This thread is kinda old but we feel compelled to add to it.
Because it's a VERY important point that co_lor has made.
We've got some rants on admissions consulting over on our blog (along with some hopefully-helpful posts about bschool essay strategies!!) - here's one that you may want to check out:
https://essaysnark.blocked/2011/06/ ... truth.html
Obviously, EssaySnark is an admissions consultant. So you shouldn't trust us either, necessarily. But the caveat emptor thing ("buyer beware") is way important to keep in mind here. Like with everything else in life, all adm consltnts are not created equally.
ETA: This post is absolutely NOT written in response to the admissions consultants who responded above!!! Please, no offense intended, we're not targeting any specific admissions consultant or consulting company with this post, so please please do not infer anything like that from these comments. We're not criticizing anyone or trying to hint that they are untrustworthy. Just make sure you do your own research, like what co_lor said.