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Prepping with Kaplan for the GRE was one of the best decisions I made. This was my first time taking the GRE and I was very nervous. I generally do O.K. on standardized test. One great things I noticed about Kaplan is their commitment to student success. The professors REALLY care about your performance in the online class and e-mail after class to see how things are going. The strategies I learned in the class made the questions less challenging or even if I came across a challenging question, I had the tools to break down the question. I really appreciated the positvity from the professors, no matter what my practice scores were or how bad was freaking out as test day got closer. Though I did not do as well as I hoped (due to personal events) I will still use Kaplan in my prep before taking the exam for a second try.
Before taking the Kaplan course, studying for the GRE seemed like an impossible task. With taking the Kaplan course, I was able to stay on task and progress through my studying. There were various resources and I always felt that I had things that I could be doing to improve my score. The positivity of the professors was super helpful, and I also got fast response anytime I had to email them. I felt like they truly cared about how I was doing. You also had opportunities to be involved in class by participating in a public chat and could even have your name called. This made me feel like a part of the class, an active participant. I would recommend this course to anyone who is serious about improving their GRE score. I wish I would have done it the first time I took the GRE. It is worth the time and money.
I did a lot of research when deciding which GRE prep course to take. I decided on Kaplan and am so glad I did. The classes were surprisingly engaging and I actually enjoyed them! They didn't feel like a burden. The teachers were great. It was also nice to have the classes on-demand if there were parts that I wanted to watch again, or missed because of a phone call in the middle (it happens). The full-length practice tests were also really great and I was able to learn a lot from reviewing my answers.
I also really appreciated the in-person practice test. I felt much more comfortable on the day of the test because I knew where I was going, if there was food around (there was) and if there were lockers for my stuff (there were), and felt familiar with the process and the surroundings. (I took my test in Chicago so I don't know if all locations have what mine did.)
The coaching was also extremely helpful for me. It was great to have someone to bounce ideas off of, to talk through specific areas where I had questions, and to guide me through making a study schedule. My coach was also available the whole time through email for any questions I had, not just for the 3 hours specifically stated, which was a big help as well. She even looked through my practice essays and gave me additional feedback beyond what Kaplan's graders sent me.
In all, I had a wonderful experience with Kaplan and I have only positive things to say. I highly recommend Kaplan's course.
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This online course provided a lot of tips and tricks for the GRE that I could not find elsewhere. However, it was less helpful if you are scoring above average on Math already and just want to get your score up to 160-170. There are not enough combinatorics and probability questions in the reviews to effectively do this. However, the verbal and online sessions were very helpful and convenient. Their Official Test Day Experience is unique and helpful for people with test anxiety to see a testing center ahead of time. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a self-directed pace for their GRE prep, with a bit of help from a live instructor.
I had Steve for the Quantitative class sessions and Jonah for the Verbal/Analytical Writing class sessions. Both made the class really fun/interesting - two words I never thought I would use to describe GRE classes.
Prior to signing up for this course, I struggled to make time to study and lacked structure/study plan. The GRE teachers/assistants work to make a study schedule and plan that is tailored to you. As long as you follow it, you should have no problem reaching your goal!
QuizBank is probably one of the best things created to practice the topics that you are not very strong in. It helped strengthen my skills in various areas.
They also have the Higher Score Guarantee policy, which is also great.
I first tried studying for the GRE on my own by purchasing a GRE book but I was not motivated enough to read the entire book and practice the problems. When I went to take the GRE test I did not do as well as I had wanted so I decided that I should take GRE classes to help guide me and keep me motivated enough to work the problems. I had originally chosen an in person class but there was not enough people who had signed up for it and it was cancelled but Kaplan representatives worked quickly with me and helped me find a class session that would work for me. I then decided to take the live online GRE classes and they were so much more convenient! You just needed your computer, books, paper, and pencil, and you were all set for the GRE prep class! I could take the classes anywhere where there was wifi and that was very helpful for I am a busy person. If you are a busy person as well but want to take a prep class I would definitely recommend taking the live online GRE class. I had Jonah for the Quantitative classes and Steven for the Verbal classes and they were both wonderful! They knew exactly what they were talking about and never got distracted. They would answer all of your questions and even stayed after the class was over to answer more of your questions. They were also available through email and you could email them any questions you had and they would respond very quickly back to you. The classes definitely helped me because both Jonah and Steven explained all the concepts, terminology, and gave tips on how to well. I was motivated by them to do all the homework, practice problems, and practice tests. There was plenty of practice tests to do and the quiz bank also helped so much! I would also recommend getting the Kaplan vocabulary app on your phone because it has the 500 most common words used on the verbal section on the GRE. Because of the classes, I did way better on the GRE the second time I took it! I thought I did better on the Quantitative section than I really did but I still did exceedingly well! You just have to remember it is very challenging and requires practice and work but all that pays off in the end! Through all my hard work and through the help of Kaplan I was able to raise my score 11 points so I would say the prep courses are definitely worth the money!
Kaplan GRE instructors were great. Online classes were very convenient since I am always traveling - the best part is they were surprisingly engaging. The personal tutor really helps you understand the product and material and tells you what to focus on based on your scores. Having the personal tutor really holds you accountable (something that is usually missing when you're not physically in a classroom.) If you are engaged in your classes, do all the homework, and listen to your tutor you WILL improve your score tremendously. It's worth every penny if you're willing to put in the effort.
I liked how I was able to take 7 practice tests including one at the actual testing center where I took the real GRE. And the way their interface for exploring how well you did on the practice tests was very nice. Additionally, I found the PLUS tutor sessions useful for asking questions about practice problems. The tutors were extremely helpful and Kaplan as a whole was always about ensuring that I was having a good experience. There was a big effort from Kaplan to ensure that nothing, not even tech issues, got in the way of me studying. I found the Increased Score Guarantee to be comforting as I prepped for the test.
This course was amazing! It was well worth the money. All the teachers are awesome and invested in your success on the GRE. The classes are long, but the instructors make the class go by quickly. The practice tests are super helpful. The GRE is a marathon for your brain, and the practice tests help prepare your brain for the whole 4 hour test. The practice quiz bank is also fantastic. You can customize the quiz to your level and what you want to focus on. This course definitely helped me to feel confident in the GRE.The Higher Score Guarantee is also great. Kaplan wants to make sure that you do well.
Let me preface by telling a little bit about my situation. I graduated with my Bachelor's degree in May 2015. The first time I took the GRE, in early 2015 before I graduated, I barely studied and I did not do well. At all. I ended up not getting into my top grad school choice, and decided to take some time off to work full time before I tried for graduate school again.
When I decided to take the GRE again, I knew I had to take some sort of prep class to ensure that my scores would be higher this time around. I signed up for the Live Online course because I received a coupon/promo code in my email inbox, and I am SO glad that I did.
First, I have to thank the people working the phones at Kaplan. I accidentally signed up for the course at a time that I could not attend, and I called them up and they changed it for me within five minutes. Such great customer service.
I loved so many things about the course. My instructor, Jonah, was so great! Compelling and kept my attention and focus the entire time. He would even stay on after the class was over to answer any questions and do more examples with students. I also loved the classroom interface; super easy to follow along with.
Kaplan also provides so many great resources with this course! The quiz bank was so helpful and easy to use; you can tailor the quiz lengths to fit your schedule so you can do a couple each day, no matter how busy you are. The full-length practice tests were not fun to take, but I think they really helped improve my scores.
Finally, the approaches to question types and essay prompts we were taught in this course were overwhelmingly helpful as well. When you really know what a question is asking you and testing you on, you are more confident in your approach and you can use your time more wisely and efficiently.
Though the course is a pretty hefty sum of money, I increased my scores significantly from the first time I took the test, and I think it was well worth it.
Great job, Kaplan!