I applied and got accepted in Round 3 at MIT. That I got the entire process done (and eventually admitted) is a testament to Maria’s superior know-how as encapsulated in her ApplicantLab online tool. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Even though I had top grades from an elite college and a 730+ GMAT, I had waited too long to take the GMAT test (after Christmas) and so missed the round 2 deadlines. As I started researching how tough it is to get in during Round 3, and as I realized that I had some other “red flags” in my profile, I started to feel pretty hopeless about my chances.
In comes ApplicantLab, which helped me feel that not all hope was lost. First things first was to come up with an angle with which I applied. ApplicantLab (the website per se) broke the process down into many small parts, each of which seek to establish a story and elicit a personality trait from my professional experiences. These were usually done through short, informative video tutorials that Maria hosted on her site. Not only did this simplify the process, but it also made me see the reasoning behind each part (aka – kinda like knowing how the Adcom would think in each process). With her guidance and assistance, I was able to craft a coherent and pertinent narrative. This made me have hope as it gave me a unique story to compete against the equally qualified candidates that exist in Round 3.
Then came the essays. The video essay for MIT stumped me. It was difficult on two fronts – actually coming up with an interesting story, and the technical skills to capture and edit video. After watching some video tutorials on ApplicantLab, I learnt how to edit video and synchronize audio through Camtasia. The video tutorials even go so far in depth as to direct users like me to find license-free audio clips too! With all those resources available, I found the video essay process a lot more manageable. And it was published without a hitch.
Following an interview invite, Maria’s website delineated the stories that I was to prepare. Seeing that the website helped me out so much, I decided to schedule some one-on-one time with Maria herself to do a mock interview. The process was very smooth and the feedback was pertinent. Best part? She recorded the entire session, both interview and feedback, in video, along with minute breakdowns. This was extremely helpful as it gave me a reference point to go back to the night before my actual interview.
Needless to say, I was ecstatic when I received the offer. After all, Sloan was the only school I applied to. I owe my success to ApplicantLab. This is a fabulous product with detailed and personalized service. For the price I paid, I think this was a much better alternative than all the other products elsewhere right now.
