We are often asked our opinion of MBA Admissions Consulting. We believe that
MBA Admissions Consulting is a valuable service that can significantly boost your chances of admission to your top-choice business schools.
Some GMAT students are able to self-study and achieve successful results on their own. Similarly, some MBA applicants can successfully handle all facets of business school applications themselves. In both situations, however, the vast majority of MBA aspirants would benefit tremendously and maximize their results by using GMAT preparation and Admissions Consulting services.
You should feel very comfortable working with the Admissions Consulting firm that you select and the particular consultant at that firm with whom you will directly interact. Your consultant will be a key advisor who will help you craft all aspects of your business school applications. If you don’t trust and like your admissions consultant, the working relationship is unlikely to be productive.
An Admissions Consulting firm should demonstrate expertise and add value to your application strategy before you sign-up with a particular firm. To asses this, we suggest that you undertake the following research on the firms that you are considering:
- Carefully read through the firm’s website and consider what value you ultimately derive from this. A firm that delivers value on its website is much more likely to deliver value in its services. A simple website with minimal information is a red flag.
- Look for bios of the firm’s founder and consultants.
- Read testimonials from former clients.
- Discover what resources and advice the website offers.
- Schedule a free consultation. Top-quality firms happily offer consultations, and a firm that does not offer a free consultation is simply not worth considering. After the consultation, assess how valuable you found the session.
- Did you get advice tailored to your specific situation, or were you offered a generic sales pitch?
- Did you get honest feedback about your chances of admission?
- Did the person you speak with listen to you and respectfully answer all your questions?
- Did the firm’s representative seem to care about helping you and ensuring a good fit, or just pressuring you to sign up for services?
Not surprisingly, these are the same criteria that you should use in choosing a GMAT preparation company.
There are many Admissions Consulting firms out there. Rather than present a lengthy directory of such firms, we present a curated list of what we believe are the best firms in the industry. We selected the firms that we believe possess outstanding experience and expertise. We have spoken with a key executive at these firms to ensure that they share the values that we espouse. Furthermore, some of our prior clients have used these firms’ services and have reported their positive feedback.
We are confident that these Admissions Consulting firms strive to deliver excellent value to their clients. Review the websites of these firms and then reach out to two or three of them for free consultations. Please note that the firm bios presented below have been supplied by the respective companies.
ARINGO Consulting
ARINGO Consulting has been helping professionals reach their goals since 2003, making ARINGO one of the most experienced MBA admissions consulting firms in the industry. ARINGO
consultants assist applicants in choosing the appropriate business schools, developing an application strategy, writing a resume (CV) and strong essays, and selecting the recommenders who will best support their application. ARINGO also offers assistance in interview preparation and assistance in applying for scholarships and financial aid. Over 80% of ARINGO's 7+ hour
clients received an offer to one of their first choice business schools, and ARINGO clients were awarded over $8 million in scholarships in the last 5 years! The
ARINGO MBA Blog provides the latest updates on admissions and its clients' success. Wondering where you stand? Try ARINGOS's free
admissions chances calculator or sign up for a
free consultation.
Candidate Coach
Candidate Coach is a boutique admissions consulting firm with a global reach. Based in Paris, France, founder Eric Lucrezia has been an education and coaching professional since 2000. Originally from New York and working in schools in the US, Spain, Australia, and France, Eric has refined a strategy for success that works by getting to know his clients on a personal level to help them tell stories that are authentic, unique, and yet adapted specifically for each school. Eric is also the author of the country-specific
"Getting into an MBA" book series, which walks through the admissions journey from A to Z and includes guides for the United States, UK, France, and Canada. He is also the host of the
weekly vidcast, MBA Waves, which hosts special guests each week diving into topics related to MBA admissions, business, and education.
Contact Eric for a free consultation.
Crimson Education
Crimson MBA is a premier MBA admissions advisory / career coaching firm dedicated to helping prospective MBA students gain admission to top business schools around the world and navigate their careers. Since 2018, over 90% of Crimson clients who applied to the M7 business schools have successfully received at least one offer, and over 65% end up with multiple offers. Crimson is proud to have maintained an impressive 98% placement rate at elite European schools like Cambridge, Oxford, INSEAD and London Business School. Crimson combines the expertise of FAOs, Elite MBA strategists, and career coaches to offer unparalleled guidance through the MBA application process. Every MBA candidate brings a unique set of experiences and aspirations, and Crimson prides itself on its ability to understand and leverage this diversity to your advantage. With a presence in 28 markets globally, Crimson is equipped to provide localized insights that enhance your application, no matter where you're from.
Contact Crimson for a free consultation.
The Jaffe Advantage
The Jaffe Advantage is a boutique admissions advisory founded by
Pamela Jaffe, a Columbia MBA and eleven year consulting veteran. Pamela began her admissions consulting career in 2010, working as a part-time consultant for one of the largest and most established admissions consulting companies in the US while simultaneously pursuing a full-time career in the corporate world. She found her passion helping candidates gain admissions to their dream schools and eventually left corporate America to launch her own firm. Pamela brings a unique blend of business experience and admissions know-how to help candidates define their goals and create their unique story. A strong believer in partnership, Pamela offers mostly comprehensive packages in order to fully engage with each and every client. She has helped hundreds of students gain entry into all top 20 US programs (often with scholarships!) as well as INSEAD, LBS, Oxford, Cambridge, and IESE.
Contact Pamela for a free consultation.
