MBA Admissions Advice
I founded MyGuru while I was an MBA student at Kellogg-Northwestern in part based on the idea that test prep tutoring was more expensive than it needed to be. I focused on stripping out unnecessary costs (like expensive offices or curriculum development), developed simple training on the importance of customized study plan development, and built a team of excellent tutors with significant experience. I encouraged them to primarily rely on official test prep materials provided by whatever organization (GMAT.org for the GMAT, ETS for the GRE, etc.) administers the exam. The result is top-tier private tutoring at ~50% the cost of the major test prep brands.
But if you think it’s expensive to get high quality GMAT tutoring, just wait until you seek high quality admissions consulting as you try to navigate the MBA applications process. You might invest $1,000 to $3,000 in GMAT materials, classes, or tutoring, but you could invest $5,000 or even $10,000 in admissions consulting services if you apply to multiple programs. Most admissions consulting firms charge at least $3,000 to $4,000 for just one school, and applicants sometimes find their consultant to be years or even decades removed from the actual MBA application process. As a result, the consultant may not be up to date on school clubs, classes and culture.
Still, gaining admission to top MBA programs is a difficult and complex process and it can make sense to seek guidance. GMAT scores matters, but your personal narrative and story around why you want an MBA in general and one from any given program specifically is critical and can make or break your application. And while I consider prices associated with typical MBA consulting exorbitant, it is certainly the case that if you invest $3,000 in GMAT tutoring and $7,000 in admissions consulting and it gets you into a top 10 school instead of a top 20 school, you’ll probably be able to generate an extremely high ROI on your $10,000 investment.
Our Partnership with PeakAdmit
We believe our partner, PeakAdmit, has designed a unique solution to the above problems. We endorse their mission of charging far lower rates by working with current MBA students and recent alumni as reviewers, to provide you with school specific insights that you won't get anywhere else. Unlike other MBA admissions consulting companies, PeakAdmit also facilitates customized matching between you and your reviewer, ensuring that your reviewer understands your professional profile and aspirations. PeakAdmit leverages the insights and backgrounds of its reviewers to provide guidance to applicants that is school-specific and grounded in experience.
This approach provides the core guidance and perspective most students need to prepare effective, high quality applications.
Three MBA Application Services
- “The internship” – hourly service to discuss whatever you like about the application process, for $50/hr
- “The Workshop” – resume review service for $100/draft
- “The C-Suite” – comprehensive essay review service, for $150/draft
