mailneelk wrote:
Sorry for the late reply. As Storm9 mentioned, I talked to a few current and ex-students and none of them seemed to have used the help of consultants. Personally, I do not think that consultants add any great value either, unless you have something specific to overcome such as low GPA, struggling with essays etc. If you are sufficiently informed, do the requisite research online and know what you want out of an MBA, then being straightforward in your application and doing it yourself is the way to go!
Hi mailneelk!
I agree that admissions consultants (unless you start working with them well in advance,
which some people do) can't really move the needle that much on the important building blocks of your application -- namely your undergrad, major, GPA, test scores (usually), community involvements, profession, prestige of employer, and performance in job relative to peers.
What consultants can do (or the good ones at least) is coach you to find a
compelling personal narrative that is authentic to yourself. This is not a "brand" or a bucket to sort you in. But rather an overarching vision that explains the choices you've made and the places you're going. Good consultants then help you weave that narrative into every part of your application, from the resume to the short answers.
Hope this helps!