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PrepScholar

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6.8

Overall Score

Author: Kaitlyn Short

LAST UPDATED: September 18th, 2026

PrepScholar is one of the most widely searched test preparation companies. It was founded in 2013 by Allen Cheng and Fred Zhang, both of whom earned perfect scores on the SAT. PrepScholar helps students prepare for the SAT and ACT through self-paced online courses, live instructor-led classes, and live one-on-one tutoring, and it also offers college admissions counseling, AP tutoring, and academic tutoring.

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The Good

  • Customized Instruction
  • Programs and Services
  • Live Classes and One-on-One Tutoring
  • Money-Back Guarantee
  • Customer Support

Customized Instruction

At the beginning of each course, students take a diagnostic test to discern their ability level. This unique prep program caters to the needs of each student. Students then receive step-by-step instructions, so they know exactly what to study and can easily review their mistakes. They also receive weekly reports to track their progress. Those needing additional assistance can add one-on-one tutoring to their course. 

One-on-one tutoring is offered in four tiers, each pairing PrepScholar’s Complete Prep program with a set amount of individual instruction: 4, 10, 18, or 32 hours of one-on-one tutoring. All tutoring packages include access to the online program.

Programs and Services

PrepScholar has expanded well beyond a single test. In addition to SAT and ACT preparation, the company offers college admissions counseling, AP tutoring, and academic tutoring — giving students a single provider for test prep, subject help, and the college application process.

Live Classes and One-on-One Tutoring

Alongside its self-paced online courses, PrepScholar offers live, instructor-led SAT and ACT classes as well as live one-on-one tutoring for students who want real-time instruction. Live tutoring sessions are conducted online over Google Meet, so students can work with a tutor from anywhere.

Money-Back Guarantee

Both the ACT and SAT courses offer a five-day risk-free trial. Dissatisfied customers can request a refund; it is important to note that any used portion of tutoring packages cannot be refunded. Tutoring services do have a one-hour guarantee. Once a customer has tried tutoring for an hour, he or she can cancel and receive a full refund.

In addition, PrepScholar offers a score-improvement money-back guarantee. It guarantees SAT scores will increase by 160+ points on the 1600-point scale and ACT scores will increase by 4+ points. The guarantee has certain requirements, such as completing the course and having taken an official SAT, ACT, or PSAT before starting the program. Students only need to submit that prior score if they later claim a refund under the guarantee.

Customer Support

PrepScholar advertises free technical support. Customers can contact a purchase question hotline or email the company. They also offer a helpful FAQs page and have a clear, easy-to-use website. 

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The Bad

  • Premium Tutoring Prices
  • Guarantee Requirements

Premium Tutoring Prices

PrepScholar’s self-paced online courses are competitively priced for the test-prep industry, but its one-on-one tutoring packages are more expensive than many competitors. Tutoring packages include the online course and range from $995 to $4,795, depending on the number of tutoring hours.

Guarantee Requirements

PrepScholar’s score-improvement money-back guarantee is subject to conditions. To be eligible, students must complete the course and must have taken an official SAT, ACT, or PSAT before starting the program. Customers should review the full guarantee requirements to be sure they qualify.

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The Bottom Line

PrepScholar offers customized SAT and ACT preparation through self-paced online courses, live instructor-led classes, and live one-on-one tutoring, and it has grown to include college admissions counseling, AP tutoring, and academic tutoring. Its online courses allow flexibility for busy students, and we recognize PrepScholar as a strong online test-prep provider with pricing that is more affordable than many competitors. 

Customers who want the most inexpensive option may want to compare other programs, since PrepScholar’s one-on-one tutoring is priced at a premium. Overall, PrepScholar is a solid choice for students who want a data-driven, customizable path through test prep, tutoring, and the college admissions process. Visit their website to explore course and tutoring options. 

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Star Rating

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4.7

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86 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

67%

4 grade

14%

3 grade

1%

2 grade

2%

1 grade

15%

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Joseph Halphen Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The only thing that I dislike about prep scholar is it they don’t give you a heads up when there’s only four ACT prep test you can take a heads up on that would be nice so that you don’t have to take them all as it prompt you you could make them last longer because there’s nowhere to clear it out and redo it! Other than that it’s wonderful

6 days ago

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Anna Lent Newark, Ohio

When I first started using the PrepScholar ACT prep program, I admit I was hesitant. However, the program immediately dispelled any of my fears and I am so happy that I used PrepScholar. The lessons and skills they assigned me worked directly to target things I struggled with, and the practice tests helped me prepare for the actual ACT and really helped me with my time management skills while answering questions. The work also was not overwhelming or 'too much' to accomplish with the right amount of work and dedication to the program. They even sent me weekly updates and personal notes that encouraged and motivated me to work harder, and their customer service responded to every email I sent within a few hours of my message. Overall, I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to take PrepScholar and would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone preparing to take the ACT. The program is clear, helpful, do-able, professional, and the people who reach out to you are incredibly kind and very willing to help you out in any way they can. For me, the program is a 10/10 and I really encourage anyone looking to prepare for a test (whether it be the SAT or ACT or a different program they provide) to go with PrepScholar :)

3 days ago

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Yuvan Kiran Frisco, Texas

I like the course and especially how it helps me focus on specific areas in ACT math. The only small thing I wish was possible was that I could focus on specific areas whenever I wanted to like statistics instead of finishing assignments to unlock more.

6 days ago

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KAYLEE ANN WHITLEY Johnson, Arkansas

One aspect of PrepScholar I appreciate is the sense of feeling prepared. I love the student friendly lessons that delve into the act curriculum to prepare students for the final test. I also enjoy how each PreScholar account is suited to each and every one students academic needs

4 days ago

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Daniel Whitehouse New York City, New York

I liked PrepScholar because for the first time while studying for the ACT, I have stayed consistent. And I credit my consistency to the PrepScholar program. The program also works really well in helping you master certain ideas that will be presented on the ACT.

5 days ago

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George Toronto, Ontario

Prepscholar is really useful to improve on your SAT. It has full practice tests, and allows you to test and practice specific question types and subjects. I loved how I could generate mini tests with subtopics I needed to target such as solving quadratic equations or drawing conclusions from texts.

6 days ago

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Leiana Arwen Eau Claire, Wisconsin

The practice tests were not as hard as the actual ACT, which meant I was getting way better scores in practice than in real life. It would have been nice if the tests were harder, so that I could have a more accurate idea of what my overall score would be on the real ACT. I did love the way the lessons were done, they were very useful. I struggle a lot with math, and the lessons made me feel far more confident at math than I have in a while. Overall, Prepscholar was an incredible tool.

6 days ago

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Tiana Egwim Weare, New Hampshire

I like how the lessons are tailored and fit for specific individuals, and how you can do as many lessons as you want. I also like that it shows recommended tests per week, but even if it doesn't show one, you can still choose to take one. I also love the mini quizzes for each lesson because that makes the content really stick with me.

6 days ago

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Zahra-Lys King Chaguanas, Chaguanas Borough Corporation

I like that there is a layout of what I need to cover, and that all the individual lessons allow you to cover each small part of the SATs in detail. It helps because I know that by the end of it I will be more than prepared for even most rare questions. However, I wish I could work more on my speed, and I wish I could be given short quizzes curated to my specific difficulties, which allow me to level up.

4 weeks ago

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addyson Cooper City, Florida

I loved the flexibility of this tutoring where you can create your own schedule. This helped me so much and is the best tutoring for the SAT.

4 days ago

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Alexandra Bray Evanston, Illinois

Before I signed up for PrepScholar I had no idea where to start studying for the SAT. Taking the course and doing more work after through PrepScholar has really helped me prepare for the SAT and learn what kinds of questions will be asked and the best strategies to use.

3 weeks ago

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Jay Chen New York, New York

I think PrepScholar's practice test and questions' explanation is very thorough. They give many different explanations and are incredibly in-depth with their explanations to help me identify my weaknesses and exactly what went wrong for me as I answered the questions.

4 weeks ago

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Michal Herzog New York, New York

I loved prep scholars program. It was very well-made and very in-depth and informative. I feel very well prepared walking into my AP exam.

3 days ago

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Hazel Muir Charlotte, North Carolina

I liked the structure and lesson plans. I could have done with studying by the lesson instead of by the hour.

6 days ago

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Annabelle Penar West Des Moines, Iowa

I really loved the weekly lessons and customizable quizzes! It brought me from a 25 to a 29 and I am very pleased.

6 days ago

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Malky Friedman New York City, New York

I liked how the lessons were specifically focused on what I needed to improve in! Everything was clear and my progress was consistent.

4 weeks ago

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Idk Tucson, Arizona

I like how customizeable it is and how you get to choose your own times. The ai feedback is great for figuring out why and where I went wrong.

4 weeks ago

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Anum Mohiuddin Budd, Illinois

- Good practice questions for weak areas. - Can be kind of repititive/non engaging

4 days ago

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Sophia Llanes Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Really helpful for studying for my SATs. I seriously believe this website helped me get the score I did on it.

3 weeks ago

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Isabella Branscum Liberty Township, Ohio

It’s a very structured program and I love it a lot.

4 days ago

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Logan Ferrara Babylon, New York

Prep scholar helped me to get my SAT score up 200, big thanks!

4 weeks ago

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chenghao huang Allen, Texas

I’ve had a really positive experience using this SAT prep website. One of the biggest things I appreciate is how organized and easy to navigate everything is. Preparing for the SAT can feel overwhelming because there are so many different topics to study, but this website makes the process much more manageable by breaking the material down into smaller sections. The practice questions are especially useful. They give you opportunities to work on the exact types of problems that you are likely to encounter on the SAT, rather than just reviewing general math or English concepts. I found that doing these questions repeatedly helped me become more familiar with the way SAT questions are worded and the kinds of tricks or patterns that appear on the test. Another feature I really like is the explanations. Simply being told whether an answer is right or wrong isn't very helpful when you're studying. The explanations on this website make it much easier to understand why an answer is correct and, more importantly, why the other choices are incorrect. This is especially helpful for questions that I initially got wrong because I can go back, understand my mistake, and avoid making the same mistake again. The website is also useful for identifying weaknesses. Instead of spending all of my study time reviewing topics I already understand, I can focus more attention on areas where I need improvement. This makes studying more efficient and helps me feel like I am actually making progress. I also like that the website can be used at different levels of preparation. Someone who is just starting to study for the SAT could use it to learn the fundamentals, while a student who is already scoring well can use the harder questions to challenge themselves. There is enough variety that the practice doesn't feel repetitive after only a few sessions. The interface is another strong point. Everything is relatively straightforward, and I don't have to spend a lot of time figuring out where to find practice problems or study materials. This might seem like a small thing, but when you're trying to study consistently, having a website that is quick and convenient to use makes a big difference. Overall, I would definitely recommend this website to other students preparing for the SAT. It provides a good combination of practice, explanations, and structured studying without making the preparation process unnecessarily complicated. The most valuable part for me is that it doesn't just encourage you to do more questions—it helps you understand your mistakes and improve over time. If you're serious about raising your SAT score and want an additional resource to supplement your studying, I think this website is worth trying.

4 weeks ago Edited August 30, 2026

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Beth B.

After researching many options, we selected PrepScholar both for SAT Prep, and College Admissions – Full Essay Service and Application Review Service. The SAT Prep was very helpful for my son, and the resulting score we were very proud of. The College Admissions services were wonderful. Our consultant, Julianne, was the best! She did an amazing job! Her communication style (both to my son and me), turnaround time, and guidance were remarkable. The essays were always 100% my son’s thoughts and wording. She assisted with the flow and encouraged him to add more detail when needed. We met our early deadlines for applications, and her assistance in reviewing the applications was very beneficial. Overall, we are so happy we went with PrepScholar!

3 years ago

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vanessa varela Key Biscayne, FL

We chose PrepScholar among 5 other companies offering college counseling, and we are more than satisfied with our decision! The company is very organized, responsible and clear. Claire, besides being very knowledgeable, managed to get to know our daughter and manage her times much better than we have done in 18 years. She offered Lucia a wide repertoire of schools that were unknown to us and to the rest of her classmates, opening up opportunities for her acceptance. She took the time to understand Lucia's interests and strenghts, as well as her weaker sides. We loved working with Prepscholar and Claire! Totally recommend. She got into many schools she loved.

4 years ago

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Eric Cambridge, MA

Our son used PrepScholar to get support with the college admissions process. Since he goes to a public school, he was used to getting minimal time and attention from his high school counselor. This prompted us to look for a counselor who cold help him more in-depth and it was probably the best decision we could've taken. The consultant we got assigned was amazing!! She was attentive, charismatic, smart, and knowledgeable about the whole process. My son and her met weekly and she was available via email to answer additional questions any time. This made the whole process smoother and we're proud to say that our son got into 2 of his top 3 choice schools!

4 years ago

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Reem E Trenton, NJ

Prepscholar was honestly the best choice I made when it came to studying for the SAT. I took a Princeton Review course the summer before my junior year planning to take the SAT in October. The course was not helpful at all for me as it wasn’t personalized to what I needed to work and focus on. Even after the course, I had to do a list of self studying to bring my practice test score up. In October, I got a 1430. This was pretty good for a first score, but I really wanted above a 1500 to stand out. In April, I found I PrepScholar. I called several times and they answered very quickly, trying to get all the info I can on their course. I completed the course within a month, ready for the May SAT. Keep in mind, you should probably give yourself about two months to complete the course, as it requires a lot of self dedication and motivation to complete. However, once I did, I got a 1570!!!! I would definitely recommend the course as it is customized, cost-effective, and easiest to use and understand.

7 years ago

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Debbie Lincolnton, NC

Our experience with Prep Scholar was excellent...and we are NOT employees, friends, or such as mentioned in previous reviews. What was most helpful was the customized plan based off of the diagnostic test. This program is definitely geared toward self motivated students or students who have someone at home urging them to put in the time. A suggestion for improvement would be the option of a live team of tutors for students who are still stuck on a certain concept, but not needing full tutoring. Example: purchase 1 hour of live help that could be used on an as needed basis...10 minutes here, 15 minutes there, etc We actually would like to commend the customer service! Although it would be VERY NICE to be able to call or chat versus having to wait for an email response, they always answered within 24 hours, and most requests or questions were answered the same day if it was early enough in the day. In addition, they offered discounts if you had multiple family members using the program or if you purchased the SAT and then decided to add the ACT or vice versa. They were prompt in issuing the credit to our credit card once discount verification was complete. As far as their money back guarantee, they DID honor it for the ACT program quickly once proof of scores were reviewed. In addition, they offer the 5 day FREE trial period which gives you full access to the program for a realistic experience to see if it is a good fit for the student. Another suggestion would be the option to retake quizzes for all areas even if they were skills that had been mastered. When prepping far in advance of test dates, it would be nice to quiz again over material that was covered months earlier...just as a refresher. Our daughter put in the time, completed the full programs, and earned excellent scores! We purchased both the SAT and ACT Prep and we will use them again when our next daughter is ready to begin prep.

7 years ago

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Aspen F Manhattan, MT

Although i am not familiar with their way of operating in customer service, i have used the ACT prep program since june of this year. After studying for about 4 months (only a couple hours each week), i raised my score from a 24 to a 28. What i appreciate the most is that they try to use all three methods of learning (auditory, visual, and kinesthetic) in order to help you obtain the information. they also adjust the complexity/broadness of a course so that if you are a beginner in a skill, they include beginner's information. There are three practice tests you may take to get an estimate of your new score. All in all, the program is great for independent studiers who simply need practice.

7 years ago

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Lydia Riegert Washington, District of Columbia

I enjoyed the conversational yet concise writing in the lessons as well as the detailed videos!

4 weeks ago

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kirstin Murnock Plymouth Township, Pennsylvania

I wish there was more questions to do at any point in time especially for a topic that could be difficult

4 weeks ago

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Nick O'Brian Benito Juárez, Mexico City

I liked their SAT online program quite a lot when I used it

3 weeks ago

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Nathan Orr Wexford, PA

We highly recommend the SAT prep material and have used it for multiple students. We also used the college application consulting. The service excelled with regard to essay writing and overall presentation of the student through the application. We were also hoping for similar strong support with regard to college selection and negotiation of financial offers. Ultimately the list of schools applied to came from my family and not recommendations of the service. Advice on financial negotiations was succinct and ultimately not helpful in producing a desired result. Also, when advising my student as to which order to submit applications to target schools, it was overlooked that 2 schools could have been applied to early action (non-restrictive). Instead my student was urged to choose 1. By the time I noticed this myself, it was too late to apply to both early, which would have been preferable.

4 years ago

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Tom Jones White River Junction, VT

We had a unique situation to jump in with Prep scholar with just a few months before the January 15th application deadlines. This was unexpected and a little stressful for our family. Our Prep Scholar counselor, Paige, was very efficient and calm. She was able to increase her availability to make up for lost time and we got all the final product applications in ON TIME. I would highly recommend Prep Scholar services, and, I think it would have been even more of a great value and experience if we had started sooner.

4 years ago

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Dayna K Mount Kisco, NY

I was beyond happy with PrepScholar. Anna was our personal consultant and she was incredible. My son would not have had such an amazing common app essay if it wasn't for her. She made the process seamless which is not an easy task with my son who is not a strong writer. He has thoughts but has trouble putting them on paper. Anna was wonderful at guiding him and then was so clear with her suggested edits. After we finished the common app essay with her, we bought another package and had her assist with a few of the supplemental essays. Again she was so amazing!!

4 years ago

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Austin Che Chicago, IL

We had a good experience with PrepScholar. It's an online program that was really convenient for my daughter who had way too many activities as a junior. They have thousands of questions, videos, and good answer explanations. My daughter felt she got what she wanted from it and improved her ACT score by 4 points in addition to her own research using books from the library. It's not as personal as hiring a tutor but it's a lot less expensive and in our experience about as good.

7 years ago

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Raina Flatley Montclair, NJ

I thought PrepScholar was a pretty good program. My son improved his SAT score by 130 points and that was enough for the schools we're interested in. It does require the student to be motivated, since there isn't a teacher goading the student into studying everyday. Customer support was done by email, usually we got a response within the day, it was enough for what we needed and we didn't have any technical issues.

7 years ago

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Ruby Fiandaca Rocklin, California

PrepScholar has been more than helpful with increasing my SAT score!

3 weeks ago

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Jack Harlow Irmo, South Carolina

The program is well put together. The adaptive tests were very helpful

4 weeks ago

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Sue Y’Barbo San Antonio, Texas

Our children have been using PrepScholar for a few months, and we’ve had a very positive experience. The platform is intuitive and well-structured, and we’ve seen steady progress as they move from core skills toward mastery. We especially appreciate the built-in accountability, which encourages students to set study goals and follow through. The combination of instructional videos, targeted practice, and quizzes also does a great job reinforcing concepts and identifying areas that need review. Overall, we’ve found PrepScholar’s methodology, strategies, and teaching approach very worthwhile. It has been a valuable and effective resource for our children.

4 weeks ago

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Eva A Seattle, Washington

I really enjoyed how organized the website is, and how you can try out different topics. I also really liked the quiz generator tool, because it can help with topics that might feel a little harder than others, and makes your confidence stronger with them.

4 weeks ago

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S Andover, MA

My son is an active user. He has been in the program for 10 months and spent over 100 hours. He has taken 5 practice exams. His math score is up 160 points and reading/writing is up about 60 points. You will get out of it what you put into it. Online support is poor. They will answer emails, but just using the party line. They did re-set some sections for me at my request, so that was helpful. The program's interface is average at best. This is odd since prepscholar publishes tons of information online. I tract the data myself in excel and create much better charts than Prepscholar used. This is a missed opportunity on their part. My biggest current complaint is related to Covid-19. SATs have been delayed and my son's one year program will run out a few months before the test. This is unanticipated due to SAT cancellations. I asked for an extension and they want $300 for another year. Ridiculous! Where is the empathy and good corporate citizenship? Extend the kids that got caught in the Covid-19 cross-fire and get some good press. The program is online, so the cost to Prescholar would be nothing. I was previously a major proponent of the program, but now I am more than a little irked. All in all, I would say the program is good but not great. The concept makes perfect sense, and I endorse it because it is cheap, self-paced, and on-line. I wonder if they listen to their customers, and if they are investing in the program at all.

6 years ago

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Angelina Mavricos New York, New York

PrepScholar is a great SAT platform that helped me improve my studying and better understand the material. The practice questions and personalized resources made preparing for the SAT much easier and more effective.

4 weeks ago

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Kaylee Gay Columbia, MO

I used PrepScholar for help with analysis for my English essays. I love the in-depth analysis that Prep Scholar had and how easy it was to find examples for different books. I also used to help with my SAT prep and they gave helpful hints to improve my score. I definitely recommend them because they have good answers for various things.

4 years ago

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Kimberly Freitas Redwood City, CA

We used the online only services of PrepScholar (not tutoring). All the marketing materials make a strong case for advanced materials that students should commit to 50 hours to fully take advantage of the material. My students (2) essentially maxed out of the materials (ie achieved 'mastery' in the Prep Scholar system) after <15 hours each. After you take a module one time and still need improvement, you are tested again in the same area -- but the second test is highly repetitive of the first test. The content is quite limited. Students who are of moderate competency at the material don't get much value out of the online materials, there simply is not enough content, variety or depth. When I gave the company feedback they would only correspond in email, not by phone and only canned responses from a first level support person. They declined to interact or to consider that their product advertising is misleading and their product of low value for certain types of students

6 years ago

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Duan Las Vegas, NV

My opinions , customized training of the program have been mixed throughout the year, but altogether I think that it is an effective preparation option for the SAT reasoning test.

7 years ago

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Rohith Narne Dallas, Texas

Genuinely prep scholar increase my score over 100 points. The people at prep scholar are so amazing. Also, they have an extensive practice review and all their questions are really hard but they really help. The practice really felt like I was doing something and they actually gave me so much confidence on the actual test.

4 weeks ago

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New user Incheon, Incheon

PrepScholar is an app that allows students to review material, watch videos in topics they are unsure or not prepared enough about, and practice questions to strengthen their understanding and abilities to important exam questions.

4 weeks ago

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Connor McDaniel Katy, TX

The results were amazing! I got into 11 out of 12 of my colleges, all of which were major public universities across the US. I feel that a major part of my success was due to the help I got for my essays, as my grades weren’t particularly amazing, but not bad of course.

4 years ago

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Lucia Correa Varela Medellín, ANT

It was most beneficial in helping me find Colleges that were the right fit for me. My counselor was really devoted to getting to know me and showing me places that matched me. She was also amazing with writing help. Made everything so much easier!!

4 years ago Edited May 20, 2022

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Scott LaRue

My child took the SAT with no prep and scored 1420. He spent 50 hours with PrepScholar mastering the 45 sections and 8 hours one on one tutoring. He then took the SAT and scored 1390. Took the SAT a third time and scored 1440. To be fair, he did not complete the 20 hours of one on one tutoring but I will argue that the additional tutoring would not have improved his score.

11 months ago