Best MBA Admission Consultants For 2023

Hiring an admission consultant could help strengthen your business school application. Here are the best MBA admission consultants for 2023 ranked by MBA Insight

Stacy Blackman Consulting (SBC) is once again ranked the best MBA admission consulting firm for candidates applying to top-tier business schools, according to MBA Insight.

Founded by Stacy Blackman, an MBA alum from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, SBC admission consultants include former MBA admissions officers from top US and European business schools. It has consistently ranked top of rankings such as the MBA Insight list.

As applying to top business schools becomes increasingly competitive, hiring an admission consultant could help strengthen your MBA application and give you a better chance of securing a scholarship.

MBA Insight’s list of the best MBA admission consultants for 2023 is based on reviews by students who rated consultants using a one-to-five star rating system.

SBC came top with the only five-star rating, followed by Admissionado and Personal MBA Coach in joint second, and Aringo in fourth spot.

Other top-ranked MBA admission consultants include MBA Prep School, mbaMission.com and Accepted.

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Is hiring an MBA admission consultant worth it?

Choosing the best MBA admission consultant for you involves considering factors like personal fit and cost. SBC’s hourly rate is $395, according to MBA Insight, with its all-in package starting at $6,900.

Fortuna Admissions also charges $395 per hour, and along with SBC is the most expensive hourly rate. Meanwhile the cheapest MBA admission consultant on the list is Aringo at $315 per hour.

One MBA student reviewer who used SBC mentions how they got admitted into Harvard Business School and Stanford Graduate School of Business, and says that they would not have been able to do this without support from the consultants who helped them with advice on strengthening their application, understanding the differences between schools and interview prep.

Another student reviewer who got accepted into Duke Fuqua School of Business used mbaMission and said they relished "the right balance of optimism and realism" from their consultant, as well as not being overly focused on GPA/GMAT scores

While helpful, admission consultants are expensive and you should factor their cost when calculating the return on investment you can expect from your MBA.

Before you open your wallet or purse, ask yourself the question: Do you really need an MBA admission consultant?

If you’re applying to top-ranked business schools with the toughest acceptance rates then the answer might be yes.

However, many candidates successfully apply to business school without admission consultants, using free guides and resources to help them on their way.