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.

Great staff. My daughter has improved a-lot in learning. She enjoys coming has improved overall.read more

So far, our experience with Sylvan has been excellent. This is my son's first day, and the staff…read morehas been incredibly accommodating and communicative. They respond promptly, thoroughly, and have made the enrollment process very easy. We initially visited a few months ago but weren't able to afford the tuition at the time. The team kept us informed about new promotions and options, which made it possible for us to come back. We're grateful for their support and are excited to see my sons progress in the program.

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.

I would give more than 5 stars if it was an option Sonya…read moredid a great job teaching my 5th and 6th graders how to become professionals in their writings. They enjoy every minute with her. She's not just a tutor but a great friend and a very funny person. I can hear the excitement in her voice when teaching the kids. For a homeschooling mother I would go with them blindly. They communicate very well. Great service all in all. Thank you for the great service.

My daughter has been using A+ Tutoring for three months now. She absolutely loves her instructor…read moreand I have seen great improvement in her math skills. She has also gained more confidence, her instructor is very positive and encouraging. They are extremely flexible with hours/scheduling. I can always text them for a quick and easy communication rather than calling and playing phone tag. After every session I get an e-mail with notes from her instructor sharing what they covered in the lesson and how it went with a list of things she did well and things she can continue to practice. Also, the sessions are easy to use and set up, it's just a link to click in an e-mail instead of downloading or installing Zoom or any other platform on the device. If I want them to cover any specific homework assignment, workbook, skill or even state testing practice they incorporate that into the session for us. I would highly recommend them!

If you're considering getting your real estate license, do yourself a favor and take this course…read morewith Armando "Mondo." Whatever you do, don't take it somewhere else. I've spent the last four weeks in his class, and it was phenomenal. Of course he's incredibly knowledgeable, but what sets him apart is his ability to make complex material approachable and keep the class engaged from start to finish. He's smart, entertaining, and clearly knows this business inside and out. What impressed me most, though, was the confidence he instills in his students. Starting something new can be intimidating, especially when you're preparing for an exam and entering a completely new field. Mondo has a way of teaching that makes you feel capable. He doesn't just teach the material, he helps you believe that you can actually do this. I left the course feeling informed, prepared, and excited about what's next. That's a rare combination. Anyone can teach facts. Very few people can teach knowledge while also building confidence. I feel incredibly fortunate to have taken this course and to have learned from Armando. Anyone who has the opportunity to study with him is lucky.

I passed on the first try! His study material is fantastic and you'll hear his explanations of…read morefunny comment that made the material stick when taking the exam. You MUST listen to his videos, go through ALL 6 of the flash cards/practice exams and understand why you got the answer wrong. It's worth going to his in person lecture but I'd come prepared with questions you didn't understand from the quizzes to get the most out of it. Would recommend!

We've had such a wonderful experience working with Sam. He is reliable, dependable, and incredibly…read moreresponsive, qualities that matter so much when you're trusting someone with your child's academic growth. I completely trust him with my son and the work they're doing together. The progress has been remarkable. In his most recent modules, my son scored perfectly on the English section and missed only one question on math, a big improvement from previous sessions where he missed three and five questions. It's clear the one-on-one sessions are paying off. We are so grateful for the individualized attention and are excited to see how his SAT score reflects this progress at the end of March. Highly recommend!

Sam was fantastic in helping our son with only about a month to prep for the SAT. They met weekly…read moreand Sam provided in person sessions as well as practice material. Every time they met Sam sent a summary of what they covered and where to focus, keeping me informed which I really appreciated. While we haven't gotten scores back, our son felt much more confident going into the exam and felt prepared to do well. If you want someone communicative, knowledgeable and easy to work with for tutoring and exam prep, Sam is an obvious choice!

The course is user friendly, comprehensive. I highly recommend it…read more The instructor was very helpful and resourceful.

My experience with Executive Programs Real Estate School was excellent. Marci Munding was my…read moreaccount manager and she helped me with everything I needed to renew my license. She was always available, kind, and had the answers to the questions that were important to me. She definitely gets the highest rating and I will continue to use Executive Programs because of people like her. -Robert