mbaMission | MBA Admissions Consultants

My experience with Kim Hoey at mbaMission was amazing! When I was stressed about my past, Kim always encouraged me to look at the positives. With her innovation and experience, she was able to refine my story into a clear and concise narrative. She was always meeting my deadlines and always checking in on me. One thing to point out especially when you are applying to 4 or more schools is that from brainstorming to drafting essays, before you know it, the deadlines are approaching. Kim took the time to create a detailed schedule for me to stay on track. She has a special quality of empathy. I would recommend her to anyone considering an admissions consultant. Last but not least, mbaMission is a rockstar firm with many great resources for its clients. Jeremy Shinewald is leading the best team in the industry.

Fantastic support and guidance in the chaotic world of MBA applications!

Although I had my doubts initially, the first phone call with Jen put all my worries to rest. From the first minute, it was clear that she was a true professional, and we could make a step-by-step plan of action together.

It is naïve to think that someone else will do every part of the application for you, but working together can truly work wonders. Every time I received my pieces back with comments from Jen, I had an “oh my god” in my head. We worked on my CV, prepared and talked through many of the most common questions in interviews, and wrote essays for universities.

Her phenomenal support and advice helped me get admitted to all three universities I applied to. I am genuinely grateful to her and would be happy to recommend her to my acquaintances who will also be applying to MBA programs soon.

From the very first conversation, I could tell that Jen was a great listener who cares deeply about her work and has a real passion for what she does. For such deep reflection that is required for these applications, you want to feel comfortable as a client in telling your consultant the most intimate details about your life. At least for me, this was important. And Jen made the environment so welcoming and inviting from the start.

I feel that after 6+ months I can speak quite accurately to her abilities. I didn’t have the strongest application profile in the world, and had no idea what industry I was after or even what type of school I was looking for. Jen’s attention to detail is second to none, and she did an incredible job in molding many pages worth of material as well as countless hours of conversation and other worksheets into a cohesive story.

This MBA process was an incredible introspective journey, and Jen was so good in helping me find my “why”. Always approachable and quick to respond, I felt like I could reach out to her at any time for anything, which is a tremendous feeling when working with someone in this capacity. She truly cares about her clients, and that became apparent quickly. As I applied to 4 schools, you can imagine the amount of work and written drafts I needed to produce and she never missed a deadline in editing my work.

Over the course of 3-4 drafts per essay, she would force me to really think about what I wanted to say until I had the specific, detailed, exact answer that was required. Jen pushed my writing in a way that it hadn’t been in a very long time, and always knew how to guide me to the finish line. She has a very kind and warm demeanor, and this works well in making critiques and letting me know what needed to be done.

As someone who was skeptical of the price and value of an MBA consultant, I can tell you that Jen is worth every bit of time and money and she is fantastic at what she does. I would recommend her 100/100 times, and if you work with her then you can feel confident you made the right choice.

I work in investment management and will be attending a part-time weekend MBA program. I worked with Kate on a two-school package and she was an incredible resource in making my applications as strong as possible.

She helped me narrow in on the strengths to highlight in my applications but also helped me identify my weaknesses and develop a plan to address them. One of my key weaknesses was a lack of community engagement.

Kate kept me on task throughout the process. Her help in tailoring my story and providing constructive feedback on my writing resulted in extremely strong essays.

We did mock interviews that made me much more prepared and confident in my interviews. Ultimately I got into both of the schools that I applied to and both offered me merit scholarships that exceeded my expectations. Going into my MBA applications, I was somewhat naive to the process and all that it entailed. Kate helped me navigate all of it and prepared me better than I ever could have on my own.

I worked with Debbie on the 3 School Package. She was an excellent partner throughout the MBA Admission process.

Our beginning sessions were focused on shaping my holistic story that I would tell admissions. She spent the time to get to know who I was to better recommend what my essays and resume should highlight. This was a critical step that we took before diving into the deliverables and made the rest of the process much smoother and effective.

Debbie was immensely helpful in the editing process – she provided effective feedback in a timely manner and was always available to help answer all the questions I had through the admissions process.

With her help, I was able to get into my top MBA choice!

I would highly recommend Debbie to anyone who wants to pursue their MBA!

I tried to get into b-school for 3 years. I worked with Harold and got in 2 months later.

When Harold works with you, it’s like you’re the only client in the world and nothing else matters. Harold was personally invested in my success and he was my first call whenever I received good news in the process since he was part of the journey and I wouldn’t have wanted to celebrate without him.

Harold was absolutely amazing;
1. Very specific advice for each part of the application
2. Extremely skilled in personalizing your application to you specifically, for the school you’re applying for
3. UNREAL turnaround times. I would send him 3 separate emails for 3 different schools and he’d send them back like it was ping pong.

I cannot say enough good things about Jen Kedrowski & her character, honesty, and expertise; the entire experience was all anyone could dream of. I was fortunate enough to get into my top-choice MBA program and know for certain I wouldn’t have been accepted without the guidance, support, and friendship of Jen. To borrow a boxing reference, she is the best person to ‘have in your corner’ through the long & (often) stressful process of applying to business school. The attention to detail, time, and energy Jen dedicates to her clients’ essays, interview prep, and overall ‘story’ is unrivaled; she really cares about each individual- and it shows. At the start of this process, I truthfully didn’t think I would get in anywhere, much less the top Ivy League program I was admitted to. Jen was simultaneously realistic but optimistic, helping me shape my story to put my best foot forward. I’m so glad it worked out the way it did & I cannot recommend Jen enough to help you achieve your MBA goals. Best of luck to those applying!

Working with a consultant is truly worth all the guidance, but I did have a poor experience prior to this where I hardly received guidance. I am so glad I gave finding a consultant another shot and was lucky that Melissa had the time to take me on as a client. She was extremely understanding of my candidacy regardless of my low test scores, quick to get back to me always, and provided candid feedback. Melissa still continues to support me in my process and I would not be able to create such a great story if it was not for her help! 100% I would recommend Melissa.

Dear Future Admitted Students,

First and foremost, as a reapplicant in the MBA process and an extremely curious person, I have read a lot of information about all aspects covering the application process from the most reliable sources, such as GMAT Club, Poets & Quants, mbaMission, and others. It’s valid to mention that I have joined, easily, more than 40 online events from a lot of schools and third-party webinars, including Centre Court. Second, I have worked with 3 different admissions consultants in the 2020-21 applications cycle, in which I applied for 7 schools, to only get waitlisted (Haas).

That being said, as I have an atypical profile, I engaged pretty seriously in finding the BEST person to help me, so I decided to give a shot to mbaMission. After reading the profiles and watching ALL video presentations at the site, I finally picked JESSICA SHKLAR to be my consultant. In the very first minutes of the call, being really empathetic with my goals, she laser-focused on rearing my story and on which aspects of my previous applications to improve. It was pretty impressive to see her in action since in 30 mins, she had already laid a plan and rationale to best present me to the adcom. Indeed, this is a CRITICAL part of the process, because the candidate will have to address this logic not only in the essays but also in some interview questions. For instance, “walk me through your resume”, “tell me about yourself”, “how did you get to this point of your career”, and others.

Another point that is truly vital, if not the MOST one, is the school’s selection. Certainly, this is a scary part of the process, because the candidate wants to pick her/ his dream school, but be realistic in getting accepted. Jessica, continuing exceptionally proactive and encouraging, sent me an email in less than 20 min after our call, laying out the best schools for me. To my surprise, she hand-picked schools and programs that are in the top 10 schools of US News. She remarkably maximized my chances by doing so.

In a nutshell, in my point of view, MBA applications are all about strategy and Jessica has extraordinary interpersonal and “MBA skills” to address all the candidate’s needs to land a spot in one’s dream school. She constantly impressed me with her ability to provide feedback in a direct, candid, and fast manner. Also, she responded to general questions exceedingly reliably and timely. Noticeably, I was pleasantly surprised with how effectively she dug into my personal and professional background to help me present my goals and storyline. Additionally, she was able to set an application strategy efficiently and successfully, landing me a spot in my dream school. By the way, I’m still waiting for the decision of 2 more schools, both top 10.

Ultimately, I highly recommend Jessica and mbaMission to anyone both looking to apply to a competitive MBA program and searching to have a joyful application experience. Trust me, it makes all the difference. I, definitely, would not have made it without her guidance, insights, and genuine support. As Isaac Newton said: “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”

Katharine was my first choice after browsing through potential advisors on MBA Mission. Katharine helped guide me through my essays and provided some great feedback as to how to tell my story throughout the application. I would recommend her to anyone!

I successfully completed all six interviews with top ten MBA programs!

If you are fortunate enough to work with Devi, you would be making a mistake to do anything else. I worked with Devi specifically on interview preparation. Devi is likely the most skilled interview coach you can work with. I made it through each of my six interviews successfully (all six of which were top ten schools), which is the strongest testament to Devi’s coaching. Her approach is highly personalized, focusing on bringing you from an average or good interviewer to a stellar one. She will not shy away from the constructive feedback you need to be your best, but she has a gift of instilling confidence in you along the way. She gets to know you and who you really are, and then helps you convey who you are in a way that is genuine and true to yourself – this is quite a refreshing approach given all the formulaic interview advice that’s available. I could feel a meaningful difference in my skill set and confidence after working with Devi. She knows more about the nuances of interviewing than anyone I’ve met, and I cannot recommend her enough. Please work with Devi if you have the opportunity to. You will be happy you did!

I worked with Harshad on my MBA application this year for my first choice school, and I am glad to say that I got in and will be commencing my studies!

Harshad has been direct, straightforward with his views and he never tells you something he doesn’t believe in. This is an extremely useful quality to have in a consultant because you have limited time to apply and you need someone to tell you like it is, without any fairy dust sprinkled on top.

Despite being straightforward, however, Harshad will still motivate you to do your very best. He has been a constant source of support, constantly motivating me to apply to even better schools. After my admit, we are currently also working on another application for an M7 school!

Last but not the least, Harshad makes the effort to not only be your consultant and advisor but also your friend. He asks about your life and follows up on previous conversations about work and things unrelated to MBA applications which make you feel cared for and like you are in the company of a good friend. Cannot recommend him enough.

I had the good fortune of working with Harold every step of the way of my MBA application process. Since I was embarking on the ambitious journey of putting together an entire application package from scratch, in a matter of just three months, I knew I sorely needed the around-the-clock attention and targeted advice of a seasoned expert. Harold, recognizing the tight timeline I was navigating, really came through for me in playing out this exact role. Above and beyond functioning in a mentor/advisor capacity, though, Harold also came across as a close friend/supporter throughout a lengthy and arduous process. His consistent words of encouragement were much needed, especially in the inevitable moments of self-doubt as I hammered out draft after draft in a seemingly endless cycle.

With respect to the essays, Harold provided very timely (typical turnaround of 24 hours, sometimes less) and comprehensive feedback. We went through multiple (>5) iterations for each of the essays until we were satisfied with the final versions. With each iteration, I recognized a notable step-up in how the content was presented in a compelling yet succinct manner – Harold clearly understood which life examples were most salient in building out my narrative, and helped me find the optimal angle through which these examples were highlighted. Ultimately, Harold’s stringent review of the materials conferred a high level of confidence as I hit “submit” on my application packages – I could safely say there was nothing more I could have done to polish the essays.

For interview prep, Harold took extra care in considering my unique background and objectives when helping me rehearse for a fairly unpredictable stage of the application. Perhaps where he helped deliver the most value was in being a solid thought partner in anticipating questions that would be posed during the actual interviews. Harold also demonstrated a brand of professionalism in proactively recognizing opportunities for me to do mock interviews with his colleagues at mbaMission instead if he truly felt that that was the best path of preparation for me. This was a clear signal that he prioritized having a game plan tailored to my personal needs / situation, and was willing to toggle between “stepping in” and “sitting out” based on what made the most sense for my preparation in that moment.

Overall, I would highly recommend Harold for anyone contemplating business school. I truly appreciated his expertise and guidance through many phases of the process, which includes advice that I can still carry and apply in contexts outside of just the business school application.

In just 1.5 months, Devi helped me prepared 4 applications from scratch! I had a lower-end GMAT core 680-700 with a non-traditional background and decided to apply to the second round very late. Devi investigated my profile on a personal level, help me build my story, and gave me so much confidence to apply for my dream schools. We worked at Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, and MIT. I received interviews from HBS and MIT. I eventually got into my dream school – HBS!

Devi is highly experienced in the application process, responsive in providing feedback, and professional in our interactions. Her instincts for what the admission teams are looking for are dead-on for my essays! Devi is incredibly smart to quickly point to the spotlight of my experiences and a brilliant great storyteller to sharpen my stories. Devi gave excellent guidance on the order of school applications to work on. Following her strategy, I can thoroughly reflect and delve deeper into my story efficiently using our limited time. I truly appreciated that Devi showed some “tough love” and kept me on track with applications during stressful times.

In preparing for the interview, Devi is unquestionably the pro with years of experience working with the admission team. Not only was Devi giving me mock interviews, but she also taught me how to verbally structure my stories better on each of my resume items and work on the strategy to lead the interview conversation to my advantage. I have to admit that I also tried to work with other consultants on mock interviews to get more practice hours. However, I was getting much better insights from even a 30 min session with Devi than a 2-hour session with other consultants (also are graduates of HSW). Devi is great at predicting interview questions and does not just focus on the resume. Most questions we practice ended up coming up in the actual interview! I was always met with encouragement when we practice. I strongly recommended working with Devi on your interviews. The quality would be beyond what you paid for!

Personally, I have learned so much from Devi in her work ethic and effective communication. Her communication was direct, concise, and articulate to get the story right. I am incredibly fortunate to have worked with Devi. She brings Harvard caliber dedication and professionalism to her work. I cannot thank her enough. You will be lucky to work with her too!

Gavriella helped me get into my dream MBA programs and get admitted with scholarship offers! I opted for a start-to-finish package with 4 schools and am so glad I did.

I knew that I really needed to hone my essays to make sure I had the best shot at getting into my goal schools. Gavriella has a very strong writing background and she really took the time to understand my personal story, motivations, and passions to ensure that we were able to create a story that would be appealing to the admission team while staying true to me.

I also had a tighter than optimal timeline to meet school application deadlines as I chose to apply later in the year. Gavriella got us organized from the first call with a comprehensive summary and next steps. She was then extremely present and available throughout the entire process, both for application support and mental support through the uphill battle of the admission process. She kept me on track for all the schools and was always on top of essay edit turnaround times. I really appreciate that she was able to provide insight into what stands out to the admission committee at each school and what exactly an essay question is asking for.

I found the mock interviews really helpful before going into the actual interviews. They always gave me the extra bolster of confidence and preparedness I needed. Her interview prep also helped me to pace my answers and be succinct and impactful.

I highly recommend Gavriellea to anyone looking for an MBA admissions consultant!

Nisha is fantastic! I was interested in numerous top 20 schools but felt lost as to which would be the best fit. Nisha walked me through a school selection exercise where we narrowed my prospects to a couple of top 10 programs. She gave me the confidence to apply for schools I previously perceived as out of reach. She is fantastic at providing advice on essays without telling you what to write. I additionally found the mock interviews incredibly helpful. With Nisha’s coaching, I was admitted into both top-tier programs I applied to!

I don’t think I would have made it to my dream MBA program, being admitted to a number of schools with over $300k scholarship without Krista.

I am an organized and honest person and was looking for a consultant of similar traits. I was hooked right at the free 30-min consultation when I walked away from the meeting with a comprehensive page-long summary and next steps from Krista. You could easily tell from a conversation if the other person is genuine and invested in your success. I opted for a start-to-finish package with 2 schools but I could almost always turn to Krista for high-level advice wrt schools even outside of the package. Krista often checked in and made sure I was on the right track, again, even for schools outside of the package. Her support didn’t end upon my admits, it was greatly expanded afterwards ie. scholarship negotiation, broadening my network and transitioning to b-school.

Krista is an amazing consultant and companion. I am not just talking about her breadth of admissions experience, but specifically of her emotional support during the process. MBA application is a soul-searching yet stressful process. Krista always provided a helping hand and encouragement but she could be as persistent and diligent whenever I was about to give up on my GMAT. Her diligence was a key factor in my higher standardized test score and I couldn’t thank her enough for that.

When I was searching for a consultant, I was looking for someone whom I can trust. You will probably tell your consultant your deepest secrets and stories that not many people know of. And Krista somehow, I don’t know how, managed to know my stories better than I did. It was really helpful when you were prepping for the interviews and confronted with difficult questions. Needless to say how useful that was in putting your essays together so as to set up your story theme and how they should be intertwined with one another. Her amazing editorial skills really helped without getting in your way of crafting your own essays.

I would definitely recommend Krista to anyone looking for a consultant to work with. She is quick at turnaround – she was even writing from the beach when it was extremely urgent, responsive and responsible for each of her advice. Krista would turn to her team of experienced consultants for you if needed. You’re not buying a package with just a consultant but with a team who is invested in your application. Good luck with your journey!

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!