ApplicantLab Admissions Consulting Reviews

I found ApplicantLab's services to be incredibly useful. As a career switcher from the public policy sector, I was unsure about how to optimally convey my past experience and need for an MBA to admissions committees. I used ApplicantLab's branding module and resume review services to construct an effective personal brand and "Why MBA?" story that helped me stand out from the pack. I also found ApplicantLab's school-specific essay advice to be very effective in tailoring my supplemental essays. The money that I spent on ApplicantLab has easily paid for itself in multiple acceptance and scholarship offers. I would highly recommend ApplicantLab to any MBA applicant, but especially self-directed career switchers who are curious about how to effectively communicate their "story" throughout the admissions process.

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How did I get to know the applicant lab? As a round 2 applicant, I was struggling to put together my essays, resumes. Around December, I was watching one youtube video on GMAT Club where Maria talked about the MBA resume and it immediately caught my attention by how much insight she provided for the admission process. Thanks to her 15 years of working experience in this field.

As an online platform, I wasn't 100% sure if it would be reliable. So I started out with the free trial and made use of the free sections, gauging whether I should subscribe to the full service. And I did! Because it was so helpful and insightful and completely changed how I viewed my profile and application strategy.

Thinking back, I wish I had watched the youtube video sooner so I can use the applicant lab sooner before my submission. But even only using it about 1 month before the submission deadline, I had, fortunately, got admitted to Yale.

For those more interested in specifically what I found most helpful, here are some general take-aways
1- Maria knows every single detail of the admission process and she shared it in great detail in the applicant lab. From how to structure your stories, shining a light on your achievements and making you stand out, to how to address your shortcoming e.g. lack of formal leadership experiences. I am extremely grateful for this portion because with her advice and objective view I was able to see positives in my profile and be more confident to sell them to the AO.

Second, what's great about it is also once you paid for it, you can access it anytime, anywhere. No need to schedule any appointment and all the information you need is readily available.

Lastly, don't think that because this is an online platform and you're left alone after payment. Carin and Maria actually handle queries you have and they are so responsive and thorough in their response that you feel like they are not just trying to get the most $$ from you but rather really trying to maximize your chances of success.

Overall, I had a great experience using the applicant lab and I have already recommended it to my friends who are also planning to apply for an MBA, same to any one of you who are planning for an MBA. Get Applicant Lab, try it out, and your chances of getting the offer you want would surely increase.

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Love ApplicantLab. It provided all the information I needed to put together a great application. I loved Maria's guidance and videos! The school specific information when crafting essays and interviews were particularly helpful as well. I was considering using another more expensive consultant but after a recommendation for ApplicantLab I'm so glad I used this!

Also for unique questions I reached out to ApplicantLab - I'm dealing with a situation where I am considering multiple schools but also contemplating taking a promotion in another city and Maria answered in 1 DAY! She is so helpful and kind and love her service offerings.

the MBA application process can feel daunting at times so you don't want to add another thing you spend money on to add to your list before you drop a ton of money on tuition. But this is WORTH IT - do not sleep on ApplicantLab, it truly was a lifesaver for me.

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Application Lab is extremely helpful during my MBA application process. I came from a nontraditional background and was not too familiar with the MBA application process. A friend of mine recommended me the website. After I sign-up I thought it was the best decision.

What I like about this website it’s how comprehensive it is for each step of the way. It took a extremely structured approach and have a detailed breakdowns for each stage.

I really like the recorded videos. Those are helpful because I can always playback for the episodes that I thought were helpful. And they’re very easy to digest. I would not be able to get into my dream school without the application Lab. I would love to think Maria for her effort to bring us an affordable solution to the MBA Application.

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Applying to 3 schools at once with only 2 months to prepare and using GMAT waiver, I was very insecure with my application hence looking for the most efficient tool / resources to help me with my application process. I was suggested to try Applicantlab by a friend and it was hands down one of the best advices ever.

The materials available in the dashboard are very structured and comprehensive. The contents are easy to comprehend and I found the videos to be very fun to watch. The framework and brainstorming questions are really useful to help applicants build the overall MBA stories and motivation that are crucial for essays and even interviews later on.

On top of the dashboard, I used the additional services such as resume review (by one of the alumni -- Luqzan), essay review and mock interview (both by Carin). Not only did they give super constructive inputs, they were also very friendly and responsive to answer any questions we had.

Thanks to Applicantlab, I got admitted to all the 3 schools I applied to (MIT Sloan, Ross, and Darden) and all with scholarships (1 full ride). I'd highly recommend Applicantlab to any MBA applicants who are looking for inexpensive resources with high quality.

Kudos to the team!

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Having done consultations with almost every admissions consultant out there (and after even paying a hefty sum for one!) I finally found ApplicantLab. I found their information and advice to be by far the most helpful of any pricey consultant that I spoke to. Their user interface is incredibly easy to use, and they were an invaluable help to me as I researched schools, refined my story and resume, and drafted essays. I was incredibly delighted by my outcomes (admits to Stern, Haas, LBS, Kellogg, Yale, Tuck, UCLA and McCombs—as well as generous scholarships from many of them and one full ride!) and I couldn’t have done it without ApplicantLab and Carin.

The self-introspection and questions they ask about your experience and interests really allow you to identify what is unique about your story and uncover ways to tell that story in a way that is compelling to the admissions committee. I also found that their information and advice on essays was incredibly well-researched and supported, rather than just based on one consultant’s opinion or anecdotal experience. The informational videos and write-ups for how to outline essays really streamlined the process for me, and I’m sure were the reason I was able to get admits at 8 schools!
In addition to all the information on ApplicantLab’s service, the Sanity Checks and Strategic Essay Reviews I booked with Carin really helped me polish my story and make my essays shine. I found that her advice on one of my essays was often applicable to several of them, and she really helped me showcase my strengths and personality to the admissions committee. I honestly couldn’t have done it without her!


I also think that ApplicantLab’s process for reviewing a user’s resume and career vision for the Sanity check most closely aligns with the experience of the admissions committee—brief and to the point! The fact that they are able to review more applicant’s stories than an hourly admissions consultant gives them a better perspective as well, which also came through during the strategic essay reviews.

Overall, it was money extremely well-spent, and I couldn’t be happier with my outcomes!

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When designing my game plan for R1 applications, I was hesitant to pay thousands of dollars for a top tier consultant after hearing some mixed reviews from friends. After spending many months studying for the GMAT using Target Test Prep (and loving it), I was looking for a similarly innovative platform for my applications. I decided to use ApplicantLab as my consulting service after reading many online reviews and noticing how inexpensive it was compared to virtually every other consulting option. Overall, I found ApplicantLab to be incredibly helpful from start to finish for each of my applications, but I’ll go into detail a bit on how I used the product to help others understand its value.

I started with the Strategy Modules (My Strengths & Weaknesses, Career Vision, and Why MBA) to develop my unique story for applications. Each module enabled me to think introspectively and helped me leverage my best leadership examples effectively. Before diving into my essays, I wanted to make sure my story was sound, so I paid for a “Sanity Check” with Maria. This review was immensely helpful! She provided feedback via a recorded video, and I watched it several times through to make sure I perfected my story.

After the Sanity Check, I felt comfortable with my goals/story and started outlining my essays. I found the advice tailored to each school's essay prompt(s) incredibly helpful and helped me feel confident with the materials I was submitting to each school. I received an interview invite at 5 of the 6 schools I applied to, including an invite for HBS. After hearing this exciting news, I decided to pay for Mock Interview session with Maria. She spent a considerable amount of time reviewing my application and coming up with questions similar to the ones I received during the actual interview!

ApplicantLab was 100% worth the money for me and helped me get into HBS, my dream school, and I am incredibly thankful to Maria for designing such an awesome product!

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Whether you are paying for an admission consultant or planning to complete your application on your own, ApplicantLab is an almost necessary tool for applying to business school. The website is set up to walk you through the entire process, from brainstorming essays to completing your resume to preparing for interviews.

ApplicantLab is especially useful for those who are finding themselves overwhelmed by the application process. It gives you the concrete next steps and planning items that you should be taking and helps you to ensure you are not missing any key details in your application. I began applying to MBA programs with very little knowledge of the process and ended up getting accepted into two M7s; I believe ApplicantLab deserves a substantial amount of credit for the success of my applications.

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Coming in with a below-average GMAT for my target schools, I was really nervous heading into the application process. A few of the reviews I read said other traditional admissions consultants discouraged applicants from applying to certain schools with certain scores, so I was hesitant to use them. A friend of mine suggested ApplicantLab not for just the incredibly affordable price relative to other consultants, but for how friendly and positive the team was.

The self-guided modules that Maria provided were extremely thorough - a lot more than I was expecting. On top of that, it was extremely well-organized, she linked the resources each school provided all in one spot for convenience, which definitely sped up the essay-writing process for me.

I worked with Carin mostly on my strategic essays and a mock interview. I was nervous about not being able to speak with her live (though we did for the mock interview, Carin is such a treat!) but the video format worked just as well. The feedback I got was tactical and constructive.

I am certain I wouldn't be in this position if it wasn't for ApplicantLab (and special shoutout to Carin!), and I couldn't recommend them more.

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ApplicantLab's process, checklists, and advice empowers you to create your own best application. The insight that Maria brings is invaluable and helps sharpen your own unique personality in each application. I knew I wanted to apply to business school and believed I could drive the action myself as long as someone helped point me in the right direction. ApplicantLab's resources and analysis of admissions committees trends make it easy to emphasize the points that matter and spend time finding the school that you fit with best.

On top of that, the customer service/support from Maria and her team is unparalleled. When I was unsure of how to approach a recommender I sent a message to the support email and received a human, helpful response quickly.

I'm certain that my success in applications can be largely attributed to my preparation with applicantLab

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