How To Hire the Best MBA Consultant For a Successful Application

UPDATE: This article was originally posted on April 21, 2022. It has been updated with new information and tips below. 

Ready to apply for your dream MBA program? You have surely already taken the time to assess the materials you still need to gather, think about your choice of recommenders, and ponder topics for your MBA admissions essays.

Of course, all of this has probably only revealed more questions. How do I stand above the crowd? What should I wear if I get invited to an interview? Can I ask a former boss for a recommendation, or will that reflect badly on my application? Should I talk about different experiences in my essays for Harvard Business School than in those for INSEAD?

Applying for an MBA – especially at elite universities and top programs – is a difficult and complicated process. Considering that your MBA applications define one of the biggest phases in your professional trajectory, it is essential to answer all of these questions.

That is where MBA consultants come in: they help guide you through the MBA admissions process, including helping you decide which schools to apply to, which recommenders will support your profile best, and clarifying any spontaneous questions.

However, the best MBA consultants go above and beyond, simplifying answering technical questions about your application. Instead, they can coach you through the process via individualized, one-on-one feedback to help you sculpt your MBA essays and rock your interviews to present the best possible portrait of your achievements, career goals, and fit with your dream schools. 

At Ellin Lolis Consulting, we see that no candidate is the same. Our editing and interview teams specialize in unique, personalized solutions as MBA consultants who want to make sure you stand out based on your strengths, values, and experience.

 

What standard MBA consultants can offer

MBA consultants can help you with a wide range of services in and around all aspects of your application – many of which can mean the crucial difference between being accepted into your top program and applying again next year. Check some of the different ways that your MBA consultant can offer invaluable advice below.

MBA consultants can help you choose the right programs

One of the most important – yet most overlooked – parts of the MBA application process is deciding which business schools you should apply to. Though there are countless factors you should consider, such as length, program specialization, and competitiveness. 

You can check out more about which factors you can consider – and how to navigate these concerns – here!

 

The best MBA consultants: specialized in you

These and many other services can all be had with any MBA consultant at your side. However, the best MBA consulting services go above and beyond standard advice and one-size-fits-all answers to your questions.

At Ellin Lolis Consulting, we use a personalized developmental methodology. This methodology not only tailors your MBA consulting experience to your background, goals, and preferences but works by your side to guide you through every step of the process. 

This includes one-on-one application strategy planning, iterative conceptualization and development of your MBA essays, tailored writing feedback, thorough interview preparation, and 1:1 interview practice.

Ellin Lolis Consulting: our personalized developmental methodology for MBA applications

There are many ways that we go above and beyond your average MBA consultant to help you individually prepare to apply to some of the world’s most competitive business programs.

Here are some examples of ways our personalized methodology can help.

We can help you determine your personal brand

First things first: you won’t get into a top program by being like everyone else – you’ll get in by standing out. But figuring out how to stand out and how to keep your “uniqueness” consistent across your application can be very difficult if you don’t have some sort of guide. 

This is why all our clients start their MBA applications by defining their personal brand. 

A personal brand is a powerful tool you will use not only throughout your application but also during your studies and later on when you re-enter the job market. Working with us can help you understand how to focus on and enhance different elements of your profile yet still ensure you submit a cohesive application. 

We can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses

What sets a successful applicant apart from a dinged applicant? 

Though many factors determine an application’s success, in our experience, applicants who clearly understand the strengths and weaknesses of their profile have a clear advantage. 

Not only can we help you identify your strengths and weaknesses – we can also help you leverage them to your advantage through personalized essay editing. By helping you highlight what you learned from a failed startup, a rough year at school, or a project that didn’t go as planned, you can collaborate with your consultant to show the admissions committee how you have grown through these experiences and how you plan to overcome the challenges that await you in their program and throughout your professional trajectory.

As MBA consultants, we can help you discover your weaknesses and, more importantly, how they can help you become an all-star MBA candidate.

We can help you decide which stories to tell 

Writing your MBA admissions essay may feel like an intimidating task. With precious little space, what should you tell the adcom? How much detail should you include? As one of the most complex and time-consuming aspects of your application, it is important to get advice from an MBA consultant who knows how to help you rock your essays.

Our MBA consultants have years of experience helping candidates choose their best MBA content, which means we know which strategies work best depending on the school, your personal background, and your goals. 

Our number one tip? Storytelling.

Stories in MBA admissions essays function to show the reader who you are by telling them about your past. They often tell of a single event that helped you grow as a person or a professional. Stories are also a way to structure a past experience for the reader that is intriguing, compelling, and interesting to read.

At Ellin Lolis Consulting, our consultants work with you to choose the best stories for each essay via one-on-one strategy chats and iterative brainstorming. That way, you can be sure that you are on the right track to an effective narrative that shows the adcom who you are.

We can help you practice for your interview

Of course, at Ellin Lolis Consulting, we are also here to help with another notoriously tricky aspect of your MBA application: your interviews.

When considering talking to a representative of your dream school face-to-face, a whole new string of questions pops up. While over-anxious pacing and sleepless nights should indeed be avoided, you do need to prepare yourself. Indeed, practice is incredibly important. Especially when it comes to public speaking and highly-competitive selection processes. 

For most elite MBAs, only around 50% of candidates called to interview are actually admitted. This means that having a natural gift for public speaking or an outstanding profile simply isn’t enough. You must be prepared to master your interview from start to finish, avoiding errors, pivoting gracefully, and acing every moment. 

For that reason, bringing in a top-notch MBA consultant to assist you in determining how to position your answers can be a key step in translating the information from your personal brand and application form to winning interview answers.

Working one-on-one with our team of interview experts can help you get that vital advantage. 

This is the approach we have used to help applicants from countless industries on 6 continents position their unique stories to achieve an offer from their top-choice programs. Let us put our extensive know-how and personalized approach to work for the success of your MBA application. 

 

Leverage the Ellin Lolis Advantage today!

There is no time to waste when it comes to refining your MBA application, and there is no better way to navigate your approach than with an MBA consultant by your side. 

The best MBA consultants, however, go far beyond just providing generic answers or standard interview questions – they care about making sure you feel secure in every aspect of your application. At Ellin Lolis Consulting, we can guarantee you can take advantage of your best shot at your top MBA programs through tailored advice, personal feedback, and detailed one-on-one editing and interview prep.

We are especially proud to offer this service, as we find it helps our clients take greater advantage of their MBAs.

For us, though, it’s more than just helping you build the strategy that will get you into your target schools – it’s about providing the support you need along the way. 

In the words of our client Rafaela, “Thank you so much for supporting me throughout this journey. You are more than a mentor, you are a person who never lets someone give up on dreams. You believed in me more than I believed in myself, and I will never forget that.” 

If you’re interested in having our support during your MBA application journey, apply to work with us today. We only work with a very limited number of applicants per year, so apply early to ensure your best chance at a spot!