Applying without a consultant. Looking for honest advice on actually useful resources (+ ApplicantLab?)

Hi Everyone,

I'm applying to a mix of M7 and T15 schools this cycle. The plan is to get most applications in during R1, although a couple may end up moving to R2 depending on how things progress.

A bit of background: I'm an engineer by education and have about six years of experience in financial services, working across equity research management, client analytics and commercial strategy. I'm also applying from a pretty competitive applicant pool as an international engineer, so I want to make sure I'm approaching the process the right way.

I'm doing this without an admissions consultant. As much as I'd love to work with one, spending several thousand dollars on consulting just isn't financially realistic for me. So I've accepted that I'll have to figure out as much of this process as I can on my own.

I've been reading through GMAT Club, Poets & Quants, school webinars, admissions blogs, consultant websites, YouTube videos, podcasts... basically anything I can get my hands on.

The problem is that there's so much information that I'm finding it hard to tell what's actually worth my time.

I had three questions for people who successfully applied without a consultant.

1. If you could only recommend a handful of resources, what would they be?

2. Are the free consultation calls with admissions consultants actually worthwhile?

3. ApplicantLab

I keep seeing ApplicantLab recommended here, and it seems to be one of the few paid resources that people consistently rate highly.

• For those who used it, especially international applicants or applicants from competitive applicant pools, did you think it was worth the cost? Did it genuinely add value beyond what you could get from the free resources already available online?

• Also, on the off chance that someone has a subscription they're no longer using and would be open to transferring or selling it at a reasonable price (assuming that's allowed under their terms), I'd really appreciate a DM. Happy to pay a fair price. I'm just trying to keep my application costs under control where I can.

I'd really appreciate hearing from people who navigated the process independently. Thanks very much!! :)