Accepted with their help! I used Shemmassian for both MCAT tutoring and application drafting and review. I worked with different people for each of these. MCAT Tutoring - Shawnt's demeanor and passion for the material made it easy to be excited about what I was learning. He encouraged me to explore and had a surprising amount of answers to my difficult questions on hand. He also didn't try to wing it when he did not know, and instead got back to me with a well-researched answer. I had enough time with him to get all of my questions answered. I gained a far greater mastery of all of the content than I have ever had before and learned useful study-over-time techniques that will serve me well throughout medical school. You were a knowledgeable tutor and a joy to speak with personally. I appreciate all the work you put into helping me excel. As someone who took the MCAT previously (and tried very hard then), I can say it is obvious how much having a knowledgeable guide through the process really makes it all click. Application Crafting - Medical school applications are beast. You will likely write upwards of 50 essays. The ability to have someone who knows you get back to you within a couple days with high quality reviews is critical, especially as you find your footing and voice in your writing. I was consistently blown away by the attention to detail put into my reviews and the quality of conversations we had about the material. This was not an impersonal experience where I sent essays to a black box and they came back with edits, but I had a relationship with my reviewers who really had a conversation with me about getting things right. Let me be clear -- this is a mountain of work. They do not do the heavy lifting for you because it is your application after all. What they do is ensure your effort is directed fruitfully and help keep your ideas fresh and you motivated, while assuring quality doesn't drop (which it inevitably tends to when you are months into writing). Cost - The elephant in the room: This is an expensive service, certainly the most expensive I considered using. However, I chose them because I also think they are the best at what they do. Just watch some of Dr. Shemmassian's videos on youtube if you want a sense for the professionalism and integrity this service offers. I worked to put myself through college and had to pay out of pocket (not out of my parents pockets) for this service, so I feel I am in a good position to judge its value. If money is no object, this is the way you should go, hands down. If, like me, money was a major consideration with real consequences, this was my thought process: If you just look at the cost per hour spent with tutors, it does not seem to be the best deal (and that's true, you can get similar types of service for less). But I felt that what I was really buying was increased odds of getting into a school I truly wanted to attend and thereby setting myself up for success in residency and beyond. Having wound up at a T5 school, I have no regrets for having spent more for the service that helped me get the best out of my application. Would I have gotten in on my own or with another application service? Maybe, but it certainly would have been a lower chance. I feel it is a worthy investment (plus it is hardly anything compared to the loans most students will take out for school - so might as well take those loans at the school the want to attend!).

Extracurricular Activities Presentation The talk by Dr. Shemmassian was so engaging! It really opened my eyes up to how complex extracurricular activities are on the medical school application and how important it is to have a theme. I learned a lot about examples of successful applications and how to apply them to my own experiences.

Very personal and responsive support - admitted to the Renaissance SOM The Shemmassian team gave me impressive support throughout the whole application process. They looked at my application and helped curate a list of schools that were realistic, were very attentive when helping me edit my primaries and secondaries, and guiding me through high yield and more nuanced interview questions (both traditional and MMI). They also made sure that I was emotionally supported. Overall it gave me peace of mind knowing I could rely on this team and made the whole process significantly less stressful. I would highly recommend their services.

Professional, Timely, and Compassionate Medical School Admissions Support! The Shemmassian Academic Consulting team earned their 5-star review from the moment I engaged them up until my acceptance into medical school. During my initial consultation, Dr. Shemmassian listened to my story and offered honest feedback. That set the tone for my application cycle; I was matched with the perfect advisor for my goals based on my academic and personal background, and they supported me in building a genuine application that captured exactly who I am and why medicine is for me. Having applied to 30+ M.D. schools this cycle, I can testify that time management can make or break a cycle. The Shemmassian team will have you ready to submit well ahead of schedule, and they'll do it without compromising quality. For anyone who is skeptical, schedule a free initial consultation and see what they have to say. That's what I did, and now I'm gonna be a doctor!

Perfect Experience with Shemmassian I am now just chilling, going through my senior year riding high. I was already accepted into an MD program, my second choice, the day after med school admissions can release acceptance decisions! I already had several interviews between August and early October, with others scheduled throughout the rest of 2023 and early 2024. I finished and submitted all my secondary essays to med schools in early August, over a hundred between mid-June and August. And they were coming in all at once. I can't imagine how I would have handled that while taking grueling summer courses. Working with Shemmassian was the best investment for my future. They kept me on track and made sure I could prepare myself well in advance for any type of essay asked of me. More importantly, we curated schools that would give me a higher, more likely, yield of looks. My essays were well-polished (quick turnarounds too) and I never felt like my story was being hijacked or abandoned. My voice rang out through my essays and Shemmassian helped convey my story in the most meaningful and impactful way while adjusting to what any particular school mission could identify with. There isn't anyone I wouldn't recommend Shemmassian to. update: I've been accepted to my number 1 school, UCLA!