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Testimonials

 

Praise for Test Preps: Test Preps makes it easy. My daughters are great students, but I don’t want to be the one nagging them to prepare for a big scary test. It’s way easier to remind them to do their SAT/ACT homework than it is to figure out what they should study! You’d think since I used to teach for Test Preps, it would be easier for me, but nope. The advice I receive from Melissa Cook and the personal attention my kids get in the small groups at Test Preps is pure college gold.

Amanda, former Test Preps instructor and full-time working mom


Our daughter, who is academically motivated, scored a 26 on the ACT and a 1250 on the SAT without any prep. A good start, but we were confident that she could do better.  She figured she’d take another SAT but Melissa Cook, Test Preps’ owner, advised us to focus on the ACT instead.  Our daughter went to every Sunday class and competed all assignments without any “gentle” reminders, which told me she knew she was receiving quality instruction.  Her confidence soared as she progressed through the course and she even seemed comfortable on the morning of the ACT.  When we got her score, we were bowled over.  She received a 32!  What’s more, all 10 colleges she applied to accepted her and most offered excellent merit-based financial packages and invitations to apply for various honor’s programs.  Melissa Cook and her outstanding instructors were directly responsible for broadening my daughter’s options and helping her to earn more money for college.

Proud Parents
Amherst, NY


Our son is an outstanding person, but historically only received average grades in school. We always knew he had the ability to do better and at times were frustrated with his failure to meet his full potential. That all seems to have changed when he took the Test Preps SAT course. He scored over 1300 on the SATs and is in the process of getting accepted to every college to which he applied. He has also received academic scholarships from many of the colleges to which he has been accepted.

The icing on the cake is that his grades have also improved and he is now a regular on his school’s honor roll. Perhaps it is too much to credit this course for everything, but we believe his SAT scores were a substantial factor in improving his self esteem, which caused him to finally realize that he is a good student and that maybe–just maybe-his parents aren’t so crazy after all. With these results, would it be too much to expect world peace to follow if everyone took this course?

Gary and Barbara
East Amherst, NY


I worked privately with a tutor for the ACT and boosted my score from a 21 to a 25!  I will be attending Niagara University majoring in business with a $21,000 scholarship thanks to the help of Test Preps!

Andrew
Starpoint High School


My daughter is an above average student, taking primarily AP level courses. She took the SAT on her own, without a prep class, and did not perform as well as she and I expected. So I interviewed the heads of several possible programs but came away very impressed with Melissa Cook’s approach to the exam, the small group atmosphere Test Preps employs, and the experience level of the teachers she had working at Test Preps.

After re-taking the course, my daughter’s score improved by 190 points. She indicated that the individual attention, small class sizes and excellent teachers helped her have the confidence and preparation necessary to do well. They helped her identify her strengths and weaknesses and provided her with a plan for improvement. Learning the strategies for taking the test also made a big difference. My daughter did the work required to get benefit from this program but Test Preps gave her the structure to make the work she put in productive. I could not recommend Test preps any more highly.

Joe
Elma, NY


The SAT Course I took with Test Preps was an extremely beneficial experience. Let’s face it, tests aren’t fun which makes the SAT even more of a grueling feat. But with the help of Mrs. Cook and her truly wonderful instructors, the mental gymnastics of preparing for this daunting test seemed suddenly very manageable. With impeccable organization, savvy strategies and a supportive atmosphere, Test Preps is one of a kind – completely unique! And if you work hard, your persistence will pay off on the day of your SAT. The satisfaction that comes with knowing you did your absolute best is irrevocable. Thank you so much for making this such a positive experience!

Kira
Williamsville South High School


Time has been speeding by and our son will be leaving home for college in a few short months. We didn’t want to let another day pass without letting you know how pleased we were with his experience with you in preparing for his SATs!

After completing your course, his first score of 1250 was super and we were very proud. His decision to take the test again in hopes of improving his first score proved to be very fruitful. The additional time he spent with you breaking down the test and explaining the nuances of SAT test-taking gave him the edge to bring his score to 1300. What a wonderful difference that extra 500 points made in scholarship money from Canisius! He is being given over $16,000 per year for four years. A merit scholarship in that amount, along with work study and a little financial aid here and there, will make this wonderful, private college affordable for our family.

We know a parent makes an investment in your services and sometimes others may wonder if it is worthwhile.  With 100% conviction, we can say that every dollar spent with you was a dollar well spent.  Our son’s ability to attend a top notch, private college was in great part because of the preparation time he spent with you.

Thank you again for your time and expertise.

Joan and Gary
Williamsville, NY

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I have never been much of a standardized test taker and I was really nervous to attempt the SAT.  Working with Melissa changed all that for me!  There was so much individual attention, which you rarely get at other SAT classes.  When we broke the test into sections, it really helped me identify my strengths and weaknesses.  I felt so much more confident going into the SAT knowing as much as I did.  The SAT course also had lots of flexibility so that different people could work on sections that they really needed help with.

You do not often see the devotion and hard work that all of the dedicated instructors from Test Preps put into my SAT course.  My parents and I both agree that this SAT program was a wonderful investment.  I learned life long habits that have helped me for not only the SAT and ACT, but also in my AP English class.  I highly recommend Test Preps!

Cydney
Amherst High School


Our son was an above average student in the Advanced Regents sequence but his PSAT indicated he would fall into the average range of scores on the SAT.  We contacted Melissa Cook for consultation and direction.  She placed our son with a terrific group of kids with similar goals and aspirations.  The students found Melissa and her staff knowledgeable, upbeat and definitely approachable.  Their proficiency was evident in their interactions with our son and in how Melissa maintained contact with us throughout the session to make sure that we were aware of the expectations of the SAT class and how we could support Peter.  Melissa was readily available to discuss our son’s options after we received his terrific scores – 1100 – far from average!  We would highly recommend Test Preps to any other parent concerned about their child’s SAT readiness.

Dan and Sandy
Williamsville, NY


I really enjoyed the Test Preps SAT course because it helped me become more aware of how to take the SAT and why certain questions are better off unanswered.  The team of great teachers divided us into groups.  Each group would focus on a particular skill – Critical Reading, Writing Skills, Vocabulary, or Math.  We also practiced writing an essay and it was graded and reviewed with us individually.  We worked from a handbook during the 8 weeks in which we had daily homework to complete.  I definitely feel that the well organized, instructional part of class as well as the fun we had working together with our friends (who shared the same goal) was a great experience!

My SAT scores were as follows:

First SAT: 1320
Second: 1340
Third: 1470

I would highly recommend Test Preps and Mrs. Cook.  I’m applying to the following colleges and can’t wait to hear how I do:  Canisius, UB, Geneseo, University of Rochester, Notre Dame, Case Western, Pitt, John Hopkins, Cornell and Harvard.

Jeff
Clarence High School
Clarence, NY


I want to commend Test Preps and their teachers on a wonderful SAT program! It has always been a struggle to get my son to study. During the course, he was not only willing but actually motivated to put time and effort into preparing for the SAT. With the tools he learned in Test Preps, he worked very hard and was able to go into the exam with complete confidence. This course was well worth the cost and I will recommend Test Preps to everyone I know who has a student preparing to take the SAT.

Terri
Williamsville, NY


As a result of Melissa Cook’s outstanding SAT Class, our oldest son received a combined score of 1550, including a perfect 800 on the Math portion of the test.  Not surprisingly, he was the recipient of numerous scholarship offers, and was accepted at his first choice of colleges, the prestigious Eastman School of Music.

We chose Melissa’s course because of the individualized attention that her small class sizes allowed, and definitely did not want the “canned” approaches that the “Big Name” SAT Prep Courses offered.  It was a great decision for our family!

 

Alex
Clarence High School 


I just wanted to let you know what a great help Test Preps has been to my son, Mark. He was unsure whether he wanted help in preparing for his ACT exam.  Once he started the course he quickly realized how much help the strategies and tactics would be in preparing him to take the test. He walked into the ACT with the confidence and preparation he needed to take the exam. He came out of the ACT with a great score! We give credit to the team of teachers at Test Preps for all this. I would  highly recommend this course to others. Thanks again for all your help!

Ann
Williamsville, NY


I wanted to share with you the great news about my SAT scores!  First of all, I felt really good while taking the exam.  I knew that I was moving fast enough to get to all the questions while using all the strategies and tactics that I learned in your class.  Above all, I knew that I did well on the Math section even before I received the score in the mail.  All of the practice that we did in the class definitely gave me that confidence.  I ended up earning 720 on the math section which made me very happy, 630 on the critical reading and 650 on the writing section with an 11 on the essay (that improved the most)! 

Thank you so much for helping me get a higher score on the SAT!  A 1350 was a great score to receive.  I have gotten accepted to The Ohio State University, the University of Pittsburgh, Penn State, UCLA and Canisius.

Alyssa
Williamsville North High School

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