As a junior in high school, I had grades that were above the 4.0 range, so I felt those talents could transfer immediately. However, I was more wrong than ever before. With little preparation from another tutor, my first official score was an 18. I was mortified to tell my friends and even my family my score. So I went around asking my friends how they were so successful in their tests. One of my good friends responded and said "I initially struggled on the ACT just as you are, but I found this tutor in Newport Beach who can completely change your score just as he changed mine. His name is Sean Yen and his company is called Personalized Prep, and he got my score from a 22-30 in 3 months. As soon as I heard that increase, I knew I had to give him a try. Initially working with Sean, each section was increasing little by little from the work he would give me at his office when I would attend once or twice a week, and the daily homework I had to do. It seems like a lot to do, but once you make it a typical activity you can get it done relatively quick! I also suggest doing a weekend test he provides at his office once a week. These tests are previous ACT/SAT test that you take in the same time constraints as a normal test, except you do not take the essay. These tests really give you a feel of doing an official test, and you can figure out how slow or fast you are in each particular section. Through my time with Personalized Prep, they also set me up with a tutor that has a specialty in particular sections. This was seen as I initially struggled with English and Reading, and those scores increased dramatically. These increases were in Reading where I went from a 16 to a 33, and English where my score went from a 21 to a 28. And in total my score went from an 18 to almost a 28! My initial hope of this ACT / SAT experience was being able to receive a score that could help me play collegiate baseball, with my high academics being the way I could be provided a roster spot. Based on academics alone, I was admitted into some of the best Cal State's, UC's, and private universities. This is something I never even imagined after I first received that 18 just a few months before. This increase in my ACT would never have occurred without the help of Sean Yen, his brother Cameron, and the rest of the Personalized Prep staff and I thank them all extremely. read more

Sean and all the other tutors at Personalized Prep have helped me gain confidence to succeed not only in school, but they have equipped me with tools necessary to deal with stress, conflict, time management, prioritizing, and I can honestly say I would not be at a top university if it wasn't for my time working with Sean and the tutors at Personalized Prep. I was hesitant to get another tutor (after 3 bad experiences with other "reputable" companies in Newport Beach. My test scores did not go up a single point - in fact, they went down after prepping with the companies. Sean not only helped me raise my score +6 points, but he did it in less than two months. Sean helped me get accepted to all the colleges that applied too, including Vanderbilt, Northwestern, UCLA, UC Berkeley, and Boston College. His hyper-focused approach to tutoring made me really feel each minute was maximized to its full potential. In addition to intellectual growth, Sean was there to help facilitate my personal growth as well. I became a better leader and I recently received an offer to become a Resident Assistant and would honestly say I could not have been chosen as a leader to represent my student population. I got a perfect score on my interview and the Resident Director stated that my application was the best she's ever seen. Sean has been an undeniable influence in my life. His advice is genuine and he goes above and beyond what is required to be an amazing teacher. He truly cares for the success of each student not only in school but to succeed as human beings as well. He was never shy to have honest (and sometimes uncomfortable) conversations to help accelerate my growth. The time he invested helped me recognize and achieve my potential. I consider Sean a lifelong mentor and know he will continue to pursue his passion and helping each student and person in his life improve upon themselves. Going to Sean and the other tutors at Personalized Prep has been one of the best decisions my parents and I have made to better my future. I wouldn't be where I am today without Sean! read more

Personalized Prep is in the same building my dad works at. One day when I was working for my dad, I met Sean in the lobby of the building, where he told me about his tutoring services. We talked more and more, and although he was a really cool guy, I felt like his tutoring services wouldn't work for me. In my eyes, they would just be like every other tutoring business, sitting in a room with 5 other students and one tutor, waiting for your turn to get help, but I was wrong. Despite not trusting him, I set up a meeting to see what he had to offer. My first meeting with Sean went great. I remember explicitly seeing one student and a tutor taking a little break to play basketball on the small hoop attached to the door. This place was fantastic. By the end of our first meeting, I was excited to study for the first time in forever. He worked out of five small offices with three other tutors. All of the tutors were in their early twenties and were very outgoing and fun people. What makes Personalized Prep stand out from other tutoring facilities is his understanding and relation to each student. This allows him to come up with specific learning concepts that cater to each student's needs. Larger tutoring companies lack experienced tutors while smaller businesses can't sustain the necessary resources for the student. I can attest that Sean found a way to balance both of those issues. Personalized Prep is amazing because of Seans abilities to provide the highest level of academic assistance along with extensive training for incoming tutors to ensure quality tutoring. I've worked with Sean for 4 years now, and although he has been a great tutor, he has also been a mentor to me. Thanks to Personalized Prep, Sean, and the other tutors, I've been able to grow more than just academically. read more

Personalized Prep is in the same building my dad works at. One day when I was working for my dad, I met Sean in the lobby of the building, where he told me about his tutoring services. We talked more and more, and although he was a really cool guy, I felt like his tutoring services wouldn't work for me. In my eyes, they would just be like every other tutoring business, sitting in a room with 5 other students and one tutor, waiting for your turn to get help, but I was wrong. Despite not trusting him, I set up a meeting to see what he had to offer. My first meeting with Sean went great. I remember explicitly seeing one student and a tutor taking a little break to play basketball on the small hoop attached to the door. This place was fantastic. By the end of our first meeting, I was excited to study for the first time in forever. He worked out of five small offices with three other tutors. All of the tutors were in their early twenties and were very outgoing and fun people. What makes Personalized Prep stand out from other tutoring facilities is his understanding and relation to each student. This allows him to come up with specific learning concepts that cater to each student's needs. Larger tutoring companies lack experienced tutors while smaller businesses can't sustain the necessary resources for the student. I can attest that Sean found a way to balance both of those issues. Personalized Prep is amazing because of Seans abilities to provide the highest level of academic assistance along with extensive training for incoming tutors to ensure quality tutoring. I've worked with Sean for 4 years now, and although he has been a great tutor, he has also been a mentor to me. Thanks to Personalized Prep, Sean, and the other tutors, I've been able to grow more than just academically. read more

I came to Personalized Prep as a senior in high school who had just realized that I needed to buckle down and focus on academics and testing in order to be accepted to an institution of my choice. I suffered from bad work ethic and procrastination, which were clearly translated onto my GPA and overall performance in school. At this point, I was clueless on where to start and I felt immense pressure to raise my ACT score in time for applications due in the fall. Once I started tutoring at PP, I was forced to focus on what mattered and make the most of my previous high-school performance to increase options that would shape the next four years of my life. Coming to Personalized Prep was more than just ACT tutoring - I was taught lessons about patience, focus, and accountability that I can confidently say have stuck with me throughout my time in university and will continue to help me navigate life post-grad. My time at personalized prep was more about realizing my potential and constantly being challenged to be the best version of myself in terms of professionalism and work ethic, thanks to Sean Yen. Sean was not only my ACT tutor and college essay coach but more importantly a mentor who genuinely cared about my well being and helping me create and achieve goals I couldn't imagine were feasible. With Sean's help, I improved my ACT score by 4 points and crafted brilliant college essays/applications that opened the door for a student with an 3.5 weighted high school GPA and subpar extra curriculars to USC, a top 20 institution. Without my experience at Personalized Prep I would have never understood my potential, learned the value of focus and hard work, and most importantly made it to the school of my dreams! read more

I started working with Sean at Personalized Prep freshman year of high school, around my second semester. I had a 2.7 GPA and was scoring in the 26-27 range on practice ACTs. Fast forward to senior year, with a 4.3 GPA, 33 on my ACT, and im starting to see my college acceptances roll in, even with a scholarship from one of my favorite schools, SMU. How did this happen? Sean and I instantly connected from the first day I showed up. There were definitely days over the years where I doubted his methods, and questioned the things he would ask me to to studying and work wise, but the more time went on, the more I saw the big picture. One of the best parts of Personalized Prep is that it is a one-stop-shop too. Tutoring, test prep, and college applications. Sean's brother Cameron at Personalized Prep is also awesome too. He's a big reason that I was able to improve my test score and survive classes like biology. I would always look forward to tutoring, knowing that I'd accomplish everything required, and have a great time filled with laughs as well. At the end of the day, if you're looking for somewhere where your student will be fully understood, valued, and helped to grow as both a student and individual, look no further. I'll always be thankful to Personalized Prep!!! read more

Personalized prep is amazing! I started out doing prep for the ACT and they helped me raise my score by several points. I was given excellent one on one instruction with each tutor for each section of the test which was great help since they all know the test like the back of their hand. I also had help through their college counseling where I went through all of my college applications in a very organized, efficient manner. We went through application deadlines, scholarship and financial aid resources, supplemental essay organization and more. With their assistance I was able to get into some of the top universities in the nation! I also was given great help with calculus tutoring as they do regular academic tutoring as well. Whether it's writing out every problem on the whiteboard till you feel comfortable, or answering your 100 questions, they want to ensure you feel strong on every topic. I was able to make amazing connections with each tutor as well, as they are all super personable and social. They truly want their students to be successful and put everything into making that happen. Highly recommend!! read more

I was referred to Sean by my girlfriend, who used his services at Personalized Prep for ACT prep a few years ago. When I started studying for the LSAT, I knew I wanted a tutor I could meet with one-on-one in-person, and could help give me an edge beyond traditional test prep. Sean delivered exactly that and more. We met biweekly to go over progress, strategy, and upcoming assignments, and to reflect on past work with a strong focus on the key takeaways. Sean helped me build confidence in my abilities, taking my initial score from around a 145 to now consistently scoring around 170. Sean's approach goes beyond just the test material. He emphasizes strategy and mindset which both, I think, are often underrated when it comes to performance, but extremely important. Thanks again, Sean! I'll definitely be recommending you to any future pre-law students looking for hands-on, personalized help studying for the LSAT. read more

I just finished being tutored for the ACT by Personalized Prep and my experience was great. Prior to going, I felt hopeless. I did pretty good at school but was horrible at the ACT. I tried all books online and even went to Princeton Review but didn't really see any significant gain in my score. I got recommended from a friend to try Personalized Prep and it was the best decision I ever made. I found myself excited to go to tutoring actually and Sean really helped explain the information in a way that isn't so academic which helped. After only a few months of tutoring I got my score from a 22 to a 28 and I got into the college I wanted to go to plus lots of merit based scholarship!! I have been recommending Sean and Personalized Prep to everyone I know and it's definitely the place to go if you think that you can't do good on the ACT/SAT -Wes Abrahams Loyola University of Chicago '24 read more

I began my Personalized Prep journey by preparing for the ACT exam. Sean and his whole staff were incredibly knowledgeable, insightful, and honest. Under their tutelage, I was able to score a near-perfect score on the ACT, and I have used many of the skills I learned during the Test Preparation process and applied it to my academic courses as well. A few months later, I was struggling to grasp some of the more complex concepts in AP Calculus. Once again, I reached out to Personalized Prep and they were able to identify my opportunities for improvement and honed in on mastery of all the skills I needed in an efficient and effective manner. I am excited to say that I raised my grade from a low B to an A in 2 months of studying with Personalized Prep. I would highly recommend anyone needing general school help and Test Preparation (ACT/SAT) tutoring to go to Personalized Prep! read more

I didn't know what I was going to get when I started tutoring at Personalized Prep. I had heard about them through a mutual connection, and the good things relayed to me were 100% true! Sean and his team made me feel accepted and welcomed; they saw a potential in me that I could not see at first. My ACT score jumped from a 28 to a 35 over the course of a few months! I was in disbelief, but Sean wasn't. He knew I had the ability to do it from the beginning. Now, I am about to graduate from the University of Oregon with a biochemistry degree. The study and test-taking skills I learned at Personalized Prep prepared me immensely for college. These skills are not only applicable to taking the ACT/SAT. They teach you how to focus, problem solve, and learn from your mistakes, all of which are necessary life skills. Thank you Sean and everyone at PP who helped me get here! read more

I was struggling in Spanish and Geometry my sophomore year - getting low D's in both, and finals were just around the corner. I never wanted a tutor and can vividly recall telling my parents that I would not pay attention or listen if they hired one for me. I must have gone through at least 5 tutors up to that point, and was fed up and did not think any of them were there to help me become a better student. From the first lesson with Sean, I instantly knew different he was. He took the time to understand why I was not doing well in these courses and then laid out a game plan with my feedback as well. He made me feel like we were a team, working together towards a common academic goal. I passed both of those classes my sophomore year, raised my GPA each semester from that point on, and went up +10 points on my ACT to get into one of my top choices for college! read more

My name is Alena and I am a tutor for Personalized Prep. I know that I am writing this review not as a student, but I am doing this on my own will. Working here at Personalized Prep has been transformational. Not only am I able to teach and learn from all types of students, I've seen students improve tremendously, from their critical thinking skills to their study habits. The work that the company puts into this business shows through students' testing and academic results and mindset shifts. Not only do students here produce great results, students' personal lives and their tribulations are also cared about. One component that I feel that other tutoring centers were lacking was true mentorship. It really is hard to find that anywhere. There's also a good balance of fun, learning, growth and discipline. read more

Personalized Prep is the most effective, high quality admissions and standardized test company in Southern California. I have worked with Sean of Personalized Prep for over 7 years. I worked with Sean not only for AP Calculus Tutoring in high school, but also college level statistics, accounting, and finance. I also worked with Sean during law school admissions where I was admitted to multiple top 20 law schools. Sean and his team are beyond qualified, and he gives everything to his students. Sean continues to support his clients, including me, through all chapters of their lives. I have the utmost confidence in Personalized Prep. I highly recommend Personalized Prep for all students as Sean will push his clients to achieve academic success all while supporting their emotional and intellectual growth. read more

I highly recommend Personalized Prep. Sean creates a program specific to each student and sets goals with you that he and his team will stop at nothing to accomplish. I started working with Sean in the summer going into my senior year. I was really late to get started on studying for the ACT and super stressed that I wouldn't get the score I wanted in time. With the help of Sean and his staff, I achieved my goal score while taking the official ACT only two times. After that, Sean and his staff continued to help and support me through my college application process. I'm thrilled to say that, thanks to their help, I got into my dream school, UC Santa Barbara and I also got into UC Berkeley. Thanks to them, I have options and my future has opened up to more possibilities than I ever thought possible. read more

The tools that Sean brings to the table when tutoring is something that I will continue to incorporate through not just school but life in general. Sean is very honest with his clients but never makes you feel unintelligent. He understands how to approach each client differently with different tools that works best with that particular client. He is very personable and really does care about each and every one of his clients, which is something that is very hard to find in tutors with the type of ability that someone like Sean has. I recommend him to everyone I know and I will continue to recommend him because of the trust I have in him to help every person that is in need, no matter the age or the intellectual ability, which makes Personalized Prep a very welcoming and accepting place. read more

Personalized prep changed the course of my school career in many ways. Through the help of Sean, Cam and the many other friendly staff members I was able to make a great improvement in my act score. I came in having no idea what to expect. On my first test i scored a 26 which is a decent score but not what i was hoping for. Over his course, Sean showed me many tips and tricks that allowed me to finish much faster and more accurately. Just after a few weeks my score started going up from 26 to 28 to 30. After a few months I felt more than confident in my abilities. When test day finally came I breezed through it and scored a 32. I was very happy with my improvement and would like to thank Personalized Prep. I would highly recommend this program to anyone looking to raise their act score. read more

Students don't normally describe their college test prep experience as very positive, but my daughter has nothing but good things to say about Sean and his teaching/methods. He has a very easy and outgoing nature which, combined with his incredible breadth of knowledge, encouraged her to do and try her best with all aspects of preparing for the ACT. Even the homework assignments she was given were driven by a competitive aspect encouraging her to score higher each time. After roughly a dozen sessions with Sean, her score went up a full five points from one test date to the next! Highly recommend the investment in Personalized Prep because it's exactly that: personalized to your child's learning and abilities, but all geared toward their success! read more

This place is special in my eyes, as a company that is truly student-first. It is not just a walk-in walk-out environment, the company makes sure the student is provided with everything they need. If you not only want to tutor, but have a passion for mentoring, this is a great job. It is a small company so feels more like an extended family. The owner of the company is very understanding when life comes up, and as a lifelong mentor himself, is open to helping those employees who need help in their own academic and/or professional careers. Overall an amazing place to work with a long list of pros all the way from professional fulfillment to autonomy as a tutor and more. [Former employee read more