Getting Professional Advice...Worth it?

[FutureDoc2005]

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Hi folks,

I'm going through several dilemmas in the application process and considering using a fee-for-service premed advising program...have anyone of you used ones of these like Lewis Associates or any of the other ones available and would you recommend it?

 

[DrBowtie]

I would contact medical schools near by or of interest. Some will set up a consultation with you to discuss your app. Nothing like straight from the horses mouth.

 

[medicalbound]

Hi folks,

I'm going through several dilemmas in the application process and considering using a fee-for-service premed advising program...have anyone of you used ones of these like Lewis Associates or any of the other ones available and would you recommend it?

I honestly can't think of a situation where this would be necessary. Does your school have a pre-health advisor? If not, you could always try to contact other schools in your city to see if they do and would be willing to meet. There are plenty of books to walk you through the process and you could always contact AMCAS directly if you need to. Aside from a plethora of websites on the subject and sites like this, what else would you need? Try the search mechanism here on SDN, I'm sure that someone or many someones have been through similar situations.

 

[FutureDoc2005]

I honestly can't think of a situation where this would be necessary. Does your school have a pre-health advisor? If not, you could always try to contact other schools in your city to see if they do and would be willing to meet. There are plenty of books to walk you through the process and you could always contact AMCAS directly if you need to. Aside from a plethora of websites on the subject and sites like this, what else would you need? Try the search mechanism here on SDN, I'm sure that someone or many someones have been through similar situations.

Thank you for the replies...when I wrote the post I hadn't read the other thread talking about the advising companies that charge people...

In any case though, how do you set up a consultation, because I have been interviewed and placed on a waitlist and would love to get some feedback from the school? From what I have been told, you can't talk to the Dean of Admissions or anyone knowledgable beyond the secretary...

Has anyone tried to contact interviewers and would it be appropriate beyond the thank you notes we all (or most of us) send.

 

[medicalbound]

Thank you for the replies...when I wrote the post I hadn't read the other thread talking about the advising companies that charge people...

In any case though, how do you set up a consultation, because I have been interviewed and placed on a waitlist and would love to get some feedback from the school? From what I have been told, you can't talk to the Dean of Admissions or anyone knowledgable beyond the secretary...

Has anyone tried to contact interviewers and would it be appropriate beyond the thank you notes we all (or most of us) send.

What you were told about the Dean of Admissions is not true in all cases. I was waitlisted at another school and contacted the dean to find out where I was deficient and received a reply the same day (albeit without much info other than I was out of state and the applicant pool is very competitive). The dean of admissions at Colorado actually sets up meetings with people on the waitlist to talk about their applications. I would contact the school that waitlisted you and find out directly.

I would advise against contacting the interviewers beyond the thank you letters. The committee representative (the dean) would be the most appropriate. Just call the admissions office and tell them what you would like to do and ask how you would go about making it happen -- that is of course unless they told you in no uncertain terms "don't call us, we'll call you". Best of luck to you.

 

[RayhanS1282]

I would advice going to a pre-health advisor at your school. Pre-health advisor is gonna sit there and say "your **** stinks" but he/she'll do it for free (other than the tuition) vs. the expensive, hourly advisor who'll sit there and say "your **** stinks" but you would have to fork over a couple of hundred dollars to hear that. Hoping that you have a half-way decent adviso, they'll both pretty much tell you how you can imrpove your application and your chances.

Please note that I really don't personally mean your **** stinks.

 

[jebus]

Please note that I really don't personally mean your **** stinks.

Everyone's **** stinks. Remember what Andre 3000 said, "Even roses smell like poo poo poo."
I'm going to take the opposite stand. A professional will be able to help you spin anything positively - not just tell what's wrong with your app but also how to get in with specific and pointed advice. And with fewer clients than a school's pre-med advisor they will be able to spend more time on you and your app. My brother used a professional advisor and they helped him get into multiple top 10 law schools at age 30 after a wholly different career and without having even stepped foot in a law office and with letters of rec only from his neuroscience/immunology research mentors. I have no idea what he plans to do with a JD but he swears by these professional advisors.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Everyone's **** stinks. Remember what Andre 3000 said, "Even roses smell like poo poo poo."
I'm going to take the opposite stand. A professional will be able to help you spin anything positively - not just tell what's wrong with your app but also how to get in with specific and pointed advice. And with fewer clients than a school's pre-med advisor they will be able to spend more time on you and your app. My brother used a professional advisor and they helped him get into multiple top 10 law schools at age 30 after a wholly different career and without having even stepped foot in a law office and with letters of rec only from his neuroscience/immunology research mentors. I have no idea what he plans to do with a JD but he swears by these professional advisors.

As someone who's been through the whole law school admission process, I've got to say your bro might have wasted his money on that one. Law schools care about your numbers, period. If you have a good LSAT, you're going to get in somewhere good even if you know absolutely nothing about the law. Now, if your brother had a 155 on his LSAT, I would say this advisor did astounding work. Otherwise, nah. Harvard rejected me, but I got into some other pretty great law schools with a high LSAT, a highish gpa from an unheard of school, and pretty much nothing else going for me. Law schools love nontrads, too, so his age and past career would only be a plus.

Man, maybe I should start charging for this cr@p.

 

[jbone]

Advice? More like professional help. We all need it for wanting to go into medicine.

 

[Law2Doc]

As someone who's been through the whole law school admission process, I've got to say your bro might have wasted his money on that one. Law schools care about your numbers, period. If you have a good LSAT, you're going to get in somewhere good even if you know absolutely nothing about the law. Now, if your brother had a 155 on his LSAT, I would say this advisor did astounding work. Otherwise, nah. Harvard rejected me, but I got into some other pretty great law schools with a high LSAT, a highish gpa from an unheard of school, and pretty much nothing else going for me. Law schools love nontrads, too, so his age and past career would only be a plus.

Man, maybe I should start charging for this cr@p.

Agree -- law school is not the same ballgame at all.

 

[WhatUpDoc!]

OP... don't spend the green... you'll be better off asking around at the school you got waitlisted at until you get an honest in-depth answer. I don't know how many times I was tempted to drop some loot on the personal statment editor websites, but why spend money on something you can get for free?!? I mean, unless you got it like that, then by all means spend away. But if you want to save the dough, then I would take medicalbound's advice and snoop around some more on SDN/the internet/your pre-health advisor to give you the informations you're looking for.