Role of a consultant

Hi there,

I agree with the feedback above – applicants hire consultants for a number of reasons and there’s really no one-size-fits-all approach. Can you apply on your own without a consultant? Of course! This isn’t rocket science - any smart person can do the research and submit good applications. However, without having been through the process yourself or very close to others who have gone through it, it’s often hard to see inside the “black box” of the process and know how you can try to get a leg up on the competition. And that’s where a good consultant can really add value – ideally someone who has been through the process themselves and has coached many others through the process with successful outcomes. While the essay brainstorming, structuring, and editing is part of the service most consultants offer, it’s certainly not the whole thing. A good consultant will help you develop your story (or “brand”), identify your application strengths and weaknesses and develop a strategy for both leveraging your strengths to differentiate yourself and mitigating any weaknesses, and can overall help make the process more efficient for you. More tangibly, a consultant can help guide you through the somewhat vague, “black box” process, share examples of what’s worked for other applicants with similar profiles, help flesh out stories and goals, and provide you with a structure and second set of (critical) eyes as you develop all your materials (essays, resume, recommender selection and prep, and ultimately, the interview). All of the above mentoring typically falls under “Comprehensive Services” vs. an a la carte essay review package. But ultimately, it’s up to you, your budget, and your goals in terms of when and how you engage a consultant – if at all.

To answer your other 2 questions, there will be many overlapping data questions in the schools’ application forms (your basic contact info, education, employment history, etc.) but there will also be unique ones to every school. My advice is to register for the online applications for all of your target schools as soon as they go live (typically in May-July) and then take inventory of all the questions that will take a bit more reflection to answer.

I hope that helps! Best of luck!

Kindly,
Melody

Hello Melody ,
Thanks for the in-depth insight . I will register soon

Regards,
HK

Hello there ,
Budget is the sole reason , i have decided to get my profile evaluated by an expert , ask him/her to select the right schools for me . I'd love to apply to those specific schools and at the end of my application ask the expert to kinda review my app. I am not sure , the number of consultants willing to work this way. Being an applicant from India consultants here charge anywhere between 1000-1500 dollars for 3-6 schools. The amount when compared to the US consultants is quite low , but i do agree that the consultants from the US have a lot more to offer because of their vast experience. I was just thinking whether to join a comprehensive package with a consultant here in India or spend the same amount in the process i have mentioned earlier

Regards,
HK