Luke R.
Better than formal education - Worth the investment
The Mentorship program was a great opportunity that I'm happy I pursued. I didn't have second thoughts about signing up, since it seemed like a smaller, more genuine person (Isaac)/group running it. I started this towards the end of my senior year at Penn State pursuing my Bachelor's in Finance. I wasn't making a lot of money, but thought I'd take the chance in being accepted in. The 1 on 1 work and networking aspect were the two factors that really sold me, on top of learning the material. Why? I didn't know all what we would cover, but knew longer term, I could connect with others, learn from them, as well as have Isaac as someone to reach out to for information and advice. The program itself: The content was great, but the way it was presented, or APPLIED, was the best. My title mentions "Better than formal education" since the concepts you learn are then applied through Thinkorswim (an investing/trading platform from TDAmeritrade). This enhances and solidifies what you're learning by actually making the trades, calculating the numbers, thinking about the investments, etc. You DON'T get that in school (unless you're lucky to get into a student fund or find a club that really challenges you). This also makes it fun and enjoyable as you can actually USE the information you're learning. Also, it's not a high stress environment (at least for me it wasn't - and I was closing out my senior year so I had to worry about finals, landing a job, and massive student loan debt). Isaac challenged me by asking questions during our sessions as well as watching over some of the trades to make sure I was implementing them correctly. If I wasn't, he wouldn't automatically correct and fix it.. he'd point out the mistake and make me think. The content/education: The content is stuff I SHOULD have learned in school. I've learned some of the things the program covered, which helped a bit, but the fact that I spent $80k+ and four years at school that should already prepare you for this type of education failed to do so. Sure, I've learned basics and theory, but how does that really translate into the real world? You won't know until you apply that information, but in school, you're trying to cram and spit it out on a test, then forget about it. This program helps you remember the content through application, an open network and "staff" that is willing to help. My experience may be a bit different from others as I was accepted early into the 1 on 1 mentorship program, where I believe it's only an online, self-paced program (which has even more content and videos readily available to review the information). But the program was great. Learning from someone ACTUALLY working in the financial field made it easier to absorb the information and ask questions. It was a decent amount of money for me (Paying for the program was a concern for me $100 month, but looked at the long-term value). I spent ~$700 through the months of being in the program and I can confidently say the $700 is better than $80k (no kidding, right?). That $700 taught me more about the topics we/I should be learning already. So, if money is a concern, but you know you want to pursue this field, think of the long term, as well as the connections you can make. IvyLine isn't a large organization, so my 5 stars doesn't mean it's perfect and there isn't room for improvement. They do a great job for the design and user experience. I do wish there was a better way to connect with people, but that's a minor detail (I guess, teaming up with others in the challenge is an enjoyable way to connect with others, but there are only so many challenges, and not all need a team). My rating is my honest opinion, but doesn't mean it's perfect or the end all be all. If you are interested in pursuing this program and you take it serious, you'll get the value of it many times over. It's the best course/program I've taken (took many online courses). It's worth the investment.
Response from IvyLine CapitalSep 4, 2020
Thank you Luke for the thorough and in-depth review and feedback. We thank you for this and please let us know if we can be any other help to you in the future.



