For many college students and individuals already in the workforce, higher education is increasingly necessary to advance careers. Applying successfully to programs to earn an advanced degree requires careful planning, including taking the right coursework in college and earning strong scores on the required standardized tests. In addition to academic achievement, many programs want to see a record of service to the community, research, and relevant work experience in the specific areas related to the degree path.
Doing College and Beyond adjusts the level and type of services offered to individuals based on where they are in the admissions process, including students who are currently studying at the undergraduate level or persons who have started their work career.
Elizabeth LaScala has successfully cultivated a network of expert consultants who are available to support specific content needs in engineering, health care, mathematics, humanities and the sciences. This enables her to bring you the highest qualified service in specific content areas as she personally guides you through the entire admissions process.
Elizabeth LaScala specializes in medical, dental and veterinarian school admissions, as well as physician assistant, physical therapy and nursing degree paths. Elizabeth only accepts five applicants each cycle, so she can continue to offer support that meets the needs of each applicant.
MA, MS, PhD
MD, DOM, DDS
JD, MBA
The Graduate and Professional School Admissions Process
Step 1: Elizabeth works with potential applicants to review an individual’s credentials and experience to evaluate if their current profile is strong enough to be successful. Elizabeth provides a written objective and subjective review, paired with a specific set of recommendations.
Step 2: Assuming the applicant’s profile is strong enough to be successful, Doing College offers the following services as needed:
- Identify a range of higher education opportunities that relate to academic areas of interest, aptitudes, majors, prior degrees and career paths
- Provide a general overview of the graduate or professional school admissions process, an associated timeline and standardized testing requirements
- Work with the applicant to define parameters for a program search and/or evaluate and offer input on an existing list of programs
- Develop an application list that is balanced by probability of admission
- Provide specific recommendations for writing a strong, cohesive application
- Assist with the development and editing of personal statements, secondaries, supplemental essays, short responses and any communications with program staff
- Provide advice for resume development, regional program visits, interview preparation and portfolio review
- Expert consultation regarding wait lists, weighing the acceptances, financial aid awards, and helping the applicant to make the final decision
“Elizabeth and I worked closely to develop a well-researched and balanced list of schools. She informed me that when it came to choosing a medical school, it wasn’t about the name but instead whether it was the right fit for me. In college I majored in chemical engineering and I knew I wanted to take a gap year after graduation. During that gap year, I thought I should take an engineering job, but Elizabeth encouraged me to see that this would be a misstep. Instead she guided me to work in a health care setting before applying to dental schools –volunteering as well as shadowing in a dental office. Ultimately, I was hired to work full-time in a dental office and I believe this made all the difference in the strength of my applications. I would highly recommend her to anyone who is interested in attending a graduate or professional degree school.”
Jennifer Xu
Columbia College of Dental Medicine
“When it came time for me to think about applying to graduate study, I had the good fortune to work with one of the best resources, mentors, and professionals in the field of educational consulting, Elizabeth LaScala. Overall, the application process to Master’s programs in Genetic Counseling took me three years to fully complete, because I had several post baccalaureate courses to complete in order to be eligible for many selective programs. Elizabeth assisted from initial brainstorming to receipt of my final acceptance notifications. She helped make the application process manageable through her near-daily insightful suggestions. Ultimately I was admitted to the majority of the programs I applied to and had many excellent options to consider.”
Alena Faulkner
M.S. in Genetic Counseling
University of South Carolina
“Elizabeth’s advice and support strengthened my graduate school applications considerably. I thought my background as a Native American from a non-traditional background (military veteran) was a weakness, but she helped me realize that it was really one of big my strengths. Her advice was key to being admitted to and making the final decision about several fine universities, including Tufts and University of Massachusetts Amherst. I ultimately decided to attend University of California Santa Cruz with a $24,000 fellowship, which allows me to focus exclusively on my studies.”
Shawn Tsosie
PhD, Department of Mathematics
University of California, Santa Cruz