Manhattan Prep GMAT Review – [2024] Discounts

The Manhattan Prep GMAT test prep courses are among the best in the industry. But are their courses the best fit for you? If you are going for your MBA and really want to wow the admission department at the school of your choice, you’ll want to get a high score on the GMAT. Getting a high score means lots of preparation to get you there.

Manhattan Prep isn’t cheap, but it offers some quality programs. They don’t offer any kind of guarantee of satisfaction or score increase. Maybe they think that you ought to simply take their word that their test prep offerings, including their GMAT test prep courses, are the best? Manhattan Prep bills itself as an educational institution, and you only get from it what you put in.

Besides, their corporate clientele includes such famous companies as Google, Bank of America, McKinsey, and Goldman Sachs. If these iconic companies don’t need guarantees, why would you?

However, even if Manhattan Prep works for Google, it still may not work for you depending on your learning style and needs. We’re going to help you discover if this is the best course for you personally with a closer look at these GMAT prep courses.

Manhattan Prep GMAT Course Feature Highlights

GMAT Test Course	Features
All the GMAT Book Package · $152.50	· GMAT All the Quant guide · GMAT All the Verbal guide · GMAT Integrated Reasoning & Essay guide · 2 exclusive e-books on harder quant and verbal contents · Study syllabus, telling you when to do your reading, practice problems, and test assignments · 6 full-length GMAT computer-adaptive tests · GMAT Navigator, which answers all the questions in the main GMAT Official Guide book offered by the GMAT test creators
GMAT Self-Study Toolkit · $359	Prep Books · GMAT All the Quant Strategy Guide · GMAT All the Verbal Strategy Guide · GMAT Integrated Reasoning & Essay · The GMAT Official Guide, 2020 · Foundations of Math · Foundations of Verbal · Test Simulation Booklet Online Resource Suite · 5 GMAT Interact Lessons—adaptive on-demand videos · Atlas online syllabus · 6 full-length computer-adaptive practice GMAT exams · 12 online question banks (5 quantitative, 3 verbal, and 4 integrated reasoning) · GMAT Navigator—analyzes your performance on your Official Guide problems and helps you learn the best solution methods · Foundations of GMAT Math additional practice problem banks · Foundations of GMAT Verbal additional practice problem banks · GMAT Write · Challenge Problem Archive
Interact: Verbal Only · $549	· Focus on GMAT verbal skills · 21 interactive Verbal lessons · 6 practice tests · 2 strategy guides · Various online tools
Interact: Quant Only · $549	· Focus on GMAT math skills · 16 interactive Quant lessons · 6 practice tests · 2 strategy guides · Various online tools
GMAT Interact Full Course · $999	· 35+ interactive lessons · 6 practice tests · 5 strategy guides · Various online tools (Navigator, Online Syllabus, problem archives, question banks, essay grading software, ebook downloads…) · Mobile app
Complete Course · Starting at $1,399	· 27 hours of classroom instruction over 9 sessions · 35+ interactive video-based lessons taught by expert instructors · 6 full-length GMAT practice tests · All the GMAT Strategy Guide Set · Full access to GMAT Interact prep course · 2 online Foundations of GMAT Math workshops · GMAT mobile app · Interactive online syllabus · GMAT Navigator online practice tracker · Challenge problem archives and question banks · Essay-grading software · eBook downloads
Complete Course + Coaching · Starting at $1,799	· All the Complete Course features · 3 one-on-one coaching sessions (1 hour each)
Private Tutoring · $255 per hour (2-9 hours) · $2,450 for 10 hours · $4,600 for 20 hours · $6,750 for 30 hours	For 10 hours minimum: · All the online resources · All the books
GMAT Course with MBA Pre-Application · Starting at $3,949	· Enrollment in any In-Person, Live Online, or Boot camp GMAT course · 8 hours of admissions coaching from a Senior Consultant · Support to help you plan ahead when you are 12-24 months from applying
GMAT Course with MBA 1-school Application · Starting at $5,974	· Enrollment in any In-Person, Live Online, or Boot camp GMAT course · Unlimited one-on-one assistance with your MBA application · Candidate assessment · Essay editing · Interview prep
GMAT Course with MBA 1-school Application · Starting at $$8,499	· Enrollment in any In-Person, Live Online, or Boot camp GMAT course · Unlimited one-on-one assistance with your MBA application for 3 schools · Candidate assessment · Essay editing · Interview prep
GMAT Boot Camp · Starting at $2,699	· 35 hours of instruction · 3 hours of online Coaching Sessions · 6 online GMAT practice tests · Full access to GMAT Interact · Manhattan Prep GMAT Strategy Guide Set
GMAT Boot Camp PLUS · Starting at $5,199	· 12 hours of one-on-one tutoring · 6 hours of foundational math instruction · All the features of the standard Boot Camp

 

PROs

Here are some of the benefits you get from Manhattan Prep that you may not get from the other GMAT test prep brands:

You Have So Many Options

This is perhaps one of the most obvious advantages here. You’re basically able to tailor the features you get (and pay for) to include the ones you actually want, and nothing more. Here you actually get 13 different packages, and that’s counting Private Tutoring (with its many packages involving different number of tutoring hours) as a single package.

With other brands, you’re lucky if you can pick from among 7 options or so. Some of the other GMAT test prep brands offer even fewer options.

Manhattan even offers detailed assistance for getting into the MBA program of your choice, since the GMAT score you get is only one of the criteria the school uses to determine its admission decisions. Services such as preparing for the interview aren’t typically offered by other brands.

If you just want the prep materials while you take a GMAT test prep course from another brand, you can get those prep materials from Manhattan Prep. Their prep materials aren’t available from other sources, since the books are written by the hand-picked Manhattan Prep instructors themselves.

You can also focus on certain areas if you want. If you just want to cover Verbal or Quant, those options are available to you.

Different Formats

With Manhattan, you have e-books, plus actual paperbacks. You’re offered practice questions and tests, classroom instruction, intensive bootcamps, private tutoring, and many more. All the formats of teaching you to deal with on the GMAT are represented.

This means that Manhattan Prep is for everyone who can afford it. If you’re looking for a flexible course that you can fit into your busy schedule, there’s the Interact course. If you like classroom instruction just like in school, you have that option. There’s private tutoring for more personalized guidance, and bootcamps for those with the 3 weeks of time and the sheer determination to go through intense training.

You Get A Lot for Each Option

While you do have cheaper (relatively speaking) options such as the test prep books only or going with just Interact Verbal, things become a lot more comprehensive starting with the Interact Full Course.

With 6 months of access, you’re going to be busy with your GMAT preparation.

There’s the Online Syllabus

Lots of people like following a schedule, instead of planning things on the fly. With the syllabus, you have a firm idea of what to do at any given time to make sure your studying is on track.

You Have Boot Camp Options

Have you ever wondered how awkward, know-nothing fresh military recruits suddenly become real soldiers after boot camp?

That’s basically what you go through when you attend any of the Manhattan Prep Boot Camps in person. If you have only a limited time (2 or 3 weeks) to prepare for the GMAT, you can try this and end up a GMAT warrior afterwards.

There’s a Mobile App

All of us these days have smartphones, and often it’s more convenient to use one to study for the GMAT when you have some free time while you’re out and about.

It’s a good thing that Manhattan Prep offers a mobile app, so can do your studying while you have some free time at school or at work. The app offers more than 1,100 practice questions, along with explanations for the answers.

You’re even able to track your progress for particular subjects, so you can focus on questions that cover your weaker spots.

There’s a Free Trial

The prices through Manhattan are somewhat high and there’s no guarantee. But there’s a free trial, so you get a better sense of what you’re getting for your money.

With this free trial, you can check out the quality of the practice questions and drills, and see for yourself if the instructors are knowledgeable and engaging enough for you.

Top Notch Instructors

Manhattan Prep only hires instructors and tutors from the top 1% of the GMAT test-takers. Their screening process starts with about 205 of them passing the initial filter, and at the end they have just 11 new instructors each time.

It’s Highly Regarded

Manhattan Prep has received plenty of awards, and counts prestigious companies among its clients. If these companies are paying serious money to Manhattan Prep, the brand must be doing something right.

CONs

Manhattan prep, for all the acclaim it has received, isn’t entirely perfect. You’ll want to be aware of some of the drawbacks before investing.

Expensive

While the formats and options offer packages for just about anyone, the prices require an additional qualification. Manhattan Prep is only for those who can afford it.

The cheapest complete self-paced course (the Interact Full Course) here costs almost a thousand dollars. With classroom instruction added for the Complete Course, you have to add another $400 to the cost.

There’s No Guarantee

Manhattan Prep says they don’t need one, and they’re right—from their point of view. That’s because the lack of any guarantee and even the exorbitant prices aren’t diminishing the number of people taking their courses.

Still, it would be nice if they could officially assure you that you’ll get a certain GMAT score or score improvement when you take their courses. But Manhattan Prep is very clear of this point—if you don’t do well with any of their courses, it’s simply your fault.

Extremely Limited In-Person Options

Even before the pandemic crisis, Manhattan Prep only offered their in-person classes and tutoring to some major cities. In contrast, many of the other brands offer these in-person options to lots of college towns.

FAQs

How many actual books does Manhattan Prep offer?

They offer a total of 7 books, all in all.

How does the study syllabus work?

This gives you a firm schedule to follow, so you don’t dither. You’re told what to do and when to do it, whether it’s a reading assignment, doing practice problems, or doing practice tests.

Does the main GMAT Official Guide book come with any of the courses?

No, as it is offered by the makers of the GMAT. You’ll have to buy it separately from them. But then you can use the Navigator to understand how to answer each of the questions and problems in the book.

Who Should Buy It?

With so many options, it’s easy enough to say that there’s something here for everyone who wants to prepare properly for the GMAT. Can you say the following about yourself?

You Can Afford the Prices

Even the partial GMAT assistance courses are expensive. The full course that’s still only self-paced (with no classroom instruction) will cost you $999. Not everyone has that kind of money.

You Have the Discipline and Motivation

Remember, there’s no guarantee. If you don’t do as well with the GMAT after taking any of these courses, it’s your fault.

With so many materials and resources to use, it’s hard to argue against Manhattan Prep’s position. That means you really need to follow the online syllabus faithfully, doing what you have to do when you’re told to do it.

Conclusion

With all the accolades and the proof of so many options and resources, there’s no doubt that you’ll be well-prepared for the GMAT once you’re done with any of the prep courses here.

Try Manhattan Prep if you can afford any of the full courses, and only if you won’t slack off. If you don’t have the discipline, you may just end up wasting your money. You can also check other popular options such as Magoosh and Princeton Review as well.

Manhattan GMAT’s Official Website