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

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

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 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

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

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

Changes to the PSAT

September 5, 2023 / Operations Staff / Test Prep / Leave a comment

By: Nevada Ryan It is well known that the SAT is undergoing a major change next year. Beginning in March of 2024, the new SAT– the Digital SAT – will have a completely different format and be administered through a computer-based...

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Early Decision/Early Action/Restrictive Early Action: What They Mean and Strategies for Using Them

September 1, 2023 / Operations Staff / College Counseling, Test Prep / Leave a comment

By: Ashley Cole For each year of your academic life, you may have mixed emotions about returning to school in the fall. You may feel excitement, indifference, or absolute dread. If this is your senior year, it’s possible that you are...

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Avoiding the Test Optional Trap

June 24, 2023 / Operations Staff / Academic Tutoring, College Counseling, Test Prep / Leave a comment

by Nevada Ryan The term “test optional” has been around for decades. The first college to institute a test optional admissions policy, Bowdoin College, did so in 1969. It wasn’t until 2020, however, when the coronavirus pandemic forced it from...

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5 Reasons to Take AP Classes and Exams

March 24, 2022 / Operations Staff / Academic Tutoring, College Counseling, Test Prep / Leave a comment

by Chelese Belmont Each year, spring rolls around, and high school students everywhere crack open their cram books, pour over their class notes, and prepare to sit for their AP exams during two weeks in May. The culmination of a year’s worth of...

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The Case for AP History

March 10, 2022 / Operations Staff / Academic Tutoring, Test Prep / Leave a comment

by Ali Kinkade If you’re a student trying to make your transcripts look better for college but who is wary of APs, AP History could be a good fit ⁠— and actually may be a better experience than standard history! Why? Here are several reasons:...

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Moving Through the Four Stages of Competence

August 16, 2021 / Operations Staff / Academic Tutoring, Study Skills, Test Prep / Leave a comment

by Ali Kinkade Any time you learn a new skill, whether that’s ballet, Spanish, self-care, or the ACT, you move through four stages of competence: Unconscious incompetence Conscious incompetence Conscious competence Unconscious...

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Testing Requirement Updates During COVID-19

April 3, 2020 / Operations Staff / Test Prep / Leave a comment

How Optional Is Test-Optional? by Jen Kaifesh There have been a lot of questions since the UC system’s announcement that standardized tests will be optional for students submitting applications in the fall of 2020. Test-optional admissions...

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How many times should I take the SAT/ACT?

December 12, 2019 / Operations Staff / Test Prep / Leave a comment

by Annie Manion One of the most frequent questions I get as a test prep tutor is: how many times should a student plan to take either the SAT or the ACT? Neither ACT, the non-profit organization that administers the ACT exam, nor College Board...

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When should YOU be preparing?

June 18, 2019 / Operations Staff / Academic Tutoring, Athletic Recruitment, College Counseling, Test Prep / Leave a comment

Many students begin preparing for the SAT/ACT as early as the summer before their junior year, while others put it off until fall of their senior year. Whether you fall in the first or last group (or somewhere in between), the important thing is...

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An Open Letter to Our Families

March 14, 2019 / Operations Staff / Academic Tutoring, Athletic Recruitment, College Counseling, Study Skills, Test Prep / Leave a comment

GE College Prep families, In the last 48 hours, there has been a flood of outrage over the individuals who conspired to steal coveted spots from deserving applicants at top universities. While some may find it inconceivable that anyone would...

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