Breakaway Prep

What Breakaway Prep does

Breakaway Prep LLC is a privately held college preparation company founded in 2008 by Rick Michalak, headquartered in Green Village, New Jersey, and operating 10+ physical New Jersey locations plus one site in Edina, Minnesota. The company delivers one-on-one SAT and ACT tutoring, AP exam preparation, academic subject tutoring, and structured college admissions counseling to high school students and their families across affluent northern New Jersey suburbs including Chatham, Summit, Millburn, Livingston, Maplewood, Morristown, Randolph, Berkeley Heights, Mendham, Westfield, and Montclair-West Essex. Its core product portfolio comprises three service lines (Test Preparation, Academic Tutoring, College Counseling) plus four specialized modules: the Breakaway Common App Workshop, Early Start (for rising freshmen and middle schoolers), Breakaway Writing, and AP Intensive.

Breakaway Prep generates revenue primarily through professional services billing: hourly tutoring at $225, a one-time $250 Foundation Session, a $799 fixed six-hour AP Intensive package, and a flagship $8,000 multi-year Comprehensive Journey college counseling program with staged payments. A freemium funnel — one free ACT and one free SAT proctored practice test per prospective student, with unlimited practice testing for enrolled students — drives top-of-funnel acquisition. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through the company's own website, with scheduling and billing handled by TutorBird, payments processed by Stripe, email marketing managed via Beehiiv, and hosting on Kinsta. Marketing relies on organic SEO, an in-depth blog, email newsletters, and word-of-mouth referrals from local NJ school communities rather than paid advertising. The firm employs approximately 25 tutors, counselors, and administrators with average tenure of 7.5 years, and is led by founder Rick Michalak, a Northwestern graduate and former Princeton Review VP of Operations, alongside named directors for each regional office.

Name

Breakaway Prep

Legal name

Breakaway Prep LLC

Website

https://breakawayprep.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Breakaway Prep is a privately held New Jersey-based college preparation company offering one-on-one SAT/ACT tutoring, college counseling, and academic tutoring across 10+ NJ locations and Edina, Minnesota. It serves high school students and families primarily in affluent northern NJ suburbs through a freemium practice-test funnel and multi-year counseling packages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Test Preparation and College Admissions Counseling

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Test Prep Learning Centers (SAT/ACT, AP/IB, State Exams) (EDANAHAH)

Keywords

• Standardized test preparation
• College admissions counseling
• Academic tutoring services
• SAT ACT prep
• College counseling

Headquarters

HQ city

Green Village

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. One-on-One Tutoring (Test Prep & Academic): Private tutoring sessions for SAT/ACT prep and academic subjects (math, science, English, history). Sessions delivered at physical locations or remotely. Revenue recognized per session or as package purchases.
2. College Counseling Services: Comprehensive college admissions guidance including essay support, college list development, application review, and timeline management. Sold as structured programs (Comprehensive Journey) or hourly sessions.
3. AP Intensive Package: Fixed six-hour tutoring package for AP exam preparation, priced at $799. One-time purchase per AP subject.
4. Practice Testing: Proctored simulated SAT/ACT practice tests. Free for prospective students (one ACT, one SAT); unlimited for enrolled students as part of tutoring program.
5. Breakaway Writing Program: Weekly writing sessions for middle school students (10-week program) and one-on-one sessions for high school students, covering diction, vocabulary, grammar, and writing process.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Breakaway Prep provides one-on-one SAT and ACT test preparation tutoring, weekly proctored practice tests, comprehensive college admissions counseling, subject-specific academic tutoring, AP exam preparation packages, writing instruction, and early college planning for younger students. The company pairs each student with two dedicated tutors covering distinct phases of test preparation, and offers services through 10+ physical New Jersey locations plus remote/Zoom options with 20+ years of operating history.

Product overview

Breakaway Prep is a collective of tutors and counselors offering college preparation services primarily in New Jersey and Minnesota. The portfolio centers on three core service lines—Test Preparation (SAT/ACT tutoring and practice testing), Academic Tutoring (subject-specific support across math, English, history, and sciences), and College Counseling (admissions guidance with multiple engagement tiers). These core services are complemented by specialized add-on modules: Breakaway Common App Workshop (application support), Early Start (early college prep for younger students), Breakaway Writing (writing skills development), and AP Intensive (AP exam tutoring). The company also supports 529 plan payments for families. Services are delivered through one-on-one tutoring, small group workshops, and proctored practice tests at multiple physical locations, with some virtual options available.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Breakaway Common App Workshop: College application guidance program helping students with Common Application from start to finish, including essay support and application review.
• Early Start
• Breakaway Writing
• AP Intensive

Products and services

• Test Preparation One-on-one SAT and ACT preparation tutoring for high school students, including baseline diagnostic testing to determine which test best fits the student, personalized prep plans, and full-length proctored practice tests to build test-taking endurance.
• Academic Tutoring Subject-specific tutoring in math, English, history, and sciences from middle school through AP level, supporting students' regular academic coursework alongside test prep.
• College Counseling Comprehensive college admissions guidance including strategic college list development, application review, essay support, ED/EA recommendations, and timeline management, offered as Foundation Session ($250), Comprehensive Journey ($8,000, discounted to $7,500 if paid in full), or hourly guidance at $225/hour.
• Practice Testing Weekly full-length proctored diagnostic practice tests for SAT and ACT that help track progress and build endurance under real testing conditions; one free ACT and one free SAT test for prospective students to determine best fit before enrollment.
• AP Intensive Six one-hour one-on-one tutoring sessions focused on specific AP exam subjects with customized prep plans for targeted score improvement; fixed price of $799 per AP subject.
• Early Start Early college preparation program for rising high school freshmen and late middle schoolers providing individualized academic enrichment, organizational skills development, executive functioning support, and long-term planning through high school years.
• Breakaway Writing Program Weekly writing program with experienced English teachers focusing on persuasive and expository writing techniques, grammar, vocabulary, and the writing process; includes 10-week program for middle school and one-on-one sessions for high school students.
• Breakaway Common App Workshop Workshop for rising seniors covering Common Application guidance, resume building, essay brainstorming and revision, and personalized submission timelines before fall application deadlines.
• 529 Plan Billing Service Assistance for families in using 529 education savings plans to pay for Breakaway Prep services, including coordination with 529 providers for direct payment or reimbursement, with funds drawing down from a Breakaway account balance over time.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students gain admission to selective colleges including Dartmouth, University of Richmond, and Washington University
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature6 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• IvyWise: Boutique admissions counseling and test prep consultancy serving families targeting selective colleges. Direct overlap with Breakaway Prep's Comprehensive Journey program in private college counseling positioning.
• Revolution Prep: Hybrid SAT/ACT prep and college counseling provider offering both online and in-person tutoring. Closely comparable in product mix and target customer (high-school families seeking test prep plus admissions guidance).
• PrepScholar: Tech-forward online SAT/ACT prep platform with adaptive personalization and college admissions content. Competes directly with Breakaway Prep on standardized test prep, especially for self-directed digital learners, though it lacks Breakaway Prep's in-person NJ presence.
• The Princeton Review: The largest U.S. test prep and admissions counseling brand, offering SAT/ACT/AP prep, college counseling, and tutoring nationwide. Direct competitor; Breakaway Prep's founder Rick Michalak was previously VP of Operations for North America at The Princeton Review.

Emerging players

• Crimson Education: Global admissions consulting and tutoring firm focused on selective college placement. Overlaps with Breakaway Prep's Comprehensive Journey college counseling tier, particularly for families targeting highly selective institutions.

Broad incumbents

• Varsity Tutors: Large online tutoring and test prep platform owned by Nerdy. Competes with Breakaway Prep on SAT/ACT prep and academic tutoring, though primarily via online delivery rather than physical NJ locations.
• Kaplan Test Prep: Major incumbent offering SAT/ACT prep, college admissions consulting, and a wide portfolio of professional education services. Overlaps directly with Breakaway Prep's SAT/ACT and college counseling offerings but at a national scale with a much broader product portfolio.
• Tutor.com / The Princeton Review (online): On-demand online tutoring service now part of the same parent as The Princeton Review. Comparable on-demand academic and test prep tutoring, with broader geographic reach but less hyperlocal personalization than Breakaway Prep.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/breakawaynj

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Breakaway Prep