How To Choose An MBA Admissions Coach

The world’s top business schools are a very selective bunch. Out of nearly 10,000 MBA hopefuls that apply to Harvard Business School year over year, only around 10% are admitted. It’s even more competitive at Stanford GSB, where often fewer than 6% of applicants gain a coveted place in the program. So how do you stand out from the crowd, and what are MBA admissions committees truly looking for? As the success of your efforts will literally change the trajectory of your future, it’s wise to consider how you can put yourself in the best position to succeed.

That’s where an MBA admissions coach can help.

As an MBA coach at Fortuna Admissions for the past 10 years, I have worked with tremendously intelligent, accomplished, and motivated candidates, all of whom possess the credentials to get into a top business school. And, as my Fortuna colleague and former HBS Associate Director Karla Cohen says, “Once you’ve reached a certain level of exceptionalism in terms of being brilliant, driven, and dedicated, it’s all about your story.”

Yet so many accomplished people struggle to market themselves and express their accomplishments and interests in a way that will captivate an MBA admissions committee. It can be difficult to write about yourself (and know what to write), let alone craft a concise and compelling narrative that will distinguish you in a sea of excellence.

A seasoned MBA admissions coach isn’t there to write the application or essays for you (and beware of those who will) but to guide you in a process of self-discovery that helps you distill what makes you unique and communicate your candidacy. We help to dig out your best stories – accomplishments, successes, lessons learned – and bring them to the forefront. Moreover, we’ll help you navigate the complexity of the MBA application process and focus on exactly what you need to succeed.

For example, my Fortuna colleagues are passionate and talented coaches who are also former MBA admissions directors and senior professionals from the world’s top business schools. Having been on the “other side” as MBA admission gatekeepers, we know first-hand what admissions is looking for in a candidate. When you work with Fortuna, you leverage the expertise of someone who has been an insider and has seen the reasons why thousands of others have either succeeded or failed. This level of insider perspective into how your candidacy will compare to the thousands of others in the pool – and how best to distinguish your profile and uniqueness – is invaluable. Taking advantage of this kind of expertise is what MBA admissions consulting is all about.

There’s a glut of misinformation and bad advice about applying to business school on the Internet. Part of the value an expert MBA admissions coach can add is ensuring you get the information and advice you need.

“When I was the admissions director at INSEAD, I realized that many of our students had worked with admissions coaches and some had received quite bad advice,” says Fortuna’s Caroline Diarte Edwards. “There are a lot of ‘admissions coaches’ who are not well informed or qualified. I know from personal experience – having studied at INSEAD and then returning two years later to head up admissions – that simply having applied and attended the program doesn’t equate to knowing how things work behind the closed doors of admissions. We started Fortuna to give candidates the opportunity to really access the inside track on how MBA admissions actually work.”

3 TIPS FOR CHOOSING AN MBA ADMISSIONS COACH

Choosing the right coach is a balance of professional expertise and personal chemistry – it’s like picking a personal trainer, real estate agent, or, perhaps more aptly, a therapist. Like business schools themselves, you can expect a certain level of exceptionalism among the very best coaches. Then, you’ll want to do your research to find the right fit in terms of working styles, communication, culture, and personality. Here are a few suggestions on how to choose the best MBA coach for you.

Do your research and inquire about previous experience.

Do your research on firms and their coaches first – you can find out about both through online research, online reviews, MBA fairs, and better yet, your network. Many firms have several consultants, and it can be hard to choose. Try to read up on their bios, which are often found on a firm’s website. Since this can be time-consuming, set up a free consultation call with the firm, and based on your profile they will make personalized suggestions for you to narrow down your search.

Your free consultation is the first step to assessing mutual fit so that you can be confident in maximizing your effort, time, and investment in an MBA admissions coach. As you do, make sure the call is about you and your business school plans. What are the areas of discussion that will be most helpful for you? Are there any aspects of your candidacy that concern you? This call should be first and foremost about your profile, your background, and achievements, and how business school fits into the next stage of your personal and professional development. There will be plenty of opportunities to discuss the services and experience that the admissions firm provides, but it is amazing how much guidance and insight an experienced MBA consultant can share about the many aspects of your candidacy, and details about target schools to really help you to understand the culture and admissions process of each institution.

Of course, it helps when the company draws upon the many years of collective team experience working inside the MBA admissions office, so you should come away from the call feeling more confident about the next steps, with a better understanding of each school – the sort of insights that you won’t find on websites or chat forums.

Set a budget and investigate costs.

Like most professional services, consultant fees can be intimidating. But as with the cost of business school, consider your return on investment. This is the kind of one-time cost that is invaluable when your dream school offers you a coveted place. No coach can guarantee your chance of admission, but my clients know that I’m deeply invested in and committed to their success.

The whole MBA application process offers the rare opportunity to step back and reflect on the path you have taken, the choices you have made, and what they say about you, as well as to think deeply about what you really want to achieve. With wise counsel, this process of self-reflection is enormously rewarding and very enjoyable.

So, find out the range of what coaches can cost and set your budget accordingly. Most firms offer MBA packages (a lump sum) that ensure support along every step of the journey to maximize your chances of success – from school selection, to resume revisions, to essay building and interview prep (and much more). If your budget won’t allow for a full package, firms also offer hourly coaching. It’s not as comprehensive, but at least you can choose where you need the most help. (And you can always add more hours later, as needed.)

Also, keep in mind that prices will vary based on a coach’s previous experience. For example, the cost will most likely be higher if you choose to work with a former director of MBA admissions versus someone who is an alumnus of a program. The good news is you can decide what works best for you.

Consider a ‘fit call’ to make a connection.

Once you have narrowed down your selection, set up a 15-20 minute ‘fit call’ or “intro call” with a potential coach. This is not intended to be a call to assess your chances – instead, it is your chance to connect with the coach to discern if they are a good fit for you. Just like a job interview, you are assessing them as much as they are assessing you. This will be someone you’ll be working with consistently over several months, in a relationship of openness and trust. And beyond likability, are you confident that they believe in you and will be committed to helping you succeed in your MBA application journey?

Things to look for include:

What kind of experience does this coach have? Some coaches have years of experience as former MBA admissions gatekeepers, others have vast coaching experience, and others bring invaluable insights as an MBA grad of one of your target schools. Find out what kind of experience a coach has and what may be of most benefit to you.
Have they coached on the school(s) you are targeting with successful outcomes?
What kinds of reviews and reputations do they have online? (Good sources are Poets&Quants consultant reviews and GMAT club reviews). You can learn a lot about a coach through feedback from previous clients.
Does this coach have special industry expertise? Do they publish articles, videos, or related materials about certain schools and the admissions process?

The flow to your ‘fit calls’ could look something like this:

Introduction and “background check”

Introduce yourself, invite them to tell you about themselves and their background
- This is a chance to have a casual conversation to get to know one another and find some common ground. Is the conversation natural or forced? Do you enjoy speaking with this person?
Why do you like coaching?
- This is a great opportunity to understand why they do what they do and if they are truly passionate about coaching or not.
What are your strengths as a coach and what is it like to work with you?
- Here, it’s good to find out their particular skills and expertise. Are they good at editing? Eliciting the stories that will distinguish your candidacy? Have success working with your target schools? You might ask them to share a client success story that’s emblematic of what it’s like to work with them.
- It’s also pertinent to find out how they work: do they make a timeline, how and how often do they prefer to communicate (email, phone), the time zone they’re working in, turnaround time, and so on.

Remember, a coach wants to assess if you are a good fit for them too – so be prepared to share your expectations and answer their questions as well!

At the end of the day, go with your instincts and ask yourself, has this person lifted me up and got me excited about the process and my candidacy? Or have they brought me down and only focused on my weaknesses for my application? You want the experience to be encouraging (and fun), so if you’ve made a positive connection, and feel comfortable and confident, this might be the right coach for you.

Melissa Jones is an expert coach at MBA admissions coaching firm Fortuna Admissions and former assistant director of the INSEAD MBA Program. To find your coach and put our team’s unparalleled MBA admissions expertise to work for you, reach out to Fortuna for a free consultation.