Interview with Susan

We know you have many questions, and sometimes a 30-minute call does not grant enough time to go into those details. As such, we have compiled responses to some of the most common questions prospective applicants ask. This will enable you to read these responses in advance of your meeting with Susan and bring specific questions to the Exploratory Call fro a most effective discussion.

 1.     How long have you been an admission coach, and how did you become an Admissions Consultant?

To answer this question, it’s probably best that I share with you a defining moment and resulting “compelling story” that brought me to where I am today, coaching ambitious prospective applicants, like you, on exactly what to do to gain admission to top-20 business schools.

That defining moment happened in 2015. I was working for a prominent hedge fund in New York City. Given my academic training in history and literature and having degrees from NYU and Yale, a colleague approached me to help with her HBS application.

She had already paid a high-profile consultant to help her stand out in her applications. However, she didn't get the attention she sought after paying the consultant. As a result, she was worried that her dream of attending HBS would not come true – I resonated with that feeling because that is how I felt when I applied to NYU and Yale.

After reading her essay, I noticed that her response to the prompt had no depth – this was a kind of superficial writing that top-ranked schools see very often. So, I proceeded to help her craft her narrative, diving deeper into her experiences. Thirteen (13) drafts later, she submitted her application.

She applied to 5 business schools in total (although I only helped her with HBS); she was only admitted to HBS.

This experience made me realize that there are many others like her - aspiring applicants hire brand consulting firms with the promise of years of work experience yet receive minimum individualized attention in their application journey. So I decided to offer something different –structured coaching with a very hands-on, individualized approach, helping applicants reflect deeply on their journey and goals, so they present a narrative that shows their uniqueness to the admission team.

The seeds of Sia Admissions were planted in 2015, and I have been working full-time as an admission coach since 2017.  

2.     Who are your clients exactly?

I work with highly talented and ambitious professionals who come with a wealth of experiences but are unsure how to present their stories to the admissions team to ensure they maximize their chances of admission. Professionals I’ve worked with run the whole gamut in roles and industries:

3.     What happens if you haven’t yet worked with people in my field?

I have worked with many professionals in various roles and industries. That said, you will not be disadvantaged if I have not worked with someone in your field. Applicants in your field probably do the same things to present their narratives to the admission committee. I’ll guess this creates much repetition in the application.

What my current and former clients have found exceedingly helpful is that I bring a fresh perspective to their application development process because I helped ask the right questions that allow them to include details in their applications that make their experiences clear to a business school admission committee.  Because of this, they present clear narratives that demonstrate transferable skills, helping them stand out in their applications and have a higher probability of getting admission.

4.     How are you different from other Admissions Consultants?

Clients are always amazed by the level of support they receive and the depth of work we go through to ensure they have left no- stone unturned to secure their admission.  

What sets me apart from other admissions consultants is that I pay close attention to the narrative and serve as the narrative coach, admissions consultant, and expert.  

I ONLY work with a few ambitious students who take the admissions process seriously. What that means for you is that I am invested in your success, making sure that I help you submit thoughtful work that shows depth and communicate your experiences in line with what the target school is looking for in successful applicants while remaining genuine to who you are.  Because of this, you get no-nonsense, undiluted expertise of what works in the admissions process. I am simply invested in knowing my clients, their character, values, and mission, which are key to receiving the right guidance, so you submit a stellar application that stands out. Of course, I throw in a healthy dose of compassion, humor, and encouragement, which ALWAYS helps.

5.     What type of personality do you work best with, and what is expected of me?

The Sia Admissions program is created for professionals who are absolutely excited and deadly serious about standing a chance to gain admission to top business schools. The program is created for you to build a strategy of steps to ensure that within several months you have prepared stellar materials that are a true reflection of yourself and then intense interview prep to ensure that you maximally show you are the right candidate for the program. Through this process, my clients gain a deeper understanding of who they are as professionals, so they select target business schools that fit them. We help them communicate the values that help them stand out in their applications.  

Being a perfectionist, I’m known to work best with high achievers who are ready to get going and want to know precisely what steps to take to gain admission and will roll up their sleeves to get the work done.  

 Consider your work with me to be a process of continuous reflection of bringing depth to your narratives in all modes of presentation. You will be expected to take serious and consistent action while you receive full support in helping you achieve this incredibly exciting goal – admission to your top choice program.

6.     For what type of professional is this program NOT going to work?

Please know that I am very selective in who I work with, and I cherry-pick my clients, choosing to gently turn away people who aren’t suited for my program and won't get the results they would have signed up for – It would not be fair for them.

This program is for highly ambitious young professionals looking to gain admission to a top 20 Business School and are willing to do all that it takes to get into that program. The program is rigorous insofar as it covers every aspect of the admission process, ensuring that no stones are left unturned to maximize your chances.

With that in mind, this program is NOT for individuals looking to have their materials written for them. It is also NOT for individuals who wait until the last minute to submit the materials and expect a positive outcome. It is NOT for individuals who do not do the work. And finally, this program is NOT for chronic skeptics and those who constantly make excuses for not completing their assignments and challenge every aspect of the program. If you identify as one of these individuals, I gently and respectfully ask that you do not call, and I hope you understand why. We will probably not work well together, and I wouldn't want to waste your time or money in this process. Is that fair?

7.     What exactly does the Partner Program include?

Gaining admission to top-tier business schools is no easy feat, and we believe that it is the job of the applicant to do all they can to increase their chances of admission. With that in mind, our program is structured to guide and support you in the following:

1. Gain a sense of how your past experiences have shaped who you are

2. Define and understand Your Values, Mission, and Goals

3. Determine a range of target schools that match your individual criteria in line with your goals

4. Coach you in selecting and guiding recommenders

5. Coaching on selecting and constructing narratives for essays and resume

6. Help you package what you know and do through your resume and the letters of recommendation

7. Guide you in getting to know your target universities

8. Prepare for the interviews

9. Finalize your decision

10. Guide you in the pre- and post-MBA preparation, so you maximize opportunities to help you build your dream career.

11. Slack Channel for easy communication

12. Project management platform with milestones to ensure consistent progress

13. Guidebook and workbooks to ensure you have all the tools to succeed

14. Workshops, when necessary

15. Calls to discuss a plan of action for each stage of development

16. Online/offline review of materials

17. Monthly meetings to ensure consistent progress, which is in addition to the more structured calls outlined above.

18. And so much more…  

The partner package is truly and end-to-end coaching structured on the steps necessary, customized to your individual needs.

8.     Does this really work?

 Yes! We have a 94% placement rate, meaning that 94% of our clients are admitted to at least one of their target programs. The program works because it contains a hands-on approach to coaching. We provide a lot of details and analysis around content, goals, school research, story selection, and interview prep that help applicants put together a holistic application that is competitive for a top-ranked business school.

I have helped applicants with a 2.5 GPA gain admission to an M7; I have helped clients with 690 GMAT gain admission to a top 15 business school; I have also helped non-traditional applicants tell a compelling narrative that enabled offers of admission to 5 schools (M7 and T15) with a cumulative scholarship package of $500K; I have also helped another applicant with non-profit experience gain admission to T15 with a full ride.  There are many more stories and testimonials to help you learn how we have helped others in their MBA admission journey, so you are confident we can help you too.

9.     What results can I expect?

There is much that we offer and is impossible to capture every nuance. That said, here are the macro-level elements of what you can expect working with Sia Admissions:

1. You can expect to receive help to put together goals aligned with what Business School admission committees expect from successful candidates.

2. Through our rigorous review process, you can expect to demonstrate transferable skills and impact that aligns with the admission committee's expectations.

3. We will help you select the right narratives and present them in line with the prompt, containing details that enable the admission committee to gather insights that show your personality, helping you stand out.

4. We will guide you in selecting the right recommenders by discussing the available recommender options and selecting one that will provide the right insights in line with the admission committee’s expectations. You can also anticipate that we will coach you on how to help the recommenders speak to their experiences working with you in line with what the Business School expects of recommenders.

5. Having conversations with members of the target institution is integral to a successful application. You will be coached on not only how to have the conversations with target school representatives but also what questions to ask so the insight you gain will add value to your application content enabling you to pinpoint specific things the school offers attracting you to the program.

6. We not only work on essays and resumes, but also focus our attention on helping applicants put together a holistic application. Therefore, in addition to receiving guidance and feedback on every draft of your resume and essay until they are complete, we will also coach and guide you on how to answer the short-answer questions in the application portals. This ensures that you carry the same voice and message throughout the application process, and present a holistic profile just like the admission committee expects.

7. We are a proactive team. Once the application is submitted, we schedule 3 hours of mock interview preparation, so you keep momentum and are ready for interviews, irrespective of whether that interview invitation comes from a school we work on together or not.

8. Once you are invited to interview for the schools we work on together, we schedule five (5) 1-hour school-specific mock sessions to ensure you are ready for the nuanced differences in the interview approach for each school and you are ready to answer any question the interviewer asks.

9. Should you be waitlisted, anticipate that we will prepare a waitlist game plan.

10. When you have offers in hand, we discuss and take action on scholarship negotiations where appropriate and possible.

11. Once you have all the admission options in hand, we coach you on the final school selection, particularly given the fact that by that point, we would have worked together for at least six months and got to know your preferences and thoughts around your goals and what you look for in an MBA program.

12. Once you have accepted your offer of admission, we do not stop there. We will coach you on how to prepare for your pre-MBA journey and how to maximize your MBA experience to ensure you not only gain the most out of your Business School program but also are ready for the journey ahead in your professional career. In addition, we provide a reading list to help you get acclimated with going back to school and have insightful conversations with your future cohort of various backgrounds and interests.

13. Accountability and timelines to ensure you are on track.

14. And so much more….

10.     How can I guarantee that I will get admission in this application cycle?

While we do not guarantee admission, we have found that the applicants who take the journey seriously have the highest probability of admission. There will be times when you will feel that there is too much to do; it is imperative to keep your eye on the prize and continue forging forward. Our process incorporates milestones to minimize the stress associated with the Business School application process. Forward progress is better than expecting perfection the first time around. 

11.     How long should I anticipate working together?

The least we have worked with anyone is five to six months, incorporating the pre-submission work of at least two months and the three months after submission, including interview preparation and waiting on the final decision. The most I have worked with prospective candidates is two years before their application submission, particularly those seeking support in building their profile, ensuring they maximize outcomes.

12.     OK, I know I want to proceed. How do we get started?

Once we agree that working together is the right fit, you will let us know you are ready to start. We need to know how many schools you want to work with us. We do not need to know which schools you want to work with us on at that stage, given that we will work together to define your school selection, ensuring that you have a range of schools to maximize your application outcome. Once you let us know, we will prepare an agreement and share that with you so you can sign and make the first installment payment to get started immediately. After that, the program begins with a reflection workbook that asks you to “reflect” on past personal, professional, and extracurricular experiences so we can understand your character and values better.

13.     If I’m not sure I’m ready to start, how can I sample your work at a low cost?

Yes, we are always happy to start you off on an hourly rate so you get a sense of how we work. Once you are ready to start our comprehensive partner program, we will credit the hourly fee towards the partner package.

14.     I have a family and a busy life. Although I want admission to a top program, I don’t have much time to spare. How much time do I need?

We understand that applicants have very busy lives and are choosing to pursue an MBA to ensure they progress in their careers and make their dreams a reality. Typically the application submission process takes at least two (2) months of rigorous work. If you have a family or other obligations that will take you away from the application preparation, please start the process earlier to maximize output and ensure a higher probability of admission. If you can give half the time a traditional applicant gives weekly, I suggest you start four to five months minimum before the target application deadline. Unfortunately, the work required cannot be escaped; in this case, effective use of time is the best policy.