MBA admissions consulting gains interest

Applying to a master’s of business administration program can be just as daunting a task as applying to college.

It’s no surprise then, that MBA admissions consultants are widely used to help guide applicants through the process. What is surprising is the recent shift in the relationship between top MBA programs and admissions consulting firms.

Eliot Ingram, co-founder of local consulting firm Clear Admit, sees the change in relations as a result of the formation of aigac.org, the website for Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants — an alliance of consulting firms founded in 2006 that adhere to a strict code of integrity.

“Before AIGAC, schools weren’t sure what to think of admissions counselors. There were always rumors that someone was writing essays in China,” he said.

AIGAC’s influential members, many of whom worked in admissions at the nation’s top MBA programs, have helped to dispel the skepticism that once followed consulting firms. As an example, Harvard Business School attracted attention last spring when it invited nearly 50 active admissions consultants to its campus for a reception.

Ankur Kumar, deputy director of MBA admissions at Wharton, doesn’t foresee this in the future for Penn, but finds no problem with the practice of hiring MBA admissions consultants. She cites the holistic process Wharton employs in reviewing its candidates as a method by which admissions officers can discern whether or not a student has relied too heavily on a consultant.

Peter Stokes, preprofessional and pregraduate adviser, still thinks caution should be taken when dealing with admissions consultants, though he believes it should be on the part of the students rather than the admissions officers.

“I’m not necessarily appalled by people wanting to spend money on such services but I suggest they look first at what [Career Services] has to offer,” he said.

Like Clear Admit and other consulting firms, advisers like Stokes offer one-on-one counseling to prospective applicants, offering guidance and feedback on personal statements and essays.

“I certainly think some skepticism is in order,” he said. “Students should be sure that they are going to get something substantive that they can’t get through us before spending what I gather is a lot of money in some cases.”

Ingram insists that there is a wealth of free information on Clear Admit’s website, and guesses that the vast majority of students who glean information from the company never speak with a consultant.

Wharton and Engineering junior Justin Warner is seriously considering applying to an MBA program. Though he does not plan to hire a consultant, he doesn’t believe it offers an unfair advantage to students of a higher income.

“They could be considered ‘unfair’ to those who cannot afford them, but the value from these services is not irreplaceable,” he wrote in an e-mail. “All it takes is some extra hard work and research for students to create the same value for themselves.”

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