AlexMBAApply wrote:
You can't fundamentally change who you are in a few months, or have those few months erase/balance out who you have been for the past decade or more. Anything new you try to do will just be window dressing.
At this point, best thing you can do is to focus on schools where you have a realistic shot of getting into (irrespective of whether you hire a consultant or not - and anyone that promises to magically transform you, to be your glass slipper in your Cinderella story - is no different than all those abdominal exercise products promising overnight six-pack abs).
Again, all you can (and should) do is the following -- visit a few of the schools if you can (don't say you can't afford it -- if you are willing to shoulder the burden of nearly $100K in tuition/student fees, you can afford to take a short trip to these schools while class is in session (by end of April). You don't need to go to every school to show your face - it should be for your own education and experience, to have a far better sense of what you're getting into by sitting in on class, talking to current students, and so forth.
Once you've done that, then it's a matter of focusing on the written applications once they are released (in May/June). Whether you hire a consultant to coach you or not is a personal decision.
Hi Alex, it has been a long time since we spoke. To provide a conclusion to my story, I have been admitted by a top 10 school (as ranked by business week, FT and slightly above 10 by US news) and have been waitlisted and then rejected by top 5 university. I am starting my full-time MBA this fall. Wish you a good luck!