| It should tell you a great deal about Stephen that I write this recommendation for him even though we are direct competitors in our market segment. There are two kinds of competitors. There are the ones where you don't get to type in all of the bad words...and the others who make the business space (and the players within it) better. Yes, Stephen is the second kind. He offers terrific service to his clients and gains market through both effort and service. He has terrific ideas about program delivery and has created significant market share for his company. |
| Paul Kanarek, Executive Director, Princeton Review of Southern California |
Get Smarter Prep helped me prepare for the ACT and SAT without repetition of areas I already was proficient in. They helped me pinpoint my weaknesses and attack them head on until they became, in some instances, my strengths. They designed a plan that made the most efficient use of my time. This was important to me since I was taking several advanced or AP courses and very busy with extracurricular activities.
I improved my overall scores more than I ever thought was possible. My tutor truly was insightful in tailoring my tutorial sessions to fit exactly what I needed. The time and effort that I spent on preparation gave me the confidence I needed when taking the exams. My tutor's approach is personable and relaxed. He has been a wealth of knowledge for me to tap into when trying to decide potential universities to consider. |
| Alexandra Keane |
Thanks! Following your ACT prep class my son Taylor scored a 30 ... up from the 23 on the first practice exam you gave him ... thank you for your practical preparation, for your extraordinary efforts to work with his schedule, for the increased confidence and opportunities his performance has given him.
Thanks again and again.
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| Barbara H. |
| I just thought you'd like to know that I absolutely crushed the SAT!! My total score was a 2270! Up from the 2050 I had scored before. My reading and writing sections went up quite a bit, but my biggest gain was in math, from 600 to 730! Thanks so much for all the help you gave me. It was a lot of fun working with you, and just the few sessions we had paid off big time! |
| John Dixon, Rockhurst High School, Class of 2012 |
Stephen: just wanted to update you:
Before your class:
English 35 Math 35 Reading 33 Science 29
Composite: 33
After:
English 36 Math 36 Reading 36 Science 33
Composite: 35!
This was exactly what you told me you thought I would be at after my first day of class. Thanks for all your help, and I hope business is going well. |
| Michael Reardon, St. Louis Priory Class of 2011 |
| As competitive as today's college admissions are, I know that I would not have been able to get into my college of choice without having the test scores I did, and Get Smarter Prep raised my scores in every category: Reading, Math, and Writing. Thanks so much! |
| Claire Bukovac, Georgetown University Class of 2012 |
| We are definitely pleased with the ACT test preparation that you provided for our daughter last spring. Not only did she learn some very effective testing techniques and strategies, she was very enthusiastic about the weekly classes and was motivated (by you as well as herself) to do the homework in between. The significant increase (7 points) in her score was beyond our expectations! We are optimistic not only about acceptance to colleges, but also about tapping into the pool of merit based scholarships. |
| Sandra Scheuler |
| I have had two girls go through Get Smarter Prep's classes and have been extremely pleased with the outcome. Both were able to improve their scores significantly. I credit the attentive nature of Stephen and his staff with my children's success. I have used other review courses for our older children and Get Smarter Prep has given the best results. |
| Mary Reintjes |
| We are SO very happy we found Get Smarter Prep! Before finding GSP, our daughter had lessons with other tutors and the results were negligible. Stephen was able to motivate our daughter and zero in on what seemed to be holding her up. Her score greatly improved and we will have better scholarship offers because of this class! Thank you, Get Smarter Prep!! |
| Dina Hodes |
| Our experience with Stephen and the entire Get Smarter Prep staff was extremely positive and beneficial. After taking the ACT prep class, my daughter was able to significantly raise her scores in the sections that she felt were not her strengths. We felt like this opened her up to some opportunities that might not have otherwise been possible. She also felt more confident and calm when taking the test, which really enabled her to do her best. We will definitely use the services of Get Smarter Prep with our sophomore son! |
| Ann Harlan, Mission Hills, KS |
We originally heard about Get Smarter as a referral from a trusted friend. Though we were nervous about not using one of the "big name" preparatory courses for our first child to go to college, we followed the advice of our friend.
I cannot begin to tell you how pleased we are with the results. Small class sizes, flexibility in scheduling, and of course, dtramatically improved "before" and "after" scores. Most notably, we were indelibly impressed when one section of our daughter's scores were below her capabilities, and the founder of the company crafted a focused and customized follow-on program for her that significantly improved her scores in taht section of the test. We would strongly recommend Get Smarter to our friends and family who are seeking improved test scores for their motivated children. |
| Jonathan Thomas |
I again wanted to thank you for all your assistance with our son. We were very late getting to you and you and your staff bent over backward to assist him and work around his schedule. With two meetings a week for approximately four weeks, he dramatically increased his scores, boosted his confidence and more importantly he was accepted to the school of his choice.
I have been singing your praises and will continue to do so. You really offer a tremendous service.
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| Gail Berkowitz |
| Thanks for the time and effort that you put into your ACT classes! I shot for a 25 and got a 27! Again, thanks for your help, it changed my college goals for sure. |
| Patrick Riott, Shawnee Mission East |
| This was a wonderful investment for our daughter. She learned how to approach the ACT and improved her score by 7 points! Thank you for your willingness to go above and beyond to help Roni to succeed |
| Evie Grant |
| Your approach to test preparation was a great match for our son. He achieved better than expected results, gained confidence, and now has many more college choices available to him. You all have my highest recommendations. |
| Carolyn Sabatini |
| Our son Coleman ended up with a 34 ACT and an excellent SAT score thanks to your help. Driving in to prepare for PSATs helped as well, as he made National Merit Semifinalist thanks to you. It was worth the 2-hour drive to Kansas City for our weekly tutoring sessions. Thanks! |
| Mary Jackson |
| Thank you for all of the time and effort you gave our daughter, Elana Goldberg. She was accepted early decision to Boston University and has been nominated for a Trustee Scholarship! We look forward to working with you again with our younger son. |
| Marla and John Goldberg |
| Will's ACT Composite is a 28! 4 points up from the first time he took it! Looks like the class was a big help! |
| Jo Higgins |
Dear Stephen
I want to thank you SO much for making the time as the owner of Get Smarter Prep to notice Zach's processing challenges. It is something that had not been identified in 11+ years in the Blue Valley School District. Your insights began a journey that led to a better understanding of Zach and how very much he has overcome in succeeding in school and on the ACT. His ACT score went from an initial 20 in your preliminary test to an eventual 31! It opened doors to an architecture career at Kansas State as well as scholarships. More importantly to us, he gained confidence and skills to succeed in standardized testing, something that has always been tough for him. We have wholeheartedly referred several friends to you and will continue to do so. THANK YOU again for your personal interest and expertise. It was invaluable! |
| Cheryl, Randy and Zach Reinhardt |
| Deciding on colleges, filling out applications, and applying for scholarships can be overwhelming and intimidating. Stephen immediately puts you at ease, and we were impressed with how well he understood our daughter's goals and preferences in such a short period of time. |
| Bob & Heidi Kopp |
Get Smarter Prep helped my daughter with the necessary tools to successfully work through the exam. Knowing you are well prepared gives you a confidence that can prove to be the edge you need.
It was the best investment I've made for my daughter. We shopped among test prep companies and found your schedule had the most flexibility.
Your SAT prep and college counseling allowed my daughter to seek out higher caliber colleges. I would recommend Get Smarter to anyone looking to maximizing their SAT scores.
I will definitely recommend your company to other people, we were absolutely thrilled with the end result! |
| Carla W. |
Stephen
I took the ACT in June and got a 33. Your classes helped a lot. All of my scores vastly improved. |
| David Taiclet, St. Louis Priory 2011 |
I want to thank you for all your time and effort to help my son improve his score by 5 points. Your staff is amazing to work with, and my son truly enjoyed his experience with Get Smarter Prep.
I am anxious for my daughter to take your class to help prepare her for the ACT next year.
I would recommend your company to anyone! |
| Deb Wiebrecht |
| I received my SAT results in late October and was pleased with them. I had a 2160 composite, 800 CR, 650 math, and 710 writing. My PSAT, however, was much more impressive. I earned a 230 composite which consisted of an 80 on reading, 74 on math, and 76 on writing. This absolutely guarantees that I will be at least a national merit semifinalist. Thank you so much for the tutoring. It definitely paid off! |
| Alex Lombardo, Rockhurst 2012 |
Stephen
I wanted you to know that Emily and Diana learned a lot in your class. Emily mastered her anxiety and raised her score enough to feel more confident. Diana now has a real ACT behind her - already in scholarship range at MU! The class was a good experience for them.
Thank you again. |
| Marla and Rich Byrne |
| I just wanted to let you know that I got a 28 on my ACT!!! That's 5 points better than the first time I took it! I was so excited and just wanted you to know :) And I wanted to say thanks for all the time you put in because it helped a lot! I appreciate you! |
| Maggie Park, Lee's Summit Community Christian HS '08 |
We want to thank you so much for what you did for our son Taylor. When we met you he was a couple of weeks from taking the ACT - for the fourth time. Although it was a bit too late for us to enroll him in your ACT prep series for this particular test, you said just drop by some Friday evening and you'd give him some pointers. We took you up on that offer and after spending about 2 hours with you Taylor said he felt a lot better equipped for the next test. Though we really would have liked to have gone through the whole group of sessions for the ACT this was nonetheless enough to push him to the next level: he scored a 30, which pleased him very much (and I must say it was a financial pleasure - Brightflight in MO - for us to read that score too)!
I'd say a few hours of time to obtain many thousands of dollars in scholarships is a pretty good investment! By the way, I sat outside the classroom while you instructed him, and I really was impressed with how you communicated with him on the level he needed. Thanks Stephen - we'd recommend you to anyone!
(And by the way, Taylor said he learned more with you in 2 hours than he did with the ACT prep books we had purchased as well as the four Saturday sessions with another "ACT Tutor" a year ago....)
And just in case we didn't say it plainly enough: THANK YOU SO MUCH! |
| David and Diane Moore |
| I am writing this email to inform you that I got into all three law schools in Missouri and Kansas. Washburn, UMKC, and KU! I am ecstatic. Lydia and Stephen went out of their way of a normal routine to accommodate for me and my tutoring experience. Not only that, but the tutoring was top-notch. Lydia used a very personalized approach that fit my learning style. She also showed unlimited enthusiasm and energy to help me. You would have to be nuts to attend another test prep company in Kansas City. Thank you Stephen and Lydia! |
| Johnny Garigletti, Vice President, First Community Bank |
I actually looked forward to my tutoring with Stephen, he made it fun. And with a 180 point increase on my SAT it works!
I liked the mix between instruction and practice tests. The material was always supplemented with real SAT questions, and the practice-test-and-review sessions were a great refresher before the actual test.
I played a sport and took some advanced classes. I never would have made time for a traditional course. That's why the private tutoring worked so well for me; I loved having a great teacher available on a very flexible schedule. Thank you so much for your efforts and dedication. |
| Gina W., University of Southern California |
Dear Stephen,
I just want to thank you again for all of your outstanding counseling and tutoring that went into getting Francesca and Gabrielle into the schools of their choice. In this competitive environment we feel certain without you Stephen Gabrielle would not have been at Baylor University and Francesca would not have had the success she has had at Blair Academy.
Gabrielle's SAT and ACT scores helped 'seal the deal' with Baylor. Your ability to motivate Gabrielle to study her vocabulary words, write such an outstanding essay, and focus on her test prep homework gave her the needed confidence to do well in her tests.
Even though Francesca had done an outstanding job with her Flower Power charity your help in making the story come alive was amazing. Again, picking a boarding school today is not unlike finding the right fit in colleges. Your insight into Francesca's personality and thought provoking questions helped her choose the perfect school for her.
My only disappointment is you won't be around to help Francesca ace the SAT!
Good luck in Kansas. They are very blessed to have you and your team.
Thanks again, Stephen. |
| Pamela Nestande |
| I signed up for my class late, so I took less than half the full course, yet the strategies from my Get Smarter class helped me raise my ACT score significantly. My instructor was amazing. |
| Cynthia Oben, Lawrence Free State High School |
| A big “thank you” for your assistance prepping our daughter for the ACT -- it paid off! She significantly improved both her math and science scores which allowed her composite score to jump into the high 30s -- 3 points better than before! She's very pleased, as are we --- and owe much of that to your help and direction in your tutoring. Thanks! |
| Peggy B. |
My experience with Get Smarter was very positive. I didn’t have a great GPA in high school and I needed to compensate for this with my SAT and ACT scores. I came to Get Smarter with this challenge and my tutor raised my SAT score nearly 400 points and my ACT score 5 points!
His tenacity and passion in helping me was unmatched in the expensive big-box test prep class that I had already taken (which failed to raise my score at all). I am now attending Pepperdine University, which before my Get Smarter tutor's help would have been very unattainable for me. |
| Chase Parlee, Pepperdine University |
Thank you for making a huge difference in helping our son with the test scores he needed to get into the university of his choice, with a scholarship, too! In his words, he felt he was facing a big, scary test and you helped him see it as a regular test, and you gave him the knowledge and practical advice he needed to know what to do.
As parents, we also valued the way you communicated with him and the way you set a smart study example for him to follow. We know things turned out much better because of you. Thank you! |
| Bob and Jean Sims |
| Stephen was the greatest SAT prep tutor I could ask for. He helped me excel in areas I never thought possible. Other SAT classes I took couldn't compare to what he did for me and I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for his encouragement and knowledge of the subject areas. |
| Rivka L., University of California, Santa Barbara |
| Get Smarter Prep gave me the right combination of remediation and test-taking strategy to improve my GMAT score by 130 points. I could not have been admitted to the KU Edwards Business School without their help. |
| Mike Funkey, Manager of Business Development, Grant Thornton LLP |
| Stephen has not only been my tutor, but a mentor and friend as well. |
| Charlotte Robertson, Southern Methodist University |
| Can you say perfect verbal score? Because that’s what I got on my GRE with Get Smarter's help. And let’s just say that pretty much sealed my fellowship for my Masters. |
| Erin A., Ohio State University |
| I wanted to let you know how much you helped Kacy achieve her goals. I especially wanted to thank you for your patience and perseverance when her focus wavered. You were always more than a tutor and most importantly, you cared. |
| Lynn Buettner |
| Get Smarter helped our daughter, Alle, prep for both the ACT and the SAT. Because of her tutor's many hours of work with her, she went into these tests not only confident that she knew what types of questions would be asked of her, but how she could beat them with strategies and the review of material that she had had. I would recommend Get Smarter to anyone serious about preparing for standardized tests. They are extremely determined to raise their students’ scores and their passion is palpable. |
| Tony Hsu |
| My teacher was pretty much a miracle worker. I came to him with only a few weeks before I had to take my test, begging that he get me prepared. After a lot of hard work and dedication, I was able to qualify for the program I was pursing. There is no way I could have done it without him! |
| Trinita M. |
| I want to thank you again for all of your guidance and help with Andrew. The summer ACT tutoring with you was a turning point for him. You gave Andrew the much needed tools to excel, but most importantly, you instilled confidence and allowed Andrew to believe in his abilities. Without your help, Andrew would not have been able to make such an incredible improvement in his score, which ultimately gave him the choices of colleges he wanted. Again, thanks for all you did. You truly made a difference in Andrew's future! |
| Trudi G. |
| Jack had a great experience with you and we were extremely impressed at how you went out of your way to help him make up classes. Jack improved his ACT score by three points in most areas. I have recommended you to others and will continue to recommend you as a tutor and teacher in the future. |
| Karla E. |
