When thinking about your test prep options, is Magoosh, a company that you think of first? Many of you will probably say no, but why? Magoosh is a growing company that has positioned itself to compete with the likes of Kaplan Test Prep and even the Princeton Review.
Imagine spending thousands of dollars on test prep only to find that your score only rose by 2 points. That is a devastation that we do not want you to experience. If you are considering purchasing Magoosh ACT reviews or simply wondering does Magoosh works for the ACT, you have come to the right place.
This article will work to provide you with the information you need to choose if Magoosh is worth it or if there is another ACT prep option out there for you. All you have to do to get the information you desire is keep reading.
If you’d prefer to just try Magoosh out, you can do so with a free 7-day trial by clicking here.
What’s the Story Behind Magoosh?
What’s the Story Behind Magoosh?Magoosh is a newer test prep company that was founded in 2009. It was created by a group of students from the Haas School of business in Berkley, California, where it is headquartered. These students include Vikram Shenoy, Bhavin Parikh, Hansoo Lee, and Pejman Por-Moezzi.
Magoosh’s name is a play on a Persian word that refers to a wise person. The company focuses on providing test preparation and counseling for studying abroad. They consider themselves to be “education nerds” who enjoy helping students.
Magoosh’s aim is to not only provide the best online ACT prep but to create products that give all students, regardless of location, access to enjoyable and helpful test prep. They Are considered the happiest company in education due to their core values and the mission they align themselves behind.
Magoosh considers themselves a never-ending work in progress as there is always something to be learned. They provide test preparation services for the ACT, SAT, GRE, GMAT, MCAT, and many more. Magoosh also partners directly with schools.
Why Choose the Magoosh for Your ACT Prep Course?
You don’t have to struggle: though all of the material can be found online, you don’t have to fight. Each question comes with a thorough, in-depth video explanation of why the correct answer is the right answer.
If you are still struggling to grasp the material after watching the explanation, Magoosh has an email that you can send your questions to at any time to get feedback from a real-life tutor. Magoosh doesn’t want you to feel like you are preparing alone. Therefore even when you are stumped, you can email [email protected] for the help you need.
Accessible from just about anywhere: Magoosh can be accessed virtually anywhere. There are no DVDs and no physical books unless you would like one. Any device with an internet connection will allow you to continue studying for the ACT.
Optimized to work on your mobile device: With the Magoosh material being accessible nearly everywhere, it’s only right that it can be accessed from mobile as well. With the ACT Prep Coach and Practice Apps, students can access their ACT online prep classes right from their Apple or Android phones.
Magoosh utilizes two mobile applications; this includes the ACT flashcards as well as the ACT Test Prep application. The flashcard application has been created by several ACT experts to bring you useful information to help you on the exam.
This information includes over 200 flashcards for English, math, and a variety of science concepts. It also utilizes the Space Repetition Technique to ensure you are focusing on the concepts which may be causing you trouble first.
The second application, ACT Test Prep, focuses in on the items you would generally find on the Magoosh website for review. These items include engaging video lectures and explanations, various subject lessons, and a variety of practice questions.
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Guaranteed 4 point increase: Magoosh offers a four-point guarantee for users who have purchased the ACT review. If you have taken all of the steps necessary to do well on your ACT and you still didn’t manage to obtain a four-point increase, the prep course is on them. Take a look at the information listed before for full details on what you would need to get your money back from the program.
Point System for Rewards: Have you ever heard of an education company having a rewards system? Don’t worry, we haven’t either, but Magoosh has just that. Magoosh allows students the chance to receive an Amazon gift card by simply studying. All you have to do to earn points is to study for twenty minutes a day.
Unfortunately, if your ACT prep was paid for by your school, you are not eligible for these rewards, but everyone else is. Each day that you study for more than twenty minutes, points are rewarded. After earning at least 100 points, you can begin to redeem them.
However, the reward points do have a catch. If you happened to catch your Magoosh Prep Course on sale, you might have a disadvantage. You will not be allowed to redeem any gift cards exceeding the amount that you paid for your prep materials.
For example, if you paid $79 for one month of Magoosh ACT prep, you can not redeem more than 7,900 points, which is equivalent to $79. Points can only be redeemed once and for a single gift card. Therefore, you can essentially get your program for free if you remember to study.
Monthly Study Plans: When first creating an account with Magoosh, you start by setting your study schedule on the site. Based on the information you entered, the site will recommend how long you should study to get the best results.
After setting up your study schedule, reminders can also be set up to encourage you to study via text or email. Once complete, you will see your schedule at a glance, and all other tracked performance.
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The site will also guide you through the Magoosh textbook and track as you complete lessons. You can use the monthly study plans to keep yourself on track. These study plans are divided based on the amount of time to the exam. This includes one month, two months, and three-month schedules. These schedules have information for what should be completed each day to stay on schedule.
Comprehensive Dashboard: Your dashboard allows you to gauge your progress on each subject and get a feel for where you may need more help. However, for anything to show on your dashboard, you must answer at least 25 questions.
On the dashboard, you can track the days you have studied along with your scorestreak. You can also track against your score goal ad try to reach it.
Detailed Review Summary: After completing a module, each section will provide you with a summary of what you accomplished during that study session. It will include your percentage correct, your pace, and the average speed for other users.
It will also show you the difficulty of the question as well as its related subject. As you are answering a question incorrectly, you will see the video explanation at the bottom of the page if you scroll down.
Free ACT eBook: Outside of offering online options for helping students prepare for the ACT, Magoosh also provides a free Magoosh ACT Study Guide. This ACT ebook will provide you with an overview of the exam, detailed explanation of the test’s structure and format as well as introducing you to the content on the exam.
The book also aims to teach students strategies to help them conquer the exam. This means using the test’s time, format, and schedule as an advantage. The study guide is also suitable for students at all levels and all variations of scores.
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The book provides an abundance of information regarding the test and strategies for success before going into the area centric content. Aside from Magoosh providing students with a free online ebook, they also have the Magoosh ACT Textbook available for purchase from Amazon. The book also comes with a coupon for use on the Magoosh website for the online prep.
Within this book, you will find fun activities to help you study, their coveted one month ACT study plan, and so much more. This is an excellent text to use in conjunction with the online system.
What Types of ACT Prep Does Magoosh Offer?
Magoosh’s ACT program comes with three options in mind. These options vary in price and duration of access. The Magoosh pricing is extremely reasonable in comparison to other prep companies.
Magoosh’s act online prep classes are not traditional classes. Instead, they are a series of practice questions, tests, and video lessons. Students also receive a curated Magoosh act study plan. If more aid is needed outside of what is offered within the videos, you can also receive online help from expert tutors.
Magoosh’s aim is to provide materials for the user who doesn’t want to adhere to a course schedule or have in-person sessions. This is meant for users who are able to work and focus being alone and ask for help as needed.
The ACT prep plans are offered in intervals of 1 month, three months, and 12 months. These access times skew the pricing, with the most expensive being the 12-month package.
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Which Magoosh ACT Prep Package Should You Get?
All the information within each package is generally the same as the only significant difference being the access time of the exam. The date of your exam should determine the package that you should get. If your exam is approaching, we would recommend that you get a program that correlates. For example, if your exam is one month away, buy the one month package.
However, if you know that you plan to take one exam a month away and attempt another exam three months away, aim for the 3-month program.
If you are a junior or someone who is looking to get a jump start on studying, the 12-month option may be your best bet. This gives you time to prepare for the exam and have access to all of the materials which Magoosh offers.
Does Magoosh offer an ACT Score Guarantee or a Refund?
Magoosh guarantees that you will increase your score by 4 points, or you will get your money back. This option, however, is only available with a premium subscription. To ensure that users are able to get the money-back guarantee, you must meet several requirements.
The first requirement is that users must have taken before. Your old score must also be within five years to qualify for a refund. If you have never taken the ACT before, unfortunately, you will not be eligible for the money-back guarantee provided by Magoosh.
Also, to ensure you get your money back, you must follow several recommended steps. If these steps have not been followed, it is assumed that you have not done everything possible to get the best score.
Before requesting a refund, you must have watched all the ACT videos related to the testing strategy as well as the question type. You must also review lessons on actual content which you aren’t familiar with and, lastly, complete all the practice questions. While completing the questions, you must also remember to watch the video explanations for items you may have missed.
After all of these steps are complete, and you still have not increased your score, you can receive your money back. Magoosh also offers a traditional refund, which can be granted within seven days of purchase.
Does Magoosh ACT Prep Get Results?
It’s time for the portion you have been waiting for. You probably want us to answer if the Magoosh way works or not. Unfortunately, I can’t answer that. However, there are several students who can. Magoosh offers real reviews from real students like you on their site that you can look at, at any time you please. Many students agree that Magoosh indeed helped them to do well on the exam.
Many students say that Magoosh’s preparation materials helped them to understand better the structure of the exam, and the techniques they gave were essential to conquer the exam.
Another common consensus is that Magoosh’s study plan helped to provide structure for some students. They were able to not only study for the exam but do so in a way that consisted of more than simply watching random videos on Youtube and taking practice exams.
Is Magoosh ACT Prep Worth the Money?
In reading through several reviews for the ACT Prep online from Magoosh, many people found the information to be invaluable. They consistently raved about the structure and the use of the one month AT study plans.
One interesting thing to note is that although Magoosh guarantees a 4 point increase on the exam, many students in the reviews show a variety of score increases ranging from 1 point to even 6 points. Though this is not a deal-breaker, it’s an interesting notion to see.
Even so, that would not stop me from purchasing the prep materials. Also, if students aren’t eligible to earn their money back through the guarantee, students have the option of redeeming points for a gift card, and using it is a reward for doing well on the exam. This allows them to get back still what they paid for the online prep, by merely studying.
Magoosh aims to make learning accessible and enjoyable, two things that will ultimately help you succeed on the exam in the long run. It also helps to ensure that you are retaining information. So, is Magoosh worth the money? We are going to say yes. Even with the other options out there, Magoosh is slightly more affordable and offers an abundance of information.
Who Shouldn’t Get ACT Prep from Magoosh?
If you are looking for a more structured and personal review style, Magoosh is not for you. It is also not ideal for someone who is looking for a more structured environment with the inclusion of class sessions.
Magoosh is also not ideal for students who are not self-motivated. Except for text reminders, it will not work well for someone who is not able to follow videos and push themselves to study regularly.
Magoosh is also not ideal for the student with a large budget and looking for more one on one help from the best ACT prep experts. However, if you are a more visual learner who is looking for a course that you can take at your leisure from virtually anywhere, then this one’s for you.
Alternatives to Magoosh ACT Prep
If you’ve gotten this far and determined that Magoosh is not the best ACT prep for you, it’s okay. We are not the Magoosh police, and there are several other options out there. This section will provide you some insight into what is out there and available to you.
Princeton Review ACT Prep
If you are looking into any type of test prep, the Princeton Review may already be on your list of online courses to check. This is a top-rated company with an excellent track record.
However, with that excellent track record comes a nice price tag. Though they are not the most expensive, they are also not the cheapest. The Princeton Review is great for students who are looking for a more face to face experience.
They offer a variety of options which include self-paced, one on one tutoring, and a variety of in-class and online instructor-led sessions.
Their instructors are top-notch and eager to help you succeed. The Princeton Review does provide a score increase guarantee based on the program option you choose. Study resources are digital, though some programs offer students with the array of Princeton Review Textbooks that they offer.
Higher Scores Test Prep
Higher Scores Test Prep is another company that provides students with online ACT preparation. They not only provide live instructors, but they also provide students with the option of utilizing a payment plan to pay for services.
Higher Score Prep offers two services. These services include Quick Prep and the ACT Complete Package. With the quick prep option, students utilize subject focused video tutorials while using a ten-day ACT study guide as well as several downloadable resources. Students get access to 1 practice test and are given weekly countdown emails, which can also go to parents.
With the Complete Package, students will receive prep books mailed to their door, on-demand video tutorials, a 24 day ACT study guide, unlimited email support, and more.
Kaplan Test Prep
Another popular option for your test prep needs is Kaplan Test Prep. Kaplan has made several books regarding the ACT and is another heavy hitter in the industry. Kaplan gives students the option to prep by themselves or with an instructor. Kaplan will even offer consultation for the students who are on the fence about which option to choose.
If you do choose to prep with an instructor, Kaplan offers three options. These include the ability to live stream a class, the option to attend unlimited classes through your senior year and one on one help with a tutor. These options are not suited for the budgeting student as they are very pricey.
However, if you are looking to self-study, there are cheaper options available to you. These options include self-pacing and the college prep pass, which focuses more on making sure you have done all that is needed for your college applications.
Wrapping Things Up: Magoosh ACT Prep
Overall, depending on your learning style and the type of help you are looking for, we would recommend Magoosh for ACT review. Not only do students have the ability to access the information from multiple platforms and means, students down have to break the bank doing it.
If you are a student who is looking to prepare for the ACT on your own and with little to know instructor help, go for it! Magoosh offers several features like the comprehensive dashboard, the video explanations, and the free ebook to keep you structured without having to be in a classroom.
Magoosh has been used by more than 2 million students online, and that number continues to grow each day. The company wants to see you succeed and makes it their mission to help you do so. Why wouldn’t you want to give a company like them a chance?
Want to try Magoosh ACT prep for yourself? Sign up for your 7-day free trial here
