WORK WITH LIZA!

Given my frequent work travel and unpredictable schedule, I knew I needed a consultant to keep me on track as I did not have the time to research the various parts of the application and come up with a comprehensive strategy. Liza came highly recommended from friends who successfully got into several top U.S. programs. I must admit I was skeptical about enlisting a consultant at first given the hefty prices and the numerous consultant ads I saw online. However, after I spoke with Liza over our 30-min initial consultation, I was blown away by her professionalism, knowledge, and most importantly, her enthusiasm. Immediately after we spoke, I signed on for the “Start to Finish” package for three schools.

I am a male international applicant with 4 years of experience in private equity ( a few years split in the U.S and Asia), graduated with a degree in business with a >3.8 GPA and a low 700s GMAT. I felt that my profile was rather typical and hence required a tremendous amount of work to highlight my unique attributes.

Liza was immensely helpful when it came to helping me distill my diverse experiences into what truly mattered as some of the stories I initially felt were compelling were actually not the ones that reflected my authentic self. Not only was Liza extremely patient and easy to talk to, her wealth of experience meant that she knew exactly which stories were worth drilling down on. I believe being able to convey an authentic (and cohesive) story is one of the keys to success and should not be overlooked. Everyone has unique experiences (however unimportant they may seem at first) and Liza was critical in helping me uncover them.

Though Liza is your biggest cheerleader (she never forgets when you are scheduled to take the GMAT or interview), she is also realistic when it comes to setting expectations. For example, she told me that my chances were much slimmer at my target schools with a 650 GMAT vs. a 700+ and encouraged me to persevere (even if that meant pushing my applications back by a round). I heeded her advice and was ultimately successful.

Working with Liza was a breeze. Her responsiveness and efficiency was incredible. She always met the pre-determined deadlines and made time to respond to my incessant “Quick Question” emails. Though admissions teams try to make the process as clear as possible, minor questions are bound to surface. The questions ranged from essay formatting and short answer responses to the inclusion of internship experience and GPA scales. Though these seemingly secondary questions could have been answered via emails to the schools, Liza was able to address them almost instantly. Liza knows the answer to almost everything, and if she does not know, she makes sure she finds you one.

Liza also consistently goes out of her way to help her clients. There are many instances of this but some of the most memorable ones would be when she reached out to her colleagues for additional feedback on my candidacy, application, and essays (especially when I pushed back on some of her comments). Aware that I was struggling with my GMAT, she helped find and recommend a few tutors. Liza also works with her colleagues to ensure the mock interviews were customized to address my weaknesses (so that I was prepared for the real thing). Lastly, even after the acceptances rolled in she took time to walk me through each program and help me think through which program best aligned with my ultimate career goals (at this point she probably knows me better than I know myself).

In the end, I was accepted to H/S/W and could not have done it without Liza’s help!