Daniel Patinkin Reviews

I was concerned about the cost but I had tried to just use the online resources and needed some specific strategies for how to master the test. Daniel was incredibly helpful and flexible. He didn't waste any time and we got to the core issues immediately in each session. We worked on my timing and approach. I was doing things that I had read about and I thought would be helpful but in reality they were slowing me down and he helped me realize that. He was was dedicated to my success and not only when we were in a paid session—he would respond to emails with questions and was very helpful.

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Manhattan was a good starting point that helped focus my GMAT strategy. The classes were good to teach the tips/tricks and high level thought strategy needed to wrap my head around basic quant & verbal but I don't think it was as helpful if you needed basic math & verbal skills teaching.

I actually used the online test diagnostics to hone in on the specific sub topics that I needed help in most and that was very useful to pinpoint my weak areas vs. haphazardly studying. On the more $$$ side but I would take the course again if I had to redo this whole process!

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I completed 10 hours of private instruction with Dan Patinkin upon the enthusiastic recommendation of a personal friend, who had in turn been enthusiastically recommended by both of her MBA bosses. I would like to keep the enthusiastic chain of recommendation momentum going!

Obviously, everyone's results will vary depending on what their strength and weaknesses are, and their individual learning styles. So I'll just keep this to my personal experience.

I began studying for the GMAT in August of 2017. I work in non-profits and studied the liberal arts; the last time I did math was AP Stats in high school and I never took anything more advanced than Algebra 2. Thinking about standardized testing, let alone math, still makes my heart race.

From the get-go, I knew my work with Dan would be pretty much exclusively dedicated to quant, and that's partially why it was important to me to spring for personal tutoring rather than a class. Wouldn't have made sense to spend my precious time and money practicing verbal, since I desperately needed extra support with math.

Manhattan's attention to detail, and that of Dan specifically, helped me transform over the space of a few short months. Don't get me wrong, you have to work a lot.... like 10-15 hours per week for 4+ months... but for me, the hardest part of studying has always been knowing exactly WHERE to focus my efforts, and that's what Manhattan/Dan took care of for me.

So all I had to do, thanks to his help, was.... practice.

At one point, I scored a 490 on a practice test and CRIED. I am proud to say that last month, I sat for my very first (and final!) GMAT in December 2017 and scored a 720 -- 46 Q (WAY above my target) and 44 V!

I wouldn't have been able to make a fraction of these gains -- let alone keep my cool -- if it weren't for Dan's insight, generosity, and encouragement.

Thank you!

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I was beyond thrilled with my outcome after working with Dan. If you're willing to put in the work and the time, he'll get you where you want to go. Over the course of four months, I went from a 620 (35Q, 41V, Princeton Review Practice Test) to a 770 (48Q, 48V, Official GMAT). I worked with Dan for 12 hours total, and about 150 hours on my own. I was astonished by how well Dan knew the material - he seemed to have hundreds of questions committed to memory and knew exactly which one to throw at you when. I felt like I was in incredible hands. I also really appreciated that Dan was conservative about how much time we were spending together (minding my budget) and that he was generous with his time between sessions if I had questions via email. After I finished up with Dan, I passed him along to my best friend, and she saw an equally sizable leap between her initial and final scores. I put a lot of faith in Dan as a guide and I am so glad that I did. Highly recommend working with him.

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Structured approach and qualified teachers are all that is needed for a successful GMAT experience. I am thoroughly satisfied with MGMAT prep. I found their practice exams more difficult than the actual GMAT but it motivated me to work hard. I had a first shot success on my GMAT. My peer group and my teacher Dan Patinkin were excellent.

Please stay consistent and do your homework. No one knows your weaknesses and strengths better than you. I repeated problems and understood the ones I did rather than focus on trying as many problems as possible. I stuck to OG problems for the most part. I took 7 practice exams (5 MGMAT and 2 GMATPREP). Good luck!

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I did Manhattan Prep's online tutoring with Dan Patinkin and had a fantastic experience. Dan was great and helped me get 170 points of improvement from my baseline exam. He was fantastic about giving me direction and structuring my studies.

I also think that Manhattan Prep's practice exams, quant strategy guides, and advanced quant guide are the absolute best you can get. I highly recommend making flash cards instead of taking notes as you go through so that you can review more easily to prevent knowledge attrition. For Quant, I also found that the best way to study was to go through advanced quant worksets and make sure to ALWAYS USE A STOPWATCH TO TIME 2 MINUTES PER QUESTION whenever you do quant. Manhattan Prepwill give you all the tools you need to get a good score if you're willing to put in the work to learn!

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Studying for the GMAT was a long and hard journey (as I think it is for a lot of people) but once I got connected with Manhattan Prep, and specifically with their private tutoring, my scores started to improve dramatically.
I jumped in not really knowing what I was doing and signed up for an accelerated Manhattan Prep course without much planning, hoping to crank out a 700 after 8 weeks of studying. Before the course, I took a practice test and got a 540, which terrified me! After the course, I was consistently scoring around 650 but could not get my quant any higher. My tutoring with Dan was great because we could focus so specifically on the quant and my weak areas, versus paying for a course where I had to sit through verbal lessons that were much easier for me. If you are struggling with one side more than the other, the private tutoring is great for personalizing your studying. Dan was so knowledgeable, helpful, and really kept me accountable for my studying. It was a great experience!

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In order to effectively study for the GMAT, I decided to take the Manhattan Prep GMAT Course. To begin with, Manhattan Prep has an extremely well-designed curriculum and course materials, including a host of online resources. In particular, I found the GMAT Navigator Tool (where you can time your practice problems, receive detailed answer explanations, and track your overall progress) to be a useful study aid. The Manhattan Prep practice exams, too, are helpful.

In terms of the course itself, be prepared to spend a significant portion of your time on class homework and preparation. It's a lot, but if you really want to get the most out of the course, I recommend following the syllabus and completing all the homework. Dan, my teacher, was awesome! He made class fun and interesting, which is important given that it is a 3-hour session! He does a great job focusing on the most important and challenging concepts and doesn't waste time covering all the basics. For me, this was perfect, but if you feel that your foundation is shaky, this teaching style may not be for you.

Overall, if you are willing to spend the time and money, I highly recommend the course, especially if you are working full-time and juggling a busy schedule. If you feel that you can stay on track on your own and that you don't need a collaborative study environment that the course provides, then buying the Manhattan Prep books and online resources may be sufficient.

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The private tutoring ultimately depends on the tutor.

My first time around with MGMAT, I had a private tutor that seemed disinterested, was hard to schedule with, and never really came up with a lesson/study plan. I ultimately scored in the mid-600s

After about a year break, I decided to take another stab at taking the GMAT. I contacted MGMAT to see if I can get my subscription extended another 2 months because I wanted to use their online resources. I was not expecting to use another tutor because of my poor experience the first time around. MGMAT informed me that I was entitled to a post exam session with a more experienced tutor. I decided to take see what would come of it.

I was put in touch with Dan, and our free session went fine and he saw some gaps and identified points of interest. Since I had 2 hours from my initial package left over, I decided to use those hours with Dan and purchased an additional 2 hours. In the span of 8 weeks, Dan and I had 4 sessions together. It was very easy to communicate and schedule meetings with him. Also, he came up with great examples to help me understand concepts. I was able to bump my score 70 points and into the low 700 area.

What surprised me the most was how helpful my sessions with Dan were even though they were online. My first tutor's sessions were all in person and it seemed to be more difficult.

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I had spent several months studying the GMAT and also took the Veritas online course, but decided to sign up for the MGMAT Live Course since it was paid by my employer. Because of this, the classes were a waste of time for me since we went over very basic materials. The books were excellent and the online forum was very helpful, but the CATs were very frustrating. I think the CATs are more difficult than the actual exam and my scores were all over the place. The thing I liked most is the OG Archer. I used it on every OG question and it helped identify my weaknesses. I would recommend just purchasing the books and utilizing the OG archer instead of spending over a thousand on the live course.

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