Admissionado Admissions Consulting Reviews

First of all, if you have already gone through all the review comments about this company. You will get mixed message and you may get confused, is it really good or mediocre? Well, it really depends on the reviewer's expectations. So be prepared, any admission consulting service can't do everything for you. They can help you find the best out of the best, but you have to dig deep yourself to find your own best first before presenting them to the consulting service. So that is basically what Admissionado did for me. They will first give you a questionnaire to list your accomplishments and achievements. It is a brainstorm process. By doing that, you have to think really deeply. No one can do that part for you since they don’t know you. Then you need to make the draft essays. And they will comment on your essays a couple of rounds depending on which service you choose.

For me, Admissionado meets my expectation.

Now let me summarize what I like them:

1. Quick turnaround. I started my application very late, really late. But they still helped me edit my essays through the holidays. I really appreciate it. And usually they would send back the essays to me very quickly.

2. Beautiful work. Since I am not a native English speaker, I sometimes can’t precisely express what want to say. After discussing with the consultant, they can make some good recommendations. What’s most impressive is, after their work, my essays are much more concise and smooth.

3. Very nice people. You will see if you use their service.

4. Since my background is nontraditional MBA applicant. They helped me find the best matching schools for me as well as making the application strategy for each school. That is one of the most valuable parts in this whole consulting process.

If you can see my ID, you can guess that I applied in 2010 but got no interview and admission at all. This time, I got interview from every school that I applied, finally got two AD and two WL. I am already quite satisfied. Had I used their service, I would have probably graduated right now. That is why I highly suggest to those who are not sure about their writing skills paying some money and hiring a consulting service. Time is much much more precious than money. That is a painful lesson that I learned until I realized.

Overall, I am quite impressed by Admissionado service and I recommend it.

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Last year, I applied to only one school - M7 BSchool. I did not use any consultant then and managed to get an interview with school. However, I could not find a place in the program. After reading forums and talking to some MBA friends, I realized some mistakes in my application but even so, I was decently happy with my performance, considering I had no guidance except Paul Bodine's book.

This year, I took Admissionado's two bootcamp classes ($199 each or so) just before R1. After the two classes, I thought that I would apply to 1 school (ranked 8th-13th) myself and 4 schools (M7 schools) through Admissionado. And I jumped after they offered a 15% discount on the JrD package.

Over the next 2.5 months I worked with the consultant who an ex-M7 MBA. He was a really nice guy overall and very approachable.

At the end, I got into the school that I applied to myself and to none of the ones I applied through Admissionado. I reapplied to the M7 school I applied the year before, this time through Admissionado. Like last year, I got an interview call and (again) could not find a place in the program. I realize I might have deficiencies, so I'll try to restrict the review to the actual services provided and not just the outcome of my applications.

Positives
+ Biggest positive: That I could bounce off a story to someone without having to spend time writing and polishing it, only to have it rejected. Consultants are great for this (v/s using a busy friend or family member).
+ Consultant was nice and likable.
+ Quality of my apps improved.

Negatives
- Biggest negative: The consultant stuck to 72hr turnaround time clause of the contract. Initially, I had a lot of time so this didn't matter. However, during the crunch time of last 10 days or so before the submission deadline, I expected him to respond more quickly (meaning 36 hrs or less), especially for the smaller edits. Upon asking, he recommended that I pay more $$$ to 'expedite' my reviews. Now I know they are busy people, but it was still a ridiculous ask for something that would take him 10-15 mins to review. Not cool and definitely costed me in the quality of the app at the end.

- Sometimes the consultant would not be clear with what he wants me to change. You'd have to email a few times to get him to commit to the weakness in your essay.

- My expectation was that I would get ideas for great openings or closings for each essay. No such thing. I had to search for ideas there myself and he would just green/red flag them.

Overall:
I'm about 60% satisfied, hence the 3 stars. Since I did not have any MBA friends who had gone through the process and could review my essays, I chose to go with a consultant. If you don't have this handicap, I'd recommend tapping a current MBA student instead of spending money on a consultant.

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I knew precision essays from before, but I first came in contact with Admissionado when I wanted to take services of an admissions consultant

After a lot of thoughts, I finally decided to take services of a consultant for MIT LGO application. I first went for AcceptU.com, after attending their seminar on BTG. While I was evaluating their offering, I came in contact of Lauren of Admissionado and almost immediately was hooked on to their professional approach.

Their initial questionnaire was quite thorough and made the basis for preparing good essays as it brought out nice themes. When I finally paid for their service, only 15 days were left for the MIT LGO application and it was a race to the finish. It took me another couple of days to submit their questionnaire as I wanted to make sure it properly brought out my past

With just over 10 days left before the application submission and the 12-hour time difference between me & the consultant, it was a tough & stressful ride. I worked with Damon Chua, he might not have known a lot about MIT, but he made sure that those 10 days were as stress-free for me as possible.

Though their committed turn-around time was 72-hours, but Damon almost always came back within 24-hours. We properly utilized the 12-hour time difference, I would submit the essays in Damon's day-time and he would return them in my day-time :). This flexibility really helped me squeeze in 3 reviews & a final polish with Damon and also a review with my sisters (to ensure the story-line reflected real me)

Damon also ensured the whole process was action-packed. He gave me thorough comments which were really helpful in shaping the essays. The final essays were a real good read, unlike the initial submission which was very-very loosely written. Damon's limited knowledge of MIT had little impact over the whole process, but he was really passionate in his work

Their support over the whole period and even after that has been really commendable. It is still to be seen if I am able to make into one of the 5-6 international students of LGO, but I am satisfied with our efforts. And I learnt one thing, be very open with your consultant, as then they can really surprise you with how they can present your story.

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My initial interaction with Admissionado (Precission Essay) was through their free profile evaluation. I submitted my completely un-edited / un-formatted resume to them & then got a call within 24 hours. This is something I have really come to appreciated through my interaction with them, Punctual LIKE HELL. They have made me at times feel embarrassed about my follow-up etiquettes.

The profile evaluation was a completely wonderful experience. They highlighted my stronger as well as weaker aspects, without giving me those cold shivers with the whole application package. I had spoken to a couple of Indian counsellors & I would have probably just scrapped my plans to apply if I hadn't spoken to the guys as Precision Essay. They were able to connect with me at a much deeper level than the other quacks I had spoken to. They knew why I wanted an MBA, what my profile looked like to an adcom & why my school selection stood where it was. This is something I came to miss later during my applications (I applied using an Indian Admission Consultant for my applications)

In editing essays & providing feedback, these guys are the best. I don’t think anyone else even matches up. Unfortunately for me, greatly thanks to the INR - USD conversion I couldn't use their services for all my schools, but the essays that they did help me out on really changed the perspective I had focused on during my earlier applications. The feedback I got was candid and thought provoking but still had room for discussion, which they were always open to.
Lauren has been my one point of contact at Admissionado & I hands down rate her as THE PERSON you have to talk to if you decide to take admissionado's services. She was able to connect not only with my perspective but also with my problems, which was something I really appreciated through my interactions with her. If you have a problem or question including anything under the sun, Lauren had the answer and never in that hum drum tone that most other consultants used.

Bottom Line, You want a MBA from a IVY League School, then you Need Lauren and Admissionado.

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First off let me state that my work experience is far from conventional. I knew this would be hard to frame, and I really was all over the place in trying to peg down my story. Then I went to Admissionado (formerly Precision Essay), and was assigned with Mark. He took the time to internalize all of my experience and helped me to develop and distill my story. He pushed me to grow outside my limits and make some hard decisions that I had been putting off. In the end, I feel like I know where I want to go (in terms of a career path) more clearly and this was translated to my essay. All in all it was definitely worth it, and I can recommend their services to anyone.

Timely turn around on products, and a very personal touch. It was like having a mentor from Stanford hold my hand.

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I was extremely impressed by the professional way Admissionado (formerly Precision Essay) handled my requests and concerns. All the guys at Admissionado are extremely sincere and committed towards making my candidature stronger. I shopped around and must admit that Admissionado is by far the best out there. They are extremely fast in getting back to my responds and I really like their attitude.

I used Admissionado formerly for my essays and the mock interview and was quite late for the Round 2 deadline. Before Admissionado I thought I have some really god essays, but after Admissionado I had stunning essays :-). They are really quick and really helpful. When I think about it, I never had to wait for a reply more than half a day. Lauren, who is the director of Operations, is so quick in responding that I sometimes thought she would never sleep :-).

Moreover Richard, who helped with my essays and interview preparation, is really great. He helped me to transform my essays that highlighted my strengths in terms of my work experience and community service and downplayed my weaknesses. He was extremely personable and easy to work with. What I really value is how reliable and punctual he was and that speaks for the quality of Admissionado. Every time I had an appointment, it was right on time. This shows that they really care and want to help you.

I really appreciated to work with Admissionado and always will recommend their service to anyone who is looking for a strong and reliable consulting service. If I were to do it again, there is no doubt about Admissionado. I actually regret that I did not discover them earlier in the applications process.

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i decided to check out admissions consultants late in the game for R1 - around the end of september. i really didn't think i would ever get a consultant since they're so expensive, but i was starting to panic with my essays as i was hitting a wall with them.

i contacted a few of the 1 person consultants, but they turned me down because it was so close to R1 deadlines, which definitely worried me. i got a free consultation from stacy blackman, which went ok. she gave me some good tips but i decided not to go with her cause i didn't really feel like we connected and i was a little worried about all the negative reviews of them online. also, i was really only looking for essay help. most consulting companies offer essay services "a la carte" which mainly entails spending an hour on the phone talking about 1 or 2 essays. i wanted to see the edits on paper and didn't want to pay someone by the hour.

once i realized that, i started to focus my search on essay editing companies (and with quick turnaround). most of these companies (including the services that SB offers) only edit for grammar while i wanted someone to edit my content and flow. i received a free essay edit from Admissionado (formerly Precision Essay) and found it very well done and even entertaining. i decided that night that i would get their services (based on their packages and turnaround). i ultimately got edits for 3 schools (2 edits for stanford and berkeley, 1 for kellogg), but used those essays for the other schools i applied to as well.

i found Admissionado to be really helpful and extremely fast in getting back my essays. having a consultant also gave me mini-deadlines which helped a lot. i got A LOT done in a very short time period. i had gone through so many revisions with friends and family (but none with bschool experience) with my essays before getting a consultant, but i ended up changing some of them drastically afterwards. Admissionado really knew how to help me structure my essays, how to better clarify and emphasize aspects, and how to focus them. also, they were always available to answer my questions. my essays really would not have reached the level they did without that help. well maybe if i had time to thoroughly go through those MBA application books, they would have, but i didn't start applying until late in the game.

in summary, if you're only looking for essay help on your apps and want to see your edits on paper and delivered quickly back to you, i would look into Admissionado (ask for a free essay edit or read their thread in the admissions consultants thread). their prices, although high, are worth it because you pay by the school and not by the word count or hour. i personally only really knew 1 person who was familiar with the business school process, so working with a consultant really helped me. as you can see by my profile, i got into 3 of the 6 schools i applied to round 1, including kellogg, one of my top choices and where i'll be going in the fall.

feel free to PM me with more info. i looked into several consulting companies before i settled on Admissionado, everyone from the big companies to the small, cheaper essay editing services.

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I shopped around quite a bit and used Admissionado (formerly Precision Essay). I only applied to top 16 schools, and two admits later and one waitlist (including a full ride to Haas) I can vouch for Jon and his team 100%. I did start with ample time to work together and I think this definitely makes a difference - if you are rushing to finish when everybody else is crunching then the result is obvious no matter where you go. In the end, I did end up in a time crunch situation for a few schools, but the response time was amazing - a few times I chatted with Jon at 4AM in the heat of the app season, while stressing out about something in my application. I also talked to him on the phone when he was travelling overseas in china at some crazy local time.
The service isn't for everyone--they make you work HARD to bring out your story and your voice - there were times where I was thinking OH COME ON GUYS, another edit, wasn't that last one good enough? It's one of those processes where you get out what you put in it - no consultant can (nor should they) do all your writing and have a pre-packaged story ready for you. By the way, I haven't heard of half the consultants who post here--new ones seem to pop up every day. The only way to really tell what consultant is right for you is their track record, and to reach out to them and speak to them personally, get a sense of their response times, and see if you match with them personality wise. To me what set them apart was personalized responses that were specific to me, not some cookie cutter "your profile looks good, but theres areas we have to work on" generic email. Feel free to pm me or talk to the guys directly. If you do talk to Jon and his crew at Admissionado, I am sure you'll see how amazing they are.

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