The Princeton Review

The Princeton Review is a test prep, tutoring and admissions counseling company that serves students from middle school through graduate and professional school, and it runs a separate program for schools and districts. Its about page says students and families have trusted it for more than 40 years, and the homepage puts the figures at more than 45 years in the industry, 77M books sold and 408M students helped. The company describes its mission as providing personalized private tutoring, test prep and admissions products, and stresses that it is not affiliated with any of the test developers. The site's footer adds that The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University.

The tests it covers

The range is wide. For younger students it prepares for the SHSAT, SSAT and ISEE. In high school it covers the PSAT, SAT, ACT and AP exams. For graduate and professional admissions it covers the MCAT, LSAT, GRE, GMAT Focus, DAT and OAT, and it reaches into professional exams with the NCLEX and CPA, CMA and CISA prep. The major tests each have their own prep home with free tests and events.

The flagship products are named for the score they aim at, and all of them are taught live online:

• SAT 1400+ Course, marked most popular, and SAT 1500+ Tutoring for students aiming at an elite score.
• ACT 31+ Course, also marked most popular, and ACT 34+ Tutoring for students aiming at the 99th percentile.
• MCAT 515+ Course, described as built around expert guidance and exclusive resources.
• LSAT 170+ Course, GMAT 645+ Course and GRE 162+ Course for graduate admissions.
• AP 5 Tutoring for students aiming at a 5 on an AP exam.

The about page explains the method behind them. Instructors, it says, have achieved top scores on entrance exams, keep retaking them, and go through the company's own training before they teach. Courses pair content matched to each exam with proprietary test-taking strategies, and the company's adaptive practice tests and drills adjust in real time to focus a student's time. Students can work one-on-one with a tutor matched to their goals, learning style and schedule, or work through the adaptive online products on their own. The site also lists LiveOnline classes, webinars, videos and mobile apps among its resources.

Tutoring and homework help

Academic tutoring is sold at two levels. 6-12 Academic Tutoring covers math and all school subjects for grades 6 to 12 and is pitched at helping a student earn an A on the report card, and College Academic Tutoring offers online tutoring for college coursework. Both run live online.

The on-demand tutoring service is the largest operation by volume. The about page says more than 5,000 students get help from its on-demand tutors every school night, with more than 16 million sessions to date, and that students at any level can connect with a tutor in less than a minute, 24/7, in more than 80 subjects. On the homepage this appears as Homework Help, offering 24/7 instant homework help.

Admissions counseling and AI tools

College Admissions Counseling and Med School Admissions Counseling are both live online. The company says its counselors have worked in the admissions offices of top-tier universities across the country, and that they help students choose target colleges and graduate schools and then build and carry out an application plan. The about page reports an average 4.8 out of 5 star rating from U.S. high school admissions counseling students after each meeting.

Two self-led tools use generative AI. AI Homework Essay Feedback gives instant feedback on essays, and AI College Admissions Essay Counseling combines AI with the company's admissions expertise. The homepage says these "AI for Learning" resources won a Platinum award from Campus Technology and THE Journal in the AI-Based Tool for Tutoring category, and it quotes EdTech Digest naming the company a winner for Testing Prep Solution.

The Princeton Review is also a large publisher. The about page counts more than 150 test prep and admissions counseling books in print, including Cracking the SAT and the annual Best Colleges guide. Its free college research tools let students explore thousands of college profiles and rankings, and the latest release is a Best Value Colleges list covering more than 200 schools.

Programs for schools and districts

The K-12 partnerships arm builds college and career readiness programs customized to each school's goals. For students, the stated aims are to overcome anxiety, manage time, improve grades and raise test scores. For administrators, they include leveling the college admissions playing field, building a college-going culture, improving school or district average ACT, SAT/PSAT, TSI and AP scores, providing professional development, running community workshops, and measuring return on investment through transparent reporting and administrative tools.

The Princeton Review and Tutor.com have also launched High-Dosage Tutoring, a research-based Algebra program that pairs frequent small-group instruction with personalized lessons and regular feedback. The company notes that many school partners pay for programs with U.S. Department of Education grants, and its staff offers funding consultations and grant language. Funding sources it names include Title I, Part A; Title II, Part D; Title IV, Part B (21st Century Community Learning Centers); GEAR UP; Smaller Learning Communities; and TRIO. Schools request a demo through a form.

International offices and support

Outside the U.S., the company lists international offices in Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, India, the Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Turkey and the UAE, and invites organizations to become international partners. In North America, enrollment advisors answer the phone Monday to Friday from 9AM to 10PM ET and weekends from 9AM to 8PM ET, and a separate student support line covers enrolled students. Quebec residents can get help in French by email. The site's main pages list no course prices; families get them from an enrollment advisor.

Who it suits

The Princeton Review suits a student who wants a big, established provider with live online classes and a clear score target, from the SAT 1400+ Course to the MCAT 515+ Course. Families who want tutoring and admissions counseling from the same company get both, and the 24/7 homework help covers the gaps between sessions. Medical, law and business school applicants find dedicated prep and, for medicine, admissions counseling. Schools and districts get a ready-made readiness program with help finding federal funding.

A student who wants a small boutique tutor or a single niche test may find the catalog broader than they need, and anyone comparing costs will have to speak with an advisor first.