Hello, my son took the 8-week in-person SAT prep course in 2024 summer and wanted to share his…read morehonest critique: Much Better, Cheaper Alternatives: Free or low-cost platforms like Khan Academy, UWorld, and Acely offer better, more personalized SAT prep. A $15 prep book or private tutoring (only when needed) can be more effective and far less expensive. Poor Course Structure: The weekly cycle goes: Day 1: Full-length SAT practice test (which can be done at home using Bluebook or PDFs from College Board). Day 2: Review the test (easily done with free online explanations or tutor support). Days 3 & 4: Light instruction followed by workbook problems--often with minimal teaching and sometimes incorrect answer keys. This kind of practice can be done at home more efficiently with a good prep book or YouTube resources. Wasted Time: Frequent breaks and off-topic discussions waste about half the time per day. Excessively long work periods lead to idleness (many students on phones after finishing early). Repetitive explanations for already-understood material that other students needtake up more time. Overall, around half the class time felt unproductive. Mediocre Materials & Teaching: Many practice problems were too easy compared to actual SAT questions. Teaching often consisted of summarizing what's already in a prep book. Vocabulary memorization (25 words/day) was inefficient--most of the memorized words don't appear on the test, and it's hard to retain them. A more effective method is learning prefixes and suffixes to decode unfamiliar words on test day. Social Pressure: Students may feel uncomfortable asking questions in front of peers. A tutor, AI tools, or YouTube can offer judgment-free help more comfortably. Summary: Unless you absolutely lack time management or self-discipline, this course is not worth the cost. There are far more affordable, flexible, and effective ways to prepare for the SAT. Thanks for reading.

Mr. Chu and his staff are great people, there to help those who are interested in academic success…read more I've attended here in the past when I was in middle school and in high school. English was not my first language and the classes that I took helped improve my English and my SAT scores. The teachers were teachers from the surrounding school districts. The teachers were also very good at what they do best, teaching. Mr. Chu took an active interest in my academics. He knew what my strengths and weaknesses were and advised on ways to advance my education by growing the strengths and diminishing the weaknesses. If you have the desire to learn and to improve your scores, this is definitely the place for you!

Our daughter is 9, and was struggling with math. She loved the program, we saw improvement and…read moregrowth. Staff is wonderful

My 1st grader has been attending the tutoring center for a few months now and the level he is…read morestudying here is surprising. I reviewed the materials he is solving, and it's definitely ahead of what I thought he was capable of. He was writing letters in mirrors images pretty recently, but the stuff in the workbook here that he was reading and writing reminded me of PSAT (for those old enough to remember those) . Of course, to do these, he needs attention and guidance from a teacher at a much lower ratio than what we can get from school, and here, it's kept at about 2 students per teacher. Being a fidgety flighty 6 yr old boy (hopefully normal?) I don't know how much he learns in his school class of 26 kids and I don't have the skills to teach him myself so I started sending him here for professional help twice a week to make sure he doesn't fall behind. Looks like mission is being accomplished so far! And most importantly, he enjoys learning here, which made it part of our weekly routine now. They offer a free assessment, where the student takes a test and they come back with analysis on the student's level and recommendations. It's a nice computer printout that Mr. Chow goes over with you. And then you can decide to enroll or not, and how often to attend and what times you'd like. It was a nice way to get started, as well as probably the first time I got my child assessed on anything. Thankfully he tested slightly above his grade level, but upon examining the questions, I did notice it would've resulted differently had we not done a few reading sessions on our own just the week prior to the assessment, as the vocab tests were specific. So it's not perfect, but still a really useful experience for the child and the parent!

After starting with a different (and expensive) college counselor located in Santa Monica and SAT…read moretutor (expensive) who both came highly recommended but were essentially completely useless, we received a glowing recommendation for Blue Train and made the switch. Best decision ever. Our two sons used Blue Train for multiple things over their junior and senior years - test assessment/diagnostic, ACT prep and guidance, college list building, guidance re HS classes and even extra curricular advise, as well as navigating the college application process and the all-important essay drafting. Scott and the people at Blue Train put the boys on a very manageable schedule and in fact, both of our sons were totally done with most applications by Thanksgiving. Both boys got into tons of schools, got thrown tons of money, and this entire process was so smooth because of Blue Train's guidance. We event consulted with Scott when deciding which schools to attend. I cannot say enough how effective and impressive Blue Train was. Highly recommend !!!

An exciting combination of counselor-led discussions, college student guests, and list assessment…read moreby Blue Train specialists. This workshop will help any student struggling to complete and polish his or her academics. Students work on personal statements. They also work on scholarship essays. By the end of the workshop, students gave valuable one-on-one feedback and continue progress on their personal statement. Between the tutoring, practice tests, workshops to complete applications, and knowledge of current college admission standards, the Blue Train mix of counselor-led group discussions and mock one-on-one practice will take away the jitters and leave you feeling confident and related. They also offer a one-on-one guidance with an essay specialist. These mini sessions are open only to students who have already attended the personal statement workshop. These thirty minute boosters are intended to help students keep their writing process flowing with structural and editing advice. No need to curl up in a fetal position or hire an overpriced private college counselor to tell you where you won't be accepted. Do your applications and essays better, for less, with the team that has helped more students with this sort of process than any other company in the South Bay. High probability of success with Blue Train. Email them at office@bluetraincollegeprep.com

I've been receiving tutoring and college counseling at C2 for three years and it is has helped me…read moreimprove my grades, test scores, and get into top colleges. Their friendly and skilled tutors were able to help me increase my SAT score and earn 5's and 4's on nine AP exams. The tutors are very understanding and always willing to help you out wherever you struggle. The 2-hour tutoring sessions are very intimate, and extremely helpful if you struggle with Physics, Calculus, or Computer Science. Their tutors know everything! If you need a college counselor, C2 has it all. Their college counselors and essay writing tutors were very receptive and accessible throughout my college application process. Having access to their expertise and advice significantly improved my college essays and made my college application experience less stressful. With the amazing help of C2 I was able to get into USC, my dream school, and many other top schools. Having the constant support of C2's college counselors and tutors throughout these three years have completely transformed my academic career and was worth every penny.

My son and nephew attend C2 Education of Torrance for college essay help, SAT prep, and college…read moreapplication help. They are both seniors applying to college. Staff is very helpful and the center is very organized and well run. I appreciate Leon and Alyssa's help in making this time less stressful and keeping us informed. I highly recommend their services.

This is a great afterschool. I struggled with finishing my homework before I came here, but the…read moreteachers in the homework session were able to help me answer all of my questions. They were all nice and funny. I slowly improved on my tests and my grades, and I also remembering doing extra problems in the Ivy classes. I would always ask why we would have to do more math and English work even though I had so much homework in my actual school, but looking back now, I realize that the extra practice really came a long way. Ivy is a cool place to go to after school if you get stuck on homework and need help with school in general. I'm glad I came, and it has really helped a lot ever since.

Ivy Smart pushes students toward perfection and admission to top-tier universities while sometimes…read moreoverlooking students' individual interests, goals, and circumstances. In my experience, there was too much emphasis on prestige rather than helping each student identify the educational path that was genuinely right for them. Community colleges and state universities can be excellent choices, and students should not feel discouraged from considering them simply because they are not viewed as prestigious. I also think Ivy Smart should be clearer about the nature and purpose of its program. Rather than presenting it as something every student needs in order to succeed academically, it should be described as an academic "bootcamp" designed to help students prepare for the upcoming school year. This would give students and families a better understanding of the program's intensity and expectations before enrolling. Ultimately, college and academic counseling should help students discover and pursue their own goals--not make them feel that success requires perfection or admission to a top-tier university. A student's best educational path should be based on personal interests, career goals, learning needs, finances, and overall fit, not prestige alone.

Sylvan has helped my daughter improve her math skills and general confidence as a student. She is…read morehaving fun learning (& earning coins for prizes) in a supportive environment where she can ask questions and get immediate feedback. We are so grateful for the Sylvan! Highly recommend!

I enrolled my son at this Torrance location 6 months ago . I have seen a drastic change in his…read moreability to communicate, his confidence is through the roof he has excelled in all areas we set goals for , the staff here is amazing they are all so kind very patient and loving , 10/10

I had an Exam scheduled 2 months in advance. I arrived and was shocked to see en empty building…read more When I tried calling, the number on file was not in service. With no prior notice this testing center was closed. Such a disappointment as I had taken a day off work for this. Pearson Vue Customer Service kept claiming my test location was in "Cypress, CA" per their records despite the email being sent to me clearly stated "Gardena, CA". They did not acknowledge their mistake.

Testing location changed without prior notice, as this location closed down without prior warning,…read moreverbally or otherwise. Otherwise, would have been a pleasant location to take the test. Thankfully I checked ahead of time.

We moved from Beijing to LA in 2017, around April 2017 my wife and I did a house hunting at PV and…read moreTorrance. After looking at several houses for sales, I asked my realtor to drop me off at the ice rink which is my daughter's most favorite activity. We passed by the Peninsula Academy. I told my wife this is a great place for our daughter to enrich her English. Kay Lee, the deputy director of the academy was there, she was extremely helpful and listened to me on our needs. She recommended Kathy Kerstein as my daughter's English teacher. We moved our family on July 28, 2017. It's a Friday. My daughter Yiyi started Kathy's one to one class for the whole summer and once-twice a week during the school year. Apparently, she did extremely good at her ENGLISH LEARNER'S class. She moved on with Kathy's help, she got into Stanford's summer school, UCSB Research Mentoring Program. From a Chinese speaking little girl, hardly can speak a full paragraph to a young adult commanding her English In three and half years. My daughter, applied for colleges this year, she got admitted for UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, UCSD. For private institutions, she got Harvey Mudd (finalist for President's Scholarship, she declined), Columbia University and Caltech. She accepted the offer from Caltech and will be the 2025 class of Caltech. Kathy Kerstein is a great teacher, she is always available and ready to help, I would like to thank the Academy for all the supports. Chung

Peninsula Academy has Great programs and great teachers. My son signed up their summer writing…read moreclass and learned & read several books. Their math and computer classes are good too. Will recommend to anyone.

Found this place with a quick google search for IV therapy and blood withdrawal certification near…read moreme. Followed that up with Yelp and saw the extensive amount of 5-star reviews. Was I a bit skeptical? Yes lol especially since their pricing is a bit higher than other certification classes. Here is my opinion. This place is definitely worth every single 5-star review you see and read. Dr. Khan and Sylvia who teaches and runs the training classes are so friendly and knowledgeable. They provide you with all the information and skills needed to become board certified. They answer all your questions and never make you feel less for asking them. They prepare you mentally prior and guide you from start to finish on each technique needed from blood withdrawal, setting up an IV line and providing IV therapy. Then they observe your retention knowledge to be able to perform without instructions. Along with educating us on different types of equipment we might come across while working in the field. The classes are fairly small and intimate which makes the learning experience that much more enjoyable as you get to know the other students training along side you. Yes the price is higher than other training facilities, but definitely worth it. Honestly you're paying for great instructors, small class groups, night classes, and realistically; medical supplies are expensive. With that, they still provide you with a tracking number to track your certification to the board as well. This is where you say, you're paying for quality over quantity. Other than providing IV/BW therapy certification. They offer other approved AHA classes like BLS, ACLS, and even an extensive NCLEX refresher prep course. Worth checking out for a great experience.

I had a great experience completing my IV Certification at KSK Training Center.The training…read moreincluded plenty of hands-on practice, which helped me feel more confident and comfortable with my IV skills. The environment was welcoming, organized, and professional. I highly recommend KSK Training Center to any nurse looking to complete their IV certification.

I love SNAP Education. Words cannot describe how wonderful this place is. It is to the point I…read morewould work here along with the wonderful manager/ director​/ teacher/ genius​/ brother-like person, Steven Kim. The first hour I stepped​ into this place, which was the conference, he opened my eyes to see the bigger picture of my future. I changed my direction completely since then. To be honest, I was a pretty lazy student. I was one of those students who would do their homework during school, the day that it is due. Currently, I have improved on procrastination ​and learned to do my task responsibly. There is​ a lot to learn from this place. I am taking the SAT fall course, which is a twelve-week​ program that consists of English course and Math course specifically for SAT. However, they are not so restricted to​ class time or subject, but rather they try to help as much as possible. The director, Steven Kim, who would be reading this soon or later, told me that I can email him anytime for ANY questions. So I did. You know, "Bank For Your Buck" right? I personally do my homework pretty late, so often times I emailed him at like one in the morning. I don't know how but he did respond couple minutes later. Honestly, there are no other tutors that would do this. Not naming any place but the tutor I used to go to would cut off the class time right as it ends. And because there were like almost 10 students in each class, the teacher did not have close attention to the student's performance level. Which is why I quit, but this place is better. Way better. I recommend it to every student​ out there, I mean, I even recommended to some of my friends in my school, which is something I don't really do. To go into​ more detail about the program I take, it consists of three times a week classes along with "Practice SAT simulations" every Saturday​. This was pretty cool. He tells you to "come by 7:40 and 7:45 by the latest" and the eat the same thing as you would on a real SAT and dress the same way (which he recommends sweatpants and zip-up jacket classic), and even sleep at the same time as you would on a real SAT. Like what kind of teacher would care so much that he would care about the food we eat? Other than the Saturday tests, there are the classes during the weekdays​, which are pretty fun, ​to be honest. I took the class along with Ruth and Brent, who probably would be posting a review soon (don't ask me why I know this), and as we get the job done, he passes the here and there. Other than the fact that he didn't know what "HOCO (short for homecoming)" was it was all good. The original schedule was Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, but after seeing that we needed help also on writing, he voluntarily added another session on Thursday (every other week), with no additional charge. Also, ​he let us come in for extra help on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Also at​ no additional charge. Ya know, "Bank For Your Buck." You could probably tell by now that it is a quote from Steven. He has many other infamous quotes that would probably stick with you by the end of the session. "If all else fails, plug it in" is another. I love this place so much that I am coming back for another session. Not for SAT again, because he probably won't​ accept me ^^, but for chemistry. The Course subject can be customized​​ by your likings.You can ask for Biology, Chemistry, Math, English, Writing... All you have to do is just ask. Also, ​there is this one student that he keeps on talking about. I wish I could meet this infamous "SangJun," but as of right now, I didn't. I can't forget about the pretty English teacher, Yoomi. She is so good at English, I respect her so much. I learned so much from her in terms of writing. My initial score was pretty low, but I saw instant improvement as I took her class. One of the most close-to-perfect teachers​ I've seen in my entire life. To talk about Steven, man, this will never end. He is funny, and "nice" well, that's​ how he describes himself. I think differently, but... I mean... He is SO nice. I was totally just kidding. ^^. He may bash on you couple times, but its all for your improvement. I think.​.. But he uses his own personal money to buy you food. When I improved 100 points on my practice SAT's he got me a Starbucks gift card​. I should've asked for a pencil. He got us chipotle, and kinda threatened us...​ I mean encouraged us to memorize the vocab. As an​ experienced student, I really recommend memorizing your vocab. You'll thank me later :). but all jokes aside, he is really a great teacher. He will teach you from the basic if you don't know, as long as you try as well. So Please this place out. You probably won't​ regret. Oh and don't forget to say "CHAEYOON RECOMMENDED SO I CAME." :) If You read all the way till here, you could probably tell that I love this place. ok steven gimme my pencil now. JKJK All of the above were written and approved by chaeyoon syin. :))

Personally, I have been to many tutors but SNAP comes out on top. As a student who recently…read morefinished the summer SAT program, I learned a lot from the teachers at SNAP. Despite the summer program being eight weeks long, Steven as well as Yoomi teacher were more than willing to put in extra time to make sure we would be able to score well on the SAT. Steven helped each and everyone of the students to get on top of their game. Other tutors may sugar coat their advice, which in turn wouldn't motivate you into actually working, but Steven was different. He put in a lot of effort to understand how all the students were like and would call us in with our parents on certain days critiquing us on what we needed to do not only for the SAT but also for our lives. I may not have been in such a good mood when he was telling me that I needed to focus more and have some ambition, but I knew Steven was telling me this to help me and it did. Steven told me this on a Monday, so I had a couple more days till Thursday when we took our next practice SAT. With Steven's advice and my added effort my score jumped by 110 points.