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Product ApplicantLab On-Demand Admissions Guidance Tool
Consultant Maria Wich-Vila
ApplicantLab is the perfect service for people who know they want to apply to school and want to guide themselves through the process.
The modules and website were very well laid-out, and helped me manage the application cycle super easily.
Maria offered more honest, helpful content than many other consultants my friends worked with. Most consultants would employ the Socratic method with their clients - it's helpful, but it doesn't always get you from A to B efficiently. ApplicantLab did do so.
The a la carte services (Sanity Check, Resume Reviews, Essay Reviews) were also great. I used them for my top 2 schools and did not regret it.
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Product ApplicantLab On-Demand Admissions Guidance Tool
Consultant Carin Nelson
When I started looking into the MBA process, I was astounded by the astronomical high prices of many MBA consultants. There's no way I can afford it - until ApplicantLab (AL) came along!
Disclosure: I got a free access to the AL modules because the content was not captioned for the deaf and hard of hearing, so it was not fully accessible at the beginning. Maria was kind-hearted enough to grant me a free access and then later had the videos captioned within a few days. So if you're deaf or hard of hearing and thinking about an MBA, AL will definitely make its content accessible for you. Instead of a video review of your essays, they'll write in notes/comments in the Word doc.
I mostly worked with Carin to craft my narrative ("sanity check") and essay reviews, and how to shine a positive light on my lived experiences as a deaf person. I couldn't find a deaf student or alumni at my programs of choice (M7 + T10s) to reach out for helpful guidance and information. I had questions like "How did they present themselves well?", "how to show that we offer a lot to the community?" and "how did the employers view students with disabilities?"
However, Carin and Maria were awesome in lending thier experience and perspective as hearing people to make sure I present my unique, nontraditional background and experiences well. They responded quickly to my emails and questions, including their feedback/thoughts on selecting a certain topic my video prompts.
The modules are all top-notch, highly specific, updated, and very informative in all one place - great if you're short on time and need to churn out applications in matter of days. I highly recommend AL for any new MBA applicants at a very affordable price points for its platform and add-on services (which I did pay for).
Results? I got into Wharton, Yale SOM, and Booth for R2.
Product ApplicantLab On-Demand Admissions Guidance Tool
Consultant Maria Wich-Vila
ApplicantLab is a great resource for those willing to put in the work independently, with some level of guidance given through instructional videos and comments. As someone who likes to work/study independently (I studied for the GMAT on my own) this service was just what I was looking for!
Maria is super passionate about this project and her students and goes above and beyond in answering any questions. Her videos are very informative and have all the information required for you to write a good essay and put your best foot forward.
ApplicantLab is also very affordable. I had friends who hired private consultants for 5x the price. I highly recommend ApplicantLab.
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Product ApplicantLab On-Demand Admissions Guidance Tool
Consultant Carin Nelson
I would recommend Applicant Lab without reservation. There are things you can't really change in your application (GPA, school, etc.), but Applicant Lab really helps you make the most of the parts of the application that you can control.
The Lab was a game changer in writing my essays and crafting a compelling story for each school. The self-service model appealed to me (as did the price), especially after some underwhelming consultations with traditional admissions consultants. I probably didn't use all the storyboarding/planning tools to their fullest, but just the advice and videos alone were so helpful. For example, beyond the big ticket items like essays and recommendations, there are a ton of little things in the application forms that I probably would have underutilized without Maria's guidance in the Lab. Early on, I also used the "Sanity Check" service with Carin. Her advice really helped me view the application holistically and identify areas to focus my attention.
If you're serious about MBA applications, you won't find a better value than Applicant Lab.
Product ApplicantLab On-Demand Admissions Guidance Tool
Consultant Maria Wich-Vila
I first heard about ApplicantLab during DMAC (Diversity MBA Admissions Conference). Maria did a presentation and I was extremely impressed by 1) how much knowledge she had 2) 2) how she approached the MBA applications process 3) how straight to the point she was, yet also has the ability to be personal and relate to each one of us in some way or another. I took some time to think and even did a few free initial calls with admissions consultants such as Fortuna, but the price was just not up my alley given how much I spent on test tutoring and HBS CORe already and it felt way too "sales-y" to me. Also, there was no guarantee I'd get in so why would I pay upwards of 10K+?!?!?!?!
I decided to go with ApplicantLab and I am SO happy I did. There is a plethora of information on the tool and in particular, I utilized the platform for writing my essays and putting my story together. The platform helped me figure out how to approach my story/questions and really play my strengths, as well as mitigate weaknesses.
Maria is affordable and also the sweetest kindest woman! Go with ApplicantLab and you won't regret it. I even contacted her after I got in and she was so happy for me.
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Product ApplicantLab On-Demand Admissions Guidance Tool
Consultant Maria Wich-Vila
I cannot state enough how helpful this service is. ApplicantLab is easy-to-use, informative, logically organized, and sharp – all things that made the application process far less stressful and enigmatic.
Not only does the service help you easily organize your thoughts and formulate your "story" with conviction and clarity. Its prep for interviews and essays is unparalleled – a value-add that was critical for my application. I also found Maria's videos – which she tailors to specific MBA programs – to be extremely helpful. The candid, direct advice she shares is invaluable, particularly for any who are concerned about potential weaknesses in their application (e.g. lower GMAT, less work experience, etc.).
Product ApplicantLab On-Demand Admissions Guidance Tool
Consultant Carin Nelson
I was international applicant going through the process for the first time. To make things worse, I was working 12-15 hours a day and had very little time to work on my apps. Applying during the COVID-19 application cycle, I knew I could use all the help I could get. I think ApplicantLab was the best investment I made. Three things that made ApplicantLab stand out for me:
1) It's extremely cheap compared to traditional consultants
2) You pay for what you use
3) Maria and Carin are amazing at what they do
I highly recommend ApplicantLab to anyone going through application process. You won't regret it.
Product ApplicantLab On-Demand Admissions Guidance Tool
Consultant Maria Wich-Vila
Truly wonderful prep, it helped me organize my thoughts for my application and nail my interviews. Its interview prep is unbeatable, the videos are easy to follow and the tips are super useful, even for the eventual job interviews.
After using the program I felt confident and ready for my interviews having polished my story and narrowed down the examples I wanted to use. Without it I would not have gotten the offers I am currently receiving. The team is also super helpful and always available. They go the extra mile for their clients. Anyone who is in the application process should use this program, you will not regret it.
Product ApplicantLab On-Demand Admissions Guidance Tool
Consultant Carin Nelson
I worked with Carin via Applicant Lab this past year for my MBA applications and I can't say enough positive things about the experience! As a reapplicant and first-time Applicant Lab user, I loved how the platform had self-guided modules so I could leverage the work I had already drafted in a cost-effective way. I did a Sanity Check and Essay Reviews with Carin and her feedback was so helpful and candid. When I finally finished my re-applications with Carin's help, my test scores / work experience hadn't changed at all - but the way I presented my story was different. Thanks to Carin, I was able to shape my narrative in a more unique and compelling way. And it made all the difference - this time around I got accepted to my top schools! I highly recommend working with Carin / Applicant Lab if you're looking for a game-changing admission consulting service that won't break your bank.
Product ApplicantLab On-Demand Admissions Guidance Tool
Consultant Maria Wich-Vila
It wouldn't be an understatement to say that Maria got me through the gruelling MBA application process.
ApplicantLab holds your hand through the ENTIRE process, from understanding what is required for every component of the application package, all the way to interview preparation. Since the website already explains what makes ApplicantLab different from traditional consultants, I'll focus on addressing a few concerns that I initially had, in an effort to dispel any skepticism that you might have:
- The speed and quality of Maria's support for one-off questions: I was initially worried that given the virtual nature of the platform, that if I had questions that were unanswered by the website content, I wouldn't be able to get answers as quickly as a traditional consultant. I can tell you from my experience that this should absolutely not concern you. Maria is extremely quick to respond (often in a few hours, always within at least 1-2 days) and the thoughtfulness and expertise behind her answers were incredible.
- How 'in-the-know' Maria is: It will soon become very clear that Maria is an absolute EXPERT in the space. She pulls incredible insights from her numerous previous clients, and also keeps up-to-date on the latest by attending admissions consulting conferences and speaking with adcoms of top schools.
- How current the website stays: Maria very quickly translates these latest insights into the website, so throughout the application process, the website stays extremely current. For example, when I was applying to CBS, within two days (!) of a new application question going live, the website had a FULL page of advice as to how to tackle the question. Amazing.
- Quality of the "story" and essay reviews: If you can afford it, I HIGHLY recommend for you to sign up for the 'strategic essay reviews', at least for your top schools. With Maria's advice, I ended up applying with a very different story than my initial draft. It would be an absolute mistake to think that just because this platform is lower-cost compared to admissions consultants, that the quality would be compromised. I was blown away by how Maria was able to assess the strength and weaknesses of my overall story
(the big picture), as well as advise me on very granular details such as word choices.
Overall, I couldn't recommend ApplicantLab enough, and I honestly feel so grateful that Maria founded ApplicantLab to level the playing field in higher education because I definitely could not have afforded to pay an admissions consultant USD 10K (I applied to 5 schools). I hope this helps, and best of luck with the journey! :)