Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/27/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Before I paid for this ACT college prep course, I had multiple calls and Zoom calls with the owner *********************** and his assistant ********. He told me that his system was guaranteed IF my son took all of the tutoring sessions and took the ACT practice tests. My son's baseline official ACT was 22 and I was told by ******** that they could certify a 10 point increase to a 32- I was put on hold and she got back to me. Email is attached 2. After attending all required classes, my son scored a 19 on the official ACT(went down 3 points). *************************** way of helping my son was to ask him "What is wrong with you?,., ,,.What is going on with you?'". ******* specifically asked me to not be in the room during the Zoom call, {which is ************,as my son was a minor). 3. I paid an additional $60 for my son to retake the additional ACT and he went back up to his original score of 23. Now we were back where we started and now out$2250 +++ . My son did the additional practice tests that he was asked to do because he was following the plan. {So that we would keep our guarantee valid).4. *******'s next plan to work with my son" was to have me purchase the test answers so my son could go over the answers in a self-study situation. 5. My son took the last test available Oct 27th 2023 for early action deadline of Nov 1st. The colleges my son applied to are applicable to the Nov 1 deadline.My son scored a 24. Since the final test, ******* never reached out to us to see how my son scored, *********************** should back his word and refund my money. This is a simple case of Consumer fraud. He is deceiving the consumer. The guarantee is non existent 6. I was sent something to sign electronically after signing up for the program and I was never given a copy. More deception and fraud 7. My son has been declined from every college he applied to because we put faith in KYO STANDARD and his guarantee

  Business Response

  Date: 01/23/2025

  Dear ****,

  Thank you for the opportunity to address this matter. I take every concern seriously and appreciate the chance to clarify the claims raised in this complaint.

  1. Pre-Enrollment Communication

  Before enrolling in our program, the complainant had multiple detailed calls with both me and my assistant, ********, to discuss her concerns and expectations. During this time, she made a significant number of attempts to contact us, often at 5 a.m., calling up to 18 times in a row if we did not immediately pick up. These calls were often followed by numerous one-word text messages until we responded. Despite these unusual and persistent communication habits, we remained available to address her questions and provide clarity about the program.

  2. Alleged Comment to the Student

  At no point did I say, What is wrong with you? This is not language I use with students or families. After reviewing the recorded Zoom sessions, I can confirm that during the conversation in question, I asked the student, What do you think happened? to encourage him to reflect on his test performance. My intention was to ****** a constructive discussion, not to criticize or place blame.

  3. Request for the Parent to Leave the Room

  I asked the parent to step out of the room during a Zoom sessionnot because I wanted to exclude her, but because her presence was unintentionally making the student nervous. She frequently interrupted the session and scolded him for incorrect answers, which hindered his ability to focus and engage. To create a calm and supportive environment, I requested that she allow us to work one-on-one during the session.

  Please keep in mind, this was a Zoom call, as I am in ********** and the student is in *******. I was not physically in the room with the student. Additionally, his classes and 1:1 tutorials were all conducted through our online classroom platform, and he was alone in his room for those as well.

  4. Question and **************

  I recommended the family purchase the ACTs Question and ************** (***) to help us analyze the students test performance. Upon reviewing the results, it became clear that he was ******* through the math section, leading to numerous avoidable mistakes. The student later admitted that there were about 20 questions he definitely could have answered correctly, but he was too busy ******* to finish the test. The *** allowed us to pinpoint this issue and create a targeted plan for improvement.

  5. Additional Purchases

  At no point did I request or require the family to purchase additional materials beyond what was included in the program. My recommendation for the *** was solely to gain insight into the students test-taking habits and tailor our strategies to address them.

  6. Math Support and Feedback from Tutors

  Despite my encouragement to focus on improving his math scorewhich was the section with the most potential for improvementthe student repeatedly expressed confidence that he did not need additional help in this area. His tutors and teachers reported the same sentiment. Unfortunately, this reluctance to focus on math impacted his ability to achieve the score improvement he desired.

  7. College Admissions Timeline

  While I deeply empathize with the familys disappointment regarding college admissions, I believe the timeline of their enrollment played a significant role in the outcome. The family came to us just two months before their students ACT test date, leaving limited time to address gaps and create a comprehensive improvement plan. He took his first ACT exam after only one month of working with us, which did not allow sufficient time for the strategies and techniques to take full effect.

  I only agreed to work with the student under such a short timeline because I spoke with him directly, and he promised me that he would do everything we asked him to do to ensure he was fully prepared. Unfortunately, this commitment was not upheld. For example, he stopped completing his assigned math homework, telling his tutors that he was "good" with math and did not need additional help. This was despite the fact that math was his weakest area and the one with the most room for improvement.

  When I became aware of this, I personally met with the student to hold him accountable for the promise he made during our initial discussion. I reminded him of the importance of following through on his commitments to achieve his goals. However, the lack of consistent effort in this critical area ultimately limited the results we could achieve.

  Additionally, the family was insistent on applying through early decision, even though I advised them that we needed more timespecifically to prepare for the November and December ACT exams. During one conversation, I strongly encouraged them to forgo early decision and apply through the regular admissions cycle instead. I explained that with the Thanksgiving break coming up, I was committed to working with the student as much as he needed during that time to get his score up.

  After going through the math section, the student admitted that there were about 20 questions he could have answered correctly but was ******* unnecessarily to finish. This made it clear that with more time and targeted practice, his score could have improved significantly. I explained to the parent that applying early without a competitive ACT score could result in a flat rejection, eliminating the possibility of being considered during the regular admission cycle. However, the parent strongly disagreed and chose to proceed with early decision.

  College admissions decisions are influenced by numerous factors beyond standardized test scores, including essays, extracurricular activities, and recommendation letters. While I understand their disappointment, the timeline and strategy they chose limited the impact of our work together.

  8. Contract and Documentation

  Our contracts are sent and signed electronically through Docusign, with a copy automatically emailed to the address provided during enrollment. If the parent did not receive their copy, I would be happy to resend it.

  9. Responsiveness

  Throughout our engagement, I have made every effort to respond promptly to the parents calls, texts, and emails. My goal has always been to maintain open communication and provide support for their students success.

  Commitment to Transparency and Improvement
  I am genuinely sorry that this family did not feel satisfied with their experience. We remain committed to helping every student achieve their goals and providing the best tools, resources, and guidance possible. Ultimately, score improvement comes down to us and the student working towards the same goal. When both parties are aligned in effort and commitment, the results can be exceptional. We strive to create an environment that fosters meaningful growth for each student.

   

  Sincerely,
  ******* ****
  Founder, Kyo Standard Prep