Student Reviews: Stories of Success and Excellence
Empowering Students for Lifelong Achievement
At Presidio Education®, success is measured not only by academic performance but also by the lasting impact we have on our students’ personal and academic growth. Our graduates exemplify the hard work, discipline, and critical thinking that define our approach to education. They thrive not just in exams, but in leadership roles and in their future careers. The following testimonials offer a glimpse into the transformative experiences that our students have had, and how Presidio Education® has helped them reach their full potential.
Transformative Education: Stories of Excellence
Academic Mastery, Standout Essays, and Real College Results
At Presidio Education®, we’ve worked closely with students from top high schools across the United States and abroad. Our faculty has helped students dramatically improve academic performance, build advanced critical thinking skills, and prepare for a range of standardized tests. Beyond academics, we’ve guided students through the highly competitive college application process—mentoring them through countless drafts to craft standout, authentic, and persuasive essays. Our support has helped students gain admission into prestigious universities across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and beyond.
Self-Studying AP Human Geography with Expert Guidance: How 1-on-1 Support Elevated My Writing and Test Performance
I decided to self-study Advanced Placement (AP) Human Geography during my ninth grade year. Preparing for an AP exam without a school curriculum was difficult, but Ryan helped me greatly along the way. Ryan would assign me chapter reading before each class and additional practice assignments to improve my writing skills, including essay responses and grammar skills.
Starting a few months before the May AP exam, I completed full diagnostic tests (DTs) and wrote Section 2 free-response question (FRQ) paragraphs on a regular basis. For every essay I submitted, Ryan provided me with feedback and clear instructions. By demonstrating examples that I could potentially implement in my essays, Ryan shaped my essay writing, not only for AP Human Geography, but also for my school English and Humanities courses.
—Teresa
High School Class of 2023
From High School to Honors Writing: How Humanities Tutoring Built My Confidence and Clarity
Ryan tutored me for Humanities in Action 1 and Humanities in Action 2, and I consider his teaching a cornerstone of my improvement in writing throughout high school. His feedback regarding research and the structure of academic writing helped me learn where to and where not to elaborate. In addition, he taught me to be more careful with English grammar. I also appreciate that he was straightforward with criticism and fun to talk to in general. My sessions with him were humorous, productive, and made me a more organized and analytical writer.
—Amy
High School Class of 2023
Rigorous AP Human Geography Prep That Built Grit, Discipline, and a 5 on the AP Exam
While taking Advanced Placement (AP) Human Geography with Ryan, I had two (2) 90-minute lessons every week, when we went over assigned homework and textbook content. On top of a substantial amount of homework between classes, I was assigned Chapter Tests and Diagnostic Tests (DTs), which were graded and sent back with extreme quickness and specific feedback.
What I learned from AP Human Geography with Ryan was much more valuable than just the content of it. He had an obsession with critical thinking and resourcefulness. I really had to ask a good, unGoogleable question for him to respond. This rigid training instilled a great sense of analytical thinking in me that has only served me better each passing year, with schoolwork growing tougher. I was put through grueling loads of work, most notably country recons, where I had to memorize and research all 195 countries’ trivia down to arithmetic density (verbatim) and health patterns.
I came out a much more resilient and disciplined person, as I was able to earn a solid AP 5 score on the College Board AP Human Geography exam! I must add that Ryan’s style isn’t for everyone, but for those who manage to stick it out, the results will speak for all the months of hard work you put in. Good luck!
—Marcus
High School Class of 2023
Acing AP Microeconomics: How Early Prep and Smart Strategies Led to a Perfect 5
Advanced Placement (AP) Microeconomics (commonly referred to as “AP Micro”) was one of the high school courses I always found profound interest in. With Wayne’s guidance, he not only amplified my interest in such subjects but also prepared me early so I could stay at the top of my 11th grade class. For example, Wayne advised me to start AP Micro reading a month before the start of the school year so that I could continue studying more challenging concepts, such as components of the perfect competition market. Since AP Micro was taught in Semester 1 at my high school, Wayne provided me with a lot of study materials, including AP Micro Diagnostic Tests (DTs), so that most concepts could be mastered five months prior to the May 2021 AP Micro exam.
Sometimes I made careless mistakes with the practice Section 1 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) or even Section 2 free-response questions (FRQs). However, Wayne always found unique ways to make me remember these errors so that when I encountered them in an exam situation, I would not make mistakes. Most importantly, whenever I had questions out of class, Wayne was always active and willing to kindly answer concepts I was confused about.
With Wayne’s strong communication and training, I earned an A for my 11th grade AP Micro course and a perfect AP 5 score on the May 2021 AP Micro exam.
—Lawrence
High School Class of 2022
Mastering AP Human Geography: Personalized Feedback, Precise Writing, and Around-the-Clock Support
Ryan taught me AP Human Geography by going through each textbook chapter by chapter and giving me feedback on homework and diagnostic tests (DTs). After each class, Ryan would send me a summary via email on what we went through and what I had to complete for homework. These emails were very helpful as I always forgot key points and deadlines. For free-response questions (FRQs), Ryan would give me comments on my work and make me rewrite drafts until I handed in near-perfect answers. His feedback was always detailed, constructive and useful so I always knew how to improve. I learned to give more concise responses and to use more accurate grammar, but most importantly, to double-check my answers. Ryan is a workaholic who replies whenever he is available, no matter where he is in the world. This meant that when I got stuck on questions and needed help, he was always there.
—Vivian
High School Class of 2022
Mastering English with Precision and Purpose: Rigorous Writing Support from a Dedicated Tutor
Ryan is one of the most memorable tutors I have ever had the pleasure of working with. He is relentless in his pursuit of literary excellence, and his command of English grammar and technique is unmatched. Ryan guided me through some of the toughest teachers in my school, with a keen eye for proofreading that never failed to catch a missing period or two [sic] While demanding of rigor, he is patient with students of any ability—except those who slack off. I always looked forward to lessons on Mondays, when I could engage with Ryan both as a tutor and as a person. Despite the focus on English, he will always add some insightful bits of wisdom gained from his long, long, life.
—Anthony
High School Class of 2022
Strengthening Analytical Thinking: From Literary Essays to Research Papers
One of my biggest weaknesses when writing was offering insightful analysis. To help with my critical thinking, Ryan often gave me examples from various perspectives so I could learn to outthink my classmates. In addition, he always gave extremely constructive feedback on my essays and assignments. During my Humanities and English courses in 10th and 11th grade, Ryan effectively guided me to an A on many assignments, most notably a research paper on deforestation and a literary paper on William Faulkner. Learning under Ryan has taught me to become a much stronger writer and has allowed me to develop a more analytical mindset.
—Arthur
High School Class of 2021
Mastering AP English Language and Composition: Balancing MCQs, FRQs, and Advanced Writing Skills
For Advanced Placement (AP) English Language and Composition (commonly referred to as "AP Lang”), Ryan helped me balance the multiple-choice questions (MCQs) with the free-response questions (FRQs). We spent adequate time on reviewing the differences between each type of essay and how to write most effectively. For Question #1, Ryan taught me how to judge which source is useful and which is not. For Question #2, Ryan explained how this essay is more advanced than the rhetorical analysis of the SAT Essay. We spent a lot of time on how to break down more sophisticated passages. For Question #3, Ryan taught me how to incorporate appropriate examples and personal opinion cohesively to write a higher quality essay. He provided me with grammar packets and vocabulary tests to hone my writing skills, and he provided me with sample MCQ packets to help me practice my analytical skills.
To prepare for the newly modified AP exam, Ryan still gave me Diagnostic Tests (DTs) because the MCQs and the other two essays still held value. The other parts required critical thinking skills that I might benefit from while writing the Question #2. As for school assignments, Ryan always offered his help to add feedback to my papers or brainstorm with me.
The homework load is not too much, but sometimes it can become a bit hefty if there are multiple rewrites or additional grammar homework. Same as always, Ryan is quite accessible and he provides prompt feedback that is clear and simple.
— Hyeryn
High School Class of 2021
Note: Hyeryn earned a perfect AP 5 score for the AP English Language and Composition 2020 exam.
Please read Hyeryn’s article, “AP English Language and Composition 101”, for AP strategies and recommended timelines.
Succeeding in AP Calculus BC: Tackling Parametrics, Vectors, and Academic Challenges with Supportive Guidance
Wayne helped me maintain my academic trajectory in my Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus BC class. One of my favorite parts of the course was learning about parametrics and vectors. As I was approaching these problems, Wayne would challenge me with difficult questions from my textbook or from practice AP packets. He pushed me to be independent as I struggled through difficult problems. Throughout my struggles to do so, Wayne continued to be very patient with me. He made an effort to make an accommodating schedule for me because I had extracurriculars outside of school and he was willing to work around that.
— Dominique
High School Class of 2020
Crafting Compelling Graduate Admissions Essays for UC Berkeley’s MSW Program
I applied to the University of California, Berkeley for the Master of Social Welfare (MSW) program. I plan on completing my masters and using my knowledge to better serve my community to provide help for families and children so that they become resilient. Grammar, tone, and organization were my biggest issues when it came to writing my personal statement and statement of purpose. Ryan helped me overall to make my statements compelling to my audience. Ryan’s feedback was constructive and understandable when it came to improving what I wanted to say in a clear and concise manner.
— Diana
University of California, Berkeley (Graduate Student)
From a 23 to a 34: ACT Reading and Writing Success Through Personalized Tutoring
Over the course of my training, Ryan enabled me to understand where my true weaknesses lay and how to overcome them. The reading section in the ACT was where I had the lowest points, sitting at a 23. As he guided me through various skills and methods of achievement, I gradually rose up to a 30 and then finally to a 34. The steps taken during our sessions not only allowed me to gain insight into how I could manage my time reading better, but I also learned more about self-discipline, organization, and work ethic. I can say with full confidence that I came out of our classes with more confidence in my self-motivation to study.
I can say writing for Ryan was a struggle for me; Ryan always had more critical feedback for me, most of which would go on for at least a page. But at the end of the day, that’s the reason why I got an 11/12 on my ACT writing section.
I was able to gain insight into myself through our time together. Not only was I taught critical elements of grammar, sentence structure and idea assimilation, but I also learned where my strengths were and how to emphasize them. For example, my creative writing is far better than my persuasive writing; not only did Ryan allow me to gain full confidence in that area, but he also helped me develop an understanding on how I could incorporate elements from creative writing into persuasive. The whole experience I had with Ryan was a pleasure. While I was able to learn and also meet someone who drives and motivates me to this day, most importantly, I worked with someone who genuinely cares about his students and helps them strive to achieve their goals.
— Sonia
High School Class of 2018