MBA Admissions Consultants: Who Uses Them, What They Get, and Are They Worth It

Why High-Achieving Candidates Choose to Work With an MBA Admissions Coach

I’m no stranger to how MBA admissions consultants are talked about.

Overpriced. Snake oil. Ethical gray zone. I’ve seen the Reddit threads, the snark, the eye-rolls.

I get it, and I find the skepticism to be very healthy. In fact, some of my most successful candidates started off just like that, skeptical.

Let me tell you a story.

From Skeptic to an HBS Admit

Exactly two years ago, a prospective MBA candidate showed up for her free consultation.

She was whip-smart, Ivy League–educated, professionally successful, and had written for one of the most influential publications in the world. This was not someone who didn’t know how to write, or who didn’t know herself.

When we met for the free consultation, she was upfront with me:

“I kind of hate that I’m even doing this. I’m skeptical of MBA consultants and hate paying for one.”

Fair enough.

She also told me she was choosing between me and another top-ranked firm.

Why was she even considering a consultant in the first place if she hated the idea?

Because, in her words, “Every single friend of mine who got into Stanford or HBS told me to work with a good consultant. So here I am.”

And the reason she picked me in the end?

It was the approach. She didn’t want templates or long questionnaires to fill out. She wanted real conversation and someone who could help her think rather than edit. She also wanted someone who had actually sat on the other side of the table. Someone who had truly been part of an MBA admissions committee.

Fast forward a few months. I’ll never forget the email she sent me after submitting her final apps:

She got interviews at all three schools: HBS, Stanford, and Columbia.

After she made the decision to enroll at HBS, she sent me flowers with a card :

Here’s the thing: she didn’t work with me because she lacked anything.

She worked with me because she wanted to do this at the highest level possible and she wanted a true partner in what was one of the most important steps in her life and career.

Because she was aiming high, and she wasn’t about to leave something this important to chance.

This is who actually works with the best admissions consultants. Not people coming from a place of deficiency, but from a place of serious intention.

If you're aiming high and want true clarity, momentum, and success in your own MBA journey and you’re willing to put in the work, it starts with a conversation.

Book a free consultation here and let’s see if I can help you get there.

Should You Choose Hourly or Comprehensive Support?

Once someone decides to work with an MBA admissions coach, this is usually the next big question. And it’s a good one.

There’s no universal right answer. But here's how I think about it:

Hourly support works best when you already have a clear sense of your direction and simply want expert feedback on specific parts, like refining a resume, pressure-testing essay drafts, or getting guidance on school selection. You're not looking for deep, iterative collaboration on every part of your application. You want targeted insights so you can move forward with confidence.

Comprehensive support, on the other hand, is for people who want a thought partner from start to finish. Someone to help them define and shape their career narrative, build their school strategy, select recommenders and provide them with a thoughtful brief, uncover and sharpen the strongest essay material, and make sure their full application actually reflects who they are and where they’re headed.

Here’s what I often say:

Hourly is tactical. Comprehensive is strategic.
One helps you fix. The other helps you build.

I’m writing this blog post because this is the time of year when I get asked to help candidates choose between hourly and comprehensive at least a few times a week. This is the verbatim advice I gave someone in an email this week that they found helpful, so I am sharing it with you here:

“When candidates work hourly, there's always a subtle pressure to stay within the bounds of the purchased time, which can limit the kind of iterative, in-depth development that makes essays exceptional. 

For example, just this morning, I met with one of my candidates who’s on a comprehensive plan. We had scheduled 30 minutes to presumably quickly outline a single essay. But then we ended up spending an hour and a half mapping ideas, challenging the structure, shaping phrasing, and even jumping into an adjacent essay. That kind of unconstrained collaboration leads to breakthroughs.”

I’ve seen exceptional candidates thrive with each model, but only when they chose the one that matched their actual needs.

If you’re unsure which is right for you, step back and ask:

Do I already know what I want to say and just need smart, honest feedback?

Or am I still figuring out how to tell my story in a way that feels both real and compelling?

Clarity on that is where your real ROI begins.

Onwards and upwards,

Petia