Access Education | MBA Admissions Consultants

After achieving a decent GMAT score, I felt confident about my chances of getting into INSEAD, given my academic qualifications and eight years of experience in entrepreneurship and managing an international multi-million dollar portfolio. However, meeting Laura Freedman, an MBA admissions consultant who runs Access Education (www.accesseducation.com), was a humbling experience that brought me back to earth.

Laura, a coach, mentor, and now a friend, was sharp and candid with her feedback from the outset. She quickly identified my weaknesses and I was convinced she would bring out the best in me. I was eager to work with her and grateful that she accepted me as a client.

Laura’s methodology was well-structured and clearly communicated, allowing me to plan my timeline to align with my target application round. Her excellent ability to read people and acute attention to detail enabled her to connect the dots effortlessly. By delving deeply into my childhood experiences, Laura helped me gain insights about myself that I had previously been unaware of. She guided me in developing a story that was uniquely mine, helping me realise that my journey was even more remarkable than I had thought. Beyond CVs and essays, Laura grilled me during interview preparations and provided me with tips that will be valuable throughout my career. She coached me to become a better version of myself.

The process was challenging, and I was constantly pushed to dig deep. There were days when I felt defeated, but Laura’s unwavering support encouraged me to put forth my best application. Deciding to work with Laura was one of the best decisions I have made, and I will always be grateful to her as a coach and friend.

I worked with Laura Freedman, an MBA Admissions Consultant who runs Access Education (www.accesseducation.com) for my successful MBA application to INSEAD. I highly recommend her to anyone looking to apply to European MBAs, especially if applying to INSEAD, given her background as an INSEAD alum and former career coach.

Laura’s personalized working style really impressed me. During our regular 1 on 1 video calls, we discussed in depth my international experiences and ambitions, and worked together to distill these into a compelling narrative for admissions. Laura remembered many aspects of my background and career, and helped me articulate connections within my career trajectory that I had not noticed.

Laura’s advice goes beyond the admissions process. Given her experience working successfully with many MBA candidates, she has a wide network of post-MBA professionals and shared many of their insights from different industries with me. She also helped me elevate my CV and business writing skills. Her life advice extended to post-MBA career and lifestyle, and this opened my eyes to different possibilities for the future. I am very glad to have found such a helpful mentor!

My experience applying to INSEAD with Laura Freedman at Access Education (www.accesseducation.com) was truly exceptional. Not only did she guide me with my applications, but I also learned so much from her each day.

Laura went to great lengths to understand my background and journey at the start of our engagement. She dug deep to truly understand the values that defined me and the experiences that shaped me into who I am today, helping me craft essays that truly reflected who I am.

She consistently pushed me beyond my comfort zone, really challenging me to build versions of my work that surpassed my own expectations. She was direct, honest, and transparent, values that I appreciate the most in her. While her direct feedback sometimes challenged me, it pushed me to work on a better version. Given her in-depth understanding of my experiences, she would nudge me to look at my experiences through a different lens and stitch all my life experiences together.

Laura’s dedication was evident in her willingness to spend extra time on drafts, even if it meant doubling the effort and time anticipated/planned. There were times when I would feel embarrassed spending so much time reviewing and re-working the same document. However, her commitment and assurance were vital in helping me sharpen my documents.

To really summarise it in a sentence – I was skeptical at the start of this journey but as I look back now, I don’t think I would have had it any other way.

Laura Freedman from Access Education MBA Admissions consultants played a key role in my successful INSEAD MBA application, making it a transformational journey of personal and professional growth. Being an INSEAD alum and an ex-interviewer herself, Laura is truly the expert in international MBA programs, and her deep personal insights were really helpful in enhancing my application, especially since I come from a non-business background.

Laura is more than an admission consultant – she’s a kind mentor and supporter, completely dedicated to my success. Importantly, she didn’t change my story as we worked; she did challenge my thought process, but the final application still tells MY own story. Her no-nonsense approach made her a fantastic sounding board, which allowed me to truly reflect on my values. From the first meeting, you’ll be impressed by how quickly she gets you and her bluntness in evaluating a profile.

If you’re applying to INSEAD, I can’t recommend Laura enough. Thanks, Laura, for not only guiding me but also making the admission process enjoyable!

I was lucky to work with Laura during the latest MBA admissions cycle. She helped me get a Round 1 admission from INSEAD – my top choice – where I’ll be attending starting in August. As an alum herself, it’s tough to imagine there’s a better consultant in the market than Laura for getting into INSEAD.

Laura takes a no-nonsense approach to helping her clients craft their stories, refine their interview skills, and get admitted to top programs. As an American with an unconventional background and limited international experience, I was unsure how to make my application stand out. Laura helped me to tell my story authentically while emphasizing my career is one (like many others) that has been disrupted by the pandemic, offering new means of connecting across borders via remote & distributed work. She gave me the confidence to own my story and, for that, I’m grateful.

Thanks, Laura!

The INSEAD application process is particularly lengthy and detailed and I wanted help to navigate it from someone with some experience with this process. Laura Freedman (www.accesseducation.com) specialises in consulting for the European MBAs. She is an INSEAD alumna with an unconventional background who helped this nontraditional candidate formulate a truthful and compelling narrative.

Laura has a structured approach, which focuses on each of the individual components of the application separately and methodically.

Laura has an engaging and enthusiastic manner. The INSEAD application requires you to explore childhood and other personal influences, so developing a rapport with your consultant is helpful to uncover the anecdotes that individualise your response.

All our work together was done synchronously; I would draft a CV, an essay, or a list of international experiences, and she would discuss and edit it in real time with me. The work was very collaborative but remained concrete and tangible. In the end, I had a better product to show for it than what I would have done on my own, but I could still honestly say it was my own work.

Having regular meetings of approximately two a week helped to keep me focussed on the task. The INSEAD application is quite lengthy and it would be quite difficult to rush it in the last week!

I also found her advice useful in managing recommenders and engaging with the school on scholarships.

Overall, I’m more than happy to recommend her as a consultant for INSEAD.

I owe most of my successful MBA application to INSEAD to Laura Freedman, an INSEAD alum and top MBA admissions consultant at Access Education (www.accesseducation.com). I would recommend anyone thinking of applying for a top MBA outside the United States to choose her for the following reasons:

Personalized and tailored approach: She works closely with you to extract your life experiences, strengths and weaknesses, and unique personality traits which will help you write YOUR story. Unlike other consultants, she will be available as much as you want. Once a week? Twice? Every day? You choose and she will do her best to be flexible around your schedule

Brutally honest cheerleader: Sometimes tough love is required and she will be straightforward, no BS in her book. On the flip side, she will always be there to cheer you on whenever you feel like giving up and will celebrate more than you once you get accepted.

Goes above and beyond the call of duty: She is heavily invested in making you succeed and getting you into your school of choice. You will rework your essays until you are both fully satisfied and she will make you look like the superstar that you are!

I was recommended Laura by a friend of mine who swore by her. I interviewed with 3 other consultants prior to Laura, and choosing to work with her is single-handedly the best decision I’ve ever made.

I engaged Laura Freedman, an MBA Admissions Consultant at Access Education (www.accesseducation.com) following an invitation to interview for a place in the December 2023 MBA Class at INSEAD. I truly believe that Laura’s guidance led to my positive admissions decision and ultimate commitment to attend INSEAD.

Laura’s candor is balanced by her encouraging warmth and desire to see all of her clients succeed. Her focus on international programs, and her deep experience with INSEAD as a longstanding alumni leader and former alumni interviewer herself, make her the most capable and experienced admissions consultant available should INSEAD be your school of choice.

When you engage Laura, be prepared to have your beliefs challenged. While my process was directed towards INSEAD, my experience with Laura went much deeper. She encouraged me to reflect on myself, my goals, and my interests. Laura helped bring clarity to my future goals and how best to achieve them while also helping me to more clearly articulate what it is that I want out of an MBA. Laura’s feedback will highlight any areas where improvement is warranted and enable you to reevaluate and solidify your position to gain acceptance.

Laura is so much more than an MBA Admissions Consultant; she is a life coach. She will lead you to take stock of your successes thus far in life and prove to both your interviewers and yourself that you are a compelling candidate. If she takes you on as a client, be assured that she believes you have the foundation necessary to succeed, and she will help you build upon that foundation to secure an offer.

You will not find a more qualified or well-prepared admissions consultant to guide you through the application process. I could not recommend Laura more highly. I look forward to staying in touch with Laura as a former client, friend and (soon-to-be) fellow INSEADer.

Thank you, Laura!

After a thrilling 10-month ride, I graduated as a proud INSEADer in MBA July 2022 class, and I cannot say how much Laura Freedman, an INSEAD alum and MBA admissions consultant who runs Access Education (www.accesseducation.com), helped me in my MBA journey.

What Laura gave me was far more than just the tricks and advice for a business school application, it was an opportunity to learn about myself, discover my values, and learn how much I could bring to the table. It was an incredibly valuable process that had a long-lasting impact on my MBA journey and even the recruitment process.

Laura cares deeply about every single student she takes in and gives the most genuine advice she can offer, not just as an admission consultant but also as a trusted mentor and friend. Laura is brutally honest. She has no filter and will not bother to give you pretty words. She will not hesitate to call out any BS. But one thing you can rest assured, she wants you to succeed more than anyone else.

Last but not least, Laura is fun to work with! She will tell you about her sailing journeys (and maybe make you jealous by working on a gorgeous beach :)…

Working with Laura Freedman helped me transform my perceived weaknesses into strengths.

I have a complex background. When I was applying to business school, I knew that the journey would be difficult. I contacted different MBA consultant firms. Talking to those firms was not fulfilling at all since I got the feeling that I would not get into a business school by just being me. So, I kept looking until I found Laura’s reviews on Poets&Quants and on the GMAT forum.

Laura is an INSEAD alum who specializes in working with applicants to international business schools (especially European business schools). Right after our first meeting, I knew she was the best admission consultant for me. In fact, she is more than an admission consultant, she is a life coach.

For instance, she took the time to know the real me, she scrutinized my life from my childhood to now: we talked about all my failures and my success. Right at the beginning, she was honest about my low GRE. However, she focused on my strengths and was very supportive. During the time I worked with Laura, I learned so much about myself. The whole process was a period of self-reflection. I rediscovered things I had forgotten about myself, things that shaped my character. While another consultant encouraged me to remove some failures and difficulties from my essay, Laura encouraged me to disclose them proudly because they show how much I have overcome. I finally realized that I have much more to offer than I realized.
She pushed me to stick to the timeline. At each step of my application, she added so much value.

Choice of schools: Laura guided my choice of school. The school I will be attending was not my first choice and is higher ranked than other schools I wanted to apply to. She pushed me to learn more about this school since she was confident that I had a chance to be accepted and that I would belong, despite me thinking otherwise. She was right, the more I learned about it, the more I liked it.

Resume: Her approach to CV writing was robust. She helped me to convert my complex education and work experience clearly and concisely. She made sure that my resume is balanced and shows the best of my work and my strong community experience.
Essays: since we took at least 1 week to go through my background, she could advise me on important details to put on my essay. Her writing styles helped me improve my storytelling skills. She helped me to explain my complex background and clearly express my career aspiration.

Interview preparation: The interview preparation was awesome. She made a list of questions and we did many mock interviews.
Laura was always available. She was ready to meet every day to work on my application.

As I told her, even if I did not get in, I would have appreciated our collaboration since it transformed me. I applied to Oxford, Cambridge, and London business schools since I wanted to study in the UK. I got admitted to all 3 schools with a considerable scholarship at Cambridge and a full scholarship at LBS ( not bad for a 31 years applicant with a low GRE).

Honestly, I might not have received an INSEAD offer without help from Laura Freedman, an INSEAD alum and MBA admissions consultant at Access Education (www.accesseducation.com). I only focused on 1-year programs, and INSEAD was my first choice. One of my friends, an INSEAD alumn, strongly recommended Laura to me. The best part is that Laura was not just helping with my essay editing. She guided me to discover and reflect on myself in ways I had never thought about before. Each essay editing session, we would have video calls to discuss how to further improve the content. I liked her direct approach to give feedback and her patience to keep pushing me to revise my drafts. She is always responsive and helpful about my questions, even when she fell sick during the process. Further, the skillset I learned from Laura is not just one-time for the MBA application. I applied what I learned working with her to my CV and cover letter writing during my full-time job recruitment at INSEAD and successfully received an MBB consulting offer. Thank you, Laura!

When I was deciding on an MBA admissions consultant, I had no doubts that Laura Freedman at Access Education was the best consultant for INSEAD. I am glad I chose her.

I had my concern about my profile, especially since I was from a highly represented background (Indian, Engineer though a non-resident Indian) and hadn’t changed companies during my work tenure.

I worked with Laura for nine months, since I was given my GMAT during the period as well. Unlike many admission consultants, when you decide to work with Access Education, you will work directly with Laura (yes, she is a one-woman army!). We started by redesigning my CV, then discussing how to get great recommendations, developing my stories, editing my essays, preparing my interview, and analyzing how best to use my “golden ticket” period.

I have to praise Laura for being completely honest (and insisting that I be honest!) throughout my application process. We discussed my personal life, career background and progression. She dedicated time to understanding my story while giving me an opportunity to self-reflect, understand how far I’d come, and realize what I truly want to achieve with my MBA. She helped me carve my essays skillfully and make them concise. She is gifted in understanding her clients’ individual personalities, strengths and weaknesses, and helping them edit their essays.

Laura’s in-depth knowledge about top international business schools, and especially INSEAD, helped immensely. She is an alum (‘92D), a long-standing alumni volunteer, and was an interviewer before she became an admissions consultant. Her experience was evident during our conversations. She understands the school’s culture and what it is looking for and does very well to help you understand and articulate your story from its perspective. In addition, she has an open calendar that gives you access to her availability, and if the timing doesn’t work for you, she goes out of the way to schedule according to your convenience.

I am confident that Laura is the best MBA admissions consultant if you plan to apply to INSEAD. Thank you, Laura, for your assistance and constant motivation throughout my journey, and for helping me join the INSEAD community!

Must have if you are considering international b-schools. Can’t recommend highly enough!

“I was admittedly skeptical of my need or the value of a professional MBA admissions consultant – a belief reinforced through some of my initial conversations. I had all but decided I would go it alone. However, after hearing an INSEAD alum rave about Laura Freedman at Access Education and the difference she made on her own application process, I decided to schedule an initial meeting.

6+ months later, I can say without a doubt that it was one of the best decisions I made on my MBA application journey. Among other things, 2 factors really stood out from our initial conversation.

First, I did not get the feeling she was trying to “sell” me, but rather a sense that she was providing me an honest representation of Access Education’s services, and simply trying to get to know me.

Second, was her radical candor. Even in our first conversation, Laura told me less of what I wanted to hear, and more of what I needed to; I found this incredibly refreshing.

These elements held constant as we worked through the many essay iterations, general application, and interview preparation. Whether by taking the time to learn more about me (far beyond just the resume) or through the extra meetings and revisions just to make sure I felt at ease, it was evident that Laura did not hesitate to go above and beyond. This – coupled with her candor, writing expertise and incredible grasp of the MBA process – helped to ensure that the final product was not only fundamentally sound, but an authentic representation of my true self.

More broadly, as someone who is not naturally introspective, I was thankful for Laura’s ability to ask specific, probing questions. These helped me better understand myself, my values, and ultimately my why/narrative – learnings which yielded dividends far beyond the application itself.

I can say with confidence that Laura’s involvement strengthened the quality of my application, and that Access Education had a direct impact on my (successful!) application journey. I am tremendously grateful for Laura’s help and cannot recommend her highly enough!

-Andrew

If you are searching for the best MBA admissions consultant to aid you in your applications to international/European business schools, look no further than Laura Freedman, an INSEAD MBA alum who runs Access Education.

Laura reads and understands you very quickly. After just more than half an hour of conversation, Laura was able to pin-point my greatest fear, without me mentioning it. From that point, I knew I could rely on her to bring the best out of my application.

Laura has a very well-structured approach to the MBA application. Straightaway from the point of onboarding, she provided me with a holistic set of theory and sample work which assisted me greatly to understand the style of business writing we were trying to achieve. Laura and I established that style of writing as something to stick with throughout my career, even after the application process is over.

However, the quality that sets Laura’s service apart from many others is her directness. Laura never beats around the bush. Her directness, sometimes bluntness, pushed me out of my comfort zone and challenged me to bring the best out of my truest self. Laura knew exactly what my target school was looking for. She extracted exactly those things from my story and worked with me to package and present them in the most honest and authentic format.

Throughout this process, Laura went beyond being a consultant to become a life coach, a friend, and a fellow INSEADer. I’m so lucky to have had the chance to know and work with Laura over the past year.

I would strongly recommend Laura to anyone targeting international/European b-schools. Laura will help shape not only your journey to b-school but your life beyond as well.

Thank you, Laura, once again, for everything you have helped me with.

Working with Laura Freedman at Access Education (www.accesseducation.com) has been a tremendous experience. Words cannot express the positive experience I had throughout my application journey with her. Apart from being an expert admissions advisor and a great writing coach, she is also a unique personality. Not only did she help me get admitted to LBS’ MIF program, but she also helped me discover a lot about myself and ultimately become a better person from both a personal and professional perspective. Laura is a great motivator and an extremely energetic character and I would recommend her services to anyone applying to the world’s best international business schools.

If you’re applying to INSEAD and are looking to use a top MBA admissions consultant, Laura Freedman at Access Education is truly the only choice. For this applicant with a low GMAT quant score, she was instrumental in helping me address this weakness directly in my application and overcome it. I am confident that without Laura I would not have been accepted to INSEAD which was my top choice.

Laura is an INSEAD alum and former INSEAD career coach who specializes in working full-time with applicants to international business schools. She also knows the INSEAD admissions process inside out. But she is genuinely so much more than just an MBA admissions coach. Over my six months working with her, she guided me through a period of deep self-reflection. I learned so much about myself that I have applied to both my personal and professional life. Laura is also so encouraging – when she takes you on as a client, you can be assured that she believes in you and will invest in you. Laura was honest with me about my GMAT score throughout the process, yet focused on the strengths of my application and made me feel confident in and proud of my application, as well as my own career progression and aspirations. I can’t recommend Laura enough for both the MBA application process and as a fantastic mentor and friend.

Thank you for everything, Laura!

I worked with Laura Freedman, an MBA admissions consultant at Access Education (www.accesseducation.com), for about 4 months. I was especially attracted by her extensive international experience, her focus on international MBA programs and her deep experience with INSEAD. I decided to go for her comprehensive service, which I felt was best suited to help me gain admission to a top international MBA. Thanks to her help, I was admitted to my first choice, INSEAD (Class of 2021).

Laura listened carefully to my background and career goals and pushed me to articulate my story with greater clarity. As I was aiming to apply in Round 1, I was under considerable time pressure. Laura allowed me to meet with her as many times as I needed and was flexible in accommodating her schedule to ensure that the quality of my application did not suffer because of the time constraint. Her deep understanding of INSEAD also proved invaluable in developing my own appreciation of INSEAD’s culture and values.

During each consultation session, Laura asked questions that challenged me on my own story. Our candid discussions empowered me to write with greater precision and purpose. By the time I submitted my application, I genuinely felt that I had written the most authentic and accurate application as I possibly could. Laura also gave me useful tips on how to prepare my recommenders and conducted helpful mock interviews with me after I was invited to the interview phase of the application process.

Importantly, Laura helped me to better understand my career goals and improved my communication skills in the process. I am extremely grateful for Laura’s guidance and would recommend any applicant to international MBA programs looking for an admissions coach to go with Access Education.

Like many reading this, I wanted to maximize my chances of getting into a top business school by submitting a stellar application. I was looking for an MBA admissions consultant who knew exactly what INSEAD looks for in an application, who knew how to navigate the application process and who would go the extra mile to help me achieve my goal. Thankfully I found Laura Freedman at Access Education (www.accesseducation.com), who delivered on what I was seeking and more! Thanks to Laura’s guidance, I was not only admitted to INSEAD but also awarded a €20k scholarship due to the strength of my application.

Laura specializes in international business schools and knows how to craft an INSEAD application. To tell a compelling story, you need to know your audience. From the word go of working with Laura, it was clear that she knew exactly what needed to go into an INSEAD application. Her deep knowledge of INSEAD enabled me to build an impactful application that was tailored to INSEAD’s culture and values.

Laura’s experience helped me navigate the application process and ensure I was prepared and confident at each and every step. She was always willing and able to answer questions I had about the process, which not only brought peace of mind but also allowed me to maintain focus on the vital task at hand: developing my story and building my application.

Laura is committed to helping you make your application the best it can possibly be. Putting together a brilliant application is neither quick nor easy. Time and effort are needed to uncover your most compelling stories and to build them into an impactful narrative. For me, Laura’s help in this process was invaluable. She expertly helped me delve into myself to uncover the stories I wanted to tell. Her guidance in the writing process, along with her brutal honesty, made sure that the end product was clear, concise and effective.

Laura is fully committed to guiding you to craft an application that is true to you. More than once, when I raised uncertainty about elements of my application that we had spent a great deal of time crafting, Laura was unafraid to deconstruct what we’d done and start building again.

I would wholeheartedly recommend Laura to anyone looking for a top-tier MBA admissions consultant and coach who will go above and beyond to help you achieve your goal of getting into the business school of your dreams!

Laura was instrumental in my acceptance into INSEAD. It was a worthwhile investment of my time and money, not only improving the quality of my written application, but also deepening my understanding of what I really want from an MBA and where I want it to take me.

An important adjective to use when describing Laura is her frankness or honesty. From our initial exploratory conversations into my past, I knew working with her would be a rewarding challenge. From digging into how early experiences should/shouldn’t fit on the page, to refining my explanation of relevant experiences that I’d forgotten I’d had, or preparing for the video and interview sections of the process – Laura’s directness in asking the right questions propels your application into its best form.

Her knowledge of INSEAD is unrivalled and she remains heavily involved in its alumni activities. This is particularly helpful around the alumni interviews because talking to Laura is identical talking to other INSEAD alumni.

Intense, inquisitive and genuinely interesting, Laura will leave no stone unturned as she works with you. The insight she has into the school and, ultimately, the insight she gives you into yourself are invaluable.

Working with Laura was an extraordinary experience. She was 100% committed to the goals I had set for myself and often went out of her way to help me think through my application in a logical and convincing manner. She took the time to establish a relationship with me to fully understand my background and motivations for applying to business school. This really helped me to put forward a strong application. Her commitment to my success continued at the interview stages where once again, she went the extra mile to prepare me, using suggestions tailored to my strengths and background. I consider Laura to be a lifetime mentor and friend and would highly recommend her to anyone looking to apply to business school!

The Results: Working with Laura Freedman, an INSEAD alum and MBA admissions consultant from Access Education (www.accesseducation.com), converted my failure to success.

In 2015, with a 770 GMAT, 5 years of good work experience under my belt and a great GPA, I worked with a reputed admissions consultant and applied to 6 US B-Schools. I was devastated by January 2016 when I made it to NONE.

In 2017, I thought of applying again. I worked with 2 reputed admissions consultants including Laura. Although I worked with Laura only for my INSEAD application, I can safely say that the credit for my admission to Kellogg, Booth, Ross, and INSEAD goes to her.

Not only did she do an amazing job on the essays and the resume, but I learned the art of applying from her. After 5-6 sessions with Laura, I was reading my friends’ applications and helped 3 of my friends apply to B-schools. They all made it to reputed MBA programs.

After working with 3 MBA admissions consultants, talking to over 10 consultants, submitting 14+ applications over 2 years and reading numerous applications of other students, I believe there is no match to Laura’s quality of work.

The Experience: I found a mentor and a friend for life.

Working with Laura was an amazing experience. As much as I was amazed to see my essays and resume transform to “awesomeness”, it was fun sharing experiences and talking about our travel experiences. We talked about sky diving, sailing, her graduate and work experiences and what not!

While with some other consultants, editing essays and sending them over and over again seemed like a TASK. With Laura, I looked forward to our calls, all of which were face-to-face over Skype. Laura challenged me to introspect and think. She taught me to write from my heart.

For me, Laura turned out to be much more than a consultant. She is a friend and a mentor for life. I know I can reach out to her for advice at any point in my life.

The Interview Prep

I had done several mock interviews with consultants and alumni before I did a mock with Laura. She completely changed the way I interview. While everyone else was teaching me to “highlight my accomplishments”, she taught me to be humble and to BE MYSELF. After a mock with her, I was able to convert an “interview” to a “conversation”, which I believe did the trick – so much so that one of the interviewers even invited me for drinks afterward.

Laura used to conduct interview prep sessions at INSEAD. I know that the interview prep I did with Laura is going to be a great resource for my job interviews.

The Fees/Cost

When you see Laura’s fees, you might think she charges on the high side. But take a break and check out the prices of other comparable consultants. I honestly believe Laura charges way less than the value she adds, not only to the application but also to YOU.

She will not just get you in a great B-School. She’ll enhance your writing skills, which I believe is an amazing skill to have throughout your life. She will teach you interview skills which may help you land a great job in the future. Perhaps most importantly, she’ll help you learn about YOU.

I believe the lifetime value of working with Laura is way higher than what I paid for.

I used the comprehensive service package at Access Education admissions consulting and worked with Laura Freedman for about 3 months. I was admitted into INSEAD, my choice of MBA program, and I would like to thank Laura for helping to bring out my best sides in the application.

After taking the free diagnostic sessions with several admission consultants, I chose to work with Laura because I felt she exhibited excellent knowledge about the admission requirements and was able to propose a new angle for my profile. In the diagnostic session, it was clear that she listened and was able to quickly process what I shared about my background. Her comments were personalized from the start, which gave me confidence that she could bring out the best in my application. My initial assessment of her proved to be right.

In my consultations with her, I was constantly marveled by the level of insight she provided. Laura’s a 1992 INSEAD alum whose knowledge about the INSEAD application and vast work experiences in various industries and functions were apparent in our conversations. She pushed me to refine my essays, often resulting in me re-writing key parts after our consultations, for the better. I appreciate her frank comments, which kept me grounded throughout the application process in the search for better answers. Even under crunch time, I felt she refused to compromise the quality of my application, pushing me to dig deeper to answer the whys and hows in my life.

The result was not only a polished, high-quality application, and improved interview skills, but also a better understanding of myself and my own personal development. This level of clarity about myself would not have been reached without the effort put in by Laura to understand me and push me in the right direction.

I wasn’t planning on getting an MBA admissions consultant for my reapplication to INSEAD until I’ve spoken to a few people and realized how popular this strategy was. The first query on Google Search for an INSEAD MBA admissions consultant was Laura Freedman at Access Education. While I was still skeptical about the idea of hiring such help, I slowly started to change my opinion as I read more on Laura’s background, both on the website and her LinkedIn page. Laura specializes in working with applicants to international MBA programs, and has a reputation as the top expert for INSEAD.

I signed up for an essay review and was shocked at how poor my initial drafts were. There was a lot of rambling without saying much of substance. Laura helped me see that my essays didn’t read very well from an outsider’s perspective. She gave me specific pointers on how to structure my ideas and topic sentences, while keeping in mind the Admissions Officers as my audience.

Laura was also keen to ensure that our work on the essays would be done in time for me to submit before my preferred deadline, even though this entailed squeezing in many sessions in a row as the timing was tight. She would sometimes even go beyond the scheduled time slot just to ensure we covered as much material as possible. This showcased that she was fully involved in the process of helping her clients with the application, thus making the process more of a partnership rather than a transaction.

Once I got my invitation for Alumni interviews, I decided to re-engage Laura’s services for the interview prep as well. There was only one session, but it made me feel ready for my meetings with the two INSEAD Alumni. And then the great news came… the positive Admissions decision!

After this months-long process, I can confidently say that for INSEAD admission, Laura is one of the greatest resources that there is. Not only is she able to help you craft your best version of the application essays, but she’ll also offer priceless guidance around CV, interviewing, networking and general career advice. The little stories she sometimes sprinkles in the sessions make for a more relaxed (yet efficient) consultation.

Thanks again, Laura!

I happened upon Laura Freedman at Access Education as an MBA admissions consultant and it was life changing. If you’re assessing the value of the many options out there, I can attest that Laura offers a premium service in every way. She provides uncommon perspective in every phase of the process (including after you are accepted!), she does all her work with you on live video conference and meets as much as you need (in fact encourages you to schedule more meeting time) and is an absolute perfectionist with your essays. I’ve worked with multiple MBA admissions consultants. Your dollar goes way further with Laura than with other services in terms of the application support alone.

But Laura is so much more than that. She’s a life coach who cares about you as a person and speaks from her own fascinating, diverse experiences. She sees the potential in you but also sees through the lies you tell yourself (a big part of the MBA application process!). Laura will challenge you at every turn and make you think about things differently to ensure that your MBA is not only a career advancement opportunity, but a pivotal adventure in a non-linear life path.

If you’re looking at top programs outside the US, Laura is the foremost expert. If you’re looking at programs in the US you should still work with Laura because her perspective is just that valuable. I wish I’d known how much of a no-brainer the decision is when I was looking at options. It’s easy to get cynical about the MBA consulting world, but I can honestly say Laura is a one-in-a-million mentor that I would want to work with even if I wasn’t applying to business school. And I got into my first choice!

I worked with Laura Freedman, an admissions consultant who specializes in international MBA programs at Access Education (www.accesseducation.com), on my application to INSEAD. Laura taught me that conveyance of a written idea with clarity, thoughtfulness and conciseness is all-powerful in business (…and in MBA admissions). A supporting anecdote for you… After my year at INSEAD, I scored a killer job working directly for a Fortune 500 CEO (read: not his administrative assistant). His #1 word of advice, “a successful leader continuously works to improve her/his writing”, was shared in parallel to handing me William Zinsser’s book On Writing Well. “Leaders”, he stated, “build a communication foundation through the written language.” Ok, so what. Much like yourself – when beginning my business school application process, I believed I wrote well: above average and probably in the top 5% of my peers (a stupid assumption). Writing wasn’t my concern as I searched out admissions consultants. Like you, I just wanted assurance I had the same admissions “secret sauce” as my competition. After weeks of research and numerous meetings with admissions consultants, I selected Laura Freedman. The secret sauce? A two-month dive that fundamentally changed how I communicate on paper. Her process is thoughtful, challenging and effective. She pulls out your life stories and personality, the essence of your uniqueness as a top MBA candidate, and tasks you to write it down (which you do, in way too many words at first). She forces you to condense 1600 words to 400 while teaching message improvement techniques. She eliminates the noise typical of over-sharers, ultimately training you to be extremely articulate in your written communication. What Laura doesn’t tell you upfront is that written articulation spills over to verbal articulation: a benefit that has proven invaluable to me as I navigated admission, internship and job interviews. My cover letters sing. My CV shines thanks to simple dictation of my accomplishments (I know; I helped classmates simplify theirs – yikes). And now my verbalization of thought is crisp. Laura’s coaching honed communication skills that I attribute to landing my post-MBA job (and confirmed by Mr. CEO mentioned above). When I started working with Laura 3 years ago, I thought I was getting an admissions coach. I ended up with is a life-long career advisor. Laura, thank you for being a coach, an advisor and a friend.