Ryan Barba ConsultingReviews of ryanbarba.com

My experience with Ryan was nothing short of life-changing. Not only did he help me craft successful applications - I was accepted to HBS, Kellogg, and Haas - but he helped me gain clarity on where I am going with my life AND how to structure an essay and argument with passion and a clear structure. He not only got me into business school, in other words; he made a better write and give me a clearer direction on where I'm headed. His coaching and mentorship were absolutely invaluable. I'm sad that the process of working with him is over; I really enjoyed working with and conversing with him! His instructions are clear, specific, and motivating. And I couldn't be happier with my results, especially considering that my GMAT was below the average for the schools I was accepted to. Fantastic in every way!

When I started working on my MBA applications, I turned for advice on how to approach this process to my friends who are currently studying or have already earned their MBA degrees and had experience in this process. They suggested I should contact a consultant and coincidently all of them, based on their past successful experience, advised I should contact Ryan. So I reach out to Mr. Barba at the end of September last year and he was really quick to reply and arrange an introductory call. Within two weeks, we started working on my applications. During the kick-off meeting, Ryan walked me through the whole process and gave me a basic outline of how we would approach it. Since I did not have much insight into the process, the kick-off part was extremely helpful. I worked together with Ryan for 3 months on my MBA applications and he gave me guidance on every step of the way. Ryan helped me tie my experiences with my future goals and create essays that got me interviews or acceptance to several top schools. I received unlimited reviews on my resume and essays as well as support on filling out other short answers on the applications. I applied to 6 schools. I was invited to interview for 3 (waitlisted at 1) and got admitted to 2 (waitlisted at 1): Johnson (Cornell) and LBS. I received a $100k scholarship at Cornell, however am still waiting for a scholarship decision from LBS. I cannot imagine going through with this challenging process without Ryan’s support and guidance. I am very grateful to him!

When I started working on MBA applications, I did not know how to approach them, since as an international student, I did not have an experience of applying to US universities previously. Ryan guided me every step of the way. I really enjoyed working with Ryan: he was very honest and direct and provided unlimited essay reviews with short turnaround times. Ryan challenged me to reflect better on my past experiences and future goals. I always knew that he was ready to help me and was focused on me to prepare the best possible applications. I'm happy with both, the process and the results! I applied to 6 full time MBA programs during Round 2. It took me 3 months to prepare those applications. I was invited to interview at 5 schools and was admitted to all of them. I was admitted to Stanford GSB, Chicago Booth, Columbia, Yale SOM, and Duke Fuqua, with scholarships in the range of 70k-110k at four schools. I am very thankful to Ryan!

Ryan was a pleasure to work with and really made the admissions process as stress-free as possible! He has a wealth of knowledge that helped guide my priorities and made me use the time I had most efficiently. All of my results and hard-work with Ryan felt well earned - he will work you hard and get you to put out your best work! The best thing about his feedback is that he is extremely candid, and will tell you if you are going in the wrong direction. He knows each school and their priorities well, and will guide you in your research and self-reflection. Ryan only works with a few candidates a year so he really gets to know you quite well! Amazed at my results - acceptance to my top choice Wharton with an extremely generous scholarship award (100k+!!!!!!!). Could not recommend Ryan more highly. Watch his Youtube videos online to get to know a bit of his style. He is really the best!

To begin, I received offers to interview with 3/4 of the schools that Ryan and I worked on together, was admitted to 2/3 of those, and received scholarship offers from both, one of them being a full ride (the other was for $40k total). Next, investing in an MBA is not a cheap endeavor, so spending additional money upfront may seem daunting. However, working with Ryan is completely worth the investment. Without Ryan, my resume would have been a toss in the trashcan compared to my final version, my essays would have been far less impactful, and I would have not been nearly as prepared for the three interviews. Ryan will be hard and to the point, so don't expect a pep talk when you receive feedback. If you're expecting your resume or essays to be written for you, look elsewhere. Again though, the feedback is worth it in the end. Ryan is an experienced mentor that will give feedback with your best interests in mind. Anyone that works with him will be set up for success in their MBA journey.

I worked directly with Ryan on my MBA applications last year and can’t adequately articulate what an excellent experience it was. Not only is Ryan friendly and easy to work with, inspiring me and keeping my confidence up throughout the long application journey, but he’s just SO KNOWLEDGEABLE about anything MBA admissions related. From a strategic perspective, Ryan knows exactly what a top-tier MBA program wants to see from a candidate worthy of admission, how an applicant should best tell their “story” in a convincing way, and even what different programs look for and how to revise your story and tone for each program. His depth of knowledge is just simply not something someone like me would have been able to figure out independently; He really leans on his deep experience in MBA admissions and coaching to benefit his clients! He’s also so attentive! I really felt like my success was his top priority, and found him to be extremely responsive. I could go on and on raving about Ryan and my experience with him, but I think my admission results speak for themselves: I’m headed to Yale School of Management, thanks in part to their generous scholarship offer, but also got accepted to HBS, Haas, and Duke! I literally got into 4 out of the 5 programs I applied to, with Ryan’s help, and am so glad with my results!

Best of the best! A real professional, you can not go wrong with this guy!

I am so happy to have worked with Ryan to apply for business school. Ryan takes the time to get to know candidates inside and out. He really listens and helped me communicate my story. Ryan knew how to push me and brought the absolute best out of me. He did this with my resume—which improved by leaps and bounds. He did this with my essays too, holding me to the highest standards to help me reach a level of quality I didn’t realize I was capable of. Ryan is candid and realistic throughout the process, and his years of experience equip him to give advice that is on-the-money. The business school journey is challenging (to say the least), and having Ryan on my team helped me stay motivated and encouraged. I had a strong application, but standardized tests were a big weakness for me. I thought I could not get into a top program with my GMAT score of 670, but Ryan helped me show the admissions committee what makes me a compelling applicant. Ryan is dedicated, talented, and supportive, and I highly recommend his services. I am headed to Wharton this fall—and over the moon! I could not have made this dream come true without Ryan!!