Lynn,

I just wanted to thank you so much for the tutors you referred to me last year. Because of them my son did very well in his studies.  Anya Liftig was tremendous in helping him with his SSATs and his essays for the application.  She was extremely instrumental in helping tommy with his vocab and his writing this year for English honors.

Suzanne Bell was also extremely helpful in obtaining an A in BSCS for my son.
 
I would refer  your services and those two women are the best.  I give Anya Liftig and Suzanne Bell my highest recommendation. 

thank you very much,


NC
 

 
Dear Lynn,
 
I am so grateful to you for your recommendation of R.J. [Jenkins] who helped my twin girls write their college essays. His advice, guidance and insights into this very stress laden world of college essays has proven invaluable.  He is not only an extremely gifted writer and editor, but he also possesses an amazing talent for getting the girls to do the necessary introspection to create a unique personal story.  The result: they both have creative, authentic and poignant essays relating personal growth ( with a touch of humor), which they feel will make them stand out in the admissions process. 
 
Many thanks for  finding R.J. [Jenkins] and passing his name to me.  He is a wonderfully supportive person, a joy to work with, and  this family looks forward to working with him in the near future when the younger sisters have to face the challenges of the college essay.
 
Best,
MEM 
 

Lynn,
 
I wanted to write to you about our experience with Jeremy Funke.  He worked with both of my daughters for SAT prep, and did an absolutely amazing job.   He has a wonderfully calm and patient way of connecting with the students, and really helped to boost their confidence.
 
My daughter's scores went up considerably after working with Jeremy, which helped her to get into her first choice school.   We felt as if Jeremy's tutoring went far above and beyond expectations, and appreciate all he did to help both of our girls get through this process.  I would highly recommend him, and plan to use him again on the next round!  He is an exceptionally skilled tutor, with an unusual ability to relate well with his students, and put them at ease through this anxiety provoking experience!

Best,

JS
 
I hired Anya for the first time years ago for subject test tutoring for my eldest child.  She is now at Princeton.  Most recently, Anya has helped our second child with college essays and she was just accepted to Cornell.   
Anya was great with both of our children but especially helpful with the essays as our second child is a better math/science student.  While our daughter struggled with the idea of seemingly endless essays, Anya was able to keep her on track and make sure all of our daughter's essays were in her own language.  She never "hijacked" the process as some tutors can do, she just guided it and helped our daughter consolidate her ideas.  As she has admissions experience, she was also able to help our daughter better understand exactly what universities are looking for in essays.
 
We have a third child as well and, assuming Anya is still in the area, we will definitely hire her again.
JT
Dear Lynn,
 
We just wanted to thank Danielle Polizzi for tutoring my twins with the SSAT test.  Both did so well on the exam and really improved over the two years that they were tutored by Danielle.  We scheduled Danielle for SSAT tutoring once week from September through November both this year and last year.  Like most kids, my boys complained to me that they didn't need any help.  But after the first tutoring session with Danielle, each boy walked away happy and willing to do the homework that she assigned each week.  Danielle has such a wonderful demeanor with the kids, very calm, good natured and easy to talk to.  It made the tutoring time go by quickly and the boys were motivated to work and perform.  Their test grades improved by over 200 points.  They are very happy with the results, as are we.  My younger son has already asked that Danielle tutor him when he has to start taking the SSAT exams.
 
Thanks again!
KG 
Dear Lynn:

Thank you so much for recommending Lee Oxman as a SAT tutor for my son. He is amazing! On the January SAT my son scored 2070 (740 Reading, 680 Math and 650 Writing). After working with Lee, his May SAT scores increased to 2300 (800 Reading, 740 Math and 760 Writing). We are so pleased! My son enjoyed working with Lee - he always came home and said that Lee challenged him and he learned something he didn't know. We will certainly want Lee to work with our daughters.

Looking forward to working with you again. You have a great team!

Many thanks,

HSY
 

Dear Ms. Carnegie,

Thank you so much for recommending Sanders Bernstein for tutoring me. I was taking an interdisciplinary course at school that combined both American history with the literature that corresponded to each time period. Sanders was extremely knowledgeable with the historical aspect and was well versed in the literature.  He explained the important concepts clearly and thoroughly. Also, it was really productive to work on essays and other assessments with him—I could always e-mail him with a draft of an essay or an outline and receive really insightful feedback the same day. I was very comfortable working him and I would honestly recommend him to any student, so thank you for your recommendation—it made all the difference!

Thanks,

M. T.

  Dear Lynn,  
We have several children and throughout these past school years we have had many tutors. This note is to thank you for the excellence you sent our way when you introduced us to Shan Brock.  After 2 sessions with her my child was rolling..and I mean really rolling with chemistry, a subject that had been such a struggle until Shan.  We feel lucky she was available just at the right time. We cannot sing your praises enough for finding Shan for us. I wish she tutored ALL subjects so we could have her again and again.
 
Truly, thank you for getting us through this very difficult subject with such ease.
  With Much Gratitude,W. E.
 
 Lynn,  
A belated but very heartfelt "thank you" for referring us to Allison Waggener. PV really likes and respects her, and their work together is going well.
She is always punctual, pleasant, and professional.
 Kind regards,LV
 
 
Dear Ms. (Alex) Wood,

I am writing to thank you very much for your help in preparation for my writing SAT. I think that you may have been a miracle worker because my new Writing  score is a 740! That's a 150 point boost!!  Again, thank you so much for all the help!

Sincerely,
JH
 Hi Austin,

I just realized I never thanked you for all your help with the SAT and ACT!  After taking the Blitz class for the December ACT I was able to improve my score which was a tremendous accomplishment since my kryptonite is standardized tests! I got into my top school ED, Smith College, and I am so excited! Again, thanks for all you help and patience. You'll probably see my brother in one of your classes in two years.
 
Thanks!
AS

  
Fanning (Hearon),
I just wanted to let you know how J.W. did, since you had said that
you'd like to know: she scored 770. We were all very happy and she said
that the sessions with you helped a lot, so I wanted to say thank you.
Best regards,
M.W
Hi Lynn,  
I just wanted to thank you for listening to our testing predicament and for recommending both a course of action and specifically Anya to help M.  In the few sessions that we had time for, Anya clearly identified M's primary difficulty with the test, worked on it  and built her confidence to the point that she was quite successful.  Anya did in a short time what another "prep" company was unable to.  She truly cared for M and it showed.  I hope we will be able to use Anya again in the future.
 
Thank you again for all your guidance,
LO
Hi,

I can't recommend Katie (Drinkwater) highly enough.  She has been absolutely terrific in every way.  Katie has worked with both of my kids and they are both so much more comfortable, confident and capable students.  She worked with my son all through his senior year of high school and periodically across his freshman year of college.  He's a sophomore in college now and he still periodically reaches out to her for assistance and she always find the time for him.

My daughter is a much different person than my son and her needs were/are much different.  Katie knew exactly how to relate to her and they have an excellent working relationship.  My daughter is far more confident than I ever imagined.  Katie is fabulous and she is truly tuned into my daughter's needs, her educational levels and her mind set.   Katie is now working on SAT test taking skills as well as preparation for the verbal SATs.  I can't imagine a better person for this job!!

Katie has gone above and beyond anything I could have hoped for.  Her keen sense and incredible ability to blend students needs with all of her teaching strengths makes quite an amazing and powerful combination.  She has been phenomenal for both of my kids.

Please let me know if I can answer any specific questions/concerns you may have if I have not provided enough information.

Good luck.L
 
 Lynn,
A huge THANK YOU for referring us to Allison Waggener for SAT tutoring!  RP received his scores this week, and the results speak for themselves.  The sessions spent with Allison boosted RP's score from 1390 to 1520 on Math and Reading (790M 730R) and from 630 to 730 on Writing... a total increase of 230 points!  She was able to quickly ascertain RP's strengths and weaknesses and focus his attention on the optimal way to improve his score, and she made the most of every minute of their time together.  With her tutoring and guidance, RP's scores improved to a level where they will not hold him back.

As I've mentioned before, RP has a younger sister, and when it's her time to begin preparing for the college board tests, I intend to engage Allison right from the start!

Thank you so much for everything, Sincerely, RP
 
 Hi Lynn,    
Aliza Stone was a terrific Verbal and Writing SAT tutor.  My son improved by 90 points with just a few sessions with her.  She also reviewed his college essay and gave him some helpful ideas!   I will be using Aliza again in the future for my daughter .  
Many thanks , LCK
 
 Cathy (O'Reilly),
J.G. did very well on the Bio M, with a score of 770.  He said he found the course extremely useful.  In particular he said that he felt you did a great job of preparing him for what was realistically going to be on the test.  He said that some of the other books her looked at (like Barron's) got him side-tracked with too many topics, and that your course was more focused. I will definitely recommend your classes to others.
Thanks, M.G.
 
 Jeff (Wasserman),
 
I have been meaning to write you to thank you for helping Johnny out.  The fact that he is willing to go and then put in the effort at home is amazing! Especially right after exams, etc. What is interesting is that you told him what his teachers have said in his report card for the last several years--but only when you said it that it seemed to resonate with him.

Thank you so much, Jeff!
K.K.
 
 Lynn,
I just wanted to take a moment, before SAT scores come in, to thank you for referring us to Jesse Bass.  He's been great for our son in so many ways.  He, as you told me, has a great way with young men - he speaks on their level - yet commands their respect and attention - and best of all - he has been a positive influence in the short time he worked with him.

Thank you,
R.L.
 
Hi Lynn,
I just wanted to email to thank you for recommending Amy Gwinn to us.  She is a very talented, encouraging and focused tutor.  Our high school children love working with her and trust her to gently guide and teach them, at the same time in a very efficient manner.  She is intelligent and provides additional resources to enrich the tutoring experience.  She is a fantastic tutor: professional, caring and excellent at her craft.
Thanks again,
N. S.
Hi Lynn,
I just wanted to thank you for recommending Peter Schlosser as a tutor. He worked with my son since last year and was able to get his scores over 2000. I was really happy with his style of tutoring and would recommend him to anyone who is looking for a tutor. Great guy, very smart, and a pleasure to work with.
 
J.T.
Dear Lynn and Bud,
 
I wanted to let you know my son scored 300 points above his PSAT scores on his first SAT exam. He received a score of 2150 on the exam, and we could not be more thrilled.  Our experience at Carnegie Pollak has been nothing but perfect. 
Mary Birnbaum who tutored my son for the exam was excellent.  There is no question that her guidance on strategies regarding the SAT exam allowed him to achieve a score that was beyond any of our expectations.  Thanks to  Mary, he went into that exam feeling extremely prepared and confident. 
Mary has a very calm way about her that relieves the anxiety of  preparing for the exam which most of these kids are feeling along with everything else they are juggling.  She is a great teacher I only hope she is there when I prepare getting the next three into college! 
Thank you so much for your help.  It has been a great experience!
 
Best,
 
M.S.
Lynn,  Peter Schlosser is an exceptional tutor.  He is friendly, patient and encouraging.  He has an obvious mastery of his subject matter and demystifies the structure and content of the SAT.  My son was never comfortable with math until working with Peter this year.  He gained 100 points on his SAT score as well as immeasurable confidence and looks forward to his sessions with Peter.  We are really impressed that Peter is a tutor, friend and cheerleader to his students. Thank you for sending him our way.
  -N.S.
 Lynn, 
I would like to sincerely thank you for referring my daughter to Mary Birnbaum. Being a high honors student and taking several AP's, we found it very disheartening that our she did not seem to be performing at the level expected on her SAT's and ACT's. After her first session with Mary, she came home very positive and encouraged. Mary was immediately able to identify the area our daughter was having trouble with without wasting critical time elsewhere. With all of the commitments these kids have during their junior and senior years, finding time to prepare for these tests is not always easy but our daughter realized very quickly that working with Mary offered a greater reward. Mary was also extremely helpful in helping her to decide which SAT Subjects Tests she was best suited for and those she shouldn't waster her time on...again, so helpful. We are happy to say that she was accepted to her first choice university and we are happy and eager to refer your services, and Mary's, to our friends.
Thank you,DL

Dear Lynn,

We wanted to thank you for the excellent tutoring provided by Jerry (Carnegie) for our daughter for her SAT.  He is a first class tutor with tremendous insight and knowledge. Because of Jerry, she felt very well prepared for the test, and all of his advice and techniques paid off with excellent test scores for her. We would highly recommend Jerry as a tutor. He made the process so much easier for her and his sense of humor provided a sense of levity throughout her tutoring time and test prep work. Thanks so much—he is simply the best!

Hi Anya,Happy New Year! Great news I wanted to share with you - [my son] scored very well on the December SSAT:  Total is 95% So, a great big thank you to you for all of your help and support! He is now in the final stages of writing his applications, and we will let you know what happens. In the meantime, many, many thanks.  Please let me know when you would like to start working with my daughter....She is going to need a lot more practice, but is totally game to start. Plus, won't you miss us? Cheers,B.V.
Lynn,
We just viewed [our sons] ACT score and are thrilled to see that he got a 35.  Thank you so much for recommending Nat Webb as an ACT tutor for our son. Needless to say our son wasn't very excited about being tutored; however, Nat made the sessions enjoyable and painless. I often heard a lot of laughter coming from the room.  Nat was extremely accommodating, as it turned out, we rescheduled every session.  I've already recommended Carnegie & Pollak, and Nat to some of my son's friends. K.K.
Hi Lynn,
great news-- [my son] scored an 800 on the math 2 exam. We were very pleased with Dan Bass. I see you'll post the AP class schedule at the end of January, so I'll keep an eye out for that.Thanks for recommending Dan.Happy Holidays!K.K.

Lynn,

Thank you for being so responsive to my calls for help by recommending tutors Jesse Bass and Anya Liftig.  

Jesse tutored my daughter for the math SAT II subject test.  He quickly accessed which level she should take and after working with her 3 sessions was able to raise her score 100 points! 

Anya helped my daughter prepare for the verbal part of the SAT.  She was able to give her a lot of practice questions and strategies which helped her get the score she wanted in critical reading and writing.  Anya was also a huge help in reviewing college application essays and giving pointers on college interviews.

K. L.

Hi Jennifer [Brown],


We haven't spoken in a little while, but I wanted to let you know that I got into college! All those hours spent toiling away in the Greenwich Library paid off! I'm going to DUKE next year!!! I could not be more excited, and I know that you had such a great deal to do with my success. Thank you again for helping me through the roller coaster that is the college process and standardized testing.

Thanks again for everything! J.S.  

Lynn,

I want to thank you for being so responsive to my questions and concerns regarding my daughter and the SATs.  I appreciated hearing back from you so quickly whenever I had a question.  Also, Teachers Rick Columbo and Robert Shapiro were great! My daughter truly enjoyed their classes and felt that they were so energized by their goal of helping each student. Please share this thank you with them.

Also, you recommended tutors, Anya Liftig and Jesse Bass who were very helpful.  My daughter felt that they focused her approach to the test so that she was able to better analyze each question and put her knowledge to use. 

In particular, Anya was very caring and supportive of my daughter.  She quickly recognized that her biggest issue was overcoming her anxiety and she helped her address that difficulty as well as gain confidence in herself.  As a mother I appreciated the fact that Anya was readily available to address my questions and discuss how best to help my daughter.

D.B.J.

Lynn,

I wanted to thank you again for recommending Anya Liftig to us.

Anya tutored my son for Critical Reading over this past summer and fall.  His October SAT's went up 90 points from his last SAT's!  Anya has a wonderful way about her.  She was patient and relaxed and was able to adapt to my son's learning style. My son has a learning disability and the techniques that Anya has taught him has proven to be helpful not only on the SAT's but in his English class as well.

We look forward to working with you and Anya again soon.

E.D.

Lynn,

Thank you for recommending Anya Liftig.
We have had many tutors over the years and both my son and I agree that she is one of the best! She was able to adapt and work around his learning disability very well.
 
E.D.

Our first experience with a Westport-based tutor was not positive.  My daughter's scores went down significantly after extensive, private tutoring.  I was told that Carnegie Pollack was very good and I contacted them, but I was skeptical.  After several sessions with Anya Liftig, my daughter's verbal and writing scores went up 160 points.  Anya is a gifted tutor.  Anya spoke to my daughter as if she were an adult and boosted her confidence tremendously.
A

To Mary Birnbaum,

I just got my scores and I have to say you were worth it! I GOT AN 800 ON CRITICAL READING!!! Thank you so much for helping me boost my scores 160 points, I am forever grateful.

B.M.

Hi Lynn,

Many thanks for referring Jeremy Funke to work with [my daughter] for the Oct 9 SAT.  She had great success with Jeremy and increased her scores by 50 points on Verbal and 50 points on Math! Jeremy was terrific on all accounts�he is so nice, he really connected with her, instilled confidence and got results(and traveled to the NW corner of CT).

Thank you so much for your willingness to help with our last-minute request and that it yielded a great result!

Best,

S.B.

Mary Birnbaum is a very efficient teacher.  She lasers in on the deficiency with keen intuition and constructively works with the student on developing foolproof test taking skills.  We are grateful to Mary for her dedication and enthusiasm.  We highly recommend her to prospective test takers as she approaches each student with her characteristic vivacity and passion. 

Thank you once again.—R. L.

Hi Lynn,

Two of my sons are going to Georgetown - thanks so much for all your help through it - the tutors you recommended were fantastic.  You are a wonderful resource and I recommend you every chance I get.

Thanks again Lynn to you and to Bud,

C.M.

Private Tutoring

Lynn,

Cathy O'Reilly was extremely helpful for [my son]. He pulled out a 750 which is not bad for someone who can't slow down on a test to save his life! She was also extremely organized, communications went to the parents as well as the kids and very flexible which was wonderful.

His time with Peggy Siegrist also helped - he received the highest grade on the Honors Bio final in the entire school - even [his brother and sister] couldn't believe it. She really laid into him about slowing down.  He's really bright but his energy gets the better of him sometimes so that was terrific news.

M.B.

SAT II Biology Course with Cathy O'Reilly
Private Tutoring with Peggy Siegrist

Dear Mr. Schlosser,
Thank you for writing to check up on [my daughter's] math SAT scores.  We are so happy and proud to inform you that she scored exceptionally well... a 710 (an increase of 60 points)!!!  We can only thank you and the Carnegie/Pollak program for helping us to prepare her as well as you did.  You and Carnegie/Pollak gave her the confidence and skills/knowledge/tools she needed to boost her preformance on the math section.
Thanks again,

L.W.
Private Tutoring with Peter Schlosser
Lynn,
I want to let you know that all three of the tutors you recommended for my girls, Dan Bass, Lee Oxman, and Robert Draper, were absolutely great. The girls were motivated, worked hard, and all were able to adapt what they taught for the girls' level and time constraints. They are all encouraged with their progress!
J.K.
Private Tutoring with Dan Bass, Lee Oxman, and Robert Draper

Hi Gals,

I hope you are having a great summer.  I'm sorry this has taken me so long to send, but I wanted to let you both know how [my daughter] did on her last SAT...SUPER!!  Her critical reading went from 600 to 730, her math went from 580 to 660, and her writing went from 680 to 710 (2 5's on the essay!).  An overall increase of 210 points!  I think that's pretty good!  I can't tell you both how much we appreciate your help this last spring.  She definitely went in with more confidence and peace, and it showed in the results.  She now feels that she is in the running for some of her top choice schools...now we just have to get through the application process!  Thanks again for all your help, and if it's okay with you I will pass your name (and Lynn Carnegie's) along to friends.  Have a great summer!

L.M.

Private tutoring with Katie Drinkwater

Hi Katie!

I have AMAZING news! I got my AP grade back and I got a 5!!! I can't believe it! I'm so happy! I can honestly never thank you enough for all your help! There is no way I could have done it without you! I want to see you one of these days. I miss not seeing you every week! Hope all is well and you are enjoying the summer!

Thank you so sooooo much for all your help!!!!

J

Private tutoring with Katie Drinkwater

Hi Lynn

I just wanted to thank you!!!  My daughter used Jesse Bass for a concentrated period in Aug/Sept. to get ready for the ACT.  Her test score went from a 28 to a 33, so we are thrilled!!  Jesse worked really well for her.

She is now using Jojo [Karlin] for college essays and SAT and she is terrific also.

Thanks again.

K.B.

I am writing as a student to express my absolute delight in having happened upon Aliza Stone as a tutor. Initially, I needed help with my English Literature SAT II Subject Test. After meeting with Aliza twice, my score went from a 700 to a 760. I have had my fair share of tutors for the SAT and for subject tests as well, and Aliza was above and beyond the answer to what can only be described as a dull process. Aliza was engaging and fun and provided me with important information in a cohesive, but interesting way. After such success on the subject test, I decided to use Aliza for help looking over my common application essay and supplements. This, particularly, is where Aliza shone. She has a true gift for pulling the absolute best out of her students as writers and for helping to find unique angles from which to approach these essays. After finishing each of the six essays I worked on with Aliza, I sent them to my college counselor, who is similarly diligent and a true perfectionist, and she did not have so much as a grammatical touch up to incorporate. Aliza helped me understand how to write clearly and concisely, and truly make my essays stand out in a way that only her spunky nature could assist on. Sunday after Sunday, I never tired of working with Aliza, and actually looked forward to our appointments. I would recommend Aliza to ANY of my friends, and my younger siblings will certainly be using her in the future! I am so happy to have found her!

-EG

_________________________________________________________________________________

I worked with Allison Waggener for my personal college essays as well as the science section of the ACTs. The first thing that stood out about Allison was her genuine interest in helping me. She stayed late when we didn't finish something and was completely engaged throughout the whole session. We had multiple sessions and she also revised my essays via email, which was another example of her desire to help me and improve my essays. It seemed as though she became a part of my writing and that was fantastic to help develop my thoughts. However, she was also non-intrusive and allowed my own thoughts to flow. I would highly recommend Allison because of her ability to guide me through my writing and direct my focus in the right direction and also because of her diligent work with regard to the ACT practice. The practice tests weren't always enjoyable, but my score on the science section improved significantly. She was one of the most compassionate and effective tutors I've had.  

_________________________________________________________________________________

Hello Ms. Carnegie, 
I would like to thank you for recommending R.J. Jenkins to us to help me with my college essay. He was absolutely fantastic. His writing was impeccable and his creativity was astounding. He really helped me write an essay that I am proud to submit to colleges and am proud to read over and over again. Once again, thank you. 

W.H. 

_________________________________________________________________________________ 

Dear Lynn,

We were so pleased with the tutoring assistance Jeremy Funke provided for our son this past spring.  He improved is SAT score significantly over his PSAT score, and he scored extremely well on the ACT!  Sessions with Jeremy were always full of good work, strategic suggestions, inspiration, and humor.  We hope to have our daughter work with him in a few years.

Sincerely,
C.L. 

_________________________________________________________________________________ 

Hi Lynn,

Jeremy Funke tutored my son during his junior year.  Jeremy has a way of making the student feel comfortable and confident in the material.  Jeremy was patient and fun and the sessions went by quickly.  My son improved on his ACT by several points and enabled him to apply to schools at a higher level.  My younger son is entering his junior year now and we hope to have Jeremy continue his coaching for him as well. Thanks for sending us Jeremy!

Best regards,

B.S.

_________________________________________________________________________________ 

I also wanted to let you know that my daughter had such a great experience working with Anya who was quite the catalyst in getting her  to come up with an idea for her essay. Anya was such a positive enabler, guiding her along the way and yet not doing the work for her. She had a hard time wrapping up the essay, even with Anya staying involved, but finally on Sunday she had a breakthrough.  So, she  brought the piece together and  in the end the essay came out fantastic.  It is very genuine and very much her own.  Plus, she is so happy with it  and that is really all that matters!   

Thanks again,

HG