What is an MBA Coach and How do I Know if I Need One?
Landing a coveted spot in a competitive MBA program is a challenge. With the vast potential career benefits you can gain from completing an MBA, it’s worth giving yourself the best possible chance during admissions.
An MBA coach (also known as an MBA admissions consultant) can help you prepare for the business school application process. Finding the right expert to guide you can make all the difference in successfully landing a spot on your dream MBA program.
MBA coaches offer expert advice, helping with everything from building a list of target schools, to preparing for the GMAT, to helping develop the personal story you wish to put forward during admissions.
An MBA coach can help you stay accountable and engaged throughout the admissions process. Through their insights and guidance on subjects such as essays and resumes, application coaching can help you stand out from others as you learn to highlight your strengths.
Within the admissions process, where the wealth of information can be overwhelming, MBA coaching can also ensure you have crucial access to knowledge and advice on topics such as financial aid and scholarship opportunities, ensuring you are prepared for every stage of the application.
Who Needs an MBA Coach?
While not essential, all MBA applicants could benefit from gaining an outside perspective and speaking with an expert who has insider insights on the admissions process.
An MBA coach might be particularly useful if you are targeting a top MBA program, for example the M7 schools, including Harvard, Stanford, and the FT’s top-ranked MBA, Wharton.
MBA coaches often help ambitious professionals land places at these schools. Experts at Leland, a personalized coaching marketplace that connects applicants with coaches experienced in admissions as well as other topics such as careers, have successfully landed students at top-ranked schools including MIT Sloan School of Management and Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management.
Often, MBA coaches are former admissions directors or MBA graduates themselves, with first-hand experience and knowledge that can help guide you through building a winning application strategy and securing your spot in an MBA program. Leland, for example, has coaches with direct links to specific institutions, so it may be worth seeking out relevant expertise if you have a particular school you are targeting.
Professional mentoring advice can help ensure your application stands out in a crowded and competitive field. MBA coaching may also be useful for international students unfamiliar with admissions systems in destinations like the US or the UK, or applicants who need help refining their goals or personal stories.
Busy professionals who need help streamlining the application process so that they can work through it alongside their career may also benefit from connecting with an MBA coach, who can help them stay accountable and keep their goals in check
When Should I Consider an MBA Coach?
You should introduce an MBA coach early in the application process to gain the highest level of support possible.
An admissions coach can guide you through every stage of the process. If you don’t have a clear career goal or MBA program in mind, seeking advice from an MBA coach at this stage can be particularly beneficial, as they can offer support with program research and assist in deciding the best school and MBA for you.
Alternatively, you may choose to enlist the help of an expert at a later stage in the admissions process, where they can be useful in providing help with resume building and finalizing essays, or even interview preparation after you have submitted your application.
Though, it’s important to avoid approaching an MBA coach as a last resort or a quick fix to secure your place in a program.
Looking for guidance as you navigate your MBA journey? Through Advancery, you can connect with a coach who aligns with your goals and experience. Members who upgrade receive a complimentary session to start building their plan with expert insight.
How can I Find an MBA Coach?
You can find MBA coaches and consultants offering a range of admissions coaching services today, from access to practice tests to one-to-one advice on particular areas of concern.
Through Advancery, GMAC’s AI-powered tool designed to help professionals take steps to develop their educational and career journeys, you can gain exclusive access to coaching via the Leland platform,connecting with expert mentors across admissions, the GMAT, and other topics including careers.
Innovative technology is combined with a personalized, human experience through one-to-one coaching, enabling you to benefit from expert-driven support. As an Advancery member, you can access discounts on exclusive cohort-based bootcamps led by Leland coaches, who include former admissions officers from top business schools. These bootcamps offer structure, peer support, and direct guidance towards goals such as test preparation and interview readiness.
All of this is combined with the data and resources Advancery membership provides. Advancery helps users identify the right program for their career goals, providing up to date, verified information about programs at business schools across the globe. Through insights drawn from more than 1 million verified application conversations, the tool offers guidance based on what has been successful for previous applicants.
Do I Need an MBA Coach?
So, do you need an MBA coach? MBA coaches can be impactful during admissions, and their support with essays, resumes, the GMAT, and interviews may be the difference between acceptance or rejection from your dream program.
However, they are not a guarantee of success—applicants themselves must still work hard to craft a winning application, stand out in their interview, and gain their place in an MBA program.