Graduate and Professional School Reviews

Elizabeth truly went above and beyond to support me throughout the long and stressful medical school application process. She spent time reviewing all the supplemental material and essays I sent her in great depth to help craft a personal statement that best captures my strengths and unique attributes as an applicant. Although we were never physically together to work on my application, she was always very responsive and reliable with her communication through phone calls and emails.

In addition to her helpful comments on all my primary essays and activities section, Elizabeth also helped polish all the minor grammatical errors and check the overall flow of my writing. Even after I had submitted the essays, Elizabeth showed no hesitation in sending me additional material to best prepare for my interviews. She has been very understanding and accommodating throughout the cycle, and I could not express my gratitude enough. I highly recommend working with Elizabeth to anyone applying to medical school!

Julie Hwang
University of North Carolina, (which SOM)

The medical school application process is long and difficult. But, with Elizabeth I was able to get ahead on the primary and secondary applications for medical school. Elizabeth was integral to my application process. She helped me craft a personal statement that turned my experiences into cohesive stories that showcased my strengths and my desire to become a physician. She also helped me address some "red flags" in my application in a way that I could show my academic and personal growth. Additionally, she helped guide me on how to respond to secondary prompts and how to make them the most effective with limited word counts. Elizabeth’s help minimized my stress during this process and need to endlessly search the internet for best medical school application tips. I highly recommend her services for anyone applying to graduate school!

Kendall Gardner
Touro University of California

Elizabeth made the application process a million times smoother and more manageable for me. I have unique life experiences and she helped me to show them off as strengths. She offered incredible emotional support and I felt valued and supported the entire time.

Elizabeth was always available and helped me to hone my experiences into strong personal statements. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Elizabeth and recommend her 100%!

Kelsey Welch
UCLA Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) Program

I’m so happy to say that I will be attending Case Western Reserve University’s PA program. Your feedback and guidance throughout this year’s particularly competitive and hectic application cycle has been extremely valuable. You worked with me closely to perfect my personal statement, streamline my supplements, and arrange mock interviews. Each component was fundamental to reaching my goal, and I would most definitely recommend you to anyone hoping to apply successfully to PA school.

Michelle Tran
Case Western Reserve University Physician Assistant Program Class of 2024

During my first medical school application cycle I fell into a number of traps and pitfalls that contributed to an unsuccessful first campaign. I recognized these missteps and having decided to apply a second time chose to give myself the best possible chance of acceptance at the schools I wanted to attend. I researched a number of different companies/individuals who offer assistance with the application process. I chose to work with Doing College and Beyond specifically because Elizabeth takes very few clients each cycle to ensure she has ample time to devote to each individual applicant. But the main reason I decided to work with Elizabeth is because of her candor in speaking to the positive and negative aspects of my application. In talking to other companies and individuals, I found they skipped by the question of whether or not I should apply in the current cycle. Elizabeth, on the other hand, did a comprehensive analysis to assess the strength of my application and provided impartial guidance concerning the merits of applying in the current cycle or building a stronger application for the following year. This process gave me faith in the strength of my application and I believe this was the source of much of my confidence throughout the application process.

Aside from the analysis, the greatest resource Doing College and Beyond provided to me came through personal statement and secondary prompt planning, development and revision. Elizabeth’s comments helped me to shape a meaningful personal statement and concise, poignant answers to secondary prompts which made my application stand out in the large, highly competitive applicant pool. With timely feedback and thought-provoking guidance, I was able to turn around all secondary applications promptly, showing schools I was prepared and interested in their programs. Finally, Elizabeth provided emotional support and perspective through the ups and downs of the application process, providing timely answers to questions which just can’t be found roaming through internet blogs. For those applicants looking for an honest opinion on their medical school application and the help needed to turn a good application into one that truly projects your best self, I highly recommend looking no further than Elizabeth LaScala and Doing College and Beyond.

Byrnn Sargent
UC Irvine School of Medicine
Class of 2023

Elizabeth was an incredible mentor in helping to guide me through the entire medical school application process. She not only took the time to really familiarize herself with my application, but she also put in the effort to get to know me on a more personal basis.

Through our conversations, I came to realize my many strengths, which ultimately allowed me to succeed. I am very thankful for her help and the relationship we have built.

Michelle Liu Shu
David Geffen UCLA School of Medicine

I did not know that I wanted to be a doctor until after graduating from college. I thought about getting an MPH or going to nursing school, but after working in a clinical setting, I decided on medicine. My undergraduate institution did not provide much pre-medical advising and, so I searched for someone to help me navigate the application process, both with general guidance and more specific advising related to personal statements and written components.

I was incredibly happy with my overall advising experience. Elizabeth was always responsive to whatever questions I had, answering them with her own knowledge and expertise or guiding me to the resources that answered my questions. She provided me with structured opportunities and exercises to reflect personally and academically, which was tremendously helpful in formulating a personal statement I was very proud to submit. I would definitely recommend Elizabeth to anyone that is looking for personalized advising for their graduate school applications.

Karen Bryan
UCLA School of Medicine
Class of 2023

Elizabeth, Thank you so much for your wise guidance and support throughout this whole process. My daughter couldn’t have done it without your help. She has accepted admission to UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine!

Virginia Crisp
Daughter Becca Crisp
UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine