Princeton Review vs Boosted Brains: An Honest ACT Prep Comparison

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.