Dr. Shemmassian 1/29/26 Dr. Shemmassian 1/29/26

The Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Medical School (2026)

Learn how the best liberal arts colleges prepare their students for med school and determine if this is the right premed education for you

Dr. Shemmassian 11/4/25 Dr. Shemmassian 11/4/25

Early Action vs. Early Decision: Pros and Cons and What Your Child Should Do

Learn the key differences between Early Action and Early Decision to help you and your child choose the best college application strategy.

Dr. Shemmassian 9/4/25 Dr. Shemmassian 9/4/25

How to Get Into MIT: Essays and Strategies that Worked

How hard is it to get into MIT? Learn about MIT’s application process and successful approaches to MIT’s short-answer essay questions—which are not on the Common App—to improve your child’s odds of being accepted

Dr. Shemmassian 8/29/25 Dr. Shemmassian 8/29/25

How to Get Into Duke: Essays and Strategies That Worked

How hard is it to get into Duke? Learn the Duke acceptance rate and strategies for applying, plus sample Duke supplemental essays

Dr. Shemmassian 8/23/25 Dr. Shemmassian 8/23/25

How to Get Into Rice University: Strategies and Essays That Worked

How hard is it to get into Rice University? Learn admissions requirements and acceptance rates, plus how to write successful Rice supplemental essays

Dr. Shemmassian 8/22/25 Dr. Shemmassian 8/22/25

How to Get Into Caltech (Essay Examples Included)

How hard is it to get into Caltech? Learn Caltech’s admission requirements and discover strategies to write great Caltech supplemental essays to increase your chances of being admitted

Dr. Shemmassian 5/7/24 Dr. Shemmassian 5/7/24

How to Use the Common App Additional Information Section (Examples Included)

The definitive guide to knowing what to include (and not include) in the Common App Additional Information section

Dr. Shemmassian 10/11/21 Dr. Shemmassian 10/11/21

How to Transfer Colleges: The Ultimate Guide

Discover how to transfer colleges step by step, including admission strategies, common mistakes, and an example of a winning transfer essay.

Dr. Shemmassian 5/3/19 Dr. Shemmassian 5/3/19

How to Find Internships for High School Students

Everything you need to know about high school internships, including how to cold email for an internship

Dr. Shemmassian 3/20/19 Dr. Shemmassian 3/20/19

The College Admissions Puzzle: How the 8 Main Pieces Fit Together and Affect Which Schools Your Child Gets Into

This article is also featured on The Huffington Post.

To help you better understand the college application evaluation process, I have highlighted the 8 primary elements of most college applications, including what they represent to admissions committees, and what they don’t.

Carefully considering what story will be told through the various pieces of your child’s college application will help your family make more informed decisions when it comes to your child’s academics and extracurricular pursuits. Collectively, better decisions will improve your child’s admissions odds at his or her top-choice schools.