Online reviews and how to avoid them
One of the odd things about online reviews in test prep is that it seems some substantial proportion (maybe as many as 40 or 50%) are plants from companies. I.e. Company X will write an unfavorable account of Company Y, posing as a student, or Company X will write some positive reviews about itself in the ‘voice’ of a student. This is a particular problem on review sites like Google Maps, Citysearch or Yelp, though it’s even a problem on some of the larger forums.
I was planning a trip recently on tripadvisor.com, and I found myself reading reviews of various hotels. I had confidence that I was reading the experience of a real individual who had stayed in the hotel, in part because:
1. There are a lot of hotels out there, making fake reviews impractical; and
2. It doesn’t seem terribly likely that a hotel, particularly one run by a large public company (i.e. Marriott) would run the risk of doing something in the guise of an objective review.
Test prep is a little bit like an island where there is only a relative handful of places to stay, and a couple of the shadier companies are unscrupulous about pretending to be customers. Much of the industry consists of unregulated private companies, some of whom are okay with, let’s say, aggressive practices. It makes for a tough landscape for a consumer trying to get objective info.
So what’s the solution? We say it all the time, but the best thing to do is conduct your own personal research through your network of friends and colleagues. I liked one account I received from a student who sent an e-mail to 10 different people who had applied to business school and asked them for their recommendations regarding gmat prep. She then made her determination based on what she heard back.
If you do something similar, you’ll receive objective advice from people who have your best interests at heart. It’s also a good way to develop and activate your network – a perfect precursor to business school. :)