The Manhattan Prep brand is one of the highly regarded in the test prep industry. But can their GRE test prep courses help you prepare properly? Preparing for graduate school involves a lot of hard work and research. You will want the best resources available
from experts to help you reach your highest potential score.
The trust in the Manhattan brand is so high in the industry that other famous brands use their services, including Google, along with famous brands in the finance sector such as Bank of America and Goldman Sachs.
The folks at Manhattan know their worth, which is also why they tend to offer higher prices without even the assurance of a point increase guarantee. After all, they say, if Google and Goldman Sachs don’t need any guarantee, then you don’t need one either.
But while others may have great respect for the brand, the question remains: do they offer a GRE test prep course that’s worth your money and that will meet your needs?
What we will cover?
Manhattan Test Prep Course Options
Here’s a handy table showing the prep courses, prices, and the more important features for each course.
| GRE Prep Course | Features |
| Impact for GRE ($499 for 6 months of access)
· $299 for 1-month access · $399 for 3-month access |
· “Thousands” (at least 100,000) of practice problems and drills
· 6 full-length GRE practice tests · 77 interactive video lessons · Detailed video explanations |
| Foundations of GRE Math(Currently Not available) | · Live instruction from a 99th-percentile GRE Math expert
· 12 hours of classroom time over 4 class sessions · A comprehensive syllabus to guide your studies · Manhattan Prep’s Math Strategy Guide · The 5 lb Book of GRE Practice Problems · The Official Guide to the GRE · 6 Online GRE Practice Tests |
| GRE For MBA Course ($1,280 for Online and $1520 for In-person ) | · Specially designed for B-school aspirants taking GRE.
· 9 Live online weekly classes by tutors who have top 1% GRE score. · 4 Popular GRE Prep books. · 100,000+ practice problems. ·Small class size · 65 interactive video-based lessons taught by our expert instructors. Detailed video explanations · 6 full-length, computer-adaptive GRE practice tests · Manhattan Prep’s GRE mobile app (available on iOS & Android) · Interactive online syllabus · Challenge problems · Vocab flashcards. Daily vocabulary emails |
| Private Tutoring
· $255 per hour, 2-hour minimum · $2,450 for 10 hours · $4,600 for 20 hours · $6,750 for 30 hours |
· 10, 20, or 30 hours packages
· Full access to Interact for GRE, the comprehensive, on-demand learning experience · 66 interactive video-based lessons taught by expert instructors · 100,000+ practice problems · Detailed video explanations · All lessons available on computer, tablet, and mobile devices · 6 full-length, computer-adaptive GRE practice tests · Manhattan Prep’s GRE mobile app (available on iOS & Android) · Interactive online syllabus · Challenge problems · Vocab flashcards · 4 books |
PROs
Here are some of the most notable benefits you can enjoy with these GRE prep courses:
There’s an App
It should be obvious that your best bet to maximize these GRE prep course features is to set yourself in front of your laptop or desktop PC and devote a substantial chunk of time for your review session. However, if you are on public transportation or have a few minutes break, an app can be a good way to get in a little extra studying for the day.
You get the app with the complete course. You can also buy it separately, and it’s not that expensive. It costs about $10 for 1-month access, $20 for 3 months, and $30 for a year.
Then you can enjoy these features even while you don’t have your laptop with you:
- 6 quizzes
- 500 vocabulary flashcards
- 1,000+ practice questions with detailed answer explanations
- 800+ drills covering critical GRE topics
- Proven test-taking and study strategies to raise your score
- Immediate feedback to track your overall progress
- In-depth statistics that display your strengths and weaknesses
Wide Range of Different Resources
Here, you can get whatever format you want so you can review it effectively. You’re not limited in your range of online tools.
You can enjoy several hours of live online classroom instruction if that’s something that can help you. Plenty of GRE test-takers like this option because of the greater degree of engagement.
Tutoring is another attractive feature available for reasonable prices, and you get the GRE Interact as well with the tutoring.
Lots (and Lots) of Practice Questions
You certainly won’t run out of questions with Manhattan’s GRE prep courses. That’s because you’re working with 100,000 thousand practice questions.
That means you’ll never have to worry too much about having to tackle questions you’ve already dealt with before. You can be very sure that you’ll be tested on just about every concept that can appear on the real GRE test.
6 Practice Tests
The Manhattan GRE practice tests are very similar to the computer-adaptive GRE test. Taking these tests familiarize you with the actual GRE experience, which then helps to reduce the anxiety you might feel when you encounter unfamiliar questions on the real test.
The tests also give you explanations for the questions you got wrong. These explanations can help you learn from your mistakes. When a similar question appears on the next practice test (or on the real GRE), you’re more likely to answer the question correctly.
The real value of these tests is that they’re diagnostic. You can take these tests at regular intervals and see how well you’ve progressed over time. The results of the test can pinpoint the areas in which you still need more review, and that can help you customize your study plan accordingly.
With 6 tests, you can take practice tests more frequently so you can know how to focus your studying and make adjustments to your study plan if necessary.
Advanced Flashcards
While you do have flashcards with the Complete course, you may want to obtain the flashcards separately when you get the Interact plan. You can even get them separately even if you don’t go with any Manhattan prep course.
These flashcards are quite helpful. Your flashcards cover the vocab section, and you have 2 difficulty levels to work with. You can start with the essential, then go with the advanced later on.
Some of the flashcards even cover the math section as well which not all brands offer.
Books are Available
Despite predictions of a paperless society, a lot of students still like actual physical books even in this day and age. You can read the book while you’re taking a break in your busy schedule and you don’t have your laptop with you. You can also curl up with a Manhattan GRE prep book at night, right before you go to sleep to try to retain more. You’ll certainly appreciate the ability to keep studying even if you lose your Internet connection!
Manhattan offers 4 books as part of the package in the more expensive plans. You have the option to buy them separately as well.
High Quality of Instruction
The video lessons are very well done, and the instructors know what they’re doing. The live instruction also offers very informative and engaging lessons.
All these are true because Manhattan takes very selective in picking their instructors. All of them took the GRE themselves, and they’re all in the very top 1% with their GRE scores. They all know what they’re talking about because they’ve already been there.
Easy Payment Schemes
While the Interact plans aren’t cheap, they are reasonably priced. It may seem more affordable if choose the option to pay monthly installments.
With the 6-month premium plan, you can pay just $36 a month until you cover the $399 fee. You can pay $31 a month for the 3-month access, or $22 a month for the 1-month access.
These small monthly payments can be very helpful for your budget. Lots of students spend more than $36 a month just on coffee!
Cons
There are some potential drawbacks you will need to factor in if you are considering going with a Manhattan program:
There’s No Guarantee
There’s simply no scenario that ends up with you getting a refund. If you’re unsatisfied with the course you got, Manhattan does not take responsibility. If you get a low GRE score after taking any of the Manhattan GRE prep courses, it’s still your fault.
It Can Be Expensive
The Complete course may not be affordable for some, as the price exceeds a thousand dollars. The tutoring prices are even more exorbitant, especially when you choose the 10-hour package or more.
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FAQs
How are Manhattan Prep instructors qualified?
They have all scored in the 99th percentile on the GRE (or the respective test they instruct on) and have extensive teaching experience.
How interactive is the online platform?
Zoom is the platform used to recreate a true classroom experience as closely as possible. A chat box and interactive whiteboard are also available during instruction.
Does Manhattan Prep have payment plan options?
When signing up for a course, you have the option to make a 50% deposit, with the balance being paid on the first day of the course. There are no monthly payment plans.
How much homework should I plan for each week?
All students are different, in their abilities and goals. However, it is safe to say that you should plan on a minimum of 10-15 hours of study weekly.
Who Should Buy a Manhattan GRE Prep Course?
Here are some statements that an ideal Manhattan GRE prep course client might say:
I Like Reviewing with Practice Questions
If that’s the case, you’ll be very ecstatic with the number of practice questions you have here. You won’t ever run out of fresh questions to tackle.
I Want an Extremely Reputable Brand
With famous brands like Google and Goldman Sachs availing of the Manhattan test prep services, you know that this isn’t a cheap operation. It’s a world-class service, that you can use.
You can check a detailed comparison with Kaplan here.
Conclusion
Though they don’t offer any sort of point-increase guarantee, with Manhattan it does seem warranted. They offer you the widest range of resource materials that no other brand can match, and there’s no denying the quality of their services. They only hire the top 1% GRE scorers as their instructors, and with their help, you might even join their ranks.
All Manhattan can do is offer the resources, and you have to do the work. With your diligence and the quality and quantity of the Manhattan prep courses, you’re almost certain to do well with the GRE!
