MBA Admissions

Joe has worked in admissions consulting for 18 years, with over 80% of his clients getting admitted to M7 and top 20 programs including HBS, Kellogg, Stanford, Fuqua, and Yale SOM (to name but a few). Just since 2022, Joe’s clients have received over $6 million in scholarship offers. He has worked with clients around the globe in industries ranging from the standard (consulting, marketing, accounting, nonprofit, etc.) to the nonstandard (tourism, video games, television, and academia). He has also worked with clients applying to MBA programs in Canada and Europe. As a second-year student at SOM, he was an admissions interviewer and student ambassador.

I'm a Harvard Business School MBA with a Northwestern undergrad degree in journalism. In my 10 years of MBA admissions work, I've coached clients who have been accepted at all M7 schools and they have earned more than $2 million in merit scholarships. I absolutely love helping applicants uncover their unique differentiators, which we all have but often people don't know how to identify them. I've worked with hundreds of applicants on every aspect of MBA applications from school selection to essays to interviews. My experience in journalism and public relations before my MBA and human capital consulting after HBS allows me to help my clients craft the most compelling and clear narratives for business school. I can also relate firsthand to those who have a more untraditional background (public relations certainly was not a popular entry point to HBS when I applied!) although I've worked with many clients from all industries, functions and geographies. I would love to meet you and be your guide on the path to your dream MBA program.

-Coached 200+ paid clients (at professional, market rates) through the MBA admissions process -Have placed multiple clients at each of the Top 25 US schools (~75% M7; ~95% M7 + S7; ~99% Top 25), as well as European schools (INSEAD, LBS, IESE, Oxford, Cambridge) -Accepted as member of AIGAC (Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultations) - an international organization that monitors ethics in admissions consulting and collaborates with Admissions Directors to discuss ideas and trends -Attend annual AIGAC Conference to network, learn about schools, and discuss admissions trends. Attended by AdCom Directors at most top US / European Schools as well as the CEO and / or head consultant(s) at many of the large, well-known firms -Worked at mbaMission for five years -Experience consulting to a range of candidates both from traditional feeder fields (e.g. Investment Banking, Consulting) to non-traditional fields (e.g. fitness coach, independent film director) -Strong business acumen with strategy experience at multiple Fortune 500 companies -Strong informal network of the top solo MBA consultants globally

My educational experience includes a Harvard BA, Wharton MBA, Penn MSEd, and Oxford MPP. I've been coaching college applicants on-and-off for the past decade. Beyond my own successful experience applying to MBA programs, I conducted admissions interviews for the Wharton MBA program, evaluating 60+ Wharton applicants as an employee of the admissions office. I'm experienced in supporting applicants through every stage of the MBA application process -- from school selection to application to interview to waitlist strategies.

✨Coached 130+ clients from 25+ countries across various industries including consulting, investment banking, PE/VC, fintech, big tech, consumer goods, defense and aerospace, family business, law, military, mining, and social impact. ✨Client metrics from 2018 to 2025 (7 seasons) include:  ✓ More than 70% of clients admitted to, waitlisted by, and/or interviewed by HBS/Stanford GSB/Wharton  ✓ 85% of clients admitted to a top MBA program (U.S. & European)  ✓ 90% of clients admitted to or waitlisted by a top MBA program (U.S. & European)  ✓ 100% of clients admitted to or waitlisted by a top European program (INSEAD, LBS, Oxford, Cambridge, HEC Paris, IESE) ✨Worked with diverse set of clients that includes:  ✓ First-gen college students (FGCS)  ✓ First-gen Americans  ✓ Internationals (roughly 50% of clients to date)  ✓ LGBTQA  ✓ Military candidates  ✓ Non-traditional candidates making major career transitions  ✓ Third-culture kids (TCK) and adults ✨In 2022 and 2023, ranked among Poets & Quants top MBA Admission Consultants globally. To view testimonials, please see https://poetsandquants.com/consultant/jenifer-raver/ I’m happy to share my success metrics sheet and more testimonials with you – Just ask when you sign up for a free consultation with me!

Good advice should not break your bank. And good advice should be unique. I help MBA applicants find the story that makes everything make sense. My specialty is connecting the dots — personally, professionally, and strategically — so your application reads as a coherent, compelling story rather than a collection of disconnected achievements. I am especially strong at helping applicants find their unique voice and differentiation. This is not a Mad Libs approach, and it is not a factory or template. I help you uncover the most powerful unifying storyline behind your life, career, decisions, ambitions, and future direction. Why this path? Why now? How does everything you have done so far logically lead to what you want to do next? What is the deeper pattern behind your experiences? What makes your candidacy feel not just impressive, but inevitable? Over the past 12 years, I have advised roughly 100 applicants, most targeting top 10 MBA programs. My coaching style is intense, direct, and highly detail-oriented. I am a perfectionist about narrative coherence. I push candidates to go beyond surface-level achievements, uncover the strongest themes in their background, clarify credible short- and long-term goals, and translate their experience into essays and interviews that feel specific, mature, and authentic. The final application should not sound manufactured; it should feel honest, distinctive, and unmistakably yours. I am particularly helpful for candidates with complex, international, technical, finance-heavy, startup, or non-linear backgrounds. If your story has many moving pieces, I can help you connect them into a compelling admissions narrative: where you have been, what shaped you, what you are building toward, and why an MBA is the right bridge. My background combines education from MIT Sloan MBA / undergrad at UPenn, international business experience across the U.S. and China, and years of advising students and professionals on applications, essays, interviews, and career positioning. I have worked across strategy, operations, venture capital, M&A, clean tech, and startup commercialization, which gives me a practical understanding of how ambitious candidates should frame their leadership potential, career goals, and personal differentiation.

Welcome to my profile! With 20+ years experience in Admissions Consulting, Career Coaching, Education, and Recruitment, I've supported many candidates gain admission to top MBA programs on the planet. My values are deeply rooted in quality education, global interconnectedness, and diversity & inclusion. If you're targeting a seat at some of the best schools in the world, working together, I'm confident we can get you there, and my previous client testimonials confirm that. As former Director of Recruitment for the Global MBA program at ESSEC Business School (Paris, France & Singapore) I know exactly what gives MBA applicants a competitive profile in the eyes of admissions committees. Previously in my role at France's prestigious Sciences Po, I offered countless workshops on how to write an impactful CV, as well as how to interview effectively. Prior to this, I worked in admissions & recruitment at Long Island University in New York. Additionally, as an English teacher for many years, most recently at the prestigious École de Guerre, you can rest assured that your essays will be critiqued for English grammar and spelling with the eye of a hawk. In 2020, I created Candidate Coach to do admissions consulting full time. Currently based between Paris, France and New York City - centrally located and globally connected to team up for appointments, no matter what your time zone in the world.

I've helped over 1000 applicants from around the world get into Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, INSEAD, and every other top program you can name. I’m Ellin Lolis, founder of Ellin Lolis Consulting, a global MBA admissions firm with a 98.9% success rate. I’ve spent the last 10+ years guiding applicants with a proven, step-by-step methodology that simplifies the process and maximizes results. As a certified career coach and award-winning writer, my approach helps you craft a powerful personal brand, connect your story and values to each program, and submit applications that actually get you in. Clients often say I treat their application like my own. That’s because I do. I bring the same level of strategic precision and emotional support to every engagement, pushing you to deliver your best work while helping you stay grounded and confident along the way. I've collaborated with a range of different clients from every continent, including clients with low GMAT scores, 40+, traditional IB/MBB applicants, and even non-traditional applicants like nuclear scientists and sports journalists. For each, I helped them find their unique voice that helped them stand out in the crowded admissions space. If you’re aiming high and want a coach with the track record, tools, and heart to get you there, I’d love to work with you.

I went through the MBA admissions process myself and won a place at London Business School as a Merit Scholar — so I know what a competitive application actually looks like from the inside, not in theory. Seven years at Citi before that gave me the kind of finance and leadership track record that admissions committees look for, and I understand exactly how to position one. But my real focus is the part most applicants get wrong: the "why." Schools can spot a generic story instantly. I help you build an essay-and-interview narrative that's sharp, authentic, and impossible to confuse with anyone else's — the difference between a strong profile and an admit.

I have supported Admissions interviews for candidates in to the Chicago Booth part-time MBA program so I have a strong sense of what it takes to gain successful admission. During my application process, I only considered 2 part-time programs (Booth & Kellogg) and was able to attain admission to both. In addition, I TA'd Negotiations courses at Booth so I have significant experience negotiating offers and scholarships. I enjoy helping others achieve their goals and look forward to working with you!