Client Testimonials

My Michael Moment was the collective screening rounds to get into the program. I was blown away by the time, energy and cost to screen people and find just a few clients. I applied with a class colleague and we went through the same process. When I received the 5 page feedback letter my admiration for Michael only grew. He provided very detailed advice on what I needed to do. Sadly, my class mate was unsuccessful but this impressed me more. To think that Michael went through all that trouble and provided a feedback letter made me realize Michael was…

Client Testimonials

I asked Michael about the MBA case competition and he said I should forget about it. I did not believe him and he provided a long explanation which went something like this... "To win a case competition requires skills very different from that required to obtain an MBB offer. Case competitions require research, power point, formatting and team work skills which will not be required in a case interview. It will also take up a lot of my time, effect your grades and lead to no meaningful reward." Michael also pointed out that people who win case competitions generally do…

Client Testimonials

Question: "Is it weird if a candidate has to pay the travel expense? I got an interview invite for an in-person interview in a foreign office (my top choice). They informed me that I would need to pay all travel expenses myself. With international flights, hotels, taxis, and food, it is a lot. I am glad, though, to get this invite as I am applying from a non-target school, and my grades are good but not great. My fear was I would not get any invites, and I had to network heavily using the approach Michael taught in The Consulting Offer to…

Client Testimonials

I think it is a swell idea of your team to collect the best moments with clients. I hope you will publish some of these stories. You will probably not recall this moment but it was a turning point for me. I was alone at Wharton, no family in the U.S., I had no money to fly home, all my friends were away for Christmas and I was planning my applications. I sent you a message at 6:15pm EST on Christmas day and never expected a reply. You sent me a message on Skype and offered to call me. That…

Client Testimonials

My Michael Moment occured after I had received offers from BCG and McKinsey and was trying to debate the best choice. BCG offered me 15% larger package overall and a higher signing bonus. I sent Michael a short note on Skype explaining my decision and intimating that the extra money would pay for a nice vacation with my wife. I received a note saying that money was not everything and I should choose the firm which I felt had a partner who could personally mentor me. Michael gave me 4 things to think about: • I would only progress to…

Client Testimonials

A client from South-east Asia wrote 3 memorable moments from our coaching. I think 3 traits describe Michael for me -- utmost professional integrity, excellence and valued relationship. This story is about the 3rd trait: My "Michael Moment" came when I had finished the case coaching program, having spent ~4 months, and 15 hours being mentored by Michael. That day, I received the email decision from the consulting firm I was applying to. Sadly, I was unsuccessful in my application. Of course the first thing I did was shared it with Michael, and after some comforting encouragement from him, he…

Client Testimonials

My MM was something of a doozy! I applied to McKinsey and received a PST invitation. I took the PST and did so badly that I was told I would need to wait 2 years to reapply! I was truly devastated. I planned on joining McKinsey through my whole career and pursued my MBA for an interview. Michael helped me place everything in perspective. He told me I had not prepared, had not read up on the PST and had no prior experience of the test. He felt the outcome was expected and I should not see it as a…

Client Testimonials

My Michael Moment came right at the beginning. As a South African MBA student the program was approximately R[Redacted]. That was a lot of money and equal to 25% of the yearly cost of my MBA program. It was a lot of money! It is a lot of money! It will always be a lot of money. I had applied late in the cycle and given the sum involved, I would need about 3 to 4 weeks to beg, borrow and squeeze it out of my parents – who thought I was certifiably insane to spend so much money on…

Client Testimonials

My story is not a Michael Moment but a Michael Revelation. I was not successful with MBB while working with Michael. That said, I have no regrets taking the program and continue to refer friends and colleagues to Michael. I realized after the training ended that I was not ready for MBB. I had started my pursuit because everyone else was doing it. When Michael asked me why I wanted to work at McKinsey, I, sadly, had no good answer. I had never even thought about it until I was asked this question. I felt like a lemming. The training…