Humanities Master’s Admissions Consultants

Hi, I’m Becky Song, Founder & Executive Director of Ivy Journey, Wharton MBA, former Wharton admissions fellow, and admissions coach with 15+ years of experience helping applicants earn admission to top graduate programs. For master’s applicants, my specialty is helping strong candidates turn their academic, professional, and personal background into a clear, differentiated admissions strategy. I’m especially strong with applicants targeting MS, MiM, MSBA, MFin, policy, management, analytics, AI/ML/engineering/STEM-adjacent, and career-pivot programs where schools need to see not only strong credentials, but also a compelling reason for why this degree, why this program, why now, and why you. My clients have earned admission to top programs and universities including Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Stanford, UPenn/Wharton, MIT, Columbia, Yale, Duke, Johns Hopkins, UC Berkeley, UCLA, NYU, Vanderbilt, and more. I also bring firsthand career strategy experience from management consulting, pharmaceutical/life sciences, research, entrepreneurship, government & nonprofits, which allows me to help applicants connect their graduate school goals to a credible long-term career story. I can help you with school selection, application strategy, personal statements/statements of purpose, resumes, recommendation strategy, scholarship positioning, interviews, waitlist strategy, and final application reviews. My approach is strategic, direct, and deeply personalized: we’ll identify your strongest admissions angle, sharpen your positioning, and make every part of your application reinforce a cohesive, memorable case for admission.

Hello and welcome! I hold dual Master’s degrees from the University of Oxford—a Master’s in Public Policy and an MBA—as well as a First Class Honours degree in Economics from the University of Cape Town. My academic and professional experiences, including working with organisations like McKinsey & Company and KPMG, have equipped me to guide students through the rigorous admissions processes for competitive graduate programmes. Having personally navigated these challenges and co-founded a student chapter of Effective Altruism, I understand how to craft compelling applications that reflect your unique strengths and aspirations. Whether you’re refining your statement of purpose or building a targeted admissions strategy, I’m here to provide personalised guidance to help you achieve your academic and professional ambitions.

Coached 20+ students into gaining admissions to top education programs like HGSE and U Penn GSE.

Welcome to my profile! With a dual degree from Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School, I bring a unique blend of business acumen and public policy expertise to my coaching. I have successfully guided over 30 clients into top-tier MBA and policy programs, including HBS, MIT Sloan, Tuck, Stanford, and Wharton, by helping them craft compelling narratives that highlight their unique personal and professional stories. My experience as a consultant at The Bridgespan Group and my leadership roles in both the non-profit and public sectors equip me to offer a holistic approach to your application, ensuring every element tells your authentic story. Whether you're from a traditional or non-traditional background, I'm here to help you answer the critical "Why MBA" and "Why Now" questions with confidence. Let's work together to unlock your potential and secure your spot in the program of your choice!

I have worked with over 10 people to get into programs like Knight-Hennessy, Rhodes, and Schwarzman Scholars and I personally have gotten myself accepted into Dartmouth, Knight Hennessy Scholars, and GSB/HBS.

Welcome to my profile! With a Master's degree from the University of Oxford and another from the University of Edinburgh, I bring a wealth of academic experience to my coaching. Over the years, I've successfully guided 62 individuals through the intricacies of master's program applications, helping them secure spots at top institutions. My approach is tailored to each client's unique strengths and aspirations, ensuring that their applications stand out. Whether you need assistance with personal statements, interview preparation, or overall application strategy, I'm here to help you achieve your academic goals. Let's connect and craft a winning application together!

Welcome to my profile! With a Master of Arts in Changing Education from the University of Helsinki and a Bachelor of Arts from Duke University, I bring a rich academic background and a passion for education to my coaching. As a co-founder of Little Language Labs and an Education Coordinator at Escuela21, I specialize in designing and implementing innovative educational initiatives, particularly in multilingual and multicultural contexts. My experience as a Fulbright Scholar and Program Director for international student travel programs has equipped me with the skills to guide folks through the complexities of master's program applications. Whether you're looking to refine your application strategy or need support in crafting compelling personal statements, I'm here to help you succeed. Let's connect and make your master's program aspirations a reality!

Each program looks for something unique, and crafting your story to fit each school's needs is where I excel. By spending time to get to know you, learn your unique path, and develop a thorough narrative, top programs will not be able to resist learning more about you.

While attending the University of Chicago as a PhD student, I mentored master's degree students and worked in MBA admissions. I then returned to California and worked in admissions for the Haas School of Business. After spending years in admissions, I am very interested in helping grad school applicants succeed. Lately most of my clients have applied to Finance, Management, Business Analytics, Data Analytics, and Financial Engineering programs within top business schools, but I have also helped clients apply to Public Health, Economics, and Art History programs. If your budget is tight, please let me know so that we can figure out how to work together.

MBA & MASTER'S COACHING, WRITING EXPERTISE & GMAT WORK • Stanford GSB Alum, Class of 2021 -- see relevant experience sets below: • Coaching | Advised multiple admits into Stanford GSB, HBS, Wharton, Kellogg, MIT Sloan, INSEAD, Haas, and more (see >20 Leland reviews), while teaching multiple courses through Leland • Professional Writing | Speechwriting in public policy & political environments, Lead Editor for Nondisclosure (Stanford GSB's magazine) and Managing Editor for the Stanford International Policy Review • GMAT / Test-Taking | Scored in the highest percentile of GMAT test-takers (99th), but more importantly I've honed my ability to help others extrapolate top test-testing strategies in the areas they're weakest • Interview Training | I'm interview-trained for McKinsey, allowing me to give high-quality mock interviews for MBBs and any MBA program • Additional Writing | Crafting op-eds, ghostwriting for major publications, developing a fictional short story collection, policy deep dives, a book on chess applications to life, and application essays of all sorts CAREER • What I'm Doing Now | Based in NYC working on a stealth, marketplace startup while continuing various forms of advisory work • Public Policy | Prior to Stanford, worked on the Policy Team for the Chicago Mayor's Office under Mayor Rahm Emanuel, focusing on 5G infrastructure policy, criminal justice policy, and citywide corporate/economic development deals • McKinsey | Before policy, worked at McKinsey & Co , with casework focused on job training for the formerly incarcerated and workforce development for at-risk youth • PE / VC / Startup Advising | After Stanford, worked in Bain's Private Equity Group on various due diliegences, managed deals with several venture capital firms, and advised multiple startups on growth and go-to-market strategy