Testimonials

ACT/SAT/HSPT Test Prep

Without the help of Susan Follansbee and Scholastic Pursuits, there is no way I would have been able to achieve a full tuition and fees scholarship. Thanks to her, I went up by almost 200 points on my SAT, which has given me the advantage of a full-ride scholarship! I believe that it came down to hard work and analyzing patterns, which I would've never understood unless I had Ms. Follansbee helping me every step of the way. Thank you!

---- Samantha Meakins, Arvada West High School

Samantha's Mother:

I am so grateful for Susan, and her tutoring with our daughter, Samantha. Susan was a consistent and patient tutor as she walked with our daughter during her busiest school season. Samantha was personally encouraged by Susan throughout the process of learning the best testing skills for the SAT as well as beyond the 8 sessions. Susan kept in contact and continued to encourage Samantha as she took her third SAT and finally got the score she wanted. Susan’s services are well worth the expense and have qualified our daughter for several scholarships allowing her the freedom to consider several colleges with no cost out of pocket. Thank you Susan!

---- Cheryl Meakins, Parent, Arvada, CO

Susan's strategies for testing completely reworked my testing approach and helped me achieve a very high ACT score. She was thorough with her explanations and had clever ways to overcome nuances in the tests. I still remember these strategies due to Susan's constant reinforcement of them in our lessons. I looked forward to our sessions, and am so grateful that my mom signed me up for tutoring.

---- John Hancock, Polk County, FL

Susan really helped me navigate the SAT -- from my first practice test to final test results, I improved 240 points. She really has great insight into the quirks of this test, and the strategies that can be used to combat those. (most recent score: 1570)

---- Tabitha Jacobs, Home-schooled

I would like to personally thank Susan for all her helpful techniques she taught me - I went into my test with the utmost confidence from her service. She was great to work with and personalized her teachings in ways for me to understand. She won’t let you down!

---- Hope Schwanke, Peak to Peak High School

Scholastic Pursuits' Test Prep program was a wholesome experience for me. Susan will personalize the entire process around your personality, to meet your needs and goals. Without a doubt this program helped me with the SAT (scored in full-ride scholarship range), and I would entirely do it again!

---- Max Brown, Jefferson Academy

K-8 Academic Tutoring

"We give Susan our highest recommendation for tutoring. Over the years, Susan has tutored two of our sons; one who could barely read. Within a few short weeks, Susan had taught Jacob the “logic" of the English language and he had a new-found confidence that he could sound out any word. Shortly thereafter, he began reading fluently and homework is no longer a battle. Susan also taught Jacob fun math tricks, which became the envy of his classmates.

Susan also tutored our oldest son, Luke, in 8th grade and again for Test Prep in 11th grade. She helped Luke immensely, as he scored high, was granted accelerated acceptance into Colorado School of Mines, and is looking at several scholarship opportunities.

Beyond teaching these academic skills, Susan inspired a love of learning in both boys. Both boys very much looked forward to their sessions with Susan, as she is kind, affirming, and always well-prepared. She also encouraged both boys to consider their many gifts and talents and to apply them in the school setting. We are most grateful to have Susan in our lives."

~ Ryan & Elizabeth Walker, Golden View Academy

Susan has done a great job with both of my boys. Last fall when they returned to school, their teachers said they usually return from summer break needing to make up for lost time, but in this case they actually gained! Thank you for all you have done to help them.

~ Jacquelyn Busch, Westwoods Elementary Parent

During the past two decades, I’ve written dozens of letters of recommendation. For businesses, friends, colleagues, family members, and so forth. But never before have I had the opportunity to write a letter for someone for whom I hold in such high esteem as Susan. Susan is, without question, one of the most qualified and successful educators I have ever had the fortune of encountering. She currently is my 11-year old son’s tutor (his name is Nicholas), and in the past few months has helped him turn corners I never would have thought possible in such a short time.

I was initially impressed with Susan’s abilities during the first few sessions she spent with Nicholas. One of the first things she wanted to know was to discern what type of learner Nicholas is. Visual? Practical? Verbal? The written word? It was interesting to find out during this time that Nicholas is a highly visual and hands-on learner, and once she had that settled the improvement in my son’s schoolwork was breathtaking. A complete 180.

I can’t stress enough what an exceptional educator Susan is and how much she’s done for us. I would highly recommend her to any parents who desire to see their child reach his/her fullest potential. School success for any child, with Susan’s assistance, is just around the corner.

~ Brad Fixler , Oberon Middle School Parent

My eldest daughter has been a student of Susan’s for over 4 years after she was diagnosed with moderate dyslexia in 3rd Grade. Thanks to her excellent work with my daughter, she was able to test out of her IEP a year earlier than expected and now only requires a 504 Accommodation Plan with minimal accommodations.

Since my daughter has been in Middle School, she has consistently had a 4.0 GPA. This has largely been due to the consistent support we have received from Susan. She tailors each lesson to meet the unique needs of her students and really focuses on areas where they need assistance. When my eldest daughter had some gaps and challenges in 5th Grade Math, Susan was quick to jump in and assist us in this area too. Her sessions are online so there is no driving around to get children to extra lessons and her ability to do both Math and English is very convenient.

After Covid my youngest daughter in 4th Grade had several gaps in her reading and spelling. Once again, we reached out to Susan for help. Since she started her sessions with Susan her spelling improved within 3 months, and she is now reading above grade level. It has been such a pleasure to see both my daughters improve in areas where they were previously struggling. Their overall confidence and love for both Math and reading has improved greatly. Susan’s lessons are fun and engaging, so even after a long day at school both my daughters enjoy and are excited for their lessons.

Susan’s dedication and passion for what she does is truly inspiring and has had a major impact on both my daughters academic progress. As a mom with a child who has a learning disability and a child struggling at school, Susan’s kindness, support and advice is invaluable.

~ Carrie Kritzinger, Boise, ID

Academic and Instructor Coaching

I have been homeschooling for 5 years and was not the most organized homeschooling mom. I have always struggled with scheduling my kids and keeping them on track. I first met Susan as a reading tutor for my two children. When our school year was completed I asked her if she would coach me with scheduling and staying on track.

I am pleased to report that we have had the best school year since we started homeschooling! We all feel more relaxed and the year is much more fun. Susan has been a HUGE help to me and my children. She keeps me motivated and makes me realize I can do this!

~ Elizabeth Cernich, Littleton, CO

Susan's coaching has been very helpful. She seemed to know exactly what my kids needed, right away! It really has been life-changing for our homeschooling. The programs she has recommended have been exactly what we were needing and it is making a huge difference.

~ Kendra Brodman, Carey, OH