I was one of those students that was really reluctant to study for standardized tests. Luckily, I…read morefound Shadya of Pivot Tutors who helped me study in a way that worked for me, and I achieved my goal score on the ACT! Fast forward several years that score enabled me to go to my top choice college, attend law school, and become a licensed attorney! Can't recommend Pivot Tutors enough.

Pricey and manipulative. Tutors are good but the HQ is pushy like a used car salesperson. Went to…read moreother company and much different experience. Shop around.

Highly recommend! My son Ty is a busy junior with a tough schedule to accommodate, and Erin and…read morethe team at Hammer Prep helped match him with the perfect fit. Juan helped find sessions that worked for Ty, and in a short amount of time, helped him raise his ACT score from a 29 to a 35! Thank you Juan and team at Hammer Prep!

David was amazing. Super helpful he raised my score by 8 points. Timing was always flexible which…read moreis perfect for a busy high schooler.

My son has been doing Kumon for 3 yrs now with Mrs. Marsh, the owner, at the Solana beach location…read more We are so happy and excited that she opened another center here in Carmel Valley. Mrs. Marsh has a passion for teaching kids and cares about instilling the love of learning in them. My son started Kumon struggling to master a concept but through training, he has learned to take on the challenges w/ new math concepts and once he masters it, the sense of achievement is over the moon! This particular center personalizes the homework packets by giving students fewer pages when they are tackling a new math concept.. They know how to give just enough to challenge them and keep them interested in learning new concepts but not overwhelm them.. I highly recommend Mrs. Marsh & her staff; both Kumon locations have well served our needs and exceeded our expectations.

From the owner: Kumon of Carmel Valley - Torrey Hills is part of the world's largest after-school math & reading…read moreprogram, helping children of all ages become self-learners.

This company has been great to work with. My son is in middle school and is enjoying working with…read morehis tutor. He is engaged more than I've seen in a long time and is proud to show us that he is learning. He looks forward to his tutoring sessions and views them as fun! His self confidence is improving in a very short time... Our experience so far has been wonderful and the communication has been consistent and thorough. No surprises which is refreshing... Thank you!

Club Xcite case manager Tricia Wilson abused our child, and the company showed no interest in…read moreknowing more about this vile and sickening behavior. There are good people in this organization, but this type of response is a huge red flag for any parent. In 2021 every Mom and Dad deserves to be listened to and taken seriously, and no effort spared to protect our fragile, precious children from all forms of cruelty and abuse. Zero tolerance, in-depth vetting and airtight complaint and investigative procedures are an absolute must.

We love Mira Mesa Mathnasium!! Ms Kendra is so patient, kind and flexible when it comes to…read morescheduling our math sessions! My son has been working with Ms Gabby and Ms Claire and I have seen how his math skills and confidence has improved. His testing scores have also improved since joining. Hes been at Mathnasium for over a year (started in 3rd Grade..currently in 4th Grade) but in the first 3 months his math skills have changed. He can initiate his homework now and he has a better attitude toward his work. Thank you for giving me peace of mind and helping my son to be the best version of himself when it comes to learning math. It's not worth losing your mind, spilling tears when trying to help your kid learn math skills that you haven't used in over 20 years. Mathnasium teaches this generation's math concepts. Why stress both you and your child when you have this program to guide them.

Mathnasium has really helped my 2nd and 6th grader gain confidence and improve their math skills…read more The staff is very responsive and continuously keeps us updated on progress.

You can try and go with big classes at the local universities for test prep or you can save your…read moretime and money and start with the best. We tried all the typical test prep classes through the local colleges which turned out to be a waste of money. In the end, using Alice to tutor our daughter was the best decision we made. Alice knows how to work with kids. She knows these tests and she understands teenagers. In the end, Alice helped our daughter raise her score A LOT on the ACT and she ended up at a very good school with a great merit based scholarship. We are getting ready to use her again for our youngest.

Alice is amazing! She has worked with both my son and daughter and we couldn't be happier with the…read moreresults. My daughter worked with Alice for ACT and SAT prep and she scored very high and my son worked with her for an entrance exam and passed with flying colors. She works diligently with her students and has a great ability to connect.

With very short notice, Dr. Lien was able to create a plan for our high school senior to prepare…read morefor the AP Calculus exam. He helped raise our son's final grade from a "C" to an "A." Paired with an exceptionally talented tutor, Alex, our son began building confidence after just one session. Alex has the ability to view problems from multiple perspectives and adjusts his explanations accordingly, making even very difficult concepts feel approachable. If you put in the work, you will see results. Well worth the investment.

Highly recommend Tutor Doctor! They are super reliable and very professional. All the team of…read moreteachers and staff are simply amazing!

Large groups of kids (16 even in the younger grades!) crammed into tiny classrooms. I want to be…read moreclear that some of the teachers are great and working incredibly hard, but they are being given an impossible task. This curriculum is hard (by design), and kids need support. Instead, teachers are trying to do crowd control while kids are behavior problems, calling out and talking over others. Because there is an emphasis on speed and solving problems quickly, some teachers even reward these kids with "beast bucks," their prize system. If you get a less skilled teacher, students (often girls) can be left out. Admin unfortunately does not care about the issue, even though I brought it up months ago. They will simply remind you that there are no refunds. Meanwhile, girls and less aggressive students who are *talented in mathematics* can be left out. AOPS Carmel Valley needs to seriously lower their class sizes to be able to manage impulsive kids and make a concerted effort to provide space and time for quieter kids to contribute meaningfully. I am not in any way blaming the teachers -- this is not their fault. AOPS's math curriculum (Beast Academy) is fabulous and can be purchased online monthly. I recommend going this route until AOPS Carmel Valley prioritizes kids' (and their teachers') experiences over money and hiring more admin.

My son does Beast Level 4 and loves it! He was a little reluctant at first because his older…read morebrother is very advanced, but both the curriculum with the comic books and the class with motivated kids have been great!

Very structured and methodical approach for ISEE prep. Instructor was patient, encouraging,…read moreflexible with scheduling and helped our daughter get better at the fundamental concepts.

CV Test Prep's approach worked great. The weekly practice tests with review materials about the…read moreconcepts helped our son achieve a very impressive SAT score. They kept him on track and engaged via weekly sessions. We will use them again for our 3 other kids when they prepare for their SATs.