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To get into a top B-school you’ll need to land a top tier score on the GMAT, which means the arduous process of finding the right study and prep plan for you. There are seemingly endless options of exam prep companies, each offering their own version of the same kinds of courses.
For a busy student or professional trying to make sense of their options, GMAT prep can be just as stressful as the exam itself!
The good news is that we’ve done the legwork for you by taking a deep dive into the top GMAT prep courses out there so that you can spend your valuable time on the things that matter most (like actually studying for the GMAT).
In this article, we’re examining Manhattan Prep (powered by Kaplan) and discussing all the various prep course options they offer to help you decide if it's best suited to your needs.
We’ll also take a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of their course offerings.
Manhattan Prep GMAT Prep Course Options
One of the best things about Manhattan Prep (powered by Kaplan) is the variety of offerings. Their tagline is “prep your way,” meaning that no matter what your learning style is or when you’re taking the GMAT, they have an option that should work for you.
Manhattan Prep has several prep course setups, including:
- Live Course
- On Demand
- Bootcamp
- Tutoring
- Advanced Course
- Executive Assessment
Let’s take a look at each of these in more detail so you can better understand exactly what the course provides.
Manhattan Prep GMAT Complete Live Course (Starts at $1599)
The GMAT Complete Live Course is available either in-person or online, with the in-person option priced at $1899. The GMAT Complete course is MP’s most comprehensive option for GMAT prep.
With either course, you’ll get 27 hours of live instruction, 6 full-length GMAT practice exams, access to all their books, strategy guides, and online resources, and full access to On Demand Interact for GMAT, which is Kaplan’s on-demand GMAT prep course.
Manhattan Prep On-Demand Self-Paced Course ($999)
With their On-Demand course, you’ll still receive instruction from Manhattan Prep’s expert instructors. The lessons are interactive and video-based, but it’s up to you to keep up with your study schedule and hold yourself accountable.
The self-paced course is adaptive, which means that the prep course will tailor itself to your performance on practice questions and other exercises, adapting to your strengths and weaknesses.
With this course you’ll get access to over 35 interactive video-based lessons, 6 full-length practice tests, MP’s 7-hour “Foundations of GMAT Math” workshop, All the GMAT strategy guide set, Foundations of GMAT Math and Foundations of GMAT Verbal guides, various other e-books and materials, and access to the Manhattan Prep GMAT mobile app.
Manhattan Prep GMAT Bootcamp ($2599)
This is the company’s most intensive GMAT prep course and it’s designed to produce results as quickly as possible. As such, you should only sign up for the Bootcamp course if you’re committed to studying for the GMAT full-time.
In less than three weeks, this course will take you through everything covered on the GMAT if you’re up for the intensive pace.
With the Bootcamp course, you get 35 hours of instruction. 6 full-length practice exams, access to on-demand, interactive video lessons, a custom practice GMAT test review with a Manhattan Prep instructor, a post-exam assessment after your official GMAT, the 7-hour “Foundations of GMAT Math” workshop, all the various guides, books, and supplemental materials, and access to MP’s dedicated mobile app.
Manhattan Prep GMAT Tutoring (Starts at $2450)
Private, 1-on-1 tutoring is one of the most effective ways to improve your skills and help ensure that you perform at your best level on test day. Manhattan Prep offers both online and in-person tutoring options to provide focused, individualized study sessions with one of their expert instructors.
Tutoring packages are available for 10 hours ($245/hour), 20 hours ($230/hour), or 30 hours ($225/hour).
With any tutoring package, your instructor will work with you to develop a customized study plan that fits your needs. The benefit of this arrangement is that you can set your own GMAT prep timeline and choose the pace for your learning.
Private tutoring is a great way to supplement a more formal prep course, or you can use it as your main study tool - whatever works best for you!
Plus, when you purchase a 10+ hour GMAT tutoring package, you’ll get access to all the books, practice tests, guides, and other materials that MP offers.
Manhattan Prep GMAT Advanced Course ($1399)
The Advanced Course is designed for those individuals who are looking to score over 650 on the GMAT. If you’ve previously taken the GMAT and scored at least a 650 and you’re not satisfied, then the Advanced Course may be for you.
In this 5-week course, MP’s 99th percentile instructors will provide you with very focused instruction and guide you through the skills and strategies you need to solve the most challenging GMAT problems. They’ll also help you get through the toughest material in a shorter time.
Plus, like the other courses, you’ll get access to all MP’s extras, including:
- 6 full-length practice tests
- Access to their on-demand, interactive video lessons
- Strategy and other guide sets
- Manhattan Prep GMAT mobile app
- Custom 1-on-1 pre- and post-exam assessments with an instructor
Manhattan Prep GMAT Executive Assessment (Starts at $1499)
This is an intensive, comprehensive GMAT prep course that’s designed to help you do your best on the Executive Assessment (EA).
The EA course is six sessions long and covers the main topics and question types that you’ll experience during the EA, along with personalized 1-on-1 tutoring with an expert MP teacher.
The EA prep course includes 15 hours of classroom instruction, 2 hours of personalized EA exam prep, All the Math and All the Verbal strategy guides, IR & Essay Strategy Guide, Foundations of Math and Foundations of Verbal guides, 4 EA practice tests, and 300 EA practice problems.
They also offer this package with an added 10 hours of tutoring for $2450 for anyone who needs more individualized instruction.
Pros and Cons of Manhattan Prep GMAT
Every exam prep course has its advantages and disadvantages based on what they offer and what your needs are. Factors like how soon your test date is, your learning style, and other personal preferences can impact whether a specific prep course is right for you.
Understanding the pros and cons will help you make the most informed decision and choose the right GMAT prep course for your needs.
So, before you invest a lot of time and money in any GMAT prep course, let’s discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages of Manhattan Prep GMAT.
Pros of Manhattan Prep GMAT
Course Offerings and Options: If you’re looking for flexible options or you’re not sure yet which prep course format is most appealing to you, then Manhattan Prep is a great place to start your search.
Their course offerings really have something for everyone. Whether you’re looking for small group classes, live instruction, self-paced learning, or 1-on-1 tutoring, they have something that will probably meet your needs.
Best of all, they’ll let you try any of their courses for free to see if it’s a good fit.
High Quality Instructors: Manhattan Prep built their company on the premise that great instructors produce great results. That’s something that they’ve stayed true to even after becoming affiliated with Kaplan.
MP only employs 99th percentile instructors for the GMAT prep courses, meaning they’ll be able to share tips and tricks that worked for them. But, remember, you’re paying a premium price for premium instructors.
Available Online or In-Person: Not many of the GMAT prep companies out there offer both in-person and online instruction.
This is a huge benefit if you’re someone who does better in a live classroom setting. Still, if you prefer being able to participate in class virtually, the option is there.
Adaptive Technology: Even with the self-paced online GMAT prep course, you’ll still get a personalized experience.
Manhattan Prep provides users with an immersive and interactive GMAT prep course that adapts to your performance.
As you answer practice questions and complete the lessons, Manhattan Prep’s adaptive software will recognize which questions you’re answering correctly and which ones are giving you more trouble. Then, it will tailor the program to your needs.
Additional Resources: Manhattan Prep is not stingy when it comes to giving their users access to additional content and resources to help them succeed on test day.
They include loads of extra guides, workshops, and other materials in their GMAT prep course packages, which adds a lot of value to what they offer.
Dedicated Mobile App: You might be surprised at the number of GMAT prep companies that don’t offer a dedicated mobile app, especially as learning and tutoring becomes more and more digital-based.
Manhattan Prep understands the importance of being able to study on the go, which is why they have a dedicated mobile app to access study materials and content.
Cons of Manhattan Prep GMAT
Price: Even though Manhattan Prep offers a lot of extras and features with their courses to add significant value, the pricing is still out of range for many GMAT test-takers.
Their on-demand, self-paced course is priced right at $1,000, which is a big difference from budget-friendly courses like Magoosh GMAT prep.
No Improvement Guarantee: Surprisingly, Manhattan Prep doesn’t offer a score improvement guarantee with their GMAT prep courses. This is different from most of the other major players that do offer some kind of guarantee, even if it’s not a specific number of points.
That means there’s always the chance that you could potentially invest in the course and then do worse on the GMAT and you wouldn’t get a refund. At this price point, you'd expect to see bolder score improvement guarantees like those offered by The Princeton Review GMAT course offering.
Length of Access: Once you enroll in Manhattan Prep courses, you’ll have six months to study to your heart’s desire. After that, you’ll no longer have access to their online content and materials or the mobile app.
Six months is a good amount of time if you’re scheduled to take the GMAT within the next six to eight months, but if you’re trying to get an early start (like a year or more), six months isn’t quite enough time.
There are several companies out there which offer a full year of access to their content, so that might be a better option if your exam date is more than six months out.
No Essay Grading: There aren’t a lot of GMAT prep courses that offer essay grading as part of their regular syllabus, but there are some options out there which do provide this service.
Manhattan Prep isn’t one of those companies. While they do offer a lot of great resources and services, essay grading isn’t part of their GMAT prep course.
So, if you need some extra help with the writing section, you’ll have to look elsewhere for grading and support on that portion of the GMAT.
Is Manhattan Prep GMAT Right for You?
Manhattan Prep was an excellent GMAT prep course company from the start, focused on providing top-notch instruction and course material designed by people who actually took the GMAT and did well.
Since they became “powered by Kaplan,” Manhattan Prep has only continued to improve.
They provide a wide range of options for prep course formats and learning styles, and the amount of extra resources and supplementary content is really unmatched by their competitors.
Still, Manhattan Prep might not be the best option for you if you’re prepping on a budget or if your exam date is more than a year out. For budget conscious preppers, we'll recommend looking into alternative like the PrepScholar GMAT and Magoosh GMAT courses
The best way to decide if you should invest in a GMAT prep course is to give it a try. Most of the companies out there offer a free trial period or a money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied with the course.
Manhattan Prep is no exception to this trend. They’ll let you attend the first session of any of their online or in-person GMAT courses for free. In fact, they’ll even let you try out more than one just to make sure it’s the right one for you.
So, give them a try and see what you think. Remember, at the end of the day, what you get out of any exam prep course is what you put into it. So be sure to commit to the one that will fit your needs the best.
A course that you feel good about and can commit to engaging with regularly will be your best bet when it comes to being fully prepared to perform well on test day.
