GMAT Pill study method - Recommended? : General GMAT Questions and Strategies

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Re: GMAT Pill study method - Recommended? [#permalink]

28 Apr 2010, 19:21

Please be wary of ANY guarantees from ANY prep companies (this does not include Knewton. We have many members who have reported success with the 50 point guarantee).

There is no magic for the GMAT. You must combine adequate content knowledge with strategies (question approach, timing, etc.)

Please consult our reviews for individual member feedback on prep programs:

gmat-prep-course-class-reviews-ratings-discount-codes-78451.html#p590321

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Re: GMAT Pill study method - Recommended? [#permalink]

Updated on: 06 Jul 2012, 06:55

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Hi goalsnr,

Thanks for your inquiry. I received a PM regarding this thread asking me to clear the apparent confusion here. I'm here to help so please feel free to contact me directly.

1) Regarding your comment: " I saw a video on the GMat pill website and atleast that particular video for SC seemed to offer good explanation and approach to handle the SC. "

Thank you. If the video was helpful for you, you'll probably really like the member videos as well!

2) Regarding ludwigfraboulet's comment: "He claims his study method can allow to get more than 700 in two weeks."

No way! Anybody who claims this would not be honest!

This study method is the study method I have taught to hundreds of students who have done well on the GMAT. I admit--not all of them scored above 700--but I can tell you a lot of them were happy with the study method. Originally, I used this method to prepare urgently in a limited amount of time (2 weeks) for the GMAT exam. Then I tutored wealthy MBA applicants with this method (spread out over at least a month) and helped them get into top business schools. Please do not confuse this with the claim that you will automatically "get more than 700 in two weeks."

Please also note we do not recommend ANY students prepare in 2 weeks---rather, we recommend at least 1 solid month. Two weeks is only for those who have no other commitments and can study hardcore with multiple 3-hour sessions everyday for the 2 weeks.

3) Regarding ludwigfraboulet's comment: "it seems all reviews find on Internet...was written by the same person."

Sorry, but no. We ~~have~~ had several reviews on Yelp from our students. However, most of our students are not active members/users of Yelp. As a result, their real reviews were filtered out of Yelp's computerized system. We have asked students to post reviews on Yelp--but their reviews did not stick because they are not active users of Yelp. You can still see their reviews if you click the "Filtered" link. I hope this makes sense to you---just being as honest as I can.

I just took a look at the gmat teach street reviews--I do see some out-of-context reviews related to our app, rather than our GMAT Pill Program---though I can assure you at least two of the reviews are real reviews from our students. I'm not sure about one or two of them as I don't recognize them. We would remove them if we could, but it looks like we do not have administrative access to remove them.

As for testimonial reviews--please look at https://www.gmatpill.com/testimonials/

There you will find REAL screenshots of student emails---all unsolicited--just part of ordinary email exchanges with students.

If screenshots don't do it for you, we have videos and audio interviews like this one with a Goldman Sachs Analyst who previously used ManhattanGMAT before coming to GMATPill: https://www.gmatpill.com/the-gmat-pill-m ... atpillcom/

4) I am here to help! You might find me answering fellow GMAT Club members' questions on this forum. The explanations I provide are generally pretty clear and concise.

In fact, GMAT Pill is a partner of GMAT Club! We are listed on the bottom right of the GMAT Club home page, but it looks like the link mohater provided has not been updated to include GMAT Pill yet!

5) Regarding mohater's comment: "There is no magic for the GMAT. You must combine adequate content knowledge with strategies (question approach, timing, etc.)"

Absolutely! There is no quick fix solution to the GMAT. GMAT Pill is very clear at communicating to students what is going on inside my head from the very few seconds of seeing a question all the way to arriving at the correct answer.

However, mohater is right: At the end of the day, I can only show you the door. It is YOU who must walk through it.

Regarding timing and question approach, you may find the following article useful: https://www.gmatpill.com/about/studying- ... trategies/

Another of mohater's comment: "Please be wary of ANY guarantees from ANY prep companies."

Yes, this is good advice! Guarantees can easily be manipulated by giving you a low base score (via a very difficult GMAT diagnostic test) and then calculating your actual score against that already low base score.

We now offer a 50 point guarantee based on official scores. You can see our FAQ section for more details.

Thank you for reading this post. I really find it unnecessary to defend anything--but I realize most prospective students may not have heard much about GMAT Pill, so I'm here to clarify as much as I can. I hope this post was useful. Please don't hesitate to contact me directly with your questions. Again, I'm here to help.

Originally posted by GMATPill on 04 May 2010, 22:52.
Last edited by GMATPill on 06 Jul 2012, 06:55, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: GMAT Pill study method - Recommended? [#permalink]

07 May 2010, 06:16

Fair enough, thank you for the clarifications.

goalsnr

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Re: GMAT Pill study method - Recommended? [#permalink]

23 May 2010, 14:41

Zeke,

Thanks for your detailed reply. I have 3 more questions:
1. When do you plan to add the RC tutorials to the package?
2. If I buy the current package (DS/PS/SC/CR),can I separately buy the RC later?
3. If I am not satisfied with the tutorials do I get a complete refund?

Please let me know.

- Goals.

gmatpill wrote:

Hi goalsnr,

Thanks for your inquiry. I received a PM regarding this thread asking me to clear the apparent confusion here. I'm here to help so please feel free to contact me directly.

1) Regarding your comment: " I saw a video on the GMat pill website and atleast that particular video for SC seemed to offer good explanation and approach to handle the SC. "

Thank you. If the video was helpful for you, you'll probably really like the member videos as well!

2) Regarding ludwigfraboulet's comment: "He claims his study method can allow to get more than 700 in two weeks."

No way! Anybody who claims this would not be honest!

This study method is the study method I have taught to hundreds of students who have done well on the GMAT. I admit--not all of them scored above 700--but I can tell you a lot of them were happy with the study method. Originally, I used this method to prepare urgently in a limited amount of time (2 weeks) for the GMAT exam. Then I tutored wealthy MBA applicants with this method (spread out over at least a month) and helped them get into top business schools. Please do not confuse this with the claim that you will automatically "get more than 700 in two weeks."

Please also note we do not recommend ANY students prepare in 2 weeks---rather, we recommend at least 1 solid month. Two weeks is only for those who have no other commitments and can study hardcore with multiple 3-hour sessions everyday for the 2 weeks.

3) Regarding ludwigfraboulet's comment: "it seems all reviews find on Internet...was written by the same person."

Sorry, but no. We ~~have~~ had several reviews on Yelp from our students. However, most of our students are not active members/users of Yelp. As a result, their real reviews were filtered out of Yelp's computerized system. We have asked students to post reviews on Yelp--but their reviews did not stick because they are not active users of Yelp. You can still see their reviews if you click the "Filtered" link. I hope this makes sense to you---just being as honest as I can.

I just took a look at the gmat teach street reviews--I do see some out-of-context reviews related to our app, rather than our GMAT Pill Program---though I can assure you at least two of the reviews are real reviews from our students. I'm not sure about one or two of them as I don't recognize them. We would remove them if we could, but it looks like we do not have administrative access to remove them.

As for testimonial reviews--please look at https://www.gmatpill.com/testimonials/

There you will find REAL screenshots of student emails---all unsolicited--just part of ordinary email exchanges with students.

If screenshots don't do it for you, we have videos and audio interviews like this one with a Goldman Sachs Analyst who previously used ManhattanGMAT before coming to GMATPill: https://www.gmatpill.com/the-gmat-pill-m ... atpillcom/

4) I am here to help! You might find me answering fellow GMAT Club members' questions on this forum. The explanations I provide are generally pretty clear and concise.

In fact, GMAT Pill is a partner of GMAT Club! We are listed on the bottom right of the GMAT Club home page, but it looks like the link mohater provided has not been updated to include GMAT Pill yet!

5) Regarding mohater's comment: "There is no magic for the GMAT. You must combine adequate content knowledge with strategies (question approach, timing, etc.)"

Absolutely! There is no quick fix solution to the GMAT. GMAT Pill is very clear at communicating to students what is going on inside my head from the very few seconds of seeing a question all the way to arriving at the correct answer.

However, mohater is right: At the end of the day, I can only show you the door. It is YOU who must walk through it.

Regarding timing and question approach, you may find the following article useful: https://www.gmatpill.com/about/studying- ... trategies/

Another of mohater's comment: "Please be wary of ANY guarantees from ANY prep companies."

Yes, this is good advice! Guarantees can easily be manipulated by giving you a low base score (via a very difficult GMAT diagnostic test) and then calculating your actual score against that already low base score.

GMATPill offers a 50pt guarantee. If you do not improve by 50 points from your baseline score (prior GMAT test) after using our course, we will provide you a full refund.

More impressive, however, is how LOW our refund rate is (low single digits) with hundreds of students. This speaks volumes as to how satisfied our students are.

Thank you for reading this post. I really find it unnecessary to defend anything--but I realize most prospective students may not have heard much about GMAT Pill, so I'm here to clarify as much as I can. I hope this post was useful. Please don't hesitate to contact me directly with your questions. Again, I'm here to help.

G

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Re: GMAT Pill study method - Recommended? [#permalink]

Updated on: 06 Jul 2012, 09:50

goalsnr wrote:

Zeke,

Thanks for your detailed reply. I have 3 more questions:
1. When do you plan to add the RC tutorials to the package?
2. If I buy the current package (DS/PS/SC/CR),can I separately buy the RC later?
3. If I am not satisfied with the tutorials do I get a complete refund?

Please let me know.

- Goals.

Hi goalsnr,

1) We've been flooded with requests for RC--but we won't release it until we are satisfied with the quality of the instruction. My best guess is second half of this year.
---> Yes, the RC Pill has now been released. Check back on the gmatpill website!

2) Yes. Once it is ready, we may consider giving existing customers the RC pill free--but new customers will have to pay a higher price. So it is in your benefit to enroll before prices go up.
--->Yes, as promised all existing customers have access to the RC Pill for free!

3) Prior to 2011, we offered a "happiness guarantee" where if you are not happy with the tutorials regardless of your score, we would give you a refund. GMATPill has since received great reviews and we have converted to a 50-pt guarantee in 2011 as we decided to focus more on guaranteeing bottom-line results for our students. As such, we now have a 50-pt guarantee up to a maximum baseline score of 680. This means if you previously scored a 700, your baseline score is 680 and we can guarantee improvement to a GMAT score of 730.

Hope this helps!

Originally posted by GMATPill on 24 May 2010, 15:22.
Last edited by GMATPill on 06 Jul 2012, 09:50, edited 2 times in total.

goalsnr

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Re: GMAT Pill study method - Recommended? [#permalink]

24 May 2010, 18:48

Zeke,

Thanks once again for your prompt reply. I have used Manhattan study guides and I like the study material. However,I am looking for strategies to approach questions . Iam hoping the tutorials will help with this. I have no intentions of misusing the refund policy but at the same time want to do some research before I buy.
- Goals

gmatpill wrote:

goalsnr wrote:

Zeke,

Thanks for your detailed reply. I have 3 more questions:
1. When do you plan to add the RC tutorials to the package?
2. If I buy the current package (DS/PS/SC/CR),can I separately buy the RC later?
3. If I am not satisfied with the tutorials do I get a complete refund?

Please let me know.

- Goals.

Hi goalsnr,

1) We've been flooded with requests for RC--but we won't release it until we are satisfied with the quality of the instruction. My best guess is second half of this year.

2) Yes. Once it is ready, we may consider giving existing customers the RC pill free--but new customers will have to pay a higher price. So it is in your benefit to enroll before prices go up.

3) Prior to 2011, we offered a "happiness guarantee" where if you are not happy with the tutorials regardless of your score, we would give you a refund. GMATPill has since received great reviews and we have converted to a 50-pt guarantee in 2011 as we decided to focus more on guaranteeing bottom-line results for our students. As such, we now have a 50-pt guarantee up to a maximum baseline score of 680. This means if you previously scored a 700, your baseline score is 680 and we can guarantee improvement to a GMAT score of 730.

Hope this helps!

goalsnr

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Re: GMAT Pill study method - Recommended? [#permalink]

14 Jun 2010, 13:17

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Hello GMAT Clubbers,

Few weeks ago I posted a query about GMATPill. I wanted to update you guys about my experience with the GMATPill study material. Hopefully,it will be helpful to people are stuck in a 600s rut and are looking for other susbstantial materials to improve their scores.

So far I was able to cover only half of the SC videos and my review is limited to those videos:

1. The study material is awesome!! Watching videos to study SC is fun and less tiring than reading from the paper material. It is as if someone is tutoring you.
2. The study material is similar to Manhattan but simpler and easier to understand
3. There 10 frameworks to approach a SC. Basically the frameworks works all the chapters from the Manhattan book. Most of the Gmat Clubbers recommend Manhattan SC book for SC prep. With the GMAT pill you'll cover the Manhattan SC plus learn strategies to attack the SC and time saving tips.
4. Once such strategy is reading without the fluff.
- Saves a lot of time esp for long SCs with lot of modifiers.
5. The concept of linking verbs is new to me. I haven't seen this covered in other study materials(Kaplan/Manhattan/Princeton). I learnt something new with the GMAT pill
6. The explanation for who/whom concepts by using she/them is awesome.
7. The concept of Main sentence/phrase is explained very well. The usage of "ing" verb in the phrase refers to the subject in the main sentence will help with the modifier testing questions.
8.The explanation for present perfect/past perfect in Mahatttan is very confusing. The video explains the tense concepts with a table and you dont get lost in the terminologies - Past perfect, perfectwhat?? ;-)

9. Onion layers -Concentrate on the details/inside layer is a good tip. I was always lost with SCs such as " The Statue of liberty's defects in structure...". The video helped to understand what the SC was suppose to mean and how elimate fluke answers in a short time.

-Goals

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Re: GMAT Pill study method - Recommended? [#permalink]

15 Jun 2010, 04:45

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I hope all this is not fake!!!

You are the first person to critise MG SC. Anyway, best of luck!!

Posted from my mobile device

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15 Jun 2010, 05:35

Hi goalsnr, thanks for the feedback, even i am considering gmatpill as i need strategies on hand without having to re revise all the book.

Are are any practice questions in the videos, or are they just videos?

Did your productivity increased after going through the strategies?

Regards.

Rux10

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Re: GMAT Pill study method - Recommended? [#permalink]

12 Jul 2010, 21:08

Goalsnr, thanks for that update! Very helpful. No one really critiques the MGMAT SC guide. I bought all of the guides, but I just cant contently read through the SC material for more than 5 minutes. Constantly flicking through pages to see if you're correct is very off putting when trying to focus IMO.

Zekke, hi! If I started off with the SC pill how long would I have access to all of the videos? I want to start verbal asap but my test date isn't until mid Sep. I will have to wait until august to buy the pill if access only lasts one month.

Thanks for the info!
Regards,
Rux

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Re: GMAT Pill study method - Recommended? [#permalink]

12 Jul 2010, 21:28

Hi Rux,

There is no time limit on your access. You will have access for as long as you need--one of the many benefits we have. This should work well with your September schedule.

Feel free to refer to the FAQ page for other useful info: https://www.gmatpill.com/faqs

Good luck!

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Re: GMAT Pill study method - Recommended? [#permalink]

13 Jul 2010, 10:52

Hussain15 wrote:

I hope all this is not fake!!!

You are the first person to critise MG SC. Anyway, best of luck!!

Posted from my mobile device

Hussain,

I had to keep my MBA plans on hold for last few years because of medical reasons and now that I feel better I have decided to nuture the dream again. This forum has helped me a lot - not only there is tons of stuff here to excel the GMAT but there are hundreds of inspirational stories to pick you up when you are bogged down or provide encouragement when you need the most. Long story short I owe a lot to this site and hence took the time to write a review of the new study material I found useful for my preparation.
Iam not criticizing the MGMAT SC book. The book is good and helpful with the basics/concepts.But the videos are better when you want to work on the strategies and the timing. I have used both the materials and the reasons I have put in my review explain why the videos are better. Hope this helps.

-Goalsnr

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Re: [#permalink]

13 Jul 2010, 10:58

BlueRobin wrote:

Hi goalsnr, thanks for the feedback, even i am considering gmatpill as i need strategies on hand without having to re revise all the book.

Are are any practice questions in the videos, or are they just videos?

Did your productivity increased after going through the strategies?

Regards.

Bluerobin,

The videos explain the concepts/frameworks. Then there are bunch of 600 and 700 level questions . There is a separate video for every question and the video gives a feel as if a tutor is solving the question for you. Yes, the videos have helped me with the timing.

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Re: GMAT Pill study method - Recommended? [#permalink]

18 Jul 2010, 12:13

Glad to hear you are enjoying the videos from GMATPill, goalsnr!

To answer bluerobin's question about practice questions---yes there are practice questions...however, u still need the official guide so you can apply the thought process you learn to extra practice questions. The value here is in the thought process--not in an endless supply of practice questions. You can find countless practice questions in any GMAT book or on the web. With GMATPill, it's all about the thought process!

We are adding new features with mini quizzes and analytics along with the excellent video explanations to further provide value to students...we'll keep you posted!

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Re: GMAT Pill study method - Recommended? [#permalink]

05 Aug 2010, 14:06

After having a bad experience with Princeton Review for the GRE, I've been hesitant to try any other GMAT Prep courses. I ended up buying a Kaplan book to self study and the Official Guide; however, after completing the Kaplan Book I still did not feel very confident and was taking way too long completing math problems in the Official Guide even though I was getting most of them right.

I was thinking about registering for a Manhattan GMAT course since there credentials seem to be a lot better than Princeton Review or Kaplan, until I stumbled on to this program. The money back guarantee attracted me, so I decided to give it a shot. I can already tell you that after only studying two hours with the gmatpill, it's teaching me way better than self-studying, and the concepts seem to be sticking in my head well.

I wouldn't be able to compare this program with any of the prep courses, but I can at least say that I highly recommend it for someone who wishes to self study and go cheap. The program is made out for people who want to take the GMAT within 2-4 weeks; however, I'm in no rush and I'm feel pretty confident that I'll do well on the test after studying with this program for a few months.

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Re: GMAT Pill study method - Recommended? [#permalink]

06 Aug 2010, 00:15

I would say GMATPILL is good for few things because it more of tips and tricks to answer the problem. But the questions with wordiness, clarity or idiom concepts then GMATPILL method fail to address and i hope even no other study material cover those things. If you are expecting solid Grammer rules then GMATPILL is not the right thing to do.

Best part of GMATPILL is the how to approach a problem, how to just igone the phrases and how to attack the problem. The things like comparison, tenses, modifier are the best part of GMATPILL.

You can find same concepts with any good study material like Manhattan SC, Powerscore SC but still how to actually attack the problem no one tells better than GMATPILL.

But still i recommend to do OG, Manhattan SC or Powerscore SC along with GMATPILL

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Re: GMAT Pill study method - Recommended? [#permalink]

12 Aug 2010, 08:40

Excellent! Great to hear some insightful discussion on GMATPill--both pros and cons. I put together some quotes from each of you guys in this thread that I felt were excellent:

Smartmandu--I love your quote:
--"You can find same concepts with any good study material like Manhattan SC, Powerscore SC but still how to actually attack the problem no one tells better than GMATPILL. "

Chanandr--great to hear your honest thoughts on GMATPill within just a few hours of signing up! Glad you like it!
--"I can already tell you that after only studying two hours with the gmatpill, it's teaching me way better than self-studying, and the concepts seem to be sticking in my head well. "

Goalsnr--thanks for your insights all along!
---"Iam not criticizing the MGMAT SC book. The book is good and helpful with the basics/concepts.But the videos are better when you want to work on the strategies and the timing. I have used both the materials and the reasons I have put in my review explain why the videos are better."

In case you guys don't know, we launched our Quiz Analytics Platform that allows you to take timed quizzes and see video solutions immediately after each question. It's been getting some real strong positive feedback from students--check it out!

gmatclubot

Re: GMAT Pill study method - Recommended? [#permalink]

12 Aug 2010, 08:40