GMAT Club

John Miles Reviews

Company: Admissionado

John is a music lover at heart (and has attended over 400 concerts), threw 80s parties in NYC in the early 2000s, and at 18 years old, held up a sign and sang a song with Sting. He also does an impression of Franck Eggelhoffer, from the film, “Father of the Bride.”

As an associative thinker, John has parlayed his ability to think of 10 ideas at once into connecting disparate things, whether people, words, or businesses. You say Portland? He will likely link Fred Armisen, Nike, and Johnny Marr (of The Smiths) together. He is a “double Dukie,” which, in Blue Devil parlance, means he attended Duke for both undergrad and MBA. He was an English major, prefers writing custom poems over gifting traditional cards, and spoke to his fellow MBA classmates at graduation about how the personal activities and interests dwelling at the bottom of your resume can actually make you a more engaging professional.

He founded and runs a company that creates stories which position businesses and individuals for growth. After college, John spent 8 years at Goldman Sachs, helping to start and grow the insurance asset management business. After Fuqua, he advised early-stage companies, developing product and investment stories and sourcing business development partnerships for them, and in 2013, he was the Co-Founder of a cross-sector venture development company, Art & Science Collaborative. Based in Los Angeles at the time, he eventually helped lead the build-out of the world’s first commercial dance brand at Millennium Dance Media. He also trained for 8 months to try to qualify for the 2012 IRONMAN World Championships, but…wait for it…he didn’t qualify. Sigh.

He partners with his clients from a point of empathy, having spent much time as a pre-med student in hospitals and as a volunteer with a local ambulance. The embed we see reporting from the front lines with military teams is the analogous model John follows when guiding - with you, side-by-side through the entire journey, helping you craft, and make sense of, your own value and stories.

4.9 /5 Average Rating
Based on 47 reviews
April 20, 2021
hbjones

Joined: Apr 20, 2021

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Outstanding Admissions Consultants!

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I first reached out to Admissionado in 2016 with the team. We began the consulting process when I decided to take a pause on the MBA application process and instead accepted a job. When I reached back out in 2020 the team picked right back up where we left off. They honored my initial package and redid a strategy session with me to understand all that happened in my career since last we spoke. When evaluating my overall profile, John and the Admissionado team encouraged me and gave me the confidence to go after top schools in Round 1, despite my below-average GMAT and GPA stats, and accelerated timeline (I began the process in mid-August 2020). They helped me set up a very detailed workplan to get my admissions package together in time to meet the Round 1 deadlines for my target programs, and kept their team ahead of that plan.

John really impressed me with how invested in my story he was. By truly understanding who I was, my vision for my career, John helped me craft my essay so that I came to life on paper. Additionally, John’s specific admissions journey (Fuqua acceptance with average stats) provided insights and encouragement during my journey. I initially engaged them to help me craft my essay for one of the M7 schools. As we put together the first few versions of my essay for that school, John identified that another M7 school might be a better fit for me and what I wanted to do. Prior to that conversation I lacked the confidence in applying to that school as I believed I would be an automatic reject. I will now be attending that program this fall which would not have been possible without John and the Admissionado team.

I could not recommend John and the whole Admissionado team more. They all were personable, detail oriented, and organized throughout the entire admissions process, turning a stressful situation into something very manageable. Most importantly they care. My successes were their successes. When I received my acceptances, I could not wait to share the good news with my Admissionado team!

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March 22, 2021
newgmatkid

Joined: May 03, 2017

Posts: 2

Kudos: 0

Self-reported Score:
600 Q35 V36

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND ADMISSIONADO FOR YOUR MBA APPLICATIONS!

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I had a great experience working with Admissionado! I decided to get a consulting service to sharpen my application, especially since my GMAT was average and I was struggling on how I should position my story.

I had an introductory call with a few different consultants - Admissionado was the last one. I was scheduled with John DC Miles, and after our first call, I knew John understood exactly why I was struggling. He got me. He’s extremely empathetic, having spent time in pre-med (same as me), and right then I knew who my choice of consultant would be.

John created an Action Plan based on everything we talked about: my goals, background, target schools, and other concerns. I was extremely impressed by John’s speed and ability to stitch together my story/ theme I should aim for based on my background.

The part of the application process causing the most stress for me were the essays. However, after I sent in the first draft, John returned them promptly with suggestions, edits, encouragement, and a full plan on how to structure the essay for maximum effectiveness and impact. The quality of the edits we conducted on my essays blew away my expectations. They really make sure you are being as concise as possible in all your app components: main essays, short essays, resume, and interview - no fluff. Further, Admissionado says that all drafts will be retuned within 72 hours, however I noticed John was returning most drafts much sooner - and even working weekends - when I would have the most time.

I ended up getting in to all the top schools on my list except for one!

I want to thank John (who I HIGHLY recommend), and the whole Admissionado team (Claudia and Rose) for their help, encouragement, and prompt responses. I was DREADING planning my essays and undertaking the application process, but their support took the pain out of the process, and looking back, I had fun! When it came time for interviews, I was not nervous at all because I was prepped so well for anything they could throw my way. I highly recommend Admissionado if you ever think about getting a consulting service for your MBA application. Five stars aren’t enough to express my gratitude or show the quality of their service.

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March 17, 2021
jts6293

Joined: Mar 17, 2021

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
680 Q47 V35

Do not Recommend

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I worked with John during the 2020 admission cycle. I can confidently say the Admissionado program is essentially nothing more than a essay review service and the advice provided led to no tangible difference in my applications. I was not accepted to any of the programs in which I used John, I would highly advise not spending your money on this service.

Overall I would say that the helpfulness was low. The process was stressful and they focused too heavily on attempting to sell you additional services. They did not meet my expectations. The value for money is definitely very low.

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January 03, 2021
chrisk23

Joined: Jul 13, 2019

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

John is a phenomenal consultant

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Before signing up for Admissionado, I did a few free consultations and was unimpressed by their cookie cutter approach and encouraging me to only apply to schools where my GMAT score was 20-40 points above the average. After my initial consultation with Admissionado, I had a follow up call with John and was impressed with how personable he was and confidence he demonstrated in his ability to get someone like me coming from a tough demographic and work experience in finance into a top ten school. I was particularly drawn to his personal background getting into Fuqua with below average stats and his understanding how to craft a coherent story that highlights not only my work experience, but also incorporating my life story to overcome my average GMAT score.

As long as you bring the creativity and are willing to put in the work, John and the Admissionado team excel at crafting your story to demonstrate the qualities sought after by the adcom and there is no reason you will not obtain admission to one of your top choices.

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December 20, 2020
lexatru

Joined: Dec 20, 2020

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Quality MBA advisors

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I could not recommend Admissionado more. They stood out from the start for being true experts, responsive, positive, and personable. The MBA process is stressful and those qualities, eminent from the get-go, made choosing Admissionado amid a sea of other MBA advisory firms a no-brainer.

My consultant, John DC Miles, is awesome. He takes the time to get to know you...and not just your "B-school stats"...he invests his time getting to know what motivates you and what qualities and experiences will position you best for getting into a top MBA program. He keeps it real. He's personable and best of all, he cares. I liked John from the start for his expertise and personality.

Overall, I would recommend Admissionado to anyone considering an MBA, especially if you're looking to get into a M7. You will learn so much about yourself through the admissions process...it really helps Admissionado as not only an advisor, but as a partner through the process. They're right there with you along the way. Look no further!

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December 17, 2020
Dulcedo21

Joined: Dec 16, 2020

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

John and the Admissionado team is AMAZING!

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Prior to signing up with Admissionado, I had various consultation calls with 2 other different consulting companies, after phone calls with them, I don’t think I gained much confidence to decide to work with them. While browsing reviews in the forum, those strong positive reviews for John and Admissionado triggered my attention. In the middle of my first initial consultation call with John, I knew that he is the right person who would help me better prepare my application package.

Comparing to other R1 admitted candidates, I would say my academic background is below average (graduated from Top 60 US College, 2 years of work experience and a 3.05/4.0 GPA) Given the below-average background, I don’t have much confidence to get in Fuqua, but John helped me make this happen.

John is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! If Fuqua is one of your top dream programs, I would highly recommend working with John. Given his Double Dukie background, he really knows how to craft your unique story and build up the connection between your characteristics and Fuqua spirit, which would help you easily stand out from other qualified applicants. After 4 rounds of the edit, I am amazed by those tremendous improvements and I definitely could not make this without John and his team’s effort.

Beyond the consulting service, John also cares about his client. The consulting service I had with them didn’t cover the preparation of the virtual campus visit. However, John is willing to help me review and edit the assignment for the virtual mock class presented by the Dean of FUQUA MQM program. I could remember I sent my assignment to John in the late evening around 11:30 PM and John sent back his review and suggestion right in the next day morning at 6:00 AM, 3 hours before the start of mock class. Additionally, he could remember the date I scheduled to take the GRE test and even send an encouraging email a day before the test.

Throughout the 3 months of working with John and the Admissionado team (Claudia and Rose), I am extremely grateful for all the help and support I gained from them. Starting from the Resume, essays, to the online application and mock interview, prepping with John is worth every penny!

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December 16, 2020
LexGrdn86

Joined: Aug 24, 2013

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Premier Advisers

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I began my pursuit of applying to graduate school by deciding to work with a highly reputable consultant who could assist me with preparing my application. After browsing online reviews, I narrowed my selection to a couple of consultants and reached out to the first one to learn more about their process. The first consultant decided not to work with me because I planned on applying to only one school.

Fortunately for me the team at Admissionado did not reject me for that reason and they actually gave me an opportunity to convey why I was seeking their help. I was invited to an introductory call with John. During the call I could tell that John knew how to best position my candidacy because of his experience and that he was invested in helping me succeed. John spent time crafting an action plan for me and assembled a team to assist me with revamping my resume, creating my essays and preparing me for the interviews with the admissions committee. John is jovial but cerebral and working with him will force you to bring your best foot forward during each interaction. His questions are thought provoking, he encourages you to believe in what you have to offer and you might even find yourself at your wits end at times but all the experiences you gain from working with John and his team will help you thrive and are worth every dime. With their help I was able to showcase my story to the admissions committee and land entry into a top #5 MBA program!

I requested a la carte services but in hindsight I would have gone with the deluxe package. I wholeheartedly recommend working with John and the Admissionado team.

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December 08, 2020
Claudiaaa

Joined: Dec 08, 2020

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Encouraging, well worth it and delivers

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I had a great experience working with the Admissionado team and in particular, with John Miles. His approach works well to help simplify and bring the best out of you to reach your admissions goals. I highly recommend the team and would encourage anyone seeking clarity in their application process to invest in this great service.

Something worth noting is that they are able to help you beyond your business school applications. For those looking to also get some help with other graduate school applications, they're your team.

I'm happy to announce that I will be joining UC Berkeley next year, and it is in great part thanks to this team.

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October 24, 2020
KeyWest338

Joined: Oct 24, 2020

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
700 Q42 V42

Outstanding top tier support

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This season I was targeting just one tier-1 business school to apply to, and signed up for the Jr Deluxe Package with Admissionado. I knew that I wanted to pursue an MBA, but I have little familiarity with how admissions approaches the process on their end. I wanted the professionals to take my story and highlight the pieces that would resonate the most
In the beginning I was paired with John for the complimentary call. I came away very impressed because I was able to ask John specific questions about which parts of my work history and background would appeal to my target school. One of the reasons why I went with John and Admissionado is that the free call already resulted in actionable items for my application.
Prior to our formal strategy session, the team asked me to provide background information via their standardized form. Simply put, the goal here is to blitz the Admissionado team with as much information as possible, and it took several hours for me to complete. They then analyzed, sorted, and highlighted the best fit-for-school pieces, all summarized into all into a 16-page document.
Basically, I began with my own b-school strategy. Admissionado team also came up with the strategy proposal that they felt was the best fit for my target school. John and I then got on a call and synthesized all of this together and came up with the final game plan. This is exactly the support that I was looking for.
The most important part of the process was the essays, and the package comes with 4 rounds of edits. I will say that I thought I had a good handle on the process on my first draft, but was over the word limit by 50%. Through the process and edits, we made massive changes including switching to a different aspect of my career for one of the prompts. The end result was an incredible transformation, and was virtually indistinguishable from the first! The team behind the scenes are true professionals at maximizing the quality to word-count ratio.
With John and the team’s help, I was accepted to the 1 school I applied for, and felt that the Jr Deluxe package was well worth the cost. Believe me, you will not be disappointed going with this team.

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July 06, 2020
Shaboom

Joined: Oct 22, 2017

Posts: 0

Kudos: 5

John Miles and Admissionado made the difference

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I want to start by saying I was not planning on going with Admissionado, I scheduled the free 30-minute consultation with several consultants to prepare me for the consultant that I was mentally prepared to use. They came highly recommended by my friends and had stellar reviews online. However, one call with John and I knew that my best shot was going to be with him/Admissionado.
I am an older male from an overly represented demographic ( Yep, I am exactly who you are imagining). Oh, and I also had a low GRE score at the time (which I subsequently improved) but, the thing that tipped the scales for me was John's honesty and sincerity. John was invested in knowing me, I wasn't just a GRE score. He listened and recognized the strengths that I did not know I had. At the end of the call, John said, "Yes, this is going to be difficult, but we will write the best essays and tell the adcom who you really are". This was in stark contrast to all other consultants who either were completely apathetic or gave me the standard " get a higher GMAT score" answer.
I am incredibly happy I made the right decision, over the next several weeks, John made me work hard and asked difficult questions to help craft beautiful essays and resulted in my acceptance to my ( top 2) school of choice. Everyone at Admissionado was really helpful and responsive at all times, even during the winter breaks. I highly recommend John and Admissionado for your MBA needs.

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