All Reviews > Washington, DC USA |
Improvement N/A
Course Manhattan Prep Manhattan GMAT 9-Session In-Person Prep Course
Instructor Jeff Vollmer
Location Washington, DC USA
Manhattan was a great way to learn the necessary techniques to approach any GMAT Quant or Verbal problem. The class had to go online halfway through due to COVID-19, but Jeff did a wonderful job making sure that the class was just as effective as it would be had it had been in person.
Jeff did a great job of focusing on the most important strategies - Quant has always been a challenge for me but once I learned the key strategies and was able to recognize and execute the problems quickly, I saw huge improvement. One thing that also helped were the breaks during the course sessions -- they largely resembled the types of breaks you would get on the GMAT.
Finally, Jeff was very good at adapting to whatever the class wanted to review. If we felt we needed to do some extra Quant problems, he had them ready.
Improvement 100 Points
Course Manhattan Prep Manhattan GMAT 9-Session In-Person Prep Course
Instructor Jeff Vollmer
Location Washington, DC USA
I found this course to be a worthwhile investment. I signed up primarily for accountability, but I also found the content and strategies very helpful. Jeff is a very good instructor - from a teaching perspective, as strong as any college professor I have experienced. To learn the test and stay motivated/accountable, this course is worth the cost and time commitment.
My quant did not improve significantly throughout the course but I owe this to a lack of studying on my part. Jeff provided us with intuitive explanations of tough math problems, but I did not invest the time on my own to master them. I think a bit more time could have been devoted in the course to reviewing the signals/triggers for certain patterns/tells in quant problems, but there is a certain point where you just need to teach yourself the content if it's been a while since you have memorized basic math.
The focus on timing and strategic approach to taking the test was very valuable. The "Yellow Pad" timing method is extremely helpful and I used it religiously during my exam. This course taught me that getting a handle on timing and the related nuances of an adaptive model is half the battle.
Overall, very pleased. Would recommend to a friend - particularly someone who is very committed to attending business school.
Improvement 90 Points
Course Manhattan Prep Manhattan GMAT 9-Session In-Person Prep Course
Instructor Jeff Vollmer
Location Washington, DC USA
After about 5 years away from school and looking for a career shift, I chose to take the Manhattan Prep 9-class in person course in preparation for the GMAT. After graduating from school in 2014 I took the GMAT as a baseline with the anticipation that I may want to go to business school in the future: I scored a 630. For the next five years I spent zero time thinking about the GMAT, although I did work in a field that is fairly quant heavy. That should give a fair amount of background on where I stood going into the MP course. I chose to take the in person course based on the consideration that a set curriculum and a sense of accountability to show up to class each week would help me study more. I think this was the right choice for me.
The course itself was presented in a manner that made it comprehensible for anyone with even a minimal mathematics background. The structure of the course is such that it builds on itself week by week and homework is meant to introduce concepts that would be expounded upon in the next class. I found the course to be critical to my performance on the exam in such that all concepts for answering questions, strategies, and problem type were discussed at nearly all levels of difficulty in class. The course follows a basic outline: present a concept, work through an easy version of the problem as a class, work on a harder version alone, mix in that concept with others in a problem set. I found this manner of learning to be helpful and allowed time for recalling mathematical processes learned years ago.
As for the homework/workload, it is paced at a fair clip but not breakneck speed. I spent about 10 hours a week on homework and performed one 4 hour practice test every 2-4 weeks. The course uses a MP website to direct tasks, readings, problem sets, etc. This clearly set out study plan helped keep me on track and direct my studying. I found this program to be most useful in that it set foundations and built upon concepts learned earlier in the course. One final product that MP offers is interactice videos that explain different concepts/strategies. This was particularly helpful to review as a refresher after finishing the course and just before sitting for the exam.
Finally, my instructor, Jeff, was phenomenal for a variety of reasons. Principally, his presentation of concepts was articulate and easily understood by all members of the class. It was clear based on the variety of backgrounds of my classmates that we were not all starting at the same level. Jeff understood this and was skilled in presenting the material and answering questions in a manner everyone understood. Jeff was always available to help after class or through email. Many times I emailed Jeff with a problem or concept I was struggling on and would have a video back from him talking through the problem within 24 hours. I would recommend him to anyone.
I ended up taking the exam once and scored a 720 (48Q, 41V). I took this improvement from a 630 years ago in large part to be due to the MP curriculum and the instruction and availability of Jeff.
Improvement 80 Points
Course Manhattan Prep Manhattan GMAT 9-Session In-Person Prep Course
Instructor Jeff Vollmer
Location Washington, DC USA
The first time that I took the MPrep GMAT course, I made significant progress during the course but was unable to find the time to study after the course ends (it is recommended that you self-study for 2-6 weeks after the course concludes). I took the Manhattan Prep class again roughly a year later and saw even greater benefit from the course given a starting knowledge base. I found there to be great benefit to the in-person course (particularly with my instructor, Jeff Volmer) to pick up small tips and tricks that added small bumps to my score (accumulating 10 points here and there adds up). Jeff was helpful during class, outside of class, and even after the course concluded. The quality of the Manhattan Prep resources was instrumental to helping me achieve my goal GMAT score.
REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]
Improvement N/A
Course Manhattan Prep Manhattan GMAT 9-Session In-Person Prep Course
Instructor Jeff Vollmer
Location Washington, DC USA
Had Jeff Vollmer as my instructor for an in-person Manhattan Prep GMAT class one day a week from 6-9 PM in Arlington, VA.
It was a great experience and I highly recommend having Jeff as an instructor. He was able to keep our post-work, 3 hours long classes interesting and exciting. He was very skilled at breaking down the different methods that could be used to solve each problem, and when each method was applicable. I also enjoyed how Jeff would put myself and other students in pressure situations that helped prepare us for the stress of the actual exam.
For background - I tried to study on my own for some time, but could never quite keep the consistency I needed, and really lacked the understanding of the strategy required for the test (v important!). This class really helped with both of these aspects and led to me gaining a score that I was very satisfied with.
Improvement N/A
Course Manhattan Prep Manhattan GMAT 9-Session In-Person Prep Course
Instructor Jeff Vollmer
Location Washington, DC USA
Jeff was incredibly knowledgeable on all things GMAT. While Manhattan Prep has a set curriculum, they also encourage you to determine and correct your weaknesses. Jeff helped me to delve further into topics that went beyond the level of the course material. As a result, I had the confidence I needed entering test day and got a great score (730). Jeff's responsiveness and clear and concise answers to my questions helped me to make my study time more efficient. Further, he helped me to simplify methods and develop test taking strategies that proved integral on test day. If you want a good GMAT score just remember the wise old peanut butter company motto "Choosy moms choose Jeff."
Improvement N/A
Course Manhattan Prep Manhattan GMAT 9-Session In-Person Prep Course
Instructor Jeff Vollmer
Location Washington, DC USA
I took the 9-week Manhattan Prep course with Jeffrey Volmer (in the D.C./Northern VA area) in winter 2018 and was very pleased with the experience. Jeff is an excellent and patient teacher who always made himself available outside of class hours to answer questions.
The Manhattan coursework and classroom format encouraged self-study. For someone who may not be motivated to study alone and profits from the pressure of having to keep pace with peers, this is a great option. In addition to reintroducing the grammar and math concepts that one will need to ace the test, the Manhattan curriculum emphasizes the strategies a test-taker must use to optimize his or her score under the time constraint and how to recognize and approach recurring “tricks” that the test throws at you. Jeff did a great job of giving equal currency to the test content and strategies.
I started studying for the GMAT without having taken a math course since high school (eight years prior). Given the intensity of the quant, this was my greatest weakness. But the Manhattan textbooks (especially Foundations of Math) provide an overview of the basics and ample drill exercises to help improve on that portion of the test.
I did not take the test for business school so I wasn’t trying my damnedest to break 700 (I didn’t). The programs I applied to also accepted the highest score in each category (Quant/Verbal/IR/Essay) from any test sitting, so I had different incentives from someone applying to an MBA program. If you struggle in one category, I would recommend supplementing the Manhattan coursework with a tutor as you get closer to test date. If you are in the D.C. area, I’m fairly certain Jeff offers tutoring and would make an excellent one-on-one teacher.
Improvement N/A
Course Manhattan Prep Manhattan GMAT Private Tutoring
Instructor Jeff Vollmer
Location Washington, DC USA
Jeff was wonderful. This was my second run at taking the GMAT — the first time I never actually took the test after my studying got derailed by my job, which has crazy hours and a lot of travel. Jeff was very patient with my schedule and non-judgmental when I would drop off the grid for weeks on end, even though that obviously didn't make me the dream student. He helped me hone in on the specific things I needed to improve and gave me concrete homework assignments and study methods to address it, which helped me fit in studying on days when I didn't have a lot of time. Timing on the test was a big issue for me, and he was really helpful with strategies to address that.
Most importantly, he was a really reassuring presence to be around as I studied for this — from the beginning he expressed confidence that we could get my score to where it needed to be, and he never wavered in that, even when I was pretty down in the dumps of how it would go. I ended up doing even better than I'd been aiming for.
I would recommend Jeff as a tutor to anyone.
Improvement N/A
Course Manhattan Prep Manhattan GMAT 9-Session In-Person Prep Course
Instructor Marcus Hedahl
Location Washington, DC USA
Manhattan Prep provided me with everything I needed to get my target GMAT score. First and foremost, Marcus was a great teacher. He made class engaging, challenging, and worth your time for students of all levels. He also provided some really useful study tips and techniques -
such as tracking questions missed - that helped me to use my independent study time efficiently.
Following the Manhattan Prep's syllabus/study plan and taking their online practice tests made it really clear what I needed to do to prepare. By the time test day came around, I felt confident that I had done everything I could to be ready. I only had to take the GMAT once to get my target score of 730.
Finally, the free one-on-one consultation with a Manhattan Prep tutor after the class finished but before the GMAT was really helpful for developing a final-stretch study plan and giving me a confidence boost going into the test.
Would highly recommend Marcus and Manhattan Prep!
Improvement 80 Points
Course Manhattan Prep Manhattan GMAT 9-Session In-Person Prep Course
Instructor Marcus Hedahl
Location Washington, DC USA
I signed up for the GMAT with a relatively tight timeline, and knew I would have to work hard and cram to be prepared. After doing research, Manhattan's 9-course option seemed like a great fit for this.
The class was several hours after a workday in the middle of the week, which I expected to be a bit of a challenge. Marcus did a great job of keeping a rigorous curriculum relatively lighthearted and engaging, while still drilling down on the concepts and making sure that we all understood. He made sure that everyone in the class kept pace, but did not slow the course down if anybody was struggling, instead taking time before/after class to help with specific areas of focus.
I went into the GMAT relatively cold on the subject matter, especially having not taken any kind of quantitative course in four or five years. I came out of it feeling confident about the test, and the score I received (which was substantially better than my initial one) went from being a "reach" score, to one that I felt like I could achieve on any given test. I could not have asked for a better program or instructor.