C2 Education Tutoring and Test Prep Programs

C2 Education Tutoring and Test Prep Programs offers SAT prep, ACT prep, PSAT/NMSQT test prep, AP exam prep, ISEE test prep, and SSAT test prep. The program also provides math, reading, and writing tutoring, as well as elementary school, middle school, and high school tutoring, along with college admissions counseling, a college essay program, AP Boot Camp, and Summer Boot Camps. Programs are delivered through face-to-face, personalized instruction and are not run as an 8-week class with 20 students or as a series of on-demand online videos.

• Ages: 5–18 years old

C2 Education was founded 25 years ago in a Harvard University dorm room by David Kim and Jim Narangajavana and has grown since 1997 to over 135 centers in 15 states and Canada. Sessions are led by subject-matter experts who understand local curricula, course sequencing, and grading expectations, and C2’s certified counselors are specially trained to maximize each student’s potential for admission to a top college. The program states that it believes in its students and their potential for greatness and that it aims to take students toward their dreams while helping students and their families benefit from a better education, now and always. C2 reports that it is trusted by 10,000+ families nationwide and has over 25 years of experience helping high-performing students get accepted into top universities through expert test prep, GPA management, and personalized college counseling.

C2 reports that preparation starts with a full diagnostic test and a clear target score, followed by expert instruction, timed practice, and real-time feedback. Each student receives one plan built for that student, delivered online or in-center, and each comprehensive program is created to support the individual student’s journey to college. C2 tutoring supports K–12 students across core subjects, with instruction that adapts to the student’s needs, and C2’s certified counselors create a custom roadmap for the college application process. The program states that it uses an initial diagnostic test to gain a baseline assessment of strengths and weaknesses and personalize the approach, and that all C2 services are available in person, online, or hybrid.

C2 reports that 94% of its students are accepted to a top 100 college, that its students have an average SAT score of 1350 (31% above the national average), and an average ACT score of 29.5 compared to the national average of 19.4. Between 2020 and 2025, C2 students received $140 million in scholarships, and in the last five years, C2 students received more than 25,000 dream college acceptances and over $180 million in scholarship offers. C2 also states that its students have achieved some of the highest test scores in the country.

One student, Charitra P., a National Merit Scholarship Finalist who attended Emory University, reports that C2 helped with time management, work ethic, and understanding mistakes before moving on, and that this support led to feeling more confident and ready for standardized testing. Another student, Sophia C. from Princeton University, reports that C2 tailored teaching to her needs and interests and provided additional study materials and guidance, and she attributes her 800 scores on both the writing and critical reading sections of the SAT to this support. A third student, Benjamin D., who scored a 34 on the ACT and attended the University of California, Berkeley as a Regents’ and Chancellor’s scholar, reports that C2 improved his study habits, contributed to his 4.4 cumulative GPA, and that he ties his academic success and college admission directly to C2.

Last updated April 16, 2026.