Why work with me
Most people buy this help in pieces: a consultant for the application, a tutor for the mathematics, a coach for the interview. I do all of it myself, and I have been through each part of the process on my own account.
What makes this different
Why I do this
I work as a high-frequency trading quant full time, and I tutor part-time because I genuinely enjoy it. I have taught for more than fifteen years. I like the point in a session where something that looked impossible becomes obvious to the person in front of me, and I have never found anything in finance that replaces it.
Because I do not need to fill a calendar, I only take on people I think I can help, and I can give each of them proper attention.
I have been through it myself
Most people who advise on this have done one part of it. I have done all of it. I applied to Oxford and did my master's in computer science there. I did a second master's in financial engineering. I applied to London Business School, did the MBA, specialised in quantitative finance, and now interview the people applying after me. And I went through the quant interview process to get the jobs I have held since.
That matters in practice. An MBA applicant from a trading background, or a mathematician applying for a first quant role, often needs help on the application and on the technical side at the same time. With me that is one conversation, not three providers who never speak to each other.
How this help is usually bought
The market is organised by task, not by person. That is efficient for the firm and expensive for the client in a way the invoice does not show.
- MBA admissions. A consultancy assigns you a consultant, sells interview preparation as a separate package, and charges by the school. Some of its consultants have worked in an admissions office; many have not, and you rarely choose which.
- Oxbridge admissions. The firm writes the personal statement with you and hands the MAT, STEP or TMUA to a tutor from its network — the part that decides the outcome, given to someone you did not meet when you signed.
- Quant interviews. A question bank for practice, and a coach from a marketplace for mock interviews, booked a session at a time. Neither sees the other's work.
Each of those is reasonable on its own. The cost is at the joins: three providers, three views of the candidate, and nobody holding the whole picture.
Fees
I agree the fee with you on the first call, once I know what you need. Some people need a few focused sessions; others need a full year. It would not be fair to either to charge them the same way. The first call is twenty minutes and costs nothing.
Book a 20-minute call More about me
Or email me directly: alex@geodesicpartners.co.uk
Common questions
What does an MBA admissions consultant actually do?
Helps you choose schools, shape a story that holds together across the essays, CV and recommendations, and prepare for the interview. The part most people underestimate is the first: applying to the wrong list is the commonest reason a strong candidate gets no offer.
Do I need a separate tutor for the MAT or STEP?
Not if the person advising you on the application can teach the mathematics. Most consultancies cannot, which is why they subcontract it. The test carries far more weight than the personal statement, so it should not be the part handed to someone else.
Is a question bank enough to prepare for quant interviews?
For the content, very nearly. What a bank cannot give you is practice at thinking aloud while someone interrupts, which is what the interview actually tests. Use a bank for the mathematics and a person for the performance.
Who would I actually work with?
Me, from the first call to the last session. I do all the teaching, the application work and the mock interviews myself. I work as a high-frequency trading quant, studied at Oxford and London Business School, and interview MBA and Executive MBA applicants for LBS.
How are your fees set?
I agree the fee on a free 20-minute first call, once I know what you need. Some people need a few focused sessions and others need a full year, so a fixed price would not be fair to either.
An hour on where you stand · £250
The assessment
Send your CV, transcript and targets, and I will have read them before we speak. In the hour you get an honest read of where you actually stand, your realistic chances at each target, and the deadlines that apply to you. Credited in full against any programme booked within a month.
Start the assessment — £250 Free 20 minutes first What the hour covers →