Alex Leventhal Reviews

I'm afraid of two things in life: Standardized tests and applying for things. After two attempts, thousands of problems, and a lot of sweat and tears I got my GMAT score near where I needed it to be and began to focus on my second anathema.

As I looked at what I would need to do for the applications I became completely overwhelmed. Figuring out who would write my letters of recommendation let alone asking them to write my recommendations in a way that would best support my candidacy was daunting, and just a tiny piece of a much larger narrative I would need to craft. At this point I spoke with many admissions consultants, and at a few of the larger shops got admittance percentages I was comfortable with at my top choices. Then I talked to Alex. He wasn't negative, he was just honest with where I would stack up vs. other candidates, and even suggested a few programs I hadn't considered that based off my background and interest in healthcare may be a good fit as well.

While the conversation was sobering on one hand, I appreciated the candid feedback, and was struck by how personal he made our interaction. Alex shot it to me straight, which was frustrating at times, but needed.

My biggest challenge in the application was the "career purpose". Like most of you, I'm used to creating things at work that get accolades from peers and superiors. Alex telling me my career purpose was "too broad" and "not meaningful" was a little hard to swallow at first, especially since this was the story that had impressed folks at my company enough for them to encourage me toward an MBA. There was clearly a disconnect between what I thought schools wanted to hear and what they actually do. Alex helped me bridge that in developing my career purpose and throughout our time in an iterative, albeit sometimes painful process.

While beneficial for applications and interviews, I have found the secondary and tertiary effects of our working with Alex to be significant as well. I was amazed at how many folks at accepted students weekend enter b-school with only vague notions, if any at all, of what they want to do. I feel like the mind wrangling I went through with Alex has given me a huge leg up and I feel like our conversations have given me a road map to make the most of my MBA experience. And beyond me, I now find myself using similar tactics to help friends and family members think through their careers as well.

I worked with Alex in a 5 school package, and got into two of my target schools: Tuck and Wharton. On top of that I got into my dream program: health care management at Wharton. I applied with 2 years of experience, and Alex's expertise and one-on-one focus really helped me navigate through the process. I'm really excited about going to Wharton this fall, and there's just no way that would have happened without Alex being there to provide guidance I could trust.

I would absolutely recommend Alex and have already sent colleagues interested in MBAs his direction. He does not have a team of junior consultants that he delegates work out to. He knows your story front to back, and you get the sense that he is personally vested in your success. A very worthwhile investment in my opinion.

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I called about a dozen consultants, but none of them stood out except for Alex. On our intro call he didn’t try to sell me his service. Instead he spent time trying to understand me as a person – what I was interested in, what made me tick, and what I wanted to do with my life. He then gave me a realistic rundown of where my strengths and weaknesses were and how they would play a role in the admissions process. This was super helpful as it set my expectations for what Alex could offer – and he did! I used Alex for my top choice – Wharton – and got in.

Working with Alex proved to be challenging, but in a good way. He pushed me to write better, think of stronger stories, and helped craft my positioning. He has a creative flare that helps round off the logical and structured approach he takes to essay writing. But more importantly, he takes great care in never accepting a subpar submission. He will work with you until it’s just right. The kind of right that gets you an interview.

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For the benefit of other b-school applicants I’d like to write a short review for Alex Leventhal at PrepMBA who I worked with on my successful application to Wharton (and would highly recommend!).

When I started the application process I called a number of admissions consulting firms, but immediately felt I connected with Alex on a personal level. He spent 45 minutes on the call with me during our initial consultation (even though it was a 20 minute timeslot) and I could tell he was passionate about his service and helping me think through the critical issues. I liked the fact that he was articulate, had been through the application process himself (he’s a Harvard MBA after all!) and most importantly, that he told me straight up what my chances were at top programs. Coming from an over-represented background with some interesting (but diverse) experiences on my CV, he highlighted the importance of carefully crafting a narrative that adcoms can relate to.

Working with Alex was just as amazing. His service was very personal (no junior consultants or intermediaries) and he was flexible with my schedule (which during peaks times at work was very much appreciated!). I did a 2-school package and then did hourly work on another school. I wound up getting 2 offers, including my first choice, Wharton. I feel the time we spent thinking about my career goals and how they relate back to my previous experience was a huge reason why I got in. I also feel that Alex’s no BS approach was another factor. Many times I felt my essays were “ready” to submit, but Alex kept pushing me to refine them and go deeper – and looking back on my early drafts I’m so glad he did.

I would recommend Alex in a heartbeat (and already have to a number of work colleagues). He’s a logical guy with creative flare, and his ability to “see” the right angle and connect the dots is why he gets so many candidates into business school. If you’re thinking about admissions consulting you need to give Alex a call.

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Applying to business school is very stressful for most applicants – for me, Alex has been a huge help in every step of the way. The first time I called Alex to get his eyes on my resume and start working together, he actually told me to wait one more year before applying. During our first introductory call, instead of giving me a sales pitch, he listed his concerns and assured me that having one more year of work experience under my belt would strengthen my applications. I was impressed by his honesty and transparency from the very beginning.
Indeed, a year later, I went back to Alex to work on my applications together. Alex is thorough in his approach – he is never satisfied with ‘good’ and has always pushed me to reach ‘great.’ He takes a holistic approach to the application process starting from childhood stories to future career goals, which proved to be invaluable as we were shaping my story. Alex often made me feel like I was his only client as he was always available for my last-minute questions. He hopped on the phone with me at a moment’s notice even when he was away for a few days on family vacation. His dedication to his clients and their success is hard to come by. He is also extremely patient – he was there every step of the way, even when I was editing the same sentence for what it must be a hundred times.
I worked with Alex on my top two schools and got into both – Stanford GSB and HBS. Without Alex’s exceptional support, this would not have been possible. His work ethic, years of experience, and friendly attitude transformed the application process for me from a dreaded experience to a joyful period of self-reflection. Thank you Alex!

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Alex provided me with realistic advice from start-to-finish. He made it clear that my GMAT score and undergraduate GPA, while competitive, were going to be hurdles I would have to overcome. As such, he focused our time and efforts on framing my candidacy such that identifiable themes would become apparent throughout my application. What impressed me the most during this process was Alex’s ability to recall, tease out, and articulate my key professional and personal experiences that would make up these themes. As a result of Alex’s input, there was substantial improvement in my essays compared to what I had written on a standalone basis the prior year.

Alex’s interview preparation also made me feel much more confident upon reaching this stage of the application process. Specifically, the mock group interview he organized and conducted in conjunction with another MBA consultant in advance of my Wharton interview proved invaluable. The dynamics of this interview are unlike any other school; experiencing them beforehand, in the very realistic setting that Alex provided, helped me mentally prepare and informed how I would interact with the other candidates during the actual interview.

I was ultimately accepted into a top five program, and believe that this would not have been the case without Alex’s help. I would refer him to anyone seeking help during the business school application process.

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I initially contacted 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. He really took the time to know me. I could tell he was passionate about his service and helping me think through the critical issues.

Many companies suggest you can get into the top schools without spending careful time-Alex was quite honest about my chances at a range of schools based on what he called “my MBA vitals”. His PrepMBA.com business is his, and he does not have a team of junior staffers. He is a Harvard MBA, very articulate and funny, and will not BS you.

Before I decided to work with him, he helped me to connect to a former client that he previously helped. We had a Skype conversation and talked about working with Alex. His honesty and his professionalism are the key decisive factors for me to work with him.

Working with Alex proved to be amazing. His service was very personal and he was almost always able to accommodate my schedule and last minute queries. I did a 2 school package and got into both schools including my first choice, Wharton. 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.

I would highly recommend Alex. 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.

Furthermore, Alex kindly accommodated his schedule to help me prep the interviews under tight schedule. His two interview prep sessions gave me the confidence and the skills to present myself truly and professionally.

Some of my friends used consultants and had fine things to say about them. But I feel strongly that Alex is uncommon. He is sincere, hard working, brilliant and often made me feel like I was his only client. Getting into B-school is more of an art than science. The science part you have already done with your GMAT prep. Having someone like Alex to guide you through the “art” side of the application has been a eye opening journey to know yourself better but also presenting the best of you to the business schools of your dreams.

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I can honestly say that I would not have gotten into Columbia Business School if it weren’t for Alex Leventhal at Prep MBA. As a candidate, I had a below average GMAT score (sub-700), bottom of the acceptable GPA range, generic work experience (investment banking), and no other ‘special sauce’ that really stood out. As I thought such was the case, I knew I had to look inward and write some amazing essays. After brainstorming with Alex, I felt differently about having no ‘special sauce’ and had the confidence to write great essays about parts of me that I didn’t realize were unique and interesting - Alex proved his weight in gold.

I was starting the application process and after talking to several friends, decided that I would ‘play the game’ and find an admission consultant to help me with my applications, and most importantly, my essays. My good friend highly recommended Alex Leventhal at Prep MBA so I gave him a call to learn about him and his process.

After speaking with Alex Leventhal for about 30 minutes on the phone, I knew he was the right person to hire as an admission consultant. Alex was candid and straight forward with his general admission advice and as I would soon learn, an amazing and creative business school essay consultant and fun person to work with.

Alex deeply understands the ‘MBA admission game,’ especially when it comes to the application essays. Alex closely guided me as I struggled think of unique and creative essay topics, and by the time we were done with our brainstorming sessions, I had come up with amazing essay topics. I consider myself to be a decent writer, but with Alex’s help, I learned how to write interesting, creative, and engaging essays. Alex also did an excellent job editing my essay drafts, a key part of the writing process that I found extremely helpful.

Alex’s consulting process is really what I think separates him from other consultants. Alex gave detailed, thoughtful and candid advice at all times and I could really tell he was thinking about me and preparing for my sessions. He also did a great job keeping me on track – he was keen to keep me on pace to be sure I met all deadlines with time to spare.

Overall, I 100% recommend Alex as an admission consultant and again, with all honestly, I am confident that I wouldn’t have gotten into Columbia Business School if it weren’t for his consulting services.

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