GMAT Prep

After scoring 99% on my first GMAT attempt, completing an MBA from the Schulich School of Business (with honors), and working in a corporate world for 10+ yrs, I discovered my passion for teaching, and have since helped thousands of clients achieve 700+ scores on the GMAT. Over my 15 years teaching career, I've worked with numerous clients who successfully applied to top global schools such Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Columbia, Yale, Kellogg, Chicago Booth, UCLA, Rotman, Ivey, Queen's, McGill, Insead, LBS, HEC Paris, just to name a few. I've had a privilege to work with CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, busy consulting professionals, entrepreneurs, students, and many more who targeted high scores and wanted to prepare for the GMAT efficiently, save time, and enjoy the process! I specialize in helping you develop advanced reasoning skills and will help you craft a personalized study plans to ensure your success on the standardized tests such as the GMAT, GRE, LSAT, or SAT. Let's connect and create a tailored approach to help you reach your goals!

My journey into the world of GMAT coaching began unexpectedly while preparing for my own GMAT exam in 2018. Recognizing my potential, work ethic, and abilities, the institute where I was studying hired me as a Quantitative Reasoning Coach. I quickly made significant contributions, revolutionizing the GMAT department with procedural enhancements and curriculum improvements. My efforts led to a swift promotion to GMAT Director, where I built and led a team of 7 coaches, pushing the department to achieve record-breaking average GMAT scores for two consecutive years. Through this role, I personally coached over 200 MBA hopefuls, guiding them to ace the GMAT and secure placements in top MBA programs. My academic and professional journey didn't stop there. I was awarded the Enid Fogel merit-based scholarship at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business, became an MLT fellow, and received consulting job offers from Boston Consulting Group, Deloitte, and EY-Parthenon before my classes at Booth even began. I chose to work with BCG during my MBA, leveraging my strengths in work ethic, organization, accountability, and efficiency. Recently, I completed my MBA at Booth and embarked on a new venture, founding Von Poker Prep LLC. My mission is to coach MBA hopefuls on how to optimize their time and resources not just to ace the GMAT, but to excel beyond it. Why do I coach? Coaching the GMAT has been a passion of mine for over 4 years, stemming from a deep engagement with the exam for more than 6 years. I find joy in the puzzles presented by the GMAT and have devoted considerable time to developing frameworks and mindsets for efficiently solving these challenges. My motivation is rooted in empathy and experience; I was once a GMAT student myself, aiming for admission into an M7 program while balancing professional and personal responsibilities. This journey led me to create optimized study practices and frameworks, which not only facilitated my own success but also paved the way for my role as a coach at the same institute where I was once a student. At Von Poker Prep, I offer a comprehensive GMAT Preparation package that includes dozens of hours of audiovisual lessons and homework solutions, homework assignments, Mock Analysis frameworks, and Exercise solution frameworks. These tools are designed to be broadly applicable, allowing students from both technical and non-technical backgrounds to master the various sections of the GMAT. My coaching extends beyond teaching technical skills for solving exercises; I aim to instill a strategic mindset and provide key test-taking strategies, ensuring my students' success. I am committed to working tirelessly for my clients, drawing on my own experiences to guide them through their GMAT preparation and beyond. My approach is tailored to empower students to dominate the exam, providing them with the structure, strategies, and support necessary to achieve their highest potential.

I've been mentoring students to take the GMAT since 2005. I was already working for Kaplan Test Prep as a SAT, ACT, and LSAT tutor and I took the GRE when I applied to graduate school in 2002. (I have a MA in Math Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.) Based on my GRE score, Kaplan trained me to be a GRE coach. I took Kaplan's GMAT course (for fun--I'm a test junkie), scored a 740 on an official test and then, after attending a training course, started teaching GMAT through Kaplan. I later became a full time high school teacher and my second job was private tutoring. For about 15 years, I only taught SAT and ACT. In 2016, I made a major life change and moved to the Azores, Portugal. I returned to private tutoring. Realizing that there was more demand for GMAT and GRE, I self-studied and began working as a GMAT tutor. I took an official GMAT in August of 2021 and scored a 790. I feel my biggest asset is not my content knowledge or teaching skills, but rather my ability to connect with learners on a personal level. I really enjoy the time spent with my students. I'm not just a tutor doling out facts to memorize--I'm also a counselor who needs to motivate. It may sound cliche, but every student is different! And I enjoy thinking creatively about how to tackle different learning obstacles. My motto is: A good tutor teaches students the steps needed to solve particular problems. A great tutor shows students to how to think ingeniously when faced with unfamiliar content. I go through all the highs and lows with my students while keeping them motivated, positive, and feeling good about their progress. I believe learning should feel like an enjoyable struggle. It's hard work, but the end result makes the effort worth it and that much more gratifying.

I like the GMAT! I enjoy the challenge of GMAT puzzles and the satisfaction of developing effective skills to solve them. I've been helping students to improve their scores for 10 years, and have developed some creative ways for students to overcome the intellectual and emotional challenges of taking the test.

A leading GMAT Expert in Europe, 12 years of GMAT teaching experience, 770 personal score on GMAT Classic. I am expert at coaching candidates to outstanding performance via personalized training. I also offer specialized packages to tackle exam anxiety. You deserve to work with an expert. My personal score of 770 on the GMAT Classic includes a perfect 51 on Verbal, which attracts students from around the world to work with me. I've also attended insider meetings with GMAC, the creators of the GMAT, and have had the chance to speak in-depth with the Chief Psychometrician about exactly how the computer-adaptive exam functions and how it calculates your score. Many of my students have said, "I only wish I had started working with her sooner!" Don't struggle on your own. Take ownership of your ambitions and let's get to work.

I scored in the 100th percentile on the GMAT FE this summer. Having recently gone through the GMAT preparation process, I’m deeply familiar with the current exam, official materials, and the major prep resources available to students. Most recently, I helped a student improve from 615 to 715 in less than a month. My approach is highly individualized: I assess each student’s current abilities, prior mocks and error patterns, goals, and timeline, then build a targeted study plan around the areas with the greatest potential for improvement. I keep my student roster limited so I can prepare for each session individually and provide meaningful support between sessions.

Welcome to my profile! With a strong background in consulting at top firms like Deloitte and KPMG, I bring a strategic approach to GMAT preparation. Despite my focus on consulting, I have a passion for helping students excel in their GMAT exams, leveraging my analytical skills and experience to guide them through the complexities of the test. My coaching is tailored to each individual's needs, ensuring that you not only improve your scores but also gain confidence in your abilities. Let's work together to craft a personalized study plan that will help you achieve your target score and open doors to your dream schools. Reach out to set up an introductory call!

I achieved a 760 GMAT the first time I took the test. My strong suits are Verbal Reasoning and Analytical Writing.

With 5+ years experience as a GMAT Private Tutor at Menlo Coaching (#1 in GMAT Test Prep globally), I have now been successfully providing elite online GMAT tutoring services to top MBA candidates worldwide for 25+ years. During this timeframe, I have personally tutored more than 1,000 students in preparing successfully for their graduate business school entrance exams. I have also professionally taught more than 5,000 MBA candidates (in a classroom setting) over a 10-year teaching period. In total, I have 20,000+ hours of GMAT (+GRE) teaching and tutoring experience, making me one of the most qualified GMAT Tutors in the graduate test prep industry.

Hi! I'm Bruce Hanson, I've been coaching the GMAT for over ten years and I specialize in getting students 720+ scores. I developed my rigorous GMAT curriculum at UCLA specifically for top students targeting top scores. I further honed my program through thousands of hours of teaching private students as the founder of First Choice Admissions. I produce consistent and exceptional results and I've helped hundreds of students just like you hit their goals!.