Interview with Scott Levenson, CEO of Private Prep

We believe great leaders are built, not born, and that the right coaching at the right time changes everything. That same philosophy runs through the work of Scott Levenson, CEO of Private Prep, the most trusted private test preparation and college admissions company for families seeking personalized, one-on-one academic support. 

We sat down with Scott to talk about what genuine development looks like, why personalization is not a luxury but a necessity, and what any organization serious about unlocking human potential can learn from how Private Prep approaches the work. 

Q: At Oxygen, we spend a lot of time making the case that off-the-shelf training rarely moves the needle for managers. You seem to operate from a similar belief when it comes to students. Where does that conviction come from? 

A: It comes from watching what actually works. When a student is struggling, the instinct is often to throw a resource at the problem: a prep book, an online course, a group class. Those things have their place, but they cannot adapt to how a specific student thinks, where they get stuck, or what they need to hear to stay motivated. Real progress happens in the relationship. When a tutor truly understands a student, how they learn, what makes them confident, what makes them shut down, they can meet that student exactly where they are. That is where the breakthrough happens. 

Q: What does it actually cost a family when they skip the personalized approach and go with something more generic? 

A: Usually, time and confidence, and those are hard to get back. A student who grinds through test prep without a clear plan tends to feel like they are working hard without making progress. That is discouraging. And discouragement is one of the biggest obstacles we see. Test prep is not a linear process. There will be times when scores plateau. If a student does not have a trusted tutor who knows them well enough to say, "This is normal; here is what we are adjusting," that plateau can feel like failure. What we try to build is not just a curriculum but a foundation of trust. When students trust the process and the person guiding them, they stick with it. 

Q: How does Private Prep think about matching students with the right tutor? That matching process seems critical. 

A: It is everything. We think about personality, communication style, and what kind of energy a particular student responds to. Some students need a tutor who brings levity and warmth. Others do better with someone more structured and direct. We ask a lot of questions upfront during our consultation to understand the student as a whole person. And we have directors of client relations who stay involved throughout the process, so if something is not clicking, we can adjust. Families never have to figure that out on their own. 

Q: Oxygen's audience includes managers and leaders responsible for developing their teams. What would you say the experience of building Private Prep has taught you about what great development actually looks like? 

A: That investment has to be specific to be meaningful. The impulse to scale is real, but if you scale at the expense of knowing the individual, you lose the thing that makes the investment worth making. At Private Prep, we are constantly asking how we keep the boutique quality intact as we grow. For leaders developing their teams, I think the same question applies. What is the system that allows you to develop each person in a way that actually fits them? That is harder than a uniform program. But it is the only thing that produces lasting results. 

Q: For a family just beginning to think about test prep or college admissions support, what is your best piece of advice? 

A: Start earlier than you think you need to, and go in with a plan rather than a panic. We always begin with a complimentary consultation, not to sell anything, but to understand where the student is and what the right path forward actually looks like. Sometimes that means test prep. Sometimes it means subject tutoring. Sometimes it means starting a conversation about college admissions earlier than families expect. The clearer the plan, the calmer the process. 

Private Prep provides personalized, one-on-one test preparation, subject tutoring, and college admissions support to thousands of families domestically and internationally. Learn more at privateprep.com.