In my experience as a first time test taker, Kaplan's in person prep course was more than enough to meet most of my needs. I found their strategies helpful, they completely took away all uncertainty in regards to the test, and the course greatly improved my quantitative skills. There were two factors in particular that I think set Kaplan apart in a positive way. 1) Their online resources are extensive and accurate; they provide more practice questions than I could imagine getting through, their videos and FLEX sessions are concise but thorough, and the analytics they give for analyzing your progress/errors are really wonderful. 2) The "Test Day Experience" is invaluable. Having the chance to go to my test center and take a practice test there, allowing me to work out timing and get a sense of the space (FOR NO EXTRA COST) is worth at least 1 extra month of prep in my opinion. My last note on Kaplan, however, is that they are not targeting students who want a score in the high 700's. I improved from a 630 at my first practice to a 710 on the actual test (highest practice = 740), and now that I am taking the test again and aiming for a 750, I will be turning to another company - one that focuses on those top scores.