Anyone worked with Shawn O'Connor from Stratus Prep?

Would you mind sharing with us who you used - specifically the name of the consultant? Even after speaking with a number of them, I'm still undecided on if a consultant is worth it.

You make some really good points. I agree and disagree, if that is possible.

1. Completely agree. Stats are bullshit unless you get specific examples and pools of applicants. I think a good consultant or company will be willing to share this info with you, but you do have to ask. Even if it's not a pure statistic that you get, ask for examples of similar applicants to you and what the strategy was. Ask them about how they failed with applicants like you. The beginning is an interview process for the client, so take advantage of it. Don’t be impressed by sample stats like the one mbavvsmfin posted.

2. Agree and disagree. To be a bit picky, you can do hourly, and if you're that fearful about your consultant walking out the door after getting paid, I would absolutely do that. That being said, you act like these people don't have a business to maintain. If McKinsey mailed in their final presentations after billing and getting paid for three months of work, do you think that would fly? Consultants can't continue to do a shitty, low-effort job, or else the word will spread. Word of mouth is pretty important, especially because of websites like this one and GMATClub. Finally, every consultant is different, and this is why vetting them is so important (both through referrals and discussions).

3. Agree and disagree again. At H/S, and probably W, I don't think essays mean all that much, unless you're right on the border with someone else. In that case though, you'll probably get an interview and be able to show your stuff there. However, at just about any other school, including the rest of the M7, most applicants have a weakness. In my opinion, this causes them to look to your story to figure out how you're different, or how you could fit into their program. Essentially, to find the best applicants for their program, they have to dig a bit deeper, maybe to verify employability (at a place like Columbia), or maybe to verify your desire to be in the middle of nowhere (Tuck). At Sloan, where you interviewer actually read your application was well, they are obsessed with digging into your esasys, or at least they were in my interview (and others I've heard about). When I got into CBS, the AdCom member called me specifically pointed to a part of my essays that he remembered reading and enjoyed. Did that get me in? Who knows, but it certainly created something for him to remember. Basically, all I'm saying is that outside of those that have A+ everything (Harvard Undergrad, 3.9, 770, Goldman-->KKR, saved the world, etc.), essays, and more importantly, your overall story, are pretty damn important. Of course, crafting a good story does not necessarily require a consultant, but it can help.

Don't think there's a "right way" to do applications. I do think, however, that the admissions game is so tight that if something gives you a slight boost, it can absolutely be worth the price.

mbavsmfin:

I am personally very anti-MBA admissions consultant. I talked to probably a dozen of them and ended up going on my own. My beef with the industry as a whole is many, but a few of my issues with them:

1. Firms trumpet unverifiable statistics (i.e., 80% of our clients get into HSW! A client with 650 GMAT got into HBS!), which even if true, are irrelevant unless we know detailed information about the client's background and credentials. If you are a white or Asian bro in finance, the fact that an NFL player got into HBS with a 580 is completely irrelevant to you. What you care about is how clients with similar demographics and background fared with the schools you are targeting. But firms will not give those kinds of details.

2. Firms get paid upfront regardless of the client's results or caliber of service. I know some consultants allow you to pay by the month or do a free trial for a week or so before biting the bullet. Either way, once you pay up, the consultant doesn't have an incentive to put in his 110% because he already has your money, and he has other clients to work with. You are just a number to them.

3. After having gone through the process and even having talked to an admissions dean at a M7 program behind closed doors, I am pretty convinced that the importance of the essays has been overstated by consultants. After all, this is where most of their work is done, and they need you to believe that essays are UBER CRITICAL, so they can continue to make a living. Back when schools had more essays, they said "this is proof that essays are really important." Then when schools cut back, these same folks said "this is proof that essays are even more important than ever before since you have less words to convey your goals and personality." The bottom line is this: at the elite b-schools, most of admissions boils down to caliber of undergrad, major, gpa, GMAT, professional pedigree, and what I call the "X" factor-something unique about you or your experience that sets you apart. (Interview is also important but much moreso at HBS/Stanford/MIT). Those things are pretty much set in stone by the time you apply, and although a consultant could help you flesh out ideas if you are a terrible writer and/or know nothing about the MBA admissions process, for most people who have done due diligence, I just don't see the value.

FWIW, I also talked to Shawn O'Connor at Stratus Prep and exchanged several e-mails with him and his staff. He is a good talker and a super bright guy (Harvard JD/MBA, 179 LSAT, 780 GMAT). However, when I e-mailed him with follow-up questions, he never responded, and his staff was sort of rude to me. There is one consulting firm-Amerasia-that I almost signed up with because their guys were super friendly, but ultimately I decided that there are better ways to spend $5K.

Again, many will disagree vehemently, especially those who used a consultant and got into their dream school. This is just my 2 cents.

Whats your X Factor?

seamlessftw:

To the OP -- I just used both Shawn and Sandy for my R1 HBS application and got in. Both were great, but each has pros and cons. The right choice depends on what you are looking for. Happy to get into more specifics and share my own experiences via PM.

you hired two admissions consultants? Is that normal?

Hi Seamlessftw. I would love to get your two cents on Shawn. I am a new user website and hence I cannot PM you. Would you mind sending me your inputs via PM? I appreciate your help!

Hey! Thanks for your detailed feedback. If you don't mind sharing... Who was your primary consultant at Stratus?

Thanks for sharing. Which consultant did you work with at Stratus?

Thanks for sharing. Which consultant did you work with at Stratus?

bankybanker:

any additional comments on working with Stratus Prep?

Are you looking to apply for next year's admission? If so, I think consultants value really comes from getting to know you, so you should hire for the year after (2016 admission). I personally don't feel they add value, but I'm just an applicant, maybe I'm totally off base. We'll find out with where I (don't) get in.