Family Testimonials

Our entire business is built on families sharing their success stories with friends.

The process of choosing and applying for colleges often leaves students and their parents feeling anxious and unmoored in unfamiliar waters. The expert guidance of Kaplan's counselors and the healthy Kaplan philosophy gave all of us a feeling of being on solid footing throughout the experience. Kaplan's counselors helped both our kids to develop unique and balanced college lists. Both kids got into several schools, were offered merit-based scholarships, and both were extremely happy with their outcomes. Equally as important, the quality of life benefits of working with Kaplan have been huge--with Kaplan's counselors keeping our kids on schedule and on track with their various application deadlines, we parents never had to nag, yell, or argue, and we could focus on providing moral support rather than "project management." Thank you Kaplan Educational Group!”

- Susan, parent of two Brown University students

I began the college admissions process late into my junior year. I felt confused, overwhelmed, and had no sense of direction when it came to where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do to get there. It took one session for Greg to help me find my path to college. Not only did Greg help me with the technical aspects of my application, he helped me find my voice and streamline my passions into tangible experiences that would eventually be presented to my dream schools.

Though a cliche, Greg made the admissions process fun and exciting. Rather than focus on one specific goal—to get accepted—and forget about creating a long-term plan for my career, he helped orient me towards a sustainable future. Whether it was creating a resume, finding my career interests by working in an array of different fields, or flourishing my talents by aiding me in writing a book at the age of 17, Greg gave me the tools to build an application that would allow me to pick my future college, not the other way around.

The best part about working with Greg, however, is that he makes the process stress free. Most college counselors that I had previously worked with bombard their students with laborious tasks and overused essay material in hopes of crafting an image of a student, rather than presenting the best version of the applicant. Greg, on the other hand, helped me find and do what I love which allowed me to complete the application with little stress and peace of mind.

The college admissions orthodoxy has convinced students that stress is necessary when competing to achieve admission to your dream school and that the process will inevitably leave them diminished, both mentally and physically. Greg has shattered those notions and has left me energized and well-equipped to take on whatever challenges lay ahead.

- Sam, UCLA

I worked with Greg Kaplan this past year as a senior in high school. My time with Greg was nothing but professional and extraordinary. Greg spent hours getting to know me both as a person and student, went out of his way to help me improve my ACT score (which jumped 7 points), and helped me complete 27 college applications. Greg helped me find what I was looking for when choosing a school to apply to and thoroughly worked with me to help narrow them down. Saying thank you is not nearly enough for all the hard work, determination, and confidence Greg had in me. I could not have had a better college process experience all because of him! I am attending Duke University in the fall, a school I did not even consider applying to if it had not been for Greg. Thank you for the impact and change you have made and invested into my future! I would recommend Greg Kaplan to anyone and everyone. He made this process stress free and so much easier! With Greg’s guidance, I have been able to select an incredible university that I could not have done by myself.

- Liz, Duke

Working with Greg this past year has been an absolutely amazing experience for my family and I. As you can imagine the college application process is extremely difficult to navigate; however, Greg’s expertise, expansive knowledge of colleges and dedication to making sure every aspect of the application was completed well and on time made the experience easier than I had ever imagined. Before beginning my college applications, Greg worked hard to ensure that he understood my interests and me so that my applications were reflective of who I am as a person. He not only taught me the skills for the application process, but he also taught me how to be a better writer and start thinking about my future and the steps I needed to start taking. His attention to every detail for all aspects of my applications, ability to personalize the process and tailor my school list to my interests and goals, and dedication to my success was unparalleled to the other college counselors I worked with prior to meeting Greg. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Greg. I truly believe that his guidance played a major role in easing my college application process and was evident in my college acceptances.

- Dylan, The University of Michigan

I still remember the first conversation I had with Greg, he said that working with him is an endless friendship. With that being said I knew that I would enjoy working with him because that was an indication that this to Greg was more than just a "job". Being a college counselor is something that he does because he is passionate and enjoys doing. From the beginning, with his knowledge/ experience of the application process and with Greg making sure he understood who I was as a person and as a student, he helped me transform my experiences into developing an application that would stand out from the other applicants. Greg's undivided attention and support, not only reduced the stress but also made my law school application process more enjoyable! I definitely wish he was my college counselor in high school.

- Alex, Trinity College

We hired Greg Kaplan to assist my daughter with her college entrance essays. Greg is professional, responsive (even through the Thanksgiving weekend), and easy to work with. Greg listen to our daughter’s ideas and helped her organize her thoughts and bring clarity and creativity to her examples while still maintaining “who she was” in her essays. During the editing process, Greg gave meaningful advice that strengthened our daughter's overall writing skills and helped her edit her own writing. We are grateful for Greg’s assistance during this process and our daughter is looking forward to starting UCLA in the fall.

- Michelle, parent of a UCLA student

Last year I had the opportunity to work with Greg as he helped me quickly complete my college admissions process. Greg was able to get to know me very quickly, understand my concerns, and help me incorporate specific aspects into my college essays. With just knowing me for a few hours, we promptly began writing school-specific essays and revamping my Common Application just weeks before every deadline. Greg was an essential part of my college admissions process as he truly understood what was important to me, what I planned on pursuing in the future, how to provide essential feedback and ideas for my essays, and because he was able to provide insight into an abundant list of colleges that he thought would be great fits for me. Greg is extremely hardworking, organized, optimistic, and understanding. Without Greg’s help, I would not have applied to several schools that he rightfully suggested and I would not have been able to complete as many essays as I did in such a short period of time. Greg was sincerely a lifesaver for me in my college admissions process, and I guarantee that he will be for all of the students he works with in the future.

- Sydnie, UC Berkeley

Greg’s strategy was focused and encouraging. It ultimately helped me get into my dream school, even though it was a long shot.

- Alex, Cal Poly SLO

Mr. Kaplan gave me so much help in the application process. He encouraged me to believe in myself, and focused on using my special skills and talent to stand out from all the other applicants. He is definitely more like a great friend than a college counselor. I learned so many skills that I can use in the future by working and communicating with Mr. Kaplan. It was an unforgettable experience and I appreciate everything that he has done!

- Sofia, Northeastern University

Greg is a fantastic college counselor. I first started working with Greg at the start of my senior year, and he immediately made the process completely stress-free and enjoyable for me. I can say with 100% certainty that I looked forward to my sessions with Greg because he creates an exceptional experience and a fun working environment for his students to thrive during the rigorous college application process. Additionally, Greg opened my eyes to new writing techniques and important skills such as how to properly convey your story in an application. I highly recommend any and all students to work with Greg, and I cannot say thank you enough for all of his help and effort!

- Robert, UC Berkeley

I always felt super comfortable and supported by Greg, Jae, and the Kaplan Educational Group team. From the moment I started seeing them my junior year, I knew I was in the right hands. From studying for the SAT to writing college supplements, they were there every step of the way, making my college process the best it could be. I never felt stressed or pressed for time and I think that’s what they’re so good at: managing your time and journey. I could not have asked for a better college admission experience.

- Elaine, USC

We were desperate. Our daughter scored a 22 on the ACT. She took no AP courses in high school. We thought perhaps there was only Junior College in her future. We read Greg’s book “Earning Admission” and worked with Greg, who helped design her resume and helped her navigate the college admissions and application process. He then encouraged our daughter to write and publish a children’s book which sold on Amazon. Greg was extremely upbeat and positive at every session. She applied to 12 schools, including schools like the University of Washington, Oregon, TCU, Chapman, and many other great schools. She was accepted to all 12 schools. Amazing! We can tell you that Greg had an incredible impact on the results we received. He is the best thing we did for our daughter’s college admissions.

- Mindy, parent of a CU Boulder student

Looking back on my college admissions process, I remember thinking how daunting applying to colleges would be. With Kaplan Educational Group’s incredible advice and information, I soon learned that this process was going to be challenging—but if I put the work and time into participating in meaningful extracurriculars and writing essays that truly reflected who I am as an applicant, I’d find a school that was the best fit for me. Crafting my own story to tell through my application essays was very important to me. I feel like my essays were in top condition from the constant editing and revising process I worked through with Greg and his team. I gained admission to NYU, my dream school, and I couldn’t be happier with my decision. Working with Kaplan Educational Group helped me achieve this!

- Elleni, NYU

I am so grateful we chose to work with Greg Kaplan for my son’s college admissions process! Greg is professional, knowledgeable, approachable, and has a unique ability to relate to both the student and the parent. The realistic process of choosing which colleges best suited my son was spot on and resulted in a vast majority of acceptances. He and his team were reliable and helpful especially in regards to essay writing as they promoted enhancement of his abilities rather than spoon-feeding the essay. This experience was completely opposite of the stress we experienced when my daughter was applying to college and beyond grateful we found Greg! Highly recommended!

- Risa, parent of a Syracuse University student

Honestly, we can’t say enough good things about Greg! He really took the time to get to know our introverted son, Brendan, to the point where the Zoom meetings felt like connecting with a friend. Greg was part coach, part confidant, part cheerleader as he guided (and at times, nudged) Brendan through his application process.  Greg’s knowledge, not only the “system,” campuses and majors, but of our son’s personality and interests, were crucial in helping Brendan select his college application list and potential areas of study. At the end, we feel like our son not only successfully applied (and got in!) to college but gained a trusted mentor and role model as well.

- Fiona, parent of CSU Chico Student

Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting Josh Berger from Kaplan Educational Group during my daughter's college transfer process. 

Transitioning from a community college to a university can be daunting, but Josh provided outstanding guidance every step of the way. He was not only professional and knowledgeable but also incredibly approachable and kind, which made the entire journey less stressful.

Josh's expertise in selecting suitable schools was invaluable. His recommendations were thoughtful and perfectly aligned with my daughter's academic goals and personal interests. Additionally, his assistance in refining her essays brought clarity and impact to her applications, enhancing her chances of acceptance.

Overall, Josh's support and insights were instrumental in navigating the complexities of college admissions. I highly recommend his services to any family seeking a compassionate and skilled strategist to help their student succeed in achieving their higher education goals.

- Julie, parent of transfer student now at UCLA

We loved working with Josh but more importantly, so did our son. We wanted the college application process to be something he could feel proud of and was his process(not ours). Josh was creative, patient, and accessible throughout the entire time we worked with him. I think our son also grew as a person and was challenged thru Josh. One of our main reasons for choosing to work with Kaplan was so that we as parents could be in the background as a support system instead of nagging or influencing his decisions. We feel that our son will always remember this experience and that Josh will remain a mentor in his life. Josh made the process fun and engaging. We definitely see our son reaching out to Josh when he needs help in the future. Josh’s positive attitude is contagious and made our son feel proud and capable throughout their time working together. 

- Robyn, parent of USC student

We are incredibly grateful that we chose to work with Josh Berger for our daughter’s application process. Josh was able to engage our daughter to fully understand her interests, goals, passions, and challenges she has worked to overcome. Together Josh and our daughter worked to stay ahead of the application process and make it a very low-stress experience. Our daughter looked forward to every session and afterward, Josh sent us a brief recap of the session along with any action items. It is not always easy to get a teenager to open up about their experiences, true passions, and challenges. The fact that Josh consistently does this is a true reflection that this is not just a job to him. I asked our daughter for some thoughts on her experience working with Josh and she provided these insights: “Josh helps solve problems, helps you through every step of applying to colleges, knows what colleges are looking for, is easy to talk to and get along with, is always ready to work, and always made me feel welcome in his office.” Josh Informed us of everything we needed to know and what options we had. We are now experiencing the success of this journey and celebrate every college acceptance notice she receives.

- Kimberley, parent of University of Hawaii student

We are a family with four children, the youngest two of which were lucky enough to work with Josh. One is currently a first-year student at the University of Virginia and the second is still a junior in high school so he is just starting the process. Our son can be shy and is not entirely outgoing. We joke that he doesn’t really like anyone but somehow he managed to really like Josh. Josh was friendly, approachable, and very genuine. I feel like he is well-informed and helps the student have realistic expectations for their options which has not necessarily been my experience in the past. We all appreciated the fact that Josh helped our student start early, adhere to a schedule and have his 21 applications done with plenty of time to spare. Josh was helpful with brainstorming essay ideas and editing but the voice and the work still clearly belonged to our son. We conducted all of our sessions via zoom and I loved peeking in to see my son toggling between his 3 monitors, editing with Josh, looking up schools, and completing applications at the same time. No time was wasted. I am more than happy to recommend Josh and am looking forward to completing the process once again. These boys are very different students and I already see that Josh has realized that and will be sensitive to their respective strengths and challenges. I am grateful to have the opportunity for our family to partner with him once again.

- Brigid, parent of college and high school students

Lilliana was great to work with! She was very engaging and helped my daughter build a strong application to be competitive at high-level schools and eventually receive an acceptance to her dream school.  She was always very easy to communicate with and was able to help strengthen my daughter's writing skills which she has brought with her to college. We were extremely happy and have gone on to recommend Lilliana to several friends. 

- Melissa O., parent of a University of Michigan student

I wanted to say what a pleasure it was to work with Will Boger.  He made an undoubtedly stressful process manageable, broke it down into small steps, and was supportive and encouraging throughout while still keeping Rohan accountable.  He also had excellent feedback for Rohan on his essays and activities list.  Thank you again for accommodating us—I know we were late in reaching out—and thank you again for connecting us with Will.

- Monisha, parent of a high school senior