JEN K. - GECP

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JEN K.

Founder

Education

B.A. in English and European History

- Northwestern University

Experience

During her time at Northwestern University, our owner and founder Jen Kaifesh quickly identified her passion and gift for helping others maximize the power of the written word. She was asked to serve as an admissions liaison for local high schoolers interested in attending Northwestern to help them find ways to stand out in the application process. The university also hired her to assist undergraduates with graduate school applications, as well as to help graduate students and professors restructure and polish papers before publication in academic journals.

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Jen utilizes her innate ability to connect with students years before the application process begins to help them lean into their unique gifts and interests. Whether students are drawn to creative writing, Artificial Intelligence, law, or investment banking, she emphasizes the importance of finding academic and extracurricular pursuits that students both enjoy and excel at; doing so cultivates the authenticity that is integral to a successful application. And for students who don’t yet know where their passions lie? She challenges them to step outside their comfort zones and explore unfamiliar subjects and worlds – after all, no one can discover new interests without trying new things.

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Perhaps most importantly, she empowers her students to take ownership of the process while still giving them the systems and structure to keep them on track as well as the tools and advice to succeed.

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While the majority of Jen’s students over the last 25 years enroll in Top-25 colleges (including highly specialized programs from Penn’s Wharton School of Business to Stanford Engineering), she is fully aware that rankings only mean so much – what is “best” for one student is not necessarily “best” for another. She excels at helping students identify the right schools for their skills, interests, and aspirations – somewhere they will be challenged and thrive as they define their place in the world.

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Notable Accomplishments

She completed a 2-year sommelier course for the heck of it.
Jen wrote a 465-page historical fiction novel in high school and was offered a book deal at age 17.

Fun Facts

She spends her travel time exploring tiny off-the-beaten-path villages in Europe, good food (yes, even beyond mac and cheese), and great wine.
Jen has tried more than 100 mac and cheese recipes and is always looking for more.

The Ethics of College Counseling

March 4, 2020

In 2019, there was a flood of outrage over the individuals who conspired to steal coveted spots from deserving applicants at top universities in what became known as the Varsity Blues Scandal. While some may find it inconceivable that anyone would resort to fraud to gain college admission, from our end, it was unfortunately not entirely surprising. We cannot tell you the number of times that parents ask us, “What can I do to get my child into X school?” While this well-intentioned question seems innocent enough, especially given today’s competitive landscape, it is indicative of two broader issues that need to be addressed:

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You’ve Received Your Admissions Decisions – Now What?

March 28, 2024

So, the time has finally come. You’ve filled out your applications, written all of your essays, thanked your teachers and counselors for writing their letters, clicked ‘submit’ with a flurry of anxiety, and now you have started opening your portals and letters to see your admissions decisions. This may feel like the end of a long road to the next chapter of your life, but whether you’ve been accepted, waitlisted, or rejected, there’s still more to do!

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What NOT To Do in High School

January 10, 2023

Welcome to high school! The next four years of your life are going to be packed with assignments, exams, extracurricular activities, exciting new social opportunities and – most of all – a LOT of expectations. Many people will give you lists upon lists of all the things to do in high school to create the best college application, but what about what NOT to do? The following list of “DO NOTs” will hopefully provide a guide to help tackle all that high school has in store.

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Building Your Narrative to Become a Competitive Applicant

February 2, 2024

At Great Expectations, we talk a lot about the Four Pillars that hold up a strong, competitive College Application. The first, GPA and Test Scores, gets your application looked at, but the other three are what set you apart. These include Developing Unique Interests, Making a Community Impact, and Showing Depth of Academic Exploration. These are what we emphasize when we discuss Narrative Building.

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How To Tackle the Personal Statement

June 21, 2022

Personal statements offer the best opportunity to humanize yourself to the admissions officers, so it’s vital to take advantage of them. Readers already know your statistics and have seen your list of extracurricular activities, so the essay is not a chance to brag about something you’ve done or accomplished; it is a chance to give colleges a glimpse of who you really are—not as a student, but as a person.

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Early Decision, Early Action, Regular Decision? What They Mean and How To Choose

August 22, 2023

Your head may be spinning with terms like “early decision,” “early action,” “restrictive early action,” and even “early decision II.” You’ll likely apply to some schools by their early deadlines and to others by their regular deadlines — but even within those classifications, the dates of those deadlines vary. Additionally, some schools offer on-campus interviews only after receiving your application, while others require you to sit for a local alumni interview before submitting your application. Still others will even require you to submit “Part One” of their application months before the posted deadline. How do you decide which deadlines are right for which schools? How do you know if you should apply Early Decision, Early Action, or mix and match to get the best of both worlds?

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What to Consider When Planning College Visits

March 6, 2024

While colleges and universities have developed a lot of great virtual opportunities to engage with them, in-person campus tours are absolutely crucial in deciding where to apply and, eventually, where to enroll.

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Building a College List

July 27, 2022

Choosing where to go to college is one of the most important decisions of your life. According to a 2021 study by the Institute of Labor Economics, "graduates of top colleges earn 50 percent more than graduates of typical colleges" (Sockin, 2021). But with rankings constantly shifting and schools becoming increasingly competitive, how does one determine which schools to apply to?

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Applying as a Transfer Student

September 14, 2021

A former USC admissions counselor once explained why she liked reading transfer applications: each had a unique journey and experience to share. Some were predictable and straightforward stories of students who had attended their local community college and, after a year or two, decided it was time to transfer to a university. Other stories included students attending multiple colleges, switching their major numerous times, or even several career changes.

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The Value of AP Classes and Exams

February 8, 2023

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

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A Freshman and Sophomore’s Roadmap to the Year Ahead

November 15, 2024

College may feel like a lifetime away, but many of the choices you make in 9th and 10th grade will impact your college options. Learn what colleges value in an applicant and what you can do now - and in the years to come - to have a fulfilling high school experience and become the best possible candidate.

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A Senior's Roadmap to the Year Ahead

September 14, 2022

Overwhelmed by the seemingly countless essays and applications? Unsure what to write in your essays or how to stand out on your application? Unclear on the timelines for financial aid, scholarships, and interviews? Ensure that you are on track for one of the most important years of your life!

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Building a Balanced College List

September 21, 2022

People often use words like "safeties," "likelies," "targets," and "reaches" when discussing colleges, but what do they really mean, and how do you ensure that you have enough of each on your list? Learn to gauge the likelihood of acceptance at various colleges and how to be both optimistic and realistic while building your college list.

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To Test or Not to Test

October 19, 2022

Explore the similarities and differences between the ACT and SAT in their current forms, as well as the changes the College Board will soon be rolling out. Which might play to your strengths instead of your weaknesses? Who should pursue standardized testing in this test-optional world — and when?

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A High School Junior's Roadmap for the Year Ahead

October 31, 2024

Unsure how to spend your free time to get the most "bang for your buck" on college applications and still enjoy your high school experience? Confused by the standardized testing landscape and which test to take — or whether to test at all? Learn what colleges value in an applicant and what you can do now to become the best possible candidate by next fall.

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