MBA Super-Early Prep (Long-term Support)
***Who is this for?*** This is for the early birds who are willing to put in work ~*6 to 12+* months ahead of their application deadline. If you're targeting a top-tier MBA program and want to be in the *“best shape possible”* and hit the ground running when applications open, this is where you start. ***What this isn’t*** - You’re a few months out from the app deadlines, panicking, and need help on very tactical details - Help on specific essay questions - Standardized test tutoring - Interview prep - Waitlist strategy
What's included
You can think of me as your brutally honest best friend who really wants to see you succeed. I don't sugarcoat things and I'll tell it to you straight. That being said, I also need you to be honest and upfront with me about what works for you, what's not working, and where you're really struggling. During our initial kickoff call, we will discuss how much work needs to get done, at what cadence we should have live sessions, and how we will communicate in between calls. Number of hours and sessions will depend on each package. I will create and share a google drive with you for project and file management. You send me material, I’ll review and send back (usually within 48 hours) with comments and guidance.
- Onboarding — I’ll shoot over some life and MBA-related short videos and reading material for you to reflect on before our first session. I’ll also ask you to share with me any material that might be relevant (resumes, personal projects, etc.)
- Initial Assessment & Application Strategy — I’ll give you my honest take on your candidacy; what’s strong, what’s weak, and what we can do. We’ll discuss how we can get the best “bang for your buck” out of the various resources at your disposal: (resume, letters of rec, extracurricular experience, main essays, optional essays, etc.)
- School Selection — We’ll build a target list based on fit, not just prestige and rankings.
- Narrative Planning — We will craft a strong central identity and personal brand that you can apply across the first draft of your various school essays.
- Recommender Planning — We will identify the right people, make sure those relationships are in good shape well before you need to ask, and discuss how we can ask these people to best support you.
- Extracurricular Planning — We will identify opportunities to deepen your impact or fill gaps in your profile such as; volunteerism, personal projects, hobbies, side-gig, etc.
- Timeline Building — We will build a clear, month-by-month plan leading up to your application deadline so you always know what to focus on next.
Meet your expert
Joshua H.
I got into Columbia off the waitlist with $100K as a re-applicant
In 2023, I'd just been hit by tech layoffs. A few months later, a routine checkup revealed pre-cancerous growths in my colon. I felt thrown overboard, lost at sea, barely treading water with no bearing. It took nearly a year of soul-searching, awkward coffee chats, and random gigs before I found the courage to reapply for MBA programs. I'm glad I did. The first time around, I'd forced my narrative into traditional career goals, guessing at what adcoms wanted to hear. This time, I embraced the mess instead of editing it out and spoke candidly about the changes I wanted to see in the world, with an MBA as the staging ground for what came next. That’s where my passion for "longevity," and adjacently, self-improvement, was born — out of a long struggle to find meaning and overcome my health scare. Now, as a 2nd year MBA candidate at Columbia, I'm exploring technologies that help people live longer, healthier lives — first as an early-stage investor, before delving into my own entrepreneurial ideas.
