Can't afford consultants - How to put forward the best application

Question

Hi All, 
I took my GMAT recently and plan to target the top 10 MBA programs. 
Please, find the outline of my profile below. I don't know if I am being overly optimistic 
with my school choices but I believe I have a compelling story to tell. 
Since, the top 10 MBA programs or the M7s can be very competitive, like everyone, I want to put
forward my best application that brings out the essence and pivotal parts of my journey 
that I may or may not have overlooked. Hence, wanted to work with a good consultant 
but as you would have guessed from the title of topic, I don’t think I can afford one. 
Most of the well-reviewed consultants are charging north of 7000$ for 3 schools. 
Having worked in India most of my life with financial obligations of a typical middle-class family 
and being able to foresee other application related expenses to follow, it seems very steep.

Are there any affordable solutions/recommendations that I should I know of?
Applicant Lab seems like the last resort but would really appreciate some personalized advice.

Lastly, is MBA only for the rich?

Profile:
GMAT – 770
4 years, Data scientist, working at a fortune 30 company.
Led multiple successful projects and have had fast track promotions.
Led multiple management work-streams to solve organizational issues.
Conducted multiple training sessions and trained peers & juniors.

Published 3 best-seller books in a niche
Started a fairly young company solving a regional problem, employing 10 people.

Undergrad :7.2/10 - (NIT) 
Held multiple leadership positions in college.
Won multiple National level Competitions on National TV.
Head of content research at Regional TV Show.
Decent Community service with Lion Club International/Teach For India

bb · Answer

I would get applicant lab if you cannot afford a consultant or ask help from your friends or current students or alums that you know 😎

PS. Your post looks like a copy and paste from another place. I hope you’re not wasting our time.

Posted from my mobile device

Fireblood08 · Answer

Hi BB,
This is an original post and it's a genuine problem. I can understand how it can be mistaken for some other post, maybe a lot of people are facing the same problems, alteast, the profile shouldn't match.

Would really appreciate if people can share their experiences and can point to some affordable solutions like partial services, independent consultants etc.

bb · Answer

I am sure there are less expensive consultants that are India-based. They should be less expensive based on the cost of living and opportunities. However, the rule of thumb is that you get what you pay for sushi going to go with a consultant in India, I wouldn’t pick the cheapest one.

Look at August Academy if you’re looking for a small personal approach or if you’re looking for a large firm, you can try experts global.

You can also consider a middle of the road approach with ARLee or Aringo. They are not in India but they are based outside of the United States and should be more affordable.

All have reviews that were verified via GMAC score report system or school emails: https://gmatclub.com/reviews/admissions_consultants/

Posted from my mobile device

MBAandBeyond · Answer

Hi Fireblood08 , I would like to evaluate your profile. Based on the details you have provided, your profile looks quite good. Starting with stats, GMAT is excellent but, undergrad GPA is slightly lower (but I don't think it should pose a huge problem). So, you have decent stats. On the work front, as a Data Scientist, you can share good stories about your roles and responsibilities in the organisation. I can see a good career trajectory (as you have mentioned) with great leadership experiences and initiatives. You have been involved in many projects with clearly some huge impact on the organisation. I would suggest you exhibit the instance where you step up in a leadership position. This will put forth the leadership attributes in your apps. Think of something you love to do and talk about it because that will make your application interesting. Most of the work experience should be covered in the resume, but there should be something more interesting to talk about in the apps to add a live person to the apps because that's what sets you apart. Do speak about your published books, it will add diversity to your profile. If you are looking for other b-schools such as INSEAD, HEC and IMD and want to get better insights into what the schools look for and how you can better strategise your application, you can look into this session . It's on 27th March, and it's a personalised session to help you assess your chances. Overall you have a decent profile. I would like to know about the company you have started to gauge how you can create compelling stories from it. If you’d like, we are happy to hop on a call with you sometime this week to discuss your profile in length and further chances to B-schools. Feel free to book a free session with us as per your convenience. Cheers! Shantanu Sharma Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond Testimonials Email: shantanu@mbaandbeyond.com What s app: +65-97158525

Can't afford consultants - How to put forward the best application

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