Guide to GMAT Test Prep Courses

VERITAS PREP

link and 800.926.PREP

The Malibu, Calif.-based Veritas Prep specializes in offering courses tailored to meet your schedule and personal tastes. From the 42-hour in-classroom Complete Course and 25 hours of phone support to verbal- and quantitative-specific workshops and MBA admissions workshops, Veritas has it. Additional e-mail support is available through TrueTrack, Veritas’ online student dashboard, which allows you to review lessons, access your CATs, track your diagnostic score, examine the syllabus and, of course, pay bills. Post private questions to the instructor or discuss strategy with fellow students (every course comes with TrueTrack).

Veritas Prep has been around since 2002, and courses start with the simple questions and get progressively more difficult as you lead up to the GMAT. Scott Shrum, director of MBA admissions research, would not discuss Veritas’ enrollment numbers but says the program is growing, and enrollment is significantly weighted toward in-person. “Online is obviously here to stay,” says Shrum, “but our bread and butter has always been running classrooms.” Veritas views its online offerings as a way to augment the learning rather than replace in-class discussions. Typical class sizes are between ten and 15 people, after which they’re split into two.

Seth Fishman, a recent Washington & Lee University graduate, only had three other students in his class. “It was kind of like having a tutor.” He’s taking the GMATs at the end of May and says he was surprised at how interactive Veritas’ online offerings were. “You can actually talk to [your teacher]. She tried to keep us engaged and made us answer questions.”

Students receive 15 booklets – one for each of its 14 main course sessions, and a 15th pre-course math essentials book. Veritas complements its in-person and workbook experience with 25 hours of weekly phone office time. The hours are staggered so that international students can call (or use Skype). You can also email in your questions and get help that way. “We try and be as flexible as possible,” says Shrum.

If you’re not satisfied with your Veritas experience, you can take one course of equal or lesser value for any reason free of charge.  “Everyone who takes one of our classes has access to Self-Paced Online,” reminds Shrum. If you miss a class, watch the same pre-recorded lesson to catch up. It may be a different instructor, but “it’s 99 percent the same material.” Students can also take any class free of charge within six months of their first day of class.

Warner Queeny, a senior business analyst at Korn/Ferry International, a recruitment firm, enrolled in Veritas’ Self-Paced Online course and was pleased with the results. First, he tried studying GMAT books on his own, but after taking a practice test, realized he needed more professional help. “I bombed it and made the decision to do the full push.” Queeny wanted a course that would push him. “That certainly gave me an opportunity. It’s not fun but it raised my score.” Queeny, who is headed to the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business in August, went from a 560 on the first practice test to a 720 combined score in November. His verbal rose from 30 to 40, and his quant score went from 40 to 49 (Queeny’s AWA was a perfect 6).

IN-PERSON COURSES

Complete Course

Veritas’ complete course spans 42 hours over seven weeks  and includes 42 hours of classroom time,

unlimited 6-month access to Self-Paced GMAT Online classes, 25 hours a week of toll-free phone support, unlimited e-mail support, 15 CATs (five proprietary and ten via partners like Thomson/Arco and 800Score), 1500 questions and detailed explanations, 15 workbooks and seven shorter diagnostic tests.

$1500-$1600

Weekend Complete Course

The Weekend Complete Course’s strategy and content are identical to the Complete Course, but is compressed to 36 hours over two weekends. Less time is spent on homework review, but the same 25 hours of phone support and unlimited email support is included. The first weekend focuses on verbal, and the second weekend focuses on quantitative. Sign up for both for comprehensive learning or only one weekend for targeted lessons. Students receive unlimited 6-month access to Self-Paced GMAT Online, 15 CATs, 1500 questions and detailed explanations and 15 workbooks and seven shorter diagnostic tests.

$1200-$1500 (Cities are on the $1500 side)

Accelerated Complete Course

This course covers the same material as Veritas’ Complete Course except you’ll be taking 42 hours of class over one week instead of seven. The Accelerated Complete Course includes 25 hours a week of phone support, unlimited e-mail support, six-month access to Self-Paced GMAT Online Class, 15 CATs, 1500 questions and detailed explanations.

$1800

ONLINE COURSES

Live Online Complete Course

The same curriculum as the Veritas Complete Course except from the comfort of your home. Live Online is taught by a lead instructor and a “wingman,” as Shrum says. Communicate with your instructor and other students via headset or through the dynamic whiteboard that includes instant messaging. 42 hours of live online teaching, six months access to the Self-Paced GMAT Online classes, 25 hours of weekly toll-free phone support, 15 workbooks, 15 CATs, 1500 problems and detailed explanations and a headset.

$1200

Self-Paced GMAT Online

Formerly called Veritas On Demand, this self-study program offers 42 hours of pre-recorded lessons that cover the same topics and concepts a live instructor would. You can’t interact with the teacher, but you can work at your own pace, pause, fast-forward, rewind and skip around classes at your leisure.  Includes 25 hours of weekly toll-free phone support, unlimited e-mail support, 15 workbooks, 15 CATs, diagnostic feedback

$850 for six-month access

Verbal Focus

Over the course of a weekend, spend 18 hours focused on reading comprehension, sentence correction, critical reasoning, and the analytical writing assessment. Veritas guarantees you a 5 or 6 on the AWA if you master Veritas’ verbal technique. “They’re pretty rote tests,” Shrum says of the AWA, which are scored by a computer. The Verbal Focus course provides you access to the verbal portion of the Self-Paced GMAT Online, seven diagnostic workbooks and 15 CATs,

$700-$800

Quant Focus

Veritas’ Quant Focus workshop is only available in-person in select cities over the course of a weekend. Over eight hours, you’ll start with algebra and geometry and then move onto the more difficult content. Students get access to the quantitative portion of the Self-Paced GMAT Online, seven diagnostic workbooks and 15 CATs,

$700-$800

PRIVATE TUTORING

Choose your own pace and receive the personal attention group courses can’t offer you. Coursework is anchored by the traditional Veritas courses but is augmented to address your growth areas. “Someone might come to us whose average [score] is in the mid- to low-500s, get 14 hours of tutoring, and – since they were simply missing a fundamental concept – improve the score drastically,” Shrum says. If you decide you’re interested in private tutoring, Veritas will set up a program and start working in only a few days. Tutoring includes six-month access to Self-Paced GMAT Online, 1500 questions and solutions, 15 CAT tests and all the other goodies.

Private Tutoring

$2800 for 14 hours

$4900 for 28 hours

$6900 for 42 hours

Virtual Private Tutoring

$2500 for 14 hours

$4400 for 28 hours

$6200 for 42 hours

In addition to another course

$165/hour

B-SCHOOL ADMISSIONS CONSULTING

Market yourself, practice interviewing and put your resume under the harsh light of a caring critic. All Veritas head consultants have worked in the admissions office at a top MBA school either grading essays, running interviews and as an admissions officer. Have a passion for engineering or management? Veritas will pair you with a consultant who has an engineering or management education. A team of recent graduates from schools you’re applying to act as complementary specialists. They’ll give you inside advice as well as honest insight into which of your target schools’ extracurricular clubs and programs are robust and which are hype.

Veritas consultants drill you with mock interviews, resume critique, testimony from recent grads and students, financial aid planning. They’ll also advise you how to tailor your resumes and essays to the target school. The company also offers preparation up until the first day of class. Shrum says that consultation for the first application typically takes 15 to 25 hours, the second takes less, and the third-school consultation takes about five hours.

Chairman Package

The Chairman Package includes Veritas’ 42-hour Complete Course as well as                   three-school admissions consulting and 14 hours of private tutoring.

$7400

President Package

The President Package includes Veritas’ 42-hour Complete Course as well as three-school admissions consulting.

$5850

Director Package

The Director Package includes Veritas’ 42-hour Complete Course, three hours of admissions consulting and three hours of tutoring.

$1245

Additional hours

$250 an hour with purchase of  a Veritas course

Essay Editing and Evaluation

Veritas consultants work with you to improve your grammar, diction, essay structure and ability to engage the reader. Prices range from $225 for a zero-to-300-word evaluation to $425 for 1201-1500 words. Above 1501 it’s an extra $50  per 300 words. Second evaluations are free and the turnaround is three business days.

Resume Editing and Evaluation

One-page resume review is $175 for first evaluation and free for second. Two-page resume is $275, and then it’s $50 extra for each additional page. Turnaround time is three days as well. For both, you can simply upload your documents or paste into text field, which itself is practice for job applications!

Diagnostic MBA Session

For analysis of goals and prospects. Consultants review your candidacy. $350

Interview Prep

Mock interview with a former admissions rep. Admission interview strategy, description of target school’s interview process. Sampling of real interview questions. List of common questions and questions you should ask interviewer. $350

Waitlist Assistance

Veritas will review your application, identify strengths and weaknesses and help draft a letter to let the school know you are interested. Get help soliciting letters of recommendation and support from people who matter. “Waitlist assistance is typically for someone who has not worked with us,” says Shrum. The hefty price reflects Veritas starting with you from scratch to pinpoint exactly what it is about yourself or application that would make you a great fit for the school you’re applying to. $750

Rejection Letter Analysis

Application review, one-hour strategy session for the next step on your journey. $450