The interview over the phone was fantastic. Her credentials are amazing. The plus is she refunded…read more$550 of the $1450 (first payment of 3). She did have a visit at our house, and multiple emails. During our interview (my initial call to her) I explained in detail why I wanted to hire a college counselor. I needed someone who would follow up, and follow through, with my child. I wanted to step away from that part of searching for schools. CONS: *Maria would send emails, but not follow up. He wouldn't respond. I wrote her saying that my son is much better through direct contact, not email. I asked if she would follow up. She said, "I cannot make him read emails." *Maria didn't know much about the CA State system. We visited Cal Poly and realized that we had been given incorrect info. *She asked the same things about volunteering, hobbies, and school size over and over, even though my child gave her the information. *when she came to our house, her file seemed like it was for a totally different student. She had med/large school (he checked off small). She asked about volunteering (we had already told her he had 100s of volunteer hours). After she left, my child no longer wanted to work with her. *Before asking for money back, I asked for an SAT tutor in the area. She didn't have a recommendation. *THE BIGGEST CON: while working with Maria, my son put ZERO colleges on his list. So, for $900, this was not a good result. We finally went to his school counselor and had a zoom meeting. She scheduled another zoom 2 weeks later, and sent my child a few bullet points in an email for him to work on before the next meeting. He had 2 colleges by the next meeting. More colleges in 2 weeks, than a few months before. I highly recommend speaking with your school counselor before hiring someone. We found out that he will get into his first 3 choices (one being Cal Poly). This was by going directly through Cal Poly's site to see how they weigh college courses. The grades average into the GPA for required courses. Great if your school doesn't have AP. His high school counselor guided him through in a handful of meetings.

What can I say about Barbara--she is terrific. She did exactly what she outlined to us when we…read morebooked her package deal in the late fall of my daughter's junior year. The deal was worth every penny. We are so grateful to have had Barbara to lean on through the college admissions process. She helped my daughter identify areas of interest and then guided her through the development of a college list based on those interests. She promised that our daughter would be done with all of her applications by Thanksgiving and she was. We didn't have to nag one bit. Barbara kept her on track and really educated her on the process. Thank you, Barbara, for making this process completely stress-free for all of us. We'll be calling on you again next year when our next one is ready to start the process.

Barbara is stellar at what she does. I got the essay package to help my daughter for college…read moreapplications and the process was smooth, efficient and stress-free, even during covid times. All sessions were seamlessly delivered via zoom in a timely manner. My daughter loved working with Barbara and was looking forward to all her sessions. Barbara helped masterfully discover what will help my daughter's application shine with her creative and knowledgeable brainstorming. She helped my daughter write better essays by instilling the confidence in her and with her guidance, the end product was great. We can stand tall knowing that my daughter's essays will best support her application and give her the best chance in getting into her dream schools.

When we were searching for daycare/preschool for our then 2-year-old, who needed stimulation than…read morewe or a nanny could provide, our priorities were cleanliness, a large outdoor area, and, most importantly, warm and caring teachers. Little Wildflowers exceeded our expectations. And their awareness of how parents feel entrusting their children to someone else was beyond what I had expected. Our son was in a phase of 'stranger danger' when we first met Ms. Maria, but he felt immediately comfortable with her, which was a sign for us. Initially, we wanted to start with just a few days a week and gradually increase, but thanks to the integration period at LWF, within a few weeks he was happily attending full days and loving it. Both Evelyn and Maria work incredibly hard and are true professionals. There have been weekends when my son wanted to go to LWF. Statements directly from my little one: Me: How was your day at school? LO: It was great, just great! Me: Do you like going to school? LO: Yes, I do! Me: What do you like about it? LO: I like my teachers and friends. He always comes home happy, and we are so thankful for LWF. They even helped potty train our son, something I expected to be much more challenging, but like everything else, Evelyn and Maria made that transition relatively effortless.

During a day and age where many of us just don't know what to believe - the best we can do no…read morematter our belief, is to keep ourselves and loved ones safe. Better to be safe than sorry right? Little Wildflowers Preschool has instilled this idea deep into their moral fiber so that you - the parent will know without a doubt that they are always doing everything in their power to keep your children and family safe. Safe from viruses, predators and/or all dangers alike. This private preschool is female owned and operated by two highly experienced individuals with over 10 years experience. They will give your children the highest level of education, care and LOVE while keeping their program fun and exciting for their developing minds. With a HUUUUUUUGGGEEE backyard for outdoor fun, exploration and exercise your kids will get the perfect balance of indoor/outdoor time. Anyone who is in process of looking for a preschool for your children I leave you with this advise. Read their school policies. Read about their covid policies. Ask them questions about these policies and their program and if you agree with it all then send your kids here - you wont regret it! On the other hand if you don't agree with any single policy at all, find a place that fits your views better because there is no leniency here for any parent who thinks they will come and challenge the school. Thank you Maria and Evelyn for building a safe and protected environment for the children!

My daughter really enjoys her tutor, and is helping her math scores. Easy location with plenty of…read moreparking.

I love how One to One Learning Center caters to each child's individual needs. The teachers are…read moreplaced with children based on the child's needs and the teacher's strengths. Whether your child needs help with visual or auditory processing, reading comprehension, decoding, study skills, organizational skills, math, science, homework help, SAT practice and so much more. All the teachers bring a solid variety of skills and experience!

I had the pleasure of surprising my Granddaughter for her 6th grade graduation, and Ms. Gallagher…read moreand all the other staff members did a fabulous job of putting this event together, It was a beautiful morning for celebrating. Thank you to the entire staff for giving my Granddaughter the education and support to achieve continued education. YOU ROCK!!!!

The district in a whole is a great district. The special day class at Olivet is by far the worst…read moreexperience we've ever had in special education. The teacher Mrs. J is exactly like Ms. Mention from the Little Princess. Not warm at all to her students. My son came home several times during the year and stated that he hated himself and wanted to kill himself. I'd recommend the school for regular Ed, but steer clear for special education. Another parents words for her are "if she smiles, her face will crack". This may sound harsh, but sadly it's true. We've loved every other special education class that we've been in and every other school we've been to.

Tiny Talkers, the Swain Center, and all their therapists have been such a blessing for our two…read morechildren. Our eldest was diagnosed with Apraxia of Speech at two and a half, after speech delays and severe lack of care from our primary care doctor. When she started Tiny Talkers at two and a half years old, she had no words that were consistent and intelligible by strangers. Tiny Talkers, and others at the Swain Center worked closely with her, and got results within a few months. They gave her an individualized learning plan that was tailored to her strengths and needs, and equally importantly, gave us as parents the tools and training to be effective therapists at home. Through lot's of hard work, our eldest is now at effectively age appropriate speech development, under a year later. They were able to accomplish this under the spectre of the pandemic no-less, with thoughtful, appropriate and responsible use of both teletherapy and modified in-person therapy sessions. It's hard to express how appreciative I am of their services; as we approach the Christmas season, it's remarkable to think that last Christmas our daughter wasn't talking, and this year she is so abuzz about Christmas and Santa and all the presents she's hoping for. It is the best Christmas present a parent could hope for.

I give the Swain Center one star because their customer service is horrible. It is a shame, as the…read morespeech therapists are absolutely phenomenal. The accountant (Stephanie) is one of the rudest people I have ever met, and her been a nightmare to work with. When I voiced my concerns to the owner (Dr. Swain) I received no response, which helps me understand why the level of customer service is where it is at. Again, I want to stress that the speech therapists are wonderful, and very good at what they do. If it wasn't for that, I would have definitely taken my business elsewhere.

We have Katie as an in home teacher, and she is amazing. She was quick to get a ahold of us and to…read moreget my Son on her schedule. She has been such a joy already and has only been here twice. I will miss her when her time here is done.

We came to this school during a very challenging time in our lives. They welcomed us with open arms…read moreand embraced us, and for that, I am truly grateful. Navigating those challenges and hardships, my child's teachers went above and beyond. They were open, compassionate, and, most of all, patient. The growth we experienced here will never be forgotten. They never gave up on us and stayed with us every step of the way. The campus is beautiful, and the classrooms are wonderful. I felt very safe having my child here. It truly became another home for us, and we will miss everyone greatly.

My son started at Santa Rosa Montessori School shortly after his second birthday, and it has been…read moresuch an amazing experience for our whole family. His communication and his confidence blossomed almost immediately. For months, he was the youngest in the school and it was so sweet to see how all the older kids looked out for him. He carries the skills he learns at school with him and incorporates them at home. The teachers are amazing and build genuine connections with the kids. The campus is a beautiful, calming environment perfect for learning and playing. The community is welcoming and encourages parent involvement. Best of all, my son loves his school and is always happy to be there!