Talon

Choosing to work with Talon was the best decision of my B-school application journey. I had two hurdles to cross – one, I had to differentiate myself from an overrepresented pool of Indian applicants and two, justify my below-average GMAT score. On top of the hurdles, I was planning to apply to just one business school and had just 40 days to complete my application.

Talon rose to the challenge and how! During my first phone conversation with Talon, she promised that she’d make me feel proud of my application. Her words seemed difficult to believe at that point as I was running against time and my self-doubt was at a feverish high.

She created a customized timeline for me and made sure I adhered to it. I corresponded with Talon almost every day for 40 consecutive days. She understood what I was going through as an applicant and knew exactly what to say – whether it was words of encouragement to keep me going or tough love on deadlines.

There are a few points about Talon that I believe helped me the most.

1.Introspection – this was the most important phase of my application journey. Being objective about one’s life journey is not easy but that’s exactly what B-school applications are about. Talon’s inputs were invaluable during this phase. Talon’s fantastic ability to ask the right questions at the right time and cut through the noise helped me dig deep and find connections amongst seemingly disconnected events in my life.
2.Responsiveness – Talon usually responded within 12 hours or less. I’m based in South Asia, so the time-zone difference between Talon’s work hours and mine worked really well for us and helped me complete my application on time.
3.Ability to make stories come alive – this is pure magic! I had several fangirl moments watching Talon at work. She brought my stories to life by strategically modifying critical parts of my application.

In just one month, I had transformed into a more self-aware individual who had an elevator pitch at the ready. After I hit the “submit” button, I genuinely felt proud of my work. The confidence I gained after the introspection journey was so rewarding. Having come to the other side, I can vouch for Talon’s credibility. Trusting Talon right from day one helped me get into my dream B-school. I’m so grateful for Talon’s support all along!

Having spoken with several consultants, I chose to work with Talon and quickly found several reasons to celebrate this decision.

Talon is extraordinarily supportive, almost always available within a 12-hour window (usually even faster), incredibly empathetic, and superbly competent in navigating the challenges of the application process.

Talon helped me put my best foot forward, overcoming several challenges – as an applicant of South Asian origin working in private equity for almost 8 years, my biggest concerns were presenting a sufficiently differentiated story amongst a highly competitive pool, justifying my above-median age, and creating enough time in the day to work on my applications. Talon made the process seamless and helped me gain a higher degree of self-awareness. She helped me craft a compelling story that got me into my top choice M7 school.

Talon was also uniquely supportive through the days where my self-belief was low. She helped me manage my motivation and rejuvenate my energy when my GRE score came in below expectations, and when I was struggling to put words together in cogent sentences. She took an interest in my personal life and individual struggles that truly brought out the best version of my story.

Suffice to say that the first person I told about my admission was Talon. She is an amazing partner to work with and I cannot stress her role in my admission enough!

After having a less than stellar experience with a consultant from a different firm, I felt demoralized applying to b school again. My stats were on the lower end, but Talon rose to the challenge! I was honest with her about my past experience from the get go, and she was not only receptive but genuinely took my concerns to heart. Through our time working together, Talon gave me authentic encouragement when I had self-doubt and tough love when I fell behind on a deadline. She was able to help me tell my story effectively and embolden the parts that I was most proud of. I overcame several hurdles during the application process, and Talon’s approach remained genuine, involved, and enthusiastic.

When I got the acceptance call from my first choice MBA program (T15), Talon was the first to know. I am so grateful to have worked with someone of her caliber.