Curious to know people's opinions of Sandy Kreisberg (aka HBSguru). I'm normally very skeptical of admissions consultants and think the whole industry is a glorified scam. But from reading sandy's analysis of applicants' chances on poets and quants, I'm left extremely impressed. He knows the process like the back of his hands and is brutally honest and sarcastic in his assessment.
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Dee, the admissions director at HBS, commented to a bunch of us at a PE forum a couple years ago regarding admissions consultants. She said that if you are smart enough to be successful in this field, you won't need an admissions consultant. That said, you should personally be the one to judge yourself and whether or not the cost/benefit is there. As for Sandy, you will never know if the advice he gives you helps/hurts your application.
I'm bumping this. Can anyone who has worked with Sandy comment on this?
Right here used him. NOT impressed for the money I paid for. He just yells at you in CAPS and tells you to write better. Like duh.. Its like a fat person going to a personal trainer and having the PT go, "LOSE MORE WEIGHT!!!!"
Anyways your call but would personally stay away from him. I used these guys: http://www.precisionessay.com/
Didn't get into the schools I wanted, spent a whole shit load of money. But still felt it was worth it. They helped me to get my stories down it helped during interviews at my backup school.
If you don't mind me asking, what were your stats and where were you targeting? I've heard Sandy is particularly helpful for people who already are competitive for H/W/S range school, but just need some polish or spin on their apps. But, whether this is correct is what I am trying to ascertain.
700, Asian/Male, 4 years of WE, Canadian.
Well Sandy said it himself he really doesn't add much. And the first 30 seconds of a resume glimpse they can tell if you are HSW material.
Was targeting columbia with his application. But top 10 for me.
Hey your call.
tomato13 - what were Sandy's thoughts on your chances at CBS?
I'm working with Sandy on an app right now (one of the top 3).
I've been involved with admissions at the graduate level (not MBA) and understand that the process is a game - it's not about righting eloquently it's about fitting into what the school is looking for and making sure you highlight experiences that set you apart as a candidate. An admissions consultant will not make you a better candidate, he/she will only make sure you talk about relevant experiences in the best light possible.
I decided to get an admissions consultant since I have great stats (GMAT/GPA) but come from a very unique background where few apply to B-school and wanted to make sure I didn't screw up.
I vetted the usual (PrecisionEssay/SBC/Amerasia/etc.)- they all gave me generic BS about how I have a shot but will have to address a certain weakness in my profile. I was thoroughly unimpressed during my calls.
MBAApply (Alex) - very straightforward, and I think would be a solid option, but did not seem like the best person in terms of trying to come up with a 'spin' or 'angle' for an app.
I spoke with Sandy over the phone before signing up and he basically said, "I would do x,y,z to your resume and if you sign up with me this is basically how it works." Even sent me a few sample materials for people with a related background. After weighing my options, I chose Sandy.
Now, in terms of working with him, he is super blunt when it comes to essay feedback. He doesn't go through and pick words for you, just makes sure the content is meaningful - which I agree is most important. He does yell in all caps as the previous poster noted, but the feedback is good. So far, it has been what I expected.
Do NOT use an admissions consultant if Sandy/Alex think you are a stretch. They WILL NOT add that much value. Use them if you are in range of a school, REALLY want to go there and want to make sure you don't screw up.
I do not think I am a stretch for the H/S range of schools. But, like you I am coming from a unique background and will need an appropriate angle. What did Sandy give as your odds for Harvard (if that's one of the schools you are targeting)?
Sandy and several other consultants thought I had a strong shot for H/S/W. He was the only one that seemed to add value when I spoke to him over the phone at first.
What are your stats (if you don't mind sharing)? What kind of feedback have you received from consultants?
scleraxis
History Member for 17 hours 43 min
I assume that's calling me out as being a shill for Sandy? I've been lurking on the forums for a while, just haven't posted and want my feedback to remain anonymous.
a cheaper alternative is to talk to friends who paid for consultants and have them help you. it's free and they'll give you the same advice.
Very true - if you have friends from your company/similar background who have had some success and are a decent writer yourself, that is more than enough.
Even Sandy said so himself that he adds zero value, most of these people get in via their resumes, alone. Personally, I think if you look at admission consultants in helping you get into schools may not be the best way to frame it. I see it as getting your stories straight for when recruiting comes and if you get in hey that's awesome! Even though I flamed out of the process. I had some amazing behavioural stories which being in a lower tier school, I had inadvertenly prepped hard for interviews and was nailing my summer interviews with a 50% conversion rate.
Sandy said I had a 50% changes of getting into CBS. And I was like WTF am I paying your for he said good point. I should've listened to him. Regardless I felt I did learn a lot about writing going with the other guy.
Banana Points: 3 - View
History Member for 2 days 16 hours
Yeah I think Sandy's value comes in him assessing your chances. If you read his very popular series on poets and quants, his analysis of the applicants' chances at various schools are pretty much spot-on. I exchanged e-mails with him last year, and he told me straight up that for a white/asian male in trading, getting into a M7 b-school will be VERY difficult unless you worked at a prestigious firm and/or did something outside of work that really sets you apart.
In terms of essay editing, I heard he's mediocre, mostly because he's a one-man shop working with several hundred clients each year.
Yes, the essay editing is 'ok' - it takes time (2-3 days between revisions) and lacks polish. The message is good though so his value add is really only the spin he provides.
This seems right. For those who already have all the credentials in place and don't mind spending $2500/app to have someone look over their essays and get some peace of mind before the submission, I suppose sandy or the other consultants is not a bad bet. I still stand by my assertion though that very few consultants are worth the price tag, and the industry by and large is a pseudo-scam.
I would not recommend Sandy.
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