Our Journey with Shemmassian Academic Consulting: A Parent’s View

As parents of a highly driven student-athlete who consistently earned straight A’s and aspired to attend Ivy League schools, we sought the assistance of Shemmassian Academic Consulting (SAC). Their support was pivotal in our daughter securing admission to her top three choices, and we are thoroughly pleased with the services they provided. We highly recommend SAC to any parents looking to help their children navigate the often stressful college admissions process.During her sophomore year of high school, despite being a dedicated student and athlete, our daughter began to feel anxious about college admissions due to the overwhelming noise and misguided advice from peers and even some adults. This led us to explore various college consulting services.We consulted with several firms before choosing SAC. Our goal was to find a service that genuinely understood our daughter’s unique interests and achievements, rather than one that would try to game the system or steer her toward majors with higher acceptance rates. We wanted SAC to help her highlight her strengths and the contributions she could make to prospective schools.After enrolling, SAC matched our daughter with a counselor who suited her personality. The counselor took the time to understand her interests and accomplishments, guiding her to explore areas she was passionate about and encouraging her to expand her horizons. This supportive approach helped our daughter feel comfortable stepping out of her comfort zone and taking risks. By the time she applied to colleges, she had a clear understanding of her strengths, interests, and the major she wanted to pursue.When managed effectively, the college admission process can significantly contribute to a student’s personal growth. As parents, we were thrilled to see our daughter regain her confidence, recognize her potential, and embrace new challenges. The personal development she experienced was invaluable to useven more so than her acceptance into her top choices. Even if she hadn’t been accepted into her top three, we would still consider our investment in SAC as worthwhile.For parents considering consulting services, remember that SAC is focused on authentic support rather than manipulating the admissions system. Success depends on your child’s willingness to engage and put in the effort. While there is always some unpredictability in the admissions process, working with SAC and committing to the process can help your child reach their desired schools and grow through the experience.One area where SAC could improve is by providing a consolidated list of application and scholarship deadlines for top schools (acknowledging that Ivy League schools typically do not offer academic scholarships, though some comparable institutions do) and including past application questions from these schools.