MBA Prep School | MBA Admissions Consultants

I worked with Faisal for my applications to b-schools last year after I was referred to him by a friend of mine. I was in the process of finalizing a consultant and was meeting with admissions consulting firms left, right, and center.

The first thing that worked with Faisal was his brutal honesty about my chances. I was a male IT engineer from a non-IIT background applying with a GRE score of 325 (To most, these parameters are as close to a death knell as they can get) and Faisal was extremely candid about the fact. What I absolutely loved about him was that he did not shoot me down exclusively based on my score (like a majority of consultants did) or painted a very rosy picture of my applications (like a lot of others did). Faisal devised a plan for us to develop the application and focus on retaking the GRE in parallel.

Faisal works in an extremely comprehensive manner to craft the applications. Before getting started we worked on an extensive document to flush out all of my important life stories. The questions in the document brought out stories that I almost forgot existed. We then honed in on developing a compelling narrative across applications and together we drafted compelling essays (essays that I’m proud of).

I ended up with a T20 admit with a ~$45k scholarship. I can’t recommend Faisal enough. Post admit, Faisal has continued to mentor me and advise me on a host of things. I barely noticed when he stopped being the consultant and become a treasured mentor who had my best interests in mind.

I reached out to Court two weeks before the first application deadline, so it meant we had a really tight schedule. Despite the quick turnaround, he did not compromise on the quality of the app and helped me build the best application possible. He was very responsive and flexible throughout the whole time we worked together. I had a lot of material scattered everywhere and Court helped me focus the content. He is a great person to work with and supportive throughout the process and even after everything was submitted. He would regularly check in to offer support. I ended up being accepted to both schools I applied to (HBS and Wharton)! I highly recommend Court as he is not only a great MBA coach but also a person that genuinely cares for the success of his clients.

At 34 years old and working in senior management of a strategy consulting firm, I was a nontraditional candidate for MBA applications. The age factor irks several b-schools, although they don’t say it out loud. My last year’s applications were unsuccessful. I needed guidance on how to structure my story snippets and combine them into a cohesive whole. That’s where Faisal was a great support to lean on, his guidance was critical in telling my story in the most impactful manner. He went the extra mile to understand my background, and the events behind my personal growth, so that his recommendations were in-depth, and we could iterate our essays better.

I must also mention that Faisal was very empathetic throughout our engagement. He understood that I had a high-pressure job with long working hours, and was happy to move things around to fit my schedule. He reviews essays as fast as possible and goes above and beyond to ensure you meet the deadline with the best possible submission. A case in point, was when I had to push back a couple of submissions from our initial planned dates because I was down with covid. The essays I produced were very close to the deadline, but Faisal took out his personal time to ensure the essays were in good shape, helping me meet the submission deadlines.

He is a great coach and mentor, and I owe him my success. I would recommend him – especially if you are an underdog like me, he’ll bring out the best in you!

I worked with Court on four MBA applications in 2 months. I was accepted to Northwestern Kellogg. At the beginning of the process, I had no idea what I was doing and felt overwhelmed by the complexity of the process. Court made the journey not simple, but clear, and possible.
I would stress several key strengths of Court’s coaching style:
1) He believes in you, and that is something that will be very important because sometimes even you will doubt your own chances.
2) He has an instinct in sensing whether your storytelling is impactful or not, and will help you find key details that clarify your uniqueness, and will teach you how to best express them in both essays and interviews. Court will curate your application as a piece of art.
3) He has great communication, is transparent – yet respectful – in saying what he thinks, and won’t add any layer of complexity to a process that is already challenging in itself.

The teachings I received from Court are precious, and will remain part of me for my entire career.

I worked with Faisal as a reapplicant during the 2021 application cycle, and it was the best decision I made in the entire pre-MBA process. In brief, Faisal is a true professional who delivered on what he promised and exceeded my expectations at every step.

What impressed me right from the start is how quickly Faisal peeled back the onion layers to really understand me – my motivations, my experiences and ambitions. After our second conversation and a thoughtful questionnaire, I felt that Faisal already knew me, at least in certain respects, on a deep level that’s typically reserved for close friends and family. We literally covered some topics that I had never spoken about before, let alone thought would be relevant to an MBA application. And that is the secret sauce. A week into working with Faisal, we had already established the core material that I would use to write a deeply personal application and stand out in a sea of other traditional applicants.

Because I was reapplying, we also spent time at the outset determining what areas I would need to strengthen and how I would strategically show growth and reflection in the short turnaround time from my application the year prior. This was extremely valuable, and Faisal quickly homed in on a number of areas for improvement. He pushed me to add credibility to my career switching ambitions, ensuring I had a cohesive thought line from my early experiences to my post-MBA plans while demonstrating that Booth was the perfect school to help me reach my goals. Through the many rounds of essay drafting and editing, Faisal was truly masterful at pushing me to sharpen my responses and draw from the well of core material that we established early on. Faisal helped me turn a good application (waitlisted the prior year) into an undeniable application, accepted round one.

Before I started working with Faisal, he made it clear what I could expect from him. He said that I would need to commit to the process of introspection, be open to feedback and invest the time needed to craft impactful essays. In return, he promised that when I hit the submit button on my application, I would be turning in a product that was the absolute best representation of myself. This is exactly what I experienced, and it’s the reason that I would strongly recommend Faisal to a friend or anyone else who would benefit from working with a consultant.

Being a naturally introverted woman, and a working mom of two teens in Dubai, I was very doubtful that my dream of being admitted to a reputable business school in the US could ever be realized. I felt vulnerable and so unlike a typical MBA candidate. That was before I met Court. I had met with a couple of other MBA coaches before him and never felt the same connection. It was his kindness that struck me immediately. He is brilliant, ethical, methodical, and trustworthy. He had a genuine interest in helping me be all I could be and it shone through in every interaction. His approach was tailored to me, he never tried to cast me in a particular mold. His way of building up my candidacy centered on my life, aspirations, and achievements, all the while reassuring me of my strengths, immediately allayed a lot of my fears and made me more confident about my prospects. He broke down the daunting application process into much smaller and manageable milestones and planned for each and every one of them with me, which made the process as easy as possible. He was my guiding light and a watchful eye. Despite the nine hours time difference between us, he was always available and always prompt in his feedback, even making the time difference work to our advantage. I will always remember how he would refer to the deadlines as “our next deadline…” as a real partner in the process.
I naturally enjoy writing but it was his critique that made it a lot more fun for me. He helped in refining the content until it was crisp and impactful and a real reflection of my journey. It was amazing to see him work. In interview preparation, he was like a mirror of truth, giving me meticulous feedback covering a range of aspects, helping me feel much better prepared and confident.
I have learned a lot from Court, even beyond the application process. I am glad to have gotten to know him as a friend and a wonderful human being.

“Venkat, you are a unicorn, and many top business schools would love to have you as their student.”

Court believed in my credentials more than I did and said the above sentence numerous times during my application journey. He spent almost an hour during our first conversation understanding my background, profile, and life story. He had a similar journey to mine-transitioning from journalism to the business world through an MBA. That was an added advantage, and I decided immediately to seek his guidance. His valuable suggestions helped me shape my application efficiently and taught me various things related to my post-MBA career. I am highly confident that his bits of advice during the conversations and video calls will be helpful even after a decade from now.

Court’s patience, dedication towards his work, simplicity, and empathy make him different from other best MBA coaches in the market. UCLA Anderson was my top choice since day one. He felt happier than me when I got the UCLA Anderson School of Management offer. This speaks volumes about the connection he establishes with the aspiring students.

If I had to summarize everything into four words, I would say, “Court is the best.”

I remember starting off my application journey doubting my candidacy and being daunted by the process ahead. My dream schools felt completely out of reach. And then, I met Court. I’d spoken with other consultants before and hadn’t felt a strong connection, but immediately felt Court saw me for who I was. He was invested in me from our very first meeting, and his enthusiasm and passion turned what could have been an agonizing process into a very rewarding one.
Court broke down the application process into manageable pieces, from resume editing, story building, and essay writing, all the way to interview preparation (and every step in between). He patiently worked with me to refine, polish, and, when necessary, go back to the drawing board with my materials. The result was confidence at every juncture that I was putting my truest self forward in my written applications and interviews. I received a call from my HBS interviewer post-acceptance in which he told me I had one of the best interviews he’d seen – and that is thanks to the prep I did with Court!
Court has a rare talent for seeing the best in people and inspiring them to express that outwardly. My applications were immeasurably more authentic thanks to his encouragement to dig deeper, be detailed, and be open to vulnerability. And it is precisely that authenticity I credit with receiving acceptances to HBS and Wharton. I never felt like I was working in a purely transactional business relationship because I was working with a mentor and friend who genuinely cared about my success and wellbeing. He believed in me even when I doubted myself – I almost chose not to apply this past round because I was so worried about taking the GMAT! With his support, I persevered and will be attending Harvard Business School in the fall.
Court’s impact continues beyond the time I spent applying and interviewing. The written and verbal communication skills he taught me will be invaluable at business school and beyond. On a personal note, he serves as one of the greatest examples of a true coach, embodying empathy, perceptiveness, and authenticity in spades. I’m very fortunate to have worked with him and would do so again in a heartbeat.

Before meeting Court, I was inclined to work with another consultant that was well-known in my country but with whom I didn’t feel a connection. However, after meeting Court, it became evident that he was exactly the kind of coach that I needed. I realized that he was genuinely interested in getting to know me and my motivations. In order to pursue 6 applications, I needed someone who would not just support me, but guide me and challenge me through the process. Court is that person.

From the very beginning, our interactions were very fruitful. Far before writing essays, Court helped me explore my short and long-term goals. He also helped me see the contributions that I could make to each MBA program, and discover some of my stories that would later prove to be invaluable when writing my essays. He was always very supportive, even during the tough period of studying for the GMAT. Court was always able to jump on a call when my morale was low.

During the essay writing process, Court was key to achieving an impeccable standard in all my essays. He provided detailed feedback on each essay, helping me to write stories with coherent messages, always sharp and straight to the point. What mattered most to me is that Court always respected the essence of my story, something that I appreciated deeply. Court remained available for calls when I needed feedback or was uninspired.

When I was called for interviews, Court gave me excellent tips to prepare myself, and provided me with very actionable feedback after our mock interview. I ended up being accepted into four programs, two of which were my top choices.

I believe that working with Court made an incredible difference in my overall process. He was very supportive from the beginning and encouraged me to deliver the best applications possible. If I had to do this process again, I would choose Court in the blink of an eye.

I reached out to Court in the summer before I applied to MBA programs. Early in our first meeting, I knew he was the perfect person to help guide me through the process. He really made an effort to get to know me not only as an MBA candidate, but as a person, and he consistently went above and beyond in helping me with each facet of my applications. His in-depth knowledge of the MBA application process, his level of thoroughness in the several rounds of constructive feedback that he gave me (while still remaining incredibly kind), and his background in storytelling were all immensely helpful as I wrote my applications.

After the applications were submitted, Court continued to go the extra mile during the interview process. He gave me tips on details that I would have overlooked without him, but after hearing them, I felt that my interview skills drastically improved. The mock interview that he conducted gave me the confidence and ability to put my best foot forward during my actual interviews. The coaching he provided for the interviews was invaluable to my success.

As a person, Court was always incredibly kind, and even though my application process is over I’m glad to say I’ll always consider him a close friend. Before I met him, I felt that Stanford GSB was a bit of a long shot for me, but he instilled confidence in me that I had a chance, and ultimately his guidance was instrumental to my acceptance. He not only knows the vital ins-and-out of the MBA admissions process, but further stands out because of the distinctive qualities of his professional storytelling background and his kindness through the process. He is not only a top-tier MBA coach, but also an amazing person.

The experience of working with him was invaluable, and I consider working with him to be one of the best investments in myself that I’ve ever made. Thanks to him, I’m going to attend the school of my dreams. I would unequivocally recommend Court to anyone who is lucky enough to have the opportunity to work with him.

As a consultant from an overrepresented background with below-average GRE and GMAT scores, I knew I needed to make significant changes to succeed as a reapplicant. I spoke with several consultants worried that I was aiming too high, and some even declined to work with me. I was looking for a consultant who has experience as an MBA admissions officer, could assist me in tweaking my story, assist with project management, and help me stand out from my peers. After speaking with Faisal, I was confident that he would assist me in addressing my areas of concern while also acting as a partner throughout this stressful time.

The most valuable time we spent together was diving deep into my journey. We spent ample time talking through where I was from, why I made certain decisions, and what led me to apply to business in the first place. By talking through my motivations, I formulated my story and established my brand. This investment paid dividends when we eventually worked through the school selection process and subsequent essay writing. Faisal was very open to me leading this dialogue, but he struck a unique balance while explaining to me why certain schools would be realistic or not. He did not discourage me from applying to my “dream” school, but he also opened my eyes to schools I was not considering yet had a clear path to my end goals.

Once we began essay writing, Faisal consistently responded within 72 hours (in most cases well before) and offered advice and improvements that did not alter my voice in any way. We went through several drafts for each of my schools (5-7), and I felt he put the same amount of time into each. Thanks to his responsive and superb project management of application forms, establishing recommendation timelines, and more, I submitted three competitive Round 1 applications. The result was two acceptances and a waitlist after going 0/5 the previous cycle.
Faisal is the ideal consultant to work with as he commits to his clients (only 4-5) and assists in every process. I was personally referred to him and could not have been a successful reapplicant without him.

Finding an admissions consultant can be challenging, especially in Latin America. By the time I met Court, I had already spoken with several coaches and was inclining towards those with the highest “reputation”. Court is the last consultant I met. It was a surprise to see how attentive he was, and how eager he seemed to support me in my application journey. For the first time, I felt like the person on the other side of the screen could connect with who I was and what I aspired to do.

At that point, deciding to work with Court felt like a natural next step. From the beginning, Court supported me with discipline and order. We met regularly to deepen into my stories and my goals. Court has an impressive capacity to see you for who you are, but at the same time propose ways to improve the way that you tell your stories and present yourself. I especially appreciated Court’s constant feedbacks, always spot-on and valuable. 

During the essays editing process, Court is the best partner you can imagine. He will never delve into commenting specifics if he’s not comfortable with the overall arch – which to me proved invaluable. Court understands the importance of building coherent, specific and powerful essays, and will go through every step necessary until the materials are outstanding. For the interviews, Court assigns the same level of dedication – delving fully into the role and giving specific and actionable feedback.

Through the journey, Court showed me how unique my stories are, and always made me feel like I deserved to be in these programs. Having this reassurance, as well as some friendly push to think outside the box about my goals, were also key factors for my successful applications. I can’t imagine having gone through this process with anyone else, and would recommend anyone to meet Court to see for themselves the amazing professional and person that he is.

Coming into the 2021 application cycle, I realized my profile, while having some solid attributes, also had a couple of “weaker” points. Therefore, I wanted to work with a consultant who would help me tell the best story in my applications. Faisal was recommended to me by a friend of mine who had been successful previously in his b-school applications. I talked to him along with four other consultants/agencies and felt more at peace with Faisal. While others focused on raw stats, Faisal was more interested in my story.
After narrowing down the list of schools, he pushed me to reflect and come up with my “brand” narrative. His input on which points were more impactful than others was incredibly helpful. I am not a strong writer and knew that I needed the most help with the essays. Faisal really delivered the bang for the buck here with his impressive storytelling technique while keeping “my voice”. He was always super responsive and got back to me within 2-3 days. It always felt like he was your application “partner” and he was as excited about the application as you were. I also did a couple of mock interviews with him and received some actionable feedback. I was really excited to have received admits from LBS, Fuqua, and McCombs – all thanks to Faisal’s incredible storytelling inputs, mentorship, and guidance, and a little bit of luck!

I used Christine for a six-school package (all M7) and had a great experience! She was very organized and did a great job of keeping me on pace to finish well ahead of deadlines, despite my schedule rapidly changing. Overall, Christine provided thoughtful input into my essays and teasing out a more meaningful story. Her feedback was very pointed and was helpful in creating the next steps. As you’d expect, Christine was highly knowledgeable on the admissions process and how to differentiate for each school. I ended up getting interviews with 3/6 schools and was accepted into 2. Thanks, Christine!

From the first consultation until I was admitted, Christine was extremely helpful and easy to work with! It was immediately obvious that she cares about her clients. She was instrumental in helping me understand and build my most effective and authentic story. Any time I had a question throughout the process she was always available to chat and provide feedback. Her previous experience working in admissions helped me gain a better understanding of the entire picture of my application. In the end, I was admitted to my top two schools. I would highly recommend Christine to anyone who is considering an MBA consultant.

Christine was a pleasure to work with! I was initially skeptical of MBA consultants as the previous consultants I spoke with before Christine was mostly focused on their sales pitch and pointing out my weaknesses. My initial consultation with Christine was like a breath of fresh air. She provided a detailed assessment of my profile from the MBA Prep School quiz and constructive advice on what I should focus my essays on. She took the time to understand me and my story, helping me craft an application that was authentic to me. In addition to essay help, Christine provided me emotional support throughout the application process whenever I doubted myself and gave me the confidence to forge on despite my initial rejections from my R1 schools. I can tell that Christine truly cares about her clients and would recommend her without hesitation to anyone looking for an MBA consultant!

Christine was outstanding to work with through my MBA application process. She was instrumental in setting out a strategic plan to navigate past my embarrassingly low undergrad GPA and highlighting my strengths in the applications. Her vast knowledge of elite European schools and previous experience in admissions were invaluable, as she was always readily available to deal with any question or issue at moment’s notice. Ultimately, I was accepted into my #1 choice. I highly recommend Christine and MBA Prep. The investment was worth every penny.

I wanted to be extra thorough in my search for an MBA consultant, so when MBA Prep School first matched me with Court, I requested a few references with whom I could speak. Within a day, Court provided me with the contact information of three previous clients who all agreed. I really appreciated that Court provided me with these references so that I could feel extra confident in my choice. Upon learning about each client’s exceptional experiences with Court, I knew that I was making the right decision.

Hiring Court to guide me through the MBA admissions processes, in the middle of a global pandemic, was one of my best investments. His warmth and positive attitude made me feel welcome, confident, and less intimidated by the MBA application process. He emphasized that the process, while daunting, should ultimately be a fun and rewarding journey that in turn enables personal growth.

While the process is an intense commitment (both time-wise and emotionally), I felt like Court was by my side the entire time. He is a gifted storyteller who was instrumental in helping me craft my story in an honest and concise fashion; he had a way of offering advice without it feeling like I had to implement his suggestion. In fact, he knew that the first essay I drafted should be thrown out, as it felt inauthentic (which I also knew, in my heart of hearts). Thanks to his keen insights, thoughtful guidance, and sharp focus, I was able to complete five unique MBA applications in the course of 2.5 months.

I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to meet and work with Court, and I truly believe that I wouldn’t have been able to be my true, authentic self throughout this process if it wasn’t for him. I consider my time spent with Court as a period of personal growth that ultimately will be aid in my success at Business School. Thank you, Court!

I cannot say enough positive about Court. I spoke with a number of MBA admissions coaches, but the second I spoke with Court I knew he was the right fit. His philosophy is all about authenticity and ensuring what YOU, as the candidate, are deeply passionate about comes across in your application. That means going beyond a laundry list of accomplishments & awards, or writing about how you’re the greatest leader since Napoleon. Court helps you dig deep – get beyond the facade of your profile and communicate what drives your passions.

I can honestly say that I don’t think I would have been as successful of an MBA candidate without Court. He took the time and effort to connect with me on a fundamental level and leverage that understanding to guide a successful application. It’s clear that he not only cares deeply about what he does but also deeply about you as an individual.

The MBA admissions process can be daunting. It’s easy to feel self-conscious or inadequate when putting together your essays, especially when so much reflection is involved. Court helped me see myself through someone else’s eyes, and feel genuinely proud about my past experience.

I do not hesitate to recommend Court unequivocally to anyone looking for an MBA Admissions coach.

Christina went above and beyond and was an incredible mentor during the MBA process. She’s creative, funny, extremely knowledgeable, and puts her heart into everything she does. Christina helped me define my long-term goals and pushed me to create colorful and compelling essays. We had several productive brainstorming sessions which were invaluable in formulating unique and authentic MBA applications. Balancing work and MBA applications is challenging but Christina and I created a realistic timeline to keep me on track and organized. In addition, Christina’s mock interviews and guidance were instrumental in my MBA interview success.

I could not have asked for a better editor, resource, and friend in the MBA process. I received admission to my first choice school (NYU Stern) as well as FIT’s Global Management Program and could not be more excited!!

TL;DR: Kevin is an amazing consultant that was crucial in helping me get accepted to Chicago Booth, my dream school, with $70K in scholarships. Kevin is kind and friendly, yet serious and down to business. He will push you and really want to get to know you and understand practically your whole life and psyche to help you write an honest and compelling story. Every piece of advice he gave throughout the application was well-thought-of and critical. He helped me overcome my anxieties and write a strong story, that just by reading at a resume or the numbers could not have been told. His talent to unfold stories and his support in helping you write amazing essays are simply astonishing. It was a pleasure to work with Kevin and could not recommend him enough: he will get you to a much higher place than where you think you can land.

Dream high, aim high has always been my biggest trait. However, along with that, I’ve struggled with anxiety and self-confidence. I did not let that deter my dreams of getting into a top school, and fortunately, I found Kevin. I had a sub-par GPA (if not to say terrible). I’d jump around a few positions in my career, and some were simply horizontal changes to different industries. No volunteer experience. No athletic achievements, no significant college extracurriculars. I had been recently laid off due to COVID. It was heavy lifting – for Kevin, of course. Not necessarily to help me create a compelling story, but to overcome all the obvious “why-nots” I kept obsessing about. Nonetheless, I was determined and relentless, and fortunately, I had Kevin by my side.

I found Kevin after searching and speaking to a few consultants. Some were straight-up arrogant and quickly dismissed my profile. Kevin, however, was interested in my story, my true purpose. Find out the “why’s” about the negatives of my profiles. Curiously dig into my past and what really made me tick, what my true passions were. He was genuinely interested, and if he sees something in you, he will work with you. He saw I was hungry, determined, had a knack for finance, and really wanted this. He connected the dots, saw the positive attributes in my profile, and was quick to understand and help me put together the flaws.

I first hired him for two hours of GMAT tutoring, helping me get from a 710 to a 770. How? I had been scoring 740-770 in practice tests, but 710 and lower in real practice tests. Amazing tutor and consultant, he quickly identified what I was doing wrong, helped me change my approach to the test, and designed a study plan to reinforce this approach. Keep in mind, a 770 barely compensated for my terrible GPA; the MBA application work was just getting started.

We had multiple phone calls, hours long, where Kevin asked and asked and asked about me, my past, where I wanted to be, my hobbies, my passions, my family, EVERYTHING. He did not want to help me write whatever sounded right to the admissions committee. He wanted me to write about what was truly myself. Honest. From the heart. And those are the stories the admissions committee really wants to hear. After helping me craft my story, we went through multiple essay drafts. He will dissect the essays, from word selection and grammar to high-level concepts and the way you structure the essay. He was phenomenal. Yes, sometimes it felt like a pain. He won’t allow you to settle for mediocrity (and if you are, an MBA Is not for you). But that’s how the best are crafted – they revisit and revisit until their act is perfect.

In the end, after scrutinizing and making me revisit every single part of the application, and thoroughly preparing me for the interviews, came the moment of truth, when I finally heard of my acceptance to Chicago Booth. Kevin’s support was crucial. And best of all, besides probably getting you to where you want to go, in hindsight, he makes this process fun. There were dreadful moments, but looking back, working with Kevin with the challenge and the push to delve deeper and put the best version of yourself forward was not only fun after all, but extremely rewarding.

I definitely recommend hiring Kevin as your MBA consultant (and GMAT tutor). They say invest in yourself, and this is one of the best investments I’ve made for myself, if not the best. It comes from someone who invested in this right after being laid off. This will probably be one of the best investments of your money and time – ever.

As a non-traditional applicant, Faisal was the difference between a reasonably competitive application and very strong application that received strong scholarships to my target school and competitors (a few full rides as well). He was extremely encouraging, and made sure to stay in touch to keep the application process moving forward.

More importantly, as a non-traditional applicant, Faisal helped me dig into my motivations for pursuing an MBA and helped me draw out strong experiences in my past that made my narrative come to life. These were reflected in my essays and interviews, which really separated me from other applicants. His guidance helped me address tremendous weaknesses in my application due to this background by turning them into strengths. He prepared me well for all aspects of the application process, had a positive attitude, and was a pleasure to work with at all times.

I do not regret the decision to work with Faisal as I surely would not have been accepted or received strong scholarship offers to my dream school without his assistance. He went above and beyond my expectations and I am forever thankful.

As an international applicant from an overrepresented country/background & an average GPA I knew that getting accepted to a top B-school would not be an easy task. I started my search for a consultant about 3 months before the application deadlines.
Right from my first conversation with Faisal, I was convinced that he was the right choice. He took a genuine interest in my goals and helped me build my application from the ground up. His extensive experience was very valuable in everything from school selection to filling out the application form.
Faisal helped me see the experiences and life-stories that make me unique and helped me articulate a strong & convincing story. At no point did he sway my narrative, instead, he acted like a coach and a mentor – guiding me and asking me introspective questions that made me understand myself better. At the end of the application process and through Faisal’s guidance, I can say with certainty that I am a far better writer than I was one year ago, and I have developed a clear understanding for my future career goals.
Despite the competition being cut-throat this year (2020 – record high number of applicants), I was accepted to one of the top schools on my list. I highly recommend Faisal to anyone looking for a strong MBA coach.

Friend, mentor, confidant, coach—these are all nouns that describe Christina, and the ordering is intentional.

Coming from an overrepresented applicant pool (white/male/finance w/ a non-target undergrad -> banking -> PE resume), I was very nervous about my chances of getting into a top-5 MBA program. After talking with multiple potential consultants and hearing a similar spiel from each, I had no clear sense of my candidacy, and worse, no idea who could actually help me navigate this process. Enter Christina.

During our hour-long intro call, Christina showed genuine interest in my candidacy by asking specific questions about my accomplishments, career decisions, and life experiences that have shaped my world view. She listened to my story, highlighted the obstacles I would need to overcome without holding back (seriously, be careful what you wish for…), and outlined concrete steps that I would need to take to achieve my goals. From the start, she admitted that she is not the gatekeeper to these programs, but instead showed that she is an invaluable guide who understands the ins-and-outs of the MBA process, knows the nuances of specific programs, and mentors clients to maximize their applications. She also demonstrated her dedication to her clients by staying on our call well over our allotted 30 minutes, making sure to fully answer all of my questions and asking her own to understand my level of commitment to the process.

When our working relationship formally kicked off, I was overwhelmed by Christina’s devotion to my candidacy (and I don’t use devotion hyperbolically). A perfectionist at heart, Christina leaves nothing to chance, and in return, she expects the same level of dedication from her clients. During our time together, she pushed me beyond my expectations. Our working calls often lasted 3+ hours, and not because of a lack of efficiency, but instead because Christina continuously challenged me to unearth meaningful anecdotes that showcase my individuality and refine my stories from a lump of coal into a shining diamond. Beyond her storytelling mastery—which I would put toe-to-toe with that of any other consultant—she motivated me to improve my GMAT score, take on additional leadership roles in my community and at work, and develop career goals that were truthful and meaningful to me. She also worked expeditiously to set deadlines for me (a task I sorely needed) and to return feedback promptly—while she always delivered on her promised deadlines, I need two hands to count the number of times I was late with delivering work (sorry, Christina!).

It’s been nine months since WE (Christina will indoctrinate you to the use of collective pronouns…) kicked off our working relationship, and upon reflection, I don’t know what I did to deserve such wonderful support. I was accepted into my top choice—an M7 and top-5 globally ranked program—with a full tuition scholarship (an ROI of over 15x for those financially-inclined). Additionally, I received over $250,000 in scholarship awards across my admitted schools, which I completely credit to Christina’s guidance. Even more meaningful than the scholarships and acceptance letters though, I feel that I’ve gained a lifelong friend. Christina genuinely cares about all of her clients, and she shares in the pain of rejections and the elation of acceptances. She is both the ultimate coach, pushing you when laziness or fatigue creeps in, and hype woman, picking you up whenever the weight of the application process becomes too cumbersome. For those committed to maximizing their candidacy, you will not find a better consultant!

In the last 6 months, I had the pleasure of working with Court for my MBA applications.

I would 100% recommend him to anyone who wants to elevate his/her application to the next level. Before I met Court, I didn’t even know how to start the applications. Court guided me in a very structured way during the process. Thanks to him, I never had the feeling of being overwhelmed or being lost in the process.

What makes Court great is that he has extended knowledge of what the admissions want. He knows exactly what to do to make you can stand out. He has the natural ability to listen to you. He picks things up that maybe doesn’t seem important for you but can be a huge dealbreaker for your application.

Court brings his experiences and knowledge into the process. All of this in a very gentle and humble manner. He will never force or push his opinions on you.

He goes even further than the extra mile. At one moment, I doubted my list of universities. He gave me so many insights about the possibilities in the MBA landscape. He provided me a total picture of business schools, which was for me, living overseas, a huge help.

Court went above and beyond. He was always there to listen (day/night) no matter the time differences. I received feedback very fast during the process. Even after the process, he takes care of you. His follow-ups are very thorough. He gave me a VIP feeling. I never had the feeling of doing the process alone or feeling neglected.

Hiring Court was one of my best investments. I have zero regrets. The only regret is that I did not work him sooner.

Faisal was a true pleasure to work with. I had spoken to a few potential consultants but I ultimately chose Faisal and I could not be happier.

From day one, he took the time to get to know my story, my passions and what was driving my decision to apply to business school. It may sound simple but by having us both align on these ideas, Faisal was able to give me specific feedback that helped elevate all my application material.

Be it essays, career goals or work experience write-ups, Faisal outlined what each specific school I was applying to was looking for. This allowed me to tailor my applications and was a huge driver behind how I was able to stand out amongst a crowded field and receive acceptances at multiple schools.

Faisal also went out of his way to provide thorough responses to any other questions I had about the application process on his own time.

I can’t thank Faisal enough for his help and partnership!

Court was a fantastic coach to work with for my MBA application process. Coming from a non-traditional background for MBAs, I had a lot to learn about the process. Court’s background in journalism really set him up to assist me in preparing my MBA application narrative.

Court’s comments on my essays and resume were consistently constructive, incisive, and supportive. Because I had limited experience in drafting essays, he helped me through the entire process, from brainstorming topics and developing my story to polishing my essays prior to submission. He further worked with me on my mock interviews, providing specific feedback which really improved my performance.

I can’t recommend working with Court more – he’s a great coach and I consistently enjoyed our meetings, which were always productive and focused.

I applied to five schools with Court’s assistance, and received admission to four – Chicago Booth, Yale SOM, Dartmouth Tuck, and Georgetown McDonough. The results speak for themselves, but what they don’t show is how consistently supported I felt through the process, from initial consultation to acceptances. I cannot recommend working with him more.

I recently heard back from my dream school (a top 7 US News program) – an admission to their Full-Time MBA Class of 2023 with a sizeable scholarship!!! To put this result and Faisal’s contribution to it into perspective: I succeeded as a reapplicant, at one of the most selective business schools globally, in an unprecedentedly competitive admissions year and reduced number of seats due to deferrals (thanks to COVID19). It was only due to Faisal’s guidance and support that I was able to overcome these impossible odds.

Coming into my second application cycle, having had decent success the first time around (two T15 admits with partial scholarships), I was looking to work with a consultant who could help elevate my applications to the next level for a shot at M7/T10 schools. I spoke to several consultants, most of whom did not seem confident that I could get into an M7/T10 school with my profile. Some were even hesitant to work with me since I already had two admits with scholarships from the previous year, and they perhaps saw more downsides than upsides in this endeavor for them.

After speaking to Faisal for the first time, I immediately knew that I wanted to work with him. What impressed me about him was that he showed great empathy and understanding when listening to my background, experiences, and goals. On top of that, Faisal’s experience as an admissions team member at Booth reflected his knowledge of what it takes to get into an M7 program.

In terms of school selection, Faisal struck the delicate balance between helping set realistic expectations through his openness and, at the same time, ensuring that I was applying to the schools that I’d really want to attend. In contrast, most consultants will ‘nudge’ you to apply to schools where you have better chances of being admitted so they can keep their records intact. Faisal didn’t discourage me from applying even to Stanford and Wharton, which even I knew were ‘extreme reach’ schools for me. We also decided to apply to three other M7 programs where I was a reapplicant (most other consultants tried to sway me away from reapplying since it’s always a high-risk proposition).

I also liked that Faisal works with a much smaller number of people (usually 4-5), compared to some of the other full-time consultants who take on 12-15 applicants each round. I knew that this would guarantee that I was getting the personalized attention that I wanted for my applications.

Once we started working, I could see why Faisal has enjoyed such an impressive success as an admissions consultant. Instead of immediately plunging into essay writing and building application packages, Faisal guided me for the first few weeks to dig deeper and helped me articulate a personal brand story that was authentic, unique, and powerful. Once I started writing the essays, I’d always get feedback that led to significant improvements to my drafts without taking the authenticity or uniqueness away, a testament to Faisal’s exceptional story-telling skills. We went through at least three (and sometimes even up to five) drafts for each of the essays I wrote for the six schools, and I never even once felt that Faisal wasn’t 100% committed to improving my essays and resume. He even took the time to review my application forms to ensure that all parts of my app were up to the mark.

On top of that, Faisal’s project management skills are top-notch. He always responded within the 72-hour turnaround time (and sometimes even earlier) that he had committed when we started working. Thanks to all this, I was able to submit six competitive applications in Round 1, with an admit + scholarship at my dream school as the result.

Business school admissions can be incredibly challenging. You want to work with a thorough professional with ample experience and past success who is willing to personally commit to and invest in your success, just as a friend would. If you go with Faisal, you will get all this and more!

Faisal has really transformed my business school application into an excellent story I have to tell to the admission team.
Faisal’s thought process around capturing the right information about my personal, professional life and goals, building my MBA application leveraging those stories was extraordinary. With enormous amounts of experience, Faisal helped me ease my nerves and reach my “Admit” goal effortlessly. I was admitted into NYU Stern’s Part-time MBA program which was my goal. Faisal has been very well-organized and built a tailored success plan for my MBA application incredibly helping me to understand how to position myself.  All in all, I would recommend Faisal wholeheartedly to everyone who is beginning the MBA application process.

Working with Court Stroud and MBA Prep was a phenomenal experience. I started working with Court in the extended Round 4 of May 2020 for Fall 2020 admission. It was quite a feat! I signed with MBA Prep on May 4th and made my target deadline of June 1st for all three schools I applied to. Court was up for the challenge, and together, we completed all deliverables in a little under a month. I ended up getting into my first choice B-School (UCLA Anderson) and my backup (USC Marshall).

I spoke with several top consulting firms before deciding to work with Court. They all sounded terrific, and it was a difficult decision. Court, however, was the only consultant I spoke with who seemed to really “get” me. I am a career explorer with a background as a creative in the entertainment industry and entrepreneurship. Court matched up perfectly with me with his career background in media consulting and network television. With the other consultants, I had a sinking feeling they were going to have a hard time understanding my career background, which was necessary to help me add some quantifiable metrics to my non-traditional MBA background.

The other element that sold me was Court’s willingness to advise on potential career pivots. Many other consultants I spoke with expressed that career advice was not part of their package. I knew that would be a sticking point for me because such a critical part of the MBA application is clearly expressing what your short and long term career goals are post-graduation. I think answering those questions for a career explorer or pivoter can be daunting if you don’t have someone on your side who is willing to delve into that research with you or at least help point you in the right direction.

During a follow-up call with the co-founder of MBA Prep, Chris Aitken, Chris advised that although they would love to have me as a client, I should go with my gut in choosing a consultant. That sealed the deal for me. My gut had been screaming, “go with Court!” from the beginning. On our first call, Court was kind, charitable with his time, and genuinely interested in getting to know me as a person. He’s an excellent listener, and after we ended the call, I truly felt like he would personally invest himself in my success.

After we started working together, Court became my cheerleader. He made the formidable task of meeting a 1-month deadline for three school applications manageable. He always responded to my drafts within 48 hours, if not less, during weeks with tight deadlines. He encouraged me to reach out via text or phone any time I felt stuck, needed help or encouragement. Court’s editing and writing abilities are outstanding. He is a contributing writer at Forbes and has been featured in Vice, HuffPost, the Washington Post, amongst many others. I loved that I didn’t ever feel like he was judging my writing. As soon as the process of essay writing started, we got into a great groove of drafts, editing, and re-writes that felt seamless. Also, talking to Court was always just a real joy. I never felt like I was “on the clock”. He was more than generous with his time. I always felt comfortable expressing any fears and concerns in a safe and supportive environment.

In going with my gut, Court stood out as the best choice for me, and I could not be happier with my results. I feel so lucky to have found him and MBA prep. Thank you again, Court and MBA Prep. It was a life-changing decision. I now consider Court a friend and someone I can reach out to anytime for advice on this journey moving forward. As Court would tell me, “Just take the step forward, and the road will meet you.”

I have always wanted to apply to a top European business school and improve my international exposure given that my experience in both studying and working was purely local. When I decided to apply to London Business School’s EMBA program, I knew that I was at a handicap compared to other applicants as I lacked their international experience. This has made me search for a consultant that can help me position myself in the best way possible and highlight my key strengths, and Faisal didn’t disappoint in doing so. Throughout the process, he has made me look at things differently and focus on the aspects that would strengthen my application and make it personal instead of just filling it with words and accomplishments.

During the process, I decided to apply for an earlier intake which gave us an extremely tight time frame to finalize the application. Faisal was more than supportive of my decision to do so and was always available day and night to help me.

I would highly recommend Faisal to any person applying to a top business school given his insight (which makes the whole application process much easier), commitment, personality, and honesty.

I came into the MBA admissions process as a novice – nobody in my family had applied to business school and neither had any of my close friends – and the one thing I did know was that I would need help!

After being recommended to reach out to MBA Prep School by a friend of a friend who had worked with them and been accepted to a highly ranked school, I was still a bit skeptical. Would working with a consultant really be something that would be valuable? What sort of help was I getting? How were they going to help me?

After our first initial call, Faisal helped me to allay my doubts – not only would MBA Prep School help develop my essays but their approach was a rigorous bottoms-up analysis which focused first on career coaching not merely essay editing. We spent our first few sessions talking about my goals and career aspirations using exercises to help me to discover the strengths and experiences that would help me stand out from my peers as well as shore up potential weaknesses.

I think this career coaching was actually the most valuable part of the whole application process and even if I hadn’t applied to business school I think this would have been very worthwhile.

After condensing an amorphous cloud of thoughts, perceptions, and dreams into a coherent narrative, Faisal and I set to work on developing my essays. Faisal is an excellent editor, allowing my voice to come through while giving helpful hints on how best to craft a story. Faisal gives room to disagree and while he is not afraid to give tough criticism I never felt that he didn’t have my best interests at heart. I applied to 5 schools and each essay received as many revisions as they needed.

By the time I submitted my applications I felt not only did I have excellent essays but also a much stronger conception of my own career trajectory and a clear road map for achieving my dreams.

Out of the five schools I applied to, I was accepted to two and waitlisted at another and will be attending Kellogg this fall. I was completely satisfied with the help I received from Faisal and the MBA Prep School and strongly recommend reaching out to them if you have doubts about applying to business schools and wish to take your MBA application to the next level!

Summary: I highly recommend working with Christina and have already recommended her to friends and colleagues alike. She is top notch in terms of both skill and effort, and will give everything in helping you do your best in the MBA process. She truly cares about her clients and I believe wants you to succeed irrespective of her own results as a consultant (though her track record is very strong).

I worked with Christina from MBA Prep and feel very fortunate to have had her guidance throughout this process. Before selecting Christina I spoke with consultants from three popular MBA consulting groups and was deciding between working with Christina and another consultant but ended up going with Christina as I felt she believed in my candidacy and would give me consistent attention throughout the process. It’s hard to know who to pick for such an important role so I hope this review helps another in the position in which I found myself last year!

After working together, Christina probably knows me and my aspirations as well as my closest friends do. The sheer number of hours spent discussing my background, interests, and goals lent itself to a self-reflective process that allowed me to put my best foot forward and convey my true self to schools. If you are set on business school and planning to apply to multiple schools, working with Christina on a package basis will make sense for you and allow you to get the most out of her dedicated review process and very thorough feedback. Christina is extremely honest and you may think you can be hard on yourself but she will be tougher (in a good way!). There are times in the process I felt overwhelmed and dejected but Christina knows how to keep you motivated and encourage you to do your best work. She will push you to do more than you would have done yourself and you will be grateful for it in the long run.

Below are a few reasons I’m very happy I worked with Christina:
-Positive results: I was admitted to five schools (HBS, Wharton, Booth, Kellogg, and Darden) with half and full tuition scholarships at two of the schools
-School knowledge: you will still need to research each school’s unique program yourself but Christina has deep knowledge of all the top schools and this is invaluable in saving you time and helping you to narrow down your schools of focus and then bolster your applications; additionally, Christina keeps her finger on the pulse of MBA admissions more broadly and can provide valuable strategic advice on all areas of your application
-Essays: Brainstorming essays with Christina was critical in allowing me to convey key personal values in the limited word counts allowed by schools; her comments were well beyond what I would call thorough and it’s evident she spends a significant portion of time reading and re-reading your essays to provide the best and clearest feedback possible
-Candor in addressing weaknesses in your candidacy and clear, actionable suggestions to improve those
-Like a good personal trainer, Christina knows when to push you and when to console and encourage; this is a tricky balance to get right for optimized results but she does it!
-Her genuine interest in and care for you allows her to help you most effectively tell your story to schools

You’ll improve your candidacy with her help in ways you didn’t realize possible, and it will make the difference when it comes down to where you’re admitted.

Accepted to Duke with $75K in scholarships!

My career experience upon embarking on this MBA application journey was exclusively healthcare consulting so I understood that I had to be creative in defining my reasons and goals for pursuing an MBA. To add, I was very concerned about an MBA program feeling confident about my ability to handle the academic rigor of its program due to my average GPA and GMAT scores, so I knew I needed to strengthen my application in other ways.
I heard of MBA Prepschool through a friend and was introduced to Faisal as he had experience in management consulting and knew the healthcare provider space well. After connecting with him, I immediately felt very comfortable working with him and felt that he understood my goals and how to get there.

I began working with Faisal fairly late in the process (roughly 10 weeks from Round 2) which I knew was a tight timeline, but Faisal supported me, and we laid out the milestones. After additional conversations, however, Faisal helped me make the decision of applying the following year and I couldn’t be more grateful that he did. This allowed us more time for him to better understand me personally and help craft a better story.
Throughout the process, Faisal forced me to be introspective which led me to develop a unique voice and an application that spoke to my strengths of leadership and emotional intelligence. Additionally, Faisal consistently kept me positive and motivated while I was studying for the GMAT and like many, struggling through the busy work/travel life of a consultant.

Ultimately, I was accepted at all my schools thanks to Faisal’s guidance on my essays, resume, and interviews. Faisal was professional, timely, but most importantly, caring. As you’ll see in so many testimonials, Faisal truly becomes a mentor, advisor, and friend helping you stay on track and encouraged all the way. If you’re looking for someone who takes the time to truly understand you on a personal level and cares about your success, look no further!

I worked with Faisal in the hopes of joining a full-time program in the fall of 2020. I chose to work with a consultant because when I had applied by myself the previous year, I had been denied from all six full-time MBA programs that I had applied to without any interview invites even though I felt I had competitive experiences and a GMAT score above the averages for all the programs.

I chose MBAPrepSchool for one main reason – they didn’t treat me as just another customer to put into a preset program, but rather an individual with specific needs. I talked to several different companies before making my decision, but only MBAPrepSchool (and specifically Mariah) asked me to send essays from my previous application and used it to prep for my intro meeting with them. That hour-long meeting was followed up with a personalized list of specific consultants and why they thought they would be a great fit for me. One of the people who was suggested was Faisal. As an engineer that was struggling with how to relate my technical expertise into business terms, it was pretty clear he would be perfect for me with his background in engineering along with experience in admissions at an M7 program.

I began working directly with Faisal about seven months before application deadlines. For the first couple of months, we worked on understanding my life story and how that fit into my career goals. After that, we started narrowing down which programs would make sense for me to apply to and I eventually chose Stanford, Kellogg, Sloan & Darden. Though I gave myself seven months to work on my applications, Faisal still helped me focus on what all needed to get done and I ended up spending time on most weeknights on my application and it definitely made a big difference in the end.

One area where Faisal made the biggest difference was in my essays. I went through at least 3 revisions of each essay for each of the schools with some of the longer ones having 6-8 versions. Faisal’s ability to let my voice shine through my applications while helping me sculpt my message was invaluable. He also set specific requirements for himself (feedback within 72 hours on anything I submitted to him for review) and stuck to it. One thing I especially appreciate in hindsight is that Faisal never tried to make a decision for me (which schools to apply to, which life stories to use in my essays, etc), but rather helped by providing guidance on how to think through the problems and as a result become more intentional in my choices.

When I sent out my applications, I knew everything in my application – the essays, recommendations, education, and work information, etc. – was leagues beyond what I had submitted the previous year. While I had personal advancements that played a factor in this, the largest change was working with Faisal.

I ended up interviewing at Stanford, Kellogg, and Darden. I was then accepted into Kellogg and Darden with scholarships at each while being waitlisted at Stanford. I simply could not have imagined this being a possibility after I had been rejected from six programs just a year earlier.

By the end of the MBA application cycle, Faisal became more than just a consultant. In fact, when I got the good news for my acceptances, he was the first person I contacted after my family to tell the good news.

The only school I wanted to apply was MIT Sloan School, known for its scientific rigor and applied learning approach within an innovation ecosystem. At the time of my decision to do so, I had conviction about the school but tons of uncertainties about how to successfully navigate the arduous process of an application. It took me a 15-min call to know already that Court would be an amazing coach, well suited to my expectations.

Court is like a human GPS, who will assist you through all the navigation steps of the application. He will push you to discover yourself, to be authentic, to know who you are and what you want to accomplish through an MBA.

Court went above and beyond in every step of the process. I said Court is a human GPS because he knows all the roads you need to take, where the bumps are, and …. many of the bumps are in yourself. With his help, you will discover them, and you will feel more confident and competent to the task.

Court was very professional and emphatic, and neither left anything unplanned nor cut corners in terms of his support to my successful application. He was initially my coach. I consider him a life-long friend and a mentor.

Summary: I highly recommend working with Christina and have already recommended her to friends and colleagues alike. She is top notch in terms of both skill and effort, and will give everything in helping you do your best in the MBA process. She truly cares about her clients and I believe wants you to succeed irrespective of her own results as a consultant (though her track record is very strong).

I worked with Christina from MBA Prep and feel very fortunate to have had her guidance throughout this process. Before selecting Christina I spoke with consultants from three popular MBA consulting groups and was deciding between working with Christina and another consultant but ended up going with Christina as I felt she believed in my candidacy and would give me consistent attention throughout the process. It’s hard to know who to pick for such an important role so I hope this review helps another in the position in which I found myself last year!

After working together, Christina probably knows me and my aspirations as well as my closest friends do. The sheer number of hours spent discussing my background, interests, and goals lent itself to a self-reflective process that allowed me to put my best foot forward and convey my true self to schools. If you are set on business school and planning to apply to multiple schools, working with Christina on a package basis will make sense for you and allow you to get the most out of her dedicated review process and very thorough feedback. Christina is extremely honest and you may think you can be hard on yourself but she will be tougher (in a good way!). There are times in the process I felt overwhelmed and dejected but Christina knows how to keep you motivated and encourage you to do your best work. She will push you to do more than you would have done yourself and you will be grateful for it in the long run.

Below are a few reasons I’m very happy I worked with Christina:
-Positive results: I was admitted to four schools (Wharton, Booth, Kellogg, and Darden) with half and full tuition scholarships at two of the schools
-School knowledge: you will still need to research each school’s unique program yourself but Christina has deep knowledge of all the top schools and this is invaluable in saving you time and helping you to narrow down your schools of focus and then bolster your applications; additionally, Christina keeps her finger on the pulse of MBA admissions more broadly and can provide valuable strategic advice on all areas of your application
-Essays: Brainstorming essays with Christina was critical in allowing me to convey key personal values in the limited word counts allowed by schools; her comments were well beyond what I would call thorough and it’s evident she spends a significant portion of time reading and re-reading your essays to provide the best and clearest feedback possible
-Candor in addressing weaknesses in your candidacy and clear, actionable suggestions to improve those
-Like a good personal trainer, Christina knows when to push you and when to console and encourage; this is a tricky balance to get right for optimized results but she does it!
-Her genuine interest in and care for you allows her to help you most effectively tell your story to schools

You’ll improve your candidacy with her help in ways you didn’t realize possible, and it will make the difference when it comes down to where you’re admitted.

When I started the application process early summer of last year, I was looking for someone with a critical eye, a good grasp of what schools wanted, ability to help me create a good narrative and highlight what was needed out of my experience and extracurriculars to emphasize my story, and ability to push myself out of my comfort zone. I came from an engineering background (with a few lower grades on my transcript that I felt could keep me out of the top schools) with extremely technical work experience and no formal leadership.

Working with Faisal, I was able to fully reflect and create a cohesive story that made sense for my background and for my future goals. Faisal helped me understand what to highlight and what to de-emphasize, especially coming from a technical background, in my resume and essays. He helped craft an optional essay that helped explain my academic background and lower GPA. Faisal was critical and discerning in his edits, making sure that I was saying what I needed to and not being too vague or “on” with my language. He was also great to work with on my interview prep – making sure that I was working through highlighting my strengths and exactly answering the intended questions. I felt like my essays were strong, polished, and represented me well. Faisal also pushed me to research the schools in-depth, which helped with essay creation and the interviews, since I truly felt like I knew each school in and out by the time I submitted my application.

With Faisal’s help, I was admitted to four M7 schools, waitlisted at another, and received partial scholarships at almost every school. This is an outcome I would have never thought possible looking solely at my stats coming into the application process – with Faisal’s help, I was able to showcase my best qualities and gain admissions to some great schools.

Faisal is very easy to talk to and work with, is timely with his feedback, and delivers great results. I highly recommend working with him!

Summary: I highly recommend working with Christina and have already recommended her to friends and colleagues alike. She is top-notch in terms of both skill and effort and will give everything in helping you do your best in the MBA process. She truly cares about her clients and I believe wants you to succeed irrespective of her own results as a consultant (though her track record is very strong).

I worked with Christina from MBA Prep and feel very fortunate to have had her guidance throughout this process. Before selecting Christina I spoke with consultants from three popular MBA consulting groups and was deciding between working with Christina and another consultant but ended up going with Christina as I felt she believed in my candidacy and would give me consistent attention throughout the process. It’s hard to know who to pick for such an important role so I hope this review helps another in the position in which I found myself last year!

After working together, Christina probably knows me and my aspirations, as well as my closest friends do. The sheer number of hours spent discussing my background, interests, and goals lent itself to a self-reflective process that allowed me to put my best foot forward and convey my true self to schools. If you are set on business school and planning to apply to multiple schools, working with Christina on a package basis will make sense for you and allow you to get the most out of her dedicated review process and very thorough feedback. Christina is extremely honest and you may think you can be hard on yourself but she will be tougher (in a good way!). There are times in the process I felt overwhelmed and dejected but Christina knows how to keep you motivated and encourage you to do your best work. She will push you to do more than you would have done yourself and you will be grateful for it in the long run.

Below are a few reasons I’m very happy I worked with Christina:
-Positive results: I was admitted to four schools (Wharton, Booth, Kellogg, and Darden) with half and full-tuition scholarships at two of the schools
-School knowledge: you will still need to research each school’s unique program yourself but Christina has deep knowledge of all the top schools and this is invaluable in saving you time and helping you to narrow down your schools of focus and then bolster your applications; additionally, Christina keeps her finger on the pulse of MBA admissions more broadly and can provide valuable strategic advice on all areas of your application
-Essays: Brainstorming essays with Christina was critical in allowing me to convey key personal values in the limited word counts allowed by schools; her comments were well beyond what I would call thorough and it’s evident she spends a significant portion of time reading and re-reading your essays to provide the best and clearest feedback possible
-Candor in addressing weaknesses in your candidacy and clear, actionable suggestions to improve those
-Like a good personal trainer, Christina knows when to push you and when to console and encourage; this is a tricky balance to get right for optimized results but she does it!
-Her genuine interest in and care for you allows her to help you most effectively tell your story to schools

You’ll improve your candidacy with her help in ways you didn’t realize possible, and it will make the difference when it comes down to where you’re admitted.

As a new mother, along working with tons of stuff I am passionate about, good time management for the MBA application is my top one need. I didn’t apply many schools and I did not compare different services on the market. I trust the recommendation from my network, and my objective is lased focused.

Faisal is one of your most trustworthy MBA application partners. Because of Faisal’s first-hand knowledge and credited service, I do not need to investigate many self-made MBA application tutorials online and tell if they are true or not. Simplicity saves your time and my time is more precious than money. Also, Faisal is a great communicator with high expectations. I edited my resumes/essay many times and through the collaboration, I see a reflection of myself and my gap with other leaders. The feedback from him is candid, fair, and encouraging. I saw this journey for personal growth and enrichment. Through the lens of a previous admission committee, I am more confident in what each MBA school is looking for, which school fits me most, and what a successful business leader looks like. Also, Faisal provides some tips on MBA interviews and such a breeze! I felt I am almost ready for a job interview 🙂 I got my offer from a top MBA school, and I really appreciate the partnership with Faisal, through which I am inspired by the professionalism of a prestigious consultant and much looking forwards to my next journey.

My experience working with Faisal was absolutely fantastic and I could not have asked for a more supportive, responsive, experienced and professional mentor. I currently work in private equity (previously worked in investment banking), with the objective of applying to several top US MBA programs (R1 and R2) for the Class of 2020. I had high aspirations but came from an overrepresented background. Additionally, I lacked direction as to my rationale to pursue an MBA (e.g. “why me? “why now?” “what will an MBA do for my career?”)

After working closely with Faisal for 9 months, I’m proud to say that I received admission to my first choice (top 5 US ranking) and second choice!

Faisal’s close mentorship and logical approach to drawing from all aspects of my life (professional and personal) to help form a clear and persuasive story was beyond anything I could have imagined. His focus on precision and tailoring my message to each school kept me focused and built my self-confidence every step of the way. Lastly, Faisal’s organization, responsiveness, and commitment to school deadlines were exactly what I was looking for in a mentor and consultant.

This process was truly life-changing not only from the perspective of receiving admission to a school that I could have only dreamed of but helping me understand myself better and mapping a professional pathway that will allow me to achieve my short and long-term goals.

I can confidently recommend Faisal and wish future candidates the best of luck in their application endeavors.

Christina is second-to-none when it comes to MBA consultants –she’s a fantastic consultant and an even better person, mentor, and professional encourager. If you’re considering using an MBA consultant, I would be remiss to not sing Christina’s highest praises. She was instrumental in guiding me through the application process and helping me achieve the outcomes that I was fortunate to receive. She will push you, but it is well worth it.

I approached the MBA process with some element of anxiety – I was switching jobs after a two-year program (from finance to corporate finance/strategy) and came from an over-represented background (white male in finance, undergraduate business degree) with median GPA and GMAT per the top schools that I was targeting. I had spoken with several other consultants prior to speaking with Christina; I felt that Christina was able to expertly articulate my story from just my resume and our introductory conversation. Christina is very honest and evaluates your candidacy and what might need to incrementally improve in the coming months. She focuses her time on a small number of clients in order to maximize potential success – her client’s admissions statistics to the top schools are staggering.

Highlights:
– What makes Christina different from the other consultants my friends have worked with is that she truly cares about you as a candidate and a person. I’d guess that she spends more time per client by a factor of 10. She would root for my personal and professional successes and would always ask how I was doing. Christina truly supported me over the last fourteen months and is still one of the go-to people with whom I share meaningful life updates
– Christina is also very honest. She would let me know when she didn’t think a potential interview answer was up to snuff or when an essay was lackluster. She ensures that you put your absolute best foot forward
– Having attended HBS and guided clients towards other elite programs, Christina understands the rigor of the MBA process and prepares her clients accordingly. She makes a point to have the school selection process an introspective one – what you put into these initial sessions makes a huge difference. Christina has a swath of relationships among current and former admissions committee members and knows the strengths of each school and how your personality and professional aspirations may or may not fit
– Christina helps you “brand” yourself and creates an application that speaks to your strengths. Sometimes you may feel that Christina knows you more than you know yourself! Throughout this process, Christina consistently pushed me on my career goals (short- and long-term) and made sure that I had done requisite diligence on the schools, classes/professors, and extracurricular activities. She also encouraged me to speak with current students and alumni to get a better sense of what two years at a particular program might be like, which I found extremely helpful. If I failed to mention a logical class, professor, or activity, Christina would always ask why I chose to not include it. She will be your partner in research and is truly a teammate in the process
– Across my time in finance, I don’t think I met anybody with Christina’s attention to detail. From my resume to my applications to my essays to my interview prep, Christina left no stone unturned and would smatter my documents with thoughtful changes and suggestions – looking at the timestamps on her comments made me think back to my investment banking days. Ultimately, however, Christina guides her clients to have the final say on any changes
– Christina is truly a great writer. She has a very clear perspective on high-level structure for each essay, but she also offers stylistic changes that help your essay flow better and pack a real punch. She is a huge stickler for word choice and grammar and will lambast you if you have grammatical errors or repeat adjectives. She would never let me turn in an essay unless we both felt it was as good as it could possibly be

Over a year later, I am so fortunate to have been accepted at Wharton HCM (with fellowship), Booth, and Kellogg. I attribute a massive portion of this to Christina’s patience and prudent guidance, mentorship, and encouragement, and I am forever grateful for her keen professionalism and now friendship. The absolute best.

If you take anything from this review, it should be that Christina is an incredible consultant, and in my mind, she’s as good as it gets. I can not recommend her strongly enough!

Going into the MBA process I was very nervous, as it is somewhat rare for employees to leave my company for an MBA. Therefore, I knew that if I applied and asked my supervisors for recommendations, I had to get into a program in case there were negative consequences at work. On top of that, I knew that I was in a crowded category as a white male in finance, meaning it would be difficult for me to get into a top MBA program. Christina was extremely honest and transparent with me from the beginning, outlining the significant work we would need to do on my application for me to have any chance with these schools. Fast forward a year later, and I made it into Wharton and NYU (including a $60k scholarship at NYU), and am on the waitlist at Harvard. The only school I didn’t get into was CBS, but this was my fault (I stupidly didn’t follow Christina’s advice on a key part of the application). I was thrilled to get into these programs, and given my demographic/career field headwinds + pretty average GMAT score, I attribute the large majority of my success to Christina’s guidance on essays, application forms, extra-curricular activities, and interviews. There is no way I’d be in my current position without her help.

A few areas where I think Christina stands out:
– Christina has an incredible depth of knowledge of each MBA program. We were able to craft every single application to the identity of the MBA program based on her unique insights about the schools’ culture and desired candidate.
– Christina was meticulous and creative throughout the whole process – every conversation we had she took careful notes and asked follow up questions, constantly looking for a new angle/part of my life that we could use for my application. She was able to use my life/career experiences in ways I would have never thought of.
– Christina is passionate. I truly felt she cared about my future and was fully vested in my success as an applicant. The time she would dedicate to me was way, way more than I anticipated.
– Christina has a vast pool of past applicant experience to draw from. She would constantly use past successes as food for thought with my application process.
– Christina is incredibly honest. She will not hold back. While this was a bit daunting at first, it is one of her most important qualities. She will not sugar coat, she’s going to tell you the truth, which is what you need in the MBA application process!
– Lastly, she is just a kind and caring person. The MBA process is grueling, but she always took the time to make sure I was doing okay/build a relationship with me.

It was a privilege to work with Court on multiple applications to top-20 MBA programs. Prior to reaching out to MBA Prep School, I was overwhelmed and intimidated by the application process. After just one call with Court, I felt reassured and confident that he would help me create an application that genuinely reflected my story and highlighted my accomplishments.

Court gracefully provided clear and honest feedback, pushing me to share experiences, passions, and future goals that would help me stand out from other applicants. Whenever I emailed with a question or concern, he provided a prompt and thoughtful response. He is not only rigorous but empathetic: Court seemed to instinctively know when I needed a cheerleader. The value of Court’s guidance cannot be overstated; the caliber of the applications that I submitted would not have been possible without him.

Court provided me with invaluable support during the interview process, as well. From the way he conducted our mock interview to the feedback he gave me afterward, Court set me up for success. His guidance allowed me to feel calm and prepared when I stepped into each of my interviews. I know I will use many of the takeaways I learned from him as I move forward in my career.

I am truly grateful to have worked with Court. His expertise, genuine interest in helping others succeed, and reassuring guidance were instrumental to my success in the MBA application process. Thank you, Court!

Coming from a technical engineering role in an industry that doesn’t value an MBA like other industries, I didn’t know many people who had pursued a full-time MBA. In addition, I didn’t have the best GMAT score (below the average but within the 80%) for an “over-represented minority” applicant. For these two reasons, I looked for an admission consultant to ensure I put the best application forward.

While doing my due diligence, I happened to connect with a mutual friend who had used MBA Prep School and is now at Wharton. With this lead, I connected with Tyler Cormney who took the time to understand my profile and needs. He recommended Faisal whose strengths as admission consultant aligned strongly with my needs.

I knew I would not need someone to push me to write my applications. Rather, I needed someone to ensure I was telling the best version of my story. I also knew I would struggle with telling my work experience in layman terms, so I needed a consultant who has helped other engineers with a technical line of work apply to MBA programs.

I am happy to say that Faisal met and exceeded all my expectations. Faisal took the time to learn about me in order to help me craft my story in a truthful and compelling manner. I would often leave comments regarding any part of my application (essays, resumes, short answers, etc.) to gather additional feedback from Faisal. No matter how much I wrote, he always read every comment. In addition, Faisal was excellent at helping me showcase leadership examples while removing nonessential technical knowledge to tell a clear and concise story.

The school packages were comprehensive. Every part of my application was reviewed until it was ready (no edit counts) and feedback was provided within 2-3 days. This included supplemental essays after the application was submitted and even wait list help (if needed).

Luckily for me, I was accepted to my top choice school, MIT Sloan with $80k of scholarship. I cannot thank Faisal enough! I would recommend him anyone who feels they need a razor-sharp application to get accepted into their dream school.

After receiving an invitation to interview at HBS, I reached out to MBA Prep School to investigate setting up a mock interview. I was lucky enough to be paired up with Court, and with his help, I went into my interview feeling extremely confident. He gave me broad insights on what HBS admissions officers are looking for in an interview, as well as extremely personalized feedback based on our mock interview. He made me aware of my physical and verbal ticks that could be distracting, and he recapped my each of my answers, highlighting which ones could use work and in what way.

Court also went above and beyond when it came to the HBS post-interview reflection, which is due 24 hours after the interview. The day of my interview, he made himself available to recap the day with me, and he helped me focus in on the couple of things that made sense to highlight in the reflection letter.

Court is extremely dedicated and passionate about mentoring aspiring MBA students, and I am fortunate to have worked with him.

After receiving an invitation to interview at HBS, I reached out to MBA Prep School to investigate setting up a mock interview. I was lucky enough to be paired up with Court, and with his help, I went into my interview feeling extremely confident. He gave me broad insights on what HBS admissions officers are looking for in an interview, as well as extremely personalized feedback based on our mock interview. He made me aware of my physical and verbal ticks that could be distracting, and he recapped each of my answers, highlighting which ones could use work and in what way.

Court also went above and beyond when it came to the HBS post-interview reflection, which is due 24 hours after the interview. On the day of my interview, he made himself available to recap the day with me, and he helped me focus in on the couple of things that made sense to highlight in the reflection letter.

Court is extremely dedicated and passionate about mentoring aspiring MBA students, and I am fortunate to have worked with him.

By the time I was done with the GMAT and started with the applications, there were only two months left until the R1 deadlines. I talked to many consultants and went ahead with Faisal considering the fact that he had lots of experience working with international students. I believed he would understand my story and will help me put it into perspective. Working with him gave me a lot of clarity about what I want through an MBA and taught me how to tell my story in an effective and powerful way. He helped me realize my dream of getting into a top MBA program with full scholarship. I highly recommend Faisal to whoever wants help with telling their story.

Thank you so much Faisal!

I was highly sceptical about using an admissions consultant when doing my research. It seemed a bit like the Wild West with various different consultants quoting me vastly different fees. Beyond an initial phone call there wasn’t much else to go on considering the substantial investment. So when I came across Christine and she told me about her experience actually working as an admissions officer at Booth and LBS I immediately felt comfortable parting with my hard earned cash as I realised there was real value to be had in having her expertise to tap in to. Here was someone who could back up that they actually knew what they were talking about!

I don’t regret my decision. After our first strategy call I was taken aback by how perceptively and quickly Christine understood me as a person and how from that, a strategy was developed that really emphasised by points of difference. This was backed up by a relentless focus on putting my best foot forward in all of my essays and tailoring my application to each school whilst maintaining my authenticity as a candidate.

This was backed up by excellent editing skills (which i don’t think can be underestimated as this is a tricky balance for an admissions consultant to get right between being too invasive and not offering enough polishing); along with super quick responses and great organisation to keep us on track.

In the end, once I had submitted all my applications, I felt like I had left everything on the field. I knew that any offers or dings from that point were out of my control. I had done my all and presented the best and most honest version of myself. I did get a few dings but I didn’t feel bad about that because I realised that if I wasn’t a good match for the school after presenting the best version of me, then that is ultimately to my benefit.

Being a non-traditional (an entrepreneur) candidate when I first started on this journey I genuinely didn’t believe I had a shot at the top schools. By the end of it, although I got a few dings, I got two offers with scholarships including one that covers most of my tuition at a T15 school in the US.

Throughout the whole process Christine was more than a top professional she was also a confidante who picked me up when my confidence was low and having someone in your corner that understand the emotional stresses of the application process is really invaluable.

I don’t know if I would have done so well without a consultant – I will never know. There are certainly a few bandits out there that I think are only really interested in your money. But with Christine I definitely felt she was emotionally invested in my success more than anything else.

If you are in two minds then reach out to Christine and have a free initial call. I suspect you won’t regret it!

Court is remarkably gifted writer, advisor, storyteller, and person. I had the opportunity to work through multiple applications to top 20 MBA programs with him. Court helped me clarify my own career aspirations and also helped me craft an application that was differentiated, authentic, and ultimately successful in landing a spot at a top MBA program. Looking back on this and reflecting on my own career, I consider the time spent with Court invaluable and consider myself fortunate to have him as a mentor, advisor and friend!