“Agnes has a legendary reputation for preparing students for boarding school. This reputation is well-deserved and I could not be happier with what she has provided my daughter in terms of tutoring, test preparation and mentoring. She came highly recommended and from day one I knew my daughter was in good hands. Agnes delivered big time: awesome SSAT test scores (96 percentile), improved grades and ultimately acceptances by top US schools (Lawrenceville, Deerfield, Cate). As pleased as I am with the results, Agnes’s methodology and process are the true benefits of working with her. My daughter’s approach to test taking and critical thinking improved. Her discipline and stamina increased and her overall study habits sharpened when I wasn’t sure they could be. Also, a mediocre math student was elevated to one who will take honors next year. Most importantly, Agnes’s own educational and professional backgrounds make her an invaluable mentor. Agnes undoubtedly expects her students to work very hard but she instills the confidence that success will come as a result. My daughter adores Agnes and my son is now working with her. I highly recommend her.”
The process of applying to US boarding schools is complicated and stressful, thankfully TOC was able to make it as smooth and effective as possible. My daughter firstly approached Agnes with an average school grade and ordinary portfolio.
TOC does not just offer standard counselling service, but they also adjust the plan to fit each and every individual’s character. They helped Kathy to identify her strength and interest in community service, encouraged her to develop them into solid and sound extracurricular activities...which made her to be the applicant that stands out. Agnes also helped her to set her SSAT target scores, taught her exam skill and techniques, and motivated her to focus on doing her best.…In the end, Kathy got accepted into her top choice which is Blair Academy. It was an excellent experience to work with you. Thank you so much!
We are excited to find out that Danica got accepted by St. Stephen's Girl's College after two rounds of interviews! Danica is a regular term student at TOC and took private interview classes with Miss Yvonne prior to the interview. We wish her all the best!
My daughter took private lessons with The Open Classroom for four months before she attended the admission tests in three top international schools in Hong Kong last year. She passed the tests and got admitted to the school of our top choice. My daughter has been a student of The Open Classroom since its inception. The teachers understand very well about her strength and area of development. They designed a very effective program to customize her needs. The results have been very satisfactory. We are very grateful.
Agnes is a really great teacher. She not only helped me with my SSAT but she also helped with school. She is not only a teacher but a friend too. Whenever I am learning with Agnes she always finds a way to make each lesson fun and I never have to be hesitant to ask questions if there is something I don't understand. My SSAT class with Agnes really helped and I owe my great SSAT score to her.
My elder son has taken classes at The Open Classroom since its inception, a year later, his younger brother joined as well. Both of them enjoy the learning a great deal and they genuinely look forward to their weekly classes there.
Classes are fun and conducted in small groups so teachers are able to identify the individual student’s strength and weakness after only a few classes. The detailed evaluation by the teachers after each module is very thoughtful and helpful to me. This personalized experience and tailored-training helped my kids grow their strength and overcome their weakness quite effectively.
The topical modules are designed to broaden the perspective of the kids, expose them to choices they wouldn’t know otherwise in school and prepare them to be well-informed and more open-minded. My sons learned a lot from modules such as “Meet the Architect” and “Meet the Restaurant Owner”. Growing up in a highly homogeneous society like HK, our kids are fortunate to have “The Open Classroom” classes as an essential learning tool which is supplement to school classes.
This year I applied to boarding school and successfully got into Choate Rosemary Hall! This would never have happened had I not taken the SSAT and private classes offered at the Open Classroom. Prior to taking the class, my vocabulary was sub-par and my initial SSAT score was unsatisfactory. The class educated me on testing strategies, writing techniques and vocabulary. These all came in useful in my final SSAT test. I am grateful to the instructors.
The Open Classroom has been a terrific experience over the last two years. Our daughter has been participating in various modules since The Open Classroom started and we couldn't be happier. The Open Classroom helps young people build confidence while learning about interesting and socially meaningful topics such as fair trade and helping people with disabilities. Most recently our daughter has taken part in an Intensive Writing module as well as an SSAT Preparation course. The time and attention that the instructors have provided has given our daughter significantly more confidence and meaningful advantage. In the end our daughter was accepted at both of her target boarding schools. More importantly, however, we feel the students are really inspired by the instructors and look forward to attending. We fully recommend The Open Classroom as a wonderful supplement to any child's education.
Prior to joining The Open Classroom's classes our son being somewhat shy, was reluctant to express himself. Since attending the different modules offered, he is much more comfortable in expressing himself with confidence. This is evident in the success rate with the local schools applied. Most importantly, he looks forward to his classes at The Open Classroom and has very good rapport with the teachers.
“When our daughter began to study for the SSAT, the process of how to tackle it was a bit overwhelming for her. With multiple sections in each discipline and her preliminary scores not in the range needed for acceptance into the caliber of school she wanted to attend we decided to seek out a tutor. Our child met with Agnes after a friend of our family had recommended her to us. They had a great first meeting and we agreed to sign up for a series of private sessions. For us, the private sessions worked best because it allowed for more flexiblity in her schedule.
She is an incredibly disciplined teacher who motivates a child to push him/herself to get to the next level. She is passionate about helping her students and tailors her lesson according to their needs. She helped raise our child’s scores dramatically and gain entrance to a top level U.S. boarding school - our child’s first choice [Cate]! Agnes’s tuition, knowledge of the exam and insight into the boarding school application process helped us tremendously. If your child is willing to work, Agnes is the one who can help!”