C2 Education of Berkeley - El Cerrito, California

Dana C.

"I urge families, do NOT make the mistake of choosing C2 Education! My experience with them has been nothing short of appalling. Ever since Simon, the Center Director at C2 Education, Berkeley abruptly left in December 2018, the entire operation has gone downhill.

I, along with my oldest and middle child, had a positive experience with Simon, which led me to purchase an additional 100 hours of tutoring in the hopes that my youngest child could benefit as well. Little did I know, when the pandemic hit in 2020, these hours (remaining 56) suddenly had an expiration date that no one bothered to inform me about. Had I been aware of this, I would have never invested in more hours.

I have had to deal with a constant turnover of incompetent staff: Michael, Andrew, Tina, Selene, Lisa, Jonathan...the list is endless. Each one had a different story, showcasing a complete lack of professionalism and consistency. And let's not forget about the condescending tutor, Christopher, who had the audacity to belittle my youngest child and suggested she had a learning disability. Why would a tutor ask if you’re dyslexic and from another country because of grammatical mistakes and you’re there for Chemistry? It was highly inappropriate for Christopher to make assumptions and condescending remarks about a students abilities or background.

Despite the contract clearly stating that C2 Education has the discretion to reinstate hours, I've been met with resistance from Thomas, District Manager for C2 Education, who outright refuses to do so. It's an absolute disgrace on how they do business.

Consider this a public service announcement: there are plenty of other tutoring services out there that not only offer better value for money but also treat their customers with respect. Unless you want to endure the nightmare I have experienced, steer clear of C2 Education."

Dragor C.

My little brother appreciated this place, and I appreciate that when central instituted sunset provisions on the hours we purchased, they went to the trouble of getting him an extension since he expects to use them again when he starts at BCC soon.

Sarah C.

My son has been a student at C2 since Grade 7. He has been getting help from Teacher Stephanie on both Math and English each week and he loves her. She is patient, detailed and knowledgeable. Stephanie works hard and specially well with kids, they all love her. My son's Reading and Writing has improved from 620 to 710 in the past two diagnose SAT tests. I have recommended a few friends to C2, their kids loved Stephanie instantly even they were hesitating to sign up at the beginning.

Ammon N.

I got a consultation years back with C2 education, where I was basically put into an empty room and made to complete a practice SAT test. They made me feel bad for my low scores, then proceeded to try to convince my parents to buy a tutoring package of some sort. Fortunately, I dodged a bullet! My sibling did end up getting tutoring from C2 for her junior year, but their "tutoring" was mainly Simon micro-managing her grades. She was in an honors course where most students were lucky to get even a C, and he made her feel bad for having a B on her report card. Awful. She eventually quit and found a down-to-earth, supportive private tutor that helped her repair her relationship with math.

I am now a graduate student in the field of education, and these types of test prep centers that have a culture of popping out "perfect students" utterly terrify me. I have seen wonderful test prep tutors that know how to properly treat a student with low self-esteem, and this is definitely not the kind of place.

Heather K.

Both of my children (grades 10 and 12) have been attending C2 with Simon for nearly 2 years. Simon's team has improved the college preparedness of both children in ways beyond the academics, GPA, SAT scores and applications. They both think about their future in different more positive, less uncertainty and more excitement about the unknown of going to college and having a career/ job. My husband and I both a PhDs and yet Simon's interactions with the children and how to get ready for and think about college/ university provided an alternative and very positive influence. Simon is always available to chat with parents about any concerns (even beyond academics). I consider the money I have spent at C2 to a fantastic investment in my children future happiness and productivity.

yen N.

I love the energy here at C2! Not only does it give me more knowledge about SAT's, but you can build new relationships with people that are probably older than you! Super cool environment, super chill, and super duper nice. Totally love C2 education.

Dragor C.

So, the new owners of C2 corporate seems to be doing something shady these days. The goal is to reduce liabilities, and old student hours are seen as a liability. From what I heard, it started with getting parents to sign new contracts under the auspices of "renewal" or something like that. These new contracts, unlike the old ones, set expiration dates for hours. Pretty awful for the poor CDs tasked with persuading parents with whom they had developed personal relationships to sign, as you might imagine.

Anyhow, the shady attempts are hitting me personally now because the large package I bought for my little brother years back as a longterm employee is set to "expire" soon, and, contrary to my own personal experience having taught a friggin fifty year old and numerous college students with a few hours lying around, C2 "only teaches K-12". Seeing as my little brother needs help studying for an exam right now, that goes beyond offensive to being materially inconvenient.

Honestly, I can see why this genre of buying and rehabbing unprofitable businesses gets a bad rap if one of the strategies is to toe the line of what is honest and legal to cut costs? Me personally, having imbibed the philosophical milieu of a wife in lawschool? I'm feeling litigious.

Judy F.

My child has had improved test scores and grades through this service as well as keeping a timeline for college planning. Simon has helped guide our child and has been helpful for us as parents spending as much time as needed explaining and answering any questions that we have had. My child likes the teachers and has been going to C2 for 1-1/2 years consistently.