptive nature). The good news is that Manhattan GMAT has great tools to guide your study towards difficult topics. The Advanced Quant e-book is a definite must, and I would also suggest going through the OG Navigator to create a study schedule build around all the "Harder" and "Devilish" questions in the materials. If you still feel like you need some practice, the "Quest for 750" advanced workshops are helpful (but not absolutely necessary - take them if you need new tips and materials and don't mind spending a bit more).

I ended up getting a 770 on my first try - about 3 months from after the course started. I can't recommend Manhattan GMAT, and in particular my instructor Ceilidh Erickson, enough.

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I took Manhattan GMAT because I'd heard primarily through word of mouth that it is the best GMAT course out there, and I was definitely satisfied with both the course and my resulting GMAT score (740). The course was laid out very well, and I felt like I always knew exactly how and what to study. There was more material to work with and study than I could process, which I thought was a good thing. I was fortunate enough to achieve my target score on my first attempt, and I honestly do not think I would have been able to do that without the structure and the materials that came along with the Manhattan GMAT Course. Also, Jonathan was a great instructor. He was very insightful and had an answer to every question asked throughout the 9 week course. Most importantly, he was very engaging and approachable. I would definitely recommend this course.

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Manhattan GMAT is the company to sign up with if you're aiming for a 700+ score. I signed up for the in-person class option and had Jonathan as an instructor (who I would highly recommend). The course does a fantastic job keeping you on pace and provides many insightful pointers to help maximize your likelihood of success on test day (many of which you won't find using just the books). Jonathan in particular did a great job helping keep the class engaged with what most would consider pretty dry subject matter. The practice tests are also extremely helpful given the structure of the test will be new for most. I definitely felt like it was worth the cost and that it had a positive impact on my score (scored 740).

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The Manhattan GMAT course was an excellent choice! I was deciding between a number of options, including Kaplan, Princeton, and private tutoring with a 790 scorer. The cost of the Manhattan GMAT course was in between the other two options, and I was convinced by the fact that they have only 99% instructors and by the excellent reviews they had on every review website I looked at. The decision was a very good one. There was a good variety of course times in San Francisco to fit my schedule. The instructor I chose ended up being an excellent teacher. He was very knowledgable about the GMAT, including key tips and tricks about timing, educated guessing techniques, etc. Plus, he was very patient and adept involving everyone in the learning process, and keeping the style and content with a good mix to get the most out of the content. Outside of the classroom, Manhattan provides some awesome prep resources online, available with the course. I used almost every resource, including recorded tutoring sessions, live tutoring sessions, free MBA consultation through MBA Mission, all of the practice exams and practice problems, and the useful diagnostics tools for the both the exams and the official GMAT practice problems (Official GMAT 13th Edition). Great experience, and got a 740 out of it, improved from 600 at the beginning of the course!

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I decided to sign up for Manhattan GMAT because my sister used this program and had great results.

I took the 9-week session and the depth that Ron Purewal explains each question helped me understand the core fundamental of each problem and alternative ways to solve a problem. The prep material that Manhattan provided was also very complete and had tons of practice problems for review.

After the 9-week course, I signed up for private tutoring with Jake Nicholson. He helped me develop a systematic approach to each problem, which allowed me to avoid careless mistakes and to logically think through each problem, no matter how complex it was.

My 1st practice test score from not knowing anything about GMAT was in the mid-500's. From my 1st official GMAT to my 2nd, I improved my score from 680 to 720. I am very happy with my score and highly recommend Manhattan GMAT for anyone who is preparing for the GMAT!

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I took the 9-week class on Wednesday nights which Jonathan Schneider taught. The entire class felt like they clicked with him right away. He is the kind of instructor who gets it. He doesn't go too slow or too fast. He just teaches at a perfect pace.

In my study group of 3, we started with 550-600 in our diagnostic test. Throughout the class, we all made progress and got around 650. All three of us kept getting 630-670 until the end of the class.

Jonathan recommended we took our tests 3-4 weeks after the end of the class, which we did. As expected, we got 660-680. Unsatisfied with those scores, we kept working, and signed up for the test a month later. All three of us had full-time jobs so that was a big commitment. We sent our breakdown and practice test assessments to Jonathan who gave each of us a detailed path to success. I believe this is really where he added a ton of value. He specifically told us what to work on and what not to work on. This made our lives a lot easier. A week later, 2 of us got our first 700+ on a practice, the third one got a 690.

We kept going, refining our weak spots, and finally took our tests 7-8 weeks after the end of the class. We got 710, 720 and 730 respectively, which we were happy with.

The takeaway is Jonathan is an extremely competent in-class instructor who spends time answering questions after hours (almost 24/7) and will be as good as it gets in class. But most importantly, he will spend the time to sit down and reflect on a study plan and give you a detailed strategy as to what you need to tackle to get a great score.

The three of us took the test twice, but we all felt like we would have gotten an even better score had we taken it a third time. It was just a matter of time until we got a 750+.

Jonathan set us up so we would succeed slowly but surely. We didn’t see it for weeks (and some nights we felt pretty desperate) but in the end it all worked out, and this is all thanks to him. Then again, it happened to the three of us, and the only two things we had in common were busy lives and Jonathan Schneider. It’s no coincidence. Jonathan Schneider is the man.

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I had a great experience with the Manhattan GMAT review class. They paced me very well and the recommended homework was incredibly helpful. They have a method and it works if you put the time in. The class built a solid foundation. Then it was up to me to put in the time and practice to get the score I wanted. David Braslow is very smart and very elegant in communicating ideas. His explanations for walking the class through answers was thorough and his patience for questions seemingly infinite. I would definitely recommend him as a teacher, and I recommend the books to anyone who asks.

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Manhattan Prep helped me achieve a score I never thought was possible. The instructor and course materials were great!

In fact, I think the course over-prepared me. I had 10 minutes left over on both sections on the actual exam. Also, I did not even do the last question because I was not paying attention and still scored better than I expected.

Definitely take Manhattan Prep if you can! It will boost your score.

Also, on a side note, if you are just graduating college, take the GMAT that summer. You will be much more relieved to get it out of the way and it is good for 5 years!

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