TESTIMONIALS

"Academic Achievers is expensive but absolutely worth it. My son worked with them preparing for the ACT. He ended up with a very high score that netted financial rewards from some of the schools where he applied. Their tutors are superb. Bright, engaging, experts who connect with and engage students in areas where they are struggling or disinterested. Janis, who overseas, is forthright about expectations, has good advice and can always be reached."

--Jacqueline S., November 2021

"I just wanted to thank you for your help and guidance for Elle's college essays. She thoroughly enjoyed working with you and learned tremendously. Her writing skills and self-confidence have improved so much this past year, with your help. She has heard from several colleges and we are waiting to hear from several more."

-Julie, January 2021

 

"They provide thorough individual assessments and customized programs. Janis Adams, the CEO has been involved from the beginning and has always provided excellent tutors that match my children's changing ability in verbal and math."

--Kalika Y., August 2020

 

"We have been really fortunate to have Janis and her staff take a vested interest in our boys and their success. I highly recommend them."

--Anh L., February 2020

 

"We could not be more satisfied with Janis Adams' team, and my daughter looks forward to working with her Academic Achievers college counselor during this next phase.."

--Philippa K., January 2020

 

"Many, many thanks to Puja for all your coaching. E. took the ISEE yesterday and although she said it was really hard, we got the results this morning and she did really well! We are so excited, we just had to share. See you in a few years for the SAT."

--W. Fried, October 2019

 

"J. got into Brentwood, Windward, and Harvard Westlake!!!! I am referring friends to Lauren for their son's ISEE Test Prep Brentwood. Thank you again for everything!"

--Dr. Shamsah Amerci, March, 2017

 

"D. was accepted by Harvard-Westlake! We are so happy that she got into her dream school. We appreciate your professional help and high-quality tutoring. Greta, you are an excellent tutor! Thank you very much!"

--William Donnell, March, 2017

 

"We wanted to let you know that E. was admitted to two of the four schools she applied to, Archer and Crossroads, and waitlisted at the other two--Brentwood and Geffen. E. chose Archer and we are excited about it. Thank you again for all of your help, E. enjoyed working with you and Adrienne."

--Rich Green, March 2017

 

"T. is excited and going to Windward for 7th grade! Thanks for the great ISEE tutoring!"

--Trisha Manner, March 2017

 

"W. was accepted to both Wildwood and New Roads! Yay! We're extremely happy and proud of his effort. Also, grateful for all your and your team's help and support."

--N. F., March 2017

 

"C. will be going to Harvard-Westlake this fall. Thanks very much to you and Michelle for helping her prep for the ISEE test!"

--R.C., April 2017

 

"Happily we were accepted every place we applied! Decisions have now been made: A. is going to Thacher Boarding School in Ojai, Y. will be attending Marlborough Girls School."

--D.M., April 2017

 

"Thank you for your support and help through my journey applying to Junior High/High School. As you all know, my first choice has always been Marlborough School for Girls. This past Friday, we found out that I was accepted!"

--M.H, April 2017

 

"Just to let you know that Caroline did very well on her ISEEs--she got 9s on her Math sections and 7s on her English. Her weakest section was the synonyms, and had she gotten just a couple more correct, she would have gotten 8s. All that work on her Reading Comprehension helped a lot. Thanks for all your help, Michelle! Your coaching and ISEE Tutors really helped her go into the test more confidently, and it was great just to have dedicated time to focus on the ISEEs without any distractions. And she really enjoyed her time with you personally. Hope to see you again in a few years when it's Lauren's turn!"

--Ruby B, Santa Monica, January 2017

 

"Academic Achievers is on my very short list of test prep/tutoring companies that I recommend."

--Tamar Adegbile, former Harvard-Westlake Dean, current Director College Counseling, Cates School

 

"I just wanted to let you know that Julian really enjoyed the workshop and felt it was worthwhile and really helped him with his writing. This is coming from a kid who went into it saying :' I'm the best writer from my 6th grade class, the teachers use my writing as samples. Why do I need to do a writing workshop!'. He really felt that it helped him to grow as a writer, and I have recommended this workshop to my friends for their kids, for the next time you offer it. It was a worthwhile course!"

--Heather G., Harvard-Westlake Mom, July 2016

 

"When Anna walked about from tutoring yesterday and I asked her how it went, I got a very animated, “it went great! I really like her!” I was so relieved to get such a positive, upbeat reaction out of her especially when she wasn’t feeling her best. I also wanted to tell you that I really appreciated the way you started out the session, asking anna to focus on why she is taking this test, and what she is working towards. Parents can say this a million times to a teenager, cue: eye-roll, but hearing it from someone else, sometimes really hits it home. She really took in what you said, and interestingly, her attitude has shifted. She seems much more excited about her school prospects and taking a bit more ownership in it. So thank you! We seem to be off to a great start!"

--Jill S., Santa Monica, July 2016

 

"We had an exceptional experience with Academic Achievers. They understand that tutoring and test preparation requires thoughtful assessment and planning, and most importantly matching each child with the optimal tutor. Their tutors all have degrees from top universities, and they are carefully screened for personality, temperament, aptitude, and enjoyment of teaching. Our son worked with a Princeton graduate to hone his skills for the ISEE, and the work allowed him to approach the exam calmly and with confidence (leading to stellar results). We are very happy to enthusiastically recommend Academic Achievers to other families."

--Ed B., Pacific Palisades, February 2016

 

"Thank you Academic Achievers and Dr. Lauren for helping prep my son for his college entrance exams. His SAT score jumped OVER 300 POINTS (and, no, that is not a typo!) and he got a respectable 30 on his ACT. For us, I think the formula was tutoring onsite (less distractions), taking the offered practice exams (which is a must!) and the connection he had with Dr. Lauren (who obviously knows what she is doing!). Yes, it was a bit pricey, but the improvement was impressive and the boost to his confidence and self-esteem was priceless!"

--Lisa K., Los Angeles, January 2016

 

"How fantastic! A tutoring agency with top of the line quality tutors and boutique quality customer service. They have professional qualified tutors, high end facility, and personal committment. Both of our girls studied with Academic Achievers for the ISEE. Both really came way up in their scores, and both girls got into their first choice (but different!) schools. We were very pleased. Now our son has started with them for the ACT."

--Valerie S., Brentwood, December 2015

 

"Thank you so much for all of your help in tutoring M. this summer. She truly enjoyed her time with you and I have seen tremendous progress in her recognition of vowels and ability to better “sound out” words."

--D.N. parent, Tarzana, August 2015

 

"Julia got into her top choice: Tufts University!! Her tutoring on essays for the college applications was superb! The tutor, Deanna, helped her find her voice, and helped Julia gain confidence in her ability to craft essays that would express not only her writing talent, but herself. I’m sure that is also what the reviewers saw in her writing, and we are so thrilled for her! Thank you!"

--H. G. parent, Pacific Palisades, July 2015

 

"We just got our son's ISEE scores, and he received 8's and 9's (including a perfect score in the Reading Comprehension section). He made significant improvement in math, which was our focus in the lessons, and he was admitted to his first-choice school. Thank you, Dr. Lauren, for being such a fun, patient, and skillful instructor. And please extend our thanks to everyone at Academic Achievers for providing a comfortable, focused, and confidence-building environment in which he could learn.” --P.H., parent, Los Feliz, April 2015

 

"Thank you for all that you did to prepare our son for the ISEE. He took the exam today and felt really confident about it. But more important to Andy and I - he learned some wonderful study and testing techniques through you and and Sunny."

--L. LaCorte, Warner School parent, December 2014

 

"I have nothing but positive things to say about my experience with Academic Achievers! I was completely at a loss when it came to writing my personal statement for my law school applications and when I explained my issue to Janis she set me up with the perfect person to help me, Daniel, whose previous experience working for Harvard admissions gave him the perfect tools and expertise to accommodate my needs. He not only helped me come up with the main themes of my essay (based on my personal achievements and qualities), but he also helped me structure my main points and gave me advice on how to address the other parts of my application. I was accepted to several top law schools, including Georgetown, UCLA, USC, and Vanderbilt with substantial scholarships to each school, which I know had a lot to do with the strength of my personal statement and the other "soft" parts of my application that Daniel helped me with. I felt that the hour I spent with an Academic Achievers tutor was worth every penny and I owe them a huge thank you for helping me reach this level of success!"

--Allison Nelson, Georgetown Law Student, October 2014

 

"Academic Achievers has been an amazing experience. For the first time I had a really great time studying even during my summer break. As a French student I totally get along with the one-to-one system, and I'm sure that I will improve my SAT score, thanks to Dan. Also, I had the opportunity to work with Daisun, and he enlightened me on my application essays. Thanks a lot to the two of them !!! Not to forget Janis, of course, who was always there looking out for me, as well as the cheerful Vanessa and the lovely Elizabeth. I had a wonderful time, thanks a lot Academic Achievers, I hope to be back in Los Angeles soon!"

--Cherifa Tousie, student, Paris, France, September 2014

 

"Academic Achievers is extremely helpful. I needed to start studying for my SAT and my tutor Dan, was very helpful. He helped me push through the grueling studying for this test. I always seemed to improve my score with Dan, slowly and slowly. Almost every practice test my score would improve. He was easy to talk to which made the work a lot easier. I was not afraid to ask him anything about the test which aided my improvement tremendously. A very deserving 5 stars."

--Josh Moddaber, Santa Monica High School student, September 2014

 

"My 5-year-old son has been working with Angie and his progress is incredible. She is patient, comprehensive and extremely reliable. I recommend her and Academic Achievers without reservation for any preschoolers who want a little more focused attention in preparation for primary school."

--Jeff Bernstein, Circle of Children parent, August 2014

 

"We signed up to Academic Achievers to ease the transition into kindergarten for our twin boys (who had not attended a pre-school). We immediately found that their teacher, Elizabeth, enriched all our lives, not just the boys, but teaching me (Mom) as well! Most inspirational are her kinesthetic learning techniques, using movement to facilitate learning (great for boys!). She also incorporates a lot of art and construction activities. This made potentially chore-like tasks, such as reading sight words and practicing handwriting, actually seem like fun.

I have continued with a weekly session - even into first grade.

It's hard to quantitively evaluate the boys' achievements when kids differ so much developmentally in these early years. However, the goal is to keep the boys on course, happy and motivated about school and learning, and this seems to be working out! Elizabeth's reports and assessments are also extremely detailed. I feel secure in the knowledge the she would quickly spot any areas of concern."

--Joanne Crane, Brentwood parent, August, 2014

 

"Initially my family came to Academic Achievers for Test Prep and my child got into their number one choice school. We later signed up for KinderPrep with our youngest who learned to read and build a large academic vocabulary. Elizabeth Fraley the director of KinderPrep and Early Elementary was very knowledgable and administered our daughter's assessment."

--Michael Alaman, Brentwood parent, July 2014

 

"My son has a math phobia, where he gets anxiety attacks during exams. Tino was a wonderful tutor for this problem. In addition to his vast, expert math knowledge, and excellent ability to explain complicated math problems, Tino was extremely sensitive and attentive to Daniel's anxiety. Tino often had good cognitive-behavioral suggestions to help Daniel cope with his math anxiety. Happily, Daniel was able to get a final grade that obviates the need for him to repeat Calculus (a huge relief for him).

He is also enjoying his college counseling with Rob. Daniel was also having anxiety around the topic of colleges (if my husband or I brought it up to him), so we had avoided it. We're very pleased with the progress Daniel is making in his college research, and in thinking about his essays."

--June Fugi, Santa Monica High parent, June 2014

 

"Had to call right away to tell you that Anna's ACT score went up 10 points. 10 points! Unheard of. Thanks to you and Dr. Lauren. We are thrilled!"

--Diana Brown, parent, tutored by Skype in Florida, March 2014

"I must say you run a first class, stellar business/operation. I am usually in awe of how poorly firms are run in cosmopolitan Los Angeles. I tend to want to reinvent their wheel or offer to throw-out their playbook and provide another. Prior to doing business with you, the tutors from other firms have been less than acceptable. We have been so happy with your firm. You must be proud of your success! :-)"

--Jody Adair, St. Matthew's/Loyola parent, March 2014

 

"We first reached out to Janis and Academic Achievers in 2012 to request a Kindergarten Readiness evaluation for our 5 year old son. We had the good fortune to be assigned to the wonderful Jenny Marshall and we are so grateful. One year later we are still working with Jenny and hope to work with her for the long term. From our initial contacts, Jenny has been warm, professional, insightful, thoughtful and extremely knowledgeable. Her initial impressions of our son and recommendations have proven to be completely accurate. Through assessment, we learned that our son is twice exceptional being both highly gifted and having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. We are so happy to have Jenny on our team and our son's team. She has been instrumental in helping us identify other services for our son, supporting us as a family, developing a trusting relationship with our son and of course, helping our son to achieve his academic goals and engage in the learning process. Two things about Jenny that stand out for us are her genuine concern for us and her amazing follow through with everything! In all encounters with us, our son and other professionals involved with our son, Jenny is gracious, diplomatic and insightful, but also astute, firm and dedicated to ensuring that our son receives the optimum attention and understanding that he deserves. Thank you Academic Achievers and Jenny for all you have done and continue to do for our family and our son!"

--MC, KinderPrep Parent, February 2014

 

"Our 4 year old daughter saw how much much her brother enjoyed having a tutor and requested a tutor for herself. Our daughter is highly gifted and loves to learn! Elizabeth Fraley was assigned to work with our daughter and has been very professional and thorough in all communications. Our daughter looks forward to their sessions every week and waits for her tutor to arrive. The program makes learning fun and individualizes to each child. I appreciate the feedback I get each week about what my daughter did in her session and the pictures of the activities. We have been very pleased with the services provided by Academic Achievers--we plan to be long term clients and would recommend the agency to anyone!"

--Margaret and Jason Choulochas, Los Angeles, February 2014

 

"We were both so impressed by your ability to keep our son's attention and your ability to speak to him on his level. I think the things you are saying will also help decrease his anxiety, which is a huge issue for him. My husband is also a professor and a dean of medical education at a medical school and he said 'I think a lot about education and have seen a lot of teachers and that young man knows how to teach'. We are sold."

--SM, parent, SAT student, Campbell Hall, February, 2014

 

"Zlatina took her test yesterday. Thank you very much for everything. Zlatina told us how excited she was to have learned so much from Trisha's tutoring."

--SS, parent of ISEE test taker, Franklin School, January, 2014

 

"I am writing to let you know how happy we have been with Anthony. Anthony is extremely professional, and also very friendly and approachable. He is knowledgeable, smart and offers great suggestions. Anthony was always on time to appointments, and Andrew found it very helpful to work with him. I plan to recommend Academic Achievers to anyone in need of a tutor."

--AR, parent, Santa Monica High School, January, 2014

 

"We can't believe our son got a 95% on his math test fter a C- average. Iris is by far the best tutor we have had."

--TS, parent, Millikan High School, November, 2013

 

"Dan was over for the first session tonight, and I asked K. for his verdict afterwards: 'Awesome'. Dan got right to work with K., and was very astute about hitting the right style quickly. They sat down at the dining room table completely engaged for an hour-and-a-half, and got lots done. K. even read through his test prep books after dinner on his own. Thank you!"

--KK, Will Rogers School, October, 2013

 

" S.'s SAT scores improved 230 points. As you know, she had studied first with another company with little result. She is very pleased with her improvement, and more importantly, proud of herself. A million thanks to you and Brandon. She and Rob, who is a really nice guy, are working well together on her college essays. I greatly appreciate all of your help."

--LW, Campbell Hall parent, October, 2013

 

"We have been extremely happy with your tutor, Naureen. Z. has been learning quickly and has been saying great things about her. In fact, we have highly recommended your agency to a couple of friends who should be calling you shortly. We are very pleased to have found you."

--TK, Palisades High School parent, October, 2013

 

"Your tutor, Gen, has exactly what Ben needs. She has great experience with children his age. She loves him...he loves her. We couldn't imagine working with anyone else."

--KS, KinderPrep parent, September, 2013

 

"Thank you so much, Lauren. Andrew really likes you a LOT and he expressly mentioned that he really likes your teaching style. He has very high standards so that is quite a compliment."

--PM, Loyola parent, September, 2013

 

"We are thrilled! Bella got a 5 on the APUSH exam. Daniel was a huge part of that."

--KF, HW parent

 

"We just heard from Oaks Christian this morning and Hunter was accepted. Michael, thanks for being such a rock star!"

--SW, ISEE parent

 

"It is difficult to find a tutoring agency with tutors of this caliber. They exceed expectations."

--Jane Gutman, President, Windward School Parent Guild (2011-12)

 

"Zoe's confidence with math has certainly improved. We LOVE Kristy."

--KS, parent, Willows School

 

"My son loves the tutoring! He looks forward to the tutor coming and his grade has steadily increased. Wish we had found you sooner!"

--EB, parent, Canyon Elementary

 

"Phyllis has been able to explain the SAT material in a very accessible way. Our daughter has consistently met her goals. It's been an empowering experience."

--ML, parent, Harvard-Westlake

 

"I just wanted to say thank you. The interviewer at Windward, who is also the Director of Admissions, said that Connor was by far the most prepared applicant she has seen this year. We'll know if we hit it out of the park March 1st! "

--AW, parent, Windward applicant

 

"Thank you Janis. Thank you Phyllis. Our daughter went up 4 points on her ACT exam and scored a 35 on English! We are just thrilled. You not only covered all of the test subject matter, you taught time management skills, and developed confidence and test savvy! Academic Achievers is the BEST!"

--LF, parent, Harvard-Westlake

 

"Thank you so much for getting Daniel out here again on such short notice. They are busy working now. You are amazing and I appreciate the fabulous service you offer along with the awesome tutors."

--KIF, parent, Archer School

 

"My daughter received her mid-term grades today, and I thought you might like to know that she received an A on her English exam. She also received an A on her re-write of the Dorian Grey essay. I'm mainly excited about the English exam because she had to write that in class and she felt so confident. She had finally learned how to trust herself and had the technique to do it."

--M.M, parent, Harvard-Westlake student

 

"With only a couple of weeks to study for a final in a math class, Janis knew exactly who to send us…the perfect tutor to get our son through his math final with a grade high enough to keep him on the football team. She was AMAZING. It wasn’t “we can’t do this in such a short period of time” as I expected, but “I’ll send you Mary, if anyone can do it she can” and she did!"

--Christine Porter, mom, Santa Monica High student

 

"AMAZING! Our son's SAT score went up 240 points after working with your tutor."

--Monica and Ted Hirschberger, parents, Santa Monica High School

 

"I would highly recommend Academic Achievers to anyone looking to enhance their children's learning experience. They all have extremely impressive educational backgrounds and are current in the latest teaching programs. They are polite, punctual, and a cut above the average tutor."

--Tammy and Mark Strome, parents, St. Matthew's School

 

"My son was admitted to Harvard University thanks to your tutoring. Thank you for your guidance."

--Mark A., parent, Harvard-Westlake

 

"Academic Achievers has a knack for pairing the right tutor to each student. Also, they do diagnostics and write reports to the parents. Excellent service and communication."

--Theresa Nelson, parent, Loyola High School

 

"I got my PSAT back and was in the 99th percentile. Thanks for tutoring me, I feel it really made a difference."

--Caitlin B., student, Santa Monica High School

 

"Because of your tutor, my daughter got into her first choice college, USC."

--Dr. Farah Gozini, parent, Milken High School

 

"My daughter now LOVES long division. Before working with your tutor she was intimidated by math."

--Rochelle Fanelli, parent, Roosevelt Elementary

 

"Sophie loved her KinderPrep tutor this summer. She had fun learning and became more confident in her abilities."

--Dayna Landry, CEO, CityMommy Inc.

 

"Our tutor was a perfect match for our daughter. She came prepared for the lesson, communicated well with my daughter, made a plan, and wrote up a report. We loved her!"

--Carol P, parent. Crossroads School

 

"My 4 year old started reading at 18 months and I needed a way for her to keep stimulated. Kinder Prep is the answer! Why wouldn't you want to learn from a former teacher who sent her kid to Harvard? Janis Adams, the CEO of Academic Achievers is thoughtful, knowledgeable and has the best tutors around."

--Kalika Yap, CEO, Citrus Studios

 

"I just want to express our thanks for nurturing my daughter's love of learning.

This was Zella's first experience with a tutor, and Millie's calm, relaxed manner made my daughter feel at ease from the first second.

I noticed that Millie deftly directed my daughter through fun math and reading activities, but still listened to my daughter's preferences such as playing a mathematics coin game more frequently that my daughter liked. This kind of personal care would be difficult to find elsewhere.

The combination of being at home and a truly skilled teacher helped my daughter to start reading simple words and sentences after only eight sessions!

I was concerned for my daughter being a "young" kindergartner -- she is not quite 5 yet -- but, now, I feel like she is much more prepared. When Zella hears that Millie is coming, she says, "yay!" Thanks again, Academic Achievers."

--Miye and Zella Bennett Los Angeles, CA

 

"It was a great summer and the girls loved working with Katrina in KinderPrep. We would love to do this program again next summer."

--Debra Pressman, Sherman Oaks