Griffon Prep

This review is overdue! I took the summer LSAT prep course in 2014 with Bernie and it was amazing! I never though someone could make test taking and learning fun! It’s been awhile since I’ve been out of school and I was happily surprised that my class wasn’t filled with 20 year olds.
I really lucked out with Bernie — Jeff is great, but even Bernie thought I’d maybe have a hard time with him since I don’t keep my mouth shut :) Bernie was fantastic. She would stop everything to answer questions and go above and beyond to help you. Like a previous reviewer said, you gotta put in the work though. Come on, you’re preparing for Law School!
Anyways, I jumped 15 points from start to finish. Got multiple scholarship offers and am super happy with my results! Griffin Prep all the way!

I took an LSAT class with Andrea and improved my score (from a real LSAT administered by LSAC to another real LSAT administered by LSAC) by 15 points. I had taken the LSAT twice before and wanted to give it one more shot before applying in the fall. I’d tried to study on my own using numerous practice books with little to no improvement.
First of all, I love that this is a small business. You get personalized instruction, and it’s honestly great value for your money. Bernie and Jeff truly care about all of their students, and they’re both simply brilliant. Every class comes with Friday extra help sessions baked in. They’re optional, but I highly recommend you take advantage of them, even if only to get your homework done and have an experienced instructor on hand to answer any questions or explain something you’re struggling with.
I was mostly taught in class by Andrea, who is fantastic. She’s energetic, upbeat, and always makes herself available if you have extra questions. She helped guide me in study techniques suited to my personal areas of weakness while making sure everyone in class was up to speed and participating. She understood the importance of building on past topics and I honestly and sincerely could not have gotten the improvement in score without her. Classes were fun and we all felt like a group of friends studying together instead of cutthroat competition.
One thing I will say to anyone looking for LSAT prep help, from anywhere, you need to be willing to put in the work. We were assigned homework and were expected to complete and understand what we had done. These drills and practice sections were invaluable in preparing me to complete sections and increasing my speed. I appreciated being treated like an adult. I also appreciated that when I was struggling, I was always free to email Andrea or call the help-​line for clarification. While we were expected to do things independently, we were never left out to dry.
TL:DR If you’re looking for personalized, effective LSAT class or tutoring, give Griffon Prep a try. I am so incredibly grateful I did.

I really can’t say enough good things about Bernie, Jeff and Griffon Prep. I wouldn’t have done nearly as well on the GRE if I hadn’t taken their prep class. For me, it was well worth the money. They are located in McPherson which is convenient if you work downtown (or not – it’s a block from the metro and busses).
I really lucked out because my class was only 3 people – it was like having a semi private tutor. I believe most GRE classes have about 10 students. For one on one questions there are help sessions every Friday until 10. Sometimes it sucks to study on a Friday night but I found the help sessions to be worth it.
My teachers were Elise for verbal and Paul for math and they both get an A+. They knew their stuff but were also great at making sure everyone understood the material. I could tell that they enjoyed teaching and wanted to help us do well. We learned a lot of test taking strategies that I found really useful. The quantity of practice problems you do in class and on the homework prepares you well for the exam– I saw questions on the test that were similar to practice problems we had done.
If you’re on the fence about spending a lot of money on the course you can sit in on a class. Compared to the other test prep companies Griffon Prep is reasonably priced without sacrificing quality.

I took Griffon Prep for the LSAT exam. Beyond the fact that they are both genius, Bernie and Jeff were the two most supportive and amazing teachers/​tutors/​mentors in my law school application process. They went way beyond just teaching the LSAT classes, and were always available to guide me along the way. I actually started the class in DC, then moved out of state and stayed in touch with them through email and phone. The only person who was able to calm me down and help contain my anxiety and stress over the exam was Jeff, he was always available by phone.
As I said these two are genius, and they understand the material better then any company I have come across. The methodologies and approaches Griffin uses were the most creative and easy to understand. I noticed this when studying with someone who used another company, and actually asked me to teach them my approach to games. Jeff helped me strategize and pinpointed my weaknesses, with that my score went up significantly.
The classes are engaging, I loved the open Fridays, and you get personal attention from Bernie and Jeff as they genuinely care for each student.
Very relaxed, friendly, warm atmosphere.
Looking back I actually miss those Sunday morning and weekday evening sessions… I just wish they had bar prep in the state I am licensing in!
Thank you always and forever Griffin prep!

Griffon Prep coached me to a perfect quant score on the GRE, which is exactly what I needed for admittance to the grad programs I’m pursuing. I came in to the class with high expectations; I knew I needed to improve both my quant and verbal scores, but tutoring and test prep I had taken for standardized tests in the past were never successful in helping me achieve that aim. Much to my surprise, I found that the materials and instruction Griffon Prep provided met my needs and shaved precious minutes off the time it took me to solve each problem. Moving from OK to good is challenging, but moving from good to perfect can be impossible; Griffon Prep helped me accomplish just that.
Overall, I have been very satisfied with the service they provided. Their business is centrally located in McPherson square, and their textbook (while it has a series of typos worth addressing) provides comprehensive coverage of the tricks and knowledge you need for the test. As an added bonus, every one of Griffon Prep’s instructors is knowledgeable and approachable, and tutoring sessions are available every Friday afternoon. The class is affordable compared to similar courses, and they will let you retake the course at a steep discount if you aren’t satisfied.
Overall, I’m very happy. A sincere thank you to everyone at Griffon Prep.

I recently took the GRE prep course. Elise is an excellent verbal teacher and my score improved over 30 percentiles from the first practice test to the actual test. Of course I put in a lot of work on my own time and used the entire supplemental book as well, but the class definitely helped. My math score didn’t improve at all, in fact my actual test score was lower than my practice tests taken at the beginning and end of the course. Fisola was nice and clearly very smart but wasn’t an engaging teacher whatsoever, especially compared to one of Griffon’s owners Bernie, who taught one of our sessions and was so much easier to follow. There is a lot of material crammed in to each 3 hour class it’s hard to process it all, even with doing all the homework and extra studying on my own. Within each class you have to switch gears so many times that the material learned at the beginning of that same day is already a jumble. However they do offer extra help sessions on Friday nights, which in retrospect maybe I should have gone to. You can also attend the extra help sessions for 4 weeks after finishing the course.
I wish I could rate Griffon higher but I had a few qualms:
1. Our 2^nd practice test caught everyone in my class by surprise, we had no warning we’d be taking the test that day. The response was «well it’s posted on the website» when in fact that was the schedule for the other section of the class and not the same as our class.
2. The 2 practice tests on the ETS website contain a number of the same questions that Griffon Prep put on their practice tests. I was really aggravated that when I was doing the practice computer tests in the week leading up to my actual test, I was seeing questions I had already seen before. I felt like out of fairness to the students Griffon should be paying attention to that and not give students practice questions that are the exact same questions on the ETS practice tests.
3. We were told we could send our practice essays for them to review and give us feedback on which I thought was a great offer to find out how I was doing with the analytical writing. Per their suggestion, I took the first computer practice test 1 week before my test date, and emailed my essays to them that day. Then followed up a few days later. Then again the day before the test. I got a brief apology/​feedback too late on the day of my test, stating that the email had been lost in the inbox. I was pretty disappointed by this because I really could’ve used the feedback sooner and thought I was giving adequate time for my essays to be reviewed, given that I followed their suggestion on when to take the practice test.

I recently took Griffon’s GRE prep course. I’d taken the test before and my scores were abysmal — I was in the 11^th percentile in math and my score for the writing section was consistent with English not being my first language. After Griffon, I scored in the 60^th and 95^th percentiles in quant/​verbal, respectively (which were the targets for my program type). Sure, I did some work to get there, and for me the structure of a class was a big help, but let’s be real: Griffon helped me get there.
Favorite aspects of Griffon’s service:
— The classes were small, and it’s impossible to «hide» and just skate through without participating. This means you’re actively engaged the whole time.
— Open Fridays! If you’re deeply unhip like me, you can spend your Friday night with Jeff and Bernie (owners, teachers, bad-​asses) learning super cool fraction tricks and other things to make your test taking go smoother.
— $ 300 retake. I didn’t need it, but I actually chose Griffon over the big competitors because, if you take one of their classes and then aren’t satisfied with your test score, you can retake their class for $ 300. That offered me a nice sense of security as I studied.
— You’re supporting an awesome small business run by really cool people who actually give a shit about your success, and it shows. Seriously. You will feel the caring in all your interactions with Griffon. You’re not sacrificing quality at all to go small in this instance; in fact, you’re probably getting much better service than with a giant company.
I am not a shill. I am just a happy customer. Overall, I really recommend Griffon if you need structure, homework, and a big bag of tricks to get through your standardized tests.

I’m kind of sad that today is the last day of my GRE class, but the experience has been wonderful. I had Jeff for Math and Elise for Verbal, and they’re both capable and wonderful teachers. From my first diagnostic to the final test, I went up 11 points in Math and 8 in the Verbal. I’m sure with 2 weeks left, I can increase that a bit more with studying on my own. Overall, I was pleased with both the class structure and the access to resources. It was a lot of work to keep up with the HW, but it definitely made a difference and helped me identify my own weaknesses.

I took their LSAT course and could not imagine taking a course with any other company. Griffon Prep provides such a great degree of individual student attention that none of the larger companies can offer. The owners are tutors themselves and have more or less memorized all of the questions on the previous exams – enough to deeply break down and explain any question you’ll ever encounter on your test day.
There’s no question that if you don’t do the homework or keep up with the class that you won’t see an improvement in your score. However, if you do the work they provide for you and attend the extra help sessions on Friday, in addition to keeping up on the class work, I don’t understand how you couldn’t improve.
These guys are the best. No doubt about it.

This place is awesome! I’m currently in the last week of Griffon’s GMAT prep course. I’ve taken the class with Lucas and he is an incredible teacher. The classes are a daunting three and a half hours long, but they really fly by because Lucas keeps the class interesting and is always positive and enjoyable to be around. The other staff members at Griffon Prep also always have a great attitude and make being at Griffon Prep fun.
Obviously we all take the classes to improve our test scores, Griffon does a great job to prep you for this. The classes are small so we get ton of one on one interaction and any question that I have does not go unanswered. The only problem was that we had so many snow days during the session, but Griffon has made sure that every class that was cancelled was made up. I cannot say enough good things about this place. I would definitely recommend coming here over a different commercialized prep course. Griffon Prep you will get one on one interaction, small class, and did I mention its CHEAPER than all the other testing prep courses in town. So pretty much you get a higher quality class for a cheaper cost. Can’t get much better.

I took their gre course. I did a lot of research and this is the best option. The owners are the instructors. They have worked with most of the other companies and know exactly what works and what doesn’t. For 75 hrs of instruction, you really can’t beat the price either.
Be prepared to work hard. Don’t be fooled by the 4hr, twice a week class time plus Friday study hrs. Do the homework and go to the Friday classes. They helped so much.

OMG. I use Unilocal all the time but this is my first review. I had to leave a review for Griffon Prep’s excellent services.
My review applies to the math portion of their GRE class. I have not taken their LSAT or GMAT prep courses, and I did not need to work on my verbal score so I skipped several of those classes. So read this review with that in mind.
Results: My math score jumped from the 33^rd percentile to the 84^th percentile. Enough said! (In my opinion).
Why Griffon Prep Is Great
1. Excellent teachers. I taught K-​12 for 3 years so I have that insight into the quality of teaching. The teachers at Griffon Prep know what they are doing. They actually find new ways to teach the material rather than just reviewing concepts. They can explain difficult concepts and persist until you understand. They have actually thought through how they introduce the material and in what order so you will be able to learn it.
2. Superior curriculum. Griffon Prep has its own test-​prep curriculum that they have refined over many years. I am pretty sure they introduce methods for attacking different types of test problems that are NOT included in standard test prep guides, and they offer some innovative web-​based and other practice materials that you won’t get anywhere else. Also, the publicly-​available materials they DO use all focus on real questions that were used on real GRE tests. They have some questions that they made up in their materials, but they are very close to the actual types of problems you will see on the GRE.
3. Availability. The Friday night extra-​help sessions were great – I went every week. While I did not take advantage of their phone and e-​mail availability, the teachers are always available by phone or e-​mail to call with questions. If you are persistent, you will get what you need.
Who Should Go To Griffon Prep
1. People who have time to study. The work involved in their courses is no joke. As I mentioned above, I focused only on the math part, and I completed absolutely all (OK, let’s say 90%) of their assigned homework plus and additional book with 230 problems that they recommended. I spent probably 15 hours per week on this course for 2 months. If you want a better score, the only way out is through. Do not sign up for the course if you don’t have time to study – I doubt you will get the results you want.
2. People who have used books to study previously and didn’t like the results. I took the GRE the first time and did not do well. If this describes you, a course may improve your score. It wasn’t until I joined this course that I realized how elementary my understanding was of some of the tested concepts.
3. People who find it hard to focus using books /​online courses to study. Many students in my class said they had tried other materials and just couldn’t engage. The Griffon teachers make class fun and engaging, and you will not be bored (and will likely learn the material).
4. People who want to reorient their approach to the test and relearn concepts. Griffon spends little time focusing on «tips and tricks» for taking the test and instead focuses on the meat of what the test covers. You will have to budget your own time to take a (free) computer-​based practice test with the software that ETS provides. (Griffon does have you take a before-​and-​after paper-​based test in class). If you are a tips-​and-​tricks person, you may want to supplement with other books.
Drawbacks: I only think there is one and it is somewhat minor (in my opinion), but may be an issue for some. The GRE classes aren’t grouped by level. For example, if you are at the low end of the scale and simply trying to make your quantitative score look respectable for an application to a program in the arts or humanities, some of the examples /​sections might be challenging and frustrating for you. If you applying to grad programs in a very quantitative field and are aiming for the mid– to high 160s, some of the classes might feel very slow as teachers explain easier concepts for other students. You will have to focus on the parts you really need to brush up on and be active to get the help you need.

My GMAT scores on multiple diagnostics (at Griffon and outside of it) were in the low 600s before I started the course;I even had a 590 on a couple. After taking the course, I scored in my target 700 zone. Can’t deny them credit for that.
The class atmosphere was friendly and fast paced. But success is no magic, you definitely have to put in the hardwork and do the homework. They give less guidance than other mainstream test preps I’ve observed, but they are incredibly responsive when you have questions. I wish they leveraged test analytics better; you need to identify your own weaknesses. If you are not up for that, then this place is not for you. But for a class that’s significantly more affordable than competitors, that’s a trade-​off I was willing to take. It paid off.

I took their course for GMAT. You simply cannot beat the level of individual attention you get from this smaller operation.

I can’t say enough good things about Griffon – Bernie, in particular, is absolutely amazing. Her LSAT methods are foolproof, and she makes the 3.5 hours of class go by quickly because she is hilarious and energetic. The entire staff is super friendly and eager to help. Classes are small and personal, and there are office hours every Friday so you can just stop and get some one-​on-​one help. As if that weren’t enough, you can call them at any time (no joke) and they will answer the phone and help you out.
I highly recommend Griffon to anyone serious about studying for the LSAT.

This recommendation is long overdue… I took Griffon Prep’s GRE course in Spring 2011 and the GMAT course in fall 2011. Jeff and Bernie will forever be rockstars in my book. The previous reviews covered all the reasons why Griffon Prep is far superior to other test prep courses in the area, but I did want to add why Jeff and Bernie are particularly special to me–
I had a disastrous time with the SAT and knew I needed a class as I approached grad school apps. Test prep classes were a significant investment for me financially, so I was excited when I found Griffon Prep, which gives you so much more bang for your buck. I came to the first day of class having not done math for 10 years and a diagnostic score that would make most people cry. Through my two courses at Griffon Prep, I not only dramatically improved my scores, but I learned so much about my study habits and how to improve them. Jeff, Bernie, and Paul were there with me the whole way. I am incredibly grateful for their instruction, patience, and witty humor.
Standardized tests aside, Jeff and Burnie were a huge support with the other aspects of grad school apps. I am happy to report that I am on my way to a top 10 MBA/​Energy program this fall. This would not have happened without the Griffon Prep team. Thank you!

Jeff is fabulous. I went to him to get help with the Quantitative portion of the GRE. With only 2 weeks (9 hours of one-​on-​one) of tutoring with him, he was able to help me raise my score by 6 points.
He was extremely thorough and incredibly knowledgeable. I couldn’t have hired a better tutor.
That’s really all I can say — If you need help with your Quantitative skills (or Verbal — I hear he’s great with both!), hire Jeff.
Cheers!

I took an LSAT prep course with Bernie at Griffon Prep. As someone who took a Kaplan LSAT course a couple of years ago, I can confidently say the Griffon Prep is one of the best, if not best LSAT prep in the area. If you are serious about studying for the LSAT, choose Griffon Prep for a few reasons:
1. They provide personal attention, and constant support. I had constant access to Bernie and Jeff. They provide you with a help line number that you can use at any time if you have questions (yes, even at night). I called that number often, and received explanations for questions from Bernie or Jeff. Additionally, they do a Friday help session which is free. It can be like personal tutoring, depending on how many other students show up. You can also just use that time to study in a quiet space. I can’t emphasize enough how accommodating and helpful Griffon Prep was throughout my LSAT prep experience.
2. They are really enthusiastic about their jobs. This makes a world of difference! Classes are engaging, and Bernie always taught with a smile on her face. If you’re in a prep course and the teacher looks like they’d love to be elsewhere, it can be really hard to stay engaged.
3. They teach you to understand the material, not just get by with a few tricks. Classes are taught so that you gain a true understanding of why answers are correct, and more importantly why other answers are incorrect. I love that they don’t just teach you a few tricks to eliminate answers like some courses do. I walked away with a much greater understanding of the material.
Of course you will have to put in work and take time to study, but if you are serious, Griffon Prep is the way to go.

Griffon Prep was GREAT!!! This is a much delayed review as I took the GRE prep course in March-​April 2012. Anyway, the instructors REALLY KNOW WHAT THEY’RE DOING. They know the material very well and they periodically take the exam in order to tailor the courses to what the test is focusing on. They know the tricks for all types of math questions, and explain how to recognize what the questions are asking. They really teach you how to read the passages in order to properly answer the questions and point out keywords in questions so you know where to look for the answers in the passage. They have a comprehensive vocab list, and I did see a good portion of the words on the test.
There are set extra help hours, so you can go there to study and ask questions, or you can come in your questions that you had when you were studying on your own. You have access to these extra help hours for a month (I think) after your class ends.
They give you a book with lots of extra problems, as well as a binder with worksheets that you use during class as well as for when you study. The binder explains each topic and how to address it.
Griffon Prep is also by far the best bang for your buck. You get more instruction (classes) that the commercial test prep courses, plus the extra help hours. Also, if you pay in full a week or two before the class begins, they give you10% off.
Definitely a great deal, great experience, and great instruction! I’ve been recommending this place to all my friends.

I took the GRE prep course at Griffon Prep with Bernie and Paul. I was initially apprehensive about taking a prep course because I had not heard of the company and because of the mixed reviews from people who take prep courses through more established companies like Kaplan or Princeton Review. After taking the January-​February course, I am happy to say that my concerns were unfounded because I had a superb experience as a Griffon Prep GRE student.
Going into the class, my goal was to improve my quantitative score, and I did — my quantitative score went up by 150 points (on the old scale). Griffon Prep played a significant role in making that happen. My teachers were friendly, patient, supportive, and willing to clarify anything I did not understand. Not once did I feel uncomfortable asking a question. The lessons were well planned and the homework reinforced the lessons very well. My class was also very small; there were only five students so the personal attention was great.
To be clear though, I think the main reason I increased my scores was the copious amounts of self-​studying I did. Griffon Prep is great about providing you with structure (e.g. homework, weekly classes and Friday night help sessions) and support (e.g. personal attention both in class and at Friday night help sessions, a quiet study space, etc), but if you don’t do the homework, show up to class or go to the Friday night help sessions, don’t expect much improvement in your scores. Griffon Prep will teach you the methods to perform well on the test and help you practice them, but doing well on the GRE comes down to personal initiative and commitment.
I needed the structure and support to help me study efficiently, and Griffon Prep was great for that. I would highly recommend Griffon Prep for GRE prep because of the quality of instruction and the value.