mbaMission | MBA Admissions Consultants

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.

I suspect many MBA applicants view the admissions consulting business with a fair measure of cynicism. I certainly did. The upfront cost is high, most firms market comparable services at a similar price point, and online reviews are almost uniformly positive. Yet, after my first conversation with Katy Lewis, I immediately realized she would be a valuable partner and advisor. I am now fortunate to also call her a friend.

I write this testimonial as someone who was accepted to Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton in a historically competitive admissions cycle. Even if I did not achieve these incredible outcomes, I would value Katy’s services equally highly. Katy has received dozens of testimonials speaking to her personality, work ethic, dedication, and value for interview preparation. I wholeheartedly agree with these reviews. I now want to highlight some additional facets of Katy’s work that, while less obvious, are perhaps even more important.

Katy’s education and experience seem custom-tailored to her present role. She unites the strategic thinking of a McKinsey consultant with the discerning and critical eye of an attorney. As an HBS alum and former member of the Stanford GSB admission committee, she brings a true depth of understanding to the application process. Moreover, Katy has years of experience working with clients specifically targeting the top three MBA programs in the country. Carefully read the bios of admissions consultants from other firms; buried in a sea of self-congratulatory superlatives you might find one or two relevant substantive experiences. With Katy, every relevant skill set and experience is brought into play. If you are serious about optimizing your chances, why compromise?

Katy demonstrated a sophisticated and enthusiastic understanding of my background and career aspirations. Though we do not share a similar professional background, Katy immediately and intuitively grasped the “narrative arc” uniting my educational and professional experiences. This ability allowed Katy to provide individualized, thoughtful, and nuanced advice specific to my situation. Thus, contrary to prevailing wisdom, Katy advised me to apply in round 2, which proved to be a shrewd (and very beneficial) decision. Any consultant can provide generic advice about the various components of the application (essay, recommenders, employment, etc…) Katy’s value was most evident in those ambiguous situations that ultimately come down to a matter of sound judgment.

Katy was incredibly proactive at all stages of the application process. She volunteered to reach out to my letter writers to provide some insight into the MBA admissions process. As I come from a non-traditional background, my recommenders had never written a letter of recommendation for admission to business school. Understanding the admissions criteria helped my recommenders more effectively communicate their sentiments. Perhaps most importantly, I felt like my own voice, style, and values, and motivations were clearly present in each and every application. At no point did Katy attempt to “package” my unique story into a template.

Returning to my skepticism regarding admissions consultants, I do suspect that in 99% of cases they are ineffectual or downright harmful. Katy Lewis is the other 1%.

The answer is YES! When I got the HBS offer finally, there were too many people I want to say thank you to. Among them, I think the critical person is my HBS mock interviewer Devi Vallabhaneni. I feel so lucky to know her from another HBS alumni, who also got huge help from Devi. He told me that Devi is very effective and sharp. I booked Devi’s mock session immediately. Although I only had one week left for my HBS interview, Devi still helped me arrange two mock sessions with a qualified interval for me. I extremely enjoyed the mock sessions with Devi and her mock questions did happen in the real interview. One of the answers that Devi guided me in also impressed my real interviewer of HBS because the real interviewer sent a congratulations letter to me and mentioned that answer. Without Devi’s help and encouragement, I cannot improve so effectively and quickly. Devi told me the secret of the interview. I felt so satisfied and happy after my real interview because I prepared almost every question and I knew my answers were sharpened by Devi’s professional advice. It’s Devi that helped me perform well and got HBS offer!
If you see this, trust me, Devi is the best and the highest ROI investment in your MBA application journey!

Devi’s encouragement and coaching through the stressful and unfamiliar interview process was pivotal in my acceptance to eight MBA programs. I had to push myself out of my comfort zone throughout the MBA application journey, and especially during the interview process. Her help and feedback were the first steps for me to build confidence with spontaneous speaking and selling myself, and have given me the confidence to continue to improve in this area as I pursue an MBA. I highly recommend her services!

Working with Harshad was a pleasure from the beginning. I met with Harshad on an initial call to review my profile, goals, and target schools. I immediately decided to work with Harshad based on the thoughtfulness, experience, and candor he demonstrated on our call.

I worked with Harshad to improve my resume and to review essays for a number of applications to top-20 FTMBA programs. Throughout our partnership together, I was very impressed with Harshad’s candid feedback, strategic guidance, and timeliness.

First and foremost, Harshad is immensely helpful as a consultant because he is direct with his feedback. This saved me a lot of precious time as an applicant during the arduous application process because it allowed me to easily digest the review commentary and to make necessary changes where needed. In some cases, this even meant scrapping an essay topic and starting from scratch — but ultimately, through our partnership, I learned this was much better than wasting precious time trying to resuscitate an essay that was not addressing the prompt.

Additionally, Harshad provided guidance throughout the application process that allowed me to make the most of the consultation hours I purchased. MBA Mission/Harshad are incredibly organized. Harshad shared a number of MBA Mission resources right off the bat that laid out effective expectations. In addition, Harshad provided guidance on our initial call based on where to start, how to schedule around deadlines, and how to get the most from our partnership.

Lastly, Harshad is incredibly timely and generous with his time as a consultant. The application process is incredibly arduous. As an experienced consultant, Harshad was able to consistently turn around comprehensive essay feedback in a timely manner. I am incredibly grateful for Harshad’s help and inherent sense of urgency while reviewing essays. Working with Harshad took (some) stress out of the overall process.

With Harshad’s guidance, I was accepted to two Top 20 US schools and was awarded a significant scholarship despite my sub-3 GPA. Thank you again, Harshad!

What started as a mentoring-mentee relationship turned into almost a friendship by the end. Devi truly connected with me to learn more about my background and how that can help me in my interview. Every step of the way, she encouraged me to be my true self, and guess what, it worked!
Her tips are priceless. Her advice on your story is second to none!

Applying to M7 business schools with a below-average GMAT score can be an intimidating process. I reached out to several consultants when starting my applications and heard a common response: “you have virtually no chance of being accepted to your target schools with that score”. Michael was the one consultant that seemed to take a more optimistic approach to my candidacy and background. From the beginning of our time working together, he always focused on the positive aspects of my candidacy and worked tirelessly with me to creatively emphasize my strengths. For these reasons, I would highly recommend Michael’s services to anyone, but especially someone who is a bit intimidated by the process. I would not have landed my spot at Booth without him!

Jessica has been an amazing guide! She was recommended to me by a former MIT Sloan grad and I did not look back. I applied to only one school and started applying c. 3 weeks before the deadline – and yet I managed to get an offer.

She worked with me intensely during the application and figured out my story much better than I could put down in words! I had used a different consultant in a previous application, which was cheaper, but the care and attention that Jessica provided was honestly amazing and I would definitely say, you get your money’s worth.

I am quite sure that without her help, I would have not gotten in – would highly recommend!

As many prospective students will quickly find out, top MBA programs really want to hear your story and there is no better person than Katy to help you with the introspection process. She has this unique ability to get to know you as a person and help get that authentic self across to the admissions committee. Together, we were able to brainstorm specific themes of my life, how they were important to me, and communicated those in my essays.

Through all of her help, I was able to secure R1 interviews at 6 top programs – Stanford GSB, HBS, Booth, Kellogg, Tuck, and Yale. She spent a lot of time prepping me for my interviews and provided her perspectives on each of the different programs.

Because of Katy’s help, I was able to secure multiple offers and ultimately accepted my offer to attend Stanford GSB. I truly cannot recommend Katy enough as an admissions consultant and now as a friend!

My first encounter with Nisha was through one of mbaMission’s free online workshops. I was quickly drawn to Nisha’s bright personality and her passion for helping applicants realize their MBA aspirations. As I listened to Nisha present, it became clear to me that she had extensive knowledge of the application process and experience working with many different types of candidates.

Shortly after the session, I decided to purchase the Start-to-Finish package and I’m so grateful that I chose Nisha as my MBA consultant. Right from the start, Nisha provided great insight into the application process and worked with me to come up with a detailed game plan for my applications. I was very impressed with how much time and effort Nisha put into getting to know me and understanding my background as well as my motivations for pursuing an MBA.

Nisha always came well prepared to our discussions and it was very easy to have an open conversation with her. I really appreciated how Nisha pushed me to dig deep and self-reflect on my experiences, helping me to make the most of my stories. She gave targeted feedback throughout the essay writing process and was extremely responsive, answering any questions that I had along the way. Nisha was also incredibly helpful in my interview preparation; she advised me on the different types of interview styles that I could expect to see and ran me through mock interviews that closely simulated my actual interviews. Practicing my stories with Nisha and incorporating her feedback helped me feel confident and much more comfortable during my live interviews.

Overall, Nisha far exceeded my expectations and I highly recommend working with her to any applicants beginning their MBA journey. With her guidance, I was able to get into one of my top programs and I can’t thank her enough for all her support throughout my applications!

I worked with Devi from MBAMisson for the R2 2021 app cycle. I was applying to the top 7, schools. I ended up getting interviews for Harvard, INSEAD, and Chicago. I received an offer from INSEAD.

I delayed getting a consultant until the very last minute, thinking that I was able to go through this process on my own. The truth is, there is a lot of general information out there, but without a consultant, it is hard to narrow down the specific advice relevant to your application. Thankfully, the team at MBAMission was able to match me with Devi pretty close to the deadline (12/24). Although it was the holiday season, Devi put in work every day to make sure that my application was as strong as possible. She didn’t have to do that, and I really appreciate it.

What I liked most with Devi, is that she will push you to the very end. Her feedback was candid and straight to the point. Admissions consultants are expensive. I appreciated her sensitivity to time and straightforwardness. In the two weeks that I worked with her, I managed to squeeze in over 5 revisions for my essays, and I applied to 6 schools. It really was a lot of work. In all honestly, I was sleep-deprived and exhausted by the end of the process. Without Devi telling me that there was still room for improvement, I wouldn’t have been able to push myself that hard. Revision #5 on my Harvard essay was done 4 hours before the deadline. It was Devi that pushed me to rewrite that damn thing one more time.

Harvard is my dream school. But in truth, my credentials are a bit weak. I did manage to get an interview but was not able to get the offer. Despite this, I don’t regret any second spent working with Devi. I am 100% confident, that without her help, I would not have gotten that interview in the first place. Devi knows her stuff very well. I look at the essays I wrote before and after her help, it really is a world of difference. If anyone reading this is interested, PM me, and I will show you the before and after.

Overall, despite my disappointing outcome, I still highly recommend working with Devi. The interview experience alone has given me the self-confidence that I am the so-called ‘Harvard calibre’. And I’m sure, this sort of self-confidence will continue to pay dividends for the rest of my career. Thank you, Devi.

Best of luck with your applications.

I worked with Jen for 4 R2 applications and can honestly say I could not have done it without her. Jen’s knowledge of the MBA application process is 2nd to none and she really takes time getting her clients on a personal level! I really enjoyed my time working with her and would recommend her to anybody looking for any help applying to B school. With Jen’s help, I was accepted into my 3 top schools with scholarship opportunities!

I partnered with Jessica during my reapplication process to prepare for the HBS interview and post-interview reflection. Her contributions were critical in my getting admitted to HBS.

I first spoke with Jessica when I was putting together my essay for HBS reapplication. While I came to the 30-minute free consultation with multiple, half-baked ideas, Jessica quickly grasped the essence of the story I wanted to convey and shared a couple of powerful narratives to shape my story better. She cut through the noise and helped me find the central theme for my essay. As a reapplicant, I had a bunch of questions that she answered extremely patiently and more importantly, candidly.

I reached out to Jessica again once I got invited to interview with HBS for interview preparation. During the mock interview, Jessica’s diligence and preparation were visible as her questions covered the depth and breadth of my application. She has a great pulse of the admission committees’ thought process and some of the mock interview questions came up in my final interview! Her feedback was well-rounded, focusing on the content of my answers as well as the softer aspects of communication. Thanks to her I felt confident walking into the interview.

However, the thing that stood out the most for me was Jessica’s “at-cause professionalism”. In a process that can be stressful due to tight timelines, she ensured timely discussions and delivery of deliverables. Even in the one instance where she was unavailable, she let me know months in advance and ensured that I was tagged to another consultant for support. Jessica always went out of her way to share material/suggestions, irrespective of whether I was working with her or not.

While we worked together for only a few months, I wish I had come to her in my first year of applications. She is a wonderful thought partner to have by your side as you navigate through B-school applications.

My overall experience with mbaMission and especially my consultant, Gavriella, was excellent!

I elected for the hourly service, for the flexibility, and because I knew which schools I wanted to apply to, but in no way did this detract from the highly personalized guidance I received.

My busy work schedule and different time zone were also no impediment; Gavriella was able to work around me and help with essay editing, deciding on which stories to discuss and eventually on interview preparation as well. I received first-class coaching for every step of the application, tailored specifically to me.

Gavriella was very knowledgeable about the idiosyncrasies of each school’s application process and took time to understand my background, my goals and exactly how I should present my narrative.

I found most useful the open and honest feedback. I felt Gavriella really wanted my application to be the best that it could be. I am very excited to start business school later this year and am sure I could not have been successful without the help of mbaMission.

Gavriella is a fantastic advisor and a lovely person – I could not recommend her services highly enough!

Working with Melissa was the best decision I made throughout the whole business school application process! I had less than stellar GMAT scores and Melissa encouraged me to take the GRE, which I’m confident helped my application immensely. She was always available to do as many revs on essays or anything related to my application as I was able to keep up with. Also, coming from consulting, it was initially difficult for me to translate the impact that I had on various projects for my essays and my resume – Melissa helped me speak in less “consultant-y” terms and in a way that would resonate with the admissions committee, which was invaluable. She’s also a pleasure to work with and talk to!

TLDR: Do yourself a favor, choose Jessica Shklar, and forget everything else.

First Impressions:
Meeting Jessica via the free consultation (4-school package for R2 apps) sold me on working with her. I had had preview sessions with two other top firms, but those felt cold and artificial compared to Jessica’s style. At the time, I was in the process of studying for my GMAT and one other firm was unwilling to start working with me until I completed the exam. I was running out of time for R2 apps, and Jessica understood that the application process more often than not is a messy and haphazard process. Coupled with experiencing her deep insight over the 30-minute call, Jessica accommodating the real-world circumstances of busy applicants was yet another mark of her competence in my opinion.

Consultation process:
She was extremely organized which was key in knocking down 4 B-school applications to M7 schools in the period of 4 months, while also providing morale support as I studied for the GMAT. There were established rules in place to maintain the organization and flow of essay reviews, brainstorming chat etc, but when it mattered, she was willing to go above and beyond, working day and night and even with at one point with a badly sprained wrist (on her dominant hand)! And she came through more than once.
Regarding essays, Jessica is not merely an editor – she is a storyteller and muse. Initially, when you do try your best to describe your own life, you realize how it pales in comparison to the final draft. This is not because it is embellished or anything like that; it’s because she helps you tease out your motivations and cogent reasons behind the key plots in your story and stitches it in a way that is amazing. I know she is a habitual reader (sometimes finishing books in a single day) and so storytelling isn’t just a job – it’s part and parcel of who she is, and this benefit is reflected in the essays she helps you with.

Conclusion:
One of the first things she helps you with is reviewing any pre-existing school choices you’ve made. She gets to know you and then accesses your compatibility with your POST-MBA goals, your dreams, and your personality. Clearly, she isn’t just trying to crank out essays or maximize admit rates for her firm. She genuinely wants to mold your application to represent the best version of yourself. She cannot guarantee outcomes (no consultant can), but you leave with a feeling of extreme satisfaction in the effort put towards application. I got into one of them, but it was not my dream school, unfortunately. But the fact that I still write this review is a testament to the positive force that is Jessica Shklar. I gained more than just an elite application package; I also gained a renewed understanding of myself.

I had started working with a different consultant when I had started my application process for the 2021 intake. However, a few weeks before the deadline, I was not very convinced with my application and decided to reach out to MBAMission based on a trusted friend’s recommendation. I had the opportunity to work with Devi over R1 and R2, and I must admit that I was super-impressed with what she did to my application. Apart from highlighting my key work achievements, she was able to identify aspects of me that added uniqueness to the overall application. She was always quick to respond to my emails, and our interactions were crisp and effective. Devi had great clarity on my strengths and weaknesses, and she used to keep responding with suggestions till she was convinced with the final output. I am extremely thankful to Devi for helping me make it to my dream school – Kellogg.

Rachel was the first MBA consultant I spoke with, and immediately I felt she and I would be a good match. She had a strong ability to be supportive in areas where I didn’t feel as comfortable, as well as realistic about what my chances would be for the different schools I was applying to.

Her feedback throughout the process was really honest, and I always felt like she had my best interests at heart and really took the time to get to know me to help me present the best version of myself, which still felt true to who I was as a person. Additionally, her feedback was always timely and I felt she really “got” who I was as a person.

Applying to business school is a lot of work – you’re really only going to get as much value out of an admissions consultant as you put in. Having Rachel as a partner throughout the application process was truly an advantage in every way, as she put her all into the entire process from considering schools to interviewing.

Katy had a unique and powerful way of helping me discern what to highlight on my MBA applications. She took the time to understand my background and aspirations, helping me figure out which MBA programs were the best cultural fit for me. Her responsiveness was exemplary: I once wrote her in a panic asking for input when one of my MBA interviews was unexpectedly scheduled for three days out. Katy responded with a next-day time slot for us to conduct a mock interview. She played an instrumental role in giving me the confidence I needed to complete the application process and to present myself in an effective way.

Devi was incredible to work with – she took the time to understand my background, pushed me to think through what I really want for my career longer-term and how the MBA fits into that and helped me draw out key experiences that I had (which I had overlooked) to emphasize in my application. She truly cared about me as an applicant, which made the whole experience a lot easier for me!

As a first-timer, I felt that applying MBA was like losing my direction in a grand blue ocean, and then I got help from mbaMission.

Nisha did a great job in helping my self-exploration. With mbaMission’s systematic approach, Nisha helped me explore my stories of successes and failures, and identified the key elements that bring up a strong application. She also helped me spot mistakes that I made in the essays and CV, avoiding elements that would confuse the readers or lead to unnecessary criticism.

With Nisha’s support, my stories in the application become more compelling, and I was admitted to Judge and Said with a bursary from one of them. This totally exceeded my expectations and I am truly grateful for having Nisha’s support along the way!

As a non-traditional candidate, I needed a lot of help in clearly articulating my career goals and addressing weaknesses (namely low GPA). After a terrible experience with a consultant from a different firm, I was hesitant about the value of an MBA consultant.

I did a couple of free consultations and immediately knew that Debbie was the right choice for me. She is honest, kind, highly intelligent, and always responsive. We worked diligently to update my resume and improve my essays. I appreciated how straightforward she was without condescension, and felt that she never wasted time.

Overall, she helped me secure interviews at 4/7 of the T15 schools I applied to. After a rough R1 (WL’d to 2 schools), Debbie encouraged me to relax, reset, and consider applying to more schools in R2. I was initially unsure but mustered the energy to follow her advice. Lo and behold, I got into a top choice school (Tuck/Ross/Fuqua/Darden) with a scholarship and fellowship! When I told Debbie, she was over the moon. She was as excited for me as my family was.

I believe that my outcomes would’ve been worse, potentially non-existent, had it not been for Debbie. She is genuinely invested in your growth and success. Her feedback made a huge difference in the quality of my apps. I know that fit is an important part of selecting a consultant, but Debbie exceeded my expectations in every way. 11/10 would recommend.

As an international applicant from Latin America, I initially sought Katy’s help to navigate through the complexities of the application process. She mastered those, but the most helpful aspect of her consultancy came in a different way.

Katy and I discussed in great detail my entire journey leading to the MBA, and she provided me with great insights into my own personal story, helping me connect the reasons for many of my decisions. I realized that only when you really understand your story, you can put your best application forward, and Katy helped me do that. With her help, I was admitted to Yale and Dartmouth.

I first reached out to Jessica in early August and was aiming to apply for round 1 for just one school. I was juggling studying for the GMATs, while also trying to wrap my head around how to tell my story (not to mention all the other things like a resume, letters of recommendations, short answers, etc.). Once you start the admissions process, you realize how many parts there are to it and how you would be severely disadvantaged by not having someone like Jessica on your team.

I spoke to several consultants before speaking to Jessica and she got right to the point and provided valuable feedback and insight. I knew I only had a few weeks to prepare an application for the top school so I needed someone who I could trust and count on. Jessica is so prepared, organized, and never misses a deadline. That’s what she promised on the call, and she delivered 10x. I ended up applying to the top 3 schools by Round 1 and was accepted to one of them. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Jessica was the main reason I received the acceptance. Every step of the process she provided value (even to little details like how many group members I should indicate in the extracurricular group I was part of). Those little things add up and she looks at everything holistically. Jessica got to know me super well and brought up stories to use as examples for short answers that I had forgotten about. She really knows the schools that you’re applying to and has the track record to know what has been successful and not. I have already recommended her and mbaMission to multiple people because I TRULY believe that you are severely disadvantaged without someone like Jessica. It’s worth the investment over and over again. Even if I had not gotten into any school, I know that I would not have had any regrets because I really know that we put together the best package and story that we possibly could have – I think having no regrets is more valuable than anything else.

Thank you so so much again, Jessica!!!

My MBA admissions journey has been a roller coaster, and I imagine this could be the case for a lot of other people. After a disappointing 1-school Round 1, I decided I should invest in a consultant as a sounding board. I was not someone who had been planning to get an MBA since UG, and despite a lot of my own research, I still felt lost within the application process – what was the best way for me to communicate my story to admissions? I shopped around and interviewed 5 different consultants before going with Debbie — I could tell she was personally invested in my success, and I could also tell she would be encouraging and confidence-building while also being realistic about my strengths and weaknesses. She was all of this and more. Debbie helped me sort through all of my experiences and really pinpoint a compelling narrative, something I was missing from my original application. She also was wonderful in dealing with all of my uncertainties and was always prompt in her turnarounds and responses to emails. If I ever had a quick question, even in relation to a school outside of my package, I reached out to Debbie. With her guidance, I now have 3 of 4 admissions, all with merit scholarships (one M7 and two T10). If you’re waffling about whether or not to hire a consultant, end your search with Debbie!

Melissa really takes time to get to know me and pushes me to think deeper throughout the process, starting from the brainstorming sessions to essay editing. Melissa is great at connecting dots of my stories in ways I have not thought of. She provides detailed comments on where to improve and always turns around revisions sooner than the required 48 hours policy.

She is extremely friendly, energetic and a real cheerleader – especially during the interview prep sessions. She is very encouraging and helped me a lot with building confidence in myself. Melissa made the application process much less stressful and I would not be able to get into my dream school (Kellogg) without her. Would 100% recommend her!

Devi was extremely helpful to me in my application process. I worked with her doing the start-to-finish package for two schools. I had applied two years ago without the help of a consultant. Devi was great at helping me craft my story for the admissions committee and helping me decide which experiences were the best to tell in which parts of the application. She strikes a great balance of having her own opinions and listening to you.

One of the main benefits that I found from working with Devi compared to the first time I applied was that when I applied on my own, I found myself constantly second-guessing what I had written and drafting several wildly different versions of outlines and essays. With Devi, I spent a lot of time upfront brainstorming on my own with a worksheet that she provided. Then, we spent a good amount of time together discussing my experiences and settling on the story to tell the admissions committee. From that point on, the process certainly still required a good amount of effort and iteration, but there was so much less second guessing, which resulted in a much more efficient process. I felt confident in the direction that I had chosen to go with Devi’s help. Devi’s is extremely efficient to work with.

Ultimately, I was admitted to Stanford GSB and could not be more thrilled. I would certainly work with Devi again and recommend any others to work with her.

Debbie was instrumental in my MBA application process. I am a reapplicant from the R4 (Summer of 2020 Covid) who successfully got into schools in R2 or 2021. When it came to reapplying this year, there was no doubt in my mind that I would continue working with Debbie. She took the additional steps to ensure my application was better than the first, ensuring that any blind spots or weaknesses would be covered.

What I enjoyed about her was the transparency and the hands-on help she gave with feedback and coaching. I remember one time after I did a mock interview and felt unsure of my performance, she gave me the reassurance verbally, even telling me to not purchase another hour since that is how confident she felt in me. That showed me that she genuinely cared, beyond the scope of a generic client, and that is why I would highly recommend working with her.

My journey with Rachel started in September. Coming from an extremely untraditional background and looking to pivot, I knew that choosing the right admissions consultant would be pivotal to my chances of acceptance. After our complimentary 30-minute consultation, I knew Rachel would be the right choice for my needs.

Throughout my journey, Rachel worked diligently with me to really hone in on a cohesive story that would position me in the best way possible for acceptance. I struggled with the GMAT and her suggestion to take the Executive Assessment was a real game-changer. Rachel swiftly answered any concern or question I had regarding the process, and she acted as a much-needed sanity check during this stressful time.

Rachel was prompt with her edits and I found her insights and suggestions to be extremely valuable to my final application. Additionally, I especially appreciated the multiple calls we had throughout the process. Rachel’s feedback was honest and logical, and her sincere advice was invaluable to me during the process. Our mock interview was very helpful and I felt well prepared going into the real thing.

Working with Rachel, I didn’t feel like just another client. We shared a genuine connection and I had the utmost support from her during the process. When I got the admissions call, Rachel was equally as ecstatic when I shared the news. Overall, I would recommend Rachel to anyone seeking an MBA consultant; her professional demeanor, deep knowledge of the MBA admissions process, and honesty are just a few of the attributes she possesses that make her an extraordinary consultant!

I signed up for the complete start-to-finish package with Susan Kaplan. I cannot thank her enough as her advice and help throughout the process got me into a top 7 school!

Susan and I had several hours of brainstorming sessions. These sessions were tough and intense, and Susan would often let me know that I was not digging deep enough. However, these lengthy and honest sessions helped Susan really get to know my profile, strengths, weaknesses, etc. During these sessions, we often discussed my goals and Susan’s analyses of my transferable skills really helped me identify my short- and long-term goals. After these sessions, we could easily shortlist schools and build a framework for my essays.

As an (over-represented) re-applicant for some schools, I needed to ensure that my essays highlighted a fresh profile. Susan was fantastic in mining through my experiences to find thoughtful and powerful stories for the essays. Susan’s feedback was always direct and her comments were very, very detailed. I had a habit of writing long pieces, and Susan was really patient and helped me convey impactful stories within the strict word counts, without diluting the narrative. Not to mention that Susan would ensure that ALL aspects of my application tied together to provide a detailed and engaging profile. Her keen eye for detail would also often help pick-up things that you would overlook.

Susan’s experience and suggestions on how to tackle the interviews were life-savers. She knew exactly what the interviewer was looking for and how to hold his/her attention.

If you are looking for someone who is easily available, honest, and practical with their advice, I would really suggest that you opt for Susan. Her several years of experience will not let you down.

Two of my friends have worked with Harold for b-school applications and got into top schools, and strongly recommended him to me. When I applied, I only had a few months to spare and was trying to retake the GMAT. On top of that, I have non-traditional work experiences that I was struggling to tie together in my essays. Harold knew exactly what I should/should not highlight and gave VERY clear comments. I was especially impressed by his turnaround time. Without Harold’s clear guidance, there is no way I would have been able to complete 3 applications in 2 months while working long hours AND also get into Booth with a scholarship.

Melissa is an A++++ MBA Consultant! I had about 6 introductory calls with other consultants who I was unsure about but 10 minutes into my call with Melissa I knew I wanted to work with her! She was extremely helpful even in our 30-minute intro call about how I can most effectively bring my story to life.

I was an hourly client with Melissa and the brainstorming sessions were instrumental to my business school success. Melissa provided me with guidance on what stories I should share and when. Without her help, I 100% believe I would not have been able to produce essays that got me into four of the five programs I was admitted to Stanford GSB, MIT Sloan, Kellogg, and Wharton.

Melissa is extremely personable, friendly, and energetic!! She is professional and communicative while remaining supportive during an incredibly stressful process. I’ll be attending Stanford GSB this Fall and I can’t thank Melissa enough for her support! I 100% know I would not have been so successful without her support. Anyone would be lucky to work with her.

I had just finished my fourth attempt at the GMAT and was finally happy with my score, but I had a new problem. I was 6 weeks out from my first deadline. I spent a week conducting consultations and reading review after review after review – I get it, reviews seem fabricated and even one bad review must be a red flag, but TRUST Heidi.

I knew at this point I had to decide, against four other consultants and companies, I chose Heidi. In our consultation, Heidi gave me an objective perspective and didn’t feed me what I wanted to hear nor disparaged me into thinking I would get into no school without her. She was direct but honest.

We hit the ground running and had several phone calls in the first two weeks, building out my story, my career vision, and everything in between. There was a lot of work and self-reflection on my end, while Heidi served as a guide to bounce off questions and brainstorm the direction of my application. Heidi built me a five-week calendar including, at least, three rounds of reviews per essay, though we often went closer to five. For a five-week span and against four different schools, this was a lot.

Throughout the process, Heidi returned essay reviews quicker than the committed mbaMission turnaround time and was always very responsive in emails. Even 24 hours before the deadline, I was sending her simple questions on the application itself and she responded promptly. Ultimately, Heidi was instrumental in helping me secure 2 admits and 1 WL among 4 M7s. As an ORM with average stats, I have been very pleased with the results.

No MBA Admissions consultant will spoon-feed you what to write or what your story should be. If that’s your expectation, you will be sorely disappointed with any consultant. But, as a guide and trusted advisor through the process, Heidi excelled, and I would have no doubt repeating the process with her again.

I know choosing a consultant is scary and the cost is nothing to scoff at, but believe me when I say you can TRUST Heidi.