3 M7 Admits and $390K in scholarships as an unusual candidate

When I decided in September 2024 to apply for round 2 by January, it was a sprint. I had just a few months to study for the GMAT, get my applications in order, and make some magic happen. I was referred to Angela by my GMAT instructor, and I could immediately tell she was a great fit. She has a fascination for good stories, and having started three cannabis companies, and grown up across several countries, mine was anything but a traditional MBA path.

We signed the contract in early December and hit the ground running. Her process was incredible. The way she made me download what felt like my entire life into a structured brainstorming session, my accomplishments my personality, who I was as a person, it felt like no stone was left unturned. It’s a wild feeling to have someone analyze your life and come back with insights you never considered yourself. Experiences I thought were mediocre she called out as “rockstar” stories. It felt like she was helping me craft my autobiography, not just for work, but really digging into my personality and letting it show through in every application.

We were in a race against time, and our time zone difference was actually a huge advantage. I would work on essays late into the evenings, send them at 1am, and wake up to comments from her. Rinse and repeat.

After submitting apps I was genuinely proud of, the results were humbling. I went 0/4. But I wasn’t deterred. I retook the GMAT and improved my score by 100 points. The following September, I went back into the process armed with essays I’d already written, stories I’d already excavated, and a clearer strategic gameplan Angela helped me create for reapplying. I was much more focused in the stories I told, and my career vision more aligned to my experience. Angela checked in on me, helped me retool my narrative approach, and armed me with the tools to approach this cycle myself. Success! I received offers from Kellogg, Booth, and Columbia, with a total of $390k in scholarships! (After negotiating, of course.)

I truly couldn’t have done it without her. Her ability to identify and elevate great stories is unmatched, and her genuine investment in my success across two application cycles despite me only paying for one made all the difference. She has my strongest recommendation.

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Before MBA Protocol

I have worked in logistics in retail and pharma/bioscience spaces for five years. Though I have been successful in my roles, and even earned a promotion in the retail space, I found different issues with both companies. In the retail space, I grew fatigued from corralling delivery drivers, working weekends and repetition routing deliveries, so much so that I had to take a leave of absence to tend to my mental health, despite generally enjoying my coworkers and the company’s atmosphere.

More recently in the pharma space, I found no career ladder, a stagnant salary structure as well as unethical and unnecessarily complex systems that made my job exponentially more difficult. On top of that, turmoil within the company meant that my success was often overlooked and underappreciated by people in charge.

I worked with a career counselor and aptitude test company in early 2024, which uncovered a faculty with retaining numerical information that I had not thought out prior, concerns about my financial future and life satisfaction if I could not make a change, and a desire to work with intelligent colleagues on more complex or creative problems that require in-depth thinking.

Why MBA, why now

I explored some analytics certification programs in early 2024 and tried some open source materials to get a feel for what I would need to learn to market myself. However, I struggled staying focused and determined that I would need to formally return to school to work in a program with the resources and structure I needed.

I first considered an MBA after an exit interview with the retail company, where my colleague in the HR department mentioned her MBA, which allowed her to take on some new opportunities and ultimately settle on HR long-term. After conducting research, I decided to pursue my own MBA after seeing the flexibility I could have with the degree - for someone who has struggled for years to decide on a career path due to a wide variety of interests, a degree with flexibility sounded like a perfect fit.

Why MBA Protocol

I previously applied to MBA programs in the 2024-2025 cycle, completely on my own and without knowledge of what I was getting into. The results were disastrous, and I took a free consultation meeting with another well-known firm once I decided to reapply in the 2025-26 cycle to try and nail down specific areas that most needed my attention. While the meeting was productive, the price point and personality of the consultant did not match what I was looking for. I felt like just a resume to her.

I remembered watching Angela’s YouTube videos at some point previously, and found them fun, informative but also supportive. Angela was kind enough to jump on a free call with me, and opened the conversation by asking about a non-work item on my resume that she found impressive before reaffirming the previous consultant’s advice (that I was a candidate for a top program with a little extra care). The LFG program’s cost fit my budget as well as the services I required - something more self-paced with the option to schedule one-on-one sessions as I needed them.

The work we did together

Generally speaking, I tend to not shy away from tackling big goals. Even though my confidence wavered at times, I never stopped believing that I deserved entry to a top program. With MBA Protocol, I found not only supportive coaches who agreed and reinforced my beliefs, but also a team of other prospective students who cheered me on along the way. Having hit my goal of attending a top program, I feel greater confidence that I can successfully recruit for a top firm as long as I follow the structure of the program and seek out resources when I need them, just as I did through MBA Protocol.

MBA Admission Results

In 2024-2025, I was rejected at MIT, Harvard and Dartmouth, with admits to lower-ranked part-time programs in Boston College, Boston University and Northeastern.

In 2025-2026, my test scores went up. This put me within the median range at every school I applied to, six in total.

While I was rejected once again at Harvard and MIT without an interview, I did get an in-person interview at Dartmouth this time, and ultimately two admits from Georgetown and Cornell, the latter of which I accepted. There was an issue with my application to Carnegie Mellon and I turned down their invitation to interview, but I felt confident I would have converted that to an admit as well.

I grew up in rural Vermont and was the first in my family to graduate college. The average Cornell Johnson graduate earns three times my current salary. The Ivy League felt like a place that existed in imagination only, no matter how successful or impressive my resume, and that I would have to settle for smaller programs in the region. Thanks in no small part to MBA Protocol, I am on the precipice of making this imagination reality. To say that I am ecstatic about the results would be the understatement of the century.

Advice to other pivoters

Everything that has happened to me over the past ten years has come as a result of hard work.

Be confident in yourself and your ability to do challenging things.

Do not put pressure on yourself to figure out your career in a day. I still don’t know what I want to do with my life, but I am a lot closer than when I started.

No one is great entirely on their own. Invest in yourself if you need some clarity, take an aptitude test, hire a career coach, and work with MBA Protocol. Seek help when you don’t know the answers and listen to people with experience. Work together to develop an action plan and stay diligent following it.

And perhaps self-effacingly, if I can do all this, so can you.

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Before MBA Protocol

Growing up in the DC area with two parents who served in the federal government sowed a deep appreciation and admiration for the work the US Government does. The work I do at Deloitte, partnering with federal agencies, feels akin to the service my parents provided.

Also, because of how massive Deloitte is, we get to play with some very cool problems the USG has. The level of experience and exposure I’ve received at the firm has affirmed my decision that this is the kind of firm I want to be at for a long time.

My goal going into the MBA process was to streamline my development to a partner level role at Deloitte. I was already in the consulting space, but I had seen directors and partners exhibit a level of nuanced analysis that I did not possess; this made me nervous about my long-term viability in the firm. When I asked them about how I could replicate their development path, each contact said their time back in school allowed them the time and space to take the deep dives into the work we do. Essentially, they would not have developed the level of nuance required to provide the level of service they provide for our clients.

Why MBA, why now

I was in a client meeting with a senior manager, who had done his MBA at UNC Kenan-Flagler, and I watched him effortlessly rip off strategic analysis for the client that, frankly, left me dumbfounded. After the meeting, I pulled him aside and asked “Gavin, how’d you develop the skill to be able to do that?” He laughed and said “That came from two years of a million case studies.” He emphasized that while the firm certainly provides a lot of opportunity to learn, the sheer volume of client demands prevents you from doing the deep academic dives a full-time MBA program provides.

If this was the work I wanted to do for the rest of my career, I knew I needed to take a two-year strategic break that would pay off twenty years down the line.

Why MBA Protocol

In 2024, I applied to four schools (Tuck, Darden, Ross, and McDonough) in Round 2 with little to no guidance. I went through the process trying to piece together tips I found online. I received one offer of admission, but felt like I really left meat on the bone looking back at my process; my essays lacked a punchy theme and my resume was all sorts of lackluster. I decided to use the material and test scores that I already had to try my hand again, this time in Round 1. This time I would seek optimal guidance, as I really did not want to go through this process a third time.

I remember thinking “I should look into that site that had all the rainbows and unicorns on it.”

While the website’s happy go lucky attitude stood out in my mind, what hooked me was Heather’s understanding and excitement for my story and previous efforts. She seemed to be fully in my corner before even giving MBA Protocol a dime and that certainly stood out to me.

Whether it was good marketing or not, I felt that I had a teammate from the get go.

The work we did together

I remember reading Brian’s reviews on P&Qs describing him as an admissions wizard, knowing exactly how to describe yourself for certain schools, and being somewhat skeptical before we met. Yet, Brian proved that he was in fact an admissions wizard and was able to add critical details to my story that I would have never thought to add if it were not for his suggestions.

Between my two application cycles, one thing changed: what kind of advice I was receiving on my essays.

I learned that I wasn’t great about talking about myself. Brian’s patience and objective feedback helped me tailor a story that seemingly wowed admission’s committees.

I walked away from my time with Brian understanding the importance of humbly selling yourself; a skill that I’ll need to continue to hone as I enter my MBA years and after in the consulting space.

Better essays acted as a domino for everything later down the line. My essays allowed me to script a better interview pitch of why me and why this school.

Interesting note: very late in the game, probably with two weeks from my submission dates, I heard a Tuck AdCom reader say something along the lines of “I don’t want to read an essay like X.” Well, my main Tuck essay read exactly like X.

I went to Brian, nearly in a panic, and said “we need to burn it down and start over.” He very calmy told me to check myself and trust him. My story was excellent and anybody would love to read it. I trusted his judgement, knowing he had done this a hell of a lot more times than me, and it paid off.

I truly believe that Brian’s ability to sherpa my story into something more strategic is the reason I went from 1 acceptance in R2 of 2024-2025 to 6 acceptances on R1 of 2025-2026.

MBA Admission Results

Dartmouth Tuck, Class of 2028!

Advice to other pivoters

There are a TON of MBA consultants out there. You may feel compelled to go with a certain consultant because they are the biggest name out there (one that I knew even before starting this process) and they seem to provide results. I too felt the draw of the big name, but something in my gut said the team at MBA Protocol actually had my best interests at heart and I was going to get their full undivided attention.

You, as a client, need to feel an extra level of care as you go into this process. The money, time, and what’s riding on this effort dictates that. I fully felt that I was Brian’s only priority as we were going through the essay drafting process

Personally, you need to understand what your story is and why you’re about to do what you’re about to do. Not only does an MBA require a hefty tuition, it requires maximal effort that I don’t think many prospective MBAs understand.

Each of the top 25 schools offers you a chance to be back in the classroom with really smart people and be on a campus that has tangible energy and opportunity to change your life.

You need to do the work to make that happen, though.

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Money & Effort Well Spent With Brian!

TL;DR: I was a reapplicant with one offer who sought a high touch, yet personal, consultant to counsel me through the reapplication process. Brian was exactly who I needed and now I find myself this time around with multiple top 10 offers and serious scholarship support. Brian, and the larger MBA Protocol team, have been nothing but an asset and I would highly recommend partnering with them through your process.

In 2024-2025, I applied with little to no guidance to four schools with a below average GPA, strong GRE score, and strong work experience. I was accepted to my safety school, waitlisted at a top 10, and rejected outright from the other two top 10s.

I was tempted to take the offer from my safety school, but felt a nagging feeling to apply again. I knew if I was going to do the whole application process over again, I'd have to have the helping hand of a consultant who truly knew how to overcome the hurdle of my poor GPA.

I shopped around the major consulting firms and was no doubt impressed by their track record and extensive resources, but there was a lack of personal touch that I knew would be important in this very people-based process.

I had previously stumbled upon MBA Protocol and their marketing, filled with unicorns and rainbows, stuck out to me. When I reached out, I felt that personal touch that had been absent with some of the other consulting firms I had spoken to. I was blown away by the initial support and energy the MBA Protocol Team had for my profile. I signed on hoping for the best.

What I received was even better than I could have hoped for. Brian. the MBA Application Wizard himself, sat down with me for two hours to chat through my 10+ page Discovery process and identified all of the great stories I could tell. We went through 19 iterations of my resume and another 19 versions of my target school's essays. The level of personal touch, expertise, and care was pretty incredible. There were multiple times I came to Brian with near paranoia and he was able to say "we got this dude." Sure enough, he was right.

I sit here now, mid December 2025, with three top 10 acceptances, $120K of scholarship, and waiting to hear from my final four schools. The MBA admissions process is nuanced in ways you won't understand unless you have a guide. Working with Brian and the MBA Protocol Team was a fantastic decision for me and my journey as a reapplicant. The time, effort, and capital committed to the process is well worth it with Brian and the MBA Protocol team.

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From zero to hero

This is my second year applying for MBAs. in 2021 I applied to MIT, Wharton, Harvard and Stanford with help of another admissions consultant. I was interviewed by HBS and Wharton and got admitted to none. I felt that my applications were superficial and did not reflect my true self, containing what I thought that the schools wanted to see.

Last year (2022) I had Angela’s help to reflect and understand my personal stories and values during the application process, this completely changed the application experience. Moreover, my self-discoveries during this journey will greatly impact decisions in my personal life and career over many years to come. This second time, I applied to Harvard, Stanford, Wharton/Lauder, MIT, Booth, Kellogg and Berkeley. I landed interviews at Stanford, Wharton, Booth, Kellogg and Berkeley. Angela’s interview preparation was invaluable and contributed for my admissions at Booth (with a USD 40k merit scholarship), Kellogg, Berkeley and waitlist spot at Wharton / Lauder.

Finally, I am so supportive of Angela’s & Career Protocol’s work that I have sponsored their services for a dear friend, Ronaldo, from an underprivileged background with aspirations to change education in Brazil. With Career Protocol’s help, he was admitted at MPAs / MPP both at Columbia and the University of Chicago, both of them with extremely generous scholarships.

Carlos Rosis

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I Got Into HBS Thanks To Angela

Let me start with the end. I got into HBS, my top school. I would totally recommend her.

A bit about myself, I am currently working in VC, and before I was a management consultant at MBB. I had already applied to Harvard twice, once for college and once for the 2+2, and got dinged twice.

This time I decided to go for the best consultant I could find online based on reviews and personal experiences of friends.

Angela has a truly unique approach for several reasons. She takes a holistic approach to getting to know you, or better “getting you to know yourself”. Once you have laid out all the aspects of your personality, your background, your dreams, and your achievements, she helps you write your story using advanced story-telling techniques.

Angela does not write your essays. This is another major difference from what you might expect from your consultant. I don’t think she wrote a single line. She helps you put your thoughts together, connecting the dots and turning them into a story, giving comments, feedback, and nudging ideas. In the end, the story is 100% yours – and you can take the merit of everything.

Looking back at the application process, I can confidently say that I enjoyed working with Angela. I did not only get into HBS, but I also got to know myself better.

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The Best Decision I Made: Why I Highly Recommend Brian & Career Protocol

Brian truly embodies the “Under-commit and OVER Deliver” spirit, and the career protocol package is both super-detailed and truly end-to-end (they guide on everything: from deciding which schools to apply for  to now sharing tips on how to maximize the next 2 years).

Top 3 value adds for me: helping me improve my GMAT score from 740 to 770 (V47!!), helping me find my calling and encouraging me to make a pre-MBA pivot from consulting to Venture Capital, and of course, helping me land an offer from my dream school, Booth! I applied to 7 schools (Harvard, Stanford, Booth, Columbia, Duke, UCLA, and McCombs), got interview invites from 5 of them, and finally got into 3 (Booth + UCLA and McCombs with 50% scholarship).

I’ve had a FANTASTIC experience working with them and would highly recommend them to anyone who’s willing to put in the time and effort. Below are my top 5 reasons:

• Extensive support – When you sign up with CP, you don’t just get a consultant, you get an army of people who have your back and a community of applicants who are driven and supportive. I am someone who asks a LOT of questions, and I can safely say that their team has a wealth of experience to guide you/point you in the right direction. For instance, I was gutted when I learned that I was waitlisted from Booth in R1. Soon enough, another member from the CP team who was a waitlist expert stepped in. She gave me tips on how I can continue engaging with the school and helped me approach the waitlist process with a positive mindset.

• They give you “no-nonsense” advice – I come from an over-represented Indian, Engineer, Male demographic. Brian was honest about what was realistic for me and had enough knowledge and inspiration to help me make a valiant attempt for the top. He didn’t hesitate from telling me if I needed to completely scrap off an essay draft or that I needed to retake the GMAT.

• Their process is painfully introspective – When I signed up with CP, I was completely clueless about what I wanted from my MBA. Their “Discovery process” pushed me to take a pause and reflect on my life experiences: My successes, failures, choices, everything. For someone who’s not as open about their life, Brian created a comfortable environment for me to express myself freely which led to some beautiful essays, and ensured that my applications were 100%, authentically me. (That’s their way of helping you stand out). Beyond the results, their process was transformational for me. Personally, I’ve become much more comfortable owning my story. Career-wise, I’ve been able to join a VC firm. Something I could not have imagined doing a year prior. The clarity I gained on what I wanted motivated me to consider my options and the confidence he inspired enabled me to boldly “go for it” and pursue the change.

• Brian is a GMAT God! – I thought I had maxed out when I scored 740 and didn’t know how to go beyond that. Brian used his expertise to quickly identify what my gaps were (Verbal + taking too much stress) and gave me advice that inspired me to take a fresh approach to the test, which combined with my work ethic, helped me score 770 in <1 month. This gave me a lot of confidence as I approached R1 applications at top B-schools.

• Value for Money! Brian works with only a handful of applicants every year and I could feel that he was genuinely invested in my success. As an international student, their package was well out of my budget. But I can reassure you, that he is worth every penny and then some more. By the end of our time together, Brian knew my stories better than I did. He is very generous with his time and leaves no stone unturned: he happily responded to my countless questions, returned drafts faster than expected as deadlines approached, and things like GMAT advice, and preparing for VC interviews were technically not a part of our MBA application scope. Yet, he did that. (with a smile!)

Lastly, I would like to add that the MBA application process is a long and tedious journey, when you do it with someone like Brian, it doesn’t seem like “work”.

Good luck with your applications! 😊

Lakshay Piplani

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Grateful To My Coach!

I’m writing this review from the POV of a reapplicant. I purchased the 5 school application package and was paired with my coach in my first year of application. I found his ability to synthesize and distill down my values and guide me through essay writing invaluable. I cried when I read my final draft of “what matters most to you and why?” on Stanford’s essay because he helped me see layers of what really matters to me (this was useful beyond the MBA application for me and into what I want my long-term vision to be). It was a heart and mind-opening exercise to write that essay as my first b-school essay and have that as the basis for all of my other essays. He was open, approachable, caring, and would give honest feedback whenever I had questions. It was tough when I found out I didn’t get into any schools in my first year even with the help of Career Protocol and his guidance. When it came time to reapplication, the greatest value-added from my coach and Career Protocol has been the ability to follow up with him in the second year to approach a post-mortem and see where to improve for my reapplication. He helped connect me to the right resources to strengthen my application and think about points to highlight in the optional essay required for reapplicants. I am happy to share that I am an incoming student at Berkeley Haas with a full-ride and have also received a full-ride from a top 10 school and received scholarships to attend 2 other schools in the top 15 in my second year. Turnarounds do happen!

Even though I wasn’t with my coach for my second-year reapplication beyond the optional essay, he’s been a pivotal person in my MBA application journey from the very start in year one and helped me kick off applications in year 2. I learned the art of applying to business school, what matters to me/my values, and in general appreciated having an insightful, caring, and kind sounding board for business school and general career woes. Grateful is the only word I’m left with when I reflect on my MBA app journey with him and CP!

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