2023 Best MBA Admission Consultants
Both applying for and attending an MBA program is a huge investment in time and money. Hiring an admissions consultant can be pricey out of pocket, but the potential return on investment could be worth it. The admissions processes at top-tier MBA programs are some of the most competitive of any graduate programs across the country. Scholarships are even harder to come by and sometimes students find themselves not being accepted to their top choice not because they lack merit, but because they fall short in conveying their strengths appropriately throughout their application. This is one of the many positives of an MBA admissions consultant: strengthening your resume to maximize the value of your application and help you succeed in gaining admission to your program of choice.
At MBAInsight, we reviewed copious amounts of student testimonials to compile a comprehensive list of the Best MBA Admissions Consultants available to help you reach your goals. We put this list together by taking into account each student review and how they rated their MBA admissions consultant using a 1-to-5 star rating system.
Money Well Spent- Best MBA Admissions Consultants
Do not let the price of some of these consultants dissuade you from pursuing one. While the prices may seem a bit steep, they are an invaluable asset to your application and will provide a strong return on investment. Some of these consultants provide a one-time payment or an hourly rate for their service.
Rank | Firm | Learn More | Number of Reviews | Average Rating | Package Options Available? | Hourly Rate |
1 | Stacy Blackman Consulting | 127 | Yes | $395 | ||
2 (tie) | Admissionado | 45 | Yes | $375 | ||
2 (tie) | Personal MBA Coach | 94 | Yes | N/A | ||
4 | Aringo | 48 | Yes | $315 | ||
5 | MBA Prep School | 15 | Yes | $350 | ||
6 | mbaMission.com | 81 | Yes | $385 | ||
7 | Accepted | 68 | Yes | $360 | ||
8 | Stratus Admissions | 21 | Yes | $385 | ||
9 | MBA Admit | 24 | Yes | $365 | ||
10 | Fortuna Admissions | 15 | Yes | $395 |
Meet The Best MBA Admission Consultants of 2023
Stacy Blackman Consulting
Stacy Blackman Consulting (SBC) offers something that no other MBA admissions consulting service can provide: a complete panel of former MBA Admissions officers. These former admissions officers all spent their time working for the top-tier programs in the nations, such as Harvard HBS, Stanford GSB, and Wharton. They are experienced in both the top US and EU graduate programs and have the expertise to mold your application into what is required for the ultra-competitive MBA programs.
The offer students an “All-in” service with a primary consultant, meaning that you will get 1-on-1 guidance that has no cap on hours or time. Through their client screening process, they take the time to find the proper consultant from their diverse team that best suits your needs and goals as an applicant.
SBC consistently finds themselves at number 1 across a slew of rankings (including the best MBA admission consultants) on the internet and for good reason. After each client has been vetted based by their validation team, you are offered a limited number of free consultations weekly about any inquiries. After that, they go full force in delivering on their promise: getting you into a top-tier MBA program.
Product Offerings
SBC offers a range of comprehensive packages for you to find what best suits your needs.
- “All-In” Package: 1 school, starting at $6,900
- Hourly Services: Starting $395/hour
- The SBC Flight Test: $825
- MBA Interview Prep: Starting at $575 for Video Interview/Video Essay only
- MBA Plan Ahead Package: $4,995
- GMAT & GRE Test prep: Starting at $540 for 2 hours
Reviews Excerpt
MBA Applicant – “Thanks to SBC, I received dual admission to HBS and GSB as a reapplicant! I would like to thank the SBC team: Dawn, who was on this journey with me for almost 2 years. I am grateful for her work ethic and her support; Amy, who was my flight tester (test drive of a full application) and provided a comprehensive and independent advice on how to strengthen my application even further; Esther, who had an introductory call with me, was very helpful in walking me through the packages and matched me with Dawn; Large SBC database which was priceless, especially when understanding the differences between schools and when preparing for interviews. Would not be able to do this without SBC (know it as a fact :)!”
Stacy Blackman Consulting Offering
Admissionado
Run by CEO Raj Patril, Admissionado is committed to the success of its clients. They boast a staff of over 100 employees and have reviewed over 35,000 applications to date across undergraduate, masters and business school clients. As a client, you will receive guidance from an MBA expert and an editor, along with access to a team MBA experts and editors to ensure the best quality throughout their consultation experience.
Admissionado boasts an impressive 98% success rate and an ever-growing network comprised of alumni from top-tier MBA programs and industry leaders in finance and consulting. They consistently find themselves atop our MBA consulting list and it is no surprise with their proven track record and countless client testimonials.
Product Offerings
Along with a free consultation, Admissionado also offers the following packages:
- Silver: $3,250 for 1 school
- Gold: $5,850 for 1 school
- Platinum: $8,650 for 1 school
- Discovery & Competitive Edge Positioning: $925
- Resume Development: $750
Review Excerpt
Chicago Booth 2024 – “I was matched with an extremely knowledgeable consultant who helped me hit my goals. She and Admissionado were extremely flexible when I pushed back my application one year due to Covid. Price point was also as good or better than all other admissions consultants I looked at.”
Personal MBA Coach
Started by Scott Edinburgh an MIT undergrad and Wharton MBA graduate, it is no surprise that Personal MBA Coach (PMC) finds themselves near the top of our list. For over 12 years they have been providing clients with the insight it takes to make an application as competitive as possible for the top-tier MBA programs. As a former MBA applicant and grad, Mr. Edinburgh has shaped his consulting firm to the needs of the applicant, based on the same experience he had gone through. Each client is matched with one consultant throughout the time of the process, and they take a deep dive into the needs of each individual client, finding what they need the most work on and turning weaknesses into strengths.
Product Offerings
In addition to a free 30-minute consultation for all new clients, MBC also offers the following packages:
– Comprehensive Package: Starting at $5,500 for 1 school
– One-Time Gut Check: $1,195 per school
– Early MBA Planning: $2.250
– Interview Prep: Starting at 750 for 1 session
– Waitlist Strategy: $795 per school
– Ding Report: $600
Reviews Excerpt
MIT Sloan 2023 – “I worked with Scott and his team for one school and got in! I stress one because I only had my heart set on that program, MIT Sloan. I didn’t want a backup I knew this was the program for me. With the support of Scott and his team I got in my first time applying! They support in all aspects of the application process, interview prep, exam prep and if you get waitlisted. I highly recommend getting support during the application process, it will help you stand out and better your chances of getting in.”
Learn More About Personal MBA Coach
Aringo
Aringo was founded by Gil Levi, who was accepted to Harvard, Wharton, where he a full merit-based scholarship, and INSEAD all with a GMAT Score of 650. He then used the tools he developed while being an applicant to form the methodology of Aringo, along with the experience of former top-tier MBA Admissions Officers. They built on this foundation with over 3,000 hours of research into the admissions processes of the top business schools, and couple this expertise with specialized consultation for their applicants. Each client receives 1-on-1 consultation from an admissions expert, who then convenes with the entire consultant team on how to best serve each individual client.
Product Offerings
Aringo offers a free consultation session, along with some free admissions tools. Additionally, they offer the following packages:
– Hourly Services: Starting at $315/hour
– Full School Package: Starting at $5,200 for 1 school
– MBA Interview Preparation: $315
Reviews Excerpt
USC Marshall School of Business 2024– “I am highly thankful for Aringo for providing really valuable resources, including, but not limited to, the sample essays from past applicants. These essays helped me keep a framework in my mind and then build upon my own story.”
MBA Prep School
MBA Prep School is a full-service consulting firm focused exclusively on helping clients applying to an MBA program. They claim a 90% success rate at getting clients into a top-ranked business school. In a move that sets them apart from other companies, they’ve also chosen to provide a series of video-based lectures that clients can watch at their leisure. However, they only offer a limited number of free consultations.
Product Offerings
Potential applicants are afforded a free introductory call, along with the following packages:
- Admissions Consulting Services- Two schools $6,995
- Hourly Consulting: Minimum of 3 hours- $1,050
- Essay Editing: Starting at up to 1,000 words for $225
- Resume Editing: $299
- Prepare to Apply Program: $1,995
Reviews Excerpt
SMU 2023 – “The mock interviews ready helped me prepare for my interview which was one of the most important parts of this process. The videos were helpful because I am a visual learner and I like the fact that the company provided an e-book as well. I would recommend this company as you prepare for the admission process. The MBA Prep School helped in ensuring that I had all the adequate resources to prepare my application.”
Learn More About MBA Prep School
MBAmission
MbaMission.com is comprised of a team of consultant who all graduated from top-tier MBA programs and have the expertise to know what it takes to get an acceptance letter. Each consultant they employ is put through a rigorous hiring process followed by 3 months of supervised work before they are able to work alone, ensuring that you are given the highest quality consultant they can provide. While you work 1-on-1 with a consultant, you are afforded the benefit of the entire firm, as consultants meet twice a month to discuss new ideas and strategies to continuously improve their overall service quality. One unique fact about mbaMission.com is that, thanks to their quality of service, they are now the sole recommendation of MBA Consulting from the GMAT prep company Manhattan Prep.
Product Offerings
– Complete Start-to-Finish Package: Starting at $5,900
– Hourly Services: Starting at $385/hour (minimum purchase 2 hours)
– Pre-Application Strategy: Starting at $1,540
– Mock Interview Sessions: Starting at $800
– “Ding” Review/Reapplicant Strategy: Starting at $700 for 1 school
Reviews Excerpt
Duke Fuqua School of Business 2024 – “Worked with Jeremy at mbaMission. He was an absolute pleasure to work with striking the right balance of optimism and realism in my application progress as well as being very hands-on during the essay writing process. Could not recommend more highly. I really loved the initial consult as well. Other firms were overly conscious of GPA / GMAT when hearing initial target school lists and were very dismissive. mbaMission were much more open, considerate and welcoming. I loved their guides and additional content available on their websites as well.”
Accepted
Each applicant for Accepted is paired with their own admissions consultant who takes the time to do a deep dive into your application. They highlight your needs and where your application needs to get stronger and the things you should highlight about yourself. You tell them what your goals are and their team works to help you achieve those goals. In addition, they offer a diverse team of consultants who speak 6 different languages: English, Chinese, Hebrew, French, Japanese, and Spanish. This opens up their services to students from different corners of the world.
Product Offerings
– Comprehensive MBA Application Package: Starting at $4,995 for 1 school
– Admissions Consulting: Starting at $360/hour
– MBA Essay Services: Starting at $1,700 for basic package or $330/hour
– Resume Package: Starting at $360/hour
– Letter of Recommendation Assistance: Starting at $330/hour
– Mock Interview Package: Starting at $540 for new clients
– Rejection Review: Starting at $360
Reviews Excerpt
University of Chicago Booth 2023– “I used as many Accepted resources as possible and they were helpful for getting started and getting organized. It also helped to assess the different schools and what they were looking for which ultimately helped me narrow down my search.”
STRATUS ADMISSIONS COUNSELING
Stratus employs a team of graduates from top tier graduate programs such as Harvard, Stanford, and MIT. They start your application journey by speaking with a Strategist, where you will lay out your profile and overall goals. From there you are given a 1-on-1 consultant, while also enjoying the expertise of the entire Stratus team, as each consultant works on every aspect of your application and how to make you most competitive for admissions officers.
Product Offerings
In addition to one free consultation with a specialist, Stratus offers the following packages:
- Comprehensive MBA Admissions Consulting: Starting at $5,600 for 1 school
- Hourly Admissions Consulting: Starting $385/hour (minimum purchase 2 hours)
- MBA Application Fundamentals and Strategy: Starting at $2,250
- MBA Interview Prep: Starting at $800
- MBA Ding Analysis: $770
Reviews Excerpt
Harvard Business School 2023 – “Stratus was comprehensive and gave me a lot of great guidance without making me feel like they were overly influencing or writing my application for me. I was very wary about using an MBA Admissions Counselor, but Stratus gave me insights and advice that I would have picked up on my own.”
Learn More About Stratus Admissions
MBA Admit
Founder and lead consultant Dr. Shel Watts is a Harvard and Oxford graduate and works with each client that MBA Admit works with. She also spent time as a Harvard admissions worker, Harvard alumni recruiter, a Harvard academic advisor, and an interview coach for HBS students. She uses all of this experience to help her team put clients in the best position they can to be accepted to their MBA program of choice. MBA Admit pours over client’s applications to help pinpoint key strengths and weakness, and then optimize it so that it is as attractive to admissions officers as possible.
Product Offerings
Potential applicants are afforded a free introductory call, along with the following packages:
- CEO Package: $4,675
- Gold “Plus” Package: $2,695
- Gold Package: $2,395
- Basic Package: $1,095
- Stand-Alone Strategy Session: $595
- Hourly Fees: $365/hour
Reviews Excerpt
USC Marshall School of Business 2023 – “Very helpful as a whole, good materials and coaching”
Fortuna Admissions
Fortuna Admissions has personally reviewed more than 200,000 applications from candidates from all over the world. Their coaches have worked as gatekeepers to the world’s top tier business schools and are uniquely qualified to help students strengthen their profile, and position their application. The Fortuna coaches include former directors of MBA admissions and senior staff from Harvard Business School, Stanford GSB, Wharton, INSEAD, Chicago Booth, Columbia, Duke Fuqua, London Business School, Berkeley Haas, Yale SOM, UCLA Anderson, Kellogg, NYU Stern, IE Business School, Virginia Darden and Johnson Cornell.
Product Offerings
In addition to one free consultation with a specialist, Fortuna offers the following packages:
- Comprehensive MBA Admissions Consulting: Starting at $5.550 for 1 school
- Hourly Admissions Consulting: Starting $395/hour (minimum purchase 8 hours)
- Early Stage MBA Planning: Starting at $1,580
- MBA Resume Review: Starting at $790
- MBA Ding Analysis: $790
Reviews Excerpt
Harvard Business School 2023 – “I used Fortuna for my interview part of my application process at HBS. I’m a second year student now and I always reflect on the valuable benefit that coaching session provided in helping me prepare for the interview.”
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