Testimonials: Low Stress Better Outcome
Applying to business school is a long, arduous, and stressful process. There’s so much riding on the outcome, and you’re a busy guy or gal!! Read what folks have to say about how we helped them get to a better destination AND made the journey easier, efficienter, and funner! (Yeah, we know some of those aren’t words. But they should be!)
Angela is simply the best!!!
I was referred to Angela through my manager who happened to be a classmate of hers at Booth. I was confident in the content of my story (at the time), yet I had absolutely no idea how to tell it and that’s why I turned to her. Angela conducted my initial review and I knew from the moment I met her she wasn’t going to tell me what I wanted to hear, but rather what I needed to hear. I signed up shortly thereafter and the journey began. Ultimately, I received interviews at two schools, Sloan and Booth, and was admitted to both. Angela turned a daunting and stressful process into a manageable one and as a result I’ll be attending my dream school at Booth next fall! A few points on what I feel made my relationship with Angela successful and more importantly enjoyable:
Direct, honest feedback
When I spoke to Angela during my free 30 minute consultation there was never a sales pitch. Angela gave honest feedback on my application and a fair assessment of my chances at target schools. With that said she wasn’t afraid of a challenge when I decided to apply to some of the most competitive schools without considering a safety. This remained consistent throughout the application process and I always trusted Angela’s feedback because I knew she had my best interests at heart.
Easy to get to know
I still haven’t met Angela in person, yet she knows more about me than some of my closest friends. Angela is an open book and as a result it doesn’t take long to get to know her and get comfortable working with her. In addition, I believe she does everything she can to get to know her consultants as best as she possibly can. She took a genuine interest in my career and personal life while pointing out strengths and unique attributes that I had never taken the time to consider!
She won’t let you settle for less than your best
Angela took my application to a level I never knew was possible. This wasn’t without its frustrations, but that is because Angela was pushing my application to a place that I would not have been able to take it. I remember wanting to scream through my computer after several revisions of my resume thinking there is no way I can do better than this, but Angela’s feedback was always constructive and I can’t help but laugh at my definition of quality compared to what Angela helped me to produce. This high standard never wavered throughout the process and I truly feel that each application I put forward was the absolute best it could have been.
Interview prep was top notch
When I initially signed up I didn’t even realize that interview prep was included for schools where you received an interview invite, however I found this to be one of the most valuable aspects of our relationship. As I mentioned, I had interviews at two schools and was admitted to both. I owe a great deal of that success to Angela who gave incredible advice on storytelling and preparation while also ensuring I was confident heading into each interview.
Filled in the holes in my application
I can still remember Angela asking me some basic questions on our first call and I quickly realized how incomplete my story was. I knew I wanted to go to B-School, but I couldn’t articulate why! Angela was quick to offer advice and resources to help nail down a compelling story while at the same time helping me take a long and hard look at why I was going to B-School. This proved extremely beneficial and by the time I got to the interview process I was telling my story like I had been planning it since childhood. It boosted my confidence, but also reaffirmed my decision to attend B-School. This isn’t limited to the application process as I feel more prepared to start B-School thanks to the advice Angela provided on career prospects.
Without reservation I would recommend Angela to anyone looking to get the absolute best out of themselves. Words do not do justice for what Angela helped me to achieve and without a doubt in my mind she can do the same for you. If you are serious about B-School and ready for someone to take you to a whole new level while sharing some great laughs and amazing stories along the way then Angela is the consultant for you!!!
BOOTH, MIT ADMIT, APRIL 11 | 2016 ON GMAT CLUB
Angela is Fantastic
I went into the MBA admission process relatively blind and on an extremely tight schedule. I had little insight into how the process worked or what to expect. I also had only taken the GMAT on October 31 and wanted to apply round 2, really only giving me a month and a half to get my applications in order. Once I engaged Angela, I knew I had made a good decision.
She immediately put me at ease. She gave me great insight into the process, what to expect, what to and not to worry about, and how it would all work. This put a lot of my unease to rest, as I felt like I had a great grasp on the process. She then instilled much needed confidence in me. As an atypical candidate, I was unsure if I should highlight or hide that background. My instincts told me to shine a light on it, which Angela agreed with. And, we ran with it.
In the end, it all paid off. I am attending HBS in the fall. I owe Angela a great deal of credit for that.
HBS STUDENT, APRIL 13 | 2016 ON GMAT CLUB
Angela Guido Review - HBS Admit
I really enjoyed working with Angela throughout my MBA application process. Angela made significant contributions to my application in three key areas:
First, Angela is an excellent thought partner. She helped me through a process of introspection to better understand myself and what made me unique as a candidate. I valued the opportunity to share ideas as I crafted my essays and could always count on her to provide high quality, honest feedback that pushed my thinking.
Angela is also a gifted communicator. She helped me to present my experiences clearly and concisely in a way that would be understandable to individuals not familiar with the technical aspects of my industry. Angela’s guidance in this area was particularly helpful as I prepared for my interview.
Finally, working with Angela removed a lot of stress and uncertainty from the process. I was able to rely on her experience and intuition to get a feel for where my essays were strong and where there we opportunities for improvement. This significantly enhanced my confidence throughout the process and allowed me to work more efficiently.
Angela was a big part of my successful application to Harvard Business School. I highly recommend Angela to anyone working through the MBA application process.
HBS ADMIT, APRIL 09 | 2014 ON GMAT CLUB
Angela is the best!
Angela is inarguably the best. I had talked to 7 different consultants before making the decision, and only Angela pointed out the concerns that I had – since I've been working in various industries for 5 years and already got a graduate degree, my biggest challenge is to select the best materials for my application. Plus going to business school is an ad hoc decision, so we did four applications in less than a month. Were it not for her, I wouldn't have been able to do it at all, not to mention in a timely and effectively fashion.
Angela is very good at spotting your strengths and weaknesses during the brainstorming. A few times I even had this feeling that she has known me for a long time and to some extent, she knows me better than I know myself – at least she gave me some awesome essays ideas that never came to me. She is also very good at pushing you to think hard until you figure out something that both of you are happy with. Trust me that she has high standards and will never let it pass unless she truly feels comfortable with the products. For one essay, after writing two different versions of 12 drafts, I decided to give in, but she told me that I could do better. Brainstorming that essay was a rewarding experience. Eventually, by putting my whole life in it, I managed to finalize the 17th draft. Due to the time pressure, Angela dropped almost everything to help me edit that essay until everything is in place for submission. Even though I didn't end up going to that school, working with Angela on that essay has been my favorite application experience – it helps me obtain a better knowledge about myself.
Angela has also been helpful in many other ways. After the application, I emailed her a couple of times for advice on books, b-school life, etc, she is super responsible and resourceful. She even put me in touch with another client in HK, since both of us would be going to the same school. Guess what, we quickly bonded and decided to be roomies!
WHARTON MBA, MAY 24 | 2013 ON GMAT CLUB
Angela is a bosss 😉
Angela is amazing at her job! She's been extremely helpful throughout my MBA application process. She's been great at addressing all the parts of my application I was really concerned about. The Success Inventory toolkit has been such a difference maker in deciding which aspects of my life I'm most proud of that I can share in my essays. Learning how to create an MBA specific resume, creating a personal statement that is a story and creating my career game plan are areas (amongst a few others) Angela helped me further develop. I would not have been able to do this on my own and highly recommend working with Angela!
FORTE MBA LAUNCHER, JULY 25, 2017 ON GMAT CLUB
Couldnt have done it without Angela!
When I had first planned to apply to business school, I was actually fairly against hiring a consultant – giant waste of money, I thought, I could do it myself with the help of a few friends to read my essays… then I spoke to a good friend of mine who had attended MIT Sloan and also happened to be a Manhattan GMAT instructor, and he informed me that over 50% of HBS admits use consultants. Great. But then I started looking at how much work b-school applications were going to be, incredibly more time-intensive and all-consuming than undergrad, plus at that pt, I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted after b-school/with my life.
So, on the recommendation of my friend, I started looking at the resources provided by MBA Mission I signed up for their Boot Camp to see if I could improve my essay-writing, not expecting too much, but I was completely blown away. The series was incredibly comprehensive and extremely useful, making me realize how much I didn't know about the application process, and the subtleties to writing essays for each particular school. Angela, who led the sessions, was amazing and after hearing her process, I knew I had to have her as my consultant!
This was mid-July at that point, and Angela was already entirely booked for the upcoming application season, but she managed to squeeze me as her last client!
We got right down to business. From the very start, Angela completely picked me apart – my life, my dreams, my ambitions, my entire professional career – and somehow magically brought it all together in this wonderfully comprehensive story that really spoke to who I was. It was amazing how she could understand me so well and so quickly and really drill down and identify what motivated me, what I was good at, and what I wanted out of my life and career. She had an uncanny ability to ask just the right questions – those incredibly powerful probing questions that are hard to answer bc it forces you to dig deep and find those moments in life that shaped who you are and how you think.
It sounds funny, but Angela truly helped me better understand myself. And once you really know yourself and what you want, writing essays about those topics becomes that much easier! Angela helped me brainstorm every single essay before I started writing, setting a game plan for how all the essays for a certain school would flow together. As I started writing, I had quite a bit of trouble staying within the word count limits (usually at double the length in my first draft), and Angela was immensely helpful in teaching me how to be more concise and impactful with my words – she wouldn’t just cut them for me, but forced me to learn how to be more concise and efficient. She taught me how to be a better writer!
In total, I ended up applying to 5 schools. With an average of 3 essays for each school, and at 4-6 drafts apiece, I wrote over 70 drafts – all of which Angela turned around in 48 hours, and helped me refine for each particular business school. That would’ve been an impossible task to ask of any friend or number of friends, and they wouldn’t have had the context or experience that Angela brought to the essay-writing process.
But the essays were just one portion of the application where Angela’s help was invaluable– Angela helped my recommenders with their recommendation letters, she did numerous practice interviews with me, and even after I received my acceptances, she connected me with her old clients to help me in my decision-making process! She was there for me and more throughout the entire process, from start until the very end!
Now looking back, I don’t know where I would’ve been without her. I have absolutely no doubt that my applications were much, much stronger than they ever would’ve been without Angela’s help!
And to give you some context – the five schools I applied to were Stanford, HBS, Wharton, Booth, and Kellogg. In the end, I didn’t get into the first three, but received generous scholarships from the last two. Thanks Angela!!! 🙂
BOOTH AND KELLOGG SCHOLARSHIP ADMIT, MAY 20 | 2014 ON GMAT CLUB
Thank you!
As most MBA applicants quickly realize, the application process requires a ton of soul searching. Angela’s greatest strength was her ability to guide me through that process. She was able to quickly understand all the twists and turns in my career and what each decision revealed about my underlying values (and how those values have evolved over time). Independent of the outcome of the application process, I found that the process of deep self-reflection was extremely helpful and rewarding.
Angela was also incredibly helpful with the tactical steps required to complete the application. From guiding me on how to write a business school resume to sharing how what I was writing might come across to an admissions officer, it was extremely comforting knowing that I had an expert on my side. Ultimately, I couldn’t be more pleased with the result, as I got into my top two choices that I applied to.
Thank you Angela!
TOP 10 MBA ADMIT, AUGUST 16 | 2016 ON GMAT CLUB
Here is the email I sent to Angela last week:
It's been a while since we saw you first in our GMAT class. I hope this email finds you well =) I wanted to reach out and say hello as well as update you on what transpired regarding my MBA applications. My boyfriend and I are moving to Cambridge Thursday!! He was accepted to Harvard and I’m off to Sloan. We are both super excited and it couldn’t have turned out any better. Thank you for all your help and support! We definitely couldn’t have done it without your guidance!!! I think my positive perception is attributed to my experiences with you. Just wanted to share the good news and say “”Thanks”” again!!
MIT MBA, JULY 31 | 2013 ON GMAT CLUB
Thumbs Up for Angela Guido !!
Like many others, I also researched a lot before opting for MBA admission consultancy services. I finally selected Angela Guido. The experience has been really good. Throughout the admission process, she was open to all kind of my ideas and experiences which could potentially be part of my application. Whenever I had discussion with her, I found her to be well prepared about my profile and also shared her key insight that how the admission committee see applications and what they look for in the resumes. Though I am not selected to all schools but have received offers from my top options. Working with Angela was not only limited to the application process but I would say that it helped me to realize my own potential as well which I will be better using in my upcoming studies. Many times after getting feedback from her I was able to modify my ideas in more appealing fashion. I would recommend to anyone who wish to give their best shot for admissions in their dream schools !!!
MBA ADMIT, MAY 24 | 2015 ON GMAT CLUB
Review
I worked with Angela Guido, from the beginning of my MBA application process to the end. Angela turned out to be a great resource for me, even before I began writing my essays. She really helped me to think through the major events and stories in my life, and, through her probing, allowed me to see them from various angles that could add to my application. As for the essays, Angela’s biggest value-add was helping me dig into my past to arrive at the real root of the answers to the questions the schools were asking. From there, she helped me frame the big picture response to ensure that the themes I wanted to highlight came through.
Almost as useful as Angela’s feedback was being on a strict timeline with deadlines. Dual-tracking multiple applications with a full time job meant I needed to continuously work on my essays. Because she has a two-day-turnaround policy, I was forced to work on my essays as soon as they were returned to me in order to get them back to Angela quickly. This allowed me to get through many iterations of my essays, in a short timeframe, until I was confident in the final product.
MBA ADMIT, JANUARY 15 | 2014 ON GMAT CLUB
With Angela as a partner, you can't go wrong!
I was paired up with Angela. I really enjoyed working with her because she's a good listener and tries to think about the best way to present yourself. In addition, I'm a huge procrasinator, and I did all of my essays for one of the top bschools the last week before they were due. Because of that, we only had time for one round of edits before they were due. Luckily, Angela really helped me focus my message and cut down unnecessary words, which I think really made the difference. I'm going to this school in the fall with a huge $$$ scholarship package. I definitely recommend working with Angela.
WHARTON ADMIT ON ADMISSIONS 411
Great Experience with Angela
When I started my application, there was quite limited time allowed me to catch up with the first round submission deadline. Angela has a lot of good reviews from GMATClub, therefore I decided to asked her for help. Although occupied with other applicants, she was very kind to offer the help for me. There are two schools in my package and one of them required 3 essays which was a huge amount of work given I only have no more than 2 months.
Starting in mid Jul, Angela helped me from the very beginning including understanding my own strengths and weaknesses, packaging my story that could fit into the essays. She really knew how to dig out my personality and incorporate it into the essays. There are several times I was quite surprised that Angela seemed to know myself better than I did. The turnaround time for Angela was very short so that I could easily manage my submission timeline.
If you think she is just catching some grammar error or rephrasing the wordings, you are wrong. There was one essay Angela felt I was not doing well, which I felt the same way while writing it. She was very ‘harsh' to ask me to ‘re-write' it for several times until she thought it really represented me in the essay.
During the mock interview stage, I was also struggling with some general questions such as why MBA, why this school. I tended to answer it in a general way at the beginning, but Angela also helped me to rephrase the answer to be consistent with my career goal.
It turned out to be a pretty good result for me. I got admitted to my first priority school and got the merit based scholarship. Really need to give Angela a big thanks here!
MBA ADMIT AND SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT, APRIL 12 | 2016 ON GMAT CLUB
MBA Missions: Angela Guido
I initially contacted Angela in mid-July for a free 30 minute consultation to talk through my admissions strategy and she remained an advisor throughout the process. Round 1 applications were due in about 6 weeks and I had not done anything other than taken the GMAT. She provided a gameplan and assured me that if I worked efficiently, I could get the applications in on time for round 1, which in my case, would give me slightly better odds.
Angela gave me honest and open feedback and delivered great value to me. My resume transformed tremendously. I had all the right experience, but she helped me convey it concisely and in a results oriented manner. She was also very helpful with brainstorming essay topics. Not only did she give honest advice on essay topics, but her background as a writer was a true differentiator. When B-schools get 10,000+ applications, I knew my essay had to be unique and engaging and Angela has stellar experience advising students on how to remain engaging and on point, while still inserting creative personality.
She stayed in contact with me throughout the whole process and held an “”interview seminar”” which trained me on how to organize an answer to any question and how to use stories from my past to engage the interviewer and give relevant examples.
Most important, Angela has an effervescent personality and a joy to work with. She genuinely wants to see you be successful and was a great resource to help me through this process.
ANONYMOUS MBA, DECEMBER 17 | 2014 ON GMAT CLUB
Awesome experience with Angela Guido
My MBA application process was very stressful and having Angela's guidance and support made it a lot easier. I always enjoyed our conversations, which promoted introspection, guided my brainstorming process and always made me feel better. Our conversations were useful not only for my application, but also to think about what I want to do after my MBA and for my summer internship. Having been an MBA candidate herself, it is easy for her to identify with us and understand the stress that this process entails and is thus very empathetic. The advisory was very useful in defining the story I was going to tell through my essays and I really appreciated that she took the time to get to know me in order for the essays to truly transmit my essence. I would certainly recommend her to my friends!!!
MBA ADMIT, JUNE 7, 2017 ON POETS&QUANTS
Angela Guido - the MBA guide
I worked with Angela for a 2-school package for R1 (Tuck, Haas), and then decided to add a third school for R2 (Harvard). I applied R2 to Wharton and Kellogg on my own as its a numbers game.
My background – Deals from the Big 4, 720 GMAT, 5 years of work experience, good (but not great) extracurriculars in college and afterwards.
This is the 3rd year I applied to business schools. 2 years ago did R3 at Harvard (looking back I had no shot), last year I did R2 at H/W/Tuck. All dings, with interview invite at Tuck. Over the summer I felt that this was realistically my last shot to apply, and I just didn't want to gamble with my chances.
A guide in the process. Just like you wouldn't trek across the desert on your own, you probably shouldn't apply to business school without help. You might get to the destination in the end, but youll probably take a wrong turn at some point. Last year I would spend weeks crafting a an essay, only to realise at the end that even though it was written well the story didnt work and I needed to restart (I got up to 20+ revisions last year on some essays). This time around with each revision I knew I was on the right track (only about 5-8 revisions per essay). This was INCREDIBLY useful as I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Positives
– STORY CRAFTING. Angela helped me dive into my career and college to pull out the best stories. About half of them were ones I wouldnt have included originally, but looking back now they are some of my most powerful. She also helped me get under the skin of each school and essay question so that I could change perspective and tell the same story from multiple viewpoints depending on what was required.
– TIME SAVINGS. She knew the process and always had the answer. The previous two years I constantly read online forums and books on application strategy. This killed my time and restricted how many applications I did. I also would read advice in one place, and have it contradicted somewhere else.
– SUPPORTIVE – Angela was really my champion throughout the process. She was honest in schools I didnt have a shot at (Stanford) – but also encouraged me to stretch myself and go for my dream schools. She also provided much needed encouragement when I was sick of the process and wanted to give up.
– Consulants are the only ones with truly OBJECTIVE FEEDBACK. Angela called me out when my essays were crap and I needed to change direction at the start. Family and friends aren't objective and don't understand the process. They should provide feedback on the essays (at the end of the process when its being tightened), but they are not the best help crafting the theme and story.
Advice I wish I could have given myself a year ago
– Speak to consulants as early as possible. I started in July and really felt like I should have started earlier to ease my stress levels as the deadlines loomed. The best consulants get fully booked months in advance, this wasnt something I was aware of going into the process.
-Personality fit is also really important and something I didnt consider as much when I started the process. Even within the same company its likely you will connect really well with some consultants, and may not well with others.
– She wont do the work for you or chase you. She guides you in the process but wont carry you. At the end of the day, its your voice, your stories – she just makes sure your best stories are picked and they come across as polished as possible.
I have been accepted to Kellogg!!!!! (and interview invite is TBD at Harvard) Although Kellogg wasnt one of the school's I worked with Angela on, there were many areas that overlapped (my “”theme””, interview advice, resume, letter of recs, some parts of the essays). Generally my thought process had also changed from previous applications (i.e. show – dont tell). Ironically, my Tuck application was better than my Kellogg application, goes to show sometimes its just a bit of luck.
Overall – HIGHLY recommend both Angela – I wouldnt have been accepted without using her. Simple as that.
KELLOGG STUDENT, JANUARY 11 | 2016 ON GMAT CLUB
Angela Was Awesome
Here are some reasons why:
1) Angela de-stressed the process for me. After I responded to a series of questions about myself, Angela and I had a brainstorming session and she helped me thinking of themes to launch my essay. Looking at a blank sheet of paper is really hard and stressful! She helped me synthesize a story, and unpacked how to approach the school's questions.
2) Angela is ethical. This was SUPER important to me. I always feel uncomfortable getting help. Angela did not redline my essays. I was super proud of my essays because I had written every word of them. When I wrote material that was off, she would prompt me to rethink some ideas and explain the tone of what I was saying that is often hard to know if you are in the weeds.
3) Angela explained WHY she was making the recommendations she made. I sometimes would push back and we would have full conversations about her recommendations. This is important if you are to use these skills in the future.
COLUMBIA, WHARTON, MIT ADMIT DECEMBER 29, 2017 ON GMAT CLUB
Angela Guido Review - Thank You!
I worked with Angela Guido for the one-school package. I just applied to HBS and was admitted. Working with Angela was one of the smartest decisions that I made during my application process. I was very late in getting my application together for Round 1. So for me, her ability to help me work/navigate through the time crunch, yet still help me convey my true feelings was incredibly helpful. It’s fair to say that our timeline was even unreasonable, yet Angela figured out ways to make it work.
Angela’s biggest strength is her ability to help you bring out what is meaningful in your story. We spent a lot of time going through numerous stories and lessons in my self-reflection (brainstorming) doc and ultimately synthesize what was most meaningful. She helped me dig deep and recognize valuable life-lessons that I would have otherwise missed. Angela is clearly a vet – she knows what is important from an admissions perspective and can help you showcase your best qualities.
After the themes of my essays were decided, Angela continued to help me craft the perfect story. She was incredibly helpful in helping me put together a clear, fluent, well-written essay. And her editing was on-point as she managed to improve my drafts without losing my personal touch. Every time I sent her a draft, she would respond (promptly) with clear feedback and thoughtful edits.
Overall, Angela was wonderful in every category. She was thorough and helped me with each part of my application (including my resume and the post-reflection essay). She was also very responsive which was critical to me meeting the deadline. I would highly recommend Angela!
HARVARD STUDENT, JANUARY 19 | 2015 ON GMAT CLUB
Personalized and Perfect!
I did a ton of research on different consultants and honestly wasn't that impressed with any of them until I found Angela. The first thing that stood out to me that I loved about her was her direct, candid, no sugarcoating approach. In a process as cumbersome, stressful, and important as business school applications, I wanted someone to be my partner in the process who could tell it to me straight so that I could best set my expectations and focus my efforts. Angela was exactly that and much more!
Working with her at the beginning of my application process to strategize my story and identify my differentiators was an incredible experience. She knew exactly what questions to ask, where to focus our time, and what aspects of my experience to dig deeper into in order to create something that was genuinely mine in a unique and compelling way. It should be noted here that I'm a management consultant so certainly didn't have “”uniqueness”” coming from my job experience.
From there, it was all about putting that story into words in a way that resonated with each school, and here again Angela was amazing! From brainstorming the best writing frameworks that could be used to answer each question, to editing tens of versions of my essays, Angela provided thoughtful, detailed, and personalized feedback each step of the way.
In short working with Angela is the best! She knows how to work with applicants in order to generate the type of self-reflection that is required in order to succeed in this process and knows how to combine that with her world class expertise in to create a final product that is compelling and genuine. Hire her!!!!!!!
Also, for some context, I worked with her to apply to Harvard, Stanford, Booth, and Wharton's Lauder dual degree program and ended up being admitted to Booth and Wharton / Lauder.
BOOTH AND WHARTON LAUDER ADMIT, FEB 28 2017 ON GMAT CLUB
Angela Guido - The best mentor and support you could ask for!
I first met Angela through the Forte Foundation where her webinars really stood out as having uniquely practical, actionable, and smart advice. In the saturated space of MBA admissions consulting, it was refreshing to hear Angela present with her signature amount of energy and drive. When I ultimately decided to apply to school and to select a consulting firm, Angela was the obvious choice. Working with Angela is undoubtedly one of the best investment decisions I have made to-date, and it not only made my MBA application process stress-free and fun, but also a great opportunity to truly reflect on myself and my goals.
In the end I was accepted to both of my top choice schools: Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, and UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.
A few notes on what made this journey with Angela fantastic:
How did you get here? Where are you going?
Angela’s ability to bring out the best in her clients is a natural talent. Out of a million different ways that I could have told my story, Angela helped guide me towards the one that felt most authentic and genuine. I came out of the essay writing process feeling confident, grounded and armed with a much greater clarity of my own narrative.
Brevity is the soul of wit
Editing – everything from essays to resume to short answer questions – is by far the toughest, but most critical task and Angela was incredibly helpful in providing constructive criticism tailored to each piece of the application and each school. Trimming down your work from “could this qualify as a novel?” to “YES 450 WORDS EXACTLY” is daunting, but quick, clear, and laser-focused feedback from Angela can calm even the most frayed nerves.
Details, details, details
Beyond the application there are a lot of small details you don’t really think about until you are in the thick of things and panicking. Whether it’s questions/emails for the admissions office, scholarships, deposits, the decision-making – everything could have an impact on the admissions process. I tend to get mired in the small stuff, and being able to send Angela a quick question knowing I will receive a reliable and fast response made all the difference in my confidence that I did the very best I could in my applications to business school.
KELLOGG, HAAS ADMIT MARCH 25 | 2016 ON GMAT CLUB
Angela Guido, more friend than consultant
In late November 2013 I decided to bite the bullet and apply to business school. Given my poor timing, I know that the R2 deadlines had passed for a few schools, or were coming up in the next few weeks.
I decided to use a consulting company to help me focus and distill my applications for 4 dream schools that I had in mind, in the meanwhile I began preparing to apply to 6 schools on my own – that’s right, I applied to 10 schools, hoping for a Fall 2014 admit, and hadn't written a single essay yet at that point!
I chose Angela after watching her short description video on her website, and was impressed with her screen writing experience – I figured it would be good to have someone like her inject some panache into my writing, and I’m happy she said yes to working with me.
I’m not a stellar candidate by any means, but I do have a diverse background, and Angela was instrumental in helping me dig through my experiences to frame very strong and emotive essays.
The key thing I’d like to clarify is that she didn't spoon feed me, in fact she only intervened in my writing when she felt it got either too verbose or lost its impact. She has such a good eye for strong narrative it’s uncanny, she’s able to rein you back in when things veer off-course.
From start to finish I had 5-6 weeks (crazy I know), and with xmas/new year breaks in between, I knew I was under the hammer. I was worried that I had chewed off more than I could handle, but Angela stepped up, and made sure to motivate me to send her numerous drafts within quick succession – I think at the 2nd week in, we were literally doing 1-2 drafts a day!
More than anything though, I believe Angela and I gelled quite well because she assumed the role of a friend, rather than someone who was being paid to help me refine my application; I was worried that the opposite might occur, and that it would be such a rigid arrangement, but honestly, couldn't have asked for better.
Full disclosure: I applied to 4 schools with Angela’s help, the top 4 b-schools, and I ended up getting admitted to Wharton (my 1st choice), and wait listed after interview at another (entirely my fault – interview was so bad since I was sleep deprived from travelling).
Of the schools I applied to on my own, I got admitted to all 6.
I guess what I’m trying to say is, while it isn't necessary to use an admission consulting service, they can help distill your mba application, and this is by no means an easy task. It’s a completely different ball game for the top few schools, and if you’re under time constraints, as I was, or are unsure of whether “reach” schools are really within reach, then I’d recommend getting in touch with Angela.
Angela, you’re a star – highly recommended!
WHARTON ADMIT, JUNE 17 | 2014 ON GMAT CLUB
SuperAngela
After spending hours researching mba programs, I knew that I wanted to work with a consultant during my admissions process. Upon researching different consulting companies and reading reviews of consultants, I knew I wanted to work with Angela Guido as early as April 2014.
I let Angela know that I was targeting the top Canadian MBA programs. Angela advised me that it would be a good idea for me to target the Round 2 deadline in January and get my GMA score closer to 700 rather than apply in the round 1 deadline of November 3rd.
On October 20th, I attended a seminar organized by my number 1 choice school. Meeting and chatting with the admissions committee and several other prospective applicants made me realize that it was in my best interest to apply in the Round 1 deadline. This gave me a little under 2 weeks to brainstorm for my essays, write rough drafts, finalize them, fix my resume and everything else that goes in between.
I came home and immediately wrote an email to Angela and asked her for her advice. Angela was quick to respond and said that I should indeed target Round 1. We set up a skype conversation the following day and laid down the groundwork and plan of action as to how we would achieve our target. What followed was a series of emails and brainstorming sessions. I would email my rough drafts to Angela in the morning and she would send me her comments in the evening. Looking back, it was like watching a well oiled machine at work and everything was very organized.
Throughout this entire process, Angela helped me bring out my strengths and weaknesses and how we could best present them to the AdCom. Angela, through her years of experience, brought with her powerful insights and a sense of calmness to this very hectic process. To start from nothing and finish a stellar application for a top MBA program in under 2 weeks is not an easy task, one that would've been impossible without the guidance of Angela.
Needless to say, the whole process was made even sweeter when I found out that I got accepted into my program of choice and Angela played a huge role in the process.
MBA ADMIT , DECEMBER 20, 2014 ON GMAT CLUB
Great experience with Angela
I hired Angela in July 2016 to assist me with round one applications. I did a 3-school package with Angela and ultimately was able to adapt the essays I worked on with her to apply to 5 total schools. I was accepted to one of the schools I did with Angela (a top 5 school) and offered a generous merit scholarship there (~75% tuition, for 2 years.) I was waitlisted at one of the other 3 schools and rejected at one. I was accepted to both of the two schools I applied to outside of the package (both top 15 schools) and received full ride merit scholarships and Forte Fellowships at both of those.
Working with Angela was very enjoyable. She is friendly and really helped me understand the process. She helped me decide which recommenders to approach and which schools to apply to.
Angela's insights on my resume were invaluable. My resume was 100% different and much, much better after her comments and suggestions.
She reviewed my essays carefully and we went through multiple rounds of revisions. She helped me identify which of my experiences would be most appropriate for the essays, and then tell them in the most compelling way. Angela has a really strong understanding of what each school is looking for and how to strategize accordingly.
I think the best thing about working with Angela is her upbeat personality that helps keep you sane throughout this crazy process.
COLUMBIA BUSINESS SCHOOL STUDENT, FEBRUARY 05 | 2017 ON GMAT CLUB
Angela the Incredible!
I worked with Angela Guido and she was incredible! I wanted to submit 8 applications and had only a few weeks to complete them before the round two deadlines. Given my timeline and the number of schools I was applying to it was imperative that I maximize my time. Angela coached me through the process to prioritize what I wanted to say and maximize efficiency. She provided feedback and incites that allowed me to successfully articulate my goals and my reasons for wanting to attend business school in a way that would not have been possible without her help. Angela taught me how to think about and construct compelling stories about my experiences and my goals. Angela was incredibly good at giving feedback to the big picture messages in my stories as well as noting where I needed more detail to support those messages in order to make them more powerful, memorable, and lasting so that I could stand apart in my application.
BOOTH ADMIT, FEBRUARY 26, 2010, ON ADMISSIONS 411
Only accept the best!
Angela Guido is inarguably the best. I had talked to 7 different consultants before making the decision, and only Angela pointed out the concerns that I had – since I've been working in various industries for 5 years and already got a graduate degree, my biggest challenge is to select the best materials for my application. Plus going to business school is an ad hoc decision, so we did four applications in less than a month. Were it not for her, I wouldn't have been able to do it at all, not to mention in a timely and effectively fashion. Angela is very good at spotting your strengths and weaknesses during the brainstorming. A few times I even had this feeling that she has known me for a long time and to some extent, she knows me better than I know myself – at least she gave me some awesome essays ideas that never came to me. She is also very good at pushing you to think hard until you figure out something that both of you are happy with. Trust me that she has high standards
WHARTON STUDENT ON ADMISSIONS 411
Re-applicant to Booth (with Angela Guido)
This was my second attempt with U of C (Booth). While I did a lot of work on my own in preparation of the admission process, I honestly believe that without Angela Guido's assistance, I would not have been admitted!
I didn't have a good idea of what to expect before working with Angela – there is a significant time and (more importantly) effort commitment (5 essays, 5-7 drafts per essay, re-tooling my resume, etc.) and, with Angela's guidance, I produced essays that I didn't think were possible. She motivated me to take my experiences to construct strong stories and a powerful resume. Her feedback throughout the application process was invaluable!
CHICAGO BOOTH ADMIT, FEBRUARY 09 | 2015 ON GMAT CLUB
Thank you Angela!
The reason why I chose a consultant was because of the short time frame (1 month) I was working with. I am very glad I did and was very fortunate to have Angela Guido as my consultant.
From the get go, we set up a phone call to go over expectations and to layout the game plan. The first step was to brainstorm – work accomplishments, personal achievements, skills, strengths, weaknesses, random bits about yourself etc. It was a big giant puzzle with pieces scattered everywhere. Then with Angela's guidance, I was able to take all that information and create an outline for each of my essays. In total I wrote 2 full essays , 3 short question essays, and redid my resume. It was great to have another perspective on how to approach and answer each question.
I don't think I could have done everything in less than 30 days without Angela's help. She was extremely energetic and exuberant with an infectious laughter. The turnaround time was quick – on average the edits and revisions took about 2 business days. Through the process, I did about 4 revisions on the longer essays and 2-3 revisions on the shorter ones. The end result was top notch and I was accepted into the USC Marshall Program.
Thank you Angela!
USC MARSHALL MBA, APRIL 24 | 2013 ON GMAT CLUB