I worked with Adam Hoff from Amerasia on three schools (well I was planning to apply to 7 but then I got lazy) – Booth, Columbia, and Stanford – and I got into Booth (with a happy pile of $$$) and Columbia. During the whole application process, I found myself saying this to my friends all the time, "i don't know how people do it without a consultant!!!"

By that, i don't mean people can't write decent essays and put together decent resumes and get into decent schools without the help of a consultant, but having a consultant to me is like having a coach to motivate you and cheer you along - Adam is very energetic and approachable, and he has a great sense of humor which has proven to be so very important in keeping my spirit up (we all know how frustrating the application process can get). I felt comfortable asking every single stupid question that popped into my head, even for questions he could have just answered with a simple "yes" or "no" or "don't worry about it", he would still go to great lengths to explain his comments and rationale. His comments were all straightforward and candid, so while he was often very humorous about it, he would tell me directly if an idea or essay just doesn’t make sense to him – so no unhealthy coddling there at all. For each school I was given a “strategy guide”, which details what the school might focus on or care more about in their essays. Those were REALLY helpful because I would have just completely re-used essays for multiple schools if Adam hadn’t told me not to.

Adam is also an amazing writer, and that’s something I value the most. I mean while a lot of current students can tell you about what each school values, very few people have the capability to help you tell your story. Adam did a great job helping me storyboard and giving me advice on how to get my points across more efficiently.

Just fyi, i actually set up calls with 5-6 consultants and Adam was the only one who really stood out. One of the worst calls was the one i had with Jon @ Precision Essay - i work for one of the biggest consulting companies in the world and he spent 10 mins telling me how i should explain what my company does in my essays to make sure the AdCom people know what consulting is like (?!)… but anyways my experience with Adam was fantastic and I would definitely recommend him to anyone in a heartbeat.

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Working with Adam was a dream! Not only did I gain expert guidance on my applications but I also felt that I gained a friend. I highly recommend him to everyone. I’ve been admitted into both programs I applied to (International MBA schools in the “elite” cluster). :-)

I do my homework so before committing to Amerasia, I did free consultations with 8 other consultants. I liked them to varying degrees and would even say that I clicked with some. However, more than just rapport, I needed someone who was convinced of my candidacy; someone who knew he could get me in and already had a plan. Adam was all these things and more. He liked my story and he made me like it too.

I’m the sort of person who obsesses over things and worries about everything. Adam steadied my nerves and gave me a sense of peace and clarity that allowed me to turn in my finest work. He also filtered out the noise from the misinformation on the process and enabled me to concentrate on what really mattered.

The essays, of course, are at the heart of this matter. While Adam is willing to accept calls, he much prefers email so that we could create a trail and document our progress. I quickly saw the rationale of this and found it an incredibly efficient way to get things done. His response time is lightning fast. There was never a compromise in the quality though because each input he’d submit was well thought-out and highly beneficial.

Adam’s a huge advocate of “the right structure.” What he does is he makes an outline of how to answer the essay question. He gives guidelines as well on how much of the essay should be spent on each part in order to maximize impact. This leaves all the content up to you (just as it should be). You are able to be as creative and original as you want while using his parameters in order to ensure you are on track. If he’d ever rewrite something, it would only be to phrase it better. I was able to maintain my own voice throughout as well as bring out the best of my abilities.

As for the mock interview, he passed me on to a colleague and this worked out wonderfully because I got a fresh set of eyes on my application. I was given a bit of advice but the more important thing is that I was able to work out my jitters over the process. When I interviewed for real, I was calm, collected, and able to make the best impression possible.

Again, I cannot stress how much I enjoyed working with Adam. His belief in me got me through this difficult process and has inspired me to face whatever challenges ahead with the same belief in myself.

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With a clear idea on why I want an MBA, I started applying to B-Schools on my own. I wrote a few essays and sought feedback from my friends and family. From the feedback, I realized that I am not coherently conveying my message. Also, I needed honest advice, from a reliable source, on the admission process and on the quality of my application. I eventually decided to take help from a consultant.

Why Michelle Awuku-Tatum?
There is valuable advice on this thread on several consulting firms and their consultants. I have gone through most of the posts, spoken to several consultants, and shortlisted Amerasia, for its personalized services, and Stacy Blackman (SBC), for its structured approach. I also had very specific requirements based on my background – I wanted a consultant with corporate work experience and with international exposure. I reviewed several consultant profiles from both firms and decided to speak with Michelle (Amerasia) and another good consultant from SBC. I chose Michelle, a Kellogg alumnus, for her corporate experience as a VP at Citigroup and for her diverse international experience. After speaking to her, I was even more confident in her abilities because of her patience, experience, and composure. More importantly, I enjoyed my conversation with her - I decided to work with Michelle.
My advice to anyone who is in the process of choosing a consultant/firm – even if it is time consuming, please look for a consultant who fits with your profile/background and who is genuinely excited by your experiences.

My experience working with Michelle
Working with Michelle was a stimulating conversation because she truly is passionate about what she does. I felt motivated after every single call, and she inspired me to seek perfection. She gave me valuable feedback and unbiased advice. Her attention to detail is extraordinary, and I believe that this detail differentiates a great application from a good one. I always got back to Michelle with a ton of questions on every single aspect of the application, and she never fell short of answering all my questions patiently. I cannot emphasize the value of her experience that she brought to the table – I made confident and informed decisions because of her experience and knowledge.

What differentiates Michelle from other consultants is her faith in the candidate’s dream. I am sure she picks her clients well, and she is very ethical in choosing a limited number of clients every season. This dedication to offer her best to her clients creates an exceptionally personalized consulting experience. In my case, she truly believed in my goals, ambitions, and potential contribution to the society. She enjoyed listening to my experiences and understanding how they shaped my personality. When a consultant works at this level of detail, I am sure the candidate will present the best possible application.

Finally, I had a great time working with Michelle. She was a good friend with whom I could discuss every application question that was lingering on my mind. At the same time, she was very professional in her approach and advice. Also, I must mention her ethics: not once did she put words in my mouth or do anything that is remotely unethical. She helped me by giving a good structure and definition to the application through right questions.

Result
I have worked with Michelle on one (extremely selective) school from which I received an Interview invite. She is very helpful in preparing me for the Interview through her detailed feedback on the mock interviews. I promise to update this post with the name of the school and the result as soon as I hear from them (my interview is in a few days). I wish you guys all the very best on your applications!

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This is a review of my experience using Adam at Amerasia. It was a pleasure working with him. I give him a 5/5!

Before I go into detail about my experience working with Adam, let me explain my unique background. I have an above average GPA and GMAT score, but I lacked confidence in my candidacy for three reasons. First, I’m young. I only had two years of work experience when I submitted my applications. Second, my work experience, while entrepreneurial, is very non-traditional. And finally, I had a very rocky start to undergrad. I actually failed out of school during my freshman year, and while I was able to return after one semester, it took me five years to graduate.

For these reasons, I set up an initial consultation with Adam. Our conversation lasted 1.5 hours and I took three pages of notes. There was no sales pitch; it was just a long discussion about the application process, my profile, and my concerns. I had already been told by two admission consultants that it would be difficult to get into a top program this year given my lack of work experience. Therefore, I was very surprised when Adam told me the complete opposite. He said that if I framed my unique background correctly and adequately explained why I needed an MBA right now, I shouldn’t have any trouble getting into a top program this year. I was so impressed after this phone call that I decided to pull the trigger on a three-school package.

Working with Adam in the months that followed was a great experience. During this time we exchanged literally hundreds of e-mails and spoke on the phone probably a dozen times. No matter how small, mundane, or worry-ridden my questions were, Adam would always reply promptly with a well-thought out and sincere response. If I had a question that was too complicated for email, no problem, he was always willing to speak with me over the phone. When it came time to write my essays, Adam would first send out a custom-made, comprehensive PDF document that provided insight into the school and outlined strategies for each essay. After drafting an essay, I would send it to Adam for review. He would correct any awkward sentences and add notes to the margin that would ask thought provoking questions and suggest ways to emphasize specific aspects of my background that were most relevant to what that school valued. We would rinse and repeat this process until each essay was perfect.

In addition to providing unparalleled guidance through the general application and essay writing process, Adam was a lifesaver when it came to preparing for interviews. After my first invitation to interview, he arranged an hour-long conference call just to discuss the twists and turns of the business school interview. Then, a week before each interview, I’d schedule a mock interview and feedback session with Adam or one of his colleagues. Coming from an entrepreneurial background, I don’t have much experience being the interviewee. Therefore, these mock interviews were truly invaluable.

Ultimately, what impressed me the most about Adam was how familiar he became with my profile. While he was no doubt working with a number of other applicants this season, he never forgot even the minute aspects of my story. He really did make me feel like I was his only client. In the end, I was accepted to my top two choices (both top five schools) and I couldn’t be happier! If you are considering an admission consultant, and you don’t at least arrange an initial consultation with Adam, you are doing yourself a disservice. I absolutely feel that he was worth every penny and I would recommend him to anyone.

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Although I had initially intended to stay out of the conversation, I thought it might be helpful if I shared my experience working with Paul from Amerasia.

After taking a Manhattan GMAT course I had initially planned on signing up with MBAmission (given that they partner with MGMAT). However, after reading earlier posts on this thread I thought I might want to reach out to other consultants as well, one of which was Paul at Amerasia.

Of all my initial consultations I scheduled Paul’s last. As soon as we got on the phone Paul got down to business. What I really liked about Paul was that he dug deeper than the other consultants had. For example, my GMAT is over 750 and my GPA is in the mid 3 range with a double major at a top University. While other consultants thought this was a huge plus, I liked that Paul was honest and said that because one of my major GPA’s was a low 3 and the other was a high 3, it wasn’t going to hurt but it also wasn’t going to be a huge help. Additionally Paul and I went over my career goals “story.” He pointed out that if it was my dream to work in field X but I only had experience in filed Y it would make more sense for my story to be focused on field Y.

After signing up with Paul he set up a recurring 1 hour weekly meeting. Over the last several months Paul has helped me work through all of last year’s essay’s in preparation for this year’s applications. One thing that has really impressed me in working with Paul is his ability to pick which stories are most relevant at each school. To me, this has been extremely helpful.

Some additional thoughts on Amerasia:

1) Paul works hard – each week, in advance of our meeting, Paul will send over updated drafts of all my essays with thorough comments and ideas about restructuring. After each meeting Paul sends over the notes from our call as well as a few homework assignments.

2) Turnaround is quick – I have all of Paul’s contact information. On the one occasion I needed a 6 hour turn around I just sent him my document, texted him, and had it back three hours later.

3) Big picture – when Amerasia looks at my application they look at the entire package. All of my essays for any individual school are worked on in tandem. What I mean by that is that Paul and I have a clear picture of the story we are trying to get across in my application. We view the essays, the letters of rec, and the resume as individual pieces of a puzzle. Paul makes sure everything fits together and is consistent.

Lastly – to those of you working or considering working with a consultant: Even though I have full confidence in Paul and his services I still read articles and books on admittance strategies. It’s your application so take ownership of it. If you don’t hear back from your consultant, call them on their cell. If they don’t change their ways, fire them. It’s your future - don’t let someone else mess it up. A consultant can help improve your application but do your own homework.

I know gmatclub is now asking for a numerical score out of 5. Obviously I haven't completed my applications but have worked with Paul for about 2 months. I've emailed back and forth with him nearly daily and had phone calls at least once a week if not more often. Thus far I have nothing to complain about: 5/5.

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I think an admissions consultant is invaluable in the MBA application process. First, my background. I'm 31, with 8 years of experience in finance, female, 3.7 GPA from a public university, and 720 GMAT. I'm looking to transition out of finance and into entrepreneurship.

In round 1, I applied to Harvard, Stanford, and Chicago without a consultant. I got dinged from H/S and interviewed at Chicago.

For the interview prep, I contacted Stacy Blackman Consulting, Sandy, and Amerasia. Sandy was booked up; I spoke to a woman at Stacy Blackman and Adam at Amerasia. The woman at Stacy Blackman was nice but I didn't feel we connected. When I spoke to Adam, he gave me pointers on Booth and didn't pressure me to sign up for his services. This was really nice, 'cause I had a million things going on and couldn't make a decision anyway.

Adam's pointers on Booth were spot on. Unfortunately, due to my crazy work schedule, I didn't adequately prepare for my interview (I worked until 3 AM the night before my interview). I didn't have time to get excited about the school and went into my interview with a lackluster attitude. Needless to say, I wasn't admitted.

In round 2, I hired Adam for his essay and interview services. I applied to Wharton and Kellogg, schools that he noted were friendlier to older applicants. Here's how the essay writing process went: I turned in a first draft for Wharton, he (very nicely and bluntly) told me it had to be completely re-worked. My essays painted me as unfocused, and my reasons for transitioning from finance to entrepreneurship weren't well-supported. It took about 3-4 drafts before I got it right. My essays pre-Adam and post-Adam were dramatically different; my friends commented that my post-Adam essays drastically improved. Here's what I consider to be Adam's biggest strengths in essay prep:

- He's very good at helping you organize your story and painting you in the best light. He knows immediately when something sounds wishy-washy and will help you re-work it. He understands the strongest aspect of your application and will help you highlight this.
- He's good with essay structures and will help you break down your story into a concise, easy-to-follow narrative.
- He provides solid advice on how to attack each essay, what to avoid, what to focus on, etc.
- Lastly, Adam is great to work with. His upbeat attitude and follow-up emails helped me stay on track during the grueling process.

On Monday, I found out I was admitted to Kellogg. I also received an interview invite from Wharton, with decision still pending. My only regret during this process is not hiring Adam earlier in round 1. I am so grateful to Adam, not only for his help in essay-writing and interview prep, but also for being a cheerleader, a great motivator, and for keeping me focused when I was being pulled in so many different directions. For anyone considering a consultant, I strongly recommend Adam.

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I used Amerasia consulting for my applications to two top ten schools because while I am reasonably confident in my application, I work in a quantitative industry and wasn't too sure I was going to express myself clearly on paper. Also, I lacked a staple of a perfect application: a decently high percentile GPA from my undergraduate institution. Finally, as we all know, business school is a life-changing decision, so I wanted to make sure my applications were top-notch, well thought out, and fully represented my strengths.

I spoke to a few consulting firms, and quickly found Amerasia to be by far the most helpful right off the bat. During other free consultations, I was told the usual: I have a decent profile, they can set me up with a consultant, I just need to sign and pay. Amerasia was completely different; I took 5 pages of notes during my 1 hour free consultation (with the actual consultant I would be working with), and could quickly discern that I was getting valuable, useable advice. Also, I found the fee to be reasonable, and I also liked the fact that they do not charge you for interview counseling unless you actually get the interview.

During the application process itself, my consultant was incredibly helpful. He listened to my life story, helped me pick out my biggest strengths, and really saw to it that these characteristics were well represented in my essays. He was not afraid to tell me bluntly that sometimes my first drafts wouldn't work and that I would have to write another. I also procrastinated greatly during my month of application writing, and my consultant kept me on track by shooting me quick emails, reminding me to stay on track and get certain drafts/revisions done. I've heard that other consultants seemingly get swamped during busy times, but mine was thoroughly consistant and timely in terms of returning comments on essay drafts, emailing me answers to my questions, and just generally keeping me on track.

When I was invited to an interview with my top choice school, my consultant yet again saved me. Having a mock interview beforehand was more helpful than I could've imagined, and his knowledge of admissions practices/commonly asked questions/school-specific questions was instrumental in my preparation. When I had a strange and unique post-interview situation and had no idea what to do, the first thing I did was email my consultant, who immediately responded with helpful and correct advice.

To make a long story short, I highly recommend Amerasia Consulting for MBA admissions. The money was well worth it to be admitted to a top 10 MBA program of my dreams. If you have any questions about any of this, feel free to PM me.

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Edited to add: I've been a long-time reader of this forum but didn't feel compelled to post until now. My review is legit. Feel free to PM me for more details. =)

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I think an admissions consultant is invaluable in the MBA application process. First, my background. I'm 31, with 8 years of experience in finance, female, 3.7 GPA from a public university, and 720 GMAT. I'm looking to transition out of finance and into entrepreneurship.

In round 1, I applied to Harvard, Stanford, and Chicago without a consultant. I got dinged from H/S and interviewed at Chicago.

For the interview prep, I contacted Stacy Blackman Consulting, Sandy, and Amerasia. Sandy was booked up; I spoke to a woman at Stacy Blackman and Adam at Amerasia. The woman at Stacy Blackman was nice but I didn't feel we connected. When I spoke to Adam, he gave me pointers on Booth and didn't pressure me to sign up for his services. This was really nice, 'cause I had a million things going on and couldn't make a decision anyway.

Adam's pointers on Booth were spot on. Unfortunately, due to my crazy work schedule, I didn't adequately prepare for my interview (I worked until 3 AM the night before my interview). I didn't have time to get excited about the school and went into my interview with a lackluster attitude. Needless to say, I wasn't admitted.

In round 2, I hired Adam for his essay and interview services. I applied to Wharton and Kellogg, schools that he noted were friendlier to older applicants. Here's how the essay writing process went: I turned in a first draft for Wharton, he (very nicely and bluntly) told me it had to be completely re-worked. My essays painted me as unfocused, and my reasons for transitioning from finance to entrepreneurship weren't well-supported. It took about 3-4 drafts before I got it right. My essays pre-Adam and post-Adam were dramatically different; my friends commented that my post-Adam essays drastically improved. Here's what I consider to be Adam's biggest strengths in essay prep:

- He's very good at helping you organize your story and painting you in the best light. He knows immediately when something sounds wishy-washy and will help you re-work it. He understands the strongest aspect of your application and will help you highlight this.
- He's good with essay structures and will help you break down your story into a concise, easy-to-follow narrative.
- He provides solid advice on how to attack each essay, what to avoid, what to focus on, etc.
- Lastly, Adam is great to work with. His upbeat attitude and follow-up emails helped me stay on track during the grueling process.

On Monday, I found out I was admitted to Kellogg. I also received an interview invite from Wharton, with decision still pending. My only regret during this process is not hiring Adam earlier in round 1. I am so grateful to Adam, not only for his help in essay-writing and interview prep, but also for being a cheerleader, a great motivator, and for keeping me focused when I was being pulled in so many different directions. For anyone considering a consultant, I strongly recommend Adam.

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