PrepWell Academy on ‘Shark Tank’: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

PrepWell Academy founder Phil Black took his idea to the sharks on ABC’s Shark Tank to see if he could get a deal from one of the investors. The episode airs on Friday, April 3 at 8 p.m.

Black pitched his product to Sharks Lori Greiner, Daymond John, Mark Cuban, Kevin O’Leary and Robert Herjavec. According to the episode synopsis, he returns to the tank to pitch “his online mentoring program that helps high school students and their parents navigate the college admissions process.”

The program starts as early as 9th or 10th grade for high school students, and Black has been through the process with his own four children, giving him a unique insight into what needs to be done and when for the college admissions process.

Here’s what you should know about PrepWell Academy:

1. The Founder Has Been on ‘Shark Tank’ Before

Phil Black on Shark TankI didn’t get a deal on Shark Tank, but did sell my company, FitDeck, a few months later. Since then, I’ve been working full-time developing PrepWell Academy – which launches next week. I can’t wait to share what I’ve learned with the world.2016-09-02T22:33:16.000Z

In January 2014, Black Pitched his FitDeck to the Sharks, but he was not able to secure a deal at that time. The sharks did, however, tell him that he could come back at a later date with a different product or business because they liked him so much.

Four months after his first appearance on the show, FitDeck was acquired by Implus, a consumer products company that has included Perfect Fitness and New Balance Sports Monitors.

FitDeck is a deck of exercise playing cards that have various exercises on them. By shuffling the cards and then drawing from the deck, a person creates their own brand-new workout, ensuring that one is never stuck with a monotonous routine. The workouts are all bodyweight-based.

2. Black Said He Has Mastered the Science of Preparation

PrepWell Academy TrailerPrepWell Academy is an online mentoring program that helps your child (and you) navigate the college admissions process – with a particular focus on early preparation. We specialize in four niches. Students aspiring to (1) Top 200 colleges, (2) Top 50 colleges, (3) service academies (e.g. Naval Academy, West Point, etc.) or ROTC scholarships, and (4) play sports in college (e.g. scholarship opportunities). We believe students who engage early in the process (freshman and sophomore year) have a disproportionate advantage over those who engage later.2019-12-31T00:43:51.000Z

PrepWell Academy helps prepare children and parents for the college admissions process. He created the academy in order to answer the questions “Is your student prepared?” and “Are you prepared?”

“By mastering the art and the science of preparation, I’ve gotten into some of the world’s most elite programs like the Navy SEALs, Harvard Business School, Goldman Sachs, Yale University, and I swam with the Sharks on ABC’s Shark Tank,” he said. “Preparation is a skill. It can be learned and applied and repeated, over and over in all aspects of life.”

He said the program helps people learn what to do, how to do it and when to do it, and all of that, he says, starts with a plan.

3. The Program Teaches Students How to Prepare for More than Just College

According to the YouTube Trailer for the academy, the program teaches students more than just how to get into the colleges that they want to get into.

“I will teach your child what it means to prepare and why they should care. We’ll cover the strategies, the tactics, the mindset to succeed,” he said. “Not only in high school and with college admissions but in life.”

The speech was followed by a PrepWell parent who talked about how the advice coming from someone other than a parent helps it sink in with students since they may not always want to take the advice of their parents.

4. PrepWell Academy Is Marketed to Students Who Want to Get into Ivy League Schools

PrepWell Academy is marketed toward students who are aiming to get into very selective programs, which includes the Ivy League Schools. They also help teenagers prepare to apply for the Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, Westpoint and even ROTC scholarships.

They can also help student-athletes prepare to apply for and obtain scholarships based on their athletic ability, and they say they can help those students use their athletic skills and backgrounds to get into the program of their choice.

They also accept people who do not have a plan for college yet but want to start thinking about the future and show them what to do as a “person, planner and leader.”

5. PrepWell Academy Costs $14.95 a Month

According to the PrepWell website, the program varies, but the average cost is $14.95 a month. That includes the general online plans.

On top of the online plans, there are options for one-on-one mentoring, which is pay as you go, and then there are added options for private mentoring for your child.

The program covers what the student needs to know to prepare for college, but there are areas where students will search for additional support including college essay review services, standardized test prep classes and financial aid counseling. PrepWell includes a list of suggested partners for those additional services.

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