About CPE


Our Mission: The primary purpose of CollegePrepExpress is to help students get into their top choice colleges through private strategy consultations, CommonApp Boot Camps, standardized test prep, and academic support. We aim to motivate and help college-bound students to achieve scholastic success as defined by today’s admissions criteria in academics, activities, standardized testing, and application writing, and to reduce stress around the entire admissions process.

CollegePrepExpress focuses on helping high school students (and their families) get into college with as little stress as possible by offering academic, extracurricular, athletic, community service, and college courtship advice; by helping them choose and raise their standardized test scores; by helping students raise their grades and discover academic passions; and by helping them best package themselves and write their very best applications.  CollegePrepExpress is unique in the industry in that it measures success not simply by raised grades or raised test scores but rather by bottom-line acceptances to college. We take a wider purview of our clients than our competitors—meaning we look at the whole student, not just numbers— and, in the most competitive college admissions ever, we are 100% focused on getting them into the colleges of their choice.

CPE specializes in the top three admissions criteria: GRADES, STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES, and APPLICATION PACKAGING, offering the following in Greater Hartford and via video (Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, etc.): academic, test prep, and AP review classesworkshopsprivate tutoring; semi-private tutoring for small groups; informational and instructional videos; internet radio show, and blog.

Who are we?


Dr. Michael J. Youmans, Ph.D.: Founder/Director, Senior Instructor

Dr. Yo in The Glastonbury Citizen

Dr. Michael J. Youmans, aka Dr. Yo, founded CollegePrepExpress in 1990. He attended Kingswood Oxford School in West Hartford, received his B.A. from Harvard in 1986, his MA in English Language and Literature from Middlebury College Bread Loaf School of English and Lincoln College, Oxford, in 1993, and his Ph.D. in Secondary Curriculum and Instruction from Boston College Lynch School of Education in 2006. Dr. Yo taught English, Math, Music, Philosophy, Astronomy, Social Studies, and Physics at a half-dozen schools at the high school, junior high school, and junior college levels in CT and MA before leaving the classroom in 2008 to run CollegePrepExpress full time. Contact: DrYo@CollegePrepExpress.com, (860) 519-1000 (office), (413) 329-7540 (text). Click for résumé


Alisha Cipriano, M.A.: History and Test Prep Instructor and Admissions Consultant

Alisha Cipriano, M.A., is a proud alumna of Hall High School in West Hartford and The University of Michigan, where she received her undergraduate degree in History and Political Science. She went on to earn her Masters in Education from Teachers College at Columbia University. Alisha joined CollegePrepExpress in 2011, after serving as a teacher and curriculum developer at Simsbury High School she created the AP US Government and Politics curriculum for the district. In 2012-2013, Alisha taught AP US History at Loomis Chaffee. At CPE, Alisha offers the full range of college admissions services we provide. Her students have been raving about her since she came on board! Alisha tutors at her own home office in West Hartford, and online, and she is willing to meet with students in their homes, per private arrangement. Contact: alishakaty@gmail.com

New for 2019-2020: Alisha’s APUSH Companion Class: Ensure Your A and Your 4 or 5 on the Exam

Contact: Alisha@CollegePrepExpress.com


Diane Nastri, B.A., M.A., M.B.A.: Language Instructor

Diane Nastri, B.A., M.A., M.B.A.With a wealth of both academic and real-world experience, Diane is almost as multi-lingual as John Stuart Mill! She can help you master whatever challenges lie in your way in French, Spanish, and Italian classes, tests, and exams.

Contact: dianemnastri@gmail.com


Arjun Jagjivan: Princeton University: Math, Science, and Test Prep Tutor

Arjun Jagjivan, Conard ’19, is an undergraduate at Princeton University. At CHS, he loves exploring his passion for STEM through the Math Team and Science Olympiad club. Outside of school, he also enjoys performing with the West Hartford Camerata Orchestra, camping with his Boy Scout troop, volunteering in the community, and punning about… well, just about anything (he has a marked tendon-cy to crack humerus jokes). Arjun is well-experienced with AP exams (including Calculus AB and BC, Computer, and all three sciences), the SAT, the ACT, and SAT subject tests. See Arjun’s special introductory rate!

Contact: Arjun@CollegePrepExpress.com


Julia Sullivan: Social Media and Business Development Intern

Julia Sullivan is a 2022-23 10th grader from Waterbury, CT, attending Imago Dei Classical Academy.  Her favorites subjects include science and Spanish, and in her limited free time she enjoys cooking and baking.. She has a special secret recipe for Tuscan Chicken Pasta (no she will NOT share it :-)). Julia is excited to develop her social media marketing and other business development knowledge and skills and brings unbridled enthusiasm to her new position. 

Contact: Julia@ColllegePrepExpress.com


Amanda Youmans: Graphic Designer / Consultant

Amanda Youmans, now at Clark University, graduated from Hall High School in West Hartford and has been CPE’s ace graphic designer for years. Some of her best work includes the cap on our logo, the CPE-in-3ish banner, and the design of several of our website pages. She also write guest blog posts and was a featured teen expert on “Prep Talk” with CollegePrepExpress.


Contact: Amanda@CollegePrepExpress.com


Contact

Call: (860) 519-1000

Text: (413) 329-7540

Email: Info@CollegePrepExpress.com