Sherpa Prep

Nasheed and the Sherpa Prep curriculum were AMAZING! I did a series of private sessions and it was immensely helpful. I increased both my verbal and quant scores substantially, and without the pressure/​stress/​anxiety/​tears I had experienced in another test prep program. Nasheed’s approach is matter of fact, realistic, and supportive. Sherpa is by far the best program I’ve come across, you really feel like you get bang for your buck, plus the tutors have been through the tests themselves. A major (and surprising) plus in this program is that I never dreaded going for my sessions, which for me is a big deal!
Yes, the entire process is miserable, but Sherpa makes it bearable and even kind of fun.
The facilities are nice too, very simple and clean.

Registering for the Sherpa Prep course was absolutely the best decision I could have made!
I quickly learned studying for the GMAT on my own was getting me no where. [The GMAT prep books (no matter the brand) should come with a decrypting book too!] I needed a prep course that would review GMAT context and content.
After reviewing the program description and layout for Sherpa, Princeton, Veritas, Manhattan, and Kaplan, Sherpa is the ONLY program that covers both context and content! In addition to offering the best well rounded program, Sherpa does it at a fraction of the costs of competitors. Sherpa is $ 400+ dollars cheaper than all the competitors listed above.
My instructor was Nafeez, and he is absolutely everything! He knows the GMAT inside out and is an amazing instructor. He doesn’t talk above your head making everything easy to digest. Nafeez was and still is constantly available to all student preparation concerns outside of structured class times. I just can’t say enough wonderful things about Nafeez.
In addition to providing official GMAT prep books, Sherpa has a wealth of instructor created prep material. Sherpa’s prep material is invaluable, and the primary reason I made it through the test.
I completed the Sherpa prep course Oct 2015 — Dec 2015 and took the GMAT Jan 2016. The difference in score from my first practice test to my official GMAT is a 150 point increase! I couldn’t be happier with my results, and can’t thank Nafeez and Sherpa enough!

Sherpa Prep is hands down the best GMAT test prep in the city. There are certainly more well known alternatives but they’re all cookie cutter solutions to what has to be a very personal solution. My story is a bit different from most. I took Sherpa Prep but had to move to a new city with about a month to go in the course. I put the GMAT on hold for close to a year before picking it back up again. The materials for the Sherpa Prep class are so good and the foundation that Nafeez gave me allowed me to work through and re-​learn everything I had forgotten in the past year. I exceeded my expectations on the GMAT and I have to give a lot of credit to Nafeez, and Sherpa Prep’s teaching materials, which, if I remember correctly, Nafeez wrote himself. Not only is Sherpa Prep one of the cheapest options out there, it is by far the best quality as well.

I signed up for the Sherpa GRE prep course sort of skeptically, but was shocked to find out how wrong I’d been: this class is absolutely of the highest quality and well worth every penny. I’ve taken other prep classes before that barely helped me and so was really surprised that this course was really very different.
Through sheer luck, I got Jay as my instructor (if you can, make sure you get him — he is amazing). He was extremely smart, knowledgeable, clear and thorough. He led each class through complex math equations, breaking down concepts into manageable pieces. He was very personable and in touch with student reactions — drawing us out if we had questions, approaching problems differently if needed to make sure we understood. (Each class also covered verbal tactics, but I came in most needing the math help, so this review is based on that.)
Class time combined with the class guides that Sherpa provided (complete with homework problems) and the practice tests really helped the information to sink in. I would without a doubt recommend this prep class to anyone who wants to improve their score. My math score went up eight points and I think it could have gone up even more had I left a bit more time in between the prep class and the test date.

The Sherpa GMAT Prep class was by far the most helpful test prep class I’ve ever taken. Nafeez is not only a great teacher, but always makes himself available for any and all GMAT –related questions you may have. The responses to emails, make up classes, and quick questions is incredibly fast, and it’s really Sherpa’s mission to make sure that you get the highest possible score. Nafeez teaches the class in an effective manner, holds students accountable, and makes the class enjoyable. The strategies that he teaches are simple and easy to understand, and he teaches you ways to solve the problem that help your conceptual understanding of what the question is asking, rather than a route-​memorization method. Additionally, his strategies for both quant and verbal cover the full range of questions, and because of his deep knowledge of what the GMAT tests, he’s able to tell you which areas to focus on during your prep and which areas are less important. At the lowest price tag for this type of test prep class, I could not be happier that I took the course, and would HIGHLY recommend Sherpa Prep to anyone taking the GRE or GMAT.

Signing up for Sherpa prep was easily the best decision I have made in the last year to help my own future. Like most people I considered the big name prep companies, Mahattan ($ 1600), Veritas ($ 1650), and Princeton Review ($ 1599). I was hesitant because of the huge price-​tag. Also my girlfriend had taken a manhattan prep GRE class and paid 1350. She said the class was good and helped her but wasn’t anything she couldn’t have gotten from studying the tons of available prep books. I was very wary of paying $ 1600 for an out of the box prep course. I did not want to give my money to one of these big companies just because I could not discipline myself to study on my own.
Then a friend recommended Sherpa prep. I checked it out and was immediately drawn to the more reasonable price of $ 900 which covered all the same books, their own unique prep material, and more class hours then the big companies. So I signed up.
I just recently took the test and scored 150 points higher than my first practice test and could not be happier that I went with Sherpa prep.
Looking back, here are few of the reasons why I liked Sherpa prep:
Instructor, my instructor was Nafeez. He was down to earth and explained the test in a very accessible way. It was clear from the beginning that he knew what he was doing and that if you ‘buy in’ to his system and his approach then you would get to where you needed to be before taking the test. Nafeez was very skilled at responding to every single question thoughtfully and without any pretense.
Structure, when you pick up a GMAT book it can be very daunting and hard to know where to start. When you start Sherpa Prep you are given a clear road map. Sherpa gives you their own prep material written by the instructors. This road map was crucial for me. There is no point in doing questions on complex combinatorics and probability if you haven’t remastered arithmetic and algebra.
Strategy, when i finally sat for the test I felt confident that I had a strategy for tackling every question type in both the quant and verbal sections. This confidence came directly from my review sessions with Nafeez. None of the material on the test is that difficult (high school level) the trick is knowing how they are going to ask the questions and what the best (quickest) strategy is to getting the right answer. Sherpa is structured to give you these tools.
Availability, I imagine the gmat instructors at other companies are smart and give good advice for tackling this test but I am certain the «SHERPA» difference is the availability of the Sherpa instructors to answer any questions and to meet with students outside of the classroom. After taking the course I met with Nafeez a few times before sitting for the test. (very reasonably priced individual sessions) These sessions were crucial for understanding my weaknesses and perfecting my strategy and approach for each part of the test, especially in regards to timing.
In the end it was clear to me that my 900 dollars to a small local company was way more valuable than writing a check for 1600 to one of the larger national companies.

I took the gmat course with Sherpa and it was amazing. I’m not sure what I would have done without it. It honestly exceeded my expectations in many ways. Thank you so much.

Having enrolled in prep courses for just about every past standardized test I’ve taken, I can say that Sherpa was without a doubt the most effective (and, quite honestly, enjoyable) use of my time and money.
The knock on a lot of GMAT courses is that they are designed to get everyone to a decent, but not exceptional, score by packing a ton of complicated material into a short period of time. As a result, you end up retaining the simpler concepts while still getting tripped up by the difficult questions you need to achieve a top score. With Sherpa, it’s acknowledged that most in the course have a limited amount of time to master the exam, given they are trying to balance studying with full-​time jobs and some semblance of a social life. The course is focused on learning how to approach each question in a way that gives you a very good chance of answering correctly, even if you don’t know the exact mathematical formula or grammatical concept that is being tested. You’ll still have to re-​learn a lot of concepts you’ve forgotten since high school, but Jay and Nafeez have taken so many of these exams that they can tell you exactly which concepts will be tested, and which ones you can ignore. Although I started with a fairly strong score, I was still able to improve it significantly over the course of a couple of months by following the strategies that are laid out in the Sherpa packets.
In addition to the materials provided, the structure of the course makes studying for the exam seem like less of a chore. Nafeez becomes your coach ²⁴⁄₇ (literally), and he’s always available to answer content questions, review your practice exam results or simply to talk through your career /​education goals, even after the course is over. Classes are intentionally small, so he gets to know the whole class personally and understands each student’s particular strengths and weaknesses on the test. Because of this, classes are focused on the needs of the class and always lighthearted. I took the class on Saturday mornings, but it never felt like a chore to go to each session.
Finally, despite the quality of the Sherpa class, it is half the cost of similar courses in the area, and you can take it again for free for any reason. The low price point had me skeptical that this course would be as strong as others, but a friend who had already taken the course assured me that I would not regret the choice. I’m glad I trusted her!
Thanks, Nafeez and Jay, for a great course!

Sherpa Prep has my highest recommendation! Nafeez and the GMAT prep class far exceeded my expectations, giving me the confidence, knowledge, and strategies required to attain a score that makes me a highly competitive applicant for any business school in the country.
When I decided to pursue a MBA, I was rudely awakened, as most prospective applicants are, by how incredibly challenging and seemingly impossible the GMAT is. There is absolutely no way (in my opinion) to conquer this test without ‘training’ yourself. Though Sherpa alone will not get you there, their materials and strategies make the entire process so much more manageable. Before taking their class, I bought materials from Princeton Review and Kaplan. The Sherpa way is on an entirely different level. Jay and Nafeez are scientists when it comes to developing their strategies — their methods are much more effective and systematic than anything else I’ve come across. And when it comes to the GMAT, having a set system and recognizing when to apply a particular method for a particular problem is the only way to crack the test and beat the timer.
Nafeez is the best. There’s no other word to describe him. He doesn’t approach his students as a tutor, but rather as a coach. He provided me with both the mental training and encouragement/​confidence I needed during the mind-​wrenching process. Apart from being incredibly knowledgeable, he really cares about your success, offering one on one sessions and promptly answering emails (even when I was done with the class). I took the GMAT twice, spaced less than a month apart. The first time I took it, timing and my nerves got the better of me, and I was extremely discouraged. Nafeez assured me that based on my performance in the class and my score report that proved that timing was the largest issue, that I would increase at least 40 points if I took it again. I listened to him, and sure enough, I scored 100 (!!!) points higher on my second try. This time, I went in, making sure I didn’t repeat my mistakes, and I only re-​reviewed Sherpa advanced materials for preparation.
I’ve had friends who have taken Jay for the GRE, and they have the same compliments about him!
Thank you Sherpa!!!

I took the GMAT class in January of 2014, and I just retook it a couple a weeks ago. This is, without a doubt, the best bang for your buck when it comes to GMAT prep classes. Nafeez’ patience with me was limitless. He always offered support, and was responsive. Before I signed up, I sampled two other big-​name companies, and this one was the best of the three.

About 3 months ago I googled «best GRE class DC» and found Sherpa. I’m not sure why, but I was skeptical of something with so many 5 star reviews, how could anything be so universally good. But here I am, at the end of my course logging my own 5 star review. Jay and the Sherpa team are incredible. I came into the class with high expectations and good but not great scores and by the end earned a 328 on the first try, up from 310 when I started the class. Jay’s pedagogy is unique, his lectures stick in your head and he manages to be an effective teacher across quite disparate skill levels. He understands how to pressure his students toward success (in the way they hoped when their better selves signed up for the class originally) and balances frankness with encouragement well. — After debriefing my test-​day with Jay, articulating that my scores in one section fell a bit short of my goal, he encouraged me to try once more. I’m certain that this gap will be easy to close with the wealth of resources Sherpa provides; the strategy guides are especially useful and cogent. And, as if to give warranty on the product of success, our whole class was told that not only would Jay and his team be available via email whenever in the future we were working through test-​prep questions, but that if we felt it was necessary we could retake the whole course over again free of charge. With quality teaching and proven results, I’m quite satisfied with my sherpa experience.

Sherpa Prep is unquestionably the most effective preparation for either the GMAT or the GRE. I can personally speak to the quality of the GMAT classes, where I raised my initial test score of 550 to a 700 in a few months. My roommate, after hearing me heap praise on the program, took the GRE prep course and significantly improved his score as well.
Although I learn best in a group setting, I have no doubt that one-​on-​one tutoring provides equivalent value for the money, because the instructors (Nafeez in particular) are world class and their method of instruction (grouping question types and individualized study recommendations based on verbal/​quant strengths and weaknesses) is unique in the industry.
Lastly, the instructors are incredibly invested in each student outcome and incredibly available (as in Saturday night emails get a response, not «see me during office hours»).
Note: I attended Sherpa Prep courses in Arlington, VA during Fall, 2014
DM
MBA Candidate, Class of 2017
Stern School of Business, New York University

The proof is in the pudding: my GRE scores went up 8 points on quantitative and 9 points on qualitative after taking the SherpaPrep class. The teaching was outstanding — Jay broke down complex topics with clarity (and humor!) and was very responsive to questions, reviewing essays, checking in on progress and so on. The prep materials are thorough and accessible and the support is solid — you can even take the class again if you need to! With that kind of support, the price point alone is worth it – SherpaPrep looked to be about half as expensive as other brand name test prep services in the area. But Sherpa offers much more than just a good deal — they combine teaching you the fundamentals of the concepts so that you truly understand why and how something is done, along with the time saving, test taking tricks. I do not hesitate to recommend SherpaPrep as your GRE prep partner!

Cannot recommend this course enough. Class is a decent amount of work, but it is all designed to reinforce what you need to learn and is manageable. Walked in knowing very little about the GMAT or how to approach it and left feeling confident and prepared for the exam. I did very well on the GMAT and was accepted by my first choice. If you are applying to graduate school and looking for a prep class to take, stop looking and take this one.

Sherpa Prep is a great value. The GRE course is extremely helpful and well organized. If you come to every class and do the homework, you’re pretty much guaranteed to improve. If you follow the full advice of the instructors, there’s no way around it. The course is designed to help you learn all of the skills needed for GRE in manageable chunks that build on each other. Not even being able to dedicate the time I wanted to to studying, I made noticeable improvements in my scores.

The instructors at Sherpa Prep are phenomenal to say the least! Their expertise regarding the GMAT and the GRE is second to none. I took the GRE and got into the school I wanted and it was all made possible by the Sherpa team. They are willing to work around the clock with you to help you achieve whatever goal you desire on the tests. They are always available to help you figure out the tough questions because they truly want every one of their students to succeed. I highly recommend Sherpa Prep for anyone serious about the GMAT or the GRE.
KG

Nafeez is amazing. He’s an absolute pro that works with students to get the best score possible. Overall, you will get a lot of information, so take some time after the class to go through the info and problem sets. Nafeez breaks problems down easily, and helps you understand the complex problem quickly. He’s available to answer questions and emails all of the time.
The class is in-​person and you will get the personal touch necessary to get the score you want. I traded multiple emails about my score and how to attack the GMAT, and it was extremely helpful. Also, you can spend one-​on-​one time with the instructors to help sort through problems. This was extra helpful as well.
Thanks Nafeez and Sherpa!

Took the GMAT course with Nafeez this year, and it was excellent. You will learn how to approach problems in an efficient way that you won’t find by reading the book or browsing YouTube. You get a lot of material, and cover pretty much everything the GMAT throws at you. Highly highly recommend this course if you’re looking to get into a top Business School. Money well spent! Thanks Sherpa!
–James

I just finished taking Sherpa Prep’s GRE course in March 2015 and was incredibly pleased with the class.
Sherpa Prep was exactly what I was looking for in a GRE prep program. Sherpa has the best price for GRE classes in DC by far, and you won’t be sacrificing quality by paying less. Jay went above an beyond to provide personalized help to me in the class, and provided tailored feedback for every practice test. Jay has been teaching GRE courses for a decade or more and his knowledge of the test and where to focus your energy is incredibly helpful.
I also had to miss a class for work travel and Sherpa was very flexible in immediately setting me up with a list of options for make-​up classes.
Most importantly, I walked into the test confident and got exactly the score I was hoping for! Highly recommended.

I took Sherpa Prep’s GRE course in the fall of 2011 and I couldn’t be more pleased with it.
The course helped me get exceptional scores on my exam, which in turn was a major factor in my successful grad school admissions process. All things considered, I had a fantastic rate of return on my investment in the course.
The course helped me in three major ways:
– first, it helped me to appreciate the breadth and depth of the knowledge required to get a top score and to realize how much studying is required to do so
– second, it taught me the most effective approaches to use for every type of GRE problem, especially certain types of math and verbal problems
– third, it guided me through a comprehensive and structured study plan that made it possible for me to achieve great results
1) I used to think that being able to flip through the chapters of a GRE prep book and tell myself «OK, I understand that. Sure, I get that.» was the same as being prepared for the exam, but what I know now is that «understanding» the concepts in a superficial way is not enough to get a top score.
Yes, a bright person could look at many GRE problems and try a handful of approaches until one of them eventually works, but on a timed exam this means other test-​takers have time to finish all the problems and go back to check their work while the smart guy trying to wing it might not even finish the sections.
Now I understand that the key to success is studying and doing practice problems until you’re able to recognize any tricky problem as a variation of others that you’ve already done and to immediately know the quickest path to the solution. The GRE just doesn’t give you enough time to finish all the problems if you try to work your way through tough problems that you haven’t thoroughly practiced.
2) The course did a great job of teaching the best ways to approach all the different types of questions that can appear on the exam. For the verbal section, Sherpa’s strategies for sentence completion and reading comprehension questions do a great job of allowing you to approach the questions in a clear, logical and systematic way while avoiding «trap» answers.
For the quantitative section, the class covers every single type of math problem that could possibly appear on the GRE and gives you the most effective approaches for each type. About ²⁄₃ of each of the eight 3 ¼ hour long classes is devoted to math. The strategies for test-​taking in general are helpful too.
3) I am certain that I studied longer and harder than I would have on my own without the extra kick in the butt of having an instructor who expected that every week I would show up to class, do all homework, take a practice exam, and stay on top of my vocab studying.