In 2012, years before I went on Shark Tank, I met Akbar when he presented to the parents and students in my SAT prep class. I learned a lot and realized that he is a true master of the admissions process and loves helping families understand everything. I have seen what he does and I am very excited that he joined Prep Expert as our Admissions Director!
Shaan Patel, MD, MBA, Founder of Prep Expert
| Where do I even begin? Prep Expert is a life saver when it comes to mastering the college admissions process! Without them, I honestly don’t think I could have gotten into half of the schools that I have been accepted into. Mr. Rahel explained the key components of writing my college essays, which helped me later on when I started writing my essays for scholarships. At the end of the day, the people at Prep Expert were amazing to work with and I am so so grateful for all of the help! I was accepted to my first-choice college of Harvard and several other colleges with hundreds of thousands of scholarship money offered! Student, N.E. | Working with Prep Expert and with Akbar Rahel has been the best decision that we have made. Akbar immediately put us at ease with his detailed and personalized approach to the college applications. His meticulous review of all the steps was exactly what we needed, and he was there every step of the way during the quite difficult and anxiety provoking process. Akbar was there again to help through the additional essays and prepare for the interview process. Recently, we actually found out that our child was accepted to her top-choice BS/MD program! We know that our daughter is on her way to a great college experience thanks to his expert guidance. Parent, L.B. | Working with Prep Expert and with Akbar Rahel has been the best decision that we have made. Akbar immediately put us at ease with his detailed and personalized approach to the college applications. His meticulous review of all the steps was exactly what we needed, and he was there every step of the way during the quite difficult and anxiety provoking process. Akbar was there again to help through the additional essays and prepare for the interview process. Recently, we actually found out that our child was accepted to her top-choice BS/MD program! We know that our daughter is on her way to a great college experience thanks to his expert guidance. Parent, L.B. |
| Akbar, I wanted to thank you for all the support and resources that you have provided me with during this hard process of shaping my future. The past months of ACT prep, essay writing, and applying to colleges would have a thousand times more difficult without your help. Again, thank you so much for the services you have provided for me, without them, these big decisions I am about to make would much more difficult. I recently found out I was accepted Early Decision-thank you!! Student, A.S. (Cornell, Undergraduate) | Akbar has been warm, personable and professional right from the start. His presence through this whole application process played such an important part in our life and I am so grateful we made the right choice in getting Akbar’s help. His knowledge on what the admissions officers are looking for is critical in the material gathering and essay writing portions of the college applications. He’s very good in prompting positive thoughts from my son and guiding him through the essay writing process. We are confident my son will get into the college of his choice, and we definitely recommend getting Akbar’s experience on your side for a much better college application experience with your kids. Parent, O.S. (UIUC, Undergraduate) | Our family was extremely pleased with the work of the college admissions consultation services provided by Mr. Akbar Rahel with Prep Expert. As a prospective first-generation college student seeking admission to some of the country’s most prestigious Ivy League Universities, there is no doubt that we would have had a very scarce chance of success without Akbar’s expertise to guide us patiently and professionally through each step of the process. As it stands, we are now entertaining numerous offers of acceptance, including from USC, accompanied by some very generous six figured scholarship awards. Would highly recommend his services to anyone considering college either in the immediate or near future. Parent, B.H. |
| Our son was recently contacted by coaches from an Ivy League School and offered a spot on the team and entrance into this highly selective university (after committing, we also learned that our son was accepted to two other Ivy League colleges, in addition to other top schools like Michigan). We were ecstatic for the offer and thrilled to see our son commit to this school. Without the help of Mr. Rahel, we do not believe this incredible opportunity would have been possible. Mr. Rahel has worked diligently with us and has directed us, each step of the way. His experience and expertise in the admissions process was invaluable. He helped us to navigate the college search and outlined the process of recruitment for student athletes. He went above and beyond for our son and we are so grateful. Choosing Prep Expert was one of the greatest investments we’ve made! Parent, K.G. | I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Rahel through Prep Expert’s college counseling program. He was the perfect person to assist me with my college applications. Starting from the summer before when I was still studying for the SAT, Mr. Rahel immediately showed up in person to create a schedule that accommodated my summer plans while ensuring that I completed all my applications on time. I can confidently say that without Mr. Rahel’s help, I would not have been able to apply to 17 schools by the January 1st deadline. Mr. Rahel was both efficient and punctual in his work; responses and corrections to my drafts were made no more than a couple of days after they were sent. Any questions I had were immediately answered. In the event that I was close to finalizing an application, Mr. Rahel was immediately available for a Skype call to ensure I turned in everything correctly and on time. With his help, I was accepted into all my top choices, including my state’s flagship, which is one of the top 5 public universities in the nation. Student, A.H. | We have the highest praise and regard for Akbar. He was a calming and comforting influence in our stressful time of applying to college with our only child. It was not only that his manner was reassuring, it was that he was extremely knowledgeable and experienced, he guided us with wisdom and practical advice. He has full knowledge of what individual schools are looking for in college applications. He took the time to gather information on our child and our family so that he could recommend what schools may be of special interest and to target. He worked with our child tirelessly to draw out a top-notch personal statement that is her voice. He set up a sensible timetable for getting applications started and completed. He was always punctual with his appointments. He made himself available even beyond our scheduled meetings. He was a steady, informative presence from beginning to end. He truly cares, and it shows. While we are still awaiting the result of Regular Decision applications, we are very pleased that our child has been accepted to all of her Early Action applications, including Georgetown University. Our family highly recommends Akbar with great enthusiasm and without reservation. We will certainly seek his guidance again when it’s time to apply for graduate school. Parent, D.C. |
| Prep Expert, overall, is such a fantastic platform for students to use, and I would recommend it to everyone! I used their SAT tutoring services and their College Counseling services with Akbar Rahel, and I only have wonderful things to say about Akbar. Before I met Akbar, I was terrified about how I was going to write all of my college essays. I had a lot of extracurricular activities, great test scores, a very competitive GPA, and am a very personable student. However, I had no idea how I was going to be able to convey that to the colleges. But that fear disappeared when I met Akbar; he taught me how to pick and choose topics for the plethora of essays I needed to write and helped me create an excellent common app essay, that definitely stood out to admissions representatives because of how it demonstrated my personality through my passion for dentistry and community service in one 650-word essay. Essays are the primary way for colleges to understand a student, and having someone who knows exactly what colleges are looking for is integral to writing authentic and concise essays! I applied to a few accelerated dental programs and Ivy League schools, which are incredibly selective. Many don’t even pass the application phase, but with Akbar’s help, I have been accepted into many different programs and now have to choose which one is best for my family and me. Having many options is better than having none, and Akbar’s invaluable help and constant encouragement has allowed me to have so many different options to choose from. Akbar was the main reason I was so confident when pressing that submit button on my common app portal, and the main reason I was able to stay so positive during the whole college admissions process. With complete sincerity and commitment, I suggest that every high schooler takes Akbar’s help and achieves their dreams as I know it was Akbar who helped me reach goals I thought were beyond reach and helped me open a new chapter in my life. Student, P.K. | My daughter and I had the pleasure of working with Akbar during the college admissions process both her junior and senior years of high school. He walked us through the process and helped us understand what we should be doing every step of the way to help her chances of admittance. He thoroughly explained and assisted in preparing the applications and gave her many interview tips to best present her accomplishments. He also helped her stay organized and determine what schools would be good fits for her after getting to know her, her work, her long-term goals and her overall personality. He made sure that he really knew her in the two years that we worked together to be able to advise her on which colleges to target and how best to present herself. Akbar was always very willing to help with the emotional side of the process as well. Let’s face it, this is an emotional time for candidates and their families. He was vested in making sure both she and I were doing well throughout the process and helped keep this “crazy” process in perspective. I think his guidance helped us so much more than just getting into college but truly getting through a stressful and all-consuming time in both of our lives. My daughter was accepted to many top colleges, including Cornell, Columbia, Tufts, Northwestern, and Rice. She also won several of the most competitive and well-known national scholarships using many of the essays that we worked on for the applications, in addition to major scholarships top colleges. I highly recommend Akbar for his knowledge about the process and his caring nature! Parent, K.K. | I am a professor at a top ranked university and fully appreciate the complex college admissions and selection process. It is very hard to imagine the multi-faceted aspects of college admission and the myriad of things that are being used in the selection of students, especially in high ranked colleges. The stress on students during the SAT preparation and college application process can exponentially increase. Prep Expert’s college counseling program provides a holistic approach to SAT and college application preparation. Working with Mr. Akbar Rahel, our daughter was able to systematically and seamlessly navigate through the entire cycle. Mr. Rahel brings tremendous experience to the table with respect to college application and the path that he makes the students follow to put together their application package. Mr. Rahel has deep insight into the college selection process and he has been instrumental in helping our daughter identifying with the types of material that are unique to her and most worthy of presenting to college admissions committees. Mr. Rahel is absolutely a pleasure to work with and the younger generation tends to listen to his advice with great respect! Mr. Rahel laid out a process over a period of one year that was easy to follow without the need to stress out and getting things ready ahead of the deadlines. Mr. Rahel is readily accessible for meetings and calls via Skype or phone. He is genuinely interested in helping students. He also recommends the most appropriate set of schools to apply based on individual interests and academic and extracurricular achievements. Overall, our daughter’s experience with Prep Experts’s program and especially the interaction with Mr. Rahel was highly rewarding. We would whole-heartedly recommend any prospective student to enroll in the Prep Expert’s program and furthermore seeking Mr. Akbar Rahel’s services for college application preparation. Parent, P.G. |
| Akbar was essential in helping me get into Vanderbilt. He was able to maximize my potential on the application. He helped write incredible essays that showed who I truly was. I can honestly say I would not have been admitted to Vanderbilt without Akbar. Additionally, Akbar always responded very quickly whenever I had questions. I highly recommend Akbar to anyone who is trying to maximize the potential of their application. Student, J.W. | As a student who benefited greatly from Prep Expert’s SAT tutoring services, I knew I wanted to continue my journey to college with Prep Expert. Mr. Rahel was there for me from the very beginning. He helped me achieve greatness throughout the college application process. With his insight on every piece of writing I sent out, he allowed my application to shine. From organizing my resumé to preparing me for interviews, including a challenging MMI style medical school interview, Mr. Rahel helped showcase my hard work. He truly made the entire process as stress-free as possible. With Mr. Rahel’s extraordinary help, I was able to achieve my dream goal: an acceptance into a highly competitive BS/MD program. I am grateful for his attentiveness to every detail throughout the past six months. Student, I.B. | Coming from a lower-ranked high school with ambitions to move to a highly competitive, west coast school, the college application process overwhelmed me. With the help of Prep Expert and the opportunity to work with Mr. Akbar Rahel, I realized that my hopes of going out west were not as far fetched as I had thought. Prep Expert was very helpful in keeping me on track with SAT studying. It is difficult to stay motivated over the summer months, but Prep Expert provided me with a set routine and prevented me from losing valuable time. I enjoyed the program because it pinpointed exactly where I needed extra reviewing for the test. The process of recognizing the standard types of questions and practicing tailored approaches helped me achieve the SAT score I wanted. When it came to the college process, I was an indecisive student, unclear on what I wanted to pursue, but knew exactly where I wanted to be. I had the pleasure of working with Mr. Akbar Rahel, who gave me the freedom to explore various career paths before committing to one. When I made a decision, Mr. Rahel helped keep me on track and recommend great fitting colleges for both my personal and professional goals. I don’t think many people can say that their application process was stress-free, but thanks to Mr. Rahel, we were able to stick to a set timeline and submit everything in a leisurely manner. I was accepted to my top-choice accelerated dental programs and won hundreds of thousands of scholarships. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be involved with Prep Expert and have the help of Mr. Rahel. Student, P.D. |
| Everyone always talks about how hard it is applying or getting into college. My older sister had such a rough time with the application process, but when it came to me it was a breeze and that was 100% due to Prep Expert. Akbar helped me every step of the way and because of that I’m getting into my dream schools, including USC. The schools that I thought that I would never get into I am able to attend. All my friends were always stressing about the SAT or college app season, but because of Prep Expert I knew exactly what to do and when to do it. Again, I would 100% recommend Prep Expert to anyone considering it. Student, N.P. | Akbar and Prep Expert have been excellent in helping my son with the college admissions process. My son has been able to reach his goals and beyond in terms of college acceptances. Without Akbar’s help we could not have done it. He has always been able to answer our questions and guide us through this stressful process. Now, I am going to be using their expertise for my daughter as well. Thank you so much again for all of the help and I will be recommending Prep Expert to our friends. Parent, D.B. | I am very happy with the services Akbar Rahel has provided. Before we received his counseling, we were in the dark and utterly confused about the college admissions process. Akbar helped us through every step of the college admissions process, from advice on classes and extracurriculars to the essays themselves. With the essays, Akbar helped position me in a way that boosted my chances of being accepted at my top colleges. I’m very happy to have gotten into a school in my top 3 choices (acceptances included University of Chicago and USC) that I will now be attending! I would highly recommend Akbar’s college counseling services to anyone who is looking for advice in the college admissions process. Student, R.G. |
| My son had a great GPA, SAT, EC’s, etc. But there are many high achieving kids with great stats. To get into the top schools, you need more than top stats, you need to have compelling essays that exemplify who you are and what you can bring to the school. The whole admissions package needs to be top notch, that is what will set you apart from others. That’s where Akbar comes in, he took a good essay and turned it into an extraordinary one, truly reflecting my son’s achievements, while accentuating his strengths and abilities. His knowledge of the top schools, the experience he brings and his objective opinions helped guide us through the process. Akbar can be the difference between getting accepted or rejected to your reach school. He was there the whole way, provided guidance and direction, spared no effort and most importantly, he performed in crunch time (NOV-DEC). Thank you Akbar!! Parent, B.W. | Ever since I was a child, I dreamed of going to a top school in the U.S. Until I met Mr. Rahel, I did not have the slightest idea of how to actually make that happen—I had never met anyone with experience in applying to these schools and all I knew was what I read on College Confidential. When applying to colleges, Mr. Rahel helped me present myself through my essays in a way that effectively communicated my passions and interests, as well as helped me decide on whom to ask for letters of recommendation and which schools to apply to. Mr. Rahel’s help was central to my success in college applications and for preparing for the SAT because he kept track of my progress on practice tests. I don’t think I would have ever made it to my dream school, MIT, without the guidance and help of Mr. Rahel. Student, S.B. | I just wanted to take this time to let you know how appreciative I am for your sincere and genuine care as you guided me along the admissions process into graduate pharmacy school. Not only was your expertise and knowledge invaluable to my acceptance to the #1 top school of my choice, but your friendly yet still professional attitude towards me made the process all the more a pleasant experience. It was a sincere pleasure to have met you right when I did and I am truly honored and thankful to have been able to work with you. I cannot thank you enough for providing me the opportunity to achieve my goals for the future! You are truly an inspiration as a person, mentor and teacher. Your passion to help others and make it a personal matter does not go unnoticed. THANK YOU SO MUCH!! Student, G.S. |
| Let me begin by saying that without the help of Mr. Rahel I would not have studied law at Columbia University. I met Mr. Rahel weeks before most applications were due, and he took it upon himself to help boost my chances for admission. He looks at each candidate individually and puts the candidate in the best light possible for the admissions committee. He is very easy to work with and understands the sensitive nature of the process. His caring nature motivates him to do the best for every single student. I have referred a number of my friends to him over the years and they were all accepted to top colleges in different fields (MBA, Master’s, MD, transfers). We all know he is the person to contact when it comes to admissions. I highly recommend consulting with Mr. Akbar Rahel prior to sending your application in. He works wonders. Student, R.M. | Anyone who has ever gone through the college admissions process, undergraduate or graduate, is familiar with how stressful and tedious it can be. While many understand the importance of the application as a whole, few are able to recognize the significance of the personal statement and essays. I was one of those people. Before working with Mr. Rahel, I was certain that my competitive SAT score, GPA of 4.5, and extracurricular activities were enough to distinguish me in the college admissions process. In reality, when my grades, scores, and extracurriculars were compared to the other thousands of competitive applicants, there was very little to differentiate. The reality is that for today’s students, perfect scores are no longer enough, despite their essentiality. Mr. Rahel helped me with my personal statements and gave my college applications an undeniably razor blade sharp edge, and for that, I am forever grateful. Unlike other companies and people I contacted, Mr. Rahel made an earnest effort to understand me as a person, instead of as a machine. I am certain that it was my essays that were the deciding factor in every admissions decision that I received. With the excellent feedback and invaluable advice, I was accepted to the University of California, Berkeley and a prestigious international dual degree program at Columbia University in the city of New York. I, without any reservation, acknowledge that it was Mr. Rahel that allowed me to reach my goals and has allowed me to take the next step in my future. Student, B.R. | We are eternally grateful for the guidance and expertise our family received over the years. Both of our children were accepted to the most competitive Ivy League colleges (Harvard and Yale). There are not enough words to express our gratitude and how much we all appreciate the incredible life-changing opportunities this has opened! Parents, J.M. & A.M. |
| I am so grateful for all the help and support I received in applying to colleges! Thanks to Mr. Rahel’s expertise, I was accepted to Yale early action, a truly life changing experience! Student, M.M. | I am the father of a recently accepted student to a great university near our home. We started to use Prep Expert’s admissions consulting services about three months before most applications were due. Mr. Rahel did a fantastic job helping my son. My son suffers from Aspergers syndrome and had difficulty organizing his essay. Mr. Rahel was with him at every step of the application process and coaching him with his future plans. Mr. Rahel is truly a caring person and got me involved in every step of my son’s application process. I truly cannot thank him enough for his diligent work. I have a younger son and I am planning to use his help in the near future! Parent, M.A. | Mr. Rahel is simply AMAZING. Not only did he help me get into the Ivy League of my choice, but he was incredibly helpful in learning more about future careers, opportunities, and college endeavors. Although my SAT score range was below the average for my targeted schools, Mr. Rahel helped me craft the best narrative possible to get into an Ivy League. He was nice, patient, friendly, knowledgeable, and outgoing. Without hesitation, I would recommend him to any high school student who would like assistance in the college application process. Thank you, Mr. Rahel! It has been a blast tackling the college admissions process with you! Student, M.J. |
| Mr. Rahel was instrumental in helping me gain acceptance to the Yale School of Medicine. I am so grateful for all his expertise – from helping me fill out my AMCAS to editing my secondary essays, he was there at every step of the way! Student, M.A. | I was referred to Akbar through a friend who told me he was the absolute best person to work with if I were applying to graduate school. As an MBA applicant with significant work experience, I wanted to work with a consultant who was truly experienced, knowledgeable, and sophisticated when it came to the application process. Since I had very low grades my first two years of college, I knew my applications had to be perfect. After meeting with Akbar, I knew he was the right person. He helped through me the entire process, from advising on interviews to drafting essays to editing. His knowledge about international business was surprising-which undoubtedly helped me complete perfect applications. I was accepted to a top MBA program (UCLA) and I couldn’t be happier. His experience and knowledge about admissions is unparalleled. Student, H.E. | I just wanted to thank you for all your hard work and support through out my application process. Your professional guidance and knowledge helped me accomplish my goal to become a Doctor of Pharmacy. Hopefully in the near future I can serve you as a pharmacist. I know it was a miracle for me to get accepted to USC’s School of Pharmacy and I know it was because of my essays. My grades were lower than others and people told me it was a waste of money to apply. Thank you Mr. Rahel. I came to America in high school and I never thought this would be possible. I will always remember how you changed my life. Student, A.S. |
| When applying to law school, I thought I had a great personal statement. But then I was referred to Akbar and he quickly evaluated everything, interviewed me, learned about my background, and basically helped me change literally everything about my main statement. Looking back, I was on the verge of throwing away my potential because of some really bad advice about how to write a statement. My new statement was mature and powerful and just killer for law school. I was accepted to top law schools such as UCLA and UVA with about a 3.4 gpa and LSAT scores of less than 160. I didn’t stand a chance without Akbar. That is the truth. He gets everything very fast and is one of the smartest people I have ever met. I’m forever indebted to him. Student, B.E. | It is a great honor to write a testimonial for Mr. Akbar Rahel. We are beyond thankful and grateful to him for everything he has done for our daughter. First, he worked with her for college applications, leading her through every step of the process for two years. He planned everything perfectly, tests, essays, colleges to apply to, and where to apply early. As international parents, we placed our full trust in him. He explained the reasoning beyond everything and was extremely supportive. Our daughter was accepted to Ivy League colleges and also to colleges like Georgia Tech and MIT. Through out her college experience, he was also there to help advise her on career options and graduate school. He was always available to help answer questions and discuss careers. Recently, he helped her again through the graduate application process. She has already been accepted to top programs in public health, including Yale, Columbia, and Johns Hopkins. We have the utmost respect for Mr. Akbar and cannot recommend him enough. He cares deeply about every student and families he works with. In fact, just from the high school our daughter attended, at least 5 kids were accepted to Ivy League colleges under his guidance. Colleges including Yale, Harvard, Brown, and Cornell. He is the absolute best and as a parent I can say the kids love working with him. We cannot thank him enough for all of the guidance. Parent, S.I. | As an international applicant, I can tell everybody that Mr. Akbar is the GOAT. He helped me and many of my friends. I transferred to a top college with a $50,000 scholarship. I swear to God he is a boss and I really love him. A great investment and this would not have happened without him. Student, I.S. |
| Mr. Akbar helped me streamline my college applications into a very straightforward and manageable process. He walked me through all parts of the Common Application as well as certain school-specific applications of which he had incredible knowledge. His advice and counsel not only helped me get into Harvard, but have stuck me with me throughout my college career as well, preparing me for post-graduate opportunities. He will surely leave you having learned something about yourself. Cheers, Mr. Akbar! Student, J.M. | I was referred to Akbar through a few friends who had sought his help for graduate school applications (all got in to first-choice programs). After completing a degree in Business Administration, I decided that I actually wanted to attend medical school after volunteering abroad. From the beginning, Akbar talked me through the process, reviewed my transcript, explained what classes I would need to complete, how to prepare for the MCAT, and more. He helped through the process of applying to Postbac Premed programs and I was accepted to an Ivy League program with superior essays. While in the program, we stayed in touch and Akbar again advised me through the medical school application process. He always thought outside “outside-the-box” and advised me to do some outreach that others kept saying would not be worth it. As it turned it, this outreach played a huge role for me and I was accepted to a top medical school in the U.C. system. I cannot thank Akbar enough. I personally know at least 5 people that he has helped and I can say for sure he is a master of the application process. Student, H.B. | I would not have been accepted into graduate school at UChicago without the help of Akbar. We worked together on my entire academic career in order that I was positioned for success. Throughout the experience, he was a good communicator, excellent listener, prudent strategist, and a kind human being. You do not have to speak to Akbar for longer than ten minutes to perceive how knowledgeable he is. When we experienced challenges, Akbar doubled down on providing clear and concise feedback backed by good reasons. He was also patient and accommodating. I therefore highly recommend working with him for admissions consulting and consider the packages offered by Prep Expert to be a great value. Student, B.D. |
| Akbar’s experience and knowledge in the college counselling industry are second-to-none. He has worked with me to turn my seemingly unrelated extracurriculars and life story into a coherent, compelling college application. What I love about Akbar is his punctuality in online meetings, detailed plans for tasks, and quick response time for any question you have for him; it makes the process so much smoother and quicker. In our essay edits, I found Akbar’s feedback and advice to be just right, not so broad that I didn’t know where to start and not too specific that I didn’t have to write something new. He introduced insightful ideas for me to elaborate on in my essays while letting me develop my own creative and expository writing skills. Without Akbar’s guidance, I would not have been admitted to many of my dream schools (including U.C. Berkeley). I would highly recommend him for the college application process! Student, S.B. |
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