mbaMission | MBA Admissions Consultants

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.

Michael was an invaluable help throughout the entire application process. He gave me thorough and incisive feedback on essay drafts- both line-by-line commentary and big picture strategic direction.

Michael’s suggestions for where I should apply were quite helpful as well. He met with me and did a complete mock-interview before one of my interviews, which really helped me to refine and improve my messaging. Most importantly, Michael was always prompt to respond to ad-hoc stream of consciousness questions that I had throughout the process, which was immensely valuable.

Thanks to Michael’s help, I was admitted to two of my top choice business schools, Dartmouth and Yale. I couldn’t be happier with how this process played out, and would recommend any other prospective applicants to use Michael’s consulting.

I really enjoyed working with Kate for this past GMAT application cycle. She is not only extremely knowledgeable about the space and a great resource, but I felt she went above and beyond in terms of the support she was able to offer me. Whether it was her lightning-fast email response times, her willingness to hop on a call to discuss my questions or thought process, or her just generally positive attitude, Kate was an amazing resource throughout this process. She was able to offer very tangible recommendations that resulted in me being able to really tell my story clearly and concisely in my essays and stand out from other applicants. Even after getting into 2 of my top 4 choices (Kellogg and Booth), Kate was great at talking me through the decision and helping me weigh out the pros and cons of each. I truly could not recommend her more!

Hiring Melissa was easily the best decision I made during my MBA admissions cycle. She has one of the best backgrounds one could want in an admissions consultant – prev adcom director, MBA from an M7, and real-world industry experience. Pair that background up with superb communication skills, being authentic and unapologetically honest in every interaction, genuine caring for clients’ success, less than 24 hrs returns on drafts, and just being a really nice person to work with overall – what more could you ask? This deadly combination of traits makes Melissa the absolute no-brainer MBA-consultant choice.

I was late in the process and reached out to mbaMission only after R1 deadlines. I’m from an over-represented background, with avg GMAT (for my pool) and less than avg work exp. But right from my first call, Melissa was extremely positive about my candidature. I kept doubting my GMAT score multiple times, but while Melissa did suggest some options, she instilled confidence in me that since my score was at or above the avg scores for my target schools, I should focus more on my essays and overall profile strength. I took her advice and did not get a single rejection from the 6 schools I applied to in R2. I also got into both the M7’s I applied to and am headed to one of them this fall.

The way Melissa edits essays is just amazing. She didn’t spoon-feed or drastically change the story-content from her side, but rather used the knowledge she had about me from my profile and our brainstorming call, and transformed the essays into a strength for my overall profile. On multiple occasions, she not only nudged me to think harder about choosing a story but also pushed me to dig deeper into the EQ aspects that one would have not thought about. She even helped me frame my answers succinctly to application form questions and work experience descriptions. When I got interview invites/decisions from all 6 schools, I informed Melissa even before I informed my closest family and friends – that was the level of trust and confidence I had in her. Even though I had 6 interviews lined up, Melissa went through specifically tailored interview prep for each school the week before, explaining what questions to expect, how to position myself for a particular curveball question, and what kind of aspects each school was looking at. This was tremendously helpful. And not to forget, Melissa was extremely flexible with so many reschedule requests – once in the middle of our interview prep call, my boss called for an impromptu meeting and Melissa was really nice to offer to reschedule the prep that we’d already begun that day! She is totally committed to ensuring your success and I do not regret one bit my decision to work with Melissa.

Within a period of 4-5 months, she went from being a complete stranger to being a close friend and advisor to talk to. Getting into my top choice school is a dream come true and I couldn’t have done this without help and guidance from Melissa. I wholeheartedly recommend Melissa as your admissions consultant. Trust me, you’ll thank me later!

I got in touch with Nisha and mbaMission at the end of November to start working on applications for Round 2 deadlines. Despite how late in the game I was, Nisha wasted no time getting me up to speed. She supported me through brainstorming each of the schools we worked on, reaching out to recommenders, and getting everything submitted on time. She helped me bring out stories about my experience that I didn’t even know I had. I didn’t fully realize how intensive interviewing for schools would be, but Nisha was with me every step of the way through that process as well. I was fortunate to be accepted to multiple schools, and there is no way I would have made it through this process without Nisha’s support. Not only did she make sure I was fully prepared for and satisfied with each step, but also she helped give me the confidence that I could be successful in the application process. I highly recommend her and know that she will be just as invested in your journey!

Nisha was incredible to work with- she helped me craft a cohesive story and highlight my experience in a way that I would not have thought of. Her comments were always clear and pushed my thinking forward, and she responded to my emails within 24 hours. As a nontraditional candidate, she helped me position my skills in a way that was favorable in the eyes of the adcom. I definitely recommend working with her!

Wow, where do I begin! I decided to apply to business school at the tail end of Round 2, and was basically in a bind to find a consultant that was willing to work with me over the Christmas holiday to draft a fulsome application. A herculean task to say the least. I reached out to mbaMission, and Nisha came to the rescue. We started by laying out and agreeing to a timeline, and we stuck to it religiously! I cannot begin to talk about how fast and efficient she would review my documents, allowing me to make the most of the short time we had to craft the application. She also took on the task of steering my recommenders in the right direction, which, given the short amount of time they had to craft it, was a tasked many would shy away from. Not Nisha. Instead, she stayed in contact with my recommenders, making sure that their letters were in line with the story that I was trying to tell. Finally, though we were in a pressurized situation, I always felt relaxed when we would jump on the phone to go through my resume, essays, and other pertinent parts of the app. Nisha is a large reason that I got accepted to the only business school I applied for! Her work ethic is second to none, and her efficiency and work quality is superb! I highly recommend future applicants to consider her as your consultant!

John is AMAZING, and deciding to work with him on a 3-school start-to-finish package was perhaps the best decision I made during the MBA application process. Coming from an industry where an MBA is not the usual path, I found the process incredibly daunting. My biggest concern was how to tell a compelling, cohesive story about myself to the admissions committees – especially because I was unsure of exactly what I wanted to do post-MBA.

We first met over the phone for a 30-minute “fit” call, and it was immediately apparent that John is an amazing listener who has an innate ability to understand his clients. At first, I was concerned that working “remotely” with a consultant would be challenging (John is in Chicago and I was in NYC), but this proved to be a non-issue. Throughout the process, John was thoughtful, calm, and patient; he guided me through each step of the process in a structured manner that made it as manageable and low stress as possible.

John takes the time to truly get to know his clients, their story, and what drives them; his guidance was invaluable during the essay-writing process. After reading through my initial brainstorming document, he was able to find common threads and themes that have been prevalent throughout my life, and help me craft these ideas into a message that was effective and, most importantly, truly authentic to me. He was always positive yet honest in editing my essays, and was never afraid to say if an essay needed a fifth, sixth, or seventh round of revisions, even though I knew it would be more work for him. By the end, I was truly happy with every single essay I submitted; John helped me strengthen my story and voice in a way that I didn’t think was possible.

John always goes above and beyond, whether by getting on the phone one more time because he knew I needed a pep talk before an interview, or by responding to another draft of an essay with a tight turnaround to make sure I’d be in before a deadline. He is a great champion and partner throughout the process, and makes you feel like you are his only client at all times. Thanks to John, I was admitted to HBS in round 1 (a result that I never dreamed was possible). I truly couldn’t have done it without him!

Harold’s thoughtful approach to my applications was clear from the start. He was extremely supportive, encouraging me to aim high and apply to Harvard Business School – which I will now be attending in the fall! I am certain I would not have received the offer without Harold’s help. Prior to working with Harold, I had spoken to consultants from other firms who had been much less encouraging and suggested considering less competitive schools.

Harold helped me clearly articulate my career goals and ambitions in my essays while ensuring my application remained personal. Working with Harold removed the stress and anxiety from the application process, and allowed me to focus on putting together the strongest application I could. He was quick, responsive, and always came back with reassuring and helpful feedback, even during the busy holiday period as the application deadline was looming (I applied round 2, in early January).

I would highly recommend Harold to anyone looking for encouragement, positivity, and thoughtful advice on their applications.
He was a pleasure to work with.

I started my journey for MBA admissions and GMAT prep four years ago and finally last year after lots of struggles and barriers I decided to apply to B-schools. I attended several free calls with consultants from different companies but after speaking with Nisha I believed that her professionalism and experience can really help me secure admission to a prestigious University.
She was very supportive throughout this overwhelming process and someone you can always count on for any admission related inquiries.
I truly recommend Nisha for anyone who is looking for complete support or any ad-hoc help needed.

I was fortunate to find John early on in the process. During the introductory session, John provided me with valuable feedback on my strengths and weaknesses. I shared my desire to get into Wharton MBA with him. He explained the detailed admissions process and the typical Wharton acceptance criteria to me. He then provided me with templates and a sample of documents to prepare my information. Throughout the whole process, he was there to guide me on the essays, resume, and interview prep. I was very impressed with his knowledge and expertise in the MBA admission process and his ability to guide you to achieve your goal. I am very glad to have found him, and I thank him for his guidance.

Background: Econ undergrad at Ivy, Product Manager, male, over-represented demographic. Applied to MIT, CBS and Wharton. Received interviews at all schools, was admitted to MIT and CBS.

When I first began thinking about applying for an MBA, I worried about my chances because I was an over-represented demographic and felt I didn’t have a unique story (I had spent 4.5 at the same company in one role). I was looking for a consultant who was honest, could help craft my story, tell me my strengths and weaknesses, and keep me on track with the deadlines. Julie-Anne was fantastic and helped in every aspect of the application, even in areas that I didn’t know I would need help.

She was honest in her feedback (my qualifications, strengths, weaknesses), spent hours brainstorming with me to find a way to uniquely tell my story, and made sure I met my deadlines. She was especially helpful on the essay portion of the applications, which I found the most challenging and open-ended.

Julie-Anne was extremely responsive through every iteration of my application no matter the question or amount of times I asked. Even as I moved on to the interview process of the application, she was there to guide me along and give me advice on how to prep, knowing each school as well as the next. Julie-Anne truly cares – even after I was admitted, she was there as a sounding board to help me decide on which school I should attend. She got to know me well enough over the application process that she was able to give me actionable advice on which school would be a better culture and professional fit.

Initially, I was concerned with the cost of a consultant, but I can definitely say that Julie-Anne was worth it, and got me into my top choice!

As someone pivoting careers, I was unsure if I would be a strong applicant. Nisha helped me from start to finish. We first developed a list of schools to target, and then we brainstormed ways in which I could leverage my personal and professional experiences in my applications and essays. Nisha did a great job of absorbing my life story, my aspirations, my unique experiences, and my strengths and weaknesses. Not only was Nisha incredibly helpful in devising a big-picture strategy, but she also helped me with all of the minute details, and always in a prompt fashion. Whether it was redirecting me to another topic, helping me to clarify my thoughts, or helping me with an ambiguous short-answer question on an application, Nisha always had great advice. I was ultimately admitted to multiple top-10 programs, in large part because of Nisha. And in the end, when deciding which school to attend, of course, Nisha’s advice was thoughtful, insightful, and right on!

I’ve been accepted to two M7 schools, and I’m almost certain I would have come up empty without Julie-Anne’s guidance and support.

Compared to other MBA hopefuls, I was very late to join the game when I realized I wanted to pursue an MBA. As an MBA was not on my to-do list, my profile/experience wasn’t geared towards MBA admissions. My stats were average to below average for M7 standards, and my work experience doesn’t jump off the page as remarkable.

I applied to five M7 schools, and only had a short amount of time to put together my applications. Julie-Anne helped me through the entire process – from validating why an MBA is right for me, to helping understand what each school values in their candidates, to putting together tailored applications that highlight my strengths and unique selling points. We went through my work/life experiences to find unique stories and achievements, many of which I would have never even thought to include in my applications.

Julie-Anne provided very honest and detailed feedback along the way and pushed me to put my best foot forward in every aspect of my application. The admissions process can be opaque and tricky to navigate. Julie-Anne’s guidance added a lot of clarity, and I was able to submit applications with a strong sense of purpose and confidence in my candidacy for a top MBA program.

I highly recommend Julie-Anne’s services to ensure that by the time you press submit, your application is as good as it can be.

I worked with Nisha starting in June 2019. From the beginning, Nisha was extremely helpful. She was very candid throughout my entire admissions process.

Nisha really took the time to understand my background and helped me craft “my story”. As a traditional applicant (Indian male from a finance background), I thought I would not be able to differentiate myself. However, Nisha provided valuable insights that allowed me to highlight my strongest qualities, both from a professional and extracurricular activities perspective.

I especially enjoyed Nisha’s demeanor, which was one of cautious optimism. This type of personality is very effective in a competitive MBA admissions process. All throughout my MBA journey, she kept motivating me but also wanted me to be realistic with potential outcomes. She was also readily available and answered all of my questions in a timely manner.

I highly recommend Nisha as a consultant without any reservation! With her help, I got into all of my top choice schools (Booth, Kellogg, and Yale).

I could not be more grateful for working with Harold. I approached him as an unconventional candidate, and at nearly the 11th hour before Round 2 deadlines. But no matter, Harold was at the ready. He assured me he was all-in for the final push across the finish line, and he wasn’t kidding. Harold responded nimbly, providing a clear plan of action, ample encouragement, and generous availability.

While working on my essays, Harold maintained a tight turnaround and constantly sharpened the content with specific and incisive notes. He had a firm grasp of each school and knew how to tailor my story to the personality and principles of each program. If I ever had a question, he was ready to jump on the phone as soon as possible. And his expert knowledge helped me identify specific points of connection between my goals and the unique offerings of each school’s curriculum and clubs.

Because of Harold’s smart and supportive guidance, I was admitted to two Top 10 MBA programs and received a substantial scholarship offer.

In short, Harold was a hero that came to the rescue. I highly recommend him!

I have tremendously valued Jessica’s support over this past admissions cycle.

In my original consultation long before I even signed on for her services, Jessica provided concrete, actionable advice, and steps I could take to improve my business school candidacy. After I signed up for a multi-school package, Jessica was extremely helpful in designing compelling narratives for my applications, building a superb overall story, and assisting with every little imaginable detail over the whole process. I think Jessica’s greatest strength is her capacity to make a candidate’s profile come off as truly special given the candidate’s existing accomplishments. In this regard, her storytelling ability is remarkable.

I am thrilled to report that I will be attending one of my primary target schools. If you are looking to inject a genuine, affecting character element within your application, I highly recommend Jessica’s services. It is an excellent investment in your own future.

Going into the application process being almost 30, from India and with an ok score only served to make me skeptical if this was the journey I needed to pursue over the coming months. All it took was one consultation call with Jessica for me to dive in and avail a multiple school package with her. From my end I did everything wrong as I kept extending my GMAT exam dates or couldn’t get past the dreadful score but in the end Jessica stood by patiently and kept encouraging me to put my best foot forward and trust in myself.

Heading into December and with only a month left before the round 2 applications were due, I was tremendously impressed with the roadmap that Jessica created to get me back on track be it getting LOR/ editing resumes/ having a detailed brainstorm session and last but not the least creating an extensive structure for each and every essay. Over the next month we worked arduously on getting each and every application fine-tuned to perfection. To this day I wish I could get a walkthrough of how she manages multiple clients and yet manages to churn out everything within the deadline proscribed and with impeccable perfection.

In using her structure and creating a thought process around what my story was, I was able to apply and get admitted into 4 programs. Even though I was waitlisted for the schools I had sought her help on, I would be wrong to not admit that they were stretch schools given my profile. The fact that I am still in contention is only a testament to how far Jessica’s expertise and help came handy during the process.

I have no qualms in recommending Jessica and her expertise about the MBA application process to any prospective student.

Harold is a fantastic coach and I don’t know that I would have gotten my seat at Harvard Business School if it wasn’t for the strategic role he played in crafting my narrative for business schools. Early in the application process, Harold and I talked a lot about my target schools, my background, and my experiences that could lend to a strong application at each school. He helped me mold those into a clean personal/professional story and he coached me on how to articulate those succinctly in my applications. 5 out of 6 schools I applied to gave me an interview and I know that Harold’s help crafting each application to each school was key to that success. In addition to the technical stuff, Harold is empathetic and a great partner. He provided guidance and a friendly ear throughout the application cycle and I am so fortunate to have him in my court!

Background:
I highly recommend choosing mbaMission, and Harold specifically. To provide some context, my application was an unusual one and Harold rose to the occasion remarkably. I’m from the Middle East. I have an engineering background and I have recently switched from Private to Public sector, and my goal from graduate school is to obtain a degree (or a dual degree) that focused on both policy and business. I started a bit late in the process. I submitted an application for the MPA/ID program at HKS in December. Then, I decided to apply for MIT Sloan, to be a dual degree with the program from my HKS. To hedge my bets, I also wanted to apply for the Master in Computational Analysis & Public Policy (MSCAPP) from the University of Chicago. Here was my challenge at the time: after I submitted my application to HKS in December, I was not very happy with my application and my test scores (high quant and not-an-impressive verbal). Furthermore, the deadline for both MIT Sloan R2 and Chicago MSCAPP were on the same day. I freaked out and realized I needed serious professional help if I wanted to increase my odds. Enter mbaMission. At first, I had a free session with Jessica. In only 30 mins, she gave me a lot of great advice! After some thinking, I decided to go with Jessica. She was unfortunately busy at the time to take on new clients. So, she suggested that I have another free session with Harold, given that he is an MIT grad and had previous clients from my region. I had another free session with Harold that extended for more than 30 mins. By that time, I already had free sessions for well more than an hour with mbaMission. I decided then to go with Harold, and I’m really glad that Jessica has recommended that we work together. I got excited to work with Harold so I took the start-to-finish package for both MIT and Chicago. Even though Chicago was a policy degree and not a business one, I still asked Harold to help me with it given that both schools were important for me to be admitted to, in addition to the fact that both were due at the same deadline.

Why go with Harold?
1. Crafting the right story:
– Laying the groundwork: Harold took enough time to understand my convoluted background and my aspirations in life. Like many who are seeking graduate school, not everything was a clear cut for me. I’m still figuring things out. In that sense, the process of understanding my story was a lot of work for both of us, but it was not a mechanical one.
– Drilling down on the important stories: After the brainstorming session, I uncovered parts of my story that I didn’t think they were worth speaking of in the first place. For example, I had a frustrating terrible experience with my start-up that I was not proud of to tell the truth. However, Harold advised a new angle on how to use this story in a way that reflected humility and growth, we are humans and not perfect creatures after all :).
– The right writing style while maintaining authenticity and your own voice: When writing something deeply personal I tend to be super conversational. While that’s good, maybe, some level of professionalism is still required. Harold was super helpful in pointing out when I went a little overboard with my style. That also meant that I often tend to exceed the word limit to get my point across (similar to what I’m doing now :)! ). As he puts it, he has a superpower for cutting unnecessary sentences.

2. Navigating the nuances of the application process:
– Test Scores: As I explained earlier, I was not sure about my test scores. Balancing my test scores with my story, as well as being conscious of the limited time have Harold, advised me to maintain my current score and use the time I have to perfect my essays. This turned out to be very pivotal advice as it allowed me to really focus on my essays. This was very bold of Harold to say, and counter to what many who knew my scores have advised. I trusted him and went with his recommendation (despite any outcome of the application process, his rationale made sense to me and it was all about prioritization of effort. It was still my decision to follow this advice or not!)
– Selecting recommenders: I had some difficult choices to make for determining which recommenders I should go with. Harold gave me great insights on how to set my strategy for recommenders (guess what, it worked!)
– How to engage with the admissions team: Before meeting Harold, I was often not sure on how to approach certain topics with the admissions team. I didn’t want to on-the-nose with admissions. I thought it might backfire. However, Harold was super helpful in letting me know which types of communication with admissions are acceptable. He even helped in looking at some of the emails that I was about to send!

3. Interview prep:
– By far this was one of the most aspects I benefited from using Harold’s services. He prepped me really well for the interview. I walked to the interview with much more confidence compared to what would’ve been the case had I done it myself. The style of the interview and the questions he asked me were very close to what I got in the interview.

4. Making an incredibly concise and powerful CV
Important final note: When soliciting professional help for your applications, know that not one consultant would have a wand that would magically get you admitted. It’s really hard work form your part. The consultant will guide you every step of the way, but it’s your own application, your own voice, and above all else, your future. As helpful as Harold was to me, I had to put in a lot of effort and make sure we were always on top of things and on schedule. A great advantage of Harold’s help was constant guidance. In my previous experience without Harold, I would always get bogged down into very minor details that would make me lose track of the big picture. After using Harold’s help, he acted as a true anchor for me during the application process. Of course, let’s address the elephant in the room, this is not a cheap service! So this is a personal choice that depends on your financial situation, how badly you want the MBA, and how comfortable you felt in the free session. Chemistry is important for the consultant! So use your free session wisely and only go when comfortable. If we go back in time, I would go with Harold every single time, regardless of being admitted or not!

Final result: Full disclosure, I got admitted into both MIT Sloan and Chicago . I opted to go with MIT (in addition to HKS, where I will start at next fall hopefully)

I worked with Devi ahead of my HBS interview, and I want to share my experience with you. As you know, an HBS interview is a unique experience. They ask probing questions designed to know you better (which is great), but it also makes it challenging to prepare for what to expect. I had three weeks until my interview, so I made a decision. I had gotten this far, let’s not fall short of the finish line.

In my mock sessions, Devi brought her experience as an HBS alumni interviewer to the table. It was clear that she went through all my application materials, understood my narrative, and, most importantly, found the gaps in them. Her questions were straightforward but directed at areas of my application that I did not expect. I rambled away trying to explain the things I know so well, but have never had to articulate before. After that first 30 minutes, needless to say, I failed horribly. If that had been my real interview…

But that’s what great about working with Devi. It was a mock session that gets as close as possible to the real thing—a practice run where the ideal outcome was to make mistakes and learn from it. Also, Devi provided immediate feedback that gave me insights about my ability (or then lack thereof) to translate my thoughts into words. Through her coaching, I developed skills to recognize and end my rambles, to frame up the complicated concepts into a simple 30-second response, and to lead my interviewer to highlight the unique aspects of my narrative. It was an exhausting three weeks; however, re-watching my first and last mock interview sessions, I saw a completely different me. I was organized, my responses were concise, and the interview became a conversation. I knew that whatever was to be the outcome, I will be presenting the best version of myself to HBS.

In conclusion, looking at my preparations with Devi, my HBS interview, and ultimately the result, I can say with absolute conviction that I recommend Devi Vallabhaneni to get you ready for this pivotal 30 minutes of your career.

— TL;DR —

Pros:
● Practice sessions that get as close as possible to the real interview.
● Insightful and immediate feedback that efficiently develops your articulation skills.

Cons:
● It will not be easy; she will push you to be the best version of yourself.
● Expensive, but worth every penny when you receive your acceptance to HBS (it was for me).