Neal Schwartz, College Planning of Westchester (www.collegeplanningofwestchester.com) is a…read morefact-based, data-driven, business-oriented consultant who gets results for parents and students. We were looking for a college consultant to help us navigate the college landscape for our daughter. We observed that the college marketplace had changed and become dramatically more competitive - particularly at the elite schools. The number of applications has exploded. The acceptance rates have declined. Many of the college consultants we spoke with were taken aback by the changes in the marketplace. They were negative. They were dispirited. They were looking for the lowest common dominator in terms of setting expectations for our daughter. Neal Schwartz was different. Neal spent most of his career in business: selling computer hardware, leading computer hardware sales organizations, and managing business units as an executive. Neal was fact-based, data-driven in his approach and developed a plan and a process to help us navigate the landscape and achieve the best results. Business background is key. While the college marketplace is competitive - this is not the first time Neal has dealt with competitive market dynamics. Thus far, Neal has provided advice and counsel in terms an overall plan, suggested priorities in terms of after-school and summer activities, suggested priorities in terms of AP classes, and - most importantly - providing us with access to a proprietary database / online tool to allow us to review and understand our choices in terms of college and "fit" for our daughter. Again, this is a data-driven approach. But the biggest upside so far has been working with our daughter on the ACT exam. Neal reviewed the results of the PSAT and PACT exam and provided us with the pros and cons of each test and the most likely "lift" in terms of scores. Neal provided us with outstanding tutors who helped our daughter practice and prepare for the ACT exam. The tutors were themselves business executives who were either in the financial services industry or retired executives who had built and sold business. The approach was again a business focus that was fact-based, data-driven, and geared toward results. The result was a tremendous ACT score for our daughter. We look forward to working with Neal to finalize this journey for our daughter. Perhaps it is a stereotype. Perhaps it is unfair. But many in the educational community could be considered more of the nurturing, supportive variety. Perhaps "soft." Neal is not "soft." Neal is practical and he gets results. We will always be grateful to Neal Schwartz. It has been a great fit for our daughter.

Test Psychology - Tests make my son nervous, especially timed tests! He scored very high on his…read moreoriginal PSAT, but we were worried he would psych himself out. Neal and his staff gave him strategies to deal with timed questions - when to skip a question and general time management. He would up scoring in top 1% on the first SAT! Thanks.

A great experience every step of the way. Not only are the tutors terrific, but the office staff is…read moretoo! I highly recommend the Chappaqua Learning Center.

Our two sons went to Chappaqua Learning Center for ACT prep and both had very positive experiences…read more Judy and Bill were excellent tutors who prepared them well and helped increase their confidence going into the test. One son was finished after taking it the first time. The other son was somewhat disappointed with his scores on his first ACT. Instead of trying to push more tutoring on us, Judy was very honest and said that he really just needed to practice and that alone would probably increase his scores. She gave him additional tests to take at home and had him come to CLC to do timed tests in a test-like environment and it worked! We're grateful for their help during this process and were very happy with the results.

We moved to Westchester from Brooklyn and were looking for a diverse Montessori school for our 2…read moreboys. We were so lucky to find this school. The classes are super diverse and inclusive but more importantly, my sons were lucky enough to have 2 teachers that were absolutely excellent (Ms. Marcy and Ms. Shamel). They taught my boys so much - my 3 year old was basically reading and my older one was more than prepared for kindergarten. if you're lucky enough to get into their class, they will love your kids like they love their own. Beyond that, the school has fostered an excellent community among the parents who do not hesitate to chip in and help each other and who go out of their way to have social activities to bring the kids together. This is truly a special school with amazing teachers and community of parents.

please don't sent your kids there they promise alot things and they didn't beginning they say they…read moredo patty training second year she tell us we don't do any more they don't even change diapers or when they get dirdy they don't change 2 years old they sent home paint picture which is you can understand they do for them this is the way they teach they don't even teach any song also principal so so Ruth when you tell her if you don't like something instead fix she tell us look another school and she doesn't care how she take care of with that personality also mostly time helper only part time one teacher take care of 10 kids teacher leaves early and helper which is they don't have any certificate stay with kids thats why this year they don't take parent inside anymore from out side door they pick up doesn't let parent come inside because they will see also all worker scary from principle she is very nasty with everybody that's not right as a parent I see that from outside please don't sent your kids there

Both of my children are in middle school and have been at Hackley since Kindergarten. Although many…read morepeople think the curriculum is rigorous, the students are well prepared for the academics in university and are able to organize and perform well on their own. The campus is beautiful but most importantly the teachers are amazing educators who genuinely care for the students and often have their own children in the school. My husband and I could not be happier with Hackley.

I contacted the Hackley Alumni Relations Office for a reason I do not feel like getting into now on…read moreyelp. It was all innocent enough. I spoke with Margie, in charge of Alumni Connections who told me to call back on Friday when she would have more time to speak with me and handle my issue. I remember feeling as if it can be handled right then and there when I explained it to her, and it wasn't so complicated. In fact the whole thing would have taken all but three minutes no matter how we resolved it. I left not one but two voice messages for her on that Friday at her request and she never called back. This was two weeks ago yesterday. I do not think she forgot and I don't think she is that busy. If she forgot to call back or didn't have time, then she can't handle her job very well. I feel as if it was done purposely though. If she does not want or is unable to cater to someone, there are more professional ways of handling it than telling a person to call in order not to call. I was surprised to see that such a fine institution as Hackley, hires staff that do not represent the extraordinary excellence they pride everyone else in their school in having; teachers, students and families. I think Hackley should have higher standards when screening out for certain roles such as Director of Alumni Engagement to better set an example for their students on how to interact with people.

I have worked with Ann since I was a junior in high school and have found her extremely helpful as…read morea mentor, counselor, and essay editor. When I was in high school, she was great at helping me manage the wealth of essays I had to complete as well as providing valuable feedback and perspective to improve and strengthen the essays. She was a major reason why I got accepted into my top choice schools including the University of Pennsylvania, University of Notre Dame, Cornell University, and the University of Michigan. I am now a sophomore in college, and still reach out to Ann for advice and feedback regarding ongoing opportunities at the university.

I am currently a senior in high school and I plan to attend college next fall. Ann was an amazing…read morehelp during the college process. Together, we narrowed down which type of school I would like based on my personality and preferences. Ann put together a list of schools I would like based on the questions she provided. When I narrowed down my choices, she helped me understand the college app (online website where a student can apply to multiple colleges at once) and helped me create a resume. We were then able to brainstorm ideas for my college essay. Overall, Ann's help made the college process a lot less stressful! I recommend contacting Ann if any juniors or rising seniors are confused or overwhelmed when applying to schools. Also the earlier you start applying or getting ready to apply the better! I applied to some rolling admission colleges in the summer leading up to senior year and started off the school year knowing I was already accepted to at least one college!

Friendly and experienced staff, specialized small class instruction, and private tutoring services…read moreavailable for students of all ages and in various subject areas. SAT, ACT, SSAT, ISEE, and various other standardized test prep services available at reasonable prices compared to similar nearby competition, like SEED and C2. They recently replaced their carpeting and wood flooring, which has really enhanced the place.

A great school with great teachers, staff and support. Son has made brilliant progress with his…read moretutor. They were very flexible to his schedule. My son talks about his experience in person and learning at home and both options were productive and enjoyable for him.

Great expertise and customer service for private and public, nursery through college school…read moreplacement and educational advising services. Highly recommended!

I attended this school for 2 years and have to say, there is a reason I moved back home…read more Freshman dorms are OK, but after that you are screwed, there isn't enough housing so they just converted a bunch of singles into doubles, yeah, not fun. My sophomore year I was in a room with bad heat and no insulation in a place where the snow got so bad they had to shut the college down for a few days! When my roommates boyfriend sent me emails telling me to kill myself, I reported it to my RA who told me to try and suck it up as she was leaving for Study abroad next semester. When I was rush to the hospital with what turned out to be kidney stones, campus safety first told me it was just food poisoning because they had had 3 cases that week. Never mind that the head of the French department spoke French as a THIRD Language and the heads of the theater department had the lowest ratings on Rate my Professor. I am sad that this place is clearly a commuter college, disguised to look like a traditional school.

I transferred from Hofstra to attend M'ville and never looked back. My private, small, intimate…read moreenvironment allowed me to shine, to grow, and to seek the success that was awaiting me. Also, financial aid was extremely generous. I think of it fondly and still donate to show my gratitude. It may not have the cache of an Ithaca, a Cornell, or another hot east coast school, but Manhattanville was more than a college for me, and I can not say that about many institutions. Bravo!