The stream of business school viewbooks has begun to flow into my mailbox. While these are obviously marketing documents one should not take at face value, it is interesting how differently schools approach representing themselves. First of all, if you have a world class Marketing department, shouldn’t your own marketing materials have world class appeal? Apparently this is not enforced across the board.

I have found a bit of entertainment though in finding underlying themes and philosophies. Some schools string them like Easter eggs throughout the text, Darden gently reminds you they place emphasis on Ethics, and Haas at Berkley bludgeons readers over the head by repeating the word “innovation” until there is no doubt what the school values.

Several top ranked schools no longer offer mailed viewbooks, instead opting for .PDF downloads. While I can respect the green mission in reduction of waste and the cut in operating costs, as a prospective student about to invest 100K in a school I will be associated with for life I want to feel my interest is catered to. And just as importantly, as a student interested in Marketing I want to see the University’s best marketing pitch.

It is early in the process but I will make note of anything interesting that stands out.

I decided to book a course with Manhattan GMAT. Their approach seems effective and I have heard positive reviews from friends who studied with their guidebooks. They were extremely accommodating as well. I received a $100 discount and a free One Day Workshop for attending a free online informational session. They gave me book credits for Official GMAT Guidebooks I already owned, and discounted the newest edition (12th) of the Official GMAT Guidebook with which they are including a sheet that outlines every new problem added since the 11th edition.

I was particularly intrigued by their offered office hours each week. As a registered student I am entitled to a half hour of one on one time with instructors each week to help me through homework and other GMAT questions. Class starts in about a month and I will post updates on my general take on the process and quality.

I attended a free online informational session for Manhattan GMAT on Saturday. I have been studying on my own with the Official Guide for GMAT Review but have felt I needed a greater depth of study and instruction. I have looked at several competing companies, and gotten reviews from friends. One friend was disappointed in another well known test prep company, and used the Manhattan GMAT books for self-guided study the second time he took the GMAT.

The class is pricey, but includes a pretty significant body of resources including a number of practice tests. Something that really displays their flexibility is offered book credits. Because I own several GMAT review guides, I can simply call when I sign up and be issued credits on those books so that I don’t have to purchase them again. This seems trivial for $40 worth of books, but it indicates to me an interest in the student and not simply in selling volume.

Manhattan GMAT offers a 9-week course with about 8 text books, a number of online problem banks, access to weekly office hours, and 6 practice tests. I had been considering taking an in-person version of the class at UT McCombs, but am now leaning towards online classes simply because I have more options for class meetings times than Saturdays, and I don’t have to spend the additional time trying to find parking on the UT campus.

I have decided to document my path and preparation towards getting into business school. An MBA is a rather decisive turn in the road for me, and keeping this log will help with a couple important points. First it states my intentions out loud, which prevents me from allowing half reasoned arguments to influence my decisions. Second it allows me to spend some time defining my goals and motivations. This series of articles may be fairly self indulgent, but I hope some of the information will be helpful to others headed in a similar direction.