First off -- I passed the California Bar!! I had taken it before, unsuccessfully, even after using…read moreKaplan, Barbri, and working with a Barbri tutor. I was hesitant to invest in a private tutor due to the cost, but looking back, I wish I had done it sooner. If I had worked with Daniel earlier, I wouldn't have missed out on four years of earning an attorney's salary. Daniel is, without a doubt, the best tutor out there. He knows the bar inside and out. We met weekly, and he helped me fine-tune the study schedule he created so that I was always on track. I gained 175 points working with him -- I'm still blown away by that. I worked hard, but Daniel kept me focused and accountable. I'm forever grateful. If you're tired of spinning your wheels and just want to be done with the bar exam once and for all, go with Daniel. Thank you so much!!

After five years and five attempts, Daniel's 1-1 course helped me pass the July 2025 CA Bar Exam. I…read moream extremely grateful for his techniques in identifying areas for me to improve and when it came time to take the test, I felt much more confident. This was even after using three different big box bar programs and two other personal tutors. I highly recommend!

Karen-Meredith helped my daughter prepare for the high school placement test (HSPT) last Fall. My…read moredaughter had never taken any standardized test and was a little apprehensive about the whole process. Karen-Meredith made my daughter comfortable, built up her confidence, and offered her invaluable tips and tricks. I wish I had that kind of help! Based on her test results and academic record, my daughter was accepted at one of the top schools in the City and placed in their Honors English program. More importantly, my daughter is more confident and will be ready for the college standardized tests in a few years. We'll be reaching out to Karen-Meredith for that when the time comes! Highly recommend.

I cannot recommend Karen-Meredith enough as a reading/writing tutor. She has been tutoring our…read moreelementary-school aged son consistently for 4 years and his been the reason he has been successful in language arts, even with dyslexia and ADD. She created a strong foundation of reading and writing habits early on with him and has continued to deliver progress. She does an incredible job of making sure the work is engaging, rewarding, and delivering significant growth. Our son loves spending time with Karen-Meredith, even when the work itself is hard. We feel so fortunate to have her supporting us!

She taught my child to read. What price can I put in that?…read more Jaleh is extremely flexible, with so many years experience she could pull from many pedagogical practices, and figure out how to motivate my child. Now she's working on her math, and it's going well.

Jaleh is an amazing certified Educational Therapist. She worked with my son, who has dyslexia and…read moreADHD when he was in 4th and 5th grade. My son made great progress in reading, comprehension, and writing. I agree 100% with the other parent's comments about Jaleh. What made Jaleh stand out is that not only is she teaching the academic parts but also teaching the kids to advocate for themselves and to develop their own distinct strategy of how to overcome obstacles caused by their learning difference. She is the most caring and dedicated tutor that my son had - she would read the assigned books as part of the preparation for the tutoring sessions. My family was so lucky to have found Jaleh!

We have lived in San Francisco for 14 years and my 3 children have attended public school. MOST of…read morethe time they have enjoyed great or fine teachers. When my daughter got to high school, the math teacher she had for Algebra 1 was not good. My daughter is curious and works hard. Math is not her favorite subject but she worked hard and still could not understand & got low grades. As a parent, I'm not as concerned about grades. I want to know my children are making the effort they are capable of (most of the time) & showing up and trying. I also want them to learn and understand. Much of my high school math career was a total waste and I learned very little. If you don't learn Algebra 1, it's a hot mess as you don't have the necessary foundation and once in calculus, if you make it that far, most mistakes are algebraic according to a principal we had with a PHD in Math. My daughter got another terrible teacher for Geometry. Even the school counselors would speak openly about this teacher being one of the worst in the School's history. My daughter was trying hard and yet not understanding and getting terrible grades. After studying really hard for a test and feeling confident she understood, I remember watching her face fall one Saturday night as she checked her test grade and got a D. As a parent I didn't know what to do Because we were watching Khan Academy videos and she was studying and still not understanding. My friend Laura told me about Sean Alexander tutoring and my daughter started with Olivia a few years ago. Immediate improvement in understanding and therefore grades. We had such a good experience with Olivia and Sean that we signed both of our teens up for the math intensive program in the summer of 2018. My kids went once a week with a tutor named Charlie to learn about algebra one and really focus on algebra basics. My daughter ended up getting a 700 on the Math portion of the SAT. She did take practice test and she did the tutoring with Alexander tutoring. She did not do any other test prep. She couldn't believe she did better on the math portion than the language portion as she loves History and English. Our son was starting high school last fall and after his sisters experience with the math teachers, we wanted to get ahead of the issue and so he took the math intensive program just like his sister. Our son, like many do, struggles with focus and impulse control and I told this to Sean. Doing the summer intensive program relieved so much stress to the entire school year. We didn't even do the tutoring during the school year. We tried to save money by doing online tutoring from Growing Stars (I think that is the name) and my kids thought it was boring and dreaded it and told me they really didn't need the tutoring because what they had learned in the summer was caring them through in their classes. They both did fine all year. If you do you want to do the tutoring in the school year , I would sign up now and early because it does fill up. We took a risk and didn't sign up because my kids felt confident they were going to be OK and they were. This summer my son, who will be a sophomore fall 2019, is meeting twice weekly with Felix. On Tuesday they meet at the library for physics and Thursday at the library for Geometry. I have learned that engaging your kids in the summer a little bit pays off a huge amount during the school year. My children do really well with the one on one tutoring and we have found it is a great investment. It's not cheap because these are knowledgeable tutors and they have to pay SF rent too! We haven't done any other test prep (because the free one at the high school for a day) and my daughter is doing really well on her ACT and SAT math scores but more importantly to me, she understands math! She is willing to sit and do all the practice tests on her own because math doesn't intimidate her anymore. Like all of the tutors, Felix is exceptionally organized and communicates constantly. He is easy to reach, responsive and uses the books we provided him from the school as well as provides some homework each week. Sean asks the teenagers at the beginning of the summer how much homework they are willing to do realistically each week and makes them commit to that. This is very wise because he doesn't want the children to feel burned out or resentful but to have some control over this whole process. Honestly, my children have been very happy about being able to go to the tutoring because they realize how much they have benefited from it. Summer tutoring or school year tutoring reduces stress during the school year and has made all of the difference in my children actually UNDERSTANDING. Alexander tutoring has made all the difference for my children and their relationship with math. Look up YouCubed as well for extra Algebra support. Stanford professor Jo Boaler's site to try and help students have a better view of and relationship with Math.

my son's tutor, Caleb, has been absolutely amazing. We can't recommend him highly enough.read more

Math-for-Girls is a life-changer…read more After receiving a discalculia diagnosis in 8th grade for my daughter, I found Vali and math for girls. What a game changer! After trying different interventions and math tutors over the years, I really didn't have much hope for my daughter ever making progress in math after receiving an official diagnosis for a specific math disability. Vali was very clear that she wasn't specially trained to work with discalculic kids, but we decided to give her a try anyways. My daughter was skeptical about another tutor and not excited about extra math after school. I'm so glad we gave Vali a try. My daughter learned more in 9 months with Vali than she had in 9 years of regular math class. Even more importantly, she is feeling so much more confident about doing math and feels like she has an array of strategies to approach a challenging problem. The engagement and confidence she is now feeling in regard to math is remarkable. We have now transitioned to Tia, one of the terrific Math-for-Girls tutors, to continue remediating middle school math while also supporting the transition into High School math. My daughter enjoys her time with Vali and Tia so much - actually looking forward to math, working independently on problems/skills between sessions, and is proud of her progress. Vali and Tia are both so positive in their teaching approach and really paying attention to where a concept is shaky or understanding may be incomplete. They are terrific at communicating what has been covered and setting expectations. My only wish is that we had found Math-for-Girls earlier. If you have a math avoidant student - call Vali!

Vali is an extraordinary asset to the students and families she works with…read more She makes math both fun and attainable; the ultimate goal of most of us in the math education field! I've been so fortunate to work with a number of Vali's students in my own business as they have needed test prep or moved on to their high school math phase. Each student Vali previously worked with has been engaged, curious, and motivated about their math education, a testament to Vali's wonderful mission to educate and inspire girls and her remarkable success in achieving this!

Before Jessica and I met, I didn't have the best grade in Algebra my freshman year. Because of her…read moreI'm a senior who is taking pre-calc with a smile on my face. I am definitely bringing her with me to college next year without a doubt!!

My daughter has a lot of learning disabilities: dyslexia, processing issues, working memory, etc…read more We met Jessica when my daughter was in elementary school having a very hard time keeping up. Jessica began working with her in third grade helping her to learn and giving her the confidence and ability to succeed. Jessica worked through all the school year and summers for two years. The confidence Jessica instilled in her was remarkable. She was patient, kind, and understood my daughter better than any teacher had. We moved my daughter to a school specifically for students with learning disabilities, and when she needed to study for ACT,​ we came back to Jessica. Now my daughter has been accepted into selective colleges, all that she has applied to! Jessica and my daughter remain close and have agreed to continue​ to keep in touch when she is in college.

Recommended by a top educational therapist, Ender has helped my child get back on track. It's a…read morequestion of fit. I'm giving him 4 stars only because he's not an educational therapist, not because he's not "excellent." After four sessions with him, my child has regained confidence needed to move on to the next level. Don't trustthe b.s. negative reviews that are of one extreme or another, it usually lies somewhere in between. The teacher either has the knack...or not. Ender definitely has the knack.

My two sons have been going to Ender for their entire high school careers--and he is simply put,…read morethe best! I was referred to him when my son was in a crisis--literally flunking Pre-Calculus and in danger of getting an F for the semester. My son was reluctant to go to a tutor, but Ender said--"look, you will know if this is helping in just a few sessions," and he was right. We saw vast improvement after only three sessions. With Ender's guidance and explanation, my son went from an F to an A for the trimester and got a B for the semester. After that, he never wanted to head into a math final without a tune -up session from Ender. He did very well in math and AP Stat throughout the rest of his high school years. So when my younger son tested into the very rigorous Accelerated Math course his Freshman year at Lowell, I knew what to do. I had him start with Ender from the beginning and he was one of the few to emerge from that class with an "A." We also asked Ender to tutor our sons for the SAT and SATIIs and he helped them pull down a surprising 800 in the SAT II--surprising because my son doesn't think of himself as a "math student." Ender is kind, patient, rational, and as my sons say, "just a great teacher." Everyone I have ever sent to him has been very happy with the results. Some of my friends decline to go because he is not the least expenseive tutor in town, but I want to say "He is worth every penny!" So often, I've seen friends spend lots of time and frustration on a less accomplished tutor--with mediocre results. Ender delivers results. Plus, my sons really like him. He's low-key and professional, and he eases kid's fears. I cannot tell you how grateful I am to have a resource like Ender for my sons.

Brendan is the absolute best. My only wish is that we had hired him sooner. Our son is bright but…read morenot academically inclined nor well-organized. Initially Brendan helped our son prepare for the SSATs as part of high school applications. Even with just a short time to prepare, our son did better than his first practice test and walked into the test without any fear. Brendan has helped our son better stay on top of his coursework and homework. Brendan has also helped him turn around his grades in all subject areas. And my son looks forward to when Brendan comes over (it really takes the stress off the parental relationship when it comes to homework;). Brendan has had a truly positive impact on my son's relationship to learning. Brendan always goes above and beyond. For my son's first finals week at high school, my son would sometimes give Brendan a late night call - it was more to calm his nerves than truly review materials but Brendan was always available for him. When my son got a last minute acceptance to a high school, Brendan came over on a Sunday to talk him through the decision. When personal tragedy struck our family, Brendan was there in case my son needed to talk about it. Brendan is really caring and meets the kids where they are at emotionally as well as academically. Brendan also understands the school system and has helped us understand how we might tap additional resources to help our son. I highly recommend Brendan to everyone.

We hired Brendan to help our older son with HS Spanish but quickly realized that he was a great…read morehelp across all subjects. Our MS son was struggling so we then added sessions for him. Both boys responded well to Brendan and his easy demeanor meant that homework battles eased up...a lot! We highly recommend Brendan!

I first heard about Sentence Center years ago, when my child was still too young to join the…read moreprogram. When I called to inquire, Chino spent so much time talking with me and sharing helpful information about how to help my child develop a love for reading, even though we weren't able to join the program yet. When my child was old enough to join, I was really excited but also worried that he might not participate, since writing and speaking in group settings had been challenging for him at school. Unexpectedly, he has participated well in the class since the very first day, thanks to his exceptional teacher, Ms. Margaret, who has been so patient and has a wonderful way of drawing him out of his shell. After just two months at Sentence Center and now starting the new school year, he came home today and told us that writing was very easy for him at school. It was really exciting to hear that and to see how much he has already grown through this program! Every teacher who has taught my child has been exceptional, patient, and truly talented at working with kids. They have helped him learn how to come up with ideas, turn those ideas into writing, and share his work with the class. I highly recommend this program, which has helped my child in so many ways beyond writing, including public speaking, confidence, and creativity. I am so grateful to Chino and his team!

My son has been taking writing classes with Sentence Center for 1.5 years, and they taught him to…read morehow to organize his thoughts clearly and confidently in his writing. All the instructors are very attentive, caring, encouraging, and gives meaningful feedback during class and after every assignment. The topics are fun, engaging, and really get the kids thinking. My son truly enjoyed the classes, and I love hearing him read his work out loud. I honestly learned so much more about him through his writing and high recommend Sentence Center!

Gina's an amazing tutor - go with her if you have the chance! With her help I passed the October…read more2020 bar exam - I couldn't have done it without her! Looking back, I think Gina's focus on strategy is what sets her apart. She knows what the exam is testing, and it has nothing to do with intelligence. She will show you how to hack the exam, even if you forget black-letter law. This approach also helped me mentally, as I could feel more confident that whatever came my way (ahem, BA as the first essay, lol), I could get through it and pass. Another thing that set Gina apart from other tutors was the amount of work that she put into essay feedback. She provided line-by-line feedback, which helped me quickly grasp the appropriate way to write bar essays. Her feedback also helped me structure essays in a way that would score me the most points. I also appreciated being able to submit rewrites of an essay to make sure I got it perfect the second time. Gina was also easy to approach, empathic, and really cared about my progress. She is honest about your performance, but continues to be encouraging and positive even if you're struggling with something. She also takes her time and never rushes you. Other tutors I approached had strict tutorial time limits and contact hours. I never felt rushed with Gina or like I couldn't contact her with a question. Another thing I appreciated was that Gina really pushed me to get the work done! I sent her weekly schedules which really helped me be productive and limit time wasting. I also really appreciated the amount of material that Gina provided me with. The resources that she offers her students is really quite extensive. I ended up using majority of it at some time or another during my study process - it really was invaluable. I have no hesitations recommending Gina to law students or foreign attorneys - I'm very glad I had the opportunity to work with her.

I had taken the bar 3 times after my J.D., I threw in the proverbial towel after the third failure…read more Years later, after the frustration and damaged pride subsided, I contacted all of the higher rated tutors on yelp. I obviously hired Gina (thus the review) and paid her way to little for her services. With her help and a lot of hard work I passed the exam with the lowest pass rate in the history of bar exams (26.8%) -Feb 2020. There is no way that would have happened without Gina's help. Why did I choose Gina? I had three requirements going into hiring a tutor, Gina met them all and the others did not. First she has a formal course which she provides and a structure to follow which seemed to me at the time to be both educationally effective and effective at keeping me on track (it turned out to be very effective - I passed the bar - and I always knew what I needed to be working on). Her structure also contains reporting and tracking mechanisms to keep everyone on the same page and on track. My second requirement was that the tutor be able and willing to be flexible and to customize to my needs (not just a "class" with review sessions once a week). Gina was able to dissect where I was having disconnects (between brain & keyboard) and created customized flow-sheets for me to use on practice essays. My third requirement was that I had to like/feel comfortable with the person in the initial 'consult' as I was going to be dealing with them a lot and I liked Gina right away. Then she started telling me how bad my essays were and I had some doubts, but then she was right so I liked her again. Value proposition: A++++ feedback. I got a great deal, I really I feel like I got one over on her considering her time and skill set... I never have to save up again to take another CA bar exam, take time off, ignore my family and my poor lonely pooch. My mom will never be sad for me again when I don't pass (she did cry when I passed but that was good). Having passed the bar my income just jumped overnight to over 10x her fee every year...forever. Man Up: You have to do the work, think of Gina as the Boss and just suck it up. I did everything, kept all the logs, did the rewrites, if she told me to do it either I did it or we found something that would work for me. The essay rewrites are a huge help, I would never have actually rewritten a practice essay on my own and this turned out to be one of the biggest learning opportunities. Using her MBE tracking guide really helped me focus and be efficient with my time . The last couple week before the test I was crushing the practice MBE exams. I used adaptibar and found the two (Adaptibar & Gina) worked perfectly. If anyone want to speak with me Gina can give you my contact info. This is my first yelp review and I don't feel like posting "I failed 3x" to the whole world.