We purchased Princeton Review material for our son 5 years ago for $300…he barely touched it and and scored very well on SAT/ACT 1550/33. He’s graduating from GaTech this spring with a degree in AstroPhysics. Waste of $300.
My daughter, on the other hand, has terrible test anxiety, she needed more than self help books and/or videos. We hired an ACT specialist/PhD to prepare her for the ACT; $1,500 ($150/3hr x 10 sessions). Her first test before tutoring, she scored a 26, when she completed her 10 sessions she scored a 31: 34 English, 36 Reading, 27 Math & 26 Science. She has just been accepted to her dream school, the University of Georgia! Money well spent!
He has sessions all year long, sometimes 2 at a time, FULL of students prepping for tests. Students come from all over, even out of state to take his courses… we honestly didn’t believe the hype up front, and my daughter said the sessions were mind numbing and she didn’t feel she was “learning” anything. After hearing about other students success, she committed to to keep going. And the proof is in the pudding, or shall I say the test scores. Weigh your options and do what makes the most sense for your child, with support and encouragement.