The Essence of Choosing an MBA Counselor - 10 Points from Alpha MBA Advisory

On the eve of Chicago Booth's MBA application deadline, Alpha's representative TJ/Irisumi (then working for a trading company!) was reviewing his final essay with bloodshot eyes from fatigue and tension. Despite securing a company-sponsored MBA opportunity at Sumitomo Corporation and hiring an expensive MBA counselor, his application results were disastrous. Columbia, Wharton, and others—all waitlisted.
"Something is wrong."
He decided to rewrite all his essays from scratch. Surprisingly, he received acceptance letters from all the schools where he had been waitlisted.
In a later account, Irisumi says he had written boring essays about wanting to become Sumitomo Corporation's CFO.
TJ's MBA application experience, as the founder of Alpha MBA Advisory, truly illustrates the importance of choosing the right MBA counselor. He later earned his MBA at Chicago Booth, joined Goldman Sachs, and served as an admissions interviewer for Chicago Booth for several years.
"At that time, I spent more than the price of a Mercedes-Benz on my MBA application preparation. Most of it went to counseling fees. However, what I really needed was essays with soul and a serious commitment to my long-term goals."
Alpha MBA Advisory was born from TJ's experience. With the philosophy of "providing truly life-changing MBA support at an affordable price for everyone," the company began offering services at one-third of the industry standard price and has supported over 3,000 MBA applicants over the past 15 years.
An MBA is not just a degree; it's a crucial investment that will determine your future career. And the choice of counselor greatly influences the success or failure of your MBA application.
The path to an MBA is not just about school selection or acceptance. It's an important investment that will determine your future career. Choosing the right counselor will influence your MBA application and subsequent success.

Why Choosing an MBA Counselor is Important

Common failures that many MBA aspirants fall into
・"Being told to give up on top schools or MBA applications altogether due to age or academic background"
・"Wasting over a year being told you can't even start without making TOEFL or GMAT scores"
・"Failing to get into top schools for two consecutive years"
・"Being recommended other graduate programs when you really want to study business"
・"Getting accepted but drifting without clear long-term goals"
・"Unable to get a job at your desired company despite obtaining an MBA"

Many of these failures might have been prevented by choosing the right counselor.

10-Point Checklist for Choosing an MBA Counselor

1. Have they graduated from a top international MBA program?
   Just as it's natural to learn about Tokyo University entrance exams from a Tokyo University graduate, MBA counselors should also be graduates of top MBA programs.
2. Do they recommend schools that fit the applicant?
   Choose a counselor who can make realistic school selections based on your background and career goals.
3. Do they understand school evaluations from a recruiter's perspective?
   You need a counselor who knows not just school rankings, but how these schools are actually evaluated in the job market.
4. Can they advise on career strategies where the applicant can win?
   It's important that they can provide advice that looks ahead to career paths after obtaining an MBA.
5. Do they promote a strategy of completing tests as early as possible?
   Spending more than a year on test preparation is a waste of time. Choose a counselor who proposes efficient preparation methods.
6. Can they advise on realistic long-term goals and "Whys" that admissions will empathize with?
   It's important that they help set long-term goals that you can truly believe in, not just essays for acceptance.
7. Are they recommending schools that align with your long-term goals?
   Choose a counselor who will suggest the optimal schools for your career goals.
8. Do they make you write essays yourself?
   It's important that counselors don't ghostwrite essays but support you in writing essays with your own soul.
9. Do they know what constitutes a professional-level resume?
   Whether they can support the creation of resumes that work not just for MBA applications but also for subsequent job hunting.
10. Do they have extensive business career experience?
    You should choose a counselor who understands the reality of post-MBA job hunting and can provide career advice.

The Difference Between Alpha MBA Advisory and Other Companies

Characteristics of Alpha MBA Advisory

1. Counseling by Top MBA Graduates
   Alpha's advisors are graduates of world-class MBA programs such as Chicago Booth and Columbia University. They can provide advice based not just on theory, but on actual experience. Additionally, Alpha's representative TJ has handled resume and essay reviews for Chicago admissions support and served as an interviewer for several years as an alumnus. The approach of knowing the acceptance review criteria thoroughly is reflected in your acceptance results through Alpha's support.
2. Approach Based on Long-Term Career Strategy
   Provides advice looking beyond mere MBA acceptance to career success 10, 20 years ahead. Designs optimal career paths under the philosophy of "Re-Yourself to where you will Shine most."
3. Advice from a Recruiter's Perspective
   Strictly edits your essays and resumes with the same perspective as recruiters from super first-class companies like Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, and Google. Creates content that truly works in job hunting.
4. Total Support Until Post-MBA Job Hunting
   Support continues after MBA acceptance. Fully supports up to securing job offers from top companies, including job hunting strategies at venues like the Boston Career Forum.
5. 15 Years of Achievement and Graduate Network
   Has 15 years of experience supporting career advancement for working professionals and maintains a network of graduates active in finance, consulting, tech industries, and more.

Comparison with Other Companies

Issues with Typical MBA Counselors

1. Short-term Advice Aimed Only at Acceptance
   Many counselors provide advice aimed only at MBA acceptance, without considering career beyond that.
2. Lack of Practical Experience
   Even if they are MBA graduates, many counselors lack actual business field experience and don't understand the recruiter's perspective.
3. Time-Wasting Focus on Score-Making
   May waste valuable time with advice like "you should focus on test preparation for a year first."
4. Ghostwriting Essays
   Essays without the applicant's soul, which seem written by the counselor, may lead to acceptance but will expose contradictions in subsequent job interview questions.
5. Lack of Industry Knowledge
   May provide outdated advice based on past information, without understanding the latest trends in finance, consulting, tech industries, etc.

Alpha's Advantages

At Alpha, about 90% of customers continue to use job hunting support services after program completion, showing their satisfaction and trust. Alpha has particular strengths in financial careers (PE, hedge funds, etc.), foreign consulting firms, and GAFAM companies, with graduates receiving "unbelievable" high-value offers.

Particularly in data science master's courses, starting salaries in the 40 million yen range are not uncommon, and Alpha can provide specialized advice for graduate schools other than MBAs as well. They are also strong in mid-career (30s-40s) MBA applications and won't turn you away because of age.

The Essence of MBA Counseling

The true value of MBA counseling lies not just in application support, but in building the foundation for long-term career success.

Current Industry Problems
・Focusing on selling test preparation for TOEFL and GMAT in addition to MBA acceptance
・Unable to improve essential essays by blaming non-acceptance on extracurricular activities, GPA, etc.
・Insufficient consideration for applicants' long-term success
・As a result, even talented individuals find it difficult to gain acceptance to top schools or get job offers from top companies

Important Point: You may fool MBA admissions, but you can't fool global top company recruiters

The essays and resumes you create for MBA applications are not just tools for acceptance but expressions of "your soul" that will also be questioned in subsequent job hunting. Even if you get accepted with mediocre essays, if you can't convincingly answer pointed questions in job interviews like "Why did you choose this school?" or "Why do you want to work for this company 24/7?", it will be difficult to win offers from top companies.

Now is the Chance to Act!

The MBA application season for 2026 entry has begun. Considering global situations and changes in Japanese companies, this year's applications present a significant opportunity. As Tokio Marine Holdings announced its plan to reduce policy-holding stocks to zero by the end of March 2030, considering the increase in foreign investors due to the dissolution of cross-shareholdings by Japanese companies and the trend toward more rational management, the value of MBA holders will further increase in the future.

The situation where "not having an MBA within 5 years will be problematic" will certainly arrive. The gap between those who have and don't have MBAs, especially the gap between those with and without computer science and data science skills, will continue to widen.

Choosing the right counselor is important for your long-term success. Rather than trying to solve everything on your own, you can efficiently and effectively pave the way for obtaining an MBA and your subsequent career by enlisting professional help.

Alpha MBA Advisory offers free consultations. We provide total support from your career strategy to school selection, test preparation, essay creation, and post-MBA job hunting. If you aim for long-term success, please consult with us.

Free Consultation Here! ＞https://www.alpha-academy.com/