...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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Sajel O

ClassicAcademic TutorCollege Counselor

Education	Earned a B.F.A. in Drama from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts
Hobbies	Acting, classical singing and musical theater, songwriting, guitar, hiking/yoga, Cinespia movie nights, Bollywood dancing
Test Prep
Academic Subjects	Composition, Creative Writing, Journalism, AP English Language & Composition, AP English Literature & CompositionBiology, AP Biology, Human Anatomy and PhysiologyUS History & Government, World Civilizations/World History, US History, AP US History, AP World History, Eastern PhilosophySpanish ILeadership, World Religions, Food & Nutrition, Film Studies/Film Integration/Media
General Strengths	elementary education, academic writing, organizational skills, managing test anxiety, creative writing, study skills, reading comprehension, technical writing, literary analysissummer enrichment planning, major advisement/selection, editing and proofreading college essays, financial aid (need-based aid), resume review/evaluation, pre-college summer programs, college audition preparation for performance tracks, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs, UC specialization, college research and advisement, course selection for undergraduate programs, humanities programs, college list building, public health programs, highly selective colleges/universities specialization, transcript analysis, extracurricular/resume development, application review, personal statement brainstorming and composition, medical school applications, scholarship search (merit-based aid), liberal arts school specialization, interview skills, dance programs, dental programs
Related Experience	Extensive experience with college counseling, test prep for SAT/ACT, and tutoring a wide variety of academic subjects (5+ years); involved in peer-tutoring programs during high school; worked as SAT test prep instructor in a group/private setting; specialization in college application essay composition with extensive editing experience; AP and subject specific tutoring; unique experience with supplemental arts applications for musical theater and drama; graduated top of class at an arts magnet high school with acceptance to 20+ top tier schools; actress/classical and musical theater singer (12 years); competitive Bollywood dancer (6 years)

Samarah B

ClassicCollege Counselor

Education	Earned a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Washington; earned a Master of Public Policy and a Ph.D. in Education from UC Los Angeles
Hobbies	Decorating my house (or any room that I can get my hands on!), swimming, hiking, attending football and basketball games, concerts at the Hollywood Bowl, and binge watching K-dramas on Netflix
Test Prep
Academic Subjects
General Strengths	college-level courseworksummer enrichment planning, major advisement/selection, editing and proofreading college essays, social science programs, 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, UC specialization, non-traditional student application process, college research and advisement, course selection for undergraduate programs, journalism programs, humanities programs, social science Masters and Ph.D. programs, Cal State specialization, college list building, course selection for Masters and Ph.D. programs, highly selective colleges/universities specialization, transcript analysis, extracurricular/resume development, application review, personal statement brainstorming and composition, business programs, interview skills
Related Experience	More than 15 years of experience as a college preparation, admission, retention, and success educator at the high school and college levels; worked with university pre-college outreach programs and non-profit organizations to support students in all aspects of the college preparation process; 10 years of experience teaching college courses and managing university programs at UCLA and UC Riverside, focused on student success and graduation while in college; extensive experience working with a wide range of students from different backgrounds; expertise and knowledge with HBCUs, out-of-state college options, and highly selective public universities; strong passion for artfully engaging students in a creative and empowering admission essay writing process, providing support with compassion and understanding for both the student and their families; strong experience in scholarship support

Sarah R

ClassicCollege Counselor

Education	Earned a B.A. in Communications Studies and a minor in Philosophy from UC Los Angeles; Earned a College Counseling Certification from UC San Diego
Hobbies	Writing poetry, thrifting, fashion styling, exploring LA, attending concerts, spending time with my friends, 3 sisters, and 2 cats, binging too much Netflix, listening to the same songs on repeat
Test Prep
Academic Subjects
General Strengths	Deadline managementacademic writing, organizational skills, creative writing, reading comprehension, literary analysis, students with learning differences, students with ASDmajor advisement/selection, editing and proofreading college essays, social science programs, resume review/evaluation, transfer student application process, course selection for high school, UC specialization, International Baccalaureate (IB), college research and advisement, course selection for undergraduate programs, humanities programs, Cal State specialization, college list building, application review, personal statement brainstorming and composition, interview skills
Related Experience	Eight years of experience in independent college counseling, specializing in application essays

Shalaka P

ClassicCollege Counselor

Education	Earned a First Class B.A. Jurisprudence from the University of Oxford; Earned an LL.M., with a Specialization in International and Comparative Law from UC Los Angeles Law School, Dean's Fellow and Moot Court Champion
Hobbies	Global travel, ceramics, boxing, and making excellent homemade cappuccinos and lattes
Test Prep
Academic Subjects	Spanish I, Spanish II, Spanish III, Spanish IV, Spanish VInternational Relations, Criminal Law/Pre-Law
General Strengths	Editing and proofreading international admissions essays, program selection at international schools (particularly humanities and social sciences programs), advisement on pros and cons of international universities, highly selective international school applications, interview skills for specialized international universitiesacademic writing, organizational skills, study skills, reading comprehension, literary analysisinternational student application process, summer enrichment planning, major advisement/selection, resume review/evaluation, foreign college/university application process, transcript analysis, extracurricular/resume development, application review, personal statement brainstorming and composition
Related Experience	Former Admissions Reader at UC Berkeley; led access initiatives for prospective students at University of Oxford; extremely versed in international application processes

Sofia T

ClassicAcademic Tutor

Education	Earned a B.A. in French and a minor in Anthropology; M.A. in French Literature and a TESL Certificate from University of Florida
Hobbies	Yoga, hiking, surfing, cycling, acoustic guitar, traveling, sailing, watching live comedy shows, and watching movies
Test Prep
Academic Subjects	Spanish I, Spanish II, Spanish III, Spanish IV, Spanish V, AP Spanish Language and Culture, French I, French II, French III, French IV, French V, AP French Language and Culture, French Literature & Arts
General Strengths	academic writing, organizational skills, speed reading skills, study skills, reading comprehension, ESL, college-level coursework
Related Experience	Extensive experience in tutoring French, ESL and Spanish to children and adults; attained experience as a teaching assistant for French I and French II at University of Florida for two years; worked in Sydney, Australia at two institutions teaching ESL and helped students prepare for English exams to include the IELTS for one year; worked and lived in central Europe (Luxembourg) for almost 4 years, and tutored Spanish and worked in a francophone office environment at a top American financial investment banking firm

Stephanie R

ClassicCollege Counselor

Education	Earned a B.A. in Humanities from Yale University; earned an M.F.A. from NYU's Tisch School of The Arts with a concentration in writing and directing
Hobbies	Writing young adult fiction, reading, traveling, languages, watching TV and movies of all kinds, watching Premier League, hanging out with my family and the world's best dog, and finding the best Thai food in Los Angeles
Test Prep
Academic Subjects
General Strengths	elementary education, organizational skills, creative writingsummer enrichment planning, major advisement/selection, editing and proofreading college essays, resume review/evaluation, pre-college summer programs, course selection for high school, college research and advisement, humanities programs, film programs, highly selective colleges/universities specialization, high school selection, extracurricular/resume development, personal statement brainstorming and composition, liberal arts school specialization, interview skills
Related Experience	5+ years of tutoring experience including college essays, high school essay writing, middle school writing, creative writing, play and film writing, and English; story and writing specialist; extensive experience with story - created and wrote over 20 hours of produced network television; unique experience with application to competitive film and theater programs; deep understanding of private elementary and secondary schools, understanding of current trends affecting both private and state school admissions; extensive experience applying to and gaining acceptance to competitive academic programs; true passion for helping students feel empowered and supported during the admission process; strong ability to help students harness their creativity and tap into their unique qualities during the essay writing process

Stephen B

ClassicAcademic TutorTest Prep Tutor

Education	Earned a B.A. in Public and International Affairs from Princeton University, with minors in Sustainable Energy and History & The Practice of Diplomacy
Hobbies	Appreciating so-bad-they're-good movies with friends; listening to music (some favorites are Evanescence and Boris Godunov); singing; writing (at first, poetry and aiming towards a novel, now screenwriting!); hiking; racquetball
Test Prep	ACT (English, Math, Reading, Science, Writing)
Academic Subjects	Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, Trigonometry, Precalculus, Calculus, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, Statistics, AP StatisticsComposition, Creative Writing, AP English Language & CompositionChemistry, AP Chemistry, AP Physics C: MechanicsEuropean History, AP European History, US History, AP US History, AP US Government/Politics, AP Comparative Government/Politics, Microeconomics, AP Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, AP MacroeconomicsGerman (any)
General Strengths	academic writing, creative writing, study skills, reading comprehension, standardized test advisement, students with learning differences, test-taking psychology, college-level coursework
Related Experience	2+ years of professional academic and test prep tutoring, particularly focused on AP Exams and the SAT/ACT; volunteer tutor across multiple grades of math; studied methods of reducing Chinese rural poverty, student behavior and campus CO2 emissions, and tariffs on the world solar industry

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