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The Princeton Review

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Author: Kaitlyn Short

LAST UPDATED: October 21st, 2020

The Princeton Review was founded in 1981 by John Katzman, and has helped students improve their test scores for over 30 years. The company employs a systematic approach to achieving higher test scores, and today offers test prep courses, private tutoring, homework help, admission counseling, and help students find the best fit college. Students preparing for the SAT, ACT, MCAT, GRE, GMAT, LSAT, AP exams, PSAT, DAT, OAT, SSAT, SHSAT, ISEE, and TOEFL will likely find the help they need from The Princeton Review.

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The Good

  • Large Selection of Tests
  • Selection of Services
  • The Princeton Review Guarantee
  • Free Practice Tests

Large Selection of Tests

The Princeton Review offers a large selection of tests. Not only do they offer common preparation courses such as the SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, and LSAT, they also offer less common courses such as the DAT, OAT, and ISEE. Further, the Princeton Review offers AP exam preparation courses. Their variety of courses is much larger than many competitors. 

Selection of Services

The Princeton Review has a large selection of services; students are not limited to self-guided online courses. They sell books, offer online courses, private tutoring, homework help, workshops, webinars, and admission counseling. Those seeking a more individualized experience can meet one-on-one with a private tutor. Some tests also offer semi-private tutoring with a class size of four or less. Many tests have 24- or 84-hour LiveOnline courses. 

For each test, the Princeton Review provides a large selection of packages. Most include a self-paced online course, an ultimate classroom or LiveOnline course, a workshop, and a private tutoring option. Students can select the option that best meets their unique learning style.

The Princeton Review also offers specialized services, such as interview preparation, for students applying to medical school. They assist students in finding colleges, grad schools, majors, and careers. Their services extend far beyond basic preparation courses. 

In addition, they offer a variety of mobile apps. Their Homework Help app connects students to live tutors 24/7. They also have a GRE Challenge app to help customer practice vocabulary and a College Advisor app. 

The Princeton Review Guarantee

Students who meet eligibility criteria (such as attending all class sessions, taking the test within 90 days after the course ends, etc.) will receive a refund if their score does not improve. A baseline score is established in one of two ways: it is either based on the official test score a student received prior to taking the course or the score he or she received on the first practice test in the program. In addition, customers who are dissatisfied can repeat the program for free. 

Free Practice Tests

The Princeton Review offers free practice tests and sample LiveOnline classes for many tests. They also offer free trials for certain courses. 

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The Bad

  • High Prices

High Prices

The Princeton Review has much higher prices than many competitors. Prices vary greatly based on the test and package purchased. For example, GMAT preparation offer a self-paced course for $499, an ultimate LiveOnline for $949, a workshop for $150, and private tutoring for $510 (for 3 hours). Tests like the MCAT, have higher prices. Self-paced MCAT courses are $1,699, a strategy course is $2,049, an ultimate classroom is $2,499, and a winter bootcamp is $2,499.

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The Bottom Line

The Princeton Reviews offer a large selection of services and test preparation options. They are a well-known company with options to suit the needs of most students. Their score improvement guarantee can help students feel confident. Their products are very expensive but may be worthwhile for students seeking individualized help, especially from a tutor. 

We recommend that students seeking self-paced online courses look at other options. There are many companies that offer similar courses for much lower prices. 

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Sara S Tallahassee, FL

If you take a lot of standardized tests such as AP, SAT or ACT, this is probably the only company I trust to help me with that. They had books for all of my AP tests and they really helped me prepare for the tests. It helps if you have a brother or sister who had previously taken the same courses because the books don't vary much from year to year.

5 years ago

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Megan A McEvoy Tallahassee, FL

I used The Princeton Review to prepare for my SAT Subject tests, including Chemistry, BIology, and History. The material presented in the book was really accurate to what the test was like, and I definitely felt well-prepared after using their resources to study!

5 years ago

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Tom Gourley Pleasant Grove, UT

The Princeton Review s a good sold option for someone looking for help with test-taking. It is reasonable priced and offers much more than test prep help for those who are college bound. I would consider the Princeton Review a good source of information for anyone seriously considering college options.

5 years ago

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Msindoni Pembroke Pines, FL

I'm using The Princeton Review to study for the MCAT, and the amount of study material they offer is unbelievable. I definitely see how it has helped me improve my score.

4 years ago

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Shannon B Salt Lake City, UT

In preparation for the ACT I took a lot of the Princeton Review practice tests online and they helped a lot. It brought awareness to the areas I needed to study more in, but mostly helped me with time management.

4 years ago