28,603Leland Reviews

One of the more challenging parts of the application process for me was comfortably sharing my background and future ambitions. The sincere self-reflection was one task, but then sharing it with a stranger and seeking feedback always gave me trepidation…but Camden really changed that for me. After a short introductory phone call, he developed a good rapport with me and I felt much more comfortable speaking with him about every part of my application. He went above and beyond my expectations. Despite his busy schedule (and even during vacation), he stayed up late to accommodate my schedule, was very responsive, and spent much more time than I anticipated to carefully read my application strategy and give me thoughtful comments. Not only was Camden vocally supportive and encouraging, but he was also comfortable enough to point out my blind spots which was most valuable to me. His understanding of the application process and his ability to see things from an admissions committee was evident throughout our time together. Without hesitation, I’d highly recommend Camden to any of my peers and would work with him again.

I attended Sam's GSB "What matters most" essay workshop and this workshop is just amazing. I had no idea what to write before the workshop but left the workshop with a detailed outline and a clear idea. I later scheduled individual appointments with Sam and he has been super helpful with my essays and all other questions regarding the application. I would highly recommend Sam and his small group class to anyone who is looking for a great coach with great essay skills and application experience.

I recently attended a small group class on how to crack the GSB's "what matters most to you, and why" essay led by Sam. I really appreciated the thought Sam put into preparing for the workshop and how he provided multiple approaches for brainstorming, structuring, writing, and revising the essay. Additionally, the class was extremely interactive, and Sam helped each participant create a solid outline to start a draft. Would highly recommend this class to anyone who is struggling to start or wants to refine their "what matters most" essay!

Camden is without doubt the best consultant of the half a dozen I have worked with. He was absolutely invaluable in helping me tell my story for my HBS essay in a compelling way. From the very beginning, working with Camden felt like working with a partner who wanted me to get into HBS just as much as I did, and that came through in the quality of his service. I cannot recommend him highly enough.

Camden is thoughtful, detail-oriented, and fun to work with. He takes time to understand you and your goals, which in turn allows him to help you showcase yourself best in an essay or application. Regardless of what stage you're at in your journey, I highly recommend working with Camden one-on-one. He's the best of the best.

Dione was incredibly helpful to me on my MBA journey for three key reasons. First, Dione was incredibly knowledgeable about all of the schools I was thinking of applying to. Not in a generic, 'I have read the website' way, but in the more subtle, application-driven way. For example: Which schools valued humility vs. confidence in their essays and tone of writing? Which schools had strong programs in the career fields I was interested in? What schools valued community service vs. career leadership experience? The small things that set your application apart, and help you tailor an application to the MBA program. Second, Dione is a great editor. She does not change your writing, but rather guides the thought process, and helps refine your thinking and message. I learned to better explain why I was applying to business school through working with Dione. This helped me in my applications, interviews, and also in rationalizing this career decision to myself and to my employer. Finally, Dione, as with any consultant, was an impartial “judge.” A third party who I could run decisions by, who did not have context or history to sway them. She was my rational sounding board. As you move through the emotional chaos of applying to business school, it is important to have that type of resource. I loved working with Dione and highly recommend her as a resource to anyone thinking of pursuing an MBA.

Looking back on my experience with Dione, I can say that it was tremendously helpful in guiding me through the preparation and application process. I came from an uncommon background for MBA recruiting and was quite unsure of how to best present myself as a candidate to top tier business schools. Dione and I spent a large percentage of our time discussing what aspects of my background to focus on and how to present my uncommon background in a way that would lead admission committees to be excited about my candidacy rather than skeptical about it. Without Dione's help, I would have attempted to compete head to head with more traditional applicants in a way that would have been detrimental. The perspective and guidance of Dione allowed me to craft an application that highlighted the unique things that I brought to an incoming class and why I was prepared to add value to the top business schools I was ultimately admitted to. Dione was also valuable in helping me craft my candidacy well in advance of starting an application. Her Plan Ahead program provided a frank and honest assessment of my strengths and weaknesses as an applicant. This gave me time to attempt to shore up some of those gaps through targeted work experience and extra-organizational volunteering. The other large advantage of the Plan Ahead program is that it allows you to transition seamlessly into more intensive consulting come application time. I am confident that I would not have been able to craft nearly as strong of an application for the business schools I was interested in without Dione's guidance. The cost for personal consulting is significant, it pales in comparison to the doors that I believe it helped unlock for my future.

From initial self-reflection to final application submittal to interview prep to evaluating different offers, Dione was extremely helpful in the MBA application process. I worked with her to apply to several top programs, including HBS, and was admitted to all of them with sizable merit scholarships from several. Dione’s feedback for my essays and resume was invaluable. It’s clear that Dione’s background in journalism makes her a thorough and insightful admissions consultant. There were times when I chose to write about certain aspects from my background, sent the essays to her for review, and she offered feedback to write about a different, more unique or impactful story instead. After rewriting the essays with Dione’s feedback in mind, I was always thankful that I had followed her advice, rather than going with my initial drafts. I went through several drafts (30+) of essays with Dione. She was always prompt to respond and insightful in her feedback. In the end, I thought my essays and resume were incredibly strong and Dione’s support was essential to achieving a final product I was extremely proud of. In addition to her insightful essay/resume feedback, Dione was also extremely helpful in the interview prep. In fact, Dione was willing to meet with me in person for a mock interview. Her feedback and advice from the mock interview definitely helped me realize I needed to tone down certain mannerisms and phrase my responses in different ways. Additionally, we worked together to generate different ideas for the Wharton team based discussion (the idea we came up with ended up getting chosen in the real interview). In the end, I felt extremely prepared for all of my interviews and I have Dione to thank for that. The MBA application process is incredibly reflective, stressful, and daunting. Dione is truly invested in getting to know your story and helping you put together the best application possible. I am thrilled with my results and wholeheartedly recommend working with Dione.

Dione was extremely generous with her time, with speedy turnaround for all emails and essay edits/ I appreciate that Dione spent substantial time getting to know my life story, which helped considerably in ensuring my essays portray my best self. Dione sets very high expectations, which worked very well for me since I demanded the highest quality applications.

It was a pleasure working with Dione - I appreciate the prompt responses and the helpful insight for the essays. In addition, I appreciated her help in considering which PhD program to accept as I received multiple offers.