Best admissions consultants
The 25 best admissions consultants, ranked by client ratings, credentials, experience and specialization. Most charge $70 to $150 an hour.
Key numbers
- 25 admissions consultants ranked.
- Ranked by client ratings, credentials, experience and specialization.
- Most admissions consultants charge $70 to $150 an hour.
The 25 best admissions consultants
- Melanie Espeland, MBA admissions and executive coach, former McKinsey consultant. She is a former McKinsey consultant and voice actor who created the Espeland Method for executive presence.
- Bob Verini, Private LSAT tutor with 45 years of experience. A former Director of Kaplan's LSAT program who was hired by Stanley Kaplan and has scored a perfect 180 more than once.
- Marie Bercik, GMAT and GRE tutor and MBA admissions coach, online. She built her own approaches to teaching GMAT Quantitative after years as a Kaplan instructor and math teacher.
- Dione Chen, MBA and college admissions consultant with 15+ years of experience. She combines 15+ years as a full-time admissions coach with a Stanford MBA and work experience across startups, corporations and nonprofits on three continents.
- Bruce Hanson, GRE, GMAT, ACT and SAT tutor and admissions coach in Los Angeles. Created the GRE bootcamp that ETS links to on its website and has written GRE instructional materials for ETS.
- Pamela Jaffe, MBA admissions consultant for top US and European programs. She pairs 15 years of MBA admissions work with ongoing strategy consulting for Fortune 500 companies.
- Kevin Paul, Law school, MBA and college admissions consultant in Raleigh. A former practicing lawyer with a Duke JD/LL.M. who also worked in admissions at the University of Chicago Booth Executive MBA program.
- Simi Klein, GMAT, SAT and admissions consultant for college and MBA applicants. Simi combines test prep tutoring with admissions consulting and holds a Columbia MBA.
- Jennifer Jackson, MBA admissions consultant with a Harvard MBA. A Harvard MBA and former PR professional who helps nontraditional applicants shape their story.
- Karla Magana Figueroa, MBA and master's admissions consultant with Harvard admissions experience. She combines Harvard Kennedy School admissions committee experience with a background in investment banking and consulting.
- Becky Song, MBA admissions and career consultant for top programs. Becky is a Wharton MBA and former admissions fellow who has also made several career pivots herself, including work as an actuary and strategy consultant.
- Melisa Prevost, MBA admissions consultant with over 10 years of experience. She is a Haas MBA graduate and former Haas alumni interviewer who has helped clients win over $20M in scholarships.
- John Naoum, MBA admissions consultant with a global brand management background. John pairs a Kellogg MBA and 10 years as a Kellogg alumni interviewer with a brand management career, which shapes how he helps clients tell their story.
- Susan Cera, MBA admissions consultant and former Duke Fuqua application reader. A former Duke Fuqua application reader who has also worked as a technology product manager and start-up employee.
- Jessica Burlingame, MBA and EMBA admissions consultant working with applicants worldwide. A former magazine editor and Columbia MBA who has coached MBA applicants since 2006 and also coaches leaders.
- Matt Doyle, GMAT tutor for MBA applicants, focused on Quant and Data Insights. Matt pairs a 760 GMAT score and a Kellogg MBA with a career in finance and public policy, and teaches the GMAT as a test of reasoning.
- Matt Kilby, MBA admissions consultant for military, engineering and athletic applicants. A former nuclear submarine officer and current BCG Project Leader who coaches military and engineering applicants to top MBA programs.
- Kate Hatch, College admissions and essay coach focused on BYU applications. Kate specializes in the BYU application and brings an advertising degree to student essays.
- Shelle Leanne, MBA and EMBA admissions consultant, former Harvard admissions staff. She worked inside Harvard admissions and has guided over 1100 applicants over 30 years.
- Andrea Santambrogio, GMAT, MBA admissions and consulting interview tutor. Andrea is a working BCG consultant who coaches both business school applicants and consulting interview candidates.
- Bill Chionis, MBA admissions consultant with over 15 years of experience. Bill combines an engineering and product management career with over 15 years of MBA admissions work and hundreds of M7 admits.
- Faisal Khan, MBA admissions consultant and former Chicago Booth admissions team member. A Booth MBA and former Booth admissions team member who reports 200+ M7 admits and over $5MM in client scholarships.
- Hadi Hussaini, GMAT tutor and MBA admissions consultant. Hadi combines GMAT tutoring with MBA admissions consulting and a background in investment management.
- Kerry Patriarca, MBA admissions consultant and former Harvard Business School admissions board member. A former Harvard Business School admissions board member who also spent 8 years managing brands at Nestlé.
- Rifat Mursalin, MBA admissions consultant and HBS Admissions Fellow. He is a current Harvard Business School student and Admissions Fellow who was admitted to several top MBA programs himself.
Compare them
Melanie Espeland
Melanie Espeland is an MBA admissions consultant who also coaches executives and professionals on careers, communication and life goals. She is a Columbia MBA alumna and an MBA admissions interviewer. She has helped 200+ applicants get into top schools, including every M7 program. Before coaching, she worked at McKinsey and as a voice actor. She created the Espeland Method for building executive presence and has coached more than 1,000 clients.
Bob Verini
Bob Verini is a private LSAT tutor who helps students raise their scores. He began teaching the LSAT at Kaplan 45 years ago. Stanley Kaplan, the company founder, hired him, and he later served as a Director of the LSAT program. He has scored a perfect 180 on the LSAT more than once. He has taught more than 10,000 students. His clients have reached scores from 166 to 180, and some have gained up to 30 points.
Marie Bercik
Marie Bercik is a GMAT and GRE tutor who also coaches MBA applicants. She teaches all sections of each test, and Quantitative is her main focus. She taught at Kaplan and later ran a private tutoring business while working as a math teacher. She has worked online full-time since 2016. Her students are mostly in the US, and some are in Asia, Europe and South America. Her students have been admitted to programs like HBS, Wharton and Kellogg.
Dione Chen
Dione Chen is a full-time MBA admissions consultant who also coaches college applicants and professionals on careers. She has 15+ years of experience and has coached hundreds of applicants. She worked as a coach for four leading admissions consulting firms. She holds an MBA from Stanford GSB and worked in startups, corporations and nonprofits across the US, Asia and Europe. She builds a personal application strategy for each client.
Bruce Hanson
Bruce Hanson is a test prep coach who helps clients earn top scores on the GRE, GMAT, ACT and SAT and get into their target schools. He founded First Choice Admissions and has coached tests for 15 years. ETS links to his GRE bootcamp and has hired him to write GRE instructional materials. Before teaching full time, he was a touring musician and a marketer at General Mills.
Pamela Jaffe
Pamela Jaffe is an MBA admissions consultant and co-founder of MBA Pathfinders. She helps candidates get into top US and European MBA programs. She has more than 15 years of experience and has worked with hundreds of applicants. She holds an MBA from Columbia Business School. In the off-season she does strategy consulting for Fortune 500 companies, which keeps her current on how business works today.
Kevin Paul
Kevin Paul is an admissions consultant who helps applicants get into undergraduate programs, law schools and MBA programs. He has 15 years of admissions experience. He worked as Assistant Director of Recruitment and Admissions for the University of Chicago Booth Executive MBA program. He lived in Hong Kong for more than a decade and now works from Raleigh, North Carolina. He holds a JD/LL.M. from Duke and briefly practiced law before moving into admissions.
Simi Klein
Simi Klein is a test prep tutor and admissions consultant who helps students with the GMAT, the SAT, and applications to college and MBA programs. Simi started at Prep Zone in Singapore, then worked at top New York firms before founding Global Scholars. Simi has taught 3,000+ students across six continents over 16+ years. Simi holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a degree from NYU.
Jennifer Jackson
Jennifer Jackson is an MBA admissions consultant who helps applicants get into top business schools. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and has 10 years of admissions experience. Her clients have been accepted at all M7 schools and earned more than $2 million in merit scholarships. She worked in public relations and human capital consulting before this, and she helps clients shape clear, strong stories.
Karla Magana Figueroa
Karla Magana Figueroa is an admissions consultant who helps candidates get into top MBA, MPP and master's programs in the U.S. and Europe. She also preps clients for investment banking and consulting interviews. She has sat on the Admissions Committee at Harvard Kennedy School. Before coaching, she spent a decade in consulting, investment banking at J.P. Morgan and private markets investing. Her clients have landed spots at Stanford GSB, HBS, LBS and INSEAD, often with scholarship support.
Becky Song
Becky Song is an MBA admissions consultant and career coach. She helps applicants get into MBA, master's and college programs, and helps professionals land consulting, strategy and business roles. She holds a Wharton MBA and was a Wharton admissions fellow. She has coached more than 500 candidates through career moves, resumes, interviews and consulting recruiting. Her own path includes work as an actuary, nonprofit leader and strategy consultant.
Melisa Prevost
Melisa Prevost is an MBA admissions consultant who helps applicants get into top business schools. She has worked with over 300 MBA hopefuls across more than 100 applications, and her clients have secured over $20M in scholarships. She holds an MBA from Haas and spent close to a decade as a Haas alumni interviewer. She is a Senior Admissions Counselor at Stratus Admissions Counseling. Before admissions, she worked in consulting, operations, education and non-profit.
John Naoum
John Naoum is an MBA admissions consultant who helps applicants build a strong story for business school. He has coached for more than 17 years. He holds a Kellogg MBA and works in global brand management, where he leads brands like Rain-X and Black Magic at Illinois Tool Works. He uses his marketing skills to help clients shape their message and stand out. He works with applicants from the US and other countries.
Susan Cera
Susan Cera is an MBA admissions consultant who helps young professionals build strong business school applications. She spent 10 years reading applications at Duke's Fuqua School of Business. She then spent 11 years at Stratus before starting Cera Coaching, LLC in 2020. Her clients have been accepted to schools such as Stanford GSB, HBS, Wharton, Kellogg, INSEAD and London Business School. She now takes clients applying in Round 2 or for deferred enrollment.
Jessica Burlingame
Jessica Burlingame is an MBA and EMBA admissions consultant who also coaches leaders. She has worked with applicants worldwide since 2006. She is a Columbia MBA, an ICF-certified leadership coach, and a three-time Poets & Quants Top Consultant. Before coaching, she was a magazine editor, and she uses that eye for story to shape each client's essays and narrative. She offers her services in English and Italian.
Matt Doyle
Matt Doyle is a GMAT tutor who helps students raise their scores, mainly in Quant, Data Insights and Critical Reasoning. He has tutored full time for nine years and has taught the GMAT, GRE and LSAT on and off for 25 years. He scored a 760 on the GMAT and holds a JD/MBA from Northwestern. He worked at Bank of America, GE Capital and the U.S. Senate before tutoring. He has worked with more than 100 GMAT clients.
Matt Kilby
Matt Kilby is an MBA admissions consultant who helps applicants get into top business schools and undergraduate schools. He has coached for over 6 years. He is a former nuclear submarine officer and a Project Leader at BCG. Clients he has helped were admitted to Harvard Business School, Wharton, Chicago Booth, Kellogg and MIT Sloan, including the LGO program. He also works with military veterans, engineers and athletes.
Kate Hatch
Kate Hatch is an independent college admissions consultant who helps students with applications and essays. She specializes in the BYU application and also works on the Common App. Kate has coached over 50 students and has worked in college admissions coaching since 2012. She holds a degree in advertising and uses it to help students present their story well. She works with students from first essay ideas through final edits.
Shelle Leanne
Dr. Shelle Leanne is an MBA and Executive MBA admissions consultant. She helps applicants get into top business schools in the United States, Europe and Britain. She has worked in a Harvard admissions office and in Stanford's Office of the President. She has coached for over 30 years and has helped over 1100 admits. Her clients come from over 83 countries, and many have won scholarships, including full-ride awards.
Andrea Santambrogio
Andrea Santambrogio is a GMAT tutor and admissions and interview coach for people applying to business school and consulting jobs. Andrea is a BCG consultant with an MBA from SDA Bocconi and a Columbia Business School exchange. Andrea has prepared more than 400 students for the GMAT Focus, the Executive Assessment, MBA admissions and consulting interviews. Andrea's students have reached GMAT scores from 685 to 785.
Bill Chionis
Bill Chionis is an MBA admissions consultant who helps professionals apply to top business schools. He has worked with over 1000 traditional and non-traditional candidates. Hundreds of them won admission to M7 programs. Before consulting, he built a career in aerospace materials research and product management, and he earned his own MBA at the Merage School of Management. He now coaches applicants through Leland.
Faisal Khan
Faisal Khan is an MBA admissions consultant who helps applicants build strong applications to top business schools. He earned his MBA at Chicago Booth and served on the Booth admissions team, where he reviewed hundreds of applications. He also worked in management consulting, tech and healthcare. His clients have won over $5MM in combined scholarships.
Hadi Hussaini
Hadi Hussaini is a GMAT tutor and MBA admissions consultant. He helps applicants prepare for the GMAT and build business school applications. He cofounded A1 MBA Consulting, which serves MBA, Masters of Finance, and Masters in Management applicants. Before that he worked in investing at TCW Group and PIMCO. His clients have reached GMAT scores from 605 to 770.
Kerry Patriarca
Kerry Patriarca is an MBA admissions consultant who helps applicants build strong stories for top business schools. She spent 6 years on the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School, where she read thousands of applications and interviewed candidates from around the world. She then worked 8 years in brand marketing at Nestlé. She advised 100+ clients at Stacy Blackman Consulting and now runs her own coaching practice.
Rifat Mursalin
Rifat Mursalin is an MBA admissions consultant who helps applicants build strong graduate school applications. He is an MBA student at Harvard Business School and serves as an Admissions Fellow there. He has coached over 60 applicants and earned over 10 acceptances to top MBA schools himself. Before business school, he worked in investment banking, education and social impact. He also taught English in Malaysia and won a Tutor of the Year award in college.
Common questions
Who are the best admissions consultants?
The top admissions consultants are Melanie Espeland, Bob Verini and Marie Bercik, ranked by client ratings, credentials, experience and specialization.
How much do the best admissions consultants charge?
Most admissions consultants charge $70 to $150 an hour.
More on admissions consultants
Last updated September 2026.