GMAT Club

ApplicantLab On-Demand Admissions Guidance Tool Reviews

Admissions is a tough game; we teach you how to win it. ApplicantLab is an on-demand series of interactive exercises that walk you through everything you need to craft a winning application. Created by an HBS grad with almost 15 years of experience, ApplicantLab takes admissions consultants’ tools and puts them in your hands. Learn more.
5.0 /5 Average Rating
5 star
225
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Based on 229 reviews

AI Super-Summary of Customer Reviews for ApplicantLab On-Demand Admissions Guidance Tool*

ApplicantLab is highly praised for its comprehensive and affordable MBA application support, offering resources that guide applicants through storytelling, essay writing, and interviews. The platform is designed to break down the application process into manageable modules, providing tailored advice for various business schools. Users appreciate the personal support from Maria and her team, exemplified by their prompt responses and additional services like sanity checks and essay reviews. Many customers attribute their successful admissions and scholarships to ApplicantLab, emphasizing its effectiveness over traditional consultants. Overall, it is deemed a valuable tool for self-motivated applicants looking to craft standout applications without incurring high consulting fees.
4 users mention "Budget-Friendly"
  • "I literally do not understand why you would pay a small fortune to admissions consultant when you can find everything with ApplicantLab..." Read more
  • "The price is unbeatable..." Read more
  • "The price difference between the lab and the typical admissions consultant made me highly skeptical in the beginning..." Read more
  • "I was skeptical about how efficient an online MBA preparation resource could be..." Read more
4 users mention "Value for Money"
  • "Investing in this service was hands down the best money I ever spent on my MBA application journey..." Read more
  • "a truly useful resource that can help you get into the school of your dreams..." Read more
  • "Insane ROI considering what I paid to use the service..." Read more
  • "way more bang for your buck..." Read more
4 users mention "Supportive"
  • "Maria went above and beyond in answering my questions. Her dedication and responsiveness made me feel supported..." Read more
  • "Maria always responds back quickly with all the necessary info and a ton of positive attitude..." Read more
  • "Only after using ApplicantLab was I able to transform my essays from vapid word salads to deeply personal, unique, and powerful essays..." Read more
  • "Maria is always super responsive and gets back within a few hours, always positive and encouraging..." Read more
3 users mention "Admitted"
  • "contributed to getting into the school of my dreams..." Read more
  • "Admitted to Kellogg!..." Read more
  • "three admissions from GSB, CBS, and Booth..." Read more
3 users mention "Essay Editing"
  • "different components of each essay..." Read more
  • "school specific essay advice..." Read more
  • "expert advice on whether my essays are conveying what I intend to convey..." Read more
3 users mention "Responsive"
  • "super fast answers to any questions..." Read more
  • "Maria was extremely responsive to ad-hoc emails..." Read more
  • "Carin/Maria promptly reply to all the emails within a day..." Read more
2 users mention "Global Expertise"
  • "- Guided process to help develop your MBA story..." Read more
  • "those resources are more than sufficient for the application..." Read more
2 users mention "Interview Prep"
2 users mention "Scholarship Awarded"
  • "admission to Foster, Scheller, McCombs (each with fee waivers of 70% at least)..." Read more
  • "I was able to obtain admission to a lower-ranked T-15 with a 120k scholarship and two T-20s with full scholarships..." Read more
1 users mention "Full Service"
1 users mention "Waitlist Support"
  • "I got off the waitlist at both the schools..." Read more
1 users mention "Resume Review"
1 users mention "Industry Specialist"
  • "Thanks to Applicant Lab, I was able ... applied to INSEAD and I received an admission offer..." Read more
1 users mention "Top-Tier School Focus"
  • "The guys who review your essays are alumni of top business schools..." Read more
*Review summaries are AI generated from 25 latest reviews in the past 2 years.
March 05, 2026
Decadence101

Joined: Dec 10, 2022

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Focus score:
675 Q82 V87 DI81

HBS Interview + INSEAD Admit - All Through ApplicantLab

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

Strengths:

1) Vast repository of guidance for all top B-schools (this repository is also constantly being updated)
2) Super helpful exercises to help you put your best foot forward in the application essays/questions
3) Maria herself is reachable through email for any additional support (she reviewed my resume when I needed it, that too without any additional fees)

I strongly recommend ApplicantLab's admissions tool to all applicants looking for a do-it-all guide with the best bang for their buck.

Through this tool, I applied to HBS, GSB, and INSEAD (all Round 1). I got into INSEAD and landed an interview at HBS, all without using any other resources.

For context, I didn't have a huge budget for admissions guidance. So without ApplicantLab, it would've been almost impossible for me to get the guidance I needed to put forward my best MBA application.

ApplicantLab structures the whole application preparation process, removing confusion and giving you clarity from knowing exactly what you need to do. Aside from the tool itself, Maria is also reachable by email if you need help along the way.

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December 29, 2025
BPapp24

Joined: Jul 08, 2025

Posts: 1

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Focus score:
695 Q83 V86 DI85

The best option HANDS DOWN

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

If you are like most, struggling to decide whether or not to spend $10k on an admissions coach, look no further - use ApplicantLab! When I started my MBA application process, I was incredibly conflicted about whether or not to use a professional admissions coach. While the prices felt insane, I wanted to give myself every opportunity possible for success. After three sessions, I dropped the coach I had hired after feeling judged and pressured to portray myself in an inauthentic way. I was lost until I found ApplicantLab. This program gives you all the tools a full-time coach would, but allows you to tell your story in your own way. For the cost of one hour with a coach, ApplicantLab offers more resources and knowledge than I could ever need. It takes you through every step, from deciding to pursue an MBA to eventual interviews. Maria founded the program to give everyone a fair chance at top MBA programs, regardless of financial situation. While the program is amazing, it was Maria who personally changed my application experience. I can't count how many times I emailed her one-off questions to bounce ideas off of. She guided me every step of the way, and I am so proud to share that I will be going to Columbia Business School in the fall (with scholarship). Maria, it would not have been possible without you - thank you.

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December 02, 2025
crohanejtc

Joined: Apr 19, 2018

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Incredible Service!

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by school email address [?]

Strengths:

The genuine wealth of helpful information about so many different schools.

Would make the product better:

Honestly, very little. It's priced very reasonably and any shortcomings (i.e. old material) are very quickly clarified and updated in the system by Maria.

I had such a positive experience with ApplicantLab! The program is so thorough and guides you through every step of the process. It includes bits that a traditional admissions consultant wouldn't think to cover and an applicant would never think to inquire about. The content does a great job adding requisite specificity without hampering an applicant's individuality. It provides a framework for you to show your strengths in a way that resonates with adcoms.

I genuinely couldn't imagine going through MBA apps without it and credit a good portion of my M7 admit to the program.

Maria was amazing and was able to answer some additional questions that I had as well!

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This reviewer has not participated on GMAT Club but it is a REAL person and a REAL review. GMAT Club has verified this test-taker's identity through GMAC/Pearson Vue Score Reporting system or .edu email address and confirmed that this reviewer indeed took the GMAT, is unique, and has not submitted multiple reviews.
September 26, 2025
miwand1

Joined: Oct 27, 2024

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Incredible Service! Highly Recommend

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by gmat club tests [?]

Strengths:

Perfectly structured learnings, frameworks and tools at an amazing price. This will help you not only get into your dream school, but also prepare for interviews/perfect your elevator pitch, and how to market yourself for future opps. The founder, Maria, is always helpful if any issues or if you need more guidance!

Would make the product better:

No changes, would like more videos since they are very helpful.

This is the one product that will help you turn your experience into a strong, competitive profile for the MBA or grad school of your choice. It covers everything from building a standout resume, preparing for interviews, and selecting the right program for you, to understanding how to finance your degree. The platform is comprehensive, easy to use, and genuinely helpful at every stage of the application process. I highly recommend it to anyone navigating the admissions journey. It’s also worth investing in the resume review, the personalized feedback can make a real difference in how your story is told.

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July 27, 2025
mateom9723

Joined: Jun 21, 2024

Posts: 5

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Focus score:
615 Q79 V84 DI78

Best value for money product in the market

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

The Lab is an amazing tool. It’s structured, to the point, and incredibly user-friendly. I received offers from all three of the programs I applied to, including a scholarship at one of them. It also provides specific advice for all the major MBA programmes, which is a huge advantage.

Maria was also fantastic. She answered all of my questions thoroughly, and I truly felt I got incredible value for the price. I always felt in good hands with her.

I couldn’t recommend the Lab enough, there’s absolutely no need to spend 10x more on a traditional consultant.

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June 26, 2025
tarheelpoker

Joined: Jan 01, 2025

Posts: 5

Kudos: 3

Verified GMAT Focus score:
655 Q84 V83 DI80

Success with ApplicantLab

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

Strengths:

Affordable price, large library of information, videos + written descriptions

Would make the product better:

No improvement recommendations really

Very well organized, at an affordable price point provides the meat & potatoes of what's needed to apply successfully to MBA programs. Lots of videos for each school that breaks down every part of the process of picking schools to choosing recommenders to drafting essays and completing interviews. I was a last minute R3 applicant and with the help of this program was admitted to an M7 (Booth) and multiple T20 / T30 programs (Tepper, Anderson, Marshall) with $$. Founder is also very responsive via email, provides 80% of what you get with a typical admissions consultant at 10% of the price. For someone who is looking for support but doesn't want to spend for an expensive admissions consultant, I can't recommend ApplicantLab enough.

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June 22, 2025
yvonnegegeyan

Joined: Oct 07, 2019

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

HBS Mock Interview

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by membership [?]

Strengths:

- Very thorough preparation tailored to your application
- Detailed feedback
- Recording available for later review

Would make the product better:

- Pricing is a little high for a mock interview but it's worth it for me

I used ApplicantLab for my HBS mock interview, and it was an incredibly helpful experience! Luqzan was my mock interviewer, and his questions clearly reflected how thoroughly he had reviewed my application.

After the interview, we went through each question in detail—discussing how I responded, what worked well, and where I could improve. The feedback was specific, thoughtful, and actionable.

I also used the ApplicantLab platform throughout my application process. It was clear, intuitive, and genuinely helpful.

Additionally, I used the essay editing service to help refine and tighten my writing—especially when cutting down word count. It was super helpful and efficient!

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June 15, 2025
whamidzadah

Joined: Jun 15, 2025

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Amazing platform!! Everything you need

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by school email address [?]

Strengths:

Customer support, user friendly platform, encompasses every aspect of the pre MBA journey, essay and resume support

Would make the product better:

None

Maria and the ApplicantLab team/platform answered ALL of my questions. I truly would not have been able to get into all of the schools I did without it. I leaned on it heavily for all of my essays, resume strategy, and interview prep. It also does a great job of helping with school specific advice and provides clarity about what's most important to each school. It helped me get into Booth. Great for people who are self motivated, like having an on demand platform, and want to break into T20 schools. Nothing but great things to say. It's truly an all encompassing platform that answers all of your questions. Wont find better bang for your buck

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This reviewer has not participated on GMAT Club but it is a REAL person and a REAL review. GMAT Club has verified this test-taker's identity through GMAC/Pearson Vue Score Reporting system or .edu email address and confirmed that this reviewer indeed took the GMAT, is unique, and has not submitted multiple reviews.
June 02, 2025
gauraangb

Joined: Jun 02, 2025

Posts: 2

Kudos: 2

Admitted to Stanford and Harvard thanks to Applicant Lab

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by school email address [?]

Strengths:

- Knowledgeable, in-depth, and engaging videos
- Very practical tools and exercises that guide you from start to end of the application process
- Solid advice and insights on schools from a person who very clearly knows what she's talking about

Would make the product better:

- UX is a bit outdated and can be enhanced with AI. Doesn't detract at all from the quality of advice though

I got into Harvard and Stanford with $$$ in Round 1 of 2024 and it's largely thanks to Applicant Lab. Using Applicant Lab was the best decision I made. Its modules contain pretty much all you need to craft a strong application. The videos are also fun to watch since the creator (Maria) is quite entertaining. What's great is Maria also keeps regularly updating the content (e.g., when essay prompts change). With Applicant Lab you shouldn't even need a pricey consultant - it's probably better than most of them. Feel free to use this promo code for 10% off: https://applicantlab.refr.cc/default/u/gauraangbiyani?s=esp&t=wa

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May 12, 2025
zpenwell

Joined: Aug 20, 2024

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Best Bang for the Buck!

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

Strengths:

Very thorough and exhaustive. Easy to use and understand. Extremely practical and action focused.

Would make the product better:

Optionality on Executive MBA pathways.

This is an outstanding product that I would recommend to anyone. It was the most helpful overall tool I found in my MBA journey! It walks you through every step of crafting your personal and professional story in a way that speaks to admission committees. I think it was well worth it to pay the additional add on fees for personal reviews on essays. The feedback I received was brutally honest, but trustworthy, and ultimately that feedback made my application exponentially more coherent and powerful. I'm extremely grateful to Maria and her team for the services they provided, as I ultimately gained acceptance to my top choice!

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1 Older and Non-Verified Review for ApplicantLab