FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


GENERAL QUESTIONS

How could I benefit from working with an application consultant? 
The process of applying to graduate school is one that is unique and requires skills that people do not often have the opportunity to develop through the course of their academic and professional careers. An application consultant can work with you to develop these skills and help you avoid mistakes that are easy to make but can significantly affect the quality of your application.  Many people come to the application process with similar sets of goals and experiences; the successful ones are the ones who are able to sell those goals and experiences to the admissions committee in a compelling way. An application consultant can help you to discover your personal/professional selling points and find a way to showcase these unique experiences and goals in a way that can grab the interest of the admissions committee and make you stand out from people with similar characteristics. 

How long will the process take? How many sessions will I need? 
This is a complex question and is one that is impossible to answer without knowing where you are in terms of your own understanding. Someone who already has clear and compelling short- and long-term goals and knows exactly how an MBA fits into his/her career plan is coming to the process with a great deal of the work of brainstorming already done. Such a person will likely need less time and fewer sessions than someone who only has a vague idea of his/her goals and need for an MBA. I work with people at all stages of the application process, from those just beginning the process of school selection to those who already have complete essay sets for one or more schools. Depending on your individual needs, our time together could be as short as one or two sessions, or it could be thirty or more.

SERVICES

What services do you offer?
I provide comprehensive application preparation including:

General application strategy, including school choice, timing, etc.
Scholarship applications, including Fulbright and Rotary
Resume/CV strategy Resume/CV production
Essay strategy and content development
Essay polishing (elimination of grammatical, usage, and stylistic errors that significantly impede understanding)
Essay word-count reduction
Reference/recommendation strategy and review
Application form review
Interview strategy, preparation, and practice 

Is there anything you do not do? 
I do not offer the following services:

Ghostwriting
Complete rewriting of existing essays
Comprehensive essay editing to native-level English (for non-native speakers)  

Do you focus only on MBA applications? 
While the majority of my clients are applying to MBA programs, I have successfully worked with applicants to other graduate programs, including both research and professional Master’s degrees (including Law, Finance, Education, Computer Science, Public Administration, Public Health, Fine Arts, etc) and PhD programs.

Can you help me with my undergraduate or medical school application?
I apologize, but these are not services I offer.

You seem to work with a lot of Japanese clients. Do you have experience with applicants from other countries? 
While the majority of my client base is Japanese, I have worked successfully with a number of applicants from other countries, including China, India, Korea, Singapore, the US and the UK. 


LOGISTICS

How are sessions conducted?
Most sessions are conducted via Skype, with video-enabled Skype the preferred method. It is also possible to conduct sessions using voice-only Skype, telephone, internet chat or email-only. 

This year, I will be spending a significant portion of the application season in Tokyo. For my Tokyo-based clients, I am happy to offer face-to-face sessions in addition to the methods mentioned above.

When are you available?
Until September 15, I will be on Central Daylight Time (GMT -5) . From September 15, I will be in Tokyo, which is on Japan Standard Time (GMT +9). Available hours vary, but generally range from 8am-8pm during the low season to 7am-11pm during the months of November, December and January. Appointments are generally available 7 days a week. 

How long does a Skype session last?
Generally, a Skype or telephone appointment lasts for one hour; however, clients who purchase multi-session packages can reserve shorter blocks of time. Sessions longer than one hour can be scheduled and it is also possible to extend a session if it seems an hour will not be long enough.

What about email or editing “sessions”?
Email and editing sessions are broken into blocks of 15 minutes.

How do I pay?
Clients purchasing individual sessions or session packs will be sent an invoice, which can be paid by PayPal (http://www.paypal.com). For in-person sessions in Tokyo or other locations, cash is preferred.  

I apologize, but I cannot accept personal checks, cashier’s checks, money orders, or credit card payments not processed by PayPal. If you happen to live in an area where PayPal is unavailable, alternate payment methods can be discussed.

I don’t have a PayPal account. Will that be a problem?
If you do not currently have a PayPal account and are considering working with me, I strongly recommend you begin the process of setting one up and verifying your identity with them as soon as possible. While rare, I have had instances where PayPal has flagged payments from clients with new, unverified accounts as requiring investigation under their fraud prevention policies. In these rare cases, clients have experienced a delay in scheduling sessions with me while PayPal completes their investigation.

Who pays the Paypal fees?
PayPal is free for “buyers” to use. All PayPal fees associated with your session payments will be borne by me.


POLICIES

Is it okay if I use a relative’s/co-worker’s/friend’s application materials from a previous year?
I expect my clients to come to the application process with a high level of determination, integrity, and honesty. Most importantly, with the exception of references/recommendations, all materials must be the original work of the client. I reserve the right to terminate association with individuals found to be utilizing plagiarized materials. In such a situation, no refunds will be given. 

What do you do with my personal information?
Clients’ personal details, including name, contact information, application materials, and correspondence will be kept strictly confidential with the following exception:With permission, I do refer comprehensive application clients to other application consultants for the purposes of interview training. After discussing this with a client and determining that s/he will be referred to one or more of these individuals, information about the client and his/her application will be shared with the consultant(s) to help them better understand the client’s specific interview training needs. Clients’ application materials are not kept on file after the application season is over. At the end of each application season (generally April), all application materials, both paper and electronic, are disposed of in a secure manner. I do maintain a list of current and past clients (including names, school/employment information, and email addresses), but it is never be shared with outside parties. Past clients wishing to be removed from this list can request removal at any time.

Do you offer any kind of guarantee?
I take great pride in developing close working relationships with clients and helping them to develop applications that present themselves to admissions committees in an effective, compelling, and honest manner. The admissions process, however, is complex and involves a broad range of factors, both quantitative and qualitative, making it impossible to predict the exact likelihood of an offer of admission being extended from an institution to a client. Therefore, I cannot and do not guarantee a client’s admission to any institution or program.

What happens if I am dissatisfied with your service?
In order for a counselor/client relationship to be truly fruitful, open communication is incredibly important. If a client is dissatisfied at any time, I ask that he or she bring the issue up immediately so I can make every effort to resolve the situation. 

In the case that a new client has purchased a session package and determines that my services are not a good fit with his or her needs, a refund of the remainder of the package can be requested as long as no more than two sessions have been used and no more than 14 days have passed since the last session. Used time will be deducted from the refund amount at the “session-by-session” rate. If a client has used more than 2 sessions or it has been more than 14 days since the last session, no refunds will be given. 

Have you ever given a refund due to dissatisfaction?
No – I have never been asked for or given a refund due to client dissatisfaction.