PrepExpert is an ed-tech company that stemmed from closing a deal with billionaire Mark Cuban on ABC’s Shark Tank TV show. In 2010, it was created by Shaan Patel, a second-generation immigrant from India who grew up in a shabby Las Vegas hotel his parents managed. Though the firm offers college consulting services, its core competency is test prep. It has become one of the nation’s largest test prep providers.
About Company
PrepExpert offers a wide range of virtual testing courses online, most of which are six-week courses for a fee. Shaan Patel has authored eight #1 best-selling SAT and ACT prep books, garnering him significant publicity and clout. He has also appeared regularly in many media outlets to discuss different issues in the educational and testing sector. Compared to the other aspects of its business, PrepExpert’s college consulting division appears relatively thin, with only one employee shown on the firm’s website.
However, they offer expert planning for grades 7-12, expert application guidance, and college admissions consulting. Their admissions consulting includes school selection, planning, test prep, application strategies, editing assistance, and other help. For college admissions, they offer three different packages, including the Flagship Package (25 hours of individual assistance), the Gold Package (40 hours of individual assistance), the Platinum Package (60 hours of individual assistance), and custom packages. The firm also offers different PrepExpert MasterClasses in different K-12 subjects.
PrepExpert Score
PrepExpert Review
PrepExpert receives a stellar score of 5 in reputation, showcasing its 4716 independent third-party reviews online. It also receives an excellent 5 score as an educational influencer, with a robust 16400 YouTube subscribers and 1009 Twitter followers. It fares worse in results, receiving a 2 because little is known about PrepExpert client outcomes. It receives a dismal score of 1 in the quality of the team, with only one former admissions officer. It scores a 1 in the size of the team with an unknown team size. It receives a 3 in web presence, with a Google fourth-page organic result and 4 in combined institutional knowledge, with 20 years of combined industry experience. These results demonstrate that the firm’s focus is split between testing and college consulting. It also lacks the intimate relationship and highly qualified staff that a more specialized admissions consulting firm may offer. Combined, PrepExpert receives a 3 score across all areas.