Great Expectations was founded in 2006 after Jen Kaifesh recognized the need for holistic, full-service guidance: the company’s goal is not just to help students navigate standardized testing and the college application process, but to encourage them to find academic and extracurricular pursuits that they both enjoy and excel at. Doing so cultivates the authenticity that is an integral part of the application process while also ensuring that students have positive high school experiences. At the end of the day, colleges want strong students, but they also want real people with real commitment to their interests; Great Expectations tutors and counselors have helped thousands of students excel in high school while also creating a narrative that is both authentic and unique.
While there are many larger test prep and tutoring companies out there, our size allows us to offer a far more personalized experience while still utilizing a core curriculum of effective strategies. We hire tutors with significant experience, particularly in test preparation, and encourage them to think outside the box when basic strategies are not working with a particular student. If a tutor still feels like a student isn’t grasping a concept that’s been explained multiple ways, the tutor is able and encouraged to turn to our other tutors — or even the company founder — for advice on alternate approaches. This type of support network is rare, if not non-existent, at larger companies, where inexperienced tutors often have no resources beyond pre-printed company textbooks.
Our college counselors and athletic recruitment counselors are the most experienced and engaging out there. Many of our college counselors have worked in college admissions offices and/or have graduate degrees in educational/school counseling, whereas our athletic recruitment counselors were not only college athletes themselves, but also have served as college coaches and/or have overseen the recruitment process for athletic clubs or Varsity school teams.
Our goal is to make the process as stress-free and seamless as possible, which is why our tutors and counselors talk to each other…if one tutor recognizes that a student does well with mnemonic devices but hates flashcards, this information will be passed onto the student’s other tutors, as well. And how nice would it be if your college counselor were constantly getting updates from your test prep tutor regarding progress and expectations? This is exactly why we do what we do — to make everything just a little bit easier for our clients.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we pay our staff significantly more than (sometimes even double or triple) what our competitors pay, ensuring that the best in the business work with us. Considering that our prices are typically substantially lower than those of our competitors, how do we do this? Simple: we ensure that our overhead expenses stay low. This allows us to hire the most personable, experienced, knowledgeable, in-demand tutors and counselors out there — and keep them!
Great Expectations’ clients range from Valedictorians looking to clinch a spot at Stanford to students with severe learning differences for whom college was supposedly out of reach. Whatever your goals, Great Expectations is committed to helping you achieve them.