Manhattan Prep GMAT Course Reviews

My review of Manhattan is best summed up in three words - 540 to 700. I improved over 160 points from my initial practice test to the day I got my official score from the test center. The instructors, curriculum and materials all work in concert to help you get the score you want.

One word of warning though - Manhattan GMAT is not a silver bullet. Raising my score from the 50th percentile to the 90th percentile took months of hard work and consistent study, but Manhattan gave me to the tools and resources to be able to execute the study plan that allowed me to get the score I needed to get into a top 10 program.

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The Manhattan course is awesome for Quantitative section. As its reputation , the quant concepts are very nice and elaborate which you will never forget. The alternative approach to solve the problems which also acts as a time saver is good enough. And there are sufficient problems and exercise questions to apply those concepts.

The verbal section is also good. Coming to the sentence correction, since I am a non native speaker, the theory part is good but it needs to be substantiated with more practice and application questions. The concepts and the vocabulary for Sentence Correction is very elaborate and there are lot and lots of grammar rules. But not enough practise questions to apply those rules in real time GMAT questions.

The 6 CATs provided are very good for practise. But I felt that somehow the scores were inflated because in all my CATs I got a decent score of 650 , 680 but in my real GMAT the score was 580, very poor. So somewhere the score calculation might be wrong. But that's just my opinion.

Still I feel the quant of Manhattan is superb and the flash cards also. The most complex problems are solved in a very elegant way.

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Registering for the Manhattan Review on-line tutoring was an important step in preparing for my GMAT exam. My tutor Emily and I quickly set out a clear plan for me to reach my target GMAT score, and found a balance between reviewing the theory, formulating strategies for solving tough questions, and working through practice questions together. As I am based in Johannesburg and Emily is in Budapest, all our sessions were via webcast, but the quality of our sessions was never adversely affected. Emily also committed to helping me in between our scheduled sessions, and always promptly responded to any queries I emailed her.

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For a first time GMAT taker with limited time to prepare, Emily provided helpful strategies to approach different types of verbal questions. I only registered for verbal section but the rating for Quant is compulsory so I put three stars for Q only but 5 for Verbal. However, Manhattan needs to improve the quality of their supporting equipment for their trainers. The volume of microphone was quite unstable at times and sometimes I needed to ask Emily to repeat. Emily has a good time management in lessons and is also patient in listening to student. Another thing I would like to mention is that, Manhattan needs to hire more staffs answering emails. It took a long time to get response to my emails because there are only two staffs answering all the emails; Tammy and Adriana. the adm. is understaffed.

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I highly recommend Manhattan GMAT and Ceilidh for your GMAT prep. Though it was a big investment, I have no regrets. Ceilidh made the material fun and I looked forward to the three hour class after a full day of work--that's a sign of a great instructor! Though there's a set curriculum, Ceilidh definitely catered the content to the particular needs of her students and was always available to answer questions or talk through concerns. She got all of the students to look differently at problems and to push ourselves to try different approaches until we found the strategy that worked best for us. The course and Ceilidh's guidance were definitely key to getting a score that was well above my goal.

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Manhattan GMAT is the best GMAT prep course available in my opinion if you're trying to get a 700+ score. The strategies and content are all solid. While the other courses I tried out through free sample classes were good, I felt like MGMAT was really meant for those targeting 700+ scores and top schools. If that's not what you're going for, then other courses may be fine. Kim is an awesomely smart and funny teacher. No doubt the course is expensive too. It's important to note that cost wasn't a priority for me so it's not a review for value either. I really think if you have the means and want to do the best possible MGMAT is the way to go, and if the cost is an issue then do the online course or get the books because their books are best too in my opinion.

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Manhattan GMAT is excellent for those seeking a comprehensive course that will push your score to its full potential. My first practice test was disastrous. Manhattan GMAT's classes helped me to shake out all of the dusty old cobwebs known as jr. high math and implement strategic test taking techniques / easy tricks to earn extra points. As a result, my score improved over 200 points (760 on actual exam).

I knew I wanted to be in the over 700 club, an ambitious goal given my first practice test. My teacher was not only knowledgeable, but an encouraging. It takes an enormous amount of work, patience, and stamina, but with Manhattan GMAT's help it is definitely possible!

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I am writing to express my sincere gratitude and raving appreciation for your teacher and tutor Kimberly Cabot. I took the online Interact Manhattan GMAT course and, after 4 months of studying, was actually seeing my score get lower and lower. Three days before I was supposed to take the GMAT I scheduled a last minute tutoring session (30 mins) and was lucky enough to get Kimberly as my instructor.

In 30 minutes (which she was patient enough to begin 10 minutes late because of technical difficulties on my end) she completely turned around my approach to the GMAT and, as a result, my score. I received a 700 after scoring no higher than a 660 on any practice exam (the last practice exam I did took before the tutoring session gave me a 620). During our session she quickly and effectively pinpointed what I needed to work on, rephrased my approach to and strategy for the questions, gave me a solid game plan to practice in the few remaining days, and even followed up with a summary file of what we had discussed.

In short, Kimberly effectively and completely turned around my GMAT strategy and my score. I would highly recommend her to any prospective business school applicants, and I am so very grateful!

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I took the 9 week prep course with Avi in May 2014. Avi's ability to breakdown seemingly complex quant problems is extremely helpful if you are new to the types of questions on the GMAT. I think what helped me the most was the multi-approach that Avi employed to solve every quant problem that we discussed in class. Only when you see how a quant problem can be solved in multiple ways, will you step out of your comfort zone and approach these problems in a more strategic way under a time-restricted environment such as the GMAT.

I strongly recommend Avi to any student new to the GMAT.

thanks Avi!

Q49/ V38 -> 710

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Manhattan GMAT's program is excellent and was a huge factor in my success taking the test.

First of all, the quality of the teaching is fantastic. I took a course with Ceilidh and she was awesome. She rightfully focused on ensuring we approached problems and topics in a logical and determined way, and did a great job of pushing students not get hung up on extremely difficult or tricky topics. The trick with the GMAT is knowing when to move on, and not being stubborn. That's the best lesson Ceilidh taught us.

I started off the class getting a 660 in the first CAT (practice test) after our first lesson. While that was an encouraging sign for my starting level, I did not realize how difficult it is to improve one's score without a systematic and structured approach. The course, along with the excellent materials, website, and online supplemental information (such as the Interact lessons), did a great job of honing me in on such an approach.

The one thing I would say is that if you are strong in quant, it is important that you realize that some extra work is necessary to get prepared to face the toughest questions (given the test's adaptive nature). The good news is that Manhattan GMAT has great tools to guide your study towards difficult topics. The Advanced Quant e-book is a definite must, and I would also suggest going through the OG Navigator to create a study schedule build around all the "Harder" and "Devilish" questions in the materials. If you still feel like you need some practice, the "Quest for 750" advanced workshops are helpful (but not absolutely necessary - take them if you need new tips and materials and don't mind spending a bit more).

I ended up getting a 770 on my first try - about 3 months from after the course started. I can't recommend Manhattan GMAT, and in particular my instructor Ceilidh Erickson, enough.

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