Pillar Prep (formerly Sean Studies)Reviews of seanstudies.com

I highly recommend Pillar Prep & Sean to anyone preparing for the MCAT. Working 1-on-1 with Sean was incredibly valuable because he created a personalized study schedule tailored to my needs, helped me identify & address my weaknesses, & shared unique study & test-taking strategies that I was struggling to find on my own. His guidance kept me focused throughout the process & my MCAT score improved by 13 points! Sean genuinely cares about his students' success & I couldn't be happier with my experience.

I’ve worked with other MCAT tutoring companies before, and one thing that really stood out to me about Pillar Prep was how genuinely invested they are in helping students succeed not just making money. There are so many companies out there that feel transactional or try to push unnecessary services, but Pillar Prep was incredibly thoughtful about helping me figure out a plan that actually made sense for me and my goals, whether that’s for a first-time test taker or someone retaking the MCAT. They also do an amazing job pairing students with tutors who match both your personality and your learning style. I think that makes such a huge difference in the process. One thing I especially appreciated was how personalized their approach was. They don’t rely on a one-size-fits-all “Anki + UWORLD” type of strategy for every student. For me specifically, I mentioned early on that Anki wasn’t working particularly well, and together we developed a completely different study method that ended up being extremely helpful. I genuinely feel like I learned how to study more effectively in a way that will continue to help me in medical school as well. There was a big emphasis on being intentional, slowing down, and really thinking through questions rather than just cranking out as many as possible quantitatively, which made a huge difference for me. I also appreciated that Sean takes the time to personally speak with everyone, even if he won’t ultimately be your direct tutor. That level of care and intentionality is rare. Throughout the process, Sean consistently checked in with me personally, whether through a quick call or message, and he was especially supportive during the week leading up to my exam when I was struggling a bit with confidence. By the end of the process, I genuinely felt like I had built real friendships and connections with the people I met through Pillar Prep something I’ve never experienced with any other MCAT company or tutor I’ve worked with before.

Sean helped me create the perfect study plan, designed specifically for me to break through my plateau and achieve my goal score. He paid attention to who I was as a student and a person, considered my daily commitments and goals, and helped craft the perfect plan for me. In just 6 weeks my score increased by 10 points! I’m so grateful for the help that Sean and Abrar provided me.

This was my second attempt at the MCAT and I can safely say that Pillar Prep provided me with the necessary strategies to make sure that I can conquer it this time around. CARS was the section that I consistently had trouble with and the Retaker Course really helped me better understand how to tackle the passages! Sean was also there whenever I had a question regarding a specific strategy and made sure to create a healthy study schedule with very little time left before the real deal.

Last summer, I approached Sean after two poor MCAT attempts during my final year of college. I was devastated and on the verge of quitting: my CARS section score dropped from an already low 123 to 121. After searching tirelessly for a program that could cater to my needs, I found Pillar Prep through a Reddit post from a few years back. I sent an email to the company and immediately received a response to hop on a call with Sean. Sean spent a significant amount of time listening to my concerns and disappointment, and then curated an individualized plan for my situation. My goal with Sean was to target CARS, my weakest section by far on the test. Over a six-month period, I met virtually with Sean periodically to develop CARS strategies and methods that suited my learning style. Even when I had momentary doubts throughout my studies, Sean propelled me forward with confidence toward my test date. Sean is one of the most empathetic people you will ever meet. Fast forward to now, I recently received my score back and saw a 6-point jump in my CARS section alone (121 to 127) or in percentile (15th to 83rd percentile). I could not have achieved this much improvement without the help of Sean and the Pillar Prep team. If you are a premed student like me who has struggled with the daunting MCAT or is unsure how to prepare, Sean and his team are the people to go to. If I had to go back, I would have started my prep with Sean and saved so much time and money studying for the MCAT. Thank you, Sean, for pushing me one step closer to my medical school aspirations. We will keep in touch! :)

I can confidently say I wouldn't have conquered the MCAT without Sean and Tommy. Trying to study for the MCAT on my own just wasn't cutting it, and my first attempt left me feeling defeated. Fast forward a year later, my score has skyrocketed by 11 points. What I learned from tutoring with Tommy is that a subject might seem comprehensible when you read about it, but true understanding comes when you can articulate it fully. So, whenever I struggled to digest a concept, like the RAAS system for example, and I got a question wrong, I'd attempt to explain it to Tommy. He'd intervene when I stumbled, guiding me to clarity. Though my MCAT is in the rearview mirror, both Tommy and Sean continue to carve out time from their busy med student schedules for me. Just recently, I spent 30 minutes on the phone with Sean as he helped me prepare for interviews. Their dedication to their students' success is unparalleled. I could sing their praises for hours, but to sum it up, Pillar Prep was an absolute game changer, and I'd be lying if I said I could have done it without Tommy and Sean. Thank you for making my dream come true.

I’ve never felt more comfortable approaching science passage questions and answers before using the techniques Sean taught. I’m getting so much more questions right using the 50/50 and content/relevancy methods explained in his course.

On September 2022, I got my first MCAT score back after studying it since March 2022 with another tutoring organization focusing on content. Unsurprisingly, I was unsatisfied with my score and did horribly on the CARS section. English was never my strength due to it being my second language and despite my passion for reading. I am a slow reader, and the MCAT requires me to read 10x faster plus comprehension. And that is not just limited to CARS; the entire exam is esstionally a comprehension, and the answers could often be found in the passage. I was at a loss; I wasn't progressing even when trying to study on my own. I knew I needed a rigorous schedule, someone to hold me accountable and help me identify the specific errors I consistently struggle with. Therefore, I was glad my friend Brandon introduced me to Sean's studies. Sean was such a compassionate person and a great listener. Hearing about my issues, the first thing Sean did was to have me walk him through my thinking process, and where he then pointed out places that I was lacking. Sean then paired me with my tutor, Emma, who certainly knows the topics of the MCAT in and out. I met with Emma twice a week to identify the specific type of questions that I had trouble with. While after the meetings, I would work on "homework" that targeted specifically my weakness. You can only know some of the MCAT content; this exam requires a strategic approach by identifying high-yield topics and things you struggle with. I wouldn't have up my CARS score from 123 to 127 and my overall score from 505 to 512 without the consistent support from Sean and Emma. Therefore, if you are someone like me that requires an individualized approach to MCAT and are an ESL speaker, I highly recommend Pillar Prep.