Paying for business school can feel overwhelming—but it doesn't have to.

In this episode of Inside the GMAT, Zach sits down with Allie Danziger, Chief Marketing Officer at Ascent Funding, to discuss one of the biggest concerns facing prospective students: how to finance graduate management education.

Together, they explore why cost remains a major barrier for candidates, common misconceptions about loans and scholarships, strategies for building a realistic financial plan, and ways students can evaluate the long-term return on investment of their degree.

Whether you're just beginning to research programs or preparing to enroll this fall, this conversation offers practical guidance to help you approach funding decisions with greater confidence, including:

• Why financing feels overwhelming for so many candidates
• The difference between scholarships, federal loans, and private loans
• How to calculate your true cost of attendance
• Common funding mistakes students make
• Ways AI can help students plan financially
• Why starting early matters
• How Ascent Funding supports students beyond financing

About our guest:

Allie Danziger is Chief Marketing Officer at Ascent Funding, where she leads marketing, growth, and customer experience initiatives focused on helping students and families access education financing with confidence.

A serial entrepreneur and business builder, Allie has founded, scaled, and successfully exited two companies. Throughout her career, she has been passionate about creating innovative solutions that help individuals achieve their educational and professional goals.

In 2020, she founded Ampersand, a workforce development platform designed to help early-career professionals build career-ready skills and connect education to employment outcomes. Ampersand was acquired by Ascent Funding in 2023. Prior to Ampersand, Allie founded and led Integrate Agency, one of Texas's leading marketing and public relations firms, serving more than 600 organizations and growing a team of over 250 professionals.

Today, Allie brings a unique perspective at the intersection of education, career readiness, marketing, and technology, helping organizations create meaningful pathways from education to long-term success.

Helpful Resources:

Check your rates with Ascent: https://partners.ascentfunding.com/gmac

Apply for the GMAC scholarship: https://www.ascentfunding.com/scholarships

Register for the GMAT: https://www.mba.com/exams/gmat-exam/register

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Financing Education
01:39 Understanding the Barriers to Financing
06:10 Navigating the Cost of Attendance
11:16 Funding Options Explained
15:32 Common Misconceptions in Student Financing
18:14 Timing Your Financial Decisions
21:40 Ascent Funding's Unique Approach
25:03 Collaboration with GMAC
26:40 Final Thoughts and Action Steps

"Nothing is better than the real thing. Official GMAT questions are the gold standard for getting ready for the test."

The GMAT Official Guide 2026–2027 is here, and that means new official questions, updated online practice tools, and fresh ways to prepare for test day.

In this episode of Inside the GMAT, GMAC Zach is joined once again by Stacey Koprince of Manhattan Prep to break down what's new in this year's Official Guide collection and how candidates should actually use it. They discuss why official GMAT questions are so valuable, how to balance official prep with third-party learning resources, and why reviewing your practice questions is just as important as answering them.

Zach and Stacey also cover common prep mistakes, including burning through too many questions too quickly, studying one question type in isolation, and skipping review on questions you got right. Plus, Stacey shares practical advice for using the Official Guide, section-specific review books, online question banks, and official practice exams more strategically throughout your prep.

Whether you're just starting your GMAT journey or looking for more official practice before test day, this episode will help you get more out of every question you study.

Purchase the new GMAT Official Guide: mba.com/prep

Register for the GMAT exam: mba.com/register

Get materials from Manhattan Prep: manhattanprep.com/gmat

About Stacey:

Stacey Koprince is one of the most recognized names in test prep, with over 15 years of experience teaching the GMAT, EA, GRE, and LSAT. As Manhattan Prep's Director of Content & Curriculum, she has written countless articles, guides, and video explanations that thousands of students rely on. A former management consultant, Stacey now spends her days helping future business leaders master tricky concepts and find confidence in their prep—something she's passionate about seeing "click" for every student.

Key Takeaways

1. Official questions matter because they are real GMAT questions. Third-party prep can teach concepts and strategies, but official GMAT questions are the best way to practice what the real exam will feel like.
2. The Official Guide works best after foundational learning. Candidates should first learn the underlying content, question types, and strategies, then use the Official Guide to quiz themselves.
3. Review is where score improvement happens. Stacey emphasizes that every question should be reviewed, including questions answered correctly, because correct answers can reveal shortcuts, traps, and repeatable strategies.
4. Mixed practice is more effective than over-drilling one question type. The GMAT requires candidates to shift between skills, formats, and sections. Prep should mimic that experience.
5. The newest Official Guide may be worth it, but not always immediately. If a candidate already owns last year's guide and still has plenty of unused questions, they can continue with it. If they are buying for the first time, the newest edition is the better choice.
6. Practice exams should be used carefully. Candidates should review each practice exam thoroughly and complete targeted study before taking another one.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to the Official Guide 2026-2027
01:07 The Importance of Official GMAT Tools
03:20 New Features and Questions in the Official Guide
11:38 Exploring the Content of the Big OG
16:02 Strategic Use of the Official Guide
18:15 The Value of Reviewing Correct Answers
22:14 Common Mistakes in GMAT Preparation
27:44 Utilizing the Official Guide Effectively
29:24 Review Books and Their Importance
34:17 Integrating Official Prep Tools with Outside Learning
37:46 Pro Tips for Leveraging the New Official Guide

"Anxiety and excitement are chemically the same reaction — context changes how we interpret it."

What actually separates top GMAT performers from everyone else?

In this episode of Inside the GMAT, GMAC Zach sits down with Hailey Cusimano, Director of Tutoring at Menlo Coaching, to unpack the five traits she's observed that that drive GMAT success.

Through the lens of curiosity, balance, consistency, resilience, and flexibility, Hailey explains why the GMAT is less about memorization and more about critical thinking, self-awareness, and intentional preparation.

Whether you're just starting your prep journey or feeling stuck after months of studying, this episode offers actionable insights to help you study smarter — not just harder.

About Hailey:

Hailey Cusimano is a 99th-percentile performer and a self-proclaimed standardized test nerd. Drawing from her years of experience as an instructor, she knows how to assess students' main obstacles and strategize accordingly, maximizing efficiency in short study windows. Plus, her enthusiasm is infectious, and most students find studying with Hailey actually becomes—dare we say—fun.

Helpful Resources:

Menlo Coaching: https://menlocoaching.com/

Register for the GMAT: https://www.mba.com/exams/gmat-exam/register

Purchase GMAT Official Prep: https://www.mba.com/exams/executive-assessment/prepare

Key Takeaways:

• The GMAT is fundamentally a critical thinking test — not a memorization test.
• Curiosity is one of the strongest predictors of long-term GMAT success.
• Reflective studying is far more valuable than simply completing large volumes of questions.
• Consistency matters more than cramming or weekend-only "study marathons."
• Burnout can quietly undermine progress, even for highly motivated students.
• Flexibility and adaptability are essential because the GMAT intentionally challenges rigid thinking.
• Top scorers are not confident all the time — they are resourceful when facing uncertainty.
• Students improve faster when they analyze why they got stuck, not just what they got wrong.
• Strong GMAT preparation requires balance between studying, work, rest, and personal life.
• Resilience allows students to turn setbacks, bad practice tests, and plateau periods into opportunities for growth.
• The best GMAT students treat mistakes as useful data rather than evidence of failure.
• Small, intentional daily study sessions are often more effective than infrequent marathon sessions.
• "Timeline creep" can happen when students study without structure, benchmarks, or accountability.
• Many students plateau because they over-focus on weaknesses and stop practicing holistically.
• The GMAT rewards thoughtful decision-making, resource management, and strategic thinking under pressure.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro and Meet Hailey Cusimano, Menlo Coaching
08:02 Trait #1: Curiosity
13:50 Trait #2: Consistency
22:39 Trait #3: Balance
32:59 Trait #4: Flexibility
36:48 Trait #5: Resilience
43:11 Integrating Key Traits for Success
49:30 Actionable Steps for GMAT Success