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Alex Leventhal Reviews

Company: Prep MBA

Alex Leventhal has been an MBA Admissions consultant since 2005. As one of the most experienced professionals in the industry, he has helped hundreds of applicants achieve their goal of acceptance into a highly-ranked MBA program.

He has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Poets & Quants and other top publications. Alex has been named one of the industry’s Top 10 Consultants by Poets & Quants in both years they have compiled their annual global rankings.

In addition to his private coaching, Alex has authored a career guide for MBA applicants, and regularly lectures on interviewing and the MBA application process at the Harvard Club of Southern California.

Prior to his work as an Admissions Consultant, Alex worked as a management consultant and held various VP of Marketing positions working for companies such as Johnson & Johnson and Siebel Systems. Alex has worked in both the United States and Europe, and currently enjoys working with clients from Boston to Brussels to Beijing.

Alex holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a B.A. in Philosophy from Haverford College. Alex grew up in New York City and attended the highly selective Horace Mann School.

5.0 /5 Average Rating
Based on 121 reviews
December 20, 2022
bschoolfan

Joined: Dec 20, 2022

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Got into BOTH of my top choices!

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When I started the MBA admissions journey, I reached out to a number of admissions consulting organizations, including many of the ones you have likely heard of. Once I talked to
Alex, I was immediately sold. Even in our initial consultation, Alex provided incredibly detailed advice, a refreshingly honest assessment of my chances at the schools I was interested in, and an overview of the MBA admissions landscape. He did not sugarcoat his opinions about my profile, and in fact suggested tangible ways to compensate for what could be perceived as
shortcomings in my profile (i.e., younger-than-average applicant, mediocre test scores). This was a breath of fresh air.

After I began working with Alex, I was blown away. He has a phenomenal ability to pick out interesting trends and characteristics in profiles and identified strengths I would have normally have ignored. I am sure that without Alex’ support, I would not have had nearly as much clarity and confidence in my career goals. In every conversation and email, Alex went above and beyond to provide well-reasoned feedback. I should also note that Alex took the time to be an incredibly supportive advisor, entertaining even my trivial queries and reassuring me during times of stress and anxiety.

When I received invitations to interview, Alex held one-on-one mock interviews with me; this practice and his input made me feel much more confident going into the real thing.

As bonus points, given Alex’ successful track record over his
16 years in the consulting business, he comes armed with extensive knowledge on what admissions officers are seeking
and what has worked/hasn’t worked in the past. He also is very well-informed on changes in application processes, criteria, etc.

In the end, I was accepted to BOTH of my top choice schools. Without a doubt, this would not have been the case without Alex being in my corner. I highly recommend Alex for any applicant seeking a personalized, productive admissions advising collaboration. You won’t regret it!!!

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November 10, 2022
c93liu

Joined: Aug 30, 2020

Posts: 25

Kudos: 87

Verified GMAT Classic score:
770 Q51 V42 (Online)

Accepted to Columbia Business School!

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I knew from the start of the MBA application process that I would really benefit from having an admissions consultant to work through the wrinkles in my application and to have an independent voice to bounce off ideas. However, the search for the right consultant was not easy – not only are there hundreds, if not thousands, out there, but they also come with varying sizes and capabilities.

I was very lucky to be able to find Alex during my search process. Two things stand out for me right away for Alex and Prep MBA: his deep domain expertise stemming from his 16 years of experience doing this, and the ability to work with a top-ranked consultant DIRECTLY. The latter point was especially important to me after I talked to a few other consultancies – you don’t get to choose who you work with for most, if not all, of them, and this is especially true for the larger ones.

Working with Alex did not disappoint me one bit and was exactly what I signed up for initially. I tend to be very STEM-minded in my writing style, so Alex’s creative writing skills really shined through and complemented very well with my writing style. That extra touch was exactly what I needed to make my essays pop!

I also really appreciated Alex’s willingness to go the extra mile to help his clients. Alex patiently guided me through frustrating waitlist processes by finding new school contacts for me to speak to, reviewing my extra video essays and updated materials, and strategically planning for AdCom updates and school interactions. Suffice to say that Alex is willing to invest in his clients’ success and support them through rough patches. With Alex, you have an ally in your court!

As I reflect on my application process, one piece of advice for aspiring MBA applicants is to start the process early. I waited until May to take my GMAT for the first time and did not start the application process until late June. Even though I was “on cycle” for the most part, I still wished that I could have an extra 1-2 months. Just remember that it will always take longer than you think, so make sure to start as early as possible. Good luck!

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August 07, 2022
EMBACandidate22

Joined: Aug 07, 2022

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Accepted to Multiple EMBA Programs!

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Title: Accepted to Multiple EMBA Programs!

I initially called a number of admissions consulting firms, and immediately Alex’s service stood out in that he handled the intro call, and not a sales intermediary. He spent 45 minutes with me in the initial consultation even though he said that he would spend 20 minutes. I could tell he was passionate about his service and helping me think through my critical issues. Many companies suggest you can get into the top schools without spending careful time assessing your profile. Alex was quite honest and up front about my chances of admission, given the application hurdles I faced such as coming from a non-traditional job, and suggested a range of schools to target. Prep MBA is his business, and he does not have a team of junior consultants. He is a Harvard MBA, very articulate and funny, and will not BS you.

Working with Alex Leventhal proved to be the winning move. His service was very personal, and he was almost always able to accommodate my schedule and last-minute queries. I wound up winning multiple admissions offers and scholarship funds, too. The time we spent thinking through my career plans, and how they connected the dots with my previous experiences was probably a huge reason why I got in. I was not really sure what I wanted to do, and I was going to write about a career direction that was not really supported or well explained. Alex also provided multiple samples of successful essays from past clients, and these were incredibly helpful for structure, flow and word limits.

I would recommend Alex Leventhal in a heartbeat. The two things about him that most stand out are his creativity and his sense of essay structure and logic. He was always able to come up with a different angle or way of looking at my experiences, and I was always amazed that we got the essays down to the tight word limits. He is sincere, hardworking, super bright and often made me feel like I was his only client.

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August 07, 2022
AspirantMBA2023

Joined: Aug 07, 2022

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Helps bring out your best stories!

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I had worked with Alex for my MBA admissions process and decided to re-engage him a year later for my school's scholarship applications process. Alex remembered pretty much everything about me. One of his superpowers is being able to get at what the selection committee might really be looking for from a question. He’s incredibly detail oriented and helped me come up with answers to questions (with stories from my past) that I myself might not have come up with. Alex specifically brought out vulnerable elements that were extremely personal, to shape powerful stories that made a significant difference. I was fortunate to get a full tuition scholarship. He brings deep insights, asks probing questions about you and forms hypotheses that guide you in the right direction. He has great empathy and spends the time to understand your context and background. You will be doing yourself a big favour by engaging Alex.

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July 24, 2022
AliHall93

Joined: Jul 24, 2022

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
760 Q49 V44 (Online)

Highly recommend!

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I would strongly recommend Alex to any prospective applicants considering applying to the top schools. Before proceeding with Alex I spoke to a number of other admissions consulting services and what struck me was Alex’s honesty and how he was immediately able to identify the weaknesses in my profile – but also suggest how to address them.

I had a muddled idea of how to put together my application, didn’t have clear career goals and came from a nonstandard pre-MBA job. Alex explained the importance of a clear, compelling story in an application and we spent hours poring over all areas of my experience before even addressing an application question. He was able to organise my background, education, professional experience and extracurricular activities together to formulate a strong, coherent argument.

I am confident I would not have received offers were it not for Alex’s help – he was always available over the phone and offered speedy, thorough suggestions and feedback each time I sent through drafts or had any questions – my writing can be a little verbose so his help editing essays was very helpful! On top of this, the interview preparation and practice was immeasurably useful in having the confidence and being ready to give articulate and concise responses to questions.

Alex’s honesty, diligence and his personal approach are exceptional and he would be an invaluable resource to anyone approaching the application process.

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April 10, 2022
krotkrot

Joined: Apr 10, 2022

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Accepted to Wharton

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I worked with Alex on three schools and was accepted to Wharton with a merit scholarship. Starting off in the application process, I knew I wanted to work with a consultant; after getting on initial calls with a couple experts, Alex stood out by being direct about the advantages and disadvantages of my profile. I knew I would be getting his unfiltered, tactical advice from 15+ years of experience and was confident that he had a vested interest in my success.

Alex was a huge value add when it came to my career purpose. I was originally prepared to write about a direction that was not as clear and supported, but he edited my goals into a coherent vision that made it abundantly clear why I wanted to go to business school. I feel strongly that this was a crucial piece to my acceptance, tying together my application materials, and it is so cogently laid out I would go so far as to say it has become a real life roadmap for pursuing my long term goal!

Alex was also critical in my interview preparation. During our practice, he adeptly identified my weaknesses in both content and presentation. From his experience with the process, Alex identified my natural strengths and key tactics that would allow me to capitalize on these assets, and his feedback on how to present myself including minute details like hand placement was a massive differentiator in a remote setting.

Alex is a vastly experienced consultant and talented counsellor who can get to the heart of any applicant’s story. Alex will not hold your hand and do all the work for you, but he provides the extra, personal boost you need in an ultra-competitive and sometimes murky MBA application environment.

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April 07, 2022
salmander256

Joined: Dec 29, 2017

Posts: 0

Kudos: 5

Accepted into Wharton!

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As an international applicant with a non-traditional background, I had very little knowledge of the MBA process especially with regard to the top US schools I was applying for; nor did I have many friends who had gone through the process before. I therefore set up several complimentary calls with consultants, ranging from the big-name firms to the more bespoke outfits where you’d be working with the founder of that firm directly. My key criteria were that the consultant could empathise with and contextualize my background and help bring out the best stories from my experiences, while being brutally honest with feedback. After my introductory call with Alex, I knew he fit the bill 110%. He spent a considerable amount of time during that first call understanding my life, my motivations for pursuing an MBA and where adcoms might perceive my weaknesses e.g. my lower-than-average GMAT and quant skills. I also really liked that he was intimately familiar with the healthcare space having had years of experience in the field, and even helped introduce me to one of his ex-clients before I committed to a school package, which was a really nice gesture.

Alex did not disappoint on those expectations. I decided to work with him over the course of 4 months on a comprehensive 3-school package for Harvard, Stanford and Wharton (2 of which I got interviews for, 1 waitlist). He worked tirelessly with me on brainstorming, fine-tuning my stories and just being a soundboard, taking my essays in creative directions that I feel many other consultants might find it hard-pressed to. He allayed many of my concerns throughout the process and was always on standby to help where needed, especially when it came towards interview preparation.

I can say without reservation that without Alex’s mentorship, brutal candor and sincerity, I would not have got that dream acceptance letter to Wharton. More than that, I am really grateful for his conviction in my success applying to these schools from day one. He is a model consultant and I could not recommend him enough to anyone going through this process.

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April 03, 2022
Mich73

Joined: Apr 03, 2022

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Accepted to Haas with a great scholarship!

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Coming from an over-represented demographic plus having a lower GRE score, I am beyond excited to find out about my acceptance to Haas with a great scholarship amount, especially in this highly competitive year where Haas is downsizing student recruitment overall.

I first got in touch with Alex through a friend’s referral, and from the first Zoom meeting I could tell all the good comments about him that I saw online were true. He is very smart, experienced, gives me authentic advice and will not BS anyone. He never let anyone else handled my case, and his service was very personal.

It’s a great fortune to get to know Alex and work with him on my application. He offered professional guidance for every aspect of my application, and I want to thank him for pointing out my weaknesses and pushing me to think more thoroughly about my career plans. He always knows how to be more logical and how to structure writings/interviews better. Although my application process is pretty short, I could tell that he knows the details of my life stories really well, and can always offer me a new angle to brainstorm ideas and connect dots.

Alex is someone I would love to keep in touch with, and I’ve gained more than two great offers from my dream programs (and scholarships that I didn’t expect) – my writing skills, interview skills and overall skills to present stories in a more clear, logical way have significantly improved thanks to him.

I would recommend Alex Leventhal to any MBA applicant who is seeking for professional advice. You will get more than what you pay for.

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April 01, 2022
SLEYTZYY

Joined: Apr 01, 2022

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
690 Q50 V33 (Online)

Admitted to Booth!

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I did a lot of research on the MBA admissions consultants, and talked with more than 10 people. Alex is definitely the most patient consultants during the initial consultation. He even had another consultation with me, since I had follow-up questions about his services and my applications. He made very sincere suggestions based on my profile and didn’t sugar coating anything. I didn’t end up with having comprehensive packages with him, because I didn’t have a very competitive score, and he was quite frank with me about that. Later on, when I had higher score, and I did hourly service with him.

I really enjoyed working with Alex. There are three things I was most impressed with: he really wants the best of his client, his flexibility, and his patience.

First, he really wants the best of his clients and was very creative. For both my essays and interviews, there are several times when I found myself pretty satisfied already, but his feedbacks really made me think harder and get the essays and my interview answers to a better level. He did not only provide comments, but also talked to me and helped me come up with the stories and the answers. For example, he really helped me figure out the entire story of my career plans. He was always able to come up with a different angle at presenting my experiences, and he was very creative on getting the essays to the word limits.

Second, Alex is very flexible and always tried his best to accommodate my schedule. There is countless time he worked at nighttime and over the weekend for me. There are two stories I was impressed the most. Once, I got an urgent question, I texted him pretty late at night, and he responded back to me right away with a very thorough answer. Another time, it was right before a school application deadline, he tested COVID positive, but he still reviewed the essays for me so that I can submit my application on time.

Lastly, he is very very very patient. I got panicked and had a million of question along the application process. Every single time, he answered my questions very patiently. One example, English was my second language, and I was so concerned about grammatical mistakes on my essays and resumes. He noticed that, and he was always very patiently double checking those stuff for me and making sure everything is correct.

I strongly recommend Alex Leventhal for MBA application advisory. I wish I had him for his comprehensive packages at the beginning. All my interactions was with him directly, and I can clearly tell that he personally did all the work himself. Because of his effort, my applications were brought to a whole new level, and I am so grateful for his kindness, patience, flexibility and creativity.

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February 14, 2022
RM23

Joined: Feb 14, 2022

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Accepted to Columbia!

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Alex is a seasoned veteran when it comes to business school (MBA) applications and I would recommend him to anyone who is looking for best-in-class guidance. You can easily tell working with Alex that he’s been doing this for a long time and knows how to help his clients put their best foot forward.

Coming from an untraditional background, I struggled with having a clear direction on what I wanted to do professionally post MBA and how it all connected with my past work experiences. Alex spent a considerable amount of time with me over multiple calls and emails to think through my career goals, why I needed an MBA and ultimately helped me tie it all together with my past and future career plans.

I worked with Alex for about 6 months and I could always rely on him to give me prompt and thoughtful feedback. He was my soundboard throughout and if I were to redo the whole application process again - I would choose to work with him again!

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