I’d like to start by saying that I am very hesitant to refer to Esther Choy and Faisal Khan as admission consultants. I see them more as mentors and partners that are indispensable in my quest to gain admission to top MBA programs.

Almost everyone who chooses to go through the grueling MBA admission process is motivated, disciplined, and has a successful track record. What differentiates one candidate from another is the way he/she conveys messages. Esther and Faisal helped me to build a compelling and genuine story throughout this process.

Esther started off the process by story mining, refining, and more refining. She constantly pushed me to look beyond the norms and examine myself more thoroughly. I ended up learning more about myself than I ever did. At the same time, she was very careful with not putting words in my mouth, so what I presented to the admission committee was truly my voice.

The next step was to put together an engaging story that resonates. This was where Esther’s gift in storytelling and Faisal’s incredible writing skills came in. Esther started with the basics such as the structure of stories and the art of what to leave out, which made an ordinary event sounded much more interesting and engaging.

While Esther taught me how to communicate effectively, Faisal focused on how to communicate more efficiently. I was amazed by Faisal’s ability to cut down a lengthy essay to something that was very concise without losing its character. The essays demonstrated truly who I am rather than a façade tailored to the MBA admission. Their guidance was instrumental in helping me to convey a powerful message to the admission committee and securing a position at one of the top MBA programs.

However, an acceptance letter from a top MBA program is hardly the most valuable thing that I’ve gained through working with Esther and Faisal. I’ve learned through this process how to communicate effectively and efficiently, and how to connect to my audiences through powerful storytelling. This is something that will benefit me for the rest of my career.

I would highly recommend Esther and Faisal to anyone who is seeking a transforming experience, and who is looking far and beyond the MBA admission process.

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With little more than three weeks to apply to my three dream schools (Kellogg, Tuck, Yale SOM), I had very little room for error and no time to waste.

Insert: Tyler Cormney.

After a speed dating rotation (i.e. free 30-minute trials) with the most highly recommended MBA consultants available, I signed with Ty believing he could provide something I just could not get working on my own. I could not have been more right!

Ty is an extraordinary coach. From the moment I signed on, I felt that he was as invested in my success as I was. With such a tight deadline, it was invaluable to have a counselor whose feedback I trusted wholeheartedly. Ty’s advice is the product of having worked with hundreds of applicants, and I felt the value of it through every step of the application process.

As a “career switcher” into brand management, I specifically appreciated Tyler’s guidance in crafting a detailed career goals plan. He helped me identify my transferrable skills, coached me through informational interviews with professionals at various levels of their marketing careers, and even put me in touch with his own contacts!

In three short weeks, Tyler motivated me through his entire process of approaching MBA applications. When I finally pressed “SUBMIT”, I was confident that I had put the best “me” forward in my applications and I would have no regrets regardless of outcome.

As Ty has often reminded me, “It’s not where you begin, it’s where you finish.” In hindsight, I know exactly how different my application would have been with and without Tyler’s help. I feel so blessed to have made the choice I did to work with Tyler Cormney.


- Kellogg, Class of 2015 (with scholarship); admitted to Tuck and Yale SOM

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Chris is a fantastic and marvelous guy. We had lengthy discussions on how to frame the answers and he never really bothered about the time we spent. In this process, he ensured that we come up with the best answers. He worked well beyond his role of an advisor and a consultant and helped me more as a friend and a well-wisher. Chris also prepared me well for the interviews and ensured that I give strong responses. In addition, his coaching was insightful and effective. It was great working with him and I really enjoyed the interaction. I applied in the third round deadline, yet due to Chris’s strong inputs, I was able to make it to my dream school. I would not hesitate to say that the credit for my admissions to Stanford, Yale and London Business School goes to him.

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I used Tyler Cormney this past year and only have the best things to say. As a someone reapplying for the second time, I knew the process well and just needed a knowledgeable external party who could take a look at my essays and general application. Tyler gave specific and actionable feedback with a very short turnaround. Initially I was hesitant to use a consultant given the costs but it was well worth it.

Tyler was responsive, friendly, professional, and most importantly, he genuinely cared about seeing me admitted. His feedback helped to tighten up my stories and improve the flow of my overall application. He also raised some bigger questions that I could later go back to and resolve myself. Overall, it was a huge value add and I would recommend him to anyone (at any stage of the MBA admissions process). I am thrilled to be heading to Stanford in the fall - thanks Tyler!

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Should you apply in round 1 or round 2? If you still can’t decide after reading all the MBA blogs and forums, go with the round for which Lorraine still has capacity – she’s that good. Having applied to b-school on my own before, I’m certain Lorraine’s guidance and MBA Prep School’s systematic approach to the application process are what got me results this time around.

My background:
• Top 10 UG business school, 3.6 GPA, 710 GMAT
• Non-traditional career path at little-known companies, solid international exposure
• Limited leadership experience outside of work

Never would I have thought I could get into Wharton with those credentials. Applying to Wharton was Lorraine’s suggestion. I thought she was crazy, but I’m very glad I trusted her, as I’m going there this fall.

My favorite things about Lorraine:

1. She only takes on a few clients each round and is deeply invested in every one of their applications.

2. She can help clients find dimensions that are truly unique to them because she 1) spends a lot of time getting to know them, 2) listens well, and 3) has good instincts. She saw value in things that seemed very trivial to me but really captured who I am and probably made me more memorable to the ad com.

3. She has an uncanny knack for finding the common thread among seemingly unrelated bits and pieces. There were a lot of things I wanted to communicate to the ad com. Without a strategic approach, I would’ve come across schizophrenic. Lorraine helped me figure out my core identity, thus enabling me to weave the different components of each application into one compelling narrative.

4. Her diverse experiences (corporate/nonprofit/creative) and knowledge of many different industries translate into her ability to help clients 1) best position what they’ve done and, 2) clearly define what they want to do after b-school. I struggled with the latter, but under Lorraine’s guidance, I was able to transform a vague vision into concrete goals and articulate how an MBA could help me achieve them.

5. She gets the nuanced differences among top schools. The information I gathered on the schools were a lot to digest. Lorraine helped me isolate the unique characteristics on which each school prides itself, characteristics applicants must understand if they want to craft targeted applications that demonstrate fit, which is critical. If you work with Lorraine, you won’t be doing much recycling/copying & pasting.

6. Like a good personal trainer, she will motivate you until the very end, past writer’s blocks, burnouts and breakdowns, and the point where you just want to submit what you have and “get it over with.”

7. She is very understanding. As a former MBA student and seasoned consultant, she gets how exhausting it is to apply to school while working and how frustrating it is to sit in front of the computer for hours only to write two sentences. She kept me sane and focused when I wanted to pull my hair out.

8. She is punctual with calls and quick with feedback.

9. She is a cool person with a good sense of humor and a quirky personality. Very easy to talk to.

10. She loves what she does.

No Lorraine, no Wharton. I <3 Lorraine!

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I truly do not believe that I would have received an acceptance letter to HBS without Tyler Cormney’s guidance. The toughest part of the application was putting together quality essays that hit on all the points I wanted to make while addressing the fit qualities that the schools deemed to be most important. I would have had no clue how to pick stories to tell in my essays or understand fit qualities of top-tier programs without Tyler’s support. Tyler was very helpful and knowledgeable about every step along the path to putting together a top-notch application. He was always available to answer any question, no matter how specific it was to my application, or general it was to each program. Tyler was genuinely interested in my success, which could be felt during our conversations and his devotion to the nitty-gritty aspects of my application.

The MBA Prep School videos that Tyler created for the benefit of his clients were all-inclusive, and allowed for much richer discussions when Tyler and I had one of our live meetings. I would absolutely recommend Tyler Cormney and MBA Prep School if you are serious about applying to a top-tier business school and believe, as I did, that you need help standing out in this incredibly ferocious competition.

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Enlisting the help of Esther Choy and Faisal Khan for my business school admissions process was simply one of the best professional decisions of my life. I firmly believe that without their help, I would not have gotten into a top-5 MBA program. While there are many MBA admissions consultants out there, I believe that Esther and Faisal differentiate themselves in the following ways:

1. Robust client workplan: If I had to mention one item that sets Esther and Faisal apart from other admissions consultants, I would have to say it is their comprehensive client workplan. They rely on a framework that breaks the MBA application process into its discrete components and that is truly the best way to brainstorm and figure out how to portray yourself to the admissions committee.

2. Powerful storytelling process: Not only will Esther and Faisal provide you with timely and detailed feedback to help you polish your essays, but they will also help you craft a compelling story that will touch the admissions officers on an emotional level. They pushed me to edit and re-edit my essays until all of them tied together in a way that my overall application actually had a unified theme and a powerful underlying career purpose.

3. First-hand experience as both students and admissions officers: Esther and Faisal can offer incredible insights into the MBA applications process as they have both attended a top-tier MBA program AND they have both served on a top-tier MBA school's admissions committee. Their unique background offers them a holistic and comprehensive view that was immensely helpful for me. For instance, when I was waitlisted at one of my schools, Esther was able to provide me with some insider knowledge about how the process works behind the scenes and then gave me advice on the best way to proceed.

4. Kindness and generosity: During my MBA application process I was waitlisted at a school that was not part of the our consulting arrangement. Despite this, Esther was kind enough to offer her services in helping me get off the waitlist, free-of-charge, because she cared about me and my future beyond that of a typical admissions consultant.

Overall, I couldn't be happier with the whole admissions process and attribute a lot of my eventual success to the help that Esther and Faisal provided to me. I definitely recommend them if you are looking to take your MBA applications to the next level!

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I was introduced to Chris by a friend, and spoke to him and several other consultants are various firms before making a final decision on who to work with. Part of why I chose Chris was his balanced (in my view) take on the strengths and weaknesses of my candidacy in our initial call. Compared to other consultants who dwelled on the positives, I appreciated Chris’s attention to the gaps in my application, and his focus on how to address them. To be honest, I didn’t leave that first call feeling completely optimistic about the whole process, but on reflection I decided that’s what I was looking for from a consultant – someone to challenge and push me, and therefore help improve my application in ways I wouldn’t be able to do on my own.

I was late to the Round 1 process (Chris and I first spoke in August), and Chris helped me figure out a sensible number of schools to apply to (3). In retrospect, having seen other friends’ experiences, I’m very happy I didn’t push to submit more, and equally happy that I made sure to get apps in to all of my “top” choices within the same round. The videos / materials / worksheets developed by MBA Prep School were also a real benefit early in the process.

After our initial call, it was clear that I had a long way to go in creating a coherent “story” to tell across applications; the brainstorming and ideation exercises provided by MBA Prep School really helped me to bring forward the strongest elements in my background to deploy across schools and essays.
All that said, I think the personal dynamics really make or break this kind of relationship, and this is where Chris really shone. He certainly passes the “good guy” test, and – as I had judged from our initial call – was consistently supportive and easy to work with, while always challenging and looking to improve the final product. Most importantly, I never once felt like I had anything less than Chris’s full attention and commitment to my application – I might as well have been the only project he was working on. This was especially important given the short timeline we were working with – and frankly, time management was another primary reason I had engaged a consultant in the first place.

Chris helped develop a clear timeline to manage the process of getting 3 strong applications submitted, and he pushed me the whole way to accomplish that goal.

This process is tough. Working with Chris helped me internalize that, and realize that all you can do is put yourself in the best position to succeed and then roll the dice. Chris helped me put my best foot forward in all my applications – and even so, there were some surprises and disappointments. In the end, I got into one of my three top schools; and I also got a generous scholarship. I’m happy with my outcome, and grateful to Chris Aitken and MBA Prep School for helping me get there!

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I want to strongly recommend Chris Aitken at MBA Prep School. Though I hired him only on an hourly basis, I found his advice to be very impactful and have very high bang-for-the-buck. He did a great job pushing me to articulate my rationale for why MBA and to get more specific about what attracts me to a specific school, while providing thoughtful suggestions. These were the weak points of my application and he zeroed in on them and worked with me to close the gaps. Though I was just an hourly client, Chris took the time to understood my background and goals and worked closely with me on all of my essays. He went above and beyond: he got on the phone and spent extra time with me when he didn't have to to make sure my essays were of high quality, and performed miraculous edits on a super-tight 24-hour deadline in the thick of R2 applications. He was also direct and honest. My first drafts were terrible and Chris wasn't afraid to call that out and push me to improve them.

I got into all but one school that I applied to (Wharton, Columbia, and Booth), including my top choice school. The only place I was rejected from was HBS and that was a real long shot because of my age and profile.

As a separate point, I am a reapplicant. I used another admissions consultant from a major well-reviewed firm last time around and I can unequivocally say that my experience with Chris was far superior vis-a-vis both quality of service and admissions outcomes, even though I spent significantly less time working with him.

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Working with Tyler was truly an exceptional experience and with his help, I was accepted into Harvard Business School! I expected top-notch service and was not disappointed from the pre to post-application process.

One of the things that exceeded my expectations was Tyler’s creativity and skill in helping me craft my essays. He was able to break down my essays and suggest ways to restructure them until the same story emerged in the best light possible. He was never satisfied with something that was “good enough”. In addition, Tyler was able to step back and look at my overall package to ensure the messaging remained true to me and consistent.

Another advantage of working with Tyler was having access to The MBA Prep School’s videos, e-book, and tools. These resources not only explained what to expect from each part of the application process, but also how to approach it and what action steps to take to stand out to the admissions committee. MBA Prep School’s website provided practical tips to approach recommenders, how to research schools, and what pitfalls to avoid. The supplemental exercises and worksheets allowed for an incredible self-discovery process, which helped me articulate who I am and my motivations. By having these tools at my disposal, I felt that it gave me both an edge and self-assurance as I went through the application process.

Overall, Tyler was both professional and knowledgeable, making this stressful application process as smooth as possible. Tyler customizes his services to you and your needs, not just another template-type consulting process. He helped me transform from a strong candidate into a compelling one. Just as he told me when we first started, he was not just my consultant, but a guide, coach, career counselor, and cheerleader – and that held true. I couldn’t have done this without him!

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