Which SAT/ ACT review class is better?

Question

I am looking into SAT/ ACT review classes. I am evaluating Princeton Review and Kaplan. Both cost about the same.

Has anyone had any experience with these review courses to know which one is better in terms of improving test scores and helping the student in their weak areas or just overall?

Answer 1

I took both the Kaplan for SAT and Princeton Review for ACT and personally I feel that Princeton Review bettered my score a lot. I went from a 21 to a 29 in one 4-week session! Kaplan was decent but it wasn't worth the $750 I paid. The books and teachers are much better in Princeton Review. It's more 'bang for your buck". Good Luck choosing!

Answer 2

Why waste your money on those two when there are better courses out there? The other person who said lowest student-teacher ratio matters is correct. But why go for a class when it's not one-on-one?

I used Prepme.com and you get your own tutor from Stanford or the University of Chicago and it's only like $500. The tutoring is all one-on-one and the course is designed around what you need to work on instead of doing the same thing as 20 other people.

My dad had read about them in Business Week and that's how I found out about it. I put the link to the article below if you want to read it.

In general, I think it's important to find a class where they are going to customize it to you and the only way to do that is use something online like Prepme.com or to get a private tutor if you can pay $100/hour or whatever they charge for in-home private tutoring.

Your score will go up a lot more and you'll be a lot happier. Good luck!

Answer 3

Whichever has lower student to teacher ratio is your best bet. If you are paying for a course you want as much individualized instruction as you can get. If they are both the same, or both one-on-one (the best way to learn) I would say Princeton Review. I have never used classes, but I find Princeton Review's strategies (in books) more helpful than Kaplan's on almost all standardized tests (ACT, SAT. LSAT, GRE)

Answer 4

I took both and both were a total waste of time. I did Princeton Review the summer before my 11th grade year and my SAT score didn't improve at all - it actually went down 10 points!

Because Princeton Review was so bad, I signed up for Kaplan for my ACT and it was just as bad.

Ugh. $2000 wasted.

Answer 5

Your SAT score won't determine if you can be a dentist. It'll determine how great a college you can get into. You're doing great to start off at a 1400 before doing extra work. Honestly, a 1400 will get you into decent colleges, but you're right to want it as high as possible. As for the review class, it will completely depend on you. The class will give you the tools and some practice and test-taking tips. But, ultimately, how great you do will depend on how much you study on your own. If you're willing to spend the money and know you will take it seriously, it's worth it. If you're not comfortable with the price, there aren't any tips and tricks in that class that you can learn from careful research and self-study.