You are the only admissions consulting firm to underwrite your work with a money-back guarantee. Why is that and how do you do it?

We do this because we have absolute faith in our product. We also have a lot of experience � which we put at your disposal � certainly enough to have a very keen idea of what each candidate�s chances really are. The money-back option is a specific program that you can choose (we sign on it), which allows us enough time to really make a difference to your file, essays, references, and interview. So if we think you have a reasonable shot, and you let us help you, and you put in the work too, and you apply to at least four schools, we�re 100 percent confident you won�t get dinged. If you do we refund in full.

I can get essay editing on the Web for 99c per 1,000,000 pages from sweetalkessays.com. Why should I come to you?

There are many cheap editing services around. Some are clear charlatans, but others are okay. What they don�t have, and what you almost certainly need if you are on this site, is an editor who understands what works in MBA admissions. Getting text correct is not so hard. What�s hard is understanding your value profile and communicating it to MBA admissions officers through the set questions, and getting the essays to dovetail with your file, references, and interview. A text-editor cannot take you there.

Okay, I get it that I need a specialized admissions consulting-editing service. Still, why are you different from other admissions consulting or essay editing firms?

We focus only on the MBA. We�re specialists. If you want to go to law school or med school, etc., we send you to consultants better than ourselves. But for top-tier MBA admissions, this is the place. We all have admissions experience at the most selective business schools and are either MBAs or professional editors with a background and training in the MBA process. For more on what�s different between us and the rest, see Why We're Different.

You make a big deal of profiling. What is it and why do I need it?

The Greek Oracle at Delphi said �know thyself� and that�s the single key to admissions. If you know who you are and where you�re going, and why it requires an MBA, you�re already halfway to getting in. Our profiling tool is a quick and effective way to achieve this basic self-knowledge. We assess your strengths, weaknesses, achievements, preferences, goals, motivations, etc., which becomes the basis of your essay and interview content. If you don�t do adequate individual personal profiling, you�ll end up sounding like a generic candidate. Ding.

You don�t say you have particular experience with any one school. Why not?

Actually we do have insider experience with a number of the top schools. But, first, our admissions strategy is strongly to focus on the candidate not the school. In our experience candidates get bent out of shape by trying to second-guess �what Stanford needs� or �what�s hot at Kellogg,� etc., and often neglect to say who they really are and where their own strengths lie. In fact all schools are looking for a mix of strong candidates of all types and backgrounds (to achieve class balance). Therefore their requirements are so similar as to be identical for all practical purposes. If you get your profile right you can get in anywhere.

Second, we know, and you should know, that claims to insider school knowledge is mostly marketing hot air. Currents move quickly in MBA admissions, so any consultants claim to past admissions committee experience is of very little consequence. All to say that the attempt to �inside-track� a particular school is redundant, futile, and possibly harmful to the candidate.

Do you just help with essays, or do you actually write them?

The MBA Studio wholly endorses the ethics of MBA admissions: a candidate�s essays must be their own work. We don�t do it for you. Having said that, every athlete has a coach, and every film star has an agent. We will absolutely coach you, advise you, troubleshoot for you, and guide you every step of the way. Everything we do is by way of suggestion. You retain full ownership and control.

Do you sell sample essays? If not, why not?

We do not traffic in sample essays. Samples can be good, if used in the right way (as a learning tool.) So we are happy to send you for free good samples of excellent and shoddy essays. But we do not suggest you use these essay as any sort of �model�. Firstly there�s the possibility that Adcom will directly recognize the essay, and therefore your plagiarism. But even if they don�t, the language will be different and the essay will likely not fit in with the rest of your application, which will raise a red flag.

Second, unless you are an immensely centered individual, chances are you will be influenced and sucked in to mimicking the model essay that worked for someone else � which by definition won�t work for you. Our advice is: have a look at some examples, understand the principles of success, then put others� work away and concentrate on telling your own story and communicating your own value.

What�s the difference between your per hour and per school service packages?

There is no difference in terms of what you get (depending which school package you take.) Generally, you go through the same process. Some people are more comfortable with an hourly system they can control, some are more comfortable knowing �what they�re in for� in total. If you think you�re quick on the uptake and work fast you�d be more likely to be comfortable going by the hour. School packages offer extended support beyond any time usage you will ever need. The choice is yours.

What the difference between the Complete Service and the Essay Makeover Service?

At MBA Studio we have two types of client. The first type wants their essays checked and fixed before they send them. They seek the quick and relatively inexpensive Essay Makeover. Sometimes they take other items they need off the a-la-carte menu. The second type wants to build their whole admissions strategy, profile, essays, interviews, references, file etc., into one coherent, competitive picture from the ground up. They do the �deep dive� full package (either per school or per hour). The full service is longer, more thorough, and more intensive. It takes far more of our time and returns commensurately higher benefits to you.

How do I know if I should be an Essay Makeover client or a Complete Service client? Do you advise me?

Essay Makeover is for people who are sure they understand their profile, and their core message, and know what they want to write and how to approach the essays to get their message across. The per-school or hourly Complete Service is for applicants who are not sure they understand the full extent of their value profile, or aren�t sure how to approach the essays or interview or references.

We can help you choose which is better for you. If you have a ready essay or essay set, we�ll look at it. If it�s a solid start you can build on, we�ll go straight to Essay Makeover. If it�s not, we�ll suggest the Profile Build and moving on from there.

Okay, assuming I sign up, for the Essay Makeover. What�s the process?

You submit your essays or essay set via the prices page. These will be reviewed initially for content and structure. We don�t do a full interview but we do ask you to send as much background about yourself � r�sum�, etc., so we can do a better job. Your essays will be returned with extensive content, profile, and structure/flow comments and advice, as necessary. This is Round 1.

You�ll take them, rework them, and submit them again (Round 2). This time we will focus more on language, expression, and style. If your essay is in good shape we�ll finish it up there and then with a grammar check and copyediting. Sometimes, if you essay is really good and clean it takes only one review. Normally it takes 2-3 reviews to get it right.

In the Essay Makeover, what�s the difference between a content-structure review (Round 1) and the style and expression review (Round 2)?

In reviewing an essay we first ask questions such as: Do you answer the question? Does the essay communicate a value point? Does it have an argument (for your value) which follows a logical structure? Do the introduction and conclusion work? Have you shared a distinctive memorable attribute? Does the story you chose work in its context? Have you been specific enough and given examples? If you submit various essays for one school, we check that they complement but don�t overlap each other.

Round 2 assumes the content is right, and then looks more closely at the text. Have you briefly and clearly said what you need to say, using clear expression and good writing technique? Are all errors of style and grammar cleaned up?

Assuming I sign up for the Complete Service. What�s happens then?

The full service admissions consulting is designed to get all parts of your file, interview, references, essays, as good as they can be, and working in harmony. We invariably start by asking for as much background information as possible to be sent via e-mail, and then we make a time for a substantial chat � of one to two hours � by phone where we get to know you and ask you questions about your personality, background, goals, motivations, community service, successes, failures, etc. We�re more interested in the human interest and stories of your life than the bald facts and events.

When we have the basics then we will sift through them together, deciding which parts of you to promote to create a valuable, compelling candidate. Then we will discuss how to �map� this profile onto the essays you face (and get it into the references and interview.) We don�t leave you to write until we have defined what goes in each essay, and set up a structure and outline for each one. This will give you clear guidance as you write.

After that the process resembles the Essay Makeover. We take your essay through various rewrites until it is complete. This is all done via email, with occasional brief phone calls, where necessary.

What�s "essay content mapping"? That�s not a term I�m familiar with.

If you follow our system you don�t start by answering the questions. You start by sorting out what you should tell Adcom. You arrive at your application message before you look at the questions. Mapping is the process of �painting� your message onto the essay questions so that (a) the questions are answered and (b) your message is transmitted.

So we can do all this even if I�m in Geneva and you�re in New York?

Right on. We�re in New York, with offices in the UK and Europe. But whether we�re working for someone in Trenton NJ, or Osaka Japan, we actually work the same way � via phone, email, and/or internet chat. There�s no difference, except that, if calling from abroad to the US is expensive, we�ll keep that to a minimum or we'll call you.

So what does this all cost?

The MBA Studio offers various flexible options: an hourly fee, various per hour or per school package options, and a completely a-la-carte menu. See the prices page. With us you always know exactly what you are paying for and you have full control over it.

We don�t expect you do plunk down a lot of money without experiencing the benefits of the process. Therefore we encourage you to take advantage of our free essay edit, or just one hour of consulting, so you can get an idea of the value-add. Only disreputable providers try to sucker you into a big upfront payment based on sweet words. We don�t hard-sell you and we don�t expect you to pay for more than one hour at a time. (Obviously significant discounts apply when you ready to make a bigger commitment to the process.)

What if I want to try you out, and purchase more of your services later?

The whole philosophy of MBA Studio is you have the power to choose. You can do whatever you want, and play it as your time and budget demands.

How long does it take?

Essay makeovers take 48 hours (24 hours by appointment). A full profiling and consulting series typically takes one to three weeks. It really depends on how fast you get your work back to us. We don�t hold onto it for more than 48 hours on average.

Can I take a full service package for one school and then switch to the per-word Essay makeover menu for the others?

Yes

How does Adcom view admission consulting, interview prep, and essay editing. Is it �legal�?

Adcom are totally fine with it as long as you don�t get anyone to write the essays for you. Think of it this way: almost everyone gets coached in the Gmat, whether through guidebooks or Gmat prep classes or online. So the candidate's Gmat score in no way represents the candidate�s raw ability. Admissions consulting, interview prep, and essay prep go by the same rules. It�s all about what you can achieve after consulting and coaching � just like in the business world.

What's the best way to reach you?

The MBA Studio has presence in various locations in the North America, Europe, the UK, and around the world. Please email us at [email protected] and well find the best way to connect you.