PrepScholar was founded by Allen Cheng and Harvard Ph.D. Fred Zhang in 2013. Initially, it mainly focused on test prep and then moved into college admissions consulting. Their ACT and SAT test prep services allow them to form relationships with parents and students, leading them to use college admissions consulting services. They offer many products, including a Complete Admissions Package, Full Essay Service, Essay Editing, Application Review Service, and a Grade 9-11 Complete Mentorship Package.
About Company
PrepScholar Admissions has its roots in test preparation mastery. Its stated goal is to level the playing field in the college admissions process. Co-founder Fred Zhang has published extensively on test prep, such as the book, The Best SAT Advice: 5 Tips to Get You 160+ Points or More, garnering nationwide publicity on test preparation methods. PrepScholar is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts but primarily provides test prep and college consulting services online to connect with its global clientele.
It has a large team of approximately 20 admissions consultants across the United States, working remotely. It’s noteworthy that its test prep division and college consulting division virtually function as independent units with completely different websites. However, its core competency appears to be test prep versus college consulting, which appears to water down the effectiveness of the organization’s college consulting wing. It also has the unintended effect of eliminating the feeling of a close personalized bond between the company and its clients.
PrepScholar Admissions Score
PrepScholar Admissions Review
PrepScholar’s best scores are in the size of its team, where it receives a 4 with its team of 8 consultants and a 5 as an educational influencer with 101,784 YouTube subscribers and 1,949 Twitter followers, which is massive compared to other college admissions firms. It also receives a solid score of 4 in web presence, garnering second-page Google organic search results. It receives a 5 in reputation, with 122 independent third-party reviews. It receives a 3 in combined institutional knowledge, with only six years of industry experience. It receives a 2 in results with no data available showing acceptance rates of their clients at top colleges. It receives a 1 in the quality of the team, with two former admissions officers. Overall, PrepScholar receives a 3.43 score, which is slightly above the industry average.