Gatehouse Admissions | MBA Admissions Consultants

If you are looking for the best, look no further. If not for Liza, I am convinced I would not have been admitted to (and received scholarship money from) the MBA programs of my dreams. She gave me the confidence to crush my interviews, and refine my story. Because I did not have your traditional business school background, her support was critical in helping me navigate my “pitch.” She really is the best and is completely determined to see you succeed.

Background: Male, Canadian undergrad, engineering background, 6 years in specialized consulting in financial risk management
Schools applied: CBS, Tuck, Booth, NYU Stern
Admitted: Tuck, NYU Stern
Waitlist: Booth
Rejected: CBS

I came across Liza during one of her online seminars. Finding the seminar itself informative, I booked her for a consultation and decided to work with her for my application. I quickly realized after working with her how helpful and supportive she is throughout the entire process. My experience was quite positive for several reasons:

1. Despite the initial consultation being pro bono, Liza took the time to review my profile in detail and provided me with multiple actionable steps I can take to strengthen my profile.
2. Liza helped me understand the nuances, and strengths/weaknesses between different schools. This helped me understand and clarify the list of schools I wish to go for and helped me focus on a handful of schools that will help my career.
3. Liza not only understands the MBA admission process but also takes the time to understand me as a candidate. Furthermore, while Liza is always empathetic and supportive, she does not hesitate to point out weaknesses that my profile currently displays – points that I believe ultimately allowed me to craft a stronger application.
4. Finally, Liza is someone who’s always in your corner. I bombed my mock interview right before the real interview, and Liza offered to do another one the morning (7:00 AM) of the actual interview. I was grateful and took up on the offer and this ultimately calmed my nerves for the actual thing.

In summary, I had a great time working with Liza, appreciate the dedication she displayed throughout the experience and would recommend her to anyone who plans on going through the same process.

I began working with Liza after unsuccessfully applying to Stanford in 2006. As a re-applicant (who typically face a higher bar than first-time applicants), I knew that I would have to improve my essays the following year. She helped me to identify the most compelling parts of my personal narrative, and her guidance made my essays vivid and readable. Once they were done, I felt that my essays captured the essence of who I was and what I cared about. In re-reading them now, perhaps the most amazing thing is that I am largely living the life I had described over 10 years ago; I have become the COO of a leading specialty insurance distribution firm and am happily married with a wonderful 7-year-old son.

Liza has been a fantastic resource throughout the entire MBA admissions process, and I could not be happier with the support she has provided. My background is a bit nontraditional, as I’m an engineer from a large state school with 6+ years of work experience at large tech firms. I was initially reluctant to use an admissions consultant, but given how challenging and competitive the process is, I reached out to a few consultants to see if a top 10 school was even achievable. Most consultants I talked to were either too cookie-cutter or apprehensive with me applying to only “reach” schools. However, Liza took my personal story and background into account and provided honest, specific, and pointed feedback that started me on the path to be successfully admitted to a top 5 program.

There are three areas where Liza helped the most: 1. Coaching, 2. Real-Life Experience, and 3. Specific Feedback. From a coaching perspective, I didn’t have many resources or mentors to talk with about applying to an MBA program, let alone a top school, but Liza was able to give me a great overview and roadmap for how the MBA admissions process worked. I realize a lot of this information is online, but being able to talk through it and strategize together really helped me to plan out my application and what schools to focus on. The “story” is so important, and this process was more internal and reflective than anything, which helped me put into words why I wanted to go to school and what I wanted to do after graduation. Also, Liza is a graduate of Sloan, so she has gone through the process and is able to tailor her information and feedback to what top MBA programs are looking for. When going through the application and more importantly the interview, I felt very prepared. I would recommend anyone do at least one mock interview per school, as Liza was incredibly helpful to calm my nerves on interview day. She treated the interview like the real thing, and I felt as if I was talking to the admissions committee. On top of that, Liza provided very specific and actionable feedback, whether that was how I answered a mock question, what I wrote for an essay, or what I wanted to do after graduation. This was the most helpful part of the process, as it is a journey with constant refinement, which I think truly made the difference for me.

Liza was just an incredible partner for me to tackle the b-school applications with. My prior experience was in a technical engineering/product role and I leaned heavily on Liza to help to make my experience/background relevant to b-school apps. With her help, I was admitted to Haas & Sloan (and now work at an MBB firm).

You want Liza in your corner, not just because of her grasp of the MBA application process, and ability to polish your personal stories into compelling narratives, but more importantly, for her passion for helping applicants discover and express themselves. This was obvious from our interactions – she would remember details from our initial brainstorming, that even I would forget! She just gets to know you incredibly well. In strategizing on how to tackle essays and interview questions, Liza combines a management consultant’s emphasis on depth and substance, with a marketer’s flair for personal branding. Her feedback helped me think through my experiences at a deeper level, back them up with specifics and articulate them with clarity.

Liza was an absolute pleasure to work with. I applied R1 to three schools: Stanford GSB, HBS and Wharton. While I didn’t use Liza as my primary consultant (I worked with her only for my HBS interview), I realized quickly after engaging her for interview prep how helpful she would have been throughout the entire process. I used a different consulting firm as the primary resource for my application essays but would recommend working with Liza if I could do everything over again — even though I was admitted to my top choice school.

Background: Caucasian male, top 5 undergrad, liberal arts background (English major), 4 years at a top-tier investment bank in IBD, 1 year as a product manager in CPG
Admitted: GSB
Waitlist: HBS
Rejected: Wharton

Liza was recommended to me by a close friend who had applied the prior year and was admitted to HBS. They had worked with her for interview prep and had a fantastic experience. My experience was also quite positive for several reasons:

1. Liza cares about who you are and takes time to really understand your goals. I was shocked at the level of detail and commitment that she provided me even though I only worked with her on interview prep. Because she took time to understand me, the pointers she gave me during our mock interview were incredibly helpful, and I was able to apply them during the interview itself

2. Liza really understands MBA admissions and helps clarify uncertainties. She helped me to demystify the admissions process, and more specifically, the interview’s importance with respect to an overall application. This made me more confident going into my interview because I had a clearer sense for what I was getting myself into and how important it was

3. Liza understands the nuances between schools and helps you tailor your story to each one. This is very important for the HBS interview, as much of what they are looking for is driven by fit for the school

In summary, I cannot recommend Liza highly enough. She was empathetic and supportive, and while I did not work with her on the application for the school that I am ultimately attending, I know she would have shown the same level of dedication and support throughout the process overall.

I couldn’t recommend Liza more highly! When I applied to business school, she helped me determine what were my most compelling themes and stories which I should highlight from my background. She then helped me weave all of it into a cohesive whole. This helped me write compelling and successful essays. I was admitted into and then attended HBS, and since then, was a principal at a leading private equity firm and now lead strategy at a great tech firm. I am very grateful for Liza’s help.

When I first began my search for a consultant, I was surprised at how many 5-star reviews Liza had. Now that my journey’s complete, I can confirm that she really is an incredible consultant and partner in the admissions process. Comparing my own experience to those of my friends who worked with other people, I can definitively say Liza provided the best guidance. Searching for a good consultant is a huge shot in the dark, but finding a good one can really make a difference and for that reason, I cant recommend Liza enough.

A couple of things I really enjoyed about my experience:
1) Liza is extremely organized: she makes sure to set timelines, is very reliable on turnarounds, and kept me organized through the process
2) She knows A LOT: I could really see how experienced she was during brainstorming / knew the answers to every question I had
3) She is positive: this means A LOT when you are feeling super stressed or the first couple turns of your essay feel like they suck – Liza provides the encouragement and confidence you need to succeed

My background is in finance and media corp strategy. Thanks to Liza, I got into a top 3 school. I really couldn’t have don’t it without her!

When I was getting ready to start my b-school applications, I wanted to give myself every advantage possible and looked to enlist the help of an MBA consultant.

I met Liza during my 30-minute free consultation and immediately knew that she would be a great fit for my application process. From the get go, Liza had an array of thoughtful comments tailored to my specific background and target schools. She immediately spotted “themes” in my work experience, such as an ability to create systems/infrastructure, which I had not identified on my own. On top of that, her supportive and enthusiastic attitude made it clear that she was 100% invested in my success. I immediately signed up for two start-to-finish packages (GSB and Sloan) and later added two more (HBS and Haas).

As soon as we began the application process, I knew that working with Liza had been a wise choice. My first brainstorming session started as a general get-to-know-you session, but it was immediately clear that Liza genuinely wanted to understand my personality and behavior. With each experience, we discussed she would ask probing questions such as, “How did you respond? Why did you do that?” Through this session, I felt that Liza gained valuable insight into my personality, motivations, and behaviors. With this insight, Liza helped me identify trends in my work history and hone in on my most compelling stories based on each school’s profile. In later sessions, Liza acted as a sounding board for my ideas, ensuring that I did not waste time writing essays about less-than-stellar subjects.

This up-front work truly paid off as we entered the essay writing stage. With general themes already identified for each application, I was able to jump into essay outlining without any problem. Throughout the MANY iterations of my essays, Liza’s feedback was impeccably on-point complete with thoughtful questions, insightful suggestions, and a laser focus on the big picture. She asked pointed questions that helped me focus on salient information and she also has an amazing ability to identify and eliminate non-essential details. Once my essays were boiled down to the core story, Liza demonstrated her very impressive ability to cut words through creative editing. Throughout the process, I felt that Liza really went above and beyond as I often received comments back well before the 48-hour response time had lapsed and, on top of that, I would get random emails saying things like, “While I was out for a run, I had an epiphany regarding your essay….” This extra effort really made me feel as if she had my best interest in mind and was truly invested in my success. At the end of the process, I felt that my essays retained my individuality and read as my voice, but were more focused and polished than they would have been otherwise…thanks to Liza.

Liza was also hugely helpful with the remainder of my applications helping me concentrate on achievements in my resume, choose words thoughtfully in my short answers, and present myself succinctly in my interview. Finally, after six long months of the grueling application process, I was accepted to three programs (HBS, Sloan, and Haas) and could not be happier about choosing to work with Liza during the process. In fact, Liza continued to go above and beyond after I received my acceptance letters helping me through the school selection process, even going as far as to write an email with some questions/self-exploration questions to ask myself while I made my decision.

If you are considering using a Gatehouse Admissions consultant, I would highly recommend Liza. She helped me demonstrate the best version of me through my applications and not a pre-packaged idea of what business schools want. I am super pleased with my experience with Liza and, I think, the results speak for themselves.

Despite my waiting until the last moment to get started on my applications, Liza was able to jump in and help me pull together my thinking and write lucid, interesting and ultimately very successful essays. While the stories were all mine, her ability to make them come to life and pull the most impactful parts out of my head – and cut out the rest – is what got me over the line and accepted at both HBS and Kellogg. I’m convinced of that and am forever grateful

One of the hardest parts of working in the Information Technology arena is having a resume that is understandable and highlights your skills for recruiters and human resources to comprehend while also attracting highly technical hiring managers. I found that most of the times even though I was qualified for the job, that it wouldn’t even be considered due to the technical jargon that was beyond people reviewing my resume. I expressed my frustrations with Liza and she took up the challenge. She took my complex resume and made it extremely readable while keeping some technical components. I received rave reviews from hiring managers, recruiters, and human resources on how well my resume was written. I have never heard these types of compliments before. Within one month, I landed the job I have been angling for the past 5 years. I can’t recommend Liza enough to help you with your career, being a graduate school or job hunting.

I want to start by saying that Liza was amazing to work with and I couldn’t recommend her more! I worked with Liza on Round 1 applications for HBS, Kellogg & Stanford GSB and I’m excited to be attending HBS this fall.

Background: Male, engineering at top-20 undergrad, MBB consulting / PE, 730 GMAT
Admitted: HBS, Kellogg
Rejected: Stanford GSB

Liza was recommended to me by multiple colleagues and everyone I spoke with had an extremely positive experience working with her. Nonetheless, I still evaluated multiple admission consultants; however, none compared to Liza. From our fist conversation, it was noticeable how much Liza cared about making my candidacy a success. I also remember how she took the time to really understand my goals for the process.

While many others have noted many of Liza’s amazing characteristics, I’ll highlight three that I found most beneficial.

(1) Liza takes the time to get to know you as a person. Business school applications can be very personal, so while this may feel insignificant I think the time Liza took to get to know my personal story paid many dividends through the process.

(2) Liza is deeply knowledgeable about the admissions process. Because Liza has so much experience coaching candidates, she understands where you should be in the process at all times and is very familiar with what admissions teams are looking for in candidates. And even though Liza does have a lot of experience to draw from, Liza still did a great job ensuring the process was specifically tailored to what I was looking to get out of it.

(3) Liza gives great feedback and while she will push you to tell a story admissions teams will find compelling, she also ensures your story remains authentically you. I have a more traditional background on paper, but there were specific points about my personal background I felt were important to highlight. With Liza’s guidance, I was able to tell a story that combined the softer components about my background & ambitions that made me unique with firmer accomplishments that highlighted my capabilities.

My background: Female, 5 years in finance/investment banking at a BB firm, ivy league liberal arts background (poli sci/econ major), 730 GMAT, 3.7 GPA

Admitted to HBS, Wharton and MIT Sloan, received a merit-based scholarship at Wharton and Sloan. Rejected from GSB. Worked with Liza on HBS and Wharton.

Less than a year ago I hadn’t opened a GMAT textbook and right now I’m on my way back from an admitted students’ weekend at a school I could only dream of getting into. It’s surreal and 100% would not have been possible without Liza.

I was referred to Liza through a friend and decided to set up a 30-min free consultation to see what kind of advice I could expect from an admissions consultant and what she thought about my candidacy. I knew I had certain “on paper” strengths (good GPA, ivy league school, solid firm/professional experience), but was concerned about my lack of leadership/involvement in activities outside of work and that my profile was otherwise overrepresented. In the 30 minutes, Liza gave me honest and actionable feedback, including ways to address weaker spots in my application and a plan for tackling the next steps. The overwhelming process seemed much more manageable by the end of our call, and I felt more confident in myself as a competitive applicant. She was clearly a pro and I didn’t hesitate to sign up.

Liza is a dream to work with in so many ways, but she was especially helpful in two key areas. First was helping me craft my “story” – by the end of our brainstorming session she was able to tease out the key theme weaving together all the seemingly random life anecdotes I had written down. I never would have thought of that seed idea on my own but it was perfect, which is a testament to how well she understands her clients. Her feedback was invaluable throughout the essay writing process and I almost always took her suggestions, from high-level structural changes to word choice. And when she indicated she was comfortable with where drafts stood, I trusted her and didn’t sweat any more iterations.

The second area where Liza was critical was interview prep. I didn’t realize how underprepared I was for the HBS interview until we had our mock. After that, I had a much better understanding of what the real interview would be like and the types of questions I could expect. I was very well prepared for the interview day of and most of the questions I got we had workshopped or raised during prep.

I’m honestly not sure I would have completed a single R1 application, let alone four, if I hadn’t had Liza in my corner. She’s your constant champion throughout a long and draining experience.  There were some really stressful times when I was running up on deadlines, crushed at work and taking the GMAT for a third (!!) time less than a month before R1 apps were due. Liza was always there urging me on and helping me believe in myself, whether with an email or reassuring phone call. She is compassionate and truly cares about her clients, but she will definitely push you to be disciplined and invest the time and work required to get the most out of this process.  She is unfailingly positive but what I appreciated most was her honesty. She approached every issue or conversation in a measured way but did not hesitate to call out where things need improvement and never inflated my expectations one way or another. This is exactly the type of person you want as an advisor when going through a process as important as this one.

There is no way I would be considering the options I have now without Liza and I can’t recommend her enough. THANK YOU, LIZA!!!!

Background: Caucasian Male, Non-Ivy Undergrad, Sub 3.0 GPA, Chemical Engineer

Results: Attending Top 5 Program, Accepted to 3 Top 10 B-Schools

To anyone looking to maximize the strength of their candidacy, I would highly recommend using Liza as a consultant! After having interviewed multiple consultants, I was referred to Liza by a friend attending HBS. From our initial phone call until now, Liza has taken complete ownership of my story and my application process. As a candidate from an unremarkable undergrad program and sub-3.0 GPA, I went from an applicant hoping to breach the top 20, to a future student at a top 5 business school; working with Liza allowed me to achieve these results. Liza’s book of clients fills up very early in the process, so I would recommend signing on with her as soon as you establish that you would like to attend a top business school.

Liza’s tenacity, reliability, and support throughout my process was astounding and unwavering. She took immediate ownership of my story, and ensured that I did the same by having me fill out an exhaustive brainstorming doc; while the document was arduous, the content was directly applicable to every facet of the application process. Liza then helped me to develop and articulate my story in the most convincing manner, working as a teammate to generate ideas, put them into action, and refine them into their most effective form, all while keeping me on track to meet the schools’ deadlines.

Throughout an uncertain process, Liza was honest, supportive, and incredibly empathetic. It was clear that my success was her success, and throughout every step of the process, we worked tirelessly to evolve my candidacy into one worthy of acceptance at multiple top 10 programs. Liza enabled me to change my own life, and I could not be happier with my decision to take her on as a consultant/partner.

Some background: an international applicant who has been working for the past few years in my country’s public sector (defense). Did my undergrad and masters’ in engineering at Top 10 US schools. Thanks to Liza’s help, I managed to secure admissions to MIT Sloan (with fellowship).

My background was extremely non-traditional. I knew that I had to get an admissions consultant who understood my story and was able to translate that into something that the admissions committees of top MBA programs would find attractive. Among the 5 consultants that I spoke to during my search, Liza was the one I was most impressed with. I felt that she was someone who was really excited about my candidacy, knew what exactly I needed help with, and what I could highlight to my advantage (even in the initial consult!).

There were several things that Liza did for me that stood out:
1. She was relentless in probing me for my story. I found it difficult to put together the initial brainstorming document because I was not used to talking/writing about myself. But Liza posed the right questions that helped me tease out the key traits/themes of my story.
2. Detailed, highly valuable interview prep. I was really nervous about interviewing. But Liza’s mock sessions made all the difference – She taught me how to structure my responses so that I could convey a clear story that the interviewer could follow and take away from. She reminded me to explain jargon that I was used to but my interviewer wasn’t. She helped me to refine the questions that I wanted to pose to the interviewer.
3. She is the best cheerleader! There were times when I felt demotivated and defeated because I was overwhelmed with work or got a rejection, but she was always there with kind words and cheers!

Overall, I would definitely recommend Liza! She really puts in 110% for her clients. I would not have been able to get into my top choice (and get a fellowship) without her.

Background: Female, nontraditional professional background, GRE Q160, V167, GPA 3.89.

Accepted early decision to CBS.

I had a few introductory phone calls with other consultants, and after speaking with Liza, I knew I wanted to partner with her throughout this process. Liza was positive, but realistic, and it was clear – just during those 30 minutes – that she really wanted me to succeed.

Liza’s guidance at the beginning of the process was key to my success. She helped me define and communicate my short- and long-term goals, which are major components of the application. Liza also helped me identify my strongest and most compelling experiences/stories to focus on in my resume and essays. It was very important to have Liza’s expertise as I jumped into the applications.

Liza adheres to the MBA Mission’s essay/application review turnaround deadlines, which she holds both her clients and herself to. This policy helped me stay on track. I needed to send my materials to Liza by a certain date in order to receive her feedback by a certain date. As someone who would typically tinker with my essays for hours on end, these deadlines were a huge help and kept me moving forward! Additionally, Liza never missed a turnaround deadline – I knew exactly when I would receive her very thorough comments and responses to my questions!

Lastly, rather late in the game, I was thinking about adding a more competitive school to my Round 1 applications. I was hesitant about adding another school, but when I reached out to Liza about applying, her response was something along the lines of, “Excited for you! Here’s what needs to happen.” With Liza’s support, I ended up applying and being accepted to this school. I’m thankful to Liza for advising and cheering me on throughout the process!

First a little background on me: White, male, engineer from a large state school (GPA 3.7 / GMAT: 690 / 4 years of experience upon matriculation). Pre-MBA I have been working at a large management consulting company (Deloitte / Accenture / EY). So all in all, I felt like I had what was a very generic profile.

I knew early on that I would use an admissions consultant. I saw how competitive my pool was and realized that I needed a way to differentiate myself from the rest of the pack. I had a few calls with consultants and told them my list of schools. Some either immediately said that I was reaching too far and others seemed overly optimistic. I decided to go with Liza when she gave me honest feedback and said that while my schools would be challenging, they were doable. Ultimately I signed up for 3 schools (Darden, Fuqua, Johnson) and had these 3 schools as reaches and dream schools. For me, it was all or nothing.

Working with Liza was what kept me sane during this challenging process. She did this through 3 key things:

1) Finding and developing my story – Liza did an amazing job of finding a thread in my story that was able to differentiate me from my peers and then pull on that thread. She helped uncovered both personal and professional stories that I had forgotten about and helped me make them come to life. By the time my applications were submitted, I had a clear cohesive story that helped me stand out as a unique candidate.

2) Optimism – In an anxiety-inducing process where self-doubt can often creep in, Liza was upbeat and provided constructive feedback in a manner that was motivating and made me want to improve. Her energy was contagious and necessary during this application process.

3) Invested – Liza was the first to say good luck and to ask how things went after an interview or admissions decision. I felt that she was just as invested in my applications as I was.

Ultimately I was admitted to my dream schools of Fuqua and Darden and still waiting to hear back from Johnson. As I write this review it comes as no surprise that this is the 99th (or 100th) positive five-star review she has gotten. While certainly not a cheap investment, it has paid itself back tenfold.

A bit of background about myself, I’m a Middle Eastern female working in the banking industry with around 7 years of work experience.

In the beginning, I was very reluctant to apply for any of the top school’s MBA, as I assumed that my profile would be considered as average and my application would be easily overlooked. However, upon talking with Liza, she was able to significantly change my views and our conversation encouraged me to apply to my dream school.

Working with Liza has helped me identify my goals not only in the essays but also in real life. Her questions to my essay drafts made me highlight lots of unique points and qualities that did not cross my mind initially, and made my overall story in the essays logical and convincing.
She was able to let me extract the core story behind my essays and helped me cut all the unnecessary details to represent my story in the most compelling way.

She has as well guided me through the interview process, which is a really stressful period for all applicants. She provided me with interview guidelines and we scheduled one mock interview (through Skype). The mock interview was great and really imitated the real interview! her feedback was very beneficial and helped me show up to the interview very well prepared and confident.

Overall, I would HIGHLY recommend Liza as a partner in the application process. With her guidance, I was gladly accepted to my target school (an ivy league)!

First up, here’s a bit of background about me and my candidacy: I’m an American female, from a non-ivy undergrad (3.8 GPA) with slightly below average GMAT (690). Pre MBA, I worked at a global Financial Services company with the goal of landing a spot at a top consulting firm post MBA.

I decided to work with a consultant on my business school apps early on, knowing that I could easily be overlooked if I didn’t highlight the right details about my experience when I applied to top programs. I met with representatives from a few companies, however, decided to work with MBA Mission as soon as I met with Liza Weale.

I can’t begin to describe how helpful Liza was throughout the entire application process – she helped narrow down my list of target schools, advised which areas of my background were most compelling and worked with me through countless revisions until my application truly reflected that I was a competitive candidate. Ultimately I ended up working on two applications with Liza – Harvard, and Columbia, and I was accepted to CBS! And when I was deciding between a new role and business school, she was a solid sounding board.

Overall, while I valued Liza’s input on my application, I also truly enjoyed working with her, which made the process much more painless (dare I say, even enjoyable at times?) Needless to say, if you’re planning to spend the money on a consultant, I highly recommend meeting with Liza.

Background: Male, re-applicant, non-business undergrad, 5+ years consulting

After going through rejections the prior year (worked with a different admission consulting company), I knew I needed a different strategy to have a positive outcome this time around. I spoke with a few other companies and most of them were hesitant in taking me on as a client due to low GPA/GMAT stats. Feedback provided in initial consultation was that I should delay re-applying until improving my stats. Despite the feedback, I still felt there was a way for me to be competitive or even be considered for a top MBA program. I first heard about Liza from a friend who worked with her before and spoke nothing but great things. I decided to do an initial consultation with Liza and explained to her of my situation/background/low stats. She was very honest in her feedback saying that it would be difficult to be competitive and I should be prepared for backup options if not accepted again. Liza still felt there was a unique story that I could tell and schools would look at that positively if the story was told in an effective way. Knowing that I was taking a gamble given my low stats, I felt really comfortable after my initial discussion with Liza and knew I wanted to work with her on my applications.
I decided to re-apply to two top-20 programs. Initial activity with Liza was spent on the brainstorming document. I highly encourage you to spend ample time on this document so that Liza has all the personal stories/experiences which she will be reviewing prior to essay drafting. The more information you share in brainstorming, the more material Liza will be able to help you filter to determine what is powerful to include in essays or not. There were personal stories which I included from my childhood which I never thought b-school admissions would want to hear, but Liza was a true advocate in highlighting those experiences which I know helped distinguish myself from the stack of applicants.

Once essay drafting began, I always felt like I was telling the story I wanted to tell. Liza was a great supporter along the way who was not afraid to provide honest feedback if I was heading in the wrong direction or not making sense. Her feedback is extremely valuable and allows you to take a step back and self-reflect. Over the course of drafting versions of essays, I became more and more confident in the story I was telling. Liza would always ask me how I’m feeling about everything before any major deadline we set for ourselves. When it came time for interviews, she would personally send me a note hours before wishing me good luck which was really great. Those moments were very nerve-wracking, but it was just nice knowing Liza was rooting for me.

My recommenders commended on Liza’s assistance during the recommendation letter drafts. Even though I did not see what my recommenders wrote, I knew that Liza knew my story better than anyone else and made sure the recommenders brought out my strengths. She worked closely with my recommenders and helped them frame their stories which resonated well with my overall goals. Knowing that Liza was on my side every step of the way, I know that my recommenders had all the tools and information needed to write an effective letter.

The overall end result was that I was invited to interview to both my programs and accepted and a waitlist to the programs which I was rejected from nearly a year ago. I know this would not have been possible without Liza’s support throughout this entire process. Liza is definitely a gamechanger and helped me represent myself in the best way to the admissions committee. If you are in the process of applying for business school, Liza is without a doubt the only way to go. Even though she was my admissions consultant, along the way she became a friend who truly wanted me to succeed. Best decision ever.

Background: Male, Ivy Undergrad, banking+PE+ops role
Results: accepted at Harvard and Stanford

I could not speak more highly about working with Liza. I was referred to her by a friend who had used her Round 1 in the same year (I worked with her for Round 2). After doing intro calls with 3-4 consultants it was immediately clear to me that the two of us clicked and she would be the ideal consultant for me to work with. Her spots fill up fast, so if you are interested I would definitely recommend getting a spot with her as soon as possible.

Liza made the very daunting task of answering abstract questions like “What else should we know about you?” and “What matters most?” very personal and attack-able. Her approach makes you actually look within yourself to really think about the right answer. She’s incredibly good at asking you questions about how you feel, and then helping dissect that into a key theme or two that make for a great essay and hold true to the person that you actually are.

You’ll begin by assembling a detailed brainstorming document. While this does take time, it is well worth the investment. From this, you’ll be able to work with Liza to figure out a whole range of potential essay topics, and what’s more, you’ll also be able to recycle this work for your short answers on the application and also for stories on the interview. It is well worth the time.

In terms of essays, Liza provided appropriate guidance and feedback at all levels. Before I got going writing, we’d make sure there was at least an underlying theme that could be a good essay, so we’d avoid wasting time on a bad topic. Then, she was very open and honest with feedback. Sometimes, she would think the initial draft was nearly complete. Other times, she would provide very specific and helpful feedback and it was back to the drawing board. It was clear that she spent significant time reviewing my essays, and combined that effort with her massive knowledge of MBA applications to help me write the best essays. Each time I would revise, I could tell that the essay was getting stronger, and I thought the end product was not only a great business school essay but also one that was uniquely me and did convey my personality and answer the question appropriately.

I know for a fact I could not have done this stressful process without Liza. She was there to hold my hand as much as I needed each step of the way, and more importantly, gave me confidence in myself — both as an applicant in general and specifically when it came to the application items we were creating together. I could not recommend her more highly. It is clear she pours her heart and soul into her clients and is a huge advocate for them. I greatly looked forward to each of our interactions. TWO THUMBS UP!

I’m a woman working at an investment firm. It was fairly late in the cycle when I decided to apply to business school. I was introduced to Liza through a friend who worked with her and got into HBS. From our very first call, Liza had my absolute trust! It couldn’t be any clearer to me that she was someone who was truly dedicated to her job, and she was extremely experienced and knowledgeable. I actually interviewed five other admission consultants from top firms, and she was by far the best – there was no comparison. Unfortunately, I was too late in the process and Liza was booked up for the start-to-finish package and wasn’t able to take me on. So I somberly settled for my second pick at a competing firm. Unfortunately, my second pick full-time consultant regularly missed deadlines which weakened my trust in him along the process. Although Liza was booked up, she graciously agreed to work with me on an hourly basis – even though we were so close to the deadlines. We worked together for about 6 hours, including essay reviews and interview prep. Through the process, Liza encouraged me to dig deeper and reflect more on each of my experiences. She really helped me transform my essays: we removed all the cliche statements and the final product was much more unique and reflective of me as a person. Even once my purchased hours were up, Liza was still available as a resource and answered my emails generously in her own time.

Another thing I would highlight is that MBAmission has a two-day turnaround policy, and they do not miss deadlines. I initially didn’t realize how important this would be. But remember that applying to school is a very stressful period, and you should work with someone who is reliable and who will be there for you when needed.

In the end, I ended up getting into both my top choices – and I’m very grateful to Liza for her help. Not only she helped me with my application, but also she was absolutely there for me along the process.

Hollis was incredibly helpful throughout my application process and I would highly recommend her services. She is a tremendous writer and is very user-friendly/creative when it comes to crafting the best story of yourself.

Profile:
Male, Caucasian, 730 GMAT, Top-40 Undergrad College, Large Corporation

Results:
Accepted: Stanford, Kellogg
Waitlisted: Harvard

If you are looking to get into a top b-school, my advice to you is to partner with Liza Weale (and do it early before she reaches her capacity for the year…which she will). She will make you work your butt off because she cares so deeply about seeing you succeed. Be ready to self-reflect. Be ready to take feedback in stride. Be ready to give your all to this process. If you do, you will not be disappointed. You will walk away more self-aware, more self-confident, and with a better idea of how you want to leave your mark on the world. And if you do these things well, there is a good chance you’ll find success in the application process.

In my opinion, the hardest (and most important) part of the application process is getting to know yourself inside and out– what makes you tick, why you do the things you do, what you want to do with your life—and then communicating this clearly and effectively through essays and interviews. This is no small task; in fact, it’s really really hard and I think it is impossible to do well without someone else pushing and challenging you throughout. Whether it’s a close friend, parent, or a consultant like Liza, find someone to fill this role. I would be hard pressed though to find many friends, parents, or other consultants that care as much as Liza does and that put in the kind of effort to help you put your best foot forward as Liza does (it’s crazy because she starts as a stranger and quickly becomes your biggest fan).

Liza first had me fill out a brainstorming document to help her get to know me (essentially 20+ pages of my life story) and then spent hours on the phone asking me question after question about it. From our very first conversation, I was struck by 1) how good of a listener she was, 2) how much she wanted to authentically get to know me, and 3) how fast she picked up on what was most important to me and how well she was able to think of essay ideas around these things. I had been spinning my wheels for months leading up to our initial conversation and after talking with her it was amazing how I left finally feeling a sense of direction. I then remember sending my first draft of HBS’s essay to Liza for feedback the week after this, thinking that it was pretty great. She turned it around a couple of days later basically ripping it to shreds (in the most constructive and polite way possible!). 8 drafts later, I could not have been prouder of how far it had come and how it spoke to who I am and how I want to make my mark on the world.

Liza helped me in a similar way for Kellogg and Stanford—it took MANY hours of me writing, getting feedback, revising, and re-writing, but I felt incredibly pleased and proud of the essays I submitted when all was said and done. Liza also helped me transform my resume from corporate jargon into something that really packed a punch and helped me think of ways to write short answers in a way that was clear and powerful. She never missed a deadline and always came back with meaningful and thoughtful input. She was the best person to help me prep for interviews because of how well she got to know me. She was the first person after my parents I contacted after finding out from Stanford and Kellogg. Liza is incredible, and she will remain a friend for years to come. In my opinion, it is well worth the money to partner with a consultant, and if you do, you would be a fool not to choose Liza.

My Profile: Southeast Asian; Male; 3.60 GPA (Law LLB); 730 GMAT (Q48 V42); 5 years as a construction lawyer; currently, counsel at a hyper-growth real estate/hospitality company.

Admitted to Class of 2021 at MIT Sloan (with Fellowship)

Having dreamed of pursuing an MBA for a number of years, I reached out to a close friend of mine that was admitted to CBS to learn more about his experience with the application process. He gave me a resounding recommendation of Liza’s services and was so sure that Liza made THE difference in getting into his dream school! His words were difficult to ignore – I started working with Liza over 1 year ago and have never looked back!

While the past year was absolutely brutal as I had to juggle a new job together with applying to 6 schools, having Liza by my “side” to encourage and urge me on at every step of the way kept me on track! She has been a friend, confidante, career coach, consultant, cheerleader, taskmaster and support system all rolled into one. I had the benefit of connecting with Liza a few months in advance of actually starting work on the applications, and she gave me invaluable advice to make career decisions that ultimately shaped my profile for the MBA applications.

As I worked with Liza, it quickly became apparent that she always put her sincere best in getting to know me inside and out, and was fully invested in helping me to reach my goals. She manages to tease out the best ideas and best version of yourself, and she is extremely effective in helping you to bring YOUR stories to life through the essays. She is an expert communicator and leaves no stone unturned with her practical/honest advice – you will definitely feel assured that you have done your best with her guidance. With interview prep, she made sure that I was so prepared for every eventuality and provided nuanced tips for each school/interviewer. The actual interview was a breeze!

It is all thanks to Liza that I will be traveling halfway across the world to attend MIT Sloan this fall. I can’t wait, and I can’t speak highly enough of Liza’s help in getting me there. Highly recommended!

After conducting a few free consultations with other MBA consultancies, I ultimately chose to work with Hollis from mbaMission due to her supportive, thoughtful, and holistic approach to advising and providing feedback. Having made good headway on my applications in early summer, I ultimately decided to pursue the hourly service with Hollis to really focus on developing the structure and content of my essays and spend time fine-tuning my resume.

From our initial call together, I was extremely impressed by Hollis’s genuine investment in my success. There were a few things that really stood out to me. First, Hollis never shoehorned drastic changes to the content or story that I was trying to tell through my writing, allowing me to stay true to the work that I had done and the experiences that I was trying to share. Instead, Hollis focused on ensuring that my story made sense to the reader and came through in the most impactful, thoughtful, and genuine way possible. At points throughout my essays, Hollis would ask me to answer probing questions, which not only challenged me to provide unique detail around my experiences, but also made for fresher, more interesting, and much more compelling pieces of work. Second, Hollis is a master editor – she continuously spent time meticulously examining every word, comma, and period to ensure that it not only added meaning but also enhanced the quality of my work. Finally, I was enormously grateful for Hollis’s reliability, promptness, and efficiency throughout the process. Whether it was providing feedback well before the expected turnaround time, answering a silly question from a late-night email, or brainstorming an effective essay approach, Hollis was impressively efficient, supportive, and motivating, the combination of which contributed to my success.

If you are considering applying for a top business school program, I highly recommend that you work with Hollis!

My profile:
Asian, Female
~4 years in Consulting
710 GMAT
Chatted with 5+ companies and ~7 consultants and ultimately chose Liza!

The application process is arduous and there’s a lot of consultants to choose from. I chose Liza because she is someone who will be there in the trenches with you and help you become a storytelling master. Here are the 2 key reasons you should choose her-

1) Best Storyteller I’ve Met:
A lot of applicants are stellar but can’t showcase it on paper. Liza helped me bring my story to life by helping me cut out the fluff to draw on different aspects of my stories that’d pull at the heartstrings more. She helped me see my own stories in a new light and told me how AdComm is likely to view it. You’ll definitely need a consultant to help you do this because your everyday friends/colleagues just aren’t going to be as invested in you as a consultant would.

2) Unparalleled Thoroughness: Liza always prepped for our calls. In our brainstorming session, she already had ideas on how my story should be structured and explained to me why she suggested each edit. Some consultants could just make changes without explaining…but then you wouldn’t learn how to improve for your other apps. Another aspect is that she helped catch errors in my app. She helped catch small nuances and numbers that didn’t tick and tie. You’ll be so trenched in the app that sometimes it’s easy to lose track on what you’ve updated!

Liza is truly the ONLY person who will dedicate that much effort into helping you achieve your dreams (aside from yourself).

I worked with Liza while I was interviewing for a very important, game-changing position at a critical time in my career. Because Liza is such an extraordinary coach, I got the job! The mock interview process was so constructive in assessing my strengths and making them stronger, and in helping overcome my weaknesses and turning them into assets. Her coaching inspired so much confidence, I don’t think I have ever been as prepared or as poised for an interview. Liza’s coaching continued throughout the negotiation period and almost a year later, I’m in the job of my dreams. I consider Liza my secret weapon and I will always consult with her as I wander down my career path.

Background: Female, Ivy undergrad, BB bank / PE, 760 GMAT.

Round 1 applicant: admitted HBS, waitlisted GSB.

I originally heard about Liza through a few friends / former colleagues who had worked with her in recent years and absolutely raved about her. In turn, I came into the process with high expectations, which Liza fully exceeded in every possible way.

I remember in our initial phone call feeling as if Liza immediately “got me.” This continued during our brainstorming sessions, and I ultimately felt as if Liza knew me better than I knew myself. I came into the process thinking I was a competitive but terribly traditional applicant, but Liza constantly pushed me to reflect deeper about my experiences, why they were important to me, and how they have shaped who I am as a person. She took what I originally thought to be fragmented pieces of my story, cut through all the noise, and showed me how to mold them into a cohesive essay. Her feedback was always honest and thoughtful, but more importantly flexible, allowing and encouraging me to remain completely authentic throughout my story.

Liza also upheld an incredible balance of professionalism and genuine kindness throughout the entire process. She was strict on her turnaround times and pushed me to remain on our agreed timelines, as well, which was sometimes difficult with my work schedule. However, we found a way to make it work, even if it required completing tasks in spurts. Liza continually pushed me to stay on track, which I candidly needed. Further, Liza was in my corner throughout the entire process – wishing me good luck on the GMAT, before interviews, and prior to decisions. When I was apprehensive about interviews, she eased my nerves on more than one frantic phone call and made sure I was able to schedule an extra mock session before my official date. Liza’s genuine kindness throughout all of our discussions made me want to succeed for both of us.

I would recommend Liza to anyone looking for a top-notch consultant to be their partner through the application process. I could not imagine going through it without her and am so thankful that I had the chance to work with her.

Simply put, Liza is a rock star.

I initially went into the business school application process with heavy apprehension. While I had solid stats (750 GMAT / 3.9 GPA from a top non-Ivy undergrad), I belong to a competitive cohort (Asian American male in finance) and did not work at a well-known company with a history of sending people to top MBA programs. On top of this, I had to balance business school applications with a hectic work schedule (constant travel, long hours). I knew the journey would be lengthy, grueling, and stressful, and that I wouldn’t be able to complete it alone.

Liza was my guiding spirit as I navigated the process. She was patient and knowledgeable, answering my constant barrage of questions both carefully and thoughtfully (no matter how silly the question). She helped me craft my story and essays -expertly providing feedback and guidance -all the while ensuring the voice was still uniquely my own. And she kept me on track, keeping me accountable and on schedule during the frantic road to business school.

While many admissions consultants can do these things, Liza is unique and stands above the competition for a few reasons. First, she isn’t afraid to tell you when she disagrees but does so in a kind and constructive manner, backed up with countless years of experience and knowledge. In the world of business school admissions, there can be a lot of noise and misinformation, and her honesty and wisdom were so refreshing. Second, she is a genuinely caring person with a deep interest in her clients’ success. Together, we shared some defeats (and of course, victories!) and her empathy and EQ made the defeats more bearable and the victories even sweeter. She always sent words of encouragement during stressful moments -interview days, decision days, etc -that served to ease my anxiety. These little things do matter and made Liza feel more like a mentor/friend than a consultant.

Thanks to Liza, I will be headed to Wharton this fall! Liza exceeded all my expectations and I would recommend her without hesitation.

Working with Liza was the best decision I made during my business school application process. For those of you who are concerned by the cost of the school packages (I certainly was), I can assure you, it is worth it. I’m a female applicant with a financial services background, with a 710 GMAT score and 3.6 GPA. I worked with Liza on 4 schools and applied to 2 on my own, I interviewed at 4, and was admitted to 2.

Through the application process, the differences across MBA programs became apparent in the variability of applications between schools. I was most concerned with how to tell my story through the different essays/videos/cover letters requested by each institution. Liza helped me navigate this challenge with ease. She is extremely well informed about the different programs (beyond what you can discover with a simple google search), and was able to help me adjust so I put my best foot forward with each application. During brainstorming sessions with Liza, we delved into professional and personal aspects of my life, and she helped me realize consistencies across stories that I likely wouldn’t have recognized on my own (for instance, the similarities in relationships I’ve established at work, with my family, and with my mentee). Liza helped me reflect on the things that are unique to me, and ultimately piece together a genuine narrative about my goals that was far more introspective and impactful than anything I could have imagined when I first embarked on this journey.

Liza helped me stay on track as I completed the the other, time-consuming parts of the applications (short answer responses, short videos, resume), all the while maintaining a consistent story. It is worth noting how useful it was to have Liza there to review essays and other materials several times per week, especially when balancing 6 applications – despite having supportive friends and family, there is no way they could have given my applications the same attention and care as Liza did.

I found the mock interviews to be particularly helpful as well. Liza has years of experience, which is apparent in her line of questioning – her feedback was school-specific and incredibly constructive. I believe I was as prepared as I could have been for each interview.

Since admitted, Liza has continued to guide me through my decision making process – and I’m sure she and I will stay in touch going forward. I am so thankful for Liza’s guidance through the application process, and would highly recommend her to anyone considering using a consultant.

Background: Asian American male, undergrad business school, finance / M&A post-college, 740 GMAT

Just as I started to set out on the daunting B-school process, Liza immediately put me at ease. I spoke to 4-5 potential coaches, and Liza stood out to me for coming into that conversation with clear ideas about my candidacy and my story, and she spoke with the authority and experience she has. I just felt like she “got it.” As we started formally working together, she continued to wow me.

She was not only instrumental in helping me shape a tight story for my MBA candidacy, but also in providing the “guard rails” for me as I undertook writing my essays, seeming to always know what needed more explanation, what we could cut out, and how my writing would come across in the eyes of adcoms. She was my trusted advisor and 2nd set of eyes on everything, and I felt like I was able to put a TON of trust in her throughout my process.

Throughout it all, Liza was sharp, responsive, and most of all, genuinely a pleasure to talk to. I left all my phone calls with her at ease and confident in tackling my next essay, resume, etc.

I’ll be starting at Kellogg this fall lucky enough to have gotten a sizable scholarship on the merits of my application – something that I have no doubt that Liza’s amazing guidance was instrumental in helping me get.

I couldn’t have better things to say about Liza. I’d happily recommend her to anyone out there about to start their B-school app process. Go Liza!

Background: Male, 680 GMAT, service academy grad with a 3.45 GPA, 5 years as a military officer.

Results: Stanford (R), Michigan (R), Dartmouth (WL), Yale (A), Cornell ($), UT McCombs ($), Rice ($)

Why Liza: When I made the decision to apply for a full time MBA, I knew that I did not want to have any doubt as to whether or not I did everything in my power to receive an acceptance. Without having anyone in my family or inner circle that went through this process, I thought using an admissions consultant would be my best course of action. I spent several hours on calls with consultants from different agencies over a few weeks trying to find the right fit but did not feel that any of them were sure bet.

That all changed when I had my call with Liza. I felt a connection with her within the opening moments of our discussion and knew that she was the one with whom I wanted to work. I trust my instincts, but I nevertheless did additional research on her and her previous work with MBA applicants. I was not surprised in the slightest to see that she had a flawless 5-star rating across multiple sites, and her clients reinforced the observations that I noted from my initial consultation. I honestly felt that I would be more prepared armed simply with Liza’s insights in one 30 minute call than I would be with countless hours and dollars spent on another consultant.

Throughout my application process, I frequently traveled overseas for long periods of time so I had to go for a more strategic application approach. I decided on the Hourly Services package in order to focus on brainstorming and unraveling my story with Liza. The work that we did together in crafting my story for the “Why Stanford?” and “What Matters Most to You?” essays was integral to my own ability to articulate why I wanted to pursue an MBA now, and what I could bring to the table if I received an acceptance. She always gave me pointed feedback that was instrumental to my application. Liza is almost like a personal trainer in that she pushes you, never more than you can handle but certainly more than you could do on your own.

The entire process of brainstorming and essay iterations with Liza served as the foundation for the work I did in the subsequent months. In the end I cast a wide net and applied to Stanford, Michigan, Dartmouth, Yale, Cornell, University of Texas, and Rice and received interview invitations to all of them. I was rejected by Stanford and Michigan, waitlisted by Dartmouth, accepted into Yale, and received full scholarship offers to Cornell, University of Texas, and Rice.

Liza has continued to guide me through my decision making process post-admittance, and I am beyond grateful that I had her as a resource. I would undoubtedly and wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone considering using a consultant. I truly cannot thank Liza enough for her time, her guidance, and her encouragement. I always enjoyed our conversations, and I know that I am better today because I worked with her.

When I began considering whether I should re-apply to business school after an unsuccessful attempt a few years ago, I was referred to Liza by a close friend who worked with her and later received acceptances at every school she applied to. My friend absolutely raved about Liza, so I signed up for an introductory call, and I was immediately impressed. Liza did her homework on me and had lots of questions and thoughts on my candidacy (for reference, I am a female, Ivy grad, strong GPA and GMAT score, previous work in consulting and now in internal strategy). She addressed my concerns of being a re-applicant and she was real with me from the beginning about how competitive the schools were that I wanted. But, without trying to sell me on anything, she also gave me encouragement that I was a strong candidate and gave me some advice on what considerations I should weigh in deciding whether or not to apply at all.

After some soul searching I decided that applying to business school was the right move for me and I immediately reached out to Liza and bought an unlimited package for 5 schools (all M7). I honestly can say that this was a life changing decision for me. I ended up getting interviews at 4 of the 5 schools and then ultimately got into all 4 of those. This was an outcome I could have only dreamed of, and I really feel that I owe so much of my success to Liza for helping me present the best and most real version of myself that I could.

Working with Liza was truly a joy – and I don’t say that lightly given how stressful, time consuming, and intense the business school process is. Liza came to every one of our brainstorming calls with ideas for us to discuss. She really knew my story inside and out and wanted me to tell it in the most honest way possible – she always encouraged me to go deeper and reflect and would push back if she felt like something I was saying was inauthentic in any way.

Liza is also supportive. There were a number of occasions that exemplified this for me. For one, on the morning of every interview decision day or actual decision day, I would get an email from Liza wishing me the best of luck. Then, when I received a disappointing outcome at one school, Liza out of nowhere checked in on me a few days later just because she cared. When I was about to hit submit on my applications, I had so much nervous energy that I kept firing off emails to Liza with extremely minute (and probably irritating questions) about my application. She always responded quickly and patiently and assured me that I had done everything I could to present a strong application. In addition to guiding me expertly, Liza was also like my rock through this process.

I would highly recommend that anyone who is on the fence about working with Liza sign up with her immediately!!! She is so passionate about what she does and working with her was truly a highlight of my year.

I applied to 5 top schools the previous year, got a few interviews, but didn’t end up getting admitted to the programs I really wanted to go to.

When I was reapplying, I really wasn’t sure what was wrong, and what I could do to improve. Was it my GMAT score? Essays? ‘Story’? GPA? Extracurriculars? The way I described my current job? Rather than apply blind again, I decided to speak to five consultants who had helped friends and got their free 30 minute consultations.

Liza was by far, the best of those five conversations. Even in that initial session, she was thoughtful, insightful, and gave me actually useful feedback that I could immediately put to use. Even had I not engaged Liza further, that 30 minute free call was the most helpful advice I had received in the whole application process.

I ended up purchasing a package of hours from Liza, and I’m glad I did. She pushed me with tailored feedback on my essays, and forced me to really examine the choices I had made and why they made sense. The essays, in the end, were absolutely still mine– I wrote every word– but her feedback was crucial in taking them from just okay to really personal and compelling.

She also helped me prep for the HBS interview by reading through my whole application and putting together some mock questions. She helped me get into the right headspace.

In the end, I got into HBS and got waitlisted at Stanford (the two programs I applied to Round 1). Liza was great the whole way through!

I was originally working with a different consultant who left the firm after reviewing 2 versions of my essays. I was rather uncertain of the outcome at that time since my GMAT score of 720 wasn’t competitive in the Chinese applicant pool. I also come from a non-typical feeder background: engineering degree spending 6 years in market intelligence consulting firm serving the petrochemicals market. Oh, and did I mention I was pregnant during the application process while working full time?
Liza to the rescue! She not only reassured me that my case would be taken care of, she also offered to review my previous version of essays – I had the hourly service so I didn’t feel I lost any time with the transition of consultants. The one thing I appreciated the most during this process was that Liza was very honest when she gave comments and feedbacks, and she always offered her insight on how I could improve my essays. When there were times I was not able to capture the theme, she listed examples and expressions to help me comprehend the concept and execute. As a non-native English speaker, I found this extremely helpful. Liza also helped me prepare my video essay with Kellogg and Yale SOM, as well as my interview with Yale. After each session, I significantly improved the ways I laid out and phrase my answers. I found her feedback very useful (as I got admitted to all the programs I was invited for an interview).
Admission to Kellogg and Booth, plus scholarship from Yale SOM were perfect testimonies of how amazing a consultant Liza is. I don’t think I could have done so many schools in such a short period without Liza’s help. I will highly recommend her to anyone seeking professional help in their MBA application!

I had the pleasure of working with Hollis Kline primarily during my essay review and interview preparation process. I had a bit of time to work on my applications, and thus opted to work with Hollis using the hourly service basis (which meant I had to communicate to Hollis what I was working on and what I needed her feedback on). Overall, Hollis was very attentive/detail-oriented, approachable and easy-to-work-with. Importantly, across all aspects of the process, Hollis ensured that we were both on the same page, and that she understood what I needed her feedback on, while also giving sound advice where needed. With regards to the essays, there were two main attributes to Hollis’ approach that were incredibly helpful. Firstly, Hollis looked through every word, sentence and paragraph in my essays to ensure that all components had a specific purpose – it was great to have someone who doesn’t know my story objectively question what I am trying to say and why it is important. Secondly, Hollis was very reliable – I could always rely on Hollis to send me her comments within a specific time frame, so I pretty much had a mental schedule in place; I knew when I needed to take some time out of my day to work on my essays in order to get comments by a specific date. With regards to the interview, Hollis and I had a mock session where she provided a range of questions (across topics and difficulty levels); this session helped me get into the right mindset going into the actual interview. In summary, I am very pleased with the entire process, and I highly recommend Hollis for anyone seeking guidance throughout the application process.

Back in May of this year I was perusing Poets&Quants looking for an admissions consultant. I remember reading countless reviews of consultants who had helped applicants get into their dream schools, and thinking to myself “wow, I hope that some day I will be fortunate enough to write a review like that.” Well, thanks to Hollis’s support, that goal became a reality.

I picked the two school package at mbaMission, and applied to HBS and the GSB. Hollis was a tremendous asset throughout the application and interview process at both schools. Here are some specifics:

Brainstorming:
I had some high-level ideas about what I wanted to convey in my applications, but was having trouble isolating a compelling story. As part of the mbaMission process, I filled out an extensive brainstorming document. I then spent ~1.5 hours on the phone with Hollis, where she provided guidance on how to translate my concepts into concrete, b-school ready personal statements.

Essay writing:
I went through several drafts of each of my application essays. Not only was Hollis prompt in providing feedback (often responding ahead of deadlines), but her input was clear, direct, and easy to follow. This made for a smooth writing process that kept my applications ahead of schedule.

It was a great relief to be able to get unlimited essay feedback from Hollis as part of the mbaMission school package. At one point in the process, I was debating between 4 different anecdotes to include in my essays, and needed to shrink the number down to 2. Hollis did a back-to-back essay comparison in order to help me choose the best stories, and this was a pivotal exercise, helping to maximize my application essays.

Furthermore, Hollis is an absolute master of word-count management. By the time I was ~3 drafts in on each essay, I had gone well above the word limit. Finding places to cut on my own was extremely challenging given how close I was to essay content. Hollis provided the necessary third-party POV, and helped identify superfluous sections. This was also a huge asset in the application short answers as well.

Interviews:
Hollis went above and beyond in preparing me for interviews. She offered initial mock interviews for both schools, and even provided a second mock for HBS even though she was traveling at the time. Her questions and insight left me feeling prepared and confident going into both interviews.

General:
At the end of the day, applying to business school is a demanding process, and getting in will require a lot of hard work from you. Having a consultant will not guarantee your admission, as so much of the process requires deep introspection on your part. However, having a consultant like Hollis, who was always willing to answer even my most ridiculous of questions as I sought to understand the process, is incredibly beneficial, and will help make your applications as impactful (and stress-free) as possible.

Best of luck!

Background: female, French, main experience in food manufacturing

After talking with several admission consultants from different firms, I chose Liza mainly because she seemed to have a great energy and to give honest feedback. I also trusted mbaMission as a firm after reading their useful free guides. The only part I wasn’t very confident about was that my dream school was European and the firm advertised much more about American schools (or so was my impression).

When I started working with Liza, I had already chosen the schools I wanted to apply to but I hadn’t taken the GMAT nor TOEFL (English language test) yet and felt pretty clueless about essay material. And since it was only a few weeks away from the last round deadline, the process was quite intense!

I felt extremely lucky to have Liza. I was especially anxious about 2 things: submitting my application on the last round and not having sufficiently remarkable stories/background. Not only did Liza give me valuable advice and helped me structure my stories, she also cheered me up and boosted my confidence. She has this ability to bring the best out of you – this sometimes means being straightforward in her feedback but always in a caring and constructive way.

One year ago, I didn’t think I stood a chance at getting in my dream school. As I am about to start there this summer, I feel so grateful to have worked with Liza. I obviously highly recommend her!!

The luckiest thing during the whole application process is to have Liza as my tourguide as well as cheerleader!

My background doesn’t look impressive: non-top university graduated, engineering major, low GPA, over-represented Chinese, 8-year NPF work experience, not much international experience. I don’t really know which levels of school I should target at and how to make a case of myself to get in…

But Liza has her way to lighten me up. After we first talked in April, I made a clearer way of how to start. I have spent nearly a month filling in a very detailed questionnaire which helped me review my past experience and find out the special stories that I can tell.

Liza is also outstanding in controlling the schedule. Even before the application essay questions released, she advised me how to prepare such as to research through the program website to identify the unique resources and culture, to join webinar or offline events in the city near me and, to reach out current students, alumni and admission officers to obtain more information and leave a good impression. All of this effort contributed a significant part in writing a relevant and touching essay for the program I applied.

Another amazing place is that Liza is a seasoned professional with solid experience in both consulting and corporate. She can provide sharp insight on my career goal, pointing out the logical weakness of my appeal as well as adding her own experience to enrich my goal essay.

Besides, sometimes you need your friend to tell you your advantages that you are not aware of. Liza is such a friend in the application process. She can help you find out your uniqueness and guide you to tell the story in a more fascinating way. This process actually helped me to build confidence. On the other hand, she is also very honest. She can tell the weaknesses of my essay directly and encourage me to rework. That is important because I can feel she really help me to work out an excellent one instead of an okay one.

More importantly, as a Chinese (non-native English speaking) applicant, I found it extremely useful to have a US-local consultant to mock interview with. And you can also practice the conversation during every meeting and learn the right way to express the idea. Plus, Liza also provided with me many different school’s latest information because they do work as a team in MBAmission and exchange a lot to help applicants.

At last, with Liza’s great help, I got an offer with scholarship from Duke and WL from another M7 school! I think Liza is the very person I should thank as she did help a lot in bringing me such a wonderful result!

I worked with Liza on an hourly basis (5hr package) and applied to three schools with her help – Oxford Said (decline), UT Austin McCombs (admit with scholarship), and Northwestern Kellogg (waitlisted and then accepted!!!).

My stats: female, brand marketing, 7yrs work experience with 2yr managerial experience, low GRE score, English undergrad degree with limited quant experience.

Liza was incredible to work with. She let me drive my own process given our limited time together, but wasn’t shy about highlighting specific areas for focus based on my profile and needs. In the beginning, I needed some help in narrowing my school selection and she was straightforward and honest about the schools I should be targeting based on my goals and stats. She helped me craft my essays by reviewing drafts and was very specific with feedback. Once I applied her feedback to one essay, I learned how to do the rest on my own – and found myself asking, “What would Liza say about this structure?” She also helped prepare me for my interviews by picking up on specific stories I had mentioned and helping me spin them to answer a variety of questions. I was so excited to see how great of a handle she got on my experience and goals in such a short timeframe.

In terms of working with mbaMission on the whole, their prep materials are phenomenal. I got a lot out of the brainstorming document, and know I’ll continue to reference my “stories” for job interviews in the future. Their school-specific guides were also detailed and helpful when I wasn’t able to tap into my hours with Liza.

I can’t recommend Liza enough. She has an infectious enthusiasm and is truly an expert at what she does! We immediately developed a rapport and I feel like she was incredibly invested in my journey even though I was only an hourly client. If you are looking for a truly invested “coach” through this arduous process, Liza is definitely your gal.

I’ll start off by saying that if you’re looking for the best MBA consultant out there, look no further! I worked with Liza when applying to HBS, GSB and Wharton, and I’m thankful to have been admitted to all three schools. I don’t think I could have done it without Liza’s sage guidance! Liza went above and beyond the call of duty in every way possible – she gave me personalized support and advice that was specific to my circumstances as an applicant (female, strong GMAT, consulting / VC background). She really took the time to get to know me, helping me draw out my narrative and pushing me to emphasize my unique strengths in my application. Plus, she really, truly cares about her clients in a way that is palpable and motivating. The b school application process can feel daunting, but Liza made it approachable and, dare I say, fun! I couldn’t recommend Liza more – she was truly a dream to work with.

The best decision I made throughout this whole MBA application process was choosing to work with Liza. I was admitted (R2) to 5 schools with scholarships at all 5, including full scholarships at 4 of the 5. I will be heading to Wharton this fall, with a full scholarship, and there is absolutely no way I could have done it without Liza.

I am a female applicant with a more traditional profile, coming from a financial services background, and with a 750 GMAT and 3.4 GPA. I started studying for the GMAT pretty late in the game, in August for round 2 application deadlines, so I was juggling GMAT stress with the need to make sure my applications were moving along. I ended up completing the two at the same time (end of December), which I highly recommend that you try to NOT do — save yourself the extra stress and get the GMAT done early! It was all thanks to Liza though that I was able to get through it successfully; she not only encouraged me throughout the GMAT journey, but also made sure that I was getting my essays drafted/revised, my recommendations in, etc. to make sure I was producing quality work throughout the rest of my application as well.

Going into the application process, my biggest concern was figuring out how to best present my story. After reading through my initial Brainstorming document, Liza was able to expertly sift through my rambling stream of consciousness to pinpoint the key things that I had mentioned that represented essential aspects of who I am, which I hadn’t even realized when writing them down. That drove further self-reflection that helped me to identify my fundamental values (and where they came from) and highlighted the things that I really care about, which is what then really made my “why an MBA” story real, and gave it meaning and authenticity.

Liza helped me transform my essays into narratives better than anything I could have hoped for going into the writing process. It was certainly up to me write all the content and make it meaningful and genuine, but Liza helped me to make sure I was picking the right topics, addressing the points that mattered, and tell the story in a way that was interesting and would catch the reader’s attention. She really challenged me to think and re-think about the things that I was writing, and revise, revise, revise. By the end product, I can confidently say that those essays are the best things I’ve ever written.

Liza also helped me make my resume really shine. When it came time for me to request my letters of recommendations, she made herself available to my recommenders to answer questions and provide thoughts and feedback, which my recommenders found to be extremely valuable. When interview invites came, I was invited to interview with all of the schools that I had applied to. Almost all of the interviews needed to be completed in the month of February, so I thought it was a hectic month for me, but it must have been a chaotic time for Liza. Never once throughout the whole process did she make me feel like I was competing with other clients for her time; she made me feel like her top priority whenever I needed her. Liza coached me through all of the interviews and pushed me to deliver my stories confidently and effectively. The toughest challenge for me, in the whole application process, was the Wharton TBD interview. About a week before the interview, I was at a point where I was feeling really discouraged and intimidated by the caliber of other applicants that I was up against. When I shared my doubts with her, Liza got on the phone with me right away, and she not only provided the support and encouragement that I needed, but also came armed with a slew of concrete suggestions, tips for responses, thoughts on topics, etc. Through that she really gave me the boost of confidence that I needed to go in and crush it. I could not have been more ecstatic with how the interview turned out, and in the end things turned out as best as they could have with not only an offer of admission, but a full scholarship as well.

I cannot recommend Liza enough. I am certain that I would not have gotten the same results without her and working with her has led me to a fully life-changing outcome. If there is anything you can do to give yourself the best chance of success through this process, it is to have Liza by your side!

I worked with Liza on three schools (full package): Columbia, Cambridge, and Oxford.

With Liza’s help, I got in to Columbia Business School (Full-time MBA). I also got interview invites from Cambridge and Oxford – I rejected these because I got Columbia.

My stats: 720 GMAT, Male, 29 years old, Non-URM, Lawyer (Mergers & Acquisitions) at a boutique law firm in Asia, have been practicing M&A law for 5 years.

Liza is a fantastic admissions consultant who came highly recommended from friends who had worked with her previously – these friends were admitted into HBS/Wharton/Stanford with Liza’s help.

Now, having worked with Liza myself, I strongly recommend that you consider working with her on your business school applications.

July 2017, I was gearing up to apply to Columbia, which was my first choice. I knew I was going to be a late applicant (Round 3) given that I had not yet hit my target 700+ GMAT score. I finally hit my 720 GMAT late December, and started working with Liza soon after for a target submission to Columbia by end of January. Given that I was a Round 3 applicant, I knew that the odds were not in my favour.

Liza was a fantastic motivator and made the daunting MBA application process a lot more manageable. For example, she was always supportive and patient with me, despite my anxiousness. It was a pleasure to work with Liza.

Liza was also very clear in crafting my overall application strategy which comprised such components as the 1. essays, 2. CV, 3. recommendation letters, 4. short answer questions, and 5. interviews. Liza gave each of these components an incredible amount of attention – nothing slipped through the cracks.

A special strength of Liza’s is her ability to tease out the best qualities in an applicant. Coming from a relatively “non-traditional” background (law), my initial concern was that an admissions consultant would not be able to flesh out my stories / experiences in law adequately. I was wrong. Liza picked up on my experiences in law and translated them into tangible MBA qualities that I was able to illustrate in my essays and interviews. Liza is NOT your average admissions consultant – she is, quite frankly, the best.

Looking back on my MBA application journey, and the fantastic results I got, I am certain that I could not have gotten Columbia without Liza’s help.

Liza changed my life for the better and I cannot recommend her enough.

I highly recommend Liza! I have no doubt that I could not have done it without Liza. I came to her with less than a month left to go before the R2 deadline and was not confident that I would be able to get all the work I needed to get done and be able to be thoughtful about it. After talking to Liza though my disposition immediately changed – I not only felt confident in myself but knew that together we could develop the tools to help me be successful.

I did the single school package for round 2 admission to HBS, to which I was accepted. My background is an ivy league undergraduate education, bulge bracket IB analyst, and upper middle market PE associate.

As with all mbaMission consultants, we started by going through a brainstorming session where I wrote down and then discussed almost all aspects of my background. After I put together the comprehensive document, we took over an hour to discuss. It was clear immediately that she had spent a sign ificant amount of time reading and understanding my story and who I really was as a person. She asked insightful questions that not only helped her understand me better but also helped me understand myself! I knew from that point that I had found a great match in Liza and that we would be able to craft an excellent story.

Using our brainstorming session as a base she helped me to weave together a thoughtful and cohesive story about my background. She helped me to showcase parts of my background that I was proud of, but perhaps had not come to mind at first or didn’t fit into the original framework I had developed. She was highly organized, thorough and thoughtful. She was also very patient with me as we iterated back and forth in quick succession (as I only had 3 weeks to complete my application!). If you are trying to get things done and tap into a wealth of knowledge and expertise I highly recommend Liza. She is not a hand holder – she will push you to discover yourself and understand who you are for yourself. However you will not be alone through the journey. She will also help guide you and provide expertise and insight into how the admissions officers will be thinking about your application.

I’ve already recommended Liza to many of my friends who are applying for the Class of 2021 and think you’d be crazy not to use her!

Liza is nothing short of amazing. I was admitted to 3 top 10 Schools (Kellogg, Ross, HBS) and Liza made it possible. Applying as a consultant (non-MBB, GRE, 3.9 GPA, male), I was concerned about standing out. She not only provided the structure, cadence, and planning necessary to be successful but more importantly, helped me translate my experiences into an impactful story. When I pressed submit on my applications, I was absolutely sure that I’d submitted the best I could.

I cannot speak more highly of Liza as a person and professional. I trusted her after our first meeting and thoroughly enjoyed every conversation with her. She pushed me to do better when otherwise I would’ve rested, provided answers to my toughest questions, and spoke frankly to me. She is the best you can hire. Hands down. If you’re serious about this process, call her now!

I did the full school packages with Liza for my round 2 applications to HBS and GSB. I am very grateful to have been admitted to both schools (and was admitted to Wharton with a generous merit scholarship leveraging material from the other two applications). I truly could not have done it without Liza.
Though I come from what’s probably a more favorable background (top Ivy undergrad, 3.8 GPA in STEM, 760 GMAT, untraditional career experience – banking/PE/startup) – if those exist in this process – my story would not have come together had it not been for Liza. I cannot speak more highly of her and the trust she enabled us to build during our time working together. Liza displays a rare combination of attributes that may seem contradictory: the ability to provide both high-level and in-the-weeds guidance; the propensity for both professionalism and genuine kindness towards her clients.
Liza has the shrewd ability to cut through all the noise and weave together key themes in your life that you yourself were not even aware of to get to an essay topic. Liza really got to know me during the brainstorming process and I grew to trust her so that we could discuss the most personal of topics. Her help doesn’t stop at idea conception – she provided invaluable structural, grammatical, and aesthetic input during the entire essay writing process. I can’t count the number of times she posited something so insightful that I could only respond “Wow, you know me better than I know myself!”
Equally as important, Liza actually made the entire process fun (or at least not painful!). A few months in, I had a self-imposed mini freakout about my essay topics that almost derailed the writing process. Instead of getting upset that I was costing her more time or just brushing it aside, Liza genuinely cared about why I was feeling insecure and tried to address the root of the problem. Both her strength and care for me helped guide me back on track. It truly feels like she’s a supporter and rock to lean on throughout the process – from the “good luck!!” emails she’d send before interview and decision notifications to debriefing with her after every major step of the way.
All in all, I cannot imagine a better person to work with through what’s an intellectually and emotionally draining process, and I think many people including myself can truly attribute their success to Liza.

Liza is literally an angel. I’m not sure if I could have gotten into business school without her – I truly believe that she not just boosted my chances, but helped make the whole process a lot less painful. Truly worth every penny! In terms of my background, I am a female applicant who was accepted to HBS and Wharton, but rejected from Stanford GSB. I went to an Ivy League university with a 3.7 GPA with a 730 GMAT score. I worked at a bulge bracket investment bank and then worked in the finance department of a startup. I started my business school application process about 2-3 months before the Round 1 deadline. When I sat down to begin drafting the application, my thoughts were pretty scattered and I found it hard to structure how I wanted to bring each part of my history together. After a free 30-minute consultation with Liza (offered through the mbaMission website), I was completely sold. In 30 minutes, she helped answer the top burning questions in my mind (Was my GMAT high enough? What were her thoughts on my initial essay outline? What were the parts of my application were “lacking”? What would be the best use of my time if I wanted to go with an hourly package?). She was upfront about the harder parts of my application (i.e. lots of bankers apply) but helped me structure what I would work on with her if I were to become a client. I ultimately decided to go with the hourly package and therefore was very conscious of being very efficient with Liza’s time. She was great about calling out the areas of the application that I should be focusing on (and therefore have her focusing on) versus the parts that were more checkmarks. I also had many questions that came up during the process that were probably overblown in my mind but it was amazing to have Liza there as a resource to lean on and keep my neurosis in check (i.e. I had been a co-head of a club in college – should I write co-head or just head in the title? // I had gotten promoted – should I give the admissions office an update? // I know an alumni of the school whom I hadn’t asked to be my formal recommender – should I have that person write me an informal recommendation and if so, how do I go about asking for that recommendation? // What information should I be giving to my recommenders before having them write the recommendation?) Separately, she was also very diligent about my time – for example, she made sure to double check what essay or paragraph should be the priority with the remaining X hour or minutes I had left in my package. What I also liked a lot about being her hourly client was that Liza didn’t try to sell me and push me to buy more hours just to make more money on her end. I had expressed some trepidation at times over the cost of the hourly service and she had been helpful in narrowing down essays (or interviews) that I should be spending my limited budget on (versus trying to upsell me). This came out even more so when I received an interview invitation and I had asked her to help with the mock interview: even though she could have billed more hours with me, she insisted that I mock interview with her colleague since the HBS interview was comprehensive (i.e. harder, pointed questions created with full view of your entire application) and she thought that would be the best practice to be tested on what the actual HBS interview would be like. That type of honesty truly shows how Liza is truly thinking of what’s best for her client! In terms of Liza’s working style, I found her to be the perfect mixture of encouraging (the day before my interview, she sent me an email seeing how I felt and if I had any last minute questions; the morning of decisions, she sent me a note saying that she was rooting for me!) but upfront and direct. I had spoken to friends about choosing an application consultant – they had suggested I go to a “mean” consultant who would kick my butt but I found Liza to be the perfect complement of being actually helpful but calming. She was not afraid to call out a sentence or idea in my essay that she didn’t believe worked. While others who had looked at the essay would just point to the sentence and say to fix this part without providing concrete examples, she helped me brainstorm ideas on how better to express the qualities I was trying to illustrate (for example, instead of saying I was the leader of this club to illustrate leadership, she helped me brainstorm actions I had completed as a leader to illustrate this quality). She helped to overcome many writer’s blocks on my end, making the whole process a lot more smooth. The whole process was very stressful and she was a guiding light!

I cannot say enough good things about Liza. She truly was the best person to have by my side throughout this entire process and made a challenging process as seamless and easy as it possibly could be! When I applied, I felt like I put my best foot forward and had an application that was significantly stronger than it otherwise would have been without Liza. In February 2017 I spoke with a number of consultants from both mbaMission and other firms. After speaking to about 5-6 other consultants, I spoke with Liza and just felt in my gut that she was the consultant I wanted to work with. From the moment I started working with Liza, she was there to answer my questions and guide me through the process. Liza helped by not only developing and drafting my essays but also by providing guidance on my resume, reviewers, applications, interviews – you name it. Even in March before the official applications were released, Liza was giving me tips for what I could do to best prepare myself as a candidate. Liza has an uncanny ability to feel like your friend while providing direction at the same time. Before I started the process, my biggest concern about writing my essays was that I wouldn’t have anything to write about – I was a female in private equity with a fortunate upbringing and no major hardships in my life (thankfully). Throughout the brainstorming process Liza was easy to speak to and guided me to think about what I wanted the admissions committee to know about me and how I could make that into a great story. Additionally, I never felt like Liza was “telling” me what I had to write about. Rather, Liza helped me see some critical themes in the stories I was sharing with her and craft those into thoughtful essays. When I was writing my essays, Liza’s feedback always pushed me to give that one extra detail that I believe showcased more about who I am and made me a stronger applicant. Liza would ask questions like “Can you think of another 2 examples when you did X?” or “Tell me more about Y. Why did you do it? How?” Her comments were thoughtful but also encouraged me to be more self-aware about the candidate that I was presenting to the admissions committees. Above all, Liza was my biggest cheerleader throughout the process. I applied to four schools (admitted to 3, waitlisted at 1) and Liza not only helped me craft amazing essays for each school but also provided structure and guidance throughout the entire process. When we prepared for interviews Liza gave me honest, candid feedback while encouraging me to think positively. Without fail I always received an email right after my interview asking how it went. Choosing Liza was the best choice I made in the application process – HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

I am an international applicant recently admitted to my dream program at my dream school, the LGO program at MIT Sloan with its amazing dual-degree offering. I was more nervous than the standard candidate because I set my heart on this program and didn’t apply to any other schools. I tried out Liza’s free thirty-minute consultation while still writing my application and was blown away by her friendliness and research into the program I was pursuing. The most valuable aspect of that talk was the candor with which she told me some of my ideas didn’t make sense and encouraged me to revisit them. She didn’t shy from speaking the hard truth and the constructive criticism allowed me to shine. After being invited for an interview, I happily sprung for an interview prep session with Liza which really boosted my confidence and allowed me to walk into the interview without fear. Liza was extremely methodical in her approach to helping me. She assigned me some homework and while I was focused on that, she did a thorough study of my application and my candidacy before we met for an in-person interview. During the mock, she played the role of my interviewer and afterwards, she shared her notes and provided feedback on how I could have answered the questions better. During the actual interview, I could hear her voice guiding me and reminding me the best ways to express myself. She helped me put my best foot forward to get the result I wanted. Liza was helpful, friendly, graceful and full of positive energy. She helped me express all the passion I felt for the program in a fluid, cohesive manner. I am so grateful for this opportunity provided to me, and I could not have done it without Liza’s help. Thank you Liza for everything!