I visited ACI College Prep today to get information about their program for my child, who is…read morecurrently in middle school. I went there genuinely interested in finding additional academic support for him. Unfortunately, I was left extremely disappointed by the way we were treated. My child recently came to the United States from Asia. His English is still developing, and he is currently an ELD student. He is adjusting to a completely new country, language, culture, and educational system. As his parent, I expected an educational institution to understand this and, at the very least, treat him with patience, encouragement, professionalism, and respect. Instead, I felt that my child was looked down upon because his English was not good enough. The attitude and communication we experienced made us feel unwelcome. Watching your child being made to feel that he does not belong simply because he cannot yet communicate fluently in English is extremely upsetting for any parent. What makes this experience even more troubling is that, at the same time, another student who is also in ELD was accepted, while my child was made to feel that he was not welcome. That raises a very simple question for me: If both children are ELD students, why was one student acceptable while my child was not? If ACI has specific academic admission standards, that is completely understandable. But those standards should be transparent, clearly explained, and applied consistently. If English proficiency was the issue with my child, then I would like to understand why another ELD student was treated differently. I cannot claim to know what was in anyone's mind or what motivated the difference in treatment. However, based on what I personally experienced, it felt discriminatory and left me seriously questioning why my child was treated differently. I was also surprised by the attitude because many of the families I observed appeared to be Chinese-American or Chinese families. As a Chinese parent myself, I expected greater understanding toward a child who had recently arrived from Asia and was still learning English. This experience also left me questioning how newly arrived Chinese families are viewed by businesses in the supplemental education industry. Parents coming from Asia may not yet fully understand the American school system, ELD programs, college admissions, or the role that private tutoring and college-preparation businesses actually play in a child's education. Educational organizations should help families understand these things honestly. Parents should never be made to feel that spending large amounts of money on private education is what determines whether their child has potential or deserves an opportunity. Being in ELD does NOT mean a child is unintelligent, academically weak, or incapable of succeeding. It means the child is learning English. My child should be evaluated based on his academic ability, willingness to learn, potential, and character--not simply on how fluent his English happens to be today. Children who recently immigrated to the United States already face enormous challenges. They have left behind the language, friends, schools, and environment they knew. A good educator should help build their confidence and encourage them to improve, not make them feel embarrassed, inferior, or unwanted because they are still learning English. I would have had no problem if someone professionally explained, "Our program may not be the right fit for your child at this time," and gave me clear academic reasons. I can respect honesty. What I cannot respect is inconsistent treatment without a clear explanation. I came to ACI looking for an educational opportunity for my child. I left feeling that my child had been judged rather than encouraged. That is not what I expect from educators. Based on my personal experience today, I cannot recommend ACI College Prep. I sincerely hope management takes experiences like this seriously and improves the way staff communicate with and treat immigrant families and children who are still developing their English. Every child deserves dignity, patience, fairness, and respect, regardless of where they were born or how fluent their English is today. Very disappointing. Shame on the way this situation was handled.

ACI is a trustworthy team that demonstrates not only outstanding expertise but also a strong sense…read moreof responsibility and professional ethics. I am truly grateful to director, Zoe and the entire ACI team for their professionalism and patience; and highly recommend this organization to any students and families who are looking for reliable guidance through the college application journey.

My experience at Elite was filled with an overwhelming amount of stress and fatigue. However, I…read morewould do it all over again knowing the end result. I first went to Elite the summer before my junior year for the SAT Prep Bootcamp. Admittedly, I hated every moment of it in the beginning. However, as the weeks went on, I came to look forward to my classes, as the teachers were friendly and easy to talk to, with a genuine desire to help their students understand the content. Although I may not have always been the best student, Elite's attentive staff and friendly environment combined with endless drilling of essays and math problems helped me improved my score over 200 points. I returned to Elite the summer before my senior year for their college application package. While the price tag on the CAW Plus Package may seem daunting, I can assure you that every cent was worth it. I was assigned to a counselor, Jon Kang, and an essay editor, Cheny Ng. Over the course of dozens of stressful one on one meetings, both on my end and on theirs (sorry Jon), they helped me transform my painfully incoherent essays into ones that were somehow tolerable enough to get me into my number one school. Once again, I found myself looking forward to Elite because my meetings with the counselors were not only filled with improvement, new ideas, and self discovery, they were filled with the amazing feelings of accomplishment and joy. In short, I've come to see Elite as another home because of how comfortable I've grown in that atmosphere and with all the staff. The people there truly care about the success of all their students and take the time and effort to make sure everyone gets the help they need. I've practically thrown out all the writing skills I acquired during my application process (bc let's be honest senioritis is very real) sIf you've made it this far in my review, I'd like to apologize for my writing, for I no longer have Jon and Cheny by my side to edit my work:(

Complete waste of money and time. Their advisers/teachers are always out for different reasons,…read moreand students are always last to find out their absences.

Need to rewrite I think my review because it got deleted?…read more I used to come here for tutoring for AP bio like 6-7 (unironically) years ago so take my review with a grain of salt. I loved this one male tutor, I think his name was David, so much because he never showed that he judged me and broke down concepts super simply and always encouraged me. This is how all tutors should be. But there was this one woman who went to Harvard or something who brought my mom and I into the office and basically told me it was too late for me and went on and on for a good 30 minutes-an hour about how I'd "never get into a good school" even though I had a 4.0 and I was on a good path, had clinical hours as a 13 year old, and was doing really well. She kept flexing that she went to Harvard and she could tell who would succeed or not, basically saying I'm going to fail at life because she could tell I wasn't going to make it. Ok good for you???? And surprise, she was wrong. I got into the top schools in California and am about to graduate with honors. I wasn't sure if writing a review after this long was fair, since I'm not sure if she still works there, but I still carry that negative memory with me to this day and even included this experience in my college essays. Hope she's not working there anymore and putting students down like that... Hopefully this was just a one-off experience but I'm not confident that it was, since she was way too comfortable rambling on like that. I would give one star because of her but that one tutor saved the rating a little bit.

The attention and love the instructors here put into their students exceeds expectations. They…read moreassist with a wide range of difficult subjects including physics, chemistry, calculus, and even college applications. David and his team works incredibly hard to ensure they understand what their students need in order to achieve success in their academic careers. As they've been in business for OVER 15 years, they are incredibly knowledgeable and really understand the material the teachers give out in surrounding SGV schools. I appreciate the heart they put into their students and it is evident that they not only genuinely care about the student's education but also for their wellbeing. I trust that any student who comes here will only grow for the better. Thank you so much David and instructors for providing so much value to the community.

My daughter attended a week's long summer camp at Nova 42. On the Saturday after it, she woke up…read moreand said, "I am sad! There is no debate today!" She really enjoyed working with Coach Murray and cannot wait to return in August!

This is THE place if you kids is interested in public speaking, debate or any form of speech. We…read morelove the setting of the academy which is really nurturing to the kids. We attend when my son is in middle school. I wish we start in the elementary school year though. I saw what they did with the little nova kids. They made everything fun and exciting but at the same time, very educational. The things that they taught my son fully equipped him to join the varsity team in high school. I would recommend this school to any kids who want to advance in public speaking or debate.

I attended Alpha Math and Science as a junior in high school. I am writing this review years later…read morebecause I still think about this experience, and I believe students and parents deserve to know how damaging a teacher's behavior can be toward young people. The instructor for this class was Mr. Hsu, and the program repeatedly encouraged students to come in early for additional help. At the time, I was 16 years old and under extreme stress. I had a calculus test the following day and was already overwhelmed. Because the class emphasized coming in early for support, I did exactly that. A TA was helping me before class started. She was kind and supportive. I sat at the front of the classroom with the TA seated next to me. When class officially began, I stopped working independently and began taking notes. The TA stayed seated next to me and would occasionally tap my shoulder to quietly point something out. I responded respectfully and quietly. I was not disruptive or distracting. About thirty minutes later, the TA left. Immediately after she walked out, Mr. Hsu began screaming at me at the top of his lungs in front of the entire class. As a 16 year old student, being yelled at by a grown adult was terrifying. I had been in his class for over a year and had always been quiet, attentive, and respectful. He continued yelling at me in both English and Chinese. I do not speak or understand Chinese well, which made the situation even more confusing and frightening. When I could not understand what he was saying, he became angrier. He accused me of being disrespectful for talking, even though I had only been responding quietly to the TA earlier. At one point, he accused me of intentionally tripping the TA as she left, claiming I did it on purpose. In reality, her foot had simply caught on a loose backpack string. This accusation was shocking and completely false. I began crying uncontrollably in front of the entire class. Mr. Hsu did not stop yelling. Staff members entered the classroom and stood there watching, which I had seen happen during other incidents when he yelled at students. It became clear this behavior was not uncommon. Eventually, he stormed out of the classroom. The learning environment was completely destroyed. After the break, his wife, Ms. Helen, came in to teach the second half of the class. While I was still crying and visibly shaken, she told me that if I needed extra help, I should come in early. That statement broke me, because I had come in early and had followed exactly what the program instructed students to do. I was exhausted, scared, and speechless. I left immediately and never returned to Alpha Math and Science. After I left, friends who stayed in the class later told me that Mr. Hsu would frequently mention me during lessons. He asked them to tell me that he would offer me free classes if I came back. There was no apology, no acknowledgment of his behavior, and no accountability. Just an offer of free classes, as if that erased what had happened. I did not need his class then, and I do not need it now. Today, I am in college at UC Berkeley with a job lined up. I have learned from many professors, including award winning ones, who are demanding and disciplined without being cruel or humiliating. Looking back, I now understand how damaging a teacher with poor emotional control can be to a young student's confidence and well being. These classes are expensive, and in my experience, they were not worth the emotional toll. There are better resources available. No test score or program is worth feeling unsafe, scared, or belittled in a learning environment.

I attended Alpha Science circa 2008-2010, first for SAT English classes then for Calc BC/Physics C…read more I was that kid that had to beg my parents to take these classes because I loved math classes. Mr. Hsu is definitely a personality but he is one of those very impactful people that not only teach you but offers life advice. He is at the top of the top when it comes to academic math and physics knowledge, although you have to be really proactive to pick up some topics you might struggle in as I did with Physics C since it was not taught at Temple City High School, at least when I attended. He will cover topics even beyond what is covered in the AP curriculum if it seems fitting for the class. I was very grateful too because I really wanted to sign up for the Physics C class in addition to Calc BC and Helen (the wife) let me take Physics C for free after hearing my mom complain about the price. Also, they had some of those bulk individually packaged snacks that they sold at cost or near-cost. That's how you know they're not money grubby like one place I saw that had a vending machine with 200% markups.

Great customer service. I spoke with vivan and she explained everything. Able to work with my…read moredaughters busy schedule. She needs help with AP calculus, school Offered very limited help but with Mavin. They have Corey. He has such a great rapport with my daughter. You can tell he loves math and his passion comes out when tutoring your student.

Mavin was recommended to my younger brother for his college applications. I had my skepticism…read moreinitially because I've come across many tutoring, private and institutions, that made me feel like their main goal was to make money with little emphasis on the personal success of their students. However, the price Mavin offered to help my brother with his applications and his personal statements were definitely a draw-in, so I thought, why not? The boss and staff at Mavin definitely prioritize their students' success over all else; the moment my brother was signed up, they took note of how time sensitive his applications were and worked with him to rewrite and edit his statements countless number of times (meeting in person 1-on-1 and working on it together over the web / phone) within only a couple weeks. The end result? My brother only applied to UC schools and got into every single one of them - and no, his SAT scores weren't perfect. Although my brother was only there for college applications, I can also vouch for the effectiveness of the tutors at Mavin as well. The several times I've visited the institution to drop off / pick up my brother, many times I would overhear the other ecstatic parents revving about the improvements of their kid(s), especially for SATs. Mavin is a great institution where the staff and tutors all invest a lot of time and effort into their students, individually. My impression of them is extremely top-notch because their tutors and staff do not use the same teaching style each time - they tweak their methods / styles to maximize the full learning potential of each student - that is what I believe differentiates great tutors from mediocre tutors. I definitely recommend Mavin to anyone and everyone, including to those whom English is not their first language - they can make it work out.

I've never been good at math and never enjoyed it. When I finally passed college algebra (after the…read more2nd attempt), I was thrilled to enter my "aftermath" era. Flash forward years later to Math Night at my kids' school. I took them despite dreading it. It was hosted by Mathnasium Monrovia and I quickly realized there was nothing to dread. The games and activities were educational as expected but also genuinely fun, which surprised me. On top of that, my son Elliott won a free month of classes. Sahar, Cindy and the rest of the staff have been great. They're friendly, professional and passionate about math in a way that feels contagious. I wish something like this was available when I was a kid.

My kids started coming in fall. It was a mystery at first on how they were doing. But trust the…read moresystem! Their test scores came back and there was a definite improvement. The team here has recruited some great talent that have been so patient and kind to the kids. The owner also takes the time out to know every single student and when given time, learns how each kid learns and think. It's pretty amazing. She definitely cares, and when it comes to kids, that's huge! They also had a PI day math night and the kids were raving how fun the math party was. It blew my mind. I really didn't think a math party could be fun.

My son was in need of a tutor for his Engineering Chemistry class (Chemistry 123) at Cal State…read moreFullerton. I sent an inquiry and within hours I had my son's first session set up virtually for the upcoming week. My son's tutor, Ken, was a 10 out of 10! I defiantly recommend Ken. I appreciated the initial call I had with him and how he asked to speak with my son to find out his tutoring needs. Ken's tutoring style was effective and helped my son pass his semester class. I also enjoyed speaking with management, Michael, he was professional, nice & flexible with our tutoring plan.

Our family came to California for nearly 2 months for a short period of time because of work needs…read more Considering that kid should not be neglected, a friend introduced this institution. I also experienced a change of teachers, but the overall feeling is still very good, especially the second teacher Grace, she is very loving to the children, she accompanied them to do manual experiments, garden games, and introduced a lot of books suitable for children of this age . We promise to keep in touch.

Sam is an excellent tutor. He takes the time to work through each concept with my son and makes…read moresure he fully understands it before moving on. Every minute of the tutoring session is productive and focused. My son feels that he has improved a lot in a very short period of time. We're very happy with the progress so far and highly recommend Sam!

Samuel is an organized, punctual, thoughtful and patient tutor. He's a great model for our son and…read moreapproaches tutoring in a serious, but relatable manner. Samuel is professional, yet approachable to boys who aren't excited about tutoring!

If I could give A+ Tutoring 10 stars, I would. My 14-year-old son has been working with them for…read moreabout a year. He had one tutor last year for math and another starting this school more geared toward ELA. Both tutors are exceptional, really getting to know him and how he works best and working that into his sessions so that they are effective, fun, and challenging.

As a homeschooling mom, I am incredibly intentional about my daughter's education. I want her to…read moregenuinely enjoy learning, receive an elevated education, and be taught in a way that honors her individual learning style. Because of that, I am extremely selective about who I invite into her educational experience. A+ Tutoring has truly become part of my team, and I could not be more grateful. From the very beginning, they have gone above and beyond to provide exceptional support and customer service. What has impressed me most is how thoughtfully they match each child with a tutor. They genuinely take the time to understand your child's learning style, personality, needs, and goals rather than simply assigning a tutor. And if something ever needs to be adjusted, they address it immediately. In my experience, they don't just solve the issue, they somehow manage to outdo themselves in the process. Mandy and Janelle, their incredible tutor matchmakers, are exceptional. They are attentive, responsive, intuitive, and truly invested in finding the right fit for your child. I have felt incredibly supported throughout the process. And then there is our tutor, Sonya Karl, who is EXTRAORDINARY. Sonya is deeply child-centered, incredibly intelligent, emotionally intelligent, patient, warm, and genuinely gifted at connecting with children. She has such a beautiful heart, and it is evident in the way she teaches. The most meaningful measure for me is this: my daughter is not only excelling academically, she genuinely looks forward to her tutoring sessions with Sonya. That says everything. Finding the right people to support your child's education is such an important decision, especially when you are homeschooling and creating an educational experience around your child rather than asking your child to fit into a system. A+ Tutoring understands that. I feel incredibly fortunate to have found them, and even more fortunate that they connected us with Sonya. They have earned my trust, my gratitude, and my highest recommendation.