TESTIMONIALS

"Without a doubt, Swartwood Testing, Admissions, & Review is one of the most helpful resources I've encountered in my preparation for the MCAT. ((In my first attempt at the MCAT, I enrolled with the Princeton Review Prep Course and received an 8 on the verbal section.)) Swartwood Testing, Admissions, & Review was a crucial part in my improvement because they showed me how to approach Verbal Reasoning as a learned skill and help identify my problem question types. Having focused class lectures and specific homework problems, Swartwood Testing, Admissions, & Review showed me how to improve my score. I received a 12 on VR! If you are looking for a course offering personalized attention, small class size, and a unique approach to VR, I recommend Swartwood Testing, Admissions, & Review reservation."

Best of Luck with Your Studies,
Justin Miamoto (Bruin of the Year 2006 - 2007) - MCAT Verbal Intensive

Deciding on the right MCAT class can be a very challenging process. But, I can assure you that Swartwood Prep is the right choice. What sets John's class apart from the others is the small class size and individualized attention he offers his students. Verbal was always keeping me from reaching my desired score. I started out with a 7 in verbal, but after practicing with John I improved my score to a 10. John doesn't waste your time with material, which you can study on your own. Rather, every class is geared toward analyzing passages and learning the techniques that will help you succeed on the test. He also tailors the class to your needs: if you want more practice with kinetics or kidney function, then thats what you will get. Thus, it is with confidence and sincerity that I recommend Swartwood Prep.
Tasha Fernando- MCAT Master Course

" Hey John,

I hope that all is going well. It seems like it was only yesterday that I met you as my TA for Math 3C. Either way, application season is finally over and I wanted to thank you for all your help over these past years. Both as a mentor and as a friend. I thought that you would be interested to know what I have decided to go to Johns Hopkins for my MD PhD training. I know I'm going to miss California but I'm pretty sure I'll be back.

Anyways, take care and let me know if there is anything I can help with.

Best Wishes,

James "

"I never really understood how to do Verbal Reasoning. I've taken other MCAT prep courses, and they just tell you to read the passage and try to justify the answer in the back. I thought that improving in VR was hopeless, but then a friend introduced me to SwartwoodPrep. At first, I was a little skeptical, but after the first session, I already felt I understood more about the VR section than I did before. John took me step by step through how to approach the VR section and helped me see the questions from a different point of view. With John's personalized attention and excellent teaching, my VR score increased by 3 points and my overall MCAT score increased by 6 points. John is an incredible tutor, both intelligent and fun, and I am thankful that I had the opportunity to take his classes." Once again, thanks a lot John!

So I already feel like the MCAT was a year ago but I still think that it went well and that I was considerably more prepared with John than I would have been without his help or with another program. Given the relatively short period of time that I dedicated to the test I am very satisfied with the results. While I know that I could have done better had I spent more than roughly 3 1/2 solid weeks preparing for the test, the end result was still better than I hoped. John's verbal intensive class presents the framework and content of the verbal section in a much more comprehensible manner than other systems or prep classes. Given the passage dense nature of the MCAT, it follows that your scores in the other sections will benefit from his methods as well. Everyone has different methods of studying and John's style caters to everyone. People see this test in different ways, and in my opinion this is not a knowledge based exam. While a strong foundation is really helpful, I found that studying details was a waste of time. Maybe this was more so because of the restricted time line in which I studied. I had my masters program to start, and there is no way i could do both the test and the program at the same time. John was right to teach that the 'difficult' passages can all be broken down and all the answers can be extracted from the information provided. In very few instances if at all was elaborate detail required to answer any questions.

Know the trends and the basics, everything else will follow. I don't think the MCAT is going to test the exceptions to the rules. It's too tedious. Focus on what John says is important and you'll be fine. John's lectures include everything you need to score well.

Robbie Harvard- MCAT Master Course

"I chose Swartwood over the other people that teach it for several reasons. One, he really cares about us. John cares that we will do well. He just wants us to get most out of his teaching, the most out of the experience...It’s always really high energy in here, fun. Studying isn’t always fun but John somehow makes it fun…I think John is just different. That’s just a good word for him…he’s the smartest person, smartest human being, I think I’ve ever met in my life, and he knows how to teach. That’s important. He’s not just a textbook. He really teaches the material. So, I always walk away learning something new."

"I came to SWARTWOOD because I was having huge difficulties tackling the MCAT and getting the concepts behind it. I heard about SWARTWOOD and John’s teaching skills and strategies. He helped me realize my total potential, and now I really feel like I have a grasp on the information, and the MCAT is going to be awesome for me."

C. Lyn Tillery - MCAT Complete Course

"So, the SWARTWOOD PREP course is a lot different from any of the other courses that I have taken. None of them caters to the needs of the student as much as John. He is a great teacher. He breaks things down really easily for you to be able to understand any subject and any question. He is more than willing to go into detail over it. It is really comforting to be able to go into a setting and feel as though you leave understanding what you just went over. That’s really, really the difference between John and the other classes that I have taken for MCAT prep. It’s that you get this feeling that you are confident about what you know and confident enough to apply to it to the MCAT. And, that’s really important. Confidence is the key when you take the exam, and John definitely helps your confidence level. Thanks John!"

"So, the MCAT has always been something, that daunting thing you have to take before you can even think about applying medical school. I’m really glad that I came to SWARTWOOD because the way John teaches the class makes it seem much more accessible. He breaks down the concepts so that they are bite size and you can digest them. It’s a really fun learning environment, and there are a lot of cool people in classes. John has great stories that break the ice and break the tension. You feel comfortable asking questions. I really feel like the test is much more approachable now, so I’m really happy with SWARTWOOD."

"I came to SWARTWOOD super worried about the MCAT. I had no idea what to do, what classes to take; I was just really frustrated, just freaking out. I am like the queen of stress. But, he taught the material so well… It was really personable. I felt I was really learning and that I belonged in the class. Now, I’m not so stressed about the MCAT. I feel like I can take it and do well because of SWARTWOOD; whereas, I don’t think that I would have felt that way with other courses. "

"I took SWARTWOOD’s Verbal Intensive MCAT Course because I really wanted to improve my verbal score, and I just thought that it would make all the difference in the world to get one-on-one experience with a teacher not just focus on materials… more focus on the teaching and learning strategies rather than just learning how to memorize things or just learning how to go through the motions. I wanted to really get verbal down so that it could help improve my score… John was different than other teachers because he really focused on making sure that we understood the material. He didn’t just breeze by it and go along with it. He really sat us down and made sure that we understood material. If we had questions, he always addressed them thoroughly and he never let anything go unanswered."

"I had a problem with Verbal because English is not my first language, so I really had a disadvantage compared to some of the other people. John really helped me because he taught me how to break down the verbal part. He showed me how to improve and how to approach the verbal- which really helped."

"Before I took John’s class, I felt kind of like a lost animal in the wilderness, but after John’s class, I felt focused. I felt like the MCAT was something really doable. Some words that come to mind would be that knowledge is power and technique is the sword that lets you wield it. So, with John’s class you get both knowledge and technique, and that’s really important. Just feeling like you have the foundations and knowing that you are prepared well is a really a good feeling. Other than that, John is a really fun teacher and a great instructor. He is very personable, has a lot of energy, and his pacing is just right."

Nancy Carballo - MCAT Complete Course

"I’m going to SWARTWOOD, and I have coming here since September actually, but I love coming here everyday. John really makes everything so easy for me to learn. He takes a 30 minute solution from my teacher and turn into a 5 minute shortcut. Now, he does that for the MCAT. He simplifies everything so we can actually understand it for the MCAT. He gives us tips for everything and really makes us understand what’s going on and DOESN’T just tell us, ‘Memorize this, memorize that.’ While, of course, that’s [memorization] important, he makes sure that we can do everything."

"The course is really, really good because I felt that John knew the information and most importantly, he knew that how to convey the information to us."

"SWARTWOOD PREP is an excellent way of prepare for the MCAT or any other graduate school tests. I really enjoy John’s teaching style, and the class was actually a lot of fun."

"The reason I came to SWARTWOOD was because I sat in on a class and I had heard all about him. John made everything look super easy and not overwhelming. When I actually started taking class, it was amazing. He makes it really understandable, and he only tells you stuff you need to know which makes it a lot better because then you are not overwhelmed with too much material. I love it because he breaks and tells funny stories, and you get general information about life besides MCAT stuff."

Preparing for the MCAT can be a daunting task. Studying on my own, I realized that memorizing pages of information was not an effective method for succeeding on the exam. As with other standardized tests, the MCAT does not measure your intelligence or your understanding of science. Rather, it is a test to see how well you can take the test. The MCAT challenges your ability to apply basic science knowledge and your critical thinking skills. While I was comfortable with the material behind the MCAT, Swartwood Prep stepped in to help me learn how to take the test itself and how to apply background information to the passage-based question format of the exam. Hours of practicing honed my test-taking skills and put me in the proper mindset to take the MCAT. Thank you, Swartwood Prep, for playing an instrumental role in my MCAT success!

Hi John,

I got my MCAT score back yesterday and I wanted to share it with you. I got a combined score which I am happy with.

I improved 3 points in the Physical Sciences from my previous score, which I am very excited about!!!

I wanted to thank you once again for helping me get through the MCAT. Your skills and teaching style were extremely helpful, especially in the realm of problem solving.

I hope class is going well.

Thank You

It was great studying with John. I studied mainly on my own except for the verbal which consisted of attending John's class and practicing at home. His method of focusing on content and looking at each question having the "point" of it in mind, really narrowed down many of the ambiguities I faced while practicing the verbal section. John is a great teacher and just being in the environment of his class was like a support group during studying for the MCAT with enthusiastic pre-meds. I believe he's a genuine teacher who could very effectively find students short-coming in understanding the issues and directly address their problem. I highly recommend his class for those who think verbal section on the MCAT takes a talent you are either born with, or you are doomed to suffer a low score from.

"Well, I thought MCAT was horrible before I took the class. So, ...one day I found out about John and I decided to take his class and try it out...a verbal intensive class that he was offering... And, John is amazing. He's the best teacher I've ever met. Basically, unlike other tutors ... he really teaches you... He explains everything very well. If you have any questions at all, he'll answer... He's so smart. Yeah, there's nothing else to say."

Natasha Black - SWARTWOOD GRE student'09, (Undergrad UCLA, Masters USC)

Quantitative 700

Verbal 560

"John’s class helped improved my score immensely. Before SWARTWOOD, I had actually taken a GRE class from one of the big test prep companies and was not happy with my experience.

Then I took SWARTWOOD. John is a genius, but that's not what separates him from the other guys. What makes John different is that he is a genius AND a good teacher. What makes John different is that he knows his students and tailors his class to their abilities. What makes John different is that he cares. John doesn’t need to offer a “money-back guarantee” for his courses because his students ALWAYS improve."

"John is an amazing instructor! He helped me ace the quantitative portion of the GRE and do much better than I expected to on the verbal part of the test. Not only does he teach you important concepts and techniques that help you solve all types of problems you will encounter on test day, but he also makes everything seem so easy that you will wish he taught all of your classes (and he probably could)! It's also a huge advantage that you can go through a second cycle of classes for free once you've finished things the first time around. I highly recommend Swartwood Prep for GRE/MCAT/LSAT preparation! Every minute is worth it."

"John,
OMG thank you sooooo much!!! I got a 90% on my Math 3B midterm, and
the mean was a 72%!! You have no idea how much you helped me! Because
I couldn't make the first midterm (I had to compete at National
Collegiates for Taekwondo), the second midterm (the one I just aced
thanks to you) counts for 40% of my grade, and now I have no one but
you! I seriously had no idea what was going on in that class because
of his roundabout way of solving problems, but you cut straight to the
point and simplified things so effectively that it all made sense! And
that's saying something because I consider myself to be "bad" at math.
You have no idea how much you're helping struggling students, and I
can't thank you enough. I can't wait for your final review (I think
I'd cry if you didn't hold one) for Math 3B, because I know that
you're the only one that can salvage any math skills from me! Thanks
again, and please, for the sake of students like me, don't stop doing
what you do!! "
Judy Lee- University Reviews Math 3B (Undergraduate)

"Hey Steph!! Hey John!!

First of all, I just want to thank you soooooooo much for that
impromptu review session we had the night before my midterm.. I
seriously think I would have failed without it.. It was so late, too,
and I feel really bad about that.. you must have been tired.. and
hungry!! I am so sorry!!

On a more positive note, Neil and I (haven't talked to Evan yet) both
scored really well!! We got above 90's and the mean was a 78.5! THANK
YOU THANK YOU soooo much.. What would I do without you?? I am so
grateful..

-Judy"

John has got to be the best instructor I have ever met. He won't waste your time with nonsense. Somehow it just works when John explains it. I've been with SWARTWOOD since high school and am happily going through college. If you're looking for great teaching, then SWARTWOOD is the place for you. Val helped me when I was working through astronomy.
You guys are the best!
Allison Aptaker (University Private Tutoring)