Before MBA Protocol

Before applying to business school, I worked at a women-owned private credit firm, where I supported women in finance and invested in small businesses. I genuinely loved the mission-driven nature of my work, but my long-term calling had always been global health. My undergraduate studies, research, and early internships were all in global health, and I originally moved into finance because I wanted to understand how capital gets allocated and why so many important health initiatives struggle to get funded. My dream was to eventually return to global health and help bridge the gap between mission and sustainable financing.

Why MBA, why now

An MBA was always part of my long-term plan because I saw it as the best way to connect my finance background with my global health aspirations. I explored a number of adjacent opportunities, including venture debt, healthcare consulting focused on private equity, and other private credit roles, but none felt like the right bridge to my ultimate goals. At the same time, my firm was incredibly supportive of my MBA ambitions, and many of my mentors were MBA graduates themselves. Ultimately, I realized that business school would provide the network, credibility, and broader perspective needed to make a meaningful pivot.

My post-MBA vision is to return to the global health sector and help build sustainable financing models that can unlock greater impact. Throughout my time in finance, I saw firsthand how investment decisions shape entire industries, and I became increasingly interested in applying those lessons to global health challenges. The MBA helped me connect those experiences into a cohesive vision. Today, I'm excited about pursuing opportunities that sit at the intersection of finance, healthcare, and global development.

Why MBA Protocol

I first heard about MBA Protocol through a coffee chat with someone who had gone through the admissions process before me. She challenged me on my story and pointed out that while my experiences were strong, I wasn't yet communicating the deeper "why" behind them. She recommended MBA Protocol's storytelling resources, and after my introductory conversation with Heather, I felt understood in a way I hadn't with other consultants. Rather than seeing me as another finance applicant trying to pivot into impact, she immediately grasped the personal motivations behind my goals. That gave me confidence that MBA Protocol would help me tell a more authentic story.

The work we did together

The biggest shift was in how I approached storytelling. The modules helped me move away from writing essays that focused on accomplishments and toward essays that showed admissions committees who I was, what I cared about, and why my experiences mattered. Beyond the tactical aspects of the application process, the community was incredibly valuable. Having a cohort of people going through the same highs and lows made the process feel much less isolating, and it was especially rewarding to reconnect with many of them at admitted students weekends.

MBA Admission Results

I earned a 328 GRE (163 Quant, 165 Verbal) and received interview invitations from Harvard Business School, Wharton, Columbia, Yale, and Duke. I was admitted to Harvard Business School, Columbia Business School with a full-tuition scholarship, Yale School of Management with a full-tuition scholarship, and Duke Fuqua with a Forte Fellowship and $100,000 per year in scholarship support. I was also waitlisted at Wharton. Professionally, I was promoted to Senior Associate during the application process.

Advice to other pivoters

Start earlier than you think you need to, especially when it comes to testing and reflecting on your story. The strongest applications are built over time, not rushed together a few months before deadlines.

Be honest with yourself about why you want an MBA and whether it's truly necessary for your goals, because it's a significant investment of both time and money.

If you decide it's the right path, take full advantage of the opportunity and approach the process with intention.

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Mission Accomplished - Brian Is The One!

12 months ago I was down in the dumps. After 8 years of riding the self employment rollercoaster my business was getting quiet once again. I had just lost a parent, I was lacking direction and knew I needed a factory reset. I was seeking a path to a more purposeful existence that offered stable employment and long term financial prospects.

I was a 32 year old immigrant with a BA in Communications from a European university and I had no direct corporate experience. I had worked in media production for 8 years taking whatever work came through.

After spending many nights going down rabbit holes looking for inspiration, googling “how to get a good job”, I discovered Career Protocols YouTube page and benefited from a wealth of information that I felt was leading me in the right direction. I had never heard of an MBA or a GRE!

I recognize the ridiculousness of pursuing a $150k degree without a specific career goal but the employment reports were promising and I knew with the right guidance this could be an opportunity to get back on track. I was open to new challenges but didn’t want to completely start from scratch competing with 22 year olds for entry level jobs. I was willing to make the investment in myself to learn new skills which would help me to compete for coveted roles at amazing companies that I currently had no access to. I rolled the dice, made contact with Career Protocol and was matched with Brian Birdwell, aka The Wizard.

Within the first week of working together I knew my investment with CP was going to pay off. The first round of essay edits opened my mind to a whole new way of storytelling and I can’t believe I ever thought I could do it alone. We did a deep dive into my entire background and not only did Brian identify the most impactful events of my life, he wove them into a framework that helped me rediscover my confidence, recognize my achievements and inspired me to reach for the stars.

Brian balances being an absolute professional while also being the chillest dude. He’s a sage and has an unbelievable memory - 2 months into the process he was still recalling details of my background that I had mentioned during our initial discovery call, making for an incredibly personalized experience.

Aside from my age, lack of corporate exposure and unclear career goals, I hadn’t taken a math test in 14 years. I self studied over the Summer and improved immensely but ultimately managed to score below average on the GRE. In hindsight I should have sought professional help here as well. I subsequently took the Executive Assessment, scoring above average, and I used that test score when applicable.

Brian helped to identify programs for which I was a competitive candidate but encouraged me to apply to a range of schools. Despite the initial challenges with my profile we stuck to the plan and I ended up getting admitted to Michigan Ross, NYU Stern, Georgetown, the University of Washington Foster with a scholarship and I was waitlisted at Columbia!

I am immensely proud of what we achieved, particularly because I crafted truly authentic, soul bearing stories that are entirely original and unique to my experiences. Before connecting with Brian I interviewed 2 other admissions consulting firms. One of them told me I didn’t have a chance at top programs and the other pitched a scenario where their team of writers would interview me once and then write my essays for me - a ludicrous proposition. During one MBA school interview the admissions director told me I was one of the best storytellers that had ever applied to their program - wow. Without Brian’s expertise that would never have been possible.

This service is so much more than just essay support. It’s part admissions consulting, interview training, resume refining, school selection, career guidance, community support and at times, therapy. I achieved what I set out to do and learned an arsenal of new skills that I will take with me into my MBA and beyond. I am eternally grateful to Brian, Angela and the Career Protocol community!

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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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My Coach: Patron Saint Of Non-Traditional Applicants

It’s been over a year since I left the advertising world for HBS, and not a day goes by that I don’t think about what my coach did for me.

You read that right: advertising –> HBS.

Most consultants I spoke with told me to aim lower, especially considering that I’m quantitatively challenged (I couldn’t break 47th percentile in the GRE quant), and pursued a pure humanities major in undergrad, albeit with a 3.9 GPA. My coach was the rare partner who looked past my stats and considered me as a whole person. In my desire to parlay the lateral thinking, creativity and people skills I’d learned in the ad world into a career as a GM in a consumer business, she didn’t see a moonshot, she saw a match. And once she’d gotten to know me, she pressed me to reach for the best programs.

You are probably reading this to the tune of a low-humming anxiety about your future that’s been bothering you since you began toying with the idea of business school. If you work with my coach, you will be surprised to find periods of relief from that feeling: the process she puts you through may actually help you discover a stronger sense of self and a more confident orientation towards your next steps that is a relief for anyone in their mid-late 20s, no matter what happens. It did for me.

She will be 100% on your team – she’ll make you confront hard truths, make tough decisions, and help you embrace optimism. As a neurotic personality, I can testify to her talent for reframing things in a way that saves emotional energy.

For people applying from “non-traditional” backgrounds – go with my coach. She will help you find where you belong, and believe me there is a place for you – programs need more of you. I have heard from classmates that I think differently from anyone they’ve worked with and it brings valuable ideas to the table. And you will gain so much from your program: this summer I worked at a fintech using some of the basic statistics, data science, and finance concepts from my first year to build a new pricing model for a product portfolio. I loved every minute of it, and I’m now weighing an opportunity to go back full-time.

Thank you, coach, for betting on the potential in your students instead of the boxes they check.

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$1.4M in Scholarships // Brian Changed My Life

I began working with Brian at a vulnerable point in my life. I was recently unemployed with no expectations of getting a new job before applying. I also didn’t have a test score yet, I had no recognizable brands on my resume (schools or employers), I knew my post-MBA goals would need a lot of fleshing out and explaining, and that I’d only attend business school if I got a large scholarship.

What I did have was a lot of free time and a unique life story that I thought could lead to good results. I spent weeks interviewing a dozen or so of the top-ranked consultants on this site. A few told me what I wanted to hear to try to get my business. Most didn’t want to work with someone who had such a messy story. One of the most prominent groups went as far as to say that I probably wouldn’t get into any T15 schools and that I had a “0% chance” at M7 schools.

When I met with Brian, he didn’t say anything about potential results. All he promised was that we’d work tirelessly to tell my story in a compelling and authentic manner. Recognizing that that’s all anyone can promise, I signed up and never looked back.

Our first task was to go through my entire life and career to date, diving deep into stories that I had never thought would be relevant for applications. It didn’t take long to realize Brian is otherworldly intelligent (780 GMAT/99th percentile GRE and LSAT). But he’s not just intelligent in a fill-in-the-bubble kind of way. He’s intelligent in a pierce-through-the-nonsense (like my initial essay drafts which were flowery garbage) kind of way.

Brian quickly connected the dots between my life events in a way that I hadn’t connected in my head, and together, we worked on a story arc that fit my school’s essay prompts.

When writing this review, I looked back at the very first essay I ever sent Brian and then at the final draft of that essay that I submitted months later. There were eleven revisions in between. And, goodness, I’m surprised it only took eleven revisions. The difference between the two essays is enormous.

About seven or eight drafts in, I really thought the essay was done, and that it couldn’t get any better. It would’ve been easy for Brian to agree with me and for him to move on with his day, but he didn’t. I’d be shocked if Brian has ever used the phrase “it’s good enough.” Brian’s high standards, while tiring at times, led not only to incredible results (more on that later) but also taught me to communicate better which has been valuable even outside of the application process.

Brian is unique in that while he’s not laid back with the work itself, he’s very laid personality-wise. I didn’t realize how important this would be when I was interviewing admissions consultants. The application process is long and stressful, and it’s super valuable to have someone in your corner who doesn’t add to that stress.

I worked with Brian on three schools, two M7s and one T10. I got full rides from all three. I also applied to eight schools on my own and got into six of them with five full scholarships and one-half scholarship. In total, I received $1.4M in scholarship offers and will be attending an M7 school on a full ride this fall. None of this would have been possible without Brian. Working with him changed the course of my life and I’ll always be grateful for that.

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My Coach Is EVERYTHING & MORE

Switching careers during the middle of the Pandemic from medicine to real estate finance, I knew I wanted to go to business school. I started as an executive assistant at my firm for the two co-founders and then earned a spot on the deal team after a year. Although I learned so much, it was a lot of DIY and googling. Given that I didn’t have a traditional finance background, I wanted to gain a more holistic understanding of business and finance as well as further my growth in real estate. I knew that business school would allow me to explore different sectors of real estate, give me the flexibility to see what my interests are and create an invaluable network. My goal post-MBA is to work at an institutional firm with a specialization in development and/or hospitality.

I started my MBA journey by first reaching out to a current MBA student and she connected me to her consultant. Let’s just say, I didn’t leave that intro call with the warm and fuzzies. So, I decided I could probably do without a consultant since I’ve had experience applying to medical school. However, as months of GMAT prep went by, I realized that I might need some help and I was lucky enough to connect with a different friend who just went through the whole process and did very well. That’s when my coach entered the chat. Within the first few minutes of speaking to her, I knew she was the one.

I knew that my biggest weaknesses within my profile were going to be my GMAT/GRE score and GPA. I was a chemistry / pre-med major at a top university and had a few grades in calculus, chemistry, and organic chemistry that fell short of my tiger mom’s expectations. But I knew my saving grace was going to be my story and I’d only have one chance to tell it right. I say this with my entire being, I could not have done it without my coach. I’ve always been a very confident writer and knew how to tell my story, but she knew exactly how to push me to dig deeper. After writing numerous drafts of something, it can be incredibly challenging to change the content or to develop the story further, but she somehow found a way to pull things out of me that I didn’t even realize existed. She helped me connect the dots not only for the essays but also for my self-discovery. She knew exactly what questions to ask to guide me to write the most powerful and meaningful essay I’ve ever written. I realized that this essay meant more than just an essay to get into school – it was my journey to finding who I am. The toughest part was sculpting each essay and figuring out where and how to cut since each word matters when you have a limit. Given that each phrase was written from my heart, I was very protective when it came to cutting. However, she was too. She knew exactly what was necessary to keep my voice. She found ways to make what I wanted to say more efficient and impactful. She helped me find the beauty in my weaknesses that I’ve always struggled to find.

As we nailed down my story, she helped me narrow down my schools. School research was daunting to me because I had no idea where to start. But she always had an answer. Her advice allowed me to be more targeted with my research, and it showed in my essays and interviews. I knew that if I could just get my foot in the door for an interview, I’d win the hearts of admissions. But my lifelong testing anxiety could prevent me from even having a chance. After working 12-hour days, I’d study for the GMAT until 11PM / midnight. Saturdays and Sundays were reserved for studying and practice exams. Despite the countless hours of studying, I never achieved my desired score. I took both the GMAT and GRE several times and fell short of 700 (GMAT) and 320 (GRE). Because of this, I was ridden with anxiety. I struggled to sleep for days on end. When you’re going through the process, even though you’re told by everyone that tests aren’t everything and you know it to be true, it is impossible to truly believe it. I was terrified that no matter how great the rest of my profile was, I might not even get a chance. But my coach helped me replace my shame with confidence by focusing on all my unique strengths.

She was the best cheerleader I could have ever asked for – so much so that at one point I wondered if she was just telling me what I wanted to hear haha! However, come interview prep, I realized that everything was genuine and she’s not afraid to give you tough love when you need it. I was lucky enough to get interviews from Columbia, Cornell, and UCLA. I’ve always been good at interviews, so I thought it was going to be a breeze. However, after practicing the “Tell me about yourself” question (arguably the MOST important question of your interview) with her, I realized I was maybe a little too confident. She stopped me halfway through my spiel and helped me realize that I’ve essentially told her nothing about who I am and what impact I’m going to make on my community. This further solidified what I already knew – I could not have done it without her. Her pointers allowed me to choose my words wisely so everything I talked about would showcase how I was going to move the needle.

I feel so lucky and honored to have been accepted to Columbia, Cornell, and UCLA. At Columbia, I received the Forte Fellowship with a $50,000/year scholarship. At Cornell, I received the Forte Fellowship with a $30,000/year scholarship. At UCLA, I received a full-ride scholarship. Thanks to my coach, I will be attending my dream school. She is more than just a consultant – she is a friend, therapist, mama bear, and cheerleader. Anything is possible with her by your side.

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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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BEST Decision I Made In This Application Process

In short: Work with Angela — it’ll be the best decision you’ll make through the MBA application process. You’ll get into outstanding programs, and importantly you’ll also grow in your self-confidence.

In detail: My background was in MBB consulting in the Asia Pacific. I’d previously applied for H/S/W and wasn’t successful at even securing an interview, despite a strong GMAT and undergraduate GPA.

I was first introduced to Angela by a colleague who worked with her to gain admission to her dream MBA program.

I chose to work with her because, within our first 20-min conversation, I was shocked by how much depth she was able to cover about my candidature and potential areas to strengthen my applications — she’d clearly been thinking about my profile and application approach even before I was a client. This stood out against other admission consultants I’d spoken with.

I worked with her for 2.5 months whilst I was on a high intensity work project to craft 4 applications (including 3 reapplications) for M7 schools and to create a ‘career gameplan’, where for the first time I’d reflected on my future ambitions and goals. It almost felt like therapy when we spoke; I’d share some of my most personal stories and we’d think through how they influenced my life and vision.

When I received interviews, she prepared me robustly — an M7 interviewer commented that my ‘Why Business School?’ was ‘the most clear answer they’d heard over countless interviews’. Credit to Career Protocol’s thoughtful interview prep resources for that praise.

In the end, I was admitted with a partial scholarship to my top preference program (a program that I didn’t even receive an interview from just 10 months earlier!).

The best thing about Angela is that she’ll be your individual cheerleader: She’ll get to know you (not just as an applicant, but a friend!) and care about you over the process. Even when you’re at your worst personally — exhausted, stressed, or on edge — she’ll know what to say to keep you motivated, and help you grow in your own understanding of self (and therefore self confidence).

I’m thankful I’ve left this process with multiple M7 admissions, a high degree of self understanding and confidence, and a friend in my fantastic coach and cheerleader Angela.

Thanks, Career Protocol and Angela for an outstanding experience. Well worth the investment!

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