Before I chose which GMAT course to take, I solicited advice from friends, forums and I also audited several classes around the Toronto area. Each company covers the requisite topics, has roughly the same lesson plans, and provides students with similar video/textbook/practice test packages. What set Manhattan GMAT apart from the pack was Avi Gutman. In the first class alone, Avi blew me away with his test-taking expertise and unique teaching methods.

Avi doesn't waste class time repeating the video lessons or reading from the textbook. Instead, he shows you the underlying concept behind seemingly unrelated problems, and then teaches you simple techniques that can then be applied to the entire problem family. He also shows you multiple approaches for tackling each question, which is critical for deeper understanding.


Before I started this class, I was scoring in the mid 600s range. After Avi's class, I managed to score a 770 on my first try. Even after class ended, Avi would reliably reply to my emails, answering my questions and assuaging my concerns. His commitment to his students is unparalleled, and it was a pleasure being in Avi's class.

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I signed up for MGMAT’s private tutoring services after failing 10-20 point short of breaking the 700 mark. Since I have gone through most of the materials and tests myself and consider myself pretty well-versed at them, I was looking for guidance more on my approach and mindset than the actual content.

On our first session, Sarah stated a very important point that shifted my mindset. She mentioned that GMAT emphasizes on one’s decision making skills as much as it does an individual’s knowledge on the materials. GMAT is a test against perfectionist; to do well on the test, one has to be able to give up questions, the same way a good executive decline projects with only average return, and make educated guess, as what business owners do daily. This has a profound impact on my approach to the test – instead of thinking giving up/ guessing questions as a last resort, I now think of that as one of my testing strategies to preserve my mental energy for other questions.

Another great point that Sarah made was on my problem solving approach in quant. She mentioned GMAT wants us to simplify problems and to break them down, not to make things bigger. Therefore, think factorization, not multiplication. This single twist in my approach has helped me in numerous questions, especially in DS.

On top of that, Sarah taught me some techniques on making an educated guess. And it is also helpful to go through my approach on each question with her, so that she she can pinpoint any concept mistakes or point out ways to fine tune my approach.

Overall, I believe working with Sarah is significant in raising my score through the 700 mark. I will definitely recommend her to anyone looking into GMAT private tutoring.

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I took the 9 week course with Avi in Toronto. It was the best decision I made. Avi is all about working smarter on the GMAT, not working harder. I took the GMAT once back in 2011 and my approach was completely different - I treated the test as a test of content and studied super hard to memorize all the concepts and equations. I did well (710), but felt I could do better so signed up for the Manhattan course.

Avi right away addressed our approach and perspective on the GMAT, emphasizing that it was a test of strategy, timing, and discipline. He still stressed the importance of knowing the content, but also made it clear that strong content alone could not lead to the best possible performance on the GMAT. The content had to be executed well and that is where Avi added the most value well beyond the strategy guides and the online materials. He didn't simply regurgitate the material. In fact, he spent most of the valuable class time going over strategies and concepts that were not covered anywhere else. Avi is also extremely generous with his time, answering questions promptly via email and taking the time to go through various solution methods. The post-course assessment was critical to fine tuning my study plan and a pivotal moment as Avi assessed my strengths and weaknesses and quickly identified the most significant areas where I could achieve "quick wins". It really helped me focus my attention on what would make the biggest impact on my score, rather than trying to study everything. Without his advice, I would have wasted a lot of valuable time on things I should have ignored. Most of all, I appreciated his no-nonsense communication style - it is crystal clear and he cuts right to the chase to make the most of everybody's time, and further clarifies/answers follow up questions later.

From a 580 on my diagnostic CAT in late-January, I just finished my 2nd GMATPrep today with a 760 (Q48/V48). (I am writing the real exam in a week). I can say with confidence that I could not have achieved this without Avi's advice.

I'm not saying that it was a free ride - you definitely have to put in the work (do your homework!), but everyone is busy and Avi helped me focus on the right things to make my studies more effective - I feel like he amplified/maximized my potential. If your effort is there, Avi will definitely help you get the most out of it. How I do on test day will be up to me, but Avi got me to a place where I can approach the test with the confidence and the tools to succeed. Thanks Avi!

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I had 9 week online courses with Stacey Koprince and she was immensely helpful during the sessions and even until my 3rd re-rake. She was always sharing excellent, spot on advices and articles with me. And Ron, another guru of GMAT highly contributed to my success. His videos lifted my scores from 620 to 720; he boosted my verbal from 28 to 39. I had one tutoring session with him that helped me shift my focus to my weaknesses. Also MGMAT CAT Exam questions were top quality. After you master these tests, you can be sure to beat the gmat comfortably. I can`t be more thankful to MGMAT for their extraordinary service, top quality exams and books.

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I took the 9 week course starting this summer with Eric and had a great experience. To start, Eric is an extremely dynamic and engaging teacher. He always told funny stories to keep us interested (without detracting from the course material). He also presented problems in such a way that made you question your answers and affirm to yourself why your answer was correct. Eric really got to know each person in the class (somehow he seemed to know everyone's name by the end of the first class) which helped increase accountability. The three hours of class flew by each week.

The structure of the MGMAT syllabus worked well for me. I liked the breakdown of normal assignments, easier assignments and harder assignments. I felt that I had plenty of practice materials from which to work each week. I was surprised that I did not end up taking too many practice tests, but this is likely because I took the GMAT so soon after ending the course.

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Initially had some misgivings about spending so much on an online course, but the format ended up working out really well for me. The 9 courses helped me to structure my studying initially, and then I used about 6 weeks after that to work on sections I was weak on and to really drill prep problems. Joe and Dejan were everything you would hope for in instructors--ridiculously enthusiastic and amazingly knowledgeable about the GMAT.

I ended up with a 730, which was a little below where I had been scoring in the official prep tests, but was still enough to get me into several top schools.

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I bought all of the MGMAT self-study books, although I only had enough time and energy to get through quant (my main problem area). There is A LOT of information to get through, so prioritize your weaknesses or commit to a LONG study period.

I suggest you combine these with the official question book and an overall GMAT strategy guidebook. I used GMAT Clarity, although I wasn't entirely impressed with it.

Read the MGMAT books to get a refresher on the math concepts, use the official question book to test (and re-test) your knowledge, and use the strategy guidebook to help you break down and organize the questions by concept.

The practice tests are harder than the actual GMAT, which is beneficial in my mind.

The true strength(s) of the self-study course are the strategies for educated guessing. Seriously, they are invaluable and they just might save you.

I can't imagine scoring a 740 on my first try without Manhattan. Highly recommended.

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Manhattan GMAT is the best decision that I made during my business school application process. In 4 months, I went from a 520 on my first practice test (20% in Quant) to a 710 (76% in Quant) on the actual test. It was my first and only time taking the test. Manhattan GMAT breaks down the content and builds on the material it a way that makes studying manageable and even enjoyable at times. I attended class in person in NYC, which I found very helpful for staying on track. My instructor was top notch and helpful out of class as well. They also provide an NYC testing center to take practice tests in a test day environment, which helped ease test day stress. I benefited the most from the endless online materials and instructional videos. I am convinced that if you go to class, do the homework, and take the practice tests, that Manhattan GMAT is all you need to get a great score on the GMAT. Totally worth it.

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I decided to take the GMAT pretty late in the game, so I figured I needed a course to keep my attention focused. Manhattan was highly recommended and I have to agree.

I started at a 590 on my first practice, I and got a 700 on my first real exam. The key for me was just diving into the types of problems I was missing and learning everything I could about those topics in particular. This is generally how we were taught to study.

I wish I had done a better job of keeping up with the homework and structure set by the course, as I think it definitely helps to learn the same things at home as in class

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Keith helped me increase my GMAT score by 90 points, from 640 to 730. We focused mostly on math but that seemed to be his greatest strength. His teaching style covers both basic lectures and question and answer formats but he also approaches the test in an abstract way as well, showing how each math topic relates to other math topics and how to quickly assess a problem and identify the steps needed to solve it. Because the GMAT only allows about 2 minutes per problem, speed as well as accuracy is incredibly important. Keith helped me tremendously on my timing. I was finishing tests either guessing the last 7 questions or sometimes even finishing the test with 5 minutes extra and my quant score was very poor. Almost every problem we did together was timed, no matter how hard it was. He also helped me identify lost cause problems, or problems that are so complicated and time consuming that is best to guess an answer and then move forward to the next question. Because of Keith my quant increased 40 to 48 and my verbal increased by 4 points from 38 to 42 and I was able to apply to a much higher caliber of schools due to my new increased score.

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