So it’s time to prepare your application to b-school. And you’re worried about the competition. Your friend, Jose, has hired a consultant to help him prepare his applications to b-school. Apparently Jose has managed to find someone who knows all the “ins and outs” of applying, and has offered to help him write some “winning” essays.
Should you consider hiring your friend’s consultant? What are the advantages? What are the disadvantages? On the plus side, there’s the general knowledge that consultants have of MBA programs. Some consultants may have even worked for an admissions office and be familiar with how candidates are evaluated.
On the downside, consultants can so finely tune your essays that your own personal voice is lost. Or, even worse, your essays may read like they were written by multiple authors. Admissions officers (adcom) reading your application will gain no insight into the true you. And they may question the authenticity of your work, calling your integrity and admissibility into question.
While a consultant may seem like a quicker route to your MBA destination, he or she can be expensive and not without possible pitfalls. So, if you are to use a consultant, use him or her in an advisory capacity only – as a sounding board and someone with whom to discuss your thoughts and ideas. If you are unable to find a suitable coach or choose not to use one, do not be concerned. All the resources you need to present the best application you can are readily available.
Virtual resources to guide you in your MBA preparation include the websites of individual business schools (including our own twitter feed – www.twitter.com@MJS) or mba.com, managed by the General Management Admissions Council (GMAC), an organization supporting business schools; and student blogs (links are posted along the side of this webpage).
You may also learn about b-schools and the application process by going on campus visits (view our class visit program), attending forums where representatives of hundreds of schools around the world are interested in meeting and talking with you, as well as receptions and other events sponsored by individual schools and/or groups of schools (view a list of our off-campus and on-campus events).
At the end of the day, most MBA programs select the best applicants rather than the best applications. Spend less time on “impression management” and more time on letting us get to know the true you.
Read the full article: Thoughts on MBA Coaches and Consultants