I had the pleasure of working with Gabriel and Inspira Futures, and could not have been happier with their services.

I went through initial consultations at many of the top ranked admissions consulting agencies, and I always got the feeling that I was just another name on a piece of paper, with a series of boxes beneath that name the consultant wanted to check off. "I'm going to have you meet with your recommenders, brainstorm essay ideas, submit drafts, meet with schools.." etc. etc. I never felt a personal connection, and was nervous to work with someone who had a full-time job in a different industry, where priorities could become a problem.

Inspira separated themselves immediately by taking a step back and really trying to understand who I was before we jumped into applications - they took the time to chat with me and had me fill out a self-survey to learn what I was about. In this way, the whole process became customized, rather than the assembly line I felt the other agencies offered. It was their nuanced understanding of my personality and my goals that enabled them to give me honest and constructive feedback every step of the way throughout our working relationship, while creating honest and authentic applications. Gabriel and his team went above and beyond in establishing a trusting relationship, and made sure to push me to make sure I stayed on track.

Overall, Inspira's team was professional, clear subject matter experts, relentless, responsive, and caring. Could not be happier with my decision to work with them, and happily on my way to HBS

I had the pleasure of working with Samantha on two Round 1 applications to top 10 programs. I had unsuccessfully applied to several top programs last year and was unsure of why I had been rejected as my GPA/GMAT/undergrad school were strong and I felt I had interesting work experience. While I had initially been reluctant to use an admissions consultant due to the cost, it was definitely a worthwhile investment. I worked with Samantha on an hourly basis, which worked well for me as I already knew the schools to which I intended to apply. I was impressed with Samantha's efficiency, as well as the quality of her feedback, and appreciated her regular updates on the time spent on various items.

Samantha helped me first by doing a quick review of a few my applications from last year and pinpointing that I stood to improve the most by strengthening my resume, stating career goals that better justified the need for an MBA, and writing more compelling and specific essays. We spent most of our time on resume edits, career goal articulation, and essay reviews and edits.

The previous application cycle showed me just how competitive it is to gain admission to top MBA programs, and not knowing many people familiar with the MBA process, it was invaluable for me to have Samantha's insight into the admissions process and candid feedback on my resume, goals, and essay drafts. Additionally, Samantha was always quick to respond and open to answering any questions I had about the admissions process.

I was admitted to Wharton with a scholarship that more than makes up for the cost of working with a consultant!

My first suggestion when looking for a consultant is to meet with as many as you need to so that you find your match. You need to not only find someone that knows your program but also one you are comfortable with. They are NOT going to write anything for you but will coach you to presenting the best possible version of yourself for that specific program. Each essay to each school needs to stand out and be different. This is the key and this is exactly what Inspira Futures taught me to do. I chose Inspira Futures because of their experience with my program and their enthusiasm and genuine interest to see me succeed.

This is not cheap. But I believe it was a very important part of my process. In particular for me my counselor was constantly communicating sending edits (very fast turnaround) and reminders to keep on a schedule to achieve success. My essays would have been much more generic and my stress level would have crippled me not knowing if I was even making progress.

I started the b-school application process thinking I knew exactly how I would need to craft my applications. I felt I was a competitive candidate, with a strong GMAT score and resume, and would be (at the very least) well-positioned in my applications to HBS and Stanford GSB. After just one or two sessions with Inspira Futures, I quickly learned how naive I had been. My consultant helped me from start to finish:

- Resume: Transform my resume from a corporate/professionally-oriented format to one that most effectively highlights my undergraduate/professional/extracurricular accomplishments and activities. With her's help, I was able to better convey my experiences and their impact

- Personal Narrative: Critically think about what I wanted to get out of my business school experience before I started to even think about drafting my essays, so that I could have an honest, passionate, and compelling narrative to tell the admissions committees. Going into the process, I had a sense for what I wanted out of business school, but she constructively challenged me to refine that to make my application stronger

- Essays: Provide key feedback on my essays and a fresh point of view. After you read your own writing enough times, you can't help but to lose some perspective. Her honest and direct feedback style made for a highly value-add and time-efficient essay crafting process

- Interview Prep: Prepare for the interviews with mocks that gave me peace of mind that I was ready. After she has helped you refine your narrative through the resume/essay writing part of the process, the interview also just feels less ominous
I should add that I was also starting my application process relatively late and (to make things more complicated) was traveling internationally while preparing my HBS application. Despite these obstacles, she was extremely accommodating, moving things around on her own calendar to help me get it all done. We had about 10 days to do what normally required 30 - including resume creation, narrative development, and essay drafting.

I'm headed to HBS in the fall, and I'm very grateful to Inspira Futures for everything she they to help get me here. What is most special about working with Inspira is the relationship you develop with them. They push/challenge you to tell your own story more effectively and provides feedback on how you present yourself - all of which go well beyond the b-school application process.

I knew very quickly into my conversation that Inspira Futures was the best fit for me. Prior to my initial consult with them, I spoke with two other prep firms and my experiences with them were mediocre at best. My initial consults with these other firms felt very impersonal as both offered only 10-15 minutes of questions/discussion before trying to pass me on through their process. Julie, however, immediately made me feel at ease. She spent over an hour on the phone with me, listening attentively and offering several follow up questions. She provided her initial thoughts regarding my potential as an MBA candidate, highlighting both my strengths and weaknesses. However, she never made me feel like the latter was insurmountable and, instead, offered some helpful initial thoughts on how we could best address them in the application.

I was matched with a fantastic consultant and we had a great rapport from the start! He was highly involved in helping me with all aspects of the application process including brainstorming, reviewing my essays and resume, discussing how to best select/approach my recommenders, and conducting mock interviews (by the time we were finished, I was actually looking forward to my interview!). He put significant time/effort at each step and always provided insightful feedback throughout. The entire process was highly collaborative and effective. Despite some of my concerns (e.g. low quant GMAT score), I was admitted to NYU Stern, my first and only pick! I couldn't be happier with my Inspira Futures experience and would unhesitatingly recommend Inspira Futures to any of my friends and colleagues applying to business school.

When I decided last minute to apply for schools this year, I talked to a number of consultants before finding Inspira Futures. After the initial consult, I knew that Inspira Futures would go the extra mile to really listen to my story and find ways to bring out the best aspects of it.

As part of a multi-school package, we worked together to outline important milestones and distill my motivations down to their key elements. Their guidance was crucial to putting together a compelling narrative and bridging the gap between the career I was coming from and my plans for the future. Their insight was thoughtful, articulate, and measured; she'll tell it like it is.

When it came time to put the application together, my consutlant and the Inspira team were prompt to deliver feedback on resumes, essay drafts, and overall strategy. She will work with you endlessly until you have something you'd be proud to submit. Every base was covered, from developing realistic post-MBA goals to advice in approaching your recommenders to live interview prep. The result - In addition to Yale and Kellogg, I was admitted to Booth, my dream school, with a $46K scholarship! Though it's easy to speculate on the outcome without a consultant, I'm confident that Inspira Futures was the difference maker when it came to the scholarship.

I highly recommend Marina! I have no doubt that I could not have done it without Marina. I came to her with less than a month left to go before the R2 deadline and was not confident that I would be able to get all the work I needed to get done and be able to be thoughtful about it. After talking to Marina though my disposition immediately changed - I not only felt confident in myself but knew that together we could develop the tools to help me be successful.

I did the 3 school package for round 2 admission to HBS, to which I was accepted. My background is an ivy league undergraduate education, bulge bracket IB analyst, and upper middle market PE associate.

As with all Inspira Futures consultants, we started by going through a brainstorming session where I wrote down and then discussed almost all aspects of my background. After I put together the comprehensive document, we took over an hour to discuss. It was clear immediately that she had spent a significant amount of time reading and understanding my story and who I really was as a person. She asked insightful questions that not only helped her understand me better but also helped me understand myself! I knew from that point that I had found a great match in Marina and that we would be able to craft an excellent story.

Using our brainstorming session as a base she helped me to weave together a thoughtful and cohesive story about my background. She helped me to showcase parts of my background that I was proud of, but perhaps had not come to mind at first or didn't fit into the original framework I had developed. She was highly organized, thorough and thoughtful. She was also very patient with me as we iterated back and forth in quick succession (as I only had 3 weeks to complete my application!). If you are trying to get things done and tap into a wealth of knowledge and expertise I highly recommend Marina. She is not a hand holder - she will push you to discover yourself and understand who you are for yourself. However you will not be alone through the journey. She will also help guide you and provide expertise and insight into how the admissions officers will be thinking about your application.

I've already recommended Marina and Inspira Futures to many of my friends who are applying and think you'd be crazy not to use her!

A year ago, I began thinking about applying to business schools. I had a blank board and was worried I was applying too late because I would have 8 years work experience by the time I'd start school. Being an international applicant, I struggled with selecting schools in the US, understanding the application process, and drafting my essays. I had to talk about myself in ways I never had. It was new ground.

Inspira Futures assisted me throughout this journey. My consultant helped me think through my selection of schools and understand all aspects of the process, and craft my story. She provided invaluable advice - both honest and strategic, even as I prepared for my interviews. During this entire time, my consultant helped me improve my positioning by accentuating my professional and personal experiences. She constantly challenged me to think of new ideas and anecdotes to effectively narrate my story. She never failed to let me know if a story or format would not work from an admissions' process perspective, which I sincerely valued.

Moreover, she was able to work with my schedule, which helped the process and I was able to complete my applications well before the deadlines, despite my demanding professional obligations.

At first I thought that hiring a consultant was expensive, however after completing the process successfully and comparing the expense to the overall MBA cost, I truly believe it is worth the investment. I highly recommend Inspira Futures to all those planning to apply MBA schools. I am off to Chicago Booth in the fall.

I highly recommend Inspira Futures. I wanted someone to serve as a sounding board for my ideas, and to offer tips on expressing myself effectively in writing and in interviews.

First, I appreciated that my essay consultant could adapt her approach to clients of all readiness levels. As mentioned, I came to she having already completed a fair amount of preparation. Instead of making me rewrite my thoughts in her templates or follow her usual process, she got to know me through the materials that I had already put together myself. Her adaptiveness saved me time and ensured that I got what I was seeking out of our sessions together.

Second, I enjoyed the advantages that came from being part of Inspira Futures community. As a few examples: my counselor shared guidance from the most knowledgeable individuals in her network. She set up a Wharton practice group interview, led by another Inspira Futures employee, alongside other applicants from Inspira Futures' clients. And I received encouraging emails from many counselors, as I went along. I believe that these advantages are distinct to organizations, as opposed to independent advisors.

Third and most important: Even as an applicant who had already done some preparation, I benefitted from her advice. As a sounding board for my ideas, she helped me to identify my most compelling stories, recognize areas where I could add depth, and cut color commentary. She also pointed out stylistic areas to improve in my interviewing style, and our practice boosted my confidence.

When I decided to apply to Bschool, I knew that I needed some extra support. After some research, I found Inspira Futures and had a chat with Julie. She was friendly, genuinely interested, and understood where I was coming from and my needs. Julie paired me with Gabriel and he was so helpful and open from the beginning and constantly challenged me. He critiqued my essays and references with great detail and endless patience. I have an unconventional background and was very unfamiliar with this kind of process; Gabriel helped me to pull out the right elements of my background and experience and convey it in the Bschool way. I had a low GMAT score for the schools I applied to and there's no way I would've gotten into LBS without Gabriel's continuous support, flexibility, advice and patience. I even got a scholarship from LBS for $87000! It was great to work with Inspira Futures - fun, interesting, and a great learning experience. Thank you Gabriel!

Roger is amazing and one of the best investments I ever made!!! I was referred to him by my good friend who had the best things to say (and who got into Booth and Sloan) and I never looked back. Roger was not only my trusted adviser and strategist, but also a friend, mentor, and coach who provided motivation and structure, keeping me on track during the admissions process. I can truly say that I looked forward to my meetings with Roger each and every week.

The MBA admissions game is often tricky, but Roger is a seasoned expert who helped me unleash my potential and develop my branded story. Roger ensured that my story was kept consistent throughout my application package, across my resume, essays, letters of recommendation, interviews, etc. If anyone is in doubt of having a unique story to tell, Roger get's to know his clients so well and discovers each person's differentiating factors and brand identity that MBA admissions are seeking.

Roger's background is ideal for admissions consulting as he has an MBA from CBS. I refer Roger to all my friends who are seeking MBA admissions consulting.

There were several things in mind when I looked for an admissions consultant: vast experience, strong communication skills, and being from an overrepresented group (Big 4 International male management consultant) the ability to help tell a story. A lot of the other admissions consultants I spoke with seemed interested in either force fitting me into their box, but not Inspira Futures, who more than fit the criteria I was looking for. Working with them was truly a joy: we collaborated on first discovering, then weaving a narrative that was compelling. So compelling in fact, that I got a $150,000 scholarship to Wharton, as well as an admittance with scholarship to another Top 10 school! They also went above and beyond during the process, whether it was proactively taking my HBS essay for complementary, final round of edits to answering several of my panicked emails. I wholeheartedly recommend that if anyone is seeking an MBA consultant to try out Inspira and their amazing team!

Inspira Futures helped take my essays from solid to stellar! My first draft felt a little stiff and too much like my resume - my consultant provided feedback I could use to improve it, one edit at a time. It helps that the communication was always regular and friendly!

I was one of the biggest skeptics of MBA consultants when I started down my MBA journey. Not only was I (a then public sector employee) shocked by the consultant fee, but I also got very little out of MBA consultations. In these consultations, I felt like I was not getting an honest assessment of my candidacy.

I knew I wanted to work with Inspira Futures after the initial call, but had to convince myself whether I would be crazy to spend thousands of dollars for help with my application. Looking back now with acceptance and a scholarship offer from my top school, the only crazy thing was how much I agonized over one of the best decisions I made in all of last year. I owe 100% of this success to my collaboration with Roger.

Working with Roger was the most fulfilling, challenging and enjoyable collaboration I have been a party to. Similar to other consultants, Roger created a project platform to track our progress and utilized an array of different materials and videos. What makes Roger different from the rest is his ability to read and understand you, which is a product of his genuine interest in you as a person. Of course, he wants you to get into your top school. More importantly, he cares for you as friend and wants you to succeed in your life goals. Because he is so invested in you he matches, if not exceeds, the effort you put into your applications. For instance, Roger stayed up past midnight for three straight days to help me get an application done and helped me work through a break up that happened 3 days before my interview.

When I got my first interview, Roger was the first person I emailed and a few minutes later he called to congratulate me. I never felt like I was working with a consultant because Roger became a dear friend and my go to person throughout my applications. I miss collaborating with him on a regular basis, but still regularly connect with him whether through an email with interesting tid bits or an update in my MBA journey.

To end, here are my three pieces of advice for you:
1. If you get the chance to work with Roger, then DO IT!
2. If you are 100% sure you want an MBA but would not be ready to have a consultation yet because it was hard to fill out all the information on the form, then FILL IT OUT as best you can and start working with Roger! I wish I had started earlier in my process.
3. If you are worried about the fee, then DON'T! This investment is pennies compared to the cost of business school and the reward of scholarships can be huge.

Cheers and good luck!

I purchased the six-school package because I knew I needed to do everything I could to position myself as an ideal applicant. My consultant's can-do attitude and their approach to finding my most impactful experiences and personality traits to highlight were so important to my success.

Sean was the Sherpa that I needed to help guide me through the admissions process. He's not going to hold your hand but he does everything he can to position you the best. I got the three school admissions package with Sean for round 2 admissions. With his help, I was admitted to two of my choices (Wharton and MIT). Sean helped me craft a story after reviewing my personal brainstorming document, helped structure my essays and reviewed many details of my application.

Here's where Sean was valuable to me:

(i) He was pivotal in helping me figure out what my story would be
(ii) He was upfront and honest and set my expectations straight
(iii) He helped me figure out what schools would be the best fit for me
(iv) He had a playbook that I was easily able to use in some of my applications
(v) He was very knowledgeable about the process and the applications and was capable of answering every single one of my questions; he also helped me deal with every ambiguity I faced in the process

I absolutely recommend using Sean as he will be an invaluable resource in the admissions process.

After a round of rejection, I had one free consultation with Inspira Futures. Julie is an excellent listener and was able to take all of the information I gave her and focused in on a handful of ways I could quickly improve my applications. She connected me to Samantha. I wholeheartedly believe that her advice on how to frame a particular weakness in my application helped me get into every school I applied to in the subsequent round, including to an M7 school. Samantha helped me describe why I struggled in one college quant course in a way that seemed natural, whereas my previous writing on the subject likely came off as excuse-making. It says a lot about the company's integrity that they have refused even token compensation from me, even though the short time I spent with Samantha was so impactful.

Inspira Futures' MBA consulting program helped me discover my unique application angle. Despite my 5 years of work experience and a plethora of community service endeavors, I was concerned my GMAT score would hold me back from Harvard Business School. The persona assessment calls really helped me lean into my strengths and select experiences that would best show admissions committees why I should be admitted. The systematic approach to prioritizing applications at my schools in order of my preference was easy to follow and incorporate into my busy schedule. 10/10 services with a personalized touch.

I applied to 5 top schools the previous year, got a few interviews, but didn't end up getting admitted to the programs I really wanted to go to.

When I was reapplying, I really wasn't sure what was wrong, and what I could do to improve. Was it my GMAT score? Essays? 'Story'? GPA? Extracurriculars? The way I described my current job? Rather than apply blind again, I decided to speak to five consultants who had helped friends and got their free 30 minute consultations.

Julie and Inspira was by far, the best of those five conversations. Even in that initial session, she was thoughtful, insightful, and gave me actually useful feedback that I could immediately put to use. Even had I not engaged Julie further, that 30 minute free call was the most helpful advice I had received in the whole application process.

I ended up purchasing a package of hours and got matched with Helen, and I'm glad I did. She pushed me with tailored feedback on my essays, and forced me to really examine the choices I had made and why they made sense. The essays, in the end, were absolutely still mine-- I wrote every word-- but her feedback was crucial in taking them from just okay to really personal and compelling.

She also helped me prep for the HBS interview by reading through my whole application and putting together some mock questions. She helped me get into the right headspace.

In the end, I got into HBS and got waitlisted at Stanford (the two programs I applied to Round 1). Helen was great the whole way through!

I applied to joint degrees at various top 10 schools but had limited work experiences (2 years), was in between jobs, and had already been at multiple jobs. Needless to say, I needed a strong story to get into my reach program.

Inspira Futures helped me build the foundation by having me brainstorm applicable stories on different themes, as well as by identifying the kind of leader I am/want to be. Based on these, they helped me put together disparate stories to craft quite a compelling narrative, something I certainly would not have been able to do at the same level.

They also helped me review my essays. Their astute and detail-oriented feedback proved exceedingly useful. The result was that I got into Berkeley-Haas, my top school, and more than I could have hoped for at the outset of this process.

Thank you, Inspira Futures.