If you’re gearing up for the GRE, you are probably searching for the best resources to help you conquer the test.
If you came across The Manhattan Prep GRE courses and are wondering if it’s worth your money, you are in the right place.
Manhattan Prep GRE prep courses are popular for their interactive lessons, sleek interface, and huge number of practice questions, but what are the drawbacks?
In this Manhattan Prep GRE review, we will do a comprehensive analysis of all the course options and their features, weighing in on their strengths and weaknesses so that you can make a better-informed decision.
Let’s dive right in.
Summary Table
Let’s start by quickly presenting you with the key features of the Manhattan Prep courses.
Interact for GRE | GRE for MBA | GRE Private Tutoring | |
Price | $299 - $499 | $1,850 - $2,150 | $2,900 - $8,100 |
Access Period | 1, 3, or 6 months | 6 months | 9 months |
Practice Exams | 6 | 6 | 6 |
Practice Questions | 100,000+ | 100,000+ | 100,000+ |
Video Instruction | 77 videos | 77 videos | 77 videos |
Live lessons | ✘ | Yes | ✘ |
1-1 tutoring | ✘ | ✘ | Yes (10, 20 or 30 hours) |
Prep books | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Flashcards and other study material | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Mobile App | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Score-Improvement Guarantee | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ |
Manhattan Prep GRE Overview
Manhattan GRE Prep is a highly regarded test preparation provider for the GRE, offering a comprehensive suite of study materials and courses.
Although it’s not the cheapest GRE preparation product out there, it is known for its high-quality content and offering, with a focus on students applying for an MBA.
The Manhattan Prep course stands out for its adaptive learning strategies, aiming to help students identify and address their strengths and weaknesses effectively.
Here’s an overview of the core features provided by Manhattan Prep:
- On-demand online classes, live classes, and 1-on-1 tutoring are available
- 100,000+ practice problems
- 70+ interactive video lessons taught by expert instructors
- 6 full-length, computer-adaptive GRE practice tests
- On-demand class recordings so you can review concepts anytime
- Interactive online syllabus
- Practice material such as flashcards
- Books that cover every topic on the GRE, including The Official Guide to the GRE General Test
Manhattan Prep GRE Review For 2024
Manhattan Prep is an American test prep company founded in 2000 and based in New York City.
They have now served over 1 million students in 192 countries.
Besides the GRE, Manhattan Prep also offers test prep courses for the GMAT and the EA.
Manhattan Prep has optimized its content for the shorter GRE and adapted its video lessons and practice tests to reflect what you’ll see on the real GRE.
Let’s review more closely the main features of the Manhattan Prep GRE courses.
Manhattan Prep GRE Course Plans
Manhattan Prep offers three distinct course plans to cater to different student needs. Let’s delve into the details of each option:
1. GRE Interact
At the core of Manhattan Prep’s GRE offerings is the GRE Interact platform, catering to self-paced learners.
You can choose a 1, 3, or 6-month access for the online course, and have the possibility to do a 7-day free trial to test key resources.
The course includes adaptive video lessons, concept review drills, over 100,000 (!) GRE-like practice questions, and six full-length GRE practice tests.
We have to say it’s a very solid course, probably one of the best online courses out there, and few competitors come close to the quality Manhattan Prep provides.
2. GRE for MBA Course
For those students looking to get an MBA and who prefer a live course with top-notch instructors, the GRE for MBA Course by Manhattan Prep might be the ideal choice.
This course spans nine in-person or live online Zoom sessions, each lasting three hours, totaling 27 hours of structured live lessons.
The GRE for MBA course is fully comprehensive, as it will review everything that is tested on the GRE while covering some more advanced math topics not taught in the standard course.
It comes with the GRE Interact included.
3. GRE Private Tutoring
For those seeking personalized attention and strong guidance, Manhattan Prep’s Private Tutoring is a tailored one-on-one online tutoring option.
While not cheap (we are talking about $270+ per hour of tutoring), students benefit from in-depth sessions led by instructors who scored in the 99th percentile on the GRE.
This option is suitable for those who prefer individualized study plans while having access to the online on-demand course.
Manhattan Prep Course Structure
The course follows a modular structure, dividing content into 3 levels, each with around 17 to 30 modules about all the GRE subjects.
Manhattan Prep follows a “Learn it > Drill it > Prove it” approach that helps students get all the concepts down.
The learning process includes a diagnostic phase, where learners encounter quick questions to assess their understanding before delving into the “Learn It” phase.
In this phase, interactive videos provide a deep dive into the particular topic.
Following the “Learn It” phase, the curriculum seamlessly transitions to the “Drill It” section.
Drills, akin to flashcards, reinforce the acquired knowledge, and learners check their answers on-screen.
The final section, “Prove It,” involves a quiz to confirm mastery before progressing to the next topic.
Each complete level ends with a full-length practice exam that lets you know how you’re doing before moving on.
With over 100,000 practice questions, the course offers an extensive resource for reinforcing concepts.
Adaptive technology plays a pivotal role in optimizing study plans based on individual performance, ensuring a tailored and effective learning experience.
Manhattan Prep Video Lessons
One of the top-selling points of the Manhattan Prep course is the recorded video lessons.
They are the core component of the GRE Interact course and are designed to be interactive, informative, and, surprisingly, entertaining.
We have to say that the quality really stands out from the competition.
One of the defining features of Manhattan Prep’s videos is their interactive nature, by asking students to answer questions right in the middle of the video.
The instructors, all of whom are top 1% GRE scorers, appear on screen in front of a digital whiteboard, providing a dynamic and visually stimulating learning experience.
As they delve into GRE topics, test-taking strategies, and tips, notes, and graphics appear on the whiteboard, offering a comprehensive breakdown of problems and concepts.
There’s even a dose of humor and playfulness, with short skits improving the engagement of the videos.
The production value of the videos is definitely top-notch compared to other competitors. The videos are also accompanied by a text transcript, for better user accessibility.
Manhattan Prep Live Classes & Private Tutoring
Manhattan Prep offers live online (Zoom) and in-person classes for those who purchase the GRE for MBA course.
The in-person classes are only available in NYC at the moment. There are 9 sessions, 3 hours each, spanning through a 2-month period.
These live lessons are taught by expert instructors, and the small class size encourages active participation, turning the learning process into a dynamic collaboration.
Students are encouraged to attend every class session so that they can get the most out of the course.
There will also be about 10-15 hours of homework assigned between class sessions.
The 1-on-1 tutoring, although expensive, is a great resource for students who are seeking a more personalized approach.
Sessions generally last for 2 hours, and most students meet with their tutors once a week.
You can buy a pack of 10, 20, or 30 hours, or you can pay by the hour, with a minimum of 2 hours. Currently, only online tutoring is available.
While the cost may be a consideration, the quality of tutoring justifies the investment for those who prioritize personalized guidance.
Manhattan Prep Practice Tests
With each Manhattan Prep GRE test prep course you get access to 6 practice exams, a reasonable amount for you to practice, and get you comfortable and confident on the exam day.
The practice test is designed to reflect the adaptive nature of the real exam, adjusting difficulty based on the student’s performance.
Post-assessment, students receive a detailed score report that offers valuable insights into their performance.
These reports break down the results, allowing test-takers to identify strengths and weaknesses.
Based on students’ reports, it seems like Manhattan Prep practice test results are fairly accurate compared to the actual GRE, even though overall the questions can be slightly harder, especially on the quant section.
Manhattan GRE Prep Study Material
The Manhattan GRE prep program has a whole array of high-quality study tools that give you the perfect edge to get that high score you want.
Starting with the books, Manhattan Prep offers a great set of hardcopy strategy guides entirely written by their instructors, including their signature 5 lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems.
The books you get in all course options are:
- GRE All the Quant (covers algebra; fractions, decimals, & percents; geometry; number properties; word problems; quantitative comparisons; and data interpretation)
- GRE All the Verbal (covers reading comprehension, text completion, sentence equivalence, and essays)
- 5 lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems (includes over 2,000 problems with easy-to-follow explanations)
- The Official Guide to the GRE General Test, 3rd Edition
Besides the books, another cool tool that stands out is the 500 vocabulary flashcards.
You can choose between an “Essential Set” and an “Advanced Set”, as well as randomized cards.
These cards, with definitions, usage, related words, and memory tricks are a handy resource to study anytime, anywhere.
With progress trackers, daily vocabulary emails, and blog posts, Manhattan Prep’s study tools contribute to a comprehensive and varied GRE preparation experience.
Manhattan GRE Prep User Interface & Mobile App
Another important factor to consider when reviewing a prep program is the user experience on the platform, and we have to say that, overall, Manhattan GRE Prep does a great job.
The online interface, the “Atlas Platform”, has a modern and clean look, and it’s easy to navigate.
You can use the menu to get immediate access to every available resource.
No matter where you go within Atlas, you can always click Home to get back to your dashboard.
The self-paced prep course lessons are neatly separated into different levels, and each lesson displays a progress or completion indicator, letting you know at a glance which lessons need attention.
The only drawback in our opinion is that the icons on the side menu bar don’t make it very easy to understand what they refer to.
You have to hover over the icon to see the text definition of each category.
Other than that, we still believe that the interface is one of the best in the test prep industry.
There is also a mobile app (available on Apple and Google Stores) that, unlike other competitors like Kaplan, is actually quite good and complete, full of useful material.
It’s also very user-friendly and modern-looking.
The main features of the app include:
- 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
- Covers all sections of the GRE (Quant & Verbal section)
Manhattan GRE Prep Pricing
Manhattan Prep course is certainly not one of the cheapest, but it’s undeniable that the courses are packed with value and will likely get you a good score.
Let’s breakdown as transparently as possible the costs of the courses (as of the date of this article):
a. GRE Interact
- 1-month access: 299$
- 3-months access: 399$
- 6-months access: 499$
b. GRE for MBA Course
- GRE for MBA In-Person: 2150$
- GRE for MBA Live Online: 1850$
c. GRE Private Tutoring
- 10h tutoring pack: 2900$
- 20h tutoring pack: 5600$
- 30h tutoring pack: 8100$
- Hourly tutoring (min. 2 hours): 300$/hour
Unfortunately, Manhattan Prep does not provide refunds or a score increase guarantee for their GRE prep courses.
Manhattan GRE Prep Course Pros & Cons
– Engaging and interactive video lessons.
– Six computer-based adaptive practice tests that closely mimic the real test.
– Very extensive practice material and study guides, including over 100,000 practice questions.
– Comprehensive books and strategy guides.
– Mobile app with great study features.
– Small live class sizes.
– The program is on the expensive side.
– No refunds or score improvement guarantee.
Verdict
Manhattan GRE test Prep stands out with its engaging online content, featuring interactive videos and an extensive library of practice problems and strategies.
The adaptive practice tests closely simulate the GRE exam experience, and the inclusion of comprehensive study books and a mobile app adds flexibility to study approaches.
The live lessons and the private tutoring options elevate the experience, allowing students to get highly personalized, high-quality GRE preparation.
However, the higher price point and the absence of a money-back guarantee may be something to consider.
Overall, we have to say that Manhattan Prep earns a place among the top GRE prep courses, offering a modern and effective learning experience for students seeking a comprehensive and engaging preparation.
FAQs
How hard is the GRE test in Manhattan Prep?
The practice test from Manhattan Prep is considered to be fairly accurate compared to the real GRE.
Some students report that some questions, especially on the Quant section, may be harder.
Is Manhattan Prep better than Magoosh?
It depends on your preferences and study needs.
Magoosh is more affordable, and although it offers good-quality content, the quantity of materials is lower.
It is also strictly a self-paced online course. Manhattan Prep is more expensive, but the quality and quantity of materials is also greater.
Is Kaplan or Manhattan better for GRE?
It depends on your preferences. The quality of both prep programs is very equivalent.
While Manhattan has more practice questions and better videos, Kaplan has an Official Test Day Experience and money-back guarantees.
Both are reputable brands.
