Warning: This will be a longer-than-usual review as Eli David was not my first MBA adviser, nor even my second. He was, however, my savior.
Notably, I am usually not the type of person to write reviews for anybody, but my experience with Eli was so overwhelmingly positive, I had to make an exception. I’m still uncertain that 1,000 words are sufficient to describe how much Eli helped me throughout the entire journey and how much I appreciated him. I will do my best.
Before the end of the round-one application process this year, I had already lost confidence in all MBA admission consultants. By that time, I’d spent nearly $15K USD on consultations but had received nearly nothing of value in return. What’s worse, my confidence level was nearly at rock bottom.
I’d first worked with one of the big-name admission-consulting firms during round two of the previous year and had ended up being rejected by my dream school without even getting an interview. I then worked with a top-rated consultant during round one of this year, which turned out to be one of the worst experiences in my life. Simply because I had an average GMAT score and was from an overrepresented applicants pool, the advisor asked me to downgrade my initial school list from M7 to S16 – and forced me to believe I had no choice but to accept.
Making matters worse, the advisor I worked with took between 10 and 15 days to provide feedback on each of my documents, and after just one iteration, he would claim the document was ready to submit. I truly felt as though he just wanted to take my money and didn’t care about me or my success. Worse yet, he always made me feel as though my feedback was unimportant. I was truly devastated.
By this point, I was completely lost – but I was not ready to give up. I called a few more consultants to evaluate my profiles. I distinctly remember that one afternoon when Eli called me almost immediately after I’d written him an inquiry email. He told me that with my unique experience, “You should be sitting in the classroom of your dream school! You are the exact person they are looking for.”
Although I was initially skeptical about what Eli said, my gut told me to give him – and myself – another chance. We quickly came up with a one-school deal for this year’s R1, applying to the program that had previously rejected me without an interview. Understanding my unpleasant experiences with the other advisor, Eli suggested that I work with him on an hourly basis until I gained trust, and we agreed that if I got a good result, we would work extensively on other schools in R2.
I was amazed when Eli decided to change every single document I’d worked on before. He responded within a day to each document I sent him, and he was constantly available to answer all of my questions on WhatsApp. I honestly don’t know how he does it!
One month later, I was absolutely thrilled to be invited for an interview with the school that had rejected me six months prior. Remembering how many times Eli and I went back and forth about my essays, videos, resumes, I am convinced that his timely and insightful feedback made all the difference.
After my initial success with Eli, I immediately decided to trust him again by signing up for a five-school package for R2. Crazy though it may sound, we initially decided for me to apply to the top five MBA programs in the US this time: Harvard Business School, Stanford GSB, Wharton, Booth, and Kellogg. Throughout this whole process, I continued having doubts about my profile, GMAT scores, and everything else. Eli never let me down, however, and he always encouraged me with positive communication.
I do want to stress that working with Eli was not easy: He is a perfectionist and he will never let you finish with a document until he’s is fully satisfied with it. Meeting his expectations requires a considerable amount of time spent on thinking and writing. In truth, I sometimes felt frustrated, or even angry, when I’d reach my limit on a document and he’d remain unsatisfied. He will always guide you and push your limits so that you’ll achieve what you had previously thought was beyond your abilities.
Though the application process was grueling, Eli’s demands for excellence proved worthwhile in the end: After a two-month wait, I received invitations to interview for all of the five top schools I’d applied for in R2. Eli did an amazing job in preparing me for the interviews, tailoring his guidance to address my weaknesses. I even underwent a five-person practice interview that emulated Wharton’s interview style.
Ultimately, I was admitted to HBS and a few other top schools. (As I write this, I am on the Stanford GSB waitlist – but Eli remains optimistic about my chances). I could not have achieved any of this without Eli.
One final note about Eli: Working with him is not simply a matter of signing up for a service. For me, Eli was effectively a life coach, and his unique perspective on admissions and life, in general, helped me and guided me in the right direction. He is, in my view, the best example of a true college-admissions consultant who not only helps you get into your dream school but always guides you into the next phase of your life.
Thank you, Eli! I will always be one of your biggest fans.