College and Graduate School Advisor

Doing College is dedicated to providing personalized college and graduate school admissions expertise to students and their families locally, nationally and abroad.

College and graduate school admissions are more competitive than ever. Doing College utilizes exclusive admission tools, customized strategies and a network of dedicated professionals to help each student navigate the complex college and graduate school admissions process with confidence and success.

College Admissions

Are you uncertain about how to start the college admission process? Need help with your essays and college applications?

Elizabeth LaScala, PhD, Founder of Doing College, delivers college admission expertise to high school students and their families as well transfer services to students in community and 4-year colleges nationwide.

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Graduate and Professional School Admissions

Doing College and Beyond has cultivated a powerful network of professional consultants who augment the admission process with timely information on trends and developments in engineering, health care, mathematics, humanities and the sciences.

Medical School Admissions (MD, DOM, DDS)

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Law and Business Admissions (JD, MBA)

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Other Graduate Admissions (MA, MS, PhD)

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"We can't thank you enough for all your support on Tantzie's college applications. 😊 She was ultimately admitted to all 8 colleges she applied to, including her ED school, Wellesley! Tantzie is very excited to join Wellesley as a premed student and so are we to see her attend!"

Tantzie Zamani
Wellesley
Class of 2028

"Our son has decided to go to Loyola Chicago! He is very excited and looking forward to attending Loyola. He was awarded the Dean’s scholarship. He also received scholarships from DePaul and Hofstra. He was admitted to University of Oregon, UConn, and TCNJ. As parents, we want to thank you again for your commitment for the last couple of years. We really appreciate everything you have done for us and you definitely made the college admissions process easier for us and far more successful for our son."

Heidi Choi and Tony Lee (parents)
Loyola
Class of 2023

"I wanted to let you know that I was admitted to many fine universities, including the University of Michigan, but I decided to attend UC Berkeley in the fall. Although I hoped to go further from home for greater independence, I just couldn’t pass up all the great opportunities that will be afforded to me at Cal. I made my parents promise to allow me to live my own independent college life, even though I am close to home! It has been an absolute pleasure working with you over this past year and I cannot thank you enough for helping me on my college journey. I know I would not be in this position without you!"

Brenna Seiersen
University of California, Berkeley
Class of 2026

"It was so great working with you and I know I wouldn’t have been able to make it through the college admissions process, or even just figure out which colleges I liked, without your help. I really appreciate everything you did to help me get through it!"

Nina Wilson
Northeastern University
Class of 2026

"Thank you so much for your unwavering assistance and support on my road to college. You were such an integral part of my successful applications, especially in helping me gain admission to my dream school, Brown University. Steering me away from missteps, always providing the reasons for your recommendations, respecting both my wishes, while addressing my parents' concerns (not an easy feat for anyone) are just some of many ways you supported me through this process. I owe you so much. Please let me know if there is ever anything I can do for you, or one of your clients."

Sam Maguire
Brown University
Class of 2022

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"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 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

"I came to Elizabeth overwhelmed by the graduate school application process. I was deciding between an MPH, MSW, or both and felt I couldn’t manage the various applications on my own. Elizabeth provided me with resources to help me make my decision. Once I decided on the MPH, she was instrumental in each component of the application, particularly my Statement of Purpose. She has a keen understanding of what schools are looking for, especially in public health. She worked diligently to provide advice and feedback despite a short timeline. Good grades, test scores, and letters of recommendation will only get you so far if you don’t know how to showcase your experiences and construct a coherent application package; that’s what Elizabeth helped me achieve. In the end, I was thrilled to be accepted to 6 out of 7 schools."

Amanda Aubel
MPH in Health and Social Behavior
Harvard
Class of 2020

"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

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Doing College’s Founder Elizabeth LaScala, PhD:

Elizabeth LaScala is a California based educational consultant with more than 25 years of experience, who provides personalized guidance for students in California, the US and abroad. In addition to admissions expertise, Elizabeth networks with a team of trusted professionals to provide support in areas such as test preparation, academic tutoring, and financial college planning.

  • In 2017, 85% of her students were admitted to one or more of their top choice colleges.
  • Over $4 million in financial aid was awarded to the Class of 2017 students using her comprehensive services.
  • As a California Community Representative for the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA), Elizabeth facilitates professional development for her colleagues by networking with college admission representatives in the US and abroad.
  • Elizabeth is a strong voice in her community and beyond, publishing a nationally circulated monthly newsletter and contributing to online blogs and print media with timely tips and trend updates in college and graduate admissions.

Need advice about how to pay for college?

Doing College helps clients learn more about financial and merit aid. We advise about:

  • Factors that determine financial aid eligibility
  • Colleges to apply to that offer financial aid and scholarships
  • Timing college applications and financial aid documents to receive the maximum amount of aid
  • Access to professional college financial advisors for even more support with college financial aid planning

Unsure where to start?

Doing College will guide you through every step.

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Articles and Resources

Check out my blog where I routinely reveal information that can help guide you even more. I usually post concurrent to the admissions cycle so it is relevant to you. If you have any specific questions or concerns, drop me a line and I will do my best to help address them!

Standardized Test-Optional and Blind Policies – When Should You Submit Your Scores

Standardized Test-Optional and Blind Policies – When Should You Submit Your Scores

By Elizabeth LaScala, PhD The COVID-19 pandemic brought on numerous changes within the standardized testing industry, many colleges shifting to […]

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An Early Decision Agreement is Binding

An Early Decision Agreement is Binding

By Elizabeth LaScala, PhDM An Early Decision application is a serious commitment on both sides. When a student decides to […]

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Writing Your Activities Section for Medical School Applications

Writing Your Activities Section for Medical School Applications

By Elizabeth LaScala, MD, PhD Whether you are completing the Activities Section of the AMCAS, AACOMAS, or TMDSAS application, this […]

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