Five Points is horrible
I don't know who's writing these reviews, but I was wholeheartedly dissatisfied with Five Points. I spent over a thousand dollars for SHSAT prep for my daughter who at the time was in the 6th grade. I specifically asked Five Points if it was too early for her to take their review class since there would be topics she would not have covered in school as of yet. They assured me that she would be fine and they would teach any topics she did not cover. Well that did not happen. They had her take assessment exams after assessment exams that eroded her confidence because she was not scoring well and they did not teach any topics my daughter did not cover in school. I wasted my money Five Points misled me. A waste of time and money and for my daughter a bruise to her confidence!
Reply from Five Points Learning
Dear Neal,
I'm sorry that you felt your experience with us did not meet your expectations. Given that your daughter's class ended over 6 months ago, we would have appreciated it if you could have aired your grievances with us so we would have had an opportunity to resolve any issues you had with your experience in our program. From our side of things, we had no idea you were this frustrated and upset. It is truly shocking. Our previous emails with you always seemed amicable and based on my review of all communications, we seemingly answered all of your questions and concerns. I'm not sure if you have some sort of agenda or why you felt a sudden need to trash our program 6 months later, rather than immediately after the class was over, but ok.
We always strive to do our best to help each and every student we have the privilege of working with. Most all of our students and families have been satisfied with our program and services over the past 10 years as we have helped hundreds of students gain admissions into Specialized High Schools.
Once again, I'm sorry you felt differently, that said, I wanted to clear up a few inaccuracies you made based on a rigorous review of all of our financial records, class notes, and student notes:
- Regarding the amount you spent with us, you were actually well below your claim.
- Class WAS slowed down to teach fundamental concepts to all students because it was a pre-SHSAT course. We have had dozens of students in the past, who were also in 6th grade, take our course with great success.
- In our experience, progress only happens when students complete the required homework which covers concepts as well as the application of strategies. When students DO NOT complete a majority of assigned homework, it is difficult for us to help students make progress. When students DO NOT practice the concepts and strategies we teach in class at home, they are not mastering the necessary information, skills, and strategies needed to succeed on the exam.
- When students take our exams and assessments, we expect them to give their best effort and to use the FULL allotment of time we provide. When students use substantially less time than we provide and/or do not give their best effort, it can severely impact a student's score in a negative way.
Our curriculum is comprehensive and is over 550 pages. We teach at a pace that allows students to maximize their learning. That said, we can only do so much if students are not doing their part at home; completing homework, reviewing and learning strategies, and reviewing mistakes on past homework assignments and exams.
At the end of the day, we are expert educators that strive to motivate, inspire, and lead students to academic success. That said, we can only SHOW students how to get there. Students must do the actual work to achieve their academic goals. We do not offer a "magic" solution that allows students to make substantial progress with minimal effort.
I'm sorry if our program ended up not being the right fit for you and your daughter. We certainly tried our best. I wish you luck in finding a program that is RIGHT for her and that can meet your demands and expectations. Best of Luck.
Edward Song
Program Director and Founder
Five Points Learning
