This center offers three different services: Basic testing ($750 at time of writing), Individual…read moreService ($995), and Comprehensive ($1375). We selected Comprehensive because we were hoping for clear educational recommendations for our child and thought this would give us the clearest picture (which we made clear beforehand). We encountered two people through our experience with this center: Ann Smith (Gifted Councilor) and Christine Pearston (Psy.D.). Ann is very nice and our son enjoyed working with Christine, but we have some very serious issues with their service and do not recommend them. You would be much better off going with a cheaper basic service elsewhere. First, the additional personality assessment included in the Comprehensive plan is a joke. It is not based on any kind of interview with the child, but simply a parent questionnaire. We did not even discuss this reportduring the follow-up meeting. If you continue down to the next cost level, the Individual Service is only different from the Basic Testing in that they meet with you afterwards to discuss the results. From our discussion with them, most of the time was spent just discussing what the individual elements of the IQ test mean, and this was pretty self-explanatory from the report given. Any other information provided can be found online. The most troublesome and frustrating part of this experience is that we basically ended up with nothing at the end. Rewinding a bit, in our initial discussion with Ann, she was making suggestions on which test to give our son and threw out the name "WISC-V". We have no idea what this, and she offered no explanation or warning, so we Googled it and found a handful of example questions (about 5 questions total). We showed our son to see how he would react, and he seemed fine, so we went ahead and scheduled the test. During the test, our son told Christine that he saw questions like this before and asked me about it. I told her the above and send her the link I found. She said it was fine, but when we received the report, she included a section basically saying the test is invalid, specifically including the line "It was shared that he engaged in preparatory behaviors including practice questions from an online source." I explained to them multiple times that this line is very exaggerated and not true. They repeatedly told me they believe me, but would not change it. I also felt they were very misleading when speaking with them about the actual validity of the test, due to this line. Essentially, do not purchase anything but the Basic Assessment as this center. And if you are purchasing just a basic assessment, there are cheaper alternatives out there. These people seem very nice, but they do not adequately prepare you for the test and you may end up needing to go someplace else, anyway.

Lisa and Brad are top-rate professionals. We were very pleased with the quality of their…read moreassessment services. They also did a great job of following up and providing useful advice.

If you have a high schooler who will be applying to college, definitely seek out Kathy, especially…read moreif your child aspires to Ivies, Stanford, UCLA and other top schools. Definitely call early, best to start with her freshman or sophomore year so you're not scrambling come senior year. I had two daughters who were recruited athletes and Kathy helped them tell their stories, and they ended up at their first choice schools (Yale and Stanford). Your journey may be different but Kathy did fabulous work for us.

Professional, knowledgeable, and super helpful for admission to selective colleges. Thank you,…read moreKathy!

We couldn't be happier with Margaret! She was the only college and career counselor willing to help…read moreus out when our son graduated unexpectedly early, missing the college prep that he would have done in his senior year. The other counselors I contacted were only willing to take on clients as freshmen or earlier. As well as helping him polish his essay, and fill out the college apps., her assistance was invaluable in opening new doors, and colleges he hadn't considered. Her insight led to him following his passion, and getting a degree which will further his dreams, rather than the direction he'd been planning, in which he thought he "should" go. After researching, in great detail, colleges which were possibilities, she worked with our son to make sure applications were in on time - taking us parents out of the equation. After acceptance, she worked with the admissions office, and she made several conference calls with my son and the college of his choice, making sure he received as much credit as possible for the college courses he had taken. He ended up enrolling as a second semester sophomore, which is very helpful to the bank account. Not only is Margaret worth every penny, I'm confident that we've come out ahead! Margaret is smart and kind and worked very hard for us, doing things we didn't even know to do, and our son is in a much better place because of it. Woohoo! She is as good as it gets!

Margaret really knows her way around the common app! We used her towards the end of the college app…read moreprocess, when we were tired out and stressed about it. She is very helpful and really cares about the students and finding the right fit. Has helpful suggestions and is very knowledgeable and fun to work with. Highly responsive in email/text. We tried three other college coaches, and she was definitely the best!

We have worked with Michelle Podbelsek for both of our kids. They are very different types of kids…read moreand therefore had different styles and approaches to the college hunt. In both cases, Michelle was a godsend. She regularly met independently with the kids and always provided me with a status afterwards which meant that the kids could drive their own process but I was comfortable with the direction and the partnership was super easy. Both kids have said "I don't know what I would have done without her" Her counsel is always honest, fair and spot on, while being delivered in a supportive way. The process is so tough and so emotional, and she managed to identify its harsh realities while keeping the kids feeling good about themselves and identifying options that worked for them. The office is very well run. They call and remind you before every appointment. Billing is easy to understand. All in all, a totally terrific place and super highly recommended.

Our son worked with College Counseling Associates, and we were pretty disappointed in the feedback…read morehe received. For paying such a steep fee, he received little feedback. We have noticed that other families have found much better consultants from other companies in the area, so we suggest to anyone reading this to check out other counseling firms in the area." Other people who give positive reviews likely are not knowledgeable on the subject of college admissions and thus don't realize how helpful or not the counselors are.

We couldn't be happier with our experience with Tiffany! Tiff is caring, patient, and truly…read morededicated to providing a safe, loving, and nurturing environment for my daughter. She treated my daughter with kindness and made sure she felt comfortable, supported, and valued. We appreciate the communication with parents, the engaging activities, and the effort that Tiffany put into helping my daughter learn and grow. It's such a relief knowing our daughter is in good hands while we're away/working Thank you Tiffany and family for everything you do each day. We highly recommend busy doodle bugs to any parent looking for a wonderful place for their child!

If I could give zero stars, I would…read more My experience with this daycare was incredibly disappointing and frustrating. From the very beginning, my son who was brand new to the environment was not given a fair opportunity to adjust. Like many toddlers or 1year olds, like my son. He became overwhelmed in a new setting and spit up while crying. Instead of handling the situation with patience and understanding, it was escalated and described as him "making himself vomit" and getting it "all over the place," which was simply not consistent with what I personally observed on his belongings afterward. I was called almost immediately after drop off on multiple occasions and told to pick him up. During a Zoom meeting, I was told they would not send him home right away because he might "learn" that crying means mom picks him up yet that is exactly what happened. He wasn't given time to regulate or adjust. I was told photos were taken and submitted to the agency, but despite requesting them, I was never shown those images. As a parent, that lack of transparency is extremely concerning. There were also statements later attributed to me that I never made. Having inaccurate information shared without verification is unacceptable. When I picked up his belongings, they were left outside on the porch. There was no hostility or aggression from me that would justify handling the exchange that way. It felt dismissive and disrespectful. I also observed additional adults in the home during daycare hours, despite previously being told it would only be the provider and her family. That raised questions for me about transparency and communication. I fully understand that providers have the right to decide if a child is not a good fit. What concerns me is that instead of communicating that directly, there were suggestions that my child had behavioral issues which is not something a daycare provider is qualified to diagnose. Overall, I felt unheard, unsupported, and dismissed. My son deserved patience and a chance to adjust to a new environment. I am sharing this so other parents can ask thorough questions, request documentation when needed, and advocate strongly for their children.

Clarise is highly skilled and effective ! As others have said, she is a "child whisperer" able to…read moremotivate, be firm and help our children grow their capabilities. She's excellent at assessing strengths and areas of focus. Then she creates a clear set of goals, involves the parents and helps each family understand and improve. I have. Even so impressed by the growth in my son's skills and abilities. Thank you Clarise! You have done so much more than I could have expected. We've had years of various therapy with others. But you bring ALL of the pieces together.

I recommend Lyon Learning for anyone that is struggling with dyslexia. Our elementary school age…read morechild has dyslexia. He had been getting some services in school, but he was falling farther and farther behind. We went to Lyon Learning because they were recommended to us, and it turned out to be a marvelous experience for our child. Clarisse has the right mix of enthusiasm and firmness to get through the Wilson Reading System and the other methods that she uses. Wilson is rigorous and effective, but it is difficult for a young student. Clarisse has a unique talent to keep him on task and motivated as he worked through the system. He has come very far in a short time, which was wonderful. I should also say that, in addition to the in person sessions, she recommended several online exercises to do at home on days that he did not have a session, so our child worked on his reading everyday, which was quite helpful. Also, our experience during the Covid-19 shutdowns has been quite good. Both Clarisse and her assistant Jean have been as effective over zoom as they were in person, which is not easy. We are very happy with Lyon Learning.

Debbie Vielbaum has shown us her excellence time and time again as our child's advocate for the…read morepast several years. During a time of absolute overwhelm with how to get our son proper support at school and at home, she worked with us and our school to help get a new IEP crafted that far better served our child. Since then, we've continued working with her and our son has made incredible progress. We are so happy to have found her and highly recommend her as an advocate.

Without Debbie's expertise, my husband and I would have been lost navigating through the IEP…read moreprocess. I would highly recommend Debbie, she understands the system, the players, and is very empathetic.

Excellent preschool in the heart of Belmont. We love it here and feel like our child is getting the…read morebest preschool experience we could ever hope for. We feel so lucky to have found such a gem of a program. The teachers are SO caring and great with communication (they send daily pictures and videos and are responsive to messages), the curriculum is thoughtful, they have the best teacher to kid ratio of the preschools we looked at in the San Mateo/Belmont/San Carlos area, and we love how they do so many fun activities with the kids! Besides learning their colors & letters and going on fun field trips in the area, they focus on different subjects each week (insects, planets, emotions, vehicles, etc.). For example, during their insect section, they grew caterpillars into butterflies and got to release them in the school's garden (they have an onsite garden!) and during vehicle week, a backhoe came onsite and did a demonstration for the kids! Special guest instructors come to the class to expose the children to sports-related activities, juggling, cooking, and there is also a music teacher who does music class with the kids a couple times a month. The school throws fun events for families to enjoy with the kids, like Spring Fling (the kids were ecstatic about SF Bubble Man!). The classrooms are very clean and are attached to a play area dedicated to the preschool classrooms. The preschool rooms have dedicated restrooms within them. There is also access to a larger playground and field which is fun for kids and parents to spend time at after pickup. There is a dance school that operates in the same building complex and the preschool teachers help get students ready for dance (if they're enrolled with the dance school) and will walk the kids to the dance classes & bring them back to the preschool rooms afterwards. Morning and afternoon snacks are provided, and the school offers extended hours (730am-6pm), if needed, which is a huge plus for our family's schedule. Our child has been thriving in this preschool program and has blossomed so much since starting at BCLC.

I have to send a shout out to BCLC. I am enrolling my third child here, and they have always done…read moreand continue to do a stellar job. My kids have always loved it here. The teachers are patient, kind, and very experienced in dealing with the children. They have had the same staff for years. The director is very responsive. Their new protocols in light of Covid-19 are quite adequate and make me feel comfortable with having my child attend. They do crafts and projects, and have lots of enrichment activities for the kids. Unfortunately for safety, some of these are on hold for the moment due to Covid-19 but I'm sure they will be back when the time is appropriate. If you're looking for serious academics, perhaps this is not the place. They do story time, and they do projects with letters but they are not going to drill your child. It's preschool, I want my kids to enjoy themselves and interact with other children. They do talk about numbers, letters and phonics but they keep it fun and light, in an age appropriate manner.