Like any other high school junior going into his/her senior year, I was insecure about my SAT scores and if my current score would get me into a good college or not. Before going into Elite's summer SAT boot camp of 2015, I took the test once and got a score of 1760 without any formal preparation for the exam. Upon signing up for Elite, I had to take a diagnostic test, which scored me somewhere in the high 1500s... I was told that Elite tests are generally more difficult than the actual tests, which was one of the reasons why I greatly admire this program. I knew that by signing up for this program, it would challenge and push me to learn more about and do better on the test. For my particular program, everyone was broken up into several classrooms, each with approximately 20 students. We had 4 teachers: one for math, one for writing/grammar, one for critical reading, and one for vocabulary. On the first day, we were given a backpack, 2000 flashcards with vocabulary, and workbooks to use in class and as homework assignments. The program was 8-weeks long with each day filled with a certain schedule. Every Monday, we would take a practice SAT exam (including writing) and the following day, we would get back the results and assess our errors. Test corrections were due at the end of the week. Every day, we were also assigned to learn 50 vocabulary words and be tested on 40 of those 50. Certain days of the week, there was also writing assessments, math assessments, and reading assessments. We had to score an 80% or better on all of the tests; otherwise, we would have to stay after class approximately a half an hour to an hour to relearn and retest on the material. Doing this for 8 weeks was quite intense... but I definitely got into the groove of it eventually. My scores on their tests did increase, and I was able to learn the structure of the test and understand what I needed to work on to improve my score. Ultimately, my scores in math and writing did go up, but my scores in reading remain around the same since the beginning since reading is something that requires yourself to focus and really work at to assess and understand the context of passages and articles. I had Ms. Jennifer Lambertis, Mr. Jihwan Kim, Mr. Bill Wang, and Mr. Turner as my instructors for these subjects. All did great and brought me to a greater understanding of all test elements except for Mr. Turner, who I believe fell short a bit, mainly because reading is such a broad and subjective area to teach and also to improve upon; also, he taught and brushed through many topics fairly quick and his reasoning for each answer was explained but it was difficult for me personally to grasp and fully understand how he concluded to the answers. Everyone else was fun and engaging, and I was able to take back a lot from what they taught me. Some were more stern than the others, but they all ultimately got me to push myself to improve on the other areas. In the end, I took the test another time (2 months after the program ended), and I scored a 1830 with areas in math and writing improved, but reading remained the same. This is accounted to many factors that I would blame myself for (not properly preparing, worrying too much on extracurricular activities, etc.) , but I must say that SAT scores are not everything that colleges look for. I did ended up getting into all of the schools that I applied to and I believe that it is due to holistic review of each college applicant. I know that Elite can also provide further assistance with these areas as well, but I did not take up on that offer and all of the applications by myself. I do have friends that have had remarkable SAT score increases due to this program; therefore, in judging the program in their goal of getting their members a better score on the SAT and a quality education of the material on the SAT, I would like to give them a high rating for all that they do because it is absolutely outstanding. Special shout out to Ms. Karen Kim, who works at the front desk and manages most of the workings of the building. :) read more

Customer Service Complaint - Northridge Location I called the Northridge location to ask about their programs, consultation process, and fees. Unfortunately, the customer service I received was very poor and made the process unnecessarily difficult. Mr. Kim, the administrator, was very rude and would not provide any information over the phone until I registered online. After I completed the registration, he called me back but still did not provide the information I was requesting. Instead, he only asked whether I had received the email. I specifically asked whether the consultation was free, but he would not answer the question and repeatedly redirected me to the emails. I also asked whether he could answer a few basic questions before scheduling an appointment, but again, he refused to provide any information and continued directing me back to email. He would not even explain what types of programs they offer. When I asked to speak with a supervisor or someone in management, I was told, "Let's not go there." I found this response extremely unprofessional and dismissive. Customers should not have to register, schedule an appointment, and go through multiple steps simply to obtain basic information about services, programs, and consultation fees. The staff should be educated and prepared to answer basic questions and provide appropriate customer service. I then called the Wilshire location, and the experience was completely different. The staff there provided all the information I needed over the phone, including payment information and details about the programs. They were helpful, professional, and respectful of my time. The Wilshire location saved me a significant amount of time simply by answering basic questions over the phone. I strongly recommend that the Northridge location review its customer service practices and provide additional training to its administrative staff. The contrast between the two locations was significant and very disappointing. read more

This place is abuse to teachers with low pay and unreasonable standards. They are very quick to judge and accuse teachers with proof of unethical behavior. The person responsible doesn't care. All they care about is collecting money from customers by hyping up the qualifications of their teachers even though of their teachers have little to no experience teaching. They usually don't give refunds after payment. As far as the curriculum is concerned, both their methods and materials are very outdated. Even though the SAT currently allow calculators and the use of desmos, this place ignore the advantages the technology offers and insist on using the traditional methods of instruction using only the pencil. Their instructional materials are also decades old not reflecting the current emphasis of College Board read more

Elite offers different programs for all scholastic standardized tests - SAT, ACT, and SAT Subject tests. Their 6 week program can drastically improve your score if you were a 50th percentile type student or boost you from 2100 to above 2300 if you're a top student. Students in the summer SAT boot camp have daily classes from 8:30am to 1pm. A strict regimen of 50 vocabulary words on flash cards are tested on each morning. Weekly full SAT testing is done every Monday to track progress of each student. I highly recommend Elite for students entering their Junior year of High School. read more

Elite Prep Northridge - Busy even on a Friday night - Tutoring Centers Near Me - Northridge, California

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My daughter went through the summer SAT boot camp, and she survived! She did the work and she achieved her best. Susan and Karen are supportive of the kids and makes sure that the kids DO their work. I'd recommend this program... keep in mind, it is demanding program. read more

Great tutoring center, the lady's are very friendly and really care. I will be signing up my daughter for the summer program!

This place was recommended by a friend- who's daughters are excellent students. It's been a pleasure seeing my daughter enjoy the supports here too. read more

It has been approximately five years since I have stepped foot in here so I might not have the best knowledge on the ratings of the current staff HOWEVER I can assure you that the philosophy and goals of this institution and its founding members really truly are "elite." I took a summer bootcamp here for the SAT in 2008 or 2009 and although at the time I was not nearly as studious as I am today, I can look back as an adult and say wow that place was truly amazing for anyone looking for serious academic improvements. It is worth the money if you are serious about getting into any UC and Ivy League tiered colleges, but something that I failed to realize as an annoying ignorant teenager was that just attending the class will not give you the 2300. You need to put in a lot of effort, but with their guidance, they make it possible. I went from a 1200 to a 1700 without giving a care in the world about my scores (this includes doing the bare minimum and not completing all the homework). Not saying a 1700 is good (and trust me, if you think it is good, then you might be scared to know what people here believe is considered a "good" score. AND just for the record, I am pretty sure most people who came here started with a 1700 as their diagnostic score...), but I am just saying that if i could have gone back knowing what I know now, I could have gotten a much higher score. Something I really enjoyed was that they disciplined us (by staying longer to study) if we did not get enough questions right on the routine vocabulary assessments. Honestly how many other places do you know where the manager/head instructor cares enough to talk to your parents and discipline the students for not receiving a good score on a quiz? Most places do not care of the result of the students as long as they are raking in the money but they take a very..."asian"...approach here and I really liked it (By asian I am not trying to be racist or anything of the sort but I do believe the administrative faculty as well as the students were predominately asian... things might have changed since then though). The only cons I have to say about this place is that it made me feel stupid at times. I would watch the ten year old Chinese boy in awe as he was doing advanced calculus... Shout out to Mr. Wong the math teacher...but i doubt he still works here because that man was too brilliant and taught me the first things I ever learned about statistics and stock markets. MAN I wish this place offered LSAT tutoring just so I can go back... read more

My daughter likes Elite in Northridge, she has a good time there and improved with SAT test. Thanks all teachers efforts!

I decided to come to this elite from what I've heard from friends, even though I live a good distance away. Out of about 3 prep programs I went to, this one was by far the best. I took the ACT prep class (private tutoring), and although I self studied a lot, the teacher (Jennifer) clarified my mistakes, most of which I could not figure out on my own. I eventually attained my goal score with a mix of my own studying and prep, but nevertheless I highly recommend this place. read more

Great curriculum and great teaching. Highly recommend this to all college aspiring students

We signed up for SAT prep and winter boot camp in preparation for the January test. The work was hard but well worth it. My son had an extremely high score and will not have to take the test a second time. The teachers and staff are great. If your child is willing to put in the work Elite will have them prepared to excel. read more

Amazing place for SAT prep. My daughter took the summer prep and took the test in October. She did so well that there was no need to re-take it. read more

I like the fact that students take a test every week because it familiarizes them both with the materials and the testing environment. I also like how the staff take a great interest in the student. We had a number of very good and important talks with the staff and it was all part of the Elite experience. My two children are Elite alumns and I tell everyone about the program. Having said the above, note that students need to work hard; if they do not want to put in the effort, Elite is not for them. read more