Ask MBA IVY LEAGUE - FORMER HARVARD INTERVIEWER

I'm a former Harvard Interviewer, and Harvard grad and run the MBA & EMBA Admissions Consulting Firm: MBA Ivy League, out of Manhattan. I have a great success rate working with clients trying to get into the Top Ten schools. Happy to provide insight into the process or answer any questions!

Jillian, Founder
MBA Ivy League

 

Thank you for sharing. I have a few questions -

1) Do you know of anybody getting accepted into a Top 10 program with only 2 years experience working as an investment banking Analyst? If so, any insights as to how they succeeded?

2) How do fees at your consulting firm work? Do you charge clients even if they aren't accepted into their school of choice? Is there a certain criteria of applicants you work with for e.g. only Ivy league students, GPA > 3.8 etc.?

3) Will working at an impact/social investment firm or a micro-finance firm provide a significant bonus to an applicant? I assume it would at Yale since they have a huge focus on social entrepreneurship; but, what about other top 15 schools?

4) Will an applicant classified under "two or more races" be considered an under represented minority?

Thanks, again.

 

Is there a reason you don't identify yourself on your About Us page? It would certainly add more credibility. I also recommend that you proofread your site ... I note that you 'often sometimes have space' if an applicant has waited too close to a deadline. Definitely a shortcoming for someone marketing themselves as a consultant for admissions essays.

tl;dr: LOL

EDIT: This is intended as a reply to the OP -- Irony duly noted.

 
Best Response

Hi

Thanks for this tread, its invaluable.

I am right now completing my 2 year MA finance (will graduate in May 2015) at Brandeis university, a small B-School, 10 miles from Boston. I chose this school basically for generous scholarship and location. I am an international student from India and have engineering undergrad degree with 2 years manufacturing exp. I came to Brandeis with aim of breaking into IB, even if it took one more graduate degree. During this summer fortunately I landed a summer internship (Trading and Operations position) in Boston with an Investment Adviser with ~50 million AUM. (These guys want me to continue for whole next year). But I may ditch them for other suitable job. I am seriously planning my moves for this year and next 2-3 years. During this one year I have developed interest in PE and place my career target in PE as equally as that of IB in short term. And would prefer PE slightly over IB in the longer term.

After being 1 year in b-school and job hunting I have realized that its next to impossible to break into BB IB with this degree alone. That said TOP B-School MBA is a must for me. But the question is WHEN?

  • 1 year after this degree OR
  • after 2-3 years gap after this degree OR
  • right after this degree.

I know other factors in life will also affect this decision but I want your opinion career wise. Which one of this will land me a BB IB job (or equivalent in pay in PE) as soon as possible and with maximum probability. Also schools I am targeting are Harvard/Wharton/Booth/Columbia and Stern. I feel Stern is pretty in placing student in BB IB and lower in ranking and hence might prove low hanging fruit. What do you think?

AND

What kind of job should I pursue during these year, before my TOP B-School MBA? How to get that would altogether different question, I just want to know what would be golden path for me now onward. Do you think I can also reach where I want without an additional MBA? (I am little pessimist regarding this)

 

I used Jillian's services and she was definitely a fraud.

I've posted on other forums too but basically I called all Harvard MBA and undergrad admissions and they both claimed she never interviewed with them, and I paid $33 for a degree check to see that she graduated from the Harvard Divinity School. She also used to be an artist so not sure if she had any biz experience, and never provided me references.

Round 2 deadlines were approaching and I didn't do proper due diligence ahead of time.. so when I got back a resume review that only changed one word, essay editing that was just grammar checks with additional wrong storylines added, I wanted to terminate the relationship since the product was useless.

She gave me advice to write about work in all my essays which wasn't in line with the school's expectations (Haas has a reputation for their valuing their defining principles, and I would expect a consultant to know that). Then she told me to ignore and take advice with current students who were actually attending the school (too many cooks in the kitchen was her rationale).

I haven't been able to get any of my money back and have very little to show for it, so definitely draw up contracts and do due diligence before choosing a consultant!

 

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