Hello, my son took the 8-week in-person SAT prep course in 2024 summer and wanted to share his…read morehonest critique: Much Better, Cheaper Alternatives: Free or low-cost platforms like Khan Academy, UWorld, and Acely offer better, more personalized SAT prep. A $15 prep book or private tutoring (only when needed) can be more effective and far less expensive. Poor Course Structure: The weekly cycle goes: Day 1: Full-length SAT practice test (which can be done at home using Bluebook or PDFs from College Board). Day 2: Review the test (easily done with free online explanations or tutor support). Days 3 & 4: Light instruction followed by workbook problems--often with minimal teaching and sometimes incorrect answer keys. This kind of practice can be done at home more efficiently with a good prep book or YouTube resources. Wasted Time: Frequent breaks and off-topic discussions waste about half the time per day. Excessively long work periods lead to idleness (many students on phones after finishing early). Repetitive explanations for already-understood material that other students needtake up more time. Overall, around half the class time felt unproductive. Mediocre Materials & Teaching: Many practice problems were too easy compared to actual SAT questions. Teaching often consisted of summarizing what's already in a prep book. Vocabulary memorization (25 words/day) was inefficient--most of the memorized words don't appear on the test, and it's hard to retain them. A more effective method is learning prefixes and suffixes to decode unfamiliar words on test day. Social Pressure: Students may feel uncomfortable asking questions in front of peers. A tutor, AI tools, or YouTube can offer judgment-free help more comfortably. Summary: Unless you absolutely lack time management or self-discipline, this course is not worth the cost. There are far more affordable, flexible, and effective ways to prepare for the SAT. Thanks for reading.

Mr. Chu and his staff are great people, there to help those who are interested in academic success…read more I've attended here in the past when I was in middle school and in high school. English was not my first language and the classes that I took helped improve my English and my SAT scores. The teachers were teachers from the surrounding school districts. The teachers were also very good at what they do best, teaching. Mr. Chu took an active interest in my academics. He knew what my strengths and weaknesses were and advised on ways to advance my education by growing the strengths and diminishing the weaknesses. If you have the desire to learn and to improve your scores, this is definitely the place for you!

After starting with a different (and expensive) college counselor located in Santa Monica and SAT…read moretutor (expensive) who both came highly recommended but were essentially completely useless, we received a glowing recommendation for Blue Train and made the switch. Best decision ever. Our two sons used Blue Train for multiple things over their junior and senior years - test assessment/diagnostic, ACT prep and guidance, college list building, guidance re HS classes and even extra curricular advise, as well as navigating the college application process and the all-important essay drafting. Scott and the people at Blue Train put the boys on a very manageable schedule and in fact, both of our sons were totally done with most applications by Thanksgiving. Both boys got into tons of schools, got thrown tons of money, and this entire process was so smooth because of Blue Train's guidance. We event consulted with Scott when deciding which schools to attend. I cannot say enough how effective and impressive Blue Train was. Highly recommend !!!

An exciting combination of counselor-led discussions, college student guests, and list assessment…read moreby Blue Train specialists. This workshop will help any student struggling to complete and polish his or her academics. Students work on personal statements. They also work on scholarship essays. By the end of the workshop, students gave valuable one-on-one feedback and continue progress on their personal statement. Between the tutoring, practice tests, workshops to complete applications, and knowledge of current college admission standards, the Blue Train mix of counselor-led group discussions and mock one-on-one practice will take away the jitters and leave you feeling confident and related. They also offer a one-on-one guidance with an essay specialist. These mini sessions are open only to students who have already attended the personal statement workshop. These thirty minute boosters are intended to help students keep their writing process flowing with structural and editing advice. No need to curl up in a fetal position or hire an overpriced private college counselor to tell you where you won't be accepted. Do your applications and essays better, for less, with the team that has helped more students with this sort of process than any other company in the South Bay. High probability of success with Blue Train. Email them at office@bluetraincollegeprep.com

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.

We moved from Beijing to LA in 2017, around April 2017 my wife and I did a house hunting at PV and…read moreTorrance. After looking at several houses for sales, I asked my realtor to drop me off at the ice rink which is my daughter's most favorite activity. We passed by the Peninsula Academy. I told my wife this is a great place for our daughter to enrich her English. Kay Lee, the deputy director of the academy was there, she was extremely helpful and listened to me on our needs. She recommended Kathy Kerstein as my daughter's English teacher. We moved our family on July 28, 2017. It's a Friday. My daughter Yiyi started Kathy's one to one class for the whole summer and once-twice a week during the school year. Apparently, she did extremely good at her ENGLISH LEARNER'S class. She moved on with Kathy's help, she got into Stanford's summer school, UCSB Research Mentoring Program. From a Chinese speaking little girl, hardly can speak a full paragraph to a young adult commanding her English In three and half years. My daughter, applied for colleges this year, she got admitted for UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, UCSD. For private institutions, she got Harvey Mudd (finalist for President's Scholarship, she declined), Columbia University and Caltech. She accepted the offer from Caltech and will be the 2025 class of Caltech. Kathy Kerstein is a great teacher, she is always available and ready to help, I would like to thank the Academy for all the supports. Chung

Peninsula Academy has Great programs and great teachers. My son signed up their summer writing…read moreclass and learned & read several books. Their math and computer classes are good too. Will recommend to anyone.

Ellie was great for helping me with my college apps. I didn't know what where or how to even…read morebegin, so she walked me through the whole process. She helped me make (and later narrow down) my college list; she also knew about a lot of colleges I never thought about or even heard of. She was also a huge help with my essays: she helped me think of topics that would appeal to admissions officers, guided me through the writing process (like what was/wasn't appropriate to put on the essay, how to make the essay more compelling, etc.), and gave me tips and feedback on how to better my essay. I felt like she really got to know me and helped me to differentiate myself from other applicants and show admissions who I really am. Thanks to her, I was accepted into UC Berkeley!!! Seriously, A+++, 5 thumbs up, 17/10, 8 stars. I couldn't be more thrilled with not only the results but the time I spent with her working on my apps. She made the whole process as painless as possible.

I received tutoring from Ellie in AP Chemistry. I could tell Ellie knew the subject in depth as she…read morewas actually able to explain the topics to me in ways I could come to understood them (science is not my thing). Although her tutoring is online, it wasn't awkward at all. It was actually more convenient due to the flexibility. Thanks Ellie!!! My teacher actually commented on my improvement in class :) it made me feel so much better about my science grades. If I ever need help again in any subject (that Ellie tutors in), I'd definitely work with her again.

I can not recommend Ellen enough. She was very helpful, knowledgeable and supportive of my daughter…read moreat every stage of our college journey. My kid always wanted to go to school in Europe and Ellen suggested amazing schools that we wouldn't have found without her. She also got into every school we applied to. Thank you, Ellen!

From the owner: I provide students with college lists that are the best fits for academically and socially no…read morematter the field they wish to study from liberal arts to business, STEM to Performing and Visual Arts. I am knowledgeable on colleges and universities all over the US and world. I guide students into finding the universities and colleges out there that meet their needs, the programs they offer, and provide hands-on support through the entire college application process all while minimizing the stress that often can arise for students (and their parents).

We had a terrible experience with this group. I would have told the owner director had she ever…read morechecked in during the process. We did not even use all of the hours.

I worked with Julian very closely while I was applying for colleges. He was a tremendous help and…read morewas always so meticulous and thorough when it came to essay revisions. As a first generation student, he helped ease a lot of my anxiety surrounding the college application process. I applied to six different colleges and got acceptances to all of them and that would not have been possible without Julian!

Our family has been fortunate to know and work with Erin for the last several years and strongly…read morerecommend her services. I could not be more pleased with the guidance provided by Erin Gordon Grady. The educational process, particularly steps pertaining to college admission and affordability, can be very confusing and daunting for parents and students, especially considering that the landscape is ever changing. Erin is extremely knowledgeable, patient and kind, and it is largely thanks to her that our son is currently a happy student at USC. Erin's willingness to answer all our questions, no matter how small or how complex, was a testament to her professionalism. Her wise, thoughtful replies reflect her profound knowledge on the topic and the fact that she currently keeps abreast of new developments in her field. I would strongly recommend working with Erin. After speaking with other parents who are struggling with helping their kids make a smooth transition from high school to college, I am especially grateful that my family had her invaluable support.

My main concerns about the college transfer process were identifying the right school for our son…read moreand completing the applications in a way that best and accurately reflected him. Through our collaboration, Erin was able to guide us toward great schools that would be the right fit for our son. Her familiarity with the transfer process helped to reassure us that we were on the right track. We found the support in choosing schools to apply to and guidance in completing the Common Application most effective. We also found the assistance in essay topic selection and support through the writing process very helpful. I think having her work with us allowed our son to take ownership of his process and helped keep healthy and less stressful communication between us. I absolutely would recommend Innovative Education Partners and working with Erin. The college application process is a labyrinth, and having her guide us through it was invaluable

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.

I've been receiving tutoring and college counseling at C2 for three years and it is has helped me…read moreimprove my grades, test scores, and get into top colleges. Their friendly and skilled tutors were able to help me increase my SAT score and earn 5's and 4's on nine AP exams. The tutors are very understanding and always willing to help you out wherever you struggle. The 2-hour tutoring sessions are very intimate, and extremely helpful if you struggle with Physics, Calculus, or Computer Science. Their tutors know everything! If you need a college counselor, C2 has it all. Their college counselors and essay writing tutors were very receptive and accessible throughout my college application process. Having access to their expertise and advice significantly improved my college essays and made my college application experience less stressful. With the amazing help of C2 I was able to get into USC, my dream school, and many other top schools. Having the constant support of C2's college counselors and tutors throughout these three years have completely transformed my academic career and was worth every penny.

My son and nephew attend C2 Education of Torrance for college essay help, SAT prep, and college…read moreapplication help. They are both seniors applying to college. Staff is very helpful and the center is very organized and well run. I appreciate Leon and Alyssa's help in making this time less stressful and keeping us informed. I highly recommend their services.