Mike did it again! He guided my son through the essay writing process, finding an unusual personal…read moretopic where my son's qualities could shine. The result was an incredible piece that has blown away every adult who has seen it. Mike also raised his sights above his high school's recommendations, encouraging him to apply to more challenging universities. My son was admitted to his first choice in early decision, ahead of several friends with better academic records. Also notable is how well he communicates with parents, his straightforward billing and how painless he makes the process for parent and student.

Mike helped me raise my toefl score from a 55 to a 90 in only one month! I needed a score of 80 on…read morethe toefl to be accepted into college, and I didn't have much time to prepare. I didn't want to take a big class with many other students. I found out about Mike over Yelp. Mike was able to meet with me for one-on-one sessions over Skype and created a program just for me that I found extremely helpful. He was always very nice during our sessions and was willing to work with my difficult schedule. I felt confident taking the test after his sessions and got the score I wanted. And I'm getting ready for college in the Fall. Thanks Mike!

Working with the Opus team was one of the best investments we made in our daughter's future. From…read moreour very first consultation, it was clear we were in expert hands. They took the time to truly understand who she was -- her strengths, her passions, her quirks -- and helped her craft an application that felt authentic and personal. The guidance throughout the process was exceptional. Every deadline was anticipated, every essay went through thoughtful, constructive rounds of feedback, and every school on her list was chosen with real strategic intent. When anxiety crept in (and it did), our consultants were calm, reassuring, and always available. Our daughter was admitted to her first-choice school -- a university that felt like a reach -- along with three other outstanding offers. But beyond the results, she walked away from the process feeling confident and proud of the story she told. That, to us, is priceless. If you're on the fence about working with an educational consultant, stop deliberating. This team is the real deal.

I started my college application journey with Opus College Prep my sophomore year of high school…read moreand I am glad I chose their services. My consultant, Sylvia Vukos, did an exceptional job providing me with all the resources I needed to be successful. When I started I knew next to nothing about the college admissions process and she guided me through all of its complexities from dealing with the common app portal to interview prep and resume-building. She helped me with all my applications to the UCs, UPenn (Wharton), and Stanford. She did a great job outlining what each particular college looks for in their students, which Majors would dramatically boost my chances of acceptance. I got expert guidance from their writing coaches for my essays. With Opus College Prep's invaluable help, I was admitted to all of the schools listed above. I couldn't be happier. I want to take a moment to thank you for being a great coach to our son on this journey. We really appreciate the guidance you have provided throughout this process and countless hours spent to refine the essays & Apps to near-perfection. He thoroughly enjoyed working with you and he was super motivated after every meeting he had with you to continue and better his college applications. I strongly think we have presented the best possible profile for his case and you are instrumental in making this happen. I really want to thank you for staying patient with us (anxious parents), for inspiring our son, and keeping him motivated in this long process.

Erin has been amazing throughout my whole process and I am so thankful I had her. She was amazing…read moreat helping edit my essays and she was always so positive. She also knows everything about the college process and will happily answer any questions you have. I really recommend her because I don't think there is anyone else better at this.

Dr. Erin Avery was my instructor for Principles of Educational Consulting at UC Irvine. As a…read morerelatively new Independent Education Consultant, her knowledge, experience, and passion for helping students and their families navigate the college admissions process was reflected in all interactions throughout the course. The college admissions process can oftentimes be filled with anxiety and stress, but it doesn't need to be. I strongly recommend Dr. Avery for any family seeking college and/or gap-year guidance for their student following high school.

I've been very happy with my company that I had been with for nearly 20 years, but after such a…read morelong time, I wanted to see if there were other opportunities out there for me. I updated my profile in LinkedIn and signed up to receive emails when potentially interested jobs are posted. The next step was to update my CV... which I realized I had not updated since my school days! (Such is the case when you've been with and moved up the ranks of the same company perhaps?) I was referred to Lucent Education by a friend who had worked with them before so I sent a message to them and received a reply from Agnes. I sent her my old, outdated resume and let her know what my current role entails, as well as the types of roles that may interest me enough to consider leaving my current role. Agnes was very speedy with her responses and got back to me within days with the first set of updates and suggestions on my CV via Google Docs. I was able to review and accept or decline her suggestions with ease. She also asked several thought provoking questions to illicit more details from me. That was very helpful to me as I realized that I took some of what I did on a regular basis for granted and had not thought to put them into a CV. She was also helpful to identify sections where specifics would strengthen the task description (ie: "manage a team" vs. "manage a team of 10," "increase xx count" vs "increase xx count from 150 to 200 from 2019 to 2020") Overall, the whole process took about 3 weeks... and that's only because it took me about a week in between each of her updates to respond back. I wasn't in a rush to get this done as I just wanted to have it ready in case something of interest came up. Agnes never rushed me though, which I appreciated, and she always responded promptly even though I was not. After 4 revisions, I was very happy with the end result - not only in content but also in the visual aspect of the CV, which Agnes also laid out. As fate would have it, recently a job opportunity of interest did come across my way and I was very relieved to have my CV ready to go. Had I not, it would have been really stressful having to come up with one on the fly. I'm not going to go as far as saying the CV is why I got the job, but I'm certain that it helped - at the very least to get me an interview! Thanks Lucent and Agnes! Wish me luck on my new job!

Agnes got back to me right away when I first requested a consult and seemed to be ready to help. I…read morewas excited for my consultation and to begin working with them. Oddly enough, all contact has dropped off and now no one will return my emails or request for an appointment. Very bizarre and disappointing.

This group has a host of tutors who can help meet your child's needs. We most recently worked with…read moreEmily Garrison who helped our son gain all the confidence he needed to take the SHSAT. We would highly recommend her and NOW Test Prep for anyone trying to make sure their child succeeds academically.

Haley did a fantastic job helping our son prepare for his ISEE exam. Our son is sometimes a bit…read moreslow to warm up to new people and not an enthusiastic test-taker so we were surprised at how quickly Haley connected with him and put him at ease. Her warm demeanor and genuine enthusiasm really resonated with him, and he ended every session so proud of himself and excited about learning. During the sessions she kept him engaged and focused, and she followed up every one with detailed notes for us about what they had covered and how we could reinforce the week's topics. We (and he) were very satisfied with the results as well

We are Back at @kwellerprep!…read more My son had a great experience preparing for various exams at @kwellerprep Kweller, and here we are again, in the 7th grade, choosing Kweller to prepare my child for the SHSAT. Choosing test prep at Kweller has been one of the best decisions we made along his academic journey. Thanks to @kwellerprep, my son's essay writing, reading comprehension, math and vocabulary knowledge have improved measurably. Before Kweller, my son would use basic vocabulary to convey his thoughts, often in run-on sentences. Now, he can compose a compelling coherent essay with an interesting introductory "hook" incorporating the rich set of advanced vocabulary he picked up through Kweller courses. This transformation has clearly shown in his ELA and math grades this year! Covid took many things away from us, not the least of which is a valuable in-person learning experience in the classroom. We could make up for lost time with enrichment classes at Kweller. I'm happy to recommend this excellent, rigorous academic program. $100 Discount code: Tristate100

Where do I even begin???…read more My son needed to qualify to take the Hunter test and I was looking for approved testing locations when I landed at this magical test taking center! The owner could not have been more supportive, brilliant and knowledgeable about the entire process. I was delighted to visit on testing day to see a bright and warm school environment that was carefully prepared and planned to help every single student succeed. I am so inspired by this place that encourages students to work hard and reach for their dreams! Sky's the limit! Everyone there is so kind and so helpful. They're just happy to be there. I met many former graduates and enjoyed learning about this exceptional place of learning. The care and attention to every detail in this school is phenomenal and I would trust Frances with anything. She is a brilliant woman who is kind and caring beyond what I ever imagined possible. Thank you so much! We came just to take a test but left inspired. Look at these healthy snacks they give their students to recharge! I'm telling you, this is a place that has been engineered to the highest level of success in all the right ways, with the best of intentions. They've also given back to their community in so many ways, helping so many young people to achieve their dreams. Kudos to this place!

I worked with Cat Ho through mbaMission, and she genuinely shaped how I thought about my…read moreapplication, not just the essays themselves, but the whole strategy and how I was presenting myself. From the start, she was easy to talk to in a way that mattered. I didn't feel like I had to show up with everything figured out. She gave me room to think out loud, but she also kept things organized and was always flexible around scheduling, which honestly saved me more than once during a hectic few months. The thing that surprised me most was how much she was able to pull out of my own background. Experiences I'd written off as ordinary, she'd push back on, asking questions until something real surfaced. That's how themes like curiosity and cross-cultural perspective ended up at the center of my story, rather than just footnotes. It's genuinely hard to see that stuff in yourself, and she had a knack for it. She was patient throughout the whole process, never making me feel rushed, but she also didn't sugarcoat things. If something wasn't landing, she'd say so, and then immediately tell me why and what to try instead. That combination of honesty and direction was exactly what I needed. Her turnaround times were fast, which kept things moving during a stretch where deadlines were tight. And the feedback never felt generic; it was always specific to what I was actually trying to say. By the end, Cat felt less like an editor and more like a thought partner. She helped me see my own story more clearly, and that made the whole process feel a lot less overwhelming.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Cat Ho at mbaMission was an exceptional, empathetic, and knowledgeable MBA admissions consultant…read morewho guided me through every step of the application process. From the start, Cat was enthusiastic to understand my personal and professional story. From the intro call up until the last essay, I felt at ease sharing about my upbringing and motivations as if I was catching up with a childhood friend. This comfort helped me express an authentic version of myself through my essays that I was proud to submit. My test scores and GPA would not be considered a standout profile by the numbers, however, she had faith in my story and patiently supported me through countless rounds of deliberations on which schools to apply to when I didn't get the test scores I wanted. Before working with Cat, I spoke with several MBA consultants who were skeptical of my post-MBA goal of moving to Asia. In contrast, Cat was both encouraging and realistic. She supported my aspirations while helping me develop clear contingency plans, allowing me to pursue ambitious goals with confidence and a practical path forward. Cat always provided honest and constructive feedback on my essays. She pushed me to articulate my desire in my essays and interviews about why I needed an MBA, especially the granular details about why my goals and the experience offered at the school were a perfect fit. During our resume reviews, Cat was meticulous with the structure and each word in my resume. It was easily the best resume I've ever had. Cat was punctual throughout the entire application process. She always provided her feedback in a timely manner and made it a priority scheduling the mock interviews. With Cat's expertise and guidance, I was accepted into the University of Michigan's Ross MBA program with $60K in merit scholarships. I was so ecstatic to be accepted that the scholarship money came as a big surprise. I fully believe that Cat is the reason I had such a positive result with Ross. I am extremely grateful for Cat's guidance, and I would highly recommend her to anyone seeking to achieve their dream of enrolling in an MBA program.

Can only speak to two tutors many years ago. They were spectacular and worth every $$$$. Our teen…read morerightly argued that his Advantage tutoring put others unable to afford it at a disadvantage. I could not disagree and suggested he use his advantage to get the best education possible and work to narrow the gap. As a civil rights attorney he's working on it.

I've been fortunate enough to prep with Advantage Testing tutors for the SAT I, SAT II, and the…read moreLSAT. They had a reputation for being the best of the best, and they delivered. I cannot recommend them highly enough. Going back to high school, I had a terrific experience working with Advantage on my college entrance exams. Even though I hated studying in school, I genuinely enjoyed working with AT's teachers. Aside from being gifted instructors, they are some of the friendliest people you'll meet, and they seem to genuinely care about their students. I remember they customized a study plan for me, focusing on the areas of the test that I needed to improve the most. Following their plan, and using the strategies I learned in class, I earned a 760 Verbal, 750 Math I, 790 Writing, and an 800 Math II, all a significant boost above my diagnostic scores (which I recall being in the low ~600 range). Years later, when I decided to pursue my dream of becoming a lawyer, and began looking for the right LSAT test prep service, turning to Advantage was a no-brainer. On my first LSAT practice test, I received a diagnostic evaluation in the 55th percentile. I knew that I would need a significant (aka Elle Woods-level) jump in my LSAT score to have a decent shot at the top schools. That's when Advantage came in. Studying with Advantage tutors, you learn to break down each section of the test into a set of consistent techniques, which you hone and solidify over repeated practice tests. After months of test prep, I took the LSAT and scored a 99th percentile on the official exam. Equipped with a great LSAT score, I was admitted to my top choice for law school, a feat that had seemed impossible only a few months prior. Now, as a practicing attorney looking back on it, I am certain I would not have been nearly as well prepared with any other test prep service. In sum, I don't think there is anyone as professional or effective as Advantage when it comes to the hard work of preparing for high-stakes entrance exams. I recommend them without hesitation.

David Blobaum is fantastic. Others on the staff a great too, but David is exceptional. They offer a…read morevariety of services, I highly recommend.

I used Summit Prep for our son Noah in his junior year both for chemistry and SAT prep. Although he…read morequickly came up to speed on chemistry he grew so interested in the subject matter and the tutor was so great that he stayed to further his knowledge. Summit Prep is great not only for remedial but extra work. Great place, great tutors, and the owner is a unique individual with his own style and insight into testing strategies. A few years later and I am now having our son return to them for LSAT tutoring. Dr. Andrew Apter

Shana and her team are consummate professionals. Their student support and growth is remarkable and…read moreits good to see they've continued to expand, opening an office in New York. Their test prep is customized for each student and results-driven. Her team is the devoted accountability you need for success at very reasonable rates. Their many happy students speak for themselves. Their flexible yet rigorous test prep curricula are incredibly well designed for students with learning challenges.

After we share almost the same last name, how could I not come here haha. I'm pretty terrible at…read morestudying for tests. I'm totally undisciplined and not self-motivated at all unless I have someone telling me what to do, and sadly with some pretty important tests coming up that I have no choice but to seriously prep for, I thought I could use some outside help just to stay motivated enough. Well I've succeeded and tremendously. I didn't think I could do it, but the girls here have been so incredibly helpful to me. Truly, they are a blessing. Love you all and thank you for everything you do!