My daughter found Oxford after trying several other college counselors for essay help. Many lacked…read moreempathy, patience, knowledge about culture, or how to draw the reader in with more than facts in the short space of word count. JT was the gift she needed. He made himself available, is patient, accommodating and has the worldly life & writing skills to hit all the angles. My daughter did the base work and research on her own for the foundation for her essays, but JT knew how to hone them to make sense, and get everything in the word count without compromising the emotion my girl was seeking. She was distraught and overwhelmed until she found him through word of mouth at school. JT was the first college counselor that could work one on one with her and I didn't have to be part of the process because after reading what they produced, we trusted him. She ultimately earned full tuition in 5 merit scholarships to our local US News ranked top 25 college because she had put in the hard work academically, and holistically through the years, but JT understood her goals to write a story weaving in everything she had done (which was a lot) within the word count without compromising the quality of essays. My recommendation is for your teen do the research on the strongest activities they want to present in a bullet point list, pre-write out factual essays trying to squeeze in a coherent story and then go to JT to help him understand the direction. This saved her time and us money, plus helped her feel confident when they would hang up on what she was to go fix before the next call. She did all by Zoom, and maximized her time this way. From there, they crafted compelling essays that I'm still proud to re-read. Thank you Oxford for finding JT. We could not have gotten through this without him. Will definitely be using him for child number 2 when the time comes soon.

I went to Oxford for my help with my son's ACT prep. I liked that they had 1 on 1 service rather…read morethan a group setting. Melissa was great from the beginning with answering questions about the program, setting up schedules and being flexible when we needed to change days/times due to my son's sports commitment. The initial pre-test he only scored a 21. We trusted Melissa and JT to help him bring up his score enrolling him in a 26-session package, twice a week. I am thrilled to share that he scored a 32 on the official ACT test. This was a huge jump from what he started. My son says he really enjoyed working with Melissa, that she made learning enjoyable and understandable. I highly recommend using Melissa to support for ACT preparation. Thank you Melissa!

I couldn't be happier with the survice I received! David is very knowledgeable and honest,…read moreunderstanding of unique circumstances, and experienced enough to advise even on highly specific situations. David gave me a much needed honest evaluation and I feel a lot more confident after speaking to a professional i can trust, and beyond that, he's just a genuinely nice person to work with. I've had one meeting so far and will definitely be booking more. Highly recommend!!

I couldn't be happier with our experience with David and College Zoom. Their program is like NO…read moreOTHER. They have created a system that truly helps the student organize his/her/their thoughts and ideas in order to put their best foot forward and create a college application that represents who the student is and what their achievements are. Both my children worked with College Zoom. My son is a very typical young man who had a hard time getting started with his applications, and College Zoom did an excellent job supporting him every step of the way. My daughter, on the other hand, was very motivated and College Zoom worked well with her enthusiasm and organization. I am happy to report that both kids got into their DREAM schools (USC and UC Berkeley) with College Zoom's help. David and College Zoom really understood each student's unique needs, and also helped this mom feel less worried!!

My son worked with Chris Savage and he was a great guide and cheerleader through the college…read moreadmissions journey. As a parent, if you really want to get in the weeds and be in the process with your kid, this might not be the service for you. But if you want to let your child own this part of their life and let them do it themselves but have a guide, Magellan was great. My son goes to a competitive LAUSD magnet and as good as they are, the counselors can't offer the same level of attention or resources as private schools. I saved all the money on private school tuition, so spending a little money for Magellan was well worth it. My wife and I didn't have the stress of nagging our son for a year and at the end of the day, he has a level of confidence and pride for this life milestone because he did it himself. He'll be attending UC Davis in the fall.

My daughter worked with Kathy Kelleher, who guided her from junior year when she needed help…read moreplanning her curriculum through the admission process of 2024 (widely recognized as the most difficult year to apply in the history of college admissions). From making college lists to making sure our daughter's essays were the best the could be, Kathy guided her, challenged her, and supported her throughout this journey. . and ultimately celebrated with her when she got into many great colleges and universities, many with substantial merit scholarships. I also appreciated Evelyn providing resources to parents, including live presentations and helpful articles and links. I highly recommend Kathy Kelleher at Magellan College Counseling!

Joanne is the most amazing Career Counselor ever. She really helped me develop my skills and my…read moreresume to allow me to obtain my dream career. I researched so many other career counselors and I found her on Yelp. I even referred her to many different family and friends and she went above and beyond to help them as well. She was such a pleasure to work with. Her customer service, attention to detail, and professionalism were outstanding. 10/10 stars would recommend!!

When I found Julia, I was in complete despair. College application deadlines were around the…read morecorner, and my daughter hadn't even started the process. All of her UC prompts were just ideas at that point. Our first meeting with Julia was a long conversation, during which she helped extract a full list of extracurricular activities and developed ideas for the essays, personal statement, and Common App essay. Over the following weeks, I watched each essay come together and be finalized one by one. She created a list of schools and a structured calendar that kept my daughter on track. I'm happy to say this was the best investment we could have made. My daughter was accepted to UC Berkeley and several other colleges. The peace of mind I had knowing Julia was managing the college application process was priceless. She is knowledgeable and competent, and she brings so much compassion to her work. There were many times when I felt overwhelmed, and she was always able to calm me down. I only have one regret--not using her services for my oldest son during his college application journey. I am confident that Julia will continue to be a valuable part of my children's educational journeys, whether it's navigating college course enrollment, updating resumes and LinkedIn profiles, or applying to graduate school.

We love our tutor! He is kind , patient and very helpful for both of my children!…read more They have also been very accommodating with our schedule changes! I highly recommend APlus tutoring!

They are very professional and detailed. I love there strategic approaches on teaching my 5 year…read moreold daughter(Kindergarten )and 6 year old daughter(First Grade)! they are very engaging and lovely staff. Christina has been a great influence in my daughters academic success! She is amazing and we look forward to A+ tutoring again in the new school year!

We have bee with CPE since 2011 when my daughter was in High school. Our experience has been great!…read moreBrian Safdari and his staff has been so wondeful guiding us parents and my daughter step by step along the way. For my daughter, having a counselor that helped her on the choices and decisions, made a great difference for her. They really take the stress away from our shoulders. Brian Safdari definetly is an amazing human been that truly cares for others. He's very honest and sincere and has been teaching and helping us how to save money for College. I'm truly grateful for all they have done for us!

I hired College Planning Experts for my daughter, and they delivered on what they advertise. Very…read moreprofessional, easy to work with, and my daughter got into her dream college with a huge scholarship, financial aid package, and degree. We now have another daughter who wants to go to college, and we will be hiring College Planning Experts to help her. Best money we've ever spent for our kids! I highly recommend them to anyone looking for help with college Planning and strategy.

Like any other high school junior going into his/her senior year, I was insecure about my SAT…read morescores and if my current score would get me into a good college or not. Before going into Elite's summer SAT boot camp of 2015, I took the test once and got a score of 1760 without any formal preparation for the exam. Upon signing up for Elite, I had to take a diagnostic test, which scored me somewhere in the high 1500s... I was told that Elite tests are generally more difficult than the actual tests, which was one of the reasons why I greatly admire this program. I knew that by signing up for this program, it would challenge and push me to learn more about and do better on the test. For my particular program, everyone was broken up into several classrooms, each with approximately 20 students. We had 4 teachers: one for math, one for writing/grammar, one for critical reading, and one for vocabulary. On the first day, we were given a backpack, 2000 flashcards with vocabulary, and workbooks to use in class and as homework assignments. The program was 8-weeks long with each day filled with a certain schedule. Every Monday, we would take a practice SAT exam (including writing) and the following day, we would get back the results and assess our errors. Test corrections were due at the end of the week. Every day, we were also assigned to learn 50 vocabulary words and be tested on 40 of those 50. Certain days of the week, there was also writing assessments, math assessments, and reading assessments. We had to score an 80% or better on all of the tests; otherwise, we would have to stay after class approximately a half an hour to an hour to relearn and retest on the material. Doing this for 8 weeks was quite intense... but I definitely got into the groove of it eventually. My scores on their tests did increase, and I was able to learn the structure of the test and understand what I needed to work on to improve my score. Ultimately, my scores in math and writing did go up, but my scores in reading remain around the same since the beginning since reading is something that requires yourself to focus and really work at to assess and understand the context of passages and articles. I had Ms. Jennifer Lambertis, Mr. Jihwan Kim, Mr. Bill Wang, and Mr. Turner as my instructors for these subjects. All did great and brought me to a greater understanding of all test elements except for Mr. Turner, who I believe fell short a bit, mainly because reading is such a broad and subjective area to teach and also to improve upon; also, he taught and brushed through many topics fairly quick and his reasoning for each answer was explained but it was difficult for me personally to grasp and fully understand how he concluded to the answers. Everyone else was fun and engaging, and I was able to take back a lot from what they taught me. Some were more stern than the others, but they all ultimately got me to push myself to improve on the other areas. In the end, I took the test another time (2 months after the program ended), and I scored a 1830 with areas in math and writing improved, but reading remained the same. This is accounted to many factors that I would blame myself for (not properly preparing, worrying too much on extracurricular activities, etc.) , but I must say that SAT scores are not everything that colleges look for. I did ended up getting into all of the schools that I applied to and I believe that it is due to holistic review of each college applicant. I know that Elite can also provide further assistance with these areas as well, but I did not take up on that offer and all of the applications by myself. I do have friends that have had remarkable SAT score increases due to this program; therefore, in judging the program in their goal of getting their members a better score on the SAT and a quality education of the material on the SAT, I would like to give them a high rating for all that they do because it is absolutely outstanding. Special shout out to Ms. Karen Kim, who works at the front desk and manages most of the workings of the building. :)

Customer Service Complaint - Northridge Location…read more I called the Northridge location to ask about their programs, consultation process, and fees. Unfortunately, the customer service I received was very poor and made the process unnecessarily difficult. Mr. Kim, the administrator, was very rude and would not provide any information over the phone until I registered online. After I completed the registration, he called me back but still did not provide the information I was requesting. Instead, he only asked whether I had received the email. I specifically asked whether the consultation was free, but he would not answer the question and repeatedly redirected me to the emails. I also asked whether he could answer a few basic questions before scheduling an appointment, but again, he refused to provide any information and continued directing me back to email. He would not even explain what types of programs they offer. When I asked to speak with a supervisor or someone in management, I was told, "Let's not go there." I found this response extremely unprofessional and dismissive. Customers should not have to register, schedule an appointment, and go through multiple steps simply to obtain basic information about services, programs, and consultation fees. The staff should be educated and prepared to answer basic questions and provide appropriate customer service. I then called the Wilshire location, and the experience was completely different. The staff there provided all the information I needed over the phone, including payment information and details about the programs. They were helpful, professional, and respectful of my time. The Wilshire location saved me a significant amount of time simply by answering basic questions over the phone. I strongly recommend that the Northridge location review its customer service practices and provide additional training to its administrative staff. The contrast between the two locations was significant and very disappointing.

As a parent of a first-generation college-bound daughter, I cannot recommend Premier College…read moreGuidance highly enough! Navigating the college application process felt overwhelming at first, especially with all the deadlines and paperwork. The team at Premier College Guidance made everything manageable and stress-free. From the start, they provided personalized support, helping my daughter identify colleges that matched her interests and goals. They kept us on track with every deadline, sending reminders and offering expert advice on essays and applications. Trevors knowledge of the FAFSA process was extremely helpful! They ensured we submitted everything correctly and on time. Most importantly Trevor and Lindsey understood our unique challenges and offered encouragement and resources tailored to our situation. Thanks to their guidance, my daughter felt confident throughout the process and received several acceptance letters! She now attends her first choice dream school! They turned a stressful journey into an exciting and successful experience. I am very grateful for Trevor and Lindsey at Premier College Guidance.

We chose PCG based on a strong initial presentation, but unfortunately, the overall experience did…read morenot meet our expectations for the full-service (most expensive) package we paid for. The process felt largely self-directed, with limited one-on-one guidance, little sense of investment in our daughter's individual journey, and no meaningful follow-up. Sessions were group-based, emails were bcc: ed amongst a large group of students, and when she needed personalized support, it often took several days to schedule meetings, with some emails going unanswered. All they did was glance at her PIQs and applications once. Given our level of investment, we expected much more personalized attention, involvement, and genuine interest in her success. What a major disappointment and waste of thousands of dollars!

As a parent, I want to leave a review that will honestly tell you who Meri is and what you can…read moreexpect from working with her. My child was accepted to USC's Viterbi School of Engineering with computer science in games, Boston University with Computer Science, New York University (NYU), and more! My child isn't an easy child and I know this, but Meri was about to understand, relate, and create a connection with her, which is the first important factor I noticed. She gave personalized attention based on her needs. I really liked how punctual Meri is. When she starts something, she takes it to the finish line with the student and didn't leave the work incomplete, even when I could tell it was hard for her. College applications are all about deadlines, and I was amazed at how Meri took my child through the process steadily and smoothly, without missing deadlines. I had no idea how tedious and nuanced college applications were. I couldn't have helped her on my own, and there was no way she could do this alone. From the beginning, I was looking for someone who would give Diana attention rather than taking a lot of clients and not providing value. So when Meri explained that she took a limited number of clients, and when I saw the quality of work that is produced from the process, I understand that she prioritized quality over quantity. She simply exceeded my expectations. Not only how well they stacked up the summer plans, created a profile, and finished college applications, but truly at how deeply Meri understands the system and the process. Her knowledge is just incredible. I am so grateful and I highly recommend her to everyone. Worth every penny.

Meri was truly God sent and an incredible blessing to our family during the college application…read moreprocess. She began working with our son at the start of junior year, helping him choose the right classes, pursue meaningful opportunities, and stay on track throughout high school. During senior year, Meri and her team guided him through essays, deadlines, and every step of the admissions process. With their support, he was accepted to several UC campuses and private universities, including his dream school USC!!! Meri provided not only expert guidance, but also genuine encouragement and support to our entire family. We are deeply grateful for her help and highly recommend Meri and College Who Consulting to any family seeking thoughtful and experienced college admissions guidance.

Jeannie Borin has been THE indispensable guiding force in our daughter's college application…read moreprocess. This has involved working through a mind-boggling array of tasks and issues in the challenging process of identifying and applying to colleges: focusing in on our daughter's goals and objectives both in terms of academics and location, identifying potential schools, identifying high school classes considered necessary or beneficial by target schools, focusing our daughter's preparation and choices, working alongside her during every step of the lengthy the application process - oh, and becoming one our family's favorite people in the process: Jeannie is charming, warm, supportive humorous, in addition, of course, to being smart and effective. Jeannie Borin is the beast of the best in college co-ordination! Thanks so much, Jeannie!

My daughter, Katie is graduating from LMU in Los Angeles with honors in just a few weeks. She has…read morebeen accepted as a grad student at George Washington in DC. Her acceptance into College was achieved with the guidance of Jeannie Borin. Katie was motivated to go to college but needed guidance to achieve her goals. My son, Tyler, however needed motivation to apply after 2 years at a JC. He agreed to worked with Jeannie and not only did she help him get motivated but he applied to 4 colleges and was accepted to 3. He graduated from LMU in 2013 and has been working in Seattle as a security engineer and has just accepted a Senior Security position with a very large and prestigious company in the Bay Area.