Why should I choose Next Step?

For those considering a prep course, we believe Next Step provides a superior experience due to the personal attention and customized pacing individual tutoring provides. For those considering individual tutoring with a Big Prep company, we provide superior value and guaranteed tutor quality.

What does the process look like once we agree to a package and I submit payment?

1. You’ll receive a note from us within a few hours letting you know that we’ve received payment and that your tutoring is underway. If we have not consulted with you over the phone, we’ll have a few questions for you regarding your past prep, areas of perceived weakness, geographical location, and available times for tutoring sessions.
2. We’ll start matching you with a veteran tutor that closely fits your needs. The tutor will contact you to set up an initial session. This process normally takes no more than 48 hours.
3. Your tutor will gather past test scores and/or have you complete a diagnostic exam on your own time, prior to the first tutoring session.
4. At your initial session, you and your tutor will agree to a rough calendar to take you through to your test day.

Which is better, tutoring or a class? Good question.  Our core principle is that individual attention is the best way to prepare for standardized exams.  Classes can teach you the principles and methodologies needed to raise your score, but they can’t explain to you why you are missing specific questions and how you can improve.

If your tutors are so qualified, why are your prices lower than the leading national prep companies? Simple — lower overhead.  Since we meet you, we have no need to rent classrooms or teaching centers.  And since we get most of our business through referral, we have no need to waste millions on national marketing campaigns.  We pass this savings on to students and tutors.

How is tutoring scheduled? During your free consultation, you’ll give us an idea of when you’ll be available (i.e. weekday mornings).  We’ll match you with a qualified tutor that has overlapping availability.  You’ll then schedule all your sessions at a time that works for both of you. We can generally place you with a tutor and hold an initial session in less than a week.

Where can we meet? You can agree to meet your tutor in any public location that you choose, generally a library or coffee shop.

I’ve already taken a class.  Will tutoring help? Almost definitely!  About 1/4 of Next Step’s students have gone through a class and been disappointed with their resulting score.  We believe strongly that personal attention from a true expert is the key to unmasking your strengths and weaknesses.

What if I need additional tutoring? Additional tutoring hours can easily be added for the same rate as your initial package.

What if I don’t like my tutor or I don’t think it’s going well? Students rarely have difficulties with Next Step tutors. If you do, we will quickly assign a new tutor to work with you.

What is your guarantee? We guarantee the quality and qualifications of each of our tutors.  If you are not happy with your tutor, we will assign you a new one. We do not offer an explicit score guarantee — here’s why.

How do I know my financial information is safe? Next Step processes all payments through Paypal, the recognized leader in secure internet transactions. For credit card orders via our website, we never see your personal information.