We’ve helped hundreds of MBA applicants navigate challenging circumstances. Here are some thoughts on how you might want to approach working with us if one of these situations sounds familiar.
Blue Chip Candidates Trying to Cement First Choice
Even if you have top grades and GMAT scores, you need to position yourself carefully for admission to each business school you are applying to. Admissions committees at the most prestigious schools choose from as many as 16 applicants for each open spot. Lower-ranked schools are also selective with their offers, looking for candidates with specific profiles. At every level, the applicants who get in have always thought carefully about how to present themselves.
To secure your best chance for admission to your dream school(s), choose a per-school package and use our discounted hourly consulting rate or a component package for any additional needs that come up.
Walter knows the inner workings of the admission process and is committed to helping people get admitted to a school that will help them achieve their professional objectives. With his help, I turned in application that was well-prepared and ultimately got accepted into the school of my choice - with a fellowship. I highly recommend talking to Walter if you are serious about graduate school. - N.T., Admitted to Columbia, SAIS
Executive MBA Candidates
An MBA is what you need to make sure you get to the top rung. We’ll help you choose a program that helps you leverage the best of what you do at work, with the best the school has to offer. You’re working full time, so you have even less time for the process than other applicants. We frequently work with very experienced executives, and can help you efficiently get the most out of both the application process – and the degree you’ll be giving up nights and weekends to achieve.
Our school packages will ensure that we keep moving your application forward no matter what your work schedule throws at you.
Conditional Acceptances
Maybe the admissions committee wants to admit you, but there is some lingering reservation or hurdle to complete. Your goal is to ensure you correctly interpret the source of the concern, and then take the most direct route to satisfactorily addressing it.
Use our services for hourly engagement and turn your conditional acceptance into an outright win.
Waitlist
The admissions committee has not accepted you, but neither does it feel comfortable rejecting you either. You’re still in competition, and it’s down to the wire. The committee is going to be pre-disposed to making an offer to the person they feel is more serious about the prospect of attending.
Our Decision Simulation service will help analyze what can put you at the top of the stack.
Emergency (Rush) Help
You have an incredibly busy schedule, made a last-minute decision to apply to business school, or for some other reason you are now in a big rush. You recognize that you’re not going to do it well enough on your own.
Engage us by next business day using our rush service, subject to availability. If you select a school package afterwards, we’ll apply the fees (up to our five-hour regular, non-rush rate) towards that school package.
As CEO of a large company, I have very little time to waste. Working with Walter was worth every minute, because I was able to hand off to him issues that I barely pay attention to. He is not the least-expensive advisor out there, but he was well-worth the investment. - D.D., CEO and Entrepreneur, Nationwide Billion Dollar Finance Group
Ding Analysis and Reapplying
What happened? We help you find out the reason for the rejection. There are always ways to improve, and reapplicants tend to have a higher chance of getting in on their second attempt.
Engage our hourly services to evaluate your best strategy. Up to five hours can be rolled over towards the price of our school packages.
Pre-Application School Selection
If you know substantively why you want to attend a particular school, it becomes much easier to present a convincing argument to the admissions committee. We encourage applicants to make an informed decision rather than one based purely on rankings or on the popularity or "buzz" around a program. We help you take stock of how your personal brand will engage admissions committees, and how your goals fit with each individual school.
Engage us on an hourly basis, then work with us to apply to one or more schools.
If you are thinking about graduate school, ApplicationAdvantage is an extremely valuable resource. Walter is committed to your success and asks a lot of questions to get to know your background and interests. He will evaluate your profile comprehensively and give you the honest feedback you need to decide if going to business school is the right choice for you. If you decide it is, he will help you better position yourself as an ideal candidate for the school of your choice. - N.T., Admitted to Columbia, SAIS, American Applicant
Decisions on Whether to Apply At All
You’re not sure whether business school is the right choice for you. Maybe you are worried about the time commitment or opportunity costs, or maybe you just wonder if it makes sense for your particular career path.
Engage our free consultation to help point you in the right direction.
Walter came highly recommended and his wide-ranging experience quickly earned my trust. His commitment and caring turned this trust into friendship. Walter’s thought-provoking advice, candid feedback and inspirational conversations have been invaluable as I considered the next steps to take in my career. When in need of exceptional and personalized branding advice, Walter is the first person I recommend to my network. - M.A., Admitted to Chicago Booth
Need to Enhance Profile Before Applying
You know you’ve got work to do in order to have your best shot at applying. Maybe your resume needs enhancement, or you need to offset weaknesses.
Engage our free consultation to start thinking about a strategy, or if you know what you need, use one of our component services or get hourly guidance as needed.
I did not believe I could get into a top school. Thanks to Walter believing in my candidacy and taking such great pains to help me build my professional profile, he helped me to get into an Ivy League business school. In this tough job market, I am so glad that he pushed me to apply for higher-ranked schools because I need every advantage that I can get.. Meeting Walter and working with him is a major reason why my life has changed and why my fortunes have shifted so quickly and so positively, even in this economy. - S.R., Manager (and former MBA client admitted to Columbia, Multinational Consumer Goods Corporation
Transition into School
If you’re a professional who has been away from academics for a while or an admitted student who is facing a major lifestyle change. Your transition from full-time professional work to student life at business school shares many characteristics with global or expatriate relocation. Even if you are going to business school in your own city, you are about to undergo a level of culture shock as intense as what you would experience when moving to another country. We’ll help with the transition.
Up to two hours on transitional issues is included if you engaged us for a school package. Otherwise, engage us on an hourly basis.
I first worked with Walter Hutchinson when he got me admitted into Harvard. [While in school] I came back to him for professional help, because he is the first person. - N.N., Associate (and former MBA client), Fund Management and Venture Capital Firm
Ongoing Career Advisement
When you leave business school, you want to take full advantage of your degree, your connections, and your knowledge. We’ve advised hundreds of clients on how to do just that.
Up to two hours on transitional issues is included if you engaged us for a school package. Otherwise, engage us on an hourly basis.
I run a business in Tokyo that works with major corporations and law firms. Walter's revision of my corporate profile (resume and business experience) landed me two Fortune 500 clients in the last three months. - B.L., Director and Project Manager, Legal Services Company