If you are feeling overwhelmed by the convoluted journey of college applications, I cannot…read morerecommend Megan Meyer at Admission Matters enough! The senior year "crunch" is real--balancing a heavy load of AP classes, participating in cherished traditions like Senior Sunrise and the senior trip, and the demands of varsity sports is a lot for any student to handle. Megan was the steadfast consultant that my son needed to stay organized and confident through it all. How Megan Made the Difference: * Strategic Direction: Megan kept him on target to meet the November 1st Early Action deadline for eight different schools and even helped him wrap up his Regular Decision applications well ahead of schedule. By January 1st, he had received the majority of his college accceptances. * Essay Excellence: Megan was instrumental in helping him develop his thoughts for both personal and supplemental essays. She helped him find his voice, ensuring his responses were authentic and impactful. * Scholarship Support: In addition to the applications, she provided invaluable support in providing feedback on his community scholarship essays. * Stress Management: Her patient nature and flexibility ensured my son never felt overwhelmed, despite the numerous deadlines and his busy schedule. The Results: Because of Megan's priceless guidance and my son's hard work, he secured a substantial amount of merit-based scholarships and officially achieved his goal of becoming a collegiate athlete! If you want someone who is organized, supportive, and truly invested in your child's success, go with Megan at Admission Matters!

We engaged Megan after hearing about her from a friend of ours. We learned that Megan started…read morehelping a few people with college admissions and amongst the people we interviewed, we found her to be the best fit for our daughter. Graduating from Hawaii as well, she knows Hawaii students and what unique attributes they bring to the table. She is kind, thoughtful and very thorough and detail oriented. From the first meeting to the last, Megan was a delight to work with. She mapped out the college admissions process and checked in frequently to see how my daughter was doing. She even recommended a few schools based on my daughter's interest. When we needed to pivot, she did so with grace. She was always pleasant to work with and understood the pressures of senior year and the college admissions process. I was surprised at how much she communicated with both myself and my daughter. She definitely put more time in than I expected. My daughter received admissions to every nursing school that she applied to in the mainland. She also received generous merit scholarships. We attribute this to Megan's help and couldn't be more grateful. If you decide to go w/ Megan, you will be in good hands. You will not regret it.

This is an awesome school! Teachers(they call themselves "guides") are amazing and the kids there…read moreare just wonderful. My oldest got teased at the school she was attending K-2nd grade simply because she was not a fast reader. As result, she quit reading... she refused to read and said "I can't read because I am dumb and color of my hair says I have no brain" . She asked me to dye her blond hair dark so her friends would not pick on her. Talking to the teacher did not help so my husband and I decided to change school... but to where?! Then we found Mo'O school when we were walking around at Manoa shopping center. We looked inside of the school and kids and teachers looked so happy in the classroom. My daughter didn't have any Montessori background but they welcomed her in two years ago and she has been a happy child ever since. I just love the fact that all the children at the school are so caring, helpful and independent. Her friends helped her to start reading again and she loves reading now. She used to watch TV and addicted to iPad but now, her and her little brother never watch TV (I think non of the students there do), not interested in iPad at all. They are either outside making stuff from whatever they find out there, climbing trees or inside drawing, reading, doing board games or sewing something. They help with laundry, dishes and cleaning too! Thanks to Mo'O school, I have two active, happy, motivated and healthy children:-)

The name, Mo'O, is short for Montessori of O'ahu. Mo'o also means "lizard" in Hawaiian, and has…read moresignificance beyond what goes on Yelp. This school is everything I want for my daughter, who is now four and will attend Mo'O until she completes the elementary program, so the next eight years. There's no playground or jungle gym -- the children climb real trees and explore Manoa Valley as a group. There's no homework -- the children have internalized their knowledge and joyfully practice it while they're away from school. There are no massive tubs of cheese puffs, animal crackers and pretzel rods, those preschool snack staples that are all just different forms of enriched flour and preservatives -- snacks are prepared fresh to order by the children, having been supplied weekly by one child's family on a rotating schedule. (A typical snack table has cut fruit or vegetables, some nuts or cheese, and maybe some hummus or other dip and crackers.) The rooms are beautifully prepared with materials of excellent quality; the guides are brilliant, compassionate, and intuitive. As is the hallmark of Montessori, the children do the rest. Uniquely, this Oahu Montessori school fully follows, authentically and carefully, the Montessori method, for children 2.5 through 12. Montessori has no trademark, so anyone can call themselves a Montessori. If your Montessori school doesn't have an uninterrupted, three(-ish)-hour work period during which children choose their work, it's not Montessori. If your Montessori school doesn't have mixed-age classrooms, it's not Montessori. But Mo'O is. I can't say enough good things about this school and the little community that thrives within it. I am so grateful it exists and can't wait to watch it grow.

Mahalo Punahou School for hosting tonight's ILH cheer competition…read more Congratulations to all the participating schools, cheer squads, and supporters. Excellent win for Iolani taking all 3 divisions in first place: intermediate, JV and varsity. Love the comraderie of the audience sitting side by side with families of competing schools. The coolest thing was while waiting for the tallying of each school's points, the cheerleaders were in good spirits dancing on the floor to the music. So much aloha encompassed the gym. Smiles, hugs, leis of all kinds and roses being handed out to teammates and friends. A wonderful spectacle to witness and enjoy.

Disclaimer: this is a review of the tennis facility. I have played and coached many matches at this…read moreschool and it has a very impressive tennis complex. In the years since I was competing, they renovated the office/viewing area to include an upper deck. There are 6 courts with lights on the lower side and up a steep road there are 3 more courts. There is also a bleacher area to watch some of the matches from. Parking can be tricky and the one-way setup of the lot is difficult. If you pass an area, you have to go all the way out of the campus and back around the hill to get back on property. If you see a spot, even if it's not that close, take it! Weather is also an issue since it's in Manoa so we sometimes have rain delays/cancelled matches. Yesterday we almost had to postpone but luckily the weather held up enough to finish the match!

The only place I have to compare this to is sylvan learning center, and I must say I'm happy with…read morewhat my kids get from the work they do here. Main difference aside from price ($400 for math and reading, compared to $1300-1500 monthly) is the amount time the kids need to put in. At sylvan it's two or three times a week with nothing to do at home. At kumon you go twice a week and take home homework, which is to be completed daily. Also sylvan you more or less drop them off and pick them up, vice the the daily homework involvement.

Much thanks to Gilie Matsumoto, her husband Shawn, and the entire Kumon Kaimuki staff (like Mr…read more Kyle and the two Mr. Shane's just to name a few), my son just completed the Kumon Math program! It took him 4 years and 4 months -- started from Level B (Addition & Subtration) in May 2011, and completed Level O (Calculus) yesterday (Sept 3, 2015)! As I reflect, I now realize that my son learned more than just math at Kumon. He also built confidence in himself and learned time management, goal setting, how to be a self-learner, and perservance! Yes, the Kumon work does get harder with each level. But, the Matsumoto's and their staff are so nurturing, encouraging and patient, that it just motivated my son to continue and finish. I remember my son's first goal was to build his math skills to enter Punahou School. He entered the school at 6th grade, scoring almost 690 out of 700 on the Math portion of the SSAT. His most recent goal was to complete the Kumon Math program by the start of 7th grade so he had enough free time to pursue other activities. He accomplished that goal yesterday! I also found that you, as a parent, have control on the stress level of Kumon. The Matsumotos were great at working on this with us. They increased and reduced packet sizes as needed so the workload didn't interfere with his school and sports activities, and that the Kumon homework itself wasn't too stressful, too challenging or too easy. Thank You Kumon Kaimuki! You turned my son's dreams into reality ... dreams we once thought were unimaginable!

My friend and I visited this school from Japan for a one-week English study program…read more At the beginning, we took a language level test, which allowed us to join a class suited to our English ability. The teachers were very friendly and encouraged communication among the students. The classes were highly interactive, and I was able to develop practical English skills that cannot be learned through traditional, lecture-based lessons. Although the study period was very short--just one week--it was a valuable experience for me and greatly increased my motivation to continue studying English.

CPC is a great school. The staff is super helpful and makes enrollment and admissions really easy…read more The classes are taught by knowledgeable and professional instructors who care about their students' learning. The campus is very comfortable and everyone there is friendly. They have lots of fun activities every week, so there is plenty to do outside of class. I highly recommend going to CPC if you are looking for an English school.

We cannot say enough about the experience our daughter had working with Mr. B during her SSAT…read morepreparation. From the very first session, it was clear that he was not just focused on test scores. He invested in her as a whole person, building her confidence, her patience, and her ability to believe in herself. For a child who has had to work hard to get where she is, that approach made all the difference. She came out of this process genuinely proud of herself, and so did we. Whether or not the results open every door we are hoping for, the growth she experienced along the way is something she will carry with her far beyond any single test. She hit the score we were working toward, but more importantly she learned what she is capable of when she applies herself and trusts the process. We feel so fortunate to have found Mr. B at exactly the right moment. If you are looking for someone who will meet your child where they are, challenge them to grow, and genuinely care about who they are becoming, look no further. We are so grateful for everything he did for our daughter and our family during this journey. Highly recommend!!

Mr. B and Mr. Kawelo are great to work with. The testing / application process can be very…read morestressful, and Mr. B and Mr. Kawelo understand that and help give families the tools, the confidence, and healthy perspective to navigate the process. My 3rd grader son enjoyed his time at Accelerations preparing for the SSAT, interview, and essay. He looked forward to every session and left every session with a positive attitude and a little more confidence each time. Mahalo nui Mr. B and Mr. Kawelo!

My son has been going to Excel Learning Center for 2 years now. He started in kindergarten for…read morereading and math enhancement with Ms. Sherry. She is so patient with him, and he looks forward to going to his tutoring lessons every week. Our son really enjoys working with her and is very motivated to learn. Ms. Karen is the one who oversees things and she is very accommodating with scheduling and has great communication. I would definitely recommend excel learning!

It is with great pleasure and gratitude to share that our son was accepted at Punahou School and…read moreIolani School for the year 2024-2025! He's never shown any interest in attending these schools and once he said he was, we signed him up for a 5 week Summer program prior to the October '23 SSAT. He looked forward to every session with his language arts and math tutors. Upon completion of the 5 week program, Karen was able to identify any areas he would need to strengthen. Additional bi-weekly sessions in September and a one time interview prep finalized his preparation to take the SSAT just one time! It is without a doubt the tutors were instrumental in preparing our son in every aspect of the SSAT, writing, and in his interview. Thank you for strengthening his confidence throughout the process and in his academics at his current school and wherever he ends up going (we have yet to decide). Mahalo, A very satisfied parent of a 6th grader

Hats off to Sam, Pam, and the rest of the team! We were easily able to schedule an initial…read moreassessment with Pam and got scheduled right away after working out the payment plan with Sam. Don't be intimidated by the tuition amount--Sam is more than happy to discuss the best payment plan that meets one's needs. My son has been ending his lessons with a smile on his face and more confidence!

Sylvan taught my kid so much and the staff is extremely helpful and supportive. Kids here learn and…read moreget the help they need with their homework; such as math, language arts, history, and even science.

Yui sensei is a wonderful teacher and she makes learning Japanese fun. Her explanations are…read moreterrific and help you to understand some of the more difficult and idiomatic concepts in the Japanese language. You really learn how to speak Japanese as a native speaker. And sensei takes the time to give equal attention to everyone in class. I especially like the fact that the classes are recorded and the students have access to the lessons and can replay the recording to catch any material that they may have missed. I have attended both the in person lessons and the on-line zoom classes and both of those classes were helpful.

Highly Recommend Yui sensei to anyone looking to learn Japanese. Her classes are always fun and…read moreengaging, making learning a new language an enjoyable experience. Currently on Level 4 and looking forward to continuing on to the next levels.

My child attended Juku for the better part of a year in preparation for the private school…read morekindergarten admission circus (iykyk). Admittedly, with our older child, we did not go this route because we thought it was a bit ridiculous to send a 4 year old to tutoring to get into kindergarten...esp a child who is very well behaved and academically advanced. However, despite that, the older child had difficulties going into the interview rooms and feeling comfortable working with unfamiliar adults at the interviews. The outcome wasn't what we had hoped and dreamed for her. We decided for our younger child that we'd bite the bullet and pay the hefty price tag to do all that we could to help her feel more comfortable and prepared for the interviews. And it worked! She got into our top choice after having a very easy (and fun, as she said) time at the interviews. The schools don't seem to be looking for the brightest student, but rather the student who can adapt to new environments, situations, peers, and adults. They seem to be looking for children who feel comfortable engaging and communicating effectively in these new environments with new people. Juku not only prepared our child academically, but socially with peers and adults. This was done through both the mock interviews and also switching up who the children work with 1:1 each time. The tutors are all very kind, fun, and encouraging. My child really enjoyed going! Though it can be shocking to feel the need to send a child to a tutor for a kindergarten interview, the way we looked at it, is that we are providing her with all the tools we can to help her succeed. If it works, great, and if not, we know we did all that we could to help her.

My son attends a public school that offers K-5th grade. We were undecided about continuing in the…read morepublic school system for the 6th grade or moving on to a private school but we wanted him to have options. Understanding that the SSAT is one of the metrics by which applicants are measured, we decided to take him to Juku to see how he would fare. After the initial test, Dr. Takahashi suggested that he would benefit from tutoring so we had him spend 2 hours twice a week starting in May with some breaks during the summer. To my surprise, he really enjoyed Juku! I have never heard him label school as fun so I had to ask how Juku was different from school. His reasons were "one to one" attention, "learning at my own pace", and learning from tutors who were "fun and eager to teach". He actually likes it so much that he wanted to continue tutoring after taking the SSAT! He took the SSAT in November, performed above the target range for the most competitive schools, and was ultimately admitted to all of the schools to which we applied. I can't say how much of a role his test scores played in his acceptances, but I think test-taking is a kind of skill useful for any student. He learned specific test-taking strategies for the SSAT, like skipping questions to avoid losing too many points. We also felt the practice tests at Juku helped him familiarize himself with the exam setting. Finally, Juku was available for any question about the application process along the way, a valuable resource in and of itself.