"...the most competitive college-applications year on record" Wall Street Journal 4/23/22…read more Rebecca Field has been a godsend. Thanks to her exceptional guidance, both of my girls (twins) were accepted into several of their top choice schools. While I don't know how we would would have fared had I not called Rebecca, I can say that before the phone call I had spent quite a lot of time worrying, while making 0% progress, and I was feeling a sense of panic and dread. Afterwards, I felt a wave of relief. Hiring a college counselor is pricey, but here's why, especially in hindsight, we thought is was well worth it. The main benefit was that I was able extricate myself from the process, and avoid the inevitable struggles of trying get my teenage offspring to listen to me. We started the process in January of 2021, when my girls were in their Junior year of high school. Where I had failed, Rebecca convinced my girls to beef up their resumes. That year and the following summer were filled with relevant jobs, extra-curricular activities, pre-college mentoring programs, and summer internships. This alone was a huge accomplishment and I think a major factor in their acceptance letters. We were pretty set on applying to out-of-state colleges. For me, thumbing through several phone book sized "Guide to College" books, and trying to navigate the Naviance website was overwhelming. Rebecca broke things down into bite-sized chunks, gave the girls doable weekly assignments that included researching colleges, writing their personal statements and essays, and keeping them top of deadlines. My daughter says that without Rebecca, she would not have been nearly as organized and diligent in her college search. In the end, my girls received offers from several competitive schools such as University of Washington, Boston University, UC Berkeley and University of Chicago. We really liked Rebecca Field's approach and methodology. We could not have made it through the process without her. I recommend her wholeheartedly.

Our family cannot say enough good things about Rebecca. Through tools, and texts and reminders,…read moreand productive calls, she enabled our son to identify his targets and to organize his activities and jobs on how best to present to the colleges. It was well worth the money, as it can be more productive to have a caring third party (other than the parents!), for the kid to listen to and ask questions. We as parents were still active in the process, as well as his high school college counselor, but Rebecca was the key glue in the process and really helped drive the milestones (that start in the Junior Year). Our son was accepted to over 10 schools, and accepted a spot at his top choice, a top university in Boston.

Mrs. Keller has been helping me with my essays and has greatly improved the quality of my writing…read more Whereas I would previously struggle to respond to some topics, Mrs. Keller has helped me come up with exceptional essays, even when presented with seemingly difficult-to-write-about prompts. Additionally, she helped bring out the creativity within me, always giving me pointers, but making sure that I was the one writing. Due to this technique, I have seen a long-term improvement in my writing, even when she is not present. Additionally, Mrs. Keller is very kind and welcoming. Right from the very first session, I, despite being relatively introverted, felt comfortable working with Mrs. Keller. Due to her approachable nature, she was able to learn about my interests and help me incorporate them into my essays, further personalizing them. She has really helped to bring out my voice and develop me into a better writer. Overall, Mrs. Keller is a must-have for essay-writing and I would definitely recommend her services!

We have used Ms. Keller's services to help our son with his college application essays and it has…read morebeen a very pleasant and beneficial experience. Ms. Keller was very approachable, patient and showed a genuine interest to find out about our son's personality and interests and used that information to connect with him. She empowered him to think independently and encouraged him to be different and unique. She used to have interactive sessions with our son giving him feedback on his work but making him do his own edits which helped him by making his writing stronger. The quality of work that we see from him is now at a different level. She was able to bring out his inner thoughts and get them reflected in his essays in his own voice. We really appreciate her help and would definitely recommend her to others.

I found Marisa's writing workshop when I was craving structure and reintegrating creative…read moreexpression into my daily life. I found both. Inspired by Marisa's dedication and encouragement, I once again began to write and meditate daily and reconnected to a creative flow that I was missing. I'm grateful for the rigor she brought to each meeting. In addition to the well planned arch of each class, and the workshop as a whole, Marisa did an incredible job of offering 4-5 writing practices between sessions to give us a range of options to keep us engaged. Two months after her workshop ended, I committed to writing a book and am drawing on material produced in her class. If you are looking for a teacher that integrates mindfulness and embodiment into the class exercises, you've found her. :)

Working with Marisa one-on-one was an exciting, clarifying, and empowering experience…read more The wonderful suggestions she made for strengthening my work were always preceded by a plethora of caring and well-thought-out observations of the good things already evident there. Her ideas also felt like they never limited my choices, but rather served to shine a light on different possible avenues I could take in my revisions and future projects. She pointed out what was well-written without sparing me the rigor of a professional-grade critique of how my underlying goals might be served even better. We clarified my goals and intentions together, in an atmosphere of trust and good will. I was struck by how Marisa flows from one point to the next during discussions--her mind moves in ways that are consistently smooth, smart, and profoundly respectful of the work. The way she approached my work (and myself as its author) made richly evident the skills she developed during her years as an MFA student at the prestigious University of Iowa Writing Workshops. Marisa helped me to tackle technically challenging structural and thematic dimensions of my work as well as managing to allow me simply to hear and to embrace my writing voice more fully. She offered suggestions of craft books to read that would further support my writing process. Without giving me inflated expectations, she inspired me to pursue an MFA of my own, which I begin this year! Moving forward in my writing life, I feel I have been blessed, empowered, and expertly guided toward greater growth, fulfillment, and success.

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.

Mary Rakow is top notch in her editing and insight. She took on my manuscript and provided me with…read moreprompt, succinct suggestions and positive commentary. I am further motivated to revise and improve my story in new ways.

My 11 year old son "hates" writing... unfortunately he wasn't getting enough guidance and…read moreinstruction at school and so I enrolled him in this BAWP weekly program for kids in Berkeley. It was a 10 week course, 2 hours per week. At first, he was very grumpy with the concept and angry at me for enrolling him. After two weeks, however, I witnessed an amazing transformation. His confidence in his writing increased exponentially and his enthusiasm for writing followed suit. He actually said he enjoyed the program and the various writing exercises and games they used to help each child expand their abilities. The group used many different tactics to draw the student's' interest and encourage creativity. One week the group walked to a nearby museum and were asked to write about a piece of art that inspired them. They also took a walking tour the neighborhood to find inspiration for stories and poems. I can't say enough good things about this program and the Berkeley instructors. For "graduation" each child was asked to read an excerpt of their work for parents and friends. It was amazing! The instructors were kind, enthusiastic and incredibly talented teachers. Both were life-long writers and both clearly loved to work with young people. Overall, it was an incredibly positive experience and I will be looking for more camps and programs from BAWP in the future.

BAWP San Ramon Staff is kind. The high school campus is nice and safe for kids…read more However, this is NOT an enrichment program for kids, it is just a summer kid fun, 3-hour daycare. They group 3 levels "6+7+8" into groups in the library; the higher levels actually gain nothing during the 3 weeks, just "poem and craft book". The tuition is $500 plus $50 registration fee. On the first day of school this year, a teacher asked all parents if any students here today attended last summer BAWP program? Absolutely NO one showed hand! Thank you.

Beats me as to why I didn't write a review earlier. I've written with Teresa in her workshops for…read moreover 14 years, and I look forward to writing with the group every Wednesday. That time slot has become a sacred time for me. Teresa is funny, kind, astute, and a dedicated teacher ( and so talented) who encourages one to write deeply and honestly. One feels nourished in this space. She has written books and essays that speak volumes of her excellence in craft and the art of narration. I feel so honored and grateful to have met her and to have been able to write with her. Thank you Teresa! You're really one of a kind! https://teresaburnsgunther.com

Teresa is a naturally gifted writing teacher and coach. She makes it look possible to get yourself…read moreon the page. High recommendation. I've had several writing coaches throughout the years

Shohreh is a true miracle worker! I never in my life thought a foreign language class was something…read morethat I could do until I found French Farsi Without Tears. When I first arrived I was expecting textbooks, work sheets, and a long list of words to memorize - however this was far from the case. What I found was a small, friendly, and inviting group of classmates that together, through many small conversations and lessons, began to pick up Farsi. From practice scenarios, eating great Persian food, and talking with classmates I got the true immersion experience! While the curriculum is not very dry, stressful, or overly intensive, I was surprised by how fast everything went. After just the first class I was reading, writing, and even doing some speaking! Before I knew it, I felt like I was having full conversations in Farsi without even thinking about it and it felt so natural. Looking forward to continuing my Farsi learning experience in Shohreh's advance classes!

Shohreh is one of the best teachers I have had in my entire (not just adult) life. Her enthusiasm…read moretowards teaching creates such a friendly and positive environment toward learning Farsi. She does so well with making sure you absorb all of the lessons in a thorough yet gentle fashion. The class' approach to the technical side of the language is very good and what you need to build a foundation. But what made the class so interesting is Shohreh's insights into Persian culture and history during lessons which will in turn teach you the artistic side of the language. Teaching both makes me feel like I have not just learned, but I understand, the language. Also as a non-Persian learning for fun because my wife speaks Farsi and is Persian, the class has provided insights into her and her family I greatly appreciate and would not have gotten out of an app. My recommendation could not be higher for Shohreh and her program.