Frequently Asked Questions

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What’s the process for ordering an MBA Application Package?

Here's how Accepted's Comprehensive MBA Application Package works:

First, your consultant will get to know you through the comprehensive questionnaire/inventory that you will complete after purchasing the package. S/he will further build on that foundation during your brainstorming session, a phone/Skype call during which you will discuss your personal background, academic interests and strengths, extracurricular activities, hobbies and interests, community service, goals, and reasons for applying to b-school – basically anything that could be used in an MBA application essay (this can take 1-2 hours). Then, after you and your consultant discuss a theme for your essay(s), your consultant will send you an outline.

Consisting of bullet points and based on your questionnaire and brainstorming session, the outline will help you focus on your most powerful experiences and the most relevant and compelling elements of your story. It will provide you with the structure and direction you need to create the first draft of your essay. It will help you put that story down on paper with minimal blank-screen-itis and maximal impact.

After you write your personal statement, you will send it to your consultant who will edit it for grammar, spelling, style, and word usage – the nitty-gritty details of writing. S/he will return the edited copy to you within two business days of receiving it.

Typically clients request 2-4 reviews of an essay before they are ready to submit their awesome essays.

 
How detailed are your outlines?

First, it's important to know that the outline is not a euphemism for an essay or an essay draft.

The outline consists of bullet points and sentence fragments. Its job is to provide you with the structure and direction necessary for you to write. It provides guidance, but is not a straightjacket. The essay is at all times your essay.

Will you write the essays for me?

No.

How can we use Accepted’s services if we do not live near one of your consultants?

We have clients throughout the world, and thanks to email, Skype, and phone, we can communicate with you efficiently and effectively.

If you live outside the U.S., we try to minimize your telephone expense by using Skype or by asking for background information via email. (International telephone expenses are the client’s responsibility.)

We have found that time differences pose minor problems, and we have worked with people literally from around the world – from Kazakhstan to Cameroon, Argentina to India.

How long does one Comprehensive MBA Application Package take?

It typically takes one to two weeks. Please keep in mind that quick completion heavily depends on you promptly returning drafts to your consultant.

If I want to use packages for more than one school, will I have to purchase Comprehensive MBA Application Packages for each essay?

You can purchase multiple Comprehensive MBA Application Packages at a lower rate than buying one package and then another. For example, a 2-Application Package only costs about one-third more than a 1-Application Package. Furthermore, third and later packages can cost less than a third of the initial application package.

Even if you choose to buy one application package to start and then add application packages one by one, later application packages are significantly less expensive than the first one.

Finally, you can start with an application package for the first school and then switch to hourly services for later schools if you feel you will be better off. We try to be flexible, because we recognize that different clients have different needs and budgets.

What’s the process for ordering an Hourly MBA Essay Plan?

With Accepted's Hourly MBA Essay Plan, you will submit your application essay draft to your consultant, who will critique it on a content level. Although we don’t interview you, we do request a recent resume or CV.

When reviewing your personal statement, your consultant will ask the following questions:

  • Do you have a clear theme, a logical structure, an engaging opening, and a conclusion that nicely wraps up the essay?
  • Did you answer the essay question, if there is one?
  • Have you revealed something distinctive and interesting about yourself?
  • Have you made effective use of specifics to distinguish yourself from your competition, support your main points, and add interest to your essay?

If you submit multiple essays for one program, your consultant will also check that the essays complement each other. 

After reviewing your essay, your consultant will then provide you with feedback and suggestions for improvement, and you will revise the essay.

After you revise your essay, you again send it to your consultant who focuses now on grammar, spelling, style, and word usage – the nit-picky details of writing. Your consultant returns the edited copy to you within two business days of receiving it. Typically clients request 2-4 reviews of an essay before they are satisfied with it.

What’s your turnaround time?

Two business days for each round of editing. If you require faster turnaround, we offer Rush Services with a one-business-day turnaround and an approximate 30% upcharge.

When do you recommend the Comprehensive MBA Application Package and when do you recommend Hourly MBA Essay Plan?

If you really aren’t sure how to approach the essays, lack confidence in your ability to write well, or want to save time more than money, I recommend a Comprehensive MBA Application Package.  

If you know what you want to write, have confidence in your writing ability, and want to save money more than time, I recommend our Hourly MBA Essay Plan.

Can I use the Comprehensive MBA Application Packages for some essays and the Hourly MBA Essay Plan for others?

Yes. You can mix and match, or you can use the Comprehensive MBA Application Package for one or two schools and the Hourly MBA Essay Plan for all subsequent schools. 

I like the idea of a package, but only want help with the essay(s). Do you have a flat-rate service for me?

Yes! Our Essay Packages include the questionnaire, brainstorming, outline and editing for essays only. They are also flat-rate and priced per essay. Check out our Initial Essay Package and our Additional Essay Packages.

Some essays are so short – how would you work on these?

I recommend our Hourly MBA Essay Plan for shorter application essays.

I have a limited budget and have already written a draft. Could you review my draft and advise whether I need the Comprehensive MBA Application Package or if I can do with an Hourly MBA Essay Plan instead?

Yes, we are happy to review your drafts. Your adviser will then tell you whether your draft is a good foundation for continuing with Hourly Essay Plan or whether you would benefit from the Comprehensive MBA Application Package or an Hourly MBA Essay Plan. There is no charge for providing this recommendation.

 
Aren’t you expensive?

Not at all. The fees you pay Accepted could be one of the best investments you’ll ever make! Consider the possibility of increased earnings if you attend a more highly ranked school as opposed to the cost of Accepted’s one-on-one assistance.

"But," you say, "you don’t know if I would be accepted without your help." True. And we cannot guarantee your acceptance. But a brief look at our feedback page will tell you that many of our clients are convinced they would not be in their top choice schools without Accepted’s editorial and strategic help. They repeatedly and emphatically state that we are worth the money. 

Do you use a template? Don’t all Accepted client essays sound the same?

We don’t use a template at all, nor do we recommend one. We are dedicated to bringing out the individuality and distinctiveness of our clients and strive to make our clients stand out from the crowd by emphasizing distinguishing experiences, distinctive perspectives, and details. We are convinced that portraying your uniqueness is the primary task of the essays.

Can my adviser be my interview coach? If I want my interview coach to be someone other than my adviser, can I do so?

For Interview Coaching, you can go either route. Some clients prefer someone new so that the mock interview will better simulate the real thing. Others prefer to work with the adviser who knows them best. It’s up to you.

However if you prefer to work with a new consultant and purchase a mock interview, you will need to purchase the New Client Mock Interview.

What’s the process for a Waitlist Package?

If you are a new client and you purchase a Waitlist Package, your consultant reads your application essays and interviews you briefly about your activities since you submitted your application. The consultant also reviews with you your reasons for wanting to attend the school that waitlisted you. S/he then sends you an outline for a waitlist letter.

If you are an existing client, your consultant will interview you about your activities since you submitted your application and any changes in your reasons for wanting to attend the school that waitlisted you. S/he then sends you an outline for a waitlist letter.

After you write the letter, you send it to your consultant for editing. S/he corrects it for grammar, spelling, style, word usage, etc., and returns it to you.

How do I get started? How is payment handled?

It’s easy. Go to our catalog and choose the services you need. Click on the “Add to Cart” button next to the services you need and fill out the order form. You will receive an email asking for academic information. Your order will be processed within one business day. Your credit card will be billed immediately.

What is considered "billable time"?

Billable time includes time spent reviewing materials, editing, and consulting with you via any media including but not limited to telephone, Skype, and email. Yes, it includes time spent composing the emails.

Essentially, we bill for all time spent working with you except when we are advising on which Accepted service to use or responding to billing questions. Your consultant will do his or her best to keep you informed of time used throughout the engagement. 
If you are concerned about us racking up the billable hours, please request an estimate up front.

What is your Rush Service? I need faster turnaround! Can you help me?

Our Rush Service is for clients who need faster than two-business-day turnaround. Before commencing work, we will determine if we have availability to meet your deadline and set up a schedule with you. If you purchase Rush Services and we don't have consultant available who can work within your timeframe, we will notify you before we start work. If at that time you no longer want Accepted's assistance, we will refund your payment.

Can you charge me rush prices without my approval?

No. Rush prices require the approval of the client, the consultant, and Accepted management.

What if I am not happy with the service?

We want you to be happy! If you aren’t satisfied with your consultant, you can ask to switch to a new consultant. If you want a refund, please refer to our refund policy.

What if I want to try you out now and purchase a single service, and then purchase more of your services later?

No problem. When you are ready to purchase additional services, you can either purchase additional services online, or send an email to your consultant, who will send you a link so that you can purchase additional time. 

Why should I hire Accepted?

Here is how you will benefit from using Accepted for your applications:

  1. Your consultant will serve as a sounding board and mentor as you go through the process of applying. S/he will help you unlock your competitive advantage. You need someone experienced saying that the optional essay does not really add value to your application. You will benefit from someone saying that you need to clarify the connection between your internship and your goals. You will have an advantage if someone knowledgeable tells you that you are focusing too much on a negative and not enough on your achievements, or perhaps suggests that Experience A is more impressive than Experience B, or reveals how you can weave both into the application. To see what our clients say about our services, please read our feedback page.
  2. You will have a professional, seasoned consultant making sure that you present yourself articulately and correctly. One of Accepted’s strengths is the professionalism and experience of its staff, which consists of former admissions directors, professors, writers, and highly experienced admissions consultants. To judge our consultants’ qualifications for yourself, please read more about our team.
  3. Using Accepted can save you time. Applicants frequently go through multiple drafts, a lot of nail-biting, tearing up of the multiple drafts, rewriting, hearing contradictory advice, and rewriting again. You will greatly reduce the amount of time you spend on your essays by choosing Accepted.

 Contact us if you have additional questions. View our complete catalog of MBA admissions services here