mbaMission | MBA Admissions Consultants

I worked with Michael using the complete Start-to-Finish package from mbaMission. He really helped in brainstorming all possible scenarios to create the best story for my essays. He was very knowledgeable about the whole application process and knew what I should highlight. I was thrilled with how my essays turned out. Also, Michael was always very prompt in answering queries related to the application. I credit Michael for me admit from Chicago Booth School of Business which was 1st in my list of schools. I definitely recommend him to get the best possible application.

Nisha and I got in touch through mbaMission. I had (2) weeks to put together a full application and Nisha helped review my essays and provide very tangible feedback in less than 24 hours. Knowing how short my timeline was, she wasted no time by working throughout the weekend, even on Sunday, to make sure I didn’t miss my deadline. Despite the quick turnaround, she did a great job helping bring out my stories and personality to the fullest to ensure that what I was trying to get across in the word limit came out. Without her quick turnaround times and great tangible feedback, I would not have been admitted into Kellogg. I highly recommend Nisha to anyone who needs help on their essays.

I had a fantastic experience with Kate! For me, there were 3 things that really stood out: her professionalism, her ability to take you from strategy through execution, and her genuine nature.

Professionalism: Practical, efficient, honest, prompt, straightforward. Really made an effort to understand my story and link back to it throughout the entire process. Offered balanced perspectives and took the time to walk through options.

Strategy through execution: Helped me think strategically / big picture, to create a cohesive application strategy. But as we progressed, she was able to really drill into details and help me position details and nuances in a way that really helped me stand out.

Genuine nature: Kate is really friendly and down-to-earth. She’s the type of person you’d look forward to interacting with through the stressful MBA application process.

Finally, I think the mbaMission business model is pretty compelling. You know exactly what you’re getting upfront… you don’t have a ‘middle man’ situation where someone is trying to ‘pair you’ or [worse yet] gauge how much money they could get out of you.

I’ve been accepted to my dream M7 and am so grateful to Kate for all her support!

I chose to work with Debbie Choy after she came highly recommended by an acquaintance. I had multiple concerns about applying to business school coming from a niche industry and with weaker EC activities. Debbie’s expertise was instrumental in helping me translate and leverage my experiences to tell a compelling story to admissions through my essays. Her knowledge of the schools also proved incredibly helpful, as she was able to help me lift out particular traits important to each program in my stories.

She is also a consummate professional – communicative, thorough, and organized. Through several rounds of multiple essays for 2 schools, she answered my many questions quickly and never failed to send edits back on time. This enabled me to complete my applications much quicker than originally expected.

Finally, applying to business school can be stressful and Debbie’s support and patience made all the difference in helping me feel confident and prepared. In particular, interviewing is not my strong suit and I was apprehensive about the interview. When I received my interview invitation at my top choice school, Debbie held a mock session with me. She gave me helpful tips that not only came in handy during my actual interview but provided a meaningful confidence boost that enabled me to tell my story successfully.

With Debbie’s help, I got into my top choice school – Columbia. She was a pleasure to work with, and I can’t imagine a better partner for the application process. I highly recommend working with her!

I met Nisha through the 30-min first consultation and I immediately realized she was great. Nisha is clear and helps you get your story and thoughts straight while making your story shine and keeping it your own. She has strong interpersonal skills, and that was a key factor in helping me choose the best ways to show my strengths, weaknesses and leadership skills. I had a tight schedule due to the close deadline of the final round, she was always efficient and thanks to her help, insights and clear feedback I was able to submit all 5 personal essays, job description essays and CV required for INSEAD in time and with the potential to stand out and be selected.

I talked to multiple firms/consultants during my research process for the FT MBA 2020-2021 admissions season. With other firms I was told that I did not have enough WE, no promotion, and that they wouldn’t take me on. I was feeling unconfident, but after my first consult with Debbie I totally changed my outlook. Debbie was always creative and encouraging, and really knew how to bring out the most unique aspects of my background to create a compelling story, and really helped sharpen my “why MBA” answer. I’m now headed to an M7!

Debbie was such a pleasure to work with throughout the entire process. She provided a very structured and seamless process for everything: school selection, resume edits, essay writing and brainstorm sessions. She provided candid feedback for mock interviews and really helped me work on my delivery. Turnaround time for edits was quick and punctual. Debbie really knew how to find connections between my personal background, extracurriculars and my professional accomplishments – connections I certainly would have struggled to see if I had gone through the admissions process on my own. I highly recommend Debbie and would work with her over and over again. A HUGE THANK YOU.

I was paired with Michael Guttman as an advisor for my mba application journey. He helped me from GMAT all the way to being accepted to my top program and everything in between. This process is crazy with deadline management while also working fulltime but Michael helped me stay on top of everything in terms of deadlines and made sure that I completed all my application tasks at an extremely high level. We broke down and re-worked my resume to such a degree that I was able to easily take pieces from our many iterations to complete my new school resume once I was admitted in less than an hour. My school’s resume counselor said that my resume was one of the best-written resumes she had ever seen on the first submission and I was able to immediately get into our school’s resume book, thereby getting a head start on recruiting. That was all because of Michael’s painstaking care when it came to helping me with my resume. Over multiple sessions, we brainstormed everything that could possibly go into my resume and then broken down all of those ideas into well-articulated, perfectly succinct bullets that I could easily plug into my resume depending on what my story was for each school. Ensuring I mastered my resume is just one example, Michael took an extreme level of care with every aspect of my application journey, including devising different personalized questions for each school I applied to and helping me prep for every interview. I can honestly say that the level of my applications was elevated well beyond what I would have been capable of without his assistance, but perhaps more importantly, his guidance gave me the confidence I needed to stick with the process and get into my dream school. If you are serious about putting your best foot forward in the MBA application process, then Michael is your best bet.

I worked with Krista during the 2019-2020 admission season via a 4 school package. First and foremost, I had not even considered applying to Haas (which I am attending) until Krista pointed out how good of a cultural fit I would be. Krista was absolutely invaluable throughout the entire process and went so far above and beyond in terms of keeping me on track and providing actionable, concise feedback. Krista will fill your inbox with a weekly list of to-dos and keep you on track. Her emails are sometimes intimidating, but it’s fantastic how much guidance she provides. She was always a friendly ear and an excellent conversationalist; I felt like her only client. I am also endlessly grateful to Krista for saving my candidacy by encouraging me to take the GRE instead of GMAT. I would use Krista again in a heartbeat; my only regret is that I didn’t take more advantage of her help.

I’m sitting in a different country, at my dream MBA school thanks to Rachel! Trying to get into a top MBA program is daunting! For someone that had never really gone through such an application process before, I didn’t even know where to begin. I was a non-traditional applicant with a low GPA.

I was worried about spending so much money on a consultant, but after working with Rachel on a 5 school program I can tell you that it was worth every penny. There was so much I didn’t know about applying to a top MBA program, and having Rachel there to guide me through the process was a lifesaver. From many essay rewrites to the multiple short answer questions, resume creation and interview preparation – Rachel was there to help me through it all. She did an amazing job on helping ensure my essays had the perfect “flow,” and hit all the key buzz words and topics the admissions committees would be looking for. Rachel was just as invested in this application process as I was and went above and beyond to help me out, especially throughout everything that went on with COVID.

From our kickoff call to starting at my MBA program, I worked with Rachel for a year and the entire process was fantastic. I can honestly say I probably wouldn’t be in the MBA program I am without Rachel’s guidance. When I was choosing an MBA consultant I was worried about making such a big financial commitment, but believe me hiring Rachel is definitely worth it!

Michael was a fantastic consultant all around. Right from the start, I could tell Michael was experienced and understood all facets of the business school application process. It felt like I gained an ally, who was responsible for keeping me focused, and who could help weigh in on the difficult decisions that can arise during the application process (which aspects of my resume and past experience to emphasize, what my GMAT score implied, how to best construct an explanation of my future plans).

While all of the above was important, the thing that really stood out about Michael was his commitment. I had a bit of a unique experience, where I needed to get my application turned around quickly to try and meet this year’s deadline. Michael made himself available throughout the process, providing feedback on my essays and helping me to work through all the details. I will always remember that level of commitment from Michael, and can’t imagine what I would have done had he not been available. I am pleased to report that after submitting the application, I was accepted to my first-choice school. I would whole-heartedly recommend MBA Mission, and specifically Michael, to any prospective students looking to take their business school applications to the next level.

I chose Debbie Choy after I talked with a couple of MBA consultants. As a result, I am so glad I made this decision. She is a great mentor. I cannot imagine that I could get my dream school offer without her help.

Debbie is very professional and provides structured services. In the beginning, she helped me set up a clear strategy and timeline, making sure I could finish every milestone on time. Every time, she could deliver her feedback on my applicant materials without delay.

Debbie is considerate and familiar with the financial industry and any concern of international applicants. My background is very non-traditional and did not work in a big name, but Debbie could discover my sparkle points to show on essays. I believe that those unusual points helped me a lot to get the offer.

I highly recommend Debbie, especially for those international applicants with financial backgrounds.

As someone completely new to applying to Business school, I was relieved to be able to lean on Michael for his expertise. Even though I had a subpar undergraduate GPA, he helped me craft an incredibly effective story to maximize my chances at my target programs. He was amazing at listening to me throughout the entire process and didn’t sugarcoat anything, which I appreciated. In the end, he came through in the biggest way. I was admitted to 4 out of 5 programs that I applied to. He always went above and beyond to help me and I would highly recommend his services!

Katharine was so incredibly helpful as I approached the MBA process in figuring out how to tell my story and position my candidacy. Her thoughtful and honest feedback was extremely constructive, especially regarding how to address past challenges in my application, and her encouragement was critical for me as I figured out where I could apply under tight deadlines that might be a good fit. Would strongly recommend her help!

I am an international applicant. I am also a re-applicant to business school. I had known Katharine Lewis (Katy) for two years before starting our engagement. The first time I applied to business school, I applied on my own and I did not receive a favorable response. The next time around, I knew that I needed an expert by my side to guide me through the process. So, I engaged with MBA mission, knowing that I specifically wanted to work with Katy. I registered for the following services: the Ding Review and the Complete Start-to-Finish package.

As for the Ding Review, Katy saw things in my application I had never really paid much attention to. She went above and beyond to study my previous application to examine potential issues and errors. Afterwards, we had an extensive conversation where she pointed out to me some areas that needed improvement in my application, namely some parts of the essays and the recommender selection. Given that I come from both a startup and nonprofit background, it was very important how these applications were executed and how my story was portrayed to admissions. Katy helped me do just that!

After the Ding Review, I knew the areas that needed to be addressed. From there, the process and my engagement with Katy was just as seamless. She shared the Brainstorming Document, which would serve as a valuable resource for writing the essays, working with recommenders, and ultimately preparing for the interview. It was upfront leg work that would pay off down the line. Once I shared this document with Katy, we had an incredible introductory call where we fleshed out the main stories and themes in my application. This session was critical to laying the foundation for my essays, and it will be equally important for everyone else.

From there, working on the essays and the rest of the application was seamless. Katy has an eye for detail that I have not seen in anyone. She is also extremely creative and knows exactly where each piece of information belongs. The whole essay, resume, and application iteration was seamless, with many rounds of edits. Every time Katy sent back a document to me I knew that there was significant value added to my application!

After many revisions, the application was ready for submission. About 1 month later, I was invited for an interview. For the interview, Katy shared incredible preparation material – material general to MBA interviews, but also those specific to CBS. We had a mock session where Katy covered all the different types of questions that could come up in the interview. Having passed the interview with Katy, I knew I was ready to walk into my interview.

I received the offer from CBS and I truly have to thank Katy for this. She is the best MBA consultant out there!

I would also like to speak personally about Katy. Katy is an absolutely wonderful person. She is loving, caring, and will go above and beyond for her clients. I have been able to build a wonderful personal bond with her. If you are fortunate enough to work with her, you should feel very, very lucky because you will be in extremely good hands.

As an HBS 2+2 applicant, I knew that every little thing could make the difference between being accepted and rejected. I contacted Katharine after doing thorough research on basically every consultant available. I probably did 15-20 free consultations with different firms and consultants before deciding to go with her. Already in our first call, she showed that her knowledge about what HBS is actually looking for is remarkable. During the process, she helped me craft my application to make sure I really stood out – and that I didn’t just look like the usual male/econ undergrad/incoming consultant.

I can confidently say I think Katharine made the difference for me – and I would recommend her to anyone who wants to increase their odds of admittance to a top school!

When I started my process of looking for MBA consultants, I was pointed in the direction of Jessica Shklar at MBA mission.
A friend of mine said that he tried to get on her list, but she was already booked up during the previous application cycle. With that in mind – I hopped on her list very early. I was skeptical at first, but from our first phone call, I realized why Jessica was in such high demand. Her ability to help me open up and reflect on my own experiences to not only create the most comprehensive application but also help me to understand my worth as a professional was something I never knew I needed until I worked with her.

Jessica is incredibly knowledgeable about the application processes at all of the top MBA programs and one of the many benefits of working with her is the consultant/admissions network she brings to the table. Because of her experience in the industry, she can use her network to get the perspective of others when she doesn’t have the perfect answer (which is rare 😊).

In addition to her support in helping me reflect and articulate my thoughts in my application, Jessica also helped me turn around an A+ application in less than a month. Due to COVID-19, I decided to apply round 3 rather than Round 1 this fall. Jessica quickly helped me adjust my game plan, and although she doesn’t usually work with R3 applicants, she adjusted, and we got to work straight away without hesitation. I knew it was a stretch and a rushed process, but with Jessica’s guidance, I was able to pull it off and got into my top school.

Not only was Jessica helpful in guiding me through the process, but she was also able to help me manage my stress and keep me motivated to accomplish the task of finishing a polished application in the shortest time possible. I honestly wouldn’t have been able to get through this time without her.

Overall, Jessica is much more than a consultant – over the short time that we worked together, she became a friend, confidant, and source of support for me. Jessica also knows how to push you out of your comfort zone and gives incredibly thoughtful feedback when reviewing your work. If I had not worked with Jessica, to put it simply, I would have been lost without her given the short amount of time I had to turn a great application around.

If you can get on her shortlist – do it. You will take much more than an acceptance to your dream school away from the experience. Thank you, Jessica.

Heidi is extremely knowledgeable of the MBA process and is a really great partner to work with. She provides excellent feedback and really helps you dig deep and think critically throughout the application process.

As a younger applicant and coming from an overrepresented background, I knew I needed to distinguish myself from the rest of the qualified applicant pool if I wanted to get a coveted spot at any of the M7 schools. Safe to say, Heidi was great at providing excellent guidance in helping me craft a story that would help me stand out.

Heidi is very responsive and her turnaround was very prompt – something I really valued as I was applying on a tight timeline. I can honestly say she was critical in helping me meet deadlines and get quality applications submitted within a quick timeframe. She was really good in helping me highlight my accomplishments and organize my thoughts in a concise manner. Working with Heidi allowed me to feel confident about my application and through the process I felt she genuinely cared about helping me get accepted by my top choice.

In the end, I was accepted by the two M7 schools I applied to and I couldn’t be happier. I cannot recommend Heidi enough to future applicants!

I had an initial phone consultation with Jen and felt her energy and enthusiasm from the start. Jen was fantastic throughout my entire application process. She was extremely detailed in understanding my background and how to best craft my story for my essays. Jen is very personable and is very honest when it comes to feedback. I don’t think I would have been as successful had it not been for her expertise. I would highly recommend working with Jen

Katy was an incredible consultant and mentor throughout the entire process, from the initial consultation to navigating the waitlist process through the summer. I was ecstatic to get off the waitlist for Stanford GSB – my top choice – with Katy’s help, and couldn’t have done it without her! When I was waitlisted, Katy immediately helped me come up with a plan to stay engaged with schools throughout the summer, regularly and proactively checked in with me to see how things were going, reviewed all of my update posts, and gave me invaluable insights and motivation to stay committed to the process. The waitlist process can be nerve-wracking and confusing to navigate at times, and Katy’s endless support and encouragement made a world of difference in helping me ultimately get accepted. Katy is the best and I truly can’t recommend her enough.

Working with Jen Kedrowski was truly a gift and likely the best investment I made for myself to gain admittance to my top choice, CBS.

About me: R3 extended applicant, above-average GPA from a mid-tier undergrad program, untraditional background, employment gaps, strong EA. We completed 3 applications in about 1 month. Jen completely helped me to revisit and revise, taking my applications from decent to a top 10 admittance.

At the core of her is a ridiculous breadth of knowledge on how to best advocate for yourself and showcase your core truths, and thus, your most compelling MBA application. Her ‘make-it-happen’ mentality is peppered in with the perfect amount of urgency and confidence-boosting kindness. During brainstorming, she got to know me well beyond my resume (I even joked saying she would make a great life coach!) and pushed me to dig deep to get to know myself. Jen spent ample time delving into my stories and strengths. I was impressed when Jen would reference stories, I brought up in the first brainstorming session, weeks later!

Jen’s strength is in story crafting, application strategy, and resume editing, which felt like the most daunting part to make everything cohesive. She was always super responsive and thorough, frequently responding into the early hours of the night and on weekends. I think I gave Jen over 15 pages of my scrapped essay material before I started with her. She went through everything meticulously and pulled material across essays, where I didn’t even think of. We cranked through 25+ essay drafts in a few weeks. Bonus – Jen’s years of experience at Kaplan were also helpful for GMAT/EA questions and strategy.

It was easy to lose steam through the application process. Jen kept me going at a strong pace to get through 3 big applications. I loved how sincerely uplifting, yet realistic Jen was; Her positive energy was always refreshing.

My biggest regret is sitting on the decision of whether or not to hire a consultant, wasting precious time spinning my wheels and writing countless essay drafts. If you are already in the headspace to hire a consultant, I can say with confidence that Jen is top-notch and worth the investment. THANK YOU, JEN!

I really enjoyed speaking with Harold and appreciated his expertise in many areas of preparation for my MBA application. It can be a stressful process, so it really helps to have someone on your side who knows the process inside and out. Harold is very responsive and provided advice that was tailored to my situation. He provided great feedback on my application materials, and I believe that this contributed to a successful outcome – I was thrilled to receive admission offers from multiple top schools. His perspective also helped me make an informed decision at that point, understanding the pros and cons of each option.

Krista is an amazing coach. Her thoughtfulness, concern, and direction are second to none and it was a pleasure working with her during these last two months.

When GMAT waivers were released around mid-April and early-May, my parents insisted on me applying to every school with a waiver. Krista was extremely fair and honest by pointing out (via each school’s employment reports), that certain schools would unlikely help me reach my goals, despite the fact that this likely meant less work for her.

Krista and I arrived at a four school plan and immediately began a push as the rolling June 1 deadlines approached. Krista was beyond accommodating, at times responding well before the 48-hour requirement, as well as informing me when I would receive her comments. Krista has a true gift in helping her clients convey their story and making it shine. As someone who often struggles with feedback, I appreciated the way that Krista reviewed my work while also providing explanations as to why she was suggesting specific changes. Krista also showed a true
interest in my experiences and story to fully maximize her ability to help.

During our mock interview sessions, Krista displayed her true expertise. Krista interviews for her alma mater and was able to prepare me for the different question combinations I might face. I’ve never performed so well in an interview in my life and I credit Krista for not only teaching me how to respond but also building my confidence.
My situation was obviously unique due to the pandemic and only applying in rounds 3+ without a GMAT, but I would not have gotten into this top program without Krista.

I could hardly be accepted to the MMM (MBA + MS Design Innovation) at Kellogg or granted a substantial scholarship at Rotman, had it not been for the great consultancy service that Michael dedicated to me.

Working with Michael is a pleasure! I just started working with him from Christmas 2019 while my applications were in Round 2 (early Jan 2020). That time was so tight and intensive that I felt anxious at first, but Michael’s advice did help me to prepare my applications much more efficiently, leaving me calm and confident.

In specific, regarding my essays, Michael helped me not only to select the best story to tell but also to wisely convey the core message in a vivid yet concise language. Also, his comprehensive list of sample interview questions and the mock interview did boost my confidence a lot to ace the talks with school representatives.

Last but not least, Michael was also helpful in post-admission strategies, such as how to ask a school to extend their deposit deadline or the process of selecting which school to enroll.

To repeat, working with Michael is a key factor for me to be admitted to my dream school, Kellogg!

TLDR: With Melissa, I got into GSB, Kellogg MMM (competitive cohort of 65 people per class within larger MBA class) with the most prestigious full merit scholarship awarded to 20 people per class, and Berekely Haas with $130k in scholarships. I independently got into Wharton as well by using much of the wording from the essays Melissa and I worked on together for other programs.

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Working with Melissa was an absolute pleasure and was worth every penny spent and then some!! I got the three-school package for GSB, Kellogg MMM (full ride merit scholarship), and Berkeley Haas (80% of tuition merit scholarship). Melissa helped me to strategically select which schools to use the consulting package on to get the most diverse spread of essay types. I absolutely believe I wouldn’t have gotten nearly my level of successes without her help. Melissa gets it and keeps it real. This journey is tough — brutal at times — and can be incredibly lonely and filled with self-doubt. Having an expert, and an empathetic one at that, was critical on every level. Melissa was a soundboard for extremely tough decisions, listening actively, and asking insightful questions to help coach you to draw your own conclusions and direction. You can tell she earnestly cares about you and your story. And not to mention, Melissa is incredibly good at editing. I’m a verbose writer and she was able to give critical feedback on things to cut when I got too attached to certain sections, slashing to get me to word count. You will work hard — getting in is on you, but having a partner like Melissa was grounding and helped maintained my sanity at several points over the last 1.5 years. Believe me when I say, you WILL want an empathetic, skillful, responsive expert to work with and Melissa is a rare blend of all three. I highly recommend MBA applicants consider Melissa as their consultant. I truly do not think I would have gotten the large merit scholarships without her expert help, so the ROI on this investment really paid itself off enormously.

I recently applied to early admission MBA programs and used Jeremy’s help. He was super knowledgeable, kind, helpful, and very responsive to every message I sent him. He gave me great advice, guidance, and feedback through the process of application and made it a lot easier for me. I highly recommend that you schedule a call with Jeremy and realize the magic he can do for your application and helping you refine your story.
Thank you, Jeremy!

Rachel came highly recommended from a very close personal source, my older brother, and after our first 30-minute phone call I knew exactly why.

My timeline was a bit rushed, but with Rachel, there was never any doubt. We first connected in January of 2020 as I began toying with the idea of applying to MBA programs, but as my career kept progressing it became increasingly difficult to make the move.

After seeing that my dream school Columbia had extended R3 deadlines due to COVID, in mid-April I reached back out to Rachel to get her POV on my chances during this uncertain time. Her confidence and eagerness to help me craft my application gave me the push I needed to pursue my MBA dreams, and I am SO glad I did!

In less than 2 months’ time, Rachel helped me string together a top-notch application, as I simultaneously completed standardize testing. Opting for the “School Package,” Rachel was there to help with even the smallest of details, constantly reassuring me that “there are no stupid questions.” She kept things moving and was quick to get back to me, adding value every step of the way. Her tremendous writing and storytelling skills helped me craft a purposeful application that felt cohesive, yet made each section work very hard to convey something unique about me as an applicant, ultimately helping me get into CBS!

I am so grateful for Rachel and couldn’t have imagined going through the application process without her.

I had the pleasure to work with Harold throughout my MBA application process. Harold is extremely kind, proactive, and helpful. I spoke with a few other consultants before choosing Harold but felt that Harold really took the time to personally understand my story and that he would be the best to help me on my MBA process.

During our process, Harold was supportive, timely, and invaluable. He was very quick to get back to me and was happy to hop on the phone if I had questions or concerns. I ended up doing a final push for rolling admissions during COVID, and Harold would immediately get back to me and help me meet my last-minute deadlines. His feedback on essays and overall applications was extremely helpful. He had great attention to detail, and really knew the schools inside and out.

Ultimately I was accepted to UVA Darden and am excited to attend! I know I couldn’t have done it without Harold and am extremely grateful. I would highly recommend Harold to anyone (in fact I’ve already referred one of my friends)!

It might be easy to stand at the end of this process, having turned down a scholarship at my #3 school for a place at my #1 school, and say that “everything works out for the best”. I would say instead that things have worked out – better than I would have dreamed – despite waitlists, late nights, dreaded GREs, thousands of corrections, and many tears. I have countless stories that I could recount about calling Harold at off-hours in a puddle of self-doubt, where he managed to re-assure and motivate me to continue putting one foot in front of the other. Things worked out, because I was lucky enough to have Harold as my consultant.

I started working with Harold soon-after taking my GRE for the first time. From then on, he helped me weather some early insecurities about my lack of quant background. At a certain point, we shifted strategy from re-taking the GRE yet again to focusing on telling my story in my application. I am truly indebted to him for the tactical and emotional support he provided me with throughout this early part of the process.

Landing on an actual list of schools to apply to was yet another arena in which Harold’s expertise was invaluable. Though I had thought that I had already identified schools that were a good fit, he continued to push me to consider a few more options. His counsel helped me land on a list of schools that fit with my goals and personality. I’ll particularly emphasize that he was so supportive of the schools I had initially fallen in love with, but remained grounded in challenging assumptions that may have been guiding my preferences.

Settling on a strategy of applying to my dream two schools round 1 and a number of others round 2, Harold steered me through a forest of essay questions. He was so prompt with his responses, always leaving me with plenty of time (and work!) to remain on track. He always kept my best interests at heart, making sure that I was producing essays that told my story, resonated with specific cultures of the schools, and clearly defined my hopes and dreams. Though challenging to receive an email from him telling me to completely scrap an essay for the second time, it made clear to me just how invested he was in my success.

From essays to interviews to final decisions, he was there every step of the way.

I really cannot overstate how absolutely fantastic it was to work with Harold throughout my application process. From start to finish, he was a trusted advisor, effective coach, brilliant editor, and – when times got tough – fantastic motivator. I truly do not think I could have ended up with an acceptance to my dream school without him.

My GMAT score was 650 only, and I was already much older than the MBA students’ average age.

To maximize my lean chances to be accepted at a top business school, I knew that my essays, my resume, and all the rest of my application should be impeccable. I decided to get specialized help but was advised by two different admissions consultants to drop my dream and seek another way to pivot my career. I hopelessly insisted a third time, and that’s when I met Julie-Anne Heafey from mbaMission.

For the first time in a free 30-minute consultation, someone went beyond basic parameters such as my GMAT score, GPA, or my age. Julie-Anne patiently took the time to listen to my story and holistically understand my goals. On that same day, I signed a 6-school-package with her and we started right away to craft my applications. On my resume, Julie-Anne was strategic, helping me to not only evince the quant skills the admissions officers expect from good candidates but also translate my achievements in the film industry to a more clear business language. On my essays, Julie-Anne’s sharp and direct questions helped me to significantly tell my story and consistently explain how an MBA would allow me to achieve my next goals. For each of the six schools, she kept dedicated, reviewing countless versions of my applications.

It was a long process, but Julie-Anne was always motivating and supportive, pushing me to overcome myself, find my voice, and deliver the candidacy that allowed me to be admitted at Stanford.

I knew Rachel would be the perfect partner for me after our 30-minute consultation. Just 10 minutes into chatting, I had actionable takeaways that would better my application, and I had the tough love and support I needed to sign up for the dreaded GMAT.

As an independent worker, I loved that she pushed me when I needed a kick in the butt, and she would step in with a little more help when I needed it, but she refrained from holding my hand. When I needed to share documents with my recommenders, she pressed me to share more concrete examples with bosses willing to give me there time. When I felt one essay may be good enough, she challenged me to give it another pass.

Rachel is masterful with words; she was able to take my disparate ideas and experiences and help me form a cohesive story for admissions. This was really what I needed in my admissions consultant given that my work lent more to bullet points than real sentences, and it has been a long time since I wrote an essay. I love working with Rachel, and if I were to do this all over again, I would stick with her.

7 years ago, I bought Jeremy’s “The Complete start-to-finish MBA Admissions Guide” while visiting family at Stanford University. At the time, I was interested in pursuing a full-time MBA in the US (I’m from Belgium). Years passed, and in 2020, this interest evolved into applying for Executive MBA programs at London Business School and Cambridge University. With only eight years of work experience, I was on the young side of the applicants’ pool (the average is 12-14 years). The grades of my undergraduate and postgraduate degrees weren’t excellent either. Finally, I had changed careers a few years ago, so wasn’t as senior as most applicants. Nevertheless, I thought I’d give it a try and would learn from the experience either way.
So I dusted off this book and closely followed Jeremy’s advice.

When I was invited to interview with both programs, I couldn’t quite believe it. Imagine my surprise when I was subsequently offered a place at both LBS and Cambridge!

The application process took several months, and Jeremy’s book was instrumental in maximizing my chances. I particularly liked the section on ‘active verbs’ which proved useful for both my resume and the numerous essays required. His section on essays saved me tons of time and enabled me to approach each essay with a clear structure. I do not think I would have received two offers without Jeremy’s book!

Working with Debbie has been such a phenomenal experience. She is super responsive to my questions over email and she also made time for my urgent requests which made working with her an extremely smooth process. Debbie is extremely detail-oriented when helping me review my application essays and gave me constructive advice that showed not only how much she knew about business schools and the application process but also the effort she made to understand me and my story. Before my school interview, Debbie also shared extremely insightful advice that I otherwise may not have taken notice of. She really helped me get a great understanding of what to expect during the interview. I would highly recommend her to anyone who is considering applying to business schools both because of her unparalleled expertise but also her patience and her thoughtfulness. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Thank you, Debbie!

Jessica is remarkable at her job and is the best of the best among MBA admissions consultants. I had shopped around with 5+ different consultants before committing to her and I’m so glad that I did. Jessica has a process down that really gets me to be reflective and think about who I am and what I want out of business school. She made the process so easy to engage in and streamlined a lot of the work. She’s incredibly thorough and diligent, I never had any doubt that she was adding value each time we engaged. She also followed up with me multiple times to check in and see how I was doing…she really cares! Even with the hourly services, I felt like she really provided a TON of value. She is incredibly quick and thorough at her reviews and spends time only on the things that I asked her to spend time on. I will be going to the school of my dreams in the fall (HBS). I also got into other top tier programs as well (Sloan/Wharton). THANK YOU to Jessica – I recommend that anyone who wants results should work with her.

I initially contacted Katharine upon a strong recommendation from a friend. I thought it would be useful to have a quick consultation with Katharine to understand the process further.
After 30 minutes, I definitely knew that I wanted Katharine to assist me with my applications!

Not only did she convince me to apply to much stronger schools than I had initially planned for, during the brainstorming process, but we also discussed my personal and professional stories which she brought out in the best possible light!

Her organization and timing were impeccable, always returning document reviews on time. She was always happy to schedule regular calls to discuss at length. She always made me feel that I was a priority and was able to discuss at a moment’s notice.

Most importantly, her experience at Stanford GSB admissions really showed in all our discussions, and that was truly the most valuable aspect. As a Middle Eastern male in financial services, I wanted to highlight myself in a unique manner. Her experience on the other side provided me with the A-Z details of what admissions are really looking for (both within the essay reviews as well as the interview preparations) and assisted me to present my story in the best approach.

In the end, I was accepted into Chicago Booth, a dream school for me, and one that I didn’t think possible when initially applying for my MBA.

I really can’t recommend Katharine enough; it was sincerely a pleasure working with her and I can’t thank her enough for all of her valuable assistance!

Jeremy is a superb consultant to have on your side – not only because of his brilliant editing and writing skills, but also because he actually cares for his clients and makes an effort to exceed expectations in any way he can.

I was due to apply to five schools last year and couldn’t apply to a single one due to personal issues. I asked MBA mission to extend my contract by a month and being the wonderful set of people that they are, they were happy to oblige.

However, my consultant at the time had to go on an emergency sick leave and this was a bit of a bummer as I had already worked a fair bit with him and he already knew my story.

Thankfully, Jeremy (who is the founder of MBA Mission and has much higher rates than their usual consultants) offered to help me pro bono, for an entire month!

Coming from someone of his level, this was incredible. His ideas, edits, grammar and writing skills are excellent. He is also really positive and upbeat and really believes in you. I thought I’d have to tell him my entire story again but he caught on pretty quick and was able to add a lot of value in a fairly short time frame.

Would recommend Jeremy to anyone. I had a fantastic experience.

During the mock interview, Nisha walked us through every single step of the process, which made the real thing much less daunting! Her tips were clear and applicable for the real interview. She also takes time to provide everyone with personal feedback, and you’ve got time to ask her all your questions as well. The mock is a great way to test your strategies for the interview and see what works or doesn’t work, as well as what can be improved. The group interview can be daunting, so this is a great way to lower your stress level on D-day!

I worked with Susan on the start-to-finish package for 4 schools, was admitted to 3 of them, and used all of the self-reflection and tools that Susan provided me with to apply to and get accepted at 3 additional schools.

I didn’t have many friends who had applied to business school, nor did I have a great understanding of the application process, and Susan was a true partner and guide throughout the whole process. I tend to be quite verbose as a writer and sometimes I struggle to concisely make a clear point. While I knew why I wanted an MBA and what in my past experience made me qualified, I was having trouble articulating it clearly in my essays. Susan was a tough critic and pushed me to write at a much higher level than I would have on my own. I appreciated that she didn’t just say a good job when my applications were “good enough”, she pushed me to the next level, and I don’t think I would have as many acceptances and scholarships to top programs without her!

Despite her pinpointed and sometimes tough feedback, Susan was a warm and caring coach who truly cared about my journey and who was rooting for me throughout the process. She made me feel proud of my accomplishments and was such a great cheerleader. With her help, I was admitted to Kellogg, Tuck, Columbia, Darden, and Yale SOM all with scholarships and to Wharton as well! I can’t recommend Susan enough!

Nisha came highly recommended by many of my peers and mentors who went through MBA application cycles before me. As early as my initial consultation with her, I understood why. Nisha truly cares about her clients (shown by her continued follow-ups, even after our work together is done) and seeks to fully understand their careers and stories before diving into applications. She helped me with application strategy and essay review, helping me come to a much stronger story and allowing me to become much more confident with my applications. As a result, I was accepted into my top-choice MBA program.

I highly recommend working with her – she’ll make sure you’re sharing the best version of yourself with your schools!

Melissa was the absolute best coach throughout the entire business school admissions process. Her thoughtfulness, empathy, and direction are unparalleled and I LOVED working with her.

She effortlessly developed an easy, effective working relationship, diving right in to the content of my application from minute one of our hourly working sessions. I appreciated the way that she reviewed and edited material with clarity and explanations of why she was suggesting specific changes. She excels at supporting in the holistic development of an application and providing incredible feedback on written material.

Melissa represents the best combination of coach, partner, and friend and I am so grateful to have had her guidance throughout my time apply to business school. I 100% recommend Melissa. Anyone would be lucky to work with her.

I had a fantastic experience with mbaMission and Debbie Choy! I made the decision to apply in Round 2 in early November and was able to go from not knowing which schools to apply to or even what “story” I wanted to go in with, to submitting 3 high-quality applications before Christmas. I couldn’t have made it into an “M7” school without Debbie’s help!

Beyond just the general quality of her feedback and mastery of the entire application process, there were a few specific things I really appreciated:

–Ability to prioritize: Debbie was great at focusing in on the areas that really mattered, and deprioritizing things that weren’t value-add. This drove a high level of efficiency in my process without sacrificing quality/thoroughness at all.

–Highly structured & great communication: throughout the entire process, Debbie provided a plethora of resources and guidance. From school selection scorecards to brainstorming resources to interview prep to waitlist navigation, I never felt like I had a lack of information or tools, which gave me a high level of comfort and took a lot of the “guess-work” out of the application process.

–Fantastic at helping craft my story: One of the big unknowns for me going in was precisely what I wanted to do post-MBA and how to tie that to my “story” that weaved together my past experiences into a comprehensive narrative. Debbie was truly amazing at diving deep into everything from my upbringing to my hobbies and my work experience and crafting a clear and logical message.

–Great attitude: Debbie was always really positive, which is very helpful as you are stressed out throughout the application process. I also frequently tended to have a lot of small, random questions; while I’m sure this was annoying, Debbie answered everything thoroughly, efficiently, and never once with a hint of annoyance or animosity. Also, whenever she pushed back on an idea I had, it was always done in a positive, constructive manner which was super helpful.

Overall, I would highly recommend mbaMission and Debbie Choy specifically — Debbie exceeded expectations and drove excellent results for me in my application process.

The full school package was extremely helpful at mbaMission. I was able to receive edit help with essays, interview prep for several schools, and resume review. There were a few brainstorming calls that were helpful for me to figure out my point of view for my essays. We also went through the different characteristics that each school was looking for in the essays. Julie-Anne was the highlight of working with mbaMission as she was particularly helpful editing the essays. I currently work in private equity and do not have the strongest writing skills and Julie-Anne was able to give me specific comments to pull out the necessary details needed in my essays. She also works extremely fast under tight deadlines even when she is busy juggling multiple students. Additionally, in our mock interviews, she knew exactly what my weaknesses were and gave me tips to bring the best version of myself to the interview process. I would highly recommend her to any student applying for business school.

Put as simply as possible, trust this man. Harold is largely responsible for my getting accepted to Johnson (Cornell) and for my career trajectory since then. He lives and breathes the admissions process and has a better idea of your strengths and weaknesses than you do.

Trust this man, and he will guide you true.

A few months ago, I was stressed out about applying to a Master of Business Administration program, and with Debbie’s help, I was able to get into my Dream School — Haas. I came from an untraditional background, and all my close friends didn’t have any experience with business school applications. At that time, I didn’t think it would be possible to get into a top business program.

When I first signed up for a free consultation with Debbie, she gave me candid and constructive feedback. From that point, I decided to work with her for my application. Even though I only worked with her on an hourly package, I was able to get tremendous help on my resume and essay. We had lots of back and forth on crafting a unique story, and she pushed me, again and again, to tell this story from my voice. This personal and intimate experience was far more than the generic consultant experience I read about on various other websites.

I would say without Debbie’s help. I would not be able to get into, not one, not but two of my dream programs. I highly recommend her!

When I met Jeremy over a year ago, I immediately knew his energy and inspiration was exactly what I needed to attack this application process. Jeremy helped me through multiple applications, interviews, and waitlists, and approached Version 22 of each essay with the same level of passion and commitment as he did on Day 1.

Jeremy’s wealth of knowledge, writing skills, and ability to tell a powerful story are unparalleled. He brings insight to every decision, no matter how big or small, every step of the way. Yet, what makes him the best (and in my opinion, the only) choice for a consultant is that he truly connects with each applicant he works with and is committed to their success. He is more than a consultant, but through this process, becomes a mentor, cheerleader, and friend. Each moment, he was truly invested, sometimes even more so than I was! Jeremy pushed me further than I thought possible in my self-reflection. He helped me to find the impact in achievements I never saw and then package it all into an application. I not only got into my top choice school, but have become more confident, more certain of my goals, and a better writer in the process!

I know I wouldn’t be where I am today without Jeremy. Working with him was the best decision I ever made.

I am really glad I worked with Jeremy, in a really short period and the deadline was approaching fast, and I was really anxious about the result of this journey, it was my dream program, one shot, that what I was aiming too. Jeremy’s ability to bring the best in people and make you aim higher is phenomenal, he is also very practical and does a great job to help you practice for what is required, I was surprised by the results that came in under really short time, Jeremy’s work was efficient, eye-opening and on point. Happy to know him as a person, and I would recommend him to any high aspiring prospected admits in top schools.

After chatting with a few other admissions consultants, I was holding out for someone who would be a few things: realistic yet optimistic, firm yet warm, and overall kind. Rachel was all of the above, and from our first call, I knew she would be a true partner in the grueling MBA admissions process.

I felt like I had decent credentials, but I was totally lost when it came to my story. I was all over the place, and Rachel really helped me narrow my focus and pick out which experiences would fit together to form a compelling narrative. In moments where I felt like my experiences weren’t strong, she’d force me to dig deeper and understand how those have actually contributed to my development.

On top of really taking the time to understand me, Rachel always boosted me up when I felt down during the process. She’d help me regain the confidence I needed to convey my strengths and my goals, and she was always on my side. After an interview I thought went poorly, she immediately answered up the phone and helped me pick myself back up and move on to the next.

Ultimately, there is simply no one I could recommend more highly than Rachel. I’ve seen in other reviews here that she’s a motherly figure, and I’d absolutely reiterate that. She is the most caring individual and the first person I wanted to call with good news about interviews and then admissions. I was admitted to my first and second choice schools – definitely in large part due to her help. You will not regret working with her!

I worked with Debbie on a two school package during the most recent extended rounds. After an initial call I saw immediately how friendly and supportive she was compared to the initial meetings I had with other competitors.

Debbie worked diligently with me to focus my application and build a targeted story – something I wholeheartedly believe I would not have been able to do on my own in four weeks.

The biggest value Debbie provided was on my essays, where she went above and beyond to read multiple drafts at a time. She helped clean up my storytelling and provided critical structural feedback to make me stand out. She’s also there for you – I remember after getting in we went back and forth over email at 10:30 pm at night. You can tell she really cares about her clients.

The advice she provided was invaluable in shaping my applications and I wound up getting interviews at 8/9 schools I applied to and received acceptance to multiple M7, top 10, and top 15 programs.

Granted the full package is quite expensive so I’m not sure it is fully necessary, but mbaMission is comparable in pricing to many other services available. If you do decide to go with a consultancy I’d recommend Debbie. You really can’t go wrong and it’s an investment that will pay off quickly in the future.

Coming from a technical background in the oil industry, far removed from the business realm, I knew that an outsider’s perspective, especially one grounded in the MBA process would be beneficial to help my stories come across. (This meant ensuring that my technical resume and stories about technical projects were approached in a way that could be understood by a variety of audiences.)

Initially, upon speaking with friends who navigated the MBA process, I reached out to a competitor consulting firm and after an initial conversation with a consultant, she provided lofty claims that they felt that I would absolutely get into the top 7 schools and that given my lack of a job title change that was what needed to be focused on. The more I dug into the competitor company, I felt that it was too formulaic and I was just another applicant in their system. I wasn’t given options of who I’d work with (it felt like a very “behind closed doors” situation) or any more personal interaction aside from this short intro call but instead was pushed a plethora of emails about their packages and links of their former success stories. While I recognize that certain MBA programs look for specific things, I wanted to ensure that my story was heard and my consultant cared about my success.

I’d read about mbaMission online, through P&Q, and it had been recommended to me by a family friend. When I reached out to have an initial conversation with the recommended consultant, she went above and beyond connecting me with 3-4 profiles of consultants who she thought I would best work with (as she was no longer working as a consultant for the time being). I ended up having another intro call with Julie-Anne, who I felt matched my energy and was very open and honest that she aimed to highlight her clients’ stories in the best way possible—that the individual aspect was more important than explaining a lack of job position change. Her demeanor was very appealing as I could tell she was invested in her clients rather than just trying to snare new clients with claims of an M7 guarantee. (Note all of these conversations happened before I event sent mbaMission a single dime. I truly felt they were invested in the human side of things rather than just the commission. I think that is apparent when you realize just how many free materials/guides that mbaMission offers, among many other aspects of their approach.)

While certain individuals reflect that they perhaps could have navigated the process without a consultant, by having family/ friends read their essays, I disagree. Julie-Anne knows how to navigate the process in a seamless manner and acts more than just an accountability coach, challenging you to make your essays better every single time. She also brings unbiased feedback to the table, unlike your family and friends. I think Julie-Anne Heafey was particularly helpful in helping me preserve my story while ensuring my tone was always upbeat and positive (which can be challenging during trying work stories). She also listened to my concerns that my essays weren’t coming across the way that I wanted to. She worked as tirelessly as I did to help fix that until the 11th hour—this was honestly due to my ability to preemptively work on apps due to an intensive work schedule. The difference was not only was it evident that she cared about me as an applicant, and abated my last-minute concerns, she also gave honest feedback throughout the process. She was incredibly diligent and really helped me hone in not only on my stories and quantifying why specifically I wanted to go to a certain school/ dual program, but she did so in a manner that felt like I was her only client.

With Julie-Anne’s help, I ended up getting interviews at 5 of the M7 schools, including HBS. She’s an incredible asset to mbaMission and it would a mistake on anyone’s part to consider someone else or beyond those on the mbaMission team. I truly stand by this opinion and could not think of a better individual with whom I would trust my stories, concerns, and experience the MBA process with.

I struggle to emphasize just how impactful working with Harold was on my MBA application process. From the very first meeting to helping me choose between acceptances, Harold’s help and advice were invaluable. I started working with Harold in early June before Fall Round 1 deadlines. From the beginning, he was great about taking the intimidating MBA application process and breaking it down into simple steps with achievable timelines. Harold’s assistance in crafting my story and really honing in on my strengths and weaknesses and how they matched to my target schools set me up for success from the get-go. Harold’s impact on my application essays was extraordinary. Both in helping me with the big picture of the story I was trying to tell, and the final edits and tweaks to make the essay as specific to my target school as possible, his work was critical to my success. Harold’s knowledge of top schools and what they are looking for in candidates is unparalleled, and this is most evident in his help with interview prep. I was invited to interview at four of the schools I applied to, and Harold was instrumental in my preparation, including offering mock interview practice. Finally, I want to highlight the ease of working with Harold. He is always very prompt to respond to any question or request, and quick to review and provide feedback on essays. He takes great pride in his work, and truly gives personal attention to all his clients. I can confidently say that Harold’s services are worth every penny. I started at my top choice MBA program last Fall, and could not have done it without Harold!

Although I talked with Katy for only 30 minutes, it was one of the most helpful conversations in preparing for my MBA application. She answered all my questions on everything from reapplying to asking for recommendations to crafting my resume. Most importantly, she gave me honest, insider feedback on the schools I was interested in. This information allowed me to be more direct and passionate in my application.