I know Cambridge Coaching very well. I used them for GMAT tutoring and MBA application consulting. I spent many hours working with my GMAT tutor and application consultant and was extremely pleased with both.
I'll start with the GMAT tutoring: In full disclosure, I did not actually improve my GMAT score after all this tutoring, but that was more a function of me having already hit my limit I suppose, and I had a pretty good score. I was mostly trying to get higher than average at the top schools to which I wanted to apply. My tutor was fantastic and I learned a lot of tricks and felt like the tutoring had just enough structure while also allowing for some flexibility based on my strengths and weaknesses. Another point of disclosure: I had taken a Manhattan GMAT class two years before I took the test the first time (and got my highest overall score). I say this not to compare and contrast tutoring vs. Manhattan GMAT, but more to clarify that if you have no familiarity with the GMAT, tutoring is an expensive way to learn the basics. I would recommend either beginning on your own and then going to a Cambridge Coaching tutor once you've determined your strengths/weaknesses, or using a service like Manhattan GMAT first and then going to Cambridge Coaching.
My MBA application consulting was unbelievably helpful. I applied to 3 schools two years ago (without consulting assistance) and wasn't accepted to any of them. This next time around, a coworker referred me to Jason Manoharan (a "Master Consultant"). With his guidance, I applied to five schools and the outcome was terrific. I had coworkers and colleagues who used other services - namely, some of the big brand names that you see advertised on MBA materials. Their pitch is that they have the former admissions director on hire from a top business school. That sounds compelling, but in practice I haven't seen that actually add value. What you need is an experienced consultant who gets to know you well, understands the schools, and is honest with you. Jason checked all three of these boxes. By "honest," I mean that Jason advised me on how I should use him most effectively because it's a meaningful financial investment for every hour of consulting. For example, I asked him to review my resume and he was quick to tell me that I should use free resources for something like that because that's an expensive way to get pretty basic advice. He was still happy to look it over for 10-15 minutes, but before having him do that, I had coworkers, family, etc. read over it and offer me feedback. Another consultant would definitely have said, "yes," and then gone through multiple rounds of review with me, racking up an hour or more of time.
Consultants will help you as much as you'd like them to. They're not going to hold your hand, so you're still responsible for knowing the school's deadlines, setting timeframes for your applications, and researching schools. However, I got the sense that I could ask Jason anything and he would provide an insightful response, right down to when I was deciding among multiple schools. The bulk of the consulting work came in the essays. Jason was straightforward with his feedback. He wasn't afraid to tell me that something I said didn't make sense or needed more work, even if I had just spent hours working on one paragraph. In a couple of instances, I started essays over from scratch. I wouldn't have done this if I had been working alone. Ultimately, my essays were polished and concise. I have no doubt that the strength of my essays made a major difference in my overall applications this second time.
My final comment relates to the professionalism of the Cambridge Coaching platform in general. Students receive logins to the website, where they have access to a calendar, billing information, and tutor notes (though I didn't use those). When I needed to call and speak with someone, there was always someone helpful on the line.
I'll be heading off to a top 10 business school this fall and I owe a lot of credit to Cambridge Coaching. read more