Overall, I think Manhattan GMAT is a great program dedicated to helping students obtain their personal best scores.

I took the 9 week in person class at the Chicago-Evanston location. While the time commitment and work load were demanding, I think it really helped me stay on top of my studies and focus. Being in a classroom helped me focus during class; other than that though, I am not really sure if the in person class is significantly better than the online class, since the instructors and work load are the same. Looking back, I probably could have benefitted the same amount from the online course. But like I said, being in an actual classroom helped me zero in on the material being presented and not get easily distracted.

What stands out to me, however, is not necessarily the course itself but the course materials. They literally provide you with EVERYTHING you will need to study. From study guides which explain topics in detail to an online practice question tracking system to 6 online exams-- this course really covers it all. I never felt as if I didn't have the materials to succeed- it was just a matter of me utilizing them often. Even purchasing the materials alone will drastically help you improve your score.

After the 9 week course, I waited 3 weeks and then took my GMAT exam. This exam did not go as according to my plan. I had been consistently scoring upper 600s on my practice tests, and then scored significantly lower on my actual exam (640). Needless to say, I was a bit upset. However, Manhattan GMAT did not abandon me once my course was over. They offer a free post-exam assessment for individuals who feel they did not perform to their best ability on the exam. In this one hour session, an instructor who had previously reviewed all my practice tests and exam scores helped me identify the specific areas I needed to improve upon, as well as practical things I could do to improve my score. For the next 30 days, I really buckled down and focused on the areas I was weak in, as opposed to just covering ALL the material again. This ended up paying off!

I was very pleased with my score in the end-- it was my target score all along and I reached it. I know I couldn't have gotten there without the guided help from Manhattan GMAT.

Tips-- be sure to use the OG Archer tracking system from Manhattan GMAT; also, before you take the test make sure to download the free GMAC material and practice exams since those are exactly the same format as the test so you can get familiar.

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I did some research and asked around about other courses and the most positive I kept hearing about was Manhattan, minus the cost. It is expensive, but it was worth it because I had heard many success stories from others and I knew I needed a top score. I have taken the course twice, both in-person and online.

The in-person class was great, the instructor (Liz) was incredibly smart. She explained all nuances of an entire class of problems while explaining the answer choices. Her focus was all about why the wrong answer is wrong and why the right answer is right. She would also go over tips to improve guessing odds and she wouldn't stop there, she would make sure that all different methods of approaching the question have been exhausted and beaten to death.

The books are very good and many will recommend just to buy those whether or not you take the course. If you're tight on money that might not be a bad idea, because you get access to their online tests if you simply purchase a book. The books help give the same unique way of tackling all the different problem types that they discuss in class. The OG Archer explanations are also way better than in the official guide itself.


Overall the course helped force me to push myself, do the practice, come to class, and ultimately know the best way to tackle the whole process. Expert advice every step of the way. In a Nutshell MGMAT is the best period, but opt for the in-person class it because I feel its a million times better than the online version.

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I found the 9 session GMAT prep course very helpful for a few reasons. The primary reason was to motivate me to stay on track with weekly assignments and a structured review plan. I think that some people would be fine to buy the books and work through them on his/her own and at his/her own pace. With my busy work and social schedule, I found the structure to be incredibly helpful.

Another reason that I thought the class was helpful was for the little tricks of the trade that the instructor provided. At some points I felt the classes were a waste of time, but every once in a while we would learn something that could save me 20 seconds on a quant problem and would make it all worth while.

I did not find the verbal review to be very helpful. On the actual test I ended up using only 1-2 things that I learned in the classes. My improvements in verbal came really as a result of simply doing a lot of practice problems.

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I had a very positive experience with Manhattan GMAT here in Chicago. The instructor was attentive, responsive to email, and helpful. The materials were also very helpful, and allowed me to be efficient in my self study. The curriculum was well constructed, and allowed me to progress in an ordered manner. I was someone who didn't need a ton of help in verbal, but did in quant. MGMAT provided just what I needed. Additionally, I had to reschedule my class several times at the last minute, and MGMAT was more than willing to do so. Lastly, the location was a bit noisy, which was unfortunate.

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