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.

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!

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.

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 !!!

It's been 4+ years since I wrote my initial review of Blue Train and I've had 1 more kid go through…read morethe college admission process. I'm just as happy with Blue Train now as I was in my previous review. Both my kids got into their #1 colleges thanks in part to Scott's assistance and we're again working with Blue Train and Scott for my 3rd kid. Blue Train and Scott are the best! I've referred several friends to them and my friends have all been really happy.

If you are struggling with your application process, CONTACT DR. SHEMMASSIAN ACADEMIC CONSULTING…read moreRIGHT NOW! I came to know Dr. Shemmassian when I was applying to graduate dental schools and I was so lost in the process. Dr. Shemmasian and Ellen Hoang are definitely the most trusted and professional admission consultants I have ever worked with and I would recommend them to anyone who is applying in a heartbeat. Their expertise is beyond what words can describe and reaching out to them was undoubtedly the best decision I made. My essay writing sucks, even in my mother tongue, let alone in English and I was too frustrated by spending a lot of money on my statement without getting a satisfying result. While completely hopeless for being able to meet the deadlines, I reached out to Dr. Shemmasian. From that moment on, Dr. Shemmasian and his amazing team of consultants have made me feel like I am not alone in this stressful process and helped me with every step of my application. They even came up with a custom plan and multiple payment options to make the process even easier. Dr. Shemmassian paired me with Ellen Hoang and she certainly hasn't disappointed, but in fact, has exceeded my expectations. While guiding me through various steps of writing a winning statement, Ellen not only helped me write my ideal statement but also helped making the whole application process much easier. Her magical work made meeting the deadlines possible and restored my hope and confidence. THANK YOU SO MUCH DR. SHEMMASIAN & ELLEN HOANG FOR THE AMAZING SERVICE AND INVALUABLE SUPPORT YOU PROVIDED. YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY THE BEST.

Shemmassian Consulting ISN'T WORTH IT! Do yourself a favor and save your money by eliminating him…read moreas the middleman. Shirag bends over backwards sending you referrals, calling dozens of times even as late as 9pm and sending countless emails convincing you to sign up with SAC. Convincing us to trust him, he promised to personally and directly be involved in my daughter's application, but once we signed up, we NEVER HEARD FROM HIM AGAIN. I honestly can't quantify the amount of involvement he actually had and there certainly was no direct advice. Shemmassian is a great business man that has done an amazing job compiling free information that is out there to market himself as a leading authority in the Medical School Application process but that is all he is - a great business man that knows how to prey on, market to and convince anxiety ridden med school applicants and their parents into signing up with him. He knows exactly how to exploit our fears that the AMCAS application and cycle brings and will say and do anything to make you sign up for a plan. However make no mistake - Dr Shemmassian IS NO MORE THAN A FACILITATOR BETWEEN EDITORS AND RESIDENT DR's that have no time for you. We paid for one of his top plans expecting his direct personal help and advice (expectations and concerns that were made VERY clear via phone conversations and emails prior to signing up) but we literally got zero . Emails I can't show due to word count. Skip SAC and go to Fiverr or Leland because you will find great Editors, AdCom experienced Dr's or both that work directly with you for THOUSANDS LESS. Then all you need to do is pay a la carte for the interview prep from wherever you want. You will seriously save tons of money this way and find equally capable editors and advisors. Don't pay the premium for Shemmassian's name because all you're paying for is for him to be the middleman. And for those of you that still want a comprehensive plan - I would go to Med School Coach. They have A LOT more experienced staff and experienced advisors to work with than Shemmassian does which we didn't realize until it came to interview prep time. Writing Editor - My daughter liked her writing advisor but there was NO direct input on my daughter's content from her actual Dr advisor in terms of "focus on this, write about this, say this not that etc etc" - not even for his own school that he was a supposed AdCom member of (Hopkins). Once my daughter determined the direction of her essays and crafted them, her writing advisor helped her to rephrase things and refine it for grammar, sentence structure and flow. We appreciated the suggestion she did make, the schedule she kept her on and the reminders she provided like updating her AMCAS mid cycle but again her actual advisor had very little input and Shemmassian had absolutely NONE. Interview Prep - Future applicants - buy the interview prep session ala cart. You'll not only save money but also have control on how many hours of prep time you need and which companies you get that help from. Also DON'T PREPAY FOR INTERVIEW PREP FROM ANYONE'S COMBO PLAN (esp SAC) until you get interviews. You don't know how many interview invites you will get and end up wasting money. If you are considering SAC - know that they are seriously lacking in Dr's/staff from higher tiered med schools so if you are prepping for top tier schools avoid SAC completely if possible. Before signing up we made sure to confirm that Dr. Shemmassian had advisors from top tier schools because we wanted to ensure that during interview prep time, my daughter had the experience and knowledge of various advisors from T10 schools to help her with interview prep. However when it came to actual interview prep, my daughter only had her main advisor from Hopkins because there was no one else from those T10 schools that could work with her. We feel like that was a bait and switch situation by Shirag and as a result, she only used 6 hours as it was restricted to one person thereby making it NOT WORTH the price we were conned into paying for the whole plan. In conclusion - Find experienced editors and advisors to help with the med school process but DO NOT USE SHEMMASSIAN CONSULTING! After locking you in, he just moves on to signing up the next cycle's victim's/income pool. My daughter and I regret using SAC instead of any of our other choices because Shirag personally brought NOTHING to the table to help her with AMCAS applications to warrant his EXORBITANT FEES and her "advisor" Dr Wang barely had time for her. We paid a crazy amount of money due to Shemmassian's lies of personal help which we never got and although the writing advisor my daughter worked with was good, SAC itself wasn't worth the hard earned money we disappointingly paid Shemmassian. Daughters Stats - 4.0 Dual Degree B.S and B.A, MCAT 519, Preview 9/9, Publications and Presentations - Several, Thousands of hours of research, clinical experience and volunteer work, 1 Gap yr.

Through the guidance of Mr. Kumar, my son was admitted to highly competitive universities such as…read moreUCLA and UC Berkeley. Before working with him, we faced significant challenges navigating the college application process due to our lack of experience. However, through his help he not only helped us understand the process but ensured that my son was able to collect and present his strengths in the most effective way possible. We are extremely grateful for his help since this is a very vital part in my child's journey

Mr. Kumar is not only knowledgeable, proficient, and efficient, but he is also very kind,…read morecompassionate and empathetic during the whole process. He has made a world of a difference for our family. His efforts are more than appreciated and we can not recommend him enough! Thank you!

We interviewed a couple of college counselors before we decided to work with Genevieve. My…read moredaughter, who was anxious about the whole college process (as were we) , felt at ease with her right away and decided that she wanted to work with Genevieve. From the first day they worked together during her Junior Spring semester, all through Summer and Senior Fall semester, my daughter felt supported, informed, and on top of the whole college process. There was open communication between all of us and Genevieve was able to keep us all on schedule with the application process. My daughter felt empowered and confident and was able to turn in all her applications early so that she was able to relax and enjoy her Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks. I can't say enough about how professional, organized, thorough and knowledgeable Genevieve is about the ever-changing college application process. We are very grateful to her for her guidance and expertise. My daughter enjoyed working with her and we. as parents, appreciated having the pressure taken off of us. If you are looking for a professional college counselor, Genevieve is the Best!!!

Dr Morgan was an invaluable resource for us during the college admission process. She was very…read moreknowledgable about the process, infinitely respectful of the stress students are under during this time, and broke the whole process down into manageable steps. She listened to my son and to us, was always available to answer questions, and was honest about managing my son's expectations and understanding his potential. She broke down his applications into reach/target/safety schools, guided him in his essay writing, and helped him figure out where he wanted to go by offering suggestions and asking intentional questions. I honestly don't know how we would have survived the college application process without her. Truly, working with Genevieve was a life saver and I am so grateful!

It is worth every penny to have an outside expert overseeing the college application process. We…read morehave had all three of our kids use Mosaic--and would do it all over again!

I have been a client of Julie since 2007…read more She has helped me achieve a well rounded and polished resume and application that has helped me stand out among other applicants in competitive areas. Her attention to detail, kindness, and willingness to work with you step by step is rivaled by no other. From prep school, college, graduate school, and successfully matching into the residency of my dreams Julie has been there all the way. I have and will continue to recommend her to friends and family

I've used Test Bootcamp from the first days of LSAT tutoring all the way until I got my…read moreacceptances, and I couldn't be happier. Jimmy is stellar at his job and surpassed even my greatest expectations. I got the scholarship money, acceptance, and location for my dream law school, all thanks to him! I will be heading to Columbia with a very generous scholarship. Yay!

From the owner: LSAT preparation and law school admissions counselingread more

After taking the GRE for the first time and not scoring to the level that I was looking for, I was…read morerecommended by a close friend to seek a private tutor through Twainstein. This could not have been a better choice, as working with Avi Lidgi proved to be what I needed to take the next step in improving my score. After working with Avi for three sessions (three weeks), I was able to improve my GRE score by 13 points (V158 Q159 to V166 Q164) into the 90th%s. While the resources and study materials were certainly useful, Avi's expertise on GRE-style questions and strategy for approaching these questions were invaluable in improving my score beyond what I could have done myself in this short period of time. Many of the questions that I considered highly difficult became simplified and approachable under his tutelage. During the test, this saved me many precious minutes to check my logical reasoning in both the verbal and quantitative sections. As such, I highly recommend Twainstein to any individuals or groups seeking improvement in their GRE test scores. The test is an excellent opportunity to anyone seeking to advance their education, and this test preparation organization offers an exciting way to achieve even greater success.

TLDR; Twainstein was quite possibly one of my greatest finds on Yelp. Highly recommend for GRE…read moretutor services. Money well spent. Over the past year I decided to pursue a career change that would require taking the GRE (/ hiring a tutor) and getting accepted to grad school. Being budget conscious, the first thing I noticed was that Twainstein's services weren't cheap, in fact they were wayyy out of my price range. However after doing some research, reading some reviews, having a pressure-free consult with Avi, and deciding that the best investment I could make was in my education, I made the leap. Best. Decision. Ever. Over the course of a month and half, Avi and I worked together to improve my confidence and test-taking strategy/abilities (Dare I say i'm no longer afraid of fractions?). He was patient, observant and tailored our sessions to my needs. I put in a lot of effort inside and outside of our sessions, and he did the same for me. I also really appreciated his routine checkins, his availability, speedy email responses, and his comprehensive approach to the exam. If you are slow to learn, have a LD like myself, or just lack the confidence, please don't let that deter you from taking the exam! You can achieve your goal score like I did with hard work and proper guidance, which is why I highly recommend Avi and his team.

I joined A1 in the spring of my junior year, and it completely changed how I approached my college…read moreapplications. The weekly essay workshops that started in early summer were super helpful. What I loved most was getting feedback from different teachers each week - they all brought unique ideas to the table and helped me make my essays much better. One thing that really helped was how organized A1 was with deadlines. They laid out a clear schedule that made sure we finished everything way ahead of time, which took away so much stress. My monthly meetings with the counselors, Ryan and Esther, were amazing - they helped me figure out which schools to apply to, what major would be the best fit, and how to tell my story through my essays. I also worked closely with Maddie teacher on my resume and UC activity list. She helped me make sure I included all my important experiences and achievements in the best way possible. Even though I ended up getting into NYU through early decision (which meant I didn't need my other applications), I'm so glad I had everything ready to go well before the deadlines for any outcome that could have happened. Looking back, I wouldn't be where I am today without A1's help. The teachers really cared about my success, and they gave me all the tools and support I needed to put together strong applications. I'm really grateful for all their help!

Ryan teachers guidance has been instrumental in shaping my journey through college preparation…read more From acquainting me with the diverse spectrum of colleges during my freshman year to refining my ideas and essays as a senior, he and the other teachers walked with me every step of the way, making sure I was on the right path. Their unwavering support and commitment have been invaluable, and I am profoundly grateful for their tireless efforts. Tutoring at A1 has also been one of the biggest key to getting into my dream school. From taking the SSAT to prepare for my high school entrance exam to tutoring me on any of my weak skills in school subjects to helping me reach my SAT goals for college, their tutoring has been pivotal in achieving my academic aspirations. I've received not only important math skills and knowledge from Peace teacher (the best), but also crucial study habits and practices that'll help me beyond my academic journey. Their genuine dedication and earnest commitment have been transformative, and I owe them a debt of gratitude. Thank you so much A1!!