This company aims to help Singaporean professionals get into top MBA schools globally

Clients are starting MBA programs at Harvard, MIT, INSEAD, Columbia, amongst others.

MBA Link is a Singapore-based company that aims to help ambitious young professionals and technical teams wanting senior positions in today's evolving job roles.

"For now, we're focused on doing this for those young professionals who aspire to getting an MBA from one of the world's elite business schools by providing both GMAT preparation and admissions consulting services," says Jacob Jaeho Shin, Managing Partner, MBA Link. "We also provide test prep services related to the ACT and SAT, which undergraduate admissions tests for US colleges and universities."

MBA Link notes that as accounting, finance and technology become more automated, soft skills – knowing how to get along with people, superior communication skills and a positive attitude – are the new essentials. They are crucial for business success.

MBA Link offers executive-level coaching to develop these skills and guidance for young professionals applying to the world's most selective MBA programs. MBA Link notes that this year, clients are starting MBA programs at Harvard, MIT, INSEAD, Chicago Booth, Columbia, LBS, Duke, and others. Their clients are currently attending MIT, INSEAD, NYU Stern, Columbia, Yale, Duke, and LBS.

"The MBA Admissions process is a mystery to applicants. It's even more so for candidates from Asia, and existing admissions services didn't offer any real insights," says Shin. "We wanted to make the process less intimidating. We wanted MBA candidates to be better prepared not only to get into business school, but also to achieve their goals beyond the MBA."

MBA Link also notes that professionals enrolled with them will experience a flipped classroom approach. Instead of learning in a classroom and going home to do homework, professionals under the tutelage of MBA Link will do the theoretical work at home and use classroom time for practicing testing skills in an intense, often collaborative, environment.

MBA Link has been bootstrapped from the beginning, says Shin. His co-founder Lawrence Linker started helping a few people get into business schools based on some referrals. He joined soon after as the demand for Lawrence's admissions services grew beyond his capacity.

"We've both worked in finance (PE and Hedge Funds) prior to MBA Link, and in education prior to business school. But beyond that, we both have experiences from numerous other industries and have led startups before," says Shin.

On a personal level, Shin says he and Linker both enjoy working with people "who have that fire in their belly about wanting to do something bigger and better with their lives." They are also acutely aware of the responsibility they have to their clients and society.

Shin says MBA Link is currently ramping up its digital marketing efforts and increasing operational efficiency by bringing more technological tools to manage certain processes within sales and marketing, service delivery, and administration. "We are also continuously recruiting amazing people," he adds.