This review is solely regarding the front desk staff at this school. Unfortunately, my first…read moreimpression was very disappointing. When I arrived, I greeted the receptionist politely and even asked how she was doing, but she seemed completely uninterested, almost as if I had wronged her in some way, despite this being my first time ever interacting with her. I understand that everyone can have off days, maybe it was hot, maybe she hadn't had a chance to eat yet, but if that's the case, I would kindly suggest the school consider installing an air conditioner and maybe even a small snack bar for the staff. Front desk personnel are the first point of contact for any organization, and it makes a lasting impression. Unfortunately, in this case, it was not a positive one. Thank you.

Went to HRS for grades 3-12. Got one hell of an education. I would like to think I'm a…read morewell-rounded person and HRS is a big reason why. If I have any writing skills at all, it is due to the excellent English and History teachers I had here. All my science knowledge (which is very limited admittedly) is via Head-Royce. How many schools have teachers that got a PhD from Yale or UC-Berkeley? Very few I imagine- HRS was one of them. In short, the academics here are excellent. And socially I was pretty content. Sure, there is no football team, homecoming, etc, but I don't feel deprived whatsoever for not having any of that. Still friends with people from HRS, even though I graduated over a decade ago. Certainly made some life-long bonds here. I feel very blessed to have been able to go here, and wish more out there had the opportunity to do so.

I can't recommend Strategies for Learning highly enough! Natalie and Michelle have both been just…read moreamazing. My son (6 yo) has a number of learning disabilities and tonight he was able to accurately recite the entire alphabet to me (twice!). For parents with kids who struggle in school, it is the small victories that matter so much and to see your child make such a major improvement in only three months is just amazing.

We worked with BJ McIntyre and he was really great. He is kind and fun and was really curious about…read moremy kid and what she needed to succeed and feel positive about herself as a student. The strategies he taught her have helped so much. We would definitely recommend!

My son 10 year old went to first day of camp after getting info from 510Families and he had a…read morehorrible experience. I told them at registration he needed a review of math skills this was told to the man who was his teacher and it was completely disengaging for my son.

This program might be a good option for 1:1 tutoring, but NOT as a camp. They set up in a church…read moreauditorium with a few round tables and a white board. Printed worksheets and expected kids of multiple ages to pay attention to a lecture-style method of teaching for hour and 5 minute sessions. When I inquired they became immediately defensive and blamed the kids for being inattentive. Also refused to allow me to quietly observe the class the next day. Huge red flag. Again, tutoring might work, but this is no camp, that is for certain. Update: I stand by my review 100%. Interesting that the owner left off the initial emails I sent simply asking to quietly sit in the back and observe the class after their defensive responses to my questions. Setting up tables, a white board and printing off 2 worksheets is NOT a camp.

We used Aspire for several tutoring sessions, a practice exam, and exam review for our son who…read moreneeds to take the ISEE as part of the private high school admissions process. The one-on-one attention he received was invaluable and the cost was reasonable; but more than that, the flexibility to help our son even on a Sunday, having someone come in just to assist him, showed a commitment to his success that went beyond the other study services. In addition to tutoring for these and other exams, ASPIRE, as a non-profit, has a mission to enhance the opportunities for kids of low-income families. For us, it meant that we were supporting a good organization even while paying for high quality tutoring services. There was no trade off between the individual attention and the high quality our son received on the one hand and, on the other, their non-profit status. In fact, they complemented each other. It showed that this was more about Will's success and not a business transaction. Indeed, we were so grateful to the team there, we made a further donation to assist them in one of their programs: a volunteer-based literacy program for low income preschoolers in the East Bay. We highly recommend them.

I used Aspire back in 2014 when my daughter was preparing for the SAT. They did a great job…read moretutoring her and helping her maximize her score without an undue amount of stress. The staff were excellent, professional, and very knowledgeable. I liked it so much that later when I wanted to switch careers, I became a tutor at Aspire, and worked with students through them. It has been a privilege working with the very good, very talented staff there.

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!

I took Beginner/Intermediate Improv with Diana Brown this past summer, and I liked it so much, I…read moretook it again this past month! Diana has a supportive and empathetic approach that I really appreciate. There is a high priority in making this a safe space, to the point of even inviting people to state their boundaries (in terms of both content you could talk about in class and physical contact/limitations). One of the things I really like is that she asks us how we feel after each improv exercise, almost like informal therapy (it is important to note that this is NOT a substitute for actual therapy). Due to her travels, I've experienced two different substitute teachers, one of whom was more focused on technical feedback and one that focused more on physicality. It was interesting to see different teaching styles, though I still preferred Diana's style. One of the things that was important to me was that this class happened in the daytime, so I wouldn't have to take public transportation at night. It is also important to note that this location is easy to reach by public transportation, which is better for my health and the environment! I will note that when I was searching for different improv classes in the Bay Area, I noticed that Berkeley Rep was one of the more expensive classes. However, if you can afford it and are feeling trepidatious about trying improv, I recommend saying "yes, and..." to this one!

Great venue for adventurous audiences!…read more I've been to a number of shows here, and I really appreciate the shows they book and the venue itself. The theater is small enough to feel intimate while still large enough to still find affordable tickets. Located just off the downtown Berkeley BART, you are steps away from tons of great food and drink options. The theater itself has a bar and sells nibbles (sweet and savory). You are allowed to bring drinks into the theater, so long as they are covered. Their mission statement, as taken from their website, is: "Berkeley Rep creates ambitious theatre that entertains and challenges its audiences, provokes civic engagement, and inspires people to experience the world in new and surprising ways." I am happy to support a local theater that is taking risks to bring important topics to the stage and engage audience members to reflect critically on society and their involvement in it.

My kiddo finished her first year of after-school programming at Hanwen and is looking forward to…read morenext year. She's attended other Chinese-language programs in the past but shared with me that she's learned the most at Hanwen (from songs to zhuyin to full characters). On top of that, there's a great student community and they have fun activities like kung-fu, too. Thanks for running a great school, Ron and team!

Our daughter (5 yrs old) currently attends Hanwen's afterschool program and she loves it. In…read moreaddition to the Chinese language classes, she is also enrolled in a mindfulness class (her favorite), a kung-fu class, an abacus class,and a yoga class. The instructors and the founder (Ron) are all highly engaged, supportive, and friendly. The program is very well run and offers a wonderfully enriching environment and an extensive assortment of activities. Our daughter reports to us on a daily basis (in Chinese) about things she learned and things she enjoyed doing with her new friends. We highly recommend the school to all our friends and enjoy being a part of the community.

10/10 camp experience for first time camper and their family!…read more This was our first summer having to sign up for camps with our rising 1st grader and Monkey Business blew us all away. Our kid LOVED their time at camp and her counselors. As parents, we loved how happy our child was during this experience and how well the camp was run. Can't wait to come back next summer!

Yes, my son loved the camp and he was so excited of going every morning!! I don't know what magic…read morething they did but it definitely worked for my five years old .