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 45 reviews
July 19, 2024
lllllllllli

Joined: Jan 07, 2023

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

I wouldn’t be where I am without Admissionado.

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Throughout nearly a year, John provided invaluable guidance and support on my story, resume. I believe that, despite my GMAT score being below the program's average, John's expertise in helping me build my MBA profile saved me.

While I wasn’t accepted to 4 schools that I applied with Admissionado, the essays crafted with John's help were repurposed for applications to 2 other schools. From both of them I received offers, where I ultimately found my fit.

I wholeheartedly recommend Admissionado (and their gold plan) and express my deepest gratitude to John for his unwavering support throughout my MBA application journey.

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May 30, 2024
aaguer

Joined: Aug 03, 2022

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

John Can Do It All! - (Non Traditional Background)

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Amazing ROI !!!

My experience with John was wonderful. He helped to identify and highlight my strengths, downplay the negatives, and guide my highly diverse and complicated background into a winning story. I employed John 8 months before application deadlines and he helped me with everything from planning out and editing my essays, letters of recommendation, to picking schools and guiding me through the nuances of each school application with a custom strategy in mind. He offered his advice on meeting with admissions counselors and how to navigate my tricky legal past. I had a rocky academic journey as well.

John and the whole team were super responsive and caring, working tirelessly to assist during this process and the results were amazing! I got into all the schools they assisted with and reduced tuition/scholarships to 3 of the 4.

I applied to the top 4 PT MBA programs of 2024:
#1 - University of Chicago - BOOTH School of Business - ADMITTED w/ $20K Scholarship
#2 - University of California - Berkeley HAAS School of Business - ADMITTED w/ $15k Scholarship
#3 - Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Business - ADMITTED w/ Accelerated Option $38k reduced tuition
#4 - New York University - Stern School of Business - ADMITTED

Background and Challenges:
- 35 year old
- Past legal trouble
- Food Sales/Account Executive (6 years)
- Rocky Academic's - 6 years complete BBA (Had an F and a D+)
- Graduated with Bachelor's in December and applied immediately
- University of Michigan BBA in Finance 3.77 GPA
- Executive Assessment Score: 152

Well worth the investment!!!

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February 22, 2024
schutter

Joined: Feb 22, 2024

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

John & Team Exceeded Expectations

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John and the Admissionado team were exceptional. Right away, John focused my efforts on the programs that made the most sense for my goals and constraints. He identified my strengths and weaknesses and knew how I should present myself to admission committees. Most notably, I found their essay planning/iterative drafting service to be invaluable. John and the team provided timely and thorough feedback and kept me on track to meet all of my deadlines. I was accepted by my first choice, and John was a critical reason why. I choice to do a la carte services, but going, but would consider the gold package if I were to do it all again. Well worth the cost!

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January 04, 2024
MBAJourney_88

Joined: Jun 10, 2023

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

John's Exceptional Support

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John's support and his positive mentality is his biggest strength. I was initially so overwhelmed and anxious and felt dismissed by other counselors who seemed indifferent to my application. John, on the other hand, immediately boosted my confidence by emphasizing my unique qualities instead of fixating on the flaws in my application.

John's support was so valuable when I faced setbacks, like scoring lower on my third GRE attempt. John swiftly eased my panic, helping me refocus on strengthening other aspects of my application. Although I didn't get into my dream school, Stanford, I leveraged the materials we developed for the other programs I applied to, including HBS, Wharton, CBS, MIT, and Kellogg.

Thanks to John's guidance, I received offers from CBS and Kellogg and have decided on CBS for the fall. I'm so grateful to John for his invaluable assistance. Thank you once again!

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January 20, 2023
DillionJacobs12

Joined: Jan 20, 2023

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

John&Team = Secret Sauce. Booth Admit (4/4 Schools)

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John and the team at Admissionado are unrivaled. There are tons of services out there but nothing will get as close to perfect execution as them. I got accepted to all 4 schools in the first round and by no means have a 'stand out' profile. As someone who started as a skeptic, not only did the change my viewpoint, but they helped me at every possible hurdle that I came across with poise. There dedication, responsiveness, and depth of knowledge really stands out and shined through as I went through the admissions process. I cannot recommend them highly enough. Whether an MBA has been a life long pursuit, or you are just looking to advance yourself, John and team will not only help you deliberate best fit but get you admitted. The confidence they instilled in me, had me unwavering through the entirety of the process. No matter the challenge, question, concern (scores/grades/etc)...John and team WILL rise to the occasion and you'll be happy you partnered with them.

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December 24, 2022
tusharmittal98

Joined: Jun 24, 2019

Posts: 11

Kudos: 6

Verified GMAT Classic score:
750 Q50 V41

Phenomenal service!

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I worked with John on 3 schools, eventually securing an offer from Wharton! I honestly couldn't have done it without him.

I had spoken with many admissions consultants before deciding to go with Admissionado. I felt an instant fit with John in our free consultation call and was amazed by how well he understood me. What impressed me most was how John picked out strengths from my profile that I didn't even think of. When I initially went to John, I was worried that my GMAT score at the time (which I later improved) would disadvantage me, but that didn't deter him from taking on this challenge, instilling a great deal of confidence, especially as someone coming from a competitive demographic.

Throughout the process, John was accessible and struck a great balance between being positive and pragmatic. Where necessary, John pushed me to think more deeply about my essays, because of which I was able to write great essays. He was also incredibly patient throughout and spent several hours with me on call to answer all my questions.

The initial Action Plan John put together for me provided a great framework for applications that I wasn't working on with John, allowing me to get several interview invites and another admit.

Special shoutout to Claudia, Rose and Krystal for being flexible and working around my requirements! Highly recommend working with John & Admissionado :)

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December 22, 2022
012345asdfgh

Joined: Dec 21, 2022

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

The Best of the Best

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If you know you want an MBA but have literally no idea where to start (like me) but want the best of the best, then John is your guy. John and I clicked right off the bat. And let me tell you, I interviewed 8+ MBA top-tier programs. So why did John and his team work so well for me? Let me tell you that my profile isn't exactly what one would call "eligible" for a top tier MBA program (I was aiming for the top 5 MBA schools). When I interviewed other MBA consulting firms, I actually had one consultant (verbatim) tell me to adjust my aspirations from a Top 5 MBA program to more of a Top 15 to Top 25 program. They did not believe in me. John did.

I really didn't have too much direction when I first applied to the MBA programs, but by actively listening to my goals, my concerns, and my future career aspirations, John and his team helped steer me in the right direction. They communicated with me even during the weekends (and communication is extremely important to me), they were very helpful, insightful, and they really helped me tweak my resume, essays, and even interview prep for the top B-Schools.

Not only did I get into my dream schools but I also got scholarship money as well. I could never have done this on my own.

I would recommend John (and his team) in a heartbeat.

The fact that you get access to a team and not just 1 consultant was also really important to me. I had cheerleaders who had my back and actually cared for my success.

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December 19, 2022
MBAhopeful2023

Joined: Dec 19, 2022

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
700 Q44 V41

John Miles Provides a Clear Path to Success

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John was incredible throughout the entire process. When I was first considering his services, we had an introductory call where he reviewed my current standing in detail. He highlighted areas of strength as well as my areas that I had to work on improving to ensure I presented the base case to the admissions committees. Once we started working together, he really pushed me to view things through the same lense that the admissions committees would be using. That was helpful for me as I have spent 10 years in the professional world, so changing my view was important for me to do given this new audience. He was also very frank and succint with his feedback. It was very clear that he took the job of helping me get into business school seriously and we weren't going to waste any of our time working together on anything that wasn't going to directly improve my chances of admission. I really appreciated his dedicated approach and all of his help and guidance paid off in a big way. I would strongly recommend that anyone considering hiring a consultant talk to John as he'll give you an honest assessment of where you stand and work with you to ensure you are presenting your best self to schools.

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December 14, 2022
Mattgalva

Joined: Nov 15, 2017

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Awesome - very happy

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Pursuing an MBA was a goal of mine for many years. It took a while for the timing to be right and I knew I needed some help from an expert to create the best possible finished product of an application. I searched around a few of the top tier admissions consulting firms and had introductory calls/ meetings with at least 4. Simply put, I had a better feeling when it came to Admissionado and speaking with John Miles for the first time. I felt that he was very honest and motivating - I could tell we would work well together and I would leverage a lot from his insight and direction. I signed up. What was equally impressive, and critical to my experience, was how organized the communication and process was from the start. I admittingly was more directionless than your average MBA candidate in that I was not 100% sure what type of program or even what focus I wanted to pursue in an MBA. John was great in listening to me to talk and dissecting my interests into a path. He was great in tweaking my resume and application including essays. I ended up applying to only 1 school and was accepted. I am very happy and thrilled to be starting my journey soon. I am certain I would not have been as confident submitting my application as I was without John and the Admissionado team. Thank you John!!

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December 03, 2022
ssuarez4

Joined: Apr 28, 2020

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
680 Q45 V38 (Online)

Great Experience

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I worked with John on a reach school for me given my GMAT score was lower than average, and I believe that I was able to offset my lower test score through writing great essays with John's help and guidance. The application for the school that I applied to included many small essays, and John assisted me with each one of them thus helping me make a strong and cohesive application. We were able to leverage my background and build a compelling narrative for me to use during my applications. John was always available to answer any other questions that that I would have, even questions unrelated to the MBA program itself. Further, the package that I purchase included other ancillary services, including interview preparation, which I found immensely helpful. Overall, I had a great experience working with John and the Admissionado team. I would 100% recommend John to anyone looking for a consultant. Of note, I tried applying to an MBA program by myself a few years back and my application that I crafted with John is far better than anything that I could and did come up with on my own.

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