Vince's second opinion service

Since 2007, I have provided second opinion services to four HBS admits, five Stanford GSB admits, three INSEAD admits, plus one applicant who was granted a Fulbright Award
This service is designed for those looking for a second opinion on a finished application
- It is not a substitute for my Comprehensive Counseling
- Use of this service does not guarantee my availability for future counseling
Depending on my availability, I cannot always offer SOS services
For those interested in using this service, I will not provide a free initial consultation, but I am happy to answer basic questions via email
This service does not replace working intensively with a consultant. It is a one-time engagement focused on evaluating an application and suggestions for its improvement.
- This service provides no-follow or additional support.
Please complete my intake form if you would like to apply for this service

Please follow these steps

STEP ONE

Decide which application

(limit one MBA program)

you want Vince to review

STEP TWO

Contact Vince

at least THREE WEEKS

BEFORE YOUR APPLICATION IS DUE

(earlier is better)

I cannot provide last minute opinions, since it may take time for you to consider and possibly implement suggested high-level changes
I want to see your best work, not early essay drafts
If you need help brainstorming, organizing, or editing your ideas, please use my Comprehensive Counseling service

STEP THREE

Arrange payment

Clients must pre-pay before services are rendered
Worldwide except Japan: All payments are via International Wire Transfer, Credit Card, Wise, or PayPal
Japan: Your payment will also be subject to Japanese Consumption Tax, and payment is to be made via domestic bank transfer

Price is seasonal
- JPY170,000 from July-January (busy season, extremely limited availability)
- JPY120,000 from February-June

Rates for clients in Japan, including Japanese Consumption Tax

JPY170,000 from July-January + tax 17,000 = JPY187,000
JPY120,000 from February-June + tax 12,000 = JPY132,000

STEP FOUR

After Payment clears, please send Vince your resume in MS Word plus the rest of your written application as a single MS Word file

I can only provide feedback using the editing functions in Google Drive or MS Word. Therefore I do not want to receive PDF files
Also, I do not want to spend your valuable session time managing multiple attachments
Therefore, other than your resume, which should remain in MS Word, please merge/combine all application materials into one (1) single document that includes
application data form short answers (answers to strategically important answers to all short-answer questions asked in small boxes)
essay(s)
recommendation letters (if available)

STEP FIVE

Vince reviews your application

I will provide a comprehensive review of one entire application, including application data form short answers, essays, and recommendation letters (if available)
I analyze your application from the perspective of an admission committee member
As I read, I ask myself four questions:

Do I understand your story?
Do I believe in your potential?
Do I care about your success?
Do I feel your fit with the target school?

STEP SIX

Vince provides constructive feedback

I will not edit your materials
Rather, I will provide my professional evaluation of the following points

Are your goals understandable, believable and interesting?
Did you select the right mix of stories to showcase your selling points?
Is your reader likely to understand your message the way you want it to be understood?

STEP SEVEN

Call Vince to discuss how you can improve your application

Testimonials

INSEAD MBA Class of 2014

I used Vince for second opinion service prior to turning in my application. My essays were already complete. I felt confident with my answers and didn’t see any room for change or improvement. He managed to change my answers by challenging me to think alternatively and come up with other answers.

Vince asked me to submit alternative answers that would distinguish me from other candidates. We did a brainstorming session where we looked at the different topics’ pros and cons. That was very helpful. I changed two of my answers based on his suggestions.

I subsequently used his interview session. Vince is very good at evaluating face-to-face communication skills. He helped me to prepare some tough questions and worked on my weaknesses.

I highly recommend his service.

Stanford MBA Class of 2013

I really liked Vince's SOS because it gave me new perspectives and objective opinions. It was not "double-checking" but rather "completing".

Vince's essay counseling helped me not only with constructive feedback on important aspects of essays, like whether AdCom believe essays and care about them, but also the decision-making criteria to finalize the essays.

I received Vince's SOS service on my essays and interview trainings for Stanford GSB. When I contacted him, I had already spent a few months on this essay with a few other consultants, but his SOS gave me totally new perspectives and supported me not only technically (the contents, English expression, the structure), but also mentally.

His SOS and interview training were definitely critical to my success; in the end, I gained admissions to Stanford GSB.

1. Analysis and Practical advice

Since he has extensive experience of getting applicants into top business schools, he knows this unclear admission process quite well. Since each school has different policies and tastes, this analysis based on successful experience are quite critical, especially when applying to multiple schools. As one example of technical and objective helps, he suggested to delete some parts, which I believed sort of "necessary" to put in the essays. However, thanks to his practical advice, I could avoid redundancy and save word counts. Besides, he made some practical suggestions on my English expressions and the structure. In terms of one critical perspective to see essays, "Do I believe?", he pointed out how I can make my essays more believable.

2. Professionalism and Flexibility

Firstly, I was not sure about SOS. That sort of service without long-term commitment could be a waste of money because such SOS consultants could just "review" the application and make some comments. However, he was highly committed to giving this second opinion services. He not only gave comprehensive review on my essays during the one-hour feedback session, but also added constructive opinions to my final essays even after SOS, although I used up the whole one-hour feedback session. As you can see his SOS Terms and Conditions, he did not have to give additional reviews on my essays. This demonstrates how result-oriented he is. Overall, from my experience of having his SOS and interview, he can become not only flexible to adjust his style to clients' needs, but also proactive to lead clients to the success.

3. A True Partner

Most importantly, the greatest advice he gave me was to be really as honest to myself just as I would be able to show my final version to my future children with. This word helped me to avoid writing someone's value and gave me the courage to show my real feeling from my heart in the essay at the end of last minute of the application due date. Finally, to future applicants. Applying to MBA is a long process; thus, I would like suggest future applicants to meet as various MBA admission consultants as possible. Some have a track record and network, while the other are capable of rewriting or modifying essays. Among them, I found Vince the result-oriented professional with strong analytical skills, wide network, and successful track record, and a true partner for applicants.

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