TESTIMONIALS
Nearly thirty years of students, and the thing they remember isn’t the score.
Where his students have gone
Stanford · Harvard · Princeton · Yale · Brown · Dartmouth · Duke · Cornell · Penn · Johns Hopkins · Georgetown · Vanderbilt · Williams · Wellesley · Rice · Berkeley · UCLA · Caltech · Tufts
What changed
The numbers are the easy part to show, so let’s start there and get it out of the way.
“One moment I still remember vividly. I heard Michael ask my son what his SAT goal was. My son said, ‘1500+.’ Michael corrected him on the spot and told him to aim for 1600. I remember thinking, ‘Wow, that’s bold.’ Six weeks later my son took the SAT again and improved by 190 points. The result was far beyond my expectations.”
Jing · Parent of Yuanye · Menlo School ’26 · Washington University in St. Louis ’30 · +190 points
“I started at around a 1510. My time management wasn’t the best — I usually didn’t finish the second math section — and I struggled with vocabulary and making educated guesses. Michael’s strategy for that section helped, and being in a proctored environment almost forced me to take the practice tests. Reviewing every question I got wrong, multiple times and out loud, was the other thing that stuck. His advice was useful and tailored specifically to me. I ended up at a 1590. I’d definitely recommend him to a junior.”
Krish Arora · The Harker School ’26 · Caltech ’30 · 1510 to 1590
“My SAT scores were quite low. These low scores gave me very little confidence in my ability to improve. There would be weekly meditations that helped relieve my anxiety and stress, allowing me to perform at my highest level. By the time I took my first test, I had improved by over 400 points.”
Jordan Nguyen · Silver Creek High School ’22 · UC Santa Barbara ’26 · +400 points
“Michael was amazingly responsive, accommodated my daughter’s schedule and worked very effectively with her to raise her ACT score from a 32 to a PERFECT 36 in just 5 weeks! He was able to give her both the skills and the confidence necessary to perform spectacularly.”
M. Harris · Parent · Castilleja School · 32 → 36 ACT
“After a diagnostic test in my trial session with Michael, I was surprised to find that he wanted me to switch over to the ACT. A great decision. With only a couple of sessions, I managed to score a perfect 36.”
Larry Zhou · Gunn High School ’19 · 36 ACT
“After just two sessions, my son took the ACT for the first time, scoring a composite of 32. The second time he scored a 35. He said he knew exactly what he needed to do to succeed. The numbers don’t lie.”
Katie B · Parent · Los Altos High School ’20 · 32 → 35 ACT
“My first experience with SAT prep was with a not-so-great company, so I was at first reluctant to try Mr. Test Prep. Boy, was I wrong. In the first half hour of the trial session he told me that I was probably better suited for the ACT. I tried my hand at that instead, and scored significantly higher. He also helped me prepare for the PSAT, and now I am a National Merit Scholar.”
Maxwell Bernstein · Palo Alto High School ’14 · Tufts University ’18 · National Merit Scholar
What it felt like at home
Parents tend to write about something the scores don’t capture. This is usually the part that decides it for the next family.
“Our daughter is an elite soccer player in Spain who was recruited to play at Harvard. Between school, training and US national team camps, she had very limited time to prepare for the SAT and needed an approach that was flexible and efficient. Michael’s method — focused sessions and no homework — was perfect for her. She hit her target score on her first attempt.”
Erika and Keith Kessenger · Parents of Claire · Benjamin Franklin International School, Barcelona ’26 · Harvard ’30
“It was divine appointment that we found Mr. Test Prep. He had already sat for the SAT in his 10th grade and had a decent 1550 score, but we wanted to see if he could improve it. Mr. Test Prep’s approach and clear value proposition really stood out to me in the sea of tutors and SAT prep services. We gave it a try, our son Ethan loved Michael’s style and format, and it was a good fit for our family’s needs all around. Ethan sat for the SAT again a few months into working with Michael, and his score was perfect. Of course, everyone’s mileage may vary. For us, it was a match made in heaven.”
Shilpi and Ken · Parents of Ethan · Stanford Online High School ’25 · Westmont College · 1550 to a perfect 1600
“We were so lucky to find Mr. Test Prep! I looked at a bunch of the larger organizations but wasn’t impressed. They seemed kind of ‘cookie cutter’. Michael’s approach is very personal and has a very positive feel to it. Admittedly, I was a little hesitant about the price, but it was totally worth it. Our son is a very good student, but had always struggled with standardized test-taking. After working with Michael he had a great experience taking the ACT (even during COVID wearing an N95 mask) and his AP test performance improved as well (passed all 4 with no trouble!). I give Mr. Test Prep so much credit for that. Thank you Michael! We will be back with kid #2!”
Andrea and Shai Friedland · Parents of Adam · Palo Alto High School ’21 · Reed College
“We are two full time working parents who found this process to be overwhelming at times, and it was such a relief to find such a great source of support for our daughter. Michael has so much more than expertise — his calming demeanor and collaborative style instilled in her the confidence to face challenges head on.”
Anna B · Parent · Miramonte High School · Lafayette College ’26
“We had spent thousands of dollars and countless hours elsewhere in disappointing group classes. His scores never improved. Our son was resigned by the time we found Michael. In a matter of a few short months, our child scored an impressive 34 on the ACT.”
Marcella Bernstein · Parent · Palo Alto High School · 34 ACT
“We tried several approaches, including a private tutor from Princeton Review, and it made almost no difference. Michael quickly recognized that what my son needed most was confidence. He started at the end of junior year with a 1130 and finished at 1410 — and received eight scholarship offers.”
Cyndy McLean · Parent of a Palo Alto High School Student ’25 · Smith School of Business, Queen’s University ’29 · 1130 → 1410
“We are currently using Mr. Test Prep for our second child. His philosophy is to limit SAT preparation to the sessions, and this is very important in maintaining the appropriate balance of school work and test preparation in our children’s highly pressured lives. We had our first child work initially with a different tutoring service which was very intense and involved a lot of homework. This was not successful and little progress resulted.”
Karen Patou · Palo Alto · Parent of a Gunn junior and a Georgetown freshman
“I knew my son would never prep on his own — it’s just not in him and he does not have the time. I did not want to pay a lot of money only to have my son not do the work. Michael understands this. He has the kids do the work and then he reviews what they’ve done right then and there. It’s fresh in the kids’ minds.”
MeMe Rasmussen · Parent · Saint Francis ’15
“There are many test prep options here — they are basically factories where they make students take tests over and over in rooms filled with dozens of kids. I knew this wasn’t going to work for my daughter. He taught her meditation techniques that not only helped with her SAT but with all testing. Her score went up 300 points.”
Deanna Kosaraju · Parent · American High School ’20 · University of Oregon ’24 · +300 points
“What is unique about Michael is that he authentically believes in each person as a student and as a human being, and they know it. Even though students may initially have doubts about their test taking ability, over time they internalize that confidence that he has in them.”
Lois Lazar · Parent · Los Altos
What stayed with them
Years after the test, students write about the same thing — and it isn’t a strategy for the reading section.
“Michael’s approach was perfect for my schedule: once a week for two hours, focused entirely on practice tests and tips for the actual exam, with no homework outside of that time. The lessons work because they model an exam environment — you attempt all of the problems on your own, but if you have a question or get stuck, Michael can help you at any point. Something I didn’t expect, but that ended up being very helpful, were the meditation sessions he runs starting a couple of weeks before the exam. They help you get into the right headspace for the test. I got the score I wanted on the first try, and working with Michael played a big role in that.”
Claire Kessenger · Benjamin Franklin International School, Barcelona ’26 · Harvard ’30
“What I didn’t expect was the focus on mental state, specifically the meditation. I remember going to that first meditation Zoom not fully knowing what to expect or take away from it, and it ended up being incredibly beneficial. A clear and focused mind under pressure is more important to test-taking than you’d think.”
Noah Jacob · Carlmont High School ’25 · Cornell University ’29 · 1300 → 1500 SAT
“My favorite thing he taught me was how to meditate. The habit was crucial to my success because it allowed me to stay focused and be confident. It went such a long way for me that I ended up writing about it for my Common App college essay.”
Claire Chevallier · Palo Alto High School ’15 · UC Davis ’19 · +200 points
“In the very beginning, I was unsure of how beneficial meditation could be — I would wonder why Mr. Romano would push us to attend his sessions. But with each one, I grew to understand how great it is on your mindset. Not only did he teach us what we needed for the SATs, but lessons that carry over into our careers and future.”
Emma Nguyen · Notre Dame High School ’23 · UC Santa Barbara ’27
“I still do his meditations today before a big event or test. They have assisted me greatly in becoming more centered, and have me diving into any task headfirst with steady hands and tranquility.”
Veronica Mendoza · Sacred Heart Preparatory ’15 · UCLA ’19
“Even today, five years removed from my last tutoring session, Michael’s fundamental strategies help me conquer midterms and finals each year. Sitting where I am now, job in hand and degree just months away, I am very thankful to have had Michael’s influence in my life.”
W. Douglas Wigley · Sacred Heart Preparatory ’05 · Princeton University
“Even though standardized testing wasn’t very hard for me in the beginning, he helped me achieve an extremely high score instead of a relatively good score which I could have settled for. He changed my attitude about testing and made me want to improve. He also taught me meditation skills which I still use to help me concentrate before big tests or stressful classes.”
Grace Berger · Gunn High School ’16 · Wellesley College ’20
“I started at a 30 and ended up with a 35 superscore. Coming in, I had my own expectations about what we’d be doing — I didn’t expect the meditation. Doing it before each practice exam made the actual test feel manageable, like just another practice run. What he worked on with me during ACT prep has carried over into my college years — I still use the same meditation before exams to help me focus.”
Fiona · Class of 2025 · Rice University ’29 · 30 → 35 ACT · ACT, 2024
“Under his guidance I was able to see a drastic improvement with not only my ACT — my 32 became a 35 — but also my attitude towards learning and the future. As someone who struggles with anxiety, and who especially dreaded these lengthy tests, I was extremely grateful.”
Edward Newell · Woodside High School ’21 · 32 → 35 ACT
Every testimonial, since 1997
The quotes above are a selection. The complete file — every testimonial received since the practice opened — is published in full.
Or start where you are: Palo Alto and the mid-Peninsula, San Mateo and the Peninsula, or San Jose and the South Bay.