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Alex Leventhal Reviews

Company: Prep MBA

Alex Leventhal has been an MBA Admissions consultant since 2005. As one of the most experienced professionals in the industry, he has helped hundreds of applicants achieve their goal of acceptance into a highly-ranked MBA program.

He has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Poets & Quants and other top publications. Alex has been named one of the industry’s Top 10 Consultants by Poets & Quants in both years they have compiled their annual global rankings.

In addition to his private coaching, Alex has authored a career guide for MBA applicants, and regularly lectures on interviewing and the MBA application process at the Harvard Club of Southern California.

Prior to his work as an Admissions Consultant, Alex worked as a management consultant and held various VP of Marketing positions working for companies such as Johnson & Johnson and Siebel Systems. Alex has worked in both the United States and Europe, and currently enjoys working with clients from Boston to Brussels to Beijing.

Alex holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a B.A. in Philosophy from Haverford College. Alex grew up in New York City and attended the highly selective Horace Mann School.

5.0 /5 Average Rating
Based on 117 reviews
July 24, 2022
AliHall93

Joined: Jul 24, 2022

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
760 Q49 V44 (Online)

Highly recommend!

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I would strongly recommend Alex to any prospective applicants considering applying to the top schools. Before proceeding with Alex I spoke to a number of other admissions consulting services and what struck me was Alex’s honesty and how he was immediately able to identify the weaknesses in my profile – but also suggest how to address them.

I had a muddled idea of how to put together my application, didn’t have clear career goals and came from a nonstandard pre-MBA job. Alex explained the importance of a clear, compelling story in an application and we spent hours poring over all areas of my experience before even addressing an application question. He was able to organise my background, education, professional experience and extracurricular activities together to formulate a strong, coherent argument.

I am confident I would not have received offers were it not for Alex’s help – he was always available over the phone and offered speedy, thorough suggestions and feedback each time I sent through drafts or had any questions – my writing can be a little verbose so his help editing essays was very helpful! On top of this, the interview preparation and practice was immeasurably useful in having the confidence and being ready to give articulate and concise responses to questions.

Alex’s honesty, diligence and his personal approach are exceptional and he would be an invaluable resource to anyone approaching the application process.

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April 10, 2022
krotkrot

Joined: Apr 10, 2022

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Accepted to Wharton

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I worked with Alex on three schools and was accepted to Wharton with a merit scholarship. Starting off in the application process, I knew I wanted to work with a consultant; after getting on initial calls with a couple experts, Alex stood out by being direct about the advantages and disadvantages of my profile. I knew I would be getting his unfiltered, tactical advice from 15+ years of experience and was confident that he had a vested interest in my success.

Alex was a huge value add when it came to my career purpose. I was originally prepared to write about a direction that was not as clear and supported, but he edited my goals into a coherent vision that made it abundantly clear why I wanted to go to business school. I feel strongly that this was a crucial piece to my acceptance, tying together my application materials, and it is so cogently laid out I would go so far as to say it has become a real life roadmap for pursuing my long term goal!

Alex was also critical in my interview preparation. During our practice, he adeptly identified my weaknesses in both content and presentation. From his experience with the process, Alex identified my natural strengths and key tactics that would allow me to capitalize on these assets, and his feedback on how to present myself including minute details like hand placement was a massive differentiator in a remote setting.

Alex is a vastly experienced consultant and talented counsellor who can get to the heart of any applicant’s story. Alex will not hold your hand and do all the work for you, but he provides the extra, personal boost you need in an ultra-competitive and sometimes murky MBA application environment.

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April 07, 2022
salmander256

Joined: Dec 29, 2017

Posts: 0

Kudos: 5

Accepted into Wharton!

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As an international applicant with a non-traditional background, I had very little knowledge of the MBA process especially with regard to the top US schools I was applying for; nor did I have many friends who had gone through the process before. I therefore set up several complimentary calls with consultants, ranging from the big-name firms to the more bespoke outfits where you’d be working with the founder of that firm directly. My key criteria were that the consultant could empathise with and contextualize my background and help bring out the best stories from my experiences, while being brutally honest with feedback. After my introductory call with Alex, I knew he fit the bill 110%. He spent a considerable amount of time during that first call understanding my life, my motivations for pursuing an MBA and where adcoms might perceive my weaknesses e.g. my lower-than-average GMAT and quant skills. I also really liked that he was intimately familiar with the healthcare space having had years of experience in the field, and even helped introduce me to one of his ex-clients before I committed to a school package, which was a really nice gesture.

Alex did not disappoint on those expectations. I decided to work with him over the course of 4 months on a comprehensive 3-school package for Harvard, Stanford and Wharton (2 of which I got interviews for, 1 waitlist). He worked tirelessly with me on brainstorming, fine-tuning my stories and just being a soundboard, taking my essays in creative directions that I feel many other consultants might find it hard-pressed to. He allayed many of my concerns throughout the process and was always on standby to help where needed, especially when it came towards interview preparation.

I can say without reservation that without Alex’s mentorship, brutal candor and sincerity, I would not have got that dream acceptance letter to Wharton. More than that, I am really grateful for his conviction in my success applying to these schools from day one. He is a model consultant and I could not recommend him enough to anyone going through this process.

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April 03, 2022
Mich73

Joined: Apr 03, 2022

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Accepted to Haas with a great scholarship!

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Coming from an over-represented demographic plus having a lower GRE score, I am beyond excited to find out about my acceptance to Haas with a great scholarship amount, especially in this highly competitive year where Haas is downsizing student recruitment overall.

I first got in touch with Alex through a friend’s referral, and from the first Zoom meeting I could tell all the good comments about him that I saw online were true. He is very smart, experienced, gives me authentic advice and will not BS anyone. He never let anyone else handled my case, and his service was very personal.

It’s a great fortune to get to know Alex and work with him on my application. He offered professional guidance for every aspect of my application, and I want to thank him for pointing out my weaknesses and pushing me to think more thoroughly about my career plans. He always knows how to be more logical and how to structure writings/interviews better. Although my application process is pretty short, I could tell that he knows the details of my life stories really well, and can always offer me a new angle to brainstorm ideas and connect dots.

Alex is someone I would love to keep in touch with, and I’ve gained more than two great offers from my dream programs (and scholarships that I didn’t expect) – my writing skills, interview skills and overall skills to present stories in a more clear, logical way have significantly improved thanks to him.

I would recommend Alex Leventhal to any MBA applicant who is seeking for professional advice. You will get more than what you pay for.

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April 01, 2022
SLEYTZYY

Joined: Apr 01, 2022

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
690 Q50 V33 (Online)

Admitted to Booth!

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I did a lot of research on the MBA admissions consultants, and talked with more than 10 people. Alex is definitely the most patient consultants during the initial consultation. He even had another consultation with me, since I had follow-up questions about his services and my applications. He made very sincere suggestions based on my profile and didn’t sugar coating anything. I didn’t end up with having comprehensive packages with him, because I didn’t have a very competitive score, and he was quite frank with me about that. Later on, when I had higher score, and I did hourly service with him.

I really enjoyed working with Alex. There are three things I was most impressed with: he really wants the best of his client, his flexibility, and his patience.

First, he really wants the best of his clients and was very creative. For both my essays and interviews, there are several times when I found myself pretty satisfied already, but his feedbacks really made me think harder and get the essays and my interview answers to a better level. He did not only provide comments, but also talked to me and helped me come up with the stories and the answers. For example, he really helped me figure out the entire story of my career plans. He was always able to come up with a different angle at presenting my experiences, and he was very creative on getting the essays to the word limits.

Second, Alex is very flexible and always tried his best to accommodate my schedule. There is countless time he worked at nighttime and over the weekend for me. There are two stories I was impressed the most. Once, I got an urgent question, I texted him pretty late at night, and he responded back to me right away with a very thorough answer. Another time, it was right before a school application deadline, he tested COVID positive, but he still reviewed the essays for me so that I can submit my application on time.

Lastly, he is very very very patient. I got panicked and had a million of question along the application process. Every single time, he answered my questions very patiently. One example, English was my second language, and I was so concerned about grammatical mistakes on my essays and resumes. He noticed that, and he was always very patiently double checking those stuff for me and making sure everything is correct.

I strongly recommend Alex Leventhal for MBA application advisory. I wish I had him for his comprehensive packages at the beginning. All my interactions was with him directly, and I can clearly tell that he personally did all the work himself. Because of his effort, my applications were brought to a whole new level, and I am so grateful for his kindness, patience, flexibility and creativity.

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February 14, 2022
RM23

Joined: Feb 14, 2022

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Accepted to Columbia!

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Alex is a seasoned veteran when it comes to business school (MBA) applications and I would recommend him to anyone who is looking for best-in-class guidance. You can easily tell working with Alex that he’s been doing this for a long time and knows how to help his clients put their best foot forward.

Coming from an untraditional background, I struggled with having a clear direction on what I wanted to do professionally post MBA and how it all connected with my past work experiences. Alex spent a considerable amount of time with me over multiple calls and emails to think through my career goals, why I needed an MBA and ultimately helped me tie it all together with my past and future career plans.

I worked with Alex for about 6 months and I could always rely on him to give me prompt and thoughtful feedback. He was my soundboard throughout and if I were to redo the whole application process again - I would choose to work with him again!

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January 14, 2022
laurel1996

Joined: Sep 08, 2021

Posts: 28

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
760 Q49 V44

Accepted to HBS and Wharton!

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I made the decision to apply only to HSW this year, fully aware of the risk involved and ready to re-apply the following year if I had to (spoiler: I don't!). Coming from a family business background, with strong hard stats but weaker extracurriculars, I wanted to find the right admissions consultant to help guide me through the process. I did my homework and interviewed about 10 of the top MBA admissions consultants.

Alex quickly differentiated himself from the rest. In the free 30-minute consultation, he took the time to understand my background and motivations for applying to business school, and gave a thoughtful and honest assessment of my candidacy. He completely understood my school list and was ready to help me succeed. The other consultations I took were either a sales pitch, or they tried to talk me into applying to 3 or 4 other schools. Alex's process of working 1-on-1 with each applicant also stood out, as many of the top admissions coaches are often volume shops that pass you on to a more junior consultant.

Working with Alex made the application process so much smoother - and dare I say enjoyable! He started with a comprehensive questionnaire about my life and background that served as groundwork for many of my essays and short responses. His career goals exercise was so useful for me to better understand my goals - I felt like even if I didn't get into business school, I had a lot more clarity on my career path. He also encouraged me to take my HBS essay in a more personal direction than I otherwise would have, and I strongly believe this essay helped me stand out and secure an interview. There's a lot of noise online about the application process and essay writing, and Alex's guidance cuts through all of that. I felt confident that I had put my best foot forward when hitting submit on my applications.

Alex's interview prep was invaluable. I was extremely nervous about this stage of the process, and the mock HBS interview helped me understand what to expect and where I could improve. Alex is not shy about giving direct feedback and always told me what I needed to hear, even when it wasn't easy to hear. It's clear that he has deep insight into what adcoms are "looking for" and how to present the best version of yourself.

I'd recommend Alex without reservation. He will coach you through the admissions process with humor, calming energy, and honest feedback. I'm excited to join the HBS class of 2024, and I couldn't have gotten here without him!

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December 10, 2021
applicant2121

Joined: Feb 21, 2019

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
740 Q49 V42

Accepted to Columbia and Kellogg!

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I spoke to four other admissions consulting firms before finally meeting with Alex after he came highly recommended from an alum from my firm. From that initial consultation, I could tell Alex offered a uniquely tailored approach. Alex put time into getting to know me personally, which allowed us to construct a compelling AND authentic MBA application together. I especially appreciate that Prep MBA is HIS full-time business – this is not a part-time gig for Alex, and it shows.

I applied to five M7 schools, three of which I worked on with Alex. Through direct help from Alex and applying what I learned from Alex to the schools I was applying to “on my own,” I received acceptances at Columbia and Kellogg. Alex’s help didn’t stop when I got in. Not only did Alex advise me on waitlist management, but he also acted as a soundboard to help me decide which program to attend. Ultimately, we agreed that Columbia is the best fit for me, and I couldn’t be more excited!

I’ve already recommended Alex to friends/colleagues who are looking for a trustworthy, effective admissions consultant, and I will continue to do so.

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November 09, 2021
rossadmit2022

Joined: Nov 09, 2021

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Admitted to my Top Choice

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I had been thinking about applying to business school for a number of months before deciding that I would seek the help of an admissions consultant. I came across an article on Poets and Quants about the best admissions consultants of 2020: https://poetsandquants.com/2020/08/26/best-mba-admission-consultants-of-2020/. What stood out to me in that article was that only four consultants made the Poets and Quants list every year since the site started this list, and, out of those four, only Alex was the sole proprietor of his consultancy. I read the reviews about Alex and his services and saw that Alex seemed to have a reputation for personal service and candor. As such, Alex fit the profile of the qualities that I was looking for in an admissions consultant – consistently ranked highly, personal service, and someone who would give it to me straight.

When I first spoke to Alex, I could immediately see why he was consistently ranked highly among admissions consultants. He began with asking me questions about me, my background, and my goals. It felt like he was taking the time to get to know me as a person first, which I greatly appreciated. Alex then very thoroughly explained the process of working with him and while doing that demonstrated a deep understanding of the various facets of business school admissions. Alex does not mince words. He made clear to me that the application process requires significant investment of time and energy and that we would have to put in extra effort to overcome the challenge of my non-traditional background and weak GPA. I signed up for a package for a mix of MBA programs, some traditional and some not.

Alex spent significant time downloading information about my personal and professional background. I saw why later when we were working on my resume and essays as he was able to recall and connect information with such ease and precision that it made the process of actually putting content down extremely efficient. He made me think about essay prompts in unique ways while still ensuring that the responses were still genuinely me. His ability to understand the purpose of each part of the application process and how they all tie together in combination with his skills of teasing out information and helping to succinctly communicate ideas helped immensely in putting together impactful content.

Alex brought his vast knowledge and coaching abilities to bear in interview prep as it helped me to understand the various types of questions that may be asked in MBA admissions interviews and how I could respond genuinely and concisely. Alex really helped me to calm my nerves and to watch out for my nervous ticks.

Overall, I would not hesitate in recommending Alex’s services to anyone. He gets to know you well and the time and effort he takes in the process as well as his vast knowledge about MBA admissions and his candor really help put together your strongest application package. Alex helped me to get into my top choice program!

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April 10, 2021
surfingjerry

Joined: Oct 13, 2019

Posts: 3

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
760 Q49 V45

Accepted to HBS!

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I spoke with several highly rated admissions consultants before connecting with Alex Leventhal and my patience certainly paid off. Most of the large admissions firms match applicants with top consultants only to then outsource the day-to-day work to other associates in a template-based process. Conversely, Alex is the only person I worked with throughout my application process—he owns PrepMBA and applies a truly personalized approach.

In the beginning stages and throughout, Alex invested considerable time in getting to know my background, interests, motivations, strengths, weaknesses, etc. This strong connection and fundamental understanding of who I am proved to be an invaluable foundation for my essay and career goals. I come from an over-represented background and was really struggling to tell my story in a unique and powerful way. After our first call on the essay, Alex offered up incredible 3rd party insight on my life path that helped me breakthrough key roadblocks. He always served as a helpful guide, providing me the space to craft the stories in my own way.

I went through many drafts of essays for each school, but Alex consistently provided thoughtful feedback on each iteration in a timely manner—always within 1-2 days even as we approached the application deadlines. His honest and personable approach made it easy for me to open up and translated to a synergistic partnership. At the end, I achieved my lifelong goal of being admitted to HBS! I’m excited to recommend Alex to my friends and family in the future.

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