We were lucky to catch up with Loubna Bouamane recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Loubna , thanks for joining us today. Let’s kick things off with a hypothetical question – if it were up to you, what would you change about the school or education system to better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career?

Our mission at The Admission Concierge is to help applicants navigate the admission process in some of the most competitive schools in the world both at the undergrad and graduate levels. Clients who come to me as a consultant are struggling to identify the right fit in terms of schools and/or field of study. The amount of information out there is overwhelming and guidance is hard to find. Admission staff in many universities is overworked and rarely can afford to spend a significant amount of time guiding potential applicants through the process of selecting the right program of study. The financial impact of committing to a degree program that won’t allow you to thrive professionally can be devastating. In addition to finding the right fit, learning how to properly navigate the admission process is a major challenge for most prospective students. In order to better prepare our students for a fulfilling academic and professional life access to (streamlined) information and guidance early on are paramount.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Prior to starting my admission consulting firm I spent over 15 years in higher ed in the US as an administrator, including 5 years as a director of MBA admissions at the University of Miami (FL). During my tenure as a director of admissions, I worked pro-bono with applicants aiming for top MBA programs in North America but also in Europe and realized that there was a real need for this type of guidance. I grew up and went to school in France where I completed my Ph.D. in American History, as such, I’m very well versed in both educational systems. I spent several years working with applicants from diverse backgrounds who are pursuing their dreams of attending a top MBA program, I know the admissions process inside and out and use this knowledge to give my clients a competitive edge. We guide our clients through the entire process, from school selection to crafting a persuasive application that highlights their uniqueness and interview prep.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

throughout my career as a director of MBA admissions, I mentored and worked pro-bono with applicants that were looking for guidance to navigate the admission process of highly selective MBA programs. Over the years I saw the demand grow for this type of service and expertise. I knew I wanted to start my own business at some point but was hesitant leaving a thriving career to venture into entrepreneurship. I took my time conducting research on the feasibility of this business and I knew I was equipped with the industry knowledge to help my clients successfully navigate the application process.

I wanted to offer a type of consulting service that stood out from the competition, a personalized, high-touch type of coaching service, as such, I can only work with a limited number of applicants each year. So the first step was to create a business model and fee structure that allow me to keep this approach while growing financially. Once I figured out that part I felt comfortable taking that leap of faith.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Working with clients from all walks of life I realized that there is no cookie-cutter method that can be applied to MBA admissions consulting. You have to tailor your approach to each individual based on their personal background and academic and professional path. For example, before launching my business I spent countless hours developing structures for essays (one of the core components to an MBA application) and resume only to find out once I started working with my clients that a powerful essay is first and foremost a personal narrative than a formatted exercise.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.admissionconcierge.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/admission.concierge/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theadmissionconcierge
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loubna-bouamane/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/admission_coach

Image Credits
N/A