GMAT: Paying for Points

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Cons: Again, size matters. Although Princeton Review keeps the class size limited, the company itself is big, and it might be harder to keep track of the goings-on at every location for every kind of test. The company might not specialize enough in the GMAT. And as a company that's catering to a wide range of students from different parts of the country with different needs, the curriculum might not be challenging enough for those who want to dramatically improve their scores or reach the 99th percentile.

Advice: Take as many practice tests as you can, suggests Wands, to get used to the computer-adaptive format, which is new to many test takers. "A high GMAT score can be the difference between going to your top business school and the one on your B-list," she adds.

Veritas

Services: GMAT classes, private tutoring, admissions consulting, elite packages (which bundle GMAT and admissions consulting services)

Cost: $1,500 for full 42-hour course; $2,400 for 15 hours of private tutoring; starting from $4,400 for elite packages

Pros: Similar to Manhattan GMAT, Veritas offer services to those who want to score big. But for now, it serves a larger audience, with classes in more than 60 cities in 17 countries. It, too, requires instructors to score in the 99th percentile on the GMAT, and offers a salary to match.

With a 42-hour course, Veritas offers more class time than its competitors. This allows the instructors to start with the basics and move up toward more advanced strategies and test questions, says Chad Troutwine, co-founder and co-owner of Veritas.

Veritas aims to give students strategies to avoid making the same mistakes over and over again, says Troutwine. Students take 15 computer-adaptive practice tests, and 30% of those who go through the program receive a 700 or better. Students can also take advantage of live phone support for questions about lessons and practice tests; it's available four to five hours per day, seven days per week.

Cons: This course takes up a lot of time, and is plenty challenging. Therefore, it's most useful to those who want to be among the highest scorers. You might be getting additional course hours at Veritas, but you will pay a heftier price. Only you can decide if such an investment is worth it. Even though it's larger than Manhattan GMAT, it still has fewer locations than Kaplan or Princeton Review.

Advice: "Success favors the prepared," says Troutwine, who adds there are no tricks or shortcuts. "If you really put in the time and take preparation seriously, the likelihood of success increases."

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Di Meglio is a reporter for BusinessWeek.com in Fort Lee, N.J.