Do you need an MBA admissions consultant to apply to business school?

Let me give it to you straight: many MBA applicants do not need to pay an admissions consultant to help them apply to business school. In fact, even though I run my own MBA admissions consulting firm, I didn't use a consultant when I applied to b-school.

Here are four reasons why: 

1. I worked with an admissions consultant on my university applications

When I was applying to undergraduate schools, I worked with an admissions consultant. She was immensely helpful! I grew up in Toronto, and no one I knew had heard of Brown or Tufts before. My admissions consultant helped me choose the right schools for me, frame my narrative and craft my applications. Since I had been through this process before with a professional, I believed I could handle it on my own for business school.

2. I had two Harvard Business School alums at my disposal

A family member and a longtime family friend of mine are both HBS alums. Sure, they graduated before I was born, but they pushed me to take risks in my application and express myself in a way that was uniquely "me." For example, I framed a situation in which I was suspended in high school as one of my proudest moments. I wouldn't have had the confidence to share my authentic stories without their input.

3. I had two English teachers at my disposal

I also have two family friends who are English teachers. They have known me since I was born, and they put in many hours each helping me edit, adjust and refine my essays. With their input, I was able to craft great outlines and knew that my essays would have perfect spelling and grammar.

4. I had plenty of time

I applied to HBS in the first year of the 2+2 program. That meant that I was able to take the GMAT during my exam period junior year, and write my application over the summer when I had nothing to do except a part-time job. This time afforded me the luxury to focus pretty exclusively on nothing but applications for two months.

This is why I didn't use an admissions consultant: I'd worked with one before, I knew multiple alums from a top business school and multiple English teachers - all of whom were willing to spend the time and effort to work with me - and I didn't require structure/deadlines as I was able to completely focus on the application. If you have similar circumstances, why would you work with an admissions consultant? But if you don't, perhaps a professional can help you present your best self in the application process.

If you're unsure whether or not you need a consultant, please contact me for a free consultation.

Jyll Saskin Gales is an elite MBA admissions consultant. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and currently works at Google in Toronto.