119
Consulting
Consulting
Self-funded
Stanford-GSB
MSx
Matriculated program: Stanford GSB MSx Program
Track record with Round One: Harvard Kennedy School MC/MPA / Awarded Fulbright scholarship
TOEFL: 102
GMAT: 700
Background: Strategy consulting, government-related projects
I am currently enrolled in the MC/MPA program at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, supported by a Fulbright scholarship.
Because I was admitted after receiving Steve’s counseling during last year’s application cycle, I asked him again for support when applying to Stanford this year.
To be honest, before engaging his services last year (and this applies to the admissions consulting industry in general), I felt the fees were high. However, considering the quality of Steve’s support, I no longer believe the service is expensive at all. In fact, compared with other counselors, he works with exceptional sincerity and is willing to accommodate even quite demanding requests, making the service extremely good value. That is precisely why I decided to work with him again in my second year of applications.
Below are the reasons I chose to engage Steve once again.
My background includes both private-sector consulting experience and government-related project work. For my Harvard and Fulbright applications, I was admitted after writing essays centered on the problem awareness I developed through those public-sector projects. For Stanford, however, Steve guided me to frame my content and expression in a way that more strongly connected my experience to business.
For Harvard, I differentiated myself by presenting a career plan that bridged the private and public sectors; for Fulbright, I emphasized academic aspects; and for Stanford GSB, I received advice on how to articulate how Silicon Valley’s ecosystem—its location and networks—could be leveraged to achieve my career goals. While this may sound obvious in hindsight, Steve was able to precisely identify what I thought I had expressed but had not fully articulated in writing, and helped me put it into words. As a discussion partner, he is someone I can trust completely.
During application season, requests flood in and Steve’s time becomes extremely limited. Even so, when something was urgently needed, he would find time between commitments—whether one minute or five minutes—to help.
In addition, his email responses are exceptionally fast. For applicants who are constantly pressed for time, this makes him an extremely reliable and dependable counselor. Last year, I briefly worked with another counselor, but their slow replies made me anxious about whether my emails were even being read. With Steve, replies always came at a surprising speed, eliminating any such concerns and allowing him to serve as an excellent pace-maker.
While the quality of counseling is of course important, it goes without saying that response speed and scheduling flexibility are actually critical in the application process itself. Steve excels in this regard, and I never experienced frustration due to delayed replies or difficulty securing time.
Another positive point is that even when he spends significant time addressing individual questions, he often provides support without charging additional hourly fees. Some counselors strictly limit support to paid time only, ending sessions the moment time runs out, so Steve’s flexible, client-centered approach is truly exceptional.
Interview training was particularly valuable for my Stanford application. When I learned the interviewer’s name in advance and contacted Steve, he researched the interviewer’s background—who they were and what topics might interest them. I was genuinely surprised by this level of preparation and professionalism.
The training questions were extremely precise, and in the actual interview, nearly everything was covered by what we had practiced together. His deep familiarity with interview questions—likely a result of having guided many successful applicants—was another reason I found him so trustworthy.
Having spent a year studying at Harvard, I had become much more comfortable speaking, but even so, receiving interview training and preparing in advance allowed me to approach the interview with composure and respond while observing the interviewer’s reactions. Interview training is not inexpensive, but I believe it is well worth the investment. While returnees may not need it, I strongly recommend it for those who do not use English regularly.
The post-admission support is extremely generous—valuable enough to more than recoup the cost of essay counseling alone.
First, Steve reviews and edits all emails to admissions offices. He even helped me with negotiations with a real estate agent. After enrollment, I had opportunities to give speeches in extracurricular activities, and he reviewed those as well. Once enrolled, résumés are required for job hunting, and he reviewed those too. Remarkably, all of these services are provided free of charge. (I often wondered whether it was really okay to ask for so much.) Considering this after-service support, the cost-effectiveness feels roughly three times higher.
In addition, because I built much of my second-year Stanford application on essays from the previous year and handled a large portion myself, even when I exceeded the originally agreed counseling time, he provided substantial additional support.
Another advantage is being introduced to other students of Steve’s who have been admitted to similar top schools. He introduced me to one person at Harvard and one at Stanford who were studying during the same period. Since Steve is selective about the students he takes on, this may also contribute to his high admission success rate.
This has become a long account, but if finances allow, I can strongly recommend Steve’s services. Applications are expensive to begin with—TOEFL and GMAT preparation, test fees, and application costs add up quickly—and I have experienced services where I paid money only to receive poor quality and ultimately waste both time and money. Last year, I tried a lower-priced counselor, but it was completely unhelpful and only led to frustration.
As evidenced by the fact that I chose to work with him again, Steve provides services that exceed their price. I recommend choosing a counselor with proven results and genuine reliability, even if the cost is higher. (It does not necessarily have to be Steve, but it is wise to ask for introductions to counselors who have successfully placed applicants at your target schools.)
