Traditional Full-Time MBA Admissions Experts

I'm Ryan, a former musician turned consultant turned Duke Fuqua MBA, now working in finance at State Street in Boston. My journey to business school was driven by a mission to leave communities better than I found them—through work in climate/sustainability, impact investing, and international development. As the first in my family and network to pursue an MBA, I had to navigate the application process largely on my own. Now, I help others avoid the guesswork. Since graduating, I've worked with a dozen prospective students on every stage of the MBA journey—crafting applications, preparing for interviews, and choosing between top programs like Duke, Columbia, MIT, Cornell, and UVA. My insights have even been featured by Fuqua in their student blog: Read more here (https://blogs.fuqua.duke.edu/duke-mba/2024/03/21/ryan-vanslyke/knowing-fuqua-was-the-right-fit-for-my-mba). If you're looking for guidance from someone who's been in your shoes, let’s connect—I’d love to help you get into the school of your dreams!

I built and ran a blog and podcast all about life and careers after the military and have worked with lots of veterans as they look into MBA programs. I worked with multiple clients at a boutique MBA consulting firm and helped them get into one of their top 2 schools, all within the Top 20.

Welcome to my profile! As a Stanford MBA graduate with a Certificate in Public Management and Social Innovation, I bring a wealth of experience from both the private and academic sectors to my coaching. My professional journey includes strategic roles at leading companies like Samsara, Omidyar Network, and Spotify, where I honed my skills in strategy, product marketing, and investment management. I have a deep understanding of the MBA admissions process and have successfully navigated it myself, which allows me to provide insightful guidance to aspiring MBA candidates. Whether you need help with application strategy, essay crafting, or interview preparation, I'm here to support you every step of the way. Let's work together to make your MBA dreams a reality!

-Have worked with 600+ MBA applicants from all over the world, with admits to schools including HBS, Stanford, Wharton, Sloan, Kellogg, Columbia, Booth, INSEAD, LBS, and many, many more. -85%+ success rate; 99% satisfaction rate, as people have a great experience with me regardless of their outcome. -Story-driven partnership approach to find and tell the best-possible narratives to differentiate and win. -"Magic" is common word clients use to describe my help. -I treat clients how I would want to be treated when paying for a premium service.

I love mentoring and coaching students and applicants - I regularly volunteer my time with the Berkeley Haas entrepreneurship program by providing course content, speaking opportunities, mentorship hours, and coaching. I also regularly support incoming MBA and MPH students with application review, interview prep, and more. While at Haas, I worked with the MBA & MPH admissions committees for a year and picked up a bunch of tips and tricks to hack the process! My journey: pre-med undergrad > biotech scientist > healthcare management consulting > grad school > healthcare entrepreneurship & venture capital

If you're coming from a highly competitive/overrepresented background for top MBA programs (MBB, LMM/MM PE/VC, straight white male, etc.) then I'm your huckleberry. I'm John, an MBA and MBB case interview coach with admits to Stanford GSB, Wharton, Booth, and Kellogg (and an interview from Harvard--nearly got all the infinity stones!). I can walk you through differentiating your profile, application strategy, interviewing flawlessly, and deciding which school to choose after you secure admission at all your top choices.

I am a graduate of Harvard Business School (MBA) and Princeton University, and closely worked with the admissions team on crafting an overall admissions strategy. I served as the Co-Chief Admissions Ambassador at HBS, and was involved in meeting with applicants and answering questions. I also assisted with putting together The Harbus' admissions guide, which has a collection of essays from successful applicants. I'm happy to assist with business school or college applications and strategies to maximize your admission chances.