I usually don't post reviews, but am so inspired by the amazing staff at Collegewise that I feel…read morecompelled to share. Our daughter worked with Sandi last year to navigate the college application process and optimize her opportunities. From start to finish, Sandi and her team engaged with, motivated and partnered with our daughter, inspiring her to put her best foot forward and guiding her through the maze to find success. She's now through her first semester at her target school and loves it! I highly recommend Collegewise and believe the return is well worth the investment.

We are on our second round of Collegewise for our second daughter. Without a doubt, the cost is…read morewell worth it for us. For our first one, Collegewise was a diplomatic buffer between our daughter and us during her high school years. This can be a very emotional and tense time for many families. They kept her on track with crucial deadlines and talked us through endless Q&As. For our second one, Collegewise has been an incredibly responsive resource whenever we have a question...no matter how insignificant it may seem. They have a ton of resources but we never feel overwhelmed with information. We have complete access to their knowledge base and never feel rushed when we have a meet up. Collegewise basically hand holds us through the entire application process personalizing their guidance according to our daughter's situation. Most importantly, Collegewise encourages their students to be proactive and take ownership of their application process which ultimately grows them as individuals regardless of which college they choose to attend.

We are extremely grateful for the support this college counseling company provided our family…read morethroughout my daughter's high school. The process of preparing for college applications was overwhelming, but the guidance we received made all the difference. Felicia, who worked directly with my daughter, was outstanding, supportive, knowledgeable, and always encouraging. She helped keep everything organized and made sure my daughter felt confident every step of the way. She was always there for my daughter when she needed her. Justin, the owner, has clearly built a wonderful program that truly supports students and families. We're thrilled that my daughter was accepted into the university she had been hoping for, and we're very thankful for their role in helping make that happen. Very Highly recommend.

My student sat for practice tests in AP Chem and AP Calc AB with Premier Prep. Justin was friendly,…read morehelpful, and very responsive.

I highly recommend AR Academic to any family with high school kids who need test prep…read more It starts with a diagnostic test taken without any prep, followed by a consultation with Mr. Michael. He helps you figure out which test (ACT or DSAT) is the better fit for your child, and together you map out a strategic plan from the start. From there, the program is well structured: a personalized schedule, weekly tutoring sessions, and mock tests every other week so students always know where they stand. What I really appreciated was how seriously the tutors take the homework. All materials are drawn from real past tests, and students are given assignments before each session. The tutors analyze that work and tailor their instruction accordingly, so every session feels targeted, not generic. My kids came home after each session with a clearer sense of what they needed to work on, and noticeably more confident. For AP prep, Ms. Amanda was wonderful. She kept my kids motivated even when the stress started to pile up, and her upbeat energy is exactly what they needed. As for results: both of my children scored in the 99th percentile on their tests, one on the ACT2024 and one on the DSAT,2026 and earned 5s across the board on their AP exams. We couldn't be more grateful.

Truly the best of the best. From standardized test prepping (where score are back and make a huge…read moredifference in applications), to essay support, Amanda and her team are AMAZING!

I highly recommend Justin and his team. Justin is professional, communicative, honest and…read moreunderstanding. He truly wants to help students put forth the best versions of themselves in the application process. Premier Prep is the ideal partner for navigating college admissions throughout the course of high school or simply if you need application help during senior year. I can't say enough good things about Justin and Premier Prep!

Though Premiere Prep is typically geared towards high school students preparing for college, I used…read morethis company for hourly consultations for my academic transition. I didn't know it when I met him, but Justin was a game changer for me. I never knew the value or importance of receiving professional academic/career guidance. I can honestly say that I would not be nearly close to where I am today without Justin's guidance or support. He has helped me in my professional development through editing my resumes, interviewing skills, and most importantly, he saw my potential and helped me realize it too. His advice is honest and compassionate (though not necessarily what I always wanted to hear) and he wholeheartedly invested his time in me. Justin helped me transition through one of the most difficult times in my life between undergrad and post-undergrad at UCI. These days, I am proud to say I am at my top choice graduate program in occupational therapy. Whether it is college counseling or personal development, you couldn't be in better hands with Justin or his team at Premiere Prep.

My son is a freshman in High School and doing Zoom Classes was very difficult last semester. Our…read moretutor Amanda was a huge help in getting Maxx's Honors Bio grade and Spanish grade up tremendously. Amanda is caring and also relates well to Maxx and made the tutoring process very enjoyable. We are very grateful for all her help and support . I highly recommend tutoring at Strive to Learn for anyone needing extra help with any subject. Nicole Hickey

I wanted to update my review from 2017. My son is now a senior in college and is majoring in…read moreAerospace Engineering. When I take a look at his homework it boggles my mind. It makes me all the more grateful for the help he received at Strive To Learn while in high school. He would not be where is today without Luc and Josephine and the entire team. We think of you often and are forever indebted for the care and nurturing we received. Thank you!!!

Absolutely substandard and lack of student centered advising. Their undergraduate admissions…read morestudent advisors are far from well versed in helping students write college essays. They paired my child with an MD who may be a very good doctor, but had no idea about college counseling. Our Kaplan advisor gave 100% general advice (that can be obtained from One's own research). That was the first red flag. Heavy emphasis on the student figuring it out versus presenting options and coaching the student through options to fortify college application. Also our advisor had no idea on how to help with PIQs, a specific type of essay that the UC system requires. The advice was so general that we had to forego the huge fee they charged us and left half way and obtained other services which helped my child secure admission at UC Davis and UC San Diego, two top tier schools among other schools. We came to realize that our college advisor had been giving general advice on writing statements of purpose, which is very different from what PIQ's require. They market their advisors as knowledgeable but there is no accountability on what these advisors really know or can coach on. They make it look professional by saying they have a team for you but in reality after two initial phone calls and collecting your money, they leave you with an advisor with no quality control to see if the college counseling is actually qualitatively delivering. In the end we are sure if the admission was not secured, the student would Be blamed, which in our case they could not have done since my child comes with a 4.25 weighted GPA and a lot of internships and extracurricular activities to her credit, however we realized that we had too much to lose and time was of essence (a blame game in the end would have been fruitless), so we had to leave and find other services. This service is not recommend.

Greg worked with both of my sons, one who is at Penn, and the other who is currently deciding…read morebetween Penn, Dartmouth, and Georgetown. I can't say enough about Greg - he's obviously effective, but he also achieves the elusive balance of being realistic AND inspiring. His successes and the depth of his experience would be reason enough to send your kids to him, but he's also just a great person who can read your kids and come up with great suggestions for them (what angle/theme to take throughout high school, what colleges would be a good fit, ideas for essays, etc.) I can't recommend him highly enough.

Ms. Fries was an amazing resource over the course of the whole application process. With her help,…read moreI ended up getting into my dream school, which I hope to attend this fall. I highly recommend her services to anyone who wishes to get a leg up on their college applications.

From the owner: Nancy Fries provides guidance to high school seniors and transfer students on their college…read moreadmission essays. She thoroughly enjoys working closely with her students, helping them craft essays that reflect their unique qualities and add a personal element to their college applications. A professional writer for more than 30 years, Nancy teaches her students how to effectively tell their stories. She holds a certificate as an independent educational consultant from UC Irvine Extension and has a thorough understanding of the American college admissions process. Nancy also provides freelance writing services to a variety of clients. Her work includes magazine articles, newsletters, web copy, annual reports, promotional materials, and blog posts. Nancy earned a master's degree from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and a bachelor's degree from University of Pennsylvania.

Strategic College Consulting is the absolute top of the game. After working with them, their…read moreguidance helped me earn admission to many schools, including Stanford, Caltech, Berkeley, Brown, and more. The thing that has stuck with me, though, is that they are not just knowledgeable but genuinely care about my journey, and I really felt that they wanted to help me reach my full potential. I cannot thank them enough and feel they are absolutely worth working with, given how much my life's trajectory has changed since working with them. Their feedback on my essays and app was absolutely invaluable, and their scientific methodological breakdown approach was reassuring. I personally worked with Dr. Brian Haig and have also spoken with Dr. Jeffrey Haig, and I highly recommend either of them if anyone else is looking for a college counselor! Thank you so much for everything!

Not impressed with Strategic College Services, as their use of the "Dr." title and references to…read moreprestigious schools felt misleading rather than reassuring. Given the high fees they charge, I expected a much higher level of expertise and personalized guidance, but the consulting they provided fell far short of those expectations, revealing a significant gap between their promises and the actual value delivered.

Through the guidance of Mr. Kumar, my son was admitted to highly competitive universities such as…read moreUCLA and UC Berkeley. Before working with him, we faced significant challenges navigating the college application process due to our lack of experience. However, through his help he not only helped us understand the process but ensured that my son was able to collect and present his strengths in the most effective way possible. We are extremely grateful for his help since this is a very vital part in my child's journey

Highly recommended. We used their services for both sons - great team and great communication. Made…read morethe whole process of college admission easy and painless. Thanks again to everyone.

After Alison helped my daughter get into her dream school UCLA, I turned to her to help my son. He…read morewas transferring from a CC to an UC. His hard work & her help with his essays really paid off. He will be starting at UC Berkeley this fall. One of the things I appreciated most was Alison's responsiveness and willingness to make revisions promptly. Her professionalism and attention to detail made the process smooth and stress-free. Thanks to Alison both my kids got admitted to top schools.

My son worked with Alison the Summer between his Junior and Senior year in high school on his…read morecollege essays. Her style of working with my son, as well as her knowledge of how to shape the essays for the major my son was applying to were valuable and in sightful. Alison communicated very clearly through out the process, both with me and my son, which made things so easy. I highly recommend using Alison for your college essays. I can firmly say it made the difference, as my son got into his dream school.