Gatehouse Admissions | MBA Admissions Consultants

Background: Early 30s, white male, BYU undergrad, Finance major, 3.86 GPA, 730 GMAT
Work Experience: 2 years at tier-2 consulting firm (not MBB), 3 years boutique VC firm in southeast US
Extracurricular Experience: Heavily weighted towards volunteer work with my church
Results: Accepted R1 to HBS and Wharton; rejected R1 from Sloan

I got serious about applying to MBA programs 18 months before I would eventually submit, and I was fortunate enough to have a friend connect me with Brooke. He had a very similar profile to me and got into HBS after working with Brooke as his coach. She ended up not having availability to take me on as a full client, but she connected me with Liza Weale (the founder of Gatehouse) for a full package, and then I hired Brooke to do an HBS mock interview a week before my actual interview.

Mock interviewing with Brooke was one of the best decisions I made as part of the application process. I tend to get more nervous for job interviews than the average person, and I cared more about my HBS interview than I have for any job interview previously, so I wanted to do everything in my power to control my nerves. In all of my research, I’m confident there couldn’t be a better single person with whom to do an HBS mock interview. Brooke has decades of previous experience on the HBS adcom, and with that, gave me a mock interview experience that felt just like my actual interview. Knowing her background and incorporating the feedback she gave me after our mock, I walked into my actual interview with way more confidence than I expected to. I felt very prepared for all of the questions I got, and left campus feeling like I had done everything in my power to put my best foot forward.

Brooke prepared very thoroughly for our mock (hard to tell, but it seemed like she spent 2-3x more time than my actual interviewer did reviewing my application). She was warm but efficient, a style that was very reflective of my actual interviewer. She asked me some creative & challenging questions, but in ways that didn’t make me feel like she was trying to put me on the spot, but just genuinely see how I think about complex issues I’ve encountered.

After our mock interview, we spoke on the phone for quite some time, and she gave me detailed feedback (constructive and reinforcing) on every single one of my answers. This debrief was probably the biggest contributor to my confidence going in, as she gave me lots of low-hanging fruit ideas for tightening my interview style, but simultaneously reinforced the main strengths she saw come naturally through, things that she said she was impressed by.

I could not recommend Brooke highly enough. Best of luck with the application process!

Background: 5 years of experience in IB/PE, 730+ GMAT, 3.8+ GPA
I was referred to Brooke for an HBS mock interview by my admissions consultant, and was initially skeptical. However, now having completed the entire application process, I can say whole heartedly that the mock interview with Brooke was extremely helpful and a key factor in my acceptance. Since she previously worked in HBS admissions, her questions mimicked the style, demeanor, and content of the HBS interview to a T. Especially since the HBS interview is different from other business schools, her experience with the specific style was critical. I would highly recommend Brooke – I was accepted to HBS R1 and can attribute a large portion of the interview success to her mock.

Coming from Mexico and the agricultural industry specifically I was worried that some of my stories would not come across as I wanted to for the GSB Interview. Giving a bit of context, I studied Chemical Engineering, got a 326 GRE (168Q 158V) and had a 3.5 GPA in the top university in Mexico; however, I still felt that I didn’t come from the traditional industries that you see in the top MBAs. After doing a mock session with Alex, not only did he emulate it perfectly (My interview was almost the exact same format, timing, interruptions, and follow up questionz) he also helped me find confidence in sharing these stories, organizing my ideas, and be able to share vividly and accurately what I wanted to convey. Alex was a huge part of my GSB acceptance and definitely felt ready the day of the interview. After finishing my interview (comparing it to the year before as I had been WL’ed in 2024-2025 cycle) I knew I had crushed it. Thank you for everything Alex and recommend him for anybody that is trying to find their voice in the application and looking to be prepared for any given question during the interview!

Eric was one of the best investments I made in my MBA application process. My background is investment banking and private equity with a pivot into operating and entrepreneurship in CPG, and I needed help turning a non linear path into a clear, compelling story. He pushed me to get specific about decisions, stakes, and outcomes, and to articulate what I learned and how I have grown as a leader, which made my application feel cohesive instead of like a set of disconnected experiences. He is exceptional at helping you surface what is truly distinctive about your profile and translate it into crisp, memorable themes that carry across essays, resume, and interviews. Just as importantly, he brought structure and momentum to the process with clear milestones, thoughtful feedback, and the right level of accountability, so I always knew exactly what to do next. I also appreciated how steady and supportive he was, keeping the bar high while making the process feel manageable and genuinely collaborative. By the end, my materials were dramatically stronger, more differentiated, and much more authentically me, and I walked into submissions and conversations feeling confident in my narrative.

Background: Mid-20s female; T10 liberal arts undergrad; GPA 3.8+; GRE 330+; ~4 years of work experience in finance.

I came into the MBA process excited but also nervous about how my profile might read. I thought that finance could look “standard” on paper, and I worried my story would come across as not personal/unique enough. I had plenty of experiences I was proud of, but I wasn’t sure how to shape them into a clear narrative that felt authentic and memorable. I also didn’t know how to connect the dots between what I’ve done in the past and what I want to do post-MBA.

Working with Liza changed everything. From the start, she took the time to truly understand who I am, not just what I’ve done. Her process pushed me to reflect more deeply than I expected, and it helped me connect the dots across my academics, career choices, and long-term goals. Liza didn’t try to “manufacture” a story. Instead, she helped me find the strongest and most truthful version of my own and even made me think about what I truly wanted in a career.

There are a few specific ways she added value and made me feel supported:

She made my essays sharper and more meaningful. Whenever I wrote something that sounded generic, she pushed me to get specific. Her questions were direct and thoughtful, and they consistently led to better insights and stronger writing.

She brought structure to a stressful process. Liza was incredibly organized and kept me on track without making it overwhelming. When I felt stressed out, she helped me keep the momentum going and was super supportive.

She was responsive and genuinely invested. I always felt like she was in my corner. She gave fast, detailed feedback and balanced high standards with encouragement in a way that made the process feel manageable.

She also helped significantly with my resume, recommender strategy, and interview prep.

Results: I was admitted to multiple top MBA programs, including Wharton, Columbia, and Kellogg, with significant merit scholarship support. I’m heading to business school this fall with options I’m genuinely excited about, and I credit Liza with helping me put forward the strongest application possible.

This process is intense, and it’s easy to second-guess yourself. Liza made it feel grounded. I cannot recommend her highly enough.

I had a great experience working with Rachel, as she spent significant time getting to know me and helped shape my personal stories to put my best foot forward in my application process. Coming from a traditional finance background (top 20 undergrad, Finance major, 3.8 GPA) with a slightly below median GMAT score for my target schools, Rachel was upfront with me that my profile would place me into a competitive applicant pool. However, she guided me smoothly through each step by encouraging early reflection and brainstorming, which ultimately set a strong foundation for my essays. She consistently challenged me to dig deeper and make my stories more personal, while also helping me manage my time and priorities efficiently. Without Rachel, I know my application would not have been as strong or cohesive. I was fortunate to be accepted to both HBS and Wharton, which were my two target schools. I am incredibly grateful for Rachel’s support and would highly recommend her to anyone looking for support in this application process!

Rachel was my trusted advisor for R1 admissions from the very start, starting with school selection up until deciding between the offers I received. She is the ideal partner for admissions and has pushed me to be strategic about where I apply and how I package myself to adcoms. Her exceptional professionalism alleviated a lot of the stress I faced: she was always available to answer all of my questions and proactively accommodated multiple deadlines (as early as June for a scholarship application).

I’m an international student working in strategy consulting in MENA with 4 years of experience, a 3.8 in engineering undergrad and a lower than ideal GRE of 320. I was concerned about my chances given my below-average score and I attribute my successful applications to Rachel’s support in helping me package my personal experiences outside of work and future aspirations into a compelling story for business school. Rachel did this with warmth and honesty, continuously checking in to keep me on track in spite of my 80-hour work weeks and pushing me to put my best foot forward on all iterations and steps along the long process.

I am especially impressed with the support she provided on my resume (almost 10 drafts!) and interviews—while I do have a lot of resources on both from my undergrad career center, business school is a different ballgame. The many mock interviews we did were invaluable in securing admission to Sloan, Kellogg and Darden (50% scholarship).

The quality of my submitted applications could not have been achieved in this timeline without her insights, meticulous reviews and deep understanding of my goals and background. I considered other consultants at Gatehouse before working with Rachel and I cannot imagine having a better experience.

Thank you so much, Rachel!!

I started working with Rachel late in the game for HBS R1, and she was invaluable in helping me shape my narrative and pulling everything together by the deadline. I was admitted to HBS.

I’m a US applicant with a 3.9 in STEM from a Top 10 university and a 750 GMAT. I’ve worked in MBB consulting for ~4 years.

Rachel has a clear idea of what business schools are looking for and provided detailed comments on my iterations that pushed me to continue reflecting and further improve my application. She also accommodated my short timeline, even turning around 1 essay iteration in 1 day instead of the standard 2. Lastly, I appreciated Rachel’s candor throughout the process. I always felt like she was straight-forward with me and wanted me to succeed.

Going with Rachel also gives you access to her firm’s resources; she shared helpful documents on the different parts of the application (some of which were HBS specific).

I’ll be headed to Harvard Business School next year – thank you again Rachel!

Background: Early 30s, white male, BYU undergrad, Finance major, 3.86 GPA, 730 GMAT
Work Experience: 2 years at tier-2 consulting firm (not MBB), 3 years boutique VC firm in southeast US
Extracurricular Experience: Heavily weighted towards volunteer work with my church
Results: Accepted R1 to HBS and Wharton; rejected R1 from Sloan

I got serious about applying to MBA programs 18 months before I would eventually submit, and I was fortunate enough to have a friend recommend I reach out to Liza and see if I could get on her roster. I paid a deposit with her 12 months before the R1 deadline, and got the sense that she tends to fill up completely about a year in advance (a fantastic leading indicator of her caliber). I hired her for just HBS and Wharton (two full school packages), with HBS as my clear #1 where I would spend the majority of my time and focus.

Going into the application process, I had a number of fears / concerns: 1) I have a very vanilla background on paper, hitting essentially all of the overrepresented categories I possibly could. 2) Below the median test score for HBS. 3) I had tons of ideas for potentially essays swirling, but wasn’t sure at all how to distill them into a tight, compelling narrative. 4) Began initially with the perception that I would need to significantly play up my accomplishments in order to stand out enough, at the risk of portraying myself inauthentically

Liza has a gift for what she does. She is the eminent MBA admissions coach. In a subtle, inconspicuous, gradual, but powerful way, she helped me quickly break through all of my concerns. Her implicit and explicit messaging from the beginning was consistently this: we can’t guarantee anything, but you have every reason to feel very confident in your unique, authentic story. She imbued a quiet confidence by orienting my on self-reflection, honesty, humility, and purpose-driven ambition.

While she exceeded expectations throughout the entire process (10/10 on resume review, short answers, recommender preparation, and mock interviews), there were three specific areas where Liza was particularly notable as a coach:

1) Results. My individual results, but more importantly, Gatehouse’s consistent results, speak for themselves. Liza told me after R1 decisions that her Gatehouse team had a 55% HBS acceptance rate for R1 this year, and is consistently at 30%+ across HBS rounds. This is 3x+ the “market” rate.

2) Creative writing breakthroughs. By far the most stressful part of my application was writing my third HBS essay, the “Growth Oriented (Curiosity)” essay. Going into the app, this was the essay I was most nervous about. We brainstormed and I drafted essays with different topics for ~6 weeks over the summer, coming up with a few different versions that I thought had great potential. Liza was kind and patient, but ultimately firm in helping me see that I was focusing on topics / experiences that were too fraught. With only ~3weeks before the deadline, we decided together to scrap, and we were back to the drawing board. Liza offered to schedule a one-off emergency call, and we re-reviewed my initial brainstorm. She led with her characteristic warmth and encouragement, saying “I am certain there are great stories, it’s about just surfacing them.” She called out a specific topic that we hadn’t previously given much thought to, asked me a number of questions about the experience to try and tease out some themes, and then helped me storyboard an outline live. Her parting words before she left me to write the first draft were again open-ended enough to not apply undue pressure, but sincere enough to really stoke confidence and excitement. Sure enough, the draft came together with relatively few edits over the course of a week or so, and it ended up being a fantastic essay: undoubtedly unique to me, very authentic, and perfectly fitting to the prompt.

3) Humanity & character. I can’t speak highly enough of Liza as a human being. She is simultaneously warm, kind, humble, sincere, and firm, direct, and unapologetic in her coaching. I don’t know how she does it, but I truly felt like I was her only client. She replied to every single one my emails promptly. On most of our (infrequent) scheduled calls, she went longer than the scheduled time, even asking multiple times at the end of the call if there was anything else I wanted to discuss or she could help with. She learned the names of my wife and kids, and asked about them regularly. I called her shortly after getting the news from HBS, and it felt just like celebrating with my family and best friends. I esteem her SO highly, because of the genuine care I feel she has for me, a care that goes so far beyond our relationship as “client” and “consultant.”

I could not recommend her highly enough. Make sure you reach out with as much time as you possibly can so you can get on her roster. Best of luck with the application process!

My background: mid 20s female from a T20 undergrad, with a liberal arts degree/background with ~3 years of work experience. GRE score of 325 (163V/162 Q)

I was recommended to Liza by a friend who described her as the best in the business, and Liza completely lived up to that description. I came from a small, boutique firm in a highly specialized arts/culture sector, and Liza provided invaluable support by transforming my niche experiences into captivating stories that demonstrated my strengths and potential for a career in MBB (something wildly different than what I do now). Liza is excellent at getting you to dig deep on your essays, so much so that each time I pressed ‘submit’ on the three schools I applied to, I was 100% confident that I had put my best foot forward – that peace of mind alone is invaluable.

Liza is also incredibly kind, patient, and energetic, making her easy and pleasant to work with – she makes a stressful process reflective and enjoyable, and I left many of our strategy conversations feeling more confident about myself and my future – something that will serve me beyond the applications/admissions process! But Liza is also, importantly, 110% honest when needed, and she will not hesitate to tell you when an idea, essay, or interview response is not up to par for your goals. She always comes back with solutions-oriented feedback, making the essay writing slog much easier.

I’m thrilled to be attending Columbia Business School with a large merit scholarship, an outcome I am incredibly thankful to Liza for – she was a north star throughout this process, and I felt so much more at ease knowing I had her in my corner to make my application the best it could be. Thank you, Liza!!!

I had a great experience working with Rachel on my reapplication to a few schools, resulting in acceptances to Wharton and Sloan and a waitlist at HBS (I had been rejected without an interview to all 3 last year). I was applying with a strong academic background (Oxbridge undergrad, 780 GMAT), but a slightly unusual professional history (3 years at a research startup in the energy sector, based in London). She did a great job helping me tailor my story and tie all of the essays together into one message. She is extremely responsive, never missed a deadline and often turned things around extremely quickly, especially as we got closer to the deadlines. She was also particularly helpful for the interviews, helping both with mock interviews and organizing a group interview to get used to the unique Wharton structure. She was great, would definitely recommend.

I worked with Eric from April through December, ultimately earning admission to Harvard Business School. I came into the process as an Asian consultant at an MBB firm, applying to only one school: HBS. Given how competitive that profile is, especially as an overrepresented applicant, I knew from the outset that I needed the right partner to help me craft a story that was both distinctive and compelling.

I chose to apply exclusively to Harvard because of its academic rigor, strong brand recognition, and the combination of a large class with a close-knit section experience. I also knew that with my background (top undergraduate institution, strong professional trajectory, industry expertise, externship experiences, and long-term family business aspirations) I had many strong pieces, but I lacked a cohesive narrative that tied them together in a clear and authentic way.

Eric was instrumental in solving that problem.

From day one, he was extremely organized and methodical. He laid out a clear roadmap for the entire process, and as long as I followed his guidance and timelines, I felt completely confident that I was in good hands. Eric has deep experience helping candidates from similar backgrounds get into HBS, and that credibility made it easy to trust his judgment throughout the process.

We worked closely on all three HBS essays. One took only 2 iterations, while another took more than 10, but at every step, Eric maintained a high bar. He made it clear that something wasn’t finished until it was truly great, and once it reached that standard, we moved on with confidence. That level of rigor made a meaningful difference in the final product.

Beyond the essays, Eric was a true partner. He was highly responsive, often replying to emails within hours and consistently generous with his time. During interview preparation, even though our engagement only included one mock interview, he went well beyond scope, running multiple mock interviews and answering every question I had. His calm, expert presence made the entire process far less stressful and helped me feel prepared and confident heading into my HBS interview.

What sets Eric apart most is his ability to distill what admissions officers actually care about. He asks the right questions, not just to get better answers for the application, but to push real introspection. Through working with him, I gained a much clearer understanding of my own career goals, leadership style, and long-term aspirations. That self-awareness alone made the process worthwhile, regardless of outcome.

That said, Eric was a pivotal reason why I ultimately received an offer from HBS. I’m incredibly grateful for his guidance, partnership, and unwavering support throughout the journey, and I would recommend him without hesitation to anyone aiming for top MBA programs, especially those coming from competitive or overrepresented backgrounds.

Background: Mid-20s, Ivy League undergrad, 715 GMAT, 3.58 GPA. I’ve spent the last 4 years working in the Consumer/Retail space.

I was hesitant to work with a consultant for the application process. I was determined to submit an authentic app and was concerned that a consultant would try to influence my story to fit what admissions officers are looking for. I was also concerned that I would not realize the full value of the cost, and that the benefits would be marginal.

I could not have been more wrong! Liza was a true partner in this process. Her expertise in resume building, essay writing, interview prep, and much more were invaluable. She pushed me to focus my application on being “100% me”, helped transform my storytelling, and kept me extremely organized. Most importantly, I maintained a tremendous amount of trust in Liza throughout the process. She was always reachable, honest, and supportive. Because of her help, I was fortunate to be accepted at GSB and Wharton.

If you’re thinking of signing on with Gatehouse, pull the trigger!!

Background: Finance (investment banking/private equity), test score 730-750 old GMAT, GPA 3.8+ @ top 5 US undergrad Economics program, Asian F

I was initially skeptical about hiring an admissions consultant, but heard about Liza from friends who had highly recommended her. I decided to give it a try and am so glad I did!

Process: I set up an introductory 30 minute call with Liza, where I provided my resume and we walked through my ‘story’. I could tell from this initial call that Liza invests a lot of time and thought into each of her clients, and had the experience necessary to help me craft the best version of my application. After the call, I filled in an “Experience Inventory” (aka a very detailed questionnaire essentially detailing my life and career story). The inventory was extremely helpful, allowing me to actually reflect on why I made each major decision in my life, starting from childhood all the way to my most recent job. Liza and I reviewed the inventory together and she was able to pull out the common threads that connected all these disparate events and decisions, laying the groundwork for my essays. Liza then provided a timetable for the application workstreams, and we started working on the essays.

Liza’s greatest strengths were:
1. Helping me craft essays that genuinely reflected me as a person and condensed my life story and passions/goals into <1,000 words. This is a tall task that I wouldn't have even know where to begin without her. My essays ended up being very personal and authentic – I only felt comfortable sharing that kind of information at her encouragement. If I hadn't worked with Liza, I likely would have written very sanitized version of my essays (what I 'thought' business schools would like to see vs. what actually reflected me as a person). There was also one essay in particular (Why business school) that I really struggled on because I had never truly reflected. Liza nudged me along that reflection process, brainstorming ideas and helping to craft my essay.
2. Meticulous organization and timetables. Liza is extremely organized and delivers all of her revisions in a timely manner (i.e. within the windows she specifies which is usually around 2 business days). For one of my essays that I was struggling with, we were able to get to 10+ revisions because of this efficiency. She also set schedules for essays/application materials so that I didn't have to spend any time planning.
3. Liza's interview prep materials were very helpful. As part of the package, I received a general behavioral mock and school-specific mock interviews, which I found to be very similar to my actual interviews.

Results: Applied to GSB and HBS R1, accepted to both.

I came into the cycle with a pretty mixed background across finance, tech operations, and medical device R&D. My stats were solid but not in the highest percentiles. My undergrad GPAs ranged from 3.6 to 3.9 across two top 20 universities, and I scored a 720 on the GMAT. I planned to apply to both MBA and JD/MBA programs but wasn’t sure how competitive I’d be, especially for JD/MBA programs which have very small class sizes and notoriously difficult dual-admissions hurdles.

From the start, Eric helped me make sense of everything. He understood the different chapters of my career and helped me figure out how they fit together in a way I hadn’t fully recognized. When I voiced doubts about applying to JD/MBA programs, he didn’t hesitate and encouraged me to go for it. That kind of unwavering confidence made a huge difference throughout my entire application process.

Eric is incredibly talented at helping you find the through-line in your story and present it clearly and concisely. This was especially important given the limited space in application essays.

His feedback on essays was always timely, thoughtful, and candid. When something wasn’t working, he said so, and when I hit my stride, he let me know that too. I don’t consider myself a strong writer, so having someone who could guide me without compromising my voice was invaluable.

Whether it was talking through doubts, tightening essays or prepping for interviews, Eric consistently showed up. He always checked in ahead of deadlines, interviews, and decision days. It was incredibly comforting to know someone was in my corner the entire time. 


In the end, I was admitted to several M7 MBA programs, including Harvard Business School, and to a top 5 JD/MBA program with over $100K in scholarship funding. Eric’s consistent guidance played a major role in my admissions outcomes. If I were to start this process all over again, I would choose to work with Eric every time.

Eric was exactly what I needed as a candidate coming from the most “classic” MBA feeder path imaginable: two years in bulge bracket investment banking followed by four years at an upper-middle-market private equity fund. I had strong numbers (~3.9 GPA from a top liberal arts college and a 755 GMAT FE), but I also knew that great stats and a traditional background can actually be a liability at the very top schools if you don’t have a clear point of view and a differentiated story.

I only applied to HSW, so there was no margin for a generic application. From the start, Eric focused less on polishing and more on strategy. He pushed me to answer the hard questions that top programs actually care about: What’s the throughline in my decisions, beyond “finance progression”? What do I uniquely bring to a class full of high-performing investors? What is the precise problem I want to solve post-MBA, and why am I the right person to solve it?

Where Eric really stood out was his ability to craft a narrative that felt both compelling and true. He helped me identify the more nontraditional aspects of my experience that I had been under-weighting, then built them into a cohesive story with clear stakes, motivations, and direction. Just as importantly, he helped me pressure-test my post-MBA goals until they were specific, credible, and differentiated—so the “why MBA / why now” argument didn’t read like a template.

Eric also brought the kind of candid feedback that is rare and incredibly valuable. He gave tough love when I needed it, called out weak framing immediately, and didn’t let me hide behind strong credentials. That directness made the work better and made me better. By the end, I submitted three applications that I was genuinely proud of—applications that reflected my best foot forward, not just my resume.

The outcome speaks for itself: I was admitted to Wharton with a scholarship. I obviously own the work, but I also know I would not have stood out the same way without Eric’s guidance. If you’re coming from a traditional background and want a consultant who can help you differentiate with substance, sharpen your goals, and tell your story with clarity and edge, Eric is the real deal.

Eric Hollowaty was a phenomenal advisor throughout the entire application process, going above and beyond routinely to ensure I put my best foot forward in my Round 1 applications. I would highly recommend him to anyone who is debating working with a consultant ahead of their MBA applications.

For background, I am from the Northeast and attended a top 15 U.S. News-ranked university for undergrad (think Duke, Johns Hopkins, UChicago, Northwestern), where I graduated with a liberal arts degree and a 3.9+ GPA. I applied in Round 1 this fall with a 695 GMAT Focus to HBS, GSB, and Wharton with four years of work experience (will be five by matriculation); two years at an investment bank and three years in large-cap private equity. In case helpful context, I had previously applied as a college senior for the 2+2 / deferred admission at HBS / GSB (did not apply with a consultant and had been less rigorous about prepping for GMAT, resulted in rejections without interviews).

I approached the application process with some trepidation about building a profile that would differentiate me from the large pool of candidates applying to the same schools with similar backgrounds. Although I had led a few initiatives outside of my core job responsibilities / through partner organizations over the ~2-year stretch ahead of applying, I wouldn’t say I had some particularly strong non-professional angles (i.e., no Associate Boards, leadership positions with community orgs, etc.). With Eric’s help, however, I was able to build a differentiated application that still described me authentically.

I’d say Eric’s primary value-add can be split across three core buckets, all of which were immensely valuable and critical to my success:
• Initial Ideation: Eric spent hours going through my background with me, teasing out anecdotes and stories that would ultimately form the basis of my applications. Where he is most effective in this process is driving you to think more critically about why something has been impactful or where you have driven change – he doesn’t ‘let you off the hook’ at your initial story, but prompts you to do the second-level thinking that makes your story both unique to you and interesting. Once the essay prompts themselves were released, he would coordinate a 90 minute school-specific ideation session, where we would debate stories to leverage for each prompt. These sessions with Eric were critical – he is unafraid to tell you when an idea is a bad one, saving you the time of writing an essay that ultimately would not land. Further, his excitement over a compelling essay idea is palpable, motivating you to drive forward. In short, he was a crucial sparring partner that helped me land at the best and most relevant narrative possible.
• Essay iteration: Eric was tireless in his support through the drafting process; he thoughtfully reviewed everything I drafted (multiple times), ranging from the long-form essay responses to the 150 character blurbs embedded in the applications. He was unafraid to push me when a draft needed a lot of work, taking the time to even leave voice memos describing where he thought I could improve when a draft particularly missed the mark. Across the three schools, Eric reviewed and commented on nearly 50 iterations of my various essays and short answers – an incredible level of meticulous external review that helped me get my essays into very polished shape well ahead of submission day.
• Interview Preparation post-submission: Eric’s help did not stop after I submitted my applications. When it came time to prepare for interviews, he worked with the same meticulousness, helping me think through both how to prepare broadly and specifically for each school I applied to. Again, Eric was unafraid to give direct but valuable feedback when my answers missed the mark during a mock session. With his support, I walked into my interviews incredibly confident, and even faced several questions that we had gone over in our mocks.

One other note which I think is important in the hectic nature of getting applications submitted – there are no surprises with Eric. He is incredibly communicative, clear, and always available to promptly answer one-off questions that pop up. Importantly, he is also a pleasure to work with, bringing an infectious attitude that made the marathon of MBA application writing feel manageable.

With Eric’s support, I was admitted to both HBS and Wharton this fall. I am 100% confident my applications and profile would have been nowhere near as well-received without his help and support throughout the last year. I feel very fortunate to have worked with him, and strongly recommend him to anyone considering working with him.

Before my mock interview with Laura, I was frankly very overwhelmed with prepping for the HBS interview because of the sheer number of answers and stories I felt like I had to prepare. That’s when I decided to do a mock with Laura. And let me tell you, that was the best decision I could have made, because Laura was AMAZING.

Prior to the mock, she read through my entire HBS application, and I could tell she did thorough research beforehand (just like your HBS interviewer would) from the thoughtful and pointed questions she asked me. She was warm, energetic, and thoughtful – throughout the interview, I felt like she was always on my side (which is what your actual interviewer will feel like as well – they want you to succeed, something Laura reinforced!).

The mock helped me so so much! Many of her questions were very similar to my actual HBS interview. Her feedback was also incredibly helpful – she told me exactly what was working really well and what I needed to reframe. She helped me tighten responses that were too long and encouraged me to emphasize the parts of my story that she felt would be more compelling.

I honestly don’t think I would have done as well in my real interview without this preparation. Laura made me feel so much more confident going into my HBS interview that I actually wasn’t nervous on the day of.

If you get an HBS interview invite, PLEASE do a mock with Laura!! I got into HBS, and Laura played a huge role in getting me there.

Background: Asian, Female, Undergrad at top US public university, 3.75 GPA, 328 GRE. MBB Consultant on the East Coast with ~4 YOE. Originally from Southeast Asia

Results: Admitted to HBS and Wharton

If you’re researching MBA consultants right now, I was in your EXACT position a year ago. I did intro calls with several consultants, and while most were good, my conversation with Liza was different. Within 15 minutes, I knew she was the person I wanted in my corner.

I was concerned about my profile from the start – MBB consultant with a business undergrad degree, a fairly overrepresented background. But Liza immediately started asking thoughtful questions to uncover what made my story unique. She dug into my cultural background, my extracurriculars, my family background, the specific work at my current job, and how all those pieces connected. I was also only applying to HSW and am a 2+2 reapplicant (did not get interviews at any of the schools I applied to), which added significant pressure to get every application right. Liza didn’t try to talk me out of this strategy or push me to add safety schools. She was fully committed to making each application as strong as possible. Knowing she believed in my candidacy and was willing to go all-in with me made a huge difference.

My first essay drafts were generic – lots of “I want to transform XYZ sector” without real substance. Liza kept pushing back: what does that actually mean? What will you specifically do? It was uncomfortable at first, but through her questioning, I developed a concrete plan and the WHY that I could articulate with real confidence. Throughout multiple essay drafts, Liza continuously put genuine thought into each version, no matter what stage it was in. We had nearly finalized one of my essays, and when we picked it up a month later, Liza suggested changing some aspects of it. That level of thoughtfulness – being willing to revisit something we’d already polished – made the essay significantly stronger.

What I really want to emphasize about Liza: she’s a genuinely wonderful and fun person to work with. High energy, always supportive, and she never made me feel bad about anything – even when my drafts needed significant work. Whenever I had concerns (and I had plenty), I could share them with her, and she’d immediately brainstorm solutions with me. She was also consistently on top of everything – deadlines, submission plans, updates on school requirements; I never worried about missing something important because Liza had it covered.

I cannot recommend Liza highly enough. As many will tell you, the MBA application process is extremely rigorous, but Liza actually made it very enjoyable and somewhat relaxing for me. Working with her was the best decision I made throughout this entire process.

I got into HBS and Wharton, and I couldn’t have done it without her. THANK YOU LIZA!!!

Rachel was essential in my Wharton application and preparation for the interviews. As a reapplicant I had had the experience of being ill prepared and after having a session with her on the mock interviews, I was left feeling assured and confident in this process. Without a doubt, I would hire her again. 10/10

I started working with Rachel quite late in into round 2 (end-November 2024) and was initially nervous about whether we could pull everything together in time. From day one, Rachel jumped right in, helping me organize and prioritize the many moving pieces of my application (I still had to take the GRE on top of everything) while never making me feel rushed or behind. Her responsiveness was unmatched – whether it was (many) questions over email, quick check-ins, or strategic brainstorming sessions, Rachel always made time. I was especially grateful for her availability between Christmas and New Year’s to accommodate my short timeline, when many others would have been offline.

What truly set Rachel apart was her ability to help me tell my story. Coming from a consulting background, I struggled to differentiate myself and articulate my post-MBA goals in a compelling way. Rachel asked the right questions, challenged me to dig deeper, and helped shape a narrative that felt both authentic and impactful. Her feedback on my essays, resume, and even the short-answer questions was consistently sharp and constructive, yet always encouraging.

I was eventually admitted to Kellogg’s One-Year MBA program (my only application) and I can confidently say I wouldn’t have gotten there without her support. I was initially hesitant about the investment but can now say it was worth every penny especially if you are an international student like myself.

I’m a recent graduate from Northwestern University, where I studied Learning and Organizational Change and had a focus in marketing. I graduated with a 3.8 GPA and was applying to Kellogg’s deferred MBA program during my senior year.

Working with Rachel made a huge difference in my application process. Our time working together felt intentional and productive. She asked thoughtful questions that really pushed me to reflect on my long-term goals, and helped me build a clear narrative connecting my past experiences with where I hope to go. She checked in regularly, helped me manage my stress around the process, and gave me the freedom to shape what our work together looked like.

With Rachel’s support, I applied to the Kellogg Future Leaders Program and was accepted. I’m so grateful for her guidance and highly recommend working with her—especially if you’re looking for someone who will help you bring your story to life.

I had an awesome experience with Lynn on my application to HBS, GSB and Wharton (was fortunate enough to get into HBS and Wharton and am headed to HBS!). I spoke to a few consultants before my application process and liked that Lynn seemed focused on story-telling aspect of my application rather than just iterating on grammar / project management. I wanted to tell the story of my transition from a very traditional background (Ivy league Economics major, private equity, top percentile GRE score) into a less traditional career path afterwards, and Lynn was very quick to understand and shape the narrative going into my applications. Her perspective shone in the ideation phase, where I had a lot of discrete ideas and anecdotes that I was struggling unite under a common thread; she immediately found commonalities between these different pieces and saved me dozens of hours of me iterating on my story.

Lynn was hyper focused on every little detail of my application to make sure that we were telling this consistent story, and made sure nothing slipped through the cracks. I loved how painless the application process felt with Lynn’s support, and when I felt like I was lost or unsure through the process she helped me stay confident and on track. I was frankly much more stressed about the interviews than the essays themselves, and when my HBS and Wharton interviews came around, she was extremely supportive and made sure to answer all questions and assuage my anxieties so I felt incredibly prepared going into these interviews. Overall, I’d recommend Lynn to anyone looking for an MBA admissions coach that’s more than just an essay editor but is an insightful storyteller who can help you reflect on your life and tell a coherent, persuasive story on your professional career and MBA journey.

As a product manager at a consumer tech company with 4 years of experience, I initially thought I could tackle the HBS interview process on my own. But once I received the invite, I quickly felt overwhelmed by how much ground I needed to cover—and how high the stakes felt. That’s when I reached out to Eric, based on a friend’s referral, and I’m so glad I did.

Eric quickly helped me narrow in on the areas where I was struggling, and more importantly, helped me lean into being myself rather than over-rehearsing or posturing. I tend to be humble, sometimes to a fault, and Eric helped me recognize when it was important to celebrate my accomplishments rather than downplay them. Throughout the self-reflection work, the waitlist update, and the interview prep, he reminded me that the admissions team truly wants to understand who I am—not just what I’ve done.

His feedback was always honest and clear. He helped me cut through my tendency to overcomplicate stories and coached me to explain things more clearly and in layman’s terms. I never felt like I had to pretend or over-polish—his approach helped me convey my story with clarity and confidence.

Even after I was waitlisted, Eric didn’t disappear. He continued to support me through the process of writing an update and helped me stay grounded and optimistic without being unrealistic. I ultimately got into HBS, and I genuinely don’t think I would have navigated the experience as well without his guidance.

My stats: 3.34 GPA, GRE 158V/166Q/4.5W.

If you’re looking for someone who cuts through the noise, helps you focus on what matters, and supports you with care and candor—especially under tight timelines—Eric is the one.

Working with Hollis Kline was the single best decision I made in my MBA application journey. Thanks to her expert guidance, I was fortunate to gain admission to both Harvard Business School and Stanford GSB. But beyond the results, it was Hollis’s approach—deeply personal, calm, and incisive—that made the process so meaningful. She took the time to truly understand me: my goals, my values, and the nuances of my story. From that foundation, she helped me craft applications that were authentic, compelling, and strategically sharp.

For context, I’m a private equity associate with five years of combined experience in investment banking and PE. I studied finance at Indiana University and scored a 695 on the GMAT Focus. Like many applicants with a traditional pre-MBA background, I knew standing out would require thoughtfulness, precision, and depth. Hollis delivered on all three. She is personable and laid-back in a way that puts you at ease, yet she’s also relentlessly committed and unafraid to challenge you when needed. Her feedback was always sharp, constructive, and focused on making my application the best it could be.

Hollis is more than an admissions consultant—she’s a true partner and advisor. For anyone looking to rise above the noise and submit a distinctive, high-quality application to a top MBA program, I cannot recommend her highly enough.

Working with Rachel was truly one of the highlights of my MBA journey. I started the process quite late (mid-November for Round 2), with a GRE score slightly below the median and a background in management consulting, so I knew I needed to bring real depth to my story to stand out. Thanks to Rachel’s guidance, I was fortunate to be admitted to both Wharton and MIT out of the four schools I applied to (other ones being Kellogg and Booth).
What made working with Rachel so special wasn’t just her sharp strategic advice (which was spot-on), but how quickly she created a space where I felt I could be completely honest, something that allowed me to go deeper in my storytelling. She helped me uncover what was unique about my path and pushed me to articulate it with authenticity, confidence, and warmth.
She helped me structure my time efficiently and stay on track without feeling overwhelmed, always helping me prioritize without ever making the process feel transactional or rushed. I genuinely looked forward to our calls, which kept me grounded through a pretty intense few months.
I’ll always be grateful for Rachel’s support, and I can’t recommend her enough!

I went through my MBA application process with a vague understanding of my story and how that led me to want to apply to an MBA, but working with Eric truly helped me tie together all of the dots and crystallized for myself the value of getting an MBA degree. While working with Eric, he was consistently returning my essay drafts days ahead of schedule, which enabled me to continue to iterate while in the right headspace. Throughout it all, Eric kept me motivated and optimistic that it would all work out in the end… which it did!

Alex was an absolute joy to work with last year. I was accepted to 5 out of the M7 schools (Booth, CBS, GSB, Kellogg, Wharton) that Alex supported me on with $450k in total merit scholarship across the schools. I graduated from a top 30 school and worked in financial services after graduating. He is the right fit for someone who is all in–if that is you, work with him!

Alex was particularly helpful in the following areas:
>Forcing me to dig deep in identifying and displaying 1) the granular skills I needed to achieve my goals, and 2) the ways that a given school’s program can specifically enable me to achieve those goals. I think most consultants bring the latter but Alex really pushed me to think about the former. Gatehouse hires consultants who attended top MBA programs and often work in prestigious roles after attending those programs: this background uniquely enables Alex to see the connectivity between the classroom and real world skills.
>Pushing me to identify and highlight impact in my resume. Alex pushed me to really dig out the impact of my work even when I thought a given point was perfect: herein lies a key value driver of a talented consultant. Friends and families will typically read your work and affirm how great it is. No matter how honest you ask them to be, they won’t be because they have nothing to gain.
>Helping me stay on track and organized. Alex sent back feedback meticulously on schedule according to Gatehouse’s review timelines. Having a reliable consultant is so important and it’s so easy for part-time consultants to procrastinate in sending back feedback. However, I always felt that Alex prioritized sending me back comments in a timely manner–I couldn’t even tell that this wasn’t his full-time job!

After submitting my applications, he set aside plenty of time to conduct mock interviews with me (another one of his strengths). I genuinely feel that I became a more natural interviewer after working with him and know that will help me when I’m applying for internships and full-time roles. By the end of the journey, I felt that Alex knew me better than most of my friends and through working together, he helped me discover myself.

Industry: Financial Services (not Investment Baking / Private Equity), 5 Years Experience in Strategy and Product; Test Score: 720 GMAT; GPA: 3.75 @ Ivy+ School, Social Sciences Major, Humanities Minor

I asked some friends for MBA consultant recommendations, and after meeting Liza, I knew I found the best one. In our first meeting, Liza described honestly, based on my high-level stats, my initial strengths and deficiencies, and how I could draft an application that harnesses both.

I truly felt that Liza’s approach as a consultant helped me to write essays that felt as authentic, well-rounded, and captivating as possible. The three most emblematic ways Liza helped me do this were:

1. Making me write an inventory of my entire life experience – childhood, personal, professional, and extracurricular experiences and stories. Writing this out was extremely helpful in reflecting on how my experiences led me to where I was and where I wanted to go next. We used this inventory to have a deep discussion on the points in my career and personal experiences that would demonstrate in applications who I was, why I wanted to pursue a MBA, and why I thought I was the right fit for certain schools. Most importantly, this experience allowed Liza to get to know me, and push me to demonstrate my most authentic self as I wrote essays.
2. Like writing a novel, I was the author and Liza was the editor – only that Liza pushed me like a track coach would push a runner in doing everything they could to hit their best ever time. With each draft I wrote, Liza pushed me for perfect – in choosing the right story, in making sure every sentence advanced the point of the essay, and ensuring my personality shined through. The journey to finishing an essay was so profound that some of my essays (even those that were only 250 words) had 10-15 drafts.
3. In preparing for interviews, Liza hosted a few mocks with me. Her feedback was vital, since she knew both what schools were looking for as well as who I was (especially so by this point in the process). She helped me realize that MBA interviews are conversations where I painted a cohesive picture on who I was within a 30-45 minute time frame.

Lastly, as a full-time professional, I appreciated how Liza helped me set the pace on how often I turned around drafts as well as holding me accountable to deadlines we set. This allowed me to chip away at essays consistently and diligently over months to avoid any significant last-minute work.

I deeply enjoyed working with Liza, who was a coach, editor, cheerleader, and friend all at the same time. I applied to three schools, and was accepted to HBS (attending), Wharton, and Sloan – in huge part thanks to the process of working with Liza!

As a healthcare tech consultant at Deloitte and Brandeis grad with a 3.4 GPA, my MBA journey had its challenges. Despite multiple attempts at the GRE, I couldn’t push my score beyond 306 – not exactly what top programs look for.

That’s where Liza and Gatehouse Admissions made all the difference. Unlike other consultants who glossed over my weaknesses, Gatehouse was refreshingly honest. Liza didn’t just tell me what I wanted to hear – she gave me straight talk about where I stood and what we needed to do to overcome my test score limitations.

What really made Gatehouse stand out was how they helped me craft my story. Looking at my initial essays now, I can see they were completely off target. Through Liza’s guidance, I discovered what actually mattered in my application – not just improving my weaknesses, but highlighting my authentic strengths in a way that made sense for MBA admissions.

Gatehouse kept me organized and accountable throughout the application process for all three schools. The structured approach helped me stay on track with deadlines, and Liza’s positive reinforcement kept me going when things got tough.

Gatehouse’s expertise in storytelling is why I got into Kellogg’s MBAi program despite my GRE score. They didn’t just edit my essays – they helped me find and articulate my unique value proposition in a way no other consultant could have.

Background: White, Female, 26, 3.91 GPA (Non-target), 715 GMAT Focus, 2 years IB + 2 years PE. I worked with Rachel on HBS (R1), Wharton (R1) and GSB (R2) and received offers from GSB and Wharton.

Rachel was referred to me by a close friend who worked with her the prior year and had a great experience + successful outcome wrt his applications. Rachel and I began working together in May (on schedule) but I struggled to make progress on my essays while also studying for the GMAT. Rachel continued to encourage me and provided constructive feedback on the drafts I shared, but she also began advocating for a change in our planned timeline. I stubbornly insisted we continue with all three applications in R1 as planned and Rachel did her best to work with me, turning comments quickly even up to the last minute. Only after submitting an incomplete application (HBS) did I listen to her advice and decide to push my GSB application to R2.

Pushing GSB to R2 gave me the time I needed to rework my application from scratch and put my best foot forward, ultimately leading to an interview (which Rachel helped me prep extensively for, even on the weekend while she was traveling) and an offer to attend. Rachel’s knowledge of the application process and timeline, her direct feedback, patience, and willingness to work through challenges with me were instrumental in my acceptance to the GSB.

Ultimately I needed to put the time and focus required into the applications (no one else will do that for you), but Rachel was patient and persistent in her support while I learned that lesson. She pushed me to make my applications and interview responses better until they were polished and reflected my best. I am incredibly happy with this outcome and would gladly choose to work with Rachel if I had to do this all over again – highly recommend and can’t thank her enough!

My background: Asian, Male, 29, 3.98 GPA (Ivy), 760 GMAT, work experience ranges across business operations, IB, and PE. I worked with Rachel on Wharton and CBS for R2, and received offers to both programs.

I cannot thank Rachel enough for all the help and support she provided through my application cycle. Initially skeptical of the value add of consultants, I had unsuccessfully applied R1 without help. I discovered that I didn’t know how to properly position my profile and highlight relevant experiences to admissions.

Then – in came Rachel, from our first call together, I knew things were going to be different. (1) Rachel is extremely direct and will let you know when things are not working. Everyone comes into these applications having an idea of what a good application looks like. However, Rachel knows what an excellent application looks like. She will keep pushing you until you present yourself in the best light. (2) Rachel is incredibly detail-oriented. She’s reviewing each sentence and bullet point providing constructive feedback on how you can sharpen your points and be more specific. She remembers things you’d previously told her and resurfaces those details where relevant. The final product she helped me shape was very thorough and thoughtful. (3) Rachel is highly supportive through the whole process. She’s done an amazing job making herself available for calls / answering even the smallest questions I had within a prompt time. It’s a challenging process and she helped me through it – every step of the way.

I cannot recommend Rachel enough. She really helped transform my applications and am so thankful to her for her help!

Working with Marcus was the best decision I made in my MBA application journey. Thanks to his guidance, I was admitted to the 2Y MBA program at Kellogg, my top-choice school, where I’ll be starting this summer.

I come from a consulting background with five years of experience in LATAM. I graduated among the top 5% of my class in Mechanical Engineering in Brazil and scored 326 on the GRE. I applied to six top MBA programs and received interview invites from Booth, Kellogg, Tuck, Fuqua, and Darden.

Marcus was essential at every stage of the process. From our first conversation, he took the time to understand my goals and adapted his approach to reflect my Brazilian background and personal story. He helped me articulate my experiences in a way that felt natural and authentic, transforming my ideas into a cohesive narrative that aligned with both my career ambitions and personal values.

We went through more than 10 essay iterations per school. Marcus reviewed each version in detail, always pushing me to go deeper, be clearer, and stay true to my voice. His feedback was thoughtful and precise, often catching nuances I would have overlooked. Beyond the essays, he helped me with every aspect of the application, including resume reviews, short answers, and interview prep. His mock interviews were especially helpful, giving me the guidance, confidence, and clarity I needed to perform at my best.

Working with Marcus didn’t just improve the quality of my applications; it transformed how I saw my own story. He challenged me, supported me, and never let me settle for “good enough.” I will always recommend him to anyone starting their MBA journey, knowing that he was a key factor in my success in gaining admission to my top-choice school.

Helen is an exceptional consultant who greatly helped me through the experience of applying to MBA programs. She made what is often an overwhelming and stressful process feel not only manageable but genuinely achievable. Helen’s unwavering support shone through as she took the time to thoroughly understand me, starting with a detailed intake form and continuing with regular, personalized calls.

The application process can be daunting, but Helen’s expertise transformed it into a series of actionable, well-structured steps, allowing me to make steady progress over several weeks. Her skill in helping me brainstorm essay ideas was invaluable, as she guided me to tell compelling examples that highlighted my leadership abilities. Helen’s advice on tailoring essays to reflect my unique experiences was super helpful and allowed me to stay true to myself in the applications. I was accepted into Tuck (with a sizable scholarship) and CBS.

If I were choosing a consultant today, Helen would be my top choice without hesitation. Working with her and the team at Gatehouse Admissions was a truly outstanding experience, thanks to their unparalleled expertise and dedication.

I was fortunate enough to work with Hollis on MBA admissions for over a year and would highly recommend her services to anyone considering a consultant. She was a crucial partner in the development of my applications, which ultimately resulted in admission to my top choice schools.

We initially delved deeply into my background and together weaved threads into a coherent narrative. Hollis clarified my hodgepodge of experiences and unlocked insights that bolstered my candidacy. This upfront exploration paid huge dividends as the process developed.

As we iterated on essays and short answers, Hollis was both an exacting critic and mindful strategist. She ensured that my prose succinctly and effectively mapped to the broader themes of my application. She was also a constant source of resolve through this taxing period.

Hollis then coached me through the ins and outs of the interview process, thoughtfully critiquing responses to align to school-specific priorities.

Thanks to her exhaustive and comprehensive support, I was accepted into both HSW schools to which I applied.

Hollis is a best-in-class advisor who positions her clients for success while facilitating a manageable process. I would highly recommend her to anyone considering MBA applications.

Background
Major: History
GPA: 3.8
GMAT: 780
Industry: Private Equity

I approached Eric late in the Round 2 application cycle, unsure if I could pull everything together in under two months. As a traditional applicant (white male in consulting/finance/investments) I was also concerned about how to differentiate myself in such a competitive pool. My background included a 3.8+ GPA from a non-target school and a 640–650 GMAT Focus score.

From the very first conversation, Eric was very effective. He quickly assessed my situation, understood the challenges I faced, and helped me focus on the most impactful aspects of my background. Instead of trying to fit me into a one-size-fits-all template, Eric worked with me to highlight the unique elements of my story. He helped me craft a narrative that felt both authentic and distinctive, which was crucial for overcoming the overrepresented aspects of my profile.

Eric’s approach was incredibly structured and goal-oriented, which helped me stay focused and efficient, even with the limited time we had. His feedback was always timely and actionable, allowing me to refine my essays without feeling overwhelmed. Rather than giving me generic advice, Eric pushed me to think critically about how to present my experiences in a way that would resonate with admissions committees. He encouraged me to dig deeper, ensuring my writing reflected my true voice while also making sure I was addressing each program’s unique values and priorities.

What truly set Eric apart was his ability to make the process feel manageable, even with the tight deadlines. He kept me on track with regular check-ins and deadlines, and his strategic insights helped me strengthen every part of my application. Whether it was refining my essays, preparing for interviews, or tackling the application forms, Eric’s guidance was invaluable at every stage.

As a result of Eric’s support, I was admitted to both of the M7 MBA programs I applied to, earning significant scholarships from each. I’m confident that his expertise played a major role in making my application stand out. If you’re looking for someone who can help you refine your narrative, keep you on track under pressure, and present your best self to admissions committees, Eric is a fantastic partner throughout the process.

I’m both a traditional and non-traditional applicant. Traditional in the sense that I come from a finance background, with demographics and professional experience typical of an overrepresented, international applicant pool. My stats were solid but not standout—a UK First Class degree from a non-target school and a 675 GMAT. But I’m also untraditional: I’m an older candidate, 34 years old with 10+ years of experience, and I could only justify applying to the very top—HSW or nothing.

When I first considered working with a consultant, I was skeptical. I was only applying to HSW and thought I could manage the process on my own. I wasn’t sure how much value someone could really add to something so personal. At the same time, I felt intimidated by the MBA consulting world and unsure whether I could entrust someone with such an important life decision. It felt like a leap of faith—and I wasn’t confident I’d find someone who truly understood me and my proposition.

From our first conversation, Eric brought a rare combination of calm, encouragement, realism, and genuine enthusiasm that immediately put me at ease. This was in stark contrast to other consultants who had turned me down, calling my HSW-only plan “unrealistic” given my age. But Eric didn’t flinch—he took the time to truly understand my story, my values, and my goals. That alone set him apart. I chose to work with him on an hourly basis since I was late to the game, but it didn’t take long before I wished I had engaged him earlier—and on a full package.

He has a gift for storytelling—he helped me see the through-line in my own journey and gave me the tools to articulate it with confidence (especially as English is not my first language), and helped me connect the dots in a way that felt both authentic and powerful. I always felt like I had a trusted partner on my side, and someone who genuinely cared about my success.

Working with Eric transformed this process —and ultimately led to an admit at Stanford GSB. Looking back, I genuinely can’t imagine having done it without his guidance on storytelling, planning, interview prep and steady wisdom throughout. If you’re on the fence like I was, take the leap. You’ll be glad you did.

My background: White, Male, 28, 3.95 GPA undergrad (state school), 2 years of IB & 4 years of PE, Sub 700 GMAT (old system), sponsored for MBA, Accepted to Wharton.

I came into the MBA process somewhat skeptical of the entire thing, largely due to the fact it felt like something my employer wanted rather than my desired choice. Effort and discipline around studying and essay writing certainly weren’t there from the onset but I ultimately decided, at a friends recommendation (HBS student), to reach out to Guidehouse and Rachel about getting some help. I started the process with Rachel in Sept / Oct of 2024 with deadlines centered around the round 2 timelines at HBS / Wharton / CBS.
I can confidently say that I would not have received interviews at all three schools without the guidance and insight from Rachel. She has a very direct communication style and provides thoughtful, and constructive feedback at every step of the way. As the process unfolded, I found that her feedback dramatically improved the flow and quality of my writing and story, ultimately helping craft a narrative that would help me stand out. She does an amazing job of getting to know you as a candidate early on, and despite the relatively short window you have together, is adept at understanding when and where to push you in the right direction. She takes the time and effort to go through everything with remarkable detail, helping you polish your story and application all the way down to the 50 character-limit, vanilla information questions.

The interview prep they offer (if you get through to HBS, buy the HBS Ad Comm mock!) is also invaluable. My CBS interview was nearly identical to my mock, and while the HBS interviews are a different flavor, my mock interviews with Rachel and Laura were identical in format and feel and had me at ease for what could be a nerve-wracking 30 minutes at HBS.

Reflecting back, the quality and difference between what I would have submitted and what I ultimately did were night and day, and I wouldn’t have gotten all that close without Rachel and Gatehouse. As I felt squeezed by the deadlines, it was incredibly comforting to feel like I had some fighting in my corner — it was the best possible investment for what was a stressful and hectic few months.

My background: mid-20s, half-white, half-asian male. Two years in venture capital, one year in operations as Chief of Staff at a fintech company in NYC. Graduated from Yale University with an Economics and Philosophy degree and a 3.89 GPA, 720 GMAT.

I was accepted R2 2025 to GSB and HBS. I only applied to GSB and HBS, and I do not think I would be in this position without Liza’s guidance and partnership.

Liza’s experience speaks for itself as the founder of the pre-eminent MBA consulting firm, Gatehouse, but beyond that she is a kind, empathetic, and intelligent human being. MBA essay writing is deeply personal – Liza not only helped me explore pivotal life moments but also translated them into compelling narratives that brought out the best in me.

On essay writing, Liza was instrumental. We started by laying out the full landscape of possibilities on what to write about, and then narrowed in on the key themes and topics to focus on for each essay question. In the trenches of essay writing, she was right there beside me – her comments pushing me to think deeper, write more clearly, and sometimes consider other avenues to explore.

Liza was also critically helpful in my interview prep. I found that both my GSB and HBS interviews very much approximated my actual interviews, and because of that I started both interviews on the right foot and built confidence throughout both discussions.

I am so grateful for Liza’s support and expert guidance throughout this process, and will continue to lean on her as a trusted advisor and friend for many years to come.

I worked with Lynn to apply to HBS and Sloan R1 for the Class of 2027. Coming from a more traditional background (Ivy League undergraduate education and consulting + PE work experience) with lower quantitative stats (740 GMAT, 3.4 GPA in an engineering major) my main concern was crafting a compelling narrative to differentiate against a competitive applicant pool.

I found Lynn extremely helpful throughout the application process. One thing that stood out was how she took the time to truly understand my experiences and goals upfront. This allowed her to provide thoughtful suggestions on how to best incorporate various stories into different components of the application, ensuring the end product was comprehensive and impactful. As a former editor, Lynn provided thorough feedback during the writing process, helping me refine my essays to be more engaging while still including meaningful content.

I received interviews at both HBS and Sloan, was accepted to Sloan, and waitlisted at HBS (ultimately not admitted). I highly recommend Lynn as an MBA admissions consultant.

Rachel was instrumental in my HBS acceptance. Coming with 4+ years of experience in a nontraditional field, I knew I needed to be strategic in how I told my story. Rachel helped me dig deep to articulate my impact into quantitative outcomes, which was crucial. Her thoughtful feedback on my resume and short answers reflected just that. She was fast with her turnaround, clear with the timelines, and consistently direct in a way that was constructive and motivating. Her interview prep was also excellent. I can confidently say she made a huge difference in the strength of my application. I would highly recommend working with her.

Alex was extremely supportive which was especially important for me as someone who was worried about managing my time and staying calm throughout the process. I had a much larger list of schools before we started working together and he was a great guide for helping me identify the schools that would best fit me from both a career goals and personal vibe perspective. We worked closely on how to best articulate my story and crafted essays that I felt were the strongest version of myself and my goals. Refining my essays was so much easier with him. I also felt behind my peers when I started the process because I decided to apply to business school only a few months prior to submitting and having Alex give me guidance through each element of the process made it a lot easier to get everything done and stay confident. Overall I just really enjoyed having him in my corner throughout the whole process.

Background: B.S. in Computer Science from an Ivy-Plus university with a 3.8 GPA. I scored a 675 on the GMAT Focus and when I matriculate will have 4 YOE from a top-tier consulting firm who is sponsoring my MBA.

Results: I was admitted to Wharton, Kellogg and Ross with ~$250k in scholarships across schools.

I’m a white, non-veteran male, and was a four-year varsity athlete and graduated magna cum laude from a top liberal arts school for undergrad, had 8+ years of work experience (across strategy consulting and commercial banking) at the time of application submissions, and a 730 GMAT score. Though I had work experience across “common” pre-MBA business industries, Rachel was masterful in helping me craft a cohesive narrative that tied my work experiences together with my plans for business school and my post-MBA goals. Rachel was relentless in pushing me to sharpen my resume, application essays and short answer question responses that demonstrated the value I would bring to an MBA program. In addition to objectively letting me know where I stood as an applicant, Rachel was also extremely helpful in interview preparation and making herself available for questions prior to application submissions, pre-interview, and post-admittances. Ultimately, I received acceptances from Tuck (Dartmouth), Haas (UC Berkeley) and Yale SOM, and will be attending Tuck! I highly recommend working with Rachel.

Jennifer was everything I could possibly have asked for in a consultant. Her expertise, patience, and outstanding communication skills made the process far easier and more efficient than it would have been trying to navigate it alone.

Professionally, I was coming off of six years on active duty as an intelligence officer in the Marine Corps right into a role as a government affairs manager at an early-stage developer of nuclear fusion technology. I did my undergraduate degree at Yale (3.67 GPA), received a 329 GRE on my first go (170 Verbal, 159 Quant) and a 327 on my second go (166 Verbal, 161 Quant). Despite not having as high of a GRE score as is often recommended when applying to an M7 program, I was accepted to Columbia Business School and will matriculate in the fall of 2025.

Jennifer’s insights allowed me to identify the unique components of my story and concretely demonstrate how those experiences would allow me to have a positive impact on my cohort at CBS. Her edits to my writing were timely, extraordinarily detailed, and logical, and she made herself available to me outside of standard business hours on more occasions than I can recall. Every conversation I had with her provided tangible value, culminating in our interview prep, which made my actual interview seem like a total breeze by comparison. She truly went above and beyond for me, and I consider myself incredibly lucky to have been her client.

If you are serious about pursuing a competitive MBA program, I GUARANTEE you that the depth and breadth of Jennifer’s services are worth the price.

I worked with Mariesa on 3 Round 1 applications. Mariesa’s organization and attention to detail were instrumental in helping me craft my applications. She took the time to understand my experiences and goals, offering her perspective to help me reflect on central themes in my career and incorporate these in my resume, essays, and interviews. Her direct, candid feedback pushed me to write essays that best reflected my motivations for pursuing an MBA. With Mariesa, no stone was left unturned – she helped me make the most of every short answer component of the applications to strengthen my case. Her interview prep feedback was thoughtful and helped me better tell the most critical parts of my story, allowing me to feel more confident meeting with each school. Throughout the process, Mariesa’s positivity, flexibility, and professionalism made her an exceptional partner.

White 26F, 3.7 GPA from T50 undergrad uni, below average GMAT. Pre-MBA Industry is Private Equity. Rachel is incredible. She provided prompt feedback, and really went above and beyond in being responsive and easing my anxieties around the whole process. We kicked the process off with a gameplan, which allowed me to stay organized and visualize each step, and Rachel kept me accountable. I started working with Rachel in July, and we were able to complete both Booth and Kellogg’s applications by the round 1 deadline – and I was accepted to both (with $)!! It truly wouldn’t have been possible without Rachel. I also found Gatehouse’s “Experience Inventory” to be a reflective, and thoughtful approach to my essays – allowing me to dig deeper and reshape my initial approach. I couldn’t recommend Rachel and Gatehouse enough – worth the upfront investment for the peace of mind. She was the honest and reliable partner I needed, and someone I looked forward to meeting with every time! THANK YOU RACHEL!

As an applicant to HBS and GSB with a very “traditional” background on paper (Ivy League undergrad with high GPA and GMAT scores, followed by IB at a top bank, followed by large-cap PE), I knew that, although my application would be taken seriously by top programs, I would also be contrasted against a very competitive peer group. Therefore, I needed to be very focused on how I could stand out as a unique applicant.

I spoke with several consultants before Eric, but he immediately stood out in our very first conversation. I felt he had a deep understanding of the issues I faced as an applicant from an overrepresented pool. His level of financial expertise, as a former industry practitioner, was evident from the first minute we spoke. This enabled us to have a deep conversation about my specific goals (for example, different types of PE strategies I was interested in pursuing longer-term) that simply would not have been possible with other consultants. Just from that first meeting—which I’d encourage anyone to take with Eric—I left with new essay ideas that I may have otherwise never contemplated. Eric’s initial thoughts on my positioning as a candidate, including pointing out what he thought could be unique differentiators for me, also made it clear that he had plentiful experience working with candidates with my background.

Gatehouse Admissions (the agency through which I worked with Eric) does charge a premium for its services relative to most other consulting firms. This was top of mind as I considered whether to work with Eric. Ultimately, given the competitive nature of the schools I was applying to (Harvard and Stanford), and knowing several coworkers from my fund who were not accepted despite strong credentials, I decided the premium price was worthwhile for the peace of mind of getting the best possible advice.

I had a fairly long lead time to work on applications, so I ended up working closely with Eric for around seven months. Throughout that period, he exceeded my expectations in all respects.

In our initial discussions about my background, experiences, and interests, I had an initial view of how to present these qualities to the admissions committees—a view that, in hindsight, would not have been differentiated enough. Like many consultants, Eric took the time to understand my initial perspectives. However, he then pushed me to go a level deeper in terms of my motivations, helping me unearth anecdotes I likely would have never otherwise reflected on. One of these anecdotes, which I first mentioned to him offhand without thinking much of it, ended up being featured prominently in my Why Stanford essay after he helped me see how it tied together many other aspects of my story. Another such story became the basis for one of my HBS essays.

When it came time to draft essays, I benefited tremendously from Eric’s feedback. He is not afraid to tell you when an essay needs serious work, but conversely, his excitement is contagious when an essay hits the mark. As someone with a tendency to overthink, knowing that Eric would give me honest, well-informed feedback on every single draft helped me feel comfortable moving on to the next essay rather than continuing to ponder or rework essays that were already of high quality. With a consultant that I did not have as much trust in, I may have continued to iterate. However, because I knew that when Eric told me an essay was “done,” it was actually done, I finished the bulk of my application a month before the deadline, saving me from the major stress I saw other applicants go through in August.

Beyond the formal application tasks within the scope of Eric’s services, he also gave me great advice on topics more tangential to my application. For example, there were a couple of recent instances where I had a choice between different projects I could pursue, and I appreciated Eric’s willingness to offer his opinion on how each could potentially be featured in my application. I don’t think many other consultants would have offered this input with such generosity given that some of my questions may not have technically fallen within Eric’s agreed scope of work, so I greatly appreciated his help.

I was ultimately admitted to both Harvard and Stanford, and I absolutely believe that Eric’s help was a key factor in that outcome. I’m thrilled with the quality of service I received from him and the entire Gatehouse team, and I’ve since recommended other associates at my fund to Eric because I’m confident they’ll have the same positive experience.

My background: White female, 2 years investment banking + 2 years private equity, Ivy League undergraduate (3.8 GPA), 735 GMAT Focus score
Result: Accepted to HBS

I am so glad I was able to work with Rachel through my MBA application process, and my acceptance to HBS would not have been possible without her. I decided relatively last minute to apply to business school – in early July, I began studying for the GMAT with the goal of submitting Round 1 applications the first week of September. Rachel agreed to take me on as a client despite my accelerated timeline, and (1) clearly laid out everything that needed to be completed and (2) helped me adhere to a timeline enabling me to submit on time. She assisted me with my resume, essays, background materials for recommenders, and interview prep. Rachel gave honest feedback that helped me highlight the core messages in my essays (i.e., “show me, don’t tell me”), which ultimately led to a more effective showcasing of my candidacy. Rachel was also very effective in helping me weave together the various parts of my background (personal, academic, professional, etc.) into a cohesive and comprehensive application. Rachel was always available to provide feedback, answer questions, and hop on the phone, even if on short notice. I had a great experience working with Rachel and could not recommend her highly enough!

Working with Eric was an exceptional experience in all ways. I was initially a bit hesitant to make the $$ plunge, but after just a few hours together I was confident that both the time and money spend would be completely worth it. Throughout the process, Eric made me a better writer, storyteller, and communicator – skills that will benefit me throughout my career. I felt incredibly fortunate to work with Eric, and this sentiment was only amplified by my outcomes in December when I was admitted to both Stanford and Harvard – 2/2 schools I worked on with Eric!

In my view, Eric shines the most in essay advice, storytelling, and executive presence. I would come to him with a somewhat fleshed out idea, and he would instantly have ideas as to how make it even stronger. His ability to help bring a story to life is truly unique. His feedback allowed me to identify which parts of a story needed more detail and which could be consolidated or jettisoned entirely. As deadlines approached, he also helped me word smith my essays to meet those tricky word count limits. Additionally, I utilized his feedback on S/H when applying to several other schools where I was also admitted with substantial and/or full scholarships; I’m not sure I would have received such fortunate outcomes had I not worked with Eric.

Eric was always honest; he wasn’t afraid to tell me when something was missing the mark. I viewed Eric’s honesty as an extremely important quality, as his candor in situations in which I wasn’t meeting expectations allowed me to trust him when he said something was “great” as well. He was always attentive and reliable, and I felt confident that he was “on it” throughout the process.

Lastly, on a personal note, I always looked forward to my meetings with Eric. He is incredibly kind and thoughtful, and he made the process meaningful and fun. I would strongly, strongly recommend working with Eric to anyone I know!

For context on my background: white female working in finance, non-Ivy undergrad in U.S., 4.0 GPA, 760 GMAT, strong leadership and extracurricular experiences across college + work + outside of work

I am confident I would not have had the same outcome if I had not worked with Rachel. As background, I went to a top non-Ivy, 3.7 GPA, 760 GMAT with 2 years IB, 3 years PE, and got accepted to both HBS and Wharton in Round 1.

Since I was only applying to / willing to attend three schools and have a relatively standard background, I was nervous about differentiating myself in the application. Off the bat, I knew Rachel was the type of consultant I needed. She is extremely organized and timely, giving me a clear idea of what to expect and guidance on how I should phase the different stages of the apps early on, which helped me stay on track.

Most importantly, Rachel gives feedback in a very straightforward and honest way, which I greatly appreciated. She clearly has knowledge on what works and what doesn’t in an essay and spent a lot of time with me to figure out what to highlight, where to add specificity, and what I was better off leaving out. She allowed me to run through many, many iterations of my essays so that, by the time I finally submitted, I felt I had put my best foot forward. The support during and after interviews was also invaluable – from both Rachel and the broader Gatehouse team (Laura, Eric, and Marcus). I highly recommend working with Gatehouse, and Rachel specifically.