I am not sure where to begin as to how helpful Sam was in helping me take on the MCAT. I started studying for the MCAT right after I completed my undergrad and insisted on handling this demon all by myself- no MCAT prep company or private tutor. To a huge disappointment, I did not perform the way I expected myself to. I felt as if my dreams as a physician had hit rock bottom. Working the courage to take the MCAT again, I was hellbent on doing this thing again all by myself. It was not until a good friend of mine who was on the same path as me referred me to Sam. I felt very skeptical- I was encumbered by school loans and did not really have the money to pay for a private tutor and more honestly, I was trying to protect my ego. My friend managed to get it through my thick head and the rest was history. Sam was the beacon of light I was looking for. To put it in perspective, Sam was essentially a personal trainer for me. He designed a personal schedule and made the time spent studying to be the most productive and efficient by recommending and even providing the best study material. Importantly, he told me what to study and what NOT to study, which is very hard to discern given the plethora of study material and advice on message boards online. To my surprise, his service was very affordable and we spent our time together very efficiently. He understood my budget and worked with me anyway. We usually met three times a week on Skype, and I was able to approach him almost immediately on any topic that seemed cloudy. Sam is no doubt very intelligent and he is exceptional at breaking down convoluted concepts for others to understand. He held me accountable to stay on schedule and focused, and above all, Sam pushed me to improve my performance even as I began to settle. He helped me develop the endurance and confidence I needed to tackle the 2015 MCAT head on, and ultimately earn a competitive score. Sam single-handedly resuscitated my dreams back to life. I am absolutely relieved I decided not to let my ego and worries get the best of me. He is truly passionate and committed to what he does, and the cherry on top is that he is a heck of a guy. Definitely someone you can trust in and help take your score to the next level. read more

I've been wanting to take the MCAT for many years as I am a non-trad applicant. I took Princeton Review but didn't get the results I wanted. The course was not able to target my specific weaknesses. I knew that if I really wanted to do well, I needed to invest in a tutor. I tried a few other tutors but non of them were a good fit. With the MCAT code, Sam was patient and took the time to understand where I was, my strengths and weaknesses, my learning preferences, and then build a schedule around that. It wasn't just strict systems like the the other tutors I met. And Sam was also flexible with scheduling. I was committed to do whatever it takes to do well, so I met with Sam 3-5 days a week. With this type of support, I was able to breakthrough my limitations in all aspects of studying for the MCAT. I went from feeling hopeless to being able to teach other MCAT test takers with confidence. The big difference between Sam and other tutors, and what I only realized once we finished all the content review, was that Sam was an expert at test taking strategy. It's one thing to know the content, but it was always disheartening to then continually get questions wrong. With Sam, this was where I grew the most, going from confused and frustrated dealing with passages, to having endurance and knowing exactly what to do with confidence. This was the most difficult part of the process but is where guidance from an expert helps the most. An unexpected benefit was the weekend group sessions. The sessions covered high yield topics and practice passages. This turned the MCAT studying process from lonely one to one of comradery. Over time the students in group became friends and we would meet outside of the calls to work together which was a game changer. Lastly, Sam is truly committed and passionate about helping you conquer the MCAT. Even though he had just started Med school, Sam made time for me at least 3 times a week and we did group study sessions on the weekend. He is just a really smart guy to attend an Ivy League med school and tutor at the same time and someone you definitely want on your team if you're looking to crush the MCAT. read more

The BEST MCAT and pre-med tutor ever! Like most other people, I started out study for the MCAT by myself and was shocked that I was scoring so low on practice tests even though I reviewed everything. I was hesitant on getting a tutor but chose to go ahead with Sam because someone on here said to "just do it, you won't have any regrets". I'm SO glad I decided to take a chance. With his help, I was able to go from a score of around 500 on practice tests to a 520 on my actual exam! Sam not only outlined my schedule for each day but he was always so patient when I was still struggling with certain topics I had gone over and made sure I mastered them before my test date. Not only could he explain any problem I threw at him without hesitation, but he's so well-versed in the MCAT. He knew exactly what topics I should focus on and what tricks I should avoid on the test. Melissa was such a great CARS tutor as well and made sure to teach me how to read passages and answer questions based on my personal thinking style instead of giving having me use common techniques that are geared towards the average student, raised my CARS score from 125 to 130! They are the best tutors I could have ever asked for and take the time to actually care about you and motivate you along the way! Sam also helped me craft my personal statement and has been helping me navigate the entire med school application process. I really don't know what I would have done without their advice and guidance-my MCAT score and essays definitely would not have been at this level without their help. If anyone is hesitant about getting MCAT tutoring or application advice with them, GO FOR IT! It was the best decision I ever made! It's worth the investment and I literally have no regrets! read more

First of all, I created a Yelp account just so that I can express my gratitude toward the agency that gave me hope and support during this challenging yet rewarding medical school journey. Both Sam and Melissa (The MCAT Code) provide the much needed encouragement to help any premed through this demanding process. They both understand how discouraging it can get, having gone through it themselves, and they know what to do to in order to facilitate your success. I took the old MCAT and did not receive a competitive score. I had already taken a Princeton Review course to help prep and was discouraged by the prospect of retaking the exam. From the first moment I spoke with Sam, I felt he might actually be able to help me. We were able to create a manageable study plan that allowed me to work full-time, study, and I even had time for a personal life! Not only were they able to answer any question I threw their way, but their sense of humor even made the process somewhat enjoyable. It's apparent how much they truly care about their students. The MCAT Code helped to rebuild the confidence I needed to retake the exam, and on test day, I felt strong and well prepared. When I received my score, I almost cried- I had jumped from the 37th percentile (my first MCAT score) to the 86th percentile! I am forever indebted to the MCAT Code for providing this service to me, who had been knocked down, but not out, by the MCAT, and for their unwavering dedication throughout the whole Medical School Admissions process. Now stop reading reviews and just call the MCAT code to get your prep started! read more

Having just gotten accepted into a top medical school, I am more aware than ever of how much goes into the process of applying, and how important it is to have an objective guide. Sam is the BEST guide anyone could ask for, and I can confidently say that I could not have done this without him. Sam has been with me through the difficulties of the MCAT ( I took mine after studying for just 2 months and still obtained a competitive score) through the task of writing a good personal statement, and finally through all the secondaries--especially with waiting to hear back from medical schools which is arguably the hardest part! He was always positive, calm and is incredibly adept at bringing some much needed humor into stressful situations. I always looked forward to chatting and planning with him. In the more emotional times, he holds space for you with a kind and intelligent spirit. He is such a good listener! There was truly never a hurdle that we could not surpass. He knows all the ins and outs of the process, is incredibly intelligent, and has plentiful resources to help you every step of the way. Perhaps one of the most important things I will remember about Sam, however, is that he believes in me. Even in the times of most self-doubt in studying for the MCAT, Sam still believed that I could do it- a fact which ended up boosting my score significantly. I could not recommend him enough-- I will eternally be grateful to him and I know you will too :) read more

I first started with princeton review but that was no good, they teach you the info but that's not enough to do well on the MCAT. The tutors at the MCAT code, I worked with Sam specifically, teach you not only the concepts, but more importantly, how to take the test. Most of the kids that come to the MCAT code are or were honor students at their respective universities, but what Sam does differently is teach you all the ins and outs of the exam. Everything is planned, scheduled and accounted for. As long as you do all that they tell you to, it's easy to feel confident (with good reason) when you walk into your real MCAT. They tailor everything to you specifically, your strengths, your weaknesses. Trying to dominate the MCAT is not easy, which is the way it's supposed to be, but working with the tutors here at the MCAT code, they show you and teach you how to be in that elite category (35+). Lastly, working with the MCAT tutors as well as other students gave me a sense of support that made things easier. Sure sometimes I'd study well into the night or early mornings but having a bunch of people work with you and want you to succeed helped more than I thought it would. read more

My tutoring sessions with Melissa are great. In the sessions, we went over some things to know about the verbal section of the MCAT. I really appreciate how she went through each paragraph and we broke it down on the things to look for. She is really thorough and she knows what she is doing. I'm looking forward to my progress and her help, that will allow me to defeat the MCAT exam. Also, I'm in graduate school, Melissa and the organization really work with your schedule to make sure that you have time to do both school and study for the MCAT exam. In addition, the tutoring is tailored to where you are in each subjective area and its targeted to improve areas that are weak and ensure that other stay high or get better. So this has been a good life changing experience and I can see the improvements. The help I'm receiving is giving me a new perspective to test-taking, and the thinking I would need to have as a physician. I'm thankful for her dedication to her students and to their success. Its encouraging to know that she truly cares and considers the individual student when working with them. Thank you! Two thumbs up! read more

I started my MCAT preparation with the Berkeley Review. I found that it was not helpful in addressing my individual strengths and weaknesses. I started working with Sam via Skype when I made the decision to retake my MCAT. He helped me go above and beyond my goal. What Sam did uniquely was help me understand concepts very fundamentally so that I could tackle problems more quickly. I did not gain these skills throughout my undergraduate education. Sam enabled me to understand the concepts so well that now I can easily explain them to others. He spent sessions with me just answering all of the small questions I had which really made all the difference. The MCAT Code also offers very flexible help. I was a senior with a challenging schedule when I started working with Sam, but he really adjusted to my availability. The help and guidance I recieved from Sam really enabled me to gain the confidence I needed to score many points higher on my second MCAT. I highly recommend working with him if you're considering a retake as well! read more

Group attention can never be compared to FOCUSED individual attention. That is one of many aspect that Sam gives over any test prep company. First of all, Sam isn't good in just any one or two sections of the MCAT (like most tutors), he's a beast in all of it. He didn't just help me focus on my weakness with a lot of detail and attention, he helped me polished my strengths. He pushed me, he motivated me, and he got me to understand what I needed to do to be a better test-taker and more importantly, a student. I know that I signed up for MCAT tutoring but I got so much more that will carry on into future test-taking (USMLE and boards). My advice to anyone considering getting help from Sam, don't wait on it. If you are really serious about becoming a doctor, don't waste time and just do it now. The sooner you get it done the more time you have to do other things geared towards medical school. I am grateful to all that Sam has done for me and will do (I'm sure I'll be contacting him in the future). read more

These guys are great! I saw an 8 point improvement in 3 months. I tutored over Skype to save money. They know their material well (they know all the major prep books like Princeton Review, Kaplan, Berkeley Review, Exam Krackers), they teach it really well too. They are able to boil down the concepts with easy-to-understand explanations, I felt very confident gong into my exam. The one-on-one approach was especially great for me since I didn't get much out of the prep course that I took previously. With the personal tutor, I felt like I got the best use out of my time. Most of all, I can tell that the tutors really care about their students. I was in school and they were very flexible in working around my schedule. They will help you build a schedule and keep you on track. And they're very affordable, cheapest 40+ score tutors I found. Thanks guys! read more

Sam's the man! Sam The MCAT CODE helped me achieve a competitive MCAT score- there is no way I could have done it without his help. What Sam did for me which was extremely beneficial was: -Created a personalized study schedule -Provided me with any study materials I needed -Was extremely flexible and easy to contact via Skype and text -Could answer any MCAT question I threw at him and explain to me the logic behind it -Gave me insight into what not to study and what to focus on Above all, Sam has mastered the MCAT! He will save you so much time and stress, tell you what to focus on, and help you identify and strengthen your weaknesses. read more

With Sam's advising I got accepted into multiple MD schools, and I really can't thank Sam enough for all his help!!! Sam helped me with both my primary and secondary applications, along with interview prep. I have a lower than average GPA and was a reapplicant for med school. I almost felt like my dream of becoming a doctor would never come true. Yet, Sam helped me craft strong essays and always went above and beyond for me. His attention to detail, responsiveness and effort really showed me that Sam truly cares for all his students and our success. To any one reading this, please reach out to Sam; the investment is so so worth it! read more

Melissa was an awesome and dedicated tutor. Melissa was flexible, and she guided me through the process of taking the MCAT and obtaining admissions to my top medical school program. Melissa's tutoring was highly personalized, and she was encouraging throughout the process. I would highly recommend Melissa and the MCAT code to future medical school applicants. read more

Sam was the most helpful, amazing MCAT tutor!!!! He truly saved me when I wasn't getting the scores I needed during practice tests. My final score went up 17 points thanks to his help. So much individual attention and time in the weeks before the exam as well as a great strategy helped me score higher than I even hoped! Thank you again! read more

Great service, Sam really helped me plan out my studying schedule to manage from stress. In addition, he had all the right materials for the new test. As a result, I was able to improve my score significantly. In addition, they have services for proofing your applications which was helpful during crunch time. read more