Straight-Talk

Sherwood Straight-Talk is a candid forum posting real-world honest answers to general frequently asked questions (FAQ's) and questions regarding the test preparation industry.  We also have posted recent feedback, and we will continually update our real-world testimonials throughout the year.

Most companies would rather gloss over these subjects, but at Sherwood Test Prep we are founded upon principles of decency and pragmatism, in other words: We say it like it is and we work smart.

Specific Frequently Asked Questions

(1) Do you have a score improvement guarantee?

We often hear this question.  It is an important question because the product's worth or effectiveness revolves around how much it can improve your score.  However, the product, a test preparation class, depends upon the efforts of the individual student.  Test preparation does not work as a stand-alone product.  It should never be thought of as money for points as this one quote simplifies:

[Referring to the LSAT (Law School)] "If you are borderline (say around 165, 169, or 159 ... etc) a few extra points is well worth the $400."  - anonymous from the internet, 5/2004.

Score improvement is a function of the product, the student's effort, and initial starting score.  Any legitimate company, including us, will not have a point guarantee.  We will commit our resources to you and guarantee a great improvement as long as you are dedicated and do the work.

(2) Is there a registration deadline for your courses?

Not at this time.  Our registration process works on a first come, first served policy.  We suggest that you register as soon as possible because many class sections fill up.  Once a section is full, we remove it from our website and ask students to register for the next upcoming section.  Many times (i.e., human nature) students will call in the day before class and try and register.  Although we would like more customers, we almost always cannot honor this request.  Most times those classes are unavailable.

(3) What materials are included in the courses?

Your course fee includes all of your materials, so there is nothing more to buy.  Students at their first class receive: (1) Their course binder, (2) Proprietary packets (Sherwood Test Prep strategies, methods, and techniques), and (3) A book of about 1000 real test questions.  For GRE and GMAT classes, we utilize computer based CAT tests in addition to the paper practice tests provided.  This is everything you will need to fully prepare for your test.

(4) Why do your courses cost about one-third of competitors' courses?

Marketing and perception would drive you to think that a course costing roughly $400 is a lesser or devalued course compared to those costing $1000-$1300.  That is absolutely false.  Many times we have potential customers inquire as to why we have reasonable prices.  We ask: do you want us to charge you more? 

Our course costs are based on our overhead and are one of our competitive advantages.  They are not a function of course quality.  Usually a product's cost is determined by the factors of production.  The services, labor, and materials to produce the product are rolled into the final consumer costs.  A typical business sells the product for a % mark up or profit; this is how we determine our product costs.  We have instructor expenses, room rental charges, materials costs, administrative overhead, and research, training, and development costs.  Then we add a small profit, and charge a reasonable fee.

Our competitors on the other hand have arbitrarily placed course costs at incomprehensible levels to ensure positive product perception and profit maximization.  Put simply, if you pay $1049 for a GRE course, you'll probably rationalize that the course must be worth that kind of money and subsequently believe that it is a great course.  If students didn't rationalize it in that fashion, who in their right mind would pay $1000+ for something that is clearly not worth that dollar amount?  You can buy a new HDTV, about a semester's worth of college tuition (at some schools), or a fabulous spring break trip for you and your friends with a thousand dollars.  They charge those prices because they can get away with it - pure and simple. 

In summary, why do our courses cost less than Kaplan or the Princeton Review?  (1) Our administrators are not paid multi-million dollar compensation packages, (2) we do not have store fronts, (3) we do not have an expensive national media marketing campaign, (4) we do not have $25,000 give-aways or other so called "free" events, (5) we run an efficient operation, (6) we hire high quality employees to minimize turnover and reduce costs, and (7) we are willing to earn less.

A majority of our potential clients see though this haze and thank us for offering excellent courses at reasonable prices.

Real-World Testimonials

Below are Real testimonials from recent sessions.  These are real-world unedited testimonials from our students.  Check back throughout the year for updated testimonials.

"I'm writing to let you know how pleased I am with the quality of instruction I received from my GRE instructor.  Steve was very helpful both inside and outside the classroom; he treated us with respect and never patronized us.  I took the test a few days ago and received a combined score of 1450, and I attribute part of my success to the help he provided."

"I really enjoyed the GRE prep course and Risha was absolutely wonderful!  She was always upbeat and energetic and I appreciate that very much!"

"I took the GRE yesterday, and I'm very happy with my score.  I got 590 on verbal and 750 on quantitative!  Thanks for all your help..."

"I would like you to know that my daughter got her SAT reasoning test results back and scored much higher than we thought she would in reading comprehension. She credits your course for those results."

"When I decided to take the GMAT, I was completely terrified:  I'd been out of school for 5 years and hadn't done GMAT-style math since High School.  My first practice exam, I scored much lower than I'd expected and much, much lower than I'd hoped.  Sherwood Prep gave me a study schedule; helped me deal with my personal terror; and gave me lots of little tricks to succeed.  I thought some of the tricks were silly, but followed them anyway and discovered that they worked.  When I finally took my exam, I scored 180 points higher than my practice exam, 40 higher than even Stanford and Harvard require, and in the 99th percentile.  I really appreciate everything your program has done for me!"

"Just wanted you to know that I passed the CBEST with flying colors.  Your course was very helpful and worth the money spent."

"Jacob was a great teacher, he seemed to really care about us learning the material and was easy to approach with questions.   I was very impressed and enjoyed him as teacher."

"She was very patient!!!  She took the time to explain things more than once when needed."

"Math-wise I was quite happy with that.  I am not a math person and that's about the best I honestly believe I could do.  I was somewhat disappointed with my verbal score though - I had a high of 600 on the very last practice test I took.  I suppose it's not too bad though since the average verbal score for people who were accepted at UCLA in the higher education program (my top choice) was 508-520 over the last two years.  I think the paper test would be better for me and I could have done better on the verbal if I had more time to devote to test prep.  But I didn't and I did the best I could so I'm happy about that :-)  The class definitely helped!!!  I have a friend taking the GRE next summer and I definitely gave Sherwood the thumbs up.  Thanks!"

"I really enjoyed Dr. Anderson.  She was attentive and focused."

"Jacob was an outstanding instructor on the GRE.  He clearly knew the material thoroughly and was able to convey his knowledge to students in an effective manner.  He should get a raise."

"I just completed the GRE course in Seattle and took my test yesterday.  I truly felt that I wouldn't have done as well without the class and I thank you for providing an affordable alternative to test prep help.  Thanks so much!"

"The vocab list was helpful.  In general, good bank for the buck."

"I appreciate all the help you had given me during the review.  Thanks."

"I would just like to say that I am very impressed with my instructor Mr. Ingram and I am studying my CBEST math problems right now...."

"i felt it was a very good class."

"Hi, I just wanted to thank you for your assistance during the CBEST review class.  It really helped me a lot because I was able to figure out what my problems were for the Reading test.  You answered my questions fully well and I really understood it."

"Very open and willing to help.  Made you feel like your needs were the number one priority."

"He was a great teacher, he covered the subject perfectly."

"Jay was a very good teacher with excellent knowledge in Math."

"Hello Owen, this is Dave from your GMAT prep class that ended a few weeks ago.  I wanted to let you know that I got my final score report today and am very pleased with the outcome!  Total - 730, Writing 4.5.  I want to thank you and the Sherwood program for your help in preparing for the test.  On my initial practice test I scored a 560 (granted it was after a couple beers), but even so the class helped me improve significantly.  Anyway, Owen, thank you again for all your help.  You were a great instructor and I could not have done as well as I did without your help."

"Mr. Sherwood has a positive approach, is clear, and was inspirational to me."

"The quality and knowledge of the instructor were excellent as was his compassion and interest in the students."

"The course was a gift from a friend.  I was going to attempt to tackle the GRE without prep.  During the course, I was made aware that I would never have done as well as I had without the course.  The ultimate payoff was getting into one of my top choices.  Brilliant!"

"It allowed me to focus on the test in a structured way."

"This course was not only affordable, but it was very effective.  My score raised significantly."

"Practice tests helped a lot, strategy was helpful too."

"Jeff provided not only excellent instruction but also motivation."

"This is Sean.  I was in your GRE prep course that ended three weeks ago.  Since I didn't really get a chance to thank you, I want to do that now, and to tell you that I just finished the test a few hours ago, and I got a 750 verbal / 690 quantitative.  That's a 180-point improvement in the verbal section, and a 130-point improvement in the math, compared to my first electronic practice test.  I should also say that as far as studying for the verbal goes, all I used were the Sherwood materials, and right around 25% of the questions they hit me with involved one of the vocab words on that list."

"Affordable and provides materials/skills/confidence to improve."

"The course helps you get into the mindset needed for the test."

"The instructor was great and quite helpful."

"Great Teacher.  He was wonderful.  Great Price."

"Steve did a good job, and the techniques in class were good."

"The course materials helped demystify standardized tests for me."

"The way the course is organized broke the GRE down into conquerable portions.  My score improved a great deal."

"Luba is a fantastic teacher.  She is friendly and approachable.  She created a comfortable classroom environment and she really inspired me to try and learn.  I even looked forward to Sunday mornings (kinda).  I like her a lot because she's real.  She's competent and erudite."

"Jay was amazing.  He made sure we were understanding the subject matter and he was really concerned with our progress."

"Loved him!!!  I thought I was going to dread class every week.  He presented the material clearly and was also entertaining!"

"My lowest score on the math section of the test was a 23.  I passed the math section with a 37.  The CBEST Test Prep class helped me raise my score by the 14 points I needed.  Thank you."

Views and other tidbits in the World of Test Preparation

The test preparation industry is built upon perception.  Your perception of the product plays a crucial role in the effectiveness of test preparation.  The real secret, which most companies won't tell you, is hard work.  Our products are real and based on an effective four pronged strategy; they are not based on marketing hype.  If you are diligent, do your work, and take your prep classes seriously -- you will definitely improve!