Admissions Consultant - Ryan Barba?

Hi bb,

Is it possible he could have ventured out on his own? His credentials indicate that he would have an inside perspective of the MBA application process (Adcom at UNC and Cornell-not to mention Graduate from Johnson).
At this point in my application process, I am willing to retain a consultant as I was denied from my top schools last year. Just wondering if he should be the one-I only heard of him when he popped up on Facebook.
If you have some additional insight, we would really appreciate it!
Thank you and good luck to all!

Alex

Posted from my mobile device

It is very possible that he ventured out on his own, but it’s very odd that ready for website still has him plastered all over it and his website is completely mom about his relationship. I just haven’t seen a consultant who played both Sides of the game.

If you’re after a consultant with pedigree, Fortuna Has a whole team of former admissions directors from the top 10 schools.

However I feel a significant portion of success depends on how you and your consultant fit with the trailer and if it’s a productive relationship. If your consultant is super famous and find you annoying or in underachiever, it will be a very unproductive relationship. But if your consultant wants the best for you and sincerely takes interest in you, they are much more likely to get you Admitted.

I would read reviews to see what the experience was for others and have 15 to 30 minute calls with the consultants to understand if you connecting with them or if you’re potentially just another client and that’s it.

Posted from my mobile device

Hi there, Thank you so much for the lovely recommendation. It's true that our team comprises a great deal of former admissions directors, now advising on the applicant side. Our insider experience and knowledge is our greatest asset. Here is a glance at our team: https://fortunaadmissions.com/about-us/
If we can assist in any way, please set up a time to talk with us - no strings attached
https://fortunaadmissions.com/free-consultation/

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Hi, Ryan Barba here. Thanks for your questions!

Just to address some of the things I'm seeing here:

My team of MBA consultants and I have been working together for several years. I worked as an MBA admissions officer for 5 years after graduating from Cornell's MBA program, then joined the team at Stacy Blackman for 3 years, and then ventured out on my own.

In January 2018, I merged my business with Ready4, who had an established test prep practice for the GMAT. We worked together until January of this year, at which point Ready4 was acquired by TAL Education Group, out of China, which prompted my going independent again with my team.

Unfortunately, my name still appears on the Ready4 website, but I'm in no way affiliated or associated with Ready4 today. I'm trying to get it removed.

Going forward, my plan is to remain independent and operate my business under my trusted and established brand name.

My claims of admissions success (94% success rate) are accurate. To be transparent: we have rigorous standards that we use internally to assess what clients we think make a good fit for us to work with each year, and "success" is defined as at least one acceptance from a top tier school.

My team is made up exclusively of MBA grads and former admissions officers from the top-20 programs. We're extremely selective about who we invite to join our team as consultants and put them through ongoing training to ensure they're facile at applying our proven methodologies with our clients.

I've worked tirelessly to establish an impeccable reputation in the marketplace over the years and we're not going anywhere. We're here to stay for the long-haul and will continue to evolve and drive the industry forward as one of the preeminent players in the admissions consulting space.

If you have any further questions about the above, please don't hesitate to leave a comment in this thread or DM me.

Best,
Ryan

Tanusree,

I am unfamiliar with Ryan Barba's services so I can't comment, but I can tell you that I founded Accepted and that Accepted's MBA team is highly experience. All have either years (sometimes decades) of experience as MBA admissions consultants and/or experience on MBA admissions committees. Many are also MBAs. You are welcome to review their profiles and request a specific consultant. Here is client feedback..

Best,
Linda Abraham

Hi there,

I can't comment on Ryan Barba specifically (nor do I wish to comment on other Admissions Consultants) but since you are in the market, I figured I would let you know about my service as I also offer free consultations and am happy to review your profile. Just so you know, most admissions consulting companies offer some sort of free consultation and I highly recommend that you speak to a few before making a choice; the relationship with your consultant is very important.

A bit about me, my company, and my philosophy:

1) I worked as a part-time admissions consultant for nine years including five at mbaMission - which gave me the training and expertise I needed to branch off on my own
2) I recently transitioned to full time consulting and launched The Jaffe Advantage (https://jaffeadvantage.com)
3) I have 13 years of post MBA business experience (strategy, consulting, marketing). I believe this enables me to better help candidates define their goals. You will find there are different philosophies on admissions consulting.
4) While I have best-in-class training I am still building awareness for my brand; as such my rates tend to be lower than those of most large consultancies (e.g. a one school package is $2,950)

There are two different philosophies on admissions consulting. Some (such as Ryan Barba) publish statistics. However, as he mentioned, candidates are carefully screened to ensure they have the credentials needed for the top ten. Other services (mine included) do not offer success rates. I want my Clients to be able to apply wherever they want. I am always brutally honest about a candidates' chances but I don't publish success rates so I can help a candidate apply to their dream school - even if it is a stretch. There is no right philosophy - just keep in mind that any consulting company that claims high acceptance rates usually screens the candidates they take.

Admissions consultants don't work miracles. We can't get anyone into any school. What we can do is help you to be your best self. We provide advice on schools to select; we discuss your weaknesses and how to mitigate them; we help you define your goals and tighten your profile. In other words - we give you that extra edge to make you stand out against similar candidates who are equally qualified (or sometimes more qualified!).

Off-hand it is a bit difficult to assess your chances at a top ten school. While 680 is a low GMAT for these schools, I would need a better understanding of your work profile and the activities you mentioned (your degree of involvement, type of involvement, etc). The GMAT is just one factor of many.

Feel free to get in touch if you would like a free consultation: pamela@jaffeadvantage.com. I can also provide you with testimonials and references.

Pamela

Not sure about how others feel about his services, but I can tell you what my personal experience was with Ryan Barba. A month ago, I have stumbled upon Ryan Barba's ad on Facebook and attended his webinar the next day. He seemed to be an industry expert and looked like someone who knows what he is talking about. I felt like I took some valuable suggestions home after the session and decided to give them a try. I scheduled some time with one of their associates that weekend from their website and nobody showed up. I ended up spending an hour in their hangout meeting in vain, and I also meanwhile emailed the associate if I was in the right meeting or if he is supposed to call me and that I'm still waiting, but I received no response. Subsequently, I emailed Ryan Barba himself about my experience and received no explanation till date. He may be one of the best in the business, but I still felt completely snubbed.

I worked with Ryan Barba this past year and can speak from direct experience - he's legit. He used to work for one of the larger MBA consulting firms and did eventually venture out on his own years ago. He has a small team of consultants that he's hired, and I was able to collaborate with a number of them throughout my process. But having worked with Ryan and his team directly this year, I couldn't be happier with his level of service and the results I got: Accepted to HBS, Booth, and Sloan. Waitlisted (after interview) at GSB. I had a 700 GMAT. I'd say he's worth a look if you're looking for a lot of individual attention - most of the time, my essays were turned over in less than 24 hours and he was always available for a call. I can't speak to how he compares to the larger firms (as I haven't worked with them) but again, I'm extremely happy.

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