Beau Gresham

Background: White male with four years of US Military Experience. I knew I was applying only to LA-based programs. Still, in October, I was starting the entire process, including any GMAT study, intending to apply round 2 to Anderson and Marshall. Undergraduate GPA was above both schools’ average in a humanities program from a well-ranked non-Ivy.

Since I knew I was applying to LA schools, I didn’t need Beau’s help with school selection, but I did need his help with getting my application on track since I was starting so late. I had several conversations with admissions consultants, but all the ones I talked to gave equivocating answers on how they might help me do so much in so little time. Some even told me it would be borderline impossible and said they were not confident they could help me get ready by round 2. When I asked Beau the same questions, he told me it wouldn’t be easy but that what I needed was a roadmap that would allow me to focus as much of my attention as possible on the GMAT. His response resonated with me, and the next day I signed up for the Tier 3, 2 school package with Avanti Prep with Beau as the consultant.

Within 10 minutes of signing up with Avanti prep, Beau and Greg sent me an intake form and scheduled an onboarding call. Beau built a roadmap for me in excel after discussing GMAT study strategies that listed critical milestones in my GMAT studying, like when to take practice tests and scheduled when I needed to have each essay done.

This roadmap was the key to my success in the application process. I went from feeling completely overwhelmed about everything I needed to get done in the less than 3-month timeline I had before applications were due to seeing every step of the process laid out in Excel and realizing that, while difficult, it was indeed possible.

Beau ensured that all of my efforts outside of GMAT study were as focused and efficient as possible. He had pointers for connecting with students, staring at blank pages when I started each essay, and even how to begin developing my short-term goal of simply earning an MBA into a long-term plan that I’m excited to accomplish and could articulate to admissions committees.

Ultimately, I was able to go from 0 study, 0 research in early October to a 730 GMAT and two applications I was incredibly proud of in early January. Those applications earned me admission and full-ride scholarships to both Anderson and Marshall. I could not have done any of that in such a short amount of time without Beau constantly pointing me in the right direction.

I am an MBA candidate at one of the top-ranked international MBA programs. I previously served in the military, worked with Avanti Prep during my application process, and had a phenomenal experience doing so. I had a similarly superb experience working with Avanti Prep on consulting case interview prep as a first-year MBA.

Beau Gresham was an excellent instructor. He was especially helpful in understanding that I came from a non-business background, that I had no fundamental knowledge of case interviews (or any business interviews for that matter), and that I had relatively little business training as it was still my first semester. He took the time to assess where I was, and then tailored his approach in a way I could digest.

Within two weeks, my confidence and preparation were totally transformed, and I was ready for final rounds of MBB interviews at competitive international offices. There is no way I would have been in the position to be successful without Beau and Avanti Prep.

• US military with 10 years of experience
• GPA: 2.5 from a service academy
• GMAT: Initial 660; retest once waitlisted 700
I wholeheartedly recommend Avanti prep to anyone serious about earning admission into a top MBA program.
I learned about Avanti Prep from a review on GMAT club. After reaching out to multiple admission consulting services, I chose Avanti because of their prompt and personal responses to my email inquiries. I couldn’t be more impressed and pleased with the services they provided over the following months! I made the right choice. Through the entire application and waitlist process, I worked closely with Beau and felt like we were a team pushing towards the same goal. I initially purchased ten hours of counseling then bought another ten as I was highly impressed with our results and progress.
I applied in round 2 to six business schools and completed my applications while deployed to Afghanistan. I took the GMAT a couple of days before deploying and earned a 660. Though I had a decade of leadership experience in the military, I knew my 80th percentile GMAT and 2.5 undergrad GPA would present severe obstacles to my candidacy for a top 20 MBA program. I applied to one M7 school (Wharton), my reach school; I also applied to three other top 20 schools, one school in Europe, and one top 50 school.
First, Beau and I worked closely on my resume, which I had to create from scratch. I sent drafts to Beau, and he would make edits and recommendations before we met virtually. During our virtual sessions, Beau challenged me to make every line and word of my resume count; the improvement between my initial draft and final resume was immense! Beau and I followed a similar process for each essay, 11 in total. He provided copious insights about each school’s application review process and helped me understand in-depth what each school was looking for in a candidate’s essays and resume. Working with Beau also helped me better refine my own MBA goals.
My applications earned interview invitations to five of the six schools. Beau helped coach me through interview prep, and we held a mock interview as a culminating event.
Through this entire process, Beau was highly responsive and accommodating. My job as a deployed officer was time-consuming; Beau made every effort to work with my demanding schedule. He even once met with me at 5am EST because that was the only time I had available.
Following the interviews, I was accepted into one school and waitlisted at the other four (the one school in Europe did not accept me). Beau explained the waitlist process to me and recommended strategies to continue correspondence with each school and improve my candidacy. Beau and Greg even convinced me to use my two-week leave period after deployment to prepare for and retake the GMAT- a decision that was well worth the effort. I earned a 700, and acceptance into Wharton a few weeks later.
The MBA application landscape is complicated and competitive. Having Avanti Prep with me through the process made a huge difference; I do not believe I would have earned acceptance into any school, let alone Wharton, without their expert counsel.

Background –
— White male
— 5 years work experience in tech and manufacturing sales
— GPA – 3.7 in social sciences from well-ranked NE liberal arts college
— GRE – 320

I decided to pursue my MBA in May and prioritized applying R1 to my chosen school. At the suggestion of a friend, I reached out to a consultant he had worked with and was unhappy with my initial screening. Unlike most applicants, I was geographically driven and was only interested in one T25 school in a particular city. This consultant discouraged my approach – she (rightfully) reminded me how risky this strategy was, and spent our initial meet-and-greet trying to talk me into a more balanced strategy. While I appreciated her apprehension, I don’t think she understood my larger ‘life plan’, and how crucial geography was in bringing this plan to fruition.

The next consultant I met with was Greg at Avanti Prep. While he expressed the same concerns over a singular focus, he immediately grasped the bigger picture of what I was trying to accomplish. He was fair and honest, warning me of the hazards, but ensuring me he would do all he could to help me achieve my goal. I appreciated his frankness regarding my risk, and his willingness to support me on my journey, rather than trying to change my mind.

Shortly after, he introduced me to my consultant, Beau, whose background mirrored the path I was pursuing. Beau provided me with months of guidance as I underwent the process of uprooting my current career path. He challenged me to map out, not just a story for admissions, but my authentic career targets and explain why an MBA was critical to achieving them. Before working with Beau, I knew I wanted to pursue my MBA. After working with them, I knew why I wanted to pursue my MBA.

Beau’s attention extended beyond consultancy, well into the territory of mentorship. I cannot recommend Greg’s Avanti Prep enough, and if you’re lucky enough to have Beau involved, you’ll be all the better for it. Thanks to both of them for helping me not just get to my next step, but to use my MBA as a springboard into the next phase of my career and life.