Only take the Princeton Review GMAT course if...
Written: May 10 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Provides structure to preparation and useful problem solving tips
Cons: A focused, disciplined student who is sharp in math and english won't benefit as much
The Bottom Line: Teaches the GMAT, and prepares you to (nearly) ace it! Expect higher scores...
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| jpmcgurk's Full Review: Princeton Review GMAT Course |
...you are willing to go into the class wanting test taking tips, not necessarily sharpening your math and verbal skills.
The Princeton Review does what it claims to do: It will prepare you for taking the GMAT, period. You will probably score higher than you would without the test. They claim the average student scores 90+ points better, and I believe that it as accurate indicator.
Basic Course Structure
When you sign up (simple and online, by the way), you are instructed where to go for the first session. This is the test taking day, and The Princeton Review (TPR) wants you to be as cold as possible (not physically cold, but they want you to be out of practice). Why? You are given a test that will serve as a means for TPR to group you into a class and a benchmark to compare your actual GMAT score. They guarantee a certain improvement from this score, or you can retake the course for free. The lower the score you get on this indicative test, the better your final score looks. The course that I took was 9 weeks (7 classes, 1 test day at the beginning, and 1 holiday). TPR also offers a twice per week class, but I do not recommend taking this. Why? The amount of homework assigned literally takes a week for a person with a full-time job, and that includes completely writing off your social life. It also is effective to let the material "soak in" over a greater number of weeks.
Size, Grouping, etc.
Classes are no more than 8 students with 1 instructor. This is good, because I always found classes to be a great discussion group. Zero lecture, very interactive. Everyone in the class is motivated to be there, so it is very helpful the everyone participates. I found that the students were also quasi-instuctors with different ways of explaining different problems.
When you are grouped into a class, you are put with people of similar abilities, per the first test that you took. I also found this to be good because we did not dwell on easy areas, and everyone seemed to want to move at the same pace. No one seemed bored or slacked behind. Just right.
Higher Learning?
This class will not teach you algebra, geometry, etc. The highest math that is tested on the GMAT is 10th grade, and TPR assumes that you know everything on the test, so it is more of a "brush up". The main focus is to give you tips that are specific to the GMAT, and how to out-fox the test administrators. Devious? Not really, since the test writers are laying traps for you to fall into. TPR helps you avoid them. It also gave great tips on how to quickly and easily find the answers to difficult problems, or eliminate the few obvious wrong answers, a take and educated guess between the remaining two. Know going into it that this is not a math or english course, it is a test-taking course.
Homework
90% of the work for the course is done outside of the classroom, so be prepared. You must basically dedicate most if not all of your free time for 8-10 weeks toward to GMAT. You will be disappointed if you think that the classroom work is enough- it is not. Having said that the instructor I had, and have heard from many others, was very helpful. Email and phone calls with questions were promptly returned, and extra-help sessions were scheduled weekly. I found the, like most things, you get out what you put in. Strong effort is rewarded.
Tailored Just for You
In the last 4 weeks of class, you are required to take a diagnostic test to see what areas you are improving on, and what areas need the most work. This was a great tool that made sure that each major area of focus on the GMAT was up to par.
Cost
Everything is relative, but at $1,099, I would not call this course cheap. I did, however, see a big improvement in my test-taking, and feel that getting into a great school was worth the investment. After all, a thousand bucks compared to what I'll be laying out in MBA tuition is chump change.
I give the TPR high marks. You get what you pay for, and they certainly prepare you to take the GMAT. Good luck.
Recommended:
Yes
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jpmcgurk
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Location: Sandy, UT
Reviews written: 63
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