Gina was great! She was so knowledgeable! My child began working with Gina at the end of her high…read moreschool sophomore year. When Gina helped my child prepare the college list, we found that she has been to so many colleges, big and small. And she has talked to their admission officers, and she knows how competitive it is for the school or the major. We were very amazed! Then she was able to help my child get all the essays prepared way ahead of the deadlines, and she guided us throughout the application process. My child got into U Wash, some UCs and Purdue. We are very happy! Thank you so much for your help, Gina! :)

My daughters began working with Gina their sophomore year of high school. She encouraged them early…read moreto prepare and start thinking about what colleges would be a good fit for them. Gina was always available to answer any questions and responded quickly. We were very happy with our college results. Both girls got into all the UCs and numerous other universities. I highly recommend Greenhaus College Consulting.

I am very pleased with the services at Elite Prep - San Diego - Pacific Highlands Ranch location…read more There are many sample tests my son has been able to take to prepare. Another great part of the center is the front desk workers. Zubeda has always assisted us and provide value feedback to all of our questions. She makes sure to take care of any question we have. I would definitely recommend Elite Prep Pacific Highlands Ranch location.

I found this place better than Hamilton college counseling. Anh Nguyen, who I sporkis very sincere…read moreand considerate. I have to change 4 to 5. I can tell you that any SAT tests results are depending on how much your kids put their time and effort, classes or tutors can only assist them. This place is very honest business. We took summer boot camp but needed to be off for 2 weeks. They gave us a credit for fall extension program. Initially I thought we still had to pay a couple hundred dollars but they changed me only $20 ( $700 value) Staff is very responsive and teachers are great. They had a Pizza party at the end of the summer boot camp to celebrate all hard work. I thought it was a nice gesture.

Passport Admissions is nothing less than fantastic. I've been waiting to go to college since a few…read moremonths into my freshman year of high school. I had been doing tentative research on my own, but once I was directed to Passport Admissions, everything changed. I met with Rob, my counselor throughout the entire process, and that was when my college search really began. I was given a very personalized questionnaire, and then every week he would suggest 3 schools for me to research. After researching, I would email him with my feedback on all of the schools, and he would send me another round for scrutiny. While I was in the research process, I would email Rob once a day and almost always got a response the same day. I went through a grand total of 24 schools before deciding to apply to 8. Among these eight schools was my dream school, which was also a reach school. After Rob's suggestion and some serious consideration, I decided to apply Early Decision to this school and I was accepted! Even though I had applied ED in November, I still went through the process of completing the applications for the other schools, just in case I wasn't accepted. Passport Admissions also paired me with an amazing essay editor, who helped me refine my writing and convey my ideas effectively. I emailed Rob constantly with questions about the Common Application, the different applications, and with new drafts of my different essays. By the time I found out that I had been accepted, I had completed almost all of my other applications. Needless to say, PA helped me get a lot accomplished that I would not have otherwise. I can honestly say that if it weren't for Passport Admissions, I never would have considered this school. I really didn't know what I wanted before I had some guidance through this process and having this extra help made all the difference. I am really so glad to that I was able to work with Rob. He was so enthusiastic about the entire process. It was comforting how much attention he paid to my needs and my concerns. I can't even imagine how stressed I would be without someone who knows the process guiding me through it. What makes Passport Admissions unique is that the program is so personalized. You're not working with adults who act condescending or superior. On the same note, they don't sugar-coat the reality for you. They look at your options realistically. When I decided on final schools to apply to, I knew which schools I was likely to be accepted to (and receive good financial aid packages at) and which schools were a reach. I didn't have to worry about not getting into a school I knew I would fit with. (With the help of PA, I knew that I would have been happy at any of the schools I was going to apply to.) I would definitely recommend Passport Admissions to any student about to embark on his or her journey through the labyrinth of college applications. In fact, I already have. (I mention them whenever I get the chance.) They were invaluable to me in my search for my perfect school and I would wish the same stress-fress, informed, exciting journey upon any fellow student.

I can't recommend Rob and Passport highly enough. Before we first spoke during the spring of my…read moreson's junior year, I met with two other potential college counselors. One was immediately negative when she saw the list of schools he was considering. She was convinced that every school on it would be a reach and seemed determined to make him, and us, be more realistic. Since then, I've had several friends describe similar experiences. During that initial conversation, my husband was listening in the background, and we agreed that while it was important to build a balanced list, we did not want our son working with someone so pessimistic or limiting. We wanted a counselor who would be on his side, who believed he had a chance, while also encouraging him to apply broadly and thoughtfully. Rob immediately brought exactly that energy. He encouraged our son to dream big and work hard on the strongest possible application, while also gently reminding him that he would be fine wherever he ended up. He was always available for advice and support and never seemed frustrated or fed up, even when our son kept changing his mind about his future course of study. When it came time to refine his essays, Rob paired him with Hannah, a talented young editor who had attended our son's dream school and offered invaluable insight into how to frame his essays. By the time he submitted his EA application, I was confident it was as strong as it could be. We were absolutely thrilled when he was accepted. Throughout a stressful process, Rob and Hannah felt like the best possible teammates, always on our son's side, which was everything I'd hoped for. I'm so grateful to have worked with them, and I can't recommend them highly enough.

Our family has worked with Brooke for both of our daughters. She did a great job helping us…read morenavigate through the college application process, review essays, and help us and our daughters put our mind at ease. With Brooke's help, my oldest daughter was able to attend a UC school! My youngest daughter will be attending a school that Brooke recommended that we did not really know about but she is excited for the school. I highly recommend connecting with Brooke for your college preparation needs!

We chose Beros College Consulting to guide our daughter through the college application process…read moreduring her senior year, and we couldn't be happier with the experience. Brooke provided thoughtful, timely support through each step --from brainstorming essays to navigating deadlines and decision making. Her personalized approach and attention to detail made all the difference during this critical time. We're thrilled with the outcome: our daughter was accepted to all of her top-choice schools and has committed to UCLA for the fall!

Is a really nice place and with great teacher here! Offer both online and in person classes, all…read morethe staff members are really nice with students too!

IvyMax has a local office in San Diego, unlike most others which are all online. All the staff are…read moresuper friendly and helpful, especially Sebastian, who is very knowledgeable and helped my kid a lot. IvyMax has quite a few student run clubs too. We are very happy and highly recommend IvyMax.

You can try and go with big classes at the local universities for test prep or you can save your…read moretime and money and start with the best. We tried all the typical test prep classes through the local colleges which turned out to be a waste of money. In the end, using Alice to tutor our daughter was the best decision we made. Alice knows how to work with kids. She knows these tests and she understands teenagers. In the end, Alice helped our daughter raise her score A LOT on the ACT and she ended up at a very good school with a great merit based scholarship. We are getting ready to use her again for our youngest.

Alice is amazing! She has worked with both my son and daughter and we couldn't be happier with the…read moreresults. My daughter worked with Alice for ACT and SAT prep and she scored very high and my son worked with her for an entrance exam and passed with flying colors. She works diligently with her students and has a great ability to connect.

Pam was incredibly helpful to me and my son during the college search process. From 9th grade, we…read moremet regularly and she helped me understand college athletic recruiting. While we knew my son would focus primarily on his education, with Pam's help I learned about the recruiting process. My son ended up at his top choice school and plays for his top choice team. Pam has since completed her formal training at UCSD in college counseling and through the IECA. I have hired her to more formally assist my younger son in his college search. She's honest, tough (especially on essays), organized, professional, and fun. I cannot recommend her more highly.

Reality Changers is an amazing organization that helps lower income/at risk youth become first…read moregeneration college students. Students attend weekly meetings that include Hot Words (usually SAT prep), a family style dinner, a take home lesson, and tutoring by college students or other volunteers. RC also sends eligible students to UCSD over the summer to take courses for college credit, to a week-long summer camp to bond with other students, and helps seniors complete their college & scholarship applications... did I mention this is all for free? The students who I've met here are some of the most intelligent, friendly, and resilient high schoolers I know, and everyone on staff is wonderful. If you live in San Diego and you have a couple of free hours every week, definitely DEFINITELY check out this organization! Because education is a right, not a privilege - and you can help make one student's dream a reality!

Reality Changers is a non-profit that helps 8th-12th grade students from all over San Diego be the…read morefirst in their families to go to college. Over the years, Reality Changers has proven that it is much more than a non-profit program. I have volunteered as a tutor and mentor since Spring of 2008 (back when I was still a student at UCSD) and it has been extremely rewarding seeing the students grow and mature into responsible citizens and adults. The weekly program consists of S.A.T. test preparation, an insightful lesson, a delicious homemade dinner (which is five stars for sure! not every volunteer gig you do feeds you!), and then 1.5 hours of study time. During this time, you are paired up with a small group of students which makes it easier to connect with the students. Reality Changers has even had inspiring guest speakers such as politicians, leaders in the San Diego community, and university officials. With the help of the supportive and encouraging staff and volunteers, these inner-city youth from San Diego become the first in their families to attend a four-year university.. and not only do they defy all statistics against them to get ACCEPTED, these students earn scholarships to go to schools such as Duke, Harvard, Dartmouth, USC, UCLA, and more. This truly shows how Reality Changers is more than just a program that helps high school students. It gives teens who never might have had the chance an opportunity of a lifetime and I am happy and blessed to be a part of it. It is amazing what a few hours a week can do to transform a student's life. This organization is unlike place I've ever volunteered at because they really make everyone who is a part of the program - whether you're a tutor, a parent, a volunteer, or a student feel like part of the RC Family. Also, tutors come from very diverse backgrounds - there are many college students (from UCSD, SDSU, PLNU, etc), professionals from the community, retired adults, and more who are all invested in helping inner city students from San Diego be the first in their families to go to college.

Amazing program, highly recommend. The teachers are kind, structured, and truly know how to…read morechallenge kids in a positive way. My child has grown in confidence, problem-solving, and love for learning. We are very grateful for AoPS Academy.

Large groups of kids (16 even in the younger grades!) crammed into tiny classrooms. I want to be…read moreclear that some of the teachers are great and working incredibly hard, but they are being given an impossible task. This curriculum is hard (by design), and kids need support. Instead, teachers are trying to do crowd control while kids are behavior problems, calling out and talking over others. Because there is an emphasis on speed and solving problems quickly, some teachers even reward these kids with "beast bucks," their prize system. If you get a less skilled teacher, students (often girls) can be left out. Admin unfortunately does not care about the issue, even though I brought it up months ago. They will simply remind you that there are no refunds. Meanwhile, girls and less aggressive students who are *talented in mathematics* can be left out. AOPS Carmel Valley needs to seriously lower their class sizes to be able to manage impulsive kids and make a concerted effort to provide space and time for quieter kids to contribute meaningfully. I am not in any way blaming the teachers -- this is not their fault. AOPS's math curriculum (Beast Academy) is fabulous and can be purchased online monthly. I recommend going this route until AOPS Carmel Valley prioritizes kids' (and their teachers') experiences over money and hiring more admin.