28,137Leland Reviews

Having graduated from a state university and working at a tech startup in a more rural region of the Midwest, I only knew a handful of people who had pursued an MBA at a top program. In order to get into a top school, I knew I would greatly benefit from an admissions consultant who could position my unique background as an asset and not a liability. After speaking with various admissions consultants, I chose Faisal for his candor, past experience as a member of Booth’s admission committee, and impressive story-telling ability. I also appreciated that Faisal was NOT a full-time admissions consultant and consequently worked with only a handful of people (i.e. 4-5) at a given time. I knew that being 1 of 5 clients would result in me receiving more personalized attention than had I been just 1 of 20 clients to a career admissions consultant. Once we got to work, Faisal delivered. Rather than diving immediately into essay writing, he made sure that I was clear on my “brand” and what value I could add to a school. When work was busy and I got behind, Faisal would hold me accountable and gently push me to meet our deadlines. As a proof-reader, Faisal had a great way of improving my essay without changing my voice. And as a mock interviewer, Faisal gave me some great, easy-to-implement tips that helped me to confidently tackle my interviews. Long story short, I got into all three schools that I worked on with Faisal: Yale, Dartmouth, and Kellogg with a scholarship! There are significant time and money considerations when deciding to use an admissions consultant, but if you have the resources and the need to work with someone who has knows the process inside and out, I would highly encourage working with Faisal.

Working with Faisal on my application is the most correct decision I have ever made. It has been such a transformative experience since I started working with Faisal! Faisal has the best story-telling and English writing skills, and is patient, trustful and insightful. Faisal inspired me to summarize my past experience and tell powerful stories that I could ever imagine. Most importantly I think Faisal taught me about the way to approach thinking and writing – something not only has benefited my application but also will benefit my future life. Faisal has helped me reach out of my limit and realize my dream – being admitted to Booth weekend MBA. It has been such a wonderful time working with Faisal, and I would highly recommend Faisal to anyone who want to take on a life-changing journey.

Faisal is the portrait of professionalism, subtle humor and MBA expertise. I worked with Faisal to build a compelling application just a handful of weeks before my application deadline. We didn’t have a long runway and to make things more stressful, I applied to one school. The stakes were high. But with Faisal’s timeliness and personalized dedication, I’m thrilled to have been accepted to a dual-degree program (MMM) at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. What impressed me most about Faisal was his deep knowledge of the MBA admissions process and his ability to help me craft a narrative that set me apart from other applicants. He was always responsive and provided timely feedback and support, which helped me stay focused throughout the stressful process. I want to particularly note how helpful Faisal was in facilitating the stories I used for my essays. We initially reviewed one of my essays for the application and after reading through it together, we felt it was “okay”. Not terrible but also nothing spectacular. It was at that moment when Faisal reminded me of a small detail I had written on a draft of my resume to use as the foundation of one of my essays. I didn’t realize the level of impact it would have, but I trusted his advice and completely rewrote my essay after he reminded me how special of a story it was. It ended up being such a strong essay that my admissions officer mentioned it to me over the phone after I had gotten accepted. If it weren’t for Faisal’s support and encouragement, my essays wouldn’t have been as polished and unique as they were by the time I submitted my material. Faisal was my champion in making sure my stories were clear to Kellogg. I also loved that Faisal connected me with a former MMM student who previously worked with him, and now that Kellogg alum is a dear friend of mine thanks to Faisal’s initial introduction. Truthfully, Faisal began as my MBA admissions consultant but somewhere along the way, he became an older brother who I could speak to in confidence about my personal and professional endeavors as I navigated this chapter of applying to business school and now earning my MBA + MS in Design Innovation this summer at Kellogg. He’s a true partner and a brilliant advocate, and I feel like he always went above and beyond to see me succeed. I especially loved my mock interview with Faisal the day before my Kellogg interview. I firmly believe that my preparation with him beforehand led to such a meaningful interview with the admissions officer the next day. The second my interview ended, I texted Faisal, “I don’t think it could have gone any more perfectly.” With Faisal’s guidance, I had a newfound confidence and was able to present myself in the best possible light to Kellogg. I used all of the pointers that Faisal shared and I asked refreshing questions at the end of my interview, which ultimately led to my application being accepted into one of the top business schools in the world. My success is Faisal’s success. I’m grateful to have had such a phenomenal admissions consultant in my corner but even more fortunate to have found a life-long mentor. With deep gratitude.

I highly recommend Faisal for his exceptional guidance and support throughout my MBA application process. His expertise, dedication, and personalized approach were instrumental in helping me secure admission to my top school choices. I believe he would be a valuable asset to any MBA candidate, especially those who, like me, may feel overwhelmed by the extensive research and preparation required. From the beginning, Faisal immediately put me at ease with his comprehensive knowledge of the admissions landscape and his unwavering commitment to my success. Despite starting from scratch, he provided invaluable guidance to navigate the complex application process, offering specific solutions and troubleshooting challenges along the way. One notable aspect of Faisal’s support was his ability to work effectively within time constraints: during my application process, I faced a very time-consuming personal circumstance as well as a hectic work schedule that coincided with application deadlines. However, Faisal consistently worked around these time constraints, ensuring that I made progress without compromising the quality of my application. I vividly recall feeling rushed as I approached one of the final deadlines, and I was losing steam after a strenuous application process targeting multiple schools. In that critical moment, Faisal encouraged me to push through and further refine my essay, guiding me to truly showcase my full potential. And I am so glad he did as I was admitted at that school! Beyond his technical expertise, Faisal proved to be an incredible motivator. He recognized my capabilities and consistently encouraged me to improve my application, challenging me to refine my essays, enhance my interview skills, and present myself with confidence. His constructive criticism and unwavering support pushed me to achieve a level of excellence that I had not thought possible.

A True Coach Who Helped Me Land CBS Going to b-school has been on my agenda for a few years, but I spent most of my preparation for my GMAT and, for lack of wisdom, did not really start looking at the application essays 1.5 months prior to the R2 deadline. I was more than overwhelmed. There is so much information online and from students/alumni that I connected with that exacerbates my situation and makes me even more nervous to start my essays. That’s when I know that I need a great consultant to guide me through the process. My criteria for selecting a consultant is that the consultant needs to be 1/ super organized and structured. I have 8+ years of experience in various industries. I need someone who can help me shape my stories that best showcase the diversity of my work experience so that my longer YoE is not a weakness to my profile. Also with only 1 month left on the deadline, I need a project management guru on my side. 2/ able to best communicate their vast inside knowledge of the world of MBA application to me. I believe top consultants, as a baseline, have all the knowledge. But, I need someone who can synthesize and translate it well for my case. 3/ responsiveness. Again, my timeline is crunched, so responsiveness is a key. I reached out to many consultants in the beginning, but Faisal stood out from the get-go. We got in touch through a call less than 2 days from my first query. In the 30 minutes, Faisal not only outperformed other consultants that I talked to on the 3 criteria above, he also started to share how he planned to shape my story AND structure the works to be done, broken down by days. In the following month that we were working together, Faisal challenged me hard on each component of my story. He knew when I half-baked a story or when what I wrote was not impactful. He dug deep into what motivated me, what drove me, what I learned from each experience. That approach radically changed the initial draft of my application. Each part of the application truly represented different facets of my story in an elegant way – thanks to Faisal. I am very happy with the application that I submitted – and even happier when Columbia Business School wanted me to matriculate this Fall 2023.

Manali has provided invaluable insights in the sessions that she hosts, especially as it pertains to her personal experiences with the admissions process and the importance of crafting a story. She is a knowledgeable and professional coach that I highly recommend!

Jenai is amazing! She provided a very thorough review of my essays and resume, really helping me streamline my overall story and key themes. She made the whole process very approachable and I highly recommend working with her!

Manali hosted an incredibly informative M7 MBA Admissions event. She provided invaluable insights and advice that left me feeling motivated and better prepared for the application process. Would highly recommend!

Right off the bat, I could recognize how skilled and talented she was, and I knew I made the right decision. Not only is she extremely familiar with the college admissions process, but she somehow manages to translate her storytelling abilities into that process. She helped me present myself to universities really well, and the best part is she never stripped my application of my personality. Highly recommend her coaching!!!