Review from my son: Zach Pava played a major role in my…read morecollege admissions process. Not only was his college essay feedback on 15+ essays extremely insightful, I felt that the manner in which he set up a schedule with deadlines and tasks was more helpful. He always kept in touch, especially during October and November, and always responded promptly. Zach set up mock interviews for me with other Insight counselors to practice for college admissions interviews, which did not count against my counseling hours! Also, the fact that Zach primarily worked over Skype was actually more convenient, since I did not have drive to the Cupertino office all the time for the counseling; instead, I could just do it over Skype in my room.

I just recently graduated from Emory University, and upon finishing my time in undergrad, I found…read moremyself looking back and reflecting on my college application process. I am the eldest in my family, and a first-generation American, so my family and I were unseasoned and largely out of our comfort zone when the time came to begin applying to universities. I found Zach through Insight, and he was a tremendous help to me, offering up suggestions about colleges I may be interested in applying to, prepping me for college tours and visits, editing my personal statements and supplemental essays, and offering me any guidance or support I needed throughout the long process. While I was a bit shy and lacking in confidence, Zach saw my strengths and potential, and constantly motivated me to challenge myself, ensuring that my applications reflected my best attributes. With Zach as my counselor, I never once felt stressed or overwhelmed about writing my applications, as Zach planned out deadlines for all components of my applications, ensuring that I would have everything in on time. Zach's genuine concern for my well-being and future was palpable throughout the application process, and after being accepted into Emory, my top choice school, Zach continued to be supportive of my aspirations. He was always more than happy to answer any questions I had about college and the future beyond. I highly recommend Zach not only as a college counselor, but also as a trusted mentor. His help was, and continues to be, an invaluable resource for me and my family!

This person did not return any phone messages or emails from myself or my son. Possibly he is no…read morelonger in business.

John was chosen by our child after interviewing three potential advisors. It turned out to be the…read moreperfect choice. John provided the right mix of guidance, encouragement and gentle prodding to keep the process on track. The results were fantastic. Our child received ten acceptances, some of which are national top 20 schools. It was a delight to have to help our child choose from such an amazing set of schools. Highly recommend John's approach to this important task.

Our son has struggled with social communication and expressive language, but through learning math…read morewith Daisy, he has not only developed a genuine interest in math, but also improved his communication skills and confidence. Meeting a teacher who truly understands and supports a child is something incredibly meaningful in life. We are deeply grateful for Daisy's warmth, patience, and encouragement, as well as the caring support from AJ Tutoring . Thank you for making such a positive difference in our child's growth and happiness.

I had a fantastic experience working with Peter Littlefield while preparing for my MCAT. He was…read moreincredibly thorough in his explanations and always took the time to break down complex concepts in a way that made them feel manageable. I never felt hesitant to ask a question because he created an environment where curiosity was encouraged and every question was met with patience and respect. Peter also helped me develop a structured and intensive review plan for my full length exams, which made a significant difference in how effectively I was able to study and track my progress. His guidance strengthened my understanding of the material and gave me the confidence I needed as I moved closer to test day. Peter is an exceptional tutor, and I recommend him wholeheartedly. He is a wonderful choice not only for MCAT preparation but for any science course. His dedication, clarity, and supportive teaching style truly set him apart.

We were so lucky to have found Darcy to help our son with his college application process!! She and…read moreJordan clicked right from the start and it helped tremendously that she took the time and effort to get to know him. Darcy made the whole college application process enjoyable and seamless. Darcy was a great listener, counselor, mentor, and friend!! Without a doubt, she played a huge role in getting Jordan accepted into many great colleges, some with full or half scholarships too!!!

In my almost 20 years as a local test prep professional, I have yet to come across a College…read moreCounselor or human being that I could recommend more wholeheartedly than Darcy Prime. There's nobody better at helping students discoverer their true voices. There's nobody better at making the very stressful undertaking of applying to college an enjoyable and enlightening exercise. If reports from my students are any indicator, there's nobody better at boosting the self esteem of 16 and 17 year olds. To quote one lucky student," My friends tell me they dread spending time with their college counselors. Whenever I'm with Darcy, I feel about 10 feet tall ! " I have passed her name along countless times to grateful families thrilled with her wonderful approach and her spectacular results. Impressive. But what are her credentials ? Darcy is a double Stanford alumna (Undergrad: English Literature; Grad school: Adolescent Psychology). After graduating from Stanford, she spent 12 years working as the Associate Director of Stanford Admissions. For the past 14 years, Darcy has worked as a private college counselor. Her rates are surprisingly reasonable. She is also the nicest person I know. The downside is there's just one Darcy Prime. She can only take so many students each year, so contact her sooner than later. Whether it's college counselors or people in general, there's nobody better.

My son had an excellent experience with Caleb Liu preparing for the ACT. Caleb is extremely…read moreprofessional, listens attentively to the individual needs and goals of the student and parent, and goes above and beyond to ensure the success of his students. He was recommended to me by a parent whom he successfully tutored with great results as well. I was especially impressed by him when there was a practice test hiccup, was super responsive in resolving the issue, and took it upon himself to do a personal makeup for my son. I highly recommend Caleb as a 5-star tutor for test prep. Overall, our experience with AJ was very positive, but there is significant room for improvement for practice test sessions. My son took two practice tests that were not well-organized and frustrated him because he had prepared for them only to feel like his time was wasted. I provided direct feedback to AJ because I was surprised that that this happened twice in a row to my son. I expected a premium tutoring service like AJ to be able to run practice test sessions routinely and smoothly because when they don't it causes additional stress and time on the students and parents. I hope AJ takes this as constructive feedback for the future.

Trustworthy, deeply caring, and remarkably consistent tutor…read more DeLey Hamm has worked with my daughter for over three years, supporting her through different subjects and stages of school. Over time, she has become far more than a tutor -- she's a steady, trusted presence who understands how to meet a student where they are and help them move forward with confidence. What makes DeLey truly special is her deep care and emotional intelligence. She doesn't just teach; she listens, encourages, and adjusts her approach to fit each moment. She's patient when things are hard, celebrates small wins, and helps students rediscover motivation from within. My daughter has learned to set realistic goals, build discipline, and take ownership of her learning -- all under DeLey's calm and thoughtful guidance. It's rare to find someone both so reliable and so genuinely invested in a student's growth. DeLey combines academic skill with heart, and that combination has had a lasting impact on my daughter's confidence and progress. I deeply trust her judgment and am so grateful for her continued support through the years.

We couldn't be happier with Margaret! She was the only college and career counselor willing to help…read moreus out when our son graduated unexpectedly early, missing the college prep that he would have done in his senior year. The other counselors I contacted were only willing to take on clients as freshmen or earlier. As well as helping him polish his essay, and fill out the college apps., her assistance was invaluable in opening new doors, and colleges he hadn't considered. Her insight led to him following his passion, and getting a degree which will further his dreams, rather than the direction he'd been planning, in which he thought he "should" go. After researching, in great detail, colleges which were possibilities, she worked with our son to make sure applications were in on time - taking us parents out of the equation. After acceptance, she worked with the admissions office, and she made several conference calls with my son and the college of his choice, making sure he received as much credit as possible for the college courses he had taken. He ended up enrolling as a second semester sophomore, which is very helpful to the bank account. Not only is Margaret worth every penny, I'm confident that we've come out ahead! Margaret is smart and kind and worked very hard for us, doing things we didn't even know to do, and our son is in a much better place because of it. Woohoo! She is as good as it gets!

Margaret really knows her way around the common app! We used her towards the end of the college app…read moreprocess, when we were tired out and stressed about it. She is very helpful and really cares about the students and finding the right fit. Has helpful suggestions and is very knowledgeable and fun to work with. Highly responsive in email/text. We tried three other college coaches, and she was definitely the best!

We heard of Dave and College Match through a word-of-mouth recommendation. Even though we have…read morealready sent two kids to college, and understand the process, we were impressed by Dave's deep knowledge and understanding of the college system. Dave is great to work with and helps narrowing down the college list to the ones that would best fit your child's current interest, yet would be flexible to accommodate any change, or another degree. The college application process gets more demanding every year, driving kids to work hard in high school. Dave is instrumental in how to position your child's hard work, awards, and extra curricular in the best light possible, as it is critical to emphasize what matters to the colleges he or she is going to apply. Our daughter has been accepted to a number of colleges she was happy with, and Dave was helpful in making the final choice.

From the owner: College Match is one of the nation's leaders in college and graduate school admission strategy. Our…read morefocus on real world outcomes separates us from others in our field. We help college-bound students and their parents identify future goals and build toward that success by winning admission to the most appropriate colleges. For example, last year 95% of our students won admission to their first-choice colleges with a majority of our students also winning merit awards averaging $80,000 over four years of college. Perhaps the most important statistic is that are students are happy, fulfilled, and set up in their post-high school lives.

As immigrants, we were looking for guidance to help our daughter navigate important aspects of the…read morecollege preparation process--course selection, essay writing, extracurricular activities, summer internships, and everything in between. As parents, we felt unsure and somewhat confused about how to guide her through these areas. We are very glad that we found the right support through UPI. The team consistently goes above and beyond to ensure that students receive the help they need. Their guidance has added tremendous value by helping our daughter for summer internships and program's and take a more holistic approach to choosing the right academic path and future career. Thank you to Mr. Gupta and the UPI team for your dedication and support.

My family joined UC Eazy / Upward Path in the summer of 2022 when my son was a sophomore. We were…read morepaired with a wonderful counselor, established a steady meeting cadence, and felt confident in the early guidance around majors and future direction. Right before my son's senior year, we learned that our counselor was leaving and we would be reassigned. From that point on, the experience became inconsistent and stressful. With the new counselor, few colleges were recommended, there was no meaningful progress on identifying academic interests or majors, and tasks like resumes and essays were discussed but never initiated. We found ourselves taking over major parts of the process, including researching colleges, managing the Common App, and trying to understand the UC Application timeline on our own. Important elements such as financial aid strategy, the CSS Profile, FAFSA timing, and college list strategy were unclear. Communication was intermittent, meeting notes weren't provided, and despite being told we were "on schedule," we frequently felt confused, rushed, and unprepared--especially when urgent requests from the high school counselor surfaced. My son also felt a lack of partnership with the new counselor compared to the strong relationship he had earlier. By application season, we felt uncertain and overwhelmed. My son applied to several universities, some aligned with his interests and others not as clearly, and the overall process felt rushed and more difficult than it needed to be. Today, my son is a sophomore at UC Riverside majoring in psychology and has recently submitted transfer applications to other UC campuses that better fit his goals. When Upward Path asked for feedback, I shared my concerns. To their credit, they listened and offered complimentary support for my son's transfer applications. This gesture was genuinely appreciated and helped him feel more confident in his essays. In summary, our experience began strong but became turbulent after the counselor change. Although we appreciated the effort to make things right at the end, the overall journey was more stressful and uncertain than we expected.

I registered my daughter for 10 semi-private sessions. (But last 2 sessions were private sessions)…read moreThe tutors provided essential tips and strategies and helped her improve SAT scores. My daughter achieved the score that she wanted after completing all the sessions. Grayson cares about the students and he is very supportive in helping the students reach their goals.

Zenith tutoring is unbelievable!!! Grayson identified that ACT would fit my son better even though…read morewe hesitated initially. I would have never imagined he could get the perfect score of 36 after only a couple of months. I am so glad we made the decision to join Zenith. I highly recommend Zenith! Their program is really impressive: they characterize the general rules that are easy to understand; and drilled into each problem that my son missed and pinpointed a particular rule that he needed to work on. Thank you so much, Zenith, for improving my son's score to perfection.

We had Collin for our son for 2 years on Chemistry (Chem Honor and AP Chem). Collin is the best…read moretutor we have ever had - he has heart - he gave inspiration, encouragement, patience, and coaching. He is very accessible, gives advice on studying and test taking techniques, foster subject interest to make it understandable. Our son is a non-STEM subject student, and under Collin's positive influence he got A in both classes, and did well in AP exam. It's truly "transformative". We'd highly recommend Collin to any future students!

Skilled and talented tutors, coordination and correspondence top notch. Highly recommended.read more