Prep MBA Admissions Consulting Reviews

This year, I re-applied to three programs and applied to one program for the first time. Last year, I worked with another admission consulting group that helped me apply to Booth, Kellogg and Wharton. Unfortunately, I was waitlisted and eventually denied with all three.

This year, I was referred to Alex through a friend that had used him previously. Alex's strengths were many, but in particular, he was a quick read on the strengths and weaknesses of my application. This was helpful was we completed 4 first round applications despite starting in late August. This was possible because of his quick and decision plans with my application strategy.

Alex's offered amazingly thoughtful advice, but perhaps most valuable, is that he expertly helped me craft an application that hit on all the key parts of my personal and professional profile so that I felt I put the best foot forward. Last but not least, he was incredibly easy to work with and provided an excellent advisor relationship. I would strongly recommend him as you consider your options for MBA admission consulting.

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I read some stellar online reviews for Alex’s Prep MBA and I felt we had a strong connection after the initial call. I signed up for a 5 school package, and I can’t believe the difference in my resume, essays and even letters of recommendation vs what I had done on my own. Alex is tireless, a perfectionist, and really fun to work with. He was so helpful even down to the application forms. He was very knowledgeable both about the US schools and European MBA programs, and changed my thinking about which schools I was going to target. I am going to INSEAD, my dream school.

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I worked with Alex Leventhal on a 5 school package and got into 3 schools, including MIT, my dream program. The primary reason I chose him was that he was doing the work directly and not putting me in touch with another consultant with less experience getting a portion of the fee. Even though Alex’s prices were the highest of anybody I spoke with, I just felt I was getting a veteran, and he let me speak with a past client who had also gotten into MIT.

Alex is very direct, passionate and results focused. I can also say that the brainstorming and editing sessions were often fun, and that made the process less tedious.

He was a partner all the way through to the interviews, and that was perhaps the best part of the package. His analysis of my interviewing was great, and I was completely unaware of some key mistakes I was making.

I can’t suggest Alex enough for anybody looking to apply to MBA programs!

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After doing several weeks of independent research for an MBA admissions consultant, a friend of mine recommended that I reach out to Alex Leventhal. Right of the bat I noticed an immediate difference when speaking to Alex over the other large firms as he seemed genuinely interested in hearing my story. He spent well over the advertised 20 minute free consultation to understand my profile and give a reasonable assessment to my candidacy at Chicago Booth. It was at this point that I knew that Alex was the man for the job. From the get go, I could tell that Alex was passionate about his service and helping me overcome critical issues. Alex works with each his clients directly without pawning anyone off to junior consultants. Alex means business and will not BS you, but rather encourages you to do better every step of the process. Working with Alex proved to be excellent. With his help I was able to create a cohesive story through my application that drew from my educational background and past experiences. I was able to transform a relatively standard profile into a creative and unique one that stood out. Working with Alex was almost effortless, as he was very flexible and always able to meet my schedule. Alex is also very responsive to questions and often responded to urgent queries via text message within the hour. His service was extremely personal, and I felt as though I was his only client. With Alex’s help I was admitted to Chicago Booth and I couldn’t be happier. Alex is probably not your standard MBA consultant. He came off as more of an educator and wanted my writing and interviewing to get better. He is sincere, committed to client success, and incredibly talented. I would unreservedly recommended Alex to anyone looking for a top-notch MBA consultant.

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When I decided to apply to business school in 2010, I knew I wanted to work with an admissions consultant who would help me bring my applications to the next level. I did extensive research and ended up interviewing about 10 different consultants. After speaking with Alex, it was clear that he was by far the best. There were a number of things that stood out after our initial call that impressed me – his Harvard MBA, marketing experience, and, most of all, his passion for really understanding the nuances of his clients’ collective experiences.

I worked with Alex over the course of several weeks to write my Harvard and Stanford applications. As we worked together, I liked that he took the time to really understand me and to think creatively about how to incorporate these details into my essays. Ultimately, it was this attention to detail that made my essays go from feeling like a laundry list of accomplishments to character-revealing story. I also appreciated that he was quick to turn around drafts of essays, was always available when I needed to talk on the phone, and always provided honest, direct, and actionable feedback. I ended up getting interviews at both and ultimately joined the Class of 2013 at Harvard.

The major reason why I felt compelled to write a review now some years later is that since working with Alex in 2010, we’ve stayed in touch and he has provided invaluable career advice. Alex has helped me think through various professional opportunities and I still rely on his thoughtful questions and unbiased perspective. I have also recommended his services to all my friends and he has helped at least 6 of them get into top schools like HBS, GSB, Wharton, Booth and NYU. Everyone that I have referred to him has only had great things to report back to me. Many credit Alex with helping them craft a story that truly makes their application stand out. My younger brother is applying to business school this year and plans to work with Alex.

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Prep MBA was recommended to me by a friend who had worked successfully with Alex the prior year. Despite that, I still had some initial conversations with other firms. The difference was quite striking. While others were giving me sales pitches, Alex gave me a clear and honest assessment of my chances. I could tell even from our first conversation that Alex would be all in on my application and the fact that I would be working directly with him made it an easy choice for me to sign up.
Looking back, teaming up with Alex was key to my eventual acceptance at my top choice, Kellogg. His incredible experience with the process and structured way of working made the admissions process highly transparent for me and helped me greatly in managing my applications in parallel to work obligations. Alex is very smart and through in his approach – being able to play back ideas to him and getting his very honest feedback (which often led to me changing substantial parts of essays) surely took my applications to a level I could not have reached on my own.
In addition, I was always impressed by Alex’s turnaround times. Being based in Europe, I literally received answers overnight whenever I sent him something. Also, even as deadlines were rapidly approaching, I never had the feeling that Alex’s attention to my application wavered because of other client commitments. In fact, I felt like I was his only client. Finally, working with Alex was good fun, he has a great sense of humor and despite tight deadlines there was always time for a chat, which made the whole process that much more enjoyable for me. To sum up, I can wholeheartedly recommend Alex’s services to anyone currently applying for an MBA – you will get great results and you will have a hard time finding someone as intelligent and personable as Alex at any other place.

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When I decided that business school was the appropriate next step in my career, I decided to look for a consultant to help guide me through the admissions process. My decision to apply to business school for Fall 2015 came a little late in the game and I wanted to make sure that I had as much help and information as possible. I did some research on MBA consultants and reached out to a few. Alex Leventhal’s Prep MBA program stood out to me, as did his positive and encouraging response when I reached out. What struck me about Alex was that aside from being experienced and knowledgeable, he really seemed to care about helping me. I spoke about signing up for Prep MBA consulting courses with some friends who had recently applied and gotten into top tier business schools and they informed me that they had actually used Alex Leventhal Prep MBA and highly recommended him. They referred to him as “The Harvard MBA Grad’s Secret Weapon.” Hearing such glowing reviews from people in my friend group made me certain that Alex was the right consultant for me. After speaking with Alex for a few minutes on the phone, I really appreciated his process of getting to know clients thoroughly through his extensive questionnaire. I felt he really took the time to read my answers and listen to what I was saying. Alex’s intuition and ability to read through the lines is one of his skills that greatly impressed me as we worked through my essays. I appreciated how honest and realistic Alex’s approach to business schools was and how much insight he had. Another helpful advantage was that Alex had materials submitted from previous clients (anonymous, of course) that helped provide a good guideline of what worked in prior years. In addition, Alex was always responsive and readily available to answer any questions or return a draft to me. Through Alex’s help, I was able to secure admission into 2 of the top 7 MBA programs and I am truly convinced that I wouldn’t have been accepted if it wasn’t for his guidance and help throughout the process. I would highly recommend Alex Leventhal’s Prep MBA consulting services.

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My initial plan was to apply to B-School without an MBA consultant. However, when I started to work through my applications, I soon realized how difficult the process was going to be. It’s not an easy task to pack several years of academic, personal and professional activities/accomplishments into a single application. It was at this juncture that a friend recommended that I speak with Alex Leventhal (Prep MBA), and I’m so happy that they did.

Alex was incredible to work with from start to finish. At our initial introductory meeting, he put me at ease with his general B-School knowledge and his organized approach to tackling the application process. Before diving into the applications, Alex and I spoke on several occasions (in-person and on the phone) about my background and career goals. This was really a series of brainstorming sessions that made completing my applications and writing my essays much easier. Thereafter, we took each task step-by-step, perfecting one deliverable before moving on to the next. In doing so, the process was much more manageable and much to my surprise, stress free. I found his comments and guidance to be additive, and never felt like he was commenting simply to justify a paycheck. By the time my applications were complete they told a cohesive story, effectively highlighting and connecting different experiences throughout my life and making a strong case for why an MBA would help me achieve my career goals. The completed application was absolutely unique to me, but Alex assisted me in packaging myself in the best way possible.

Alex’s personalized one-on-one service was superb, and he always made an effort to accommodate my hectic work and travel schedule. From day one, I worked with Alex only-- he does not outsource to others. He made himself available to me whenever I needed to check-in. For most of the application process, I was travelling abroad and Alex went above and beyond to accommodate the difference in time zones.

I would strongly recommend Alex to anyone applying to B-School.

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I initially called a number of admissions consulting firms, and immediately Alex’s service stood out. Not only did he handle the intro call instead of a sales intermediary, but he also really took the time to get to know me. He spent 45 minutes with me in the initial consultation even though he said that he would spend 20, and that careful attention continued throughout the process. He was passionate about his service and even connected me with a former client to gain additional insight into how his process works. While many companies suggest you can get into the top schools, Alex was honest about my chances at a range of schools and helped me think through the best admissions strategy. Prep MBA is his business, and he does not have a team of junior consultants, meaning you get personalized attention at every step. He is a Harvard MBA, very articulate and funny, and will not BS you.
Working with Alex Leventhal proved to be amazing. His service was very attentive and he was almost always able to accommodate my schedule and last minute queries. He even agreed to meet with me in person several times throughout the process since we were both in Los Angeles. I did a 3 school package and got into 2 schools, including my top choice Kellogg. The time we spent thinking through my career plans, and how they connected the dots with my previous experiences was probably a huge reason why I got in.
I would recommend Alex Leventhal in a heartbeat. The two things about him that stand out the most are his creativity and his sense of essay structure and logic. He was always able to come up with a different angle or way of looking at my experiences and I was always amazed that we got the essays down to the tight word limits.
I feel strongly that Alex is uncommon as an advisor. He is sincere, hard working, super bright and often made me feel like I was his only client.

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After submitting all of my applications I felt I was going to need a little outside help to properly prepare for my interviews. I expected this to be the weaker part of my applications as I’m more of the introverted type and haven’t interviewed in a very long time. I saw my applications setting the interviewers up for high expectations but wasn’t confident I could deliver the same level of energy and precision in this stressful environment. It all has to add up in the interviewer’s mind and you don’t want to stall at this critical moment, you have to finish on a high note.

For me, I needed the closest experience to the real thing and this meant a face-to-face mock interview. I looked for consultants offering this service in the Los Angeles area, and out of what I found, Alex Leventhal had the most experience and insight. I applied to schools at the highest level and having already been at the Ivy League, I knew I needed and intelligent and cultured expert, someone who really understood admissions at the top, which Alex seemed to be. He was, and this became immediately evident. We met for our mock interview and he immediately picked up on where I was weakest—providing specific evidence to back up my claims and showing a breadth of insights that would show an engaged business person and follower of current events. His background was much more in tune with the task at hand than my engineering one; he is incredibly articulate which helps you understand how you need to craft your answers. I was so happy with the value of our meeting that I hired him for 2 additional mock interviews. I wanted to cover everything and he was kind enough to let me go over on the clock every time. I enjoyed every one of our conversations which became fun stimulating experiences. My answers became spot on and substantial, my confidence increased, and I got into all 3 schools that interviewed me, including my first choice, INSEAD. Another school even offered me a $60K scholarship, which I know was a direct result of my performance at the interview. All of the questions I was asked at my interviews had been covered and discussed in my mock interviews with Alex.

Alex is a b-school admissions expert and understands what needs to be done. He won’t tell you something obvious you already know, which is what I feared from other consultants. He is also honest about his assessment of your profile, performance and chances. If you are applying to the top 10 schools, you are at a great benefit having Alex in your corner. I recommend Alex wholeheartedly to anyone in the application process.

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