Tatum Hutton is a fantastic college counselor and mentor. My son was accepted at his first choice…read moreearly decision school (Colorado College) and at every other school to which he applied early action. We attribute much of his success in the process to Tatum's excellent advice and counsel. Tatum goes the extra mile with her students, seeking to understand them as people and scholars so that she can make the best possible recommendations. She creates an excellent resume for the students to present to their teachers who write the recommendation letters, arming the recommenders with material they might not have otherwise. She helps her students be organized well in advance of all deadlines and creates narratives that work for admissions. CC admissions sent a hand written note with their letter telling our son how impressed they were by his kindness. They "got" him because Tatum did. We have recommended Tatum to numerous families, and several have already heard back positively from their dream schools. Tatum is amazing. Oh, she also has a great class she teaches during the summer before college called "Adultish." Both my children took it and left with great strategies to take to college.

In working with Tatum I added 160 points to my SAT score. I'm incredibly proud of my new score, and…read moreI'm amazed how simple it was. Tatum customized each lesson to be a thorough review and explanation of my previous mistakes; and as a result, I practiced my weaknesses more than traditional preparation courses. She frequently asked questions to aid my understanding, and she answered all of my questions helpfully. I would highly recommend her test prep services to anyone who is motivated student who wants to increase their test scores!

Chris is an outstanding counselor. He helped me write my essays for UCs and the Common App and…read moresupplementals for schools such as NYU and Columbia. His organization and the information he provides about all of the schools are amazing and reduced the stress of having to research all of the small things for each school I was interested in. The way he guided me to write the essay was efficient and saved me a lot of time as I didn't have to write the same essay for another question that was similar to the last. I was able to finish my essays by August. It was a big relief and the whole process seemed very manageable with his help. His ability to provide fluidity in my writing and his knowledge of college admissions helped me especially because my writing was "impenetrable" or difficult for someone who didn't know me to understand. Besides the support he gave me with essays, he was also very easily accessible and understanding. I had his number and if there was anything that came up in the way of a meeting, I could just text him and I got a response in less than an hour. Any rescheduling of a meeting was simple and caused no trouble. Chris is a very straightforward person and gave me the support and advice I needed to write my essays. He is also pretty funny and a down-to-earth person which helped as meetings didn't come as something I didn't want to do. Chris was a great college counselor and I recommend him as his understanding of the application process and his ability to tutor and write were a great help.

I come from a non-traditional educational background, having gone directly to the US Air Force out…read moreof high school, only to stare down my UC undergraduate applications at the age of 29. Chris helped calm my nerves during the entire process. Chris is patient and has a unique talent of channeling your talents with the best possible outcome. He reassured me that my uniqueness had value. He got me talking about my achievements, made me feel proud, and helped me coalesce my thoughts into an essay that won me acceptance to Cal. In fact, after my acceptance into Cal, the admissions team asked if they could publish my personal statement to help other prospective students. Out of thousands of applications, they remembered mine! I highly recommend Chris for anyone who struggles to put their thoughts to paper for a personal statement. Thanks to Chris, my life trajectory changed in ways I never imagined. Chris has also tutored me in other areas such as Math and Writing. Learning never ends and Chris is unceasingly helpful in all aspects of my life. He is the most incredible writer I have ever met. I also plan on using Chris' services when I enter the work force after college. Meticulously written cover letters, resumes and thank you notes will put you above the rest. Thank you Chris. I am forever grateful.

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.

Julia was very helpful in helping me revise and revamp my resume and LinkedIn profile, and help me…read morefind pathways to a potential career change.

I can't say enough good things about working with Julia. I was at a total career impasse--unsure of…read morewhat direction to take--and she helped guide me with clarity, compassion, and structure. Her career exploration tools and thoughtful exercises really helped me discover new options I hadn't considered before. I never felt judged or rushed--just supported and understood. If you're feeling stuck and need someone truly invested in your success, I highly recommend her.

Marty was exactly what my son needed for SAT tutoring. He had spent a month with a large online…read moretutoring company but benefited much more from in-person tutoring. Marty identified the issues my son needed to work on---not only topics but also test-taking strategy. His SAT score increased by more than 100 points. I highly recommend Martin for SAT prep!

Marty was a FANTASTIC tutor for the SAT for my 16-year old son. He was kind, patient, and easy to…read morework with. Marty was very responsive to my son's emails and quite flexible with scheduling his sessions. Most importantly, my son dramatically raised his SAT scores under Marty's guidance. Overall, I strongly recommend Marty for SAT tutoring. He is a true professional and you will be thankful that you hired him!

Michaela helped coach both of my kids with their college essays, and she is truly the best! She is…read morepatient, thorough, and incredibly supportive. My kids felt more confident after every writing session, and their essays improved tremendously. Her care, patience, and expertise is outstanding. I Highly recommend!

Michaela has been working with my daughter for just a few months, and in that time she has helped…read moreher with a study abroad application essay and provided strong support on analytical essays for her high school English class. My daughter is not a naturally talented writer so she needs extra guidance and support. She thoroughly enjoys her sessions with Michaela and feels that she is patient, thoughtful, approachable, and provides great suggestions to improve her writing. My daughter's confidence is growing little by little, which is wonderful to see. Michaela has also gone the extra mile to read the books my daughter is analyzing and writing about in school, which I know not every tutor is willing to do. Highly recommend Michaela if you have a reluctant writer in your life that needs a little extra coaching and love!

My daughter works one-on-one with UPUSH tutor Matt Pickup, and we could not be happier with the…read moreexperience. Matt brings deep knowledge, excellent teaching materials, and a highly effective approach to tutoring. He is an exceptionally qualified professional. Thanks to Matt, AP US History has become far more engaging for my daughter, and she showed impressive results from the very first session. Her overall performance in junior year has also improved as a direct result of his guidance. Thank you, Matt, for sharing your expertise with such dedication, passion, and care. We truly appreciate your work and highly recommend your services.

We've been working with Sophia Sears for about 1.5 years on writing and she's been a phenomenal…read moretutor. Her expertise, dedication and passion for writing has directly helped my elementary school child grow tremendously as a writer (w/ additional proof in standardized tests). She has provided resources, frameworks and scaffolding that have directly helped deepen the learning process on topics like personal narratives, summarizing and themes. Having a tutor who also acts as a thought partner on all things writing, has also been lovely. Finally, Sophia has also introduced my child to new genres of books and created special writing units related to school assignments, events and trips. These have all provided extensive new background knowledge which make learning very enriching. She truly goes above and beyond, as you can see from all the other rave reviews on yelp! Can't recommend her enough, she is amazing!