GMAT Club

Shantanu Reviews

Company: MBA and Beyond


4.8 /5 Average Rating
Based on 12 reviews
December 04, 2023
nirupandey80

Joined: Jun 08, 2020

Posts: 15

Kudos: 11

Verified GMAT Classic score:
710 Q49 V38

My journey to INSEAD

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I had the pleasure of working with Shantanu from MBA and Beyond, and I can confidently say that his guidance played a pivotal role in securing my admission to INSEAD. I reached out to MBA and Beyond in June 2021 through a friend's recommendation, and I cannot thank my stars enough that I got to work with such amazing people at MBA&B. From the very first profile evaluation call, the team showed genuine interest and confidence in my profile. Having heard so much about Shantanu I requested the team to assign him as my consultant. And thus, my journey started with the most amazing Shantanu Sharma. From the initial consultation to the final application submission to interview preparation, Shantanu demonstrated unparalleled expertise, dedication, and a genuine commitment to my success.

One of the best qualities of Shantanu is his highly personalized approach to every application. He not only spent great efforts in understanding my unique background, career goals, and aspirations but also went above and beyond to unravel my strengths and achievements, helping me articulate them effectively in my application essays and interviews. I vividly recall crafting a minimum of 10 drafts for each INSEAD essay, a testament to Shantanu's commitment to bringing out the best version of my narrative. His refusal to move on to the next essay until completely satisfied underscored his dedication.

During my interview preparation stage, Shantanu left no stones unturned in preparing me for the interviews and Mock exercises. I distinctly remember a moment of panic during my preparation stage when Shantanu, despite being on vacation, generously dedicated two hours to me, offering invaluable guidance and calming reassurance. His role transcended that of a consultant; Shantanu became a steadfast friend and guide throughout the entire process.

Furthermore, Shantanu's support extended beyond the application itself. He offered valuable insights into the culture and values of INSEAD, enabling me to align my application with the school's ethos. This holistic approach not only enhanced my chances of admission but also contributed to my overall readiness for the INSEAD experience. On receiving INSEAD’s acceptance call, Shantanu was the first person I contacted to share the joyful news. His significance in my MBA journey and the profound impact he has created in my life is truly immeasurable.

In summary, my experience with Shantanu was transformative. His personalized guidance, unparalleled dedication, and genuine support were instrumental in navigating the competitive admissions journey. I wholeheartedly recommend Shantanu and the MBA and Beyond team to anyone seeking an exceptional and personalized MBA admissions consulting experience.

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April 17, 2023
kaustubhkk47

Joined: Apr 17, 2023

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Excellent experience with Shantanu from MBA & Beyond

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Working with Shantanu Sharma, the founder of MBA and Beyond, was an amazing experience. Back in 2021, MBA and Beyond was much smaller than it is right now and at first, I was hesitant to work with a consultant from a new company, but after just one call with Shantanu, I knew I had made the right decision. He not only provided invaluable MBA consulting advice, but also acted as a mentor, giving helpful life and career advice.

With Shantanu's guidance, I was able to craft a compelling and coherent story, which helped me get accepted into INSEAD, the only school I applied to. Shantanu's approach was very structured and scientific, which helped me to remember and use stories and incidents from my life that I would have never remembered otherwise. He asked tough questions and gave brutally honest feedback, which was exactly what I needed to improve my application by leaps and bounds.

Shantanu's ability to understand my strengths and weaknesses, and guide me accordingly, was a key factor in my success. He also gave a lot of support for interviews, helping not only with preparation but also with boosting my confidence. Even after my MBA finished, Shantanu has stayed in touch. I highly recommend Shantanu and MBA and Beyond to anyone looking for an MBA admissions consultant. His expertise and mentorship were invaluable, and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to work with him.

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February 04, 2023
AnishkaReddy

Joined: Feb 28, 2020

Posts: 5

Kudos: 1

Experience with MBA and Beyond Admissions Consulting

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I highly recommend MBA and Beyond as an MBA admissions consultant. From the moment I began working with Shantanu, I was impressed by his wealth of knowledge and expertise in the field. Shantanu took the time to understand my background, career goals, and what I wanted to achieve through an MBA program. With his guidance, I was able to craft compelling essays that highlighted my strengths and differentiated me from other applicants.

Shantanu also prepared me extensively for my MBA interviews, providing insightful feedback and effective strategies to help me communicate my value proposition effectively. His commitment to my success was evident in his attention to detail and dedication to ensuring that every aspect of my application was as strong as possible.

As a result of our hard work and dedication, I was accepted into top MBA programs and ultimately enrolled at my dream school. I cannot thank him enough for his guidance and support throughout the process. If you're looking for an experienced and knowledgeable MBA admissions consultant, I highly recommend MBA and Beyond. You won't be disappointed!

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May 11, 2022
nemshah

Joined: Dec 10, 2017

Posts: 13

Kudos: 2

Verified GMAT Classic score:
690 Q49 V34

Good Attention and 1-1 counselling

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I took their 1 school package and aimed for my most ambitious school (LBS). They helped me work on my applications and essay by connecting me to an LBS student who was able to provide me with a direction for my essay, we took a good 2-3 months to craft my essay and I got constant assistance. They have a beautiful online platform that helps in introspection, (a 5 on 5). Even though I got a rejection from LBS, I am sure we put our best foot forward and I am at peace with the rejection. They were quick to respond to my queries and even extended additional support when I got interviewed at another school.

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May 04, 2022
punitmalik

Joined: Apr 12, 2017

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Remarkable Experience With A Great Thought Partner

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When I started contemplating my MBA plan, I soon realized that the application journey was a long marathon and I would need support from an experienced runner. Thus, started my hunt for the best consultant who could guide me in the process. I had the following criteria in mind:
1. Admission consultant who has graduated from a top B school and has been through the application journey.
2. Admission consultant recommended by candidates who successfully made it to my dream schools (LBS, INSEAD).
3. Admission consultant following a structured and well thought-out process.

Shantanu and the team fulfilled all the criteria above and beyond (true to their name!). That’s how my application journey started with Shantanu and the team at MBA and Beyond. Right from the first introductory call to the content gathering, essay drafts, mock interview preparation, and scholarship strategy, Shantanu’s feedback was always on point and extremely helpful.

I applied to two schools (LBS and INSEAD) and was very fortunate to receive admits from both schools. Without Shantanu and the team, I wouldn’t have secured such an outstanding outcome. I would wholeheartedly recommend Shantanu and the team to anyone seeking guidance for admission to top business schools around the world.

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April 03, 2022
Smarak29

Joined: Nov 06, 2021

Posts: 15

Kudos: 5

Verified GMAT Classic score:
750 Q49 V42

An introspective, iterative and ultimately, effective process!

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MBA & Beyond has designed an effective multi-stage process that ensured that I reflected deeply on my mission, values and my need to do an MBA. This ultimately also helped in sharpening my choice of schools. Since I was pursuing a second MBA, I had to be doubly-careful in making this choice, and I am happy to state that the first stage of the process helped me in narrowing down my target schools.

In the second stage, I worked with Judy, who was able to guide me with great clarity on the adcom expectations from an MBA essay. Thanks to her suggestions, my answers changed from platitudes to concrete answers that explained my candidacy more holistically. Shantanu's suggestions further sharpened my answers.

Judy and Shantanu also took mock interviews that helped me in understanding opportunity areas for me to work on. With the work that we collectively put in, I have been able to secure an admission into the Stephen M. Ross School of Business.

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March 17, 2022
skpirate16

Joined: Mar 17, 2022

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
650 Q42 V37 (Online)

Great Experience, Shantanu is an amazing advisor.

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When I started my application journey, I thought I could do it on my own using all the material available online but I quickly realized that I needed help. A lot of it.

From the very first session Shantanu and his team did their absolute best in trying to bring out the best in me. From his detailed approach in crating a story to tweaking my Letter of Motivation in a way that will highlight what makes me unique.

Our sessions really helped me discover my own strengths and how to sell them. The "content gathering" process will be helpful for me for a long time.

Shantanu really creates a cordial environment during his sessions and yet manages to push you find more out of you. I couldn't have asked for anything more. I cannot recommend Shantanu and MBA and Beyond enough.

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December 02, 2021
aushmanchowdhury

Joined: Dec 05, 2016

Posts: 11

Kudos: 5

Self-reported Score:
730 Q49 V40

Shantanu, a perfect mentor and friend.

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When I was looking out for MBA consultants, the most important consideration for me was that my consultant should provide me with the necessary time and attention throughout my application journey. From personal experience, I know one may feel lonely and de-motivated during the process. You need a mentor and a friend who can guide you. For me that person was Shantanu. I had signed up for MBA & Beyond roughly 5 months before the deadlines. Having sufficient time at my disposal helped follow the structured process of “content gathering” and unravel some of my best stories personally and professionally. According to me, it is the most important step of the application journey and MBA & B’s unique value proposition. Shantanu used to schedule regular calls and provide tasks to be completed before every call – an approach that suited me and helped us to be on-track. A successful “content gathering” process eventually translated to powerful stories that I could use for my essays, LORs, and interviews! MBA & B’s support helped me get my admit at Darden. I would end by sharing a realization I have now that the journey has ended – it’s not all about getting an extremely high GMAT score. Your candidacy is judged on different parameters and GMAT is only one of them. Striking the right balance in all areas is the key.

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November 25, 2021
rajatgarg0493

Joined: Aug 01, 2016

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Self-reported Score:
730 Q50 V40

Quick to respond, honest, and knowledgeable

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MBA & B had this unique process that identifies the candidate’s unique personality traits and helps build the application around it. The framework has unlimited questions which helped me to find out specific anecdotes in my life where I showcased those traits. Once identified, my consultant, helped me craft my story so as to deliver the maximum impact.

I found them to be very quick to respond, honest, and knowledgeable. I especially found my consultant very skilful and patient with helping me prepare for mock interviews. Even after our first mock interview, I felt so much more prepared and knowledgeable about how to convey certain stories and how to speak confidently.

Shantanu was far better than other consultants I’ve seen my friends and workmates rely on. The Content gathering framework helped me dig deep underneath the surface, remember critical details about me, and really pushed me to produce great content.

I can 100% vouch for MBA & Beyond and especially recommend them if you are applying to M7.

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November 24, 2021
qwerpar123

Joined: Mar 25, 2020

Posts: 6

Kudos: 7

Verified GMAT Classic score:
770 Q51 V44 (Online)

Amazing MBA consulting journey!

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Already having failed to secure even an interview last year from Darden , my expectations were already rock bottom this year. I had half a mind not to reapply as I hadn’t improved any aspect of my MBA-application (apart from GMAT score).Last year, I tried writing my most significant and impactful stories and incidentally they were not good enough for top B-school like Darden. I figured that something needed to change this time and chose to work with MBA and B ( due to a glowing recommendation from a friend) to put my best application forward.

Shantanu has developed a unique methodology to take you through the guided journey of MBA application process starting from “Self-Discovery” to “finalizing stories” and writing an exceptional application.

After reviewing my past application with Shantanu, I realized that my application is not standing out from the over-represented pool of “Indian Engineers”. MBA and B helped me understand that MBA application-game is all about your USP and branding. And this was exactly what I needed to crack the admission at Darden.

My overall experience with the MBA and B was amazing. Apart from admits from Darden and INSEAD , I couldn’t have asked for anything more from the team. However, engaging in deep “Self-Discovery” sessions with Shantanu has given me a new way of introspection as well.

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