The Best Consultant/Supporter/Friend

My coach is the best storyteller and a supporter of your MBA application journey. I can tell you why below:

I was very skeptical when I first chatted with Career Protocol founder Angela Guido for a 30-minute consultation. (The main reason for my skepticism was that I already had about ten consulting firms that told me that my profile is not near to any of the “Top” MBA programs”) After the consultation, Angela introduced me to my coach, as Angela thought my coach would be the best fit for me. After the first chat and introductory zoom call with her, I was drawn to her energy and encouragement.

One of the fantastic and unique things about the Career Protocol’s approach to the MBA application is the discovery process (and my coach was serious about this process). The process was strenuous and stressful as I had to look back at my entire personal and professional life and figure out what I needed.

She helped me thoroughly with this process and I was extremely grateful for her support whenever I felt overwhelmed with all the required essays and introspections I had to do during the process.

With her amazing storytelling skills and support, I was admitted to many of the top programs namely: Stanford GSB, Wharton, Kellogg, MIT Sloan, and Yale SOM (combined scholarship worth over $350,000)!

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Guido is the one!!!

To work with Angela Guido is to have an MRI performed on your soul.

After a 30-minute consultation with Angela, I was stunned by the accuracy with which she summarized my motivations, character, and potential. Other consultants took one look at my stats (3.1 GPA, mid-ranked public university, ~600 practice GMAT score) and either steered me towards 2nd & 3rd tier schools or ignored me altogether. Not so with the MRI of Souls.

During our consultation, she saw right through my unimpressive stats and assured me that I was a strong and differentiated applicant for a top program, then provided evidence for this assertion by highlighting the strengths of my candidacy. Where other consultants were hesitant to provide too many details for free, Angela was generous: She gave me a specific GMAT goal, a short list of top schools with which she thought I was a fit, and guidance on when to apply, all during the FREE call. She was professional, affable, and direct. I knew that I had to work with her when, in one sentence, she summed up my post-MBA aspirations more precisely and succinctly than I had ever stated them myself – to her or anyone else, for that matter.

I was sold and signed up for a 3 school complete package. Given my budget, she assured me that after we worked together, I would understand the process and be able to complete additional applications on my own. We decided to work on Harvard Business School (HBS), Wharton, and a Master’s in Public Policy application at the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) together. I applied on my own to MIT Sloan and Yale SOM.

It became clear how lucky I was to work with Angela during our first brainstorming call. She had me complete a lengthy questionnaire in advance – I was sure she would need me to clarify a few things, but I was wrong; She already had me completely figured out. She has this uncanny ability to channel the essence of who I am. She thought the way I thought. She understood my voice. She could articulate things about me that I hadn’t fully realized myself.

This was particularly useful in my case because I have an unusual amount of varied experiences in my background and needed help choosing the most persuasive stories to tell. She noticed this (of course) and identified several experiences in my life that were formative, interesting, or revealing. She then suggested a few different narrative arcs that I could use to tie those experiences together into an essay, and left me to my own devices to pump out a draft.

Working with Angela is wonderful, in part because she teaches you the process as you go through it. There is always an overarching strategy, and she will explain the tactics as she guides you through the process. She will not write anything for you, and because she knows what your best effort is, she will reject sloppy substitutions for your best work. The process is demanding, but it is a lot of fun. She roots for you. She’s in your corner. She pushes you in a direction that she knows will be authentic for you. She will give you a pep talk whenever you need one, and in the end you really want to make her proud.

I eventually got my GMAT score up to 720 and submitted all my applications in Round 1.

And what were the results?

I was admitted to Harvard Business School – My dream program! I was also admitted to MIT Sloan with a Dean’s fellowship (1 ½ yrs tuition: ~ $107,000). I was dinged without an interview at Wharton, Yale, and HKS.

HBS & Wharton were no surprise to Angela – She’d told me all along that I was a strong HBS fit but wasn’t the Wharton “type”. Yale made sense to me – I didn’t have a clear rationale to go there. HKS was a surprise, but it wasn’t our fault: The essay that she pushed me to write was a masterpiece. I could not have made a stronger case and never would have gone in that direction on my own. So if that application didn’t get me admitted, nothing could. I’m fine with that.

I’m sure that a number of consultants could have helped me get into HBS, but Angela Guido’s services stand out because in addition to helping me submit the strongest possible applications, she’s also given me a bonus gift: A deeper understanding of myself than I’ve ever had before. This self-awareness leads to incredible confidence and is a tremendous competitive advantage.

So for anyone out there who isn’t sure about Angela Guido, you should be. A 30-minute call with her two years ago changed my life forever. It just might change yours, too.

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MBA Consultant Review - Angela Guido (AKA the rockstar)

Two years ago I started thinking about applying to business school and it seems like a very far away dream. I met Angela through a workshop she gave for the Forte MBA Launch, and I was amazed by her positive energy and ability to make something very complex like storytelling seem so simple. I decided to have her as my MBA Admissions Consultant.

The business school application process is long and exhausting at times, but with Angela it became a lot easier. She (and her firm) gave me a lot of material to go through to help guide my decision on which business school I should apply to, and what a good GMAT score looked like for my profile. I ended up not getting a stelar GMAT score, but because of my overall story Angela made me feel confident that my application was strong enough as it was.

The best part about working with Angela was her ability to highlight the best pieces of my story in a way that I myself couldn't. Sometimes we accomplish something and we don't realize how big of an accomplishment it is until someone from the outside reinforces it, and that's exactly what Angela did. She helped me see my story with a different eye, and with that I was able to create a solid business school application that truly represented the best version of myself. I would not have been able to do so without Angela.

Before working with Angela, I had incredible fear about the interview process. I wasn't sure that what I had to say was enough. Angela and I had a few mock interview sessions in which she gave me great feedback and most of all made me feel confident enough to walk on interviews and not feel nervous at all. I was so confident on my story, and I knew so much about it that in the end I wasn't worried about doing well on the interview or not. I just wanted to be my best self, be true to my values, and let the process do what it's supposed to do.

With Angela's help, I was accepted at Booth, MIT Sloan, and Kellogg. Kellogg had always been my first choice, and I was lucky enough to also receive a Fellowship from them.

If you are considering Angela as a consultant for you, it's a no-brainer: DO IT and you won't regret!

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Angela is Amazing!!

Out celebrating after receiving my first acceptance, my skeptical husband says out of the blue “Angela was the best investment you made – you really could not have done this without her”. That is absolutely true.

I didn’t give myself the luxury of time when applying to school. While I was fairly confident in my candidacy, I needed guidance on the process so I could get through it as efficiently as possible. Enter Angela. She delivered on this and more.

Starting from our first conversation through my decision, her enthusiasm and support was unwavering. She took the time to get to know me and dig deep into what is important to me. Even across continents at times, she was clear I was a priority, set expectations, and always delivered (and quickly!). From day one, I knew she was fully invested in helping me be successful.

Before I even started writing, Angela helped me brainstorm my stories. While I thought each story was disparate and unrelated, she drew connections among my experiences and helped me weave them together into compelling essays. She also provided actionable, honest, and direct feedback. Initially, I was writing what I thought the admissions committees wanted to hear, but Angela quickly spotted this and coached me to write about what truly mattered to me. She then helped me connect this to each particular school. When my writing was too business like – dry, boring, and overly analytical – she let me know and helped me find a tone that demonstrated my personality.

Angela will go out of her way to support you through every step of the process. When one of my essays flopped multiple times, we were no sooner on the phone starting from scratch again just days before the deadline. When I was torn between two schools we were back on the phone walking through the decision together. Angela puts you at the center and truly tailors the process to your needs and what will make you as an individual successful.

I am pleased to say that I received an interview at all the schools I applied to and was accepted into Wharton, Sloan, and Tuck. Angela was an incredible partner on this journey, and I know I could not have done it without her!

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Thank You!!

I simply cannot say enough good things about my coach! She is one of the most cheerful, supportive, and insightful people that I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with. She made an immense difference, and I am extremely grateful to have had the chance to work with her through what would have otherwise been a very stressful few months.

One of the first things that I did with my coach was a “discovery” process – basically, filling out every detail of your life. Hobbies, accomplishments/failures, the lemonade stand you had as a kid, etc. She made the exercise fun, and also helped to identify key themes & stories. I think this was a really smart way to start. The result is a summary of key accomplishments/failures (perfect for brainstorming essays and prepping for interviews!) and I found myself referring back to this document throughout the application process. The exercise also puts you in a reflective mood, which is critical as you start with applications. She really wants to get to know you so that she can help as much as possible, and she makes that evident right off the bat.

Writing essays was incredibly easy with my coach’s encouragement. She took all of the stress out of the process. She was quick and responsive with feedback on my drafts and went above and beyond to make sure my essays were perfect. On two occasions when we weren’t thrilled with my drafts, we decided to scrap the essays entirely, hop on the phone, and brainstorm again. I completely trusted her opinion (she’s a literary genius!!!) and when she said an essay was good to go, I stopped worrying about it and moved on. Thanks to her, I never second-guessed an essay and felt completely confident with what I submitted.

My coach also helped with a fair amount of soul-searching. Going into this process, I wasn’t entirely convinced what career I hoped to pursue post-MBA. While I’m still not 100% sure, I’m now A LOT closer than I was, and she helped me learn about and understand a few potential career paths that I was able to get very excited about and speak to in interviews.

Interview prep with my coach was spot-on, and she was able to perfectly capture the tone of interviews for particular schools. She also helped to coordinate a group interview with other Career Protocol clients to help me prepare for Wharton’s unique TBD interview format. It was great to get in a few dry runs and calm my nerves before the actual interviews!

After 6 months of working with my coach, I was accepted into every school I applied to – Booth, HBS, Kellogg, MIT, and Wharton – and with some scholarships as well. I am convinced that I could not have done this without her help. I am very thankful to have had her as a coach (and now as a continued friend)!!

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MBA Application With Career Protocol

After working with Career Protocol for my MBA application, I only have amazing things to say about their process and my coach.

The process started with a kick-off call during which we spoke on a high-level about my background, target schools, and goals. Career Protocol’s process for the MBA application is very holistic and my coach spent a tremendous amount of time getting to know me, learning about my life story, passions, and motivations. Once I was set up in the system, I had access to modules created by Angela Guido and other great resources that served as a guide for everything I needed to do at every step in my application – from reaching out to current students, alums and recommenders to establishing a compelling case for the MBA and preparing for interviews.

The deep dive into my life story started with me filling out the youDiscovery form for my coach. I was most impressed by the accuracy of my key character themes, anecdotes, personality traits, and other very rich details she deducted from the simple life narrative I shared. These details were critical to not only the individual stories told in my essay but also the entire structure of it. And many times, we referred back to the document to come up with a unique but compelling essay to make a strong case for my MBA.

Even though I paid for only one application of the five I had planned to submit – Harvard, Wharton, MIT, Booth and Ross, my coach was still very generous with her time to provide high-level feedback on my application packet for the other 4 applications. She often worked weekends just to cut short the turnaround time on my application material. I couldn’t be more grateful.

Career Protocol’s process is very rigorous and each of my application documents (essays, resume etc) was reviewed numerous times (in some cases more than 15 times) by my coach before approving for submission. Initially, I felt like I was being punished but by the end of the process (after concluding interviews) I had not only greatly improved my writing skills but also felt better prepared for the highly competitive MBA program.

Without my coach’s guidance and Career Protocol’s resources, I would have been overwhelmed by the grueling MBA application process and probably have submitted weak applications. With her help, I secured an interview with 4 of the 5 programs I applied to and got admitted to Wharton and MIT with funding.

I am very pleased with the services I was provided and the outcome of my applications. I highly recommend Career Protocol for candidates who want to significantly strengthen their MBA application.

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Not just a

I have worked with Angela for close to a year, and will be attending MIT Sloan’s full time MBA program.

Angela is an exceptional storyteller, strategist and mentor. First, Angela was amazing in connecting my background and personal stories to my post b school dreams to create a compelling story. Through our interactive brainstorming sessions, we were able to craft a powerful story that served as a foundation to all my applications

Second, not only is Angela an amazing story teller, she is also a veteran in the MBA game. As you may know, there are a lot of false information online (and from your friends/colleagues) that can seriously misguide your application strategy. With Angela’s proven expertise, I was able to select the right programs that had the best fit with me, and strategically determine the application approach (e.g., App round decisions, timing, etc).

Third, Angela deeply cares about her clients. As you may know, b-school application is an intense, pressuring process – and it gets even worse if you have a job that requires you to work 80+ hours a week like me. Despite all the mornings, nights and weekends I put in I unfortunately faced rejections (and you will), and I seriously doubted myself. Getting through rejections was very difficult. However, Angela was there every step of the way, encouraging and mentoring me. I still remember when she told me that I am more than enough, and that everything will turn out just fine – and it did! She will be committed to the process as much as you are, as your cheerleader and friend.

I would highly recommend working with Angela to anybody applying to business schools. However, don’t forget - Angela alone will not save the world for you. The more you are committed and prepared, the more helpful you will find Angela. So do your homework, come prepared to maximize your learning from her!

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Angela is simply the best!!!

I was referred to Angela through my manager who happened to be a classmate of hers at Booth. I was confident in the content of my story (at the time), yet I had absolutely no idea how to tell it and that’s why I turned to a consultant. Angela conducted my initial review and I knew from the moment I met her she wasn’t going to tell me what I wanted to hear, but rather what I needed to hear. I signed up shortly thereafter and the journey began. Ultimately, I received interviews at two schools, Sloan and Booth, and was admitted to both. Angela turned a daunting and stressful process into a manageable one and as a result I’ll be attending my dream school at Booth next fall! A few points on what I feel made my relationship with Angela successful and more importantly enjoyable:

Direct, honest feedback When I spoke to Angela during my free 30 minute consultation there was never a sales pitch. Angela gave honest feedback on my application and a fair assessment of my chances at target schools. With that said she wasn’t afraid of a challenge when I decided to apply to some of the most competitive schools without considering a safety. This remained consistent throughout the application process and I always trusted Angela’s feedback because I knew she had my best interests at heart.

Easy to get to know I still haven’t met Angela in person, yet she knows more about me than some of my closest friends. Angela is an open book and as a result it doesn’t take long to get to know her and get comfortable working with her. In addition, I believe she does everything she can to get to know her consultants as best as she possibly can. She took a genuine interest in my career and personal life while pointing out strengths and unique attributes that I had never taken the time to consider!

She won’t let you settle for less than your best Angela took my application to a level I never knew was possible. This wasn’t without its frustrations, but that is because Angela was pushing my application to a place that I would not have been able to take it. I remember wanting to scream through my computer after several revisions of my resume thinking there is no way I can do better than this, but Angela’s feedback was always constructive and I can’t help but laugh at my definition of quality compared to what Angela helped me to produce. This high standard never wavered throughout the process and I truly feel that each application I put forward was the absolute best it could have been.

Interview prep was top notch When I initially signed up for coaching I didn’t even realize that interview prep was included for schools where you received an interview invite, however I found this to be one of the most valuable aspects of our relationship. As I mentioned, I had interviews at two schools and was admitted to both. I owe a great deal of that success to Angela who gave incredible advice on storytelling and preparation while also ensuring I was confident heading into each interview.

Filled in the holes in my application I can still remember Angela asking me some basic questions on our first call and I quickly realized how incomplete my story was. I knew I wanted to go to B-School, but I couldn’t articulate why! Angela was quick to offer advice and resources to help nail down a compelling story while at the same time helping me take a long and hard look at why I was going to B-School. This proved extremely beneficial and by the time I got to the interview process I was telling my story like I had been planning it since childhood. It boosted my confidence, but also reaffirmed my decision to attend B-School. This isn’t limited to the application process as I feel more prepared to start B-School thanks to the advice Angela provided on career prospects.

Without reservation I would recommend Angela to anyone looking to get the absolute best out of themselves. Words do not do justice for what Angela helped me to achieve and without a doubt in my mind she can do the same for you. If you are serious about B-School and ready for someone to take you to a whole new level while sharing some great laughs and amazing stories along the way then Angela is the consultant for you!!!

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