Barbara C.
Studied at University of Bath
Works at Barbara Coward
Not currently taking new clients
Barbara can still be messaged
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About Barbara
B-school industry expert and internationally-acclaimed admissions consultant with demonstrated expertise in strategic and influential content development and storytelling. Support clients through resume review, letter of recommendation feedback, mock interviews, essay strategy and business school selection. Contribute to prominent media, including Business Insider, Fortune, Financial Times, Poets & Quants, Money, and U.S. News & World Report.
Work Experience
Founder
Barbara Coward
October 2016 - Present
Supportive, strategic and confidence-building admissions consultant with clients on all continents (except Antarctica), providing school selection guidance, essay & resume review, interview preparation, letter of recommendation strategies, and advisory services for applicants to the best business schools around the world. Clients accepted to top MBA and specialized master's programs around the globe, such as at London Business School, INSEAD, Harvard Business School, Yale School of Management, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Wharton, University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Columbia Business School, Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business, MIT Sloan School of Management, Georgetown University McDonough School of Business, Tuck School of Business, NYU Stern School of Business, HEC, Cornell University Johnson Graduate School of Management, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management, Kellogg School of Management, University of Michigan Ross School of Business, University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business, HKUST, Rotman School of Management, and UCLA Anderson School of Management. Also support clients accepted to other highly competitive graduate programs such as Harvard Kennedy School. Expertise in storytelling includes identifying key life experiences and achievements to craft a compelling and distinctive narrative that establish an emotional connection with the admissions reader.
Founder
Barbara Coward
January 2012 - July 2020
Provide marketing consulting services for leading business schools worldwide to increase awareness and drive leads for full-time MBA, part-time MBA, International MBA, EMBA and specialized master's business programs. Develop strategic content for digital marketing communications including blogs, email campaigns and social media. Client work includes the #1-ranked International MBA program in the United States, an Ivy League business school, the #1-ranked MBA program in Asia, a consortium of top-ranked MBA programs in Canada, a top 10-ranked business school in Europe, and a specialized business master's program at a top-two public university in the U.S. Sought-after industry speaker and media contributor to Poets & Quants, Business Because, U.S. News & World Report, and AACSB Best Business Schools Blog. Participated in convening of business schools at The White House in 2015 to expand opportunities for women in business.
Admissions Reader
The Johns Hopkins University - Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
November 2016 - February 2017
Seasonal admissions reader in the 2016-2017 application cycle. Evaluated more than 300 applications from five continents for the highly selective Master of Arts program offered in Washington, DC and Bologna, Italy. Assessed applications for dual-degree (MA - MBA) programs with Wharton, Tuck, and INSEAD. Determined ability of applicants to engage in a range of political, economic, and international topics taught at one of the top-ranked schools of international relations in the world. Assessed quantitative aptitude, professional focus, international exposure, and leadership potential through submitted resumes, statement of purpose and analytical essays, letters of recommendations, transcripts, test scores, and interview notes. Successfully completed a high volume of applications within a tight deadline for Early Notification and Regular Application candidates.
Assistant Director of Executive MBA Programs
Loyola University Maryland
November 2008 - December 2011
Key decision-maker in the admissions selection process for EMBA (as well as Part-time MBA and MSF candidates). Led information sessions (in-person and virtually), interviewed applicants, evaluated applications, and presented their files to the admissions committee. Saw first-hand how adcoms think, debate, and decide.
Director of Admissions
University of Bath
January 1997 - June 2011
Responsible for enrollment management and selection process for accredited Full-time and Part-time Executive M.B.A. programs. Interviewed and evaluated applicants from an application pool representing more than fifty nationalities. Led on-site information sessions. Met with media, such as the former business education editor in charge of the MBA rankings for the Financial Times.
Financial Analst
Laura Ashley
May 1996 - March 1997
Based in the global headquarters in London, and the North American headquarters in Boston, was responsible for setting up, administering and presenting the Group planning process involving multi-currency reporting. (Group CFO was an HBS alum.) Performed critical reviews of submitted plans and recommended changes. Advised regional financial controllers, executive directors, business managers. Developed North American shop and overhead budgets and presented financial information to senior management. Identified opportunities for profit improvement. Prior retail sales experience in the Cambridge, Massachusetts store.
Division Controller
American Express
January 1989 - August 1995
Reporting to an HBS alum, directed financial planning and analysis for the largest revenue client. Produced and wrote institutional mutual fund client contract renewal books. Presented financial analysis for client fee negotiations. Recommended revenue enhancements and expense reduction. Analyzed customer profitability. Presented annual plan and monthly financial results to senior management and executive committee. Produced a $60 million budget on schedule with negotiated allocations.
Education
University of Bath
MBA
1995 - 1996
Admissions Committee Experience
The University of Bath is highly-respected for engineering and STEM subjects. My decision to go to the University of Bath was simple: my then-husband was a third-generation manufacturing family-business owner in the countryside. I considered other schools, like LBS, but they were logistically impractical for his work. I was told that Bath was a very good university, so I applied and was accepted to the best program in the area, which, like LBS (and Cambridge and Oxford) was accredited by AMBA. This personal experience taught me a lot about the school selection process and how our personal life (and other people) often need to be considered in the admissions journey. I know what I gained and also what I missed out from not going to a M7 school and bring that personal insight and empathy into my client relationships.
Boston College
MBA
1992 - 1995
In the early 1990s, I was working for a mutual fund company in Boston, Massachusetts. My boss and mentor, who was an alum of HBS, encouraged me to get my part-time MBA. The company reimbursed 100 percent of the costs, so it was a no-brainer, as they say! For several years, I balanced working full-time, driving to campus during snowstorms, finding parking spaces during football games, and attending evening classes that finished around 9 p.m. Why did I choose BC? The reason was simple. I had dated two guys who went for their MSF and MBA programs there. (Suffice to say that I didn't work with a consultant -- in fact, I didn't know they even existed!) I still use some of the lessons from coursework all these decades later including a great class on negotiation and active listening. I even applied lessons from the negotiation class to increase my grade in my marketing class. LOL. I was nearly 1/3 of the way done when I met my then-husband and relocated to the UK. My credits wouldn't transfer so I did it all over again. I'm probably one of the few people who has personally experienced student life as BOTH a part-time MBA candidate and a full-time MBA candidate.
Vassar College
B.A., French
1984 - 1988
I chose prestige over fit. It's an enduring lesson that I bring into my client engagements.
Barbara was also personally admitted to
Pomona College