The course was really fantastic. Patrick is a terrific teacher. I took this class in Santa Monica, CA (although that option was not listed). The nights really do fly by even though it's a long class (3 hours). Patrick makes it a lot more fun than it should be, and he'll even give you a bit of extra time - he's not someone looking at his clock for the course to end. It's definitely a lot of work, but it's all on you. The more you put in, the more you get out of it.

Also be sure to take advantage of the free private sessions. Best way to get the most out of those is to prepare questions in advance, or ask the instructor to look at previous practice tests.

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I only had 5 hours of private tutor time with Keith of Manhattan GMAT Chicago, and I improved my score by 50 points (from 650 to 700). I had spent about 3 months of self-study (including 2 online math fundamentals courses from Manhattan GMAT) and scored a 650. I had scored in the 50th percentile for math and 91st percentile for verbal. Needless to say, my quant needed work!

I studied for another 6 weeks on my own and did worse (620 overall with only a slight improvement in my quant and obviously worse on verbal). Needless to say, I was frustrated and defeated. I chose to meet with a private tutor vs. a prep class because I didn't want to invest another 9 weeks into studying.

I met with Keith for 5 hours total and focused solely on quant. From the first meeting, he diagnosed my issues (apparently I was studying TOO much) and taught me a few concepts that I kept getting tripped up on. I actually took the next 5 weeks very easy. I did one practice test, met two additional times with Keith and studied about 3 hours the week of the test. My score improved to 700 (71st percentile quant; 88th percentile verbal). Perhaps just not studying was really the key for me, but I wouldn't have felt comfortable enough to stop studying without Keith's belief in my ability.

I will also say though that at least 4-5 concepts we covered appeared on my quant section on test day - so that definitely did help! Both Keith's knowledge and encouragement were crucial to my success.

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If you're on the fence about taking a course, here are a few reasons why I would take the Mgmat course:

1. Manhattan GMAT's course offers you a comprehensive review of all topics on the test so you know you've seen a little bit of everything and are covering your bases.

2. Even if you're good at self study, the course is worth it. I am the type of person that sets aside time, but taking the course really helped me focus three solid hours at a faster pace that I normally would by myself. The class pushes you and offers you an insight into how other students analyze a problem. This helps you learn multiple techniques to solve the problems faster.

3. Mgmat teachers are incredible. Jonathan Schneider was my instructor and he was great at explaining problems in various ways and telling us which ones to prioritize since they came up less frequently on the GMAT. He takes the GMAT various times throughout the year so can also comment on variations on the problem that he has seen. Importantly, I emailed him several times after the course was done and he sent me long emails with tips around how to work on my timing and study strategy. He also reviewed my practice exam results and told me what topics to focus on and which ones not to work on any longer. This extra support is valuable and what you pay for. Also, Jonathan was great because he was able to insert a lot of humor and connect GMAT problems with real world problems which really helped me remember the content.

4. If you already took the course once, taking it again only costs $300. Do it. I took the course twice (first time was two years ago so I needed a refresher) and got a lot out of the second time. Its the same material, but with a deeper understanding of the test, you can really master the basic material.

5. If I had to compare Mgmat to Vertas, I think the material is largely the same, but in my situation, I found that the GMAT instructor was more comprehensive, used the time more wisely, and was more entertaining. With Vertias, I felt as though there were some topics that weren't covered and that we sometimes spent too much time on solving practice problems instead of teaching important content. A good mix of both is what I was looking for.

Overall, I achieved a 710, 44 V / 44Q / 6 AWA and my first practice test score after taking the course was probably closer to a 600.

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My time with Manhattan GMAT was well spent. When I started the course I was completely unprepared, not to mention I hadn't done much math between my senior year of high school and now. Not only did MGMAT prepare me with detailed books and plenty of coursework, but they have a number of resources available to students, and they are very generous with their time/practice center.

My instructor was excellent--he was clear, practical and held my attention for the whole class. In addition to strong instruction, the books were easy to read and kept me very busy.

The practice center was a helpful tool. I get anxious when it comes to test taking. Not only was I able to practice in "test-like" environments, but I was able to use the center for regular practice and homework as well. Having a quiet work space is key, and while I know it wasn't policy to have some classrooms open, every now and then when I needed to do timed drills after work, they let me use an empty classroom.

As someone else in another post mentioned, if you start to test at the top of the range and continue to take the adaptive tests, you start to run into some repeat questions, which does inflate your score. This only happens if you go through all six tests and then reset them (although it looks like they've also added a bunch of new questions along with the integrated reasoning practice.)

Overall, I had a great experience with Manhattan GMAT. I did take it twice, but I am very happy with my score. It is a high quality experience and I highly recommend the program.

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The Manhattan 9-week GMAT prep course is exceptional, as are all the proprietary on-line and off-line materials associated with the course. My teacher, Jonathan S. was excellent - not only in class, but also outside, making himself available by email and through outside sessions.

They whole program went above and beyond. My score increased ~200 points. The class is highly customizable based on goals and performance throughout the program. The books are a provide a very good platform for your review and the on-line materials are extremely comprehensive. The data-driven approach makes you feel confident that your time is being spent efficiently.

I highly recommend the course.

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Manhattan GMAT is truly best in class. The professors are organized, intelligent, and engaging. They provide great materials, but also help you to tailor the course to your appetite and capacity.

I found the quant review to be particularly helpful and that was where I improved most. The materials are thorough and easy to digest. They also provide a great number of practice questions and the professors guide you well to the problems that meet your skill level. Staff is easily accessible and responsive.

I would definitely recommend this class to a friend and have already done so! Manhattan GMAT is great.

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I would recommend the Manhattan GMAT course to anyone.

My score went up over 100 points during the class. I actually had the benefit of having a number of professors, since my main teacher, Marcus Hedard couldn't make it to half of the sessions. They were upfront immediately about the situation, telling all of us that we could receive a refund or switch into a different class if we didn't want multiple teachers. They also gave us a free "700 and up online course" pass, which is usually a couple hundred dollars, for our trouble. It turned out to be completely fine, all of the teachers are equally competant and were all excellent teachers.

From what I've heard about competing classes, Manhattan GMAT definitely seems to be the bset.

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To prepare for my GMAT, I used a variety of prep materials from GMAC, Manhattan Prep and other prep companies. I like the Manhattan GMAT series a lot for its focus on concepts. The explanations have sufficient substance to help learners grasp the concepts behind the questions. Other companies seem to lean towards elimination tricks, which work well for questions up to the 700 level but not beyond.

I have also found that the Manhattan GMAT series does not contain any serious typological mistakes, while than some books by other companies repeatedly contain frustrating typos. This is a small matter that can cause a lot of confusion to learners, especially in a timed testing environment. Manhattan GMAT's attention to detail makes a difference.

I attended two very workshops in Singapore conducted by Robert Wilburn. Those workshops helped me consolidate and further enhance things I had learned by that point.

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Manhattan GMAT is the most thorough GMAT preparation course out there.

When you sign up, you receive a dozen books that cover each intricate section of both the math and verbal sections in depth. The homework can be overwhelming at times, but if you find a schedule and stick to it and get it all done. Be sure to use all the resources they provide you -- office hours, AWA essay tools, online question banks, etc.

I improved over 100 points from my first practice test until the real GMAT and I was thrilled! All thanks to Manhattan GMAT, their homework, and my instructor!

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I definitely think this course was worth the money because of the teaching quality and sheer amount of resources that are provided to students.

They give you a mountain of books and expect you to review a lot of content each week, but I never felt overwhelmed. The in-person classes were the best option for me because it made me stick to a formal study plan versus preparing on my own. The recently added "video explanations" on the website were extremely helpful as well.

Overall, I would definitely recommend Manhattan GMAT to anyone who is serious about putting in some significant time and effort and seeing results.

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