I've gone here multiple times before and never had a problem. This time, I get there and they tell…read moreme I have to reschedule. Why couldn't they call me? And the guy telling me had this awful attitude of no sympathy. Acting like it's my fault when I just wasted my whole afternoon. There's no reason they couldn't call.

I took my first medical board exam here on July 11. If I could make one suggestion, it would be to…read moreseparate those who have to type (ex. those taking essay-based exams), from those who do not have essays on their tests; simply because the noise of typing on desktops is pretty loud in an otherwise silent room. Another way to address this would be to warn all students to bring their earplugs in if they'll be in the room with people who are typing. While I did get surprised in the middle of one of my test sections with some loud typing, I otherwise could not have asked for a better test day experience. Primarily, I didn't realize what a huge difference it makes to have test center staff be at their best on a day when I was (pretty much) at my worst. Upon entering the test center, I was extremely nervous and was having trouble following the (extremely simple) instructions of the person responsible for checking everyone in. Fortunately, this person, Sunny, was very kind and patient. He told me I could eat my breakfast in the back of the foyer, which had a table near a window. This was helpful because I was able to separate myself from the other test takers, eat my breakfast, and calm down. After that, I felt a lot better, got checked-in properly, and began my test on time. Everything from there went very smoothly. Checking into prometric test rooms is an arduous process, you have to use your thumbprint and get swiped with a metal detector. Fortunately, the center is small and the staff works quickly. I was third in line to check into the test room, and I was waiting for my turn for less than 10 minutes. The amenities in this prometric center are great. The bathrooms are clean and close to the testing room. The temperature in the testing room itself is comfortable as well. The woman (unfortunately I didn't catch her name) responsible for checking me into and out of the test center during my break times was great at getting me in and out quickly. She clearly cared about getting me back to my seat as fast as possible. This was a relief to me because I was on the clock and had a limited amount of time for breaks. She also would have the sign-out book open to my page before I had even left the room. I was impressed that she took the time to learn my name, and also that she noticed and took action as soon as I got out of my chair, all to save me time on my break. I know I certainly would have zoned out, and I really appreciated her attention to detail. Overall, I was very happy with my test day experience, and it is important to me that the staff here knows that they are doing a great job. Thanks again!

We brought our 2.5 year old to see Mandy and were with her for approximately 1.5 years. Mandy…read moreprovided just the right advice as well as engagement for our child (and as new parents, her experienced guidance and suggestions throughout also gave us peace of mind). Our toddler at the time was very shy, so her approach of play-based speech therapy was the ideal fit for a shy kiddo. He looked forward to sessions and didn't realize it was "work", but instead saw it as a fun activity where he was able to play with a variety of toys with an energetic playmate. I don't see how Mandy has the energy to play with the little ones all day, but she does--and really seems to enjoy it. The play/session environment is comfortable, welcoming, clean, and has a toy store's worth of different toys (and Mandy is always trying out new ones for the repertoire). Mandy immediately identified a structural issue that a previous formal evaluation from another speech therapist missed. Our child progressed wonderfully and is now outgoing, able to express himself clearly and with a range of vocabulary and sentence structures, and is doing advanced language and verbal work at school. We are very satisfied and highly recommend Bethesda Speech for Kids and Mandy.

Mandy has made an enormous difference in the life of my 9yo. My son has been in and out of various…read morespeech pathologist's offices since he was 4, and I could never hear or see a measurable difference in his speech until we found Mandy. The difference in a year with her is greater by far than the difference in 5 years with everyone else combined. I cannot say enough good things about our experience with her. She is incredibly effective as a speech pathologist, and the results are really clear. Even more than that, she is flexible, patient, adaptive and works with my son rather than at him. Her humor shines through steadily, and she is very kind, and my son can sense that and relaxes with her. She has specific, targeted exercises and games she goes through with him - he has only begun to figure out that the games are work - and gives us home practice in such a way that he knows what he needs to be doing and how to do it. My son can be a handful - so she works in movement breaks and tunes the games to his interests and approaches it with humor that makes him feel welcome. She gives prizes after so many stickers earned - set at a reasonable, attainable pace - and I noticed that, having figured out my son liked puzzles and stuffed animals, that the prizes being offered have quietly become things he enjoys. He vibrates for the opportunity to win them. Even the games have become quietly tuned to his needs and preferences; I've never seen so many games of Memory played. My son invented his own version of Go Fish with the articulation cards, and she went so far as to write down the rules so they could play it again. Seriously, she is *amazing*. As a note: my son went from throwing tantrums at the very idea of speech to cheerfully practicing at home and happily showing up to his speech therapy. Because she praises him for his effort and his progress and specifically what he is doing right, he can aim for that specific thing again and *believes her* when she tells him he's working and she can tell. I cannot tell you what a difference that has made. Most importantly, my son went, in less than a year, from being unintelligible unless someone had known him for years, to being a confident, talkative, outgoing kid with a lot to say. A few months in with Mandy, I stopped having to 'translate' for him. Months ago, he suddenly started talking non stop, because he could be understood and heard and participate. Before that, he only spoke that much with me, and he chose the most efficient script to short hand what he wanted to communicate, as speaking was tedious and hard work and he might have to repeat himself five times. Now, he is speaking happily and with assurance with his friends and with his teachers, and does not hesitate to step up and speak when called upon to do so. Mandy has made SUCH a difference in his life, and I am forever grateful. She is worth every penny and moment of time. I highly recommend her; you won't find a better speech pathologist.

I am the parent of eight children and have been using the services of Prep Matters for many, many…read moreyears. For all this time, I have been exceptionally pleased with the instruction and the results. I have, most recently utilized the services of Sunhee, an SAT tutor who has singlehandedly enabled my daughter to raise her SAT score by over 200 points. The experience of SAT test prep, which can be grueling, unpleasant and painful, has been actually enjoyable for my daughter. I think this has much to do with the relationship and rapport she has developed with Sunhee. From the first session to the last, he has been responsive, supportive, encouraging, and motivational. Sunhee is not the only tutor who has yielded exceptional results for my children. Both of my sons also used Prep Matters tutors, and I was equally and exceptionally pleased with the academic support and guidance they received. In all cases, my kids reached their target scores as a result of the instructional tips and strategies the tutors provided and were accepted into competitive colleges. I have also known Ned Johnson, the owner, for over two decades. He is an incredible person, dedicated to achieving success for all Prep Matter students. He has called me at home to discuss my kids' progress and has personally met with my kids when they have struggled academically or needed an extra boost of encouragement. He cares about each and every student who walks through his doors, remembering their names and stories long after they have graduated from high school and gone to college. Ned is an extraordinary man and the example he sets is on full display in the staff he employs. His tutors work hard to achieve results, embracing the same values inculcated by Ned. In many ways, Prep Matters feels like a family. This is a personal tutoring experience that adapts strategies specific to a child's needs. This daughter is my youngest and will close this chapter of my life. I will always be grateful to Ned and to Prep Matters for being there for me and my kids--for believing in them and working with them to create the best possible outcomes.

I can't say enough in support of PrepMatters. It is an incredibly nice, well-run, welcoming company…read morewith an enormously talented and dedicated staff. For quite a while, we've worked with math tutor Sharon Kim in the Bethesda office and absolutely LOVE her. She is really great about learning each kid's way of learning and then teaching effectively to that. Also, my son just really enjoys spending time with her and doing all the math they do. I'm super fond of her as well. We also worked very briefly with Moose in the Tenleytown office. He is a physics whiz and the brevity of our working relationship was only because my son had no teacher at school so needed guidance until one was hired. Moose was the perfect interim! I have recommended both him and Sharon many times. We have also worked with PM in the college counseling realm. Full disclosure- I have my own college counseling business, but my son and I didn't want to work together during his application process. So, we interviewed several companies and immediately chose to partner with PM's Maureen Delaney. She is wonderful, and my son loves working with her. Lastly, I'll note that Ned Johnson, founder and leader of PM, is a terrific human who is deeply committed to and knowledgeable about education, development, and adolescent. It's been a pleasure to get to know him, and I highly recommend the books he and Bill Stixrud have authored. The prices aren't low, but honestly, I feel great about paying such a caring, supportive group of people. Their help has been worth every penny!

Educational Connections, has been a real big help for my daughter. They continue to stay at the…read moreforefront of helping, not only young kids, but college bound students and beyond. If it's not finding out the latest information about the SAT or ACT, or researching ideas that will help limit ADHD & procrastination with homework, they do a solid job of making homework fun for my daughter and quite interesting,...way beyond what my wife and I could have provided. In addition, the staff is very endearing and approachable, and I had nothing but great experiences with the founder, Ann Dolin, in terms of discussion on a particular topic or idea involving my daughter. I truly recommend their services to all. Thank you, Educational Connections, you guys are great.

From the owner: Tutoring, SAT/ACT test preparation, and educational coaching.read more