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5/8/2010
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Reviewed By:
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Toby Halifax
New York
,NY
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Bottom Line:
Nothing could be worth this price. Sending a bad message to our children!
Project Description & Comments:
I give Advantage credit for their extremely educated tutors. We used four of them, two of them over two years. The tutors care what they are doing and work hard. Their salaries are directly tied to how well they are evaluated by their students and how well their students perform.
The rub is the there are clearly not worth the price. And the way they go about business is unethical. First of all, who could possibly be worth that price?? One of their mid-range tutors cost $450 per FIFTY MINUTES and they recommend "double sessions" for EVERY MEETING. That means that that each session is close to $1,000 each. And they recommend for SATs that a student meets with them for 45-55 sessions. That is unconscionable in my book. Especially when there are other groups our there doing the same thing for $150-$300 per session that are just as good, if not better.
But what really set me over the edge is when they raised the price of our tutor from $875 a session to $1,100 a session AFTER my daughter had gotten attached to the tutor, midway through the SAT prep process. That is the truly outrageous part. Although it is all pretty outrageous.
Cost of Project:
$10,001 - 50,000
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| Posted
5/8/2010
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Reviewed By:
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Deborah Williamson
New York
,NY
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Bottom Line:
I'd strongly recommend elsewhere.
Project Description & Comments:
Advantage is well ensconced with over 75 tutors in New York alone, but I did not feel good about paying the ridiculous fees. Who gets paid $300+ for 50 minutes (not an hour) just because they graduated from an Ivy League school with good SATs?
Also, their Program Consultants (the people who coordinate which tutors are assigned to the students) are nothing short of pitiful. For these prices they should at least pretend to care.
Cost of Project:
$10,001 - 50,000
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| Posted
5/8/2010
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Reviewed By:
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David Crenshaw
New York
,NY
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Bottom Line:
Don't add to the Feeding Frenzy. Find a more principled company.
Project Description & Comments:
How can these prices be justified?? My daughter did just as well on the Latin SAT II that she took without tutoring as she did on the French SAT II for which she was tutored all year by Advantage. Obviously, that could be based on her interest and her focus in class, but still. Probably not worth the $900/week tutoring for 9 months... Shame on me.
Cost of Project:
$10,001 - 50,000
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| Posted
5/9/2010
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Reviewed By:
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Mary Margaret
New York
,NY
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Bottom Line:
Project Description & Comments:
These tutors are really educated and really dedicated. While others may be shocked by the prices, this company clearly has found a market (read: the Upper East and West Side Private Schools). They get the job done. There are excellent materials also-- way better than any books you can buy. Also! Their tutors regularly take the actual SATs so they know exactly what to teach (ridiculous but true). While perhaps feeding into the college fears created by the media and the real issue of so very few number of spots available at the Ivys+ for regular white kids, this firm has the power to deliver. Of course, some tutors are way better than others, so be picky for these prices.
Cost of Project:
$10,001 - 50,000
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| Posted
5/9/2010
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Reviewed By:
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Anne Bonham
New York
,NY
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Bottom Line:
Ridiculously expensive but totally worth it.
Project Description & Comments:
I have used Advantage for all my three children with wonderful success. My first two are currently at the Ivy of their choice and we are thrilled. I never could have done it without them, particularly Ashley French our trusty and reliable Program Consultant. While it cost more than the mortgage of our Park Avenue apartment during those years, what could possible be worth more than investing in your children.
Cost of Project:
$10,001 - 50,000
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| Posted
5/9/2010
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Reviewed By:
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North Dakota
New York
,NY
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Bottom Line:
Not accommodating, not reasonable. Find somewhere else.
Project Description & Comments:
My daughter had been working with Advantage for about six months with BOTH a verbal tutor and a math tutor every week for a double session each (meaning about $1,600 total a week). A one point during this Junior year she had some questions and was confused about some Calculus concepts from her classwork at school. I asked the math tutor from Advantage if it was possible if he could spend 15 minutes for a few weeks on this classroom issue, and he said No. There is no question that this tutor was capable of doing this classroom work (a cum laude science major from HYP), but instead, he referred me back to the office to hire yet a THIRD tutor for this. Which we ended up having to do. That was the last straw for me. After that season, I found a much better tutoring alternative.
Cost of Project:
$10,001 - 50,000
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I work for this company and want to respond
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