Stellar GRE Prep Review: A Stand Out from the Competition

Overview

Is GRE hard? It is a daunting task requiring much effort to study. Beyond the test itself, there are so many prep courses and study materials available that it can be challenging to know which ones are worth your time and money investment.

After an extensive Stellar GRE review, one of the newest entries in the online arena, I can confidently report that this program is one of the best GRE prep options on the market. A bold claim, for sure.

However, I hope to back it up in this detailed review that breaks down my experience with Stellar.

While scrutinizing and evaluating the Stellar online test prep courses, I paid attention to a range of criteria. Among them were specific features, quality, prices, website usability, value for money, students’ feedback, and guarantees.

I searched for other prep courses like the Economist GRE review and others to compare them with Stellar and find out what makes it stand out from them.

My experiments have shown that StellarGRE delivers excellent ROI for students who want to significantly raise their scores in a short amount of time.

StellarGRE Features

StellarGRE is a comprehensive, guided self-study program that dismantles every question type a student can encounter on all three test sections.

The course follows a three-month timeline – with weekly goals and assignments – but can be adapted to shorter or longer timelines with minimum modification. This curation means that students understand what they should be doing every step of the way to their target scores.

This program has all the basic features you would expect in a GRE prep program: a comprehensive manual and lots of practice problems. In this StellarGRE review, I will focus on some of the qualities that set Stellar apart from the competition.

• Empirically validated

StellarGRE is the world’s only empirically-validated GRE prep system. This means that studies have been done to measure the actual degree of improvement students tend to enjoy as a result of using the program.

After analyzing hundreds of student outcomes over several years, data indicated that students improved (on average) 26 percentile points on each test section after two months of using the Stellar system. This means that the average score improvement of a Stellar student is higher than the score guarantees offered to students of other programs. This was a huge selling point for me, as it helped me trust in the system’s effectiveness.

• See-do-teach model

Stellar was designed with working professionals in mind. The idea is to raise students’ scores as quickly as possible, so they can move on with the rest of their lives.

To that end, Stellar has adapted the see-do-teach model of didactic instruction used to train medical doctors efficiently. The presentation of every new strategy is immediately followed by several practice problems designed to consolidate the core concept.

Reinforcement occurs throughout the course as students sit for full-length mock tests later in the curriculum. The idea is not to solve thousands of problems but to raise scores as quickly as possible.

The result is the fastest degree of mastery with the least amount of effort. Stellar understands that students have better things to do.

• Data-driven insights

Stellar knows that all testable material is less likely to occur. In particular, I was impressed with how it broke the entire domain of quantitative content into just 50 different types of questions, each associated with a different base rate.

Question types with higher base rates are presented earlier in the program so that students have more opportunities to engage with these more common question types over the course of their prep. This allows students to leverage their time and energy more efficiently.

• Full-length adaptive tests

Stellar offers students five full-length, fully adaptive mock exams. What was particularly interesting about this feature was the degree to which the program mimicked the actual experience of taking the test, all the way down to the on-screen calculator.

The mock exams looked and felt like the real thing in order to minimize surprises on test day. The use of appropriately adaptive sections also means that students won’t encounter randomly-generated stretches of devilishly difficult (or insultingly easy) questions, like in other programs.

• Automated essay grader

On the actual GRE, student essays are graded by a computer. Stellar not only hacks the test in terms of revealing the algorithm’s grading rubric, but it also provides students with instantaneous feedback on their writing responses through its automated essay grader.

This not only includes a scaled score for each submitted essay but also offers suggestions on how students can improve on their next attempts. This is a must-have for students concerned about their writing scores.

• Fully-reactive platform

Few working professionals have the luxury of (or the interest in) studying for the GRE full-time. Stellar touts itself as Executive Test Prep, and – after engaging with the program – I can see why.

All lessons are designed to be completable in ten minutes or less and look just as good on a mobile device as on a laptop screen. This reactive integration allows students to work GRE prep into the day-to-day routines of their lives, creating more opportunities to improve and succeed.

• All-star content

Unlike other programs, which often outsource their content creation to copywriters with limited experience, Stellar was completely authored by Dr. Orion Taraban, one of the world’s top GRE instructors with over twenty years of teaching experience and a perfect score on the test.

He is also the co-host of “GRE Bites,” one of the most downloaded GRE-related podcasts in the world. The writing is really top-notch: clear, precise, and (if you can believe me) even entertaining. At times, I almost forgot I was studying for a standardized test!

A GMAT practice test can make all the difference in your final score. With Varsity Tutors GMAT practice test review, you can gain an understanding of their test structure, difficulty level, and scoring system.

Pricing at StellarGRE.com

This is sure to make prospective students happy: Stellar is the cheapest GRE self-study program currently on the market. This fact, in conjunction with the features described above, makes it the best option for students in terms of pure ROI.

So, how much does Stellar GRE cost? StellarGRE prices are transparent and introduced on its platform. The company offers three membership tiers:

1. Vega: 1-month plan ($99);
2. Rigel: 4-month plan ($249);
3. Sirius: 6-month plan ($349).

There are no differences between the tiers beyond membership duration. This means that students get access to the entire product at every tier and aren’t nickel-and-dimed for additional “add-ons” after check-out. In a nice bit of branding, the membership tiers are named after stars (“Stellar,” get it?).

Stellar allows you to start with the freeversion. Students have the opportunity to get a feel for the program before they buy a membership by engaging with a limited version of the full course.

They don’t even have to provide their credit card information. This helps to reduce the likelihood of any “unpleasant surprises” after making a purchase.
Students can take more off the top.

Stellar has graciously offered an additional 10% off its already low prices just for EduReviewer students. Just use the coupon code EDU10 at check-out, and save some extra cash!

Quality of the Courses Provided

I was very impressed by the quality of Stellar’s content. The tone of the writing was clear and conversational.

It also went far beyond the purely factual content (which is entirely Googleable) that constitutes the majority of the test prep manuals on the market.

This was likely due to the fact that the content was written by Dr. Taraban, who (besides being a top GRE instructor) is also a licensed psychologist. The strategies and techniques he presents are easy to remember and implement, and most are unique to the Stellar system.

• 15-point score guarantee: Stellar offers students a score guarantee of up to 15 points, which is significantly higher than other test prep companies.
• However, it’s probably even more germane to point out that the documented average student response to the Stellar system is even higher.
• Process-oriented strategy: In his manual, Dr. Taraban reminds students that success on the GRE depends more on howstudents approach each problem than on what students know about the material.
• This is why the Stellar system focuses on breaking down optimal strategy – second by second – and providing students with plenty of opportunities to rehearse their new approaches.

Comparing StellarGRE to other services, I’d like to underline that it enables students to hit their GRE score as quickly as possible for an affordable price.

Value for Money

StellarGRE brings up students a powerful value proposition. It’s one of the most comprehensive test prep systems on the market.

By paying any membership plan, a student gets access to:

• full 500-page manual with strategies on every GRE question type;
• five full-length, adaptive mock exams that mimic the feel of the test;
• the automated essay grader, with scaled scores and feedback;
• 1000+ quant and verbal practice questions and explanations;
• personalized student dashboard with data-driven insights;
• 1500+ vocab words grouped into semantic clusters;
• adaptable study plan;
• 15-point score guarantee;
• 15% off tutoring services;
• customer support.

StellarGRE has demonstrated effectiveness higher than other companies’ score guarantees and it undersells its competition. Stellar students get more for less.

Frankly, it’s possibly the best value for money in the GRE prep sector. When it comes to tutoring, better check our Varsity Tutors GRE review to find the best place for private teachers.

Student Comments and Reputation

In researching this review, I found many five-star StellarGRE reviews from verified users on Yelp and Google. This was significantly more positive than anything associated with the big players on the market.

No matter whether the students were to get ready for GRE or LSAT, they seemed particularly impressed with Dr. Taraban’s didactic method. Many reported substantial improvements on their way to being admitted to their grad schools of choice. So, let’s see some of the Orion Taraban reviews I’ve found online.

When it comes to customer support, Stellar had a fast turnaround time on its email-based customer support.

The company also assured me that any technical issues are resolved quickly by a dedicated team of professionals.

The Recap: Is StellarGRE Good?

Yes, StellarGRE is good. After using the program extensively, I can confidently say that StellarGRE is one of the best GRE prep courses online available on the market today. The program’s quality is excellent: Stellar’s materials are first-rate, many of its features are unique, and it has an enormous demonstrated effectiveness.

The value-for-money proposition is unparalleled: Stellar offers students a top-notch, comprehensive approach to the GRE at the lowest price point available.

And students love it: Stellar’s verified students are almost unilaterally positive with respect to their experience with the course. As such, I can give StellarGRE my full recommendation. I hope you found this review helpful.

FAQ

Is StellarGRE good?

Yes, StellarGRE is one of the best GRE programs available on the market. It delivers excellent value for its cost.

How much does StellarGRE cost?

StellarGRE.com prices are really reasonable. StellarGRE has three tiers of membership: a one-month membership for $99, a four-month membership for $249, and a six-month membership for $349.

What is the best GRE prep?

The best GRE prep option depends on a student’s individual needs. However, StellarGRE represents a great overall solution to the most common student demands.

Should I take a GRE prep course?

Everyone’s prep needs are different. A good way to determine whether a course might be useful is to sit for a practice exam and examine your results.

When should you take the GRE?

The GRE is offered year-round. Accounting for your academic schedule, you can take the test during the less busy semester.