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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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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Angela Is A Legend

TL;DR Angela is an absolute legend. Working with her felt like someone was looking into my soul with a magnifying glass and teasing out elements of my story that I hadn’t fully appreciated myself.

In my opinion, the top 3 characteristics that an applicant should look for in a consultant are: (1) someone who gives very candid feedback, (2) someone who has the ability to not only extract your unique story, but also bring out your unique voice in the storytelling, and (3) a trusted, end-to-end, holistic advisor that is with you every step of the way. Angela is THE unparalleled standard on all of these aspects and more — (1) if I wrote a bad essay draft, I heard as such (in a constructive manner, of course), (2) if Angela hadn’t course-corrected my initial story idea and communication style, I don’t think I would’ve achieved the results I did, and (3) Angela not only helped ideate and construct my core story, but also advised on holistic application packaging (including the short answer sections within each application, which should not be overlooked), as well as interview and waitlist guidance. Throughout the process, she was my biggest cheerleader and made a typically stressful period fun — I felt at ease at all times knowing Angela was in my corner.

The results speak for themselves. For context, I’m a South Asian male in finance who went to an Ivy League institution for undergrad and had a non-traditional path after undergrad. My undergrad academic performance was not the most ideal (3.3 GPA with an F on my transcript). Despite these circumstances, I got into Wharton ($105K scholarship) and Booth and have made it all the way to the summer waitlist at HBS. To be clear, it is quite literally unheard of for someone from my demographic and background to get $105K from an institution like Wharton. If Angela had not been in my corner, then absolutely none of these results would have been possible.

Don’t think further — hire Angela and make your life that much easier and fun.

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My Coach: Your Go-To Cheerleader, Mentor, & Friend

Before meeting my coach, I had previously applied to 18 business schools over the course of three admissions cycles, with a few waitlist offers but no acceptances. My GMAT was over 700, I graduated from an elite undergrad institution with honors, had an extensive record of local volunteering, and was a consistently high performer as a consultant at a Big 4 firm with plenty of valuable work experiences. Something really wasn’t clicking in my apps… because even though I aimed a bit high and applied to top 15 schools as a white male consultant (crowded demographic) from a large market area, I figured my profile warranted at least one admission.

Feeling discouraged but determined to pursue my goal of obtaining an MBA, I read a Q&A with Angela from Career Protocol on Poets & Quants. The way she addressed the questions made me feel like she really understood the admissions process and what the applicants go through. So, I reached out to learn more about Career Protocol, and after a free 30-minute consultation Angela paired me with my coach to get going on another application cycle.

I saw the price tag and given my interests, felt that the 3-school package was the best deal. It looked steep initially, but I can’t emphasize enough how good of a deal this process was. My coach coached me and encouraged me to rethink my approach to these schools. My career goals were fine, but the more important thing for me to share was my personal narrative so that we could paint a better picture for admissions as to what value I could bring to my communities and what really motivates me.

Her approach carries a lot of empathy and positive reinforcement, which is exactly what I needed after an ego-bruising few years of applications. She helped me dig deep and reveal very personal anecdotes that not only enhanced my applications, but also proved therapeutic as I grappled with something I had never really done before – telling essentially my life story and coming to terms with who I am.

She was there for me 24×7, and her insights and support played a significant role in my admission to two top 20 schools, one with scholarship (unthinkable for me one year ago). Her guidance and the Career Protocol resources also will help me for life as I’ve received extremely beneficial resume and interviewing tips that will serve me long after b-school. I can’t recommend her and CP enough, especially for those who have similar trajectories as mine. Thank you!!

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Decision to Hire Angela

When I first decided to apply to MBA programs, I had no idea how competitive I was, where I had a shot of getting in, or how high I should reach. While I had good stats (3.9 GPA from a top 20 liberal arts school, 760 GMAT), I worked in accounting for 3 years and I didn’t know how to differentiate myself from the other good applicants who were applying. I didn’t feel like I had a particularly interesting story. I was intrigued by the idea of hiring a consultant but, frankly, couldn’t fathom spending that much money only one year before I would be taking out upwards of 150K in student loans.

When I got an email from Angela inviting me to have a free 30-minute consult live in my city, I figured I had nothing to lose. I went in thinking that if a consultant would simply save me time – tell me things I could find online, save me calls to admissions offices, etc – edit my essays, and set a schedule for me, I would skip it. But if hiring one would actually increase my chances of getting in in ways that I could never do myself, then I would consider it.

Free Consult

In my 30-minute consult, Angela assessed my competitiveness at all the schools I was considering, helped me with my resume, told me I didn’t need to take the GMAT again (despite getting 70% Quant and 67% IR scores) and helped me with my “story” – my reason for going to business school and my post-MBA goals. I remember leaving that 30 minutes consult feeling already like she’d added incredible value to the process. I no longer had to stress about whether or not I should retake the GMAT or figuring out what schools I should apply to.

I realized that if I thought an MBA was worth the cost of tuition and opportunity cost of not working, it was definitely worth another $3.75K to have a consultant help me with one school. After all, applying to one school would mean perfecting my resume, my “story,” and, if I picked the right school, I’d probably be able to use the essays for other schools. So I decided to use Angela for one school.

My next dilemma was which schools to choose. I had decided to apply to Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton as reaches, Booth and Kellogg as fit schools, and Fuqua as a safety. And I couldn’t figure out which one hire Angela for. If I chose Harvard to increase my chances of getting in, I figured I could still end up rejected everywhere. If I chose a fit school, then I thought my chances at HBS/Stanford went out the window. If I was only going to get into my safety, then I thought it was worth using a consultant to see if I could get scholarship money. In the end, I decided if it was worth using her for one school, it was worth using her for all of the schools. And that $8K when compared to the cost of an MBA was a drop in the bucket, especially if I could get a scholarship that would make the consultant more than pay for itself.

Hiring Angela was the best investment I’ve ever made. I ended up with full tuition scholarships to Booth and Fuqua, a partial scholarship to Wharton, and admission into HBS. I’m not at all saying that I don’t deserve admission or scholarships at these schools, but I can say without a doubt that I would not have been this successful in my applications if I had not hired her.

One of the biggest values that Angela brought to the admissions process was making me realize how strong of a candidate I was. When I first spoke with her, I thought I was a weak candidate and that Booth/Kellogg would be a reach. I wasn’t even thinking of applying to HBS/Stanford. But Angela recognized aspects of my candidacy that made me exceptional and pushed me to be as successful as I could.

Essays

She knew what I needed to highlight in my applications. At the beginning of our work together, Angela and I had a long brainstorm session in which she got to know ALL of my stories, personal, professional, and from undergrad. Because of this, whenever we started working on a new essay, Angela was able to pull from my life stories to know how I should best answer the question. Throughout the process, I was amazed at the extent to which Angela was able to tie together stories from my life that I would not have pieced together. She was able to find themes that portrayed parts of me I hadn’t identified. For someone who believes she has lived a very normal life, I didn’t think I could put together an inspiring essay. But Angela got to know me well enough to find the things about me that would make me shine in the eyes of the adcoms.

As I wrote the essays, Angela pushed me to do what she knew I was capable of. We went through 12 versions of some essays. In the first versions, she would often tell me to scratch it and start over. While I’m a perfectionist and a hard worker, Angela pushed me farther than I could have pushed myself. She often asked for more insight into what I was thinking, what my motivation was, and what I learned in a way that helped me discover things about myself that I never would have learned without her. Also important to note is that my essays (and the rest of my application) were entirely my work. She asked questions and pushed me to success, but didn’t make direct edits or in any way embellish the truth. Still, looking at the end product, I couldn’t have written the essays on my own.

Interviews

When it came to interviews, Angela delivered a workshop for all her clients with a really novel and refreshing approach to interviews. Then for each individual school interview, she helped me feel thoroughly prepared. She not only helped me come up with answers to specific questions during mock interviews but more importantly, taught me a methodology for how to answer questions, so I would never be stumped. She built up my confidence, which is perhaps the most important part of an interview. She even sent me a youtube video of an interview with a movie star so I could learn by example how to show in an interview that I’m human without apologizing. She taught me how to highlight my strengths without sounding full of myself. These are lessons I will take with me and apply to future job interviews, and I have even begun coaching my colleagues based on what I have learned from Angela.

Overall

One of the most incredible things about working with Angela is that I always felt like I was her only client. One of my hesitations in hiring a consultant was the fear that they would give the same advice to everyone. Angela’s advice was completely tailored to me. She also responded to my emails sometimes instantly. Even when on her holiday vacation, she responded within a couple hours to any and every question I had. She could not have been more devoted or available.

Coming from an industry where we track the time spent on each client, I was also nervous that if I got a package, the consultant would cut corners and try to spend as little time with me as possible. But on the contrary, Angela went above and beyond to give her time and energy. She pushed me to write more drafts of essays. After I was accepted to schools, she initiated a call with me to discuss my thoughts and offer advice on where I should accept. After I visited schools for their accepted students events, she reached out to me to hear how they went. I truly feel like Angela cared about my success and in finding the best fit for me almost as much as I did. She was there every step of the way.

For me, as a type A perfectionist, working with Angela also considerably reduced the amount of stress and anxiety I felt during this whole process, largely because instead of worrying over details, I trusted Angela. While I had been freaking out over whether to retake the GMAT, Angela said no, so I didn’t give it another thought. There are countless questions that you will have during the application process, any of which could cause considerable doubt and anxiety. Working with Angela took all of that away. If she said to use story A instead of story B I said okay and moved on instead of second guessing myself. Angela’s fees were worth it if only because working with her during this year-long period made my life a lot easier.

I can’t express enough how valuable Angela was in this process. My friends can attest to this as I can’t count the number of times I said to them “I don’t know what I’d do without Angela.” I’ve raved so much about her to everyone I know that my friends have already referred their friends and colleagues to her.

So if I had to give those of you applying to business school one piece of advice, I would say hire a consultant, and hire Angela. The value you will get far outweighs the cost.

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Broke The Sound Barrier With Brian

I worked with Brian Birdwell at Career Protocol, and it was the best decision I could have made. I was coming from an over-represented demographic and an overrepresented industry with less than dazzling test scores, so I knew that story telling would be the key to my success. I was confident that I had an interesting story to tell, but I didn’t know how to tell it, and that’s exactly what Brian and career protocol helped with. They really focused on me writing authentically and truthfully about who I am and what I want to do rather than what the schools “want to hear.” I was admitted to 3 of the 5 schools I applied to (two with over 50% scholarship) including my top choice. I am 100% confident that I would not have gotten the scholarship money or maybe even the acceptance if I was not working with Brian and career protocol. If you believe you have an interesting story to tell and need to find a way to express it, Career Protocol is the place for you.

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The Wizard Who Has Magical Powers || Get Ready For A Transformational Journey

If you are reading this and debating whether you should work with Brian, let me save you the trouble and just say, sign up ASAP! If you don’t believe me, the results speak for themselves. I got admitted at Kellogg with a $20K scholarship and I’m still waitlisted at Booth and Columbia (I already know where I’m going :P)

I come from one of the most over-represented cohorts on the planet – hello, my Indian engineering brothers out there!- and being a reapplicant with just a 710 GMAT, I know that if it weren’t for Brian, I don’t think I would be going to Kellogg.

But beyond the admit, I’m most grateful to Brian for changing the way I write and express myself. It is something my friends and family have noticed about and is something I’m going to carry for the rest of my life. So, if you are in a time crunch and need to get to it, please set up and introductory call with Brian, if you want to learn a bit more about my journey read on!

I decided to give the M7 dream another shot this round, and I knew I needed help. Career Protocol caught my eye with their quirky website, but more importantly, I resonated deeply with their focus on authenticity. In our first call, it was clear that Brian had taken the time to understand me and my interests. I found talking to him was comfortable from the get-go, unlike some other consultants who offered templated answers.

I struggled to improve my GMAT score, but Brian’s optimism and unfiltered advice helped me keep my sanity. He encouraged me to switch to round 2 and switch to the GRE. It was uncomfortable, but his clarity and conviction convinced me it was the right move. He was my cheerleader, and eventually, I hit a 335 on the GRE. Suddenly, I felt like an M7 was within reach, something I wouldn’t have dared to apply to with a 710 GMAT.

Even though I’ve secured admission to Kellogg, I’m grateful to Brian for helping me change my storytelling ability and guiding me on writing in the right voice. I’ve learned so much about myself, becoming a more capable professional in the process. When my mom and sister read my final drafts and said, “you actually sound like a human being instead of a robot,” I knew I had a real shot.

From being a sounding board to a guiding light to helping me transform professionally, I truly thank Brian for being a part of my application journey. In this confusing space of MBA applications, he made sure that I crossed the finish line, motivating me when needed and providing clear, direct feedback.

I genuinely believe that Brian is an actual wizard! If anyone wants to make their MBA application journey truly worthwhile, do an introductory chat with him—I promise you’ll be in excellent hands. I couldn’t have done it without Brian!

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Thank You!

I worked with my coach on a three application package after Career Protocol came highly recommended to me by a coworker who had worked with them previously. I had met with a few other consultants as well, but after my first conversation with him, I felt a distinct sense of engagement and care for my story and my ambitions. I started the MBA application process concerned about how I’d make myself stand out coming from a typically well-represented pool of applicants (finance). Throughout the next several months, we deep-dived on my personal background, the choices I had made through life, and the goals and aspirations I wanted to put to paper in my applications. My coach helped me put together applications that I felt were true to myself, clear and powerful, and simply much better than what I could have done in an equal amount of head-banging alone. The reflection process helped me clarify not just that I wanted the MBA, but what I would do for myself personally and professionally, giving me greater confidence for the interviews. I got interviews at all three schools I applied to (HBS, GSB, and Wharton), and got into HBS (my top choice), Wharton with a full ride, and waitlisted at GSB. Post-decisions, he was there for me to discuss scholarships and any other concerns I had. If I had to make the choice to work with him again, I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I’ve already recommended my coach and Career Protocol to a few friends contemplating applying next year.

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