I took lessons with Paul 5 years ago. I was 30 years old. I had never driven and I was as scared as…read moreany new driver could be. Paul helped me from day 1 where we didn't even use the gas pedal, just coasting, to my driver's license exam. I did pass on my first try! He gave tips and tricks that would help for the exam as well as driving in real life. He was firm/assertive when needed but I also felt safe and comfortable as a terrified driver. He made me step outside of my comfort zone. He loaned me his sunglasses when I couldn't see. Because of Paul's help, I am able to work jobs that involve driving. I can now drive giant diesel trucks and haul trailers for work. Yesterday I drove 420 miles in one day. While I will never be a carefree driver, I attribute my driving success to Paul and First Pass Driving. I am eternally grateful for his help.

Changing my rating to one star just because of how the owner responded. It seems he would rather…read moregrasp for straws rather than just take criticism constructively. Also the fact that he refused to address any of the points I brought up, but instead decided to shift blame onto me in a somewhat generic manner. He gave typical responses for why someone wouldn't do well, but can't bring up specific examples. He didn't even pick pronouns when addressing me. It seriously makes me question if he even knows who he's talking to. Also how many students have had similar experiences. Is the problem truly them? Or is he just making up excuses to cover his rear?

The process for scheduling behind the wheel lessons is beyond frustrating and extremely…read moreinefficient. For reference I had two other children go through their school's behind the wheel program. They were contacted and all 3 behind the wheel sessions were scheduled at once. They communicated with us when one of my children hadn't scheduled yet, to let us know they'd expire soon. However, at Safeway they let my sons expire, without communicating this. I had to call and pay $50 to extend it. I then tried to schedule these lessons online but as soon as they're released, they're gone. I called to explain how tedious and inefficient this process is and was told he could get on the schedule for a Tuesday at 12:15 during school. I explained how ridiculous that is and was offered one more appointment for a month later a few cities away. I took it and then wanted to schedule the other two lessons. I was told no, I would have to wait until the end of the month again and try to get in when everyone else is and the appointments are gone fast! And then I would have to do that again the next month! I requested a refund so I can do behind the wheel lessons elsewhere. Supposedly I'll be getting a check for $150 in the mail. I will be reporting this scam of a business to the better business bureau as well. Not only do they have a ridiculous process: they also don't apologize for it and just repeat the same information without hearing the issues for what they are. Do not go here for behind the wheel lessons! Save yourself the hours I spent trying to get what I paid for.

This isn't a location specific review, but a review of how the company operates overall,…read morespecifically related to the scheduling and completion of behind the wheel "lessons." We had no problem with the classroom portion, and I would consider that route again for my next teen when she's ready to begin. The company takes on far more students than they have driving instructors for, which ends up requiring you call to try to schedule a lesson, then drive an hour to a lesson site. If you need to reschedule a lesson you are required to give at least 24 hours notice (which doesn't include weekend hours, so you'd need to cancel Friday for a Monday lesson) or pay an extra fine. However, they can cancel last minute without hesitation. We received a cancelation notice 2.5 hours prior to a lesson. If you don't want the inconvenience of driving an hour away for lessons because your area fills up, you will be charged a fee for extending the time it takes to complete the three behind the wheel sessions if it takes longer than a year from the day you sign up for the classroom portion. One might think a year is plenty of time, and it may be for families with two parents, one job, one kid, and no after school activities. However, if you juggle multiple kids/jobs/schedules/sports/after school activities, you may be putting a LOT of time into trying to make it work with Safeway. Also, know ahead of time that the lessons are evaluations, there is no instruction happening. Make sure your driver is proficient and able to pass their behind the wheel test before you start scheduling the behind the wheel sessions. All they do is go down a list of skills and check off whether the driver is proficient yet or not. I'm told by the person in the office that it's left to the individual instructor how they conduct a session, meaning there is no consistency, and no expectations from the driving instructors--may the odds be ever in your favor. If you have ANY other option for driving lessons, I would choose those. If you have no other option, love frustration, and you're ready to make getting your teen their license a part-time job, go with Safeway.

Mez was a great teacher and really helped me hone my skills ahead of my test. I'm a very nervous…read moredriver who had previously failed the test, and he was very helpful in getting me to practice the skills I needed to work on the most! He was very available to schedule on short notice and provided great instruction. After 2 lessons, I have passed the road test and am now a licensed driver!

I had a wonderful experience with Sunrise driving school. I failed the driving test a couple of…read moretimes before enrolling in an actual driving school, but Mez helped me pass my test. He explained to me what my mistakes were and worked on correcting those mistakes. He was able to explain everything I needed to do for me to pass my exam. He was strict, but he was the best driving teacher. He helped me gain confidence and get comfortable driving on the actual road. I highly recommend Sunrise Driving School (especially if you came from a different state/country, as Minnesota has its own laws and regulations). It's a lifetime investment, and it's worth every penny. If you're struggling with your driving test, consider enrolling in a driving school like Sunrise. With the help of an experienced instructor, you, too, can pass your test and gain the confidence to drive safely on the road. Thank you so much, Mez!

We've run into the same problems as everyone else. No calls, no shows, bad service. Then they go…read moreout of business. Everyone should check with the State of MN about collecting on their bond. We went with A+ Driving School for a discounted price on lessons. They were great to work with and really helped us out of a bind. They got our child in within a week and were right on time.

This company has filed for bankruptcy. They are affiliated with AAA and there will be a hearing for…read morethose looking for money and AAA memberships owed.

I highly recommend this school. The receptionists are very polite and nice on the phone…read more I had Bob for my instructor. He was very patient and helped me with reverse parking and parallel parking. I was unable to do this before, despite countless nights practicing with my family. After one 2hr lesson, I was successfully able to park.

I called to scheduled my appointment and spoke with a male (Tony)- sounded like the owner. He was…read moreso kind, talked to me about the process it was amazing. On the day of my appointment (9:00) no one showed up, it was snowing so I though, maybe they are late. I waited until 9:30 when the office opened and said "I had an appointment and no one is here yet, just wanted to check in". The women on the phone had a very rude tone and said. "Well your payment didn't go through so we weren't going to send someone with our payment. We called you and your husband and left you both voice messages." I let her know that I didn't have any missed calls or voice messages and that my husband did have a missed call from them but no voice message. She said "well I know there were messages because I personally left them, so we weren't going to send anyone over. We gave you until yesterday to call us back, and because your payment didn't go through, we aren't going to schedule anything with you" I responded saying,"I can see why you would think I wasn't interested if you said you called and left messages and didn't hear from me, however, no messages were left so I had no idea you still needed payment or what you cancelled my appointment". [I was trying to be understanding, while still being confused about these so called message]. I continued and asked if we can move forward with scheduling something in the future. She said "Well you would need to pay the missed appointment and pay for a new appointment and because your card didn't go through, I REALLY doubt you would want to do that". I said, "I was willing to pay for both appointments but because your tone was rude and condescending and the customer service your providing me is uncalled for" I added "when I called and scheduled my first appointment, the man I spoke with was wonderful" then she said, "yeah, he called and left the message with your husband" so I responded "BUT you said you personally left both messages". She continued to be rude to me and speaking to me as if I didn't have the funds to pay them so how could I possible be interested in them. Midway, do yourself a favor and get a new "office manager"! Who by the way when asked for her name she said it was "office manager" and when asked to speak to her supervisor she continue to say that she was "the office manager". She is loosing you business.

If I could give 0 stars, I would. Awful experience. We could not get an appointment for behind the…read morewheel for MONTHS and DOUG yelled at my child and demanded contract fees FROM MY CHILD in the car at the start of the lesson. NOTHING was said to us about any fees, which were out of our control being they did not have availability. Lessons are not private as advertised, but with a car full of other children. One female instructor yelled at my child which caused huge anxiety about driving. I don't care if I lose my money at this point but I'm pulling my child out. DO NOT RECOMMEND!

Make sure you keep your receipt's of your appointments as sessions can be cancelled with very short…read moreto no notice or no shows. This may subsequent to other fees even though it's not your fault. Communicate with the staff and double check. Be mindful of time intervals between getting your permit and drivers license to avoid additional fees. They provide the tools necessary to get your license but be aware of these additional things.

I attended this school for 13 years, from my first day in Prima to graduation. It is the only…read moreschool I ever knew, and because of that, I feel I can offer a perspective that balances both the praise and criticism found in many reviews. This has always been a demanding school. Its purpose is to prepare students for college, and that preparation begins long before high school. For some students and families, that level of rigor can feel overwhelming. However, I have also seen tremendous growth occur when both students and parents commit themselves to the challenge. There often comes a point where students either learn to thrive within those expectations or struggle to keep pace. The potential for growth is there, but it requires effort from everyone involved. That said, rigor alone does not make a school perfect. My least favorite period was Logic (middle school). During those years, I often felt less like an individual and more like a number. The environment sometimes felt focused on monitoring, correcting, and containing students rather than understanding them. Discipline was extremely strict--even something as small as chewing gum in class was prohibited--yet Logic was still the least well-behaved division in my experience. While the curriculum was strong and prepared students well for high school, it was also the least enjoyable stage of my education. Rhetoric (high school) felt like a more refined, though sometimes stranger, version of Logic. Freshmen and sophomores were often treated similarly to middle school students, while juniors and seniors were given considerably more freedom. In my graduating class, nearly everyone already knew each other, which made it difficult to form new friendships. I also noticed a sharp difference in how students were treated as they got older. Students who were trusted more often behaved better, while those who felt heavily policed tended to push back. That dynamic sometimes created tension between grade levels. As for special education services, my experience varied depending on the year. During my time at the school, education as a whole was experiencing significant staffing challenges, and several teachers either left or were removed from their positions. My experiences in Grammar and Rhetoric were very positive, while Logic was more turbulent. The staff members I worked with were caring people with good intentions. While I cannot speak for every student's experience, my needs in high school were met and often exceeded. Overall, this is a strong school. If your primary goal is a rigorous education that prepares students well for college, it delivers. However, the social environment can sometimes create unnecessary stress for students who are already facing significant academic demands. It is neither a perfect school nor a deeply flawed one. More than anything, it is a lifestyle choice--a decision about how you want your children to be educated and influenced during the years when you are not around.

So everyone who comments for this school on Yelp is either a kid who's probably flunking their…read moretests or a mom getting angry, so let me clear this up for the parents who are worried: this school is actually really good, speaking from experience. The teachers are super nice in Middle School, can't say the same for Elementary though, and the high school teachers are pretty strict but still kind-hearted. The education is pretty top-tier, and kids who go to this school probably have higher chances of getting into Ivy League schools. Sure, the food isn't that good, but it's decent and edible, and the same thing you'll find at any public school. They give us a lot of homework, which, I'll be honest, made me crash out at the start, but I've gotten used to it, and it's actually made me more open-minded and active. And the uniforms are a bit expensive but the material is super nice, lasts long, and looks super classy. The school has a vast community of scholars from various communities and ethnicities, and everyone is so accepting and funny! Sure, there are some bad kids, but name one school where there isn't. The teachers really care about their students, and the school nurse is super professional and friendly. Overall, I'd say it's a pretty decent school. Better than public school, that's for sure! (I took time out of my day to write this, and I think the way I wrote it should give you a little first impression on how writing class changed me)