I decided to apply to deferred MBA programs during the fall semester of my senior year in college and utilized ApplicantLab’s platform to guide me through the application process the following semester. I had a 640 GMAT (taken only once) and got into Harvard Business School’s 2+2 Program for the Class of 2022.

3 Reasons I HIGHLY RECOMMEND ApplicantLab:
1. ApplicantLab was founded by a HBS MBA who went through the application process herself.
I found that many other consulting companies were created by people who don’t have an MBA and thought it was a little weird that people are consulting on a process they haven’t gone through themselves. As I went through the guidance videos on ApplicantLab’s platform, many times Maria (the founder) would mention what she and her peers went through in the application process (what worked, what didn’t work) and I found this information very valuable as I was thinking about what I wanted to include in my application. Her videos are also funny and she encourages the listener many times to step back and not look at the process so seriously. It felt like a very authentic and engaging way to learn the in’s and out’s of the process.
2. The platform is simple and affordable.
The platform is super easy to use and very very affordable compared to many of the consulting services out there. In my opinion, when it comes to more than 60% of the application, I didn’t need personalized consulting. There is a lot of general admissions consulting advice that I found incredibly useful and found that I was able to easily apply it to my life and my application. I think paying thousands of $ for a personal admissions consultant is not necessary at all and ApplicantLab has the program set up to allow you to get the general admissions advice, and then provides a space that forces you to make those connections and to write them down right next to it (this became very helpful later when writing essays and thinking about the application as a whole).
3. There’s an option to purchase extra personalized consulting specific to your needs.
Lastly, in any of the other areas where you feel like you need a more personalized look or a “Sanity Check” leading up to the deadline, ApplicantLab provides that option and integrates everything you’ve already done on their platform to make it easier to take EVERYTHING you’ve written under consideration when someone looks at your profile and gives suggestions. I took advantage of this leading up to my application deadline and found it incredibly useful. My reviewer took all of my answers in my general ApplicantLab platform + my resume and gave me great advice and an outside perspective.

I have and will continue recommending ApplicantLab’s platform to all my fellow peers interested in business school in the future. I could not be more grateful for ApplicantLab and I’m super excited to attend HBS!! :)

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As a student applying to deferred programs, I was hesitant to use ApplicantLab as it seemed expensive (a real 1-1 consultant was way out of my budget). I decided to bite the bullet however and it was the best decision I made for my applications. I only applied to 3 schools but the amount of school-specific knowledge and advice in ApplicantLab was crazy - if you are applying to more schools then I can only imagine it will be of even more value to you. I was interviewed at all 3 of the schools - I’m convinced this would not have been the case if I did not follow the essay advice on the Lab.

I cannot recommend this product enough. If you are willing to go through the Lab and learn and follow the advice, ApplicantLab is 1000% worth it.

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I was admitted to an M7 with a weak profile and interviewed at at every other school I applied to (other M7s) using this service as my only guideline to writing my application. I was able to craft a great story using the essay and application advice in here as well as Maria and her team's feedback after emailing her a couple of times. They offer specific advice for different backgrounds and different MBA goals - you will be able to relate to this advice regardless of your background or how strong you are as an applicant. Maria has considered all angles when putting this together.

If you can't afford a consultant (or consider one unnecessary), try this out, its a great way to put together your apps efficiently for a reasonable price point.

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ApplicantLab was a life-saver! The user interface is easy to navigate. The videos are full of insight (and humourous!). In short, the advice is excellent. ApplicantLab helped me structure my thoughts, so that I could write the most impactful admissions essays that I could have hoped to. There is good advice on every little detail of what should (and should not!) go into the essays, so that you can really pack a punch into 500 words.
The section on advice for Interviews is excellent, too. Again, ApplicantLab guides you with insightful questions/prompts, and helps you structure your answers to a variety of potential interview questions.
The MBA admissions process is exhausting. I am glad I had ApplicantLab to support me. I am certain I would not have received an offer of admission without its help. Great value for money. I recommend their service whole heartedly!

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If you are serious about your MBA application, and if you are applying to a top business school, ApplicantLab provides everything a serious MBA applicant needs to create your best application. I can confidently say that ApplicantLab quite literally changed my life, as there was no way I would have gotten accepted to Chicago Booth without it.

When I started my MBA application process, I figured I would do it all independently. I thought I could "bootstrap" my way to a successful application. However, after struggling to craft a compelling narrative while writing my essays and drafting my resume, I researched consultant services. I loved the breadth of resources available on ApplicantLab and that I could work through the portal at my own pace. ApplicantLab helped me perfect my resume, design a compelling narrative for my essays, and prepare for my interviews.

ApplicantLab was worth every penny. Going to business school has been my dream, and I am so thankful that ApplicantLab gave me the necessary tools to put together my very best application. In my view, ApplicantLab is the best business school consultant service in the industry.

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ApplicantLab offers very succinct, structured and comprehensive advice and guidance that were extremely helpful for me throughout my preparation phase. It was very easy to navigate the platform without getting bored or overwhelmed with information. There are a lot of videos that make the learning experience insightful and fun at the same time. Also, it helped me plan for my next steps and remain disciplined in my prep.

Incredible affordable, great value for money, and amazing service and support from the entire team.

Also, I found the essay review service quite helpful. Maria provided really helpful and candid feedback that helped push my essays to the next level and create the best version of my application. She was always there to answer questions in detail and always made time for me. Maria always pointed me in the right direction and I consider myself lucky to have worked with her. It was also fun interacting with Maria.

Couldn't recommend ApplicantLab enough!!! It helped me get into my dream school.

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How did I get to know the applicant lab? As a round 2 applicant, I was struggling to put together my essays, resumes. Around December, I was watching one youtube video on GMAT Club where Maria talked about the MBA resume and it immediately caught my attention by how much insight she provided for the admission process. Thanks to her 15 years of working experience in this field.

As an online platform, I wasn't 100% sure if it would be reliable. So I started out with the free trial and made use of the free sections, gauging whether I should subscribe to the full service. And I did! Because it was so helpful and insightful and completely changed how I viewed my profile and application strategy.

Thinking back, I wish I had watched the youtube video sooner so I can use the applicant lab sooner before my submission. But even only using it about 1 month before the submission deadline, I had, fortunately, got admitted to Yale.

For those more interested in specifically what I found most helpful, here are some general take-aways
1- Maria knows every single detail of the admission process and she shared it in great detail in the applicant lab. From how to structure your stories, shining a light on your achievements and making you stand out, to how to address your shortcoming e.g. lack of formal leadership experiences. I am extremely grateful for this portion because with her advice and objective view I was able to see positives in my profile and be more confident to sell them to the AO.

Second, what's great about it is also once you paid for it, you can access it anytime, anywhere. No need to schedule any appointment and all the information you need is readily available.

Lastly, don't think that because this is an online platform and you're left alone after payment. Carin and Maria actually handle queries you have and they are so responsive and thorough in their response that you feel like they are not just trying to get the most $$ from you but rather really trying to maximize your chances of success.

Overall, I had a great experience using the applicant lab and I have already recommended it to my friends who are also planning to apply for an MBA, same to any one of you who are planning for an MBA. Get Applicant Lab, try it out, and your chances of getting the offer you want would surely increase.

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Love ApplicantLab. It provided all the information I needed to put together a great application. I loved Maria's guidance and videos! The school specific information when crafting essays and interviews were particularly helpful as well. I was considering using another more expensive consultant but after a recommendation for ApplicantLab I'm so glad I used this!

Also for unique questions I reached out to ApplicantLab - I'm dealing with a situation where I am considering multiple schools but also contemplating taking a promotion in another city and Maria answered in 1 DAY! She is so helpful and kind and love her service offerings.

the MBA application process can feel daunting at times so you don't want to add another thing you spend money on to add to your list before you drop a ton of money on tuition. But this is WORTH IT - do not sleep on ApplicantLab, it truly was a lifesaver for me.

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Application Lab is extremely helpful during my MBA application process. I came from a nontraditional background and was not too familiar with the MBA application process. A friend of mine recommended me the website. After I sign-up I thought it was the best decision.

What I like about this website it’s how comprehensive it is for each step of the way. It took a extremely structured approach and have a detailed breakdowns for each stage.

I really like the recorded videos. Those are helpful because I can always playback for the episodes that I thought were helpful. And they’re very easy to digest. I would not be able to get into my dream school without the application Lab. I would love to think Maria for her effort to bring us an affordable solution to the MBA Application.

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When designing my game plan for R1 applications, I was hesitant to pay thousands of dollars for a top tier consultant after hearing some mixed reviews from friends. After spending many months studying for the GMAT using Target Test Prep (and loving it), I was looking for a similarly innovative platform for my applications. I decided to use ApplicantLab as my consulting service after reading many online reviews and noticing how inexpensive it was compared to virtually every other consulting option. Overall, I found ApplicantLab to be incredibly helpful from start to finish for each of my applications, but I’ll go into detail a bit on how I used the product to help others understand its value.

I started with the Strategy Modules (My Strengths & Weaknesses, Career Vision, and Why MBA) to develop my unique story for applications. Each module enabled me to think introspectively and helped me leverage my best leadership examples effectively. Before diving into my essays, I wanted to make sure my story was sound, so I paid for a “Sanity Check” with Maria. This review was immensely helpful! She provided feedback via a recorded video, and I watched it several times through to make sure I perfected my story.

After the Sanity Check, I felt comfortable with my goals/story and started outlining my essays. I found the advice tailored to each school's essay prompt(s) incredibly helpful and helped me feel confident with the materials I was submitting to each school. I received an interview invite at 5 of the 6 schools I applied to, including an invite for HBS. After hearing this exciting news, I decided to pay for Mock Interview session with Maria. She spent a considerable amount of time reviewing my application and coming up with questions similar to the ones I received during the actual interview!

ApplicantLab was 100% worth the money for me and helped me get into HBS, my dream school, and I am incredibly thankful to Maria for designing such an awesome product!

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