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.

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.

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 had a fantastic meeting with Barbara and our daughter who is a rising Junior at PVHS. She is a…read moregreat resource and really took the time to get to know our daughter. She knows the school district and has a great grasp of the testing, college, and university landscape.

I got into every UC campus I applied to, which includes UCLA, UCSD, UCI, and UCSB. She was…read moresupportive throughout the process and provided amazing guidance when I was writing my responses for the Personal Insight Questions. She was flexible and willing to tailor to my needs.

I got into my 1st choice and dream school! Kathryn was key in getting me in. She gave me crucial…read moreadvise and helped navigate and edit my personal essay. She is a real pro and undoubtedly the best college counselor!

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!

Kim Girard is what every college student needs! That's why I send parents immediately to Kim when…read morethey are concerned about their child and want the money they are spending on their education to really matter. Then, I look smart because my referrals are happy. I am a success coach for mid-late life professionals, and while I am a very experienced coach, I know nothing when it comes to this group. When a parent calls me, I immediately head them to Kim, because oddly, most parents aren't really all that well equipped either. Kim, while a well educated adult herself, has a way of understanding how to reach, motivate and bring these students to their highest performance - and them liking it. It is a unique gift and not a lot of coaches have it. If you're looking at any form of higher education for your student, I suggest you contact Kim and get her on your team right away. She's a key to their success and to you sleeping well at night.

Kim helped my daughter with her college plans! She absolutely changed her whole mindset...When she…read morestarted working with my daughter, Kim helped change her mind about quitting school...Haley went on to get her AA and her self confidence increased greatly! My daughter is not very social and usually doesn't work well with others however, she thought Kim was awesome! Thank you Kim!

I have been a academic tutor for 10 years from college to high school. The school sought me out to…read morefill a tutoring role in which than they completely stepped back and said they actually weren't filling the position. Incredibly disrespectful to me or any other candidates time. I can't say how tutoring is but if this is how they treat those willing to join their team. I can't say much.

Fantastic place, so wonderful to see my daughter feel more relaxed towards maths and not worried as…read moreshe was before! We will be continuing throughout the year! Thank you C2 so much!!!!

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.

So grateful I found this company. Turned stressful evenings of homework with 2 boys into peaceful…read moreevenings we all looked forward to.

Joseph Tillotson has been instrumental in getting my son to learn and understand pre-calculus. He…read moreis committed in ensuring his students are learning the material and is consistent in his teaching method. You cannot go wrong with hiring Joseph. Worth the investment!!