I was someone that would always try and start a self-study course only to let it go to waste. I dreaded standardized tests and had no confidence, until I started my studying with Manhattan Prep's in-person class. I definitely needed a class to get me on a strict schedule to study and besides Christine, there were some great other instructors at Manhattan with a lot of options if you missed a class. Their offices are also convenient and nice, and preferable than trying to study at home. I felt the homework load was very manageable and effective, and that their tests were a little harder than the official GMATPrep's, but perhaps that sets you up for success in the end. I also complemented my studies with a Veritas in-person tutor to focus mainly on Verbal and my weak areas, but can say the unique Manhattan resources like the Navigator were the best out there. All in all, I started my first practice test at 640 and ended with a 760 on the first attempt, and can attest that these resources were reasons I was able to get there.

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My experience with Manhattan Prep went above and beyond my expectations. Having self studied for the GMAT prior to taking the class, I was pleasantly surprised by the level of expertise and skill all of the instructors had and was so happy to have such seasoned GMAT takers teaching me the most helpful tips and tricks for taking the test. I took the course with Christine Defenbaugh - she is an incredible teacher whose explanations are clear and understandable. She is very nice, very smart, and helps you identify target areas to ensure you get the score you are striving for. You've got to put in the work, but they provide you with the tools, tricks, and guidance to help support you through your studies. After scoring 70+ higher on my second test, Manhattan Prep is definitely the way to go.

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this is a brutally honest review of MGMAT Interact, which is basically the 9 week course, and the tutoring sessions offered.

1. I looked at all the interact and attended one trial course. IF YOU ARE SCORING ANYWHERE NEAR 650, I WOULD SAY THE COURSE IS TOO EASY.

2. private tutoring helped a lot. the instructors are obviously knowledgable about the materials. They can help you improve on your areas of weakness, but even then it isnt guaranteed. All test have a very high level of luck. The instructors are also very responsive, ready to answer any questions and provide you with great explanations. The one big con is the price. given that the gmat requires a lot of luck, you have to ask yourself if the price is worth the gamble. But if price isnt a issue, definitely worth taking tutoring courses.

3. the six MGMAT CAT exams...... i hated them . on 2 gmat prep exams, i scored 720. my real score was 720, and 690 before then. out of i think 4 MGMAT exams, I DIDNT SCORE ABOVE 660 ON ONE EXAM. i even scored a 610 on one.... in my opinion the questions are 1. too difficult 2. not accurate reflections of the real test. the MGMAT test actually negatively impacted my mental state, so i decided i wouldnt even review my error log for those test.

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Overall, the 9 week course with Manhattan Prep was great. The in person classes are a great way to stay focused and force yourself to stay on some sort of schedule. The teacher was really knowledgeable and super helpful.

The verbal section is great. I really liked that the teacher stressed that native English speakers shouldn't just rely on a gut feeling if SC questions sound right. He definitely stressed how to break down a question and find what's wrong. The CAT questions were a pretty good approximation of what was on the actual GMAT. The math section was good, but seemed to have more probability questions than I saw on the test. I really liked how the course taught you how to approach quant questions, including guessing and their "smart numbers" technique to get to the answer without setting up a lot of algebra.

The IR was much harder than what's on the real test. The instructor was clear about that in class so I felt a little better when I took the practice exams and kept getting low scores on IR. I didn't need to do super well on IR but I didn't want a super low score either.

The practice tests seemed harder overall than what I got on the real test and the official GMAT practice tests. I scored higher on the real thing in the end though so maybe it's better to have the practice tests be a little harder (though it does kind of hurt your morale). I really liked the explanations for practice test questions and all the score reports at the end. They were really helpful for pointing me to what I was doing wrong and where I should direct my studying.

There's a LOT of homework and it's worth it to really invest in it. I fell behind after week 3 and I felt it on the practice tests. I had to put my life on hold for 2-3 weeks and study because I hadn't been great about keeping up with the homework. If you can't do all of it, it's better to get the gist from the fundamentals book and then over index on the strategy guides.

Overall, I definitely recommend checking out the free Class 1 at the very least. The course is pretty pricey but it seemed worthwhile to invest. There are some discount codes out there so do some googling.

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Christine was a great instructor. She methodically explained verbal and quant approaches and problem types. She made class engaging and, in particular, was great at getting us into the mindset of the test and providing tips for being strategic test takers.

The course and prep books were overall extremely helpful. I found the quant sections of MGMAT's practice tests to be more difficult and have different types of problems than the actual GMAC exams. That being said, they were probably useful in that they were harder practice than the actual tests themselves. And the analytics that MGMAT provides to track your practice tests and problem sets are extremely useful in mapping your own personal prep strategy.

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Fantastic Instructor - Especially helpful for people like me who are not necessarily driven on their own. I had a good handle on the verbal section, but was surprised by how the systematic approach increased my ability to get through the material in a timely fashion. The math tricks were instrumental in getting me through the math section - and with the directed practice, I was able to increase my math score dramatically over the 9 weeks. Further, many of us found the Manhattan practice exams to be a touch harder than the GMAC exam which was a great confidence boost on test day. Also, don't discount the value of taking practice tests in the Manhattan GMAT office which mirrors testing conditions.

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I would highly recommend using Chris Gentry as a private tutor for the GMAT!!

I had originally tried taking a structured course but fell behind on homework because of my work schedule and became frustrated / demotivated when my score did not improve.

Chris helped me assess my strengths and weaknesses and re-focus my study strategy in a much more efficient manner. Once we had gone over some of the math basics that I did not fully grasp, he helped me come up with test taking strategies and taught me how to save time on seemingly lengthy questions.

Most importantly, Chris helped me manage my study time and stay enthusiastic during the process. My score dropped after my second practice test which initially concerned me but he reassured me that that often happens when people start learning strategies but aren't experienced enough to apply them yet.

Thanks to Chris's patient coaching I was able to achieve my goal of breaking into the 700s and I'm excited to apply to the schools of my choice next year!

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I initially studied independently using Kaplan and empower Gmat, but after about 120 hours of studying and one GMAT test I scored a 680. I took some time off and decided to take Manhattan GMAT. Right of the bat I really liked their approach. The live classes, the learning while doing reinforced by rigorous studying. My professor was very accessible and really helpful with questions. After completing the course in 4.5 weeks and about 10 days of additionally studying I took the GMAT and crushed it. My timing was on point for all sections and I scored a 710. They also have given me a post exam assessment which gave me a plan for my time before the next exam I take. Reed was extremely helpful at times during the class and after. His methodology was really good and rarely did I just get an answer to my question. It usually was a question to my question which would allow my to understand the why of the issue. This was a huge plus. Another huge plus is the performance tracking system they offer not only for the CAT's but also for all the practice questions you do. If you time yourself for each question and record your response you can then visually see what topics or areas you need to work on and which ones are really strong.

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After getting an abysmal score on my first GMAT CAT, I realized i would need a more structured program that forced me to sit down and actually get into a routine. Ceilidh Erickson was an AMAZING instructor. She helped us understand that the GMAT is not just a test, but rather a game of logic and time management. She had incredible time saving techniques and proved their applicability with real GMAT problems.

While the 9 sessions may not be enough for some people (like me), I think the biggest benefit is that it forces you to get into a routine. Working and studying is not the easiest combination, so getting into a routine and making studying when you get home almost an addiction is how you're going to improve and ultimately hit your target score. After the 9 sessions and countless hours of applying all of what Ceilidh taught me, I finally cracked 700+ and hit my target score (which was a full 130 points above my first diagnostic CAT exam).

Only con: expensive

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Manhattan Prep gave me the confidence, methodology and tools to make a huge improvement in my GMAT performance. I completed the 9 sessions prep course in fall 2015. My instructor, Gilad Edelman, kept subject matter engaging and was able to break down components in a way that was easy to digest, while also keeping the class challenged. I gained tools to improve across both quantitative and verbal sections. In addition, he was always available for extended discussion inside and outside of class. I was able to design a personalized study plan that worked for me. I started out with a low 600s score when beginning Manhattan Prep, and improved to a 740 by test day!

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