Prep Expert

Author: Kaitlyn Short

Prep Expert is a test prep/tutoring company created by Shaan Patel and featured on Shark Tank. The service provided are guaranteed to improve your SAT score by 200 points or your money back. The company not only offers SAT tutoring but offers services in other tests such as ACT and AP exams as well. Additionally, the instructors appear to be well qualified. However, the company only offers test prep tutoring and is limited in the number of technological tools it offers.

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The Good

• 20 different subjects offered
• Matched with a tutor
• Qualified instructors

20 Different Subjects Offered

The great thing about the test preparation of Prep Expert is that the company offers preparation and tutoring in the major AP exams as well as individual SAT subjects. Some of the subjects offered include AP and SAT Biology, AP Calculus, AP and SAT English, Physics, Statistics, and AP and SAT U.S. History.

Matched With a Tutor

Prep Expert matches students with a tutor based on location, which means that the service is geared more toward in-person tutoring. Tutoring sessions are available in Dallas, Darien, Las Vegas, Long Island, New York City, Orange County, Princeton, San Diego, San Jose, and Washington DC. If students don't live near one of the locations, the company also offers the courses online.

Qualified Instructors

Instructors at Prep Expert must have scored in the 99th percentile in order to teach other students. This makes the company's guarantee of an improved SAT score by 200 points a little easier to believe. Additionally, some of the instructors were students in the course or worked to improve their scores on their own, which allows them to relate to students seeking to improve their test taking skills.

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The Bad

• Test prep tutoring only
• Limited technological tools
• Hefty price tag
• Only for high school 

Test Prep Tutoring Only

Unfortunately Prep Expert only offers private test prep tutoring. However, this makes sense considering that the company's goal is to raise and improve test scores. The company promises to raise SAT scores by at least 200 points. But if you're looking for a tutor in a general subject, Prep Expert might not be the best choice.

Limited Technological Tools

Because the company is more focused on providing in-person tutoring sessions, this limits the company's ability to provide robust technology to enhance learning for online students. As far as we were able to tell, it appears that the company only offers video conferencing in on lessons. The company's website did not make any mention of any kind of file sharing, a shared whiteboard, or chat functions.

Hefty Price Tag

Another downside to Prep Experts is that it carries a large price tag when comparing to other tutoring services. Packages begin at $949 for four 2-hour private tutoring sessions. When broken down to a per hour scale, this price comes to about $118.63. However, with the guarantee to raise SAT scores by 200 points, it might be worth the price.

Only For High School

Because Prep Expert is a test preparation and tutoring service, the company's target market is high school students looking to prepare for college and earn college credit. So in that respect, it is not a full tutoring company where students can get help with any subject.

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The Bottom Line

Prep Expert is certainly a disruptor in the test prep/tutoring industry. The company sets lofty aspirations to help students improve their SAT and other test scores. All of the Prep Expert instructors have proved their value by reaching the 99th percentile on the SAT. The company focuses on providing in-person tutoring sessions but offers online sessions as well. On the downside, Prep Experts does not appear to have a robust set of technology tools to help students learn online. Additionally, the price tag can be pretty high for some. Overall, Prep Experts is not for everyone. Students who will get the most value out of Prep Experts are those looking to improve their SAT scores or get ready for tough AP exams and who are willing to spend the money.