bubblyguppy 05-21-2003, 05:57 AM I am currently exploring different options in GMAT prep courses. I've looked into Kaplan and Princeton Review. Which one offers better instruction and test-taking techniques? Besides these two, has anyone ever heard of a prep course called Veritas GMAT Elite Test Preparation (URL: http://veritasprep.com/)? Is this course any good?
Clear Admit 05-27-2003, 12:06 PM Dear Bubblyguppy,
Thanks for your question. Essentially, the Princeton Review and Kaplan are the 'gold standard' in the GMAT-prep arena. They have done this for many years, offer a very professional service and help thousands of test takers each year. As for which one of the two is better, it is really more a question of your learning style - so I would advise that you read through their web sites and see which style appeals more to you.
Beyond TPR and Kaplan, there are a number of other prep services that tend to focus on one-on-one tutoring, top MBA programs (scoring 700+), 3-week GMAT 'boot camps' and so on. Most of these programs are more local/regional in nature - but many of them are doing great work and may be worth exploring. Manhattan GMAT in NYC is a great company that only does GMAT prep and has a focus on very high scores.
As for Veritas, I am familiar with them, but mostly in name (they have some highly visible advertising). I do know the firm was launched by a couple of Yale MBA graduates in 2002. Again, the key is to investigate the service and talk to students who have used it if possible. Hopefully others will post here with their experiences.
Cheers,
Graham Richmond
preprank 06-01-2003, 11:35 AM Bubbly,
I've taught for both Kaplan and Princeton. As far as their GMAT classes are concerned, yes, they're pretty good, but a couple of points for you:
1-Kaplan's class is miserably short, but their practice materials are unbeatable. Overall, I'd give them a slight edge over Princeton, though. But, if you're seeeking a good teacher, Kaplan's okay, but the real masters of the GMAT generally go off on their own and charge around $75 an hour for private tutorin.
2- Princeton's pretty good, but their stuff's very basic. And I mean very basic. This can be good or bad depending on your level.
Veritas is a brand new company. Their website and claims look very impressive, but I've heard nothing about the actual quality of their courses. You may want to go with this company specifically because they are brand new. When a company starts out, they've got to run classes no matter how many students sign up. As such, you may get 40 hours of private tutoring for around $1,000. (You'd pay about $4,000 for this at Kaplan)
Also, you may want to check out Testmasters. I consider their GMAT program slightly superior to that of Kaplan, although Kaplan's still king as far as practice material.
You can check out my reviews of all the GMAT prep courses at: http://www.testpreprankings.com/id7.html
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