Guide to GMAT Test Prep Courses

­­­­­MANHATTAN GMAT

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ManhattanGMAT prides itself on focusing solely on the GMAT and teaching students the basics before moving into conceptual lessons. Forgot that 9th-grade math or English class? ManhattanGMAT will polish your sentence-structure skills and algebra formulas. The New York-based program is so focused on the basics, they even provide you with a stopwatch.

Mehran Ahmed, a former associate at a Manhattan private equity firm, enrolled in ManhattanGMAT’s Complete Curriculum course. On his outgoing GMAT, he improved his score by 120 points over his first diagnostic CAT and was impressed by the ManhattanGMAT workbooks. “It’s different for everyone, but for me, it’s much more about spending time with the books.” To get himself over the 700 thresh hold, Ahmed employed some extra tutoring time to focus on the verbal section.

After being independent since 2000, ManhattanGMAT was acquired by Kaplan last year. (Both companies operate separately, and ManhattanGMAT does not offer the Official Test Day Experience).  In 2009, the prep company had 7,000 students, and president Andrew Yang says enrollment has tripled since 2005. The average class size is between eight and ten with a cap at 16, and online classes, which make up 10- to 15-percent of ManhattanGMAT enrollment, has a max class size of 25. The average student’s self-reported score is 680.

If you’re planning on signing up for the ManhattanGMAT, buy a good backpack. At the curriculum’s core are eight strategy guides ranging from 112 to 288 pages. If you buy a course book, you’ll be provided with six CATs to keep track of your progress. ManhattanGMAT’s Online Homework Bank includes the CATs as well as diagnostic reports and specialized drills. Question Banks offer an additional 200 questions broken down by topic area – for instance, 25-questions sets on geometry. Unlike a CAT, which adapts as you engage, these are static questions sets. ManhattanGMAT’s math jockeys also created the Challenge Problem Archive, which is meant to challenge the most astute left-brained thinker. “If someone wants to run with weights on,” Yang recommends it.

ManhattanGMAT hosts happy hours, mixers and free forums so that prospective students can meet teachers and get a feel for ManhattanGMAT’s methods. Before signing up, see if ManhattanGMAT’s teaching style matches your learning style. Here is an excerpt from the Number Properties Strategy Guide, and here is an excerpt from the Critical Reasoning Strategy Guide. Also check out ManhattanGMAT’s live online classroom. The company offers free 40-minut math diagnostics for prospective students as well.

ManhattanGMAT does not offer a score guarantee. “We live by the spirit of the guarantee, but we think that guarantees in this context are something of a gimmick,” says Yang. He points out that corporate clients like Google, Bain and McKinsey haven’t yet asked for a guarantee either.

IN-PERSON COURSES

GMAT Complete Curriculum

ManhattanGMAT’s core offering is taught over nine three-hour class sessions that are recorded for future review. Instructive labs, which are narrated by a teacher and utilize the interactive white board, focus on specific topics or techniques such as data sufficiency and process of elimination. The Complete Curriculum is complemented by eight proprietary guides, three GMAC guides, a basic-math supplement, six CATs, Challenge Problem Archive and post-exam assessment.

$1490

Two-Week Boot Camp

Want to learn the material quickly? ManhattanGMAT created a format to get you prepared for the biggest test of your business life in only two weeks. Only available in New York, the boot camp is a grueling 43 hours of in-class instruction broken up into three-and-a-half-hour sessions. The classes are recorded and archived for later review. ManhattanGMAT gives you 14 hours of online office hours as well as a half-hour of in-person game-planning. Also included are their eight proprietary strategy guides, three GMAC guides, eight question banks, six CATs, three simulated practice exams at the New York offices and the Challenge Problem Archive.

$2950

ONLINE COURSES

GMAT Online Complete Curriculum

The same format as Complete Curriculum except online. Nine three-hour class sessions that are recorded for future review, nine instructive labs, which are narrated by a teacher and utilize the interactive white board and focus on specific topics or techniques such as data sufficiency and process of elimination. The Complete Curriculum is complemented by eight proprietary guides, three GMAC guides, a basic-math supplement, six CATs, Challenge Problem Archive and post-exam assessment.

$1490

SELF-STUDY

Prefer to set your own schedule but still leverage ManhattanGMAT’s wealth of preparatory materials? GMAT will provide you with recorded lessons, a syllabus, testing tips and a study organizer.

Guided Self-Study Prep

ManhattanGMAT’s online self-study course offers 27 hours of pre-recorded lessons that you can watch until your heart’s content. The Guided Self-Study Prep also includes two half-hour sessions with a ManhattanGMAT teacher, eight proprietary strategy guides and question banks, the Foundations of GMAT Math Strategy Supplement, and three GMAC guides. 12 hours of online labs review key concepts and execution theory, the Challenge Problem Archive tests your high-level math abilities, and a 400 extra practice questions go with the Foundation supplement. Though you won’t have an in-person teacher, you will not be at a loss of challenging content.

$590

GMAT Guided Self-Study Prep Plus

This includes everything from the Self-Study Prep as well as recordings from nine classes.

$790

WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS

ManhattanGMAT offers an array of a la carte workshops so you can focus on exactly what you need to learn. One-day workshops range from two to three hours and $95 to $245. They are taught by a lead teacher and a support instructor.

Quest for 750 Advanced Quant

Two-hour online workshop focusing on pattern recognition. Recommended for students who typically score better than 650 on the quantitative portion of practice tests. This workshop includes a homework bank with 22 of the most difficult questions and their explanations, six CATs, and a free headset.

$245

$95 for current and former nine-session course students

Quest for 750 Advanced Data Sufficiency

Two-hour online workshop focusing GMAT trickery. Recommended for students looking to understand traps and distracter questions.

The workshop includes a 22-question homework bank, 6 CATs, and a headset.

$245

$95 for current and former nine-session course students

Quest for 750 Sentence Correction

Two-hour online workshop focusing on the hardest verbal concepts. Includes ManhattanGMAT’s 22-question homework bank, six CATs and a headset.

$245

$95 for current and former nine-session course students

Foundations of Math I

Three-hour online workshop spaced over two days that starts at the fundamental mathematical skills. This includes the Foundations of GMAT Math Strategy Supplement, a 100-question homework bank, six CATs and a headset.

$95

Foundations of Math II

A three-hour online workshop focused on fractions, decimals and percentages, and geometry. Includes the Foundations of GMAT Math Strategy Supplement, a100-question homework bank, six CATs and a headset.

$95

PRIVATE TUTORING

One-on-one tutoring is offered a la carte or as a complement to GMAT’s Complete Curriculum. As you would expect from private tutoring and these prices, you customize the program and lessons to your own needs and receive private attention.

Light Tutoring Package

10 hours at $215/hour

Standard Tutoring Package

15 hours at $195/hour

Premium Tutoring Package

20 hours at $190/hour

Deluxe Tutoring Package

25 hours at $185/hour

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