Sylvia is an amazing tutor who challenged my son to grow as a reader. In a short time she boosted his ability. She identified key areas in advanced coding where he needed help and mitigated them. Out of many Marin tutors we tried (at least 5) - she was the best. Sylvia had the most clear insight into his habits, strengths and deficits that could be remediated. In a short time he got better. I highly recommend her. Worth every penny (and then some)! If we have tutoring needs in the future we will come back. read more

Five years ago, I worked with Sylvia during 6th grade, and it had a profound impact on my academic journey. Surprisingly, last year, I found Algebra 2 to be my favorite subject, despite not being a math enthusiast. Now, I'm tutoring other students in math and even contemplating a future as a doctor. Currently, I'm working with Sylvia again for SAT preparation, and I can see how it's positively influencing my work. I can't emphasize enough how beneficial it is to work with Sylvia - she is a great and knowledgeable tutor. read more

My daughter had twelve hours of tutoring with Sylvia in preparation for the November 2017 SAT exam. The tutoring sessions took place during an intense three-week period when my daughter was buried in homework and finishing multiple college applications that were due. My daughter's SAT score went up 110 points. I am really grateful for the tutoring Sylvia provided. She worked diligently with my daughter on math and English, and provided her helpful strategies and drills for solving problems faster and more efficiently. Sylvia also emailed me after each session to report on my daughter's progress and the goals for the next session. I found that very helpful. I recommend Sylvia highly. I should also mention that I understand that Sylvia is tutoring via Zoom during shelter-in-place, and it is very effective. read more

I was so fortunate to find Sylvia after deciding to take the TEAS test (a requirement to apply to nursing schools) prior to applying. Before working with Sylvia, I took a practice test and was not pleased with my score. When I took the exam after working with Syvia for two months I ended up scoring in the 90th percentile in nearly every section and my score was over 15% higher than my initial practice score. I only wish I had met with Sylvia when I was in high school, the skills that I learned would have made test taking much easier. She gave me the tools that are necessary to help me succeed in test taking in the future. I ended up getting accepted to multiple nursing schools. I was always a very good student but struggled with standardized tests and no longer feel that is an issue after Sylvia's help. read more

Sylvia tutored our daughter, both in math and english writing, during her junior and senior years at high school. Sylvia also tutored our daughter in preparation for the SAT exams and in both cases the results were excellent! Not only did our daughter begin to feel comfortable with the complexities of mathematics but Sylvia's patient, encouraging approach also made the sessions easier, and therefore stress free. Our daughter was accepted to seven colleges and is now achieving high grades in the college of her choice. Thank you Sylvia! -DT, San Anselmo read more

Sylvia helped my Freshman with Algebra 1. He was getting a 55% in the class and was facing summer school. We crammed in about 10 hours in the week before the final, he took the final and got an 80%!! His final grade in the class: 73%. No summer school!! Sylvia was very flexible in working around my work schedule and my son's school and athletic practice schedules. Both my son and I recommend her and have learned that a little tutoring all year long would have been much less stressful and would have made my son feel better about his performance during the school year. read more

I came into tutoring with an extremely low score in science and math, and I needed help for the test on July 17th. Sylvia did a great job with helping me realize where I was struggling, and even suggested outside people to help me battle those struggles. Furthermore, she made me confident in the work I did and gave me multiple strategies in which I could incorporate so I performed better on the practice tests. I would 100% recommend her to help get a high score; there is much knowledge and logic in what she asks you to do and she has helped me become better at what I came in struggling with. read more

Sylvia is a top notch tutor. Good tutors are hard to find, so if your child needs a little help engage Sylvia as soon as possible as she will really make a difference for your child and your family. I am in a professional organization with Sylvia and have heard amazing stories about the children she has helped, which has enabled them to get into the college of their choice along with financial assistance in many cases. I know we all cherish our children and want them to succeed in life, and there are times when we all need some help, so don't delay, contact Sylvia and discuss your child's situation with her to see if she can help. This will be one of the best investments you can make and I'm sure your child will thank you in the end for this. read more

My 17 year old son had an F in Algebra a few weeks ago. Within a few weeks of Sylvia helping him, his grade went up to a C and he is now tutoring other students. His test scores and homework are continuing to improve. It's remarkable to see how quickly Sylvia has been able to help him get back on track. I'm looking forward to having Sylvia help him with his other subjects too. read more

The good thing about Sylvia's methods is that they bring about measurable results in a relatively short period of time. As an experienced tutor, she can gauge the most effective learning style of the student and tailor her class accordingly. High recommended. read more

Sylvia is a fantastic engaging tutor. Very knowledgeable in a wide range of subjects. She's great at helping students get organized and setting goals. Money well spent. I recommend her services highly. read more

From my experience, Sylvia's approach to tutoring is exceptional and a solid investment in my student's future. She helped my college freshman move from math anxiety to a calm and confident "A". Sylvia influenced my student from the very first session, got down to it immediately and they have been working steadily and surely lesson by lesson. In addition, Sylvia's tips, insights and confidence building counseling have also influenced my student's skills and attitude toward her other college courses, as well as her overall comfort with college. read more

Sylvia has been working with my 8-year-old daughter for just a month and we can already see the improvement in her reading skills. Sylvia is a total professional that clearly knows her stuff. I feel confident that Sylvia is going to take my daughter above and beyond standard in both reading and math. read more

We have used Sylvia for a few months now, for our Middle Schooler who needed guidance and support in Math and Science, with special attention to organization and critical executive functioning. Short version of the long story is our middle schooler was having a hard time juggling some challenging coursework, along with all of the inherent pressures that come with being in middle school. Sylvia has been attentive and organized. She takes the time to make sure our daughter got what she needed and thoroughly understood it. We noticed a difference, yes in her grades, but ultimately in her attitude towards school. Instead of being avoidant and ashamed of not doing well, she is now challenged and has the confidence to tackle tough assignments because she knows she can. Sylvia walks a fine line between friendly and firm, and as far as parental communication; she writes summaries of each session so we know where our daughter is and how she is progressing and what we should pay attention to. She also responds in short order to requests, text messages and voicemails which is very helpful in keeping communication open. I highly recommend Sylvia's services. read more

My daughter was nearly failing math at the end of 7th grade. Luckily, we found Sylvia Verange. She is a patient and kind tutor with flexible hours. My daughter is now a 9th grader at Redwood High School and has an "A" in math. I highly recommend Sylvia. Your money is well spent when your child gains not only better grades, but more confidence and improved self esteem. Sylvia is also an accomplished author. Her autobiographical book "Two Breathes, One Step: Hiking Across The Himalayas" demonstrates her nature loving character and gritty resilience. She's been a terrific role model for my teen daughter. read more

Sylvia tutored my 11 year old daughter in Spanish. Sylvia had high expectations and sincerely wanted my daughter to learn. Sylvia worked diligently and my daughter worked during the week knowing that Sylvia has expectations. My daughter really enjoyed the time and consideration of Sylvia with respect to her time with her. I liked Sylvia as she would also conduct assessments in other areas to determine if my daughter needed additional assistance. Sylvia is a true professional and her role is to teach. I like her and know she is serious about her profession and would recommend her to anyone. Alan M. Astengo CPA read more

My Jr in high school has been working with Sylvia on her SAT prep and the process has been very positive and successful. My daughter has felt very well prepared and comes away from meetings feeling she has the tools to be successful. As well, some of the skills she has learned specific to SAT prep have additionally helped her in her day to day school assignments - especiallay essay writing. I am very glad we found Sylvia and highly recommend her. read more

Sylvia Verange came highly recommended as the best SAT and ACT prep tutor in the area and it's true. She's the best. Our daughter raised her SAT score over 300 points and received a complete free ride to six of the top US universities. Most importantly, our daughter knows she can set a goal and accomplish it. This is a skill she will have with her for life. l'd recommend Sylvia to families who want the best, either in test prep or subject areas. read more

Sylvia is great. She was my tutor in high school where I was so insecure about my failing math grade I wouldn't seek help. Sylvia took me under her wing and invited me into her home and while we discussed math we talk about life food art which enabled me to overcome my insecurities and I finished high school a semester early with an A in math. Ten year later I am a successful business owner still using the techniques she taught me to run my company. Sylvia's techniques work and she's an awesome chick to top it off. read more

My stepdaughter has been working with Sylvia for a few months now and we can really see a difference in her math and English (reading, writing, spelling, etc). My stepdaughter actually looks forward to her time with Sylvia, which is so important to us. Sylvia is very patient, personable and knowledgeable. My stepdaughter got very excited yesterday, after she found out that Sylvia is also fluent in Spanish because she would like to start working on that as well. I feel that we really lucked out with finding Sylvia. Soon, my other stepdaughter will be working with Sylvia to prep her for the SSAT! read more

Sylvia has been a fantastic tutor for my daughter. She has been incredibly helpful to my daughter for her SAT prep. Sylvia is extremely knowledgeable in the subject areas she teaches, and knows how to effectively communicate the material. Sylvia provides excellent and valuable test taking strategies. Without any reservation, I would recommend Sylvia for any academic tutoring- you cannot go wrong with her! Thank you Sylvia!! read more

Sylvia has been an excellent SAT tutor for my daughter. Her knowledge and teaching strategies have enabled my daughter to deepen her understanding of subject areas and improve her SAT scores. We also appreciated Sylvia's flexibility in scheduling and her professional manner. Thank you Sylvia! Lori B. read more

Sylvia tutored my twins. They could not be more different!! They were both so relieved to have learned the tricks that Sylvia had taught them. It was the "strategies" and the ability to learn how to take a test under speed that allowed them to feel confident and good about their scores. Money well spent to get their scores high I think is money in the bank and money towards scholarship. I highly recommend her as a tutor! read more

Syliva has been an exceptional tutor for our high school son. She has a very firm, clear and organized way to keep him on task while deftly explaining concepts to him. He has cultivated a much deeper understanding of Algebra and now Geometry with Syliva, increasing his grades significantly. He comes out of each session with a smile on his face- because he now likes math ( and he likes Sylvia!). She sends email summaries after each session, very helpful for keeping busy working families connected and in sync with their student. Thank you, Sylvia!!!! read more

Syliva did a great job with my son. His score increased by 80 points the second time he took the SAT, after several sessions with Sylvia. She worked hard to accommodate his crazy schedule and fit all the required sessions into a compressed time frame. And what she taught him worked well for him. read more

My daughter is an excellent student but has struggled with standardized testing. Sylvia has been an amazing help in dramatically improving her results from average to the top percentiles. Sylvia is a great teacher and has a vast treasure chest of skills, tips, suggestions, and study drills which were extremely useful to my daughter. My daughter is very confident and well prepared for the next time she will take a standardized test. Thank you Sylvia! read more

My daughter just finished her 3rd SAT session and she came back more animated than I have seen her in a while. She jumped on the couch and told me all about Sylvia's tips and suggestions on how to tackle the reading section. The way she was talking, I could see a new confidence in how she feels about taking the test. It is like the strategies are giving her a secret superpower. That alone is well worth it! read more

My daughter was changed from Junior to Senior, one month after starting the school year. All of the sudden, she had one year less to prepare for her college application. To be more precise, she had only three weeks to prepare for the SAT. I decided to hire three different tutors so my daughter could try all of them and see which one was the best fit for her. She tried the other tutors first because they charged less, but she was not convinced. When she took the session with Sylvia, she told me "Sylvia is the best teacher I have ever had in my life." In barely twelve sessions, Sylvia prepared my daughter and she got a score that would have been impossible to obtain without Sylvia's help. To make the long story short, my daughter got accepted to her top choice. Thank you so much, Sylvia! read more

Sylvia is a dedicated and thorough tutor, offering support for diverse academic subjects as well as test prep for college and private high school bound students. As a college counselor, I recommend Sylvia's services to all of my client families. If you want results AND to get a comprehensive review of the challenges and outcomes of each tutoring session, call Sylvia! read more

Our son was completely lost in Geometry and just could not understand his teacher. We turned to Sylvia on the strength of a recommendation from a friend and within two sessions, our son was confident and understood for the first time. Sylvia has a very accessible style and genuinely cares about the kids with whom she is working. We recommend her highly and plan to also use her services for standardized test preparation. read more

If you are looking for a tutor to raise your teenager's SAT score, Sylvia Verange is the absolute best. My daughter was unhappy with her math score (590) and no matter how many practice tests she did, felt she was misreading the problems, and squandering precious test time working them incorrectly. Her first session with Sylvia was a revelation. My daughter came home, astonished that she could now recognize both the equation and the strategy with clarity that had been lacking in other prep courses or online tutorials. We had about a month until she would take the SAT again, and Sylvia was flexible about scheduling more than a half dozen sessions to fit the time we had, each more productive than the last. My daughter found her extremely easy to talk to, and learn from. With her new mastery of SAT math, they even devoted some time to reviewing her essay, for pointers on improving it as well. Bottom line: her score jumped almost 300 points: a perfect 800 for writing, another 800 for reading, and a math score of 720. It's a game-changer, all thanks to Sylvia. Whatever plateau your child has hit academically, whatever their challenge, I'm convinced she can help any student improve and achieve because she gives them the tools that grow their confidence. Sylvia is worth every cent, and more! Mark and Debora Nelson Novato read more

Sylvia is very professional, reliable, and experienced. She has helped many student raise their SAT scores and get into great colleges.