I highly recommend Susan from Sia Admissions. She helped me overcome mediocre academic stats to get into my #1 school. It has been a fantastic experience.
As a result: I have received offers of admission to Wharton, Stern, Darden, McCombs.
https://www.siaadmissions.com/
I could not imagine going through this process without Susan's help.
I decided to work with her because I knew I was taking a significant risk in changing careers. I wanted to maximize my opportunity and limit my risk of failure.
I interviewed a couple of other larger MBA consulting companies and found that they were competent, but they had more on an assembly line approach. I would go from station to station (each with a different person) depending on what part of the process I was conducting.
I wanted someone that I could connect with and would understand my situation. I am transitioning careers and didn't know what I wanted to do after business school. I didn't have a clear narrative of who I was and why I would be an asset to a business school.
I went with Susan because I got the impression she was going to be with me through the whole process and help me develop who I would be after leaving the military.
Susan did just that and then some. She has been available every step of the way.
School Selection: We spoke for hours on the phone. She got to know me and what my goals were. She recommended a variety of schools: reach, target, and safety schools. With these schools, she gave the reasons why, why not, and how it would fit my personality.
Application Development: She spent time helping me put together a narrative on how I would contribute to the school, what I wanted to do short term, and what my long-term goals were. As I would write the essays and resumes, she would take the time to help me get it right. It was important to me to make sure that I was representing myself honestly while communicating in a manner that would connect with the admissions committee. I think every document I submitted was the result of 8 or more drafts. She took the time to make sure I was submitting the best application possible.
Interview Prep: Every time I would get selected to interview, she would send me a series of interview questions that I could expect for each interview. We would then do a call where she would explain to me what was unique about that school's interview process and how I should prepare. Afterward, we would do an unlimited number of mock interviews. For each actual interview, we spent several hours on skype running through mock interviews.
Decision: She has been available through this whole process, always giving me advice on the advantages and disadvantages of each school and things to consider before making my final decision. Additionally, she is helping me apply for other scholarships and preparing myself to enter business school this fall.
I chose to have her help me with all my applications. It was expensive, but it made sense to me because I didn't have any other resources that I trusted, guiding me through this process. My career change is one of the most significant risks I've taken. As a result, I saw any avoidable mistake as unacceptable, so I wanted someone to help me ensure I was doing each little thing right.
Review first appeared on GMAT Club.
