david thomas forster thomas

David Thomas

Forster-Thomas Inc.

New York, New York

United States

Consultant Bio

Advance warning: I can get a little analogy-crazy. I enjoy breaking down the entire MBA admissions process into a dating analogy, I liken GMAT practice tests to developing muscle memory, and I have an analogy for handling recommenders that will change your entire approach to the politics of letter-writing.

My favorite part of this job is information-gathering (so you don’t have to). I have interviewed just about every admissions officer in the field as co-author of “The MBA Reality Check” (available on Amazon.com), a best-selling guide to every aspect of MBA admissions. I crunch all the data at Forster-Thomas, analyzing trends and patterns—I especially love analyzing the outliers, such as what common traits do successful low-GMAT candidates share, and what went wrong with unsuccessful high-GMAT candidates. (The results are fascinating, contradict conventional wisdom, and will blow your mind when I share them with you during our engagement.)

But, like everyone at Forster-Thomas, I am a natural storyteller. I was an editor or writer for Yahoo! Internet Life, Men’s Health, Music Choice, and Seventeen (among others). I don’t have an MBA, and I’m not a former admissions officer. My core competency is producing—and that’s why I’m great at my job. I love hearing stories, telling stories, and helping you produce the most compelling, unique, and authentic candidacy possible, allowing you to get noticed as the leader you are.

I hope we get to work together.

Company Information

David Thomas, Forster-Thomas Inc.

Over the past 20 years, Forster-Thomas has built a global reputation among graduate candidates for the personalized service, integrity, and excellence we bring to our work as educational consultants.

Our secret is simple: We truly understand admissions–and you.

No matter which MBA program you’re applying to, one fact remains the same: stats like your GPA and GMAT only serve to get you past the gatekeeper. What genuinely excites admissions officers is gaining an understanding of who you are. If they can get an in-depth look at the real you (including your strengths, values, accomplishments, quirky tastes, and yes, even weaknesses), they will form a connection with you, just as your closest friends have. In other words, communicating your personal story in an insightful, reflective way is crucial, and that’s exactly what we help candidates do best.

Menu of Services and Associated Costs

I also do extensive work on Letters of Recommendation, Letters of Support, and Interview Skills. Forster-Thomas has a very unique model and methodology. Contact info@forsterthomas.com or call 212-741-9090 to set up a free candidacy assessment. I promise you, love us or hate us, it will be unlike any other assessment you do.

Location: New York, New York, United States

Phone: 212-741-9090

Email: david@forsterthomas.com

Website: http://www.forsterthomas.com

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P&Q Consultant Reviews

  • Excellent Consultants!
    3 years ago
    David and his team helped me through my MBA application process when I had little time to get it done. I had not done a lot of work / investigating prior, and he was able to be efficient in providing guidance, instructions, feedback, and so on. I found that his method of giving the guidelines, but really putting the work on you really effective in helping me really think about what I wanted out of my MBA, which lead me to see what school would truly be best for me. He was always very responsive with feedback, and if he wasn't, I was able to get a hold of him via text or email without fail. I really appreciated that David and his team gave ...
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    Class of 2023 Admit
    All reviews are independently verified by Poets&Quants staff.
  • David is My Hero! Can't Wait to Start at BOOTH!
    4 years ago
    David helped me reach my potential and get into my #1 program MBA choice: Chicago Booth. I referred my friend to him and she got into her #1 program MBA choice as well, which was also Chicago Booth. I got into a safety school as well and waitlisted at my #2 choice (I withdrew my application once accepted to Booth, but I think I would have been accepted). I purchased a 2 school package as I was saving for school expenses as well and David went above and beyond to give me guidance on every school I applied to (Booth was not part of my package, yet he discussed strategy high level, how Booth's application was different from others I did with him and general ...
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    Class of 2022 Admit
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  • Would Not Recommend
    4 years ago
    I couldn't agree more with the review before mine. David was very difficult to schedule time with, not allowing regular weekly calls (had to schedule each one as a one-off, despite being on a package), and had to schedule 2+ weeks in advance. He was often distracted on the phone (elevator, mailman, other clients, etc). The process for choosing a school list was haphazard and rushed, and he was incredibly slow to get back to me with edits. Despite paying for it, he refused to review recommenders and was not a good collaborator coming up to hard deadlines. Upon hearing back from schools, he offered no advice on how to select which one, only his opinions which were unhelpful and not tailored to me or ...
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    Class of 2022 Admit
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  • Stay Away
    6 years ago
    I seriously regret spending money on David's services because he made 0 time for me - not only was it extremely difficult to get on his calendar (so much for being a boutique firm that doesn't take on too many clients), when we did speak over the phone, he kept getting interrupted with other things, rushing to get off the phone, and generally did not feel present. I got 0 helpful advice from him in terms of strategizing my list of schools. He refused to provide input into my holistic application process and only helped with the schools that I indicated I would work with him on, which is off putting and unrealistic, because everything in your process is interrelated. Furthermore, when there were times when ...
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    Class of 2020 Other
    All reviews are independently verified by Poets&Quants staff.