SERVICES OFFERED
Comprehensive Admissions Consulting Service: my primary service and the one that most of my clients use.Other services: Interview-Only Preparation, Reapplication, Waitlist, and Second Opinion Counseling
COMPREHENSIVE ADMISSIONS CONSULTING SERVICE:
- Skype/Telephone
and/or face-to-face for initial consulting, application content
brainstorming, school selection, feedback on essays (when a
conversation will be more effective in addition to or in lieu of
written comments), and interview preparation.
- Email-based consulting for extensive comments on essays, resumes, and other documents.
I offer a high level of flexibility in terms of pricing and logistics to meet the diverse needs of my clients.
My service is based on a few core principles:
- Clients should only pay for what they need. You will pay for my time based on exactly as much time as something takes. I provide my clients with an MS Excel worksheet so that they know exactly how much time was spent. My clients do not pay for routine emails regarding logistics. Email and Skype/telephone sessions can billed out for as little as 1/10 of an hour. The minimum length of face-to-face sessions is one hour. My clients have found that they get not only the best service, but also one that focuses on value for money.
- Clients should be able to have an easy time scheduling appointments. I am interested in maintaining the quality of the service I provide and don't try to work with as many clients as I could, which makes scheduling with me easy.
- For comprehensive service clients in Tokyo, any face-to-face sessions are held at the Royal Park Hotel in Nihonbashi. The hotel directly connects to the Hanzomon line and is within walking distance of the Hibiya line. I pay for all beverages. Only my comprehensive service clients are not subject to a 5000 yen per hour charge for face-to-face sessions.
- The admissions process is hard enough for applicants, so I have very simple and customer-friendly rules. There are no cancellation penalties for last minute cancellations of telephone/Skype sessions. Same day cancellations for face-to-face meetings can be made up to 1 hour before the start time without penalty.
My counseling process is designed to maximize your results through providing you with a holistic approach to the admissions process. As you can see below, I have indicated how many hours of my time are likely to be required. As this varies greatly, it is something that I can be much more specific about after an initial consultation. I conceptualize the process this way:
Stage 1: Initial consultation to determine whether we should work together, free! Contact me at adammarkus@gmail.com to arrange an initial consultation. Initial consultations are offered via Skype, telephone, and Google Chat.
Stage 2: Resume, 1-3 hours. I can do everything from simply review and comment on to substantially revise your resume. Taking care of your resume first allows me to begin to learn about your past experience.
Stage 3: School selection and initial strategy, 0-3 hours. The amount of time we spend on this will vary greatly. For some clients, I will be actively involved in school selection advising, but not for all. Similarly, my involvement in initial admissions strategy development varies. For many clients, school selection and initial strategy will be combined with other parts of the process. See methods and my blog for more details.
Stage 4: Essays, first school, 3-10 hours. This will vary greatly depending on the number and complexity of essays you have to write and your own abilities. Three hours would be typical for a simple 3-4 page statement of purpose for a masters program. Typically 5 to 10 hours would be required if you were an MBA applicant writing essays for a top US or European program. See methods and my blog for more details.
Stage 5: Recommendations, variable number of sessions depending on the level of depth of my involvement. Assume 1-4 hours for 2-3 recommendations. See methods for more details.
Stage 6: Essays, subsequent schools, .25-8 hours. Revisions to a statement of purpose for the next school might be minor, but given the wide variation in what schools require, there is a huge range of variation. As your portfolio of essays increase, the time required to do each subsequent school should decrease significantly.
Stage 7: Interview practice, variable depending on client need, 2-10 hours in total would be typical for MBAs. See methods and my blog for more details.
Stage 8: Assistance with miscellaneous administrative issues aapplication forms, waitlist letters, scholarship essays), 0-3 hours.
How Many Hours Will You Need?
The total number of hours you will need is something we can discuss in our initial consultation. I have some clients who use as little as two hours and others who need 40 or more. The usage varies so widely that I will assess this on a case-by-case basis.
Here are some past utilization patterns for MBA clients (Note: The details below have made intentionally obscure to protect the identity of the client):
2 hours: High performing American client who just needed some overall feedback on resume and essays, but was a real quick learner, a great writer, and someone who really understood the admissions process even before contacting me. Applied to only one top US MBA program. Admitted.
7 hours: European client admitted to top US MBA program. Only applied to one school and required comprehensive service on resume, essays, application, recommendations, and interview.
10 hours: Indian client based in North America. Applied to four programs with my assistance. Based on that work with me, applied to another four schools. Admitted to two top US MBA programs.
11 hours: Japanese MBA client with native level English and extensive international professional and educational experience. Applied to 4 top MBA programs with my assistance was admitted to three of them. Required about 5 hours for the first school and significantly less time for each subsequent school.
12.5 hours: American MBA client admitted to two top programs and two other programs. Dinged at two other top programs. Required extensive work on goals, overall feedback on content, school selection strategy, and interview preparation.
16 hours: East Asian client admitted to one top MBA program. Applied to three. Interviewed and admitted at one. Strong international background, but complicated personal story that required extensive discussions. Intensive review of all application components.
20 hours: European client admitted to 2 top MBA programs, invited for interviews at four, applied to seven. Advanced level non-native English speaker in a remote location. Required extensive assistance at communicating his story effectively, but once mastered needed help on making it fit for each subsequent application. Relied on me for intensive review of all application components for each school.
20 hours: American client admitted to 3 top MBA programs, invited for interviews at four, applied to six. Client was a reapplicant. Needed assistance in restructuring and presenting his goals and a very complicated professional background. Also required extensive interview preparation to overcome previous problems at interviewing.
25 hours: Japanese MBA client with relatively weak English ability and some test score problems. Admitted to one top MBA program. Interviewed at two schools. Applied to six. Needed comprehensive assistance with the application to the first school (9 hours), but was a relatively quick learner
30 hours: Indian MBA client based in US. A reapplicant with some very postive and very negative background experiences. Needed extensive assistance on all phases of the application process, but was excellent at interviewing. Admitted to all 6 programs in US and Europe that the applicant interviewed at, applied to 10 programs.
40 hours: Japanese MBA client with advanced English. Applied to multiple top MBA programs. Admitted to all of them. Required extensive assistance with all stages of the admissions process.
51 hours: Japanese MBA client with advanced English. Admitted to 2 top US MBA programs and withdrew from two others. Dinged at one school. Required extensive assistance with the process at all stages including strategy development, multiple reviews of all documents for all schools, and a large number of hours of interview preparation.
LL.M. and other graduate degree clients will usually need 5-15 hours depending.
My service is designed to maximize your results through a holistic approach to the admissions process.
Bottom Line: I promise to provide the best advice I can to suit your specific needs and budget.
PRICES
As mentioned above, I charge by the hour.
Please note that all payments made in Japan are subject to Japanese consumption tax and therefore there are two different rate structures:
For Payments Made Outside of Japan:
My prices below are in Japanese yen because I am based in Japan, so please contact me for a price quote for other currencies.
| Base Hourly Japanese Yen Rate | |
| 23,000 |
The package rates below are for prepayment, but I am happy to work with clients on an hour-by-hour basis as well.
| Pre-purchased Hours | Package Discount Hourly Yen Rate | Total Price in Japanese Yen | Total Value of Package Discount Compared to 22,000 Japanese Yen Base Hourly Rate |
| 5 | 22,000 | 110,000 | 5,000 |
| 10 | 21,500 | 215,000 | 15,000 |
| 20 | 21,000 | 420,000 | 40,000 |
| 30 | 20,500 | 615,000 | 75,000 |
| 40 | 20,000 | 800,000 | 120,000 |
PLEASE NOTE: If you need to buy additional hours beyond the initial package, I guarantee my availability. I will also lock-in your price for the entire time we work together. One of the reasons that I work with a limited number of clients is that I can always provide full service to the clients I work with. Also, please note that once you buy a package you would pay the package hourly rate for any additional hours purchased.
For Payments Made in Japan:
| Base Hourly Japanese Yen Rate Before Tax | Hourly Rate in Japanese Yen including 5% Consumption Tax |
| 23,000 | 24,150 |
| Pre-purchased Hours | Package Discount Hourly Yen Rate Before Tax | Total Price in Japanese Yen Before Tax | Total Value of Package Discount Compared to 22,000 Japanese Yen Base Hourly Rate | Total Package Price (including 5% tax) | Discounted Rate for purchasing additional hours based on the initial package purchased. Per additional hour (including tax) |
| 5 | 22,000 | 110,000 | 5,000 | 115,500 | 23,100 |
| 10 | 21,500 | 215,000 | 15,000 | 225,750 | 22,575 |
| 20 | 21,000 | 420,000 | 40,000 | 441,000 | 22,050 |
| 30 | 20,500 | 615,000 | 75,000 | 645,750 | 21,525 |
| 40 | 20,000 | 800,000 | 120,000 | 840,000 | 21,000 |
PLEASE NOTE: If you need to buy additional hours beyond the initial package, I guarantee my availability. I will also lock-in your price for the entire time we work together. One of the reasons that I work with a limited number of clients is that I can always provide full service to the clients I work with. Also, please note that once you buy a package you would pay the package hourly rate for any additional hours purchased.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE
LOGISTICS
Types of files you should send me: For essays, resumes, recommendations or any other document that you want me to make comments or editorial suggestions on, please send me a .doc or .docx file. For presentations, please send me Power Point file. Only send me PDFs or HTML files if you don’t expect that I need to make major changes or if you are unable to send another file type. For application forms copying and pasting content into a word file is preferred if time permits.
Session Recording: I highly encourage you to use an audio recorder for all sessions. For both face-to-face and Skype, it is easy to record sessions.
Time Tracking: Clients should pay only for what they need and for the time that something actually takes to be done. I provide my clients with an MS Excel worksheet so that they know exactly how much time was spent.
Telephone/Skype/Google sessions: I encourage all my clients to use Skype or Google Talk as they are free, but if you want to talk with me on the phone, I can call you. For Skype/Google, I am video enabled. There are no penalties for last-minute change of schedule.
Email sessions: We don't have to schedule anything if you are sending me an email or document to review. You just send me files and I review and comment on them. I usually reply within 24 hours, but can adjust based on your needs. If I will require longer than 24 hours to review your files I will let you know. Please note that this 24 hours does not include any days that I am not scheduled to work.
Face-to-face sessions are conducted at the Royal Park Hotel in Nihonbashi, Chuo-Ku. I will pay for your beverage of choice. Plans for face-to-face sessions will be determined on an individual client basis. Unlike telephone/Skype or email sessions, I have a one-hour minimum for all face-to-face sessions. Same day changes to schedule are no problem and are without penalty. I would ask that you notify me prior to the start of the session if you are unable to attend. If I am waiting somewhere for you, I will charge for my time. Since I started my own business in 2007, I have only penalized one client.
Continuity of service to my clients is my highest concern: In order to provide continuity of service to provide counseling, in the event of a national disaster that make it necessary for me to leave Tokyo, I reserve the right to switch all face-to-face sessions to Skype/telephone sessions. I fortunately live in Chuo-ku, where it is unlikely that we will face blackouts. However if this should prove to be otherwise and find I am unable to maintain normal operations, I will consider temporary relocation to Western Japan.
General Availability:
My availability for providing counseling is as follows:
January 2-approx. January 20: I am available 7 days a week until all major second round deadlines have ended.
January 20-February: I am typically available 6 days a week (including Sundays).
March: I am typically available 5 days per week (including Sundays).
April-June: In 2012, I will be taking an extended vacation. The dates are not yet determined. I cannot guarantee my availability during this period.
July-August: I will be working 5 days a week including Sundays.
September- November 14 approx.: I will be working 6 days a week including Sundays.
November 15 approx-December: I will be working 7 days a week.
I never work on the following dates: January 1, April 9, November 4, and December 7.
PLEASE NOTE: Once I commit to working with you, I do so for the entire admissions season. So if you need to buy additional hours beyond the initial package, I guarantee my availability. I will also lock-in your price for the entire time we work together. One of the reasons that I work with a limited number of clients is that I can always provide full service to the clients I work with.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE:
Payment Methods: Payment is via domestic bank transfer, international wire transfer, or PayPal. Most international clients prefer using either PayPal or Wire Transfer. Japan-based clients are subject to a 5% surcharge for using PayPal. There are no initial signing and/or hidden fees.
Extension of Service: In the event that you are unable to use any hours you purchase from me within one year from the date of purchase, you can extend your hours for one additional year without extra charge, but these hours are no longer refundable.
Refunds: Consistent with Japanese Law regulating educational providers like myself, I will refund 85% of your unused balance if requested within in one year from the date of purchase. All refunds are subject to the following conditions:
1. Cost of Transfer (International only, Japanese bank transfers are free for me): Any refund provided will be subject to decrease due to the need to pay wire transfer. Any PayPal refund you receive from me will be subject to any fees you have to pay to PayPal.
2. Change in Package Discount Rate: The package rates above are a discount on my standard hourly rate. Therefore requesting a refund on unused hours for package is subject to an altered hourly rate for the service I provided. For purposes of a refund, your discount will be based on the total number of hours used.
Example: if you buy a 5-hour package, use four hours, and request a refund on one hour, the 1,000 yen base discount will be revoked. Therefore your base refund would be reduced from 22,000 yen (one hour at the discounted rate) to 18,000 yen (1 hour at the discounted rate minus 4000 yen for the 4 hours you used at the regular rate). The remaining 18,000 yen would be the amount you receive an 85% refund on. The total refund would be 15,300 (or if you paid consumption tax, plus 765 yen for Japanese Consumption Tax, for a total of 16,065 yen.
3. Maximum of 50,000 yen not refunded after changes due to alteration in discount rate. After accounting for any change in the hourly rate as discussed in "2." above, the maximum amount of your unused balance that I can retain is 50,000 yen.
Privacy: I take your privacy seriously:
1. If we see each other at admissions events I will only acknowledge you if you wish me to.
2. I will not provide any identifying information about you unless you specifically give me permission to do so.
3. I destroy all paper files (I have an industrial strength shredder!) and delete all electronic files once I am finished working with a client.
4. I do not use any identifiable past client story examples in my essay analysis on my blog.