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Personal MBA Coach Admissions Consulting Reviews

About Personal MBA Coach

Founded 14 years ago by Scott Edinburgh, a Wharton and MIT graduate, Personal MBA Coach has helped hundreds of applicants around the world get into top MBA, EMBA, part-time MBA and specialized master’s programs (including Master of Finance, Master of Analytics, Master of Public Policy, law school) with a 96% success rate. Personal MBA Coach is consistently ranked #1 or #2 by leading sources. Last year, our clients earned more than $6M in scholarships!

All clients have direct access to Scott, who serves on the Board of Directors for AIGAC, the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants and is invited to speak at MBA Admissions events globally, including the annual Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) conference.

Scott is supported by a boutique team including MJ Shores, a former Wharton MBA Admissions Director, GMAT/GRE/EA tutors who scored above the 99th percentile (most with 780+) and former M7 admissions interviewers.

Personal MBA Coach Services:

Pre-Application Support:

  • Early MBA Planning 
  • Customized One-on-One GMAT/GRE/EA Tutoring

Application Development:

  • Comprehensive Packages Including:
  1. Application strategy
  2. School selection
  3. Personal story development
  4. Resume editing
  5. Essay brainstorming and unlimited essay editing
  6. Video essay feedback
  7. Letters of recommendation support
  8. Interview preparation with former M7 interviewers
  9. Pre/post interview essay editing 
  10. Waitlist strategy and waitlist essay editing
  11. Post acceptance support 

Ad Hoc Services:

  • Interview Preparation (with former M7 interviewers)
  • Waitlist Strategy
  • Ding Report

Schedule Your 30-Minute Consultation Today!

Take a look at our package options and contact us to discuss your situation!

Working With Personal MBA Coach:

Personal MBA Coach Deal Page

Personal MBA Coach Admissions Consulting Reviews

Personal MBA Coach Interview Prep Service
 $600  $600
Reviews
11
Average Rating
5
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Personal MBA Coach Comprehensive School Packages
$4900
Reviews
153
Average Rating
5
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Scott Edinburgh
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Mae Jennifer 'MJ' Shores
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Nicole Shay
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5.0

Reviews:

164 Reviews
5.0 Average
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April 06, 2017
gmatzoh

Joined: Oct 18, 2013

Posts: 2

Kudos: 7

Self-reported Score:
770 Q50 V45

Scott is fantastic!

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by membership [?]

I hired Scott (Personal MBA Coach) to help me prep for my MIT Sloan Round 1 interview. I was a bit skeptical as to what an MBA admissions consultant could offer in terms of practical advice, but I was definitely pleasantly surprised with the service. Before our meeting, Scott sent me a number of materials detailing common interview questions and strategies for how to approach answering them. We exchanged a number of emails and phone calls back and forth before our meeting, and he was very available/approachable with anything I needed.

Scott came to my office to conduct a practice interview with me – which in retrospect is probably the best decision I made throughout the entire MBA recruiting process. The entire process was incredibly professional, and honestly felt like a real interview. After the interview we had a feedback session, and then the next day Scott sent me a detailed email with strengths and areas for improvement from our mock interview.

When I walked into my actual interview at Sloan, I felt incredibly prepared and confident. I knew my story, had prepped answers to all the possible questions I could get, and it felt almost like déjà vu hearing the admissions officer ask the same questions Scott had asked me a week prior.

If you’re on the fence about hiring an admissions consultant to give you a mock b-school interview, I would say go for it. In the long-run, it’s a drop in the bucket – but it can be the one thing that makes or breaks your interview – and in turn your admission to a top program.

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March 31, 2017
rmuko

Joined: Mar 31, 2017

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Scott is the best!

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by school email address [?]

I can highly recommend Scott for his interview prep. I only applied to one business school, so wanted to make sure everything would go well in the interview. Scott did an awesome job in prepping me for it. He took great time and care to go through all my submitted application documents in order to be prepared for our mock interview. He provided many insightful comments on how I should rather phrase my answers, which aspects I should emphasize and which aspects I just rather de-prioritize.
Also it felt like a real interview and was simply a great mock-up.
What I found even more helpful were his comments on the post-interview submission. As I only had 24 hours to submit the reflection on my interview, it was great to get Scott's opinion on how I should write the reflection and how to re-frame some answers from the interview.

Overall, Scott played a significant part in my admission and I would highly recommend him to anyone who doesnt fell 100% confident about the interview!

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March 30, 2017
Peavy

Joined: Aug 08, 2015

Posts: 23

Kudos: 19

Self-reported Score:
730 Q49 V40

Personal MBA Coach got me admitted at all schools I applied to

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by school email address [?]

At the start of my MBA journey, I had never written an essay, did not know what leadership experience was and could not think of anything that distinguished me from the thousands of other well-qualified candidates. Thanks to Scott Edinburgh as my Personal MBA Coach, I was not only admitted to all 5 top 15 programs I applied to, but was also awarded scholarships totalling over $200k.

Navigating the MBA admissions process is a major project in itself. Luckily there are rockstars like Scott Edinburgh who make the entire process so much easier. Being an international applicant with an unconventional background, I had no idea how to craft a powerful narrative to tell admission officers my story (when starting out, I did not even fully know what my story actually was).

Scott broke the entire process down in easy-to-understand components and tackled them with me one by one. As you will discover when working with him, his thorougness and attention-to-detail is second to none. As a result, he unconvered several great topics I had too readily discarded and helped me turn them into outstanding essays.

When I then showed him my first essay drafts, Scott did his job - and ripped them apart! Imagine Scott as a tough coach: he will be relentless in pushing yourself to your limits and beyond. You may wish that he'd be easier on you, but once you are smiling from the top of the podium, you know how valuable his input was.

To be perfectly clear: the above is in no way to say that Scott is a mean guy - the complete opposite is true. Scott is with you every step of the way offering plenty of encouragement. He genuinely cares about your success. Despite a substantial time difference, Scott was always available to answer my questions, even on very short notice if necessary.

However, Scott's work did not stop once I received the good news that I was admitted. He acted as a sounding board, helped me weigh my options and also assisted me in drafting a letter to the admissions office that ultimately got me additional scholarship money!

If your goal is to get in a top MBA program and you want customized and personalized support at a very fair price, look no further - Personal MBA Coach Scott Edinburgh is the guy for you.

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March 09, 2017
jlaredo

Joined: Dec 31, 2013

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Scott is a tremendous asset

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by membership [?]

Admissions consultants are not cheap - they're a big investment. Like many people, I did a bunch of free consultations with "big name" firms. Many of them sounded great, but it was impossible to know who exactly I would actually be working with and what their track record for success had been in the past. I wanted someone whom I could speak with and evaluate before I shelled out thousands of dollars. I decided to work with Scott, and it was the best decision I made throughout the entire process.

Scott is everything he advertises: timely, responsive, honest, incredibly hardworking, thoughtful, and efficient. When he says he'll get you edits in 48 hours, he means it. He's also almost always on call despite his hectic schedule. I sent him countless emails with quick random questions, and he almost always responded within an hour or two. He worked with my schedule and accommodated calls whenever I asked.

Scott was an enormous asset throughout the entire process. He helped me affirm my school selections, think through my career goals, evaluate and play to my strengths, hide my weaknesses, select my recommenders, and truly match my resume to the interests of my top schools. I consider myself a pretty good writer, but Scott tore my essays up regularly. He made them much, much better every time, without compromising what I wanted to say. He also works incredibly hard to build relationships at the top schools, which gives him amazing insight into what they look for and how to prioritize time on the applications.

With Scott's help, I got into my top choice, Northwestern-Kellogg. Without a doubt, Scott was a big reason why. Money well spent.

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March 02, 2017
Parzival

Joined: Feb 27, 2017

Posts: 0

Kudos: 5

Verified score:
770 Q50 V46

Present the best version of yourself

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

Do you want to get into a top MBA program? If so, you should work with Scott (Personal MBA Coach).

I tried applying to schools on my own first. Despite an extremely high GMAT score and good work experience I only got two interviews, and I struck out at all 6 places I applied. I didn't even get waitlisted anywhere.

For my second year of applications, I decided to get help. After talking to multiple consultants and feeling less than thrilled about their pitches (most were obviously just after my money) I talked to Scott. He was more engaged than anyone else, and most importantly he seemed to genuinely want to help me.

Long story short, I ended up getting interviews at 4 of 5 places Scott helped me apply to. I was accepted at two schools (one with a decent scholarship), and waitlisted at one. I also tried applying to one additional school on my own and did not even get an interview. This means that out of 12 schools, I was only admitted to those Scott helped me apply to, and Scott was involved in getting 4 of 6 interviews. Note that since he only helped me apply to 5 places I got interviews 80% of the time with him and 28% of the time on my own.

My last comment is about what you should and should not expect from Scott. He is not a magic genie who will instantly grant acceptance to your top school. He will not write anything for you. He will not tell you what you want to do in the future. What Scott will do is relentlessly critique your essays. He will push you HARD to fully distill what you are trying to say, and he will pull no punches while doing it. If you are six drafts into your essay and it just isn't there, he will tell you that you need to start over. At times it will suck, but as long as you continue to push yourself Scott will help unearth the best version of yourself in your final applications. I am extremely glad that I worked with Scott, and I cannot recommend him highly enough.

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This reviewer has not participated on GMAT Club but it is a REAL person and a REAL review. GMAT Club has verified this test-taker's identity through GMAC/Pearson Vue Score Reporting system and confirmed that this reviewer indeed took the GMAT, is unique, and has not submitted multiple reviews.
February 13, 2017
mhend782

Joined: Feb 13, 2017

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified score:
680 Q44 V39

Valuable Advice, Great Experience!

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

At the very beginning of the process, Scott helped me identify the right MBA programs based on my career goals and academic background / work experience. He did an excellent job of helping me create "my story" and shape it so that it was clear, concise and consistent throughout my application. His review comments in my Admissions Essays were very value-add and he challenged me to really think about the content so that I could set myself apart in the application process. His full suite of services also included helping me prepare for admissions interviews and ultimately choosing the right school after I had been accepted. I would recommend Scott Edinburgh to anyone looking to apply to a top tier MBA program.

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December 21, 2016
rhg213

Joined: Dec 21, 2016

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

MBA consulting

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

Applying to MBA programs can be a daunting task. Between writing the essays, preparing for interviews, and finally deciding on a school that fits, the entire experience is rigorous. Scott prepared me for every single step of the process. He guided me on targeting the programs I was interested in, helped me brainstorm and compose the essays, and trained me for the interviews. I am happy to say I was accepted to every single school I applied to; UCLA Anderson, NYU Stern, Georgetown McDonough, and USC Marshall. I would not have been able to accomplish this without Scott's guidance. His experience helped me complete entire applications in a matter of days with minimal stress. I highly recommend Scott if you are serious about being accepted to the best MBA programs available to you.

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December 20, 2016
shi

Joined: Jul 09, 2014

Posts: 13

Kudos: 0

Self-reported Score:
770 Q50 V46

Job Well Done

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by membership [?]

I used Scott Edinburgh to help me navigate the admissions process . I was initially hoping to save and only work with him on an hourly basis, but ultimately went with a comprehensive package and could not be happier. From our initial discussion, Scott listened to my story (quite non-traditional) and guided me to focus on the unique aspects of my profile. From that point forward, he fine-tuned my essays, even recommending that I entirely redo one of them. I found him to be quite blunt and honest throughout the process, motivating me to work harder and to make every word count- be it be for my resume, essays, or bullet points for recommenders. After sending Scott a document for review, I usually received his feedback within 24-48 hours (sometimes even faster). Thankfully, I was accepted to my school of choice (and invited for an interview at my second option). I would highly recommend Scott to anyone looking for personalized MBA admissions assistance.

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December 04, 2016
CBSAdmit

Joined: Dec 04, 2016

Posts: 1

Kudos: 0

Highly Recommended - Personal MBA Coach

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by school email address [?]

I would highly recommend Scott at Personal MBA Coach. Apart from his vast knowledge of MBA programs he has a wealth of knowledge about various industries which really helps to craft compelling stories. I had a non-traditional background and Scott spent a lot of time helping me to develop a story that both made logical sense and aligned with my target career path.

Scott really pushes you to make your essays the best that they can be; he’s tough in his critiques but at the same time encouraging. Sometimes I would get his essay reviews back and think to myself “I can’t do that” but he would keep pushing until I got there – even if it was 5 or 6 revisions.

Scott was always accessible; Personal MBA Coach promises a reply within 48 hours, but I never waited more than 24 hours for a response to any question or essay analysis. One morning I emailed Scott that I hit a roadblock in my essays and he immediately setup a phone call for a few hours later.

Unlike other consulting firms where you could be assigned to a junior consultant, working with Scott you know exactly what you are getting – the best!

Scott gets to know you well early on in the process and it’s clear that he shares in your success. I was accepted to my first choice school and he was (almost) as thrilled as I was!

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November 27, 2016
HBSGradPE

Joined: Jun 30, 2015

Posts: 41

Kudos: 2

I worked with Scott Edinburgh at Personal MBA Coach and I could not have been happier! Scott offers an incredible personal experience that is very hard to find. The fact that you are working with an individual and not a company cannot be emphasized enough. Don't be fooled by the big company name / support services that some larger firms have. At the end of the day you work with one person most of the time so why not work directly with an expert for the same price rather than an employee of a larger firm?

I hired a very well known name and was not satisfied as the support did not feel personalized enough since I was just a number in the process and it died off as it got closer to the deadlines. I then worked with Scott and was floored by the level of support I got. While we only had a short amount of time since I contacted him late, he took the time to get to know me personally and professionally and he was the one coming up with essay topics after just a couple discussions. Scott is quite tough and it works out in the end. In a very short amount of time, we did an entire HBS application and I ultimately got in. (As well as a couple other programs too!)

With Personal MBA Coach, you get a great balance of no BS, direct and brutal feedback while at the same time you have encouraging support throughout the entire process. Whereas with the other more well-known name I felt like I was a number in the process, Scott brainstormed everything with me from start to finish. Scott is a hidden gem in the admissions consulting space and I have sent many friends to him over the years who also had great success!

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