Great Expectations is a tremendous asset in preparing for all the different standardized tests and also helping with the application process. The time spent with our tutor not only resulted in scores higher than we’d ever hoped for, but it was also an enjoyable experience. She knew how to manage a very stressful time and keep the pressure to a minimum. We highly recommend Great Expectations to any family.

– Donna B. (parent), Santa Monica

Our tutor really understood how to help my daughter prepare for the SAT. He was able to identify early on the specific areas where she needed to improve, and most importantly, what type of preparation she needed to do in order to make those gains. Thanks to a 510-point improvement, my daughter will be attending Stanford University in the fall. Thank you!

– Susan H. (parent), Santa Monica

I wasn’t treated just like any high school student; I was able to focus on my weaknesses and enhance my skills. My tutor was very knowledgeable about the intricacies of both the ACT and the SAT. Because of this, I was able to study more efficiently for each of them. With the help of my GE tutor, I scored a 34 on my ACT and was admitted to Amherst College (my top choice) Early Decision.

– Jenn K. (student), Pacific Palisades

My daughter was fairly independent in the college application process. That being said, we (and especially me, lol) needed somebody to bounce things off of. Jen Kaifesh came highly recommended to us, and she lived up to her excellent reputation. She has her finger on the pulse of the college application madness--and I found her to be resourceful as well as realistic. My daughter is an excellent student but really had no "hooks". She was admitted to several elite colleges and will be attending an Ivy League University this fall. I 100% recommend Jen and her amazing expertise!

– M.D. (parent), Pacific Palisades

It was truly amazing that my daughter got through all the applications, wrote all the essays, ended up feeling confident about the testing process, and even enjoyed the time spent with her counselor...and more or less stress free. GE College Prep, YOU ROCK!! You are a parents fantasy come true. I really can't thank you enough!

– Rae V. (parent), Los Angeles

I was a little hesitant at first to use a college prep company for my daughter. I had a bad (and expensive) experience with Revolution Prep earlier, and I was not a believer after that. When I realized that we needed a little help, I asked a few parents from her high school if they could recommend someone that would be able to give us more personal "one on one" time. Wow, I'm so thankful that Jennifer at GE College Prep was able to fill those shoes. I never thought that my mind could be changed. It turned out to be such a positive experience, and the best of all...(besides the fact that she got into every college she applied to except for 1 waitlisted status), my daughter got to be around someone so full of knowledge and positive energy.

– Rae V. (parent), Los Angeles

The value add for the money spent is far beyond expectations. I’m sure you have clients that spend a lot more money than we did, so we are so grateful for your valuable time and attention. You can count on me to be an enthusiastic advocate for Great Expectations to everyone I know getting ready for the college preparation process. Great Expectations’ guidance equipped Tim with the tools to highlight the best he had to offer in a genuine way. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

– Claudia L. (parent), Torrance

There are no words to say how much I appreciate your counseling with Tim during his college application process. Tim has been accepted to EVERY school to which he applied; including his top choice! Tim is a proud member of the Class of 2023 Wolverines! Your approach with Tim was tailor made. Lessons were structured and incredibly efficient. I’m amazed at how much you accomplished in a limited amount of time.

– Claudia L. (parent), Torrance

There are so many bizarre ins and outs of applying to college that stump, and subsequently freak out, 98 percent of high school seniors, but my counselor knew how to deal with them: whether it was a Common App glitch, questions that don’t make any sense, or scheduling (and preparing for) interviews, I was well-prepared. I received an acceptance from Stanford University, my top choice, and I am 100 percent positive that without GE, I would not have submitted a strong enough application to get in. Working with GE definitely puts any student in the best possible position when the time rolls around to start thinking about college.

– Benny D. (student), Pacific Palisades

I was referred to Great Expectations College Prep from a friend who initially said, ‘This company will preserve your relationship with your teen during a very stressful time and will make sure every "i" is dotted and every "t" is crossed when it comes to college applications.’ Her referral went beyond my highest expectations!

– Gina K. (parent), Pacific Palisades

Using Jen Kaifesh, the founder of Great Expectations, was the best decision ever! Jen helped my daughter through her college planning process--from deciding where to apply, to the application process, to making her final decision. Jen is the perfect mix of a writing coach/organizer/motivator/enforcer; she truly helped us stay focused during this extremely stressful time. Thanks to Jen, my daughter was admitted to 85% of the universities she applied to, including Princeton, Penn, Northwestern, Notre Dame and UCLA. Jen's guidance was truly priceless!

– Nancy B. (parent), Valencia

Wow! What an amazing company. My college application process could not have been more efficiently organized, thanks to the help from Great Expectations College Prep. I began in the beginning of summer and my applications were ready to submit way before they were due. I believe the fine tuning of my essays helped me get into my top schools, USC and Berkeley.

– Hannah W. (student), Santa Barbara

I can honestly say that my experiences with each of my tutors was nothing short of spectacular. They are not only wonderful tutors, they are all committed, understanding, friendly people. During my last-minute, panicked cram sessions that would occasionally run as late as 1:00am, my tutors did whatever it took to keep my attention and keep my work rate up (sometimes that meant feeding me chocolate periodically). I would recommend Great Expectations to absolutely anyone because I am confident that their tutors are capable of helping any student through whatever academic challenges may arise.

– Justine L. (student), Los Angeles

We are extremely satisfied and grateful Great Expectations customers. We have used its services for several years, including to advise and assist our son with applications to high school and college. Great Expectations provided invaluable assistance with test preparation, essays, the common application, UC applications and other application hurdles. Throughout the otherwise daunting process, founder Jen Kaifesh and other tutors at Great Expectations have been consistently well-informed, thoughtful, patient and tactful. They helped keep our son organized and energized, and let us maintain family harmony by allowing his parents to step out of the college application process, knowing it was being well-handled. Thanks to Great Expectations our son ultimately had his choice of several excellent colleges!

– Gerry G. (parent), Malibu

We are very pleased with my daughter's results. Whitney helped my daughter with her USC application and she had great tips on how to improve it. Chelese was my daughter's main counselor and she was a tremendous help to my daughter during the college application process. Among other things she helped her choose which schools to apply to. Chelese was always available to my daughter and we can't thank her enough. As it came down to the wire, she was even reachable while she was out of town. Her dedication, patience, and availability shows that she truly cares for each of her students. Great Expectations is a great company and well worth it! Among many others, my daughter was accepted to Cornell, USC, and Carnegie Mellon!

– Karla P. (parent), Chino Hills

We used multiple people from this company for SAT prep, college planning and essay writing. Each person was so professional, knowledgeable, punctual, friendly, etc... My son related to every person and best of all, they got results -- his SAT score went up 250 points and he got into a dream college. It is so nice to be able to have someone that you and your child both trust help you navigate through the very stressful college application process.

– Jenifer B. (parent), Santa Monica

Through hard work and the inspiration from my tireless tutors, my test scores rose tremendously and my essays became clear, cogent, and representative of me as an individual. Without GE College Prep, I truly believe I wouldn't have been able to get into my dream school, the University of Michigan! I highly recommend looking into GE College Prep because of their amazing team of professionals and years of experience.

– Katharine C. (student), Beverly Hills

I can't imagine going through the college application process without Great Expectations! The first session my tutor and I sat down and created a spreadsheet that detailed every test score, essay topic, deadline, and other requirements for each school. That spreadsheet was my lifeline for the next few months, and needless to say, I never missed a single deadline. My high school college counselors encouraged me to only keep my sights on "target schools," namely schools where I was well within the range of test scores and grades. Great Expectations, on the other hand, encouraged me to reach past those target schools, and as a result, I was accepted to almost every school I applied to -- even if I wasn't quite in their "range."

– Nadine C. (student), Los Angeles

I'm so thankful I had Jen Kaifesh and Great Expectations to depend on to provide my two sons with good subject test, ACT and SAT tutors and college application essay writing counselors over the past three years. It was very convenient to only have to call one place for all our college prep assistance. When I had a specific question about something in the application process, Jen always offered me quick and useful advice. And, when I had a concern with a tutor one time, Jen jumped right in and immediately addressed the problem herself. Jen and her crew kept our family sane during this stressful process AND both my boys got into great universities. So, in sum, Great Expectations is the perfect size- small enough to offer personal service but big enough to offer a wide array of qualified tutors/counselors. Thank you so much Jen and Great Expectations.

– Cameron B. (parent), Sherman Oaks

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Blog

Wondering how to prepare for your college interviews?

November 27, 2018 / Operations Staff / College Counseling / Leave a comment

Check out these tips from our college counselors! Dress code: Dress on the conservative side, and business casual is a good starting point. If you have to ask yourself, “Is this appropriate to wear on interview day?”….then it probably isn’t....

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The College Audition: What Every Prospective Undergraduate Drama Student Should Know

November 19, 2018 / Operations Staff / College Counseling / Leave a comment

by Nicole Pacent-Lindquist As we all know, the college application process is a doozy no matter what schools/majors you’re considering. There are college visits to make, standardized tests to take, essays upon essays to write, and applications...

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The Impact of Athletics on the College Admissions Process

October 24, 2018 / Operations Staff / Athletic Recruitment / Leave a comment

by Katie Charles You’re a strong athlete at the high school level...maybe you even participate on a club team or in a development league. Now, you think you may want to continue playing at the next level. The recruiting process can seem...

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Shopping for a Test Prep Company or an Independent Tutor?

September 18, 2018 / Operations Staff / Academic Tutoring, Test Prep / Leave a comment

“How much do your services cost?” This is one of the FIRST questions we get from prospective clients and we completely understand…tutoring can be a costly investment! And with any big purchase comes research, competitor comparisons, and of course,...

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So much to do, so little time

July 9, 2018 / Operations Staff / College Counseling / Leave a comment

Whether you are beginning high school as a freshman or embarking on your last year as a senior, fall semester is a whirlwind. There are new classes, new faces, new changes to the campus. There are existing friends to reunite with, club meetings to...

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My Own Personal College Counselor: Part Two

May 8, 2018 / Operations Staff / College Counseling / Leave a comment

by Lorraine Petrie I went to a private high school, so the teacher-to-student ratio was low, our class sizes were small, and we received more personalized attention than public school kids. But while my college counselor didn’t have a heavy...

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My Own Personal College Counselor: Part One

March 27, 2018 / Operations Staff / College Counseling / Leave a comment

by Lorraine Petrie Ever since I was a kid, I just assumed everyone went to college after high school. Just like going from kindergarten to first grade, then grade school to high school…it was simply the natural progression of things. There wasn’t...

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Little Fish, Big Pond: The reality check from High School to College

January 18, 2018 / Operations Staff / College Counseling / Leave a comment

by Lorraine Petrie If you think your application stands out, I’m sorry to break it to you but...it probably doesn’t. You’re familiar with the checklist: Good GPA AP Classes Sports Leadership Community Service Job Here was...

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I don’t need a tutor…I can just study for the SAT/ACT on my own

September 20, 2017 / Operations Staff / Test Prep / Leave a comment

Between volleyball practice, homework, ASB meetings, AND having a social life, I was not particularly interested in spending hours of time each week studying for the SAT, let alone taking the exam altogether. I was a good student, self-motivated,...

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Tutor/Counselor Spotlight: Meghan Davis Mercer

August 3, 2017 / Operations Staff / College Counseling / Leave a comment

From High School to College as a Music Lover: A Bit of Advice by Meghan Davis Mercer, PhD When I was seventeen years old, I had a big decision to make—should I pursue a career in violin performance at a music conservatory or attend a more...

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