About My Services

Over the past 21 years as an MBA admissions consultant, I have always strived to do more than just give my clients an edge. I have helped them get into the big leagues of business schools by enabling them to submit essays that make admissions directors say, “Great essays. This person looks like a good fit for our program.” Based on many years of experience and networking, I know what it takes to impress the top schools.
 
With my assistance, many of my clients have been accepted to top 10 schools despite subpar GMAT and/or TOEFL/IELTS scores. Of course, even candidates with top scores have benefitted from my services. After all, the rejection pools of Stanford, Harvard, Wharton, etc. are littered with 720+ GMAT scores. From conversations with admissions staff, I know that poor essays are often the causes of these failures.
 
Even if you are a great writer, you can still use a second eye reviewing your essay. If the world’s #1 tennis player Naomi Osaka needs a tennis coach, then anyone can use an essay coach. And who better than an experienced professional who can do it with a critical eye to help you make winning essays?

MBA Admissions Consulting Services

At Roah Consulting, which celebrates its 14th anniversary in 2023, we help our clients identify the achievements that should be emphasized in their essays, resumes and interviews. That is why we have our clients fill out evaluation and information forms from the outset.

MBA Application

Application Essay Writing Support

Far more than simply editing your grammar, we help make your essays come alive, enabling you to stand out as a candidate. After all, the top schools receive thousands, of applications per year. While GPAs and GMAT scores are important, it is with the essay that you can show the schools your creativity, initiative, ambition, potential, and all of the other characteristics that make great candidates. With our support, your essays will help you describe your accomplishments and express your goals in ways that schools find appealing.
We also make sure that there is a balance and consistency for each school’s series of essay questions and that you avoid being repetitive but also make sure that key points do not get left unsaid.

Resume Preparation

This is a crucial part of the MBA application process: it is often the first document admissions personnel read, and frequently the only document interviewers see. We make sure that our clients’ resumes are detailed yet concise, providing career, academic and extracurricular highlights in a single page.

Letters of Recommendation

Recommendation letters must be approached with caution. Whether they are too negative or overly flattering, they can hurt your chances of success. Balance is required. After helping you to identify the best recommenders, we help you and your recommender create recommendation letters that strengthen your candidacy with complimentary yet realistic appraisals.

MBA/Grad School Admissions Consulting

The biggest mistake many candidates make is not applying to the right schools. In some cases, they leave no margin for error by applying only to the most competitive schools. In other cases, they under-evaluate their potential and only apply to “safety schools.” The other factor that hurts candidates is choosing schools that don’t properly match their career, past or future.
At Roah Consulting, our approach is to carefully analyze our clients’ scores, grades, professional backgrounds, and future goals to determine what schools are the best fits for them and most likely to accept them.

Interview Advice/Training

Many candidates put too little time into preparing for interviews. This is a big mistake. Interviews can make or break your candidacy. Poor preparation can, and does, lead to shock rejections every year. To avoid this, you need to be thoroughly prepared for the questions and settings that you will be facing. Through interview coaching and simulation, we will make sure that you are ready to prove that you truly have what it takes.
Non-MBA applications (MS, MA, LLM, undergrad, etc.)
The majority of our clients are seeking MBAs, but we have extensive experience serving candidates pursuing Master’s degrees in other areas as well (LL.M., MPA, etc.) Much of what works in the MBA application process applies to non-MBA applicants as well, but we also customize our services to fit the field of study, from Accounting, Finance and Law to Journalism, HR Management and Psychology.

Client Feedback

• 

  Admitted to Cambridge Judge Business School, Oxford Said Business School
  Jeffrey’s consultation was very constructive. He has abundant experiences in both US and European schools. Particularly, I found his essay editing skill and strategic feedback outstanding. Being an American from Los Angeles who also understand Asian mindset, Jeffrey is great at cheering his clients up even when things are not going their way and always helps them succeed.

• 

  Admitted to MIT Sloan Fellows
  I really appreciate all support given from Jeff. He supported my challenge from beginning to end. Especially his editing service was very helpful because his work was very fast and given in a timely manner. Also, he was so nice guy that he used his private time to support my taking personal video to submit to the school. He always gave me appropriate advice.

• 

  Admitted to ESADE (Spain), IE (Spain), HEC (France)
  I really appreciate Jeff Roah because his advice always improved my essays and skills for the interview. His ability to polish my essay is incredible and I could not have been accepted by three top European Business Schools without his assistance. Also, his responses were quick, so I was not fearful about progress of my application process. Finally, his comments often encouraged me.

• 

  Admitted to Georgetown University Master of Public Policy
  Mr. Roah supported not only the writing of my application documents but also TOEFL
  speaking. I was highly satisfied by hi support and appreciated his kindness. Through our brainstorming sessions, he helped me highlight my strengths and unique aspects and sharpen my career goals. He cheered me up with his positive personality and helped me get through the tough work. I greatly appreciate his kind support!

Pricing and Packages

Free Evaluation
We offer a free 60-minute evaluation session for all prospective clients.

Frequently Asked Questions

• • QHow much work can you do in one hour?
  • AIn terms of editing, we can typically review 500-600 words per hour. Completing a resume typically takes 1.5 to 2 hours. The times vary depending on the quality, organization, etc. of the original materials.
  • QDo I have to sign up for extra counseling or pay additional fees to do interview training?
  • ANo, our fees are not based on the service provided. During your counseling session we will provide whatever services is needed, whether you require help writing essays, deciding on what schools to attend, choosing an essay topic, doing a mock interview, etc.
  • QDo you offer face-to-face consulting?
  • AOf course, that is one of the advantages of having an office in Tokyo. Furthermore, we are close to the Shinkansen station, providing easy access to clients coming from outside the Tokyo area. In addition, any of our clients may choose the option of communicating via Skype, telephone, or email during their counseling sessions.

Grammar/Reality Check: \10,000 per essay
If you think you essay only needs a minor nip and tuck, as opposed to major surgery, this plan might be a good fit. We will edit your essay for grammar and structure as well as assess its content and provide advice on how you can improve it. If I think it is already up to snuff, we will tell you that too.

Why Choose our Roah Consulting

About Me

Jeff Roah

Jeff was born and raised in sunny Southern California. Growing up, he and his two younger brothers were always playing sports. Their favorite sport was, and still is, baseball. Jeff loves the Dodgers and Hanshin Tigers.

Jeff has a long and broad professional background with extensive experience helping people as a consultant, business development manager, teacher and mentor. Jeff earned a BA in Political Science from Cal Poly Pomona and an MBA from Pepperdine University.During most of the 1990’s Jeff was a management consultant in Los Angeles at PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young. While based in LA, he managed projects throughout the country, including Baltimore, Seattle, San Francisco, and Phoenix.

In 2000, Jeff moved to Japan. Since then, he has worked as an international educational and corporate training consultant. His primary job is to help Japanese professionals gain admission to leading international MBA and other graduate programs, including including Harvard, Stanford and London Business School. Jeff also prepares company employees for overseas work assignment. He launched Roah Consulting, in 2009. Jeff is an active member of the America-Japan Society and Aoyama Lunch Toastmasters Club. From 2015-2018, Jeff served as a board member of Tokyo International Progressive School.

Since launching Roah Consulting in 2009, Jeff’s clients have had over 440 successful admissions.

• MBA from Pepperdine University (1997) and a BA in Political Science from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (1989).
• Prior to becoming and Admissions Consultant in 2001, worked 13 years in the United States and Asia as a management consultant for Ernst & Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and two boutique consulting firms.
• Past consulting clients included Aquent, Calbee, Credit Suisse, Dentsu, Hachette Fujingaho, HSBC, Kirin, NASDAQ Japan, and Prudential.
• Mr. Roah has provided essay editing and counseling services to over 400 successful applicants to leading international MBA programs, including Harvard, London Business School, MIT, Stanford, and Wharton.
• Also advises clients in effective interviewing, professional writing, public presentations, TOEFL iBT Speaking, GMAT critical thinking, and survival strategies for working and studying abroad.

  For prices and additional information, please contact us at info@roahconsulting.jp

  See our Testimonials

  Testimonials

  • 

    I would like to extend my full gratitude for my Roah Consulting consultant. I believe that the most difficult task in writing essays is determining the key messages. I came to know that MBA Champions can provide such service. Our close collaboration on developing attractive essay topics was a key factor that led to my successful acceptance to London Business School (2005).

  • 

    In the most fundamental essay questions (Career goal and why MBA), which also become the core part of the interviews, I was worried about what to write as a key point. For instance, I set my career goal as commercializing both new and existing technologies at the best countries at the best timing. It was difficult to determine which was the best capacity for realizing my goal: returning to a consulting firm, making a career change to a global private equity firm, or initiating a corporate venture capital division at my current company. Considering these varied options with an eye on maintaining consistency to my former career and feasibility, my Roah Consulting Counselor was actively involved in determining what to write and what not to write. He was very insightful, and that is why I believe I could develop concrete and suggestive content throughout the entire essay writing process. Accepted to Carnegie Mellon, 2004

  • 

    It seems that business schools have become more interested in applicants’ core values. When I was drafting the “What matters most” essay, I was anguished to reach a satisfactory idea and almost lost my way. First I came up with “Always globally thinking” but it sounded too cocky. Is it really what matters the most? “Encountering other people” – sounds too normal. “Being cool” – it certainly matters, but it doesn’t catch admissions directors’ hearts. Then my Roah Consulting consultant asked me, “Is it possible that your core value is that you have always given your best effort regardless of the results?” This gentle but astute comment sparked my mind. Absolutely, that aspect had always been the key in all my important life events. I was surprised and a bit embarrassed that I didn’t reach the message by myself. Only a counselor who carefully listens to his clients could provide such advice. Having written about my childhood stories in previous essays, my Roah Consulting consultant also surprised me by pointing out that my core value was molded by my parents. I believe that such insight was a key factor in my success. Submitted by a client accepted to Stanford GSB in 2002.

  • 

    My biggest challenge, picking the appropriate essay topics, was made much easier thanks to Roah Consulting. My counselor made sure that I answered the question properly, by helping me identify to most relevant and attractive concrete examples. The quality control and advice he gave me prior to writing my first drafts saved me a great deal of time. Then, he helped me create powerful and persuasive essays that led to my acceptance to several schools, including the program I selected, Tuck (2005)

  • 

    My Roah Consulting counselor made the difference for me. For starters, he brought discipline to my writing. I would submit drafts that were well over the limit, but he would edit them down to size while still stating my main points. He also weeded out ideas that were not fresh. With the active support of my Roah Consulting counselor, I applied to five programs (Columbia, Duke, NYU, Wharton and Chicago), and received invitations to them all. I was accepted to three, and chose to attend the University of Chicago GSB (2004). To my Roah Consulting Consultant, thank you truly.

  • 

    Despite a low low-600 GMAT, I was accepted to LBS (Sloan), Kellogg and several other schools. I don’t believe it would have been possible without the high quality essay counseling I received from my Roah Consulting essay counselor. As an MBA holder with an extensive career, he was able to relate to my line of business (investment banking). His strong background greatly helped my essay preparation. Furthermore, he had precise know-how concerning the essay requirements of every top school. He helped my “push the right buttons.” My counselor was flexible regarding the counseling schedule, and the response time was great. Thus the process was a lot smoother than I expected, and the stress level was greatly reduced. LBS (Sloan), 2004

  • 

    My GMAT score was in the low 600’s, but because I was company sponsored, I had to get into a top-20 school or I couldn’t go. With the great support of my Roah Consulting counselor, I got it done. He helped me to work around my weakness by emphasizing the strengths of my application (e.g. career achievements, extensive international experience) and by selecting the schools that were not so hostile towards low GMAT scores. With the essays, he helped me to describe my background and future goals in very concise and appealing ways. He helped me to manage my time well, and working together we made a powerful team. To demonstrate how much I appreciated his services, when I received the notice that I was accepted to Carnegie Mellon (2002), the first person I sent an email to share the good news with was my Roah Consulting counselor.