Episode 62: Everyone Deserves Education, but not at the College of Their Choice with Dr. Shirag Shemmassian, Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting

Dr. Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world’s foremost experts on medical school admissions, college admissions, and graduate school admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into medical school and top colleges using his systematic and proprietary Approach.

How complex is the college admission process?

Students normally worry about all their extracurricular activities and their academic achievements. Even if they are the top student in their high school, they may not be the top student of all the applicants who are applying for the same university. It is massive competition for students who wants to go a university. Universities also have different initiative such as recutting students from different diverse racial backgrounds and income backgrounds overtime.

Is it fair for ivy league schools to ‘pick and choose’ their students even though most of their rejected applicants are extremely qualified?

The admissions process is a very American concept . There are also heavy cultural influences in this process as well. For example, when ask to talk about yourself or tell a story, some cultural groups may be very uncomfortable to talk. It could be seen as arrogance to them which is why some cultural group are inherently at a disadvantage. The are also inherent basis’s. There could already be an assumption of a applicant just from his name alone and records alone which can influence the overall decision. There are also outside factors that some applicants were dealing with like low income or not having the same opportunity as other people which influences the admissions team.

What makes a good college essay?

Typically, when students write a college essay, they want to leave a good impression. Start working backwards to think about your experiences that best exemplify your qualities regardless of it being personal or professional. From those points, the student then should tie it in with their essay topic and draft their story accordingly. When done this way, the student will achieve their intended effect they wanted.

Connect with Dr. Shirag Shemmassian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shemmassian/

Learn more about Shemmassian Academic Consulting: https://www.shemmassianconsulting.com/

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