scungilli

A few years ago, a family friend had difficulty getting accepted into med school and hired some sort of agency to help him get in, which he did, as a result of their services. Do such services still exist, and are they rip-offs or can they really help? I've seen ads for companies purporting to be run by "former graduate program admissions directors," etc., and they claim to offer assistance with preparing applications, statements and the like, but I'm wondering if what is unspoken in the ads is that they go beyond the paperwork and counseling aspect of the application process and actually have personal contacts within the admissions director network who might look at their client's applications more favorably. Any input would be appreciated.