Needless to say, after working with Sharon, we will attest to her exceptionalism. After each…read moresession my daughter had with Sharon, she took the time to explain what they were working on and how we could help our daughter until the next session. She provided helpful feedback always. Sharon put an immense amount of time into finding the right combination of homework assignments and integrated testing strategies into lessons. To say the results were dramatic is an understatement. Within a short period of time, we witnessed our daughter improving and applying her new knowledge to Sharon's homework curriculum and ISEE Practice Tests. After only her second official practice test, our daughter's math score went from the 3rd to 47th percentiles. Her reading score doubled. But the final results on the real test were even more astounding. Our daughter's math scores went from the 3rd (on an official practice test) to 60th percentiles (on the real test), a 1900% increase. Her reading comprehension went from the 11th (on an official practice test) to 90th percentiles (on the real test), a 718% increase. Our daughter's reading proficiency went from the 3rd to the 5th grade and she is now familiar with mathematical concepts that are usually taught in the 6th grade! But while Sharon challenged my daughter to learn, and clearly got excellent results, she was careful to not push her beyond her limits. I would also like to note that Sharon is one of the most client-focused professionals I have come across. I was impressed by her organization and communication process. We never missed a beat with Sharon. Sharon possesses a rare combination of dedication, expertise, and genuine enthusiasm. Her professionalism and work ethic is unparalleled. Sharon is a huge asset to any child. To conclude, our family is grateful to Sharon. The experience has been one to remember and it is truly bittersweet that the test season is over. Our daughter once told Sharon that she wanted her "to teach her everything she knew." I can tell she genuinely loves working with children.

Sharon is the best. She helped raise our daughter's test scores significantly. So happy to…read morerecommend her to other families.

Emily and her staff have helped our family through both high school homework help, organizational…read moreskills, and college SAT prep in uniquely professional and thorough ways. The process for understanding who your child is, who your family is, what is at the core of the need, and adjusting and checking in along the way are beyond compare. I am an educator, and worked with many tutors and tutoring services over many years, and these folks, with Emily at the mast, really find a unique and effective balance. They have a no nonsense approach, are goal oriented, target with professional skills, and have a human approach. They know how to meet families and kids where they are, wont shy from giving advice, and they really know the landscape of all the different schools in the area, even down to the curriculum expectations; they know students they serve well. This experience of local schools alone is a huge experiential leg up. I am an elementary educator, but they helped me with my two very different high school kids journeys. I am VERY confident they can do it all, K-12! This place is the BEST!

Study Smarter was terrific in helping our daughter (and her parents!) through the college…read moreapplication process. Everyone we worked with -- Ariel, Joel, Mel -- was professional, thoughtful, and connected well with our daughter. They built trust with our teenager, coached her throughout the process (school selection, test prep and essay writing), listened to her and evolved their recommendations as they got to know her. The bottom line: Reduced stress in the process and (we firmly believe) better results in admissions and financial aid offers than our daughter would have achieved without their help.

I can't recommend Strategies for Learning highly enough! Natalie and Michelle have both been just…read moreamazing. My son (6 yo) has a number of learning disabilities and tonight he was able to accurately recite the entire alphabet to me (twice!). For parents with kids who struggle in school, it is the small victories that matter so much and to see your child make such a major improvement in only three months is just amazing.

We worked with BJ McIntyre and he was really great. He is kind and fun and was really curious about…read moremy kid and what she needed to succeed and feel positive about herself as a student. The strategies he taught her have helped so much. We would definitely recommend!

Brittany and Ben are wonderful tutors and mentors, excellent at teaching both STEM and…read morehumanities/social studies subjects. I am someone who needs concepts explained to me in several different ways, and they are able to adjust their teaching style to fit my needs. I also have a difficult time staying focused, and they are good at keeping me engaged in whatever I'm working on. Brittany tutored me from 7th grade through the end of high school, and has even helped me with some of my college coursework. In middle school, I was a year behind in math, and she helped me catch up by tutoring me in Pre-Algebra over the summer before 8th grade. With her help, I passed a placement test that allowed me to take Algebra as an 8th grader. Brittany then helped me prepare for the ISEE in 8th grade, which got me into my top choice school, Head-Royce. When I started at Head-Royce in 9th grade, my classes were much harder than at my previous school, Oakland School for the Arts. Brittany helped me transition more easily to taking rigorous college-prep courses. She helped me with English and history throughout high school, including APUSH. She was also my SAT tutor and helped me with college application essays. Ben helped me with math during high school, and the math section of the SAT, and substituted for Brittany when she travelled to Guatemala. Unfortunately, they don't tutor high school science, so I had to get another tutor for Chemistry. During my first two years of college (I will be a junior this fall), Brittany gave me invaluable essay-writing strategies that not only helped me write large research papers, but personal statements for my transfer applications and for applying to the Honors College at my university. I highly recommend Ben and Brittany. I'm a strong student now and owe a lot of that to their constant guidance and support. I highly recommend them to any parent who wants tutors that will adjust to their kid's unique needs, and more importantly, truly care about them.

Brittany is an amazing tutor. She started helping me with geometry my sophomore year all the way to…read morecollege admissions. She is such a hard worker, and has helped me in so many different ways throughout high school. She's assisted me in geometry honors, precalculus honors, SAT prep, college applications and so much more. Brittany has been an invaluable source of knowledge and advise, and I can honestly say that I would not have succeeded as much as I did without her help. But the thing I cannot stress enough is that she has such a enormous heart, and truly cares deeply about the students she tutors. She will go above and beyond for each and every one of her students to make sure they succeed. Brittany is honestly one of a kind, and I am so incredibly grateful that my parents chose her to tutor me.

We had an excellent experience with StrivePath. Sunny and Jenny gave great advice and counsel as…read moreour son was navigating college football recruiting. With Jenny being a former college athlete, she provided insight and helped us with messaging/approach across the different coaches our son interacted with during the process. They were also diligent and we could tell they genuinely cared about our son. StrivePath was worth every dollar we spent--this company is really professional in its approach but more importantly personable. I give them my highest recommendation.

From the owner: The Bay Area’s Leading Academic and College Advising Company. StrivePath empowers students and…read moretheir families by providing comprehensive, personalized academic and college advising services. We aim to build a supportive and enriching environment where students can discover their strengths, develop self-awareness, and achieve their full potential. By focusing on holistic development and individualized support, we guide students through the complexities of academic planning, career exploration, and college admissions, ensuring they are well-prepared for the future. Happier students. Less stressed families. Better admission outcomes.

Great teachers, kind staffs! The lectures are good quality!…read moreBut the price is inexpensive I took TOEFL class. My English skills were so improved I think I've made a right decision

I took TOEFL with Adam. He is the best teacher ever I had in my entire language course: 18 months…read more He is fun and motivating. IIC Oakland has a decent size campus, student teacher ratio is super good. Very good for studying. Their SF campus are conveniently located in but Oakland are spacious and newer. Teachers are in Oakland enthusiastic. Do you want to learn life in America? come to Oakland, right next Jack London Square, you can walk down the harbor walk. grab some sandwich from subway, get some ice cream in Ben and Jerry. IIC has got flexible schedule.

Achieve Learning and Resource Center is a dynamic organization built to serve young people and…read moretheir families as they navigate school based learning. I had the pleasure of working with Madison who took on the role of Tutor Coordinator and Regional Manager for our group of young men in Oakland. She provided an outstanding tutor and many resources for us to build on. Madison and Achieve still follow up and provide strategies and opportunities for our young men. I would recommend them to anyone looking for affordable, tutoring, SAT or College Prep assistance.

We are very disappointed in achieve learning and resource center SAT prep course. They have been…read morevery unorganized. The tutors are kids and they let kids leave early and chose to do or not do certain things. I paid good money and expected way more. They should be clear that they pretty much just hand out study guides ( which you could just buy and do on your own ) and have kids do them. I was expecting a little help on problem areas. No such luck. I would not recommend them.

Audrey is the best writing coach I've ever worked with. She is attentive, kind, and offers great…read moreediting advice. Audrey's rates are also the most affordable I've found. I highly recommend working with her!

From the owner: Audrey is a USC and UC Berkeley alum, born and raised in Menlo Park, CA. Audrey began working in…read moreeducation more than 12 years ago at a private Palo Alto early childhood development center, where she later became the lead kindergarten teacher focused on accelerated math and reading. She has tutored college student athletes in French, taught English in Vietnam, given ukulele lessons in Spain, and teaches salsa dancing in Berkeley. She was a straight-A student from public elementary school to private college prep school, and graduated from universities summa cum laude with degrees in International Relations and Nutrition Sciences. Since 2023, she has been employed by OUSD as a substitute teacher. Audrey's style of tutoring helps students find answers on their own and build confidence. Her love of teaching is contagious and her main goal is to make learning fun!

We enrolled at Sylvan to assist our daughter with her transition to 6th grade and the increase in…read moreschoolwork that came with it. They have really helped her with the fundamentals of the math and writing that she was struggling with upon arriving to Middle School. The teachers are nice, friendly and give her the motivation that she needed to power through. Thanks Sylvan!

I enrolled my child at Sylvan hoping to get real academic support, but after months of sessions and…read morepaying $71 an hour, her progress actually declined. Her latest school assessment came back lower than when she first started Sylvan, despite being told she had "mastered" certain skills. A reassessment outside of Sylvan confirmed she made very little improvement, which was extremely disappointing. The recent staffing changes also caused major issues. My child struggled to connect with tutors due to high turnover and even left sessions upset. She eventually told me a tutor was being mean to her, which was the final red flag. Between the lack of progress, inconsistent staffing, and my child's emotional discomfort, I decided to withdraw her. I had high hopes for Sylvan, but the results and experience did not match what was promised.

I had an amazing experience working with Gourdy. He helped raise my ACT score a ton and was super…read morehelpful with all my college essays, from private schools to UCs. He really knows what he's doing and made the whole process way less stressful. He was also a big reason I got into UC Berkeley, which I'm super grateful for. On top of that, he's really knowledgeable but also funny, so sessions never felt boring. Definitely recommend if you want someone who actually makes a difference.

Gordy is an exceptional college counselor! He kept my son on tack and met all the deadlines even…read morewhen we had limited time. He was encouraging and used virtual services effectively. I also liked how he created google folders and made the whole process of essays and tasks easy and even fun! I would highly recommend Gordy!