"Best" Admissions Consulting Companies - 2023 intake Season

Review for The Red Pen.

I've been seeking TRP's help for a year, so I believe I am in a good position to submit this review.

Initially, I wanted to apply in R3 of the 2022 application cycle. So, when I first reached out to the TRP team around January 2022, I was connected to Namrata Khosla. She provided some valuable insights and helped me understand how difficult it is for an international applicant to secure a spot in the top business schools in the US by applying in R3. Hence, I chose to defer my plans and reached out to TRP again in April after my second GMAT attempt.

The first product from TRP that I used was the 'Application Roadmap Meeting' or the ARM. It was an hour-long discussion with a Lead Consultant from TRP, in which my resume and profile were analyzed in-depth, and later, a list of suitable target and dream schools was provided. This hour-long discussion with Preeti Waderkar was phenomenal! The session served as a much-needed reality check. Having gone through the ARM process, I was aware of my strengths and weakenesses earlier in the cycle. I would recommend everyone to take the ARM product even though it is a bit pricey - chances are that you probably need it!

After the ARM, I decided to sign up for the 10-school package as this product was costing me the same amount as the 5-school package would have cost me. I am still unsure if that was the right decision, but to each their own. You probably won't apply to 8-10 schools. Or even if you do, after writing your 5th application, you'll get the hang of it. So, choose accordingly and wisely.

One of the things I loved about TRP from the get-go was its multi-member team model. Right after joining the program, I joined a group where Prerna helped me with Ops, Divya helped me with LoR pointers, Natasha helped me with my resume, and Mitrabina was responsible for the bigger picture as my Lead Consultant (LC). While working with everyone was a bit of a learning curve, I am grateful for the support I have received from them throughout the process. More importantly, I am thankful for the multiple perspectives I received throughout my application journey. Knowing that my essays were reviewed and proofread by experts was reassuring.

Mitrabina helped me streamline my career goals SO many times. I walked into the process without a clear post-mba goal, but Mitrabina did her job well as a mentor. She was supportive and direct throughout the process. She even helped me review an essay for my safety school (Georgetown McDonough) even though I applied to the school outside of the package. Mitrabina helped me phrase my answers before my interviews, too. I am glad that I had the opportunity to learn from her.

Lastly, and most importantly, a huge kudos to Anju Goela from the TRP team! Initially, Divya and Anju helped me perfect the LoR pointers, which I had to forward to my recommenders. But I had the opportunity to work with Anju after getting waitlisted at my dream b-school (Duke Fuqua) in October 2022. Anju has been so supportive and encouraging throughout the Waitlist process. She has always been quick in responding to the submitted drafts with meaningful and insightful review comments. She motivated me to be optimistic about my chances and asked me to trust the process. Working with Anju was delightful. I got off the Fuqua Waitlist with a merit scholarship last weekend, and if I am being honest, I don't think it would've happened if Anju didn't help me out.

My advice (based on my experience): TRP has a great and very knowledgeable team of people, and you should work with them. But the entire ownership of your application is on you and I don't think that is an unfair ask. Please do your research well in advance and ask about the other commitments your TRP team might have. Communicate and plan your assignments, essays and application components accordingly. It makes your life easier.

All the best!