I guess Marc has gone independent! Great instructor. Who’s going?
Omaha for me. I went in 2013 when it was called Creighton’s Bootcamp. It was really awesome, highly recommend it. My fault I wasn’t prepared but most of the people there did pass. I took a year off. Back at it again and will try to be more active on AF.
Pretty jealous of all the people in Boston, NY and San Fran who won’t have to pay for flights or hotels to go.
Not at all looking forward to getting and doing the 10 years worth of old exams but I know it’s super important.
Will be looking forward to meeting new people at the bootcamp, really enjoyed it last time.
I’m sure Marc appreciates your recommendation. That man works hard. All he teaches is L3, why he’s so OCD about it and knows all the examples by study session and page numbers. Crazy. He must be on something…lol
I guess with three more locations now, there will be less people in Omaha–too bad, but—more cookies for me! haha
Made some good study friends last time, hoping for the same experience.
I finally asked Marc. He said 50+ people have already signed up, the cookie competition is on lol - That’s pretty good, I guess I’m not the only one planning this far ahead. I guess the people who had him or the Bootcamp before know it’s worth it. I wonder when he will email out the Focus Package this year, soon I hope. I used to use it to do all the important Blue Box problems n white text problems he thinks exam questions will come from.
The scary part is I have seen those dirty Blue Box question on D-day. There are so many of them!!! Didn’t do them all last time, live n learn. Hope everyone is doing them too + the darn EOC.
I live in Boston and will consider this. Does anyone know if he offers discounts, the price for a single day seams rather high -albeit the reviews all seem great.
I found Marc has great energy, but honestly his class is a waste of money. I’ll save you the money, and tell you what Marc is going to tell you, do the blue box problems. There really is little else to gain from the class. Screw into a block of wood, only you’re getting screwed
And to whatsyourgovt, he offers no discounts and no rebates if you are unsatisfied.
If all you get was “do the blue boxes” I wouldn’t waste my time either. And I wouldn’t waste my breath recommending it. I don’t care if the price is higher than other providers as long as I’m getting my money’s worth and you do.
To spell it out bc I was at the 2013 Bootcamp you get:
10 yrs worth of old exams in this Big Binder that has all the irrevalent topics and “crap” taken out of it already, which I think is genius, catheorized by topic. (I think this is the cure to the essay death trap)
He gave us this “how to get the required return calculation” method for indivisual IPS that everybody thought was much easier to use bc of all the before or after tax and inflated or not issues.
He also gave a great “Focus Package” before you go to the camp to help you “Focus” on certain Blue Boxes, Exhibits and white text problems and even EOC questions since there’s too many of them and limited time to do them all.
He’s no longer using the crappy Mindmap Swcheser slide book and has made his own that someone said will “Bankrupt Swcheser” LOL, he sent me some samples, they are REALLY NICE, color coded for importance and will also serve as my Index Cards (save me like $125 buying some).
He enjoys mentoring “students” for some reason (a professor thing I guess) and is very responsive to folks emailing and calling for help after the boothcamp. You can even call and cry, he will “hold your hand.”
He’s very energetic, very OCD about L3, is actually entertaining w/ some good and bad jokes and he will do the whole thing, all topics for ALL four days, no cheap subsitutes or BS. Knows everything, all the examples inside and out.
I complained about no discounts too, but he thinks he’s like Apple, no fluff retail markups to discount down, you pay a premium for the Best-In-Class. And if I pass, and I should, maybe I will write him another check as a bonus. For the hell L3 is, it’s worth cuting back somewhere else. That man works hard and is darn good but he really sucks at marketing his stuff.
I’m sure if you’re really unsatisfied, you can talk to him about it and work something out.
In my 2013 L3 Bootcamp, I believe at the end, we all gave him a big clapping ovation (I think ~95% of us flew into Omaha, some Internationally and thought it was worth it). Plus you also get a list of all the students in class who want to be listed in the networking list and make good study friends to exchange notes/mocks, assuming the same again.
If you don’t have to pay for hotel and airfare, GO! I’ve been to the 3-Day Schweser reviews before, worthless to hear someone read slides for three days who only half-ass knows the material and can’t answer any real questions deeper than an inch, then tell u it’s not important or won’t be on the exam as a cover up.
“I found Marc has great energy, but honestly his class is a waste of money. I’ll save you the money, and tell you what Marc is going to tell you, do the blue box problems.”
To prospective Level IIIers, I will just point out that the observation above ranks at the top of bad advice given on the Level III Forum. There is nothing that will focus your mind, your training, and your confidence in Level III like four days of breathtaking interactive attack-mode, calculation intense, example after example training that Marc gives. As others have stated, he is unbelievably intense, giving the exam the respect it is due and getting his students deep inside the material. Yeah, you can look at a blue box, but you won’t get the flavor of that box the way Marc gives it – “why is this here? what is it trying to tell you? what are the variations? how it it likely to be reflected in the exam?.”
I don’t think Marc will put Schweser at Level III out of business, as there will always be companies and individuals who want the comfort of an institution. But I went to them and none bear any comparison to Marc. After taking Marc’s class in Omaha, I continued on for an additonal course in New York with one said “institution.” Literally, after an hour of listening to the instructor drone on without doing any work, any problem sets, just blah blah I walked out. With Marc, you will never say to yourself, “c’mon man get going let’s crank!” Marc cranks hard, minute one. Never a wasted second. I looked over my shoulder at the New York class and just shook my head at their sorry plight as I walked out: ah, geez, they coulda’ had Marc. They blew it.
DO NOT make that mistake. The road to success at Level III runs through Marc. Listen up, puppies: do Marc and pass.
MissCleo: You think I’m Marc??? HAHAHA I’m offended. I’m a lot cuter than Marc! Better recheck your crystal ball…lol
Though Marc is not bad looking either, maybe a little old for my taste…
To ABAL: There’s no online “package” on sell, it’s just the L3 4-Day Bootcamp thing for $1199 you have to physically go to to get all that stuff.
Great “product”, very high in class pass rates, lots of very happy people, more a word-of-mouth thing but really really bad marketing. Somebody help him so more of us can pass.
There’s way too much unnessary suffering on L3 and for those who have already suffered so much to get here.
Looks like I finally got some decent company to report! Sounds like A LOT of people already signed up!
Marc expanding out of Omaha and doing the LevelUp Bootcamps in San Fran, Boston, NY too is a really Great idea to help more candidates be able to go. Why make everybody fly there when 1 guy can fly to the candidates in a few locations.
Next yr he should add Chicago and maybe something in the south for us Southern folks…Jesus! Though I don’t expect to see him again after this year, nothing personal…lol Hope not TOO many and you kind of loose the competitive advantage…Ok I shouldn’t say that, that’s too selfish…haha
If only we ALL could pass if everybody got over 70%…daydreaming of international equality and world peace.
=> Side note, I just discovered Arabic House Music Mix! Great study music!
Remember to take Cleo’s hearty advice with a grain of salt. He failed Level II 4 or 5 times, and is en route to do the same on Level III… Attending Marc’s Bootcamp isn’t a “golden ticket” to pass the exam – but your chances of passing will definitely improve after receiving his instruction over several days.
I think Marc’s tips are fantastic, particularly for handling the Individual and Institutuional questions in the AM session. He doesn’t just tell you to do the blue box questions, but will actually highlight specific questions or areas where he believes you should focus. He also prepares an outstanding outline you can work from, and goes through the trouble of grouping past AM questions by section into one binder. All very valuable material.
There are some AF members who have chosen to write posts on this forum using “feminine” handles for reasons beyond my care or understanding. MissCleo is one of those people; Vicky_cool would be another.
Sorry I went on a cruise/vaca for a week then caugh a cold:/// Nobody told me it was Spring Break! Half the ship was FL college kids, 13 of them didn’t make it back on the ship in Belize and 35 were left in Cozumel, Mexico…lol One had to have IV on the dock from too much alcohol. Yes, I did study on the darn ship.
Anyways, what does “MissCleo is transitioning” mean. It was a guy now transitioning to become a woman??? hahaha
Look people, there’s no easy way out. If you want to spend $1000+ for someone to force you to study then go right ahead. At the end of the day, you’re going to have to put in the work - accept it and turn yourself over to the CFA gods for the next 3 months and BE DONE WITH IT!!!