Assuming you have solid hard factors (GPA, GMAT), what are the advantages of hiring an admissions consultant?

From what I understand, they tailor your essays to a particular school, etc. I am starting to believe that with all the recent competition, you are almost at a disadvantage if you don't exercise your option to use one...

Any first hand accounts of using admissions consultants? Other opinions?

kryzak,

Whether admissions consultants are simply glorified editors or not, they do get exposed to thousands of B-school applications every year. This exposure and the learnings they derive from it can be quite useful because they would be able to benchmark your candidacy better. I think admissions consultants are useful for 2 specific aspects of the application.

Portfolio selection & Essay Editing

Unrealistic portfolio selection is probably the primary reason why applicants get dinged across the board. A good admissions consultant should be able to help with sensible advice for school selection.

Essay editing services are not unique to admissions consultants. There are 2 components to essay editing. Positioning and Prose. Any english editor can help you with prose, but an admissions consultant can potentially make a difference to your candidacy by helping you objectively evaluate the depth of your essays and by helping you focus on the specifics of an application. Also, an admission consultant has a vested interest in your success because successful client testimonials are valuable marketing tools.

In my view, the B-school admissions crap shoot is like learning to play the music.

Some consultants give you verbose text on what the parts of the violin are, how to play the right notes and even play tapes of memorable concerts. But, that still doesn't help you. Dont blow $5000 on these useless blokes.

The best consultants give you the violin from the get go, ask you to play, rebuke, teach, correct and repeat this cycle until you can create your own symphony. Good consultants share their experiences from when they learnt to play and can relate to you psychologically. Thus, they can probe you deeper than others and help you in the introspection process.

Simply put, there are crappy admissions consultants out there but there are also numerous good ones. Do your research well and dont rush in with the expectation that hiring an admissions consultant will automatically put you in B-school.

ozmba gave you 1 perspective. I wanted to give you another.

Does this help any?

Admission Consulting firms

http://www.gmatclub.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=37570

Thank you again Praet!

After reading through the thread you linked, I'm wondering if it's worth getting a consultant if you just want them to help you pick the "right story" that will maximize your chances?

i.e. for an engineer going into business, I'm in the "impacted" application pool. I have quite a few leadership/extracurricular examples, but am not sure which one will be the most "differentiated" from the others. That's something I need help on. I can write a good essay once I put lots of time into it and I have a lot of good friends with great english skills who can help with the editing.

Would the consulting companies be useful for "strategy" discussions on essay topics?

Thanks!

I fit into the same category ( Engineer to Biz ) ....In my quest for a top mba, i have used three different Admission Consultants ---The so called Top one's....But their advice is CRAP LOAD Of BULL...at best they do editing --Nothing else

Save your Money...find a local english tutor/teacher to edit your essays and try to network with current bschool students and request them to review ( if they r free --they are more than happy to do !!!!! )

cheers

thanks for the reply ozmba! I'm glad to hear about your review! I often wonder if the consultants were all ex-adcom people, why they wouldn't be able to help more in the strategy on which "story" to tell instead of just being glorified editors?

Alright, I'll talk to students and alums to see what they think my strategy should be then!

thanks a bunch!

Just bcos ..every one is Unique --and No one is better than YOU to tell your own story!!

They engage 100's of clients and hardly have time to really help one craft his/her application...SO they kinda follow a template ..and advice clinets to focus on essays with key areas leadership/extra-curricular/School research --which any prospective bschool is aware of

The adcom tag attracts the clients!! Their awareness of admission process is as good as the bschool student who helps them review the essays

I blew 5000 US$ on adm consultants , so hell bent on preventing others wasting their hard earned money!

Ozmba2006, you have an insider at Fuqua now. If you plan to visit or need any help, I will be more than glad to help.

dleeteddddd

If you do not have a native and experienced guy to review your goal essay, I recommend to seek Paul at http://www.accepted.com or the service of Rhyme on this forum (still open?). They're most reliable. The goal essay is most important, so I should go with it. Acceptance or rejection must depend on your profile, not the admission consulting no matter how good they're. I would not spend more than $600 for it. However, spending endless hours to review and review your essays is a MUST.

Thanks a lot mate...I really appreciate that!!

Last month, i had my duke feedback ....There was nothing negative apart from one minor gap between my jobs which i failed to explain in the optional essays !

I was kinda hinted to increase my GMAT Score and apply in Round 1

But i am kinda disappointed, If i didnt had any RED flag why i wasn't even waitlisted or It was a ploy from Duke to get more applications!!!!

May be still i am sulking , as i had expected lot from my Duke Visit/Interview and the Essays !!

But if i decided to apply again, I will def. fly to Duke and try to get some Gyan from you!

Good luck with your move to RT --I believe you will njoy the weather and the space.........

Cheers

This, I can vouch for. I sent one of my essays to rhyme and got some terrific feedback.

Nice info here by Hjort:

http://www.gmatclub.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=38901

Hm, good info here. Sounds like MBA Exchange is still a viable option. I might just call and see what they can offer, and just use 1-2 hours of their time to see what I should "sell" about my profile in the essays.

That's the thing I'm really paying attention to right now, after I get through the GMAT of course. Can't change your grades, your resume/work history, and recommendations you can only do so much to coach.