Manhattan GMAT 2-week Boot Camp v In-Person Complete Course

Hey guys,

Which one of these prep courses would be a better option for someone who hasn’t taken a standardized test since high school and would like to score above a 710?

Thanks

 

A "cram session" likely won't provide great benefits. You want to have ample time to really know the material and take tons of practice tests, but when are you trying to have it done by?

 

You cannot cram for the GMAT. Maybe if you are right out of school with a math/engineering degree and good verbal skills you can "pseudo-cram." But most likely you'll need time.

Practicing for the GMAT isn't like reading a biology or history book, it's more like doing brain teasers. Could you do that for 8 hours a day? I couldn't. I maxed out after a couple hours a day because the marginal benefits fall off rapidly with additional time.

Please don't quote Patrick Bateman.
 

Definitely go for the complete course if you have the time. A cram session might get you started quickly as you'll be forced to study hard, but if this is your first go-round it won't be worth the $$. And really, if you need to invest in more guidance after the course, find a tutor to help you one-on-one with your problem areas.

Array
 
Best Response

I'd be careful spending the money on the in-person test if you test reasonably well. I took the MGMAT Live Online course a year or two ago, and I found that within a few weeks, the pace was so slow that I couldn't pay attention. I have heard others say, and I agree, that the courses are intended for those that'll score between 650-700 or so.

I found the real value to be in two things: 1) The syllabus, which kept me on schedule and gave me a really good structure to my studying (especially the quant, which is what I actually needed to learn) and 2) The books and the CATs.

Beyond that, I actually ended up skipping the last two sessions of the class because it was so slow. I found that I was making much more progress on my own than sitting through seven explanations of the same Rate times Time problem. I still thin kthe money for the class was well spent because I desperately needed the overall structure,and the push to really study that spending money gave me.

Good luck.

 
BGP2587:

I'd be careful spending the money on the in-person test if you test reasonably well. I took the MGMAT Live Online course a year or two ago, and I found that within a few weeks, the pace was so slow that I couldn't pay attention. I have heard others say, and I agree, that the courses are intended for those that'll score between 650-700 or so.

I found the real value to be in two things: 1) The syllabus, which kept me on schedule and gave me a really good structure to my studying (especially the quant, which is what I actually needed to learn) and 2) The books and the CATs.

Beyond that, I actually ended up skipping the last two sessions of the class because it was so slow. I found that I was making much more progress on my own than sitting through seven explanations of the same Rate times Time problem. I still thin kthe money for the class was well spent because I desperately needed the overall structure,and the push to really study that spending money gave me.

Good luck.

This. I'm in the beginning stages of this same process (Veritas online) and its been amazing how many stupid questions get asked by some of the other people in the class. It really slows the pace.

 

I'd recommend looking at gmatclub and follow one of the self-study plans, especially if you have a decent math background. That is, if you feel like you can stay focused on your own and stick to a schedule.

The prep courses essentially cover the material from the books.

 

Thanks for all the helpful advise!

The reason why I want to take the prep is because of the syllabus and structure. Otherwise, I'd have a difficult time staying focused and sticking to a schedule. I also haven't taken a standardized test since high school!

Can anyone recommend an instructor for the NYC area?

 

I'm not sure if they're totally useless. The course will give you structure. You'll have a set amount of stuff to get done each week. You'll have incentive to actually do the work (since you paid so much money for the course). Also (in the class I took anyway) everyone was crazy competitive. That alone motivated me.

 

I'd like a recommendation based on the below:

I've done all the Manhattan Prep books and have been studying with increasing focus over the past 2-3 months (maybe 10h a week) and have done reasonably well, but probably gave about 80% attention due to lack of structure that leads to lack of attention.

I have all of March off so I'm wondering if I should do a two week boot camp (3.5h class / day, plus homework) before taking the test, or if this will be redundant. If so, any other suggestions?

Structure is perhaps the most appealing element. Thoughts?

 

Alright so I took the GMAT last week. I prepped for about a month and I did a fast track Manhattan course. As mentioned above, the actual class sessions weren’t extremely helpful, but they helped me to secure a score above 700. The more problems you practice, the better. The office hours for my mat were arguably more beneficial to me than the course itself because nobody is really making sure you do the homework. During the office hours I requested some worksheets that helped me nail quant! Unfortunately they didn’t have any worksheets for verbal, so I practiced those on my own.

 

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