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| All Reviews > Kaplan > Kaplan GRE Prep - Live Online Reviews |
I previously used other materials through the GRE testing company and they only focused on material needed for the test but as much on the strategies to actually take the test. Kaplan was able to supplement my study with online "test me" and "teach me" sections.
You should give yourself more than enough time to get through all the online classes. I would recommend at least a month after the class finishes to review all the study materials you have access to online. After signing up for the class I would try and sign up for the your "real test day" experience because by the time my class had ended there were no dates available for me to take the real life scenario before actually taking the full real test.
I cannot recommend this more! I was hesitant to take a prep course for the GRE, but boy am I glad I did! My diagnostic quant score abysmal (10%) but in the course of the class I improved it over 30 points (into the 60th percentile and above). I didn't believe that was possible. I also, surprisingly, really enjoyed the class itself; somehow, Gail and Jonah made it both accessible and entertaining! Furthermore, they were extremely attentive on an individual level. They checked in with my progress and guided me in the right direction in terms of how to focus my studying. I felt like they truly went above and beyond their "job description." The online resources are similarly incredible. I have a demanding work schedule, and the Quiz Bank offered me the ability to grab a few minutes of studying whenever I had a spare moment. My one concern is the price of the course. Had I not received this prep class as a Christmas present, there was no way I could have taken it. I really hope there are adequate scholarships offered, because it would be shameful if someone was hindered from receiving this level of quality due to economic constraints.
It was definitely nice having a set time to focus on studying. The instructors were really nice. My score didn't improve a ton from my first practice test to what I actually got on test day but I would say that was due more to situations that occurred the week before the test and not because of the quality of instruction since my scores had been improving pretty steadily until then, including the TDE exam. The biggest thing that the course did for me was help me to reduce my anxiety over taking the test. The course showed me the little tricks that the test makers like to use and tips for overcoming them that I never would have figured out studying on my own.
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 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!
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!