If you are considering taking a class in order to prepare for the GMAT, most of them are going to cost the same. For the money, I found Manhattan GMAT to be the most thorough, with the best instructors and best reputation. I came into the GMAT process wanting to study for 3 months and get it over with, and with Manhattan GMAT, I succeeded in this goal. You have to be able to put in the time required to study (2 hours per night) but the curriculum and resources make it easy to work through it. The only criticism I would have is that the website is not all that easy to navigate and at times it feels like you are flooded with resources (though it's better to have a surplus than not enough).

I had previously taken a crash course offered from Kaplan and was disappointed on how much of the content was focused on guessing the answers to the questions instead of building the foundation required to succeed beyond the test.

The GMAT program from Manhattan did not focus on educated guessing until the later classes. The primary goal of the program was to build the foundation and providing shortcuts to solve the issues instead of strengthening a pattern of guessing.

At times, the numerous guides/books can feel like drinking from a fire hose. I found that in addition to using the study guide, the analytical tools provided in the Student Center (such as OG Archer) helps you focus more on your weaker areas.

As any course, the instructor goes a long way in making the material interesting (and bearable for those long classes). Chris has a great sense of humor but with his military background, he doesn't have any trouble asserting the areas you need to improve :-) It's nice to have a Kellogg alumni help you throughout your preparation.

Finally, a shout out to the folks who run 'Office Hours' at Manhattan (where you can schedule an hour to talk over the phone/web to discuss issues you have). I used every session - *Nothing* compares to these 1 on 1 sessions. The teachers are always upbeat, friendly and surprisingly funny.

Manhattan GMAT is a great company for preparing students to take the GMAT. I had a great instructor who was engaged and energetic, as well as an extremely good teacher.

I think the materials cover all the necessary points, both for math and verbal. The wealth of material is almost overwhelming, but if your teacher guides you through what is most important (which ours did) its manageable.

I'm also very happy with the results. I improved 50 points, to a 760 through the Manhattan GMAT course. This takes me from an average score at the top 5 business schools to within the top 90% of accepted students for my target schoos. I am extremely happy with the results!

- Teacher was effective at focusing on my weaknesses first
- very motivating
- Good at analyzing past practice exams