My son has been going to Alpha College Prep for almost 2 years utilizing chemistry and math…read moretutoring with Robert, SAT test prep with Taylor and now college essay writing with Jennifer. Both of us have been quite happy with the tutors and staff at Alpha. Academically, my son has raised his gpa, test scores and equally important, learned the subject matter. The tutors understand how to work with teenagers and my son feels more confident in the subject areas after his tutoring sessions. Lastly, their rates are reasonable and hours are flexible to suit the needs of students. We've been to other tutoring centers in Berkeley and El Cerrito, but none of them has produced as great a result as Alpha.

During my senior year of high school, I went to Alpha College Prep to seek help with my college…read moreapps and help with the overall process that can be very overwhelming. I worked with Jennifer, who was absolutely wonderful, and she managed to help me write my college apps that got me into top universities like UC Berkeley, Northeastern, and UCLA. With this, I also got scholarships from other universities I applied to and had an overall amazing college application experience. She helped me facilitate and better explain my ideas on paper which helped a lot. Also, before the SATs got cancelled, I used the Alpha College Prep to mainly help with the math portion of the SAT and after the first session my score improved by 50 points. I would recommend Alpha College Prep for students who are looking for some guidance during the college admission process or looking for overall tutoring in any area. I will be a freshman at UC Berkeley this fall and thank Alpha College Prep for helping me write and formulate strong essays as I couldn't have done it without them.

Emily at Lodestar worked with me on my my college application essays. I loved working with Emily…read morebecause she took the time to understand the message I wanted to convey, and then worked with me to craft it in a way made my story unique. The final versions felt authentic to me, but very polished and with a much stronger message than what I started with. I ended up getting into my top choice school (which was actually a school my college counselor told me I shouldn't bother applying to because of how competitive their application pool is) and I'm certain that my essays are what helped me stand out from the pack!

I hired Emily for admissions services and couldn't be happier! She was professional, easy to talk…read moreto, and genuinely cared about my success. The process was well defined and enjoyable. Her interview coaching helped me to present the best version of myself. Very highly recommend! Sophie S. San Diego

Here's one more grateful mama writing the praises of Tilden Prep. Our son attended a well-ranked…read morepublic high school for his 9th and 10th grade years. He is a bright guy and has always done fine in school, but never liked reading, and spelling is not his thing. We were assured by well-meaning teachers that his challenges would disappear with time. The first two years of high school were miserable for him, and I had to drag him out of bed every morning to get there. He worked hard, but his grades steadily declined until he pretty much gave up putting any effort into his assignments if he did them at all. The last straw was when he confided to me sadly that he no longer felt smart at all. Ugh. So, long story slightly less long, we had him tested and discovered that he is dyslexic. Of course, this information made his teachers' suggestions that he work HARDER, rather than DIFFERENTLY even more frustrating. We discovered sadly that his school was unable and/or unwilling to help him out. The silver lining for us was sending him to Tilden for his junior and senior years. What a Godsend they are there! After two years at Tilden, our son is graduating with the knowledge that he is capable, intelligent, and has learned how to learn in a way that works for him. He's excited to attend college next year with renewed confidence. Tilden is pricey, but for us, it was well worth it. The teachers and Sallie, the head of the school, were committed, encouraging, and engaging. What relief to see our boy back on track and excited for his future!

Tilden Prep has been transformative for our son, who's twice exceptional. It offers greater depth…read moreand breadth of curriculum and more highly educated staff than its competitors, like Fusion Academy. For example, Tilden offers Multivariable Calculus and Linear Algebra. While such courses are offered at a community college, having the option to learn 1:1 is critical in giving a student a more solid foundation before entering a 4-year college. At the same time, the rates make more sense than Fusion Academy, which is on a trimester system and 30% more. Tilden is run like a school rather than a corporation. It's more pure to its cause. Good job Tilden. Keep up the good work!

Sophia was so helpful in my daughter's college application journey! She was incredibly responsive…read moreand flexible to schedule with, and always warm and gracious to both of us. She did a great job listening and reading and had super valuable insights, wisdom, and guidance to share, while making sure that everything was coming directly from my daughter's experience, thoughts, and voice. Sophia was very knowledgeable about the application process from the beginning, and answered some last minute questions for us when my daughter was down to the wire and had questions about how to proceed. My daughter got into her first choice school and a few other great schools, and I know that working with Sophia helped her to write wonderful, thoughtful, honest essays that were full of integrity and really reflected her experiences and the beautiful person that she is.

From the owner: I offer expert, individualized college essay application mentoring. An experienced writer and…read moreeditor, I have a Ph.D. in English and have devoted my career to mentoring high-school students as a teacher, tutor, and coach.

Kevin is an exceptional tutor working with my son his junior and senior years of high school. Kevin…read moreis skilled in supporting and developing organizational skills, study habits, and writing. Our experience has been very positive and I would recommend him without reservation.

From the owner: Berkeley Community Tutor…read more Improving academic performance with a relaxed, student-centered approach to learning. Tutoring and Academic Coaching for middle, high school, and college students. Subject Areas: English/Writing: persuasive and creative essay writing, grammar and structure, helping students hone their voice as a writer and critical thinker. Homework Coaching: organizational and study skills, using a weekly planner or online planner effectively, preparing for short term and long term educational goals. College Preparation and Research: I work with many students and help with the entire complex process of applying to college; researching various colleges, writing their essays, and completing the applications on time! I also help students find internships and/or relevant community service work. SAT/ACT Test Prep: Critical Reading, Writing, and English sections

**Scott is the BRILLIANT STUDENT WHISPERER!!** We first sought his services years ago, when my son…read moreneeded to improve his scores for admissions applications to independent high schools. Fortunately, my son is quite bright--but he suffers from ADHD and lack of self confidence. Scott immediately bonded with him--he's pretty amazing in his talent for putting kids at ease and finding their strengths--and he set up a super effective study and skills-building test prep schedule for my son. Scott also gave him super smart inside knowledge on how to pace himself, with strategies for both answering multiple choice questions as well as managing testing time constraints. My son improved his scores by 50%!! And my son thinks of Scott as a true friend and mentor, as well--trusting his judgment and sage advice completely. Fast forward, my son is now applying for colleges and that lack of self-confidence has returned. On top of that, he's super stressed out and depressed about the whole process and his ability to get into the colleges he'd aspired to get into, even though his grades and test scores should admit him into some pretty good schools. Again, Scott to the rescue. He helped my son really think deeply and analyze what he wanted out of a college and his future. And Scott knows SOOOOO much about *all* the different colleges and their academic environments, teaching atmospheres, stress levels, and the kinds of students who might succeed there--he is able to give great advice about what might be the best fit for someone, based on their personality and abilities. Scott was able to get my son to step outside of himself and his insecurities, and come up with a plan for his future that he feels confident about pursuing--most of all, a college plan with options that my son truly believes will make him happy. We can't say enough wonderful things about Scott except that we feel blessed and lucky to have him in our lives. THANK YOU, SCOTT!!

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.