My son dreamed of NYU Tisch Film and we knew we needed help in the applicaton process. Jen at Great Expectations recommended the perfect fit. Sajel Oelerich made the college application process so seamless and SO much easier. From the moment my son first spoke with her, he knew that Sajel was the key to getting into his dream school. Her patience, advice, demeanor and enthusiasm were beyond incredible. She gently pushed him and helped him to see how much more he could bring to his applications. He looked forward to his sessions and after each one he came out more energized, more excited and SO much less stressed out. He got into his dream school! Thank you so much Sajel and thank you Great Expectations! -Deb S. read more

We had a terrible experience with this group. I would have told the owner director had she ever checked in during the process. We did not even use all of the hours. read more

I worked with Julian very closely while I was applying for colleges. He was a tremendous help and was always so meticulous and thorough when it came to essay revisions. As a first generation student, he helped ease a lot of my anxiety surrounding the college application process. I applied to six different colleges and got acceptances to all of them and that would not have been possible without Julian! read more

When our son wanted to go to college for sound engineering, my husband and I knew we were way out of our depth and needed to call in a music specialist for his college hunt. Miriam Clarke was an angel from heaven for our family. She made what can be a nightmare process into a real joy. She is realistic, can deliver hard messages, but is also encouraging and just so amazingly helpful. Our son got into a great school and received scholarship money as well. Our son would not have been able to do this without Miriam's guidance. She was available at all time with support for our son but also for us as we navigated the emotions and hard work that comes along with college applications. I could not ever say enough about how Miriam really helped our family. I would recommend her to anyone who has a child going through this process- her services were worth every penny and then some! read more

If your child and your family have the opportunity to work with Ashley Cole, thank your lucky stars. She will strategize with your child, help with essays, and come up with ideas building on your child's strengths like no one else can. Whether you have a difficult situation or an easy one, Ashley will remain positive and encouraging so that your child will soar to new heights. Thank you for everything Ashley! We love you and feel so lucky we found you after searching far and wide. read more

We absolutely love Great Expectations!!! They worked with our first child and she got accepted to almost every school she applied to! We had the pleasure of working with a few different parts of their team from ACT prep to French and tutoring. We wouldn't use anyone else! We know lots of people who had experiences with different independent contractors that left them extremely unhappy, as well as some people who felt at their agencies that they weren't prioritized. That was never the case for us and I guess the best way to review a company is to let you know that you are using them again so there is that too- we are starting college counseling again for our second child this year and guess who we will are using? Thank you, Chelese and the team at great expectations! Our daughter is thriving at her University and we can't wait to see where her sister goes! read more

My daughter had an excellent experience working with Lynelle Kerstine for her college application process and got accepted Early Decision to her number one choice university. The college application process is stressful and confusing these days, from the Common App, wording your extracurriculars, deciding on the personal essay topic, and the individual college essays and what they are truly looking for in a student. My daughter attends a large public school in which the college counselors have too many students to spend individual time with each one in depth. My daughter wanted to apply to 15 colleges and it was a ton of work. We could not have stayed on track without Lynelle to guide her. We were so happy she was accepted at her ED school and we were able to withdraw all the other applications. read more

We had the pleasure of working with Ashley Cole during our son's senior year application process. GE was incredibly helpful in his essay editing process and wording for the activities sheet for the common app. When it got to specific applications, Ashley was amazing in supporting our son with his supplemental essays and making sure every box was ticked and deadline was hit. Their time together was engaging, helpful, and productive. We would not have survived this process as a family without the careful, thoughtful guidance of GE and especially Ashley Cole! read more

Enthusiastically recommended! Great Expectations is an outstanding organization. The entire team provides individualized, tailored support and incredible responsiveness. They put forth an incredible level of thought and care into finding the right college counselor for our son, and Lynelle was the perfect match. She possesses extraordinary subject matter expertise, and she also brought an amazing combination of rigor, thoughtfulness and empathy that was critical to helping our son identify and pursue the right opportunities and maximize his odds for success. He was accepted ED to his top choice, and I am convinced this would not have happened without the support of the Great Expectations team. Would give 10 stars if I could! Thank you, Lynelle and GE team!! read more

We worked with Nina Rubinstein McDaniel to help with our son's college applications and essays. Given the college applications have changed so much over the years, and the amount of information was so overwhelming, she was able to help him navigate and communicate exactly what was needed and by when. Nina clearly outlined all the deadlines and the work needed to be done without making him feel more stressed and kept it all positive in working towards his goal. It helped all of us so much as she provided a clear path to where he needed to go while helping manage expectations. Thank you Nina! He has many options so the next step is now choosing one! read more

I have an 11th grader and we are so glad we found Great Expectations! Jen is phenomenal and every time we have a call with her I breathe a sigh of relief that she is guiding us. She matched my son with the perfect ACT tutor, Nevada Ryan. He was wonderful, and from my son's first diagnostic exam to his final score he went up 5 points, to an almost perfect score. When my son has needed help on other types of projects such as some tutoring for taking an AP exam where he had not taken the AP class, Jen always has the perfect counselor to match us with. The office staff gets right back to us if we have a question and we are just very pleased to have GE Prep guiding us! read more

The team at Great Expectations College Prep was incredibly valuable in helping us navigate and figure out the whole college process. Our teenage son worked specifically with Chelese Belmont and there aren't enough stars to tell you how helpful she was. Our son had some early challenges in school and his first two HS year grades were not the best reflection of who he is as a student. By Junior year, his average was a 3.5 and then the pandemic hit and his school went to pass fail, which didn't help raise up his average. Chelese encouraged him to try and take the ACT, which he did very well on. She also helped him find schools that might look beyond just his GPA. She was incredibly thorough in helping our son (and us) understand all his options and what schools would be a good fit. She took great care in helping him craft his essay and maybe most importantly, she took the pressure off of us to make sure he hit all the deadlines. We are happy with the choices that our son has for college and Chelese has been a huge part of finding the right college and helping us make the best decision. Overall, Chelese was great! She was thoughtful, kind, honest, incredibly and supportive. She gets our best recommendation. read more

Loved my session with the owner, Jen. So knowledgeable and also patient. The information she shared in a short session on zoom was worth its weight in gold. I highly recommend her services to anybody looking for a college pathway introduction and also useful information in the beginning stages. I have yet to try their other services but intend on reconnecting with them further along in my kid's college prep and application/testing years. read more

I'm so glad I used Great Expectations rather than trying to be involved myself. My son got expert advice, and regular progress check ins, without me having to nag or fight with him or worry that I should be doing something differently. I don't know yet which colleges he'll be accepted to, but I do feel I did the best for him that I could have, and working with Yolanda was a pleasure. read more

Great Expectations has been amazing in helping our daughter with all college prep needs, including ACT prep, college counseling and tutoring. The tutors are top notch, help improving our daughter's scores significantly! Everyone at Great Expectations are so helpful and supportive - they have made the college preparation so much easier and less stressful! read more

I have used college right after I finished my high school and it was a great help for my college essays. Years later, I reached out to them again because I was applying for masters programs. I got matched with Abby! She was beyond great. Her writing style was incredible and expressive. She would accommodate for me whenever I needed last minute assistance with my writing. She was also very responsive when reaching out to her (beside her busy schedule). I'll always be grateful for her:) read more

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. We are very thankful for Whitney's help. 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! read more

Angela was a great tutor for my daughter! She actually made the studying process enjoyable! She was patient, knowledgeable, encouraging, and thoughtful of her other schoolwork. She taught great strategies and pacing. Great Expectations sent us all the materials we needed and when my daughter finished all the practice tests provided, they sent more. Overall, it was a great experience that I would highly recommend! read more

I couldn't have faced the college admissions process without the help of Great Expectations prep. I was able to achieve my goal score on the ACT thanks to them! 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. Great Expectations also helped me immensely with the college admissions process. I applied to seventeen schools (I know, I know... I'm nuts!), and my parents were not planning on helping me tackle these applications at all! So thank GOODNESS for GE prep. From choosing colleges to apply to that were right for me, to making spreadsheets mapping out when each application is due, to thinking of essay topics, my tutor helped me through it all. Applying to colleges is such a stressful process, so having a tutor personally help me through every step was such a blessing. I am now a student at the University of Michigan and could not be happier -- and I owe a big thanks to GE prep for this... I couldn't have done it without you! read more

Fantastic. Needed ACT prep which is hard to find. They matched us with the tutor named Vivia who could not have been more perfect for my artsy daughter. They meet every Sunday, and she's getting so much out of it. Can't recommend this any higher. Works for us read more

We have worked with Great Expectations for all three of our children. We have been extremely happy with their professionalism, quality, and ability to adapt to each of our kids. Thank you so much, Ryan and Katie! read more

My college prep counselor Yolanda was extremely helpful. She was patient and worked with me for every college essay. I recommend her as a college prep counselor. read more

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. read more

Perhaps the best compliment I can give is that my high school senior never complained about his ACT prep and tutoring. And we were thrilled with the improvement in his score. read more

The college application process is vastly different than when I was a student 30 years ago. It is far more competitive, and getting into a top school isn't as simple as having straight A's. A friend of ours had great luck with Great Expectations getting their daughter into a top 20 school, and highly recommended them to us. We needed help both navigating the steps, and in getting our son help with the many essays. We did our initial consultation with owner Jen Kaifesh, who really held our hand and let us know what to expect from the process, as well as the complex timeline. Next up was essay counseling with Nicole Pacent who was perfect for my son. Nicole went through schools my son was considering and had him look at several others in addition that seemed like good matches with his interests. My son cast his net wide, applying to several safety, target, reach, and super reach schools, with Nicole helping him bring out the best in himself with the essay prompts for each school. It seemed overwhelming to me, but Nicole insisted he was on track to finish all of his essays by the due dates, and her confidence in him was the boost he needed to complete the work on time and at a higher level than he would have accomplished without her push. I am pleased to say that my son just received his acceptance notice from NYU's Steinhardt School to which he applied Early Decision 2, and will be attending school in New York City in the fall. I couldn't be happier with Great Expectations, and that my son is headed to the perfect school for him. The competition to NYU is always fierce, but NYU just posted on Instagram that they have a record number of applicants this year (up 20%) - over 100,000 applications (for the first time ever) to fill only 6500 slots. 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 able matched with Nicole throughout this process. Yes it is expensive, but in our case, my son was able to get into a better school with Nicole and Great Expectations' help than he would have without their help, and that was a price I was happy to pay. read more

HAPPY CUSTOMER: Our son's final ACT score jumped 8 points! I wanted to express our gratitude for the tremendous job performance and support that Great Expectations' tutor extended to my son while helping to prepare him for taking the ACT exam. The result of this one-on-one work is self-explanatory if you look at the scores. My son's first proctored ACT test concluded with a composite score of 21. While working with the tutor the scores continued to improve. We're elated to share that after working with the Great Expectations tutor, our son's final ACT score jumped 8 points! In fact, we are convinced that if we needed to work toward an even higher score continued work would create even better results. The cost for tutoring was worth it!! We could not be more pleased. read more

First of all, Great Expectations College Prep was probably the best decision I've ever made! My money was beyond well spent. Besides being extremely organized and professional, Great Expectations met my needs in every area regarding my college application experience. I was matched with Heather, who might be the best college counselor in the business. I'm serious. She's extremely smart, kind, organized, and overall did an exceptional job at giving me guidance. Her editing and advice was done impeccable. She gave me the confidence I needed to display my best work and really say everything I wanted to say in all of my college applications. She truly brought out the best in me. She is the kindest person and I will forever appreciate her work and dedication to helping me succeed. She also helped me get into my dream school, Tulane University, which is definitely a difficult school to get into (as it has an 11% acceptance rate)!! I am so happy with everything and will 100% be using them if the future if needed! I would recommend not only Great Expectations to everyone, but also Heather who is truly a master at what she does. A million thanks for everything! read more

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 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. read more

Great Expectations is fantastic!!! I would highly recommend Great Expectations College Prep to anyone going through the very stressful and demanding college application process. With the help of my GE tutor, my test scores were significantly increased. GE is truly a cut above the rest because it personalizes sessions directly to one's own needs. I wasn't treated just like any high school student. At GE, everyone is treated as an individual. I was able to focus on my weaknesses and enhance my skills. My tutor was very knowledgable 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, a 2190 on my SAT and was admitted to Amherst College (my top choice) Early Decision. In addition to helping me in the realm of test taking, GE also helped me explore and discover what I really wanted in a college. My tutor was fantastic for brainstorming and sharing the "ins and outs" of various colleges that I might not have known otherwise. Looking over the past year, I am so grateful that I found Great Expectations and would recommend their services most highly. read more

I couldn't survive through the college application process without Great Expectations College Prep! Between the SAT/ACT prep and the college planning process sending my two (2013 & 2015) daughters off to college was pretty easy and stress free. I see my friends trying to do it alone stressing about timelines, requirements and guessing which school is the best match made me realize I need help. I failed to realize that getting into college today is VERY different than our college days. Today it involves strategy, inside knowledge of the schools nuances, and a flow chart for scheduling all the deadlines. Jen and her handpicked staff are excellent! Ive 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 would highly recommend Great Expectations College Prep for anyone needing a little guidance or a lot. I'll have daughter number 3 for them to guide in 2 more years! read more

I was fortunate enough to have had Great Expectations Prep guide me in my college application process. When I say the word "guide", i literally mean that throughout every step of the way my tutor was there to help me out. My tutor helped me choose the schools I was going to apply to. She helped me navigate all the applications for those given schools. Common App, UC App, etc. She also helped me increase my score for the ACT by five points which was quite incredible. Applying for more than 10 schools was not an easy feat, and was made much easier due to the tutoring I received from Great Expectations Prep. I recommend any student in high school to use the services provided by them. 10 out of 10 would get tutored again. read more

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". I had always been an OK test taker, so my ACT and SAT scores were not what worries me. Writing, however, was terrifying. In the the weeks that I worked with my tutor, I saw my writing grow from unorganized thoughts and careless words to concise, well expressed thoughts. This is important, as the essay I wrote for The University of Texas at Austin (a school I was accepted to and later attended) was about a fear of sharks. Rather than laugh or encourage me to pick another topic, my tutor fully endorsed my wacky approach to the prompt. Within a few drafts and rewrites, I had a fantastically witty essay that I was proud/excited to send. I am so grateful for my time with Great Expectations! I completed my applications in a timely, efficient manner -- without much stress! I feel lucky to have had such a smooth and enjoyable college application process. read more

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! read more

Over the last 2 years, Great Expectations provided me with unbelievable help in several aspects of my academic life. In only a handful of sessions, my GE tutor helped raise my SAT score by 210 points (from 1960 to 2170). She guided me through the college application process, first by helping me choose where to apply (she had a GREAT sense of what I was looking for), then by walking me through the logistics of filling out application forms, and most importantly working with me to write all of my essays. I find that Great Expectations' method is unique in that it makes the writing process infinitely easier while still granting the student complete creative license. While I worked with the same tutor for SAT prep and college applications, I also met with 3 other tutors for Honors French, Honors Physics, and the Biology Subject Test. I can honestly say that my experiences with each of these 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 a.m., my tutors did whatever it took to keep my attention and keep my work rate up (sometimes that meant feeding me chocolate periodically). They were consistently able to keep me engaged, manage time efficiently, and make my overall learning experience very enjoyable. I am now a freshman at the University of Washington and couldn't be happier! 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. read more

As many parents know, the task of getting your child ready for college applications is really overwhelming. Great Expectations was able to help my son list, prioritize and organize his applications and essays. Through getting organized, he gained the confidence to apply to schools he may not have without them. I was concerned it would be difficult to motivate him and this was not the case. Because of the respect and teamwork he shared with the tutors he was ready to work at every session. I could see through the process my son was taking "ownership" of his college applications and college future. As a result of all that hard work with the tutors he was accepted to one of his top choices. I hope this is helpful to another parent, I really recommend Great Expectations and began using their tutoring services with my younger son. read more

I worked with Great Expectations for both SAT prep and college counseling. I wasn't really too keen on getting a test prep tutor because I thought I could do it myself, but my mom insisted. After I met with my tutor, I realized that I absolutely did need the help of a tutor; the SAT wasn't just about knowing the answers to the questions but instead understanding how to navigate the tricks and the phrasing of questions. I also really got along well with my tutor! GE does a great job of pairing tutors with students based on personality type. This definitely made studying for the SAT a lot more enjoyable. I also worked with one of their college counselors in the fall of my senior year. She helped me organize all my deadlines for my essays and when each application was due. We worked together to finalize my college list and she had great additional schools that I had never even considered! She knew I wanted to go to a smaller school in an urban area and suggested schools that fit those criteria. Looking back, I would have been so lost without using GE! read more

I am the mother of 4 daughters ages 8-18 years and have lived in the Palisades for over 15 years. 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, speaking of "great expectations!" The tutors helped my oldest (class of 2011) improve her ACT and SAT scores and importantly helped her to explore colleges that I could not get her to consider. (She will be attending a most amazing college in North Carolina that is a perfect "fit" for her.) The tutors worked around her busy soccer schedule and helped her get her essays, short answers and interview prep for admissions in beautiful shape. At the end of each 2 hour session, the tutor would bring me in (yes, I am paying for it!) to share what they did, what needs to be worked on, and what her "homework" would be for the next week. If I had a concern or wanted my daughter to work more on something, I could avoid teen confrontation and just email the tutor with my concern and she would relate it to my daughter benignly during the next session without it coming from me! The tutors were the perfect age to form relationships with my teen daughter, as they were mature yet "young" enough to establish a different kind of rapport than someone a parent's age. My daughter "bought into" anything the tutor would suggest because they were current and could read teens so well. After trying a local, older private college counselor, and then using a company like "Catalyst," "Great Expectations College Prep" is the company we will use with all 4 girls! Our 2nd daughter (class of 2013) is already using one of their tutors to prep for SAT tests as she is in the recruitment process for college volleyball and early good scores are something that Great Expectations can help her with. My teens completely "looked forward" to the tutors coming over, and we will never forget the dedication of her main tutor who stayed up with her past midnight to help her submit all 12 of her college applications on the night of her 18th birthday! This company has high intellect, heart and soul that appeals to both the teen and her parents! They are worth their weight in gold! read more

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 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 Jennifer...and more or less stress free. 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, positive energy, and flexibility ( if we had to readjust a date or a time, it was never a big problem). GE College Prep, YOU ROCK!! You are a parents fantasy come true. I really can't thank you enough! read more