Admissions Gateway | MBA Admissions Consultants

The bottom line is that Eli is simply one of the best in delivering results – I was accepted to 2 M7 schools. He is incredibly professional, experienced, quick to respond and is available 24/7 (other people wrote this before, but he is ALWAYS available!) to coach me in anything I needed throughout the application process.
There are two thing I especially love about Eli – Firstly, he was always very truthful and straightforward, even if I didn’t want to hear it (e.g. in our first conversation before we started working together, he told me I should wait one more year before applying to B-Schools in order to gain experience); Secondly, he is extremely meticulous – every part of my application was nothing shorter than perfect.
Applying to B-schools is challenging, and you want someone you can trust and who knows the game. I could not think of anyone who is more perfect for this job than Eli.

Raj is the GOAT//LeBron of Admissions Consultants!!!

I learned of Raj through the P&Q ratings. I was speaking with a few admissions consultants. Raj stood out to me because he seemed as if he had my best interest at heart. Other consultants seemed to be pushing me in one direction or another for reasons that were mostly beneficial to them. With Raj, he was open to my vision, built on my vision, and, ultimately, kept the vision mine vs. his.

I have helped tens of mentees on their resumes. I considered myself a strong resume writer and I think that is true. However, working with Raj, I was able to transform my resume. He helped me think so much broader than I had been. We were able to articulate a story that demonstrated my impact at my firm by highlighting how my work drove corporate goal accomplishments.

Beyond clearly defining and stating my goals, Raj pushed me to understand and answer the ‘why’ behind my short, mid, and long term goals. This was so critical for me throughout the MBA process, especially during the interviews. The essays are like marathons. Raj is there with you every step of the way. He provides frameworks, examples, and helps tailor the essays to what is authentically you. In my opinion, essays can help you differentiate yourself the most and Raj’s expertise and experience crafting unique essays proved invaluable. He also had a game plan for each school’s interview which helped me feel confident and prepared.

I gained admission to Harvard, Stanford and Wharton with scholarships (the only 3 schools I applied to) and couldn’t have been happier.

I was in the market for a no-nonsense admissions consultant who would be honest and direct about my chances for HSW. I was aiming high and wanted someone who was willing to push me. I heard about Admissions Gateway through Poets & Quants (and read those 5-star reviews) and after speaking to other consultants based in Asia and the U.S. found Rajdeep to be the most straightforward, practical, insightful, and STRUCTURED. He was comfortable with my background in a government role and how best to leverage the stories I had to position my application (something that the U.S. based consultants seemed to lack familiarity with).

I attempted HBS without a consultant in Round 1 and struck out. Looking back at the application, I can see what was lacking and how my subsequent applications with Rajdeep were head and shoulders above what I’d submitted to Harvard.

I remember spending about an hour or two a week with Rajdeep leading up to Round 2 deadlines. Every call had a goal – whether it was to talk about a framework for an essay, or to discuss/brainstorm story leads. Rajdeep was on schedule, had an eye on the prize and that helped me structure my time. He was generous with his time and scheduled last minute chats when I felt something had to be refined or discussed. I NEVER figured out how many clients he worked with because it felt like I was the only one!

The process of transforming my resume felt like a mini-MBA. Coming from a public service background, my resume needed A TON of work. Rajdeep helped me understand how an outstanding resume should look like by sharing examples, and explained how to build out each section through frameworks. I liked his “pillars” framework to showcase the breadth of one’s accomplishments, and together we positioned each of my accomplishments as part of a larger mission (often of national consequence – which I had failed to capture without Rajdeep’s intervention). I struggled with quantifying my work but Rajdeep found ways to estimate, project, and articulate the magnitude of my responsibilities.

Rajdeep and I were able to distill 5 – 7 stories that could be used across all of the schools’ prompts, each in a way that felt unique to what the school was asking for. I now understand why MBA essay examples you can download off the internet simply don’t cut it. Rajdeep forced utter clarity and specificity out of every sentence of every essay, so that each had value to the stories and qualities I wanted to showcase. The result was a set of crisp, direct essays that retained my style and answered each question well.

I listened to every second of that interview prep recording (1.5 hours?) and took notes, even before I got a single invitation. Such was the discipline of Admission Gateway’s process. I found the strategies shared to build out good answers were very insightful – especially the “why X school” question, which really needed more depth than I was at times prepared for.

Applied to 3 schools with Rajdeep – Wharton (admitted, no scholarship), Kellogg (full scholarship!!!), Columbia (reject). Rajdeep also helped me with a Stanford GSB application I decided to throw in at the last minute, which I converted into an interview (very proud of that).

Throughout the entire process, Nisha never let me break a sweat, was always approachable and 1000% invested in my success! As a result, I was able to secure admission along with scholarship in all the six programs that I ended up applying to, including University of Chicago, Duke, NYU, Georgetown, etc. I always felt like we were working on a shared vision for my successful future – extending beyond just getting me into a program/university of my choice!

I was very clear that I wanted to work with her because of the valuable time she invested in understanding my unique context and coming up with a customized and detailed plan. As a first time applicant, the entire process was a black box for me and a cause of great anxiety; however, she really helped structure the entire process for me – from selecting courses and schools, GRE and TOEFL prep to essays, recommendation letters and scholarship.

Her key strengths lie in helping the candidate articulate & structure their thoughts on paper, to bring out relevant impact/experiences (absolutely unparalleled skills!); providing candidates access to a wide network of alums/professors from varied schools and with diverse backgrounds; and determining and/or shaping fit by bringing in her unique expertise of having studied in a target school and been on its admission committees.

And, while here the entire process was streamlined and meticulously planned to help me succeed from the very start, the key highlights for me were:

1. Building an effective pitch through my resume: Applying as a fresh graduate with no work experience, my resume was an area of concern for me. Hence, given the customized plan, we addressed that first. Nisha used my resume as the “highlights reels” of my application, effectively bringing out and tying in the most impactful projects, internships and experiences while helping me craft clear and compelling insights. We had targeted sessions on each session of the resume to ensure succinct but insightful communication.

2. Bringing out my best self to life through my essays: Nisha really invested time in getting to know more about me, my context, my impact stories and my aspirations, which ensured that we could have elevated discussions on how to address each essay question. This, to my mind, is quite unique and really inspired confidence. Nisha helped me tailor essays for each school. Given her expertise and command on language, we never had to go through multiple versions – she was highly structured and gave inputs upfront to avoid re-work.

3. Selecting the best “aspiration” schools & programs: Having the experience of applying to similar target schools for her education, studying at UPenn as well as being a part of the admissions committee at top tier programs, Nisha was able to leverage her unique experience to really guide me on program/school selection as well as provide me with a large network of alumni and professors to ask questions and seek guidance. She went above and beyond to provide me with or help me identify details about each program/school, e.g. placement success, campus life, school philosophy, etc.

To summarize, Nisha was instrumental in helping me reach my goals in the very first attempt! I could not have asked for a better mentor and partner to support me through this journey.

After being laid off due to COVID, I decided to pursue an MBA degree from INSEAD. I had exactly one month to work on my MBA application so I didn’t want to waste time trying to figure it out on my own or work with an MBA consultant only to later discover that he was not good.

A friend of mine who got into Kellogg with Rajdeep’s help highly recommended him. After the first call, I understood why. He knows his stuff and will say it like it is, no BS approach. Despite my tricky situation, he decided to work with me where we were discussing multiple times each week on how to showcase my best stories, preparing me for the interviews, etc.

He knew exactly what my school was looking for and he challenged me and helped dig into my professional and extracurricular experience to bring powerful stories and examples that showcase the qualities that my school is looking for.

We started out by working on my CV which acted as a summarized storyboard that we were then reflecting on the essays. Later, prioritized which essays to work on first and then strategically moved examples from one essay to another to ensure each essay is impactful on its own.

With an incredibly challenging timeline, I wasn’t able to get the GMAT score that I wanted and wasn’t certain that I’m going to be accepted. However, with the help of Rajdeep I was accepted and couldn’t be happier!

Even after admission, Rajdeep continues to check up on me and see if he can help with any complications leveraging his connections.

If you have the chance to work with Rajdeep, do it without hesitation, he’s hands down the best.

I reached out to Nisha during a crucial phase in my personal life and wanted clarity in my next career move. I was looking for someone who could understand my personal situation and provide nuanced guidance, tailored to my profile and target schools that would help me maintain my financial independence.
I contacted Nisha just a month before my deadlines, so she ensured that the initial call was long and in-detail which gave me a good bird’s-eye view of what to expect in my journey and of course the great performance record. During our engagement, she guided me through every aspect of applications from school selection till the post-interview formalities including US VISA interview.
Resume: Nisha worked with me on my resume nearly every day and we did countless iterations of my resume. She helped me include projects that innovatively applied to analytics, on my resume that I would have never included if not for her constant push to dig deeper. The resume structure followed by her is not only unique but also allows the candidate to think about one’s profile holistically and is impact-driven, as it follows the “STAR” format. The long time spent on the resume upfront equipped me with the overview of my profile that became the backbone of my personal statement and overall application.
Personal Statement: Going into the process, I had numerous concerns regarding my profile such as academic background misfit and seemingly irrelevant work experience. But Nisha’s deep understanding of admissions process and her conviction about my chances helped me positively portray my concerns as my strengths. A unique quality of Nisha was that she refined each word on the statement until it came out really polished and crisp.
Interview prep: Using my resume as a foundation, Nisha practiced with me several times and ensured that I had my 2-minute pitch ready along with answers to various situational and behavioral questions, which actually did appear in the interview. Also, she helped my practice various case and numerical questions specific to this particular program.
I would like to highlight how she went beyond the call of duty to ensure that my masters program helps me achieve my larger goal of pursuing a field that I am passionate about while contextualizing my application in my personal constrains. You are in the safest hands when working with her.

I found several positive reviews of Rajdeep’s work on Poets and Quants. In my initial call, I admired his candor. He was comfortable providing constructive feedback on my application and resume. I appreciated his optimism and confidence when considering working with me. As a candidate with an unusual background, I was quickly dismissed as a nonviable candidate by many consultants. I felt that I could trust Rajdeep to support my candidacy and provide clear, honest critiques.

I truly cannot say enough wonderful words about Rajdeep. He was creative when helping to construct my application’s narrative, remarkably candid and also kind when providing feedback, and continuously willing to provide support.

Resume: I appreciated most how Rajdeep broke down my roles and responsibilities into clear, compelling, and distinct assets. He also pushed me to quantify my skill set.

Goals definition: This was one of the components of the consulting experience I appreciate most. Rajdeep and I debated on how I should be presenting my career goals – whether I should focus on impact investing or CSR. While I was heavily leaning towards the broader sector of CSR, Rajdeep compelled me to consider choosing impact investing – because it was better aligned with my career experience, and could create greater long-term impact. I came around to his argument and it was probably one of the best decisions I have made. Not only did the topic strengthen my resume and essays, our conversations helped me better understand the merits of impact investing and it will be the sector I plan to pursue post-MBA!

Essays: Rajdeep was incredibly thorough when structuring and editing my essays. We must have gone through 10+ versions of each one! He ensured that each essay was highly specific to the school – pulling from different components of my background and skillset, and pairing them with unique components of the MBA program.

Availability: This is the component in which he made the biggest difference. I lost count of how many times I came to him with one more question or one more thought. Each time he was quick to respond and receptive to my request. I appreciated this most during round 2, when I was applying to Wharton and HBS. For cost efficiency, Rajdeep encouraged me to just work with him for Wharton. He then sent me examples of HBS essays and brainstormed with me an effective structure for the essay. He had to do NONE of this and it helped me to get in. Truly, I would not be in this position, attending HBS, without Rajdeep’s support and I am so very grateful.

I was working when I sought to fill my applications and hence struggled to manage my time and yet find a quality outcome.
It was then, that a colleague who himself is a MBA Duke admit recommended me Admissions Gateway. I blindly went forward with them and must I say I have never regretted my decision.

While calling for inquiry, Ms. Nisha noted my story and had already built a storyline for applications when I called her again for confirmation.
Her confidence in my profile and detailed inputs, which even I had failed to take note of, assured me of my decision.

I am highly grateful to Ms. Nisha For –
– My CV. I am proud of my CV, which stands out well structured with STAR approach and quantitative results highlighting my skills
– My motivation story. While I had idea about my goals and motivation, she helped me weave my story and bring it out on the platter. I came to realize of my contributions and achievements, while I discussed my work with her, which was amazing!
– Interview. I was supported in my interview prep through content reading, links, model questions, and mock interviews. Initially, I had hiccups and was not able to bring my story in my answers but Ms. Nisha with patience guided me through and I became well versed.

Final Note
I highly recommended to choose Admissions Gateway than being disappointed elsewhere like I initially was. They are highly professional and yet associate with a personal touch. Never did I have the need to remind Ms. Nisha for inputs, she was always particular about it. Also, I appreciate her stand in what she believes is the best for the candidate.

Choose them and you will never regret ! I am carrying with me the things I learned along the way, to help me with my Career at management school.

Hands-down the Best in the Business

Nisha adopted the most comprehensive approach towards the consulting process. As a final year undergraduate, without significant experience, I had insurmountable odds to overcome. Nisha’s kind and considerate approach, expertise in storytelling and understanding of my profile – and of the softer traits I exhibited during the process is admirable.

A segment-wise breakdown:

School Selection:
Despite few schools offering the program, AG helped me identify, target and most importantly – prioritise during the application process. The subtle nudge towards two schools, the ones I converted, is akin to fortunetelling!

Essay/Application/Story:
The most anxious fun I have had in my collegiate life was articulating my career plans and goals and conveying it effectively to the admissions committee. I cannot thank Nisha enough for helping me with crafting the perfect story and for her impeccable knowledge of niche industries like VC. The dollop of occasional humor is a big plus for nervous candidates like me 🙂

Interview Prep:
This needs huge amount of work – more so for an undergraduate student who has not given 5 interviews in his entire lifetime. Nisha helped me anticipate the questions, prepare detailed responses – and most surprisingly, in a perceptive fashion, told me what some of my answers to questions on personal traits should be based on her 100% accurate analysis. Kudos on that!

Professionalism:
With applications due in first-week April, I started working with Nisha in mid-February (too freaking late) – despite that, she helped me meet the impossible deadlines with the utmost ease. Even for trivial issues, her quick turnaround and considerate approach is highly appreciable.

I highly recommend working with Nisha and the team at AdmissionsGateway for a successful admission – the best investment you would make.

My friend worked with Rajdeep last year and is attending HBS so I reached out to him. I was looking for someone who could:

1. Provide nuanced guidance, tailored to my profile and target schools
2. Can dedicate necessary time and effort to submit high-quality applications
3 Has rich experience getting PE/VC admits into the top-3

As I compared my call with Rajdeep to the introductory ones with the other potential consultants, it stood out. The long and in-detail call with him gave me a good bird’s-eye view of what to expect in my journey and of course the great performance record.

I worked with Rajdeep for close to 6 months, during which he guided me through every aspect of applications from school selection till the post-interview formalities. The support proved critical, highlights below–

Resume: This is quite unique to Rajdeep. While other consultants don’t spend a large proportion of time on this, Rajdeep worked with me on my resume for close to a month. The resume structure followed by him is not only unique but also allows the candidate to think about his/ he profile holistically, with focus on the “STAR” format. The long time spent on the resume upfront equipped me with the macro view of my profile and organizations that I’ve worked with, which came in handy while filling the application form and preparing for my interview later.

Goal definition: While I had a brief idea of my goals, I wasn’t completely sure about how to tie them up with story. Multiple discussions with Rajdeep helped me articulate the goals in a way that blended with my previous experience and MBA aspiration, bringing across a strong story. Having worked with candidates of similar background, Rajdeep could share multiple ways of drafting the right story.

Essay “formulation” not editing: I enjoyed the process of working on my essays with Admissions Gateway. Rajdeep and I would have worked on my Harvard essay for close to a month, spending close to 50% on finalizing just the skeleton of the essay. The multiple structures shared by Rajdeep allowed me to not only think systematically but also pushed me to introspect on multiple attributes that defined me and instances that reflected those attributes. The clarity on what needs to be done upfront expedited the process of writing the essay. A unique quality of Rajdeep was he never forced-fit his style of writing but pushed me to bring the story to words in a succinct and articulate manner. This helped in putting across a unique story which communicates my strengths.

Interview prep: Compared to other consultants my friends worked with, Rajdeep put in significant effort on the last leg of application– interviews. The introductory call with Rajdeep and multiple interview-prep web links shared by him served as a great starting point, helping me understand key tenets of preparation. He also matched me with another applicant with similar background to practice mock interviews, which helped in peer-to-peer learning. Admissions Gateway’s focus and support on doing multiple mock interviews, with ex-/current students, proved to be extremely beneficial in giving structured, holistic and strong answers and handling fast paced and unexpected questions.

A general note: Some of my friends working with other consultants got into trouble at the end of R1, even though they were not his clients Rajdeep guided them on their apps, so imagine the time he would put in for his own clients!

I have used several undergrad admissions consultants as well as an MBA consultant from a large admissions company prior to David, and I can very confidently say that David is the best admissions consultant I’ve ever had. I am very happy to share that, after initially feeling like I wouldn’t be able to gain admission into any business school this year, I have been accepted into Chicago Booth MBA which was my target business school.
I first signed up for a very popular MBA admissions service before I signed up with David. They were extremely helpful and quick to respond until I signed up and gave them my money. Subsequently, it would take several days for them to respond to a simple email question and I had to follow up with them several times in order to even get a resume reviewed. The quality of their feedback was also cursory and substandard.
After getting rejected from one of my main target schools, I decided to sign up with another company. I spoke to 8 different consultants to get an idea of their services. I chose David because he seemed the most realistic, methodical, and detail-oriented.
While working with David, I never had a problem with communication. He gave me his WhatsApp cell phone number and he would answer my questions within minutes. If I sent him essays for review late night, I would have them back in my hands by noon the next day. His feedback was always very precise and descriptive. He would make it very clear exactly what I had to do in order to improve my essay or resume.
David was also very particular about the quality of my work. Contrary to the other consultants who took 2 looks at my resume and told me that it was good to go, David and I went through 7 iterations of my resume before we decided that it was satisfactory. On many of my essays, we would do 5 or more back and forth iterations before we reached a place where the essay was perfect. For those who are similar to me in needing very prescriptive guidelines rather than general feedback, David is the right person to go to.
Although I was the one who lived my experiences, David was able to coax them out of me and make every aspect of my profile an advantage. He made me really think about the impact that I’ve had in various places of my life, and then worked very hard with me to craft a story that accurately and convincingly communicated that impact. He also understands what to emphasize for each school in order to make that school really like your profile.
Overall, I cannot recommend David enough and my experience with him has been absolutely incredible – I really credit my admission into Chicago Booth to him.

When Eli says that the process does not end when you submit the application he truly means it. Actions speak louder than words and I think my story shows it. I first talked to Eli 2 years ago when the GMAT was still my barrier from starting the process to the schools I wanted, beyond the motivation Eli gave me sound advice on what to focus on and how so that I can make progress as fast as possible. Linking me to the right people and graduates to learn more about the schools and how to get the GMAT done in a good way. Once that was out of the way we started thinking together about which schools fit my professional goals and my profile, I really liked the fact that he knew a lot about the schools and went out of his way to make sure I am linked to alumni to help me make the right decision. The process of the application itself might have been the shortest in terms of duration but was the most intense, daily calls, emails in the middle of the night, and countless hours on the phone thinking together how to bring my story across and how to make it stand out. Sometimes it’s hard to make your application and story stand out, but Eli’s questions really helped to do that, focus on the impact I have made, and to also make me realize that I have accomplished quite a lot in my professional career until today. That, among the personal care of preparing me to the interviews really helped when the writing ended and it was time to talk face to face (or zoom to zoom as it is now). I know that the process matters, but the end result matters even more. I got accepted, I am certain that I would not have reached the same result if I had done it on my own or with anyone else.

Thank you for the help and support!

I found Rajdeep listed here on Poets & Quants, on the best Admissions consultant list. I called a few people on the list, and I appreciated Rajdeep’s approach the most. Everyone else wanted to write my essays for what the school was looking for, whereas Rajdeep talked about wanting to make me look my best as is – and tailoring the way that I spoke of myself.

I have applied to business school before. It was not a very serious endeavor – I look back on that application and cringe. This time I was serious about applying to top schools, and I knew I’d need help crafting my story and articulating my experiences in a way that works for admissions committees (and in a way that I’d understand, too, since I struggled to see the patterns in my own life that explained why I am who I am). I am at the older end of b-school age; this felt like my last year to apply, and the cost was far outweighed by the benefits of getting in.

I was in the US and then Asia but working with Rajdeep felt seamless. From the first interaction, it felt like he cared for who I was as a person, and not just the parts that would make me the best applicant. In every application we were highlighting me at my best rather than trying to shape me to fit what each school was supposedly looking for, so nothing ever felt “fake” or “fabricated” just to try to get me in.

Rajdeep was also always available for a quick text or a call, and it was the casual interactions over WhatsApp that showed me just how dialed in he was to my process and what I needed. If I was stuck on an essay or procrastinating, he’d know how to help me get over that hurdle and put something on to paper, and often it was just a quick conversation to prompt me forward. I tend to be a perfectionist and I’m afraid to start an essay because I know it won’t be perfect, but Rajdeep was patient with me and encouraged me to get something onto paper that we could then fix.

My resume needed a lot of work, as my work experience spanned industries and lacked good detail of the things I’ve accomplished. Rajdeep worked with me for a long time on this, teaching me how to build out a resume, giving me examples from my own experiences, and pushing me on things that weren’t yet fleshed out enough. Predominantly, I appreciated the focus on quantifying my work, something I had always been afraid to do because I did not know exact numbers. We discussed estimating the market and building my value to the company off of that, and it helped me sculpt a resume that told a story about the ways I helped my company grow.

I also found the essay guidance particularly helpful. I tended to know what I wanted to say, but Rajdeep would help me structure things in a way that was cohesive, easy to read, and substantial. We’d start with a phone call to discuss what the essay was looking for, and in those, he would bring up examples of my own experience (again, showing how much he worked to get to know me). Then, he’d give me some homework to start structuring the essay. This method worked so well for me, as I often word-vomit and overwrite, so building out the foundation of what I want to say first always helped me reign it in when it was time to cut words. From there, I’d write a terrible first draft that Rajdeep would be patient with, and we’d work together over the phone to cut, tweak, and rewrite over and over again. Some essays had 3 drafts, and some had 11 – it was about crafting the best essay rather than just getting it done. When I reread those essays now, they sound like me but I have articulated myself much better than I would have been able to do otherwise.

I am going to business school because I do not know exactly what I want to do with my life, which made my goal definition difficult. Rajdeep was patient with me, pulling out the trends in my experience and showing me what kinds of careers might suit the skillsets I enjoyed flexing in the workplace. He still made me do the work – telling me to go to certain websites and read about their teams, or looking up other kinds of consulting – but having even that guidance helped me to recognize where I want to go post-MBA. When I threw out a career path I might be interested in, he explained to me how my “story” would need to change to suit that, so I could understand better how essays, goals, resume. etc. needed to connect to make sense. Ultimately my goals definition felt right, as I could see how my experiences would lead to a certain kind of career that flexed the skills that I had already developed while providing the kind of challenges I enjoyed from work.

All in all, this was a great experience and I tell everyone applying to any kind of graduate school to consider working with an admissions counselor. The structure this provided, along with the support and guidance, was invaluable to me. It helped me get into the Top 5 business schools, yes, but it also helped me understand and articulate myself better so that I can come into my MBA knowing what I can give to the experience and what I might want to take away from it.

Working with Eli was an experience far beyond what I expected. I applied to only one school in the last round and needless to say – I needed this one shot to succeed. If I had to say what were the things that were most amazing in working with Ivy, I would say that they are (1) Eli’s responsiveness – he is ALWAYS available. Not sure how he does that but he really is. We jumped on briefing calls with a notice of less than an hour and often on the spot. It truly felt like he is always there for me (2) Eli’s thoroughness – even when I was ready to submit or wrap up an essay, Eli kept pushing that it could be better and guided me with very clear feedback on how to improve my documents. He didn’t count iteration or limited the work in any way. He pushed me even when I was demotivated to achieve a better result. (3) Eli’s attitude is one that inspires confidence. He had no doubt we would make the deadline (we had 3 weeks!) and was very confident that I would get admitted. Other than the above, the operation was flawless and with high quality. The documents came back from editing much stronger and the interview prep process that included prep material and live mocks was extremely helpful. Overall, I felt I have a true partner for the process and I cannot recommend Ivy MBA Consulting more. Thank you!!

I decided to work with Rajdeep because he had extensive experience of working with candidates from the FMCG sector. I was working in a remote region so it was important to have a counselor who was approachable, flexible, and whom I could reach out to without hesitation. Past candidates had testified about Rajdeep’s commitment to perfect your application and how hours spent was never a concern.

The resume was the first step and it was a step in which I built the most confidence. With the STAR format and the approach of taking a step back and thinking like your “boss’s boss”, I defined my role and accomplishments for every milestone. However, my resume did not just cover my key accomplishments but clearly outlined my professional skills as ‘pillars of my profile’. I think for me, this combination was brought out very well.

Early-on in the application process, my goals were vague and not well connected to my experience. Rajdeep made me aware of how consulting can be used as a medium to develop specific skills around market development, product offerings, and innovation.

The essays were the most time-consuming part of the application. Rajdeep’s approach of breaking down the essay prompt into smaller parts worked very well. I recall not missing out on any part of the prompt and having the entire picture in mind while starting with the essay. However, along the process, when I got derailed from essay prompts, Rajdeep would help get back and patiently explain the essay expectation (sometimes even multiple times). Rajdeep is a very strong critique when it comes to the applicant not showcasing his/ her strengths appropriately. This according to me helped me the most, as I knew I would not be turning in an essay that did not represent me well.

The first step in the interview prep was the broad guidelines set for all interviews. While I worked on those, the real test of preparation was when I started doing mocks. Being in an operational role, I did not work with the larger business on a daily basis, which made it difficult for me to present broader views on industry and company strategy. My interactions with Rajdeep, made me realize this quite early. Rajdeep shared some very specific feedback about how I should build my answers, about answers that stood out and answers that needed more work. I believe that having someone to give you transparent and actionable feedback at the stage that you are preparing for an interview is very important. And Rajdeep has an impeccable skill at that.

I would also like to call out a distinct facet to my application process. I had a GMAT score which is significantly lower than school averages. However, despite choosing to apply to HBS and Wharton in R2, with a 700 GMAT, I never felt that enough time/ effort was not being put into my application because it was less competitive. I would like to acknowledge Rajdeep’s commitment to stand by his applicants even when things are not going too well for them.

I was clear I wanted to work with Rajdeep based on the experience of close friends at Wharton and HBS. Two reasons stood out:

i. Sharp focus on content and depth of story
a. Based on conversations with folks who had worked with Rajdeep, I liked Rajdeep’s focus on content and a very high bar on the depth of the examples in the story.

ii. Rajdeep was seen as extremely approachable and open to any number of iterations. This was a key factor for me, because I had a very tough work schedule as a management consultant, and approachability and iterative ways of working were key.

I think Rajdeep is one of the strongest people I have worked with when it comes to crafting a resume that presents a holistic narrative and story to the work one has carried out across professional, extra-curricular and academic domains. What stands out is not just the application of the STAR format, but really ensuring each bullet represents a broader context into the relevance and significance of your achievements.

I enjoyed the brainstorming process on goals with Rajdeep. I had started the process with a very wide view on my short term and long term goals, but with Rajdeep I could bounce off each idea and we debated on the pros and cons of each goal. That helped me in narrowing down on the goal that was truly personal to me, and then extending it to the broader theme of the application.

Essays can be daunting to start with, but with Rajdeep the most amazing thing I found was his ability to both provide a strong structure, as well as help, think through the kind of details needed around the story. It helped me deeply introspect on my own story as well as streamlined the iteration process.

I found Rajdeep to be extremely approachable and available at all times. The most important aspect however was flexibility, which was important in my case particularly due to the nature of my current role as a consultant. I found Rajdeep to be always on time when it came to agreed timelines on essay drafts etc.

I read about Rajdeep on PoetsandQuants and then talked to friends at HBS, who shared his track record.

Throughout the process and across the different activities of resume, essay writing, application form, recommendation inputs, Rajdeep has immense clarity of thought and is not afraid of giving you blunt feedback.

Resume – Rajdeep was able to bring out the best aspects of my profile into my resume, ensuring that I project the best version of my professional achievements. Thinking about my achievements from my boss’ boss’ point of view was eye-opening and gave me a new dimension to think through.

Goals definition – Rajdeep pushes you to think through an (a) aspirational yet achievable goal (b) detailed version of this goal, so that it isn’t ‘in the air’. The goals also make sense from the perspective of why the MBA is needed (on a more generic basis, not specific to a particular school).

Essays – Rajdeep de-mystifies the essay writing process and gives you a clear process to follow – listing out 3 stories and choosing from these. The STAR format and concepts of having personal transformation through the story are powerful and prevent the essay from just being a collection of facts.

Interview prep – “Stop rambling” – probably the best feedback someone has given me during my application process and more generally in life, this was a game-changer when it came to my HBS interview in particular. Rajdeep helped me understand how I could run through a STAR format for an answer without boring the other person while still leaving ‘some meat on the bone’ for the interviewer to work with.

Availability – Rajdeep is super prompt and readily available on Whatsapp or call. Small clarifications can be done on Whatsapp to ensure no confusion between two phone call interactions. This short-cycle problem-solving behavior is great.

I got into Wharton and my dream school HBS.

My friend at Wharton mentioned Rajdeep does not settle till he knows the best application has been put forth. I talked to many consultants and felt Rajdeep offered exactly what I needed – someone to push me and devote time to my applications.

Applying for an MBA is mainly about 2 things – self-reflection and articulating your story. I was weak on both when I started out and Rajdeep helped me with these aspects.

We spent considerable time digging into my motivations which helped me discover strengths that I would have never mentioned on my application otherwise. This helped define my goals which were important not just for my application, but also to have clear medium and short-term goals for my career.

Rajdeep pushed me and helped me stick to my timelines – I desperately needed this because applying while working is more challenging than one anticipates. He would not rest until my application was really at its best even if it meant iterating many times.

As an introvert, perhaps my interviews were the weakest point. I was initially scattered in my thoughts and essays. But he helped bring method and structure when formulating my responses, which is something I will take away and apply in all my future interviews.

I truly believe my application could not have been stronger.

I was referred by a friend at HBS and joined Rajdeep because of his track record and after discussions with past clients on their experience of working with him.

Rajdeep’s approach to the business school admissions process is very methodical, seamless, and personalized. His attention to detail to the specific examples which brought out my story together, unbiased guidance and support to ensure every application is completed diligently, systemic approach to preparing for interviews was extremely helpful in gaining admission to a school of my choice even though I was an early-stage candidate.

I have referred Rajdeep to a few of my friends for their applications as well.

A friend referred me to Rajdeep and I worked with Rajdeep for 4 schools. He also helped me shape my Booth application pro-bono. I benefited a lot from my experience and the following stood out for me throughout the engagement:
· Single source of information and opinions about the application process, coming from years of experience. This allowed me to focus amidst a barrage of, at times, contradictory information available through secondary or primary research within my network.
· My engagement with Rajdeep helped me in structuring the otherwise convoluted process. Starting from the timing of applications, elements of the applications, and the essay content.
· Significant commitment to the quality of the output across the resume and essays.

The resume was the centerpiece and I do not think my resume has ever looked better, with the same content, which I have been putting in for some time now. Rajdeep shared great insights about how to build perceptions through the resume.
Rajdeep and I debated a lot across the various elements of the goal and the overall story. I am extremely satisfied with the final goals we arrived at through this back and forth. His guidance helped me greatly in structuring the essay during the initial versions and improving the quality of the essays towards the later versions. For the interview, breaking down the overall interview in a structured manner made preparation targeted and easy.
Rajdeep was always available on calls and I received prompt replies to even the smallest of queries. I started in Round 2 and applied to 5 schools and gained admission to Kellogg.

I started my applications in round 2 and applied with Rajdeep to 3 schools. Rajdeep is very direct with his feedback but in retrospect, his working style kept me on the edge every time, to continue iterating to give it the best shot. Working on the resume, essays, and interviews, Rajdeep’s experience showed during our conversations and nuances he shared. Apart from picking the right experiences and shaping them, he helped me communicate in lesser words and helped cut down some large essays to the word limits without losing the essence.

He is also dedicated. Everything went like clockwork, with planned calls and timelines for each school – done well in advance. Calls happen on time, are as elaborate as you would want, and are filled with nuances and themes with examples – that helps get an outside-in perspective. I gained admission to HBS and am looking forward to it.

I worked with a top US-based consultant last year and applied to 8 schools and gained admission to Stern from the waitlist. I reached out to Rajdeep to discuss a re-application. He was frank that Stern is a great school but went through all my applications thoroughly and pointed out all the deficiencies. He laid out a realistic plan for ways he could help in addressing those deficiencies. I felt like he was honest about what he could help with and built realistic expectations for me about my target schools. He told me the risks, told me the improvements and let me decide. I finally decided to reapply.

Some differences I felt in both my application attempts.

Resume: This was the most differentiating factor between Rajdeep and other consultants. While other consultants just took my existing resume and helped me compile it in generic flowery language, Rajdeep helped me in completely overhauling my resume. Right from template to the content. He helped me introspect upon my job and other accomplishments, while at the same time helping me craft a resume that would showcase the impact of my work in a layered manner (showcasing primary, secondary and tertiary impact).

Interview Prep: Rajdeep provided a thorough overview of the interview process which included what to expect from different interviewers and different schools. In addition, he also thoroughly covered ways on how to answer every possible question in an MBA interview.

Effort & level of knowledge: Working with Rajdeep, the entire process felt much more personal and caring than the very professional approach of other consultants.

I finally got into Columbia and the risk I took has paid off!

I learned about Rajdeep through P&Q so a big thank you! The first call was very informative. Rajdeep is to the point, honest with his recommendations and has great feedback from everyone I spoke with.

I only applied in R2. I applied to 4 schools – Tuck, Kellogg, Booth, and Wharton. I got interview calls for all 4, converted Tuck ($100k), Kellogg, Booth (WL), and Wharton (Interview).

Working with Rajdeep was a rewarding and enriching experience, not only from an application point of view but also for analyzing my career and professional goals. I had applied to a few schools in Round 1 with another consultant, but with Rajdeep, I saw a huge difference in the quality of my applications.
With the resume and essays, Rajdeep assisted me in delivering my professional/personal stories with increased impact and authenticity. For the essays, he set up multiple brainstorming sessions to help me bring together the important aspects of my professional and personal experiences. He also shared a lot of research material and connected me to his vast network of successful applicants for research. While preparing for the interviews, he helped me in assessing my weak points and work on them through multiple mock interviews.
Rajdeep is analytical, detail-oriented, and understands the MBA application process to the core. I would wholeheartedly recommend Rajdeep!

I found Rajdeep as he was ranked No.1 in last year’s MBA Consultants Ranking by P&Q. As a reapplicant for the MBA program in some top US schools, I thought I could use some advice on my resume and essay writing. Also, the first call I had with Rajdeep made me believe that he was very familiar with this area and could be a great help.

Rajdeep is the best consultant for MBA applications given his deep knowledge and understanding of different schools’ admission processes. Before starting the process, he did some assessments for me to better understand my strength/weakness and what practical career goals I could pursue post-MBA. He directed me in amending my resume and essays to make them more attractive. He would spend time to understand my life/work experience and teach me how to put that into context to tell a better story. He never wrote anything for me, but he has taught me a lot on how to improve with my writing.

He is also diligent and responsible. After my applications were submitted, he started sending me interview prep materials even before I had got an invitation! He gave me confidence during the process and asked me to start preparing sooner rather than later. I then spent at least three calls with him to practice the interviews which have proved to be very important. Not to mention the calls I have had with him before on essay/resume writing, each of my essays was asked to be amended at least three times, the reason I never thought I was going to write him this positive review if you asked me four months ago!

I applied in the second round and was admitted by Booth ($50,000) and Yale ($60,000) and am still waiting for some decisions.

Warning: This will be a longer-than-usual review as Eli David was not my first MBA adviser, nor even my second. He was, however, my savior.

Notably, I am usually not the type of person to write reviews for anybody, but my experience with Eli was so overwhelmingly positive, I had to make an exception. I’m still uncertain that 1,000 words are sufficient to describe how much Eli helped me throughout the entire journey and how much I appreciated him. I will do my best.

Before the end of the round-one application process this year, I had already lost confidence in all MBA admission consultants. By that time, I’d spent nearly $15K USD on consultations but had received nearly nothing of value in return. What’s worse, my confidence level was nearly at rock bottom.

I’d first worked with one of the big-name admission-consulting firms during round two of the previous year and had ended up being rejected by my dream school without even getting an interview. I then worked with a top-rated consultant during round one of this year, which turned out to be one of the worst experiences in my life. Simply because I had an average GMAT score and was from an overrepresented applicants pool, the advisor asked me to downgrade my initial school list from M7 to S16 – and forced me to believe I had no choice but to accept.

Making matters worse, the advisor I worked with took between 10 and 15 days to provide feedback on each of my documents, and after just one iteration, he would claim the document was ready to submit. I truly felt as though he just wanted to take my money and didn’t care about me or my success. Worse yet, he always made me feel as though my feedback was unimportant. I was truly devastated.

By this point, I was completely lost – but I was not ready to give up. I called a few more consultants to evaluate my profiles. I distinctly remember that one afternoon when Eli called me almost immediately after I’d written him an inquiry email. He told me that with my unique experience, “You should be sitting in the classroom of your dream school! You are the exact person they are looking for.”

Although I was initially skeptical about what Eli said, my gut told me to give him – and myself – another chance. We quickly came up with a one-school deal for this year’s R1, applying to the program that had previously rejected me without an interview. Understanding my unpleasant experiences with the other advisor, Eli suggested that I work with him on an hourly basis until I gained trust, and we agreed that if I got a good result, we would work extensively on other schools in R2.

I was amazed when Eli decided to change every single document I’d worked on before. He responded within a day to each document I sent him, and he was constantly available to answer all of my questions on WhatsApp. I honestly don’t know how he does it!

One month later, I was absolutely thrilled to be invited for an interview with the school that had rejected me six months prior. Remembering how many times Eli and I went back and forth about my essays, videos, resumes, I am convinced that his timely and insightful feedback made all the difference.

After my initial success with Eli, I immediately decided to trust him again by signing up for a five-school package for R2. Crazy though it may sound, we initially decided for me to apply to the top five MBA programs in the US this time: Harvard Business School, Stanford GSB, Wharton, Booth, and Kellogg. Throughout this whole process, I continued having doubts about my profile, GMAT scores, and everything else. Eli never let me down, however, and he always encouraged me with positive communication.

I do want to stress that working with Eli was not easy: He is a perfectionist and he will never let you finish with a document until he’s is fully satisfied with it. Meeting his expectations requires a considerable amount of time spent on thinking and writing. In truth, I sometimes felt frustrated, or even angry, when I’d reach my limit on a document and he’d remain unsatisfied. He will always guide you and push your limits so that you’ll achieve what you had previously thought was beyond your abilities.

Though the application process was grueling, Eli’s demands for excellence proved worthwhile in the end: After a two-month wait, I received invitations to interview for all of the five top schools I’d applied for in R2. Eli did an amazing job in preparing me for the interviews, tailoring his guidance to address my weaknesses. I even underwent a five-person practice interview that emulated Wharton’s interview style.

Ultimately, I was admitted to HBS and a few other top schools. (As I write this, I am on the Stanford GSB waitlist – but Eli remains optimistic about my chances). I could not have achieved any of this without Eli.

One final note about Eli: Working with him is not simply a matter of signing up for a service. For me, Eli was effectively a life coach, and his unique perspective on admissions and life, in general, helped me and guided me in the right direction. He is, in my view, the best example of a true college-admissions consultant who not only helps you get into your dream school but always guides you into the next phase of your life.

Thank you, Eli! I will always be one of your biggest fans.

I am based out of the US and read about Rajdeep on Poets & Quants. He had good reviews which referenced multiple successful admits to top schools, so I decided to work with him.

I can’t thank or praise Rajdeep enough. Despite being a candidate with a profile similar to many others in the pool he helped me stand out and even get a scholarship. He was efficient and had good response times and was always thoughtful in his responses. I also appreciate how approachable he was on Whatsapp, and how he took the time to discuss any concerns or roadblocks on the app.

In my career, I have reviewed hundreds of professional, highly curated resumes –I was skeptical that there was any improvement that could be made, but wow I was proven wrong. He took my resume to the next level, and I plan to apply his resume advice not merely to my MBA applications, but also far beyond since he really helped me frame my role and contributions in the best possible way.

In terms of defining my goal, I benefited from his straightforward, practical approach – he gave me the tools to easily tie together all the elements of my app to show why I was so passionate about that particular field.

In terms of the essay, I usually struggle to craft a to-the-point, evidence-based essay – the structure he provided made the process clear-cut and smooth. Finally, the interview was a breeze thanks to a combination of his bespoke guidance on my situation and feedback from his former clients who had gained admission to those schools.

I appreciate that he was there for me from start to finish – and beyond. No matter how experienced a candidate is or how compelling their profile, I assure you that Rajdeep will add so much to your application. I feel so lucky to have worked with him and I wholeheartedly recommend him.

I had worked with another consultant for 2 schools in round 1 and got no interviews and then a friend at Harvard recommended me to Rajdeep.

So many things went well in working with Rajdeep! Right from managing timelines for multiple schools’ applications and running different workstreams in parallel to creating a coherent story based on my career trajectory.

For the resume, Rajdeep pushed me to think about how the CEO of my company or how the partner in my consulting project would articulate the work, which enabled me to bring out the impact of my work. Rajdeep questioned my goals and ensured I did the homework and refined them so that they added up to my work experience. There was always room for discussions and debate, and it was truly a team effort right up to getting into the schools and beyond!

For essays, what was unique about working with Rajdeep was that I got all my essays out in 3 or maximum 4 versions (surprisingly even for HBS which seemed so ambiguous!). The reason for that was there was absolute clarity on what the schools expect and what are the hero stories from my experience, and the feedback given by Rajdeep was always very objective and actionable.

During the interview process, I got a targeted list of questions per school and did mocks which allowed me to confidently walk into the interviews. In R2 I gained admission to Booth, Kellogg, and MIT and got waitlist at Harvard.

I can’t stress enough how big a part Eli played in my getting into my dream MBA program. I reached out to Ivy hoping just to be able to make it into a US top-10 school, and ended up getting into Stanford!! Before working with Eli, I was sure that my low GMAT score would hold me back, but after our first few meetings, I had enough confidence to apply to schools I thought were out of my reach. Not because Eli told me only what I wanted to hear either: just the opposite, he was upfront from the get-go about the challenges we were facing. But he showed his commitment to taking on those challenges with me and being invested in the process from start to finish. Additionally, with his vast experience in the field, he was able to identify strengths in my profile that even I had missed while I was focused only on what looked “wrong.”

Needless to say, Eli backed up this show of confidence with hard work that yielded real results. First of all, he responded right away to any question and was available literally around the clock (I still don’t know how he does that!). He also put in incredible effort helping me brainstorm my essays and make sure my application looked impeccable down to the last dot on my CV. His amazing interview prep was a major game-changer for me too.
At this point, I can’t imagine going through this process with any consultant less experienced, dedicated, or willing to go above and beyond as Eli, and I’m sure having Ivy as my consultant is what really clinched the deal for me. I’m so thankful to Eli and his team, not only for helping me get farther than I thought I’d ever go but also for making the whole process feel so productive yet pleasant. I really can’t recommend Eli and Ivy enough.

I worked with Ivy 2 years ago when I got into Wharton where I currently am but it is never too late to chime in and let everyone know what a great experience working with David and his team was. As if getting into my dream school wasn’t proof enough, the whole process of applying was just made so smooth and seamless by Ivy. I literally cannot imagine a better application experience. I got all the support and guidance I could’ve hoped for from David, who was available and ready with an answer pretty much around the clock. At the same time, he really put his top effort and pushed me to do the same, for brainstorming my message and crafting the image that would make the best case for the schools I wanted to get into.

I don’t know whether I appreciated more the dedication and encouragement I received from David or the fact that every document was flawlessly prepared by his team, so I felt like, no matter what happened, I was putting my absolute best foot forward. Either way I’m just so thankful to Ivy for the amazing opportunity of a Wharton MBA, and the feeling hasn’t worn off one bit in the past year. That’s why I decided to post here and let anyone who’s considering Ivy that there’s no need to look further, it’s totally and completely worth every penny and every step of the way. You’ll be thanking them for this game-changing move for the rest of your career.

I heard about Rajdeep through friends and had heard of his great success with M7 candidates. I applied in R2 to 5 schools.

Rajdeep puts a lot of effort into getting the resume right – as it is the foundation of the application process. He brought the best of me out in the resume. When we started discussing essays, I felt Rajdeep understood my professional and personal achievements well and gave me good direction for my stories. He is very sharp in giving direction and focused on tailored specific feedback.

There was a time during the applications process when I got very busy with work and couldn’t focus enough on my application essays and my app quality went down (material I worked on). What really hit me was that Rajdeep worked long hours to ensure we submitted our very best. He never compromises on the quality of essays.

Then during interview preparation, my first mock with Rajdeep didn’t go as well. He planned more mocks until my preparation was up to the mark. All this effort led to admits at Tuck, Kellogg, and Wharton.

I went into the MBA application process, not imagining that several months later I would have an offer from Stanford, HBS, AND several other M7 schools, which I think pretty much tells you everything you need to know about David and Ivy MBA Consulting. When I started out, I was so sure I couldn’t risk presenting anything less than a stellar profile that I looked for a consultant to work with way ahead of time. That’s when David impressed me from the get-go with his willingness to work with me BEFORE the normal application cycle started. He gave me important advice about career options I had that when it came time to actually apply, I ended up making a major difference. Before I even started applying, I was already very glad to have found Ivy and was sure, whatever the outcome, I had made the right choice for my consultant.

When I got to the actual application, David and Sharon showed at every step of the way how dedicated they were to showing me in my best light and giving me every shot at success. Sharon was just a joy to work with, going through intense brainstorming sessions with me to painstakingly shape my message in the required essays. She knew Stanford was my dream school and I don’t know how long we spent on their “What Matters Most” essay (although once documents are drafted turnaround for final versions is incredibly fast and impeccable!). But both she and David were also super supportive throughout the whole process, even helping me not to get bogged down emotionally when the application cycle started to feel overwhelming towards the peak.

Obviously, their support and dedication paid off, and I honestly don’t know if I was more shocked and excited to get into my dream school, or to get into other top schools at the same time! The whole experience went literally like a dream, and I really owe that to Ivy. I seriously cannot recommend or thank them enough for the wonderful work they do.

Choosing Ivy for my MBA consultant was one of the best decisions I made throughout the process —and I have my Wharton admission to show for it!

Eli really impressed me with his commitment to my success, even when it didn’t just involve telling me what I wanted to hear. I don’t know how many drafts I went through for my essays, not to mention the super involved brainstorming process we had for them. Eli was adamant we couldn’t leave any stone unturned or loose ends untied, anything that would help tell my story and stand out, and he put in a lot of his own time and effort to back it up. Honestly, I felt like he really had my back, and anytime I had any question or concern he was there with a reply in literally minutes (it’s like he never takes time off or sleeps!).

I think Eli’s dedication didn’t just help me to put together a great application, it also motivated me to put my best into the process. When it came to the interview prep, Eli and his team fully simulated the Wharton interview with a 5-person panel that kept me on my toes and prepared me so well for the real thing was a breeze in comparison! I can’t thank them enough, not only for all the work they did but also for making the whole experience so pleasant! Eli’s very professional and serious about his work but he’s also nice and really easy to work with.

Overall, I completely recommend Ivy and with all their professionalism I can’t imagine anyone having less than the great experience I did with them!

Eli and his team were invaluable for my MBA application and subsequent admission! In a collaborative process, Eli helped me identify my target schools, build the right strategy for each, and craft winning applications. The team has been available 24/7 throughout the entire process to listen and act on every question, idea, or change I wanted to make. Even if you’ve been working with someone else, or feel you can do it on your own, I would urge you to get on the phone with this group of top-notch professionals, and get a second piece of advice! After all, it is your future we’re talking about here and you can’t afford to compromise. I can guarantee – the investment will pay off very quickly!

Choosing Ivy as my MBA consultant was literally the move that made the application process. From day one Eli was one-hundred percent available and ready with all the answers and support I needed. When it came to the actual application, Eli put incredible effort into helping me with everything. This made even the things I was worried about go smoothly, like crafting my essays: Eli identified strengths of mine that I didn’t think of, just because they maybe didn’t fit in a CV, but were just as important if not more to make my story compelling. I’m sure I couldn’t have presented a better version of myself than what they helped me put on paper (and later in in-person interviews). I really felt he was with me every step of the way and was as dedicated to the outcome as I was.

Not only that, but Eli’s dedication went even beyond the application process. When I was waitlisted for HBS, he gave me crucial guidance for navigating the waitlist process. After I ended up getting in, I felt sincere happiness as if he was admitted himself. Getting into the Harvard MBA will probably be one of the biggest turning points in my life, and I owe so much to Ivy and Eli for helping make that happen for me. I can’t thank and recommend them enough!

I interviewed a number of consultants but was sold by David’s enthusiasm about my profile and conviction that I was very competitive for Harvard and Wharton.

David was the consummate professional, guiding me through every step of the process and ensuring that my application was perfect before hitting submit. David significantly increased the quality of my application which is evidenced by my eventual admittance to Wharton. David’s interview prep and mock-TBD were both game-changing and gave me a significant leg up once I was invited to the interview process for Wharton.

All in all, David made a huge effort to get to know me, and my story, and helped me present it in an incredibly compelling way that I could never have imagined without his help. I owe my Wharton admittance to David.

I would like to thank Eli and Sharon for helping me make my dream come true. The application process was a tiring and exhausting process and I cannot stress enough how much Sharon’s support and guidance helped me go through it successfully. The narrative we built together felt natural and right for me, which made my application and essays strong, inspiring, and successful. Even though I did not feel fully prepared for each interview, Eli’s confidence in me was proven correct as I got accepted to where I wanted. Thank you Ivy Consulting.

David and his team were an integral part of my success in getting admitted to a prestigious MBA program in one of the top schools in the US.
I started the process with a lot of doubts and uncertainty. Lucky for me, David had all the right answers and guidance through the process that helped me to achieve my goals.
David came with rich and varied experience, and from the beginning identified my strengths and uniqueness and helped me to find the most exciting and authentic way to tell my story, along with a focus on refining the details and highlighting the parts unique to each and every school.
Equally important to the uncompromising professionalism was the relaxed and pleasant work environment, the full support along the way, and, most importantly, the belief in me that I could conquer any destination I can imagine.
I highly recommend Ivy MBA Consulting team and Eli David. I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor to walk me through this challenging process.

I spoke to a lot of people at Wharton and Harvard before joining Rajdeep. Rajdeep’s impressive track record and ability to position my experiences to help put my best foot forward convinced me to join.
I had a great experience working with Rajdeep. His approach to structuring my resume so as to highlight continuous progression helped provide a framework for the applications on the whole and a lot of material for the essays. His guidance around defining ambitious but realistic goals resonated with me, and his coverage of the interview prep was targeted but comprehensive.
I was based in a different time zone and Rajdeep offered flexibility to ensure we hit our timelines. On the whole, the well-structured way of approaching the application to package my experiences and achievements into a holistic package worked well for me and helped me gain acceptance to Wharton, Booth ($70k) and Kellogg.

I was based in the US when I started my MBA applications and previous applicants emphasized that I go with Rajdeep based on their experience. I had spoken with 4 other US consultants and the call with Rajdeep stood out:

– It was very structured – Rajdeep communicated how the process will look

– It was clear how I need to re-position things from a strategic point of view. I could visualize Rajdeep’s value add

– Rajdeep made it clear that we will go through as many iterations to get to the finished answer

– He also said that he will connect me with alumni to help gain a better understanding of each school

– He viewed my initial materials as “work in progress”. He was ready to help me draft and tweak my resume points, description of goals, etc, while other consultants were of the view that I should apply later when I have more strategic points on my CV or a clearer view of my goals

We began with the resume. This was the most critical part of the application and my resume underwent a big change in terms of how I positioned my points. Rajdeep has a clear, point-based CV rating mechanism. We went through a number of iterations and ensured my resume points have a “strategic” lens to them and are in a proper structure. I feel that without his guidance my resume would have been half as strong as the one I submitted.

Rajdeep helped me frame my goals and tie them to what I have done. He also helped me effectively answer the questions “Why MBA” based on the hard and soft skills required as well as “Why now” connecting the goals to market trends and the skills I have acquired.

We had countless ideation & storylining sessions. Rajdeep has a great handle on what the schools are looking for – in terms of the influences you speak about, values you substantiate, examples you give. He strives to bring out the depth in each essay. He effectively structures vague essay topics as well (e.g. HBS essay prompt) where applicants tend to get lost and typically ramble on. In the writing phase, we went through as many iterations as needed to perfect my essay

For interview prep, he sent an effective initial prep guide, ran 3-4 mocks and also connected me with alumni and peers for mocks. He also went ahead and helped me think through the arguments for the Wharton team-based discussion and how to handle real-life situations.

Rajdeep was invested and available all throughout. Despite my being based out of the US and the timezone difference, Rajdeep ensured that the process went smoothly and helped me gain an interview with Harvard and admission to Wharton and Kellogg.

I learned about Rajdeep from a trusted friend at Kellogg who had very positive things to say. What gave me comfort was Rajdeep’s track record to the top schools and strong experience working with consulting + investing profiles.

The engagement started with resume making which pushed my thinking to be more top-down and strategic instead of micro and operational. Next, he helped me create a reasonable school target strategy (top-5) backed with strong reasoning and data. However the biggest value Rajdeep brought to my application was helping me lockdown on the right narrative by taking a holistic look at my profile and career aspirations.

Another area where I really appreciate Rajdeep’s value add was crafting a thoughtful but power-packed essay for each school. He’s not easy to impress and pushes you to the limit to churn out the best possible product. However, he’ll work closely with you to find the right examples and the right stories from your background to support your narrative.

He also leverages his network at schools to connect you to students and helps one gain insights to differentiate the applications. I have already recommended Rajdeep to three of my friends/acquaintances and would strongly do so to anyone reading this review

Many of my friends at Stanford, Wharton, etc. had tremendously good things to say about Rajdeep. In a world where there is a multitude of consultants, it made my decision much easier knowing that some of my friends had secured MBA admissions to the top B-Schools through Rajdeep. After my first unsuccessful attempt with another consultant, I was rigid that I would only apply to business schools with Rajdeep. During my screening call with Rajdeep, he stood out as one of the only MBA Consultants who are blatantly honest with respect to your profile. After working with a top US consultant, I realized how good Rajdeep is vs. other consultants.

The consulting process was very structured. We first started with the resume, followed by recommendations and background essays, and then the main essays. Rajdeep had introductory/briefing calls with me at every step, and then feedback calls to discuss what I had written and how I could improve it.

Initially, I used to think that the resume I had built with my previous consultant was good, and I soon realized how wrong I was when Rajdeep gave me feedback and showed me how to communicate the value and impact of whatever I had worked on. My learnings here are not just limited to MBA applications, because I will be using his methodology in future job applications as well.

One of the most challenging essays for me was the goals essays, as I was unsure of what I wanted to do in the next 3-5 years. Rajdeep outlined the different possible career paths one could take after an MBA given their background, and he did so with concrete examples. This really opened my eyes in terms of what goals should be like, and I could finally position them well in an essay with his help.

Rajdeep was always reachable on Whatsapp and made it a point to put in his best effort to help and guide me. On a side note – once I had submitted my INSEAD application, Rajdeep had a call with me on which other schools I could apply to. As he had a packed schedule, he offered to help me out pro-bono for LBS, and share some sample materials for other schools. His offer amazed me, and I am extremely grateful and thankful. This is a testament of how structured and detail-oriented he is, and at the same time how much they care about the people, they work with.

On my first conversation with Ivy Consulting, they told me that “we are about changing lives”. Six months later, I can’t emphasize how much they were right.

I went into the applications process with some hesitations, without being sure about my future directions, fearing that I would not be admitted to one of the top schools I’ve applied to. Thanks to Eli, I learned how to write a coherent essay about myself, not underestimate my achievements, and gained confidence in English essay writing. Maya (his colleague) did a wonderful job preparing me for the interview. He was always accessible and professional. Thanks to his consulting, my application was uncomparable to my original essays and ideas. Eventually, thanks to him and his team, I was admitted to two top schools as I wished.

The way that Eli and his team worked was just what I needed. They made sure always to be available for any question or rewrite I required, they taught me the “MBA Application’s” language, and explained the intricacies of each school and how to approach them. Talking with the team felt like this mission wasn’t mine alone; they were with me under the stretcher.

Looking back at the process, I can honestly say that having Eli and his team as my consultants made the difference.

Working with David and Sharon was clearly the main factor for my success in the process. I placed all my eggs in one basket and submitted it to one M7 school. To make things more challenging, I was targeting a specific, extremely competitive, full scholarship. Writing this review is obviously after I succeeded in achieving both objectives. Both David and Sharon were available throughout the process to work on all the documents. They made me work hard and put in a lot of work on the documents. We had great brainstorming sessions and I felt the best version of me was definitely coming out. And as I mentioned, the results were perfect. Thank you guys for an amazing experience!!

In my opinion, Eli is one of the best MBA consultants. He is really strong at strategic planning and storytelling. In the early stage, when we discussed the right MBA programs for my background and career goals, Eli showed me a deep dive analysis and presented the strength of each top program. In addition, he also gave me an overview of his working style and the entire application process with a roadmap, alleviating my concern. Moreover, because of his excellent strategy, we were able to manage the time efficiently and eventually submit 4 applications at round 1 within a tight timeline.

Eli’s other strength is his storytelling ability. To help me distinguish from other applicants for the top MBA programs, Eli pushed really hard on me to think about unique and interesting stories from my past experience that can be easily remembered by the admission officers. We brainstormed lots of ideas. After many iterations, we finalized a list of interesting stories that can demonstrate my best skill sets and unique personality. This is not an easy process, but I felt super supported by him both mentally and emotionally.

Nevertheless, Eli is very flexible with his schedule and made himself available at any time when I need help. As a result, I received an offer from one of the top MBA programs in the world. In short, the MBA application is a long and difficult journey. If you are still hesitant and have questions, I highly recommend that you can schedule 30 minutes of free consultation with him and learn the great stories from him.

When I decided to pursue an MBA, I was late to the process. It was the end of October and I wanted to make R2 so I only had a couple of months to work with… Unsure whether I wanted to work with an MBA consultant at all, I took calls with more than 10 top firms that appealed to me on the P&Q list.

David stood out to me for two main reasons… 
(1) Speed: he responded to me within hours and set up the first call the same day, offering me a small demo of what it might look like to work together
(2) No “bs”: when you go through the process of scouting consultants, you end up hearing a lot of the same pitches. The questions are the same, they will tell you where the weaknesses in your application are, and why you need them. David’s assessment of my candidacy felt the most authentic and sincere. It didn’t feel like he was trying to sell me and I liked his direct communication style. He also connected me with students that he had worked with in the past at my target schools (the only consultant that offered to do this). 

My goal was a top 5 program (globally) and we succeeded in getting offers from Wharton and INSEAD. 

I am not entirely sure when – or if – David sleeps, but one of the most important aspects for me was that he was always available and willing to go beyond the line of duty.

David can be ruthlessly honest but he will always push you to go further than what is seemingly possible.

I would wholeheartedly recommend David to anyone who is going through this process. 

No review will do justice to the amount of help and guidance David gave me during my MBA application. He is to the point, hardworking, wise, and kind. I was in a unique situation throughout my application process and David was superb, from helping me re-write my CV to pointing out the smallest of details in the online application web forms. He was always available, and the first to push me and make my application stronger. He not only excels at strategy and fine-tuning the smallest details but he also doesn’t lose track of the totality of your application, a crucial perspective. I can say without a shadow of a doubt it is thanks to David that I got into my top choice MBA program (among others) and I can’t thank him enough. If you have the chance to work with him do not pass it up. Thank you, David!!!

Looking back, the decision to work with David was a game-changer for me. I was aiming for a top 10 but did not have a single brand in my resume. David developed a winning strategy that I was extremely comfortable with and enabled me to get the offer I wanted. Throughout the process, David was available on call7 days a week and I never waited long to get the answers I needed. He had a vision of how things should look and managed the process professionally to get there. I highly recommend working with David!!

I learned about 5-6 consultants from my network and I read up on everyone and then set up a time with them and discussed my profile before working with Rajdeep.

We started with the resume and on my first draft, I received specific instructions especially on moving away from case-based thinking to firm based thinking and impact metrics. I also applied this approach to my current job as well. The resume process overall helps you think about your work from a more strategic perspective rather than a task-based one.

For the essays, Rajdeep and I used to brainstorm first and build out an outline. So once I had clarity on the story elements for each essay it was easier to write and I was not lost in the structure or words. In some parts of we had different ideas and once I showed a draft we would discuss if it works or not. His method of outlining how to approach certain essays provides clarity on where to begin and how to research things. Rajdeep was open to reworking or changing stories as we go and was very honest, sometimes too much, but that turned out to be a good thing as it led to better outcomes.

For the interviews, Rajdeep had specific input on what to work on, and frameworks on how to answer the questions. Also detailed insight on how various questions would be asked for each school and down to those asked for my specific career path. Based on these inputs, I created my templates and prepared for 50 questions including doing mocks to make my answers more concise.

Rajdeep was easily accessible and works hard with you. He was never trying to save time or hurry things and we were always working towards the best outcome. He helped bring out the best of my story. He was there through countless hours and last-minute doubts to ultimately help me crack Harvard, Wharton, and Kellogg!

I was applying from Consulting and was uncertain of the strength of my application. I did not have people from either my consulting firm or my undergrad institute who were at top b-schools and so I had a limited network to rely on / less access to information.

My job involved long hours and considerable travel leaving me less time to understand the nuances of the application process. My objective of joining was two-fold – get guidance on the nitty-gritties of the process (what do schools really look for, what do the essay questions truly mean, etc.) and saving time.

I knew I had a number of experiences that I could highlight but I was unsure of how to articulate them or whether they would be good enough for the top schools without a “tier-1” brand per se on my CV. I started off by working with Chimni and first he helped me develop my resume – both helping me pick out the relevant experiences and articulating them effectively. This gave me more confidence and helped me in my school selection.

Rajdeep’s inputs were extremely valuable while brainstorming my application story and defining my goals. I had a clear theme running through my application but he helped me bring it all together and form a solid story that factored in my motivations, experiences, and goals. What I valued the most was his honest guidance about my ideas and his attention to detail about the smaller aspects that really helped me tie-in the loose ends. He was available to discuss any new ideas and was on-top of things, actively replying to messages and reviewing my materials in time.

Essays were another area where I appreciated Rajdeep’s support. He helped me articulate my points better and get to the depth of my ideas, helping me think about the next level of detail. He first helped me structure my ideas into a flow and then helped me find the right examples from my resume which demonstrated those points the best. His objective guidance was helpful in picking the right examples, deciding on the right level of detail and ensuring my essays were engaging.

His experience with schools and the specific requirements of their application process was helpful as I tried to navigate the different processes. While my story remained the same, he took a fresh approach to every application which was customized for that school. This helped me conduct school-specific research and create unique applications for each of the schools I applied to.

Overall, I had a very positive experience!