We had terrible experience with Crimson. I was with them for 4 years unfortunately. I was expecting…read morethem to help build profile so that college admissions can get smoother. I just realized that they were upselling some of their products which resulted in no real outcome. No clear advice was given to pick right universities or majors in last year which ended up with large rejections. Also, everything was pushed to last minute and decisions were made in hurry. I guess the strategist are too busy with too many students.

My personal experience with this business as a potential client was the worst I ever had. This…read morecompany acted in bad faith towards me, ethnically profiled me, was unable to handle the simplest things, and did nothing to fix their bias and obvious mishandling of the situation. A few months ago, we started looking at the market of education consultant businesses to find someone who could help us, a fresh immigrant family with teens, navigate the complex world of American higher education. After several Crimson webinars, I decided to join their Facebook group, which they solicit at every webinar. Not a big deal, right? Just answer a few simple questions, including an odd one about where you live, and you're in. Not so fast. Long story short, I was declined several times (I kept applying because I could never imagine they were rejecting me repeatedly). The reason they finally condescended to provide was that they checked my Facebook profile to verify my location and found that I "live in RUSSIA!" Can you imagine anything more daunting or criminal than having that on your Facebook profile? So, once again: a business solicits you to join its group, and when you do, indicating several times that you live in the US (a requirement for acceptance), its representatives rush to your Facebook profile to double-check if you're telling the truth. Can you imagine making decisions based on Facebook profile info? Your nanny, Crimson Education, requires you to keep your Facebook profile updated, peasant! The irony? Four out of six moderators don't have any location information on their profiles. I bet many of the 4,000 group members either have incorrect locations, locked profiles, or no location at all. It's 2024, after all. I believe the only reason to decline me was that I'm from Russia. 'Russian bots' moral panic, or something similar. They applied their made-up rule to me personally because I'm Russian. They didn't reach out to clarify. They didn't provide a reason for declining until I started questioning them directly in the Facebook form, which isn't a convenient way to converse. And they not only declined my applications, filled out in good faith with correct information - they banned me after I started questioning their mishandling of the situation. No business has ever handled me with such outrageous disrespect and humiliation. I even sent a message to the company's main email asking for help. Guess what? I never received a response or support. They can't handle simple, everyday situations. They make up artificial rules, don't follow them, treat you with disrespect, and never admit their mistakes. They don't change their outrageous behavior or correct it, let alone apologize to you. Now, tell me, how can these people help kids get into the Ivies if they're unable to get parents into their own Facebook group?

Without question, engaging Scott was the most valuable educational investment I made to support my…read morechild. It's not cheap, but the outcome is extraordinary. The impact Scott had on my son went well beyond college essay preparation/production. Pre-Scott, my son could barely write a coherent sentence and through the magic of Scott's teaching methodology and in a relatively short timeframe, the improvement was dramatic. The counsel, candid discussions, and direction Scott provided paid huge dividends in the classroom and in daily written communication (emails, texts). My son became a more confident writer and student which of course, carried over to everyday life. As he heads-off to college in the fall (UCLA), I'm forever grateful to Scott for the life-changing role he played in preparing my son for the next chapter and beyond.

Scott worked with my daughter during her senior year to help with her college applications and…read moreessays. He guided us through the entire process and went above and beyond on the deadline days. Scott helped my daughter think through her experiences and interests and figure out how to apply them to all the different application prompts and questions. He was dependable and present in all of their sessions to make sure the work got done. My daughter really struggles with deadlines and time management and Scott was really patient and gave a lot of good advice and guidance. In the end she was admitted to her top choice. We were very happy to work with Scott and would be happy to work with him again in the future.

My son worked with Alex on his post-graduate schools and doctoral program applications, and working…read morewith Alex made huge difference. He was extremely knowledgeable about the process and easy to access at any time. My son accepted to a fully funded program.I highly recommend Alex if anyone looking for a coach to help with their writing . Thank you Alex!! I m grateful for your dedication and availability

Dr. Blum worked with my son on his college personal statement. Coached him over 5 sessions on how…read moreto organize, edit, transition and finish his statement. What we really appreciated was Dr. Blum did not write or direct the paper. He helped my son through the writing process. Strategies my son will use long past college. Highly recommend his services.

John is responsive and patient. He explains the lesson clearly. He helped my Son and he understands…read morethe the lesson really well. Thanks to John. I highly recommend John. He is also flexible and accommodating. He is a great tutor and great sense of humor. I would hire him again.

John has been tutoring our middle school son. Our son has struggled with writing and other aspects…read moreof language arts. John is very patient and my son likes working with him a lot. He is improving and John is already starting to prepare him for SAT type questions - even though that is years away. I highly recommend John for your tutoring needs.

If you are in the SF/LA area, you are a very lucky person. You have the opportunity of working with…read moreone of the best LSAT instructors out there: Nathan Fox. When I joined the class, my LSAT score was plateauing. I received a 166 on my first official take, but after 2 more months of self study I did not make any improvement. That's where Nathan came in. His class is absolutely perfect for those who have a solid foundation for the LSAT but need a little more improvement to meet their test goals. He's a great resource to ask with questions about the problems you've missed, as he provides a logical map to help you get to the right answer yourself. In addition, the live testing done each week acquaints you with actual LSAT conditions and the LSAT Demon is a godsend for those looking for reinforcement of material. Eventually, I was practice testing in his classes around 173-175. And then on test day, I beat that with a 176, a 10 point increase from my first official score! In conclusion, I'm a satisfied customer. Nathan will help you truly understand the test (regardless of your previous exposure) and you'll reap the rewards as a result. Good luck!

Love the demon and the classes! Nathan and Ben help you focus on the things that matter and make…read morestudying as efficient as possible. Would 100% recommend!

I am surprised to see some of the negative reviews here. Albeit, I worked with Amanda Mallory in…read morethe late 90s, testing for learning disabilities, dyslexia, and whatever else was commonly tested then. I had no behavioral issues when I was a child, with the exception of a smart remark. I simply needed structure. The school I was attending at the time for dyslexic children coddled me, and I was not prepared for high school at the end of 8th grade. I should say, this was nearly 40 years ago, and I may have worked with some other employees, but I did meet Amanda Mallory directly. Two or three boarding schools in Carmel and the central coast were recommended to us initially. They were not a great fit, but we were patient and knew it was part of the process of finding a good environment for me. Eventually I decided on an all boys, junior prep school in New Hampshire that offered the structure and encouragement I needed to take the next step in life. The type of school I needed was present at several schools in New England, but not California. My parents were nervous to send me across the country, but once we visited, it was a no brainer. We never would have found the school if it were not for Amanda. I remember a few things vividly from my appointments and interviews with Amanda. The first, which was unintended, was hearing Amanda tell my parents I was a normal, nice kid. That was comforting to hear when you are in the middle of a growth spirt, with braces, acne, a cracking voice, and do not feel like any environment fits. The second thing I remember is that Amanda asked me, while I was by myself in the interview, what I was interested in. She made it clear this was my choice ultimately. I wasn't being sent away, and I had an incredible opportunity ahead of myself to study, play sports, and make great friends with a bunch of guys that would become life long friends. I wanted to share my success with Amanda. I would take many of the negative reviews here with a grain of salt. Not everyone is a success story and no two children have the exact same needs.

We used Karen Kindler as our educational consultant for my son. Karen helped us with boarding…read moreschools' application/admission process. She was highly recommended to us by some other family who had a pleasure working with her last year. Karen Kindler is a very kind, polite, and patient person. She is very professional and is a true expert in her field. Karen guided us through every step of the process including checking the necessary paperwork, calling the schools, and correcting our son's essays. She also talked to admission people and was constantly in contact with them via email or phone conversations. Thanks to Karen, our son got accepted into 4 very prestige boarding schools, the best in the country. We are very happy with Karen's services, and we highly recommend it. We can guarantee you won't be disappointed with her work. Anna, Boris, and Daniel (happy clients)

It's the same in every profession…read more Whether we're talking about doctors, lawyers, financial advisors, or educational consultants, the very best providers give you the right answers. They don't waste your time, and are worth every penny they charge. Those at the top of the pile, the experts, the seasoned pros, the 99th percentilers, these are the people you want to work with. Unfortunately, finding such individuals can be extraordinarily difficult and time consuming. Look no further. David Montesano is your man. David did a great job consulting with our daughter as she was preparing to do the whole daunting "college application" thing. He met with our daughter and helped her to future-project, seeing herself 10 years down the road, already through with college and beginning her career. David's wealth of knowledge about various college and university programs - together with his insider status in the field of educational consulting and brilliant marketing acumen ("everything is sales," including applying to college!) - enabled him to suggest particular programs and schools based on his uncanny insight into our daughter's personal strengths and potentialities, helping her present herself effectively to a wide range of excellent schools. Although our daughter chose to attend a liberal arts college (Wesleyan) instead of a large university, she managed to beat the odds and successfully enter the tech field. Now - less than six years after graduation - she's a senior software engineer at a FAANG company, happily married, and a home owner on the San Francisco Peninsula. The arduousness of today's Byzantine college application process is unbelievable, and it's only gotten worse due to Covid. More than ever, it's important to hire the right private college counselor, not only for the sake of the hardworking student involved, but to allay the concerns and save the frayed nerves of parents, as well. A great college consultant will not only give you the right answers and make good use of your valuable time, he'll reduce family stress and anxiety to a minimum. Every family with the means to do so should hire one as teens enter high school and begin planning for college. I can attest, both from personal experience and from his reputation which precedes him, that David Montesano is one such great college counselor. He's absolutely top self. David has earned my sincere thanks and my highest recommendation. I urge you to contact him right away.

Unprofessional way of talking and not giving enough information on the college process but trying…read moreto market himself

I had an amazing experience with ESM Prep and Katie Lawrence. Katie was organized, thoughtful, and…read moretruly cared about my application process. I appreciated that Katie talked me through my thoughts on WHY I was interested in business school and helped me flesh out all of my thoughts and ideas, before I started to write things down. Katie would meet me in person for lunch in San Francisco, talk on the phone, or chat over text! She spent an incredible number of hours talking me through the narrative of my application, my interview prep, and proofreading my essays; considering that Katie worked with me for so many hours, the value for this service is unbeatable! Not only did I have a great experience during the application process, I got into my dream business school! I highly recommend ESM Prep and Katie to anyone working on an application.

ESM tutor John Sheffield was incredibly helpful in preparing my son for the ACT test. By analyzing…read morethe results of my son's practice ACT, John knew what to focus on during their sessions. He patiently taught both content material and test taking strategy. My son's test score improved by 4 points after working with John. We also appreciated that John was a great resource for all our questions about college testing. John was always on time, well prepared, and fully engaged when working with my son. We have recommended him to our friends and would be happy to provide a reference for him in the future.

My son isn't someone who is known for holding back a complaint, however, he has never complained…read moreabout tutoring with Lhia. In fact, he sometimes remembers to send her the work ahead of time!! Lhia has been great. She goes above and beyond with her work both during the sessions and afterwards. We can't thank her enough for everything she does and her support.

Amazing experience with math tutoring. My daughter just received an award for mathematics…read moreexcellence this year. Went from b/c student to all a's this year. Our tutor went above and beyond every week providing my daughter extra practice outside the school work. She was patient and kind. The rules of the business are very clear and fair. They will work with you to find a proper fit and adjust as needed

As one of TestMagic's success stories, I can honestly say that this company was critical in helping…read moreme get into my dream school, UCLA. The boss of the company, Erin, cares about his students more than your average test prep tutor. He even cooks his students hot dogs if they are too hungry to focus. My high school GPA was not that high. It was a 3.5 weighted. However, after doing a lot of practice tests, my SAT score went from a 1300 to 2010. (This was back when it was out of 2400). Test Magic didn't look at my low GPA score and give up on me. Their excellent service in personal statements helped me to shine the best light on myself so that my application could be as strong as possible. I was so proud of the final essay that I sent a copy to all of my friends. Now I am an architect working on Google projects. There is no shame in getting extra help if it will lead you to a better future. Thank you TestMagic!

My daughter attended Erin's writing class for 3 years and really loved it. Her writing improved…read moresignificantly over the years and she enjoyed the time with her classmates. We both greatly appreciated Erin's flexibility moving to Zoom during the pandemic. Not only is Erin a great tutor with a steady offering of classes, he was a great advisor when it came time to assess high schools and go through the application process. Our daughter's middle school experience was much better after having connected with TestMagic and Erin. I high recommend his services.