I think Catalyst has developed an inspired approach to college test preparation. They hire exceptionally bright, down-to-earth tutors with superb test scores to work privately in 90 minute focused sessions. This personal, targeted, and yet systematic approach worked well for both my kids. Michael's tutor prepared him well enough so that he only had to take the SAT once. He received several scholarship offers and now is a sophomore at Occidental College. Obviously satisfied, we called Catalyst to tutor his younger sister, Eliza. My focus for both kids was not to get the "perfect" score but to give them the opportunity to improve in their roughest areas and to capitalize on their best. Eliza and her tutor worked well together and the preparation paid off. Eliza took the SAT and ACT once and was very happy with her scores. She's still in the midst of the application process, but I'm sure that Catalyst has widened her opportunities and we'll let you know more in April. We can refer Catalyst easily - the tutors are top notch, bright, and test savvy.

- Mauren Fisher, Parent, Viewpoint School

2290 after ten lessons! Thank you!

- Mikayla Mejia, Student, La Reina High School

I am a licensed Clinical Social Worker and have two children. I tried four different SAT and ACT companies before trying Catalyst and found that neither of my children's scores dramatically improved. A college counselor recommend Catalyst, and the guidance, skill of the tutors, and personal attention made a tremendous difference in my son's test scores and test taking skills. They recommended he take the ACT and this decision make a world of difference in his scores and attitude toward standardized testing. In addition, he learned valuable test-taking and studying skills and increased his self confidence - skills which have continued to help him in college. He was a 3.2 student when he began studying with Catalyst and now attends USC with a 4.0 this semester.

- Hillary Greene-Pae, Parent, Viewpoint School

Both my children benefited immensely from the tutoring sessions. Catalyst took different approaches with each of them, knowing their needs were different. Cory raised his score more than 200 points in Critical Reading and is now at UCLA. Sarah needed to focus on the math and gained confidence from the instruction, particularly with her test-taking strategy. We heard about Catalyst from our neighbors and now recommend them to other families.

- Sally Primm, Parent, Westlake High School

Catalyst's Directors were on the exact same page as us regarding the commitment required to do well on the SAT. They understood that we expected to see a result from our investment and did everything possible to make sure our tuition was well-spent. Our son's score went up tremendously, giving him far greater options for college. I'm very proud of him and believe his improvement will inspire him to see the benefits that come from hard work and achievement.

- Khiven Sethi, Parent, Chaminade College Prep

I improved my score 150 points! I think the program really works. The essay prep was really helpful - I knew exactly what to do on the test. It also helped me a lot on the math; there were problems I couldn't have done without their techniques. The vocabulary list was also accurate and helped on the sentence completion questions.

- Garret Drogosch, Student, Westlake High School

Thank you for your involvement with Bobby. Based on the recommendation of friends, we felt you would be able to polish our son's abilities and give us confidence that his scores would be maximized. We are all very pleased with his resulting scores. Thank you for helping Bobby maximize his SAT scores and college choice options, opening doors that will shape the rest of his life.

- Robert Nordlund, Parent, Oaks Christian School

Catalyst prepped Andrew for the SAT and helped us perfect his college applications and essays. I recommend Catalyst to all students and parents preparing for the long college admissions process. They will make your life much, much easier!

- Myra Harbour, Parent, Valenica High School

Jillian, our older daughter, had a tough sports schedule and Catalyst was wonderfully flexible. Her tutor planned the lessons to target her needs, as did our younger daughter's tutor. Gretchen connected really well with her tutor and surpassed her goal for the SAT. I definitely plan to use Catalyst for my youngest daughter, Jane. I highly recommend Catalyst!

- Jennifer Waldron, Parent, Oak Park High School

Thank you SOOO much for your SAT Bootcamp. Diana said it was very helpful. I also read the material and think it's genius! I especially like the grammar section. Thank you again.

- Elina Mindlin, Parent, El Camino Real High School

I'm very pleased with your program and happy to refer you to other parents. Thank you for helping my daughter improve her SAT score over 200 points and making the process as smooth as possible. You were quick to return my calls and always gave us great, insightful advice.

- Affie Conolly, Parent, Chaminade College Prep

Our Catalyst tutor was a true gentleman. He was always punctual and had both our children's best interests at heart.

- Philip and Inge Boskovich, Parents, Oaks Christian School

Our experience at Catalyst has been completely positive! My son started out with a 1550 SAT score and, with intensive tutoring by a Catalyst instructor, was able to raise his score to 2000 - an increase of 450 points. My son is now happily attending UCSB, due in large part to his SAT score; I believe his high mark was the pivotal factor in his acceptance. Catalyst was completely honest with me all along the way. They told me that though he was vigilant about most of the preparatory work assigned, his score would still be raised another 50-100 points if he committed more time to learning the vocabulary. They really work as partners with you and your son/daughter. Catalyst greatly individualizes the way they work with any given student, depending on strengths and weaknesses. It was extremely reassuring to know that the Catalyst staff takes the SAT themselves and, in many cases, earn a perfect score. Catalyst's directors were extremely responsive to my thoughts and concerns, and were generous in sharing information and time.

My daughter has just begun SAT tutoring with Catalyst. Prior to beginning, she and two friends attended a weekend SAT prep-seminar hosted by Catalyst. She came away stimulated and enthusiastic for the process ahead. Her two friends, already seniors, raised their SAT scores by 80 and 150 points... this was the result of just 2 days with Catalyst! I am more than happy to recommend the Catalyst program.

- Laurie Boykoff, Parent, Agoura High School

Ethan and I were thrilled when we received his SAT score and discovered he had gone up 150 points! His Critical Reading and Writing skills definitely benefited. Ethan also gained a better understanding of how to take the test, and went into it much more confidently than before. Thanks for helping my son get the score he needs to get into the college of his choice.

- Nancy Rae Stone, Parent, Santa Monica High School

Thank you very much. Austin told me he learned quite a lot. I so much appreciated hearing him say that because he'll be able to apply the strategies he learned to get a much stronger SAT score. He told me that the time spent was worthwhile and I would like to express my gratitude to you and the program that you have put together. Thank you from a mother - and a college counselor!

- Nilou Pourmoussa, College Counselor, Orthopaedic Hospital Medical Magnet High School

My daughter thought the program was very good and informative. She was really happy that she attended the class.

- Gabriel Todmia, Parent, California Academy of Mathematics and Science

Learning about the SAT Essay at the Bootcamp was great. There were a lot of techniques that were new to me and really helpful for the Writing and Critical Reading sections of the test.

- Joyce Wang, Student, West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North