Accepted to Darden

I belong to an over represented demographic (Indian male). I also did not have any work experience with a strong brand name company. During my free consultation with Alex, I could see how engaged he would be. Given the fact that I’ve worked primarily for my family’s businesses, getting references is challenging and I loved how Alex was already brainstorming some great ideas in that regard during the free session.

I am a re-applicant. My previous consultant would nod to everything I’d say and never challenge my views, however bad they might’ve been. Alex, however, would not hesitate to challenge my ideas or hold his ground. Also, with Alex, you get to work with him – no juniors or English-trained associates. With my previous consultant, different people reviewed my resume, references, essays and conducted mock interviews. This approach doesn’t work – your consultant needs to know how your entire application is shaping up. Needless to say, this was a major reason I got nowhere in the previous cycle. With Alex, you get a highly trained pair of eyes to bring things together well.

Alex is very smart and connects the dots really well. At the very beginning, he made me fill out a questionnaire that focused on various aspects of my life and then spent 2-3 hours on call learning more about me. He really got to know me well (personal aspects and professional ones) and, all through the application process, I was always amazed at how he would pull out small snippets of my life that I myself had not thought of to answer application essays. He helped bring out my best side.

Alex is a Harvard MBA, sure, but he’s also witty, friendly and constantly devoted to your quest. He was extremely encouraging, helped choose schools wisely, and when I did not get anywhere except 2 waitlists in round 1, kept encouraging me for round 2. I’d never considered Darden before. It was Alex who convinced me about how good Darden was and suggested applying there – I’m so glad he doesn’t give up and does his best to advice you on what’s good for you. So far, it’s the only school I’ve gotten into across 2 years of applying and he is the singular reason I have an admission offer.

I recommend strongly Alex. He is special and a great guide. You will be doing yourself a great favor by engaging him and giving your applications their biggest boost.