O.K. Here’s another anecdote: My son-in-law worked as a test-prep instructor once upon a time for one of the major companies. He’s a very skeptical guy in general and had no love for that employer in particular. Nevertheless, he saw the effects of the disciplines and tricks he taught in that course. They went well beyond what could be found in standard do-it-yourself manuals.
My take on this is that anyone who can do well without learning those tricks is very much to be congratulated. However, it doesn’t follow that others haven’t achieved the same results due to having learned tricks in an expensive course. That they are able to do this is unfair not only to the kids who do well without taking such a course but, of course, also to those who don’t have the financial wherewithal or parental support to do that. I would add that there is something intellectually if not morally offensive about the whole business.