Our kiddo had a wonderful experience prepping with Bella for the ACEE exam! Bella struck the…read moreperfect mix between professional and fun, making the sessions both productive and enjoyable. Test results TBD, but when our kid took the test this past weekend, she emerged saying that the actual test was much easier than the practice tests. So, the program seems rigorous and effective. Would definitely recommend.

We just want to thank Test Prep Chicago for the support in the tutoring they gave my son last year…read more We want to thank you for the preparation Metodi (tutor) gave our son. My son score very well and got accepted to a Select Enrollment High School. Thank you Test Prep Chicago! MP.

I worked with Stefan on test prep; he was outstanding. The 1.5hr sessions FLEW BY!…read more Stefan is so fun and passionate about test taking strategies. He is so knowledgeable and is someone I wish I would have found earlier in my application journey. I am so grateful for his support! I loved having the whiteboard and he always sends the PDF of the notes that you cover in class. Stefan makes everything super easy to understand and very accessible. If you don't understand it, he will try to flip the concept on its head and reteach it to you. He is super patient! This has been my favorite test prep experience. I have tried it all - Manhattan Prep and other test prep companies. I only wish I found him sooner.

I highly recommend Stefan Maisnier for MBA admissions guidance. When our son decided to pursue his…read moreMBA on a tight timeline, Stefan quickly created a clear, strategic plan. He objectively evaluated our son's strengths and weaknesses, identified gaps--especially in quantitative skills--and worked closely with him to address those areas. Stefan's deep knowledge of admissions and test prep ensured our son targeted schools that fit his profile and goals, and he provided invaluable support throughout the process. Stefan's professionalism and expertise made a real difference for our family. My wife and I would recommend him to anyone seeking high-level, personalized admissions guidance and GMAT prep.

I was very lucky to have studied with Keith from Chicago. I initially met Keith through the…read moreManhattan GMAT class pack in which he was the instructor, and later took a few private classes with him to improve my understanding.   Overall, Keith is a very efficient and to-the-point instructor. I was quite confident in math but was making unnecessary mistakes so Keith pinpointed it to exactly where it was and provided CUSTOMIZED study plans for me based on my goal and schedule. As for verbal, he was instrumental in teaching me how to read and answer the question.   My first practice test was in the 600, and with the help of Keith and many hours of hard work, I increased a score of 100+. I would highly recommend Keith to any student who would like to learn and achieve a good score.   Manhattan GMAT also offers one of the best online platforms. It syncs up with the book and the explanations really helped me understand why an answer was right, and better yet, why other answers were wrong. In addition, you can use the report feature to see your overall performance and area of improvement. I would recommend taking a GMAT course with Keith through Manhattan. Thank you Keith!

Quick Summary: Best in-person GMAT prep course in Chicago…read more Dan is awesome. --------- Lots and lots of detail: Teaching: 10/10 Dan. Bartz. I owe a LOT to him. He was a huge part in the 90pt increase from my first attempt to my second attempt.* He scored in the 99th percentile (several times), so yes, he's insanely smart. As a teacher, top notch scores will only get you half way to five stars. Dan's personality gets him the rest of the way and more. During my prep, I asked a lot of basic questions (trust me), but Dan always had a patient and thorough response. In class, he aimed for true comprehension. No matter how complex or simple, if we weren't getting it, he found another way to teach the concept or open up the problem. He was very conscious of varied learning styles and backgrounds in the room and made an effort to find opportunities to tailor a message. In addition to being incredibly approachable, Dan is very engaging. The Manhattan classes have a card system so all students "poll in" an answer to questions (makes sense since you can't skip an answer on test day!). He'd use this and other techniques to get the class involved. This engagement really helped keep my energy up and stay mentally present for three hours after a full day of work. He was available at any point during the course or while studying after the course ended. He wanted to help us succeed and whatever he could do to help, he would. Did I mention he's just a really nice guy? He's just a really nice guy. As we approached the end of the course, everyone had different time lines. Some were ready to face the GMAT monster. I was not. I met with Dan to create a personalized game plan for life-after-Manhattan. He went over my strengths and weaknesses and we created an outline for what turned out to be four more weeks of studying. I was planning on evenly studying Q/V and focusing on my weaknesses within those topics, but Dan suggested that I be more in the 75/25 range. It paid off! After sitting the test a second time, I maintained my Verbal percentage from the first try, but increased my Quant percentage by 37 percentage points. My overall score went up 90 points! Dan's guidance heading into the homestretch was priceless. I honestly don't think I could have cracked 700 without it. *I'm sure someone out there would want me to say that this isn't guaranteed, and no, I don't work for Manhattan GMAT. --------- Materials: 10/10 Studying for the GMAT is intense, but the order and depth of the materials broke down the concepts into digestible segments. You could all but feel the building blocks stacking as you worked through the books. The syllabus was also a godsend. I thrive on structure and deadlines (I realize that makes me sound super awesome); free form studying is not for me. The detailed syllabus kept me on task and progressing logically for nearly over months. The 14 or so books are great. Some thick, some thin. Some you'll use once, others replace your best friend (don't worry, your real best friend will forgive you). Each major concept has its own book, and you work from basic concepts to full-blown convoluted and mean GMAT questions on each topic. The syllabus ties it all together and tells you where to go and when. Then the online resources tell you if you should go back and review anything in particular. --------- Online Resources: 9/10 Manhattan GMAT has all the resources you'd expect (practice questions, CATs, videos, etc.). The OG Archer is a really great tool. Even with Dan's urging in class, I really only started using it after my class but I wish I would have taken advantage of the Archer sooner. The analyses available for both the Archer and practice tests were very insightful and helped me focus my attention on what mattered. I gave the Online Resources a 9/10 since there were a few quirks in the system, specifically in the OG Archer, that I found clunky and a bit annoying. To really work on a specific area (number properties, anyone?), there are some focused sets of questions organized by topic. Once you've started in one of these sets, clicking next will give you the next problem in the OG, not the next question in the focused set. I ended up opening a browser tab with the list of questions in the focused set, and a second tab with the OG up. Also, as you are clicking next or loading a new question, the full page reloads and scrolls you back up to the top so you have to scroll down again. Both are minor annoyances, but when you're trying to make the most out of limited study time, it would be really helpful to move through the Archer smoothly. --------- My brief history with the GMAT (for credibility, I guess): 12/12-4/13: Took an in-person course with a company in Chicago 4/13: Official GMAT (low 600s) 10/13: Demo'ed a class with another company; wasn't feeling it 10/13: Demo'ed a class with Manhattan GMAT; felt it 10/13-1/14: Took an in-person class in Chicago 1/14: Official GMAT (low 700s)

I called to inquire about tutoring for my son, but unfortunately they don't serve the western…read moresuburbs. But, the director took the time to give me some advice and a referral to center in my area. That's great customer service!

From the owner: Fresh. Fun. Made for you…read more If you're looking for a Chicago tutoring program that offers highly specialized, in-home private tutoring, delivered in a fresh, fun style by brilliant tutors, you've come to the right place. We understand the frustration that comes with watching your child struggle in school. Even at the best schools, classrooms are often overcrowded, as the curriculum becomes increasingly difficult. It can be hard for students to keep up, much less excel, especially if they feel lost in the crowd. At Chicago Academic, your child will receive one-on-one, personalized attention in the comfort of your home from tutors who come from the most elite universities. Through a fully customized system, we can help your children reach their full potential. By pinpointing the personal needs of your child, our private tutors are able to provide the most effective academic and test prep tutoring available. We provide tutors in Chicago and north suburbs of Chicago on the following topics: All school subjects Standardized test preparation Study strategies College essay coaching And much more. Forget the frustration and call Chicago Academic. We're here to help. We provide expert in home private tutoring in Chicago and north suburbs.

Our experience working with Compass Educators was very positive. Not only did the Compass Advisor…read moreguide us through the College Exam process, but evaluated the scores for both the SAT and ACT, helped us make an educated decision on which exam our daughter would score better on. Our Advisor also found tutors that worked with our changing schedules, and our daughter truly enjoyed working with, in both Math and Language. I highly recommend Compass Educational Prep!

We used Compass Education Group for SAT tutoring for our son. The tutors we worked with were…read moreexcellent and my son raised his score significantly with their support and guidance.

We highly recommend Academic Approach. They always think of everything. Our first child used their…read moreservices and did great; now it is our daughter's turn, and 8 years later they are still just as good at what they do. From the very first day, Academic Approach delivered. You were awesome to work with, made these tests so easy to understand for us, and took care of all of my daughter's testing and academic needs. You are the best! Thank you so much.

Hands down would not be where I am today without Academic Approach. They helped me decide between…read moretaking the ACT or SAT. Once we decided on the ACT they helped me raise my score by eight points. I was able to get into the college of my choice early decision. It's within walking distance or a short bus ride from at 3-4 nearby high schools so it was super easy for me to get there after school on my own. I really appreciated being able to take a timed practice test about once a month. Come test day I was super comfortable with the timing and was able to perform my best. It's pricey but it's one of the bet investments my parents made.

Going into college entrance exam season, it wasn't clear to me what would be the most effective and…read moreefficient way of arming my twin teenage sons with the comfort and skills that would allow them to choose the right test and to perform their best. Each has his own strengths and weaknesses, and their study and learning habits differ vastly. Once Steve met with us and reviewed their baseline untimed scores, he easily guided each of my sons to the test that would elicit the best results, and he confidently assured that tutoring them together would not only meet each boy's individual needs but would enhance each other's learning, by virtue of the group process. Indeed, Steve was exactly right. He helped my kids to put in perspective the importance of these tests and to set goals commensurate with their college choice aspirations. His teaching style elicits discipline and engagement, without instilling undue stress and worry. He's calm and steadfast in his claim that if a person is willing to put in the practice and study time and comes prepared to tutoring sessions, he or she can incrementally improve. He makes the goal score feel accessible, and this helped to keep both of my kids motivated, hard-working and hopeful. The three of them worked together for 24 hours, over 12 sessions, and utilized a variety of materials, including prep books, websites, and group meetings to get them ready for the test. He tracked their progress, keeping me updated throughout, and though he worked with them together, he tailored the lessons to each of my kids. Now that both boys have sat for their chosen test, it's abundantly clear that Steve assessed them accurately, and guided and taught them well. My sons each reached their goal scores, one improving 3 composite points (4 with super score), and the other improving 6 composite points, to do so. Needless to say, both of my kids are pleased with the outcome, as am I, and I suspect this will open doors at schools they might not have considered. From beginning to end, and especially as measured by the results, Steve successfully ushered my kids through what could easily have been a stressful and demoralizing process. He simply understands these tests and how to master them, and we couldn't be happier to have benefitted from his expertise.

Steve helped my daughter move from high-performing on practice ACT tests (33 and 34) to earn a…read moreperfect 36 composite score on her first try! My student was already doing well in Math and Reading, but yearned to improve in Science and English. Most other courses or tutors offered full on prep -- very costly and time-consuming. Steve assessed my student's specific needs and provided individualized coaching and resources to help her use her limited time wisely. After only two sessions (about 4 hours total) and some homework, my student's confidence was boosted. Beyond improving an already great composite score by 2 to 3 points overall, specific increases included 4 points improvement in English (from 32 to 36), and a whopping 5-point improvement in Science (31 to 36). Steve was meticulous, positive, and patient. He used a variety of materials, including websites, prep books, and lessons at my home. The resources he has to offer are up-to-date and not stale, which is important since the tests have changed over time. He kept detailed notes on my student's performance to help track improvement and keep me updated. Would definitely recommend.

I learned RC with Jae. He is a good GMAT tutor, because he told me some new strategies to crack the…read morereading part. Before I thought that there are no strategies for that part, but luckily I was wrong. He taught me some interesting concepts to get the main purpose out of a text and to uncover the ideas of each actor. These techniques are really worth to know because you can save more time if you consider some basic rules. In a nutshell, I learned a lot from Jae because he takes the necessary amount of time to dive in depth and explain the main ideas and important details to ensures that you fully understood the content.

I took Kaplan and Magoosh as my courses. Then I read all the MGMAT books and the Kaplan 800. My…read morescore after all that effort was 700. I was fine with that. But on the day of the exam I found out something horrible: The Real GMAT is way different than the practice ones. No practice test could have prepared me for my 640 official score. I was mortified. I reached out to Josh at TPU and he introduced me to one of his partners, Jae. In 6 lessons we raised my Quant score from 44 to 49! After studying Quant with Jae, I learned that there were easy points i was missing out on. Really saved me a lot of headache, because before Jae I was focusing all my energy on the super difficult quant questions, but I wasn't seeing results. Thanks Jae and TPU!

I worked with Tara for 1-month and saw immediate progress in my abilities. Tara is an effective…read moreGMAT tutor because he has thoroughly studied the test. One thing I struggled with prior to working with Tara was identifying what is actually being tested. I would just do the problems, get some wrong, get some correct, and then move on. Tara emphasized an error log and thinking about why I got something wrong, which really helped me. Tara helped me move my score from 42 to a 47 on the Quant section. His insights to Data Sufficiency questions were worth at least 2 of the 5 points that I added, bringing my combined score to a 710.

I was applying to Executive MBA programs and had decided to take the Executive Assessment(EA)…read moreinstead of the GMAT. The EA is an alternative that many schools are using, but there isn't as much info and test techniques as there is for the GMAT. I purchased the official study material provided by GMAC. Still, after taking the EA, I found that the material and practice tests weren't as accurate a portrayal of a real exam as I had hoped, especially for the Quant section. After receiving my scores from the first exam, it was clear I'd need to retake the test and needed some help brushing up on my quant skills. I interviewed several companies that promised an increase in my score, but none took a personable approach until I found Tara. Tara took the time to understand what I needed, my history, and where I wanted my score to end up to get into one of my top choice schools. I didn't have a lot of time before my next exam, so Tara focused on my weaknesses, and we worked almost daily up until exam day. He shared many short-cuts and tricks to help get to the root of the question and eliminate the "noise." He provided many reference notes and made sure that I genuinely understood before moving to the next topic, always encouraging along the way. He is amazingly flexible as he was able to work about my schedule and meet early in the mornings. With Tara's help, I was able to increase my quant score high enough to get into one of my top choice business schools, and I would recommend Tara to anyone!

I paid $497 via irisreading.com on 22 May 2025 for an in-person speed reading course scheduled on…read more24 May at The Ritz London. Late on the night of 23 May, I received an email from the UK organizer (Alex) saying the course was cancelled due to a conflict with the instructor. Since then, I've sent four refund requests via email -- both to Alex and to the CEO, Paul Nowak -- and received absolutely no reply. Their listed phone number (+1 312-857-4747) does not work either. This lack of communication and accountability is unacceptable for a company that presents itself as professional. I have submitted a formal complaint to Citizens Advice UK and plan to escalate the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service. I'm also in the process of requesting a chargeback through my bank. Extremely disappointing experience. I strongly advise others to avoid this company.

I took the free intro course and the $50 "Speed Reading Fundamentals" course. All the sessions were…read moreonline so I don't know what in-person workshops are like. The strategies you'll learn in Paul's webinars are really helpful. Once you beat the habit of subvocalization, you'll see your reading speed grow substantially. Doing the speed drills every day even for just 15 minutes is really helpful. It helped me grow my speed by more than 100 words per minute. Paul tends to repeat a lot of the same information from webinar to webinar. He always gives the example of how you wouldn't read the words "New York City" one by one, and he even tells the same joke about subvocalization every time. It's almost like a theme song. Nothing is wrong with that, and repetition is actually helpful for remembering things, and to be fair, each webinar has at least some new information, like the Numeric Peg System. My point is that since Paul covers the meat and potatoes of speed reading in the fundamentals course (hence the name "Speed Reading Fundamentals"), I don't know if there's a point in buying any more courses for my purposes. And most of your improvement will be from speed drills and independent practice.