Case Studies

The Challenge: When I met with my EXPARTUS® advisor for the first time, what I lacked in time to spare before my first application deadline I made up for in determination – and raw materials, i.e. my background. But these materials that collectively comprised my educational, professional and personal past did not necessarily follow a single path or form a clearly directed resume. Specifically, I jumped from one job to another – to a third – in the little over four years I had been out of college, and the jobs ranged from financial to creative in nature. I could boast good grades from a well-respected undergraduate institution and a solid GMAT score, but so could most of my competition. I had some extracurricular activities to speak of, but none that were particularly out of the ordinary.

The EXPARTUS® Solution: Enter EXPARTUS®. In an impressively short period of time, my Brand Advisor uncovered more about me than many people ever could, and we immediately set to work to fit all of my experiences into a single, powerful and unique brand. This EXPARTUS® method of “branding” enabled me complete a consistent application in which all of the elements of my story reinforced one another and all supported a central theme – my brand. Working with EXPARTUS® forced me to look within myself more than I ever could have or would have on my own. The result was an application that was 100% genuine and written from my heart; a quality that I am confident came through to the admissions committee in a subtle, almost inexplicable way.

The Outcome: The final outcome was an acceptance to my top choice MBA program, something I don’t think I could have achieved without my advisor’s expertise. Her insight into the admissions process, coupled with her ability to brand clients, is unmatched. Her warm and rich personality is simply an added bonus, and her level of commitment to you as a client is top-notch. I would sum up my overall EXPARTUS® experience with a few main sentiments: motivationally challenging, intriguingly introspective, and sweetly rewarding. As I embark with great excitement upon this next chapter of my life, I feel added confidence knowing how hard I worked to earn my acceptance and knowing that my “coach” will forever be a mentor to me.

The Challenge: Clearly I could have struggled through the application process on my own, and still had a chance of getting in to my choice schools. However, without EXPARTUS®, firstly the whole process would have been much more stressful, and secondly, I really don’t think my essays would have been anywhere near as compelling and insightful as they actually turned out to be.

The EXPARTUS® Solution: EXPARTUS® provided me with reassurance that my application was going to be the best it could be. Yes, it might not have been the best application out there, and certainly there was no guarantee of my getting into my choice schools. However, without EXPARTUS®, I would not have known what standard was good enough. I wouldn’t have known when to stop working on the application, and when to stop worrying about it. Having an advisor to assure me when something was good enough and when it needed more work, was really fantastic, as otherwise I would have had no benchmark against which to judge the quality of my application.

Often when people ask their friends / the schools themselves, “what does my application need to be successful”, they are given wishy-washy answers. For example, “what score do I need to get on the GMAT” or, “are these essays good enough”, or, “i don’t have xyz type of experience, does this matter” – I’ve seen these questions asked in business school presentations a number of times, and never heard an answer that doesn’t sit on the fence. With EXPARTUS®, I was able to ask these questions and get straight answers every time. The EXPARTUS® advisors’ level of understanding about the whole application process was fantastic, and having the perspective of someone who has sat on the “other” side and actually judged the applications themselves, was incredibly helpful.

I was also really impressed by the level of professionalism at EXPARTUS®. I was initially concerned that there was no obvious reason why EXPARTUS® should care about my application, given that I had paid upfront with obviously no guarantee of results. However, these concerns were completely misplaced. I always felt that my EXPARTUS® advisor was giving my application all the attention it needed and that the service I received was completely personalised and tailored to my needs. My advisor was always extremely accessible, and given that there was no charging by the hour, I felt that the EXPARTUS® services were always completely at my disposal.

Finally, I felt that the EXPARTUS® emphasis on branding was incredibly important. Not only did it make it much easier for me to write my essays, as I knew which points I was trying to stress to the admissions committees, but also, having someone provide an outside perspective on the things I have done in my life was a real eye-opener. This may sound a bit cheesy, but working with my advisor actually really helped me to understand myself – what my values are, my strengths and my weaknesses. Similarly, I realised that some of the things I had done, that I thought were minor, were in fact real accomplishments, and vice versa. Overall, I feel that working with EXPARTUS® has made me much more aware of who I am, what my selling points are, and what I can work on. Clearly this was important for the business school application, but in addition, I feel I have learnt a lot about myself that I can apply to any other occasion when I need to convince people of my abilities eg. future job applications and interviews.

The Outcome: So was it worth the money? Definitely. Applying to business school is certainly not simple whichever way you do it, but EXPARTUS® certainly made it a whole lot easier. Without the EXPARTUS® input, I think the whole ordeal would have been a never-ending process for me, with continual stress and anxiety. Instead, it turned out to be an experience which provided me with new insight into myself and of course a place in the school of my dreams, HBS – thank you!!

The Challenge: Having been in marketing and advertising since graduating college, I didn’t know too many people with MBA’s and didn’t consider pursuing an MBA as part of my long-term plan. So when I felt ready to go back to school, I was not as prepared as other candidates who were in industries were an MBA was encouraged. I spoke with several admissions consultants before working with EXPARTUS®, and they all filled me with fear – fear that I was not business school material and that my odds of getting into top programs were very slim. All these consultants told me that I was too old and my work experience didn’t have the star power of investment banking or management consulting. In particular, one consultant told me that I had “no meat” to my story and that Michigan would be a reach school for me. With dread, I made my call to EXPARTUS® expecting the same.

The EXPARTUS® Solution: I was thrilled with EXPARTUS®’ approach. Rather than instilling fear and setting limitations, EXPARTUS® was my advocate and champion, empowering me to do my best and work to my full potential. Most importantly, EXPARTUS® was a constant presence and guided me through the entire process. Our weekly status meetings were invaluable in helping me articulate a focused and highly compelling application incorporating so-called “no-meat” background and future MBA goals. We turned what other consultants pointed as my shortcomings – age, gender, Asian background – into advantages. Through the PBA and personal branding process, we were able to develop a personal brand that appropriately captured my diverse work experience, community service involvement and my personal history. The PBA was also integral in helping me answer key questions that helped me clarify my goals and provide structure to my story.

The Outcome: Throughout the application process, EXPARTUS® partnered with me every step of the way, keeping me motivated. I’ve been accepted to several top 10 schools including Kellogg, Tuck and Wharton and I know I couldn’t have done it without EXPARTUS®.

Since graduating with a chemical engineering degree almost 4 years ago, I have worked for two of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies. By joining a leadership development program that rotated its members through different positions, I had the opportunity to hold 6 different positions in three years, exposing me to different areas of the pharmaceutical business, at 4 different sites across the nation. After receiving a promotion to a production supervisor at a different pharmaceutical company, I have been challenged with managing 12 line workers at a production facility.

The Challenge: During my application process for a top business school for fall of 2007, I was particularly concerned with the strength of my extracurricular activities/leadership and developing a streamlined personal brand. During college, I had not held any significant positions in any organization to show my leadership strength. Since college, I had relocated many times, further preventing me from holding significant organizational positions. Furthermore, I had a couple of prospects for post-business school but was unsure of how to address them in my application without appearing to lack clear direction.

The EXPARTUS® Solution: Working with EXPARTUS® was invaluable in resolving my challenges. Having several detailed brainstorming discussions with my EXPARTUS® brand advisor and going through the EXPARTUS® consultation process helped me highlight significant leadership examples from my past experiences. The branding process was also highly instrumental in streamlining my future goals. Using EXPARTUS® services, I was better able to articulate all my essays as a cohesive unit that supported my future goals.

The Outcome: My success was beyond what I had imagined. I applied to 2 of the world’s best business schools and got admitted into both of them. To lure me into their MBA program, I was even offered a substantial financial fellowship from one of the top schools. As I embark on my journey through graduate school and seize the endless opportunities that will follow, I would like to thank EXPARTUS® for playing a major role in the process.

The Challenge: Applying for business school is an incredible investment. From a time standpoint, for 6 months, your free time is consumed by the GMAT, writing essays, rewriting essays, visiting schools, meeting with recommenders, and interviewing. From a cost perspective, simply taking the GMAT once and applying to the standard four schools costs over $1000. Upon realizing the enormity and importance of the task at hand, I knew that I would need an advisor to guide me through the process. As a career changer, I needed assistance marketing myself. I chose EXPARTUS® because of their extensive experience in Admissions at leading institutions and their passion for helping people fulfill their potential.

I had spoken extensively with friends at top business schools across the country and thought I had a handle on the components of a winning application. After my initial consultation with EXPARTUS®, I began to realize how much I did not know. I did not know how to truly differentiate the top 15 schools from one another to identify which ones would fit my needs. I did not know which recommenders would be most appropriate for which schools. And despite having years of professional experience, I could not effectively communicate my story. What are my short term and long term goals? How does business school fit into this?

The EXPARTUS® Solution: Over the next few months, I began working with an EXPARTUS® Admissions Advisor who became my coach, my most trusted advisor, and my cheerleader. She led me to identify my strengths, weaknesses, leadership style and passions. This discovery process enabled me to identify the personal and professional experiences that have come to shape who I am today and who I hope to be.

In the end, rather than spending months producing a flat application full of clichéd template responses, I had three dimensional applications that truly captured the uniqueness of my experiences and the depth of my character. The best part about this was the fact that with EXPARTUS®’ expert guidance, I did not have to write eight versions of each essay to get to the final product as my friends were. It’s amazing how painless the writing process can be when you know exactly what you want to say and how you need to say it.

The Outcome: In the end, I was accepted into three out of the four schools that I applied to – all of which are top ten schools – including Harvard. At another school, I was even awarded a significant scholarship. I could not have dreamed of a better outcome and I owe it all to EEXPARTUS®. EXPARTUS®’ guidance has been nothing short of life changing.