My CriticalSquare Review
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21 Jul 2015, 16:09
This was a crazy process. I had been planning on getting an MBA for a few years. I would pick up and put down the books, never really making a strong push towards achieving my goal. But in September, I got motivated. I decided I would put in 3 months to study and then 1.5 months applying. I would be in school in a year. Getting that motivated was hard, but I achieved my goal.... for the most part. I was shooting for a 700 but I scored a 690. Surely, that would be enough to get me where I wanted to go, a top-10 program with some money?
Then I started to look at and research my options. I did a truly fantastic job of spinning my wheels. I was getting nowhere, fast. Which programs are a good fit for you? Are you in their 80% of your GPA and GMAT? What about if you're a minority or have unusual aspects in your background, how much does that help or hurt? Where do you want to live? What do you want to do? Why should one of the top ten programs let you in over someone else? Can you put together an application that concisely ties your background, your MBA goals, and your future plans together while at the same time making each school think that you have eyes for them and only them? Oh, and make it believable, witty, grammatically correct, and memorable. Yikes! I knew I needed help.
So I signed up for free consultations with a few of the firms out there. Everyone was nice, everyone was polite, and everyone was smart. But sometimes I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was talking to salesperson. I wanted a personal connection with someone who actually cared. Consultants are expensive and offer no guarantee of anything.... was it worth it?
That’s when I got on the phone with Critical Square. They answered a lot of my questions, gave me some solid advice, as well as told me some hard truths. It never felt rushed – and for a reason, we were on the phone for an hour – and they shot me straight from our very first conversation. The verdict delivered stated I was a long shot for H/S/W. Maybe Wharton was a bit more realistic of a stretch since one of my recommenders was an alumnus but still...long shot. Hard to hear but necessary advice. I took the plunge.
I bought a package and some a-la-carte hours. I thought that was how I could get the most value since I planned on applying to 9 programs. 9 programs and we had 5 weeks to get them done. To be blunt, I couldn't have done it without them. Let me be clear, they didn’t write anything for me or change my profile, but they brought out the best version of me in my applications. Talk more about this, less about that. You’re spinning this the wrong way. These themes are missing. Change the intro. I would write what I thought was a solid essay only to have it reviewed, cut apart, and returned in a much, much better state. Not to mention under the word limits - they have a gift for saying in 5 words what takes you 15. They really helped me polish my profile. I was able to take creative chances in my essays and get honest feedback. It’s such a competitive process that regardless of the outcome, I wanted to make sure I had put my best foot forward.
I received interviews at 5 of the schools I applied to and I will be starting at NYU Stern in the fall with a fellowship. My entire tuition is paid for!
Getting into one of these programs is life changing so make sure that you give it your all. This isn't a process that I would recommend you go in half-heartedly or alone. At the very least give them a call...30 minutes could save your application from being a mess (pun totally intended). So, needless to say…money well spent! I highly recommend Critical Square!