This is a long overdue review of QWERTY and Michael Perez. Our teen son needed additional help in…read moremath and he came highly recommended for good reason. Michael is emphatic, patient and great at explaining complicated math concepts. We used him for a few years and he was always easy to work with, communicated well and was readily available during crunch times, like finals, etc. More importantly, he gets kids who learn differently and is exceptional at understanding his students as a whole person. We always recommend Michael to anyone needing an outstanding math tutor. He is simply terrific!

We have repeatedly sent two kids through them for help on multiple subjects or challenges. We have…read morenever been disappointed. Michael is easy to work with, and getting into a groove with scheduling was straightforward. If we had a 3rd kid, we would likely use them all over again. 10/10

Amy is a wonderful counselor, writer and editor. I was part of Amy's earliest class and 10+ years…read morelater, I've enrolled my brother at Blue Stars. The best part of working with Amy is that she has "magic" in her writing and story telling. As the family of hard working students, we really want to help them put their best foot forward and have college admissions see their personality, grit and merits shine through (beyond the stats). Amy is the best at this! Her process helps extract the raw content from the student's experiences, focus in on topics and concepts that showcase "X factors," and polish and refine the writing piece so it not only showcases maturity in content but elegance in narrative skill. For first time college families, Amy's team helps a lot with time management. We started the process a little late this year but we worked together with the team to come up with an expedited timeline, set expectations and were able to execute quickly with time to spare. I think a family's level of involvement and the student's natural drive plays a big role. If the student isn't willing to put in the time- it could be a little more painful but the Blue Stars team will coach and push the student. If the student is extremely driven and wants the team to go faster they will 100% match that level of energy. With Amy and team's help, we were able to get into the dream school (4.4% admissions) REA. If Amy is in the business in 18-20 years (lol), I'll be back again and send my kids to her!

Over promised and under performed. Purchased 5 college package. My daughter got into only 1 of the…read more5 universities applied to and the university which did accept her was the least competitive at 48% acceptance rate. We already knew she would get accepted there as we are alums. Other schools that denied or wait-listed her were all 25% acceptance rate institutions, none were ivy league. While Blue Stars did spend many hours with my daughter, the essay topics selected were boring and routine -topics specifically mentioned to stay away from in Dr. M's blog posts (ex. Mission trip to Mexico). The editing by Dr. M only on Monday was a bottleneck. Two weeks before early action deadline, my daughter's essays were still very rough with a very polarizing thought not addressed and total lack of specifics on why the particular school was right for her. I lost all confidence and had to get involved. While Dr. M may say it was my involvement that sunk her acceptances, I do not agree!! I left one school, William & Mary, as a test. I did not read or review that application and the answer was the same...waitlisted. I feel we were swayed by Dr. M's amazing marketing/website/blogs etc. The reality was much different. Blue Stars is not worth the extra cost. For all schools selected, my daughter had grades and ACT scores that met their criteria. The difference was going to be made in marketing herself and her extra-curriculars. In this area, Blue Stars was lacking and did not deliver as promised. To date, we (as parents) have not heard from Dr. M. She made no post-application phone call or check-in. She got her payment and has moved on. In short, don't be sucked in by her marketing. Blue Stars over promised and under delivered, period.

We had an outstanding experience with Lauren. Our daughter saw Lauren for over a year before we…read moremoved out of the area and she progressed immensely in that time frame. She's now reading! Lauren was able to really connect with her, adapt to her needs and make learning fun, which made going to sessions easy for everyone.

Lauren is fantastic! After observing her with a shared client, I hired her to work with my own son…read more She amazes me with her ability to keep him engaged and learning. My son typically has great difficulty with online instruction but Lauren connected with him instantly and motivates him to try. She understands there's not one perfect curriculum for a complex learner like my son, so she integrates many strategies. highly reccomend!

Our son has struggled with social communication and expressive language, but through learning math…read morewith Daisy, he has not only developed a genuine interest in math, but also improved his communication skills and confidence. Meeting a teacher who truly understands and supports a child is something incredibly meaningful in life. We are deeply grateful for Daisy's warmth, patience, and encouragement, as well as the caring support from AJ Tutoring . Thank you for making such a positive difference in our child's growth and happiness.

My son worked with Matt Furman who provided counseling through my son's college application…read moreprocess. Matt was incredible. He was knowledgeable, patient, encouraging, and built a great rapport with my son who really liked Matt. Matt answered my questions as a parent and took additional time to call me to make sure my questions were addressed and that I was updated on my son's progress. His expert guidance gave me peace of mind. I would highly recommend him to anyone.

I got a chance today to volunteer here tonight for the Youth Of The Year event via Govoluntr and…read moreYelp. I was working kitchen duty with Chef Shea, Sous Chef Wyatt and fellow Yelpers. We prepared food for the event such as Chicken Skewers, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Fruit and Vegetable platters, Mini taco salads, and Chocolate Chip Cookies. This was a very heart warming event. Praising and noticing kids for their hard work. Thank you to the Boys & Girls Club for the opportunity to volunteer here. Thank you Ruby, Maelen, Chef Shea, Sous Chef Wyatt and fellow Yelpers for providing me another great volunteering experience.

Why are you trying to close the only two clubs in Pacifica when you have sufficient memberships and…read morejust got a 9M donation. We need to see your 1099.

The children are marvelously guided to follow their curiosity and do meaningful projects like study…read morechange makers in society. I have worked with many schools and never seen such attentive care for children and teens by teachers. It's a joy to see!

This is a review for Synapse's TK program. My son has been in Teacher Mickey & Teacher Natasha's…read moreclass for a year this year. My son's TK experience has been truly above and beyond what we wanted for early childhood education. All the great activities that foster joyful learning, all the field trips, events that bring the community together have been so beautifully thought out and planned, we had no idea this kind of education was even possible for little kids. We were grateful each day when we sent my son to school, because we trusted that he would be well taken care of and have a good time. It meant a lot to us as parents. The teachers cared so much about students' happiness, well-being, and materials they were learning. They truly, genuinely cared, and all the parents of TK students could feel it. Throughout the year, we were constantly impressed by the teachers' willingness to go above and beyond. These teachers are not ordinary teachers who rely on easier field trips or simpler projects. They take kids to the most interesting and enriching places on their field trips, places such as ice skating rinks, beaches, ponds where you can catch tadpoles, senior centers, pumpkin patches, cactus garden, etc. Their creativity and willingness to get messy were also truly inspiring. The TK class built an awe-inspiring life-size whale shark together and had so much fun celebrating Holi. The TK class cooked great lunches and sold them to parents as well. The teachers went an extra mile, even though it meant so much more work for themselves, because they have a genuine passion for sprinkling curiosity and exploration in their students. We also deeply appreciated how they created so many opportunities to recognize diverse cultures and bring families together for events like Diwali and Lunar New Year. They were extra careful to include all of the countries' traditions, which gave my son a sense of belonging and harbored a pride in his heritage. We are immensely grateful and feel incredibly honored that my son had such thoughtful, dedicated, and innovative teachers like them. Knowing he was in their care gave us immense peace of mind. And this review is not just about TK teachers at Synapse. Everyone we met at Synapse has been genuinely nice and down to earth. All the teachers, staff, students and parents formed such a warm, wonderful community.

It's never easy as a parent to navigate any kind of therapy for your child -- even when the…read moresituation isn't too severe. From day one, Mayra and the entire team at Speachy made us feel completely at ease. Mayra is not only deeply knowledgeable, but also has a natural ability to create a welcoming environment where our daughter felt comfortable right away. She always took the time to explain what was going on and gave us clear, practical ways to support our daughter's progress. We've seen real improvement, and more importantly, our daughter genuinely enjoyed going to her sessions. A special thank you to Erica as well -- she made all the administrative stuff so easy and handled every request with patience and care. And even when we had to cancel at the very last minute (which we felt terrible about), they never once made us feel bad. On the contrary, they were always kind, understanding, and incredibly supportive. We couldn't be happier with our experience, and we couldn't recommend the Speachy Learning Center more.

I don't normally write reviews, but I felt the need to write one for this amazing center. If I…read morecould give it 10 stars, I would. We were referred to this office by a family friend two years ago. All the teachers are highly qualified, we met with teacher Shereen and teacher Michelle. My son loved coming to meet with them week after week.

Review from my son: Zach Pava played a major role in my…read morecollege admissions process. Not only was his college essay feedback on 15+ essays extremely insightful, I felt that the manner in which he set up a schedule with deadlines and tasks was more helpful. He always kept in touch, especially during October and November, and always responded promptly. Zach set up mock interviews for me with other Insight counselors to practice for college admissions interviews, which did not count against my counseling hours! Also, the fact that Zach primarily worked over Skype was actually more convenient, since I did not have drive to the Cupertino office all the time for the counseling; instead, I could just do it over Skype in my room.

I just recently graduated from Emory University, and upon finishing my time in undergrad, I found…read moremyself looking back and reflecting on my college application process. I am the eldest in my family, and a first-generation American, so my family and I were unseasoned and largely out of our comfort zone when the time came to begin applying to universities. I found Zach through Insight, and he was a tremendous help to me, offering up suggestions about colleges I may be interested in applying to, prepping me for college tours and visits, editing my personal statements and supplemental essays, and offering me any guidance or support I needed throughout the long process. While I was a bit shy and lacking in confidence, Zach saw my strengths and potential, and constantly motivated me to challenge myself, ensuring that my applications reflected my best attributes. With Zach as my counselor, I never once felt stressed or overwhelmed about writing my applications, as Zach planned out deadlines for all components of my applications, ensuring that I would have everything in on time. Zach's genuine concern for my well-being and future was palpable throughout the application process, and after being accepted into Emory, my top choice school, Zach continued to be supportive of my aspirations. He was always more than happy to answer any questions I had about college and the future beyond. I highly recommend Zach not only as a college counselor, but also as a trusted mentor. His help was, and continues to be, an invaluable resource for me and my family!