I recently took my GMAT for the first time, and was very pleased to have received what I consider a very good score(770). Although I have no prior experience taking the GMAT, and therefore no real "benchmark" to compare to, I am certain that the instruction I received from Manhattan GMAT was instrumental in allowing me to achieve such a result.

I think the bulk of Manhattan GMAT's success stems from their uncompromising focus on teaching. Indeed, it is very well advertised that ALL of Manhattan GMAT's instructors have scored in the 99th percentile of the GMAT. Less touted, however, is the rigorous selection and training process, all of which further refines the class of potential instructors. The result is a very concentrated group of uniquely qualified, extremely capable teachers. My course was no exception, and, despite a class with a diversity of scores, I feel that the whole class was able to receive the resources and instruction necessary to improve dramatically.

While teaching is, in my opinion, the most important aspect of the Manhattan GMAT experience, it is certainly not the only advantage offered to students. In particular, the depth of available resources is a HUGE part of--as would be said in the business world--the "value proposition" that is offered to customers. Manhattan GMAT has truly applied itself to deconstructing and dissecting the GMAT content and structure and, as a student, this seemingly unlimited set of information is made fully available. This is ironically both overwhelming and comforting at the same time; the depth and breadth of resources are initially very daunting, but it is refreshing to know that the team at Manhattan GMAT has exhaustively investigated and optimized every facet of the GMAT.

Finally, there are a few intangibles that I believe make Manhattan GMAT a very worthwhile experience. Firstly, students are provided with a definite approach--a "roadmap" as it is termed by Manhattan GMAT--that is pretty much guaranteed to ensure score maximization. In addition, I really appreciated the extra "office hours" and after class sessions with instructors. Moreover, included in the class are tools that helped me to develop a personal GMAT "gameplan," which really helped me approach the test in a very methodical way. The one-on-one 30-minute review of my personal testing history, included with the class, was also VERY helpful. With regard to the online class, the environment was very similar to, if not better than, an in-person, location based classroom approach. Having TWO instructors really is a bonus!

All in all, I am thrilled with my Manhattan GMAT experience. As others have mentioned, there are some small things that I would like to see improved(i.e the CAT is not as accurate as I thought it would be), but it is hard to argue that Manhattan GMAT is not extremely effective at its core purpose: to maximize students' GMAT scores. Like anything worth fighting for in life, mastering the GMAT will likely take dedication, hard work, and the right approach. I trusted Manhattan GMAT to guide my approach, and, fortunately, I haven't had to look back since.

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I chose to use a prep course because I only had one shot at the GMAT before applying R1. I needed the rigor of a study schedule and accountability of classes (and money!) to force me to study.

My instructor was engaging and had been with MGMAT for awhile meaning he was excellent at addressing questions and leveraging different thought processes in the class to help us all learn. Example - I have a strong quant background (engineer) and he would call on me to answer a question when he knew I didn't have the right answer. This forced me to think through my process out-loud and learn where I went wrong.

Verbal prep helped me significantly with Reading Comprehension - my weakest area. I needed to speed up and the structure of how to read and answer questions was invaluable.

The online tools were probably the most helpful for me. Being able to track specific types of questions I was getting right and wrong along with time was key in my final week of self-guided study before the test.

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The Manhattan GMAT Live Online course was excellent. Ryan Wessel and David Chong were really good instructors. I raised my GMAT score by 100 points (from 620 to 720) by taking the class. The class was given once a week for 9 weeks.
The most helpful lectures were on the subjects of:
- Sentence correction
- Data sufficiency
- Reading comprehension
The recorded labs offered had some of the most insightful tips and shortcuts I learned throughout all my time studying for the course. The information given in the labs was extremely relevant for test day; the labs taught things such as timing strategy, shortcuts to data sufficiency questions, etc.

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I've been struggling with the GMAT since I started in 2007. I took Kaplan paid over $5000, got a private tutor and did the whole course. The result on the official test was a 480 in 2008. Discouraged I gave up trying to take the GMAT. I hated the damn thing.

But about 1.5 years later I realized I needed to ask the GMAT out on another date. So I signed up for MGMAT. Again same story my diagnostic showed me scoring around 490, so I was kind of hoping for a miracle from my instructor and course. I worked really hard, did everything I could possibly do to get my goal of 660 or higher. I finally take the test and this time score lower than my first test, receiving a score of 470.

Now you can imagine how I felt. I just wasn't good at the GMAT. So discouraged again I contemplated giving up on going to business school. A month later without studying I took a practice cat exam at got a 530. So I'm thinking to myself, okay maybe their is hope. This motivates me to retake MGMAT, but this time online from 9:30-11:30. I work really hard and on my 5th session I'm like what the heck I got $250 to blow let me take the GMAT. So the weekend before Fourth of July, I take the test and get a 570. I'm like wow, I'm amazing.

So I finish the remaining of my course and decide in a few months I might try to retake it again or just apply to a dungeon business school. I continue to work hard and start reviewing my material over and over again. I decide that my score wasn't good enough to go to a top business school, so i promised my self i would take GMAT one last time. I schedule my test for sept 29th, which gave me a month to tweak my skills. I take practice test after practice test and I'm no where I need to be. I can't even break 600. The last practice GMAT prep test I take gets me a score of 530. This is one week going into the exam. But I told myself I worked too hard to not break a 660. So the day of my test, I tell myself to put it all on the line. I take the quant and it’s very difficult, I'm like great here comes another 500. I take the verbal and I feel better. Than it comes down to accepting my score. I hit yes and than the score appears. The score was kind of blurry because I had tears in my eyes. Here I am a grown adult tearing on my score. I got a 680, with a 50 on my quant. I'm like are u kidding me. I still feel like my official score will come back and say “sorry we made a mistake". It's just a relief to have closure. The scary part is I got in the 64% in verbal, a few more questions correct on that section I could of broken 700.

I promise I'm not thinking of taking the test again. But I can tell you with experience if I can go from a 470- 680, than anyone can be taught the GMAT. The structure that MGMAT has is not like no other. Everything you need to obtain a 800 is in the MGMAT curriculum. From the CAT Tests, detailed workbooks and forums, MGMAT does wonders. It just requires sacrifice and dedication.

If anyone needs any guidance please contact me, I want to pay it forward to anyone that wants hope. I'm sure some of you might think that my story is impossible. I'm just like you guys, seeing is believing. So i've attached a picture of my latest score report. Again, i'm more than happy to help anyone.

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I was not excited about ponying up the cash but I am so glad I did. I was dragging my feet on the GMAT and this course a) got my butt in gear, b) made me familiar with each topic, c) broke down the importance of each area and d) made me familiar with test taking strategies. I took the class with Steven Jupiter who was fantastic and very no-nonsense (good approach to have for the GMAT!).

Steven was good for both topics but my main weakness was in verbal (Reading comp and critical reasoning) and he totally nailed it for me. I don’t know how else to explain it except that I went to his class, did some practice sets, and that was that.

Regarding Manhattan GMAT in general: I appreciated that they had simulated testing rooms, too, and a seemingly unlimited amount of resources. My only advice would be to grab the "road to the GMAT" at the very beginning of the course - it can assist in providing study tips. Again, can't say how much this was worth it - I went from a 680 to 750.

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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 started this prep course having never opened a GMAT prep book, and improved my score 80 points from my initial practice test to test day. I went into the GMAT feeling prepared and ready to take on the test, and I was able to achieve my goal score on my first actual GMAT.

Abby provided a clear overview of how the course and the process would work. In class, she was patient and did a great job explaining strategy and reviewing practice problems. She challenged us to ALWAYS answer, even if it's a guess, which was great prep for the test. She encouraged group discussion when we disagreed about answers, and forced us to use the proven strategies when approaching problems. She was always available via email when we had questions, and created a non-threatening environment for a prep process that could potentially be viewed as highly competitive, given how the GMAT works.

Overall, I can't say enough nice things about Manhattan GMAT. The homework seems daunting at times, but you need that level of work and practice to go into test day feeling ready. I qualified for the post course assessment, and I was so glad I did! I had a half hour phone conversation two weeks before my test date that gave me a clear gameplan for what exactly I needed to focus on leading up to my test.

I highly recommend this course. It's expensive, but in the long run, given what you will pay for an MBA program, it is so well worth the investment! You do need to be ready to commit 5-10 extra hours a week to homework, so make sure you do the course during a time period when you have that time available,

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With no previous experience in studying for the GMAT, I decided to take Manhattan's 9-week online course. I found the class sessions to be somewhat helpful, the self-study materials to be more helpful, and the practice CAT exams to be most helpful.

Prior to the course (or any preparation)- my first practice exam - February 2012 - I scored a 720 (95% Verbal, 81% Quant)

By my third practice exam - March 2012 - I scored a 740.

By my fifth practice exam (on mba.com) - April 2012 - I scored a 750.

On test day - April 2012 - I scored a 760 (99% Verbal, 85% Quant

In addition to the 3-hour weekly course, I probably averaged about 8-10 hours per week (+4 more hours whenever I took a practice CAT). About three months elapsed between my first look at any GMAT materials and my test-day, so FAST IMPROVEMENT IS POSSIBLE.

I found some of the math materials to be helpful in teaching shortcuts that are useful for common problems (Prime Trees, Probabilities, etc).

I believe that it is easiest for a course to improve one's sentence correction skills, as this is the most objective verbal category. And Manhattan definitely succeeded here. My improved speed and accuracy in sentence correction accounted for much of my improved score, and I owe this entirely to the MGMAT materials.

Finally - the CAT exams. I believe MGMAT's CATs are a very accurate portrayal of the real exam, and the ability to review incorrect (and correct) answers was very useful in understanding my weaknesses. It was not until the 5th exam that the CAT question bank had exhausted 700-level questions. This is better than most (all?) other GMAT preparation services.

In short - I would definitely recommend Manhattan. I found the materials to be extensive, the program to be customizable to my own needs, and the practice exams to be better than the competition's. If you can afford Manhattan's class, you won't be disappointed.

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I chose Manhattan prep because I read very positive reviews on their prep books and I knew I wanted hands-on instruction and a structured course to force me to study (I'm a pro at procrastination). I started studying before the beginning of my course, just reading through a GMAT official guide coursebook. I took the pre-first class practice test and got a 590. My goal is to attend a top 10 school, so I knew I had a long way to go.

Throughout the course I did all of the prescribed prep work. They estimate it will take about 15 hours (outside of the three hour class) per week. I think it could be a little less than that but... I definitely dedicated one entire weekend day to studying and a few hours a few days a week to studying. I took another practice test during the course resulting in a 50 pt rise. My final GMAT score (which I took a week and a half after my final class) was 150pts higher than my initial test.

When I did contact my instructor outside of class, he responded very quickly. He was always willing to chat after class about test strategy or specific questions. Manhattan GMAT is very attentive to its students- a service that is reflected in the high price. It is very easy to reschedule a course if you need to miss.

Both Quant and Verbal review were incredibly helpful. I think the Quant instruction in the classroom is invaluable- multiple ways to solve the problems + how to NOT solve the problems + how to guess the answer if you can't figure it out? This incredibly thorough type of instruction is SO worth the money. Also, there is a wealth of information and a wealth of extra practice material on the website. The CAT tests are awesome, too.

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This course gives you all the tools to excel on the GMAT, and I would strongly recommend this course to anyone who wants to get a 700+.

Marcus was an amazing instructor and kept the class lively for the students (which is hard to do for a 3-hour period after a long day at work). He is also incredibly smart and really knows his GMAT. I was consistently impressed with his teaching ability. The material was extensive so I felt like Manhattan GMAT gave me all the resources I could ask for in preparation for the test.

However, you can't expect to just go to class and then get a great score on the GMAT. You also have to put in a lot of work outside of the class, which Manhattan GMAT readily admits. After I took the course, I took the test for the first time and did poorly (640) although I was scoring a 700 on my practice tests. I was really upset. However, as instructed by Marcus, I set up my post-course assessment with Manhattan GMAT, which is a 45 minute phone call with a special instructor to talk about how to improve your score the next go-around. I received wonderful instruction that included a concrete study plan in preparation for the second try. One month later, I got a 720!!!

THANK YOU, MANHATTAN GMAT!

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