Aspiring Youth is a great program! It's comprehensive and the staff is truly motivated and…read morecompassionate.

I am sharing my perception and feelings after having completed two initial courses at Excel…read moreMandarin, the 4-week Intro class and the 7-week first quarter, on my journey of this four-quarter Fluency series. The Excel Mandarin learning method strikes me as the most advanced teaching format out there. It unconditionally focuses on enabling Mandarin listening and speaking skills for daily life situations. I have tried other formats before, such as group classes and individual tutoring, as well as individual apps, which were all of course helpful but not providing me with a learning progress I had been seeking. This Excel Mandarin method does for me what none of the other approaches I tried could do - it enabled me after these initial three months so far to hold a basic conversation in Mandarin with increasing confidence. It did a shift in my mind and taught me how to learn. A method called 'reverse classroom' is used to make students speak and practice in Mandarin right away all the time, instead of mainly listening to content delivery by a teacher. This way, right from the first class, students learn to overcome this huge mental hurdle, anxiety and hesitation and learn to listen and speak Mandarin, and embedded the words and grammar structures. The class format itself is online in a small, intimate group setting. The classes feel relaxed and engaging, and it is fun and motivating to connect with the teachers and peer learners. It must be clearly stated though - This method requires the regular time commitment to prepare for each class, besides the normal time for work and social life. There are three evening classes per week for the fast pace, and it is essential to use these days in-between to study and complete homework to prepare, so one can feel relaxed when each class begins. Only a prepared mind will be relaxed to take the benefit of the reverse classroom approach. To support this, there is a dedicated tailored Excel Mandarin app to provide weekly vocabulary, grammar teachings and dedicated articles and online office hour, with immediate supporting feedback on homework provided. The app is designed extremely well, connecting content, fellow students and teachers. The engagement of the teachers is so high, with many follow-ups and touchpoints. The method's effectiveness rests on two pillars - the thoughtfully created online learning app framework, as well as the just outstanding teachers who just thrive to see students succeed and coach them with this reverse classroom learning method. The two teachers I work with, Eco and Tim, are just stellar. At the end of the first quarter, students are giving a short, few-minutes basic presentation about one topic of their choice, and then answer questions by their fellow students .... All in Mandarin, with the vocabulary and grammar kit available so far. At the end of the first quarter I felt an incredible sense of accomplishment and confidence. I feel no other Mandarin learning system can even remotely deliver this in an equal time frame. The second quarter, which I just started, has the same feeling of clear and effective support structure, and I get into the groove of good time management for best using this fast-paced and fun method.

I've now taken both Q1, Q2, and Q3 with EM, and I'm very impressed with my progress. In Q1, I…read morelearned a lot of new vocabulary and key sentence structures. In Q2, I learned more complex grammar and vocabulary that's been very practical for discussing everyday life. I learned how to express my opinions more and talk about food, hobbies, and travel, which is not only useful, but also fun to practice. In Q3, I learned how to talk about more complex topics, such as work, emotions, and changes. EM classes are a fairly significant time commitment (class 3x per week + weekly homework), but definitely worth it. Their approach to teaching - focusing on speaking, lots of practice in class, tailored toward what would be most practical for most people - has enabled me to progress faster in learning the language than I would've been able to in other programs. On top of that, my teachers and classmates are funny and enjoyable to spend time with! I'm continuing on to the intermediate conversation class because I'm excited to further improve my speaking fluency and discuss more interesting topics with classmates.

My experience (as a student) with College Match has been phenomenal. I've worked with David and his…read moreteam for the past year now on my college journey, and just committed to my dream school. When I began the college process in my junior year, it was extremely daunting and stressful for my parents and I. Hundreds of schools to choose from, many essays to write and so many moving parts to figure out. When I started to work with David and his team, they helped me navigate this convoluted process, helping me build my college list, providing feedback on my essays, answering many questions about applications and so on. What really made my experience with College Match so successful was the dedicated individual attention from David and his team. They were always available to answer last minute questions, call to discuss feedback on an essay or anything else I needed during my college process. It feels so relieving to finally be done with the college process and be going to my top school in the fall. While applying to college is very stressful, having a knowledgeable advisor to guide you through the process helps more than you know. College is one of the most important decisions you'll make in the next few years and making the right decision will pay off in the long run. Thank you David for everything!

This review is based on an initial consultation only, so take it with a grain of salt…read more If your main consideration is getting into an Ivy+ school, my sense is that David will work hard to help find you an "edge" to get in. Any loophole, category, segmentation, activity that can make you more attractive to the Ivy+ admissions folks, he will find. And if that's what you're looking for, someone with a serious lawyer/accountant sensibility, I'd recommend talking with him. However if you are not Ivy+ bound, and/or have a student who is looking for well-rounded help in the overall college selection/admissions/financial aid process, I doubt this is where you should be looking. There are others who have broader skill sets and a more nurturing outlook.

I've referred many people here over the years for aptitude testing but only recently had the…read moreexperience of bringing my own teenagers in for assessment. The staff is very friendly and does a great job of administering and interpreting the results. As for the testing itself, if you want to know more you should check out the foundation's website, www.jocrf.org.

My daughter made a dramatic improvement in her ACT scores thanks to HLC in Issaquah. Rebecca at…read morethe center created a well crafted plan and the tutors carried it out perfectly. Of course, my daughter did her part as well. We are now utilizing them for tutoring for classes. It is all too rare in this day and age where you truly feel your business matters and that a company puts you first. This is exactly how I feel about HLC. The success of my daughter seems to really matter to them. The customer service is excellent as well.

With Huntington's help, my daughter got a 36 on her ACT after working with them for just two…read moremonths. I highly recommend Huntington in Issaquah for test prep. Huntington has a great system where your child takes a practice ACT and SAT with them, and based on the results, they make a study plan for whichever test plays to your child's strengths. I loved the flexibility in their scheduling and the ease of the process. My daughter met with her tutor once or twice a week, and they went over the homework he'd given her. Your child will have homework and will need to do it to improve. Will you be out of town here and there over the summer? No problem. They build the schedule around your availability. Here's my favorite part about Huntington. They let you take lots of practice tests that are actual ACT tests from prior years. (Lots and lots of tests!) Taking a dozen practice tests and going over them with the tutor is what really helped my daughter get that perfect score. Thank you to everyone at Huntington!

Poojha is absolutely incredible! She helped my daughter at every step, from identifying the perfect…read moreCollege for her, to finding her passion, selecting her high school classes, improving her grades, writing her essay and guiding her during the application process. My daughter was accepted in many excellent schools, and I know she wouldn't have done it without Poojha's constant support. I have recommended her services to many friends, and they have all thanked me since. I believe the reason why Poojha's service delivery is so special and unique is because she manages to get the students in the REALLY engaged in the process. They admire and respect her while she inspires and care for them. I can say that I hired a College Consultant, but I got much more, we got a FRIEND.

The change in leadership has made a huge impact on this center. The new director takes the…read moreeducation of the children very seriously, introducing yoga, Spanish and music extracurriculars for all age groups and all students without any additional fee. The food is fresh and prepared daily by the food specialist, who also teaches the Spanish classes. There is love and consideration put into the operation of this program, that is certain.

Great improvements under the new management! The preschool is more organized, staff are friendly,…read moreand the kids seem happy and well cared for.

Marianna is absolutely brilliant. I am a foreigner that has always been self-conscious of my…read moreaccent. Marianna helped me identify opportunities to make basic changes that make a significant change in the way I feel when speaking. She has also coached me to have high-level and high-sensitive conversations in a effective, assertive matter. Frankly... I can keep going on and on and on, on how she has helped me improve my speaking skills but probably there won't be enough space to write all of the details. My recommendation is that invest time in Marianna. You'll be pleasantly surprised on what you can accomplish with her. Marianna: I am so grateful for what you've done for me!

Marianna is an amazing public speaking coach. I've met with her a number of times in preparation…read morefor a couple of different presentations and plan to continue meeting with her in the future. She takes a comprehensive approach that addresses both the content and the delivery of the presentation. For me personally, she's also helped to build some really useful skills for dealing with jitters and nerves (which is something that I've struggled with). It's helped my confidence tremendously. I definitely recommend her services.