Transform Your Career:
We coach you to get into the best business schools while being your authentic self.
Our MBA Coaching Programs
Our MBA Coaching Programs
Our programs help you get into top schools, (usually) with unsolicited scholarships.
(Did we mention our students get on average over $90,000 from the schools they’re admitted to?)
Pick the Career Protocol program that’s best for your needs.
Everything You Need to Succeed
MBA
Catalyst
$3,999 $1,999
- Tools, frameworks, and guidance on every part of your application
- Direct coaching in weekly live group Zoom calls
- GMAT and GRE test prep guidance and office hours
- 24/7 community of peers
Add Creative Thought Partnership
MBA
Story Partnership
$9,000 $5,999
- Everything in MBA Catalyst:
- 1:1 private story partnership coaching
- 2 calls to uncover your best stories and outline your best essays
- 3 Hours of essay revision time
- Two business day Turnaround
Get the Deluxe All-in Service
MBA Guided Quest
$10,000 for one school
$2,000 for each additional school
- Everything in MBA Story Partnership:
- 1:1 private coaching on every part of the application for core school(s)
- Unlimited revision of essays, recommendations, resume and short answers
- Calls for school selection, essay troubleshooting, and Career Game Planning
- Email access to your coach
Not sure what’s best for you?
We want to share your journey to MBA greatness
We want to share your journey to MBA greatness
Us:
We coach MBA applicants to build up their executive skillset while applying to top business schools so they can rise above their competitive set and earn admission to the most elite schools with thousands of dollars in unsolicited scholarships.
You:
You already have everything you need inside you. Your values, experiences, and strengths are what make you uniquely you. And your weaknesses, failures, and setbacks are an indispensable part of your greatness. You’re going to need all of you to succeed.
Together…
We’ll make sure your applications measure up to the standard of your best self. We’ll guide you every step of the way, making sure you do all the right stuff so that your applications shine like you do. You’ll get in knowing you earned it on your own merits – because the applications you submit are 100% yours – and confident in your ability to tackle the MBA with the personal flair only you bring.
We know you have a baffling and confusing array of options to choose from when shopping for admissions consultants. So we’ll make it really easy to understand how we’re different:
We’re not consultants; we’re coaches. We’re not giving you the answers – we’re teaching you how to get to know, own, and communicate your best self.
Why Career Protocol?
#01
Well, we get results.
That’s the first reason.
ALL YEARS
2023-24
2022-23
2022-22
Total Client Scholarships
Per Successful Client
Overall Client Success Rate
Guided Quest Success Rate*
*excluding unsuccessful clients who did not follow Career Protocol recommended guidelines of applying to a portfolio of schools, including minimum 1 safety.
Why Career Protocol?
Well, we get results.
That’s the first reason.
Total Client Scholarships
Per Successful Client
Overall Client Success Rate
Guided Quest Success Rate*
*excluding unsuccessful clients who did not follow Career Protocol recommended guidelines of applying to a portfolio of schools, including minimum 1 safety.
We make it easy.
Our processes and frameworks simplify everything, so you can focus on what matters: giving all your attention to the aspects of your application that will improve your results.
We make it fun.
I mean, our mascot is a dancing unicorn. We know how to work hard, deliver results, and still have a good laugh at ourselves.
We make the work meaningful.
As your full partner on this journey, we’re invested in your success – not just for the short-term, but also for the long-term. We help you uplevel your self-confidence, self-awareness, and soft skills while we build your applications.
#02
We make it easy.
Our processes and frameworks simplify everything, so you can focus on what matters: giving all your attention to the aspects of your application that will improve your results.
#03
We make it fun.
I mean, our mascot is a dancing unicorn. We know how to work hard, deliver results, and still have a good laugh at ourselves.
#04
We make the work meaningful.
As your full partner on this journey, we’re invested in your success – not just for the short-term, but also for the long-term. We help you uplevel your self-confidence, self-awareness, and soft skills while we build your applications.
The Career Protocol is kind of a big deal
This will give you a huge competitive edge
in MBA applications
We have two key questions for you before we can determine fit: what’s your vision for your place in this world, and how are you making the world a better place? If we believe in your answers to those questions, we’re all in on your success. Not just in the short game of MBA admissions, but in the long game of your entire career.
The Career Protocol is a collection of mindsets and soft skills that differentiate top performers from everyone else. We teach the Career Protocol to all of our clients, because we know that if you can master these skills now you can get everything you want in your career.
The Career Protocol is kind of a big deal
We have two key questions for you before we can determine fit: what’s your vision for your place in this world, and how are you making the world a better place? If we believe in your answers to those questions, we’re all in on your success. Not just in the short game of MBA admissions, but in the long game of your entire career.
The Career Protocol is a collection of mindsets and soft skills that differentiate top performers from everyone else. We teach the Career Protocol to all of our clients, because we know that if you can master these skills now you can get everything you want in your career.
The truth about MBA admissions:
A pernicious MBA myth is that business school teaches you soft skills
The truth is that it’s impossible to learn self-awareness, communication, and relationship-building skills in a contrived classroom environment. You can only develop these skills live, on the court of your career. The people who are most successful post-MBA are the people who come into business school with these skills fully developed.
That’s why we get such amazing results
By the time our clients reach the interview stage, schools have fallen in love with them because they know they possess the elite soft skills that will differentiate them in business school and beyond. This is why our clients get more scholarships than those of any other firm and why they get into amazing schools despite what might at first appear to be crippling weaknesses.
Success in and after business school depends on these skills
Schools know that students with elite soft skills will rise to the top of their classes, contribute the most to their programs, get more job offers post-MBA, go further in their careers, and make them prouder as alums. That’s why they’re not attempting to teach soft skills; they’re screening for them.
MBA programs are desperate to admit students with elite soft skills
This is why, at Career Protocol, we coach you to build your executive soft skills in the process of applying to business school. Our programs and 1:1 coaching challenge you to expand your self-awareness, develop your ability to communicate who you are with confident humility, and nurture thriving professional friendships based on mutual affinity and kindness.
The truth about
MBA Admissions
The truth is that it’s impossible to learn self-awareness, communication, and relationship-building skills in a contrived classroom environment. You can only develop these skills live, on the court of your career. The people who are most successful post-MBA are the people who come into business school with these skills fully developed.
Schools know that students with elite soft skills will rise to the top of their classes, contribute the most to their programs, get more job offers post-MBA, go further in their careers, and make them prouder as alums. That’s why they’re not attempting to teach soft skills; they’re screening for them.
By the time our clients reach the interview stage, schools have fallen in love with them because they know they possess the elite soft skills that will differentiate them in business school and beyond. This is why our clients get more scholarships than those of any other firm and why they get into amazing schools despite what might at first appear to be crippling weaknesses.
This is why, at Career Protocol, we coach you to build your executive soft skills in the process of applying to business school. Our programs and 1:1 coaching challenge you to expand your self-awareness, develop your ability to communicate who you are with confident humility, and nurture thriving professional friendships based on mutual affinity and kindness.
For your MBA applications, this means (among other things) that you need to explore your experiences, uncover the most inspiring elements of your life story, and weave them together in a brilliant, compelling narrative that makes a bold claim about who you are.
Only this kind of authenticity will evoke the love of the admissions committee instead of the “Yeah, I guess they’re good enough” that is most applicants’ best case-scenario. (We’re telling you our secret to our crazy scholarship numbers right here.)
That’s why our process is designed to give you so much more than just a great application
Authenticity:
Your Secret to Success
Most candidates approach MBA applications in a backwards fashion. They ask, “What does the school want to hear?” or “How can I convince this school to admit me?”
But this isn’t what schools actually want you to do. The world’s most inspiring leaders are authentic. They’ve learned how to shape the world to fit them, not the other way around. To achieve your long-term vision for success, you don’t need to be different from what you are. You only need to know and communicate your best self. Then the world (and your chosen business schools) can meet you where you are. No imposter syndrome required.
Authenticity: Your Secret to Success
Most candidates approach MBA applications in a backwards fashion. They ask, “What does the school want to hear?” or “How can I convince this school to admit me?”
But this isn’t what schools actually want you to do. The world’s most inspiring leaders are authentic. They’ve learned how to shape the world to fit them, not the other way around. To achieve your long-term vision for success, you don’t need to be different from what you are. You only need to know and communicate your best self. Then the world (and your chosen business schools) can meet you where you are. No imposter syndrome required.
For your MBA applications, this means (among other things) that you need to explore your experiences, uncover the most inspiring elements of your life story, and weave them together in a brilliant, compelling narrative that makes a bold claim about who you are.
Only this kind of authenticity will evoke the love of the admissions committee instead of the “Yeah, I guess they’re good enough” that is most applicants’ best case-scenario. (We’re telling you our secret to our crazy scholarship numbers right here.)
That’s why our process is designed to give you so much more than just a great application.
Working 1:1
with Career Protocol,
you will...
Explore and understand your values, strengths, and preferences to build confidence in yourself and shape your stories
Coach your recommenders to sing your praises in an honest and inspiring way
Square away your professional profile and rockstar resume so schools know at a glance that you bring a lot to the table
Create your Career Game Plan to guide your short- and long- term career choices and inspire the admissions committee
Prepare knock-out stories for interviews based on your most important experiences and master the art of personal storytelling
Get ready for MBA recruiting after you get in – getting the best job for you is key to your long-term success and we’re here for it!
Working 1:1 with your Coach, you will...
- Explore and understand your values, strengths, and preferences to build confidence in yourself and shape your stories.
- Coach your recommenders to sing your praises in an honest and inspiring way.
- Square away your professional profile and rockstar resume so schools know at a glance that you bring a lot to the table.
- Create your Career Game Plan to guide your short- and long- term career choices and inspire the admissions committee.
- Prepare knock-out stories for interviews based on your most important experiences and master the art of personal storytelling.
- Get ready for MBA recruiting after you get in – getting the best job for you is key to your long-term success and we’re here for it!
Tell the inspiring story only you can tell.
Face the admissions board with unshakable confidence.
Tell the inspiring story only you can tell. Face the admissions board with unshakable confidence.
Here’s the process we guide you through to achieve MBA greatness:
Here’s the process we guide you through to achieve MBA greatness:
Join our client community and learning hub with immediate access to all our resources. Have a kick-off call with your personal coach and get started on the You Discovery™ process.
Complete our You Discovery™ template to explore and catalog your most important experiences and mine your life for epic stories.
Craft your 4-part plan to a career you love, including the short and long term, and deep MBA program fit. A cohesive plan ensures schools are inspired to invest in you.
We’ll guide you as you research and build relationships with schools. We’ll iterate on school selection to ensure you’re both aiming high and keeping your feet on the ground.
Learn how to think like a CEO so schools (and future recruiters) get your impact, your excellence, and the value you bring to the table.
*MBA Career Service professionals frequently identify our clients’ resumes as examples of best practice.
Storyboard your essays, shape your narrative, and construct stories that show your best self. It’s a new way of communicating who you are, and you’re gonna love it.
Choose the best recommenders for you, then guide you as you coach them to write brilliant testimony. Finally, we’ll review drafts for awesomeness.
Short answers, video essays, and more, use our submission punch list to make sure your best self shines forth in each and every piece of your applications.
Learn the skills to ace any interview. Complete the Interview Hero Training Program and build your best answers to the 4 most common interview questions types.
We don’t love the waitlist, but we do love getting people off of it. Once you’re in, we’ll help you negotiate scholarships with your favorite school.
Now that you’re in, it’s time to get ready to make the most of your MBA. Select client alums will join our YOMO (You Only MBA Once) and SPITR (How to be the Smartest Person in the Room, aka Case Interview Hero) programs to lay the groundwork for internship recruiting preparation.
Stay on top of everything in the Career Protocol Community Hub and App. Join our community huddles, hot seats, and office hours to enrich your journey.
Meet the Dream Team
Meet the Dream Team
Our Chief International Officer, Charli has over 15 years of experience in higher education in international project management, marketing, and recruitment. She has worked in over 50 countries with clients from countless more!
Charli knows all too well that your best stories are often found in the least expected places. She wants to help you tell your stories with pride and appreciation for how far you’ve come. Plus, she’s our resident cheerleader. No one will help you feel more confident than Charli, and if you don’t already see how freakin’ awesome you are, you will after working with her!
Going the MBA route? It’s worth noting that Charli was also an admissions committee reader for 10 years across multiple institutions, including 3.5 years as the Associate Director for International Admissions at Cornell’s Johnson School of Business.
If you want to meet your inner brilliance, uncover a new level of belief in yourself and your vision, and then bring it to life, choose Charli.
Jenn is the kind of person friends and family count on to help them move – and to pack everything in color-coded, clearly labeled boxes. She teaches us all how much fun and harmony can be found in getting and staying organized. And she’ll do the same for you.
She was a program manager at the NYC Department of Education, helping the system’s 140,000 students who were off-track earn their diplomas. At Booth’s Rustandy Center for Social Innovation, she directed the CRED (Creating Real Economic Destiny) competition for MBA students all over Chicago. And at Pfizer, she managed a multi-national research study to assess the market for new products.
If you need someone to help you organize and structure your thoughts and ideas into cohesive stories and plans, Jenn is your girl.
Louise has dedicated her life to mastering the art of story. She’s a comedy and script writer, a puppeteer, and an improv star (in addition to being a practicing attorney!!).
What makes this especially impressive is that Louise is not a ham or a “big personality.” She’s actually fairly shy and soft-spoken by nature. But her love of story and of making people laugh have compelled her to break through many barriers to achieve excellence in the fields she loves. That’s exactly what she helps her clients do, too.
If you want to work with someone who will listen patiently without judgment, understand your experiences, be as obsessed with telling your best story as you are, and help you break through all your career barriers, Louise is the Coach for you!
Our GMAT genius, Brian worked previously as a top instructor at Manhattan Prep. It was his job to think about how to make achieving dream scores easier, more efficient, and faster for students.
Brian is a curious listener, a compassionate shoulder to lean on, and a great storyteller. But what makes him a rockstar at this job is his reflective, calming presence and his tireless commitment to your excellence.
Sarah upped our grammar game by about a thousand points when she joined the team. Our resident writing expert and Northwestern University PhD in English, Sarah is an absolute genius at helping clients express themselves in the clearest, most authentic, and most powerful way possible. She’s obsessed with the written word, having studied the craft of writing in educational and professional settings for more than a decade.
Sarah is a teacher at heart and is passionate about the art of self-expression. In addition to Coaching, Sarah is our Client Success Manager, so she’ll make sure you have everything you need to succeed!
Choose Sarah as your Coach if you want to get in touch with your writerly identity, channel your own unique voice, and emerge as a confident and influential communicator.
Vijay was Career Protocol’s first official client when we launched our flagship MBA application service in 2018. We toiled together across two rounds and many months to discover his values, communicate his value adds, and land him the ideal MBA offer for him: admission to Stanford GSB’s MsX program. Knowing his values and strengths so well, especially his love of mentorship and developing others, it was a no-brainer and a great to welcome him back to the team as a coach after he completed his MBA studies.
Our resident Social Impact expert, Vijay brings a ton of love, commitment, and joy to his work guiding clients to fulfill their potential and vision for impact. Vijay is so passionate about the development of others that he founded a social impact corporation during his time at Stanford that helps educational institutions in Latin America succeed. Ask him about it!
Here's how to
know if we’re the
best team for you:
Do you want to grow as a person instead of just following orders?
Our process focuses on developing the core self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and executive soft skills that will make you genuinely irresistible to the admissions committee instead of editing the crap out of your essays so they sound like everyone else’s.
Do you want a full partner in this process?
Side by side, we’ll go deep into your life story, your values, and every single word of your core applications through unlimited drafts. We get to know you better than your friends do so your application can capture every last shred of your awesomeness.
Do you want a friend you can trust?
We don’t pull any punches. When an essay isn’t living up to our high standards, we let you know. But we’ll also support you through the ups and downs of the process and always treat you with kindness and respect.
Do you want to invest in your long-term success?
Our project extends into recruiting for internships, post-MBA interview prep, and coaching case interview training. And even our core service will uplevel your leadership capabilities while we work together so you’re better off when you get to bschool.
Do you want to work with someone who can’t wait to get out of bed in the morning to read your essays?
Just like a homemade cake, your MBA application may fall flat without the special ingredient of love. We love what we do more than anyone else.
Do you want life to be a little more fun?
We know how to laugh – at life, at the world, and at ourselves. We’ll bring a levity to this process that makes the hard work so much more enjoyable.
If you don’t want to take our word for it,
read what others have to say about us.
If you don’t want to take our word for it, read what others have to say about us.
Best. Decision. Ever.
Had Weakness. Achieved Dreams.
Low Stress. Better Outcome.
More Confidence In Yourself.
Push To Be Your Best.
Better Life. Noy Just Better Essays.
The X Factor.
Nontraditional and Esl.
Ready to begin your Authentic MBA Application?
Ready to begin your Authentic MBA Application?
Everything You Need to Succeed
MBA
Catalyst
$3,999 $1,999
- Tools, frameworks, and guidance on every part of your application
- Direct coaching in weekly live group Zoom calls
- GMAT and GRE test prep guidance and office hours
- 24/7 community of peers
Add Creative Thought Partnership
MBA
Story Partnership
$9,000 $5,999
- Everything in MBA Catalyst:
- 1:1 private story partnership coaching
- 2 calls to uncover your best stories and outline your best essays
- 3 Hours of essay revision time
- Two business day Turnaround
Get the Deluxe All-in Service
MBA Guided Quest
$10,000 for one school
$2,000 for each additional school
- Everything in MBA Story Partnership:
- 1:1 private coaching on every part of the application for core school(s)
- Unlimited revision of essays, recommendations, resume and short answers
- Calls for school selection, essay troubleshooting, and Career Game Planning
- Email access to your coach