An MBA from a top business school can be the ticket to achieving your professional dreams, but getting accepted to an elite program is not easy. Hiring an MBA admissions consultant to assist you in delivering your best possible application can give you a major assist, but is it worth the investment? And how do you find a good one? In this post, we’ll explain what you should look for in determining whether a consultant is the right one for you – and what to steer clear of.

The Benefits of Working with ​​an​ ​MBA​ ​Admissions Consultant

You can find​ ​endless​ ​​discussions​ ​on​ ​forums​ ​and​ ​message​ ​boards​ ​about​ ​the​ ​value​ ​of admissions​ ​consulting.​ ​One​ ​of​ ​the​ ​more​ ​common​ ​arguments​ ​against​ ​using​ ​a​ ​consultant​ ​runs​ ​something like​ ​this: “I​ ​know​ ​so​ ​many​ ​MBA​ ​students​ ​at​ ​top​ ​schools​ ​who​ ​got​ ​in​ ​without​ ​an​ ​admissions​ ​consultant.​ ​It’s just​ ​not​ ​necessary​ ​to​ ​hire​ ​one.”

If ​you​ ​were to take​ ​a​ ​poll​ ​of​ ​business​ ​school​ ​admissions​ ​consultants,​ ​you would find that the​ ​majority of them​ ​were accepted to the MBA programs they attended ​without​ ​the​ ​assistance​ ​of​ ​a​ ​consultant.​ Some, especially the more senior ones, ​likewise ​did​ ​not​ ​take​ ​a​ ​GMAT​ ​prep course​.​ ​However,​ ​over​ ​the​ ​past​ ​30​ ​years,​ ​preparing to take one’s admission exam via a course or tutor​ ​has​ ​gone​ ​from being​ ​an​ ​act​ ​of​ ​desperation​ ​to​ ​a​ ​strategic choice that offers a competitive​ ​edge,​ ​​to a​ ​mainstay​ ​of​ ​the​ ​application​ ​process.​ And a similar trend has ​occurred​ ​with​ ​admissions​ ​consulting. ​At​ ​this​ ​point,​ ​working with​ ​a​ ​consultant​ ​is​ ​not​ ​crucial​ ​for​ ​every applicant,​ ​but​ ​it​ ​is​ ​definitely helpful​. The​ ​question​ ​is​ ​not​ ​whether​ it’s possible for ​an candidate​ to​ ​get​ ​accepted​ ​to​ ​a​ ​top​ ​MBA​ ​program​ ​without​ ​a​ ​consultant, ​but rather whether​ ​the​ ​advantages​ ​of​ ​hiring​ ​a​ ​consultant are worth​ ​the​ ​cost.

So, let’s look at some of the benefits of working with an experienced ​admissions​ ​consultant​:

• You improve your chances of being ​accepted​ ​to​ ​a​ ​“better”​ ​school.​ ​​By “better,”​ we mean one that offers more​ ​professional​ ​opportunities in your area of interest, a higher probability of increased​ ​earnings,​ ​a​ ​deeper and more valuable network,​ and​ ​an​ ​educational​ ​experience​ ​more​ ​to​ ​your liking.​
  
• A stronger application can help​ ​you​ ​secure​ ​a​ ​scholarship.​ ​​Such funding could save you​ ​tens​ ​of​ ​thousands​ ​of​ ​dollars.
  
• You’re less likely to have to reapply. ​Applying​ ​to​ ​business school​, when you include​ ​application​ ​fees, test fees,​ ​and​ ​travel​ ​expenses,​ ​can​ ​cost​ ​several​ ​thousand​ ​dollars.​ ​Applying successfully the first​ ​​time will​ ​save you from having to expend even more money and time reapplying in the future.
  
• The process will be not only less time-consuming but also less​ ​stressful​ ​and​ ​frustrating (for both​ ​you​ ​and​ ​those​ ​close​ ​to​ ​you)​.​ ​​A good admissions consultant will keep you on track and advancing efficiently through the admissions process. Plus, you won’t need to spend time figuring out everything they​ already ​know about how to navigate it.

​The​ ​experience,​ ​objectivity,​ ​and​ ​skill​ ​an admissions consultant​ ​provides can often​ be worth ​many​ ​times​ ​the​ ​cost.

Evaluating Potential​ ​MBA ​Admissions Consultants

When assessing whether a consultant might be a good match for you and your admissions-related needs, pay attention to their experience, process/working style, differentiating factors, accessibility, candor, and cost. However, do not assume that an individual must have earned an MBA themselves (and one from your target school, in particular) or been a member of a school’s admissions committee to be an effective consultant. 

​Experience

Absolutely​ ​ask​ ​about​ ​the consultant’s level of ​experience​ ​with​ ​your​ ​programs​ ​of​ ​interest,​ ​your​ ​demographic​ ​group,​ ​and​ ​your industry.​ ​At the same time, ​understand​ ​that​ ​a​ ​really​ ​good​ ​consultant​ ​is​ ​always​ ​discovering ​new​ ​programs,​ ​learning about significant changes in existing programs,​ ​and​ ​staying up-to-date with​ the ​types​ ​of​ ​applicants competing for seats in the class. A consultant at the top of their game will be current with all the trends and know how to help you present yourself as a distinct, fully realized individual – beyond ​the​ ​stats​ ​and​ ​the​ ​stereotypes. They will be able to guide you in sharing your story in a compelling way and highlighting your valuable qualifications. ​ 

Process/Working Style

​Ask​ ​how​ the services you are considering ​will​ ​be​ ​provided​ ​in​ ​practical​ ​terms. Learn about turnaround times for edits, how long you should expect to spend on each application, what forms of communication are used or preferred, and ​who​ ​exactly​ ​you’ll​ ​be​ ​working​ ​with.​  If you start out talking to a salesperson, before you sign on, be sure to ask to speak with the consultant with whom you would be working. You’ll want a chance to evaluate your potential connection with that consultant before you commit.

Differentiating Factors

Ask​ ​what​ ​the​ ​consultant​ ​considers​ ​special​ ​and​ ​uniquely​ ​valuable​ ​about​ t​heir​ ​offerings​ ​and​ ​expertise​. ​You should​ ​clearly understand what makes their service different. Look for testimonials on their website, especially those that are recent and, whenever possible, from applicants who were accepted to your target school(s).

Accessibility

Ask​ ​about​ ​the​ ​consultant’s​ ​accessibility. When can you expect to be able to reach them? ​Are they ​available​ ​on​ ​weekends and/or holidays? In the ​evenings? 

Candor

Will ​the​ ​consultant be ​fully honest with you throughout the application process​?​ ​For example,​ ​if​ ​you​ ​target​ ​an MBA​ ​program​ that they believe is beyond your ​reach​ ​or​ ​draft​ ​an​ ​essay​ they feel is ​​off target,​ ​will they ​tell you​ ​frankly? You want to know that the feedback and advice you’ll receive will be genuine.

Cost

Most​ ​consulting firms list their​ ​prices​ ​on​ ​their​ ​websites,​ ​but​ ​the​ ​services offered can​ ​​often be​ ​multifaceted or complex,​ ​so​ ask questions to confirm exactly what you would be getting for your investment. ​Make​ ​sure​ ​you​ ​understand​ ​whether the​ ​fees​ ​are​ for package or hourly services. 

Unnecessary Qualifications

An​ ​admissions​ ​consultant​ ​needs​ ​to​ ​know​ ​how​ ​to​ ​help​ ​you​ ​tell​ ​your​ ​story​ ​in​ ​a​ ​clear,​ ​coherent,​ ​and compelling​ ​way.​ To be qualified to do this, they do not need to have attended — or worked in admissions at — the school you’re applying to. Likewise,​ they do ​not​ ​​need​ to have earned​ ​an​ ​MBA themselves​.

A ​consultant’s​ ​​degree and alma mater are​ ​irrelevant​ ​to​ ​their​ ​ability​ ​to​ ​help applicants present themselves effectively to an admissions committee.​ So focus instead on their ​experience with and insight into the admissions process, ​their editing​ ​skills, and their capacity to serve as a mentor. ​

A Note About ​Essay​ ​Writers​ ​and Application​ ​Agents

When researching your options for getting support with your MBA applications, be aware that ​essay writing​ ​services and application agents are​ ​not the same thing as​ ​​​admissions​ ​consultancies​. ​Consultants ​guide and ​mentor​ ​applicants through the application process, helping them​ ​brainstorm for, revise, ​and​ ​polish​ ​their​ ​essays. On the other hand, essay writers actually create essays for applicants – serving as ghostwriters, rather than advisors. And business​ ​school​ ​administrators​ ​all​ ​agree​ ​that​ ​submitting​ ​ghostwritten​ ​essays​ ​is​ ​unethical.

Application​ ​agents​ ​counsel​ ​candidates​ ​on selecting the programs they should apply to. However, ​schools​ ​pay these agents to​ ​procure​ ​applications​. Sometimes, agents are paid by​ ​both​ ​the​ ​school​ ​and​ ​the​ ​applicant.​ ​This create​s​ ​a​ ​clear​ ​conflict​ ​of​ ​interest.​ ​Applicants​ ​should​ ​be​ ​counseled​ ​to​ ​apply​ ​to​ ​MBA programs​ ​where​ ​their​ ​goals​ ​will be​ ​supported​ ​and​ ​they​ ​have​ ​a​ ​reasonable​ ​chance​ ​of​ ​getting​ ​accepted – not to ones that benefit the agent or school instead​. ​

Next Steps

You’ve​ ​taken​ ​an​ ​important​ ​step​ ​toward​ ​creating​ ​a​ ​successful​ ​application​ ​by​ ​reading​ this post, and the next logical step is seeking​ ​personalized​ ​advice​ ​tailored​ ​just​ ​for​ ​you.​ Consider scheduling a free, 30-minute free consultation with an experienced Accepted MBA admissions consultant today.

As the former executive director of admissions at Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School and assistant dean of admissions at Georgetown’s McDonough School and the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz School, Kelly Wilson has 23 years’ experience overseeing admissions committees and has reviewed more than 38,000 applications for the MBA and master’s programs in management of information systems, computational finance, business analytics, and product management. Want Kelly to help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources

• The Business School Selectivity Index, a free tool
• Best MBA Programs: A Guide to Selecting the Right One, a free guide
• Admissions Straight Talk Podcast for MBA Applicants