⚖️ Honest Comparison

Princeton Review vs Boosted Brains: An Honest ACT Prep Comparison

Boosted Brains is the better fit if your student needs personalized ACT coaching with a 4–8 week finish line and daily feedback from a coach who scored 34+. Princeton Review is the better fit if your student learns best in a classroom and wants the lowest-commitment way to get introduced to the test.

Both companies have helped thousands of students, and they use fundamentally different mechanisms. Classroom instruction works for some students. Sprint coaching works for others. Below is the unfiltered side-by-side.

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

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Looking for a Princeton Review alternative? Here's the side-by-side.

	Princeton Review	Boosted Brains
Pricing model	Per-course or hourly private tutoring; rates vary by package and location	Flat program fee tied to current score, target score, and timeline
Primary format	Group classroom courses (in-person or live online) with optional add-on private tutoring	1-on-1 sprint coaching, 100% personalized to one student's diagnostic
Personalization	Same curriculum for every student in the course	Every drill targets the specific question types this student misses
Daily commitment	Classroom sessions plus homework; varies by package	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 the next scheduled class or tutoring block	Daily async messaging, students get answers the same day
Coach credentials	Varies by instructor and location	Every coach scored 34+ on the ACT (most 35–36)
Tests covered	ACT, SAT, GRE, MCAT, LSAT, and others	ACT (plus college advising as a related service)
Score guarantee	Score-improvement guarantee on most paid courses (terms vary)	4-point improvement guarantee with refund
Typical timeline	Multi-week classroom courses, often spread over 1–3 months	4–8 week sprints, designed around a specific test date
Best for	Students who learn well in peer groups and want a low-commitment intro to the test	Students who want personalized strategy, daily feedback, and a clear finish line

✅ Where They Win

When Princeton Review Is the Better Choice

Princeton Review has been running ACT prep for decades, and there are three real situations where their model is the right call.

Your student genuinely thrives in peer-group settings. Some students learn better watching other kids answer questions, hearing the back-and-forth, and getting that classroom energy. If that describes your child, a Princeton Review classroom course can be a great environment.
You want the lowest-commitment way to get introduced to the ACT. A multi-week classroom course is a relatively low-touch way to expose your student to the format and content before deciding whether to invest in something more intensive. It can be a useful first step.
You need prep across many tests over many years. Princeton Review prepares students for the ACT, SAT, GRE, MCAT, LSAT, and more. If you're thinking about a multi-year relationship across multiple standardized tests, the broader 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 a classroom course.

Your student doesn't fit the average. If they're already strong in math but losing points on reading timing, a classroom that teaches everyone the same math content is mostly wasted hours. Sprint coaching builds the plan around their specific diagnostic.
You've already tried a classroom course and the score didn't move. This is the most common reason families switch to us. A class taught at the average pace can't move a student who needs targeted work on three specific question types.
The test date is 4–8 weeks away. The whole program is built around that timeline. Multi-month classroom courses lose intensity. Sprint coaching maintains it.
Your student is busy with sports, AP load, or both. Ryder finished his ACT during football season as a junior. Charlie did it during lacrosse season. The hour-a-day structure fits around real life, and async coach support means no wasted commute to a classroom.
You need the score to move 5+ points to unlock specific scholarships. Generic prep at that scale takes many months and produces inconsistent results. Sprint coaching at this magnitude is where targeted, daily, personalized work earns its keep.

24 → 34

Brown

8 weeks of program · Continued improving after · $60,000 scholarship at Auburn

Brown started in a group ACT class where the teacher spoon-fed solutions in hours-long group lectures. She kept missing the same questions repeatedly, but the class moved at its own pace, spending tons of time on topics she already knew and barely any on her specific weaknesses. Mom listened to her complain about how boring and ineffective it was.

None of this was Brown's fault. She was an awesome student in the wrong system.

First test with us: 24 to 28. Second test: 28 to 31. She kept using the program resources for free during her school's in-school ACT testing days, and her score kept climbing: 31 to 32, then 32 to 33, then 33 to 34. Final outcome: $60,000 in scholarships at Auburn.

24 → 33

Ryder

8 weeks · Started early as a junior · Football and baseball at Johns Hopkins

Ryder couldn't afford the timeline of a multi-month classroom course. He was deep in football season as a junior, with peers telling him he was crazy for starting ACT prep that early. He needed something targeted, fast, and built around a daily schedule that fit between practices.

The sprint did exactly that. He finished his ACT during football season, going from a 24 to a 33 in 8 weeks. The 9-point jump opened up recruiting doors that wouldn't have been on the table at a 24.

He had offers from multiple top academic programs including UChicago. He committed to play football and baseball at Johns Hopkins. While his classmates were still stressing about the ACT in senior year, Ryder was done.

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)

The 10-point swing from her old classroom course score to her final score at Auburn 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 a 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 Princeton Review competitor?

Both of us prep students for the ACT, so on the surface, yes. Princeton Review built its name on big classroom courses across a bunch of standardized tests like the SAT, GRE, MCAT, and LSAT. We're focused on the ACT (with a smaller college advising arm), and we deliver it as 1-on-1 sprint coaching: daily personalized practice, async coach messaging, and a 4-8 week finish line built around your student's specific test date.

How is sprint coaching different from a Princeton Review classroom course?

A Princeton Review classroom course teaches the same material to everyone in the room, at the pace of the room. Sprint coaching gets built backward from one student's diagnostic. Every drill targets the question types that specific kid is missing. If your student already knows fractions, we skip fractions entirely and go straight to whatever's actually costing them points.

We already finished a Princeton Review course and the score barely moved. Will Boosted Brains work?

Yes, and this is one of the most common situations families come to us with. When a classroom course doesn't move the score, it usually means the curriculum wasn't pointed at that specific kid's weak spots. We start with a diagnostic, find the highest-leverage question types they're missing, and drill those. Brown came to us at a 24 after a group ACT class kept her stuck. She finished at a 34 and earned $60,000 in scholarships at Auburn.

Our student only has 4-8 weeks before the next test. Is that enough time?

Yes. 4-8 weeks is the exact length of one of our sprints. The program is designed around that window because that's how long real score gains take when the practice is actually targeted. Sarah went from a 25 to a 33 in 6 weeks. Isabella went from a 30 to a 34 in 3 weeks right before her senior-year September test.

How much does Boosted Brains cost compared to Princeton Review?

Princeton Review prices their classroom courses and private tutoring separately, and rates vary by location and package. We charge a flat program fee based on your student's current score, target score, timeline, and how much coaching support they need. On the call you'll get an exact quote and a realistic point target before you decide anything.

Does Princeton Review's classroom format ever beat 1-on-1 coaching?

Sometimes, yes. If your kid genuinely thrives on peer-group energy, learns by watching other students answer questions, and you want the lowest-commitment way to introduce them to the ACT before investing in something more intensive, a Princeton Review classroom course can be the right starting point. Most of the parents who find us want something faster and more personalized than that. But the classroom model fits some students well, and we'll tell you straight up on the call if it sounds like a better fit for yours.

Can my student do both: Princeton Review for content and Boosted Brains for coaching?

Technically possible, but in practice it dilutes the sprint. The whole point of sprint methodology is that your student spends about an hour a day on practice that's targeted at their specific weaknesses. Adding a separate classroom course on top means hours of practice that aren't pointed at the highest-leverage question types. Pick one approach and go all-in.

What's the right next step if we're deciding between Princeton Review and Boosted Brains?

Book a free call with our team. We'll look at your student's current score, the schools and scholarships you're targeting, and the test date you're aiming for. If sprint coaching is the right fit, we'll show you exactly what the plan looks like. If Princeton Review 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, and we'd rather tell you that upfront than waste your time.

🎯 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.

Princeton Review vs Boosted Brains: An Honest ACT Prep Comparison

Princeton Review vs Boosted Brains at a Glance

When Princeton Review Is the Better Choice

When Boosted Brains Is the Better Choice

Two Students Who Came to Us After a Classroom Course Didn't Work

Brown

Ryder

Real score improvements, straight from Slack

What an ACT Score Actually Costs and Earns

Princeton Review vs Boosted Brains: Frequently Asked Questions

Work With a Coach Who Scored a Perfect 36