Choosing an admissions consultant

I am generally quite skeptical of admissions consultants and the entire business as a whole.  My reasons for this are many, and I'm not going to get into that here.  I used a consultant the first time I applied to b-schools, and it was an utter debacle. 

Aside from very general storytelling and ok essay revisions, she added little value to the process.  What upset me even more was that after I got dinged everywhere, I e-mailed her to get her thoughts, but she did not even respond to me.  Once the results were in, it was as if I no longer existed.  I have also talked to countless consultants for free consultations, and very few of them told me anything that I did not know.  Perhaps my standards are a bit too high; after all, I do know a lot about the process.  Moreover, the fact that they get paid the whole amount regardless of the actual admission result goes against the notion of a healthy incentive structure. 

All that being said, I am seriously planning on using a consultant this time for my last attempt.  The main reason is that although I'm a pretty good writer and am knowledgeable about the process, my age and previous application attempts have put me in a very difficult spot.  As such, I need serious help with respect to strategic positioning, narrative, and marketing.  I believe that I possess more or less the "raw ingredients" to get in, but I need to provide the right package. 

Finding the right consultant, however, is an arduous task.  For one thing, I have received very different feedback from them.  For instance, one consultant thinks that my previous career goals are fine while another told me that I need to totally revamp it in light of my age and my current startup.  Another thinks that my age is not a major issue while another told me bluntly that I'm too old for the top full-time programs and that she will be unable to help me.  Given these conflicting viewpoints, it is difficult to identify whose perspective is more "legit."  I do have a few services that I'm seriously considering, after doing my due diligence and talking to them.  I will try to make a decision in the next few weeks.  Either way, this is a huge financial committment on my part, with absolutely no guarantee of success.