Admissions Gateway | MBA Admissions Consultants

A friend at Harvard referred me to Rajdeep. With absolutely no clue on approaching business school applications, Rajdeep’s expertise made the process less overwhelming. Every step of the process (resume, essays, goals) is very well laid out which helped me structure my application.

For every school, he has an idea of what works and what doesn’t, which helped me choose stories/traits I wanted to exhibit for each school. For the essays, Rajdeep kept pushing me to think harder till the time he was convinced of the “what” and the “how”, and paid attention to the relevance of every single word in each of my drafts.

The interview preparation stood out for me for the way Rajdeep asked me to answer varied sets of questions in a coherent manner, covering all my stories. I will be attending Kellogg this fall!

Rajdeep’s expertise was reflected in his ability to provide pointed and insightful feedback on my application material. As a first-time applicant, the application process was a black-box to me. Rajdeep helped me think about the strategic business impact of my achievements and bring it out in my resume and essays.

In particular, he was great at helping me drill down my technical experiences in financial advisory, simplify complex financial jargon, and put together a well-rounded, engaging story with an easy flow. I also appreciate Rajdeep’s persistence in ensuring that I iterated as many times as was needed with the essays before I arrived at an application-ready version.

Mock interviews and support in preparation helped me do my best in interviews. Rajdeep also provided valuable advice on my selection of schools. In fact, thanks to his encouragement, I applied to Ross in R1 (to which I received an offer with a full ride). Rajdeep was responsive on WhatsApp/call throughout the process, promptly answering any questions. I would strongly recommend him to any future business school applicant.

Rajdeep came highly recommended to me from a friend at Harvard and hence I had high expectations. Turns out, he exceeded them. I worked with him for Wharton interview prep and I found the experience to be thorough, detailed and ultimately, helpful.

Rajdeep did this using a three-pronged approach – 1) Detailed overview of the process through a long email covering suggested reachings and approach, 2) Practical insights through conversations facilitated with Wharton students who had gone through the process, and 3) Personal feedback on the notes prepared and tailoring them to bring out individual strengths.

I appreciated all three aspects which allowed me to frame my approach quickly and provided a sounding board to stress test my approach before going into the interview. The confidence from the process no doubt played a role in my ability to ultimately convert the offer.

I learned about Rajdeep through Poets and Quants when I was looking for an experienced consultant who had a good M7 success rate. Additionally, the cost was realistic and not an exorbitant number quoted by other consultants.

When I started working with Rajdeep, I appreciated how structured the whole process was. On our first call, he laid out the different stages of the process and the high-level timelines involved for each stage. This visibility and structure not only boosted my confidence but also helped me plan to juggle my work responsibilities and application deadlines.

As we began discussing each of the elements in my background and profile in depth, Rajdeep was very prompt in his responses and spent a lot of time helping me get my foundational elements such as my resume and goals right. While working on the essays, Rajdeep was committed to helping me put my best foot forward, often pushing me to rewrite entire sections and drafts if needed. Connecting to me to various alumni and resources to do school-specific research, Rajdeep helped me create tailored and cohesive applications for each of my target schools. I received interview calls from both the schools I applied to (Wharton + Kellogg).

Guiding me through the specific interview styles for each school, and conducting mock interviews, he made sure I was well-prepped on D-Day with contingency plans for multiple scenarios! All this effort was worth it when I received offers from both the schools. Rajdeep helped me refine and polish my application to make it targeted, concise and compelling. In fact, he helped me bring down an essay from 1,200 words to 450 without losing any critical content – a task that seemed close to impossible.

Despite my working out of the US and juggling hectic responsibilities, Rajdeep was flexible enough to work across timezones and was available to answer my questions late at night. Thanks, Rajdeep – might not have been 2 for 2 in the top-5 without all your help!

Friends at Booth and Wharton referred me to Rajdeep and I joined him because of his track record. I applied in round one myself and gained admission to Duke ($98k) and Darden ($120k) having taken interview assistance from Rajdeep. I then joined Rajdeep for my round two applications to Wharton, Booth, MIT, and Kellogg.

Rajdeep help me bring about a strategic shift in my resume and helped me articulate my leadership experiences in my essays. What stood out for me was his at-cause attitude – working with applicants even while he had an urgent family situation to attend to. He worked tirelessly to prepare me for the Wharton TBD – even scheduling long late-night calls at a short notice. Another thing I appreciated was Rajdeep’s calmness when we had multiple deadlines in a single week. He always made me feel that the situation was under control. I gained admission to Kellogg, Wharton with $42K scholarship and was waitlisted at Booth

I had an exceedingly positive experience with Rajdeep. When I started, I was unsure of my target schools, how to plan the process and what the schools were looking for. Rajdeep has a robust understanding of the process across schools and helped me structure the application process from start to finish. Early in the process, he provided a timeline of each step, which provided comfort that I was on track.

While working on the resume and goals, Rajdeep pushed me to restate my goal. Realizing that my initial goal was a bit confusing, he helped to better craft my goal statement into something that all could understand. This feedback really helped me state my goal during interviews as well!

Rajdeep has a clear idea of what strengths different colleges are looking for in their essays and works with you closely to determine which life experiences are most suited for which essay. While writing one of my essays, the essay underwent 10+ iterations before my essay stories were clear. Till the end, Rajdeep kept patiently pushing me to keep thinking and reframe my essay. In my final version, I was able to clearly state 3 different ideas in the essay all while keeping within the word limit!

He is extremely approachable and supportive. Whenever I faced any issue or needed a clarification in the process, he was just a quick Whatsapp message away. His flexibility in working and supporting you where you are stuck allows him to help applicants of all types.

heard about Rajdeep from colleagues at work. My overall experience was very pleasant. I couldn’t have done it without him. Few things that stood out for me:

His focus on specificity: Rajdeep made sure that every statement that I wrote in my app made sense and was not some vague and general remark. He would push for more research and ensured only quality work goes ahead.

Helping extract stories out of work examples: Rajdeep really helped me to form detailed stories out of instances at work which then ties with my overall story.

R1/R2 school distribution: This we could have improved. I could have kept a few schools for R2 to make sure that I still would have few schools left to apply in case of no admit in R1. But it worked out.

Attention to detail: Very high as he even helps with the application form to make the complete story is tied up.

Support: Even when I got dings from H and W, Rajdeep helped to bring objectivity and was there throughout the process and not just professionally. He even helped me with schools I was to do on my own. He will be with you until you are admitted to one of the schools.

My colleagues in consulting had worked with Rajdeep and seen amazing success. Other consultants I talked to had different school ranges from what was my view, so after my conversation with Rajdeep I read testimonials, saw the success rate (particularly from my firm) and joined him.
My journey for applications has been grinding, super busy and taxing. But Rajdeep has been with me all along, making me better with each edit and really investing time in my applications.
Given I had an early start and I am a very ‘J’ person, I had completed my resume and goals definition way before applications had even opened. Rajdeep asked all the right questions that made me think and understand the point he is trying to bring forth.
Personally, I think my goals had a better starting point given I knew what I wanted to do, but Rajdeep truly shaped them into something concrete that was achievable, didn’t look all ‘up in the air’ and helped me market myself better in my applications.
Essays are the one place that I heavily relied on Rajdeep’s guidance. He was willing to make as many edits, sometimes starting the entire storylining from scratch and pushing me to think through what I was trying to say. He forced me to think and answer the question that applications asked me, all the while being true to myself.
When it came to interviews, he provided excellent materials and frameworks. He has a database of interview questions and styles and helped me hone specific answers.
Overall, my experience has been fantastic and I cannot thank him enough – he has always been there, only a text away, supporting and guiding me through this tough process. So a very big thank you!!!

I reached out to Rajdeep to help me with applications when I had absolutely no idea of the process. From the moment he came on board, he was frank and methodical. The most striking thing is that he takes complete ownership of the application and treats it as his own.

We went through multiple iterations for resume and essays until he was sure about each word that was written in the application. This in turn gave me tremendous confidence in his commitment to my application.

Rajdeep introduced me to frameworks for the resume, which transformed my resume and made it more appealing. He was patient and went through each and every line on the resume in detail. Writing essays was a mammoth task for me but Rajdeep made the process smooth and even enjoyable. We had many hour-long calls on the kind of content we wanted to incorporate into the essays, went through my resume to dig up relevant stories and came up with a framework for each essay. Rajdeep’s vast knowledge of essay themes and styles was incredibly helpful in writing essays that were well structured.

Interview prep was intensive with several mock rounds. In particular, the interview prep for Wharton was a standout. Not only did Rajdeep discuss the TBD and interview questions with me personally, but he also set up time with ex-Wharton students to take us through the process. Learning from the experiences of other students helped with the nerves as well.

Overall, my experience was absolutely amazing and above all expectations. There is no way I would have been able to navigate the tricky b-school process without Rajdeep’s support.

I was referred by a friend in his first year at HBS and worked with Rajdeep for the interview and post-interview reflection.

I’m incredibly grateful to Rajdeep for all his genuine guidance and support through the HBS interview prep, and I’m certain HBS would not have happened without him! I reached out to him just a week before my HBS interview, with super tight timelines on my end. Rajdeep went out of his way to adjust to my schedule, and carefully tailored my prep, rather than employing a cookie-cutter approach.

During the mocks, he provided sharp, nuanced and insightful comments, along with suggestions on how to improve, in a very short period of time. His understanding of the HBS interview process is unparalleled. In the 24-hour window for the post-interview reflection, he was again super responsive, and his feedback was incredibly smart and thoughtful. Rajdeep goes the extra mile and is genuinely invested in the success of his applicants :). Will recommend him without a doubt!

I first talked to Eli 2 years before starting my application for my MBA – from that point on Eli has mentored me in choices to help me get into a top MBA program.
When working on my application Eli has been there for me almost 24/7, always available for a call on every small detail. His advices are priceless – in every conversation with him it is clear that he is a professional who has been doing this for years.
I had already recommended Eli to one of my closest friends – which is probably the best sign of how happy I am that I chose to work with him, and I would definitely recommend that to everyone.

Having applied earlier to Olin and not having made it I was unsure about how to fully project my experience through essays and during interviews, for which I believed soliciting guidance would be the best approach. Secondly, my current job is heavily demanding and I wanted someone to keep me on track.

Rajdeep has one of the best track records for applications to the M7. The most brilliant part of his advise was that despite having an unconventional profile, I was able to explain my experiences in the right manner, using the most appropriate anecdotes which gave my story the required impetus.

During one such instance of laying down the goals, the questions put forth by Rajdeep led me to dive into extensive research as well as an exercise of introspection, thus helping me outline my aspirations and goals, necessary for applications.

Of course, it involved numerous discussions and countless iterations, which inevitably required me to go over my professional experiences several times and eventually incorporate the usually overlooked nitty-gritties.

Rajdeep help me realize my potential and I am attending Wharton!

Very professional and efficient process. The help I received on planning the process and understanding how to get started on tasks was most important to me.

Eli helped me achieve my dreams as I got accepted into 3 top MBA schools, including my top choice. During the process I felt I had someone I could count on and consult with, which made the entire process smoother and less stressful. Together we built a strategy for the application process, decided to which schools I should apply and of course, worked hard on each application. Eli’s ideas, creativity, availability and guidance are truly remarkable and are what makes him the perfect guide. Looking back, I couldn’t have done it without him. Thank you!

Colleagues of mine work with Rajdeep every year and have gained admission to all the top-5 schools so I was aware how Rajdeep was supportive in building an application strategy and delivering on it.

I was impressed by Rajdeep’s support on my resume – having worked only in the social sector, I had trouble articulating my experiences to suit an ‘MBA app’. Rajdeep helped me every step of the way, from explaining what was needed to how it is to be done. His revisions were meticulous and really helped my resume jump 10X from my initial draft.

I remember spending hours on call, discussing my goals and story – we had over 10 iterations for one particular school where we kept building on the story until both of us were satisfied – Rajdeep would give me the hook, help me with suggestions and push me to dig deeper. And he was excellent with timelines – even if I slacked somewhere, I’d get a prompt text from him, checking on my status. This, I know is what sets him apart from others I’ve heard about. He was personally invested in my success at this process and allayed my apprehensions and fear with his strategy skills and humour wherever he could.

I enjoyed the process of applying to B-schools partly because I had Rajdeep to support me with it. I would certainly recommend my friends and anybody who is willing to put in the hours, to work with him and get the best that is offered!

Ivy’s work was incredible and exceeded any expectations I had starting the process. From day-one Eli, Sharon and the team pushed me relentlessly to improve my application, making me think harder and deeper. Their availability and short lead times were incredible, and even though I applied while working in a demanding job I was able to submit well ahead of time. Eli was there when I had day-before-interview jitters, making sure I come focused. The depth of the work, the time they invested, and the fact they truly cared about my application helped me get my dream school (Starts with an S, in Palo Alto :-)). All along the process, Eli & the team provided useful, insightful up-to-date tips and tricks that helped me be as ready as I could be. In a few years time, when my younger brother will pursue an MBA I will tell not even to waste time talking to other firms. THANK YOU ELI!!!

From the very beginning, I knew that I would choose Ivy to assist me in the entire application process. After talking to a few close friends who have been successfully admitted to their desired MBA programs, I knew that I would choose Ivy, without even talking to additional consulting companies beforehand. From the first phone call I had with Eli, he was very pleasant to talk to, and he instilled so much confidence in me and my own personal story.

The journey to an MBA is not an easy one, and from time to time you have doubts if you are indeed good enough to fulfill your lifelong dream school of choice. Eli was always there for me for support, for each and every step of the process, making me confident that my dream is reachable. He was very professional and responsive to each inquiry that I had, from the very small and detailed one to the more significant ones.

Eli advised that I work directly with Sharon and indeed she was a perfect fit for me. She was very responsive, thorough, and professional in each aspect that I worked with her on. She never compromised on anything less than perfect.

Looking back on this period, it is not just the entire process that I highly recommend with Ivy, but it’s also the results, which I think speak for themselves; I was admitted to all schools that I applied for, including my lifelong dream one! So thank you, Eli and Sharon, for making my dream come true. I definitely couldn’t have done this journey without your amazing support and true dedication. I strongly recommend them to anyone who wants a professional but also a personal and supporting team that will be with you from beginning to end.

The work Eli has done is pure magic! After getting the results, I can say that for sure.

Eli’s dedication is just extraordinary. From putting so many hours of his time on brainstorming and picking the right application strategy to going over every single word in the online application form. He did it all with great enthusiasm, super-fast responsiveness, and great effort.

On top of that, Eli has done it all in the most professional way you could imagine. He won’t compromise on any part of the application and every time he signed-off on an item, I felt extremely comfortable I had a top-notch product. His feedback is on point, very constructive and always within the scope of his amazing strategic view.

The work Eli has done with preparing me for interviews was incredible. He quickly spotted my weaknesses and managed to improve them significantly. Also, Eli’s vast experience and knowledge in each of the schools is a valuable asset. I was not surprised at all in any of my interviews, as our simulations were very similar to reality. I couldn’t have asked for anything more than that.

To summarize – Eli is a true professional, partner, mentor, and friend. It was a real pleasure to work together with him and I highly recommend it for you as well. You won’t regret it!

I learned about Rajdeep through Poets&Quants, so a big thank you to Poets&Quants! The experience was fantastic. I really appreciate the attention to detail, continuous willingness to go the extra mile and the unending strive for perfection that Rajdeep brought to the table. Also, I always respected Rajdeep’s insights regarding essays and profile-positioning – they were worth their weight in gold and added tremendous value to my application.

One thing that personally stood out for me was Rajdeep’s dedication. Even though we started months in advance and went about the process in a very planned manner, there were days closer to the deadline when I was rushing to do last-minute changes – in such cases, Rajdeep was available throughout – be it 12 midnight or 9am, and his turnaround time was less than a few hours! Exceptional commitment. He always made it seem that we are a team rather than just a client-counseller, and he was as (if not more!) invested in my success than I was.

I gained admission to Columbia, Booth, and LBS and would definitely recommend Rajdeep for those applying to an M7 school.

Eli is the best admissions consultant you could hope to work with. Apart from having amazing results (I got into both my dream school and several others), he is a joy to work with, and you will feel as if you are working alongside your best friend!

What impressed me most about Eli was the passion and dedication he showed to me throughout the process. I had more than 8 intro calls with various consultants in the top 20 list on Poets&Quants, and Eli immediately stood out. He gave me his honest feedback and opinion on my candidacy, and was the only one to offer me a demo working session before I made my final decision, giving me an idea of what it would be like to work together – and trust me, it was awesome!

Eli’s dedication to my success only extended throughout our time together. First, he gave me the motivation to continue studying for the GMAT and retake the test. Throughout the next few months, Eli consistently pushed me to work on my applications and set a clear timeline for the various requirements of each school application. Most importantly, I felt as if Eli always had my back. He was incredibly responsive and answered almost all of my emails/texts within a couple of hours; he was also never hesitant to hop on a call and discuss any of my questions or give me feedback. I truly felt as if I was the only student that he was working with!

In my opinion, there is no better person to work with than Eli. He pushes you to bring out the best in yourself and your applications, gives you a sense of confidence and makes you feel like you belong at any school in the world. If I could do it again, I would choose Eli in a heartbeat – and you should too!

For three years my colleagues have been gaining admission to HBS with Rajdeep’s help so it was an easy choice to work with him. He has been key to helping me achieve my b-school results.

I liked the fact that early-on, he thought through a timeline customized for me, factoring into my work commitments and ensured that we largely stuck to it. He has a strong grasp of the application process for all top b-schools. He helped me build a crisp resume and provided clarity when we were brainstorming my post-MBA goals. He nudged me to identify the right situations and examples to talk about, helping me craft meaningful and impactful essays.

His college-specific phased approach of building the intensity of interview prep helped me have a great interview experience with HBS. As is often the case with nervous applicants, one tends to come up with last-minute requests and edits. I had 2 such instances, and in both situations, he went out of his way to accommodate my requests. Overall, I would recommend everyone, who is applying to the top b-schools, to decidedly go ahead with working with Rajdeep to successfully make it through otherwise an extremely intense process.

I gained admission to HBS and Kellogg and will be attending HBS.

Choosing Ivy was simply the best decision I made in my application process.
I heard a lot about Eli and Sharon from my friends, but I didn’t imagine how valuable their guidance and direction would be.
Despite the tight schedule, Eli and Sharon provided me with a tremendous support throughout the process and kept motivating me for success. They gave me a great support with crafting my story and refining my essays, and made sure that my personality is well reflected in each of them. Their preparation for the interviews was also extremely helpful, and allowed to step in with high confidence.
Ivy is an exceptionally professional consultancy, and their results are clear – 2 out of 3 of the top MBA programs in the US! You should definitely choose them – trust me, you won’t regret!

For me Eli was a sort of a magician, he succeeded taking me to places I didn’t even dream of getting to (Yes, Harvard).
His supper professional approach, endless creativity and most importantly his patient and attitude all along the way, were worthy to every penny I paid.
He was more than a counselor for me, he was a mentor and I absolutely recommend him to every person interested in applying to an MBA program.

Eli helped me to make my dream come true! Since the beginning of the process, Eli was super professional and thoughtful and helped me to show myself in the best way on the written application and in the interviews. He was always there, in every hour and for every issue. If you want to do this step and get into a top MBA program – Eli is definitely your guy!

Rajdeep is a great consultant. I chose him because my friends (6 people I knew in my network) had worked with him, and gone on to receive admission in top schools. Personal recommendations from friends, combined with Rajdeep’s unparalleled success rate and a competitive fee (at least relative to other high-performing admission consultants) made working with him an easy choice.

In terms of my experience, what I found to be most helpful was the resume-improvement support. Rajdeep probably took a 5/10 resume and improved by dramatic margins. He always pushed me to think of concrete results that exemplified the work, while remaining authentic and concise.

His support on essays is essays is useful as he provides solid boundaries for what the content should cover. Over the years, he has assimilated knowledge of “what works” for applicants from diverse industrial backgrounds. He has distilled different essay needs through the sheer experience of working with previous clients into an easily transferable structure, which is super useful. While it does result in the loss of certain aesthetics in the essay sometimes; it also results in an essay that is comprehensive, showcases a clear thought-process, and has a fluent flow.

I would highly recommend Rajdeep – always a safe choice to go for if you are targeting a top 5 school.

Simply put, Eli won’t stop until the goal is accomplished. 10/10 review for Eli and a big thank you to his perseverance through the application process. Needless to say, business school can be a life-changing experience and it is extremely comforting to partner with someone who will not stop until you achieve what you set out to do. Eli is always willing to make himself available to help, day or night, and is a true partner throughout the entire process.

After being turned away from other MBA consultants because my resume, GMAT and age did not seem “sufficient” for top programs, I was advised to reach out to Eli by one of their former clients.
Eli heard my story and said it’s going to be a difficult process but we will make it happen.
3 out of 5.
That’s how many MBA programs I was accepted to – first round, no waitlist. Needless to say all of the 5 programs I applied to are in the top 10.
From the first session, Eli was very honest and fair. We mapped out the school I would be applying to based on my career goals and created a strategy that would be the perfect fit for each school’s admission committee.
Both Eli and Sharon knew exactly what each program looked for and they were available 24/7 to bounce ideas, direct, edit applications, practice for interviews, and guide in this nerve-racking process – all in the utmost professional manner.
Pursuing an MBA in a leading global program has been my dream and there is truly no other person I would have wanted to guide me through this process.
I would give a 10-star rating if I could.
MBA here I come!

I was impressed with the high percentage rate of acceptance and the confidence that Rajdeep showcased during our conversation. I was re-applying and had applied to HBS, Columbia, Cornell, and UCLA before with the help of a consultant.

Once we aligned on the schools, which took some time and back and forth, there was a big change in my resume in terms of how I presented my work. I appreciated the essay brainstorming, outlines and additional information provided by Rajdeep that helped me shape my essays. He also helped in connecting with students and my essays this year were much better researched.

Rajdeep was available and helped me prepare for my mocks. Once I got my first admit, my interview process was made much more comfortable as I felt a sense of accomplishment and encouragement.

I was admitted to all the schools I applied to Wharton (scholarship), Duke, Cornell, Tepper (scholarship)

I first worked with a widely reviewed and ranked admissions consultant firm in US but after no admits that year, I was talking to some friends and advisors in introspection before my next move. One of my friends had worked with Rajdeep and his experience was poles apart from mine in terms of school choices and how he positioned himself to schools. I joined Admissions Gateway because of this robust approach I had seen work for my friend and because Rajdeep could point out major improvements in my application in our very first meeting.

With Rajdeep, I got admits at Stern and Darden with full rides. Let me share the two things that he did that absolutely turned around my results.

1) Resume and Career Goals:  Where Rajdeep helped me the most was in pulling together my professional journey and aspirations in a way that truly let my strengths shine. In retrospect, I think he so brilliant at this because of the high bar he sets for you but also because of his experience succeeding with so many candidates. Resume-building was a test of giving away all my current notions about my professional journey. It was a hard winding road, and sometimes, also frustrating. But Rajdeep arranged for multiple check-in sessions and guided me to put together what became the foundation of both applications and subsequent interviews.

2) Commitment to the ‘why’: You are a great candidate but you are just one of many others. Why should the school consider you over the hundreds with similar backgrounds? Rajdeep helped me drill my experience and goals into a story that clicked with schools, and this is probably why I got multiple scholarships. This was the result of a grueling process and what really held together my application was the level of commitment Rajdeep displayed. With adaption of our storylines on several occasions, I often found myself out of examples to portray and even, at times, lack of words to describe my passion. Rajdeep was around till 1 am to finalize essays or just available on phone to hear out where I was struggling. With anecdotes and thoughtful counters, we were able to iron out concerns and explain my motivations for an MBA.

The best part of this experience really was that besides gaining admission, I learned a lot about what was holding me back, in some ways.

These lessons hold true when you are positioning yourself in a business school or when interviewing for your dream role. Today, when I talk to prospective students or put together teams, I am still reminded of phone conversations with Rajdeep.  

Admissions Gateway helped me get into 3 of my top schools – Kellogg, Yale SOM, and UCLA, with a $70K scholarship at Kellogg and $60K scholarship at UCLA and I can confidently say none of my success would have been possible without them. AG and Rajdeep helped me with every little step of the MBA application process – a resume that shows my impact, a clear vision for my post-MBA goals, a thoroughly researched case of why the school and program were a great fit for me, and how to show my best self during my interviews. All of this, while making sure I remained 100% true to who I was and what I wanted from the MBA!

Rajdeep really pushed me to reflect on my career and future goals in more detail than I had ever done before. The team has relentless attention to detail and always made sure every line in my resume and essays was perfectly articulated and fit into a cohesive story. He checked in with me regularly and helped me stay on track to finish my applications well before my deadline, which was really important because I was trying to balance the MBA process with a busy job. He was always quick in responding to my messages (often at odd hours) which helped me make live edits to my essays. He also helped me a great deal with interview prep – with live interview practice and feedback.

AG and Rajdeep – Thank you for helping me stay motivated, disciplined, and for bringing out my best self!

Rajdeep is very effective in putting structure and discipline into the application process. I found it difficult to define the scope of the essays and was overwhelmed by the whole process. But Rajdeep helped me put a boundary around the ask, and broke down the essays into milestones which made the task much simpler.

He is a stickler for quality and constantly pushed me beyond my comfort zone to dig deeper into my stories unless they reflected the necessary leadership qualities. I was able to think clearly through my career by the end of the process and had much more clarity on what I want to get out of my MBA.

I always refer him to my friends for their MBA applications and all of them have had great results as well.

Successfully applying to a B-school was less about my experiences and more about the takeaways from those experiences that would help me demonstrate that I was MBA ready.

As easy as it may sound, the process forced me to ask some probing questions and it became very important for me to be able to structure my answers within the prescribed word limits. Being from a highly competitive talent pool, I needed strategic help with the process of working with someone who had a proven track record with Indian applicants. I came to know about Rajdeep from some of my classmates who had worked with him and highly recommended him.

The first thing that really stood out for me was Rajdeep’s strategy of building out your resume before deciding on your schools or even application strategy. This was unlike any other consultant I had reached out to. We spent a good 10 days fleshing out the resume, making it as strong as possible. Looking back this was one of the strongest reasons why I got accepted at LBS.

I remember after the first 2 iterations of my essay with Rajdeep, I was very happy and satisfied with the effort I had put in and how the essay had shaped out. That’s when he told me that I needed to come up with a surgeon’s insights vs. a butcher’s perspective. This line summarizes my experience with Rajdeep wherein I learned to dig deeper, research harder until I had the essay that was good enough to compete with the best in the world.

For people who are planning to apply this year, I would recommend that you get in touch with the consultants out there and then get in touch with Rajdeep. I think that a single call will help you understand the competitive edge that Rajdeep brings to the table and it will make your decision much easier.

A close friend referred me to Admissions Gateway and I was impressed with the track record, Rajdeep’s structured approach to the process and the word of mouth.

The factor that really stood out in my experience was Rajdeep’s approachability. From every stage of resume building to essay drafting to interview, Rajdeep was always reachable and very involved. You can just reach him a WhatsApp away.

His iterative reviews and pointed feedback really pushed me to bring out the best in my essays. He is always willing to offer help in whatever aspect you may need – be it making alum connects for mock interviews/essay pointers or providing essay edits, even on a tight timeline. I got into both Wharton and Booth. I would highly recommend him for his great job and support!

I am beyond grateful for David’s support throughout this process. Last year I was rejected from 5 business schools. I was naturally apprehensive to start again. I am pleased to say that I applied to 1 school and have been admitted- a top 10 program!

Eli has a strong understanding of how the business school application works. It was helpful for me to bounce ideas with a seasoned professional. As I was applying to just one school, I was paying hourly. I appreciate how accessible Eli was throughout the process, how he never overcharged me for his time, how he was respectful of my time and efficiently went through my work. I felt he was always respectful, encouraging and honest. Eli was honest with his thoughts on my essays and resume and, most importantly, I always did my own work. He would give feedback to my ideas, my writing, my work, and at the end, I submitted an application that I believe told my story honestly and authentically. Whether I would be admitted to the program or not, I was proud of my work and grateful for Eli’s insight.

Upon being accepted, Eli continues to celebrate with me and offer support as a friend. I am thankful for his generosity with his time and excitement to see me succeed.

A friend at Wharton referred me to Rajdeep. Unlike what I had heard from friends about other consultants, Rajdeep didn’t try to convince me into applying to lower-ranked schools to improve his success rates. I stood my ground in applying to schools that I wanted to go to, and Rajdeep supported me in the process and we applied to HBS, GSB, Wharton, Sloan, Yale SOM and INSEAD.

One thing I like was Rajdeep’s commitment. When I needed some extra support in getting my SOPs reviewed for a scholarship application, Rajdeep was willing to take a look at it and share some high-level feedback (even though it was outside the purview of the contract).

The frameworks shared to think through different sections of the application were useful. Using these frameworks ensured comprehensive coverage of different skills. This approach is going to be useful in the future as I navigate the job-application process in the next couple of months.

Rajdeep gave good inputs on essays. One example that stands out is my Wharton essay, where I had to highlight an impactful experience that is not covered elsewhere in my application. Because Rajdeep knew my profile and background well, and because he understood Wharton as a school, Rajdeep quickly suggest an excellent theme/idea that I could elaborate in my essay – something I wouldn’t have thought through on my own. While I didn’t get into Wharton eventually (summer waitlist), I have to admit that Rajdeep helped me take this essay to the next level.

I will be attending INSEAD and look forward to the experience! Would recommend Rajdeep having been through the process and having seen many of my friends succeed as well.

A friend at Harvard suggested connecting with Rajdeep and I worked with him on 5 M7 schools. I had an educational experience and gained a lot of insight on how to present my story in a way I couldn’t have done myself. Time zone differences meant that it was pretty late in India by the time I was free from work commitments in London. However, Rajdeep was very flexible and ensured that we left no stone unturned in putting up a strong application.

I thought Rajdeep’s resume strategy of thinking from your management’s perspective in order to tease out the high-level impact of one’s professional achievements was genius. It’s something that I’ll deploy for years to come.

I received great support on school-selection as well, especially as I was very optimistic on the number of schools I wanted to target in Round 1, without due regard to time constraints. Rajdeep’s advice was very practical and ensured that I didn’t apply anywhere without due preparation.

On goals’ definition, he encouraged me to take my time, while offering great suggestions based on his thorough understanding of my profile. When it came down to writing the essays, what stood out was his emphasis on structure. This didn’t just enhance readability and impact, but made them fungible among each other: I could easily reprocess the abstract strictures of Essays A & B from School 1 into Essays C & D from School 2 with the specific research or tuning.

The experience with Rajdeep didn’t just get me into a great B-school but will continue to hold me in great stead for the future as I believe that storytelling is a key skill required to excel professionally.

Making a choice for a consultant was a task and I took my time to research the market. I spoke to Admissions Gateway, Adam Marcus, Jennifer Bloom, MBA Exchange, Menlo Park, etc. Admissions Gateway stood out on 3 parameters –

1. Result orientation – AG is the only firm that transparently listed their past results and connected me to past clients.

2. Consultant (Rajdeep) – Though he may come across as too frank, Rajdeep on the first call was astute with his assessment and didn’t shy from pointing out weaknesses in the application. It didn’t seem like a sales pitch which a lot of other consultants had.

3. Costs – The costs were competitive in fact they seem to be low for the results and scholarships people get :).

I would rate my experience working with Rajdeep as great. It took some time to build chemistry but I could see him putting in extra effort to applications and would continue to iterate till he felt essays were good to go. On specific parameters –

1. Resume – This is the strongest point. The resume is really well done and presents a strong leadership story. Rajdeep ensures that the candidate represents himself well in a pool of international students. Personally, it took me a lot of introspection on how to position my work in different organizations and Rajdeep helped in framing a coherent story.

2. School selection strategy – I would say Rajdeep is fair and factual in his assessment of schools but the onus is on you to ensure you debate if you don’t agree. I ended up applying to H/S/W, which he thought was a risky strategy.

3. Goals definition – Rajdeep was clear on a pragmatic approach here and what would work for different schools based on my profile. His insights are to the point and seem to work well. I must add, specifically for Wharton, he had a great approach to essays and the success reflected in the number of interview calls his clients got.

4. Essays – Rajdeep’s approach is structured and clear on how to break the question and think of your own experiences. For Wharton it was more of a structured approach for Harvard, he helped in creating a good flow, ensured I balance my language to suit the school and encouraged me to write a personal / people stories over professional ones.

Some other points –

1. Turnaround time – This was good. Typically 24-48 hrs.

2. Informal engagement – Rajdeep always seemed available on Whatsapp or call and this was helpful to bounce quick ideas off. He once also spoke to me at 2 am which I am sure no other firm would encourage or do.

I feel Rajdeep is genuinely invested in the process and cares about maximizing results. I made it to H ($106k scholarship) and W ($75k scholarship) – joining Harvard.

Having pivoted from banking to consulting early in my career, I found Rajdeep’s advice very helpful to uncover and articulate my goals in a structured manner. His guidance helped me create a resume that presented my experiences in the best light and ensured that I approach the entire application process with a positive attitude. I especially appreciated the honest feedback I always received, as it helped me pick schools that would be the best fit for my goals.

I was traveling quite often during my applications, but never felt disconnected from the process due to Rajdeep’s flexibility on timing. He was easily accessible on calls and texts when needed. Focused on the New York area, I applied to three schools and gained admission to Stern with a full scholarship. Thanks for all the support and guidance!

Colleagues who gained admission to Harvard and Kellogg referred me to Rajdeep. We started out with building my Resume. Rajdeep understood my work experience and helped me present it in the most impactful way by bringing clarity to my role and impact on each project. He further helped me decide the critical points to emphasize.

This was followed by the definition of the goals. Here, Rajdeep helped me tune my thoughts to come up with a logical, consistent and practical story which would provide a solid foundation for a compelling story based on my work experience.

For the essays, we identified my most impactful work experiences and customized each school’s essays to highlight different aspects. For example – Kellogg requires an essay demonstrating brave leadership. While I had a couple of compelling leadership projects to talk about, Rajdeep helped me identify a project where I helped move a business out of the crisis which displayed that I could be brave enough to take super challenging projects. This story was not highlighted in my previous essays and we went on to draft a new essay for this question. My experience shows that Rajdeep goes a long way to put one’s best foot forward for each school.

For my HBS application, Rajdeep went to painstaking lengths to help me tune even my short application questions to answer in a concise and impactful way, supporting me in the minute details of my application to make sure that we left no stone unturned. For my HBS essay, he helped me think about two of my key stories – one from college and the other from Abbott in greater detail, helping me write a holistic story about my life and career. His inputs around making the story more fleshed out and highlighting some finer details of my experience added depth to my essay. I got into HBS with $100K+ and Kellogg with $120K!

Another consultant referred me to Rajdeep, which I thought was rare. I had a busy work and travel schedule so I started working on my applications only in Round 2 and that too in December! I would have liked to have applied to more schools but given the time I targeted 4.

Rajdeep’s honest feedback and guidance through the process was invaluable. He was available at short notice and helped me manage my hectic schedule and craft good applications. Even though we had less time, he pushed me to think clearly and research all aspects to make a compelling application. It was comforting to have him available and he was willing to go over multiple iterations till we both were satisfied with the outcome.

Rajdeep understands the values and the lens through which the school is evaluating your application. Even in this short period, I gained admission to Wharton (matriculated), Booth – $40K scholarship and LBS – £30K scholarship. He has a great ability to help you structure your applications and execute them under time pressure.

I was initially wary of working with consultants. I knew what I wanted which was not just essay editing help or someone who could fit me into types of schools but wanted someone who could help me make strategic decisions covering my professional history, building my profile and then targeting the schools.

When I spoke to people about Rajdeep, they gave me excellent feedback about his very structured approach, individual attention and some credentials in helping students to top US B-schools.

One of the biggest positives of working with Rajdeep was that he helped me address certain key challenges in my profile. For instance, I had a 710 GMAT score which is on the lower side to target the top schools I had on my list.

He suggested a good strategy of breaking my list into safe, reach and stretch schools for Round 1 and I got into Ross and then in R2 I targeted higher schools like Kellogg, Tuck and Booth, and this prep really helped me set the bar high and prepare for R2.

What also helped was the interview prep. Since Rajdeep was working with me on a daily basis he was well aware of my profile. However, after prep, he also made me do a mock with someone who wasn’t familiar with my profile and that prepared me for what I would be facing during the actual interview.

I applied to 5 schools and got into 3, one with $50K scholarship. I am finally attending Kellogg which has been my dream school from Day 1 and looking back I know this would not have been possible without Rajdeep’s help!!

Rajdeep is more of a coach than a consultant. He is a clear thinker with deep insights into the admissions process across schools. Spending time with him – discussing my profile, the overall approach to admissions and career goals – I came out with a more comprehensive understanding of my path ahead.

He was extremely thoughtful through the process. Starting from helping me build my CV – I have an unconventional background which needed to be represented appropriately for maximum impact – he spent considerable time understanding my vertical and iterated multiple times ensuring the best output, to building a consistent overall narrative across each of the many INSEAD essays and finally taking mock interviews and helping me write my scholarship apps even while he was traveling with his family. His dedication is unmatched in the space and I’m glad that I had him as my guide through the admissions process.

I am based in the US and a friend in Singapore referred me to Admissions Gateway. I received positive reviews from other friends so I joined Admissions Gateway and worked with Rajdeep Chimni.

Chimni’s guidance was instrumental in helping me leverage my work and extracurricular accomplishments to create a strong cohesive application profile and story. The process not only helped me in my applications, but the principles/rules I was taught when thinking about material for my essays and going through revisions is something I believe helped me gain important life skills which have been beneficial in my professional life and will help me through my MBA experience.

Coming from an Engineering background, I was not experienced in building a Product Management oriented resume. I received guidance re-thinking my accomplishments not just from an engineering perspective, but from a business leadership perspective and highlighting the impact my work has had on the company. This significantly boosted the level of my resume. There was detailed guidance structuring each point and ordering them to present career progression and cohesive story.

Chimni’s strategy of staggering applications between round 1 and round 2 was extremely helpful. He is frank and clear on suggestions about which schools to target in round 1 based on the strength of the application profile. This helped me secure an offer from the best target school in round 1, and then aim for some dream schools in round 2.

It was a learning experience for me to realize the amount of thought that goes into structuring an essay. Chimni was persistent about ensuring that every sentence was structured in the most impactful way and the content was of high quality. What I liked best was that he did not take shortcuts, and there were essays where I went through 4-5 iterations before he was satisfied with the content. One of the things that helped the most was learning to identify sentences full of buzzwords but no concrete content and replace them with sentences which showed material impact or knowledge. I really learned to not settle for second best and make sure that every sentence in my essay was of a standard I was satisfied with.

My results: Kellogg – Admitted, Offer Accepted 2. Tuck – Admitted 3. Ross – Admitted with 50% scholarship 4. Yale – Admitted.

I was on the NYU-Stern Waitlist and looking for advice for updates, my conversation with Rajdeep was helpful. I appreciated the gesture as I was not a client yet and because Rajdeep didn’t charge even though others in the market charge for waitlist counseling. So, I felt, his focus was not on making a quick buck when the applicant is somewhat vulnerable, but instead to guide first. After navigating the application cycle that year without success, I decided to work with Rajdeep as he had a great track record of helping candidates to M7 schools and especially helping re-applicants.

Three things that stood out:

(i) Overall modus operandi: Structure and frameworks behind each component of the application; nothing felt half-baked / under-researched nor without a well-reasoned rationale. Everything was discussed and reasoned out (nothing arbitrarily “imposed”) which was essential to my working style.

(ii) Interactions: Very positive and patient discussions with Rajdeep across diverse aspects and topics; from resume and essay refinements to application form Qs etc.

(iii) Product Delivery – Time and Quality: The process timelines were well-planned out that helped smoothen workflow and ease nerves especially in schools with near/same deadline dates. The final product (essays) was always AdCom-ready and allowed me to submit with confidence each time, knowing that I had truly put my best foot forward.

I have a non-traditional background and my colleagues advised contacting Rajdeep due to his experience with having seen a large set of successful applicants and his measurable, impact-oriented approach to communicating one’s profile.

The process with Rajdeep was very personalized. A genuine effort was made to understand the unique elements of my profile and I never felt the pressure of having to work in a set number of hours. The process of making a one page CV included many brainstorming calls as well as revision calls. Rajdeep’s approach to making a good, impact-oriented CV is highly recommended as it really brings out the qualities you would like to convey confidently and without bluster.

Rajdeep was very knowledgeable about what was needed by each individual school and was flexible in the way he gave inputs. Sometimes, he would help structure an essay before I embarked on writing it. At other times, he would function as a sounding board for ideas and examples (should I use this example or another? What are the pros and cons?).

He was available on Whatsapp and made an effort to always find time and answer pressing questions. At one point, we had 4-5 touch points in 10 hours so that I could finish an essay on time. Though I would not recommend anyone to be in this position, I am grateful that Rajdeep’s supported me at such a critical juncture.

It was clear that he was not counting hours but was more concerned with the quality of the output – in some cases the commitment to quality bordered on healthy obsession – which is helpful for candidates going through this laborious and grueling process while balancing professional commitments.

I got into Booth ($30K) and Kellogg and had great results even though I started late in R2.

Rajdeep’s track record and my friends’ recommendations made him an easy choice. I started in round 2 and hence had to be quick and efficient to apply to the 5 top schools I was targeting. What stood out was the sheer honesty of feedback and the clarity of thought that led to excellent execution.

Rajdeep’s assessment, though not easily digestible by everyone ;), is super accurate, unbiased and reflect the reality accurately on all aspects such as school selection, goal discussion, etc.

Rajdeep functions like a great product manager- takes in all the information and arrives at the core of what has to be done very fast, and gets it executed faster! He knows this drill better than anyone I have met. His work on the resume alone is a game changer. And on other aspects such as goal definition and essay stories, Rajdeep has a deep understanding of how work profiles and motivations flow into goals, what works and what does not and is very specific.

The best part about the process was that Rajdeep really pushes for the best possible outcome in the essays, even if it means above an average number of iterations for him. He knows the schools really well and his feedback is 10x more meaningful and impactful than the ones I received from alumni/students of the schools themselves.

I got interviews at HBS, Wharton, Kellogg, and MIT. Overall, a great experience and could not have hoped for a better result than HBS!!

A close friend at Harvard gave me rave reviews about Rajdeep so I reached out to him. During our first call, I really liked his clarity, experience on the process and insights on my candidacy. I found him very honest and someone who will not mince words during feedback sessions. I spoke to 2 other well-known names and the difference was stark, making the decision a no-brainer.

I honestly could not have got a better consultant and more importantly a ‘dear friend’ than Rajdeep during the arduous journey of applying to 5-6 business schools. The best part about working with Rajdeep is that he is really passionate about your candidacy and dedicated to bringing the best out of you (For example, he helped me extensively with my Darden interview and GSB application as a friend without charging anything additional as he wanted me to get through these schools).

Having seen friends struggle with other MBA consultants, he stands out because of his extremely clear, well thought through and sharp insights during the process – I remember how his honest and sharp feedback during back to back 3-4 sessions helped me sharpen my goal definition in just 7 days. His approach to essay writing was very helpful in helping me identify the most important and relevant life stories (the most difficult and understated part of the process) and weaving them into a coherent narrative. I can say with definite certainty that he is one of the best consultants any applicant can have!

I worked with two of the consultants regarded widely. With Rajdeep I applied to Harvard (interviewed), Wharton and Kellogg and with the other US based consultant I applied to Stanford. Rajdeep’s personal touch and deep insight was so much better than the other consultants email based and ‘editing’ approach that I finally used the material worked on with Rajdeep for Stanford too.

In fact my whole experience with Admissions Gateway was great and different from the usual. RC didn’t seem keen on just getting another client and grilled me on my commitment to the grueling application process. He questioned my choices of schools and discussed them in detail, which was helpful for me to think beyond brand/ranking and make informed decision based on my interests and profile. This was different from other firms who were not very informative/open in their first free-consulting session. Admissions Gateway also (surprisingly) offered one of the cheaper and more comprehensive options of the top few firms.

RC helped me completely transform my resume even though I thought that I had a pretty decent version. I was stuck in a mindset and kept making minor adjustments as we discussed the various approaches to creating a resume but RC kept his cool and asked me to go back and make corrections. While this process probably took long, it was so worthwhile that my resume then supported my essays and helped me frame suggestions for my recommenders. This art of resume making that I learnt from RC is itself something that I am going to treasure throughout my professional career.

I think the biggest issue anyone faces as they are writing their essays on goals and “why MBA”, is in aligning one’s previous work experience and career choices to what one wants to do post-MBA. While it is fine to have eccentric dreams and ideas for this prompt or even not be sure about one’s post-MBA goals, RC made me realize that one needs to keep it simple and believable. While he doesn’t like to spoon-feed, he remained calm as I went back and forth with him as I charted out my goals.

RC helped me create a proper framework to streamline my approach towards my essays. While I felt like I had no real story to share, I was able to come up with several anecdotes and events in my life that I didn’t know or think affected me in the ways they did. Writing essays with RC was just a process of introspection and retrospection. Honestly, even if I hadn’t made it through, I’d have cherished having discovered myself so much more at the end of the process.

The best thing about working with RC is that he just stays calm and so approachable that I was able to re-iterate on my story several times before writing it. RC’s editing of my essays made them so precise and coherent to the essay prompts that we were able to talk about everything and yet honor the strict word limits that the schools impose, while not losing the essence of the story.

Overall, I think RC is easily the best consultant out there.

Eli assisted me to apply to a few schools and was extremely helpful throughout. He was extremely responsive and helped formulate a strategy for the whole application process. After being waitlisted in my top choice, he came up with a plan to help me stay relevant to the admissions committee from October to May. This eventually lead to me being pulled off the waitlist and enrolled.

I can share many things about my process with David and Ivy but the bottom line is that I applied to a single top-5 school and was admitted. I was impressed by Ivy’s process all along but will mention two exceptionally outstanding things that helped me the most: the first was the management of the process, the drive of David and his team to get me in. They supported me and were extremely proactive throughout the process. This process is not easy and is extremely demanding, and David was able to push me every part of the way. The second is the people. Everyone I worked with at Ivy cared about me and wanted my success. I felt I was in great hands and I cannot emphasize enough how this can be critical to succeed in the process. Ivy is the reason I made it to my dream school. Don’t hesitate.