3. Closure

Candidacy Closure – This stage represents the culmination of  prior stages and the client lifecycle.  The client and consultant work to finalize the application, prepare for interview and ultimately one of two outcomes – acceptance or waitlist.

  • Review of Final Submission Package – A review each client’s final submission package in the final days before submission to an MBA program is in order.  This ensures that all parts of the application are consistent, in effect making sure all the t’s are crossed and the i’s dotted. What may seem like a trivial application question can be a test in consistency across all parts of the application.
  • Mock Interview – Our consultants were former admission interviewers for top MBA programs, consulting firms and investment banks.  Your consultant will conduct a mock interview with the client, provide guidance on the questions and then provide nuanced feedback on the client’s response and presence.
  • During the mock interview the client and consultant take the message delivered on paper through the application package and place them into a conversational context; thus honing a specific and concise in-person message.  That is, the client and consultant prepare for the mock interview by analyzing the admissions interview questions and articulating answers based on the client’s background and specific essays.
  • Note that elements of this stage may be conducted in parallel with earlier stages, as the need to interview at a program will come at or before application submission.
  • Waitlist Guidance – Should the client be waitlisted at any of their programs, AACG follows up with guidance on additional recommendations, school interaction, communication timelines and protocol. Every effort is made to ensure the client moves to the top of the waitlist, off of the waitlist and into the program.
  • Acceptance and Resignation Planning - The client and consultant engage in a series of conversations that include the pros and cons of each program. For example, an element of this stage includes the objective removal of emotional factors and a discussion of each program’s return on investment (ROI).  We also recognize that some clients may have not fully disclosed their MBA plans to employers.  The consultant guides the client through the politically sensitive way of disclosing and then resigning.  Our consultants have worked for a number of traditional pre-MBA industries and are attuned to the ramifications of our client’s unique work situations.
  • Financial Aid Guidance – Many of our clients are offered scholarships and fellowships.  This plays a critical part in the matriculation equation.  Given the current economic environment offers of financial assistance as well as negotiating additional financial assistance are key to choosing the right MBA program.

The final product of our consulting process is a client well prepared to enter the MBA program of their choice.