Read testimonials from successful applicants to the following schools:
Hiroto
TEXAS MCCOMBS
I really liked Sam's customized and client-focused service. My GMAT score was 50-100 points below the average for all the schools I wanted to apply to (GMAT 630), so I needed really strong essays to overcome that weakness. Sam's support helped me deliver my ideas and experience in a very effective way. Our interview practice continued until we were both confident that I could have a strong performance and it greatly enhanced my candidacy. I believe the quality and flexibility provided by Sam was excellent and I highly recommend his service.
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​Ken
MICHIGAN ROSS
I worked with Sam to improve my resume and UCLA Anderson essay, and also to prepare for my interviews. Thanks to his insightful advice I received interview invitations from all 8 schools that I applied to and ended up with 6 admission offers including two of my dream schools. I couldn’t be more grateful for his enthusiastic support. Future applicants should reserve a spot with him ASAP before he becomes fully-booked.

＜Resume / Essay＞ I had already been working with a well-known essay counselor who had read my resume and essays, so my original intention was to use Sam’s opinion to make only slight changes to my application. However, after hearing Sam’s advice, I realized that I need some major changes to the content, expressions and document organization. By working with Sam I saw a dramatic improvement in my essay and resume and was very satisfied with the results.

Sam was very kind and friendly from the beginning which helped me relax, and he was very flexible to accommodate my schedule. We met in person for some sessions and by skype for others. When I consulted with him, I felt like I was receiving advice from a friendly alumnus but then he was able to ask insightful questions and give lively advice as an MBA holder.

Before our initial meeting, I thought my resume and essay were pretty good, but after hearing his advice, I realized that I needed to make some major changes to stand out from the other applicants at these super-competitive schools.

＜Interview Prep＞ After getting an interview invitation from UCLA, I restarted working with Sam to prepare and I could see clearly the value in his service. Since Sam is a graduate of a top MBA program, he knows exactly what it’s like to be in the applicant’s position. Through our mock interviews and feedback, I was able to build my confidence and succeeded at UCLA and several other schools’ interviews.
Takuma
UCLA ANDERSON
I asked Sam to help me with my resume, essays and interview preparation. We started early to prepare the resume and during this stage he got to know a lot about my background which helped us when we got to the brainstorming for essay topics. He asked a lot of detailed questions to help dig out useful stories for several essays. I really valued that face-to-face time with him to develop my application.

A big advantage to Sam’s service compared with other applicants is that he is a recent graduate of a top MBA school, which gives him fresh insight into the life of an MBA student at those top schools. I could see a difference between when I heard Sam’s perspective and other consultants or even school representatives that were not alumni. Through our talks, I got a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities that will have a big impact on my life starting very soon.

Sam also invited me to a UCLA Anderson event for alumni in December where I had the chance to meet the Dean of the school during my application phase! Although I spoke only briefly to her I could meet a lot of other alumni from Japan and overseas which gave me a deeper understanding of the school.

I’m very grateful to Sam and would recommend his high-quality service to all applicants. I’m proud to say that I will join the UCLA Anderson School of Management this year.
Kazu
HEC PARIS MBA
I started working with Sam to develop a strong resume which was a great first step to thinking about my work experiences which would become the bases for my essay stories. After choosing which schools I would apply to I continued working with Sam for specific school essays and finally the interviews that followed. Sam was always very friendly and easy to work with. I’m very happy with the results because I was able to get offers from several schools through his support.

Powerful Resume
In the entire application process, thinking deeply about your past experiences is very important. Sam and I spent several hours discussing the contents of my resume which led to stories that were very helpful in shaping my post-MBA goals and other essays. I saw how helpful deep discussion of past experiences is so helpful in the early stages of the application process. One big difference between Sam and other counselors is that he graduated from a top MBA program, so he has been trained in the style used by top business schools for recruiting. I could see how he used this approach when helping me with my resume to take it from a low-impact passive style, to a powerful action and accomplishment focused resume that clearly showed my unique story.

Essays
When I struggled to come up with good topics for my essays, I came to Sam for brainstorming ideas. Because Sam and I had spent so much time discussing the resume, he had a deep understanding of my story and over a few sessions we were able to collaborate to make some great ideas for my goals and other essays that would be the foundation of my application. Sam agrees to work with a limited number of students per year, which enables him to learn more deeply about each of his students than other consultants who have a higher volume. His deep understanding of my history greatly benefited this brainstorming phase and led to fantastic essays. During my application process I also worked with another consultant who has many students, while he was also skillful in writing and in giving thoughtful wisdom,  Sam greatly helped with the brainstorming ideas.

Interview
I also trained with Sam for my interviews, we practiced for a total of 8 hours split into four 2-hour sessions. Sam used questions from a wide variety of real questions used by top schools so that I would be prepared even for unusual questions. During each interview practice session, he took lots of notes and we discussed each answer in detail afterwards. This was very valuable and we were able to brainstorm how to improve each answer. A few times Sam identified “red flags” in my answers that would be dangerous in the interview. Knowing about these red flags was very helpful to avoid answers that could ruin my entre application.

I could not have accomplished my success without Sam’s support and I’m very happy to be heading to one of my top choices of MBA programs this year. It will truly be a life-changing experience.
Hiroki
DARTMOUTH TUCK
Having low GPA and GMAT score, I couldn't win acceptance from my dream schools without Sam. 

Since I first met Sam in May 2016, he kindly supported me through e-mail even before we had an official agreement. His guidance really motivated me during score-making process for TOEFL and GMAT. Whenever I had a question about any application process, he gave me a quick response to solve my problem. I’ve heard that many popular counselors have a slow response time in the busy season when applicants need help the most, so I was relieved to see Sam’s quick responses. This was a big reason why I decided to work heavily with Sam in the Full-Package.

I really enjoyed working with Sam during all of the application process. Because Sam himself is a recent MBA graduate, he always gave me great advice to make my resume and essays more logical, powerful and convincing in the style that is currently preferred by top business schools. When we finished each document, every word and expression was very polished and I was able to submit those with full of confidence. 

For the interview training, Sam and I did over 12 hours of mock-interviews. We practiced both in-person and Skype so that I could prepare for any interview style, and I was able to make strong interviews for all schools. I truly recommend his high-quality service because without Sam, I couldn't get accepted from the top business schools in U.S. ​
Toshi
NORTHWESTERN KELLOGG
​With Sam, I worked on creating resumes, elaborating essays, and practicing interviews from the early stages of the applications. I asked him to spend a lot of time with brainstorming while digging into specific episodes from joining my company to the present. I had no experience abroad and was wondering how to make an appeal that sticks with US admissions teams, but Sam's own MBA experience has a depth that other counselors do not. 

I think I gained a great advantage in the difficult essays, which are specific and have to appeal in a limited number of words . While creating my resume, Sam brushed up each word at the word level in order to make it a concise yet powerful resume, as well as general proofreading. I received a great deal of support. There are many MBA counselors in Japan, but I think Sam is the only counselor who has actually had an MBA experience at Top School (and is familiar with recent MBA circumstances). The MBA application process is often black-boxed and can be disheartening, but I think Sam's experience and friendly counseling are the shortcuts to getting the best results.
YH
COLUMBIA BUSINESS SCHOOL
With the essays created and interview practice under Sam's guidance, I was able to get an offer from my first choice: Columbia Business School. My test scores and GPA were not high, but with the support from Sam, I was able to create high-quality essays in a short period of time to be ready for the Early Decision round that got the attention of the admissions committee, and led to my offer.   

I feel that Sam has the following three good points in proceeding with the work. 

​1. Accurate advice for creating high-impact essays Sam is an MBA holder himself and has a good understanding of the factors that admissions require from applicants (= points that applicants should appeal in their essays). Based on my background and career goals, he gave me accurate advice on how to create an attractive essay for admissions. Also, since it was clear from the beginning what to appeal in the essay, the essay writing went more smoothly than I had imagined. I didn't waste time rewriting my essay or not knowing what to do. In my case, I was doing score making and essay writing in parallel, so it was very helpful to be able to work efficiently in this way. 

2. Quick Response: Sam basically gives a solid answer within a day or two after asking a question, so you won't get stuck or stressed. I think that the speed of response is also an important factor in choosing a counselor, as there is a lot of work to be done in the MBA examination process and time tends to be insufficient. In that respect, you can rest assured when working with Sam. 

3. He does not screen students by test scores. When I searched for a counselor from May to June, the test scores for both IELTS and GMAT were not high. As a result, there were cases where counselors declined to work with me, but Sam gave positive feedback without judging from the score at that time. I decided to appoint Sam as the main counselor because the advice I received was convincing to me. Choosing a counselor can be difficult including being able to retain a well-known counselor if you don't get a score early on, so Sam is also recommended for applicants in those situations. He chooses who to work with based on fit, much like business schools.
Tomo
CAMBRIDGE JUDGE
The main counselor I asked was Sam Haldeman, a young counselor who studied at UCLA Anderson. We collaborated using each other's strengths as if he were a member of the same project, and literally fought the MBA exam project with two people. I usually do project-based work with foreign teammates, so I think fit is very important in terms of working style.

It hasn't been long since he was in an MBA program himself, so he has a lively sense of the application process and the dynamism in the program. He also consults corporations as a trainer and previously worked in schools, so his strength in teaching is valuable when helping MBA applicants.

Above all, I was able to rely on him in an emergency. Since I took the GMAT test just before the 1st round application, I only had a lead time of about 5 days including the weekend to prepare the documents, and when I realized that the draft I had collected on the weekend needed a fundamental change at the beginning of the week, I almost gave up to apply in the first round. However, I was able to discuss from there, make a decision on the direction of the core story, divide the roles, and finish it in almost a day and a half from scratch!
sam@haldemanconsulting.com
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