I would love to hear feedback on anyone’s experience with medical school applications consulting. I see many parents on my kids’ FB college boards asking advice/recommendations. I went on some of these websites and am shocked at the prices. Easily $4000-6000 - and that seems to be just the personal statement and maybe the activities section.
Users are invited to share their experiences, but are not permitted to recommend or disparage a consultant by name.
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We know a number of young doctors. I don’t know anyone who used a consultant. Many had physician mentors who gave them sage advice. But everyone I know prayed they would get accepted someplace, and saved that kind of money for medical school costs.
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MSAR is best investment any medical applicant can make. And it’s only $28!
BTW, chatGPT can write a pretty decent first draft of a PS. It’s then up to the applicant to refine it and and add details that makes it real.
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Yes- I asked for experiences, not recommendations. It’s a huge investment no matter who someone chooses. My daughter has her 1st draft of her personal statement done, but I am not sure I want to pay so much money to have it reviewed. Many services say they are an MD and would know better what to look for, but I am not sold on that.
Wowser. Just wowser.
Do the colleges these students attend not have a Pre-Health advisor group? All I know about have them and they’re free for students.
I don’t think my son knows anyone who used a separate group, but I could be wrong. I know he didn’t, nor did his friends.
I am hands-off on this journey of hers. I need to ask her. I do know that she is taking her junior year writing class and is able to do her personal statement as a writing assignment. It forced her to get it done. She’s waiting on the feedback. She’s the type of person that has done all the research on schools and has an idea of where she’d apply. I know there is something she paid for (maybe it’s what was referenced above) a tool that helps narrow down the best schools for her. I just don’t see paying all that money for a service that supposedly helps her craft her school list when she kind of already has done the legwork. I am new to all this, so I just want to make sure I am not overlooking some of these benefits of these services.
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Personally I think they’re a sales gimmick for those who have a lot of money to drop.
But I have no personal experience.
It sounds like your daughter is doing well. If she happens to know anyone already in med school, she can ask them if they will look something over. At the end of my guy’s med school years he was doing some interviewing of potential students. I’m sure that happens elsewhere too.
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Some prospective medical school applicants have a physician mentor or the pre health career advisor who can help them. We have a relative who was the head of the health careers advising at a university…and her team did this as part of their job. No cost to the student.
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Still can be caught for plagiarism even if refined…many colleges have stated they are going to be running essays thru AI detectors. I would not personally risk this.
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