We used IvyMax for college consulting last year. Experience was pretty bad for that price. As a…read moreparent, I learn nothing new from them. Many of their advices are just too general. You can learn that from youtube videos. Also, it's hard to get in touch with our college consultant, Mr. Wei. Every communication (phone call, text chats) had to go through his secretary. Very time consuming. They also tried to sell you more services in some meetings. The essay review was helpful but that's it. Unless you really don't know anything about college admission, you should look somewhere else.

I have sent my kid to IvyMax. At the beginning, just for a…read moreSAT class. Their class is very helpful. Teacher actually has good reputation because my daughter said she has some classmates come from Stockton! She got a 2380 in the real test (her diagnostic test was only 1940, after the test, her general counselor analyzed what were her weaknesses so she could really work on those parts). Class management was satisfying, teacher assistant reported to us how well she was doing, so we could keep tracking her progress. Later, we had a counseling meeting with their counselor and agreed that extracurricular was important but also her weakness since we didn't know much about how and what to do was good for her. Then we joined IvyMax's counseling program. I have to say, this one year so far, overall is good, even though not all the time being extremely satisfying, they have been adjusting and coordinating, willing to listen and communicate. My daughter now enjoys participating in their students actives. They have provided many volunteering opportunities and encouraged my daughter to try and challenge. I have seen how my daughter have changed!

1. Every year a change of coach, with no clear plans till the last year in senior year…read more 2. Coaches are overloaded and do not dedicate enough facetime to students. 3. It took 3yrs of pestering to finally bring onboard a planned, systematic website to organize all work and put a plan together 4. No materialistic help in terms of finding internships, helping create a brag sheet, or suggestions on differentiating. Newsletters are fine, but coaches wouldn't personalize or guide 5. No tangible help in recommending scholarships or how to get one.

I researched this business and after an initial meeting signed my daughter up. We explained our…read moredaughter needed help starting the process of preparing to transfer from Las Positas to a 4 year university. This included providing all the assistance needed with the application process and giving her confidence to go away. After her initial meeting which was the most valuable, she got little direction and came home even more apprehensive to move away. I had to ask for updates for what they discussed and in the end she stopped going as she didn't find the meetings valuable. We ended up doing all on our end. Very disappointed.

Stay away from this institution, bunch of FOB, we had our initiate first phone interview for over…read more30 minutes, nothing but discouragements!! OMG what a mistake, just like the other reviewer said, it's all true. Please don't send your kids to hell and ruin their future. At first I thought maybe because the adviser we spoke to is inexperienced, then I found out he is the owner's husband. My goodness, what a disappointment.

Thank you Counselor to give us lots of advice, I and my daughter got two her dream school, very…read moreappreciate, thanks!

The tutoring services at Olympus College Prep have been very beneficial. Savannah is flexible and…read moreadjusts to the needs of her students.

My daughter has worked with Savannah at Olympus for tutoring in Biology and their sessions made a…read moretremendous difference in her understanding of the subject matter and her grade. My daughter says that not only did Savannah give her the resources to succeed, she is very nice and easy to work with.

Even because Covid-19 HS2 academy still kepping provide online classes for me, its very helpfulread more

I don't often write Yelp reviews, so it is testament to Swati's incredible service and skill that I…read moream posting this! Swati was such a gift to our family during the college application process. She is organized, knowledgeable, supportive and realistic in her assistance, with both students and parents. She took the time to get to know our son, and was then able to speak honestly about a variety of college options for him in a way that he appreciated. She was also able to coach him through the disappointment of rejection, to celebrate his acceptances, and to navigate the final decision-making process with him. He feels so good about his college decision, and that is due in no small part to Swati's support. Thank you Swati! You will absolutely be meeting our younger son in a year or so! :-)

Swati is an absolute expert in the college search and admission process. From the UC campuses to…read morethe most highly selective private schools, she has a deep understanding of the ins and outs of college applications. I have had the pleasure of working with her. She is professional, knowledgeable, and, most of all, has an incredible ability to connect with teens and understand their needs. Swati is amazing and I highly recommend her services.

Gerna is the best in his field and he does it all with a smile and a lot of Aloha! He has helped…read moreme throughout my son's entire college career and he makes the application process for FAFSA painless. Gerna is a blessing and a gift to the parents who ask for his advice and support while applying to FASFA. Gerna keeps it real. Gerna IS the Great Kahuna for college financial planning. Janet Welsh Somatic Arts practitioner/ choreographer/educator.

We had great result with Bay Area College Planners. Our daughter was accepted in multiple colleges…read moreincluding UC-Irvine, UC-Santa Cruz, UC-Riverside. We are extremely happy with the results, given our daughter had multiple great choices. Gerna was always helpful, he walked us through the entire process. He was always available to answer any of our questions no matter what time or what day we called. Great results, great service. We will absolutely go with Gerna for our son who is graduating in 2 years.

Melissa was a huge help to my Daughter throughout the college applications process. She took the…read moretime to really get to know my daughter and what she was looking for in a college. She helped her to come up with a list of colleges to apply to and then walked her through the entire process. They worked on building her resume and on different essays or questions she needed to answer for her applications. She met with her once a week to help fill out actual applications and to review what she had been working on. They would come up with what her focus for the following week would be as well. This really kept her organized and took the stress out of the whole process! We would highly recommend her!

If anyone asks me or my daughter if we have a college counselor recommendation, without hesitation…read morewe'd recommend Melissa Corso. Talk about helping to relieve some of the stress that goes with the college application process! She is wonderful! My daughter immediately felt comfortable working with Melissa. In particular she helped her with essay editing, college applications and even helped her put together a very nice resume. She's very approachable and you feel like she really cares. My daughter will be attending UC Berkeley this fall and I know Melissa helped her stand out amongst thousands of applicants.

Steps prep is hands-down the BEST tutoring center for high school classes here in Pleasanton, or…read moreanywhere ever! Unlike other tutoring centers that just want to make money off of you, Kerry and Arick Little truly just have their students' best interest at heart. Whether it's finding the right class for your child, or responding to email problems during the weekend, they just want to make sure that your student succeeds. Sometimes, if they don't have the right class for you, they would even tell you where to go. Arick is a wonderful Math teacher who's taught both my children. He makes the material easy and clear, and sets my children up for success in the stem fields. We're so lucky to have him as a Math coach here at PUSD and the Virtual Academy!

High schooler went up 2 whole grades after joining Steps Tutoring! Great tutor. Owner was sweet and…read moreaccommodating.

I am in just the beginning of working with Deborah Bloom. So far I have had a pleasant experience…read morewith both Catherine and Deborah. Catherine has been very clear on what we need to be prepared for and have ready for the school. It helps that they are both direct and to the point. It helps me stay focused with a clear set goal. I'm impressed with how quickly they've accommodated uto meet our goals in such a short period time. Follow up after a Zoom meeting with Deborah Bloom (The new way to meet during the Corona Virus). I found Deborah very reassuring when reviewing our sons report. She gave simple tips and offered the best resources available to us during these times, and what to expect in the near future. All of this helps us out in the home and we have received a phone call already from one of the resources she mentioned. That was 1 business day. The professionalism and reduction in anxiety as she leads us on a path to success is so needed when we are so lost in these times, while having 2 working parents in health care is amazing!

When you are dealing with such a delicate issue (special needs child in public school), it is…read morenecessary to have someone that is knowledgeable in your corner. I thought that this would have been Deborah Bloom. Sadly, it was a very expensive mistake. During the intake, she seemed knowledgeable and asked all the right questions. We discussed a plan and it was set into action within a few days. However, there are a few areas that made me cancel my contract with her and went elsewhere for representation. First, the letter that she wrote to be dropped off at the school district was full of misinformation and I had to rewrite it. Not to mention that she charged me 130$ for the letter she wrote that was useless. Second, many emails and phone calls were left unanswered. When you are dealing with the school and have a few questions about the process, it is imperative that your hired advocate is there for you. I had a hard time getting Deborah to call me back. Third, I dealt more with her office assistant than Deborah. I'm sure her assistant is very knowledgeable, but I think that having her assistant do all the legwork made the room for the issues that I faced during an IEP meeting with the school. Lastly, during the IEP meeting, Deborah was extremely unorganized and unfamiliar with my case. She missed many important topics and asked the school district for something that was never discussed between us. I was in shock when she asked this and frustrated that she did not have notes for the issues we needed to bring up during the IEP meeting. Hence, a waste of money and everyone's time. After the meeting, I called and canceled our contract. Thank goodness I could get some of my retainer back.