{"id":2706,"date":"2021-03-31T16:13:18","date_gmt":"2021-03-31T16:13:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/abound.college\/mba\/?post_type=advice&#038;p=2706"},"modified":"2021-03-31T16:13:18","modified_gmt":"2021-03-31T16:13:18","slug":"do-i-need-to-hire-an-admissions-counsultant-for-my-mba-application","status":"publish","type":"advice","link":"https:\/\/abound.college\/mba\/advice\/do-i-need-to-hire-an-admissions-counsultant-for-my-mba-application\/","title":{"rendered":"Do I Need to Hire an Admissions Counsultant for my MBA Application?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">College admissions consulting is a big business and it\u2019s growing every year. This multi-billion-dollar industry has one mission: get students into their dream schools. Consulting agencies exist for every level in higher education, even at the master\u2019s level. If you\u2019re in the market for an MBA, you might have come across consultants boasting high success rates, and wonder if it\u2019s necessary to hire one yourself. Despite what these top-dollar consultants might tell you, an MBA admissions consultant is not a requirement to get in. Still, the question about whether an admissions consultant is necessary is entirely up to you. The value and efficacy of a consultant is highly subjective, so you have to decide if it\u2019s worth it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To make that decision, weigh the pros and cons of hiring an admissions consultant in relation to your goals, budget, and expectations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pros:\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Finger on the pulse:<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Many consultancy firms employ and are founded by business professionals who attended the schools you dream about. Their educational background and professional expertise certainly proves that they have a keen understanding of the business world and what it takes to succeed. Having such an expert on your side can go a long way in getting accepted. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Help you find the right school: <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It\u2019s always a good idea to dream big, but if your dream schools are out of reach, you will be in for a lot of disappointment. A consultant can take an unbiased look at your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 and test scores and determine how realistic your goals are. Remember, Harvard Business School is not the only school that offers excellent MBA programs!<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ideal for \u201cB students\u201d:<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> If your GMAT scores are lower than average, or if there are gaps in your r\u00e9sum\u00e9, a consultant can be an invaluable resource. Your consultant will help you work around these potential shortcomings in other parts of your application so that you can still have a chance of admission. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Prepare your application: <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Once you have a list of schools to apply to, your consultant will work with you to make sure your applications are complete. They will help you identify and rectify any missing components from your application.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Improve your essay: <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A consultant can help you determine the content of your essay, maintain tone and direction, and adhere to guidelines. An unbiased editor will make sure your essay is clear and compelling.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Practice your interview: <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While there aren\u2019t many in-person interviews happening right now due to COVID-19, it\u2019s always a good idea to be prepared. Your consultant will help fine-tune your interview skills through practice and constructive feedback. Have a virtual interview scheduled? We can help with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/abound.college\/mba\/advice\/perfect-your-mba-skype-zoom-interview\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">that<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> too!\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cons:\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Expensive:<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> MBA consultant fees can be steep. Hourly rates can be as high as $400, and packages can cost in thousands. Of course, it\u2019s important to remember that an MBA has a proven return on investment. Some MBA grads can make <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gmac.com\/market-intelligence-and-research\/research-library\/curriculum-insight\/2011-global-management-education-graduate-survey-report\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">30% more <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">than they were making before earning their degree, with salaries far beyond the six-figure mark. Does that justify the cost of an admissions consultant? Possibly, but it\u2019s up to you to decide. Salary increases don\u2019t happen automatically, so make sure you can afford the fees right now. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">No guarantee: <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Just because your admissions consultant got into your dream program, that doesn\u2019t always mean you will. Remember, your consultant is just consulting you. They are not involved in the admissions process at all. Now, if they had a direct line to the admissions officers and could tell them to admit you, that would probably be worth the money. That would also technically be <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/uscode\/text\/18\/1346\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">illegal<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Don\u2019t succumb to the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/03\/12\/us\/college-admissions-cheating-scandal.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Varsity Blues<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> or anything like it. Instead, accept that there is no guarantee that hiring a consultant will get you accepted.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Unrealistic expectations:<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Once you accept this fact, your expectations won\u2019t skyrocket. If you don\u2019t reign in your expectations, the feelings of disappointment, confusion, or anger you might feel if rejected could be amplified. Positive thinking goes a long way, but make sure you\u2019re being realistic.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">No evidence that it\u2019s worth it: <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">With so many variables in the admissions process, it is difficult to discern the true reason behind acceptances and rejections. So there\u2019s no real way to pinpoint the use of a consultant as the reason for acceptance. And if you ask someone who hired a consultant, their feedback will probably depend on whether they got in or not. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It could do more harm than good:<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> MBA consulting has become such a big business that schools are taking notice. According to a survey conducted by <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/whichmba.economist.com\/applying-to-school\/2016\/07\/11\/mba-admissions-consultants-divide-and-school\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Economist<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, a significant proportion of admissions officers \u201cfear that consultants make applications inauthentic.\u201d What\u2019s worse is that \u201c62% admissions officers said they worried consultants helped students to lie on their applications.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Takeaway: While they are not necessary to stand out as an applicant, admissions consultants can offer direction and advice to help your chances. However, there are no guarantees that you will be accepted if you do hire one. If you\u2019ve crunched the numbers and the fees are something you can afford, then go for it! If writing that check will keep you up at night, then save the money. There are plenty of free resources online. Hey, you\u2019re reading one right now! Check out our robust section of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/abound.college\/mba\/advice\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">advice<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to help you navigate the MBA application process every step of the way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<span class=\"et_bloom_bottom_trigger\"><\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> Contemplating hiring an MBA admissions consultant? Review our analysis to determine whether you need to hire an admissions consultant to get in.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":2707,"template":"","class_list":["post-2706","advice","type-advice","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","abound_advice_topics-finding-the-right-program","abound_advice_topics-getting-accepted"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.6 (Yoast SEO v27.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Do I Need to Hire an Admissions Counsultant for my MBA Application? - Abound: MBA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Contemplating hiring an MBA admissions consultant? 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