I worked with Amerasia for Booth and Kellogg this year and I honestly feel I would've been lost without using some kind of consultant (I also used Precision Essay for Duke in R1). It's not that I couldn't have done it on my own, it's that I'm a natural worrier and perfectionist, and without someone there to give me structure and monitor my progress, I was spinning my wheels for weeks without getting anywhere. I was so hung up about my GMAT not being good enough (58% in Quant!) that I felt helpless when it came to promoting my strengths. I spent weeks working on first drafts of essays and would scrap everything and still had nothing decent to show for it. I was running out of time and needed a kick in the butt to stop analyzing and start putting things together.

I was so impressed from the initial 1 hour call and felt he had enough school-specific knowledge to know what they were looking for. He addressed my concern over the GMAT score, and told me the only school on my list that was really strict about the quant percent being above 80 was Haas (only official ding so far, so looks like he was right) and eased my worries by saying the breakdown really doesn't matter all that much. Regarding GMAT, all they care about is whether you can handle the academics (and your high GPA proves this) and that your total score doesn't bring down their averages too much (and your GMAT is lower than their avg, but your GPA is higher so you're pretty much a wash). This made so much sense and made me feel confident about applying, it really made the difference for me.

Duke w/precsion essay was a mad dash, my fault for not leaving enough time. I had plenty of time for R2 and chose to go with Amerasia for Booth. He spent about a week reviewing my profile, resume, notes from our call etc and put together a document outlying my strengths and weaknesses in each area as it relates to Booth's core values. He read my essay drafts in detail and pointed out things that left a bit of confusion about my story and gave suggestions on what I could say to really make it powerful. With the powerpoint essay, he reviewed a few different intial ideas and gave his opinion on which was the best. Knowing he works with lots of clients and hearing him say something like "that's a really unique approach, I've never seen anyone do that before" gave me confidence to run with it, because I knew it would not be like so many others (like my second idea was)

I chose to go with a smaller essay only package with Amerasia for Kellogg as well after I was impressed by their work on Booth. I did feel this one was a bit more rushed, but I didn't make the decision to add this one until the very end. Overall very impressed and glad I went with them, I got into Booth with scholarship (something I thought impossible with a 58% Q from a quant heavy school) and used some of the same ideas in other school essays (got into Ross with the same concepts)

If you have any specific questions or want advice on the consultant process, feel free to PM me!

Although I had initially intended to stay out of the conversation, I thought it might be helpful if I shared my experience working with Paul from Amerasia.

After taking a Manhattan GMAT course I had initially planned on signing up with MBAmission (given that they partner with MGMAT). However, after reading earlier posts on this thread I thought I might want to reach out to other consultants as well, one of which was Paul at Amerasia.

Of all my initial consultations I scheduled Paul’s last. As soon as we got on the phone Paul got down to business. What I really liked about Paul was that he dug deeper than the other consultants had. For example, my GMAT is over 750 and my GPA is in the mid 3 range with a double major at a top University. While other consultants thought this was a huge plus, I liked that Paul was honest and said that because one of my major GPA’s was a low 3 and the other was a high 3, it wasn’t going to hurt but it also wasn’t going to be a huge help. Additionally Paul and I went over my career goals “story.” He pointed out that if it was my dream to work in field X but I only had experience in filed Y it would make more sense for my story to be focused on field Y.

After signing up with Paul he set up a recurring 1 hour weekly meeting. Over the last several months Paul has helped me work through all of last year’s essay’s in preparation for this year’s applications. One thing that has really impressed me in working with Paul is his ability to pick which stories are most relevant at each school. To me, this has been extremely helpful.

Some additional thoughts on Amerasia:

1) Paul works hard – each week, in advance of our meeting, Paul will send over updated drafts of all my essays with thorough comments and ideas about restructuring. After each meeting Paul sends over the notes from our call as well as a few homework assignments.

2) Turnaround is quick – I have all of Paul’s contact information. On the one occasion I needed a 6 hour turn around I just sent him my document, texted him, and had it back three hours later.

3) Big picture – when Amerasia looks at my application they look at the entire package. All of my essays for any individual school are worked on in tandem. What I mean by that is that Paul and I have a clear picture of the story we are trying to get across in my application. We view the essays, the letters of rec, and the resume as individual pieces of a puzzle. Paul makes sure everything fits together and is consistent.

Lastly – to those of you working or considering working with a consultant: Even though I have full confidence in Paul and his services I still read articles and books on admittance strategies. It’s your application so take ownership of it. If you don’t hear back from your consultant, call them on their cell. If they don’t change their ways, fire them. It’s your future - don’t let someone else mess it up. A consultant can help improve your application but do your own homework.

I know gmatclub is now asking for a numerical score out of 5. Obviously I haven't completed my applications but have worked with Paul for about 2 months. I've emailed back and forth with him nearly daily and had phone calls at least once a week if not more often. Thus far I have nothing to complain about: 5/5.

This is a review of my experience using Adam at Amerasia. It was a pleasure working with him. I give him a 5/5!

Before I go into detail about my experience working with Adam, let me explain my unique background. I have an above average GPA and GMAT score, but I lacked confidence in my candidacy for three reasons. First, I’m young. I only had two years of work experience when I submitted my applications. Second, my work experience, while entrepreneurial, is very non-traditional. And finally, I had a very rocky start to undergrad. I actually failed out of school during my freshman year, and while I was able to return after one semester, it took me five years to graduate.

For these reasons, I set up an initial consultation with Adam. Our conversation lasted 1.5 hours and I took three pages of notes. There was no sales pitch; it was just a long discussion about the application process, my profile, and my concerns. I had already been told by two admission consultants that it would be difficult to get into a top program this year given my lack of work experience. Therefore, I was very surprised when Adam told me the complete opposite. He said that if I framed my unique background correctly and adequately explained why I needed an MBA right now, I shouldn’t have any trouble getting into a top program this year. I was so impressed after this phone call that I decided to pull the trigger on a three-school package.

Working with Adam in the months that followed was a great experience. During this time we exchanged literally hundreds of e-mails and spoke on the phone probably a dozen times. No matter how small, mundane, or worry-ridden my questions were, Adam would always reply promptly with a well-thought out and sincere response. If I had a question that was too complicated for email, no problem, he was always willing to speak with me over the phone. When it came time to write my essays, Adam would first send out a custom-made, comprehensive PDF document that provided insight into the school and outlined strategies for each essay. After drafting an essay, I would send it to Adam for review. He would correct any awkward sentences and add notes to the margin that would ask thought provoking questions and suggest ways to emphasize specific aspects of my background that were most relevant to what that school valued. We would rinse and repeat this process until each essay was perfect.

In addition to providing unparalleled guidance through the general application and essay writing process, Adam was a lifesaver when it came to preparing for interviews. After my first invitation to interview, he arranged an hour-long conference call just to discuss the twists and turns of the business school interview. Then, a week before each interview, I’d schedule a mock interview and feedback session with Adam or one of his colleagues. Coming from an entrepreneurial background, I don’t have much experience being the interviewee. Therefore, these mock interviews were truly invaluable.

Ultimately, what impressed me the most about Adam was how familiar he became with my profile. While he was no doubt working with a number of other applicants this season, he never forgot even the minute aspects of my story. He really did make me feel like I was his only client. In the end, I was accepted to my top two choices (both top five schools) and I couldn’t be happier! If you are considering an admission consultant, and you don’t at least arrange an initial consultation with Adam, you are doing yourself a disservice. I absolutely feel that he was worth every penny and I would recommend him to anyone.

With a clear idea on why I want an MBA, I started applying to B-Schools on my own. I wrote a few essays and sought feedback from my friends and family. From the feedback, I realized that I am not coherently conveying my message. Also, I needed honest advice, from a reliable source, on the admission process and on the quality of my application. I eventually decided to take help from a consultant.

Why Michelle Awuku-Tatum?
There is valuable advice on this thread on several consulting firms and their consultants. I have gone through most of the posts, spoken to several consultants, and shortlisted Amerasia, for its personalized services, and Stacy Blackman (SBC), for its structured approach. I also had very specific requirements based on my background – I wanted a consultant with corporate work experience and with international exposure. I reviewed several consultant profiles from both firms and decided to speak with Michelle (Amerasia) and another good consultant from SBC. I chose Michelle, a Kellogg alumnus, for her corporate experience as a VP at Citigroup and for her diverse international experience. After speaking to her, I was even more confident in her abilities because of her patience, experience, and composure. More importantly, I enjoyed my conversation with her - I decided to work with Michelle.
My advice to anyone who is in the process of choosing a consultant/firm – even if it is time consuming, please look for a consultant who fits with your profile/background and who is genuinely excited by your experiences.

My experience working with Michelle
Working with Michelle was a stimulating conversation because she truly is passionate about what she does. I felt motivated after every single call, and she inspired me to seek perfection. She gave me valuable feedback and unbiased advice. Her attention to detail is extraordinary, and I believe that this detail differentiates a great application from a good one. I always got back to Michelle with a ton of questions on every single aspect of the application, and she never fell short of answering all my questions patiently. I cannot emphasize the value of her experience that she brought to the table – I made confident and informed decisions because of her experience and knowledge.

What differentiates Michelle from other consultants is her faith in the candidate’s dream. I am sure she picks her clients well, and she is very ethical in choosing a limited number of clients every season. This dedication to offer her best to her clients creates an exceptionally personalized consulting experience. In my case, she truly believed in my goals, ambitions, and potential contribution to the society. She enjoyed listening to my experiences and understanding how they shaped my personality. When a consultant works at this level of detail, I am sure the candidate will present the best possible application.

Finally, I had a great time working with Michelle. She was a good friend with whom I could discuss every application question that was lingering on my mind. At the same time, she was very professional in her approach and advice. Also, I must mention her ethics: not once did she put words in my mouth or do anything that is remotely unethical. She helped me by giving a good structure and definition to the application through right questions.

Result
I have worked with Michelle on one (extremely selective) school from which I received an Interview invite. She is very helpful in preparing me for the Interview through her detailed feedback on the mock interviews. I promise to update this post with the name of the school and the result as soon as I hear from them (my interview is in a few days). I wish you guys all the very best on your applications!

Working with Adam was a dream! Not only did I gain expert guidance on my applications but I also felt that I gained a friend. I highly recommend him to everyone. I’ve been admitted into both programs I applied to (International MBA schools in the “elite” cluster). :-)

I do my homework so before committing to Amerasia, I did free consultations with 8 other consultants. I liked them to varying degrees and would even say that I clicked with some. However, more than just rapport, I needed someone who was convinced of my candidacy; someone who knew he could get me in and already had a plan. Adam was all these things and more. He liked my story and he made me like it too.

I’m the sort of person who obsesses over things and worries about everything. Adam steadied my nerves and gave me a sense of peace and clarity that allowed me to turn in my finest work. He also filtered out the noise from the misinformation on the process and enabled me to concentrate on what really mattered.

The essays, of course, are at the heart of this matter. While Adam is willing to accept calls, he much prefers email so that we could create a trail and document our progress. I quickly saw the rationale of this and found it an incredibly efficient way to get things done. His response time is lightning fast. There was never a compromise in the quality though because each input he’d submit was well thought-out and highly beneficial.

Adam’s a huge advocate of “the right structure.” What he does is he makes an outline of how to answer the essay question. He gives guidelines as well on how much of the essay should be spent on each part in order to maximize impact. This leaves all the content up to you (just as it should be). You are able to be as creative and original as you want while using his parameters in order to ensure you are on track. If he’d ever rewrite something, it would only be to phrase it better. I was able to maintain my own voice throughout as well as bring out the best of my abilities.

As for the mock interview, he passed me on to a colleague and this worked out wonderfully because I got a fresh set of eyes on my application. I was given a bit of advice but the more important thing is that I was able to work out my jitters over the process. When I interviewed for real, I was calm, collected, and able to make the best impression possible.

Again, I cannot stress how much I enjoyed working with Adam. His belief in me got me through this difficult process and has inspired me to face whatever challenges ahead with the same belief in myself.

As someone with a less than stellar profile (<3.0 ugpa, <700 GMAT), non-business work experience (Engineering) and looking to attend a top B-school program and career switch into a very competitive field (Investment Banking) I felt that it would be best to get help from a professional in working on my applications. I came across Amerasia from reading Paul Lanzilotti’s prospective student profile reviews on the Admissions Consultants board. I really liked the candid and honest opinions and advice he provided and scheduled an initial consultation with the company. After sending my profile to Adam Hoff he reviewed it and paired me up with Jenny Lin.

I hired Amerasia to work with me on The Consortium base application + individual school essays for 2 schools. Because of my work with Amerasia, I was able to put together great applications; I was admitted to one of the schools with scholarship consideration (an Elite level program) and was waitlisted by the other (another extremely competitive school) though I plan on sending updates and may still gain admittance there as well. Working with Jenny not only resulted in strong applications for the two schools we worked on together, it also helped me develop a foundation to build off of in my other applications which were also quite strong.

Working with Jenny was absolutely fantastic throughout the entire process. She did a great job of helping me frame my story and really showing me how to get my point across in my essays in a very clear and concise manner all while writing in my own voice. She also showed me how to highlight the strengths in my profile and align my goals with the strengths of the schools I was applying to. She was awesome in helping me during my interview prep working very thoroughly with me through the interview questions and candidly telling me the places where I needed work and how to best phrase my responses. This prep gave me great confidence going into my interviews and I was well prepared to give my responses.

Amerasia, and Jenny especially, more than exceeded my expectations. I was expecting for someone to simply edit my essays and perform some surface level preparation on my applications, but Jenny was right there with me throughout every phase of the application process. I had been researching schools for months before I even began working with Amerasia, yet Jenny gave me some great advice on how to deeper research these schools and how to properly reach out to and interact with various school members(current students, Adcom, professors, etc.) She even recommended some other schools whose strengths aligned with my goals that I had previously overlooked, and even put me in touch with some people she knew at schools I was applying to, and they ended up being great resources for me.

The greatest value of working with Jenny though, goes well beyond just helping me with my application. The B-school application process is an arduous one and can sometimes be a very introspective and emotional time, it was for me at least. Jenny was great at helping me curb my emotions and keep things in perspective. It meant so much to have someone in my corner who believed in me even at times when I didn’t believe in myself.

I definitely recommend Amerasia to anyone looking to apply to B-school. It is such an involved process and having someone who knows the ins and outs of it all can significantly help your chances. Jenny did such a great job of helping me put together a great application, and I’m not sure what they are paying her at Amerasia, but I know they need to give her a raise, she’s worth her weight in gold! lol I know that I was able to produce much more competitive and overall impressive applications because of my work with Amerasia.

I have read a lot about some admissions consultants actually writing essays for their clients, and I would like to say that Amerasia does not in any way conduct business like this. Amerasia has a very involved system of learning about their clients’ profiles, strengths, and goals and they do a great job of using this knowledge to best help their clients. In my work with Amerasia, all of my essays were written in my own voice and with my own ideas.

I am choosing to not submit this review anonymously because I would like to help any GMAT Club member who would like to know more about my experience working with Jenny and Amerasia. Please feel free to send me a PM if you have any questions.

I worked with Adam Hoff from Amerasia on three schools (well I was planning to apply to 7 but then I got lazy) – Booth, Columbia, and Stanford – and I got into Booth (with a happy pile of $$$) and Columbia. During the whole application process, I found myself saying this to my friends all the time, "i don't know how people do it without a consultant!!!"

By that, i don't mean people can't write decent essays and put together decent resumes and get into decent schools without the help of a consultant, but having a consultant to me is like having a coach to motivate you and cheer you along - Adam is very energetic and approachable, and he has a great sense of humor which has proven to be so very important in keeping my spirit up (we all know how frustrating the application process can get). I felt comfortable asking every single stupid question that popped into my head, even for questions he could have just answered with a simple "yes" or "no" or "don't worry about it", he would still go to great lengths to explain his comments and rationale. His comments were all straightforward and candid, so while he was often very humorous about it, he would tell me directly if an idea or essay just doesn’t make sense to him – so no unhealthy coddling there at all. For each school I was given a “strategy guide”, which details what the school might focus on or care more about in their essays. Those were REALLY helpful because I would have just completely re-used essays for multiple schools if Adam hadn’t told me not to.

Adam is also an amazing writer, and that’s something I value the most. I mean while a lot of current students can tell you about what each school values, very few people have the capability to help you tell your story. Adam did a great job helping me storyboard and giving me advice on how to get my points across more efficiently.

Just fyi, i actually set up calls with 5-6 consultants and Adam was the only one who really stood out. One of the worst calls was the one i had with Jon @ Precision Essay - i work for one of the biggest consulting companies in the world and he spent 10 mins telling me how i should explain what my company does in my essays to make sure the AdCom people know what consulting is like (?!)… but anyways my experience with Adam was fantastic and I would definitely recommend him to anyone in a heartbeat.

I first got in touch with Amerasia at the beginning of the summer when I had decided on a preliminary list of business schools to apply to. Before calling Amerasia I spoke to a consultant at Stacy Blackman. However, the consultant I spoke to on the phone was not necessarily the consultant I would be working with during my application process. Working abroad, I was wary of going through the application process alone. At the same time, I knew I would need someone who could really understand my story and help me articulate it such that business schools would be able to understand the breadth of my experience.
The hurdles I knew I would face were an average GPA and barely two years of work experience upon matriculation. The quality of my work experience of helping start up a company abroad would need to be the focus of my application.
After talking with Paul at Amerasia Consulting for an hour during the free consultation I knew this was someone who I would be comfortable working with and someone who had experience with similar stories as mine. With several years experience in the admissions process, Paul was very clear with the entire application process during our initial phone call. I decided to enroll for the Full Engagement services just days after our phone call.
Based on my profile, we decided on 7 schools that we could work towards, and because we got an early start we were able to focus on each application individually and carefully approach each essay. Where I would have used the same essay for each school, Paul helped me understand what particular schools looked for in the “short/long term goals” essay for example. This way I found Paul’s guidance tremendously helpful as I navigated the business school application process. Initially we would talk on a weekly basis, and I never felt as though our conversations had a set time limit or that I was a burden. As deadlines approached, we would even meet twice a week depending on what was left to do.
After being offered an interview at one of my top choices, MIT Sloan, Paul was able to provide me with a lot of insight into how Sloan conducts interviews. With their ‘behavior interview’ approach, I was unfamiliar with how I would need to prepare. After a few mock interviews and reviewing my application with Paul I felt much more comfortable going into my interview.
I highly recommend Amerasia Consulting to help you through the MBA admissions process. I haven’t thought twice about the money spent, it was well worth it after being admitted to a top 10 MBA program.

If you’re reading this then you probably already know how daunting the business school application process can be: there’s just so much information and so many things to consider, all compounded by the fact that the decisions you make will unequivocally affect not just your career but the rest of your life! You get one shot at business school- no one has two MBAs. Even though I had already honed-in on the schools I was going to target, the weight of the decisions to be made coupled with the opportunity cost (for starters, one less year of post-MBA salary) of not having a seat in a class this fall compelled me to fork out the cash and hire an admissions consultant, Adam Hoff, through Amerasia.

I can easily say, without doubt, that hiring Adam to guide me through the application process was a great decision. I had canvassed the admissions consultants’ forums on GMATclub and was basically told by many that I wasn’t exactly a shoe-in at any of the schools I was applying to. You know the “yeah it’s possible, but you’re really going to have to put your best foot forward and hope for a little luck” response. Well, maybe I had a little luck, but by hiring Adam I was definitely able to put my best foot forward, and my results speak for themselves: I got into every school I applied to.

What gives Amerasia its edge, in my humble opinion, is their structured approach to essay writing and the way they are able to tease your story out, which is one thing that Adam was very good at. Chances are that, even if you don’t feel like it, you have a great story to tell; you have rich work and life experiences that you may not have even discovered through your own pre-MBA introspective process. This is where Adam comes in. He helps you discover the great in a seemingly-normal experience or story. Adam acted almost like an introspective coach, one that helps you discover the hidden value in your story and present it in a compelling manner.

Aside from the things I mention above, Adam was also more than willing to answer the bazillion questions I threw at him during the long course of the process. I always felt like I was an important and valued client, and even if I did annoy him by inundating him anxiety-induced questions, he never showed it!

I’m giving Adam 5/5 stars because he exceeded my expectations and played an absolutely integral role in getting me into the schools of my dreams.

I was initially looking for Paul or Adam since I heard good things about them. Since they were both booked up, Adam referred me to his brother Drew. Even before I committed to the 3 school package, Drew set up a initial talk to go over what was included in the full package. His in-depth knowledge of the schools I wanted to apply to sold me on asking for his assistance to help me with my applications.

I selected the 3 school package and selected two top 10 private schools and 1 Consortium school. Drew not only helped me with essays, but also how to approach recommenders, my resume, interviews, and general application strategy. I think a lot of people believe consultants just write your essays for you, but that is totally not the case. Drew only helped me focus down on what i really wanted to do and encouraged me to write about my passions while cleaning up my grammar and overall essay strategy. We worked mainly over email and we sent revisions back and forth for my 3 schools. He definitely helped me a lot during the essay writing process and i don't think i would have been as concise and clear without his assistance.

When i started to get interviews, Drew helped me prepare over the phone and calmed me down when i was getting jittery. I ended up applying to 5 schools total, 3 of which Drew helped with. I got admits to 2 and I would definitely recommend him to others if they are looking into Amerasia.