19
Consumer Goods
Product Mgmt
Self-funded
Harvard
MBA
Because my GMAT score was solid and I was working at a foreign-affiliated firm, I had a fair amount of confidence in my English ability. As a result, I applied on my own the previous year—but was ultimately unsuccessful. Feeling that I must have been missing something fundamental, I decided to hire a counselor. Rather than simply looking for “someone who would give advice on essays,” I was looking for a “marketing consultant” who could help me build my overall positioning. After a one-hour interview, I decided to work with Mr. Round.
Because I was based in the Kansai region, it was also very appealing that all counseling activities were structured so that I did not need to commute to attend sessions.
The counseling with Mr. Round began in August and was held every Tuesday during my lunch break (from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.). I would step out of work and use a company conference room. Over the weekend, I prepared an essay draft (or, in some cases, only a story outline), and we finalized it during the Tuesday session. For the first 30 minutes or so, I spoke with Mr. Round online in Canada, expanding on ideas based on the story I had submitted. At times, he would reject the story itself, in which case we shifted to brainstorming instead. Based on the agreed-upon ideas and draft, Mr. Round then spent the remaining hour and a half refining the essay. By the time I received it by email at 1:00 p.m., I was often amazed, thinking, “Is this really the same story?” I would then revise it myself with comments such as “I’d like to tweak this part a bit,” and repeat the cycle the following week.
Because communication is done via email, key points are clearly understood, avoiding the common pitfall of face-to-face counseling where you “feel like you understood everything” but later realize you did not. In the end, this is far more efficient.
Initially, since I was paying a substantial counseling fee, I thought it would be better to meet in person and tried face-to-face counseling elsewhere several times. However, when a native speaker gives rapid instructions in person, you end up focusing so hard on responding in English that you mistakenly think you understand everything. Once home, you realize you are unsure how to revise your work, and much of the feedback goes unused—making the process inefficient. Writing questions to Mr. Round clarified my thinking, and the feedback I received precisely summarized what needed to be fixed and how. As a result, the process was extremely efficient.
Examples:
[Question] Mr. Round, Regarding my Chicago Essay 1, my plan is to basically modify Kellogg Q1 for this one. The problem is, my Kellogg Q1 only has 800 words, while Chicago requires at least 1200 words. I can mention a little about ‘influencers’ (current students at Chicago). But could you suggest which area I should write more to strengthen my essay?
[ Answer] I agree that we can use Kellogg-1 as a “foundation” here, but there will be some structural modification (e.g. Chicago doesn’t ask you to “assess your career progress”).We can add some “personal” development info in Chicago-1. For example, you could speak about wanting to further develop your global perspective and refer to your American Language Program experience at Columbia University. I also really like your idea of writing about being influenced by current students (mention them by name) and also of referring to your campus visit experience. If you have attended promotional events for Chicago in Japan, then you could mention those as well.
[Question] Mr. Round, I now feel that my strengths/weaknesses are too generic. How about ‘risk-taking’, evidenced by para-gliding club experience?
[Answer] I think the examples that you use to support the strengths that you mention could make the essay distinctive. You could certainly add “risk-taking” as a strength, if you like. If you do, then you’ll need to explain why you consider such behavior to be a “strength.”
Exceptional brainstorming ability
This does not mean that Mr. Round creates ideas for you. Ultimately, the foundation lies in how many compelling stories exist within your own experience. However, what Japanese applicants find interesting often differs from what American admissions officers find compelling. Therefore, stories must be reframed through an American lens. Mr. Round, a Canadian with extensive experience working in Japan, has an excellent sense of what resonates. Even seemingly ordinary stories were never wasted; instead, he skillfully drew out more compelling interpretations.
Highly effective interview training
Interviews are said to account for up to 40% of the admissions decision, yet based on experience (including my own past attempts), Japanese applicants tend to under-prepare. One reason may be the lack of high-quality interview training services. Because Mr. Round had already worked with me extensively on brainstorming, his mock interviews came with precise advice such as, “If you’re asked this question, you must base your answer on that story.” This approach proved effective in real interviews: rather than simply answering questions, I was able to embed strategic messages that strengthened my positioning. Additionally, I was able to request mock interviews with Ms. Emma Round as well. Her 30-minute interviews came with exceptionally detailed feedback reports—about three A4 pages each. This level of feedback was invaluable.
Example of feedback from a mock interview:
Feedback for Question: What kind of a leader are you?
The first part of your answer was very good – you told me that you are a leader with strong vision. You then described different definitions of a leader. This didn’t add much value to your answer. You also gave an example of a leadership experience – this wasn’t necessary for this question. To make your answer stronger, you should have said something like “I’m a leader with strong vision. I like to develop a vision and then work with others on the execution of the strategy. I always gather input from my team members so they know that their opinions are valued. Others tell me that they appreciate my leadership style because they feel like part of a team.”
Because counseling sessions were scheduled on weekdays, I could devote weekends entirely to writing essays.
With commuting-based counseling, sessions often fall on weekends, and including travel time, a single one- or two-hour session can consume half a day. Being able to have counseling sessions online during weekday lunch breaks allowed me to secure long, uninterrupted blocks of time on weekends—something that was especially critical from October onward, when applications reached their peak.
It is difficult to say unequivocally that “this counselor is the best,” because the definition of “best” depends on the kind of counseling—and overall MBA application style—one is seeking. In my case, choosing Mr. Round based on my desire for a marketing-consultant-style approach and comprehensive counseling (including interviews and brainstorming) without the need to commute was a major factor in my success.
