Costly MBA consultancy

Question

I was just searching for some options for help with the application process while applying for B-schools, but it seems giving GMAT was the cheapest part. Any consultancy i am contacting is asking lacs of Indian rupees just for some essays. 
Is it really worth it to spend that much money without any guarantee of top B-school?
Can someone please help with good and cheaper options.

MBADecoder · Answer

You can very well do the application by yourself. So long as you are able to submit an application that gives you a competitive edge. And that's important because most MBA programs have an acceptance rate between 7% to 20%.

If you work with a consultant, they can help you with their experience accumulated over years and several thousand applications to help you put together that competitive application which will get you a foot in the door. As a consultant myself, I can tell you our job is not easy. We ensure that our applicants are not writing just "some essays", but their "best essays" that are relevant for the business b-schools where they are applying and also give them an edge. We work as hard as our applicants do (sometimes even harder) because application building is an intense process - it requires multiple coaching sessions and iterations to write essays that shine. And, its equally important to use every component of the application strategically to build a solid case for our applicants.

So basically, you pay a consult for the quality of service they provide. Ofcourse, if you think you can achieve the same results by yourself, you should definitely give it a shot.

PersonalMBACoach · Answer

Hey tomcruiseh,

You're not wrong, the sticker price for a top MBA consultant may seem a bit high, but digging deeper, the payoff of both acceptance into a top school and scholarship money gained makes the price often times free.

Most folks look at the MBA as an investment into themselves, and the money spent on a consultant is small compared to overall costs for tuition and living, not to mention travel and recruiting. Clients of mine earned more than $5.5 million in scholarship money last year, so for a majority of them, the service was basically "free."

As they say, "you get what you pay for." If cost is an issue for you, I'd recommend having close friends and family take a look, or colleagues at work who may have gone through the process themselves. It really depends on what type of school you are aiming for and the veracity of your goals post-MBA.

Regards,

Costly MBA consultancy

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