What Prep Expert does

Prep Expert, founded in 2010 by Dr. Shaan Patel and operating as Patel Educational Services, Inc. (a Delaware corporation), is a Las Vegas-headquartered online education company focused on standardized test preparation and college admissions support for high school students and their families. The company reports having served over 100,000 students since inception and operates with 11-50 employees.

The company's core product is live online SAT and ACT preparation courses delivered via a virtual classroom with whiteboard, chat, and recorded playback, taught by instructors who score in the top 1% of the tests they teach. Course formats include 6-week Flagship and 8-week Capstone courses, a 7-week Founder Course taught personally by Dr. Patel, self-paced video courses, and weekend review sessions. Each flagship offering is backed by a money-back score-improvement guarantee — 200 points on the SAT and 4 points on the ACT. Adjacent offerings include 1-on-1 private tutoring in 100+ standardized tests and academic subjects, college admissions consulting led by Director Akbar Rahel, Esq. (Georgetown JD), and scholarship consulting services.

Prep Expert's revenue model combines one-time course purchases ranging from roughly $274 to $1,696, multi-year subscription bundles (Unlimited Prep at $2,153-$4,092 and an All Access Pass valid through high school graduation), hourly tutoring at $79-$99, scholarship consulting at $799/month or $999/quarter, and consulting engagements. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-consumer through prepexpert.com, supported by phone sales, live chat, founder-led webinars, and an aggressive promotional-discount funnel. The company's 2014 Shark Tank investment from Mark Cuban ($250,000 for 20% equity) provided initial capital and serves as an enduring endorsement anchor across the firm's marketing channels.

Name

Prep Expert

Legal name

Patel Educational Services, Inc.

Website

https://prepexpert.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Prep Expert is a Las Vegas-based online education company that offers live and self-paced SAT and ACT preparation courses, private tutoring, college admissions consulting, and scholarship consulting, serving high school students and their families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Standardized Test Preparation Services

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

College Entrance Exams (SAT/ACT/PSAT) Prep (EDANABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Test Prep Tutoring Platforms (SAT/ACT/GRE/GMAT, etc.) (EDANAGAH), Test Prep Learning Centers (SAT/ACT, AP/IB, State Exams) (EDANAHAH), AP/IB & Subject-Specific Standardized Exams Prep (AP, IB, SAT Subject legacy, subject exams) (EDANABAE)

Keywords

• SAT preparation courses
• ACT test prep
• College admissions consulting
• Private tutoring services
• Scholarship consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Las Vegas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Online SAT/ACT Courses: One-time purchase live online courses (6-week, 8-week, weekend review, self-paced video). Courses are sold individually at price points from ~$274 to ~$1,696. Offered at dynamic pricing with early-bird discounts and promotional codes (e.g., 30% off with USA30).
2. Unlimited Prep Subscription: Annual subscription (1–4 year options) providing unlimited access to all SAT, ACT, PSAT live courses plus 10 hours of private tutoring. Priced at ~$2,153–$4,092 for pay-in-full or $538/quarter on payment plan. Includes VIP support and $2,000 scholarship guarantee.
3. All Access Pass: Long-term subscription (until student graduates high school) bundling unlimited test prep courses, academic coaching, scholarship summits, masterminds, and family pass for siblings. Priced by grade level entry ($500 deposit for 9th grade).
4. College Admissions Consulting: One-on-one consulting with Director Akbar Rahel covering application strategy, essay coaching, college list development, and interview prep. Fee structure not publicly disclosed on available pages.
5. Scholarship Consulting: Monthly subscription at $799/month (4 hours of consulting per month) or $999/quarter for live scholarship summits with Dr. Shaan Patel. Includes personalized scholarship lists, essay review, and application optimization.
6. Private Tutoring: Hourly or package-based 1-on-1 tutoring. Priced from $79/hour (16-hour elite package) to $99/hour (4-hour starter). Monthly subscription options available. Free 1-hour trial included.
7. Gift Cards: Pre-paid gift cards in denominations of $500, $1,000, and $3,000 that can be applied to any course or tutoring. Gift cards never expire.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Prep Expert sells online and in-person SAT and ACT preparation courses (live 6–8 week flagship/capstone programs, founder-taught courses, weekend reviews, and self-paced video), 1-on-1 private tutoring in 100+ tests and academic subjects, college admissions consulting led by an in-house director, and merit scholarship consulting (1-on-1 monthly retainers plus quarterly live summits). Courses are typically purchased individually or through multi-year subscriptions (Unlimited Prep, All Access Pass), with branded money-back score-improvement guarantees on flagship programs.

Product overview

Prep Expert is an online education company offering a comprehensive test preparation and college admissions ecosystem. The core offerings include live online SAT and ACT prep courses in multiple formats (6-week flagship, 8-week capstone, 7-week founder courses), self-paced video courses, and weekend review sessions. These are complemented by 1-on-1 private tutoring in 100+ subjects and tests. The company extends its value through college admissions consulting and scholarship consulting services, both led by experienced professionals. Subscription products (Unlimited Prep, All Access Pass) bundle multiple services together, providing unlimited course access, tutoring hours, and scholarship guarantees. Add-on offerings include free webinars, a bestselling SAT playbook book, and gift cards. The company differentiates through score improvement guarantees (200-point SAT, 4-point ACT) and instruction exclusively by top 1% scorers, including founder Dr. Shaan Patel who raised his own SAT score from average to perfect.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SAT Prep Course Bundle (Flagship, Capstone, Founder, PSAT, Self-Paced, Weekend Review) Live online and self-paced SAT preparation courses taught by 99th-percentile instructors for high school students targeting competitive college admissions and merit scholarships; flagship variants include a 200-point money-back score improvement guarantee.
• ACT Prep Course Bundle (Flagship, Capstone, Founder Video, New Video, Weekend Review) Live online and self-paced ACT preparation courses (6-Week Flagship, 8-Week Capstone, New ACT Video, New ACT Founder, and Weekend Review) taught by top 1% ACT scorers, with a 4-point score-improvement money-back guarantee on flagship programs.
• 1-On-1 Private Tutoring One-on-one online private tutoring with top 1% tutors for standardized tests (SAT, ACT, PSAT, AP Exams) and academic subjects (math, English, science, history, computer science, foreign languages), priced from $79/hour (16-hour elite package) to $99/hour (4-hour starter) with monthly subscription options and a free 1-hour trial.
• College Admissions Consulting Expert one-on-one college admissions consulting covering application strategy, essay coaching, supplemental essays, activities positioning, interview preparation, and college list development, led by Director Akbar Rahel, Esq.; reported 96% success rate for admission to one of a student's top-3 college choices.
• Scholarship Consulting Personalized merit-based scholarship guidance delivered as a $799/month subscription (4 hours of consulting per month) or $999/quarter for live scholarship summits with Founder Dr. Shaan Patel, including personalized scholarship lists, essay review, and application optimization.
• Unlimited Prep Subscription Multi-year subscription (1–4 year options) providing unlimited access to all SAT, ACT, and PSAT live courses plus 10 hours of private tutoring, Founder courses taught by Dr. Shaan Patel, VIP phone support, and a $2,000 scholarship guarantee.
• All Access Pass Long-term subscription valid until the student graduates high school, bundling unlimited test prep courses, academic coaching, scholarship summits, masterminds, and a Family Pass for siblings, with a $10,000 scholarship guarantee and grade-level pricing starting at a $500 refundable deposit for 9th graders.
• Prep Expert Digital SAT Playbook #1 Amazon bestselling paperback book by Founder Dr. Shaan Patel offering winning strategies for the Digital SAT, marketed via a free paperback copy (retail $39.99) shipped for $7.95 with $100 in bonus digital gifts (math cheat sheet, test-day checklist, bonus chapters) to drive lead capture.
• Prep Expert Gift Cards Non-expiring prepaid gift cards usable toward any course or tutoring service (excluding admissions consulting), sold at promotional discounts such as $1,000 value for $700, $2,000 value for $1,400, and $3,000 value for $2,100.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200-point average SAT score improvement (guaranteed or money back)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• ArborBridge: Online SAT/ACT prep and tutoring provider with 1-on-1 instructor-led sessions and adaptive diagnostics. Comparable online-delivery model and tutor-quality emphasis to Prep Expert, though smaller in scale and brand.
• Target Test Prep: Self-paced, adaptive online test prep known initially for GMAT and expanding into GRE/SAT. Emerging adjacent competitor in the same online test prep category that increasingly intersects with Prep Expert's customer base.

Direct peers

• Collegewise: College admissions consulting and supplemental SAT/ACT prep provider focused on families seeking top-college outcomes. Directly comparable to Prep Expert's admissions consulting arm under Director Akbar Rahel and overlapping college-readiness customer base.
• PrepScholar: A leading online SAT/ACT prep platform known for its adaptive learning algorithm and self-paced courses. Directly comparable to Prep Expert on online SAT/ACT prep and called out in Prep Expert's own materials as a competitor for the new digital/enhanced ACT.
• Wyzant: Online marketplace connecting students to private tutors across SAT, ACT, and academic subjects. Directly comparable to Prep Expert's 1-on-1 private tutoring packages and competes for the same hourly-tutoring budget.
• Manhattan Prep: Premium test prep provider offering SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT courses with instructor-led online and in-person formats. Comparable instructor-quality positioning (top-scorer teachers) and price points to Prep Expert's flagship courses.
• Magoosh: Online, affordable SAT/ACT and GRE prep provider using self-paced video lessons and practice tests. Comparable to Prep Expert's self-paced video course arm and competes for budget-conscious test prep customers.
• The Princeton Review: One of the largest and most recognized SAT/ACT test prep providers in the US, offering live online courses, private tutoring, and admissions services with comparable target customers (high school students and families). Direct head-to-head competitor on SAT prep courses and tutoring.

Broad incumbents

• Varsity Tutors: A broad online tutoring and test prep marketplace owned by Nerdy, offering 1-on-1 tutoring across SAT/ACT and many subjects plus live classes. Comparable to Prep Expert on private tutoring packages but with a much broader subject/category footprint.
• Kaplan Test Prep: A broad incumbent offering SAT, ACT, GRE, MCAT, LSAT prep plus admissions and tutoring services. Larger portfolio than Prep Expert but directly competes on SAT/ACT courses, pricing, and tutor-driven live online instruction.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PrepExpert
• Instagraminstagram.com/prepexpert
• YouTubeyoutube.com/prepexpert
• Xx.com/Prep_Expert

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Prep Expert