Angela Rocks!!

I didn’t think I would get to write this, but I was recently accepted to my dream MBA program at Columbia and I could not have done it without Angela.

I’ve wanted to go to Columbia Business School for a long time but only decided in January to apply this year. By then, I had already missed the first two deadlines which put me in the infamously dreaded “round 3” within Columbia’s rolling admission process. Moreover, although I had good academics and work experience, my GMAT score was on the lower end of the spectrum. I had the story and the passion, but given my GMAT and timing, I knew that I would need the best help I can get.

I remembered meeting Angela during an MBA Mission session through Forte’s MBALaunch program over a year ago and loved her presentation. I decided to reach out to her specifically after speaking to almost a dozen other consultants (Stacey Blackman, Admit Advantage, Veritas, Accepted.com, MBA Admit, etc.), some of whom basically told me that I would be better off waiting until early decision next year to apply. I knew my chances were very slim but despite the naysayers, my mind was made up to give absolute my best shot and apply this year. Angela managed my expectations but ultimately said “let’s do this, and don’t look back.”

For the next two months, she became my compass, guide, coach, and friend through the entire process. We brainstormed strategically to craft my application in a way that was distinctively unique and true to me. It wasn’t easy and it was a ton of work; there were a lot edits and going back to the drawing board but Angela guided me through every single aspect of my story. She called me out on parts of my essays that were just not good enough and told me start over. I didn’t want just a good application; I wanted the most outstanding application that I can put together and Angela was on the same page with me every step of the way. Even when I disagreed with her feedback, we would get on the phone and talk it through in order to get to a point where we both felt confident on the approach. Applying to business school ended up being one of the most challenging experiences in my life. There were moments when I wanted to just give up and wait until early decision next year but Angela helped me push forward through her awesome pep talks. Her straightforwardness coupled with her genuine determination to see me succeed was incredibly refreshing.

By the time I clicked “submit” near the end of February, I knew I was extremely proud and happy with my application no matter what the outcome. Still, given the statistics of my chances, I kept my hopes in check.

Two weeks later, I almost fell out of chair when I received the invitation to interview. Angela was ecstatic for me and prepped me right away; her advice helped me to have a terrific interview. The final wait was agonizing, but amazingly, I got THE call within two weeks. Against the odds, we did it. I’m so glad to have swung for the fences this year, and Angela was absolutely the best coach to have on my side.

Here’s to our incredible “Hail Mary pass,” Angela (FTW!!)