When gearing up to take the GMAT for admissions to an online MBA, the option to hire an admissions consultant may be more tempting. They all claim you’ll be guided through the procedure and advised on how to complete the application forms, write winning essays and generally create a winning impression. Nevertheless, there are several principal reasons , why you possibly would like to think again and apply for MBA independently.
Cost Concerns
This agency has several negative effects especially the financial cost, which one is likely to incur when hiring an admissions consultant. These services come with a steep price tag, and the costs could easily range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. Most of the MBA interested candidates already know the fact that the entire course is sensitive to any additional expense they incur, and therefore, will find this extra amount rather hard to come by. Its effectiveness lies in the fact that by organizing the application process by yourself, you can save a great deal of money which is okay to be spent on tuition or books during your studies or even every day expenses in the case of a study abroad.
Lack of Personalization
Its consultants often work with multiple clients at a time and may memorize certain templates without paying much attention to individual peculiarities. That they can provide important overall suggestions most of the time, they might not pay much heed to details about your personal background and life goals. Several distinguishing features of you can evaporate as your application goes through various stages of the hiring process. Staring is an application from scratch for you creates a real and unique story that is solely who you are.
Risk of Dependency
It becomes a trap for you to rely mostly on the consultant and in the process, you develop a kind of weakness that does not allow you to manage your own affairs without someone to oversee you. This means that the MBA process of application should be viewed as a positive process that will make students develop personally as well as professionally. By the means of managing your application, one is in a position to determine his or her capabilities, areas likely to challenge him/her, and career interests. It is relevant not only for passing the threshold and entering the MBA program but also for succeeding in it as well as in the following steps of the person’s working activity.
Potential Ethical Issues
There are also the ethical issues that one must consider when deciding whether or not to hire an admissions consultant. Depending on how far they’re willing to go some consultants may draw the line between providing a guideline or giving you samples of essays to complete or even doing applications on your behalf. This practice is reciprocally unaccepted in many academic institutions and can be highly punitive if one is caught engaging in it. This way, nobody can cheat you into thinking their work is the best and get the job they were not worthy of, something that is common nowadays.
Access to Free Resources
This is not to mean that you cannot find any free information on MBA admissions that meets your needs – there is a lot of it out there. Application procedures and requirements are extensive and can also contain such components as the application guide, online application meeting, or application webinar and application workshop. Specific online forums and communities include GMAT Club or Reediting MBA community, where range of members can discuss issues. Equally importantly, there is a lot of informative literature regarding MBA and its admission available in the form of books, articles, and blogs by graduates and expert professionals.