Maria is a critical part of my MBA application process. As a senior in college and someone from a normal family, I could not afford those overpriced consulting services online, and that was why I initially chose the Applicant Lab.

Honestly, this turned out to be one of the best investments I made during my application. As a matter of fact, I've tried some of those "free 30min consultations" at other places and none of those shed any new insights on what I have already known. The Applicant Lab, however, was so much more substantial. Like every other DIY process, how much you get out of it depends on how much you dedicate yourself to it. I took full advantage of all the resources in the lab (and there were A LOT) and learned so many insider tricks about the entire MBA application and how to present the best version of myself while still being honest. Frankly, I feel I'm a half consultant now after using the lab - I know so much about MBA app now after using the lab.

The DIY tool made me extremely confident about the lab so I went on to book the sanity check, and then the essay and interview session with Maria, which were even more helpful! She really is one of the best persons in this field.

I rarely write reviews but I felt that I had to this time, because I truly appreciate the help I got and everything Maria was doing with the Applicant Lab. As a college student with no income yet, I'd have been completely on my own without the lab, but again, with the lab, I don't think I need those expensive consultants anymore. Maria, I said it to you privately before but again thanks so much! And for future applicants, I highly recommend trying out the Lab. There is a free trial version with your GmatClub account and you will know what I mean after giving it a shot.

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BRIEF INTRODUCTION:
- A recent T15 admit
- Still in the throes of MBA admissions
- No way a prolific writer (non-native English speaker)

MY EXPERIENCE WITH APPLICANTLAB:
- It is my single source of reliable information and advice (yes, no other consultant/ resource - just the DIY tool/the Lab)
- Helped me power through the essays in fraction of time that I would have taken otherwise (ofcourse there was a learning curve for me in the first iteration, but then it was bullet fast and far fewer iterations)
- Kept me focused on the most important aspects of the answer to all questions in the app (short-answer or essays)
- Helped manage the writer's block as well with breaking down an essay question into further mini-questions
- Extensive help with interviews as well - similar to identifying and presenting most impactful stories for essay questions
- All of the above at the price of a single MBA app!

WHY DO I THINK I COULD GET THE ABOVE LISTED BENEFITS:
- Because Maria has made painstaking efforts to get the most relevant advice from the adcom of each school (there were on-campus events that the top admissions consultants attended at B-schools pre-COVID); not to forget she has been at it for 15+ years
- The Lab presents topics in a very structured step-by-step foolproof approach - there is excruciating redundancy as the important advice is clearly marked in color and repeated across sections where necessary so the user does not need to recall or flip through links
- As an example, the essays module guides you through the steps of identifying the right stories, to writing rough drafts, to final drafts. The final drafts section contains all of the previous advice as well - so due to paucity of time (read as: I am a bad procrastinator; you too will!), I just jumped to this section and wrote almost finalized essays in first go for my easier apps
- Ofcourse the advice is for each of the top schools you'd want to apply to - and very detailed, granular instructions per question in the app (read as: cannot be made more detailed IMO)

WHO IS THIS SUITABLE FOR:
- Everyone; there are broadly two types of applicants -
- Self-Starters: these folks would proactively find time to spend with the DIY tool and work through the instructions and make effort to sense-check (heck, the Lab even gives sense-check advice!)
- Require-support: these folks can hire a 3rd-party consultant to hold them accountable and keep them on track besides giving admissions advice; but then if the self-starters were getting reliable advice from the Lab as a single source then why not use this as a sense-check/ insurance on the service you have bought that is worth '000s of dollars ?!?!

CONSIDERATIONS WHILE PURCHASING:
- Ofcourse the ROI is going to be in '000s of percentage points - however you calculate it; truly unparalleled as it is up to you to scale it with submitting as many apps as you possibly can
- Honestly, try to find time with the tool - the more you are spending time consistently on a daily basis working through the advice (if even for an hour per day), you will make phenomenal progress and will feel confident about your essays and the overall app
- If you want a 1:1 interaction with a consultant, I'd think better to take a-la-carte packages from ApplicantLab (with Maria herself) for consistency of advice and avoid getting contradicting opinions - gotta trust the process!

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ApplicantLab amazes me with its concept - it's like a one-stop destination for all advices you need to get to most top MBA with just one-time subscribe!

I am an international applicant who has never studied abroad before, so I wasn't familiar with the concept of a well-rounded profile which is highly emphasized in most top MBAs and this is where ApplicantLab came in. The tool is full of explanation on how to make your profile as strong as possible at any application stage you are in - whether you are still 1 year away from applying, still researching career goal/essay, or already receiving interview invite!

Personally, I started using the app really early (like 1 year before applying MBA) and it was a really great decision since I had time to boost my leadership examples at work and do networking with alums (which the Lab recommended for early preparation).

The advices Maria gave in the lab and her videos are really top-notch, detailed, and structured. If you are a self-starter, start early, and actually do all of her advices, I don't see any reason not to have an appealing and strong profile for MBA. She basically covered most of the weaknesses, how to tackle them, and what traits to highlight on each specific school you want to apply.

If you need extra-help, I also highly recommend to try the add-on services. I personally used sanity check (2x), essay review (2x), and mock interview - all with Carin. With really affordable price than most traditional consultants, I received some really spot-on feedback on how to shape the stories in the most appealing way and which parts to emphasize.

In the end, I received a full-ride scholarship from a T15 school (despite having GMAT <700, coming from somewhat overrepresented industry, and not going to a top-ranked college), and I'm giving this review to show my gratitude for all guidance I have received from ApplicantLab. Thank you, Maria & Carin for your awesome help!

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I am Vietnamese, female, 27, no international experience at all, live all my life in Vietnam. I have 760 GMAT, 5 years experience, corporate finance.

I am admitted into HEC, ESADE, LBS and Cambridge. Finally choose LBS.

I have not many stories to tell. Applicant lab helped me to structure my story. The modules are all self study, which I found very efficient and helpful. I learnt a lot about the admission process without having to dig into various review pages. I especially like the tips Maria gave on each step of the application process, as recommendation letter, essay, CV... Very insightful.

Definitely recommended for those who want to self-study and do MBA application on your own speed.

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This is one of the best tools out there for MBA applications. The structured approach walks you through all the necessary steps and helps you assemble all the necessary points for a great application. The videos and explanation accompanying each step helps to stay on track and the advice at each step helped me improve my application profile. The ApplicantLab process walked me through each aspect of my past work and education and helped me rediscover my own strengths that are important for an MBA and helped me pen them down in applications. Maria is great with individual school knowledge as well and helped me with specifics that needed to be included in essays. The interview prep module has been a great tool and contains all the interview questions and helps you to find answers for each of them. This tool has helped me immensely and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a great, cost-effective resource for MBA applications.

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What? - AL is an amazing MBA admissions guidance product by HBS alumni Maria which replaces traditional, expensive and 'not always reliable' admissions consulting firms. It lays out all pieces of admissions process right from 'attending b-school info sessions' to interview prep into 15 broad areas, connected seamlessly into a framework. Imagine you can see the whole application process end-to-end in one dashboard so that you never lose touch of the bigger picture.

Why it's so awesome? So in my case I stumbled on AL when my friend from Oxford Said found it valuable and suggested me to try. I love great products. I wanted to try and see how it works. I have worked with 2 MBA consultants earlier however I wasn't convinced with them. They mainly contributed in refining the essay structure, editing essays and fitting the essays under word limit (not worth 1000s of $). When I checked AL, I was surprised my precise insights that makes the application robust. It goes deep into the thought process, individual strengths/weaknesses, story building, and every other ingredient that makes the application genuine and unique to an applicant. All at ~1/10th of typical admissions consultants cost. Worked with both the AL tool and multiple admission consultants, I feel that most b-school applicants do not require consultants to be true. Even if you are considering hiring a MBA consultant, do check the trial version of AL first. It boils down great practical tips and insights of Maria.

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As a deferred applicant, the MBA application process was a mystery to me. I didn't have a network of colleagues who had gone through the process before to lean on. I also didn't have the savings to spend on expensive admissions counselors. ApplicantLab entirely demystified the process and was incredible value for money.

The Lab's interface is extremely intuitive. It's perfect for an individual who wants to learn as much as possible about application strategy and school-specific advice before writing a single word. I watched all of Maria's well-researched and well-organized videos for every school I applied to and followed the Lab's concrete steps to develop my career vision/story. I intend to pursue social innovation - the Lab's process helped me hone in on my strengths and weaknesses and taught me how to showcase my strengths in a way that allowed me to stay true to my story while still presenting a stronger application than I would've been able to alone. I also leveraged the extra services, namely the Sanity Check and Mock Interview. Carin was really thorough and helped me practice answers that I struggled with and honed in on subtleties that I wouldn't have noticed alone.

In the end, I was accepted to three deferred programs, including Berkeley Haas, Chicago Booth, and Wharton. Both Maria and Carin were so helpful throughout the process and are really invested in all their users' experiences. I can't recommend ApplicantLab enough!

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ApplicantLab is just the best tool out there! I needed help in preparing for my LBS interview and purchaed the tool, which I think is the perfect one-stop shop for MBA interview prep. The material is exhaustive and I'm sure I would have benefitted more had I bought access to the tool much earlier.

After going through the modules, I wanted to do some live prep. I booked a session with Maria, and I got a lot more out of the 90 mins that I thought I would - we deep dived into all the questions I needed help on and I also got a pulse check on my overall storyline for my long and short term goals.

Maria came thouroughly prepared for the session and knew my application inside out. She listens and provides tailored and actionable feedback. The overall prep experience injected the right dose of confidence which came across during my interview. My only regret is that not starting out with the product sooner prior to crafitng my essays. Highly recommend Maria and ApplicantLab!

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I got into Wharton and Chicago Booth as a deferred applicant, and I owe all the success to Maria and ApplicantLab!!
As a deferred applicant, I was very skeptical about using ApplicantLab, because I felt that most of the advice was for traditional applicants with work experience, and I wasn't sure how without any personal interaction I'd be able to craft a compelling story. I did my research and talked to over 10 admissions consultants through the free consultations, but as a deferred applicant with no savings of my own, I couldn't get myself to spend thousands of dollars, and after reading numerous amazing reviews, I decided to go ahead with ApplicantLab. I was proven so wrong about my apprehensions from the first day I started to use the lab.
This is what I absolutely loved about ApplicantLab, and why I feel EVERYONE needs to stop using traditional consultants and switch to ApplicantLab:
1) The lab took me through a step by step process, starting from identifying my strengths and weaknesses, to very specific advice for all parts of the application. The videos and the advice was so thorough that I didn't need to look anywhere else. The lab helped me with the exact structure of the essays, resume, and other short questions in the application.
2) Maria and Carin are available at all times, and every time I'd send them any doubts through the chat feature on the ApplicantLab, they'd get back to me with to the point answers. I could see from her responses that Maria was super interested in my story and wanted me to succeed.
3) The interview module is OUT OF THIS WORLD, and the approach ApplicantLab has for all the specific interview questions is going to help me all my life!!
4) I also used the additional services, including sanity check (career vision and resume review) and essay review. If not for these services, I would've made a couple of huge blunders in my applications! But, that being said, if you're diligently following the advice on the lab, you won't even need these services and the lab should be enough. But, it really helped me in turning a good resume/essay into a great one.
Maria has done a fantastic job with ApplicantLab, and where consultants would've charged me over 5000$ for my applications, I got in with spending just 269$. Don't think twice, go with ApplicantLab!

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Maria does a great job of breaking down the entire application process and even address the various reasons for someone who is getting their MBA. The most valuable part for me was the brainstorming portion where I categorized my different stories and mapped it to specific parts of the application essays. She provides various approaches (probing questions) to guide your story development which really helped with the brainstorming aspect. Maria clues you in on how to tailor your resume for applying to MBA school as it is different from a normal job resume. She even has interviews with students going through their resume and nitpicking on things to improve. A great resource for anyone looking to apply to grad school! I'd highly recommend this like I have to all my peers.

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