ApplicantLab got me and my girlfriend get into HBS and several other top MBA programs. I honestly do not think we could have done it without the app, and I think everyone applying to business school would benefit from it.
We did not work with any traditional consultants, but having gone through the whole process, it is hard to imagine what they would offer that you cannot get from Maria and the app at a small fraction of the price.
For people who like to work on their own schedule, I actually think ApplicantLab is the better option. Maria provides detailed written and video analyses for nearly every question on each school’s application which you can consume all at once or whenever you have time. The analyses are excellent at pointing out the opportunities (and risks) that every question on the application presents–even the very small ones that are easily overlooked.
Even if you do decide to go with a consulting company, the ApplicantLab’s price point makes it a no-brainer as an additional resource. Maria is incredibly responsive to questions (not sure how she does it), and has filled the app with many years of insight and experience. Really can’t overstate how much this app helped us!
