mbaMission | MBA Admissions Consultants

I came into the MBA application process knowing that I would have an uphill battle – my undergraduate GPA was below the average range at Tuck and my work experience in private wealth was good but didn’t truly transcend what my peers were doing.

I knew that in order to be successfully admitted, I needed to show that I was smarter than my GPA led on (I had an upward trend and a really strong GMAT), but also I needed to convince the admissions team that I had a strong reason to get an MBA.

Julie-Anne helped me do exactly that. She reviewed my resume and helped me cut out unnecessary elements and highlight my strengths. She also made it so that my resume would be easy to read from an admission officer’s point of view by helping me to concisely communicate my actions, emphasize my results, and define the recognition my employers gave me.

She also helped with my essays. As a Dartmouth undergrad, Julie-Anne knows life in Hanover and helped me provide specific details to the admissions team on what makes the experience unique (she did her first two years of undergrad at Columbia and went to HBS for her MBA so I’m sure she can do the same for those schools).

Her interview prep also helped me to pace my answers the right way and not waste my words.

Julie-Anne made the entire process very easy – she was tough but supportive. She always met her deadlines, and completely changed the quality of my work. Looking at where I started and where I ended up with my application, I really have to thank JA for being one of the biggest factors in my acceptance to Tuck (which has been a very positive experience for me).

I highly recommend Julie-Anne to anyone looking for an MBA admissions consultant.

Working with Harold was nothing short of humbling. His institutional knowledge guided me through the NYU Stern MBA application with a successful result.

He had a plan of action from the start and met with me to ensure we were aligned on execution. We worked through multiple iterations of my resume and essay where Harold provided guidance on how to improve my application. The best part of working with Harold is that he understood what the result should look like but would not give away the answers. He spent time coaching me to ensure I learned as the process progressed. Harold was prompt with his responses to my emails and always made sure I was clear on the task at hand.

Harold would be my top choice if you are planning to apply to any top-tier MBA programs.

One of the best decisions I ever made was choosing to work with Nisha on my MBA applications. After unsuccessfully applying only to Kellogg’s MBA program two years in a row (I really had my heart set on staying in Chicago and going to Kellogg), I decided to take the plunge and hire an mbaMission consultant. As a non-traditional applicant, coming from a career in the nonprofit world and very little business background, I didn’t want to risk not getting into a top program and wasting yet another year. After reading each consultant’s bio, I ultimately chose to go with Nisha because of her extensive experience in the philanthropy world and feeling that she would best understand my background and translate my story strongly and favorably. And I was NOT wrong.

Nisha did an excellent job of understanding me and my professional and personal experiences, asking all the right questions, picking up on details I myself did not even notice, answering all of my questions thoughtfully, and making the most of our short time together. She was extremely thorough, efficient, and QUICK to get my essays back to me (sometimes even the same day). She actually helped me better understand myself, my worth, my goals, and improved my self-confidence. Nisha helped me refine my story, advising which details and experiences were worth focusing on, explore and clarify my short and long-term goals, and practice talking about it all in preparation for my interviews.

Due to some personal matters, I did not start my applications until late in the game, I was in a huge time crunch to get my applications done with only six weeks to go until the Round 2 deadlines. She did an excellent job in helping me determine the best program fits for me and meet the deadlines for the two schools (Duke’s Fuqua and Michigan’s Ross) with which she helped. Her help and expertise ultimately landed me admittance into Duke’s Fuqua (my number one choice) and UCLA’s Anderson, as well as waitlisted at the University of Michigan’s Ross. I cannot recommend Nisha enough for anyone looking to hire a consultant, especially if you have a background in philanthropy and are looking to pivot. Truly the best professional investment and choice I have ever made.

Applying during the most competitive admissions seasons was excruciating. However, Harshad’s constant support and honest feedback helped me to stay on track. Moreover, Harshad is very dedicated to his clients. There have been many instances when I was very close to the deadline and Harshad turned over his feedbacks even during weekends and holidays. Harshad is also very empathetic and that helps to bring out our originality when writing the essays. He also goes above and beyond in giving suggestions to schools that I applied to on my own. Finally, Harshad also showed genuine interest in my career goal and helped me to tailor my essays accordingly, and suggested I apply to schools that I hadn’t even considered before talking to him.

I decided to apply to business schools in the middle of the pandemic, and knowing that the application season was going to be an unprecedented one, I wanted to enlist the help of an admission consultant. I spoke with a number of places (i.e. SBC, Admissionado, etc.) and went with mbaMission/Debbie not just because of Debbie’s track record, but also because I felt she understood my background and motivations. Debbie was to be my “strategic project manager” – someone who could keep me on track and help me present the best version of myself.

While Debbie did her absolute best for the 4 applications that we worked on together, I was ultimately dinged by all 4 M7 schools. That said, I am still giving a 5-star rating to my experience because of the following reasons:

– I understood from the start that a consultant was not some sort of “magic bullet” who could get me into any school, especially during a crazy year like 2020/2021. I wanted a strategic project manager, and Debbie delivered perfectly.
– Debbie and mbaMission as a whole had a very streamlined, well thought out and structured process when it comes to helping applicants navigate the application cycle. I also appreciate the plethora of written resources (detailed documentation about the schools, FAQs on how to work with my recommenders, etc.) that they had created.
– Debbie was able to look at my blind spots and constantly provided valuable feedback that I believe strengthened my applications – Debbie has always maintained a good spirit throughout the process, even as the rejections started to roll in.
– Finally, because Debbie was able to help me finish my applications almost ahead of schedule, I had time to work on one additional application to a top UK program by incorporating much of the material from my 4 applications, and that is where I am headed!

All in all, I was happy with mbaMission and Debbie. This is my advice to anyone reading this: Understand what you are signing up for, and everything will work out.

I worked with Nisha from July 2020-May 2021 and she was extremely patient and supportive throughout the entire process. From our initial brainstorm, she always asked questions to help me dive deeper into my past experiences to tell a compelling story. She was clear and direct in her constructive criticism and consistently (and quickly) provided feedback to my essays and short answers to strengthen my application. Additionally, the interview prep was one of the best parts of my experience with mbaMission. It helped me feel more confident going into my interviews and ultimately helped me land at my dream school. Thank you, Nisha, for all of your help! I couldn’t have done it without you!

Nisha is an amazing consultant- she truly helped raise the bar on all of my applications. She helped me get into every business school that I applied to. (With scholarships!) She was a thorough reviewer and helped me ensure my story was consistent/concise while still being unique to me. I recommend her to future applicants without any reservation and I am confident that Nisha works in this way no matter what. Thank you again Nisha for being such an advocate for candidates.

I worked with Devi to apply for three deferred MBA programs. With her help, I received interview invites from all the programs and was admitted to two: Harvard and Stanford. I would not have been able to achieve this without Devi’s help.

Devi pays a great deal of attention to all the details of your story. She has a great talent for understanding what makes you, your story, and your journey unique. Her advice was right on point, perfectly tailored to my background, and enhanced by her wealth of knowledge.

As someone coming from a technical background, I tended to dismiss (unintentionally) important business and leadership lessons and focus on technicalities while writing my applications. Devi helped me highlight the key parts of my experiences, organize my whole application most effectively, and fine-tune my stories to put my best foot forward.

Throughout the process, she would push me to excellence.
When I finally submitted my applications, I was proud and happy with what I submitted. I was impressed by and thankful for her knowledge and experience, straight and sincere feedback, and impeccable commitment and work ethic.

When it was time for the interviews, Devi provided crucial feedback, tips, and prep materials that made a huge difference.

I sincerely recommend her. I am sure that if you listen to her feedback, your application will be way stronger than you can even begin to imagine. For such an important life event as an MBA, her services are a great investment.

Nisha was really an excellent consultant. She had the unique task of working with both me and my girlfriend trying to get into the same school and she went the extra mile to ensure that we did.

Nisha was extremely attentive and knowledgeable. She was also very honest and transparent about her reasoning which made the process a lot more understandable and less intimidating. She did a great job with general advice as well as the essays and helped us get into USC!! Nisha’s help was really more than we could’ve hoped for! I would recommend Nisha to anybody beginning this difficult but worthwhile process!

When I reached out to mbaMission, I thought of applying to Columbia, Yale, Booth, and HBS (did not really believe I could get into HBS). After a few calls with Krista, although still not sure about her arguments that GSB and HBS would love me, I decided to apply to HBS, Stanford GSB, Booth, Yale, and Wharton. We have worked hard for 5 months straight to prepare those applications. When it comes to Krista’s way of working:

– She was very precise and diligent when it comes to clearing up confusion or misunderstandings in my essays. For example, for one sentence in one of my essays, she kept asking me within 3 or 4 drafts ‘But explain to me what it really means. Imagine you are explaining it to someone from outside of your industry.’ She would not give up until she was sure the admission committee would understand it! It was so helpful!
– Her turnaround time was shorter than promised almost every single time
– She would meet up with me whenever I had doubts about any piece of my application
– Krista really wanted to get to know me to help me ‘sell’ my story and she helped me believe that my story is powerful enough to get to top schools
– Her suggestions to change something in my applications were always based on solid arguments and Krista’s previous experience
– Krista will connect you with her previous clients studying at schools of your choice – it was helpful when it comes to my decision making

I was admitted to 3 out of 5 schools (including HBS and GSB) I applied to and I am sure it was thanks to Krista’s help. If you really want to get the most out of this service, open up to Krista and share your story in the most transparent way it is possible. Krista will help you structure and polish your story in a way you would never do by yourself!
Bonus: Her sense of humor will always make you laugh 🙂

Gavriella Semaya has helped me with my admission application for Fuqua school of business and the result is that I have been admitted to my goal school. I remember one time I needed urgent help on a piece of work from her. While it was during a 2-day national holiday, she agreed to work and submitted the work in slightly less than an hour with high quality edits. Gavriella was amazingly helpful in rephrasing my story so it became genuine and compelling, removing unnecessary words and sentences to answer the question directly, and redirecting me in the areas of focus during the mock interview. She was proactively engaging with me on every step and super-responsive.

Working with Krista Nannery was the single best decision I made in my MBA application journey. I am thrilled to have gotten into my dream school and I am convinced that if it wasn’t for her constant guidance, support, and expertise I would not be in this position.

Essays: Her biggest strength is the environment of trust she creates. This helped me open up to her on my life experiences during the essay brainstorming discussions – the foundation for the essay content. She always offered targeted advice and has the ability to story-tell in an engaging but efficient way. This was especially important for someone like me who had lots to share but struggled to be within the word counts. She constantly went above and beyond on the number of essay drafts and never once missed her 2-day response rule – often responded within a day.

Strategy: Krista’s knowledge of the overall admissions process and the specific schools was helpful throughout the process. She helped put together a target school list based on my profile and interests. When it came to strengthening my improvement areas, she had invaluable suggestions.

Mock interviews: Her questions and feedback during the mock interviews were extremely valuable. Krista recreated an interview environment in those mock interview sessions and her choice of questions depending on the school were spot on. I walked into every interview confident.

Krista was more than a consultant to me – she was a patient guide and caring friend. The application process is exhausting with lots of ups and downs. It’s impossible to put a price on having someone by your side who truly cares about you and your dreams. I strongly recommend working with Krista – it’s the best investment you will make!

Devi is truly outstanding. If you are serious about HBS, and in particular the interview, look no further. Her instinct is spot on, and her insight and candor pushed me to be more confident, more articulate, and more comfortable. She is patient, understanding, and extremely dedicated – she takes her client’s success very seriously. Our two mock interview sessions were extremely productive, and pushed me to get out of my head, to improve, and to sharpen my story and goals. Devi’s extensive knowledge across industries was incredibly valuable. Working with her is not only an opportunity to improve your interview experience, but also to get advice and feedback from an extremely smart, successful HBS alum. She is pragmatic and direct, and pushed me to develop communication skills that I will carry with me for life. Because of Devi’s support with the interview, I was admitted! Thank you Devi!! Regardless of outcome, working with her was money well spent – the clarity and confidence she will bring to your story and goals is invaluable. I cannot recommend Devi enough – she is wonderful, and an absolute pro.

If you are looking to engage an advisor for your applications, Gavriella is the perfect choice. Gavriella helped shape my applications and worked with me to define the strategy, choices and essays that went along with them. Gavriella guided my applications from start to end by brainstorming the topics and inputs to final edits. She is endlessly patient and answered my many many questions with thoughtful, personalized, and useful answers, and provided the right advice all along the way. Without Gavriella’s writing skills and editing, my essays would not have been nearly the same (nor as concise and within the word limit) and without her coaching and guidance, I would not be starting my full-time MBA in the fall. Gavriella is a great choice for hourly and school packages.

I would not be going to business school this fall if it were not for Gavriella Semaya. To say she was instrumental does not come close to capturing how impactful she was in my process. Gavriella is a talented listener, remarkable editor, and an incredibly thoughtful advisor. I was extremely impressed with how quickly Gavriella understood my story and helped me craft a strong and succinct narrative. She did not let me off easy; Gavriella pushed me to think about my goals and articulate how I got to where I am – she guided me down a path of meaningful self-discovery that will serve me well for years to come. In addition to her ability to help me articulate my story and goals, Gavriella has a gift for editing which significantly increased the quality of my applications. Lastly, Gavriella went above and beyond to check in after each interview, she helped me manage the waitlist process and was a valuable sounding board when I made my final decision. I am so grateful to have worked with Gavriella, I cannot recommend her enough. While I am thrilled to be going to school, I am sad that my time with her as an advisor is over!

Harshad is one of those no-nonsense and to-the-point coaches that will help you level up your MBA apps. From the time we first spoke during the free consultation, Harshad was genuine and empathetic with me about my ambitions and how to turn them into reality. His feedback and editing work on the essays was by far the most value-added aspect of the consultation, which turned my VERY rough drafts into essays with substance, relevance, and flow. He is extremely adept at breaking down the essay questions and what the ad coms are looking for in response so that your essay responses are clear and concise. He will work with you to revise your draft as many times as you need (believe me as I needed SEVERAL edits before I felt good about mine). He is extremely professional and responds sooner than the SLA time, and working for long stretches of time to help you meet your deadlines. Overall, his communication style and rigor are ideal and I would recommend him to anyone who is in the market for an MBA admissions consultant!

I needed guidance to narrow down my options and identify the best programs for my profile before I could consider whether or not to purchase admissions consulting services to apply to those programs. Essentially, to understand if the programs I was aiming for were a stretch for my profile (important to invest in support), or if I could reasonably aim for admission with a strong, solid application (i.e. I was a desirable candidate). Jessica was simply excellent. She was direct, informative, astute and patient with my evaluation process. We had 3-4 email exchanges where we bounced around ideas and weighed pros and cons of various programs. I genuinely expected to engage the services of mbaMission by the 2nd email exchange, as I was so impressed with Jessica, versus the 2 other brief phone consults I’d had with other services. But in the end, after I dove back into my program selection with a bit more guiding light, I decided to forge into the application process solo – without paid consult – and was admitted to UCLA FEMBA and HAAS EWMBA. Haas later offered me a place in EMBA, with a scholarship to support switch, and I took the opportunity.

I wrote Jessica to thank her after because our exchange stayed with me. She was excellent. If I’d had any hesitation about the strength of my application or competitive candidacy, I would absolutely have engaged her services to boost my chances of admission.

Profile: Management Consultant at MBB
Nationality: India
GMAT: 750 Q50 V42
Admits: Wharton, MIT Sloan

I onboarded Julie-Anne for my application process after speaking to multiple consultants because I really liked her approach from the off. During our 30-minute free consultation, she understood my profile, background and motivations deeply. She even sent a detailed summary of our discussion along with her preliminary thoughts right after. This really impressed me and stood out for me vs. other consultants.

Throughout the application process, Julie-Anne was always there for me, as a consultant and a mentor. She was thoughtful, creative and a calming presence. On multiple occasions, she went out of her way to help me – such as responding back within less than the prescribed time when I was under pressure. There were times when I was less responsive than I should have been but Julie-Anne ensured I was always on my heels – which was a major reason why I was able to meet all my deadlines. Julie-Anne’s main focus was always ensuring that I put my best foot forward and she ensured that was the case, even if it meant not sticking to the prescribed SLAs at times. For example, if she felt my performance in behavioral interviews was not up to scratch, she kept doing mock interviews till I was able to perform to my best capability.

In addition, I felt MBAMission’s resources were very strong – covering a gamut of information, from brainstorming about your story, to choosing and contacting your recommenders, to getting off the waitlist. I have seen resources from other admissions consultants and I strongly consider MBAMission to be the best of the lot.

In summary, I am very grateful to Julie-Anne for her help and support, and strongly attribute my success in the application process to her.

I signed up for mbaMission’s hourly services in hopes to enhance and practice my interview skills. I was paired to work with Gavriella and she was extremely helpful! She gave me roughly 10-12 questions that are typical questions in a business school interview for me to prepare for and we had mock interviews with those questions. In the first mock interview, I kept stuttering and I was a mess. Gavriella helped me calm down and put the interview into a better perspective so that I wouldn’t be as nervous. We practiced for around 3 hours and I really loved how she was able to show me how to better answer some of my answers and clearly explain what I was trying to say. After the mock interview, she sent me a bunch of other questions that could be asked so that I could review myself. Overall, my experience with Gavriella was very productive and informative, and I highly recommend her to anyone seeking advice when applying to business school. I also was admitted to my top choice school with her help and couldn’t have done it without her!

In our consultation call, Gavriella was very knowledgeable & personable when helping me to prepare my MBA application. Our conversation was organic and her recommendations were always specifically tailored for me. We polished my resume by ensuring that each bullet didn’t merely describe my responsibilities, but actually highlighted the impact of my work and the accomplishments I achieved in each position. Additionally, Gavriella gave suggestions on how to best articulate ambitious & achievable goals in my personal statement as well as how to prepare individualized “context packets” for my recommenders. After our incredibly productive call, she followed up with a detailed email that summarized our conversation, reiterated her key recommendations, and provided additional (free!) resources that would further aid me in my MBA journey. Gavriella’s guidance & insights gave me the clarity & confidence I️ needed to finish my applications & couldn’t recommend her more highly!

Prior to applying this year, I had very little experience with the MBA application process. Michael helped me build the confidence necessary to put my best foot forward. He is extremely professional and was always candid with me. This helped me clearly articulate my unique message and achieve a long-held dream. The application cycle for the class of 2023 was subject to a great deal of change and uncertainty – Michael was responsive, on top of all relevant news, and never missed a deadline. I highly recommend Michael.

I started my MBA admissions process completely overwhelmed, with pieces of the puzzle figured out, but not sure how to fit them together. I had so many questions, which added another layer of stress to an already incredibly stressful process. I spent several months resistant to seeking the help of an admissions consultant due to the price but eventually decided that having the support of someone who knows the MBA admissions process inside and out would be a huge benefit. This decision led me to MBAmission, and to Krista in particular. In my initial consultation call with Krista, I knew she was fantastic! She came into the conversation knowing about my career path to date, and with specific suggestions on when to apply, where to apply, specific aspects of my application that needed strengthening, and how to do so. In a half-hour call, I could tell that she was already invested in seeing me succeed. For the first time in the months I had spent researching and prepping, I walked away with a new sense of confidence and direction that is reflective of my overall experience working with Krista. Over the course of our several months working together, Krista helped me clearly articulate my goal in pursuing an MBA, think about the aspects of my experience/career/personality that made me a unique candidate, consider how to best communicate and structure my story, and much more. I was impressed by her turnaround (so fast!), her editing ability, and knowledge of each school’s application process and preferences. The best part about working with Krista though, in addition to all that I’ve mentioned, was her commitment to my case and to me personally. She was so supportive and encouraging, always checking in on how I was feeling about the process, which pieces were overwhelming, and outside of MBA admissions, how work was going, how I was spending free time, etc. Now a year later, I’ve been admitted to my dream school, and am preparing to attend in the fall. I could not have gotten there without Krista and am beyond grateful for her support! Thinking back to my initial hesitation, I’ll say now with full confidence that working with Krista was the best money that I’ve ever spent and made for a very positive MBA admissions experience.

For me, obtaining an MBA degree from the nation’s top credited school was my dream, and when you desire something so much, you have great motivation but the anxiety and fear of failing also reside throughout your journey. One thing Harshad told me during our initial interview that brought me a sense of assurance was that: “there is no guarantee for the admission, but if you could follow along with my guidance, we will submit the best application we can. ” From that moment, I knew he is the right consultant for me. However, during our partnership, Harshad went above and beyond my expectation. His approach was very systematic, and he spends a lot of time learning about your personality, your highlights, and your distinctions and incorporate those elements into your essays so that you can be the best form of yourself. Harshad is also very friendly, sharing his personal experience and life stories. That was special to have. To me, besides our partnership, I will also describe him as one of my dear friends. 🙂 He always provides candid feedback, and that’s how it should be. Because sometimes the blunt comments are the last catalyst to push yourself to the next level. Let’s be honest, if you can’t even impress your consultant, the chances of making the admission committee like you after just a mundane essay, which they read thousands of them each year are slim to none.

With his help, I was able to make my dream a reality, and I just want to sincerely thank him for all his help along the way. He is the best consultant I have seen, and you will not regret picking him as your admission consultant.

I was a little nervous about using a consultant for my application. I started with 2 hours with Gavriella. She is very honest, dedicated, and smart. She never missed any of the commitments. In a 30 mins zoom call; she understood my background goals and came up with great suggestions on where I can improve my application further. I could feel the difference in my application quality right away and felt confident before applying itself. She even helped me with my professional resume. Got admitted to all my dream schools and picked my top choice in G7. I highly recommend her to anybody without a doubt.

Gavriella was incredibly helpful in enabling me to pump out 4 last-minute applications in under 7 days…over the holidays to boot! Her effort to understand the distinguishing features of my personal narrative in such a short time frame coupled with her ability to decisively and effectively cull my verbosity were essential to allowing me to convey the most compelling features of my candidacy.

The flexibility in structuring the use of my hours was also very helpful as the areas of my application requiring review and the level of depth required were quite fluid. Despite this, we were able to work together to ensure we were able to achieve proper treatment all around.

Gavriella was also a tremendous resource in navigating the interview and waitlist processes going above and beyond the call of duty. Her provision of guiding resources, as well as continued Q&A support, helped quell some of the uncertainty and allowed me to feel prepared and confident in my approach during those anxiety-ridden weeks.

In the end, thanks to Gavriella’s help, I was able to gain admission to Wharton with a >50% scholarship and a place on the waitlist at GSB. Would recommend her in a second to anyone embarking on the MBA app journey and would only recommend that you give yourself (and her) more time!

While I was initially hesitant to hire a consultant, I can say that it was completely well worth the cost to work with mbaMission and, most importantly, with Nisha!

I signed up for free consultations with mbaMission and Stacy Blackman Consulting to hopefully gain some additional insight. Admittedly, I wasn’t the most organized when going into these consultations, but I had trouble connecting with the consultant from SBC and frankly found her to be condescending and rude. I wasn’t sure if I was asking her “dumb” questions, but she certainly made me feel that way.

In late August, I had my mbaMission consultation with Nisha, and, while I was equally as disorganized as I was with SBC, my experience with Nisha was completely different. I asked her the same “dumb” questions, but she was patient and left me feeling reassured. I told her that I was unsure that I wanted to move forward with purchasing a package, and she was completely understanding. She never pressured me and followed up our call with helpful resources. Over the next couple of months following the consultation, I tried to rely on free resources but quickly became overwhelmed with all of the different (and sometimes contradictory) advice floating around and needed to have feedback and advice that would be tailored to me.

In early November, I finally signed up for the Complete Start-to-Finish package for two schools with Nisha, and it was an amazing decision! I was worried about only having two months to work on my applications and essays, but I ended up completing everything before the deadline.

During the entire process, Nisha was warm, encouraging, responsive, and wise–Everything that you need from someone helping you with this important journey. I had a MILLION questions, sometimes about the tiniest things, and she was continuously patient and gave great advice. Most importantly, she helped me zero in on my career goal, as I wasn’t 100% sure before starting this process.

She provided invaluable guidance and input on the applications and essays but did so in a way where the essays still sounded like me and were authentic to who I am. After I received an interview invitation, I received that same counsel for the next step of the process. In all, Nisha helped me feel more confident not only about my profile but also about myself.

Now that I’ve completed the process, I can happily say that I’ve been accepted to my dream school and am confident that I wouldn’t have been able to get here without Nisha.

I was beyond satisfied with the experience I had working with Jen – she was instrumental in elevating and helping me create a standout application. I decided to work with Jen as I was applying solely to international MBA programs, and she has extensive background working with schools abroad and personal experience from her studies at Judge. In addition to being a wealth of knowledge about the admissions process and what schools are looking for, Jen is incredibly thoughtful and supportive. She took the time to get to know me and my motivations for applying for an MBA, recommended potential schools to look into and was available and willing to answer all of my questions throughout the process. She successfully helped me craft a compelling story across my essays and CV, providing meaningful feedback across these aspects as well as during the interview prep phase. As a result, I’ll be attending a top 10 global school in January 2022. My acceptance would not have happened without Jen’s thoughtfulness and creativity – I highly recommend working with her.

There are no words to express the level of appreciation that I have for Melissa and the dedication that she put forth to my application process. Melissa went far beyond the call of an admissions consultant and approached the application process in stride with me. Her previous experience as an admissions director provides a unique and unbelievably valuable lens to the application process. Melissa helped me decompose what was a cumbersome and daunting process and compartmentalize it into digestible pieces, creating a focused and purpose-driven timeline to success.

I can say, without a shadow of a doubt in my mind, I would not have achieved the same level of success throughout the application process if it was not for her guidance, support, and level-headedness. Saying I am immensely grateful for my time with her still falls short of the appreciation I have.

If you are looking for a consultant who has the experience and expertise to guide you through what feels like a daunting journey, look no further than Melissa!

Kate was extremely helpful throughout the application process, from being a sounding board to ideate the best ways to present my candidacy, all the way through being a quasi-therapist on decision days! She went above and beyond when it came to caring and making sure that I was presenting the best version of myself possible. I would highly recommend her to anyone else.

My brother recommended Michael to me after working with him on his own MBA apps last year, and could not be more grateful for the suggestion. Honestly Michael’s guidance and the mbaMission resources were crucial for helping me navigate the stressful/challenging process. I came into the process without a clear sense of what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go, and Michael helped me articulate my interests and craft a compelling narrative for my application, and how to use each component of the process to help me make the best case for myself.

I genuinely believe I would not have been admitted without the help of Gavriella. I began the MBA process incredibly naïve and completely overwhelmed.

I initially enlisted Gavriella’s help for a two-school package. However, the immediate value and impact of her services convinced me to expand my package to include a third school. I only wish I could have used her help for all my applications!

She is equal parts teacher, strategist, therapist, and friend. She dove headfirst into my chaotic mess of a story, helping turn it into a coherent narrative that accurately depicted me and my experiences. Understanding who I am also allowed her to guide me to apply to programs aligned with my interest and post MBA goals that I had failed to consider.

From there, she proved instrumental in assisting me in articulating my story logically, thoughtfully, and compellingly. When interviews came, I was extremely nervous. The preparation she helped me with gave me confidence and empowered me.

If that wasn’t enough, she genuinely cared about me and my outcome. I distinctly remember email exchanges with her anxiously waiting for decisions alongside me. She celebrated my admittances AND helped me through rejections.

I cannot speak more highly of Gavriella.

After prospecting several business school consulting firms, I had my introductory conversation with Melissa and knew right away that she was in a class of her own. I initially did not gain acceptance to any of the programs that I applied to the first time around, so I decided to hire Melissa for my reapplication process.

If I could describe her consulting style in one word, it would be a partnership. The MBA application process can be a very individualistic and lonely process, however, Melissa ensures that she is with you every step of the way. From initial brainstorming sessions, outlining essay messaging, to admissions interview prep; she provides honest and constructive feedback to best position you for the admissions process.

I would recommend Melissa to ANY prospective admissions consulting client. I am confident that I would not have gained admission to both Ross and Booth without her help.

I would recommend Nisha to anyone applying to business school! I worked with her on a 2-school package. Initially, I was incredibly overwhelmed and intimidated by the application process. However, Nisha’s calm and friendly demeanor eliminated much of the stress. She was very responsive, always willing to jump on a call and listen. Nisha was also very organized, helping me to stay on track and prioritize particular aspects of my applications. Nisha asked curious and intelligent questions that helped me articulate my experience and goals in a thoughtful way. Most importantly, she really listened to my questions and concerns. She supported me every step of the way. When I was accepted to my top school, Nisha was the first person I wanted to tell!

I was an international applicant with a very non-traditional background. I applied to 5 schools (HSW+MIT+Booth) with Katy and received tremendous support from her on my applications. I have to admit that sometimes I sent her materials very close to the deadlines but she managed to work on that. As I saw the uncertainty for the internationals this admission cycle in the US, I also applied to INSEAD on my own and was admitted. I didn’t get into one of 5 US schools with Katy but I used the materials for my INSEAD application, and she provided a mock interview for INSEAD. I highly recommend Katy, even for non-traditional candidates.

Going into the application process, I was a bit intimidated that I didn’t fit the ‘traditional’ applicant profile, but from the first time I met with Krista, she helped to dismiss these doubts and I was confident she was the perfect partner to help me navigate this process. I connected with Krista’s warmth and kind demeanor, but also appreciated her firmness at times to push me towards optimal success. She specifically encouraged me to stay diligent in my efforts to raise my GRE score until I was able to achieve a score I needed and we felt confident in, which I believe ultimately played a role in my success.

Krista has a productive partnership style – she is very responsive and instructive over e-mail and uses video meetings when necessary. I left each meeting with Krista clear on my next steps and she made it easy to follow a timeline that felt realistic, but ensured we were going to hit our key deadlines. Her feedback style was constructive, yet encouraging and she always explained her thoughts and was open to talking them through so that I felt comfortable with the direction we were proceeding in.

I greatly appreciated Krista’s breadth of knowledge on each of the schools I was applying to and that she was able to guide me on how to best tailor my story for each school specifically. With my resume, she greatly helped me re-shape it to highlight my industry expertise and encouraged me to weaponize anything that made me unique. She made me feel confident in my story and candidacy and was diligent in going through drafts of essays to ensure they were where they needed to be at submission time.

In Krista you get so much more than a consultant – you get a mentor who is genuinely invested in this process with you. More than anything, I am grateful for Krista’s patience, encouragement, the confidence she instilled in me, and the areas she pushed me to improve. Krista’s commitment to her clients is further expressed in the excitement and happiness she feels when they succeed. Having achieved great results with acceptances to three schools, including my top choice in Wharton, I would strongly recommend Krista to anyone who is embarking on this admissions journey.

After struggling with my essays for a whole month, I decided to get a consultant to help me improve them. Choosing Heidi was one of the best decisions that I’d made in my application process.

She first helped me realign my career goal with what I’ve accomplished and what might be more possible. Then, we started working on my essays and resumes. She was very insightful, always asking the right questions to keep pushing me to reflect on myself, to dig deeper into my stories, and to realize what I want to highlight and what is unnecessary. In addition, she knew very well how to motivate others, and turned the painful writing/revising into a smooth process.

With her help, my essays became a lot more compact and compelling. I got multiple M7 offers, including my dream school Wharton. This won’t happen without her help and support! I highly recommend Heidi to anyone who is considering an application consultant.

Working with Harold was the best decision I made during the MBA application process. The work we did together was absolutely instrumental in getting accepted into several of the top business schools in the country.

I highly recommend Harold Simansky for his hourly services. Through Harold’s resume and essay reviews, I was accepted with a scholarship to Booth, Kellogg, Tuck, and Columbia.

Harold was extremely timely and communicative. His reviews – even when it was a busy season for round 2 – were extremely efficient. When I had an urgent request due to an upcoming deadline, Harold was understanding and was quick to prioritize my work.

In terms of the feedback, it was clear that Harold had extensive experience in reviewing essays and tailoring them to each school. The essay feedback was very helpful and prescriptive, allowing me to quickly edit and turnaround versions. Harold even shared my essays and resume with other reviewers at mbaMission for no charge. I really felt that I received more value than what I was paying for!

I’ve applied for a few T20 business schools’ MBA program in Round 2 for 2023 admission, and I have been admitted to my top choice school with a scholarship offer that is way more than I could ever dream of.
My experience of working with Gavriella has been amazing from beginning to end. As an older applicant (mid 30’s) with a non-traditional background, I had a lot of doubt about myself when I started the MBA journey. Gavriella did a great job to be there for me and to build my confidence. She was very caring and passionate — a very good listener and a genuine friend who made me feel comfortable to share my stories and put trust in her. I felt so lucky to have her during the whole process.
The best part of my experience with Gavriella is that, instead of trying to fit in any typical category or image, she worked with me to create a unique strategy to present my true self. She guided me to look back into my life/work experience, to reflect and to find a connection between my past and future goals.
She was always approachable, answered my inquires right away, and more often gave back more than I could’ve asked. Whether it was with essay drafting, recommendations, school networking, interview prep, or actions after submission, she always thought ahead and offered me insight to guide me through the key turning points in the application timeline.
My result is beyond what I have expected, and I am extremely grateful for Gavriella’s generous assistance.

Kate was a tremendous help throughout my application and instrumental in me getting into a top-ranked school. From the first consultation, she was really professional and patient with me as I figured out my best path forward. I did the 3 school start to finish package and applied during round 2. I had come in with a bit lower GRE scores and she helped me feel more confident about my application and craft a story that would resonate with AdCom teams. I had started working with her in October and we hit the ground running. The whole process felt extremely collaborative and she was always available to answer all of my questions or a quick chat to calm my nerves!

I have been thinking about getting an MBA for a while because as a project manager, I thought my projects would be more successful if my company had strong organizational support, but I do not know how to build a strong and effective organization. After talking with an alumnus from my Master’s program, he strongly recommended Krista to help me with my applications.

Krista helped me position myself and picked the best school combination for me. Before talking with her, MIT was the only school on my list. After reviewing my profile (an international female with 10 years of experience in manufacturing and an engineering background), Krista suggested adding Fuqua and Tepper. Because of my undergraduate GPA (3.0), Krista suggested I take a class, Math for Management through UC Berkley online to strengthen my profile. I got an A, a great improvement for my understanding of math and also good for my applications.

Krista helped me improve my resume tremendously. The final version is the 7th revision. After sending Krista my brainstorming document, we started the back-and-forth exercise to keep modifying and improving my resume. Her smart questions made me dig deeper. For example, for my project manager role, I only mentioned “led project team”, but Krista asked me things like “How many people did you manage and what did they do?”, “Do you know the male/female ratio in the company? How many project managers are there? “, “How many people did you manage?”, and “What about international work?” Because I am working in a male-dominated industry, I am the only female project manager in the company. But before Krista asked me these questions, I did not notice how unique I was and how impressive my job was!

My hobbies? First time, I simply put running. Then Krista replied ‘I think you probably have more hobbies than what you listed! Think about this and add more! Ok, I sat back and told myself, “Yes, I like watercolor painting, practicing piano, doing home crafts.”

There were times I hoped Krista would take a nap and not reply to my email so quickly, so I can get a little bit of time to relax. She was the one on top of everything and I knew as long as I followed her pace and suggestions, she would guide me to my dream school.

Krista also helped me pick the best people to write recommendations for me. At the beginning, I planned to get recommendation letters from my previous boss and a staff member from my Master’s program as I was hoping to keep my application quiet, so my job will not be jeopardized. After talking with Krista, she pointed me to the right direction: I should pick up someone from my current employer because I am applying for an MBA – Admissions is looking for candidates with strong business skills and potential, not volunteer experience. I took Krista’s suggestion and had a very candid conversation with one of my employer’s vice presidents. Surprisingly, he did not hesitate to support me and was excited to write me the recommendation letter. The resulting letter was really strong. Krista mentioned she loved the letter as the VP provided detailed information about his working experience with me and the strength of my candidacy.
Krista also stuck with me through all the ups and downs. It has been a long time since Krista and I we worked together, from September 2020 until May 2021. For sure, Krista went far beyond her responsibility. Krista was always at my side. When I got the MIT interview invitation, I shared the great news with her immediately. When I got the offer from Duke, Krista was the first one I messaged as I knew she would be as happy I as was. At a few points during my application process, I worried I could not get enrolled this year, Krista showed her empathy to me and at the same time, pushed me to improve my candidacy, take another Executive Assessment test and look for more leadership roles.
Krista set a great example to me to never give up. When I took my 2nd EA exam, I only improved 3 points and was disappointed, Krista told me every point counts and business schools like to see people keep trying. Krista is right. When the Fuqua admissions office called me, the woman told me that I did exactly what they expect a candidate to do – keep trying.
Krista and I we had a lot of fun work together and she helped me to know myself much better. One of Fuqua’s essays is ‘25 random things about yourself”. I scratched my head and was not sure where to start. Krista told me she wanted to see at least 35 random things! That is so demanding! But that was the right thing to do, because we can have a bigger pool to pick the best 25 things. Krista suggested that I search for suggestions and feedback from my friends and coworkers. It was a fun and surprising experience; I got so much feedback from the people around me. their points of views really surprised me. After the 1st draft, Krista and I started to go through each single item on my list and picked and chose the best ones to show the unique side of me.
By looking back the whole application process, the word I heard from Krista the most is “impressive”. Krista made me realize the accomplishments and feel more confident in myself. I highly recommend her as your consultant

I will open this by saying beyond being a great consultant for your application, Gavriella is a wonderful person. I came to meet Gavriella through a free consultation (as I am sure many others do), and I have done this with other consultants, so I had experience in this. What I found was not a pushy salesperson, instead, someone who asked the ‘right’ questions. She asked me why I wanted to go to the programs I specifically brought up, she asked me what my biggest concerns were and what I thought my unique attributes were (because on paper I was at best an average candidate, if not below average) and at the end of our brief interaction, she candidly told me what she thought of my application and profile, what schools were the best fit, and what I could do if money were no object. I am also a relatively simple person, who loves analogies, and her analogies and explanations were so clear and relatable – my experience with her was one of the best interactions I have had with someone providing a service.

I believe that if you are like me and want this experience to be as enjoyable as it can be – I know it is a nervous time, but at this point, you have done all the heavy lifting, now it’s about articulating it well – then I would recommend Gavriella. Her ability to be candid and honest, while also being a pleasure to work with is unparalleled by anyone I have met in any other sector. Moreover, her generosity, be it in time or reviewing materials extends far beyond expectations.

I know I did not hit on things you probably were expecting to read in this review, but I feel if you’re going to trust a person to help you make this life-changing decision, you need to understand their character, and I can tell you Gavriela’s character, effort, and devotion to her clients is unmatched.

If I could share my name and information I would, because I believe that strongly in her ability to support you.

Nisha’s understanding of the process was incredible. She knew exactly what steps to take and what was necessary at each step in order to achieve the results needed. She was not only knowledgeable but cared about how the process ended up. From essay writing to the interview she made me feel like I was going to succeed and helped me highlight my best attributes.

I chose to work with Krista Nannery because I was a non-traditional MBA candidate and new to the application process. I’m so glad I did. Krista was there for me every step of the way. From the start, Krista took a sincere interest in me. She took the time to learn about my career history and my future goals, and was invaluable in helping me refine my personal narrative, particularly about why I was applying to specific MBA programs. She was great with turnaround times, always enthusiastic, and extremely knowledgeable about the entire application process. I especially appreciated her feedback during my interview prep. My decision to work with Krista was well worth the investment. I was admitted to several T15 programs and received large scholarship offers from two: an extraordinary return on investment. I highly recommend Krista Nannery.

I had the opportunity to work with Krista after I got rejected for all my target schools using other consulting services. After I started working with her I immediately saw the difference and felt way more confident.

Krista focused on every detail of my application, even those that I had never considered important. She also kept me on track of the timeline which sometimes flybys but more importantly she also gave me a lot of feedback that sometimes other consultants try to sugarcoat but as an applicant is important to be aware of, especially in my case since I come from a usually overrepresented pool (finance). She also made a lot of suggestions that I am sure played a pivotal role in my application.

Now I can happily say that I´ll be attending my dream school (Wharton) and received two other offers from great schools. But I am sure that I would not have done it without Krista´s help. She genuinely cared about my application process and all the high and lows that it represented. I am always going to be grateful to Krista for helping me achieve one of my dreams.

Jen was absolutely fantastic to work with. She is generous with her time, expert in all aspects of the application, and there to answer any questions about any aspect of the process, no matter how small. She got to know me far beyond my resume and helped me uncover parts of my story I never thought to highlight to the admissions committee. She did an expert job helping me craft a compelling story and maximize every word in each essay, every line of my resume, and every minute of my interviews. Jen’s help got me into both of the programs we worked on together, including one where I’d been previously unsuccessful. I doubt I would have been as successful without Jen’s encouragement and expert guidance.

I started the MBA application process, hiring Jen as my admissions consultant almost exactly a year ago, having no idea what my final list of schools to apply to would be or where I would end up! After a year of self-reflection, countless essay drafts, and tons of anxiety in the meantime, I am so happy to be attending one of my top schools (Kellogg) in the fall!
Jen took the time to understand who I am and what I want out of an MBA program and career and helped me learn these things about myself as well. She is great at pulling the most compelling aspects of a candidate out through discovery sessions and helping weave them throughout your application to make a cohesive and compelling story. She knows this industry up and down and is very familiar with how to present an applicant in the most compelling way for each individual school. Many other consultants are very knowledgeable as well; however, what made Jen stand out from all the rest was her supportive and understanding nature. I felt like we were in this together and my success was her success. We had many long conversations about what schools would be the best fit for me versus what schools I was best qualified for as a candidate. We talked about options to improve my application and what parts of myself were most important for me to showcase.
I worked with Jen on a 4 school package and ended up adding on a 5th school. Most of my schools were M7s and I got rejected from a few, with Jen there to support me; however, my Kellogg acceptance made this whole process worth it! In the days leading up to Kellogg releasing their decisions in December 2020, I kept re-reading my application and the Kellogg website and I realized that everything I showcased in my Kellogg application perfectly aligned with what the school was asking for in their essays and in their students’ values and attributes– I have no doubt that Jen was instrumental in me crafting an application that reflected the core values of Kellogg and made me stand out as an applicant. Admissions consultants are a big investment, one that I was nervous about but looking back, I am confident that this investment was the key to my success!

As a somewhat unconventional applicant, I wasn’t sure what to expect from an MBA consultant. Any trepidation I might have had vanished after my first call with Gavriella, however. It was clear from the first day that she would be an invaluable asset going forward. She helped weave my disparate work experience into a compelling narrative, hone in on a more curated target list of schools, and provided excellent interview prep which left me in great shape for all of the interviews that subsequently arose. Working with Gavriella went a long way in taking the stress out of the application/interview process, and it was clear to me early on that she was operating with my best interest in mind, not her own. To anyone reading this who is in need of an Admission Consultant – go with Gavriella if she’s available. You won’t regret it!

In July 2020, I started working with MBA Mission to further refine my MBA story and profile. I would have never have dreamed that I am now admitted to my top choice, HBS, for the Class of 2023.

The team at MBAMission and Devi have been invaluable throughout the process. I opted for Devi after hearing and reading glowing recommendations, and I was not disappointed. Her demeanor and candor provided invaluable feedback that prepared for the HBS interview process. She provided great clarity on the types of stories that would resonate, and her personalized recommendations were actionable (which was not always the case with other consultants)

After three interviews with Devi, I felt prepared and confident to ace my interview.

Working with Gavriella totally exceeded my expectations. The process was really smooth and although we were short of time she connected with my story immediately and helped me outline it in the best way possible. She was very detailed-oriented and precise with her contributions… It was the third eye I needed to accomplish a well-rounded application. She was very efficient and we even had the opportunity to check other essays! After submitting everything we kept in touch, a fact that made me notice she was very diligent with her work.
I was skeptical of acquiring this kind of service but it was an investment I’ll never regret. I totally recommend MBA Mission and Gavriella.