Avanti Prep Admissions Consulting Reviews

Applying to MBA programs was hands down the most stressful part of my transition out of the military. Ultimately that stress led to me apply to a single MBA program in round 2 (Haas) and thanks to Greg’s diligence, support, and coaching, I was accepted.

Background:
Demographics: White, Male
GMAT: Below Middle 80% Range
GRE: 159V/162Q
GPA: 3.4
Undergrad: Mechanical Engineering, Service Academy
Prior Experience: Aviation, 8 Years

Connecting with Avanti Prep:
I was referred to Greg by a military peer at the very beginning of my application journey. At the time, I was still struggling with my GMAT scores. Greg gave me two free consultations to plan my application timeline from start to finish. During this time, he also encouraged me to switch to the GRE which I believe was a pivotal step in my future acceptance. As someone who felt (and was statistically) below average, Greg’s expertise in building a roadmap felt like a lifeline for a journey I wouldn’t have been able to complete alone.

Services:
When I transitioned my efforts from test taking to applications, I had one and a half months prior to the round 2 deadline and I was defeated – I felt that I had no story to tell and nothing that differentiated me from other military applicants. Greg is an absolute expert in his craft and his brilliance showed through with our first story and goal development session. After helping me identify an overall goal and my unique experiences that coincided with that goal from a very in-depth personal assessment, we formed the blueprint for my application. We then systematically tackled each aspect of my application.
Greg is a phenomenal storyteller and has all the skills to edit and a build a “perfect” application, but what makes his services special is his attention to detail and ability to push you past “good”. Every detail of my application was thoroughly analyzed, and reviewed multiple times with the intent to be more specific so that every story, message, or word served a purpose in communicating who I was as an individual, and how my individuality will bolster the community of the school to which I was applying. This is what makes Greg special and this skill applied to my essays, my resume, my interview answers, and even extracurricular parts of the application that could have easily gone unnoticed.

Takeaway:
I got into Haas not only because of Greg’s technical skills, but really because Greg is a great person who was uniquely suited to help me see parts of myself that I couldn’t see. He gave me the confidence I needed to complete the journey, and that journey ended with a fantastic result thanks to his excellent services and pseudo-role as life coach, teacher, and encourager.

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Overall the time commitment, effort, depth of work and level of support that I received from Greg was far higher/better quality than two other (quite well known) consultants that I worked with before I came to Avanti Prep. Greg was extremely detail oriented and it was an absolute pleasure working with him.

Background:

I initially reached out to Greg for extra interview support with one of my Rd1 schools. I was already working with another consultant but I figured I could use more help. His interview feedback was so detailed that I decided to sign up for a 2 school comprehensive package with him for Rd2. I had done some of the initial career goals exploration with another consultant but I worked with Greg on everything else for these two schools (he also helped me refine my career goals to a certain extent).

Here are some of the things that stood out as I worked with Greg on the two schools:

1. Right from the very outset, starting from the initial intake form, he went really deep into my personal and professional background and really spent a lot of time getting to know me. And this was not a one time thing - in future calls, when we were brainstorming essays, he would bring up stuff from work/extracurriculars and we would spend a lot of time going even deeper into those topics as needed. He asked a lot of probing questions to extract the relevant fodder for essays. This translated really well in terms of him being able to guide my essay/interview content and overall application.

2. He really cares for his clients. He went above and beyond to make sure I was supported and all my questions/nagging concerns were answered.

3. His overall demeanor is very relaxed and friendly, and he is very easy to talk to. The application process is extremely stressful and I felt like I had someone by my side to support me throughout the process and calm my nerves when things got scary. This translated really well to me being candid and honest about my background and helped us bring my best self to the application.

4. He knows how to strike a balance of being polite and respectful but at the same time being persuasive to get you to do things. He was never rude but at the same time he made sure I knew when he thought something was not good enough, or more information was needed, or if there was a better way to do things, or if I was not putting my best answers forward for the interview. Nothing slipped through the cracks and he made sure I was giving it my best shot.

5. The level of depth and thoughtfulness that went into the process was simply remarkable. And this was true across the board - getting to know my story, essays, interviews, etc. The essay process involved 5-6 extremely detailed reviews which involved him asking me a lot of questions in specific areas so I could get the best ideas on paper. Even the brainstorming involved multiple calls to nail down the appropriate content for each specific school/essay. Likewise with interviews, it went far beyond content - we talked about vocal tonality, length of answers, body language, answer structure, etc.

In summary, I strongly recommend working with Greg for your MBA applications for all the reasons mentioned above.

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TLDR- If you want a consultant whom you can trust, who holds a mirror to who you are as a candidate and help you build on your strengths, look no further than Greg! My application journey was a long and difficult one and it became easier since I started working with Greg. I initially came to Greg for helping me get off the waitlist for one school but quickly found myself working with him for other parts of my application as well. Greg will consistently go to great lengths to get things right and have a candid dialogue to keep you motivated throughout the application process. I wholeheartedly recommend Greg as an MBA consultant!


My background:
For the most part, my (29, F) stats are average: 720 GMAT, 8.5 GPA from T20 undergrad university in India. When I started the application process, I knew that it was not my stats but my story and vision that I would have to lean on to differentiate myself. Also, I did have work experience in the US that could have helped me stand out.

Of the 4 schools I applied to in R1 (working with another consultant), I was waitlisted at Haas and Booth and rejected at others. Unclear how to manage the waitlist process, I combed through several videos on Youtube and found Greg's video on waitlist strategy to be most thorough. Shortly after, I reached out to Greg for his hourly services to help me get off the waitlist. I applied to HBS in Round 2 where I leveraged Greg's services for the HBS Interview prep and post-interview reflection.

Outcomes:
Through Greg's support, I was able to get off the waitlist for both Booth and Haas with $$ scholarship. While I ultimately couldn't get off the HBS waitlist as the class was full by R2, I was extremely grateful to have Greg's counsel through this process. Managing the waitlist process for several schools felt like a very taxing and ambiguous process. Working with Greg helped me break this down into tactical steps and overall made it very manageable.

What worked well:

I. Diving deep in my story- I beleive what helped me get off the waitlists was Greg's support with my introspection followed by effectively articulating what truly made me unique as a candidate to the schools. For example, in the Booth waitlist video, Greg helped me comb through Booth's website/articles to identify a theme that would be unique and most importantly, true to my story. In the HBS post-interview reflection, because of Greg's guidance, I took a more holistic view into my application to reiterate my strengths vs. the more tactical route I had in mind. This ability of Greg to help a candidate build a deep understanding of themselves and tailor it to specific MBA programs is what helped me stand out in a crowded waitlist field.

II. Building a waitlist strategy- We started with poking holes to parts of my application that may have been perceived as weakness by the adcom. During this part, I felt Greg provided feedback in an honest yet candid way. Working backwards to R2 decision dates, we mapped how many updates I can share with each school and the topics each waitlist update would address. Greg recommended that I take GRE (as I had maxed my GMAT attempts for the year) and prep course like Math for Management to establish my quantitative readiness.

III. Detailed and thoughtful feedback- There were several times Greg went above and beyond in reviewing my waitlist material. Be it an email that I sent to adcom or my waitlist video for Booth, Greg was willing to review every single part of my waitlist communication to ensure I was giving it my best. What I also noted in the written feedback provided by Greg was that he gave ample context on why he was asking me to reconsider how I had framed a sentence in my waitlist updates. This context was crucial as it became easier to come to consensus and I had a clear view on Greg's recommendation.

IV. Empathy- The MBA admission process can make you as a candidate feel very vulnerable. You need people on your side who are rooting for you and are in your corner, even your MBA admission consultant. With Greg, I felt that he was truly committed to help me get to the school of my choice. Almost every session that I booked with him ran over time ( at least 15-20 mins) and yet, Greg was flexible and stayed true to the discussion we were having. I had booked Greg's hourly services and he could have easily charged me for the overtime, but he chose not to.

Other context:
I had worked with another consultant for the schools that I ended up being waitlisted/rejected. My experience with this other consultant was less than positive (delayed responses, limited feedback and poor interview and waitlist support). Given this, I was keen on finding a consultant who could be transparent, was thoughtful in their feedback and most importantly, cared for my success. Greg was all of this and much more. You won't regret working with Greg as your admission consultant.

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I worked with Sarah for HBS, Booth, LBS, and a few other schools. To answer first, I got in most of them including HBS!

I think I had a few good fragmented stories, but Sarah really helped bring it to life. I mean you have an English professor who's helping you one-to-one! Her easy-going personality and humor also makes the interaction fun.

By telling my stories to Sarah and using her as a professional wall to bounce of ideas, I was able to really hone into the crux of the story, going a level deeper than what I had originally thought to bring a compelling narrative to my essay.

MBA prep is painful... but I'm glad I chose to work with Sarah to ease that pain. Thank you Sarah!

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Greg is an incredibly compassionate, patient, and gifted mentor. If you’re reading this, you’re likely feeling the stress and anxiety of the graduate school application process. Having Greg on my team was not only tactically helpful but provided a sense of security and support on an emotional level. Not only is Greg brilliant, but he’s incredibly patient and empathetic. He’s a consultant, mentor, and coach who deeply cares about his clients and works hard to ensure they’re set up for success.

Summary:
- Female (US)
- Undergraduate: Top 3 public university
- Career Background: 5 years in education; 9 years in multinational software company
- Admitted to dream program at a top-tier Ivy League graduate school

Unlike most of Avanti Prep’s clients, I was not seeking admission to an MBA program, but a unique social science master’s program at a top-tier Ivy league institution. Given it was the only program I was applying to, I was committed to doing everything I could to put my best foot forward. A close friend who worked with Greg strongly recommended I connect with him, and it was the best advice he could have given me. Greg took the time to learn about the program and what my needs were, specifically around my resume and application essays.

This was the first time I had sought and received professional support with my resume, and it was eye opening. We spent time discussing my various roles, and ultimately chose to approach it line-by-line, with Greg asking many clarifying questions along the way. He helped me synthesize my strengths and experiences, pushed me to dig deeper and identify compelling data points to strengthen my bullets, and encouraged me to add my community work and interests at the end, which I had never included before and gave it a more personal touch. We all know, formatting a resume is no easy feat, and Greg worked his magic to make sure I could fit everything cleanly on one page.

Most of our time together was spent on essays. Greg patiently listened as I shared my background and brainstorming, before helping me narrow my focus to tell the most compelling story I could. Our discussions were invaluable, from setting up the essay structure to developing my story and providing supporting evidence to strengthen my points. He challenged me to get specific and succinct, which was not always easy as I tend to get wordy in my writing.

Through this process, Greg helped me dig deep and get clear, not only on the essays and resume, but on what I want to do in the short and long term. He inspired me to dream big and I will be forever grateful for this. Needless to say, I highly recommend working with Greg and his team!

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I was a reapplicant for most T-25 schools in the latest admission cycle, and my performance went from:

Last Year: 21 Apps --> 3 Interviews --> 3 Waitlists --> 0 Admits, This Year: 21 Apps --> 13 Interviews --> 9 Admits (and 4 rejects after waitlist post interview) (total of $350,000+ in scholarships)

The major difference was in my entire "why MBA" story, connecting it with my previous work experience and describing ambitious yet plausible post-MBA career goals.
My resume was totally revamped, along with the key pointers shared with my recommenders as an exhaustive list of instances highlighting some of my key strengths.
And the targeted list of suggestions shared by him to show my love and connect with the school that I was applying to.

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Military veteran - headed to HBS after an extremely successful R1 MBA admissions cycle - Accepted at Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, and Yale.

Greg's ability to help synthesize my career into a resume was very helpful. His school specific application advice was spot-on. I especially appreciated his willingness (and the willingness of prior admits connected to Greg) to connect me to others in career fields I was interested in pursuing. These conversations helped me immensely chart a career path post MBA that was easy to put on paper and talk about to admissions personnel during interviews.

I recommend Greg constantly to others. To me, Greg was a teacher and a mentor - more than just a consultant. I look forward to staying connected to him in the future.

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GMAT: 730+
GPA: below average for T15
International

Greg is a true mentor! Before I met Greg, I had a vague idea of my post-MBA goal, but I struggled to tie it to my existing experience and justify why I needed an MBA to achieve this goal. Greg was instrumental throughout my application journey as he guided me in crafting my story and aligning it with the culture of each school.

I worked with Greg to apply to five schools (all top US and international programs). We worked on all aspects of the application process, including essay reviews, recommender feedback, and interview prep. Greg was extremely thorough with his essay reviews, and his interview prep greatly aligned with the styles of each school.

Greg is also extremely transparent and will help find the best deal for you, depending on your situation. Initially, I had planned to purchase a package for each school; however, Greg pointed out that as the applications for my target schools were largely similar, it would be more cost-effective to opt for hourly services instead of multiple packages. As a result, I saved money by selecting hourly services for all five schools. Ultimately, I was admitted to 4/5 of these schools, including an M7 and a T15 with full scholarship.

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Indian Male, GMAT:760, 2.7 years manufacturing work exp (3.5 years while matriculating)

I found about Avanti Prep from a friend. We worked together for Interview Prep. It was a great experience. Greg took the time to understand and assess me. He gave feedback on the areas where I could improve. He had specific insight into each school’s interview styles. He helped me identify my best stories and gave me a format and strategy to approach different interview questions.

I was aware of my skills and qualities which I was highlighting in the answers. But Greg made me realize how I could take more initiative and customize my answers to the school culture. This added a great value and helped me make a strong impression as schools looks look not just for people with skills but for someone who plans to create meaningful impact in the school.

Greg’s approach was very personalized. He went significantly over and above his time commitment and took a lot of time in brainstorming my strategy for each answer. Because of his coaching I was able to market myself well in the interviews as someone who doesn’t just participate in school events but also actively takes initiative and will lead various student programs.

I would strongly recommend Avanti Prep.

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GMAT - 710
Country - India
Gender - Female
Background - Entrepreneurship/Product at early-stage startups
Undergrad - Engineering from a tier 2 college
Concerns - Low GMAT score, an undergrad from a tier 2 college, work experience only in early-stage startups, how to communicate my personal story and goals

I worked with 2 US admission consultants over 2 application years, and I strongly recommend Greg. He played a crucial role in helping me get an admit at a very difficult Top-10 US program and LBS in Round 2 after I had fallen short in the previous cycle and in Round 1. He was a game-changer for me and I really believe he is the best admission consultant around. I am pretty sure I have the lowest GMAT amongst Indian students in my school, which says a lot about Greg’s impact.

Greg helped me from figuring out the right stories to guiding me on my essays to interview prep. For both the essays and interviews, Greg helped me brainstorm my most powerful stories and then structure my delivery so the Adcoms and interviewers could understand my journey and goals. Greg customised the interview prep completely for each school, helping me to prep for that school’s interview questions and guiding me on how I could share parts of my story that aligned with the school’s values.

Greg also went above and beyond to help me with genuine advice throughout this journey. He has a deep understanding of how Adcoms from different schools look at essays and applications and how an applicant can put her best foot forward with each school. Even after the admission, Greg spent time with me figuring out scholarship strategy and holding a call to answer any more questions before I moved to the US (both as a complete favor). That’s how dedicated and involved he is in his client's success.

Overall I needed someone who believed in my story and could guide me through this process. Greg was just that guy. He helped me be resilient and kept me going. I spoke with several consultants and felt that Greg was more than just someone who reviews the essays, but is instead really there to give the right direction and genuine advice. I would recommend him to anyone.

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