Shemmassian Academic Consulting Reviews 

385
TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

4.6

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Looking at 43 reviews, reviewers overwhelmingly had a great experience with this company. Customers consistently praise the staff for being incredibly knowledgeable, supportive, and attentive, providing personalized guidance throughout the application process. Many highlight the excellent service and user experience, noting how the tailored support and thorough preparation helped them achieve their goals, including acceptance into top programs. Reviewers frequently mention the quick and prompt response times from their advisors, making the overall journey feel manageable and confident. However, some people were dissatisfied with aspects of the service, reporting that assigned counselors lacked expertise or provided unhelpful guidance. A few customers also felt that the direct personal help they expected was not delivered, leading to a less effective experience.

What people talk about most

Staff

Users describe positive interactions with staff, often highlighting their expertise, dedication, and the... See more

Service

People report positive experiences with service, often highlighting the invaluable advice and support... See more

User experience

Clients share positive opinions on user experience, highlighting the personalized and tailored approach to... See more

Response time

Reviewers mention positive feedback about response time, with many customers highlighting the promptness and... See more

Customer service

Consumers find customer service to be positive, with many reviewers highlighting the invaluable support and... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I didn’t get in my first application cycle so I decided to step it up and get the help of the Shemassian group. They were super knowledgeable and helped me organize my application and my essays in a w... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Dr. Shemmassian took the time to not just tell us but to help us understand the components of a great personal essay. He made sure to walk us through each step and instead of lecturing, his talk was... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Applying to med school was so overwhelming and honestly pretty scary, but Shemmassian Academic Consulting made the whole process so much better!! My mentor, Terrence, was with me every step of... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

The MCAT personal tutoring plan was incredible. Working one-on-one with a kind and knowledgeable tutor made all the difference. We were able to hone in on the topics that were difficult to me that may... See more


Company details

  1. Educational Consultant

Written by the company

Your trusted advisors for admissions success, specializing in 1:1 test prep and application support for elite institutions.


Contact info

4.6

Excellent

TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

385 reviews

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4.6

All reviews

(385)

44 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

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!

February 1, 2024
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great experience

I highly recommend using Shemmassian's services. I worked with an advisor on my personal statement, secondaries, and interview prep. He took the time to get to know me and helped highlight my strengths. He was very responsive over email and his comments were always thorough and useful. This was my 2nd time applying to med school after only interviewing at 1 school not being accepted anywhere the first time around. This time I interview at around 7 schools and received 3 acceptances so far. Would definitely recommend their services especially for anyone looking to strengthen their application the second time around.

January 3, 2024
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Worth Every Penny

Everyone I interacted with was very responsive and helpful. I had a lot of questions about the cycle that I couldn't find consistent answers to online and it was incredibly helpful to have someone that could answer all of my questions and help guide me through the entire process. I loved that is was a collaborative environment. They always respected my preferences and point of view and gave constructive advice. If I had a busy or something going on, they were flexible about my turn around time. There are a lot of parts in the medical school application cycle. Having someone help you stay on track and manage all of the different parts make a huge difference. I would highly recommend using their services. It is worth the investment.

January 12, 2024
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Excellent support through Shemmassian Academic Consulting

Shemmassian Academic Consulting has provided excellent and tailored advice to best prepare me for the medical school application cycle. I found their quick turnaround time for essay review extremely helpful, felt grateful for the strong interview preparation, and strongly resonated with my mentor. My mentor was also very thoughtful, motivating, and knowledgable, which really helped me make the best decisions about how to prepare for and stay focused during the application cycle. I am very thankful for their amazing support!

January 10, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

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.

December 27, 2023
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Medical School Admissions Support

The support team at SAC is excellent, consistently delivering swift and thoughtful responses. Their feedback on my writing was comprehensive and insightful, enabling me to significantly enhance my essay writing skills. The mock interviews conducted by the SAC team served as an accurate simulation of real medical school interviews, proving to be an invaluable resource.

Having secured my first acceptance early in the application cycle, I am immensely satisfied with the guidance provided by SAC. I wholeheartedly recommend their services to anyone seeking support in the medical school admissions process!

November 27, 2023
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Medical School Application Consultation

Used this consultation service for applying to medical school and was accepted into a program. Aside from their professionalism and timely responses, Shemmassian Consulting also provided exemplary service ranging from reviewing my application, helped formulate my school list, and most importantly, provided great edits and guidance with my personal statement, activity prompts, and secondary applications. Having applied to medical school twice, Shemmassian Consulting made the entire process the second time around much easier and less daunting. I wish I had used this service when I first applied.

December 13, 2023
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Supportive and Dedicated Service!

I cannot emphasize how incredibly helpful Shemmassian Academic Consulting has been for me. Whether answering any questions I had, assisting me in preparing a personal statement, or helping me prepare for interviews, their team was not only prompt in their responses but also demonstrated a dedication to resolving my concerns throughout the entire medical school application cycle.

Indeed, their support staff exhibited exceptional professionalism, patience, and a genuine desire to assist me: they followed up to ensure that every question of mine was answered and proactively helped me stay on course during the strenuous application process.

I have been blown away by the outstanding support provided by Shemmassian Academic Consulting and I would highly recommend their service to anyone in need.

December 1, 2023
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Amazing Medical School Application Support

I am so grateful to all the advisors I worked with at Shemmassian Academic Consulting who, through their invaluable insight and constant support, made the long medical school application process feel less daunting. From day one, the guidance I received went above and beyond anything I had originally anticipated. A special shoutout to my primary advisor, Tony, and my writing advisor, Namrata, for providing such timely, detailed feedback on my primary and secondary application essays. Because of their help, I was able to share my unique story as an applicant in a compelling, powerful way, leading me to receive 20+ interview invites early on in the cycle. Though I am still waiting to hear back from the vast majority of schools, I have already received 3 acceptances, including Brown (one of my top choices!). I cannot recommend SAC enough for anyone who is looking to submit the strongest application possible!

December 1, 2023
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful Mock Interview

I really enjoyed working with Dr. Eman Mubarak, who prepared me for my MMI interview. She is very experienced, and gave me very helpful feedback and tips on how I could improve. I felt very confident going into my interview and would highly recommend working with her!

November 6, 2023
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Go-To For Medical School Application Help

I am very grateful to the team at Shemmassian for helping me get into the medical school. I received my first medical school acceptance a couple weeks ago and have already received many interview invites only half way into the cycle. This could not have been possible if it weren't for the great team provided to me by Shemmassian. I was assigned a writing advisor who helped me with my essays and a primary advisor who was my go-to for any questions and application strategies. My writing advisor gave me detailed feedback on my primary and secondary application essays and was extremely thorough. My primary advisor helped me brainstorm essay ideas, create a school list and gave helpful feedback during mock interviews and Casper Prep. My primary and writing advisors truly helped me craft the best med school app I could, and I am very thankful for the support they gave me. If you are looking for help with your medical school applications, Shemmassian won't let you down and will help you.

December 2, 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Thorough Essay Support

Shemmassian provided thorough feedback on my writing that was extremely helpful in getting interviews and an acceptance. I greatly appreciated their patience and responsiveness and always encouraging me to push my writing quality further. Would definitely recommend, great value for money!

November 29, 2023
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I just received acceptance to OHSU

I just received acceptance to OHSU, my top medical school pick. I am so grateful for Shemassian Consulting. The team was professional and very well-versed in every aspect of the medical school admissions process. Before joining Shemassian, I had felt that my application was inadequate and that my experiences were not unique. Working with Evan and Claire, I was able to find my own voice in my essays. Big thanks to them both. My advisor, Evan, has so much experience and was able to help me focus on things I was genuinely passionate about. My writing consultant, Claire, was amazing. I had a lot of trouble with writing, and she was able to succinctly help me connect all my thoughts together. Joining Shemassian helped me strategize the best use of my time and take all the guesswork out of the already stressful application cycle. 100% would recommend. Save yourself from applying again and just do it once.

November 24, 2023
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Advice for successfully navigating the application process for dental residency programs

Shemmasian Academic Consulting helped me achieve my dream of getting accepted into a dental specialty residency program.
They guided me through the process since I am an internationally trained dentist and it was my first time applying to a program in the US.
My advisor helped me create a plan and a schedule of the things I needed to complete. They helped me decide the programs and schools I was applying to, set a date for me to take the INBDE and TOEFL, and gave me advice on how to fill out all of the applications. They helped me edit the essays and gave me feedback once I was invited to the interviews. I applied to a total of 16 residency programs in prosthodontics and got 12 interview invitations. I went to 10 interviews and all of them went great! In the end, I got accepted into a 5 years program combining a Doctorate degree and the prosthodontics residency program, but I decided to decline it to participate in Match. Now I am happy to share I have matched at the prosthodontics program of my dreams and that it was my first choice in my ranking order list. I will forever be grateful to Shemassian Academic Consulting for guiding me and being helpful in this stressful process of applying to a dental residency program. I recommend their service to anyone looking for guidance on how to improve their application and who wants advice for successfully navigating the application process.

November 21, 2023
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Got my first med school acceptance!

I would highly recommend SAC's medical school admissions services. After being on the fence for a while and exploring a few different companies, I decided to go with SAC's Secondary package and am so glad I did! As a reapplicant, having SAC's help this time around completely changed the game.

I had a panicked consultation with Dr. Shemassian beginning of July when secondary invites started rolling in and I was feeling extremely overwhelmed. After I decided to purchase the package, the whole team was very speedy with getting everything started, setting up our first meeting, and pushing me to get my secondary applications in as soon as possible. Both my physician advisor and writing advisor were incredibly skilled, responsive, and supportive. They made sure I stayed on schedule and were very prompt with returning edits. I'm usually very stubborn when it comes to taking peoples' edits on my writing, but both advisors quickly impressed me with their attention to detail and the quality of their edits. While still maintaining my voice and the content I wanted to keep, they really made sure every sentence was as perfect as possible before submission. The interview preparation sessions that my package included were also very helpful.

It is still pretty early in the cycle, but I have already received 4 US MD interview invites and one acceptance! As a consecutive cycle reapplicant, there isn't much that changed on my application in one year except for the quality of my secondaries.

Thank you SAC for all your help, I couldn't have done it without you!

November 20, 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Couldn’t be happier with my med school admissions support

Shemmassian Academic Consulting has supported me for the past year in every step of the med school application process. As a non-traditional applicant, being five years post-undergrad and without a medical background in my family, I found myself at a loss on how to navigate the complex process alone.

After researching all the big name consulting firms, I was a bit put off by how transactional and standardized they seemed. I chose SAC because Dr. Shemmassian’s approach seemed more personal and human, and this expectation was not just met, but exceeded.

I was paired with two exceptional consultants: a primary consultant, who is a medical student at UCLA, and a writing advisor, who is a talented professional writer. Both were very personable and kind and clearly dedicated to providing me with the best support possible. This was evident in their consistent detailed feedback and responses to my many questions (we have over 400 emails back-and-forth at this point), and the positive attitude and enthusiasm they both maintained throughout the whole process. As an added bonus, they both shared some of my interests and complemented my personality, a testament to Dr. Shemmassian’s thoughtful pairing.

My biggest concern in deciding to work with a consulting service was that they might encourage me to take a more conventional approach, rather than allowing me to highlight my unique journey. But I never felt this was the case. My consultants dedicated ample time to understand and highlight my personal journey, ensuring my application was not just another cookie-cutter submission. My writing editor never once pressured me to finish an essay before I felt it was the best that it could be —even allowing me to revisit my personal statement after we had initially finalized it, embodying the truly unlimited support SAC promises. It was wonderful to feel so happy with the quality of all my essays, and this is largely a credit to her editing skill and patience

With my consultants’ support, I feel I was able to put forth the strongest possible version of my application. Having begun the process unsure of my prospects, I am thrilled with the outcome — I applied to 19 MD schools and have received 8 interviews, including some from my top-choice schools in California, and early acceptances.

At the end of the day, I believe the value of a company lies in its people and its processes. SAC excels in both, with a clear intentionality behind their approach to ensure not only your success but also to make the journey as pleasant as possible. I feel incredibly fortunate to have chosen SAC for my med school application journey and would wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone I know.

November 8, 2023
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Amazing mock interview

Eman was incredible! She gave very tailored feedback and guidance that was crucial to my interview preparation. Very personable and gave me a clear plan of attack to be successful.

October 22, 2023
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Complicated Legal History Success Story

What made my experience great was the personal attention Dr. Shemmassian gave to me as a client. I have a complicated legal history and it was hard to find an advisor that was optimistic enough to believe that medicine was worth pursuing in my case. Dr. Shemmasian did eventually find the right advisor for me after delicately taking a closer look at everyone’s backgrounds (both mine and my advisor’s). Once we connected it actually took me an additional year to get the MCAT score I needed before I was ready to apply, but all my consulting fees were rolled over into the next year’s cycle at no charge. When I finally did apply, I did so broadly, I received more than ten interview invites and was given a very early acceptance to one of my top programs. This year’s cycle is not even over yet and I’m still getting interviews. I would recommend Shemmasian to anyone who is doubtful about their future in medicine. The advisors are all physicians who served on admissions boards who can help you demystify and better comprehend how admissions truly works. With the volume of bad information available at an all time high, real expertise like this was incredibly helpful and saved me from ever needing to attend a master’s program while only possessing just below average stats.

November 7, 2023
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

My advisor was incredibly responsive…

My advisor was incredibly responsive and knowledgable about the medical school admissions process. They really helped me write a personal statement I was proud of! Having Shemmassian consulting really helped mitigate a lot of the stress that comes with the medical school application process.

November 6, 2023
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

My Experience with SAC

I had a great experience with Shemmassian Academic Consulting. When first starting, Dr. Shemmassian talked to me directly outlining what kind of services they provide, and gave me so much information to look into the consulting services and other resources on their website. The website alone has so many resources and youtube videos available to learn more about the application process and help navigate through every step.

They were very inclusive in their process pairing advisor to applicant based on several characteristics, like what kind of support the student needed most (e.g. overthinker, time management, etc). Dr. Andrade was such a great main advisor and continuously showed me support and answered my hundreds of questions. My experience with my writing advisor, Katie, was also incredible. We collaborated so well and were able to come up with a submission schedule that worked very well for us.

Before I started with SAC, I was so worried about getting into med school and didn't think I had a chance. But through this, I was able to keep pushing and ended up getting into one of top 3 schools early on in the cycle. For any applicants feeling like they're lost and overwhelmed, I HIGHLY suggest Shemmassian Academic Consulting!

November 6, 2023

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