Shawn Falkner Reviews

I'm a 32YO male, I'm transitioning out of the Navy as a 10-year aviator, and I was honestly kind of terrified about the transition. I'm now at the end of my application process and I will be attending Booth in the Fall. This was my #1 choice and I couldn't have done it without the Admissionado team.

Bottom Line: once you have decided that an admissions consultant is critical to your success in the application process, Admissionado will be your best friend and your professional guiding light. The stress level comes down by orders of magnitude with these guys on your side.

I will echo what other reviews have previously stated: you need to know whether or not a consultant is a critical component to your application process. Don't hire a consultant because you have a fear of missing out. Don't hire a consultant because you assume that's what everyone else is doing. Do your due diligence, interview at least five companies (like most successful applicants do), and find the right group that will meet your specific needs. And set your expectations appropriately for the advertised timelines because the company is very open and honest about exactly what they can provide for you (and oftentimes they go way above and beyond that level of support). My specific needs, as an example, were as follows:
1. Find a shop that can help me translate successes in a military career into words that resonate with a civilian institution used to looking at non-mil candidates.
2. Find a specific consultant that is willing to be honest with me right off the bat and gives specifics regarding how he/she will shape my profile.
3. Hire the shop that demonstrates that they truly want and respect my patronage.

With these needs in mind, I interviewed 6 firms. Admissionado broke out from the pack when it came to #2 and #3 above, and they have been authentic and consistent ever since I hired them. The initial interview with Shawn, my counselor, provided tangible suggestions for tailoring my application packages. He followed up after our interview to see if I had any additional questions or concerns (as did Claudia and Lauren, which was a great touch). This team has a legitimate desire to see you succeed. And since receiving my acceptance I have kept in touch with all three and they have offered friendly advice for transitioning to a new city. This group is as good as it gets.

Their bevy of products to support the process are very useful as well. These products cover everything from essay edits to crafting a resume, and I will probably put them to good use beyond just this application marathon. I will also keep every version of the essay edits because I found the whole experience refreshing and it fine-tuned my ability to deliver a good message. You may think you're decent at writing ... and you may even be above average (believe me, I thought I was too, I got a 46 on the Verbal section of the GMAT) ... but they will make you better. Bet on it.

Feel free to PM me if anyone would like more information about how I went about choosing which Admissionado products I wanted and the timeline I put together for myself in order to put those services to good use.

Read More

Long story short, I got a 710, solid GPA, but weaker than avg experience. IT Proj Mgr in biotech with some exposure to strategy, but nothing like consulting or i-banking.

Shawn and the team tailored a story and strategy around the fact that I couldn't compete based on raw strength or quant ability against others looking to get into a Top 20 school. There's no way I would have got into my dream school if they hadn't helped me form and completely revise my strategy. I'll be honest, I had a "good" story before, but they pushed me to make sure everything aligned: my past exp, why I want an MBA, and my future goals. It sounds basic, but it needs to be immaculate.

Once I got my big interview, I felt super confident about my entire story, because it truly did all add up. I was able to tell it very naturally, because each piece lined up, all the way to my 20 year plan. And I didn't even use them for interview prep!

The whole team was very laid-back (not a bad thing), and it allowed me to really divulge every piece of information about myself. Some of which I would not have told many people, but that ultimately became an important part of my story. Also, I got a late start (began in mid-Aug for Oct 1 deadline), and the editors turned my drafts around literally every 3-4 days.

Can't say enough great things about Admissionado, would highly recommend for anyone looking to get into a Top 20 school. If it looks expensive, well...you're about to invest $150-200k. Do you want to spend that getting in a "mediocre" program, or would you rather be in your dream school and freakin' stoked on where you're spending the next 2 years, and WHO you're spending them with. I can't even explain how excited I am for the school I got into, such a great feeling compared to "settling" for a backup school and attending because, "well, now is the time" and "I don't want to go through that process again".

If anyone has questions about my experience, I'd love to answer, because I seriously owe it to Admissionado for the milestone that I've reached.

Read More