For first-year college applicants, knowing what college looks for and what to participate in high…read moreschool is a huge research project all on their own. HS2 and their counselors ease this worry by advising from the early starting point of how to pursue your high school career. Without my counselor, I would have not been able to attend as many internships, clubs, and summer programs as I did to build up my experience. In addition to counseling, there are numerous classes and resources offered to help with AP, SAT, and ACT testing, and classes in general. And most of all, HS2 has been a great help during App Season. My counselor not only provided expert revisions, but because I've had her for all 4 years, she knew about my experiences and spent time to make sure everything I've accomplished was properly concisely convened to admission officers. HS2 has been a great factor in my excellent college admissions.

I signed up for the 4-year HS2 program in 8th grade, not knowing how helpful it would be to me back…read morethen. I remember struggling through ACT and SAT practice tests, trying to decide which one to take, sitting through essay and summer workshops, and talking about my future plans with my counselor once a month. As I grew older and approached my senior year, my counselor was a huge help towards planning my college list and editing my college essays. Overall, HS2 was really helpful with their expert guidance, personalized approach, comprehensive support, and access to networks. Really recommend any high schoolers to try it out.

Great customer service. I spoke with vivan and she explained everything. Able to work with my…read moredaughters busy schedule. She needs help with AP calculus, school Offered very limited help but with Mavin. They have Corey. He has such a great rapport with my daughter. You can tell he loves math and his passion comes out when tutoring your student.

Mavin was recommended to my younger brother for his college applications. I had my skepticism…read moreinitially because I've come across many tutoring, private and institutions, that made me feel like their main goal was to make money with little emphasis on the personal success of their students. However, the price Mavin offered to help my brother with his applications and his personal statements were definitely a draw-in, so I thought, why not? The boss and staff at Mavin definitely prioritize their students' success over all else; the moment my brother was signed up, they took note of how time sensitive his applications were and worked with him to rewrite and edit his statements countless number of times (meeting in person 1-on-1 and working on it together over the web / phone) within only a couple weeks. The end result? My brother only applied to UC schools and got into every single one of them - and no, his SAT scores weren't perfect. Although my brother was only there for college applications, I can also vouch for the effectiveness of the tutors at Mavin as well. The several times I've visited the institution to drop off / pick up my brother, many times I would overhear the other ecstatic parents revving about the improvements of their kid(s), especially for SATs. Mavin is a great institution where the staff and tutors all invest a lot of time and effort into their students, individually. My impression of them is extremely top-notch because their tutors and staff do not use the same teaching style each time - they tweak their methods / styles to maximize the full learning potential of each student - that is what I believe differentiates great tutors from mediocre tutors. I definitely recommend Mavin to anyone and everyone, including to those whom English is not their first language - they can make it work out.

Patti really helped my son navigate his voice in his college essays. She was also instrumental in…read morehelping him decide where he wanted to apply (and why) and what majors would and wouldn't be a great fit for him, based on getting to know him over the two years they worked together. Once my son decided what he really wanted to pursue, she helped him back into choosing the best colleges within various universities, keeping location, size, campus vibe, cost and other variables in mind. As parents, it was wonderful to have a positive and knowledgable outside influence take the reins in aspects of the process that we didn't know much about. She kept him accountable and on track, while always being upbeat and a pleasure to work with. He submitted all his applications early and was confident that he'd done his best work. I highly recommend Patti to anyone looking for guidance at any point of the admissions process.

As a parent going through their first college application with their child, I strongly urge others…read moreto search elsewhere for college counseling. Despite the positive reviews others have left, my son, Christian felt strongly about Patti's various shortcomings during his college application process. He felt that his questions were left unanswered constantly and oftentimes would leave meetings more confused. He strongly felt that his time would have been better spent somewhere else. To other parents: Please be wary of the unrealistic promises made by this business!

I attended Alpha Math and Science as a junior in high school. I am writing this review years later…read morebecause I still think about this experience, and I believe students and parents deserve to know how damaging a teacher's behavior can be toward young people. The instructor for this class was Mr. Hsu, and the program repeatedly encouraged students to come in early for additional help. At the time, I was 16 years old and under extreme stress. I had a calculus test the following day and was already overwhelmed. Because the class emphasized coming in early for support, I did exactly that. A TA was helping me before class started. She was kind and supportive. I sat at the front of the classroom with the TA seated next to me. When class officially began, I stopped working independently and began taking notes. The TA stayed seated next to me and would occasionally tap my shoulder to quietly point something out. I responded respectfully and quietly. I was not disruptive or distracting. About thirty minutes later, the TA left. Immediately after she walked out, Mr. Hsu began screaming at me at the top of his lungs in front of the entire class. As a 16 year old student, being yelled at by a grown adult was terrifying. I had been in his class for over a year and had always been quiet, attentive, and respectful. He continued yelling at me in both English and Chinese. I do not speak or understand Chinese well, which made the situation even more confusing and frightening. When I could not understand what he was saying, he became angrier. He accused me of being disrespectful for talking, even though I had only been responding quietly to the TA earlier. At one point, he accused me of intentionally tripping the TA as she left, claiming I did it on purpose. In reality, her foot had simply caught on a loose backpack string. This accusation was shocking and completely false. I began crying uncontrollably in front of the entire class. Mr. Hsu did not stop yelling. Staff members entered the classroom and stood there watching, which I had seen happen during other incidents when he yelled at students. It became clear this behavior was not uncommon. Eventually, he stormed out of the classroom. The learning environment was completely destroyed. After the break, his wife, Ms. Helen, came in to teach the second half of the class. While I was still crying and visibly shaken, she told me that if I needed extra help, I should come in early. That statement broke me, because I had come in early and had followed exactly what the program instructed students to do. I was exhausted, scared, and speechless. I left immediately and never returned to Alpha Math and Science. After I left, friends who stayed in the class later told me that Mr. Hsu would frequently mention me during lessons. He asked them to tell me that he would offer me free classes if I came back. There was no apology, no acknowledgment of his behavior, and no accountability. Just an offer of free classes, as if that erased what had happened. I did not need his class then, and I do not need it now. Today, I am in college at UC Berkeley with a job lined up. I have learned from many professors, including award winning ones, who are demanding and disciplined without being cruel or humiliating. Looking back, I now understand how damaging a teacher with poor emotional control can be to a young student's confidence and well being. These classes are expensive, and in my experience, they were not worth the emotional toll. There are better resources available. No test score or program is worth feeling unsafe, scared, or belittled in a learning environment.

I attended Alpha Science circa 2008-2010, first for SAT English classes then for Calc BC/Physics C…read more I was that kid that had to beg my parents to take these classes because I loved math classes. Mr. Hsu is definitely a personality but he is one of those very impactful people that not only teach you but offers life advice. He is at the top of the top when it comes to academic math and physics knowledge, although you have to be really proactive to pick up some topics you might struggle in as I did with Physics C since it was not taught at Temple City High School, at least when I attended. He will cover topics even beyond what is covered in the AP curriculum if it seems fitting for the class. I was very grateful too because I really wanted to sign up for the Physics C class in addition to Calc BC and Helen (the wife) let me take Physics C for free after hearing my mom complain about the price. Also, they had some of those bulk individually packaged snacks that they sold at cost or near-cost. That's how you know they're not money grubby like one place I saw that had a vending machine with 200% markups.

We are extremely grateful for the support this college counseling company provided our family…read morethroughout my daughter's high school. The process of preparing for college applications was overwhelming, but the guidance we received made all the difference. Felicia, who worked directly with my daughter, was outstanding, supportive, knowledgeable, and always encouraging. She helped keep everything organized and made sure my daughter felt confident every step of the way. She was always there for my daughter when she needed her. Justin, the owner, has clearly built a wonderful program that truly supports students and families. We're thrilled that my daughter was accepted into the university she had been hoping for, and we're very thankful for their role in helping make that happen. Very Highly recommend.

My student sat for practice tests in AP Chem and AP Calc AB with Premier Prep. Justin was friendly,…read morehelpful, and very responsive.

We truly appreciate you and CL team's efforts put into my daughter's college application journey…read more The success we called wasn't about getting into the highest ranked school, it is about the confidence we gained thru out the process, also the college fits her best interests!

Tammy as owner is hands-on, very personable and manages a fun team of college counseling experts…read morewho will take time to listen and help you with your college applications from A-Z!

So grateful to have Ms. Hong Chen to help my kids with their education plannings. She is there…read moreanytime I needed help, and such a caring person who would not just manage students academically but also with sports support and specially for the safety of my kids on their way to the center or to other study related activities. Thanks to all the staff members at the center whom assisted us!

IvyMax Arcadia Learning Center managed by Mrs. Chen Hong is so bad that it would wiped out my kid's…read morename from this year's IvyMax graduate list for fear of a huge embarrassment. None of the ten colleges decided by IvyMax for my kid to apply for accepted my kid and we paid $15,000 for its college assistance program and got completely nothing. Furthermore, my kid applied for two colleges without any assistance of IvyMax and both accepted my kid with scholarships awarded. As a parent, I would share this with you so that you will be careful to start or continue any programs marketed by IvyMax at Arcadia Center. I contacted the center manager Mrs. Chen Hong but she would not even acknowledge the incompetency. So don't believe what you see or hear from IvyMax marketing materials and do your own homework before engaging with IvyMax Arcadia Center.

We're so thankful for everything they've done for our son over the past three years. They were…read morealways kind, supportive, and really took the time to care about him as a person, not just his applications. Mr. Lee guided him through the whole college process and made it much less stressful for all of us. We're so happy with where he ended up and we truly appreciate all the extra care and attention they gave him. We can't thank them enough and would highly recommend them to anyone.

A friend recommended Lee's Review to me for college counseling. I was very hands off as I felt it…read morewas my son's responsibility, and they did a great job with him. My son got into his dream school and I had to do nothing.