FAQ

Nope, we work with everyone! We can assist with all undergraduate and graduate admissions applications and essays.

Over 90% of our students are pursuing BS/MD: This is our specialty. We even compiled all of our knowledge in the book, “BS/MD programs: A Comprehensive Guide.” However, the typical approach we recommend for BS/MD candidates is to split their college list between traditional undergraduate colleges and BS/MD programs. The reason for this is that many top colleges do not offer BS/MD programs. The only Ivy League to offer a BS/MD program is Brown University. 

All of our counselors can assist with traditional undergraduate programs and graduate programs. They have extensive experience in these areas.

• High GPA with many APs and other challenging courses (course rigor matters)
• Top percentile on the SAT/ACT
• Two types of medical-based experience:
  1. Clinical experience
  2. Research-based experience

Top-tier BS/MD programs will also look for:

• Published research 
• Taking your research experience and competing in science fairs
• Winning/placing at the school science fair
• Winning/placing at the state science fair
• Competing on a regional and national level
• Making an impact in your local community
• Making a global impact and bettering the world at large

Additional Resources:

Getting Accepted Into A Direct Medical Program From High School: It Can Be Done!

Tips on Getting Accepted to BS/MD Programs

We start coaching students (and parents) as early as eighth grade.

The national student-to-counselor ratio is a few hundred to one. According to experts, this proportion has remained virtually unchanged for nearly ten years.

This ratio is not conducive to personalized attention, because when it comes time to apply to college, all of the students need help at once. Most students receive no more than 30 – 60 minutes of the counselor’s time.

Even if you consider your child’s school different and the counselors are more involved, we have yet to meet a counselor who is working nights and weekends to edit your child’s essays. That is exactly what Moon Prep counselors do. We work with your schedule, including nights and weekend appointments.

We believe this individualized attention is a necessity when it comes to gaining a competitive edge in the college admissions process.

Have you heard of the phrase: “Jack of all trades, master of none”?

That sums up most generic tutoring companies.

Basically, going to a tutoring company for a specialized service such as college admissions is like going to a dentist for heart surgery.

The same applies for BS/MD admissions. Moon Prep counselors specialize in this niche area. Other admissions companies might have a BS/MD student here and there, whereas the majority of each Moon Prep counselor’s caseload is BS/MD and medical school focused.

We work with all students online using a combination of Zoom video calls, desktop sharing, phone calls, and emails.

This allows for greater flexibility; we can accommodate a variety of schedules and time zones.

Working remotely allows our team to maximize your investment by only utilizing the time needed to complete tasks and guide the applications to the finish line. Remote work provides the greatest amount of efficiency and effectiveness for your family.

Our prices range from $170 – $300+ per hour.

We do require a non-refundable retainer fee of $7,000. Hourly rates are deducted from the retainer. 

The retainer balance never expires and is transferable.

There are no limits on how the hours are used, some tasks a counselor can assist with include: college list guidance, applications, personal statement, supplemental essays, resume, interview prep, scholarships, financial aid, summer planning, and more.

Counselors bill for their time with the student: virtual meetings, essay editing, interview prep, etc. Online and offline time is billed at the same rate. 

Every other week, you will receive a detailed invoice with the date, length of meeting (down to the minute), and description of what was covered.

The funds are then withdrawn from the retainer balance.

Clients are required to keep a payment method on file. Once the retainer funds are used, we switch to pay-as-you-go at the same rate and unpaid balances default to the payment method on file.

Clients can login at any time to see their retainer balance, hours used, and details of their account. Clients can also change their payment method on file at any time. All payment methods are securely stored and no team member can see the full credit card or bank account information. It is encrypted. 

Yes, we do offer payment plans.

The retainer fee is non-refundable. However, it never expires, can be transferred to a sibling, or used throughout college for services such as applying to internships, resume help, essay edits, and more.

Yes, we do allow family members to share one retainer. However, to add a family member, we do require a minimum balance per person. This means they will have one billing account, one credit card/bank draft on file, and all hours will be deducted from that shared account. The siblings have the option to work with the same Moon Prep team member or different ones.

Yes. You are in full control of what areas of the admissions process you need help with.

No, you can use the hours whenever and however you want. The hours do not expire.

We guarantee you will receive the highest level of service.

In the past years, 94% of our students have gotten into one of their top 3 schools.

But, unfortunately, we cannot guarantee your child will get accepted to any program or school. In fact, no counselor or company can legally guarantee this.

We specialize in medicine, particularly direct medical programs (including BS/MD, BS/DO, BS/DDS, BS/DMD). No other company has the same level of expertise as the Moon Prep counselors in this specialized area.

Each counselor has varied experiences in the admissions process. Some counselors have gone through the medical school application themselves or worked in university admissions offices, while others have worked at elite boarding schools and high schools assisting students with their applications.

The Moon Prep team has regular group calls, run by senior members of the team, where each student benefits from the collective knowledge of the team.

Continual education, visiting universities, meeting with admissions staff, and writing for major publications help keep all the Moon Prep counselors at the top of their game.

Yes. This is an area on which we place great importance. Grades are not enough to get into a top university. How students spend their time outside of the classroom is vital. Moon Prep counselors will help you build an impressive extracurricular resume.

Rising Researchers is the sister company of Moon Prep. Rising Researchers was founded to fill a gap we continually saw with our aspiring BS/MD and Medical School candidates. Many research experiences were not open to younger students. Others lacked clear deliverables and often the experience was not worth the time and energy. Rising Researchers is a customizable research experience, with clear deliverables, and a STEM focus.

Additional Resources: 

How To Get Research Experience While Still In High School

STEM-Focused Summer Programs For Ambitious High School Students

Texas Tech Dean Gives Insider Advice How To Get Accepted To The Competitive Clark Scholars Program

What Does It Take To Get Into The Ultra-Competitive Research Science Institute (RSI)?

Prestigious Summer Camps (That Are FREE!) For Future Medical Doctors

Yes. Moon Prep counselors help students narrow down opportunities, apply to competitive programs, secure physician shadowing, and participate in research over the summer.

Additional Resources: 

Resources For Students To Get Ahead This Summer

What BS/MD Candidates Need To Do This Summer

Summer Research Programs For Driven High School Students 

Each counselor works with a limited number of students, typically 5-15 seniors at a time. 

Since BS/MD and medical school applications are more intense than traditional applications, we ensure each counselor has an adequate amount of time set aside for each student they work with.

On average:

• Medical school students typically complete 20-35 applications. 60+ hours with a counselor
• BS/MD students typically complete 20-30 applications. 40-50+ hours in their senior year with a counselor
• Traditional undergraduate students, seeking admission at highly competitive colleges (Ivy League, top-tier) typically complete 15-20 applications. 40+ hours in their senior year with a counselor
• Traditional undergraduate students, seeking admission at moderately competitive colleges, typically complete 8-15 applications. 20-30+ hours in their senior year with a counselor
• Students looking to stay in-state/local typically complete 4-7 applications. 15-20+ hours in their senior year with a counselor
• Graduate and Ph.D. candidate hours vary widely based on the number of programs to which they are applying

Additional Resources: How does the BS/MD process differ from the traditional admissions? 

The majority of Moon Prep students are seeking admission to top-tier BS/MD Programs and Ivy League schools. We have experience with all of these highly competitive programs.

Here is a small sample of the schools our students have been accepted to in recent years:

BS/MD:

Augusta University
Baylor University
Brown University
Case Western Reserve University
The College of New Jersey
Drexel University
Florida Atlantic University
George Washington
Hofstra University
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Penn State University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rutgers University-Newark
Saint Louis University
Sophie Davis Biomedical Education Program
SUNY Stony Brook University
Texas Tech University
Tulane University
University of Houston
University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Pittsburgh
University of Rochester
Virginia Commonwealth University

BS/DO:

LECOM Partnered Programs
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Michigan State University
Nova Southeastern University
New York Institute of Technology
Ohio University
Rowan University
Seton Hall University
SUNY Old Westbury

BS/DDS:

Adelphi University: New York University College of Dentistry
Augusta University: Dental College of Georgia
Case Western Reserve University: Case Western Reserve School of Dental Medicine
Lehigh University: University of Pennsylvania Dental Medicine
Muhlenberg College: University of Pennsylvania Dental Medicine
New Jersey Institute of Technology: Rutgers School of Dental Medicine
New York University: New York University College of Dentistry
Nova Southeastern University: Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine
University of Connecticut: University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine
University of Detroit Mercy: University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry
University of Toledo: Case Western Reserve School of Dental Medicine
University of Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Dental Medicine
Villanova University: University of Pennsylvania Dental Medicine

Traditional Undergrad:

Boston College
Boston University
Brown University
CalTech
Columbia University
Cornell University
Dartmouth University
Emory University
Georgia Tech
Harvard University
Johns Hopkins
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
New York University
Northwestern University
Princeton University
Rice University
Stanford University
University of Chicago
University of Pennsylvania
UC Berkeley
UC Davis
UC Irvine
UCLA
UC Santa Barbara
UC San Diego
University of Chicago
University of Southern California
University of Michigan
University of Notre Dame
University of Virginia
Vanderbilt University
Washington University in St. Louis
Yale University

Medical Schools:

Albany Medical College
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Dartmouth College- Geisel School of Medicine
Drexel University College of Medicine
Emory University School of Medicine
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
George Washington School of Medicine
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Keck School of Medicine of USC
Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
Medical College of Georgia
New York Medical College
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Penn State University College of Medicine
Rush Medical College
Stanford University School of Medicine
Tufts University School of Medicine
Tulane University School of Medicine
University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine
University of Illinois Carle College of Medicine
University of Miami – Miller School of Medicine
University of North Carolina School of Medicine (MD/PhD)
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

Yes. Moon Prep tutors can help students prepare for every type of interview. We have created multiple resources to help prepare our students for a traditional interview, BS/MD or medical school interview, as well as a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI). 

Our counselors all have experience helping students prepare for interviews. Moon Prep students can participate in a recorded mock interview with their counselor. During the mock interview, the Moon Prep counselor will provide feedback and tips to succeed in the interview. Students can rewatch the interview to better prepare. 

Additional Resource: What Pre-Med Students Can Expect From The MMI Interview

Yes. Moon Prep tutors can help students prepare for situational judgment tests like Casper, PREview, or Duet. We have created multiple resources to help prepare our student for their situational judgment tests. 

Our counselors have experience helping students prepare for Casper, PREview or Duet. Moon Prep students can participate in a recorded mock practice exam with their counselor. During the mock exam, the Moon Prep counselor will provide feedback and tips to succeed on test day. Students can rewatch the recording to better prepare. 

Yes. We can advise you on colleges and help you make the right decision. 

Additional Resource: The Strategy Behind Building Your College List

How To Build A Well-Rounded Direct Medical Program College List

Before signing up, families can schedule a free consultation with one of our Moon Prep counselors. During this video call, you can get a better understanding of the Moon Prep process and ask any questions you may have. 

We do have members of the Moon Prep team who tutor SAT and ACT. Student retainer hours can be used on both test prep or college admissions hours.