Admissionado Admissions Consulting Reviews

A family friend who works in the industry referred me to Admissionado, and overall I had an excellent experience and would highly recommend them for anyone going through the MBA admissions process.

Arguably the most important part of your MBA application is your story of an MBA combined with your existing experiences will help you achieve a career goal. This is essential to getting into the top schools, and Lee did a phenomenal job helping me craft and refine a narrative that worked with my professional background and career goals.

The most time-consuming process of the applications was definitely writing the essays, and Admissionado proved extremely helpful. They are very fast with their essay turnaround times (72 hours at most, though usually faster) and I felt that the edits significantly improved the quality of my essays.

I felt that the Deluxe package was well worth the extra cost. Your resume is often the first piece of your application that MBA admissions look at and I thought that Lee’s reviews of my resume were very helpful. In addition, I thought that being able to discuss essay/resume edits over the phone was really valuable.

The interview preparation was also great and something that I think every applicant needs. To succeed at interviews it is very important to practice, and the mock interview sessions over Skype made me feel prepared and comfortable for the actual interviews. Especially for the behavioral interview questions, Lee did a great job helping me decide which of my experiences to use for different types of questions.

I honestly could not imagine going through the application process without a consultant like Lee and the rest of the Admissionado team. They helped ease my concerns, and made me feel confident about my application and interviewing abilities. I ended up being accepted to 3 of the 5 schools that I applied to, all ranked in the top 10, and I can’t be more excited about starting my MBA this year.

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Apart from the personal profile and goal guidance, essay assistance and letter of recommendation support, something that really helped me was the interview preparation and mock interview.
First, Mark helped me identify which were my best stories and how to analyse them under the STAR approach. This helped me shape my top professional achievements and mistakes into stories that would highlight my strenghts, leadership capabilities and areas of improvement.
I didn't have much time to prepare for my mock interview, in which I felt I did pretty bad. However, Mark told me I had good stuff to work on, and pointed out which things I shouldn't waste much time on.
After only a few hours of practice I felt I was ready to face my first interviewer for MIT.
Although I felt I did much better on the following three interviews, I got admitted to all four schools for which I was interviewed!
I don't believe I would have had the same results if it weren't for Mark's help!

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After making a last-minute decision to apply round 2 this year, I chose Admissionado to help me navigate through the application process. I was aware of how challenging it would be coming from a competitive demographic bucket and being a re-applicant.

From the beginning, the Admissionado team was different from the 7 other admissions consultants that I considered. John spent > 1 hour speaking with me during the “Free” consultation and showed a level of interest + enthusiasm for my story beyond any of the other firms. John/Claudia/Lauren were super quick to respond as I narrowed down my choice of admissions consultants and ultimately, Admissionado met all the criteria on my wish list (tons of experience/success sending applicants to H/S/W, advisors who actually went to those schools, an established process for navigating the application end-to-end, and creativity/a bit of quirkiness in their approach).

I ended up choosing a 3 school Deluxe Package (all services included) and it was the best decision I could have made.

Admissionado’s support helped me get through applications for 4 schools to meet all the R2 deadlines. My advisor, Rafael, played so many different roles throughout the process. Part coach, part counselor, part motivator, and part mock interviewer, Rafael helped me get through the highs/lows and all the late nights to get my applications in tip-top shape. I can confidently say that Rafael’s guidance and support structure was the pivotal driver behind my interview and eventual acceptance into Wharton (with scholarship!). The admissionado team knows exactly what they’re doing and I can’t recommend them enough.
Thanks so much Rafael, Claudia, Lauren, and John!

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I liked Admissionado right from my first call for profile evaluation. My consultant was able to highlight strength and weakness in my resume and subsequently suggest focus areas for the application. Second step was the brainstorming session, in which he encouraged me to think about everything I have accomplished since my undergraduate education, hence ensuring I do not overlook any significant resume point. Next, the team helped me create a comprehensive summary document and order my resume points in order of their impact. The summary document proved very helpful while writing the essays.
During the essay editing phase, I observed that even though it is mentioned on their website that they will edit the essays 4 times only, my consultant and essay reviewing team were committed to help me achieve the best draft, no matter how many questions/edits I needed. Secondly, they adhered to their committed 72-hour timeline and in fact almost always responded much faster (within 24-48 hours). Their attitude was always positive and encouraging, which went a long way to ensure I enjoyed the whole process.
In conclusion, from my personal experience I found their brainstorming session extremely insightful and essay editing process well-structured and personal. Therefore, I would recommend prospective applicants to strongly consider Admissionado for MBA application process.

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I decided to go with Admissionado after interviewing at least five potential admissions consultants. Admissionado stood out for two important reasons. First, Claudia and the Admissionado team were very helpful. They worked with me to find the support package that worked best for my needs.

Second, and most importantly, I was so impressed with my consultant, Damon. From the beginning, I could tell that he was doing this for the right reasons. He wanted the best for me, and was willing to put in the work and the brutal honesty to help me get there.

To start, Damon laid out a clear and rigorous plan that helped me stay on track. Throughout the process, Damon pushed me to think deeply and tell my story in a rich and compelling way. He provided great guidance and feedback, but ensured that everything I wrote was my own.

Damon was not only insightful with his feedback, but incredibly quick and responsive. He made sure to never be a bottleneck in the process even though we were moving quickly.

I'd highly recommend working with Damon and Admissionado if you're serious about your applications. Thanks in part to Damon's guidance, I now have my choice between two of my dream top 10 programs.

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When I started thinking about MBA application, I spent quite some time on my goal and targeted schools. After I finalized my school list, I decided to get consulting service to sharpen my application, especially with my essay writing. Admissionado was introduced to me by a friend who was previously admitted to a top-ranked MBA programme.
After getting to know Admissionado, I also checked other applicants’ comments on GMAT Club and found most of the comments are rather positive. So I decided to have a try and contacted Admissionado. After I filled out the questionnaire, I got a prompt reply from Claudia. In her email, Claudia also helped me pair with a consultant, John DC Miles, to assist me based on my background. Then I scheduled a time for a video chat with John for a free consultation. I was pretty amazed by how efficiently Admissonado works. In my first conversation with John, he shared with me his thoughts and also proposed a strategy for my application based on my own background. I can tell that John spent quality time on going through the materials I submitted. The first talk lasted for one hour. In this session, John asked more detailed questions about myself and tried hard to understand my strength, motivation and personality. One day later, John sent to me a well-organized report which summarized earlier discussion and formulated an application strategy.
After another call with Claudia, I understood more about different packages and eventually decided to choose the junior Deluxe for two schools. This package is more helpful for applicants like me who needs more assistance in shaping essay writings and does no require more phone conversation.
The essay edits usually took 72 hours or less. It means that you can expect a reply with all the edits within 72 hours once they receive you draft. In my application for the second school, John actually helped return the draft within two days for the last two round edits, just to meet my application deadline. But this fast turnaround does not sacrifice the quality at all. I’m so grateful for the high quality work provided by John and the whole team within such a tight schedule.
After I submitted my applications, I also purchased another interview package to help with my interview, as I believe John will again help me ace my interview.
Long story short, I was admitted to one of the two top MBA programmes I applied for. This is indeed a great result I want to see, but what equally important are all the advice, edits, encourage and experience provided during this long, tedious and painful process. When I walked down this road, I did not feel lonely as I was fighting with the support of a whole team. They want you to succeed and work hard to help bring the best out of you.
I highly recommend Admissionado if you ever think about getting consulting service for your MBA application. I also highly recommended John for his comprehensive experience, excellent advice and patience. I also want to thank Claudia and the whole team for the prompt response and all the support provided to me. Your supports make my MBA application easier and more fun.

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I came to Admissionado after getting dinged without interviews at three schools (Wharton, Yale, and Columbia). I realized that there were major flaws in my profile and I needed help fixing them. My friend worked at Admissionado in their Beijing office as the director of undergraduate admissions consulting. He also applied to business schools the previous year with great success, ultimately landed at Boothe, and he recommended their services.

After an initial consultation and a ding analysis with Yaron, the consultant, we pointed out several shortcomings in my profile:

1. Lukewarm GMAT score of 710.
2. Lack of super employer and high salary. Non-traditional MBA background. With 6 years of work experience, I had worked at 3 different companies spanning education, sales, and HR.
3. Lukewarm undergraduate GPA of 3.45. Liberal Arts degree.

Yaron explained that I didn't have strong enough numbers to be a "numbers candidate" but had potential to be a good "story candidate." He suggested that I play the numbers game and apply to 8-10 schools. I was hestitant to take his advice because the service was very expensive and we would have only 8 weeks to apply to 8 schools. At the same time I also felt dejected from the round 1 rejections but I was committed to going to business school no matter what. I ultimately ran with his advice and applied to 8 schools, all with deluxe packages. And I did not regret it.

Here is what Yaron did well:

1. He overhauled my resume. My previous resume had too much jargon and did not have an extracurricular/community involvement section. He made sure that every bullet point followed an "action + impact" formula. I came to realize that the resume is super important as it is the first thing adcoms look at.

2. He did an extensive analysis of my work experience, extracurricular activities, and personal/family background to find the most interesting things about me and craft them into a compelling narrative.

3. He helped me prepare for my interviews.

4. He was on call whenever I needed him.

Overall, I think the thing to keep in mind when choosing an admissions consultant is that you are paying for an editor. The essays are important because it's one of the few things that you have control over. Although you think you know yourself well, an admissions consultant can tell your story better. Yaron and I went through four drafts of every essay and his edits came back within 24 hours. With every draft, my essays not only improved but I also learned more about myself. Working with Yaron gave me a process and a discipline to work within that I would not have had on my own. There was an ease of mind knowing that all I had to do was follow their process and everything else would work itself out. The MBA admissions process is like wedding planning. You are only going to do this once in your life. If you are unsure of yourself, it's best to get a consultant to walk you through the process.

Here are my results with Admissionado:

1. Cornell Johnson -- On Campus interview --> Admitted with scholarship.
2. Duke Fuqua -- On Campus interview --> Admitted
3. UCLA Anderson -- On Campus interview --> Admitted
4. NYU Stern -- Waitlisted without interview
5. Dartmouth Tuck -- Open interview, on campus --> Dinged
6. Northwestern Kellogg -- Open interview, off campus --> Dinged
7. UMich Ross -- On Campus interview --> Dinged
8. UVA Darden -- On Campus interview --> Dinged

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Admissionado's service was excellent. My consultant was extremely knowledgeable and responsive. Her feedback was candid and strategic. We had an initial consultation phone call, where we went over my target list of schools and she gave me advice on my likelihood of success with each one. We then met in person to strategize on how to best showcase my strengths and explain my weaknesses. We also reviewed my intended essay topics to get sense of how to approach it. I got into 3 top 10 schools, including 1 top 3 school and I couldn't be happier. Their package was the most value for the price and in the end it was absolutely worth it. Thanks Admissionado!

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I had profile reviews and initial consultation calls with almost 15 consulting firms before Admissionado. These firms could be classified into two categories - those which were quite certain that I should NOT apply to a top-10 school as I would be wasting my time (most were in this category), and those that were just making a sales pitch. Admissionado stood out as there was an immediate connect - they gave me the much needed confidence that my aim should be to get into the best school that I can (I loved this approach - seriously no bull approach! Furthermore, they had a PERSONALITY that appealed to me - all the beautiful ladies (Stefanie, Claudia, Lauren) were people I could talk to quite candidly, and have witty, humorous interactions (helps me be engaged).

The drill was similar to what I assume other consulting companies follow on paper, but the execution was always sincere (I think that differentiates Admissionado from the pack). There was never an issue with timelines or thoroughness of the reviews. It was great to really see that Stefanie shared my goal - to see me get into my dream school, even if that meant going beyond the contract (had multiple, lengthy telephonic discussions, more than 3 iterations on my drafts, etc.). I could see that Admissionado's advice was always genuine; in fact some of it did not even help their own business with me - I really liked the honesty. Make no mistake - the entire admissions process is tiring, frustrating, grilling! As an applicant, one needs to understand that eventually does the consultant have neither a crystal ball, nor a magic wand (contrary to what one would wish).

With Admissionado, I got a great friend to help me through this difficult journey and get me into a top tier school. I would be happy to serve as a reference.

Thanks!

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I had always dreamt of going to a top European Business school and I was decided to do everything possible to make it happen! That is why I convinced myself to give it a try with a consultant. After all, if I were to pay an MBA tuition I was clearly able to pay a consultant fee. 

I arrived at Admissionado attracted by its services. I crossed some e-mails with Claudia and I knew I was ready to seize the opportunity.

I worked with David (Fung) and I feel I was lucky because he is an amazing person that really gives his best into the application. He never stopped believing in me and my dream, and when I had doubts, he was the one to cheer me up and to give me excellent pieces of advice. I remember sending him drafts and getting honest feedbacks on how to approach better some questions in order to push me to put my best efforts into the essays. I also highly appreciated the fact that David was available for me and that he always answered within a reasonable time and in the best manner. Joining forces with David allowed me to pass pre-selection and I then started working with Mark. 

With Mark, I practiced my interviews and I really improved myself. Mark really made me think about how to approach better the interviews and how to tell my story in the best way possible. Interviews are definitely a key part of the selection process and having the support of an expert gave me the confidence I needed. 

In my personal opinion, everyone should work with Admissionado because they really know how to approach the adcom and their expertise allows people to raise chances to get in. 

Finally, I'm really thankful to the Admissionado team because I am going to my dream school and I couldn’t have done it without them!

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