⚖️ Honest Comparison

Kaplan ACT vs Boosted Brains: Coaching vs Classroom Compared

Boosted Brains is the better fit if your student needs personalized ACT coaching with a 4–8 week finish line, daily feedback, and a coach who scored 34+. Kaplan is the better fit if you want self-paced video content, prep books to work through independently, or a live online class structure across multiple standardized tests.

Both companies have prepped a lot of students. The mechanisms are different though: self-study materials vs sprint coaching produce different results in different situations. Here's the unfiltered side-by-side.

By Carson Weekley · Founder, Boosted Brains · Perfect 36 ACT Updated May 2026

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Looking for a Kaplan alternative for ACT prep? Here's the side-by-side.

	Kaplan	Boosted Brains
Pricing model	Per-product pricing across self-paced, live online, in-person, and tutoring tiers	Flat program fee tied to current score, target score, and timeline
Primary format	Self-paced video, live online classes, in-person classes, prep books, optional 1-on-1 tutoring	1-on-1 sprint coaching, 100% personalized to one student's diagnostic
Personalization	Generic curriculum across all students in the same product tier	Every drill targets the specific question types this student misses
Daily commitment	Self-paced or class schedule plus homework; varies widely	About an hour a day on average, scaled up or down based on the student's schedule and goals
Coach support between sessions	Limited to scheduled tutoring sessions or class meetings	Daily async messaging, students get answers the same day
Coach credentials	Varies by instructor; many are college students or part-time tutors	Every coach scored 34+ on the ACT (most 35–36)
Tests covered	ACT, SAT, MCAT, LSAT, GRE, GMAT, and many others	ACT (plus college advising as a related service)
Score guarantee	Score-improvement guarantee on most paid products (terms vary)	4-point improvement guarantee with refund
Typical timeline	Self-paced or multi-week classes; often 1–4 months	4–8 week sprints, designed around a specific test date
Best for	Self-directed learners who want a library of content and don't need 1-on-1 strategy	Students who want personalized strategy, daily feedback, and a clear finish line

✅ Where They Win

When Kaplan Is the Better Choice

Kaplan is a real prep brand with real strengths. Three situations where it's the right call:

Your student is genuinely self-directed. If they'll actually work through a 700-page book or finish a self-paced video course without external accountability, Kaplan's content library is solid. The students who succeed with self-study tend to be unusually disciplined.
You want a low-cost entry point. A Kaplan prep book or self-paced course is one of the cheapest ways to expose your student to the ACT format and content. If the budget is tight and your student is already strong, it's a defensible starting point.
You need prep across multiple tests across years. Kaplan covers the ACT, SAT, MCAT, LSAT, GRE, GMAT, and more. If you're planning a multi-year, multi-test relationship, the catalog matters. We're focused on the ACT (with college advising as a related service).

🎯 Where We Win

When Boosted Brains Is the Better Choice

If any of these describe your situation, sprint coaching will outperform Kaplan's self-paced or class formats.

Your student is smart but won't work consistently without accountability. The single biggest reason self-study fails is no one is checking in. Sprint coaching has daily structured to-do lists, async coach messaging, and weekly 1-on-1 sessions.
You've already bought the book or course and the score didn't move. The content was never the missing piece. Targeting was. Sprint coaching starts with a diagnostic and drills only the question types your student is actually missing.
The test date is 4-8 weeks away. A self-paced course doesn't have urgency built in. A sprint does, with every drill pointed at a specific test date.
Your student is at 25+ and trying to break 30. Generic self-study at that score range usually plateaus, because the gains come from advanced timing and eliminating careless errors, not basic content review. Sprint coaching is built for that work.
You need the score to move 5+ points to unlock scholarships. Each ACT point is worth roughly $10,000 in scholarship value. A 5-point swing routinely unlocks $50,000+. That's where targeted coaching pays for itself many times over.

25 → 33

Sarah

6 weeks · First test back · Honors student who tried self-study first

Sarah was a top-of-class honors student who assumed she could study her way to a good score on her own. She bought a massive ACT prep book and worked through it for weeks, but without structure or clear priorities she got lost. Stuck at 25 with no path forward.

She joined Boosted Brains in early September. Coaches Martin and Neha built her a structured daily plan, set clear priorities, and held her accountable. She was ready for the October test in 6 weeks.

Original goal: hit 30. First test with the program: 33. Now competitive at top-tier and Ivy League schools and unlocking full-ride scholarship opportunities she didn't think were realistic before.

25 → 32

Camden

8 weeks · After 1+ year of failed prep elsewhere · $96,000 total scholarship

Camden tried different tutoring and group classes for over a year. Her score moved one point in twelve months, from 24 to 25. She was an absolute grinder who never got burnt out, but the prep wasn't pointed at her actual weak spots.

Sprint methodology finally broke through. 8 weeks. 25 to 32 superscore, 30 composite. Total scholarship outcome: $96,000.

"Over a year with other programs: one point. Eight weeks with us: seven points." Same student. Different mechanism.

Ready to see what a personalized ACT gameplan would look like for your student?

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Slack conversation showing Isabella sharing her ACT score improvement from 30 to 34 with Carson after coaching

Verified Result

Actual student coaching channel

Isabella 30 → 34

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Carson: Hey Isabella — I've heard that scores are starting to come out now, let me know when you see yours 🤞

Isabella: Hey Carson I just got mine, I got a 34!

Carson: That's awesome @Isabella, congrats on hitting the top end of what you were shooting for!! You worked so hard over the last few weeks — I'm so happy it all paid off for ya 🎉

Slack conversation showing Otto sharing his ACT score improvement from 24 to 29 with Carson

Verified Result

Actual student coaching channel

Otto 24 → 29

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Otto: So so happy with that. Combined English and writing score was a 32 basically. Math and science were alright. Really appreciate everything. You said you wanted to set up a zoom to talk about it right?

Carson: Let's go Otto, that's awesome!!! From 24 → 29 is an awesome outcome!

Text message conversation showing Skylar sharing her ACT July 2024 score results with Carson

Verified Result

Actual student coaching channel

Skylar 27 → 35

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Skylar: [shares ACT score report — July 2024 test, 35 composite, with 34 on at least one subscore] They're out! Everything worked out just like you said. Thank you so much for all your help!

Carson: Dang Skylar, that's awesome—I'm so glad you were able to get there!! 35 is huge!!

Carson: Hope you have some plans to celebrate 🎊

Slack conversation showing Allison sharing her ACT score improvement from 31 to 35 with Carson

Verified Result

Actual student coaching channel

Allison 31 → 35

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Allison: I got my score just now! THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'm so thankful and happy!!

Carson: LETS GOOO!!!!! Huge congrats to you @Allison for putting in all the hard work over the last few weeks!! 35 is incredible! Now you never have to think about the ACT again 🎉

Slack conversation showing Georgia sharing her ACT score improvement from 32 to 35 with Carson

Verified Result

Actual student coaching channel

Georgia 32 → 35

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Georgia: Today was a wild ride, but I'm happy I've gotten it over with. :D

Carson: Wow, I'm glad you feel pretty good about it overall! It's not easy to take a test like that when you're not feeling 100%. We'll definitely check back and see how it went.

Carson: Hey Georgia — I've heard that scores are starting to come out now, let me know when you see yours 🤞

Georgia: Just got mine!!! 35 Composite — 35 English, 35 Math (surprisingly!!), 34 Reading, 34 Science.

Carson: Hey @Georgia — that's great!! For going into the test under the weather, that's a truly impressive score for you! Congrats on the hard work paying off!

Email from Camden's mom to Carson sharing Camden's 30 composite, 32 superscore, and $96,000 total Alabama scholarship

Verified Result

Actual student coaching channel

Camden 25 → 32

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Camden's Mom (email): Hi Carson — She got her July test results the day before we left to move her into Bama, and she scored a 30! We were thrilled. That bumped her up to $24,000 per year with her merit scholarship, plus the other scholarships she received. She also earned a 32 superscore (too bad Bama doesn't accept superscores)! Such amazing results — thank you for all your guidance. Thanks again — your methodology truly works!

Outcome: $24,000/year × 4 years = $96,000 total scholarship at the University of Alabama.

Slack conversation showing Ryder Register sharing his ACT superscore improvement from 24 to 33 with Carson

Verified Result

Actual student coaching channel

Ryder 24 → 33

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Ryder: Just got my score back, 32 for the test, but increased my super score to a 33.

Carson: Love it! Good improvements everywhere except that darn English section lol. Superscore of 33 is awesome though — major congrats to ya! From 24 all the way to 33.

Slack conversation showing Carter sharing his ACT score improvement from 23 to 30 in 6 weeks with Carson

Verified Result

Actual student coaching channel

Carter 23 → 30

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Carter: Hey Carson I got mine yesterday. I got a 30!

Carson: Hey @Carter — that's awesome, congrats!! We got the top end of our goal!! Time to celebrate and take the foot off the gas for a little bit 🎉 From a 23 just 6 weeks ago to a 30.

Carter: [shares score image — Composite 30: Math 29, Science 31, English 32, Reading 27]

Text message conversation showing Aadhya sharing her perfect 36 ACT composite score with Carson

Verified Result

Actual student coaching channel

Aadhya 36

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Aadhya: I got a 36 composite and a 35 in science!! [shares score image — Composite 36: Math 36, Science 35, English 35, Reading 36]

Aadhya: Thank you so much for all your help.

Carson: That's awesome Aadhya — big congratulations to you!! All your hard work paid off; now you get to celebrate 🎉

Text message conversation showing Ava sharing her $88,000 SMU scholarship and Honors Program acceptance with Carson

Verified Result

Actual student coaching channel

Ava 22 → 30

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Ava: Hey Carson, sorry for taking so long to respond, it's been a busy few days, but my acceptance letter from SMU came in the mail the other day!! I earned a scholarship of $80,000! And with a couple other stipends, I'll get over $88,000 total. And today, I just got my acceptance into their Honors Program too! I was originally going to consider my other acceptances, but now I'm definitely going to SMU. Thanks again for all your help on the ACT and the application process, my parents and I are so happy!

Carson: That's awesome Ava! You already had some time to celebrate the ACT score, now you can really take a breather and enjoy yourself 🎉 Congrats on all the hard work paying off, you're going to do great in Dallas! Now David has a high bar to shoot for — older sister sets the standard 😂

Text message conversation showing Morgan's mom Lisa sharing Morgan's 32 ACT composite with Carson

Verified Result

Actual student coaching channel

Morgan 27 → 32

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Carson: Maybe they're just double-checking because they're surprised at how well she did!

Lisa (Morgan's Mom): OMG love that way of thinking 😂😂😂

Lisa (Morgan's Mom): Scores came in! She has a 32 composite!! woohoo! We'll take it!!! A thousand thank yous, Carson!!!!

Carson: That's awesome, I'm so proud of her!! Time to de-stress a little bit now 😂

Slack conversation showing Cameron's ACT score improvement to a 34 composite, with Carson and Neha congratulating him

Verified Result

Actual student coaching channel

Cameron 28 → 34

View conversation transcript

Carson: Let's go @Cameron!! That's so awesome, congratulations on all your hard work paying off! I'll always love your attitude of 'I'm willing to do as much work as it takes'. That's something that absolutely sets you apart from most students. You earned that 34! [score: Composite 34, Math 31 (Feb 26), Science 31 (Dec 25), English 34 (Feb 26), Reading 36 (Feb 26)]

Neha (Coach): @Cameron Congrats on this amazing score!!! You've worked so hard to earn this and you deserve every bit of it. Seriously, I'm beyond proud!! 😭😭😭

Cameron: Thank you guys so much for everything! It is greatly appreciated!

$24,000/year

University of Alabama

A 30 on the ACT automatically qualifies an out-of-state student for $24,000 per year, or $96,000 over four years. No essay. No "saving the world." Just hit the score.

Full tuition4 years

Florida Bright Futures

Florida residents at a 24 get 75% tuition at any public state school. At a 29, it's full tuition. Robert went 21 to 29 with us and got a full ride to UCF.

$88,421total

SMU (Ava 22 → 30)

Ava came to us at a 22 thinking standardized tests "weren't for her." She finished at a 30 and unlocked $88,421 at her dream school. Six weeks of work.

$60,000total

Auburn (Brown 24 → 34)

Brown came to us after a group ACT class stalled her at 24. She finished at 34 and unlocked $60,000 in scholarship money on top of admission.

$134,000total

Marquette (Mia 25 → 33)

Mia's previous tutor spoon-fed answers that didn't stick. 10 weeks with us. 25 to 33. Accepted to 10 of 10 schools she applied to.

$234,264full ride

University of Kentucky (Meredith 30 → 35)

Meredith plateaued at 30 after a generic premium prep course. Targeted coaching took her to a 35, a full ride plus housing stipend over four years.

Each ACT point is worth roughly $10,000 in scholarship value on average. A 5-point swing routinely unlocks $50,000+ in tuition. The fee for any prep program is a small fraction of that math.

Want our team to map out the scholarship math for your student's situation?

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Is Boosted Brains a direct Kaplan competitor?

Both of us prep students for the ACT, so on the surface, yes. Kaplan sells self-paced online courses, live online courses, in-person classes, prep books, and private tutoring across many tests (ACT, SAT, MCAT, LSAT, GRE, GMAT, and more). We're focused on the ACT (with a smaller college advising arm) and we deliver it as 1-on-1 sprint coaching with daily personalized practice and a 4-8 week finish line.

We bought Kaplan's books and online course but the score barely moved. What's different about Boosted Brains?

This is one of the most common reasons families come to us. Kaplan's content is solid; that's not where the problem usually is. The problem is that working through a generic book or online course can't tell your specific kid which 3-5 question types are actually costing them points. Sarah used a massive ACT prep book on her own and stayed stuck at 25. Six weeks of sprint coaching later, she scored a 33.

Does Kaplan's live online class beat 1-on-1 sprint coaching?

For a small subset of students, yes. If your child genuinely learns best by watching other students think out loud, likes a fixed weekly class schedule, and doesn't need targeted work on specific weaknesses, a Kaplan live online class can be a fine fit. For most students though, especially ones who already know the content but lose points on timing or specific question types, sprint coaching produces faster, more measurable gains.

Our student is busy with sports and AP classes. Can sprint coaching actually fit?

It's designed for that. About an hour a day on average, five to seven days a week, of targeted practice. Async coach messaging means your student can ask a question at 9pm and get an answer the same evening, no waiting until the next scheduled class. Ryder finished his ACT during football season. Charlie did it during lacrosse season.

How much does Boosted Brains cost compared to Kaplan?

Kaplan prices its self-paced, live online, in-person, and tutoring products separately, and rates vary by package and location. We charge a flat program fee based on your student's current score, target score, timeline, and how much coaching support they need. You'll get an exact quote and a realistic point target on the call before you decide anything.

Does Kaplan's score guarantee make it less risky than Boosted Brains?

We offer a 4-point improvement guarantee with refund. Kaplan offers score-improvement guarantees on most paid courses, though specific terms (eligibility, refund vs. extension, completion criteria) vary by product. Worth reading the fine print on either side, but both guarantees are real.

Can my student do Kaplan first and then switch to Boosted Brains if it doesn't work?

Sure, but the cleaner move is to start with the format that actually fits your student. A failed prep cycle costs more than the dollar amount; it costs a test date, weeks of momentum, and confidence. On the call we'll look at your student's score, target schools, and timeline and tell you straight up which path is the better fit.

What's the best next step if we're comparing Kaplan and Boosted Brains?

Book a free call with our team. We'll review your student's current score, target schools and scholarship thresholds, and test date. If sprint coaching is the right fit, we'll show you exactly what the plan looks like. If Kaplan or another option fits better, we'll say so. About a quarter of the families we talk to don't end up working with us because the timing or fit isn't right.

🎯 Your Next Step

Work With a Coach Who Scored a Perfect 36

If sprint coaching is the right fit for your student, the call will save you weeks of research. If it isn't, we'll tell you what is.

Book Your Free ACT Gameplan Call →

Carson Weekley

Founder, Boosted Brains · Perfect 36 ACT (13+ times)

Carson is the Founder of Boosted Brains, where he and a team of dozens of coaches help students earn life-changing ACT score improvements. He scored a perfect 36 on the ACT more than a dozen times, was admitted to MIT and the University of Chicago, and unlocked over $500,000 in scholarship offers before leaving an investment-banking career to build Boosted Brains. He's worked with 3,500+ families and personally trained every coach on the team.

Kaplan ACT vs Boosted Brains: Coaching vs Classroom Compared

Kaplan vs Boosted Brains at a Glance

When Kaplan Is the Better Choice

When Boosted Brains Is the Better Choice

Two Students Whose Self-Study and Long Prep Stalled Before They Found Us

Sarah

Camden

Real score improvements, straight from Slack

What an ACT Score Actually Costs and Earns

Kaplan vs Boosted Brains: Frequently Asked Questions

Work With a Coach Who Scored a Perfect 36