Program Partner spotlights

Over-paying thousands of dollars for admissions advice is sooo last-century! A savvy woman like you can maximize her chances of getting accepted with ApplicantLab.com, founded by an HBS alumna on a mission to level the playing field. The Lab teaches you — via a series of interactive exercises and videos — how admissions committees think, what they are looking for, and how to best present yourself. Available 24/7 the Lab walks you through everything you need, for less than what the other guys want to charge for you for just one hour of their time. The Lab can be either the only resource you need, or a valuable complement to working with another admissions consultant. Forté MBALaunchers love the Lab, and routinely get accepted to the top business schools!

GMAC is a global, non-profit association of 227 leading graduate business schools. Founded in 1953, we are actively committed to advancing the art and science of admissions by convening and representing the industry and offering best-in-class products and services for schools and students. GMAC owns and administers the Graduate Management Admission Test® (GMAT®) exam, used by more than 7,000 graduate programs worldwide. Other GMAC assessments include the NMAT by GMAC™ exam, for entrance into graduate management programs in India and South Africa, and the Executive Assessment, specifically designed for Executive MBA programs around the world. The Council is based in the United States with offices in the United Kingdom, India, and Hong Kong. For information on assessments, study tools and services for candidates, visit www.mba.com. For information about The Council and our market intelligence, professional development opportunities and services for graduate management education, please visit www.gmac.com

Her Story Coaching is a one-of-a-kind admissions consulting firm that offers application coaching services for women applying to MBA programs. It is the only MBA admissions  consulting firm focusing on women during this unique stage of their careers.

Founder, Krista McNamara, has over 15 years of experience in higher education admissions and recruiting where she learned how important self-advocacy and storytelling are to one’s success. She began her career working in MBA admissions at The University Chicago Booth School of Business, went on to academic recruiting at one of the nation’s largest healthcare universities, and then transitioned to MBA coaching for a large admissions consulting firm. Through her time there, she gravitated towards working with women looking to advance their education and career. She founded Her Story Coaching because of her passion for helping women applying to MBA programs around the world. By becoming a specialized MBA coach, she knew she could use her experience to help women tell their stories. Since founding Her Story Coaching, Krista has had the opportunity to help over 95% of her clients gain admission to one of their top programs. Additionally, her clients have received over $2M in scholarships and over $500K in Forté scholarships combined.

By choosing to work with a small coaching firm, you will have the opportunity to work one-on-one with Krista and gain insight into the admissions process through the lens of a female applicant. Krista prides herself on being a supportive, collaborative, and motivating coach who will provide a personalized approach to her client’s MBA application process. She offers coaching services that are tailored to meet her client’s needs, whether that be through an hourly coaching partnership or a comprehensive application school package. Krista designed Her Story Coaching’s services to be approachable and valuable for an applicant’s needs throughout any step of the application process.

If you would like to learn about Her Story Coaching and the admissions consulting services Krista offers, please send an email to krista@herstorycoaching.org and visit www.herstorycoaching.org to learn more. 

Everyone Wants Lower Rates. Together, We Can Make It Happen. Juno uses group buying power to offer students lower rate student loans.

At Knopman Marks, we specialize in high-performance training for high-stakes securities exam prep. Our world-class faculty, data-driven methodology, and flexible learning model have delivered industry-leading pass rates for decades. We’ve trained hundreds of thousands of financial professionals to pass their securities exams and walk confidently into the next stage of their careers. We believe anyone with an interest in the financial sector can build a successful career if armed with the right educational tools.

Manhattan Prep powered by Kaplan, is your partner in business school success! We’re dedicated to empowering students to achieve their highest potential on the GMAT, GRE, and EA with personalized support, comprehensive resources (think books, online tools, and flexible courses), and top-scoring instructors. Our focus on building a strong foundation, teaching effective strategies, and making learning engaging sets us apart, no matter which exam you choose. We’re here to help you conquer your tests and get into your dream business school! Learn more at kaptest.com/mba.

MBA Admit.com was founded by Dr. Shelle, a graduate of Harvard College (A.B. degree) and Oxford University (master’s and doctoral degrees). All MBA Admit.com clients work one-to-one with Dr. Shelle, who has offered admissions advising and interview coaching for 30 years. Your work will not be delegated to someone with less experience or skill, as occurs at many other companies. MBA Admit.com is known for “Excellence at an Affordable Price,” offering some of the lowest consulting pricing, with prices nearly 50% less than many MBA advising companies.

In helping you prepare outstanding applications, Dr. Shelle and MBA Admit.com leverage MBA admissions intel gained from over 30 years. Dr. Shelle also draws on her prior business experience at McKinsey & Company and Morgan Stanley and her expertise from working in Harvard admissions, at Stanford University, as a Harvard faculty member, and as a job interview coach to Harvard Business School students. A professional writer published by both McGraw Hill and Warner Books, clients rave that Dr. Shelle helps them “improve their essays 1000%” and override low GPAs and low test scores to reach dream schools. 

Last year, 97% of MBA Admit.com clients gained admission to their top MBA choice, and clients won over $10 million in scholarships. Among Executive MBA candidates, Dr. Shelle has helped clients win top scholarships, including the Forté Fellowship at Wharton, the highest President’s Scholarship at MIT EMBA, and the top $130,000 Booth EMBA scholarship. She has also helped clients at the MBA and undergraduate level win the Rhodes Scholarship, Fulbright Scholarship, Rotary Scholarship, Consortium scholarships, and all-expenses-paid scholarships to elite schools, including Stanford Business School.

Dr. Shelle offers hourly services as well as comprehensive packages covering all key MBA and EMBA admissions aspects, from strategizing to storytelling, editing, and interview preparation.

Learn more: mbaadmit.com.

MBA Protocol is a premier coaching service founded by Angela Guido — a Booth MBA, former recruiter at BCG & KPMG, author, and renowned MBA admissions expert and career coach with over 20 years of experience helping applicants gain admission to the world’s top business schools.

With our signature blend of insight, humor, and heart and a focus on authenticity, leadership, and purpose, the MBA Protocol team guides future leaders to find their unique voice, craft standout applications, and build meaningful careers. We support our students in turning bold ambitions into reality, being unapologetically authentic, finding work with meaning, and living a life of both purpose and joy. Join our community for free resources.

Learn more: mbaprotocol.com/join.

Founded by Scott Edinburgh, a Wharton MBA and MIT Sloan graduate who sat on the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants Board of Directors for six years, Personal MBA Coach has been guiding clients for 17 years. Scott Edinburgh, Personal MBA Coach’s founder, was ranked #1 globally in 2024, and Personal MBA Coach was ranked the top boutique consulting firm for the last two years. Last year our clients earned over $11M in scholarships, and in Round 1 alone, our Forté Launcher clients earned over $2M in scholarships.

We help clients with all aspects of the MBA application process including early planning, GMAT/GRE/EA tutoring and comprehensive MBA application support which includes school selection, letter of recommendation advice, essay editing, mock interviews with former M7 and T10 admissions interviewers, and more!

All Personal MBA Coach clients benefit from direct founder involvement as our small team meets weekly to discuss all clients and share our insider knowledge. Our consultants are supported by former M7 and T10 admissions interviewers, expert GMAT, GRE and EA tutors, and a small boutique team of seasoned writers and graduate professors with advanced degrees from leading universities including Harvard, Yale, and Columbia. Personal MBA Coach’s leadership team also includes Erin Edinburgh Wand (Scott’s sister), a former Forté Scholarship recipient and Bain & Company consultant with an MBA from Yale SOM, who runs the company’s marketing, operations, and knowledge management.

Learn more: personalmbacoach.com.

Since 2001, Stacy Blackman Consulting (SBC) clients have been admitted to every top business school worldwide, often with merit scholarships.  SBC has delivered admits and scholarships to countless Forté MBALaunchers over the years, as you can read in this client case and our Positioning for MBA Scholarships article. 

SBC is the only consulting firm in the industry who has on our team a complete panel of former MBA Admissions Officers (AdCom) from the top US programs and European programs. No other firm has this complete talent.  We know what’s going on, and we know it first. We have tremendous insight as to what is currently keeping the AdCom up at night and what values they are looking for from their current students.  

The SBC System™ has eight core modules and is the most robust of all firms. SBC offers unlimited time with a carefully selected primary consultant, allowing for full accountability and dedication. We begin with meticulous matchmaking before we begin an engagement or accept payment. We recommend a primary consultant only after evaluating your candidacy strength and differentiating qualities; we respect your investment and the trust you place in us. We offer a high-touch, limited client-per-consultant experience.   

SBC’s online track record includes: #1 on MBAinsight, ClearAdmit, CollegeConsensus, ExamStrategist, BeattheGMAT, and #1 out of 11 firms for our team caliber by PoetsandQuants. 

Contact us to request a free MBA advising session with an SBC Principal. Just give us 15 minutes.

Learn more:  stacyblackman.com

Stratus Admissions Counseling has helped thousands of clients from more than 50 countries gain admission to their target MBA programs. Since 2021, Stratus’ female clients have been offered $27.3 million in merit scholarships with the support of our unique team-based approach. Just as the admissions committees perform multiple reads of your application, our staff of highly skilled admissions experts including your dedicated Primary Counselor, MBA Strategist, School-Specific Reviewers, and Proofreaders, will review and provide feedback on your application materials, helping you stand out among the thousands of others from around the globe.

Founded in 2008, Target Test Prep™ (TTP™) is a revolutionary test prep company that helps students break long-standing barriers to success on standardized exams.

What makes us better? Our self-study courses combine time-tested teaching methods with cutting-edge technology and innovative learning science to make achieving impressive test scores possible for students of all levels. There’s a reason TTP™ users consistently give our courses 5-star ratings. TTP’s robust, web-based platform gives users unmatched flexibility and control over their test preparation, guiding them step by step through the study process from start to score goal and tracking their progress at a granular level for optimal efficiency. With comprehensive, crystal-clear lessons, thousands of realistic practice questions, and powerful, actionable analytics at their fingertips, it’s no wonder so many TTP™ students earn top test scores.

Female founded and led, Vantage Point MBA is a high-touch, white glove MBA admissions consulting firm that helps high-achieving young professionals get accepted to the top 10 MBA programs in the US and Europe (including part-time and EMBA programs). We go far beyond the transactional services offered by other firms, empowering our clients to discover and present their authentic stories while guiding them step-by-step through the opaque and often intimidating MBA application process.  Our 1,000+ clients (and counting!) have earned acceptance to the top programs at a rate 3x higher than average.