Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) 

• My admissions consultancy incorporates my professional training and 30-year experience in critical thinking, storytelling, and instructional design

• My mission is to provide the best possible advice and support to clients around the world as they apply to top MBA and graduate programs

• Since 2002, I have helped over 700 clients get admitted to the world’s top MBA, LL.M., and other graduate programs

• I focus on school selection strategy, application essays, and interview training

• I work with a limited number of clients each year in order to maintain the high quality of my service

• I am based in Tokyo, Japan (September - May) and San Francisco, California (June - August) 

• I believe that an initial consultation is the best way to determine whether there is a good fit between us

• If I agreed to work with you after our initial consultation, I will be committed to assist you until you gain admission

APPLICANT: What are your strengths and weaknesses as an admissions consultant?

VINCE: Passion is my greatest strength. It is also my greatest weakness.

• I am passionate about storytelling. I have taught critical thinking and essay writing for 20 years. I also teach engineers and scientists how to present their ideas more effectively. I love helping people tell their stories.

• Past clients praise my brainstorming. I help them identify and capture stories they might have missed.

• Perhaps my passion for storytelling comes from my Italian side. (My father’s ancestors immigrated to the US from Italy; my mother’s side came from Germany and the UK).

• Now, for the bad news. Sometimes, my passion for my work causes me to be too emotional. It can also cause me to place too much faith in my clients' stories. I am your advocate, but I must remain objective to consider how ad-com readers will interpret your message. Will they think what you want them to think?

• Thankfully, my German side keeps me focused. On the downside, it can also cause me to get lost in details.

• Bottom line: after nearly a decade as an admissions counselor, I have a good handle on my strengths and weaknesses. I can manage my time and manage my emotions to help you get results.

APPLICANT: What is your cancellation policy?

• VINCE: If necessary, requests to reschedule appointments should be made at least 24 hours in advance of the originally scheduled appointment time. Rescheduling requests made less than 24 hours prior to an appointment will be granted at Vince’s discretion.  

APPLICANT: Is there a penalty I change a face-to-face counseling session to a Skype, phone, or email session at the last minute?

• VINCE: As needed, a client may change a face-to-face session to a “distance” session to be conducted over email, phone, or Skype. Please kindly inform Vince ahead of time.

• NOTE: Until further notice, ALL sessions are being conducted online. Thank you for your kind understanding. 

APPLICANT: Can I send Vince materials to read on the day of our session?

VINCE: Yes, but if you do, please give me 10 minutes to review your materials before calling me.

Here are the details of my 10-minute rule:

• You are free to send me essays and other application materials to read on the day of our counseling session. I have one request, however.

• If you send me something to review on the day of our meeting, please call me 10 minutes late so that I can check everything and prepare my feedback before we speak. For example, if you send me something to read at 13:00 for a 17:00 meeting, please call at 17:10

• Alternatively, if you send your materials by midnight the day before the session, we can start our session at the appointed time. For instance, if you send your essays for me to read at 23:50 on Saturday for a 13:00 session on Sunday, you can call me promptly at 13:00. 

• Thank you for your kind understanding and please plan accordingly. 

• Please combine all application materials into a single document

• I want to spend our time together reading and reflecting on your ideas, not managing multiple files across various devices (home, work PC, mobile phone, etc.)

• Therefore, I humbly request that you combine ALL CONTENTS into a single Google Drive (preferred) or MS Word file

  • For each school, please combine all documents, including your resume/CV, essays (including questions and word counts), application data form short answer questions, letters of recommendation, etc. into a single Google Drive (preferred) or MS Word file

  • I prefer Google Drive to Microsoft Word because it is 

    • Synchronized - Google Drive syncs with your computer and all mobile devices

    • Efficient - saves time since we no longer need to download, "save as" a new version, and upload Microsoft Word files across multiple devices

    • Always up to date - minimizes the chance that either of us will misplace a file, leave the latest copy on another computer, or review an old version instead of the latest update

    • Accessible - all your files become available on the web (but you control who can view them)

    • Mobile - using the Google Drive mobile application, you can read, comment upon, and edit your files from your smartphone or tablet

    • Helpful - Google automatically messages both of us when comments have been replied to and/or open issues have been resolved

• For presentation essays, please send me PowerPoint files

• Only send me PDFs, screenshots, or HTML files if you don’t expect me to make written comments

• Final note - I encourage you to follow Stanford GSB's formatting guidelines: 

  • Use a 12-point font, double spaced (Vince says, 1.5 spacing OK:) 

  • Recommended fonts are Arial, Courier, and Times New Roman

  • Indicate which essay question you are answering at the beginning of each essay

  • Number all pages

  • Please see this post for more file management tips https://www.vinceprep.com/services/planner/docs