Gatehouse Admissions | MBA Admissions Consultants

I’ve planned to get an MBA since I graduated from undergrad in 2015. With good grades/extracurriculars at an Ivy, 740 GMAT score, and 5 years of total WE across banking & VC (some spent internationally), I felt confident in my candidacy and the applications I prepared for the 2020 admissions cycle. PS – additional background: straight white male, 29 years old.

What I didn’t realize until I was outright rejected from H/S/W in 2020 [no consultation help] and then again by Wharton/CBS in 2022 [used a 3rd party essay revision service], was that a “good” application is not enough. The application has to be exceptional, meaning all aspects of who you are and what you have done shine through in the clearest, most compelling light.

In 2023, I decided to go all out, in what I decided would be my last attempt at applying to FT MBA programs. With Rachel [end-to-end application consultant], not only did I get interviews at every school I applied (Wharton included), I was accepted with scholarship to CBS, Yale, NYU, Tuck, and Darden!!

I echo all comments in other reviews that touch on Rachel’s work style, particularly her earnestness, patience, and reliability. And of course, her expert knowledge of what makes for a good app. Rachel draws the most out of you at both a high-level (key stories and concepts to draw from) and low-level (editing for concision and clarity).

If you want to give yourself the best shot of getting into your dream school, do not wait for your 3rd try to work with Rachel like I did, do it on your 1st. And start working with her soon, because MBA applications are a hefty burden that requires brain, time, and emotional expenditure that’s best spread out over a 3+ month time horizon. The peace of mind, results, and stakes make working with Rachel one of the best investments you’ll ever make.

Results: Waitlisted Round 1 and accepted Round 2 to HBS

I partnered with a different consultant and advisory firm for my HBS written application, but I worked with Brooke from Gatehouse for HBS interview and waitlist support. My background is fairly generic (strong GPA and standard GMAT, Asian female, business major at non-target school, 4 years in finance), but Brooke helped me bring my story to life as I was prepping for my interview. She was very adept at pulling out the unique factors and drawing connections to past experiences to build a full, cohesive narrative. Tactically, I also appreciated that Brooke was extremely responsive and flexible with her schedule – I was very busy with live deal work leading up to my Round I interview, and she carved out time last minute to conduct two mock interviews.

I also solicited Brooke’s help on my waitlist strategy. I had progressed a variety of projects since my Round I application, and Brooke was very helpful in “storyboarding” these initiatives into key themes to structure a cohesive, organized, and succinct update letter. Brooke pushed me to truly refine my update letter by moving beyond a resume style list of accomplishments and instead towards a more thoughtful reflection that demonstrated my passions and underlying motivations. I would highly recommend Brooke – She is creative, honest, demanding, and very much invested in your success. She is a great partner in the MBA application process and goes above and beyond to support you.

Background: late 20s female, ~5 YOE in STEM field, sub-700 GMAT & below average GPA for schools I was applying to.

Results: Admitted to HBS (attending) and Wharton

I worked with Laura primarily for interview prep for my top two schools and preparing an additional application for a later round in the event that I was not admitted. The preparation Laura gave me going into my interviews made all the difference! The mock interview we conducted for HBS in particular was a highlight — she took the time to review my application in detail and asked a lot of questions in a short time period, just like the real HBS interview. I was also able to participate in a mock Wharton group interview that her colleagues were hosting. These experiences in particular made me feel incredibly prepared and I was able to go into each interview with confidence. Despite my lower stats, I was able to receive an offer of admission from both of my dream programs!

Laura was great to work with! Thanks to her advice, encouragement, and quick feedback throughout the busy process, I was able to go into each next step (including juggling interviews with additional application prep) with ease and confidence. I highly recommend working with Laura; I had a great experience!

Background: Caucasian Male, 7 years general finance experience, liberal arts undergrad, GRE: 324. Results: Accepted to 2/2 schools (Columbia and Stern). April was an excellent partner throughout the business school application process and she was truly invested in my success. I felt like April put the same effort into advising me through my application process as she would for her own MBA applications, making me genuinely trust her as a partner. I came to April with a narrow list of schools I wanted to attend. She was completely supportive, and based on my list helped identify other schools I might want to consider. At times when I was exhausted from work, studying for the GRE, and writing essays, April helped me prioritize which tasks to focus on and was there to continue to push me forward.

I’m confident that April’s knowledge and high standards helped get my application materials to the next level. From our very first meeting, April helped me recognize the strengths in my experiences and develop a cohesive and interesting story. April provided unparalleled guidance and the tools for success, ranging from essay idea formation to interview preparation. We had multiple brainstorming sessions, and we went through multiple versions of certain essays before agreeing on the strongest topic for that essay. Admittedly, I can be stubborn about criticism of my writing; but April was not afraid to provide direct feedback (in the best way). April knew when to challenge my ideas and ask me to dig deeper or take something to the next level. She was not willing to settle for anything less than what she knew to be my full potential. She was honest with me when she felt something wasn’t right and made helpful suggestions to guide me in the right direction. Ultimately, her counsel was crucial in my successful outcome.

I was comfortable knowing that April and the Gatehouse team were always giving me sound advice. April is an absolute professional and an expert in this field, and I wholeheartedly trusted her guidance. She had all the answers to my questions as I worked through the application process, and occasionally she would bring in another Gatehouse expert for a second opinion, making me feel like she truly had my best interests at heart. Gatehouse is a great company, and I cannot recommend April enough as the right consultant there. She will absolutely ensure your full potential is reached.

Background: Asian/white male, worked for new HF/PE/VC fund for four years (straight out of college), 3.9 GPA at Harvard/Yale/Princeton undergrad, 770 GMAT. Result: Admitted to HBS.

While I was initially skeptical of the value of working with a consultant, I am so glad I ended up working with Gatehouse and Rachel specifically. Rachel got to know my story, work experience, and extracurricular involvement in detail and we worked together to create a cohesive application that resulted in receiving interviews at both HBS and GSB (and an acceptance to HBS). Throughout the process, there were numerous times when I sent essay drafts I thought were pretty decent but once I got Rachel’s feedback, I realized that they actually needed a bunch of work. Rachel’s suggestions were immensely helpful and pointed out things that I never would have even thought to consider. While some of these changes were tactical (e.g., fitting into word counts), many of them were also in the spirit of conveying a better overall story/narrative, which she was able to do because she put in a lot of work in getting to know me upfront. While the bulk of our work together was on the core essays, Rachel was helpful every step of the way of the application process, including incremental written materials (e.g., HBS Further Consideration Update) and the interview process.

If you’re considering working with a consultant, I would wholeheartedly recommend Rachel and the Gatehouse team!

I can confidently recommend Alex as a consultant! He is an extremely kind, creative, and humble individual who has a wealth of knowledge to share!

Background: I graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in finance and a 3.63 GPA. I have worked for four years in Corporate Development/M&A for a Fortune 25 company. I took the GRE and scored 164 Quant/163 in Verbal.

Result: I was accepted into Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, the only school to which I applied.

My current employer is sponsoring my MBA as part of a fellowship program, and they contracted Gatehouse Admissions to help all fellows with the application process. I only wanted to apply to Fuqua’s earlier round and wait to hear back before considering applying to other schools. Alex was my consultant, and he was absolutely fantastic! From the time that we were introduced to Fuqua’s R3 deadline, we only had 2 weeks, and Alex worked with me to get the application ready to go in that very short amount of time!

Alex is absolutely fantastic for many reasons. He is extremely responsive and timely, and he makes a great effort to give you quick and accurate turnaround times. He is also very organized, keeping track of outstanding tasks and deadlines for each. In addition, he has a thorough understanding of what schools are looking for in candidates, which is helpful because candidates can be very specific and intentional in their applications to different schools.

I think one of Alex’s greatest contributions came in the form of application essays. When we first met, he did a great job of getting to know my background, goals, and values so that he could effectively advise me on my essay topics. After I provided my initial essay drafts, Alex provided insightful feedback on how to make them stronger in content and more creative in style. He did an incredible job at making constructive suggestions while keeping my voice and style in mind.

Once I reached the interview stage, Alex provided helpful interview tips and topics of focus. We walked through questions that could potentially be asked and thought through how to best present my experience and goals. He was open in sharing his own interview and career experiences, which helped me understand what interviewers were looking for, as these key factors are not always what you expect.

If you are wondering whether a consultant helps, I can tell you with certainty that it does! My overall application and interview strategy were both stronger thanks to Alex’s guidance and support!

Background: Late 20s female, east coast, worked in e-commerce and then growth marketing/strategy at a late-stage tech startup, went to Brown for undergrad, 165V/163Q GRE.

Result: Attending Wharton in Fall of 2023

I could not recommend Liza more highly. Liza came recommended to me through a friend who had worked with her and ended up at Stanford GSB. From the moment I met Liza I knew she had my best interest at heart – honestly, thoughtfully, and strategically pointing out the strengths and weaknesses in my application, and how we would work together to put my best foot forward.

The MBA application process is long, and Liza is incredibly adept at leading you through that process. She is patient and thoughtful through every essay draft (of which there are many) and really takes an interest in you as the applicant and how to make you shine through the page. Liza was my biggest support system throughout this process. Liza is also extremely helpful in helping you prep your recommenders, preparing you for interviews, and even filling out the minutiae of the online applications themselves.

Working with Liza was the best decision I made in preparing for the MBA process – I recommend her and the Gatehouse team wholeheartedly.

Background: Mid-20s Asian male with 2 years IB and 3 years PE with lower GPA and GMAT (relative to peers)

Before launching into this process, I thought attending a top business school was out of reach — I knew so many others with similar work experiences and stellar GPA / GMAT scores, and incredible stories that made me feel I was out of my league.

I decided to hire an admissions counselor with hopes of having a second set of eyes on my essays and maybe providing some guidance on recommenders, especially with balancing a demanding job, and Liza came well recommended by friends of friends who had used her services before.

Liza delivered so much more — not only did she guide me through the entire experience with clear communication, meticulous planning at each and every step, and continuous support, but she also helped me ‘dig deep’ with introspection and identify common threads in my life and personal experiences and encouraged me to write about topics and adversity I’d overcome that I’d never thought about. I’m highly confident that telling these stories in a way that was genuine to me (huge credit to Liza for helping me think through all of this) made all the difference in my ultimate admission to both Wharton and Booth.

So incredibly thankful for her continuous support and her thoughtfulness at every step of the process, and cannot recommend her highly enough.

I worked with Brooke on my resume, essays, and mock interviews ahead of applying to GSB and HBS — and got into both! I truly think Brooke was critical to helping my application shine through. I have a background in PE and IB, 780 GMAT, and Ivy League college. We focused on getting deeper into the “why” of my choices and bringing admissions into my decision-making/leadership style. Brooke is incredibly attuned to how to bring the “best” out of you – and really make you dig deeper into your story, motivation, and presentation. I especially loved how invested she was in my success during the entire process. She is a great coach (extremely sharp and professional) – and goes above and beyond to support you (offering extra tips, checking in, etc.). It really makes a difference! 11/10 would recommend her services!

When I began the MBA application process, I was a bit overwhelmed and unsure of my target schools. Since I had not taken the GMAT and had untraditional work experience, I also did not know what was realistic. After connecting with Gatehouse through a friend, I had fit chats with different consultants and began working with Rachel in early spring for R1 applications the coming fall.

From Day 1, Rachel was highly attentive, inquisitive, and authentic. I quickly knew I liked her forthright and thoughtful approach. She had an answer for all my questions and provided a plan of attack right away with clear guidance on how best to allocate my hours throughout the process.

I graduated from a top state school where I majored in finance (3.53 GPA), and I worked in roles at tech start-ups thereafter. Rachel had a transparent perspective on school selection and patiently pushed me to find the best school fit for me while keeping the process grounded in reality. After scoring a 730, I clearly knew what school I wanted to attend, a decision that was made easily by Rachel’s research suggestions and insightful questions early in the process.

When we began essay work, it became evident to me that Rachel had been making a strong, genuine effort to understand me as a person across all facets throughout the prior months. Rather than simply providing instructions, she (patiently) used an arsenal of thought-provoking questions that extracted information and guided me to craft my best essays. Similarly, Rachel was a wonderful interview prep partner. She had a firm understanding of what schools were looking for and a special ability to convey the finer details of the process. To hit on a few other things: Rachel always kept me on track and on schedule, she’s a fantastic communicator, and possesses a great sense of humor which is much needed at times.

Most importantly, I just enjoyed working with Rachel because she’s a great person. In the end, I was accepted at every school I applied to, including my dream school, Tuck. I cannot say enough good things!

Background: Mid-20s Asian male, HYP undergrad, 2 years boutique investment banking, 2 years mid-market private equity.
Result: Admitted Round 1 to HBS and Wharton HCM.
Liza was recommended to me by a friend in PE who had worked with her in the prior application cycle. Liza played a critical role in my application and interview processes at HBS, GSB, and Wharton. Not only was she incredibly knowledgeable about all things business school (and frankly finance & PE), but she was also thoughtful, motivating, and compassionate during a very challenging 4-5 month stretch where I balanced a demanding job and put together my entire application.
In my opinion, Liza’s biggest value add and what differentiates her vs. other consultants is her ability to guide you through the introspective part of the application. She invested significant time at the beginning of the process to get to know me personally and professionally. With her support, I was able to weave together the most exciting parts of my story into succinct essays that helped me stand out in the growing applicant pool of PE associates. We iterated back and forth on many versions of my essays until I felt proud of them.
I would absolutely recommend Liza. It’s an investment in yourself if you are serious about applying to business school. Her expertise and thoughtfulness really made the difference for me.

It has been a great pleasure to work with Rachel Nelson from Gatehouse Admissions. She played a massive part in my acceptance to Columbia Business School, my dream school.

I was first introduced to the Gatehouse team through a mutual friend where Liza, the founder, set up a call to align my goals with what her team could offer. After a chat and the fact that I really wanted to go to CBS and continue my career in finance but in a different department, she recommended that I work with Rachel, who had extensive experience in the finance sector.

Looking back at my initial essays, it is, to say the least, embarrassing with so much “BS” that needed to go away. Rachel was super responsive and always forwarded my essays at every interaction. I can firmly say that her help was ESSENTIAL in getting into CBS with my stats. I had a 700 GMAT working for the Middle Office at a bulge bracket firm. Not the best in terms of resume, but Rachel made everything seamless and logical. Also for the interview prep, every question was from the batch we practiced just a few days prior, which I thought was something to highlight.

To all of you applying to MBA now, I strongly suggest you work with Rachel or at least have a consultation call with Liza. It is a 100% game-changer.

Throughout the grueling application process, Mariesa was incredibly efficient, honest, and straight to the point; I was impressed by how much we would be able to accomplish within a 30-minute meeting together. Early on in the application process, Mariesa identified gaps in my application and worked with me to craft a clear course of action to address any weaknesses. Additionally, she created a personalized timeline to give me goalposts to work towards, with regular check-ins to keep me on track. For instance, although I had a solid undergrad GPA (3.8 from an Ivy), Mariesa encouraged me to improve my GRE score, baking in time for retakes (which I ended up needing), and with her careful planning and support, helped me land a 332 which certainly helped bolster my application.

Mariesa is also a clear communicator and quick to identify opportunities to stand out in a competitive applicant pool. I was originally matched with Mariesa because of her marketing background; with my own experience in Consumer/Retail, Mariesa was able to quickly understand my backstory and help me weave a cohesive story while identifying key moments that still felt true to who I am.

With her support, I was fortunate to receive admission to both Harvard and Wharton for the Class of 2025. Mariesa’s support was invaluable and I would highly recommend her (+ the whole Gatehouse team) to anyone undergoing the MBA admissions process!

Background: Late 20s male, east coast, bulge bracket investment banking followed by private equity, non-ivy, 3.9 GPA, 164V/162Q GRE

Result: Admitted to Harvard Business School R1

Liza came highly recommended to me by a friend who was a former client of Liza’s. Liza was extremely instrumental in my MBA application process. She is incredibly skilled at leading you through the introspective process of essay and application writing (both the professional and personal aspects). Liza goes above and beyond to make sure that you are putting your best foot forward.

Liza is incredibly patient, as getting to the best essay requires several rounds of iteration. She takes a comprehensive approach to your application and takes a genuine interest in her clients. She is truly a partner in the application process and she is there with you every step of the way. Beyond the essays, Liza is also instrumental in helping you prep your recommenders, preparing you for interviews, and even filling out the very lengthy online application portals.

Working with Liza was the best decision I made in preparing for the MBA process – I recommend her and Gatehouse without hesitation.

Working with Mariesa was an awesome experience! I concentrated on a small set of schools and will be attending Harvard Business School next fall thanks to her help.

I met with several consultants, and she clearly stood apart in my mind. She leverages her own professional marketing expertise and knows exactly how to help craft a story. Even in our intro conversation, she found and tied together key threads from my work and life experiences. After spending more time with her, she helped me discover my key differentiators, particularly given that I come from from a traditional IB/PE background. In addition to the overall story, she really focused on the details. There were a number of times that she would remind me of something in my own life that I referenced in the intake form and would suggest adding it to the end of a sentence to tie everything together. It was those small details that allowed me to share so much more than I ever could’ve imagined with the admissions committee in the short application essays.

Another aspect I really value is her honesty. When something wasn’t the best it could be, she took the time to explain it and let me know. Especially as a Harvard Business School grad herself, she took her insights to the next level at every step of the process, pulling from her own experiences. I found this super helpful during the interview process. She conducted general and school-specific mock-conversations to help prepare me.

Overall, would definitely use Mariesa!

I highly recommend Rachel Nelson at Gatehouse Admission to anyone looking for expert guidance on their MBA application process. I had the pleasure of working with Rachel and was impressed by her professionalism, expertise, and support throughout the process.

When I first reached out to Rachel, I was feeling overwhelmed and unsure of where to start with my MBA application. I was looking at top-tier schools, and felt a bit discouraged by my chances of getting in. I studied entrepreneurship at a small business school, and my GPA of 3.1 was below the median for most of my target schools. In addition to my stats, I had a tight deadline of just 2 months to get everything in order, and I wasn’t sure if it was even possible. In our first discussion, Rachel immediately put me at ease and assured me that we could make it happen.

Over the next few weeks, Rachel worked closely with me to get my application in the best shape possible. Furthermore, she helped me craft a great narrative for my personal statement, provided valuable feedback on my resume and essays, and even prepared me for my interviews with mock questions and a full mock interview. Rachel always made herself available to answer all questions and offer support, no matter how small they may have seemed.

In the end, thanks to Rachel’s help, I was accepted into CBS, my top choice MBA program and couldn’t be happier. I can’t thank Rachel enough for all that she did for me, and I highly recommend her services to anyone looking for the best guidance throughout their MBA journey.

Background: Caucasian female, 5 years of experience (2 years investment banking, 3 years private equity), GMAT: 690
Results: Accepted to Booth, Kellogg, and Tuck

April was the guiding force for me throughout my MBA application process and was a true advisor and friend along the way. From the onset, April provided the perfect balance of “tough love” that I needed to be held accountable yet feel supported in the process. When there were weeks I needed to study for the GMAT or prioritize work, she gave me the space to do so and updated our calendar accordingly. When time was getting tight, she was honest and held me to our deadlines. This balance and her approach gave me the structure to make progress on my applications without feeling overwhelmed or behind during busy weeks.

This balance of serving as a sound advisor and supportive friend extended throughout the process, from essay writing to interview preparation. As I worked through brainstorming my essay topics, April helped pull out pieces of my “story” she thought would be interesting to focus on. As I iterated drafts with her, she was never afraid to be honest when things weren’t clicking and to ask thoughtful questions to help move me along and solidify my points. She helped me effectively communicate my values, what in my life shaped these values, how I have leveraged them in my career, and how I plan to in the future by asking tough questions and talking through my responses. The process not only helped me write an essay I was very proud of, but also allowed me to better understand myself and my motivators. This guidance extended throughout my application – from ensuring my resume was data-dense and focused on quantifying my accomplishments, to running through several mock interviews and pushing me regardless of how prepared I felt, her guidance was instrumental to my success.

April was also extremely professional throughout our time working together. She was responsive and organized and always made the deadlines she set. She was always open to schedule a call to chat through things and always provided comprehensive feedback, regardless of the number of iterations she had already reviewed of an essay, resume, or short answer. Her patience and commitment to working with me until my applications were great was steadfast and deeply appreciated. In summary, I cannot recommend April enough. If you are looking for someone to push and support you to drive the best MBA outcome, April is your girl!

Background: Early 30s, white male, Ivy League undergrad, professional sports with a family business background.

Attending Harvard Business School in 2022.

Liza came highly recommended to me and her knowledge and ability to understand my story was almost immediate. I was coming from a “non-traditional” background after 9 years of professional sports and I was not equipped to go through the application process alone.

Liza guided me every step of the way and was honest, motivating, and collaborative. Her deadlines kept me on schedule and she truly life-coached me throughout the entire process. She challenged me to be more descriptive and show who I really was while also being concise and to the point. Liza’s honest feedback and great edits improved all my essays tremendously.

I was starting a new job, taking multiple GRE tests, and applying to business school amid a pandemic. Life was beyond stressful, but Liza’s optimism, preparation, and communication left such a clear road map for me during some of the most uncertain times. I could not be more thankful to have met such a genuine, kind, and smart leader in my life when I needed it most.

You will not meet a more passionate, detailed, and charismatic individual. It was an absolute pleasure getting to work with Liza from start to finish. It was a daunting process, but Liza’s guidance and consummate professionalism were exemplary in every sense of the word.

If you have the privilege to work with Liza…DO IT!

I worked with Laura on mock interview/general interview prep prior to my HBS interview. She was extremely helpful and thoughtful. My mock interview with her was nearly identical to the actual interview, and her feedback was constructive and insightful. Furthermore, it was clear that she had done significant work to prepare for the interview and was well up to speed on my entire application. With her help, I was accepted!

I worked with the MBA consultant April Stewart from Gatehouse Admissions. Though it was a large investment of time and money, I truly believe April was a key factor in being admitted to business school. A bit about my background, I graduated from the University of Virginia with a 3.5 GPA and a degree in Political Science. I’ve worked in management consulting at a large firm (but not Big 4) for about 3.5 years when I applied to business school in Round 2 of 2022. I also had worked in a sales role for 1.5 years as my first job, totaling 5-years’ work experience upon application. I had some volunteering/additional leadership outside of work that I discussed. I did not have a strong quantitative background through undergraduate courses, (just micro/macroeconomics/stats with B’s). I did not apply with a GMAT/GRE score as I applied to receive a COVID Test Waiver. I applied to 7 schools to get a COVID Test Waiver and ultimately received 6, which were the 6 schools I ended up applying to in Round 2. I applied to Cornell, UNC, UT, USC, Boston College, and Michigan in Round 2. I went through a process of self-reflection and several in-depth calls with April to select which schools were right for me over about a month period. Going into working with April in early October of 2021, I had not selected any schools that I was planning to apply to ahead of time so that was part of our process of working together.

April and I had weekly calls to discuss choices for schools, strategies for applications, my career goals, talking with current students/alumni, and then further into the process reviewing specific edits on each essay, and then practicing for interviews. April was very thorough and knowledgeable about what each school was looking for regarding my essays. We easily did 15 rounds of each essay (2 per school) for the 3 schools I selected to work with her on through Gatehouse Admissions. April also helped me draft my COVID Test Waivers, additional information the school requested on extracurriculars, as well as another 15 rounds of my Resume. The process was very detailed and tedious, which is what you want in order to get your material to be the greatest it can possibly be. I then used the extensive work I did for those 3 schools and utilized that insight (and often the same wording of my story) for my other 3 school’s applications. April helped me frame my story for all of my application materials, but also for my interviews. Once I was into the interview round, April sent me 20+ interview questions for each school that past applicants had been asked, which ended up being very accurate to what I was asked in my interviews. We also did several mock interviews for each school.

Ultimately, I got into all 6 schools that I applied to, and I also received scholarship money (anywhere from 10k-70k) from all 6 of the schools. I chose to go to UNC Kenan-Flagler based on the great environment for women, consulting track, Forté scholarship money, and school atmosphere! At the beginning of the process, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to work with an MBA consultant, I had friends who had gotten into business school with and without one. I decided I would rather pay for assistance for the best possible chance to get in. I was so happy I chose to work with Gatehouse Admissions and ended up having 6 options for school selection, which I never thought would happen.

Background: 26, Female. 2 years investment banking. 2 years at a PE firm. Liberal arts major from Ivy League.

Results: Admitted to HBS (attending), Wharton, Booth (with $), and Kellogg

It’s no secret that preparing five business school applications is a daunting process, especially while juggling a demanding job and other extracurriculars. I had heard about Liza from several colleagues who had successful application processes the year prior. My decision to work with Liza was one of the best I have ever made. Liza was an amazing cheerleader, sounding board, motivator, and friend to me throughout my process.

From the very start of my work with her, Liza took the time to dive in and get to know me. Through her review of my personal reflection (a lengthy document she has you prepare to kick off your work together), Liza helped me to extract the elements of my story that would lend themselves to compelling business school essays. Over the course of several months, through draft after draft, Liza consistently challenged me to push my writing further until I had final drafts of which I am extremely proud.

Equally important, Liza kept me organized. Between standardized test preparations, gathering materials for recommenders, drafting around a dozen essay responses, and preparing for interviews, I certainly had my work cut out for me and not much time to complete it. Through weekly priority lists, timely essay draft reviews, and frequent check-ins by phone, Liza ensured that my five sets of applications were completed seamlessly and far before my application deadlines.

Because of Liza, I have the opportunity to attend the business school of my dreams. I cannot recommend Liza enough!

Background: 4 YoE in Big Tech; Undergrad from T10 engineering school; 332 GRE
Outcome: Interviewed at 4/4 schools (HBS, GSB, Wharton and 1 M7). Admitted to 3/4 schools (HBS, Wharton, and 1 M7 (with $)).

April was a tremendous partner and huge support system throughout this very intense process. For context, I had very limited insight into MBA admissions and initially set up intro meetings with 5-6 consulting firms. My biggest fear going in was that the relationship with my consultant would feel transactional but right from my first call with April, she proved that would not be the case. She stood out in how she listened to my stories with empathy, patiently provided tailored feedback to my long list of questions, and showed genuine interest in my candidacy.

April and I officially started the MBA application journey in mid-June, with an ambitious goal of applying to very selective schools (including HBS and GSB) on a short timeline. During our initial discussions, April was incredibly perceptive and helped me distill all my various personal and professional stories down into a single narrative. As we began the essay writing process, April went above and beyond to address any questions I had. I felt very comfortable shooting April a quick message with even my most minor concerns – to which she provided constant reassurance and a thoughtful action plan. She would often even get additional feedback from other experts on the Gatehouse team.

I also really appreciated that April was not afraid to go back to the drawing board when we felt the need to change direction. About 4-5 drafts through one of my HSW essays, we discussed pivoting and April diligently worked with me to peel back the layers of my experiences and develop the new narrative. She asked thoughtful questions and really helped me uncover the true “so-what” in my experiences. In hindsight, this was the most critical juncture during the application process which I believe ultimately led to my admits. I am so grateful that during this time April prioritized developing the best essay possible, provided honest feedback, and guided me to go in a bold direction – rather than simply saying there was not enough time or that we had exhausted too many drafts already.

April was also absolutely vital for the success of my b-school interviews. She is very knowledgeable about each school’s unique interviewing style and helped me navigate each of these situations. She was also incredibly generous with her time, setting up additional mock interviews well beyond the contractual amount so that I could feel most prepared. She was an exceptional advocate during this time and helped me project confidence in ways that felt authentic to me. She also provided valuable feedback on subtleties that we worked together to fine-tune. This coaching has actually made me a better interviewee in general, and I will take these learnings forward with me.

April was a partner in the truest sense from brainstorming to interview coaching to negotiating offers. She always ensured I was prepared to put my best foot forward and that there was no stone left unturned. This journey would not have been possible without April’s support and guidance!

After four years in big four strategy consulting, I decided to pursue an MBA. I was fortunate to achieve a 760 GMAT, but my profile didn’t really have a wow factor or anything to separate me from other candidates. I’d attended a second-tier Canadian undergrad, where my GPA was good but not great and I hadn’t achieved anything spectacular in terms of extracurriculars. Luckily I decided to work with Liza Weale!

We started our journey together almost a year ahead of deadlines, and so she was able to offer me great advice to strengthen my profile while I had time to spare. She did an absolutely incredible job helping me craft my brand and essay stories. She really dove into my history and expertly drew out the most impactful elements from my life. Liza knew just how to put the pieces together in a compelling way for the school and I really felt that she was invested in my success.

She went beyond simple advice and feedback, and her encouragement did wonders for my confidence. Finally, when I was able to interview at my dream school Columbia, Liza’s interview feedback was absolutely vital to my preparation. I was able to receive an offer of admission with a significant scholarship.

I’m so grateful to Liza for being instrumental in achieving my dream outcome, and I would wholeheartedly recommend her to those starting their own MBA journey.

Background: Caucasian female, 26, 5 years of experience in finance & big tech, GMAT: 750, Economics degree from Duke University (3.93 GPA)
Results: Accepted to Wharton, Kellogg (with a scholarship)

April was a phenomenal partner to work with throughout what was a particularly grueling process. After making the decision to apply for R1, I surveyed four different consulting companies, all esteemed in their own right. What struck me about April, in particular, was her ability to be candid about my prospects without being discouraging; she perfectly balanced honesty with empathy in a way that was reassuring about what we could achieve together.

Over a three-month period, April and I embarked on a joint venture to apply to 4 of the top business schools in the country. While business school had been something top of mind for me since graduating from a liberal arts university, I hadn’t quite ironed out a cohesive narrative as to why I wanted to go and what I planned to do afterward. To gain clarity, April had me complete a comprehensive Experience Inventory, which she used to identify commonalities in my experiences and goals; she was able to synthesize a disjointed life story into a succinct explanation as to why business school was right for me and how I stood out as a candidate.

April also helped me identify potential gaps in my resume and creatively leverage experiences that could augment my candidacy; she encouraged me to dig deep to uncover what I might think were small contributions but were actually demonstrations of leadership. Throughout iterations of my essays and resume, April asked me to constantly think of the “so what” of each bullet or paragraph, making sure each was meaningful. She was extremely thoughtful (& timely!) with her feedback, focusing on both the big picture as well as the small nits. Together, we crafted applications that I felt excited to submit and confident in my prospects.

April’s commitment didn’t stop after I clicked submit; she set me up for success in my interviews by performing multiple mocks and giving me a sense of what to expect, particularly with Wharton’s Team-Based Discussion. When I was admitted to two schools, she helped me navigate the difficult decision and also gave me advice for pursuing scholarship money. April coached me end-to-end, playing a critical role in my application process and acting as a sounding board. She exhibited everything I could have asked for in a consultant and more: I wouldn’t be in the position to attend Wharton in the fall without her!

Background: 25 year old Asian male in NYC. 2 years investment banking, 3 years private equity. Engineering major from Ivy League
GMAT: 760. GPA: 3.95
Results: Accepted to HBS and GSB. Attending HBS

Liza is an amazing consultant and an even more amazing human being. She came with raving reviews from co-workers who were successful with the application process in the past, and I have been recommending her to every friend who is thinking about applying.

(1) Liza worked tirelessly to make sure I put my best foot forward and told a consistent story across essays, short answers, and recommendation letters. (2) She kept me organized and in control of the application process. (3) She was and still is truly invested in me. I cannot recommend Liza enough, she is simply the best.

Liza spends a lot of time up front to make sure she truly knows who you are – personally, professionally, academically, etc. The first document you write is a lengthy “inventory” to reflect on your experiences. This not only helps Liza get to know you, but also helps both of you pick out themes/stories to go into your essays. After aligning on these themes/stories, you start writing.

Writing is not my forte – I studied engineering for a reason! Liza gave thoughtful comments on my essay drafts and pushed me on areas to expand/pare back on. I think we did 3 overhauls of my GSB essay. She made sure everything was in tip-top shape.

Even my recommenders loved Liza. She has a memo template that helps your recommenders surface qualities and stories to write about. They can also run recommendation letters through Liza. This all ensures a quality end product.

I work a demanding job and knew balancing the application process with work would be challenging. Liza kept me honest – she warned me when I was straying “off-plan” on my GMAT, essay, etc. which made the final week’s pre-submission feel controlled. Without Liza, I may have missed the deadline!

Liza is truly invested in her applicants. She constantly checks in on how you’re doing and helps connect you with her network to learn more about the schools / help you make an informed decision.

If you want to work with the best of the best, go with Liza!

Taking the plunge and deciding to finally apply to MBA programs, I was aware of the compressed timeline I had put myself under when I started working with Rachel in late May 2021 for R1 applications. I had not yet taken the GRE, had a rough, but not solid, the idea of my career goals and lacked insight into the process coming from a non-traditional background. Trying to play “catch-up,” I found Rachel’s balance of pragmatism and encouragement provided indispensable support when anxiety or doubt crept in. Knowing the process very well, she was able to help me set priorities and remain focused on the tasks before me—all to stunning results, acceptance at all three of my schools!

By way of background, I graduated from a top state school in 2015 with a 3.86 GPA majoring in Art History. Following undergrad, I obtained a Masters’s degree in Art History, and for the past five years, I have been working in the art industry at a major auction house. I opted to take the GRE and scored 168 in Verbal and 165 in Quant.

Rachel helped me take my application to the next level by pushing me to dig deeper and strive for more specificity in my essays. I always felt that I had ownership of my essays, but it was her astute questions and comments on drafts that drew out new ideas and connections (which I never would have thought to make on my own) and helped bring my story to life. She asked tough questions that gave me pause to think why something matters and if it does matter, how to show (and not tell!) that it does. If I got stuck, she was always willing to hop on Zoom and brainstorm or chat through my ideas. Rachel was the ultimate sounding board! This was especially helpful in crystalizing my career goals. In our conversations, Rachel would always say something that I could latch onto and research more in order to decide whether it made sense for me or not.

Beyond essays and career goals, Rachel answered every one of my minute questions about the applications, calmed my nerves when I convinced myself that I bombed a video essay and reminded me to embrace the uniqueness of my non-traditional background and be myself in interviews.

With her guidance, I applied to and was accepted at Kellogg, Columbia and Tuck (with scholarships at each). Even after acceptance, Rachel helped me weigh pros and cons of each school and provided guidance on negotiating competing scholarship offers.

From beginning to end, Rachel was honest, straightforward, patient and supportive. I honestly believe that my applications would not have been as successful as they were without Rachel’s unique ability to ask the questions that made me dig deeper, reflect further and piece my story together.

Background: 26-year-old white/Asian male, marketing and strategic comms at homebuilding company, English major at liberal arts college, 3.67 GPA, 750 GMAT

Results: Accepted to Booth, Kellogg ($), Tuck ($), Darden

In many ways, I’m what you would call an unconventional candidate. I did not study business or economics in college, I do not work at a well-known company, and I was not coming from a common pre-MBA industry. With this kind of profile, it’s easy to feel like you don’t belong at a top business school. And in fact, the first consultant I spoke with urged me to reconsider my initial list of schools.

But not Liza. From our very first call together, Liza made me feel confident that my story could be uniquely compelling — provided that I put forth my best possible application. Luckily, that’s exactly what Liza will make sure that you do.

It’s really no exaggeration to say that I could sing Liza’s praises for days. Here are just a few things to highlight about my experience working with her:

• Before you get started with any part of your actual application, Liza will really take the time to learn who you are and tirelessly work with you to construct your overall narrative.

• Liza is a true pleasure to speak to and work with. Talking with her over the phone about my essays and over Zoom when prepping for interviews was always the highlight of my week.

• As others have said, Liza is incredibly supportive, positive, and empathetic. However, this doesn’t stop her from being able to provide sharp and constructive criticism when necessary. She will always be real with you.

• Liza is a masterful editor and will not let a single sentence that isn’t up to par go untouched. I was consistently impressed by her comments and feedback each time I got one of my drafts back.

• Liza does an excellent job of breaking down each component of the application process — resume, essays, recommendation letters, interviews, etc. — and putting you on a schedule to complete each piece of the puzzle with as little stress as possible.

• Liza is very, very reliable. She sets clear guidelines on when she’ll be able to turn around any items of your application and ruthlessly sticks to them. She’ll also gladly answer any smaller questions you have along the way.

• She will go out of her way to put you in touch with her contacts at various programs. Thanks to Liza, I was able to speak to five current students at my target schools, which helped greatly with my essays and interviews.

• Liza is truly invested in your success. Even now, as I decide which school to attend, Liza has been as helpful as ever, acting as a sounding board and assisting me with scholarship negotiations.

The MBA application process is complex and daunting. But thanks to Liza, I always felt I was on track and was ultimately admitted to schools I’m thrilled about. I can say with total confidence that the best choice I made during this long journey was choosing Liza Weale as my consultant.

Background: 28-year old; URM male in NYC; Economics and Psychology double major from Ivy
Professional: IB + Corp Dev
Stats: GPA: 3.70; GMAT: 750

Working with Liza was absolutely a game-changer for my interview. I was a re-applicant for HBS and was interviewed in round 1 and waitlisted a few years ago. When I received a round 1 interview invite this time around, I knew I needed to prep differently so I would excel. I had not previously worked with Gatehouse but was drawn to their bespoke HBS interview package. Although I was originally looking for someone who had experience in HBS admissions, after directly hearing from Liza about her extensive experience doing HBS mock interviews and quite frankly, feeling her genuine enthusiasm to help me, I was excited to move forward with her.
 
Our prep started with her providing HBS specific interview materials as well as three tutorial interview videos which were all very helpful. The following week, we had our mock interview that tracked the cadence of the real thing followed by a post-interview analysis and a deeper dive on my profile to explore areas, such as my desired career transition to VC – Liza thought I would likely get questioned on this (and she was right). Liza was gracious enough to not only go through all of my latest application materials before our session but also take a look at my materials from the first time I applied and was waitlisted. As a reapplicant, Liza helped me to think through communicating how my story and goals had evolved since last time. Prepping with Liza helped to give me the confidence in my interview to walk through my story and become comfortable with the deeper probing of responses that is typical of an HBS interview. Although the questions from my mock and the real thing were not exactly the same, the topic areas we focused on were! Furthermore, Liza’s transferable and versatile approach helped me answer the unexpected questions typical of an HBS interview.
 
I was fortunate enough to be admitted to and will be attending HBS in the fall. I truly believe the difference-maker this second time around was Liza. Although I only worked with her on the HBS mock-interview package, she had an understanding of my story as if we had worked together on the whole application process, which is a testament to how heavily she invests herself into her clients. If I had to summarize Liza’s approach in a few words, they would be thorough, thoughtful, and encouraging. For those who want to maximize their chances of “crushing” the HBS interview (which can be quite tricky), even if you think you are familiar with the format, I would highly recommend Liza for her expertise and support!

I started relatively late on my MBA class of 2024 applications. In fact, Rachel took me in/started to work with me at the beginning of August and I submitted my first round 1 application at the beginning of September, and my second round 1 application mid October. Prior to working with Rachel, I had thought that I had a clear sense and rationale of why business school and potential careers that I could pursue after, but it was clear from initial drafts I shared with Rachel that those reasons were not strong, were not clear enough, and did not make me stand out. From there, I spent some time on Zoom with Rachel and we found a solid thread in my background helping out with my family business which ties nicely to why business school and which industry I would like to explore after, and to think that I wasn’t even going to mention any part of this experience initially (which would have been a huge mistake)!

Rachel turned my applications around and helped me get into the two schools I applied to: Wharton and CBS. To give a sense of my background, I am 3 years out of undergrad (will be 4 years out when I attend business school), I attended Stanford for undergrad and took the GRE one time testing: 162 verbal, 160 quant, 4.0 writing. I work at a quant hedge fund in Business Development and I studied Economics in college.

Rachel is very timely and provides insightful comments. I didn’t even think I needed a consultant initially, but each time after really taking in Rachel’s feedback on my draft and ruminating on where I am going with my essays, I find that my drafts significantly improved from week to week. I admit that it was daunting to receive feedback and markups throughout my essay each time I thought I shared a perfect draft, but working with Rachel got me from a very different place from where I started to when I finally hit submit.

For those of you who are debating on whether you need a consultant, or those of you who are choosing consultants to work with, my experience with Rachel was worth every penny.

I worked with Brooke for ~2 months prior to my HBS application, focusing primarily on my essay and interview prep. With Brooke’s help and thoughtful feedback, I was admitted to Round 1.

Coming into the application process, I had a relatively strong background (3.8 GPA, Ivy League undergrad, 750 GMAT, 2 years in investment banking and 2 years in private equity), but I was worried about piecing together a compelling application story.

Thankfully, I found Brooke to be an incredibly helpful thought partner as I navigated the process. Brooke is honest but constructive and supportive at the same time. I felt confident that with each draft of my essay, Brooke was pushing me to dig deeper into my motivations for pursuing an MBA and be more precise in demonstrating the qualities I wanted HBS to see in me as an applicant. As a result, I devoted more time to reflect on my own story and was able to not only refine my essays but also feel confident that I will start business school with a better sense of my goals and priorities. The mock interview with Brooke also helped me feel more prepared and relaxed during my real HBS interview.

I would highly recommend Brooke to anyone who is looking for genuine feedback on their application and willing to push themselves to reflect more on their experiences and motivations. Brooke is fantastic to work with and a huge asset during the application process!

Brooke was extremely helpful through the MBA application process. I am a fairly generic candidate (750 GMAT, 4.0 GPA, 3 years in MBB consulting) and Brooke helped me identify the parts of my story that were most appealing to an admissions committee. Brooke has a skill for helping you identify the parts of your journey that make you unique and then ensuring they come through in your application. I would absolutely recommend her to a friend or colleague hoping to apply to business school. I ended up being admitted to the Kellogg 1Y program with a bit of a scholarship!

Background: 25-year-old, Latino male living in the US; psych major at top non-Ivy undergrad; 4 years of work experience upon matriculation at large asset manager; 3.5 GPA, 720 GMAT

Results: Admitted to HBS (attending, class of 2024), Booth (with $$$), Kellogg (with $$$), Columbia, and Wharton / Lauder (with $$$)

I heard of Liza from a co-worker who was admitted into top schools with Liza’s help. After speaking to several consultants, it was clear that Liza’s highly structured yet personalized approach was the right fit for me. I particularly liked Liza’s commitment to helping me tell my own story.

Here are a few highlights from my experience:

The first step that you embark on with Liza is completing a lengthy and introspective document that allows you to reflect on your personal, academic, and professional experiences. Moreover, it allows Liza to get to know you. It was important to me that my consultant really understood me so that they could help me put my best foot forward. I was wary of applying general or cliched strategies that wouldn’t be true to myself. Liza understood and shared this vision with me from day 1.

A particularly notable part of my experience with Liza came when I was struggling with my HBS essay. I wrote 4 or 5 first drafts, all of which Liza looked at and commented on, but I was still not comfortable with my work. Where Liza could have pushed me to simply choose one of the drafts and submit it (especially given I still had multiple other R1 apps to complete) she partnered with me in troubleshooting until I wrote an essay I was truly proud of. Throughout this highly stressful period, she truly felt like a partner and a source of calmness and experience.

In summary, I cannot recommend Liza enough – you won’t regret it.

Background: 27-year-old, white female in NYC; English major at top non-Ivy undergrad; 5 years of work experience upon matriculation (1 at marketing agency, 4 at digital research firm); 3.96 GPA, 760 GMAT

Results: Admitted to HBS (attending, class of 2024), Booth (with $$$), Kellogg (with $$$), and Tuck (with $$$)

I first discovered Liza Weale through this very page. Now, one year and several M7 acceptances later, I’m thrilled to be returning here to contribute my own small piece to this ever-growing library of exceptional 5-star reviews for Liza, every word of which she lives up to on a daily basis.

Let me walk you through my experience working with Liza:

After reading these reviews and watching Liza’s admissions videos on YouTube, I decided to reach out for a consultation. I had started my search for consultants early—in January for Round 1 deadlines—so that I would have ample time to “shop around” with many free consultations. However, after meeting with Liza, I knew that wouldn’t be necessary. Anyone who meets Liza will immediately sense that she is incredibly intelligent, kind, and empathetic; that she has her pulse on the MBA admissions world; and that she is a pleasure to work with. I eagerly signed on as a full-service client the next day, and then began convincing my partner to do the same (which, luckily for him, he did).

From day one, Liza had a concrete, phased plan for my applications and kept me progressing according to a detailed timeline. She assessed my strengths and weaknesses as an applicant, and suggested ways to highlight and re-frame them, respectively. She helped me craft an application where every component complimented each other, and together, told a cohesive and compelling story that admissions wouldn’t be able to ignore. Importantly, she kept an eye out for all things cringe: from essay topics to intro sentences to resume bullet points, she saved me by making sure I didn’t turn in anything that could be interpreted as annoying or disingenuous or cliched.

Liza improved the content of my applications 100-fold, but she was also a boon to my mental health during the long process. Every day, she was there for me as a trusted, reliable resource. She answered the frantic questions I emailed her way, and always helped me keep things in perspective. Whether it was my unhealthy fixation on the GMAT or my freak out after my less-than-smooth Kellogg video essay performance, Liza helped quell my insecurities and worries and stay focused on what mattered: the path ahead.

From the start, I had thought about my admissions journey as a team effort, comprised of supportive friends and family, fellow peers, recommenders, mock interviewers, and a consultant. To have the best chances for success, I needed to form the strongest team possible. I believed that meant working with Liza and Gatehouse Admissions. And I was certainly right about that. Thanks to Liza’s unparalleled expertise and unwavering support—and her company’s many resources— I was admitted to my top choice program. Together, we made it happen. Liza changed the direction of my life, and I’m forever grateful to her for that.

Brooke helped me with my round 1 HBS application for the class of 2024. With her help, I was admitted!

Coming into the application process, I had a strong GPA (3.8) and GMAT (760), but I was worried that my relatively generic background and work experience wouldn’t stand out (white male, 2 years MBB consulting + 2 years PE at a middle-market firm in a small market). I was also concerned because while I wanted to work in healthcare after my MBA, I didn’t have the background to prove my passion for the space.

I worked with Brooke for a total of ~12 hours and focused almost exclusively on my HBS essay. Initially, my drafts read like persuasive essays on why I was passionate about healthcare despite only a few professional experiences in the field. As Brooke guided me through the introspective application process (e.g., experience inventory, iterating on drafts, brainstorming phone calls, etc.), she helped me uncover my true motive for wanting to work in healthcare–a deep desire to care for and provide refuge for others. As I began writing about this underlying motive, I found that stories from my upbringing, college years, and professional / leadership experience could showcase the origin, development, and manifestation of this desire while also pointing to healthcare as a logical next step for me in my career. Focusing on this theme felt more personal, authentic, and powerful!

In addition to helping me discover my story, Brooke also pushed me to refine the essay. Draft after draft, as I kept thinking the essay was nearly finished, Brooke helped me identify better ways to “show” my desire to care for others through real experiences instead of just “telling” the admissions committee of this passion. Her “honest, supportive, and demanding” style pushed me to craft a significantly better application than I could have ever produced on my own.

Additionally, after receiving an invitation to interview, I conducted a mock interview with Brooke. The interview resembled the actual interview perfectly, and helped me identify potential areas for questions that I hadn’t considered but may come up. Not surprisingly, the actual interview focused on many of the same areas that Brooke’s mock interview focused on and because of her help I was much better prepared to answer those questions.

On a personal note, I also felt that Brooke and I became close friends throughout the process. I felt like she was truly invested in my success because of an underlying personal friendship in addition to our coach-to-applicant business relationship.

Without a single hesitation, I’d recommend Brooke to any applicant who wants to maximize their odds of success in the application process! She will help you find your unique story and voice so that your application is authentic and powerful. She is extremely skilled and an absolute joy to work with.

I highly recommend working with Hollis! I worked with her hourly and found her extremely easy to work with because she is easy to get along with and a clear communicator (both for planning and editing essays). Initially, Hollis was a great sounding board for coming up with essays ideas – I thought she pushed on the right threads, helping me arrive at themes that not only became great essay topics but also were very true to me. When it came to actually writing the application, Hollis gave great suggestions for areas of focus but also left plenty of room for me to maintain my own voice which was important to me. In addition, although I was only an hourly client, Hollis did a great job with overall application planning and ensuring I was in a good spot throughout the summer to finish the applications by the deadline. I know for sure my applications would have been materially weaker without her help and would recommend her to anyone looking for help on applications.

I work in finance with a 750 GMAT, 3.8 undergrad GPA and was admitted to the Stanford GSB.

I worked with Brooke for ~3 months ahead of my HBS application and was extremely happy with the assistance she offered. HBS was the only program I applied to and I was admitted in Round 1. As a candidate from an SEC school with strong test scores (760 GMAT/36 ACT/4.0 Engr. GPA) and NY investment banking to private equity, my work with Brooke focused on my essay and the softer aspects of my application. She clearly has extensive experience with each of these areas and was instrumental in the entire process from initial ideation to the many drafts in between. Brooke was honest and direct, which made for a much more efficient process. I also conducted several mock interviews with Brooke, and found these to be incredibly valuable to understanding the best way to articulate experiences specifically in the context of the HBS interviews. If I had to go through the process another time, I wouldn’t hesitate to use Brooke once again.

I had the great pleasure of having Brooke Wheelan as my MBA Admissions consultant as I prepared for my MBA interviews. Coming from the consumer goods/retail industry, I knew that I was facing an uphill battle. Brooke’s experience working as a HBS interviewer for many years gave me a peace of mind that I was getting the best insights into how to prepare and put my best foot forward for my interviews. Brooke was invested in my success and would consistently check-in to ensure that I was on-track with my interview preparation. In addition, she offered clear and actionable feedback on how to best tell my story and worked with me to tie in different parts of my professional and personal-life. With Brooke’s guidance, I was admitted to both HBS and GSB.

I worked with Rachel for about a year starting in the winter of 2020 all the way until my admission in December 2021. I applied to Stanford GSB, HBS and Wharton and have just gotten 2/3 acceptances into HBS and Wharton. I will be pursuing my MBA in the Fall of 2022 at HBS in the class of 2024.

Just to give you a sense of my background, I’m a male with about 5 years of experience including national service in Singapore (2 years). I seemed untraditional coming into the MBA application process and it was pretty scary. I had been working as an Associate in a consumer venture capital fund in Singapore (the fund was quite small – US$400M) after national service, my GRE scores were on par with the HBS / Wharton averages but well below the GSB average – I got a 163V, 163Q. I applied with a 3.67 GPA from an undergraduate business school – I graduated from NYU’s Stern School of Business in 2017 with a BS in Business with concentrations in Finance and Global Business. I also did 2 years of military service in Singapore as part of the Singapore Police Force from 2017-2019 and then joined venture capital from 2019-2021.

So with this rather untraditional background, I wanted to tell a strong story so connected with Rachel to start the process. She is honest, straightforward and hyper-effective in extracting your story. She started me off by answering a number of questions from growing up, to high school, university, and work in what she called an “Experience Inventory” to get an understanding of certain stories and threads in my life and how they have impacted my choices.

From there we pulled from a number of these stories to craft our first draft. Because she is so focused on a hand full of applicants every year, she is a master at understanding your story and how to best position yourself. Through each draft, she will communicate to you if the story you’ve pulled from your experience inventory works or doesn’t and which story you should include instead to create a stronger essay. She gives super-specific advice on everything from resumes to essays to smaller questions on the application because she has done her homework on you and what you have accomplished.

I did feel a bit insecure about the process because of my background – I felt I was climbing an uphill battle vs. consultants or bankers from larger firms but I think what Rachel was best at is helping me gain confidence in my story. She was my biggest champion and was always there whenever I had questions on certain parts of my essay and story.

She had a clear plan for me that we followed through our google sheet and through emails so deadlines were very clear. She was organized and helped me organize myself while balancing work, tests and essays. Interview mocking with her was very helpful as well. She helped provide guides throughout the entire process that included potential questions and how to answer them.

My wife and I are now moving to Boston. It is the absolute best-case scenario given we had wanted to make the transition to the US for a while. I attribute a lot of my application success to Rachel’s help. I could not have done anything without her and am so happy with the money spent. It is a daunting process and sometimes you may feel like the money you spent is not worth it because there are no guarantees. But, Rachel does her best for you 100% of the time – so regardless of the outcome, you will feel like your time spent with her is worth it.

Mariesa was the cheerleader, project manager, and mentor I didn’t know I needed before diving into the application process. Mariesa made sure I understood my strengths and weaknesses, and really helped me identify powerful stories from my life experiences to craft a unique and compelling application package. With a lower GMAT score of 670 (Q41, V41) and subpar grades in quantitative classes (but a 3.5 overall GPA from a T5 undergraduate business school), Mariesa was realistic about my chances at top programs, but made sure I remained positive and pushed myself to see my true potential. She made sure I highlighted my unique CPG startup marketing background – as a marketer herself, she also really understood where I was coming from and made sure I used my niche background to my advantage.

I came into the experience with surface level ideas and Mariesa was able to question certain areas and pushed me to think beyond what I thought I was capable of. She helped me stay true to our deadlines (we were on a compressed 1-month turnaround), was incredibly responsive, and also helped me overcome self-doubt throughout the entire process. I worked with Mariesa on two schools, mainly on my Early Action application to Duke Fuqua. With her help, I was ultimately admitted into the Class of 2024 and even received a scholarship ($XXK)! I truly couldn’t have done it without her dedication to helping me throughout the process and would highly recommend her and the Gatehouse team for your MBA admissions needs!

Background: Male, strong professional record primarily in IB and PE, GMAT: 690.
Results: Accepted to Booth and Wharton (attending Wharton Class of 2023).
Details: Liza was absolutely instrumental throughout my process. As a self-admitted procrastinator, Liza made sure that I was staying on pace and made herself flexible when deadlines were approaching. While beginning my journey, my story was a difficult one to synthesize as I temporarily left finance to help launch a non-profit. Liza helped me intertwine my professional story and personal story to achieve a very compelling narrative. She guided me through the interview process making sure I was ready to answer any question presented to me. She worked tirelessly with me throughout the process and ensured I didn’t give up hope when something didn’t go my way. Ultimately, she exceeded my expectations and allowed me to present myself in the best possible manner to schools. Between her leadership, cheerleading, coaching, and remaining as a trusted partner, I felt that we were a team throughout the process. I can confidently say I would not have had a chance to achieve the results without her guidance. Hiring Liza is the best move you can make in what will be a long and difficult journey and with her at your side, you will be giving yourself the best chance possible to achieve your goals.

I worked with Liza for over a year – through essay editing, applications, and interview prep – before being accepted to HBS. I have an IB + PE background, 730 GMAT, and attended a non-ivy undergraduate university. I don’t think I would have been admitted to business school if it weren’t for Liza. She is an incredible individual who helped inspire, support and guide me through the application process, and I would recommend her to everyone.

My journey through the application process had it all. First, I had no idea what I wanted to write about, or even remotely had an idea of my ‘story.’ I also was feeling the pressure of a Round 1 vs. Round 2 application, as I didn’t have my GMAT completed. Finally, I was questioning my own career path, which didn’t make my application process any easier. Liza stood by me through it all, always willing to jump on the phone to offer support, listen to how these extraneous problems would impact my business school applications, and guide me on the next steps to take.

I knew that I wanted someone that could help me transform my ideas (once they were developed) into an articulate, well-crafted, and concise piece of writing, and Liza did exactly that. I had spent much of the past few years reading, with very little ‘essay-style’ writing, and so I was nervous about how my essays would come together. Liza was a phenomenal help here, helping me turn what I could best classify as ‘word vomit’ into an essay that I was truly proud of.

Liza was able to help me craft my story and essays in such a seamless way because she truly spent the time to understand it. From our first call when we reviewed my ‘experience inventory,’ she asked me thoughtful and deep questions – often ones I hadn’t been asked before – that allowed us both to learn more about my motivations, decisions, and aspirations. She understood my story on a level that I’m not sure anyone else ever truly has and as a result, she helped me reveal details that – together with her exceptional writing ability – made my essays really stand out.

When it came time for interview preparation, Liza went above and beyond. Though we were only scheduled for an hour, we spent nearly two running through interview questions and honing my responses. Simply put, she puts an incredible amount of time and dedication into each of her clients.

If you’re thinking about whether you should hire a consultant, or which consultant you should hire, I can say with conviction — the answer is Liza. I’ve spoken with over ten friends that have used consultants through the application process over the past two years, and from what I’ve gathered, none provided the experience that I had working with Liza (two of these friends also used her and agree!). Because of her, I will be attending HBS. Stop reading reviews, and reach out to Liza!

If you’re reading this and considering hiring Liza Weale for a full-service package, stop what you’re doing and put down your deposit now! Every extra day that you have with her will make a difference and my only regret is not starting my work with her sooner.

Background: Female, ivy undergrad, investing/entrepreneurship
Result: Wharton, GSB and HBS (reapplied)

I went to Liza after hearing her praises from Associates at my PE firm. After working with her on a package basis, all had gotten into HBS, their top choice school. I wasn’t set on getting an MBA until a couple of months before the Round 1 deadline and knew I was in for a rough few weeks between taking (and re-taking) standardized tests and putting together applications. The GSB was my top choice school but I also planned to apply to HBS and Wharton.

Working with Liza was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stressful period. She was clear with her policies upfront and became both the project manager and cheerleader I didn’t even know I needed. No question was too small (i.e. do I need to explain this career transition?) or too big (i.e. which version of this essay do you think best captures my narrative?). I was especially impressed by the way she tactfully gave feedback to my recommenders – including one who’s probably never been on the receiving end of a “markup”. With a 163 GRE (V/M), strong extracurriculars, and a unique career background, I got into Wharton but was ultimately dinged at the GSB and HBS. Liza was there to celebrate and commiserate, alike.

I decided to defer attending business school because of COVID and wanted to take another shot at the GSB. With more time, I knew I could improve my stats and essays. Liza reviewed my materials and offered specific, actionable feedback. I had consultations with a few others in this time hoping to find a new perspective or someone with a lower rate, but no one came close to Liza’s thoughtfulness and tailored advice for the GSB (and HBS). Liza was clearly invested in my success and gave difficult feedback while it felt at times that others were just going through the motions. And thank goodness she did – she saved me from sounding fake, which can definitely happen when you’re itching to finish. With a 750 GMAT, another year of work experience, and fresh essays, I got into the GSB and ultimately HBS (off the WL). I have Liza to wholeheartedly thank!

Background:
Male, strong professional background in operations, international candidate.

Results:
Accepted at MIT.

Details:
When I came to Liza, I was exhausted. The MBA application process is exhausting! By that time, I had tried to manage everything by myself. I was a bit hesitant to look for external help. I was not sure about the added value. Nonetheless, with only 4 weeks to the application deadline, I decided to look for external help and give it a shot. I contacted several consultants and the person that I decided to work with was Liza. It was the best decision that I made during this journey. Since our 30 min initial meeting, I was impressed by her analytical and storytelling skills. She identified the relevant points of my story and gave me concrete examples of the things that we could improve about structure and narrative. Sometimes when you are part of the story, it is a bit difficult to see with clarity some things. Liza gave me a new perspective, helped me to realize key facts that I was missing and to extract the best of all my experiences for my application. Specificity is something that I was missing and with the help of Liza this problem was solved. After several essay drafts, I came up with a final version that was a true reflection of my story and my goals. Considering these results, I decided to go on with the interview prep with Liza. Again, it was an excellent decision. The mock interviews with Liza were as tough as the real one of the MBA process. She helped me to find some key areas of improvement, gave me some recommendations and the confidence that I needed to overcome the process. In the end, I was admitted to the MBA program of my dreams! Thank you so much Liza, you are an outstanding professional and person! Very objective, kind and honest. Your guidance and support during this process was key for me. I will always be grateful to you! 🙂

My background:
– BSc (Medical Sciences), 3.5 GPA
– 5 years working in tech/business
– GMAT: 730

Liza has a deep understanding of what b schools are looking for, and she puts in the time and energy to understand your story and craft a narrative that fits you and your target schools. She has fine-tuned a system to take you from 0 to a well-crafted set of applications.

I’ll be going to Berkeley Haas for their FTMBA program this fall, and I am confident it wouldn’t have been possible without Liza’s help. If you want to be confident you put your best foot forward with the right consultant, look no further.

Background: Caucasian male with biomedical engineering and electrical engineering undergraduate degrees, also a master’s in engineering from a Top 10 graduate engineering program. 3.8 GPA and 700 GMAT. Work experience: 6 years working at a Fortune 500 tech company, mostly in very technical engineering roles. Applied to MIT (Sloan) and Harvard (HBS). Accepted to Harvard, round 2 admit.

Liza was fantastic! For most of the MBA application process, I did not hire any consultants, mostly because I didn’t think I had a chance of getting in. However, when I got an interview invitation from HBS, I hired Liza for interview prep. At first, I was set on hiring someone who either was an HBS graduate or someone who had experience working in HBS admissions. However, after reading the amazing reviews Liza had, I decided to go with her, even though she did not go to HBS nor worked in HBS admissions. After working with her, this became irrelevant. Liza was also willing to have a free consultation/chat on the phone with me to discuss first, which other consultants weren’t willing to do considering I only needed interview prep help. From the first time I chatted with her to decision day, Liza was amazing throughout the whole process. She was so knowledgeable and helpful about the HBS interview in particular. Not only did she provide very useful guidance on how to prepare for our mock interview, but our mock interview together was so eerily similar to my actual HBS interview it was insane. No, it wasn’t exactly the same question for question, but the types of questions Liza asked me and the flow of the interview was pretty much identical. I’d even estimate that about half of the questions asked in my actual HBS interview, Liza asked me in my mock interview. Because of Liza, I will be attending HBS in the fall! This speaks to the amount of hard work and dedication she puts in to help prepare her clients for interviews, especially HBS, by reading every single word of your whole application and the essays. On top of this, Liza was always available and willing to answer any last-minute questions I had, and throughout the whole process would check up on me and cheer me on. If you’re trying to figure out who you should hire for an MBA consultant, especially for a mock interview for HBS (or really any other school), stop looking. Hire Liza!

Background: Caucasian Male, 30, 8 years work experience in Media / Entertainment, GMAT: 760, Communications degree from a top 20 Undergrad (3.63 GPA)

Result: Admitted to Kellogg MMM ($), Yale SOM, NYU ($$$$)

I had the pleasure to work with April during the 20-21 admissions cycle and can say without hesitation that she is the reason I am attending business school in six weeks. From start to finish, she and the entire Gatehouse team were supportive, insightful, and (most importantly for me) extremely organized allies that elevated my application beyond what I could have ever done on my own.

For context, I came into this year’s application process relatively late – leaving only two months to prepare six applications (including HBS) after focusing my summer on attaining my target GMAT score. Knowing that I needed someone I could hit the ground running with, I spoke with five different admissions consultants hoping to find the right fit. April immediately stood out. On just our first call, it became evident that April is at once deeply empathetic and practical. In 15 minutes, she was pulling stories out of me that I hadn’t thought about or told in years – specifically probing on areas in both my professional and personal lives that became invaluable building blocks to the narrative I crafted for my applications.

This blend of empathy and practicality would become a running theme throughout our engagement. With a tight timeline and a demanding day job, every day counted. In response, April expertly walked the thin line between being emotionally supportive while keeping me accountable to the almost constant work required to brainstorm, draft, redraft, and polish the 15+ essays I set out to submit. At every step along the way, April was a reliable and thoughtful partner and, even when we were working on multiple different essays, she never once returned a draft late or without constructive feedback that took into account the “whole picture” of my application. To track and grasp the widely disparate elements of my applications and still be able to build cohesive narratives that surfaced the best parts of my story (all while I’m sure doing the same for other clients) was truly remarkable.

All that said, April’s greatest contribution to my admissions process came late in the game. After being admitted to Kellogg MMM (my #1 choice that April had actually brought to my attention during school selection), I was torn between that program and a full ride at NYU. With April’s guidance, I was able to leverage my scholarship at NYU, make a compelling case to Kellogg’s adcoms, and ultimately received a meaningful amount of money at Kellogg – sealing my decision and enabling me to go to a school I had absolutely fallen in love with.

This process can be many things – demanding, frustrating, challenging, and enlightening all at once. Having a consultant like April makes a world of difference. I couldn’t imagine being in the position I am today without her and I wholeheartedly recommend April to anyone looking for a trusted ally in their journey towards business school.

Background: Male, six years of finance experience, 332 GRE, 3.5X GPA from a T20 undergrad, pursuing media/entertainment.
Result: Accepted to four T20s with $$

April is fantastic – she helped me whip up eight applications (three paid, the rest leveraging the material we worked on together) in less than 45 days before R2 application deadlines. It was a herculean task, but April rose to the challenge – at once career coach, admissions dean, crisis manager, and spiritual leader in addition to her normal roles of editor, narrative crafter, mock interviewer, scholarship negotiator, and so much more.

At the most fundamental level, she helped me crystallize what I wanted to get from my MBA, explained some of the key distinctions between the schools I was targeting, and devised a strategy that maximized my ability to reuse the materials we worked on together to cover as much ground as possible on the applications I worked on privately. From there, we began identifying the stories and accomplishments I needed to highlight – I was feeling particularly daunted by the application process and uninspired by my achievements at that point, so we worked tirelessly on framing them properly in my resume and essays, focusing always on the specific actions I took and explaining in detail how the results were meaningful. This was difficult and uncomfortable for me, but April always provided concrete examples of how it should be done and was never shy about letting me know the quality of my work, good or bad.

At the same time, she helped me construct a credible story, reframing what I had initially considered a hodgepodge of unrelated jobs, a year-long unemployment gap, and limited extracurriculars into a carefully curated career plan in which an MBA was the obvious next step, and then helped me sell it confidently in a three-minute package to the seven schools I interviewed with. During our interview prep, we discussed the questions I would most likely receive (which were 90% spot-on), and how I should answer them. She has a keen eye; for example, she noticed I was often unconsciously downplaying my accomplishments to build rapport and avoid seeming arrogant, so we worked together to frame them in a more positive light.

Beyond that, April was incredibly professional, patiently answering my questions, never missing a deadline, and checking in constantly to make sure I was staying on track. She was eminently knowledgeable about the MBA process, and I found that many of the skills and frameworks she taught, like self-reflection via the STARR method, or how to sell yourself in a negotiation, have helped put my upcoming journey into perspective. I came into the MBA application season with a lot of unanswered questions about my career, and under April’s guidance and partnership, I came away with four great opportunities and answers to those questions, and I can’t recommend her enough!

Background: Male, British-Hong Kong dual citizen, 26 y/o; Commercial Manager at a Tech Company in Hong Kong; Undergrad in Public Policy at an Ivy League School

Accepted: London Business School MBA 2023

I was introduced to Liza through a colleague, who also worked with her. I reached out to Liza after I got an interview invite at LBS. We kicked off with a 30-minute consultation, followed by a 60-minute interview prep, supplemented with 3 interview-prep videos.

Ways Liza added value:

(1) Bringing my story/narrative to life: Liza gave me 2 important pointers to bolster my narrative during the interview. Firstly, she urged me to dig deeper into my post-MBA career goals, and really identify the steps I’d take to get there. Taking into consideration my current and past experience, as well as what I hope to gain from LBS, we worked on painting a much clearer picture of my trajectory. Secondly, she pushed me to own up to my weaknesses. I applied with an average quant score. Additionally, I came from a liberal arts/policy education, and my professional experience was sales/client relationship-driven. These weaknesses were brought up during my interview, and I was prepared to address these concerns confidently while highlighting other unique skills I could bring to the table.

(2) Infectious energy: working with Liza was an absolute pleasure – not an overstatement! From the first minute on Zoom, Liza welcomed me with a reassuring smile. She was invested in my stories and responded to my questions warmly. Moreover, she followed up at different stages – before and after the interview and decision release respectively. Her style inspired me to bring an upbeat energy into the interview. The application process was tough in many ways – Liza added so much light. If anything, she assumed the role of a supportive mentor more so than a pure admissions consultant.

Overall, Liza’s USP is her warmth and energy, rooted in practical advice. I highly recommend Liza.

Background: Male, Engineering Undergrad, 4 years work experience (Consulting & Private Equity), ~Median GMAT for top MBA programs.

Admitted: HBS & GSB

TLDR: I absolutely recommend Brooke — she will push you to create the best application you can and be a partner throughout the process!

I cannot recommend Brooke more strongly! She was absolutely instrumental to my success. Brooke helped guide me through the application process, ensuring that my application stood out and accurately captured my personality and aspirations. I will try to capture just a couple of the ways in which Brooke helped me succeed and made the application process less brutal:

(1) My first session with Brooke was worth 20 hours of my own time. I had spent weeks trying to think through my application before finally reaching out to Brooke. In the first 30 minutes, Brooke was able to help me shape my story in a way that I never would have been able to on my own. Her experienced perspective helped me see how others would view my essays and what I needed to spend more time thinking about.

(2) Thought Partner — Brooke is a thought partner who helps craft your story! I was very worried that working with a consultant would make my essay inauthentic but Brooke did the exact opposite. She pushed me to construct my story by asking targeted questions which forced me to think and helped hone my writing so it captured my voice. I found brainstorming with Brooke to be fun and incredibly helpful.

(3) On Task– I started late and was crunched for time but Brooke made sure to keep me on task and focused on the most important components of my application, sequencing them in order so that they built on each other. This is very tactical but important. Brooke understands that you may be working 80 hours a week and helps you make thoughtful trade-offs/prioritize ruthlessly

(4) Thoughtful feedback — Brooke’s feedback on everything is incredibly thorough. Whether it is your 100 character responses, resume, or essays — she always spends the time to read, re-read and contemplate what you have sent. The feedback she provides is actionable and she is always willing to provide additional context to help you get to the right place.

(5) Efficient and Responsive– Brooke is incredibly efficient and is always upfront about her capacity and when she needs to receive something to get feedback to you. She helps set deadlines but also understands that it can’t always happen and is accommodating whenever she can be.

Without Brooke, there is little question in my mind that I would not have gotten into the top tier programs which I was targeting and would have been miserable trying to. She made the process easier, more enjoyable (though it is still an application), and has demonstrated results. Cannot sing her praises enough and am incredibly appreciative of her help throughout the process.

My only regret is that I had not started with Brooke earlier in the process. Start now before she books up!

Background: Male, 6 years work experience in banking ops role, average GMAT score.

Result: Accepted to INSEAD

As a first-time applicant, I found the MBA application process daunting, and to have someone like Rachel as a knowledge resource was extremely helpful. Rachel helped me organize my thoughts and provided amazing feedback that I would not have without her as my consultant.

While brainstorming content for the essay topics, she had a great sense of the qualities that my dream school looked for in its candidates and provided excellent guidance on the aspects of my background that would put my best foot forward. She was instrumental in helping me shape a tight story for my MBA candidacy. When my essays missed the mark, Rachel gave me candid, specific feedback ranging from what topics required further elaboration to which achievements best reflected my motivations. She was also an excellent aid through the interview process, helping tidy up my responses to the challenge questions and providing feedback before my actual interviews.

Finally, she was responsive even on weekends when I, unfortunately, had to push back deadlines due to my hectic work schedule. She also advised me on correspondences with my backup schools, even though she was not obligated to. These seemingly small acts made me feel that she was truly committed to my success.

I would recommend Rachel to anyone looking for a top-notch consultant. I could not imagine going through it without her, and I am thankful that I had the chance to work with her.