We pride ourselves on the close relationships we build with families, as we have always viewed ourselves more as mentors than as tutors. References from students, parents, and schools regarding all tutoring services are available upon request.
I never thought I'd need any test prep, since I always got top grades. But I soon learned that didn't always translate to standardized tests. I really underperformed on my diagnostic SAT and SAT Subject Tests, partly because I was always overthinking things and then getting anxious when I wasn't hitting my goals. My MAP tutors for the SAT and my SAT Subject Tests totally changed the way I approached these exams, and I quickly went from like a 70th percentile to 99% percentile in every exam. After getting their guidance with test prep, I knew I'd want to continue on with them for college essay and application help, and that made the admissions process so much less stressful (actually fun at times!). My admissions guide, who to this day is one of my favorite people in the world, put together an incredible application strategy and helped me write such compelling stories about my life that I never would have come up with on my own. I know that's why I got accepted to all my top choices.
As a competitive student, I set my goals for college high. I had always dreamed of going to Stanford and would not settle for anything less. Since my grades were not necessarily 'Stanford material,' I knew that I would have to do more than a typical applicant. With the help of Daniel and other MAP tutors, I was able to achieve my dream. Daniel helped me to become a more compelling writer through my personal essays, brought out my full potential on my SAT (increasing my score 300 points to a 2280), and kept my spirits high throughout the overwhelming application process. I can say honestly that he became a true mentor along the way.
To every stressed parent searching for a tutor for their stressed child, MAP is a terrific choice -- the anti-stress that gets results. Our admissions specialist helped my daughter Emma strengthen her writing skills in general and helped her brainstorm, develop, and polish all her personal essays for her college applications. MAP made the application process run so much more smoothly than it would have without them, demonstrating that they have this down to a science.
Just when I was about to be sucked down into the quicksand of college application hell, Daniel came to the rescue and swooped me and my son right up. Bad enough that we had to watch our kids go through years of testing, writing papers, pulling all-nighters, and finding the right community service, extra-curricular activities, and summer projects, now we were informed about the infamous college essay and how there is a huge difference between a great essay and a great college admission essay. And the application forms were a whole other burden. Help! I gratefully dumped it all into Daniel's capable hands. The end result is that my son's essays were truly fabulous, his applications were completed with precision and on schedule, and he landed an early decision admission to Cornell.
No other essay advisers can match Daniel’s wide background in both science and the humanities. Whatever topics I chose, Daniel was able to give them a different spin, enabling me to enrich my writing with diverse insights. He truly helped me express my inner self in my own voice, so that colleges would see, as Stanford noted, ‘my depth, intelligence, humor, and humanity.’ For three years of college prep, I made many choices: I can say with utmost confidence that working with Daniel on my essays was one of my best decisions.
Not only was my tutor an incredible academic support, but he was also a great friend. After a long day of school, the last thing you want to do is test prep. However, I could actually look forward to our meetings because he was such a fun and supportive person. He was always honest with me and I really appreciated that. I developed the confidence and motivation to do the tedious work involved with college prep, and know I couldn't have done it without him.
I had an amazing experience with MAP. With the ACT, I found that targeted work with my tutors greatly improved my confidence and performance. While I’ve always considered myself a high-performing science student, I actually found the ACT Science section to be unbelievably challenging and confusing. After only a few sessions with my tutor, my Science score shot right up and ended up being one of my best sections on the test. I found their time management guidance and strategies for various question types to be extremely helpful, ultimately boosting my scores on all standardized tests into the 99th percentile. I also had a great experience with MAP throughout the process of writing my college essays and organizing my applications. During the very first essay session with my tutor, I felt a sudden sense of relief after I realized how well he understood me and could help me tell all my stories in the most powerful way.
When I first met with MAP for SAT tutoring, I had no idea how to write the kind of essay the College Board looks for and was struggling with many other aspects of the test. After working with my tutor, I got a perfect score on my essay and received a perfect 800 on the verbal portion of the SAT. My tutor also helped me score a perfect 800 on my SAT Literature exam. In addition, I worked with one of MAP's Math tutors, and she quickly kicked up my Math SAT score 140 points to a 730. They both really gave me the individualized attention that I needed. Because the lessons were one-on-one, they tailored the sessions to my personal strengths and weaknesses. Through their dedication and senses of humor, they actually made studying for all these tests a fun and pretty stress-free process.
Despite being a very strong student, our daughter had never done well on any standardized tests and did not improve with her prior test prep tutors. As a result, she had a lot of anxiety around the college exams. Thankfully, a friend recommended MAP. Our daughter had a great experience with her tutor! She both liked him and found his sessions extremely valuable. He and Dan also gave us great advice throughout the application process and did a wonderful job managing our daughter's stress level. The proof is in the results: she raised her ACT score all the way to an astonishing 34, and she was accepted to her early decision choice!
MAP was a huge help to me throughout my junior and senior years. Thanks to Josh, my Math tutor, I managed to achieve strong scores in Math on the SAT and SAT Subject Test, despite my not being great at math. With help from Kate, my History tutor, I was able to obtain a perfect score of 800 on my SAT Subject Test in US History. Daniel helped me focus and enhance my writing on not just my SAT essay, but also all my college essays. Without these three individuals, I could not have gotten into the college of my choice.
My daughter prepared for the ACT with a well-respected test prep company, but after a few months of taking regular practice tests, she reached a plateau and her scores were not what they needed to be. I had heard of students achieving great success with Metro Academic Prep, so she switched tutors and began to achieve the desired scores in a relatively short period of time. Her tutor not only helped her reach her goal on the ACT, but also boosted her overall confidence. We continued with MAP for the college essays and applications, and found the entire experience very smooth. The insight and advice offered by the MAP professionals were well-researched and really took into account what my daughter was looking for in her college experience. The best part of the whole experience was that my daughter was admitted early to the college of her choice.
Dan and his tutors were incredibly knowledgeable, available, and supportive throughout the testing and college application process. Both of my daughters worked with amazing tutors to increase their test scores and boost not only their opportunities for admission but also their self-esteem. My husband and I were grateful to have Dan’s expert guidance and his holistic approach to the admission process. My kids were able to take ownership of the process and each was accepted to the college of her choice.
I hate grammar and am, in general, not a great writer or reader. The idea of having to take an exam that tested my knowledge of dangling modifiers and ambiguous pronouns was terrifying. But my MAP tutor brought out skills in me that I never thought I had and gave me a whole set of test-taking tips that allowed me to score at the very top of the SAT Literature exam and ace the Reading section of the SAT. I never thought I had that potential in me. After working with MAP, my SAT and SAT Subject Test scores shot up, as did my overall belief in my literary abilities.
In addition to being an outstanding SAT/ACT tutor and college admissions specialist himself, Daniel has assembled an amazing team of experts in all subject areas. My son and daughter both worked with MAP tutors for their SAT, SAT IIs, and academic subjects. In all cases, the tutors got to the heart of the subject matter, identified any weaknesses/gaps in my children’s knowledge of the material, and taught strategies that helped them do exceptionally well. Just as important, the tutors are extremely warm and friendly and take a genuine interest in their students.
It’s very easy to recommend Metro Academic Prep because all of their tutors provide excellent support, and Daniel is terrific to work with. Their enthusiasm, personal concern, and academic expertise have made MAP an extremely reliable source of tutors to whom we can entrust our students.
Daniel worked with our son Michael for his junior and senior years in high school. He served as more than a tutor. He was a mentor who helped Michael unleash his intellectual creativity while fostering his personal development. Specifically, he worked with Michael on his class essays, term papers, creative writing, researching, literary analysis, SAT II Writing exam, and his college admission essays. I cannot recommend him highly enough!