Let me just state for the record that Passport Admissions has been my backbone through the emotional roller-coaster ride of applying to medical school... they have helped me successfully land five medical school interviews, three acceptances and two waitlist slots (one at a top ranked medical school)... and I could NOT have done it without their help! I initially found out about Passport Admissions while studying for MCATs with Princeton Review... the day I met with Rob (founder) to go over my application to medical school was the day I knew that Passport would be a great fit for me! Not only could I meet with an admissions counselor/ essay editor at the location of my preference (Princeton Review headquarters, local coffee shop, library, etc..) they offered to provide their services for free if I was unsuccessful at getting into medical school the first round. As any pre-med can attest to: the grueling process of applying to medical school is full of self-doubt and indecisiveness... combined with the pressure of MCAT performance and meticulous drafting the "perfect" application essay (and every subsequent secondary essay from each school applied to) -- it becomes very time-consuming (especially if working full-time)... Passport Admissions definitely was there to keep my on top of it. I could really trust my editors (Rob & Alison) as an expert pair of eyes to edit, critique and proof each of my essays so that I could submit my applications in a timely manner. There are so many steps along the way in this year-long application cycle that it's easy to get overwhelmed, however, Passport kept me focused. At the end of my first application cycle I was ultimately waitlisted at one of my top-ranked medical schools but was not successful in obtaining an acceptance... despite my disappointment the Passport crew was right back in the game with me - like my own personal coach preparing me for the next round... re-tooling my application and helping me research more schools to apply to for the next round... They were true to their guarantee and helped me get through another round of hell... At the end of my second application cycle I received a total of three acceptances and I am currently waitlisted at a top 10 ranked medical school... I will start medical school this August '11 and couldn't be more excited! Passport Admissions helped me achieve my goal of becoming a physician and despite the rocky process getting there, they were a constant source of motivation and guidance to keep me focused. I will be forever grateful to Alison H & Rob for ALL their tireless hours of editing and coffee shop meetings to get me there. I recommend Passport Admissions to any pre-med who needs the extra boost getting their application together - the application process is very difficult and the investment in this service is WELL WORTH IT! read more

For MEDICAL SCHOOL: Passport Admissions, I believe, was certainly an integral factor in my acceptance to medical school for the Fall of 2014. I have been an AMCAS applicant for two cycles: two years ago and the current 2014 cycle. The first cycle was a guessing game on how to best approach the complex application process as I am the first in my family and friends to do so. I lacked the knowledge on how to tailor my application/life-story to an admissions committee and how to tackle the massive workload that the med school app requires. My second time applying was a far more relaxed experience as I had experts coaching me at each step. From the beginning, I knew my chance at acceptance would be much greater since immediately Rob used the criteria for the type of school I want to go to along with my credentials to create a tailored list of med schools to apply to. I would have likely have not applied to either of the two schools I got accepted to or two of the others I got interviews at. Helping me to choose the right schools by itself was entirely worth the investment in Passport Admissions, although they provided crucial assistance on many parts of the app. My personal statement, something I now understand to be a key part to gaining acceptance, would not have been as powerful or relevant without their assistance. I was guided on which life experiences would make me not only unique, but ones that could convey the skills needed to be a doctor. These were not necessarily the obvious choices I would have thought to highlight. My personal statement became interesting, powerful, and most importantly conveyed my personality. I have no doubt my PS was a highlight of my application thanks to Passport Admissions. I can't list the numerous other ways in which they helped me, but two other factors to working with Passport Admissions were very important to me. Working Rob and my editor, Kendyl, was joy and made the process enjoyable. I truly looked forward to my sessions with Kendyl. Second, by investing money into a coaching team I was determined to get the most out of my time and money and never would allow myself to miss a Passport set deadline. I spent countless extra nights and weekends working on my app so that I would never fall behind the rigorous timeline to complete sections of the app. Timing is key to the process and I would not have been able to pump out as many solid essays as I did without their insightful schedule and assistance. read more

Passport Admissions has been an amazing program. They helped me on my school choices, essays, general application advice, and interviews. Their archive of secondary prompts was extremely accurate and allowed me to get a head start on the flood of secondary applications. Without that resource, there is not way I would have been able to turn all the essays in on time. The medical schools said that my personal statement was fantastic, and that is thanks to the people at Passport Admissions encouraging me to make my essay more personal. I would not have been able to do such a great job on the medical school essays without their help. The staff members are extremely friendly and helpful, and genuinely care about the students. They also quickly and completely address any concerns or questions. One of the great things was that everything is personalized from the list of medical schools they recommend you apply to, to the essay editing sessions, and to the individual schools you are preparing for during interview preparation. The practice interview sessions include questions specific to the medical schools you are applying to, which has been amazingly helpful for schools that have tricky interview questions. They also take time to get to know the students well, so they can give you more specific and helpful feedback on essays and interviews. Overall, the would not have been able to survive or succeed in this process without the help of Passport Admissions. There is so much about the admissions process that you can't find out just by reading the admission books and doing website research. A majority of the schools I received interviews at were schools that have the hardest secondary prompts, and it is thanks to Passport Admissions that the essays were so good. With under a 30 on the MCAT, the medical school advisor at my school told me there was almost no chance I would get into a US school. The counselors and other staff of Passport Admissions believed I could get into medical school with some help. I have had 7 interviews, 2 acceptances, 3 waitlist positions, and I am still waiting to here back after my recent interviews from 2 more schools. I am pretty sure there will be more acceptances to come. I HIGHLY recommend this program. read more

I first heard of Passport Admissions through a family friend who recommended the organization to help me navigate the daunting task of applying to medical school. Though becoming a doctor had always been my dream, I knew I had an uphill battle to climb, and knew counseling would help me put my best foot forward. Originally, I thought I was going to go with The Princeton Review for admissions counseling. After all, they were super helpful with MCAT prep, less expensive, and I figured they would be incredibly helpful given the sheer number of students they help on a yearly basis. However, an hour-long conversation with Lyn quickly changed my mind. Lyn Jutronich, my mentor, was honest and straightforward, and despite her saying that I had a low chance of getting into an MD program, I left the conversation more confident about my chances than I had in some time. Immediately, she got me in touch with Ryan Kelly, my writing mentor, and together, we devised a game-plan for my best possible strategy. Within the first hour, Ryan and I outlined my personal statement and even picked out a few topics for my Most Meaningful outlines. By the time secondary applications flooded my inbox, Lyn and Ryan had expertly advised me on which schools to pre-write. With their advice and prompt responses, my average turnaround time was 3 days! Thanks to both Lyn and Ryan, and though it is still early in the cycle, I have had two MD interview invites (including an early acceptance), and 5 DO interviews, two of which we originally planned on being out of reach. Both Lyn and Ryan go above and beyond to ensure the (prospective) students' success. On multiple occasions, Lyn called me on weekends and during her days off to give me advice regarding which job would look best for medical schools. Ryan, on the other hand, would respond with outstanding edits in record time, often late at night, and even over the weekends. I could not show enough appreciation for both Lyn and Ryan, as well as the rest of the PA team. Without you, I would not be sitting in the position I am currently in, turning down and canceling interviews with schools that would likely have sent me that ugly rejection email. Thank you again, Lyn and Ryan! read more

Over the course of several months during my law school application process I received extremely useful, prompt assistance on my personal statement, resume, and several school-specific essays. I was also able to get great advice related to financial aid and other aspects of the admissions process. I worked mostly with Rob, Allison, and Phil, and any time I submitted a question or a revision (of an essay, resume, etc.) I always received feedback within about 24-48 hours, sometimes two or three times per week. The feedback was always honest, extremely constructive, and given in a polite, professional manner. Passport Admissions employs highly trained and very intelligent professionals who are extremely dedicated to their work. The quality of their coaching is outstanding and after just one meeting I already felt miles ahead of my fellow students also applying to law school. Passport is extremely unique for one main reason: they are a small, highly trained local business in San Diego who meets with their clients face to face. I researched probably a dozen other admissions consulting companies and none of them are willing to meet face to face and give the sort of individualized help that Passport is willing to give. The bottom line is that Passport Admissions can provide a solid foundation and comfort during a confusing and difficult time filled with anxiety, which every student experiences when applying to college or graduate school. A student (or parent of a student) can be very confident under the guidance of the staff there, and can be assured that their final application is the absolute best it can be. This is exactly how I felt when I was finally able to begin submitting applications, and I was able to get into an outstanding law school (University of Michigan), and I can say with some degree of certainty that it wouldn't have been possible without Passport. read more

I very much enjoyed working with Passport Admissions during my medical school application process; everyone at Passport is extremely helpful and was willing to answer any questions I had at each point of the application process. It is evident that the team is knowledgeable about the medical school application process in ways that career advisers at my university are not; this encouraged me to feel confident in my application because I was able to gain a unique understanding of the process before submitting my application. Rob is extremely well researched, straightforward, and strategic in helping each candidate highlight the best parts of their application with the intention of standing out to an application committee. Additionally, I can't say enough about how great it was to work with Kendyl through the writing process of my personal statement and secondary application; Kendyl takes the time to get to know the students she is working with in order to provide guidance that is genuine and unique to each candidate. Additionally, Kendyl pushed me to never settle until each piece of writing was as perfect as it could be. I also very much enjoyed working with Alison in preparation for my interviews; the interview process is intimidating at first but Alison provides a safe and helpful environment to become comfortable with interview questions, as well as the tools each applicant needs to enter an interview situation in a calm and confident manner. Overall, I highly recommend (and have recommended) passport to those who are looking for specific, individualized help on the particularly daunting task of applying to medical school; they truly are the experts. -A former Passport client, and matriculating medical student read more

Passport Admissions was an invaluable resource for me during my college application process. I worked with advisor Lisa Laube and editor Ryan Kelly, and they were both amazing! Leading up to my senior year of high school, unlike so many I knew I did not know where I wanted to go to college and I was worried, but Lisa assured me this was not that unusual a feeling. After speaking with me and getting to know me and my interest she suggested a list of schools that matched my preferences. The schools were carefully organized into "reach," "match," and "safety schools" based on my academic history. Lisa helped me to both narrow my search and decide where to apply. She meticulously helped comb through every aspect of my applications and essays providing useful feedback. Whenever I had a question during this journey, Lisa was quick to get back to me. She always offered a great balance between critical suggestions and positive support. Ryan Kelly is an extremely talented writer and editor. Within minutes of starting our appointments, he would assist me to grind through a new outline for the next essay, typically helping me to outline the essays for numerous schools in a single sitting. He was very adept at identifying what he thought were my talents and passions and helping me showcase them in my essays. Ryan was always quick to help me edit newly written material and to keep me on track for each school's given timeline. Both Lisa and Ryan were instrumental in helping me gain admission to my number one choice, a high reach school. Attending this school is a dream of mine and I couldn't have done it without their help. read more

We hired Passport Admissions for my daughter, then a junior in high school, in March. We didn't get anything but very general suggestions from these people. My daughter and I were made to fill out a tremendous amount of paperwork that later we found out was unnecessary. Many of our questions were unanswered. Their approach seemed confusing, but we relied on them and were patient. Finally, three months later, I emailed my concerns to the owner of the company, saying that time was passing and I saw no progress. He scheduled a Skype session with us and, after talking to my daughter and I, said that we are too demanding, are taking more time than he expected and that they will not be serving us any longer. So we lost three months and were at the beginning again at this busy time in life when every week counts. We immediately hired a private counselor from another company. We brought them all the multi page questionnaires that we filled out. These people laughed at us and said that it was total waste of our time. Quickly and professionally, they helped my daughter with her choice of schools, essays etc. My daughter got an early acceptance in the Ivy school of her choice. I am very happy now but want to worn other parents not to repeat our mistakes. Passport Admissions is not to be trusted. read more

Rob, Katerina and Ryan were amazing through out the application process. I heard about Passport admissions when I was taking classes at Princeton Review. Rob was honest and direct. When I went up to him being a non traditional student, he was honest about my chances and gave me solid advice. I then got in touch with my writing mentor, Katerina. She was amazing. She was honest and made me think hard about my reasons and helped me write an honest, articulate and clear personal statement along with secondary applications. Applying at the end of October, I got warned not to expect to much out of this cycle, considering I only applied to 7 schools. But, with the magic that Katerina did to help me write my documents got me 4 interviews!! Then the next step was the interview preparation, where Ryan not only helped me clearly formulate my answers, but gave me plenty of practice for the dreaded MMIs. I felt confident and comfortable going in to each interview and felt that I put my best foot forward. I got in 3 schools, especially into my top choice in California. I will forever be thankful to Passport Admissions for giving me honest opinion about my chances, helping me through the application and preparing me for my interviews. read more

I attended Passport Admissions' Get In to California Medical Schools seminar this weekend. The Passport team knew the answer to EVERY admissions related question. Plus Rob provided a super essential 24 page packet containing everything you want to know and more for each California Medical School. This packet alone will save hours of online research! The Passport team is truly dedicated to the costumer. In fact, this is an understatement. The seminar was limited to 20 students which means everyone had the opportunity to ask multiple questions. Rob even stayed after to answer questions and provided advising at no charge. I have already registered for the next two seminars. You will benefit regardless of when you will apply. Some students at the seminar were applying this year, others are applying next year, and some didn't know yet. Your first seminar is FREE so you have absolutely nothing to lose by attending but you will be missing out if you don't make these seminars. The environment of the seminar was relaxed which was a surprise considering the competitive nature of many pre-meds. I even met a couple really encouraging attendees. Register right now! Seriously do it! read more

Passport Admissions was an incredibly helpful, reliable resource for me throughout the college application process. As a high school student, beginning the college search and application process was nothing less than intimidating; weighing the pros and cons of each school in terms of the cost, culture, majors, size, location, etc. was a very difficult process for me to conquer on my own. My counselor, Kristin, made the entire experience - from application to commitment - so much more comfortable for me. In helping me sort through the schools I was interested in, Kristin got to know me on a personal level; she prioritized helping me find schools that were a great fit for both my personality and priorities. My essay editor, Katerina, helped me write essays that highlighted my personality and desire to contribute to the student body of the schools I applied to. Through the attentive advisors I worked with at Passport, my college application process was much less stressful than it would have otherwise been. I highly recommend Passport Admissions, and I am so thankful I had the opportunity to work with them. read more

The entire Passport Admissions team is just absolutely wonderful. They respond in a timely manner with knowledgeable and honest responses to my admissions questions. The medical school application process was daunting, but Passport Admissions broke it down nicely using an organized timeline. Working with Rob, Lyn, and Ryan has been extremely helpful. Rob and Lyn were my advisors, who worked with me and were very attentive to my needs and admissions concerns. I greatly enjoyed working with Ryan, my editor and interview prep coach, as he was always flexible with my busy schedule, and made it a point to keep me on top of my writing and interview preparation. My worries throughout the entire medical school application process were greatly eased, knowing that I was working with a team of experienced professionals. I highly recommend working with Passport Admissions if you are someone who wants to succeed and make your dream of attending graduate/professional school come true! Best of luck to everyone applying this cycle and in the future! read more

Applying to medical school is no easy feat, and the process is LOOONNGGGGG and complicated. Passport kept me on top of a feasible time line and one that proved to give me an advantage. I credit Ryan Kelly most for my successful application. His insight is truly remarkable and he pushed me to always better my application and to be the best interviewee possible. His feedback I felt was always very honest, encouraging and right on target. I could tell he had experience and was able to see exactly what medical schools wanted from me. When some of the more tricky secondaries came around, turning to him was the right call. He taught me how to be strategic and understand what was really being asked of me, something I think a lot of pre-meds fail to see and end up falling into traps. Rob was able to see my weaknesses, recommend how in the remaining time I could best strengthen my app, and in the end the activities I did to boost these areas ended up being a huge selling point. Thank you passport for helping me become a doc! read more

Without a doubt, Passport will get you into medical school, and will do so while catering to your specific needs and budget. I was very worried about not having the proper guidance applying to medical school, which we all know can be a very tedious, confusing, and stressful process. Rob Humbracht and his counselors work closely to identify which areas I needed most help in, and provided me with an organized structure for writing personal statements, secondary essays, practicing interviews, etc. You name it, they help with it. Best of all is that they have the best medical school editors around, like Ryan Kelly. People that have helped hundreds of students get into medical school, so they know how to bring out your natural voice while catering to what medical school admissions committees are looking for on paper. It can be really hard to write about yourself, but with the Passport process and Ryan's help, it was truly a lot less stressful and honestly more successful than if I had dived into it by myself. read more

Ryan - the best resource and most experienced employee at passport admissions - helped me through the entire medical school application process. While applying to medical school, I was a full time student in addition to studying for the MCAT. My overall GPA and writing skills were not optimal for applying and I knew I needed help to make my application as strong as it could be. Passport admissions created a very strategic schedule to help ensure low stress and optimal essay writing over a 6 month period. If it weren't for passport admissions, I wouldn't have given myself the time needed to write a strong personal statement and secondary essays. Ryan helped turn my personal experiences into great writing pieces to ensure I stood out as an applicant. If you are looking for a professional company who has your best interests in mind to get you into the best medical school, then I would I highly recommend passport admissions (specifically Ryan) for your medical school application needs. read more

I cannot recommend Passport enough for anyone applying to medical school. As someone who didn't even know where to begin, a friend recommended me to their services, and it made all the difference. The resources they provide are amazing and helped ease the stress of applying tremendously. I had the pleasure of working with Lyn as my advisor. She was quick to answer all my questions and explained everything very clearly, making the entire process much more manageable. Mara, my editor, did a fantastic job with my personal statement and was incredibly helpful in navigating through secondary essays for over 30 schools. Lastly, Niki helped me practice interviews and provided great tips tailored to each school and interview type. Thanks to Passport, I was accepted to my dream school, and I could not have done it without their support! If you're applying to medical school, I highly recommend reaching out to Passport. They are truly amazing! read more

Working with Rob was an absolute pleasure. The more I began to research the admissions process for myself, the more I realized how much there was to know. I honestly don't think I would have retained my sanity throughout the admissions process if it were not for Passport's support. From a wonderful editor to the ability to call or email someone essentially any time of day, I believe Passport was the catalyst that drove my application from good to excellent, and I actually enjoyed working on my application; I am still friends with both Rob and my editor and remain in contact with them. When all was said and done, I ended up at one of my dream schools (not only a top ranked school, but an excellent fit for me) and I don't think I would have pulled it off without Passport. I honestly can't recommend them enough, and perhaps the best endorsement I can give is that my younger brother is now beginning to work with Passport. read more

I came here because I really needed help on my medical school applications. I would consider myself very detailed oriented and organized, but starting the applications, putting together a school list, and figuring out what to write was very overwhelming. After speaking to Rob, the founder, for the first time, I felt more relieved and hopeful about the process. I spent the most time interacting with Jackie for essay editing and Ryan for interview prep. They all helped me tremendously to organize my thoughts, highlight my strengths, and prepare me for tough interview questions. With their help, I was accepted for this cycle! Is this service expensive? Yes, but reapplying is even more expensive and difficult. Passport admissions knows what it takes to help you get in, and they support you every step of the way! I also work over 40 hours a week and it was nice that they were able to accommodate my schedule. read more

I am a re-applicant who got an interview last year and made it on the alternate list. I am a non-traditional student and found the initial process of applying to medical school pretty frustrating. There are a large number of steps, vague and broad instructions, and very little information shared by admissions offices (don't even bother looking on the internet for instructions). Passport Admissions was an incredible help as I put together my application. They helped me think about what I really wanted to share and how I wanted to share it. They are incredibly knowledgeable about the admissions process and I am so thankful for their support. Med school admissions is expensive, as is med school, so it's not the easiest decision to spend more on application guidance, but the money is well worth it. I already have eight interviews, two acceptances, and one position on the alternate list! read more