I offer application support for individuals applying to university (freshman or transfer), medical school, and residency who have financial barriers to accessing other resources. I'm here to offer general mentorship, support crafting personal statements, organization of extra-curriculars, supplemental writing pieces, and more.
Contact me at andrewbpastor@gmail.com and please specify urgency in subject line!
I wasn't ever able to afford private help with my applications but benefited greatly from the generosity of individuals willing to support me out of the kindness of their heart. I'm happy to pass it on.
I have personally succeeded in three rigorous academic application processes. As a community college transfer student at UC Berkeley I received the Regents' and Chancellor's Scholarship which provided me a full scholarship. As a medical school and residency applicant I was able to enter into my top choice programs. All this as the son of immigrants, largely guided by the mentors and resources I sought out.
At each step I've "checked the necessary boxes" but have also leveraged the aspects of myself that make me unique in the application pool. Everybody has unique aspects of themselves - the key is identifying them and communicating them in your application!
Along the way and for nearly ten years, I've supported individuals with their higher education applications. These application systems are created to be purposefully intimidating and stressful (not to mention expensive...)- I've been there and I'm here to tell you it's all a huge pain in the ass. It does pass, though, and with the right preparation and process you will hopefully move forward in your journey.
I have learned many things one should and shouldn't do with regards to applications. Some of these tips are logistical (submit your application on time, complete all the pre-requisites listed, etc.), but many questions are more challenging to address without personal experience in the process (when to disclose what personal details, how to organize a personal statement, how to describe extracurricular activities, etc.). Even more challenging is having the foresight to organize yourself well enough to enter these processes with confidence. It takes work but with the right resources and support you can succeed!
Contact me at andrewbpastor@gmail.com and please specify urgency in subject line!
Medical school:
https://www.reddit.com/r/premed/
https://www.reddit.com/r/medicalschool/
https://mec.aamc.org/msar-ui/#/landing
https://www.reddit.com/r/premed/wiki/schoollist/ (guide to creating school list)
Residency:
https://www.reddit.com/r/medicalschool/comments/c4g60d/serious_residency_application_guide/