My son, David Noah, got 9s on both math sections of the ISEE Prep School Test (the best score a…read morestudent can receive!!) and the tutors at Mathnasium were instrumental in helping him.
My son decided to apply to private school for high school at the very last moment -- just two weeks ago, because he was being neglected at his current school, a public school in Beverly Hills (whose math teacher said he was 'only an average math student', when clearly my son is not, so it's been this weird ego battle ever since). So we made the last minute decision that private school might be a better place for him, since his academic needs weren't being met at Horace Mann.
This gave Noah **one week** to prepare for this ISEE test--and when I looked at a practice exam, I thought 'holy smokes, that's a lot to learn in a week.' I was so sick and tired for my son's mathematic abilities being neglected, I called Mathnasium and said,
"My son is going to take the ISEE prep test in one week, I need you to teach him all the math concepts on this exam--I don't care if it's Calculus, my son is gifted in math, and I want you to race through all the concepts and teach them to him in a week."
And Aaron (who runs this Mathnasium), very nicely and professionally, said "yes ma'am".
I was just so frustrated...and tired of 'educators' in the Beverly Hills Public School system trying to tell me my son was average in math, or that he wasn't good enough in math to be in Algebra 1 as an 8th grader, that I just lost it on this very nice man at Mathnasium.
And you know what?
Mathnasium delivered.
Big time.
Noah went 5 times over the course of the week to Mathnasium for two hour sessions--and went to school, and did his other homework--so pretty much the time at Mathnasium was most of the time he spent preparing for this exam.
I don't want to make expectations too high for other parents -- my son is very gifted in mathematics to start with, the ISEE grading system is a true bell curve, with only 4% of the students who take the ISEE get a 9--
But I can tell you that Mathnasium will work with you--they will listen to what are your child needs are, and they help encourage your child to do better in mathematics.
They will help your student live up to the best of their math ability!!
Pretty much, everything that Beverly Hills Public School system (or specifically, the principal, vice principal and Noah's current math teacher at Horace Mann) has not done for my son--and it's been damaging to his self esteem and sense of self worth and everything--my son is quiet and shy, the kind of person who would rather everyone get along than cause a ruckus--even if it's at his own expense!--and Horace Mann has just been a bully about his math abilities.
Keeping fingers crossed he gets into a private school!
(Noah's other scores: 9 on Reading Comprehension (which is also the top score), and 5 on Vocabulary, which is considered average. I told Noah if only he had had time to prepare for the ISEE -- which I highly recommended, take 2-3 months to prepare for it-- I'm sure his Vocab score could have been higher, but alas, nothing is ever perfect in life :)
Please note: I've never ever EVER had a problem with a school or a Principal before Horace Mann, and we've moved a lot over the years so Noah has been to many schools. This first year in the Beverly Hills School District has been such a disappointment, don't move there for the schools -- please send me a private message if you would like more information--it's the parents and some of the teachers who make those school reports high. I normally don't air dirty laundry publicly, but since it's part of why Mathnasium has been so helpful, I decided to share some of the story.
(Though I fully admit I'm still venting a little, but if you're a parent reading this email, I'm sure you can understand why I'm so frustrated!!)
Thank you Mathnasium!