Ryan Barba ConsultingReviews of ryanbarba.com

I unreservedly recommend Ryan Barba and his consultant, Alex, especially to help any applicant with the "brand" and "story" in the essay portion of business school applications. I learned about Ryan via social media ads. We had a 30 minute intro call where he was very helpful and answered my specific questions about what I can expect from the consulting services. I was then able to have 30 minute calls with two different consultants and pick one (Alex) based on my preference. Alex spent a lot of time getting to know everything about me, asking me detailed questions, and eventually was able to identify a theme for my essays that I otherwise would not have been able to identify and articulate. I strongly believe that the strength of my essays, especially the GSB ones, was a big reason for my admission. Alex and Ryan were both prompt with communication, help with editing multiple drafts of essays, and overall attention to detail throughout my application journey.

With 6 only weeks to go before the Round 5 Admissions deadline at USC, I decided to work with Ryan (directly, not his team) to help primarily with positioning strategy and resume and essay editing. With a non traditional professional background, lower than average GPA for USC admissions (3.1), no GMAT score to prove my candidacy (requirement waived at USC for 2020 year), and applying so late in the decision cycle, I knew getting in would be a challenge. However, Ryan's knowledge in the MBA admissions process, ability to develop a convincing personal branding strategy, and superior editing skills gave my application "an edge" and I was accepted into the Part Time Program at USC with a scholarship! I also applied to the Full Time Program, and was not accepted (why I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5). I preferred to attend the Part Time Program, and was so surprised by the scholarship offer, so it really was a win in the end! I'd also like to mention that Ryan is incredibly smart, kind, and works hard for his clients. I really could not have done this without him, and cannot thank or recommend him enough!

I had chatted with about 8 consultants from different backgrounds/companies, and I chose to work with Ryan for 3 reasons: 1, he showed me his passion and energy and convinced me I could be successful with the schools I was applying, 2, he was willing to work with my schedule and commit to a tight turnaround time while the others weren't willing to accommodate my schedule. 3, he has great knowledge/experiences about the MBA admission, and his quick analysis of my application strategy cleared lots of my concerns; I believe I need him with me during the entire application process. Once we started, Ryan was able to quickly help me to build a profile that was unique and attractive compared to others. his strategy package was extremely helpful guiding me along the process: I knew exactly the steps I need to take and how I should tackle them. The most challenging part for me was my essays. I was stuck many times, thinking about the ideas and writing styles, but Ryan's direct and timely feedback was able to guide me to find better angles and clear ways to write my stories. He won't stop at just OK, he would push my essay to be perfect. Another part that scared me was the interview and Ryan covered almost all the key points. As I mentioned, he has lots of experience with MBA admission and my actual interview went 80% similar to Ryan's mock-interview. I was very fortunate that I had the initial 30-minutes call with Ryan, it changed everything for me.

I knew from our first conversation that Ryan was the consultant that I wanted to work with, while I was doing my due diligence and setting up consultations with several different admissions consultants/firms. His depth of knowledge of the MBA admissions process (many years of experience as a consultant and previous experience working in MBA admissions offices) and conviction in his ability to help me get to where I wanted to go immediately set him apart. Furthermore, I was happy to hear that he chooses to only work with several applicants at a time (in contrast to consultants at large firms that work with dozens of clients at a time). Ryan was excellent at helping me identify my differentiating factors amongst a crowded pool of applicants. I was initially nervous about my standing as an applicant, as someone who had gone through several career switches and was hoping to make another one post-MBA, but Ryan helped calm my fears as he helped me tell my story in a compelling way that would stand out to Admissions Committees. Ryan was extremely organized throughout our process of working together, and I was impressed by his quick turnaround time in getting back to me during the essay review process. The MBA application process can be nerve-wracking, energy-draining, and ultimately take a toll on your sanity, but with Ryan's guidance, I always felt like I knew what to expect and where I stood, and achieved a peace of mind that would not have been possible had I taken on this journey alone. Ultimately, I was accepted to several of my dream programs, with scholarship money to boot! Ryan, I cannot thank you enough for your guidance and knowledge throughout this journey! Acceptances: NYU Stern (Tech MBA) (with scholarship) Johnson Cornell (Tech MBA) (with scholarship) UCLA Anderson **Berkeley Haas (waitlist)

I consider myself extremely fortunate to have worked directly with Ryan on my MBA applications this past year! From as early as June last year, Ryan and I began identifying and tailoring my short and long-term career goals. We came up with a very detailed schedule and maintained weekly communications to ensure that I could submit four applications for Round 1. Throughout the process, Ryan consistently provided feedback in a timely manner and always ensured that I stayed true to my story and my voice. His tips and strategies are top-notch and this really differentiates him from other MBA Consultants. There was no problem too big or small that Ryan would not help me solve. I'm extremely grateful for Ryan and his services and I hope this testimonial provides you with all the clarity you need to know that Ryan is a fantastic coach! Without Ryan and his services, I would not have been accepted to my DREAM school, The Wharton School! Additionally, I was accepted to: 1) Northwestern Kellogg ($40K scholarship) 2) Berkeley Haas ($60K scholarship) 3) UCLA Anderson ($100K scholarship) I'm humbled and excited for this next chapter. Thank you so much again, Ryan!

Ryan was incredibly helpful, insightful, and a great resource for me to rely on to get through the process. He helped me identify key areas to focus on / strengths of my experience and helped craft essays (and a resume) that put my best foot forward to the admissions committee. His interview prep and mock interview were also very helpful in preparing for any and all questions that would be asked during the interview so I wasn't blind sided at all. I was well rehearsed without sounding robotic. Acceptances: Yale SOM NYU Stern UVA Darden Cornell Johnson (18k / year scholarship) UCLA Anderson (30k / year scholarship)

I had the pleasure of working with Judy Young. Judy spent a crazy amount of time getting to know me in order to help me put my best application forward. Midway through the process, we switched one of my essay structures to better fit my overall story. She worked with me many nights in a row back to back working around her schedule to make sure I had my absolute best application when I clicked submit. Judy always made my applications a priority. She spent time helping me prepare for interviews early on, giving me a pep talk an hour before and debriefing with me right after when I thought it went terribly (I ended up getting accepted). She is also a master at helping you tell your story in a concise manner (and within word count). Judy helped me through every step of the and I know my application would not have been as strong without her. Would gladly recommend Judy to others. Dinged at HBS, accepted at Wharton, and accepted into MIT Sloan!!

It's an absolutely privilege to write this review. I consider myself SO LUCKY to have found and had the opportunity to work with Ryan. He doesn't have the "big brand" that the huge MBA consulting firms do, so I was lucky to have fallen upon his Facebook ad for an MBA webinar. I liked the content, so decided to book some time to speak with him, and WOW - it was immediately evident to me how knowledgeable and insightful he was, and how much he could help me with my business school applications. I still did my "due diligence" with some of the large firms before deciding, but there was really no question for me that I wanted to work with Ryan. He totally delivered. Applying to business school is certainly a lot of work, and can be stressful at times (especially as you constantly worry that you won't get in anywhere), but Ryan didn't mind constantly talking me off the cliff and making me feel more comfortable throughout the process. His edits were so clear and detailed, and his guidance definitely brought my essays and message to a depth I couldn't have come up with solo. And if you like lame Dad jokes, you might even get in a few laughs. :) All-in-all, I worked with Ryan on 4 schools and got into 3 of them. My stats, in case you're interested: 3.6 GPA from a decent (but not Ivy League-caliber) school, 690 GMAT, 4 years of work experience. I got accepted to Booth (with scholarship money), Kellogg (with scholarship money), and Haas. I was waitlisted at Wharton, after getting an interview. But Kellogg was always my dream school, and I can't describe how excited I was to get the acceptance call from their admissions team, with a scholarship to boot! If you're having doubts that Ryan doesn't have the big, fancy website and sales tactics that the big firms have, don't let that concern you. He's the real deal, and the fact that he doesn't take on too many clients at once makes him 100% accessible. I can't think of anything I would've asked him to do differently, and highly recommend him to anyone looking to be healthily challenged and encouraged to put their best foot forward in the business school application process. You'll get your money's worth - I've got the scholarship to prove it!