Warning for Princeton Review Ultimate Classroom

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
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<p>I am currently taking an Ultimate Classroom course offered by the Princeton Review, which my parents shelled out 1000 bucks for, and quite frankly, the classroom course is beyond subpar. It’s pretty terrible.</p>

<p>I was a student who scored a 2100 on the initial Diagnostic Test, so at first, I was a bit disappointed by the score but optimistic that the PR course would help. Unfortunately, I was wrong. I got stuck in a class with 5 others who ALL scored in the 500s for each section. Not only that, but I believed a smaller number of students would constitute more attention to each student, but again, I was wrong. I felt the overall course to be incredibly slow and the instructor, although intelligent, robotically followed the prep book to instruct us. I felt that I could have just read the book on my own.</p>

<p>For the math, my instructor repeatedly encouraged me to use “Plugging In” and “POOD” but I refused to use anything but strict algebra, which I felt I was very strong in. He suggested that using his techniques would in fact be faster than using algebra with practice but I felt that that was quite bluntly impossible. How could drawing out a chart and plugging in the answers for a simple question like “What number, when doubled and then subtracted by 6, would result in 7” be faster than using algebra? </p>

<p>And for the reading, my weakest subject, I learned idiotic techniques such as reading just the line in the line reference questions and maybe a couple sentences before it to find the correct answer. I tried using these techniques at first, but found that they actually decreased my score even more, so I reverted back to my old ways of reading an entire paragraph before answering the line references.</p>

<p>Not only that, but for the later Diagnostic Tests I noticed my scores skyrocketing, up to the 2300s. After reading my score report and the number of questions I got wrong, I realized that I had not improved by much at all; what gave me a higher score was the easier scales they gave me. For example, 3 wrong on the First Diagnostic Test gave me a 710 but 1 wrong on the Third gave me an 800. </p>

<p>Overall, I felt cheated out of my money. I highly advise you not to enroll in the “Ultimate” Classroom, a shady institute which provided me near-zero help.</p>

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<p>If I scored that poorly, I wouldn’t tell. I doubt the teacher told you either. So how do you know? </p>

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<p>It doesn’t help to be intransigent. </p>

<p>But I’m very interested in how your teacher reacted when you did the problems your own way? Did he criticize you? </p>

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<p>I thought your parents paid for it :p. </p>

<p>This is old news too. But if you have the unfortunate luck of being enrolled in such a course, you should direct the course. Ask the teacher what you need or want to know. </p>

<p>It sounds as if you sat there in class, passively resisting the teacher’s techniques and your parent’s altruistic motivations. If I were you, I’d give the teacher a piece of my mind. </p>

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<p>Well, during the first day of classes, everyone seemed to be talking about their test scores. So everyone basically told each other their scores and whatnot. I assume they were honest.</p>

<p>But seriously, if I thought it was in some sense practical, I would try it out. My instructor was really adamant that it didn’t matter how good someone was at algebra; His “studies” have shown that people who use the method finish questions faster.</p>

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<p>Lol!!! :D.</p>

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<p>If I were in this course, I’d heckle the crap out the teacher. </p>

<p>“Uhh … y’all slow. Can we move a little faster?”</p>

<p>“Show me how to do #24!”</p>

<p>“What is the rule for 45-45-90 triangles again?!!?!” </p>

<p>“Name all the objective case pronouns please!!!”</p>

<p>“Why is there an error in my Princeton Review book?”</p>

<p>“Uh … what did you get on your SAT, sir? If you got below a 1400, we can’t talk - we ain’t even on the same level.” </p>

<p>I almost want to sign up for a Princeton Review prep course and see how the instructor reacts. Too many people complain, and few seem able to speak up and tailor the course to themselves.</p>

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<p>I actually took the PR course a month ago (( but not in the US though )) , and I found it really REALLY helpful .
I took only readin and writing , iam Excellent at math but my reading and writing are awful .</p>

<p>anywayz , accordin to the bluebook i went up from 1440 to 1900 after the course , yes , not PR practice tests .</p>

<p>So really I think it depends , you’re a really good studetnt (( 2100 is awesome )) and I really think all other courses won’t be that much of a help for you .</p>

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<p>I’m international BTW , if you haven’t figured that out allready .</p>