INSEAD was my dream school and unlike advised by most, I wanted to apply there first.

The idea of going through the essay process alone was however the most intimidating one: scared that I would not answer questions properly/fully, that I would not dig deep enough, or that I would leave out a what would seem insignificant yet impactful detail. To avoid all the above, I decided to get help.

I discovered consulting firms through GMATclub, and once I pocketed my GMAT (700), I decided to get in touch. The first firm I contacted was Admissionado—though it could have been any other as I was also eyeing Accepted and Stacy Blackman, the INSEAD specialist.

I started by answering the bunch of essay-like questions on the website and sending my resume to book the free consultation session with Admissionado.
I liked that the consultant assigned to me, Stefanie Barlow, was from the same industry (Real Estate). During the consultation, through skype, she pointed out what was great about my profile (to be highlighted) and what was not. I particularly liked that she shared my view about INSEAD being a great fit for me. :)
The consultation went well enough that I decided not to get in touch with other consultants. I unbundled the Deluxe package and only went for the essays, the LORS, and the Resume. I later signed up for the interview preps.

Stefanie and I did a massive work on essays, figuring out my hits and my best stories before working on the real thing. I liked the deep introspection process: action (example)/result (example)/learning (example)...
By the time I started writing my essays in July, I already had a lot to tell and during the long ping pong sessions, I concentrated on clarifying my stories and bringing in additional examples.

My recommenders also went through the same process, though to a smaller scale. That said, that was enough to make them eager to see me admitted, so that they wouldn’t have to go through the process again!

I would also add that the consultant is not there to get the job done for us. He/She will not babysit or send reminder emails to let us know that our deadlines are around the corner and that we should be editing our essays on time. He/She is there to help us produce the best version of our essays, by pointing out what we are doing right and what we are not, and making us work for every bit of it. Stefanie did that “avec brio”!

All in all, I enjoyed working with Stefanie—she was very reactive and lively, and the Admissionado team quite vibrant (Hi Claudia)! There was something bubbly about Admissionado that made the throbbing essay redaction process almost seem palatable!

I got admitted to INSEAD, with a merit scholarship based on the quality of my application ( before I finished my interviews). So I guess spending time with Admissionado was definitely worth it!

So thank you Stefanie!

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Without a clear post-MBA goal and a problematic undergraduate GPA, I knew I had to invest in an admission consultant to build an outstanding application for my target schools (M7/Top 15).
Therefore, I spent a month researching different admission consultancies. My experience with Admissionado has been stellar from the get-go. Of all the consultancies I spoke to, Admissionado was not only prompt and enthusiastic in their responses, but also able to partner me with Damon who specializes in my candidate pool and is well-versed in the admission process. I truly felt I was being valued as a customer and invested as an applicant with Admissionado. I ended up purchasing 4-school deluxe package.

Damon is Stanford MBA himself and has worked on both sides of the admission process. He leveraged his experience and knowledge in working with Asian candidates and worked patiently with me to come up with a unique admission strategy. The goal was to overcome a spotty academic record and make me stand out from a competitive applicant pool. I had all the material - professional progression, leadership and extracurriculars, and a strong GMAT. But it was with Damon’ s help that I was able to weave a compelling story into my essays.

Damon was also skillful in choosing recommenders. Instead of two work references, we went with one work reference and the other from my volunteer advisor, a strategy which further differentiated me.

Damon and Claudia were great in communications. Damon stuck to the 2 business day turn-around and acted as a sounding board whenever I came up with new crazy ideas for my essays. The Admissionado team understand very well the grueling and taxing nature of the application process. They supported and cheered for me when I was close to burn-out near the end.

I had two calls with Damon for interview prep. The first lasted about an hour as an overview and the second a mock interview. Damon drilled me on my story in the mock interview, forcing me come up with better answers. Going through a stressful (in a good way) mock interview with Damon definitely boosted my confidence in dealing with unexpected or difficult situations. Thankfully, my interview went quite smoothly and I was eventually admitted to CBS. I’m very excited to start my new life next year in NYC! I know I couldn’t have done it without the help of Damon and Claudia.

That being said, I would like to add a word of caution to future applicants: Do not expect your consultant/case manager to hand-hold you in the process. At the end of the day, it is up to you, the applicant, to own your application.

I would recommend Admissionado without reservation. Good luck to all!

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Admissionado is easily the best thing that could have happened to the MBA admissions process. After realizing that the consultant I had initially hired was not providing the service I needed, I sought out Admissionado based on the recommendation of a friend. The consultant I was paired with (John) could not have been more perfect. He was knowledgeable about every school’s program and what worked/doesn’t work for each individual application. Not only were his technical skills exactly what someone would want in an admissions consultant (excellent writer, careful attention to detail and an ability to turn my story into a strong application) but the passion he had for ensuring the success of his clients was unparalleled.
John went above and beyond for me throughout the entire process. Being flexible and making time for *multiple* weekend and evening skype sessions was just the start of his dedication. He guided me through the many iterations of my school list, personally helped finalize my resume and essays, prepped me tirelessly for interviews and reviewed every last detail of my applications before they were submitted. While all of these examples are just a few of the many times John served as a sounding board throughout my process, the most telling moment was when I realized I had completely botched the short answers on my #1 school application 3 days before the deadline. I sent John a panicked e-mail letting him know that the 500 word short answers I had written were supposed to be 500 characters. He responded the moment he saw my e-mail and spent the rest of the day (no exaggeration, 5+ hours) re-working the short answers to be ready in time for the deadline.
I could go on for days as to why Admissionado is the right choice if you are looking for a consultant (and why John is the best). I would absolutely recommend the deluxe package even if you only do it for your top 1 or 2 schools – it’s worth the cost!!! The team spends hours getting to know you and your profile, pulling out strengths you don’t even know you have and using those strengths to craft the most airtight applications. All of the effort that John put it to set me apart from other applicants paid off as I was admitted to my #1 school!! I will be forever grateful to the team at Admissionado (specifically John, Claudia and Lauren) and am genuinely disappointed that my process with them is over and I don’t have an excuse to chat with their team regularly!

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Using Admissionado to help me prep for my B school interviews was the best decision I have ever made. Leslie was amazing and her coaching helped me succeed in getting into my number top school. She went above and beyond for me during the interview process- from texting me right before interviews to calming my fears on phone calls after. I really got through the chaos of that time with her help. She was much more than just a consultant, she truly cares about her client's success! Interviews are a stressful time but having Leslie and Admissionado in my corner helped me articulate all of the best traits of my applications.

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I initially reached out to Admissionado in early December 2015, recommended to me by a friend who got into Duke after working with them. I was interested in applying to MBA US programmes for the January 2015 deadline and had not even taken my GMAT or started the application process. Admissionado weren’t deterred and helped straight away with a package of phone support. Within 2 calls, the team had helped me understand my story and my post-MBA career goals. They provided immediate clarity and support. After I decided to postpone my applications for a year (because I really didn’t have time to get the GMAT score I needed), I signed on to larger packages with Admissionado in March 2015. Here’s what my experience was like:

Pro’s
- They are a no nonsense, professional support team. They reply to emails quickly, have quick turn arounds on essay edits and do not push their products on you.
They are good editors especially if you are a comfortable writer but just need to synthesise and prioritise.
They have a wealth of information and sent me a former customers essay for a school I was applying to. They chose that essay because he/she had been successfully admitted and had a similar background and career goals to me. It really helped me to understand how to write a good essay.
- They helped me get my CV in top shape, its the best it’s ever looked and I’ve had really positive feedback from it.
They advised me on all matters including my GMAT prep, recommenders, when to leave my job, etc.
They helped me think outside the box. Initially I was only keen on US programmes, but they helped me see how great the top European programmes are for me given my international background.
They were worth the money and they are flexible. I paid £500 per school, applying to 4 schools, getting help on all aspects down to every single tiny question on the online application. I had initially bought a package for 5 schools but when I decided to knock one school off my list, they let me use that last £500 towards LOR support, which they were really good on (minus one thing- see cons).


Con’s
- They support you but they don’t hold your hand. At times it would have been nice to have chase up emails about essay edits. When you are working full time and trying to get apps done, it can be helpful to have your admissions consultants reminding you about deadlines etc, and they didn’t send follow up emails even if they hadn’t heard from me in a few weeks and deadlines were looming.
- They aren’t there to have a chat. A couple of times I was having mini feakouts about the GMAT and my application in general and all I really needed was a 10 minute call to talk a few things through. When I asked, they offered me a call package since the package I paid for didn’t include any phone time. For the amount you pay, it would be nice to be able to have a little chat every few weeks. Then again, I imagine some customers might abuse that, but I thought I had built a good relationship with my advisor so that was a little disappointing.
- They did not check LOR questions. I had found the LOR questions for a school online and had worked with Admisisonado and my recommenders to get answers together. When it came down to submitting those online, my recommender pointed out that two of the questions were different and I had to quickly help my recommender find new examples to address the new questions with the deadline hours away! Slightly stressful! I was surprised that the Admissionado team hadn’t picked this up or double checked I had the right questions.

Overall: I got into London Business School on a merit scholarship. The scholarship was based on the quality of my application which would not have been the standard it was without Admissionado. I would recommend them to a friend based on that alone. However, I would advise that anyone looking for an admissions consultant have a long chat with them before hand and really think about what type of support you are looking for so you ensure you have the right consultants and the right package. Good Luck! :-)

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While I am writing this review is admittedly later than I had hoped, I wanted to make sure I was able to include the full details and final outcomes resulting from my Admissionado experience! I'll begin by saying that I was skeptical, to say the least, about engaging the services of an Admissions Consultant, but after working with Mandy, I can't imagine that my MBA journey would have ended nearly as successful.

For Round One I worked with a group of friends whose companies provided formal support. Thinking I could benefit from their "expertise," please understand the sarcasm, I naively worked exclusively with them for my first two applications. This resulted in being waitlisted at Kellogg and denied without an interview at Sloan. Not the news I wanted.

Determined that I would go to a top business school this fall I re-evaluated my application strategy, reviewed schools for better fit, instead of just high rankings, and bit the metaphorical bullet and invested in an admissions consultant. After carefully reading the reviews of various companies and running my own cost/benefit analysis, I chose to work with Admissionado. Their responsiveness and attention to detail following my inquiry email piqued my interest and foreshadowed the type of relationship I would experience throughout the process.

During my initial consultation call with Mandy, which lasted just one hour, she had pulled out of me a completely different, and much more interesting, angle to my candidate profile. Instead of following a boring "former consultant wanting to transition into industry" story line she encouraged me to highlight passions and volunteer interests as a basis for my motivation to pursue an MBA. Together we completed the applications for four round two schools - Tuck, Haas, LBS, and Darden. Long story short, through countless email exchanges and 6+ revision cycles - per school - I secured interviews at each program, and ultimately admissions to 3, plus removal from the Kellogg waitlist.

Applying to MBA programs has been a whirlwind, 2+ year process that would not have been possible without a strong support network and I'm glad to consider Admissionado as a member of mine.

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If I could describe Admissionado in one word, it would be, "SAVIOR". Previously having applied to the BBA program at Ross and getting rejected, I was determined to strengthen my application and reapply. But, at that time, there was little hope left inside me and I was in dire need of guidance and assistance.

That was when I sought out admission consulting services and came across Admissionado. The first thing that sparked my interest to go for Admissionado was their enthusiasm and professionalism which made me feel super pumped to work with them. As an example, here’s a quote from their first email, “We're excited to get down to business, so let's do this!”

Initially, I didn’t know which package (from the countless services that Admissionado offers) would be best for my situation. They were very understanding and provided me with a solution to try out the Discovery Package first and if I am satisfied with their services, I could upgrade to the Junior Deluxe Package.

After filling up the Client Questionnaire and Profile Evaluation Tool (which I found to be very useful as it would help me to clarify who I am, what I aim for and how Admissionado could help me), I was paired with Mark (EXCELLENT CHOICE!). Our first Skype session was mind-blowing because it really made me think about what I really wanted, what my strengths are and how I could demonstrate that to the Adcom. Due to Admissionado’s excellent customer service and follow-ups that have constantly kept me on track, I decided to upgrade my package.

It was the BEST DECISION EVER! Besides the thought-provoking analyses from Mark on my application essays, quick feedback on how I could improve and clarify my essay points and extra guidance on shaping how I write my extracurricular activities, I believe that Admissionado has strengthened my personality and built my confidence (making me more sure of who I am, what I want to become in future and how the BBA could help push me forward in life).

Thank you Admissionado for being there for me and guiding me to my dream school! I am very excited and am looking forward to attending the Ross School of Business at UMICH for the BBA Program this coming Fall.

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When I took the GMAT in 2012, I wasn’t really into the nitty-gritty of B-school application and I simply sent my score (760) to the Top 5 US MBA programs I had heard about. However, my interactions with the B-school community of applicants and admits over the next 4 years began to give me a clearer picture of the competition and by the time I finally decided to take the plunge in 2015, I knew the odds were stacked against me.

I am an Indian Male with an engineering degree from a Tier 3 university in India and all my work experience within my family business (revenues > $3m annually). I didn’t even have proper clients or supervisors at my business which made selecting recommenders much more challenging than it usually is. Although, I had some strong entrepreneurial experience in Africa and had volunteered for child rights protection for almost 5 years, I began to think the US Top 10 was beyond me. I conducted informational interviews with several admissions consultants (extremely skeptical of their value addition) and had one EXTREMELY FAMOUS consultant tell me why I would be competitive only at sub 20 schools. (read Kelley, Emory etc.)

Enter Admissionado and more importantly Mark Lellouch, who came in with a reputation for non- traditional candidates. The first things that struck me about Mark were his optimism and attention to detail. While filling out one of those drab info forms, I took the liberty of sending him links to some of my leisure writings (not that these were asked for) and he came back to me with genuine appreciation. My first chat with him was conversational yet reflective, as we talked not only about my work, but also my business and family. This represented a genuine attempt on his part to understand where I came from, my strengths and weaknesses and by the time I got off the phone, I knew if I wanted to work with someone, it was him.

After agreeing to work towards my DREAM school, I began sending in drafts for my essays and resume. Within 48 hours, I would get back documents filled with red and two short, but very important words – Nicely Done. Looking back today, I feel that the MBA application process is quite draining and these small “pats on the back” go a long way towards sustaining the motivation required to develop strong applications. His feedback always forced me to “get to the point” in the “simplest way possible” while maintaining my unique identity as an applicant. Working with him was almost like one of those career assessment exercises as I began noticing how he identified leadership stories I had discarded and gave life to a resume that had boring written all over it. He even took the time to answer some really silly questions – the kind one asks when obsessing over applications a bit too much.

Apart from the school we worked towards, Mark’s guidance helped me shape applications for 5 other schools as well. By April 2016, I had been admitted to 2 Top 15 schools and a Top 20 school with a Full Ride. However, I was waitlisted at my dream school.

Once again, Mark and I got to work developing a waitlist strategy that included a detailed update letter and a new letter of recommendation. After spending 6 months on the waitlist, I was finally admitted to my dream school. And as always, Mark’s reply to this long-awaited news read – NICELY DONE!

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While in the process of applying to the top B schools in US, I reviewed and held calls with many MBA admissions consultants, globally. One of them happened to be Admissionado. The first thing I noticed was their professional yet engaging style of communication – Claudia Aliperta, the Director of Operations, sent me a warm welcome email and introduced me to Leslie Curry, who sent up a free 30-minute consultation call to review my resume, ask about my strategy (if any) for choosing and applying to B schools and also a few basic questions about my background. Leslie was so very helpful, bright and thoughtful in that 30 minutes that I was sold! I had spoken with consultants from 6 agencies in my home country and US but none of them were as polite yet sharp in catching onto opportunities of improvement in a candidate. I signed on for the Deluxe 3-school package and insisted on having Leslie as my adviser.
Leslie is an MBA graduate from Darden but she holds a wealth of knowledge and resources about all the top B schools in US. When we first started working together, my application list was broad and unstructured. I didn’t have any logical reasons for even applying to some of them! Leslie took the effort to understand my strengths (through a very self-reflective and insightful questionnaire) and developed a matrix to help me rank the schools. This was indeed very helpful. Once I had my top 3 schools, we set to work on my resume. Leslie helped me bullet-point my achievements and even bring up points I had forgotten, by regularly asking me about my past work and volunteering activities. She didn’t exactly grill, but dove in to each story of mine so that she could better understand me and qualities I could express. Once we got my resume refined, I began writing the essays. I didn’t want my essays written for me and Admissionado ensures that you do the meat of the work while they guide you in polishing up what you want to convey, which is exactly what I was looking for. I had crazy ideas on why XX School and why I was a perfect fit for YY program, but Leslie broke it down, helped me structure it and even build on it. All the ideas were mine, but she would review them and even pull in a second pair of professional eyes (for a well-rounded perspective) and we would work on them in a timely manner until I was satisfied.
Once I got interview calls, we setup 2 mock interviews over video conference, to help me get an idea of the standard questions asked and how to best be prepared for them. It was great practice and Leslie shared a bunch of questions that I should expect and with her constructive feedback, I drafted my best answers and also, my best style for delivering them.
We hit all three schools and I am extremely proud to say that I am now attending the school that was my top choice. Leslie and I’ve been in touch thereafter even because I know this process helped me gain a friend and a well-wisher, not just a professional adviser. She was my coach and cheerleader at the same time. So for that, Admissionado gets a top rating from me, and I’d recommend it to all my friends and anyone looking for a little bit of help in their B school applications. It’s worth every $! Definitely ask for Leslie if you want someone who is as passionate about your journey as you and a true expert in this field.

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I used the Admissionado Discovery Package.
I’m the Indian/IT Engineer/Female and I don’t hold a great GMAT score. Thanks to Admissionado, I made it to University of San Diego, University of Illinois at Chicago and Bentley University. Although the firm specializes in top 15 schools, I knew I have a very common profile and a low GMAT score. Furthermore, I wasn’t ready to re-take the GMAT, so I knew I needed a really good service that would help me put forward my best profile.
In the Discovery Package, I got two calls with my consultant and two extremely helpful files. One file covered the details on my strengths, weaknesses that I needed to cover in the Optional Essay and the common essay formats. The second file was the school short list. These files were EXTREMELY helpful as I knew exactly, what would work for and against me and I could address the same in my applications. Since I knew what would work against me, I could highlight those in the Optional Essay and was prepared for any query on the same during the interview. Also the files helped me frame GREAT essays. During the calls, I could clear out all my queries based on the data provided in the files.
The thing I liked about my consultant is that she has a good idea on which Program fits your profile best. She also went a step further and told me how I could improve my profile and which other schools I could target. Lastly, she was extremely prompt in getting back to me. When I submitted my applications, I knew my GMAT was low, but I was confident that I had put together a strong application.
I don’t think I could’ve made it to the schools without Admissionados help.
They helped me and I’m sure they can help anyone! I highly recommend Admissionado!

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