...I couldn't be happier with Great Expectations...My son feels very fortunate to be attending the perfect school for him, a school that was actually recommended by Nicole in one of their first online meetings. Everyone at Great Expectations was knowledgeable, and on top of their game, and I feel very fortunate that my son was matched with Nicole throughout this process.

– Brooks R. (parent), Los Angeles, CA

A huge thank you to Ryan S, my son's ACT test prep tutor. He was kind, patient, extremely helpful, and very attentive to helping my son prepare for the ACT. He challenged him and was always available to answer any questions or concerns that either of us had. I have used GE test prep in the past for my daughter and highly recommended them. Jen and her team are outstanding and I couldn’t be more happy.

– Kelly M. (parent), Garden Grove

Great Expectations College Prep is an amazing, hands on company. They care so much about their clients, offering services of general tutoring, ACT and SAT prep, as well as guiding students all the way through the college admissions process in a professional and experienced manner. Their owner, Jen, is a caring, intelligent, wonderful role model! Her staff is the best of the best, namely Chelese who works with transfer students, and helped me to achieve admission to my dream school. Highly recommend!

– Isabella M. (student), Pacific Palisades

I had Jeannie as a tutor, and she was great! With her help, my ACT score when up 6 points. She tailored our sessions to spend the perfect amount of time on both review and practice, and she was super reasonable with how much homework/practice I had to do on my own time. Her explanations were always very concise, and she would give me testing strategies that were fitting to my own strengths/weaknesses. I struggled with timing on the reading section, and she helped me plan the order of the passages and which ones I should skim to save the most amount of time. My reading score improved by 12 points! I had a super good experience with Great Expectations, and as you can tell, my tutor too!

– Elle M. (student), Hermosa Beach

Worked with Nicole with both of my daughters - I can't speak highly enough. She is thoughtful, consistent, diligent. Great access, great relationship with our daughters -- great results!

– Joan K. (parent), Santa Monica

Meghan made the process infinitely easier! The sense of calm. The creativity. The sense of humor. The knowledge of the schools. Her valuable suggestions vis-à-vis the essays. I cannot begin to do Meghan justice in my words. Thank you! Thank you!

– Karin O. (parent), Pacific Palisades

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

Great Expectations matched me with the best tutor I’ve ever worked with. For someone who cannot take a standardized test to save my life, my tutor helped me truly grasp the concepts and different approaches to each section. Not only did my score improve more than 300 points, but the time flew and it never felt like tutoring. She was a joy to be around and an amazing motivator.

– Clara C. (student), Santa Monica

Knowledgable, caring counselors who are dedicated to helping your children with the college submission process. Jennifer and her team can help set manageable expectations and take the scary out of the college admission process.

– Shirley B. (parent), Pacific Palisades

Between the SAT/ACT prep and the college planning process sending my two daughters off to college was pretty easy and stress free. Jen and her handpicked staff are excellent! I've always been contacted to make sure that the tutor and my child are a good fit and the progress being made (I love the follow-up emails after each tutor session keeping me updated). Most importantly I feel Jen and her tutors communicate very well with my kids, which in turn gave confidence to my girls to take ownership of their own college process. I'll have daughter number 3 for them to guide in 2 more years!

– Hanna O. (parent), Manhattan Beach

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

I really appreciate Great Expectations College Prep! Thanks to them, the college application process was greatly simplified. Between helping to narrow down my list of schools, providing helpful feedback on my essays, and even giving advice on choosing the right school for me, GECP made the whole process far less stressful than it could have been. I also appreciated that my college counselor was very flexible with scheduling meetings to fit my busy schedule.

– Diane M. (student), Los Angeles

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

I used the services of Great Expectations for over two years and am so grateful for every session. My tutor helped me with everything from testing to the application process. My test scores improved dramatically in each section because GE helped me understand the nuances of the tests and how to attack each section in the way that best fit to my skills. In addition, the college application process felt so smooth with the help of my GE tutor. I was confident in my essays and knew that I was turning in the best applications I could. Overall, I would highly recommend the tutors at Great Expectations - not only do they teach you everything you need to know about the SAT, ACT, or college applications, but they develop a relationship with you filled with trust, kindness, and teamwork.

– Dallas M. (student), Brentwood

Best investment ever for my son! He wanted to go to a 4 year college and at risk of not getting in! Jennifer tutored him to achieve a great score on ACT and that helped him get into the college of his choice. She did all the work with him on the application process and helped us pick the most appropriate schools to apply. Today we are on a college tour of his first pick and thrilled he was accepted! We owe it all to Jennifer at Great Expectations. Thank you Jennifer. We are truly grateful and owe this accomplishment to you!

– Lisa G. (parent), Newport Beach

I had Jen Kaifesh as my college counselor, and it truly was the best decision I have ever made! Jen helped me from beginning to end. She helped me form my list of colleges, edit the applications, and connected me with great tutors for the ACT and subject tests. Jen's spirit and passion for helping students is unparalleled. She provided support and motivation and she really truly cares about the students that she works with. Thanks to her, I got the ACT score that I wanted and am going to be attending my dream school next year. It was an incredible investment, and I would not be where I am if it wasn't for her!!!

– Hannah 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

The tutors at GE prep don’t let you slack off — many of my friends took prep courses with a group of people or in a classroom setting where they were able to get away with not completing their assigned practice tests, and were also not shown techniques that might have worked best for them individually. Working one-on-one with a tutor who knows you very well is a crucial component in getting the best score a student can on a standardized test! I am so grateful for the personalized techniques and attention I had when preparing for the ACT because I couldn’t have been more pleased with the result.

– Jennifer E. (student), Pacific Palisades

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

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Meet Our Staff

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Abby T

ClassicAcademic TutorTest Prep TutorCollege Counselor

Education	Earned a B.A. in Neuroscience and a double minor in Acting and Music from UC Berkeley
Hobbies	Acting, piano, running, yoga, reading, watching movies, traveling
Test Prep	SAT (Reading and Writing, Math), ACT (English, Math, Reading, Science, Writing), ISEE, HSPT
Academic Subjects	Creative Writing, AP English Language & Composition, AP English Literature & CompositionBiology, Molecular BiologyFrench I, French II
General Strengths	elementary education, organizational skills, speed reading skills, creative writing, study skills, reading comprehension, literary analysis, college-level courseworksummer enrichment planning, editing and proofreading college essays, resume review/evaluation, pre-college summer programs, course selection for high school, college audition preparation for performance tracks, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs, UC specialization, college research and advisement, course selection for undergraduate programs, college list building, highly selective colleges/universities specialization, high school selection, transcript analysis, extracurricular/resume development, personal statement brainstorming and composition, scholarship search (merit-based aid), interview skills, art portfolio building and review, performing arts programs, musical theatre programs, classical performance and composition music programs, acting programs
Related Experience	Extensive tutoring experience across various academic subjects, worked with students through their college admissions process, created and taught original theatre curriculum to middle school aged students, worked in a metalingual development lab at UC Berkeley with children, UGSI for Chemistry at UC Berkeley in Chemistry 1A; experience with individual coaching and planning for acting, vocal and technical theatre concentrations

Ali K

ClassicAcademic TutorTest Prep Tutor

Education	Earned a B.F.A. in Acting from Brigham Young University
Hobbies	Traveling, hiking, writing, comedy, movies, and browsing used bookstores
Test Prep	SAT (Reading and Writing, Math), ACT (English, Math, Reading, Science, Writing), ISEE
Academic Subjects	American Literature, British Literature, World Literature, Composition, Creative Writing, Journalism, AP English Language & Composition, AP English Literature & CompositionWorld Civilizations/World History, European History, AP European History, US History, AP US History, AP World History
General Strengths	elementary education, academic writing, organizational skills, managing test anxiety, creative writing, study skills, reading comprehension, literary analysis
Related Experience	Test prep and academic tutoring experience, specializing in AP tests; served as teaching assistant to students with learning differences and test anxiety; tutored in the theatre department at BYU; volunteered as a tutor at the Boys and Girls Club and for the Utah public school system

Annie M

ClassicAcademic TutorTest Prep Tutor

Education	Earned a B.A. in East Asian Languages and Civilization from University of Chicago with a focus on Japanese media, graduated with honors; earned an M.A. in East Asian Studies from the University of Southern California; earned a Ph.D. in Critical Film Studies at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts
Hobbies	Cooking, exploring historic Los Angeles, movies and television, entertaining, and exercise
Test Prep	SAT (Reading and Writing, Math), ACT (English, Math, Reading, Science, Writing), TOEFL, ISEE, HSPT
Academic Subjects	Creative WritingEuropean History, US History
General Strengths	Research papersacademic writing, managing test anxiety, creative writing, reading comprehension, standardized test advisement, ESL, literary analysis, students with learning differences, test-taking psychology, college-level coursework
Related Experience	15+ years tutoring experience, specializing in English language skills, academic writing, and standardized testing; served as teaching assistant and writing tutor for undergraduates in the Critical Studies Department at USC's School of Cinematic Arts; taught Introduction to Japanese Film at Sophia University in Tokyo as a Fulbright-Hays Scholar

Ara N

ClassicAcademic TutorCollege Counselor

Education	Earned a B.A. in English from the University of Southern California and an M.F.A. in Writing from Otis College of Art & Design
Hobbies	Music and video production, reading, screenwriting, travel and cooking
Test Prep
Academic Subjects	American Literature, Composition, Creative Writing, JournalismUS History & Government, World Civilizations/World History
General Strengths	academic writing, creative writing, reading comprehension, literary analysis, students with learning differences, students with ASDinternational student application process, major advisement/selection, editing and proofreading college essays, transfer student application process, course selection for high school, UC specialization, athletic recruitment process, non-traditional student application process, college research and advisement, humanities programs, Cal State specialization, foreign college/university application process, college list building, film programs, arts & music Masters and Ph.D. programs, extracurricular/resume development, application review, personal statement brainstorming and composition, arts & music programs, liberal arts school specialization, interview skills, homeschool student application process, art portfolio building and review, classical performance and composition music programs, contemporary music programs, music industry programs, film, television, and digital media
Related Experience	Extensive experience in many areas of education, including college admissions, administration, and teaching; served as post-secondary counselor at a private high school for over 10 years; member of the American School Counselor Association; familiar with traditional and non-traditional post-secondary paths; well versed in all the current trends affecting both private and state school admissions; believes that mentorship is an integral component of the college counseling process and is passionate about helping students realize their hidden potential; multi-instrumentalist, specializing in guitar, drums, bass, and piano; very familiar with both conservatory and modern music programs, along with music production and studio recording

Ashley C

ClassicCollege Counselor

Education	Earned a B.S. in Criminal Justice, a M. S. in Law and Public Policy, and a Post Grad Certificate in Forensic Science and Law; earned an Ed.D., ABD in Organizational Leadership at Northeastern University
Hobbies	Gardening (flowers, plants and foods), cooking, language lessons (Spanish and Arabic), fitness, reading, domestic and international travel, visiting universities, quality time with my dog, a rescued pomapoo
Test Prep
Academic Subjects
General Strengths	Graduate admissionsinternational student application process, major advisement/selection, editing and proofreading college essays, financial aid (need-based aid), resume review/evaluation, transfer student application process, pre-college summer programs, course selection for high school, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs, non-traditional student application process, college research and advisement, course selection for undergraduate programs, journalism programs, foreign college/university application process, college list building, highly selective colleges/universities specialization, high school selection, transcript analysis, extracurricular/resume development, application review, personal statement brainstorming and composition, business programs, medical school applications, scholarship search (merit-based aid), liberal arts school specialization, interview skills, homeschool student application process, mock interviews, career assessment tools
Related Experience	Current admissions reader at an Ivy League university; 12 years of experience in university admission offices at highly selective universities (Private and Public); 6 years of experience as a Director of University Counseling at an international, bilingual K-12 school with a record of impressive admissions results globally; 7 years of independent and private advising for domestic and international undergraduate and graduate students; visited campuses in nearly 20 countries and hundreds of domestic universities; experience working with students holding a variety of citizenships and passports; skilled in designing and presenting all aspects of university advising content; webinars, boot camps, and special programs; deep understanding of admission processes and educational philosophies in a variety of countries and regions including US, UK, Canada, EU, Middle East, Asia, Australia; outstanding university relationships; named "Exemplary Counselor of 2019" by the College Board

Ashwini G

ClassicAcademic TutorTest Prep Tutor

Education	Earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and an M.S. in Engineering Management from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Hobbies	Watching movies, trying new foods (especially desserts!), beach walks, and playing with my niece
Test Prep	ACT (English, Math, Reading, Science, Writing)
Academic Subjects	Algebra 2, Geometry, Trigonometry, Precalculus, Calculus, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BCPsychology, AP Psychology
General Strengths	academic writing, organizational skills, managing test anxiety, creative writing, study skills, standardized test advisement, literary analysis, test-taking psychology, college-level coursework
Related Experience	Worked as an engineering tutor at the Cal Poly Writing and Learning Center; one year of experience working in technology consulting; worked as a resident assistant for first year students; led a group of first-year students in a community service leadership program; hosted a community event to encourage girls' involvement in STEM

Austin L

ClassicCollege Counselor

Education	Earned a B.A. in Biology from Harvard; earned a M.D. from the University of California, San Francisco
Hobbies	Swimming, Surfing, Travel, International Cuisine, Convenience Cooking, Concerts, Music Festivals
Test Prep
Academic Subjects
General Strengths	Combined/accelerated medical/dental programsmajor advisement/selection, editing and proofreading college essays, resume review/evaluation, pre-college summer programs, course selection for high school, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs, college research and advisement, course selection for undergraduate programs, college list building, highly selective colleges/universities specialization, high school selection, transcript analysis, extracurricular/resume development, application review, personal statement brainstorming and composition, medical school applications, interview skills
Related Experience	Curricular teaching assistant at UCSF to 150+ first-year medical students; Peer Teaching Program teacher to 20-40 third-year medical students; PILLAR Summer Program teacher to 5 first-year medical students; Served as an assistant mentor to the UC Berkeley and Los Angeles chapters of GMMA, a medical missions organization focused on healthcare professions mentorship

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