mbaMission | MBA Admissions Consultants

I was referred to Heidi Granner by a colleague I worked with, who managed to get accepted to his dream program. I wanted someone who knew how to work with someone who has a highly over-represented background (i.e. Asian male in finance) to be able to stand out amongst other excellent applicants.

I would say that it took a lot of consideration before I decided to work alongside an MBA consultant, but I can say for sure that I am glad I did. I will go as far as to say that without Heidi, I do not think that I could have succeeded in getting into my top MBA school – HBS.

The thing is, there are many qualified and over-qualified candidates to get into these top schools. They all have amazing backgrounds and experiences that can definitely make them prime candidates for what these top schools are looking for. The most difficult part about all this, however, is grabbing all these moving parts and shaping them into a limited amount of information you can convey to an MBA admissions committee. You can have also these unique things that have happened to you in your life, but trying to show everything in a jumbled manner is not the way to go. That’s where I think Heidi really played a key role in constructing my story, pulling out key highlights, and showing the admissions committee who I am without completely losing them in the details.

Heidi herself has experience as an admissions member for Chicago Booth, so she definitely knows what these top programs like to see vs. what they don’t like to see. And it’s not that they are looking for a specific form of individual, but rather someone who can CLEARLY show who they are and be proud of what they’ve contributed rather than someone who wants to impress with everything he/she has.

Heidi was instrumental in providing guidance and feedback on how I should think about my own profile and positioning, essay content, and interview practice. She is incredibly responsive (and very fast), and it makes it extremely easy to work with her. She will never leave you hanging amidst this incredibly stressful process, and it definitely gives you a sense of comfort that you are working as a team and that you are not alone.

All in all, Heidi has been a sheer pleasure and more importantly, real help that has translated to concrete success for me. Thank you, Heidi, for working with me through many months of my MBA application journey!

I first met Jeremy during my free 30-minute consultant with mbaMission. I was immediately impressed by Jeremy’s ability to quickly evaluate my candidacy and provide some critical pieces of feedback and advice as I navigated the application process, particularly where I stood with test scores and how to network with the AdComs.

When I decided I wanted to work with a consultant for my Round 2 applications, I picked mbaMission given the positive experience I had with Jeremy. Based on his knowledge of my candidacy, Jeremy recommended several consultants whom he thought would be a great fit, and my experience with my consultant was fantastic!

I appreciated how Jeremy continued to support me throughout the application process. Even after being accepted, Jeremy was quick to answer all my questions, and even met with me to discuss how to start thinking about my career goals before I get to school!

I highly recommend working with mbaMission, and if you get the chance to work with Jeremy you will certainly be in great hands!

I have nothing but positive things to say about my experience with Melissa. After less success in my Round 1 application cycle, I decided to work with a consultant and apply again in Round 2. I worked on a 2-school package with Melissa and was accepted to both schools with scholarship awards. Those results speak for themselves!

Melissa’s exceptional attention to detail and incredible knowledge of what each school values in its candidates made a huge difference. While I had already done some of the leg work after applying in Round 1, Melissa’s probing questions helped me dig deeper into my story and weave together my various professional and personal experiences to show where I had been, where I wanted to go, and why an MBA would help get me there. I was so impressed by how well Melissa got to know my story and was able to help me tailor it to each aspect of the application process.

Melissa also challenged me to be more detailed about why a certain school was the right fit for me. Not only did this help strengthen my application and interviews, but it also helped me truly understand what type of MBA program I was looking for, and ultimately enabled me to pick a school that I truly believe is uniquely positioned to help me achieve my personal and professional goals.

I highly recommend working with Melissa! She has the right combination of expertise, professionalism, energy, and compassion that not only makes her a great consultant, but also a wonderful cheerleader and mentor throughout the application process.

When I decided to apply for business school, I knew I wanted support from someone who is experienced and has a strong professional background. After speaking to several admissions consultants, I chose Heidi and I could not have made a better decision! Right from the start, Heidi was candid and encouraging. She pushed me to brainstorm essay ideas that I wouldn’t have thought of if I had just gone with the most “obvious” themes. Because of our interactions, my essays became much deeper and reflective than what I could have done on my own.
As someone who is very organized, I really appreciated Heidi’s timely replies and fast turnarounds. Even though we had a 12-hour time difference, we managed to stay on schedule and I submitted all four of my applications for round 1 on time.
Heidi’s support really helped in navigating the business school application and interview process much easier. I highly recommend her!

From my first conversation with Krista, it was clear that she was incredibly smart, encouraging, kind, and fun. While I was apprehensive to spend $6k (two school package) on a consultant at the beginning of the process, the return I received on my investment far exceeded my expectations. Deciding to work with Krista was likely the most important decision I made in the MBA admissions process.
Krista helped me with school selection, identifying great programs that I had originally overlooked. She recommended schools that not only have strong brands but also have great resources and recruiting opportunities specific to my post-MBA goals.
Krista provided me with great advice on how to use the essays and my resume to communicate compelling aspects of my candidacy outside of professional experience. By including a more personal element in my essays, I was able to show that I am a more well-rounded candidate. Additionally, Krista helped me identify aspects of my candidacy that should be explained further in the optional essay. This advice was very helpful because it allowed me to control the narrative on aspects of my story that I otherwise would not have known to explain in more detail.
After I submitted my applications, Krista helped me prepare for interviews by conducting mock interviews. This preparation helped me to relax and present well when it came time for real MBA interviews.
Krista is incredibly reliable and always turns feedback around quickly! This was especially important to me because I was working on the applications on a tight timeline and needed a consultant who was very responsive.
In the end, I received admission to a top school, where I am incredibly excited to start this fall. I owe a debt of gratitude to Krista for going above and beyond my expectations and helping me achieve my goal. She was a true pleasure to work with and her guidance and encouragement made a huge difference in navigating the difficult MBA application process.
If I could do it all over, as one of the first steps in my preparation for business school, I would have set up a preliminary call with Krista and retained her.

I worked with Krista from mbaMisssion on an hourly basis. She really took the time to get to know me as a person, which gave her a full understanding of my profile. Her feedback led to stronger essays and a more powerful resume. She responded timely and was available for scheduled skype calls. She also had knowledge of the process and good tips for the application and interview. The service is expensive, but it really helps put your best foot forward and is worth the cost is worth to get you into a strong MBA program. Sign up for your free 30 minute consultation before starting any applications to talk to Krista, she can provide guidance and direction.

It has been a long, stressful road to get to this point, but with Debbie’s help, I got into one of my top choices – Wharton. I started the application process for round 1 with only a month until the deadlines for some of my top schools. Super overwhelmed and only having just retaken the GMAT a second time I was scrambling to get started and decided to take the leap with Debbie. Right at the get-go, we kicked it into gear- she got to know my story and helped me formulate a strategy on what schools I should apply to and when. What I like about Debbie is that she will be honest with you. A consultant can only do so much for your application, but she has a lot of good insight into what schools are looking for and what would be a good fit for you from her perspective. She might even convince you to look at a school you have not considered before. I ended up splitting applications between round 1 and 2 to prioritize my top choices. Debbie seriously knows some of the most intimate details of my life. She helped me pick and choose what stuck out to her and what sounded interesting – those things that truly represented who I am and could help tell my story. But it was always a two-way street – if I felt uncomfortable about making something the highlight of an essay or felt my evidence was not substantial, she would help me choose a different topic or spin it a different way and make it flow so much better. I trusted her. I highly recommend working with Debbie if you are considering a consultant. Even when I was waitlisted at another top school she helped me navigate that process as well. She was always encouraging me even if I heard bad news so I felt motivated to continue. Additionally, she answered ALL my questions even if they were simply logistics related. No question was unimportant. At the end of the day, with the MBA admissions process you just don’t know what is going to happen, but having Debbie there to help me along the way and have my back really helped keep me sane and focused. I also ended up using outlines/ideas we used for many other applications outside of the package I had with Debbie which saved a lot of time later on in Round 2.

Devi is an extremely talented interviewer who helped me become a significantly better interviewee in just three 1hr long sessions (30min mock, 30min feedback).
Initially, my interview responses were verbose and failed to highlight my ability to think strategically. Through honest and direct feedback, Devi wasted no time and gave me exactly what I needed to hear in order to improve in just 3 sessions over the course of 2 weeks. I felt much more confident at the end of the process. More importantly, I came away feeling I’ve learned skills that would benefit me for the rest of my life in business and beyond!
I highly recommend Devi to anyone who wants to improve their interview skills.

Michael was a tremendous help in my application process and eventual admission to LBS. I was originally referred to Michael by one of his colleagues at mbaMission and found his upbeat, can-do attitude refreshing after rather dreary conversations with consultants at competing firms. We worked over tight timelines whereby he was incredibly responsive and composed from start-to-finish (brainstorming to interview prep). I was impressed by Michael’s consistency in providing valuable feedback and/or insights at each turn and found him to be a very reliable partner throughout. In summary, Michael was a true pleasure to work with.

I applied to four schools during the round 2 application process. I reached out to Michael a few weeks before the application deadline in order to fine-tune some of my essays. I had a relatively short turnaround time to finalize my essays, and Michael was extremely accommodating to my schedule. His edits to my essays were very helpful in further bringing out my story to differentiate me from other candidates. With his help, I was admitted Round 2 to an M7 program, he was fantastic to work with throughout the process.

I am originally from India and came to the US through an employment opportunity. I always aspired to go to a top business school but had no idea if this was a possibility. When I was ready to apply to Columbia Business School, I knew that I needed somebody to guide me through my application process. Somebody who not only really got me and could help guide me to tell my story in the best possible way, but also someone who would take an interest in me personally and help me through a process that I didn’t know much about and was daunting at times.
Through my remarkable tutor, Whitney Garner, at Manhattan GMAT, I heard about mbaMission and she suggested that I sign up with Jeremy for a 30 min free consultation. These reviews can be powerful, but I highly recommend that you sign-up for the consultation and just have the experience I had for yourself! As soon as I got on the phone and heard Jeremy’s warm, confident and interested voice, I knew he was the ideal partner for me. He not only he knows what stories to tell, but also knows how to tell a story and how to explain why this is the story to tell! He helped me reflect my story/personality throughout my whole application – crafting my resume from scratch which draws attention to my accomplishments and personality, narrating essays which tell a very enthusiastic and authentic story, outlining short nuggets amplifying my aspirations and preparing me for interviews repeatedly (and on short notice) even when I was exhausted!
I credit Jeremy’s guidance with my success and highly suggest any aspiring business school student work with Jeremy. He brought the best of me and helped me tell my story and most importantly he did so in a way that built my confidence. I am sure he will help you tell yours and be easy to work with throughout.
He made my dream ‘in a dream’ a reality. I have no doubt that he will do to you too, all you need to do is take the first step.

Going to business school was a goal I had set for myself as a Junior in college. For the past 5 years, I have selected jobs, extracurriculars, and more to improve my chances of attending a top business school. When it finally came to apply last Fall, I wanted to work with someone that shared my high expectations and would help make my application amazing. John helped me put together an incredible application that could have never produced myself, and helped me get into my dream school.

Throughout my application process, John was a superstar for me to have on my team. Every good team needs an MVP, and I am glad I was able to have John throughout this long journey.

John stood out in every facet of the application process. When I struggled to develop my story and post-MBA goals, John was always quick to hop on the phone for us to brainstorm with anecdotes from previous clients and templates to help me organize my thoughts. When I struggled to come up with ideas my essays, John helped provide me an outline combining my story and what winning essays look like. When I then struggled to keep to the word count of my essays, John provided incredible advice and edits to help make my essays stand out. And every time I was about to make rookie mistakes in the application process, John steered me straight.

Even more, John made the entire process thoroughly enjoyable through his calm demeanor, professionalism, and personal touch. Constantly throughout this process, I was overwhelmed and scared. However, every interaction with John helped keep me focused. Phone calls and e-mails were filled not only with constructive feedback but also humor. John not only saw me as a client but got to know me for me, which not only made working with him fun but also made him an amazing partner to bounce ideas off of.

Today, as I re-read my essays and entire application today, I am amazed at the final product. There is no way I could have ever gotten into the schools I did without John. For anyone considering applying to b-school, I would not hesitate when working with John. He simply is the best there is.

Jen has been incredibly helpful and instrumental to my MBA application process over the last six months. With her help, I was able to tell my story in a way I was really happy with. The MBA application process is demanding and difficult at times, but Jen helped me grow throughout the process and continuously learn more about myself along the way.

Jen was always responsive and thorough throughout our time working together. I always felt that she had substantive and value-add feedback whenever she sent backdrafts, but never commented just to comment. It always felt as though we were really in the MBA application process together – the partnership was amazing! I would absolutely recommend Jen to anyone I know going through the MBA application process in the future!

I worked with Harshad for the 2018-2019 application cycle, targeting the M7 schools. I had worked with other consultants before, so can speak to what makes Harshad different.

One of the biggest challenges for me was telling a compelling story about my life, which I always assumed was “typical”. Harshad encouraged and helped me dig through my history, starting from early childhood, to help me understand myself better and understand the forces that shaped who I am. Harshad left no stones unturned and went far beyond “checking the boxes”. With his help, I was able to better understand my own story and present my unique person to the admissions committee.

Harshad is responsive and direct and will tell you his honest opinion – he will not shy away from reworking an essay close to the deadline if he thought it would help even one bit. Harshad was genuinely invested in my success and cared about my outcomes. When the option arose, Harshad preferred the challenge of helping me prepare a more difficult application where I could benefit more from his input, even though it required more work.

Thanks to Harshad’s help, I will be attending an M7 school this fall.

Looking back, I can say for sure that choosing to work with Devi was the best decision I have made during the preparation for my HBS interview. Devi not only helped me to obtain a deep understanding of the interview process, but step by step worked with me to build my confidence, by emphasizing equally my strength and the areas I needed to improve.
What I loved the most was that mock interviews were not aimed to prepare perfect answers on specific questions, rather the goal was to be ready to present the best self no matter what questions would come up on the actual interview. Devi made sure to customize each mock interview to my personal needs. After the third mock interview, the progress I had made was evident and it enabled me to feel confident in the real interview, ending up enjoying every minute of it.
On top of knowing the interview process inside-out and giving extremely valuable feedback, Devi is an extremely nice person who is always ready to support her clients.

After a demoralizing experience with the GMAT that lasted for about 7 months, I looked for admissions consultants to provide the guidance and expertise needed to tell my story best and make my application stand out in the best possible way. I did extensive diligence (spoke with more than 5 counselors from several companies) and finally decided to take my chances with Kate Richardson from MBA Mission.

From my initial discussions with her, I instantly realized that I had taken the right decision. She was extremely helpful, professional and kind. As an applicant which checked all of the boxes for the elite schools I wanted to apply to except for a lower-than-average GMAT score, Kate was honest and straightforward with me in regards to my strengths and weaknesses. Nevertheless, she was extremely motivating and positive about the application.

Kate’s expertise on each particular program and their ‘unique personalities’ allowed us to decide on the best possible strategy on how to approach each university. We worked together to identify the key aspects and stories of my professional and personal life that I wanted to highlight on the different components of my application (resume, essays, rec letters, short answers, etc.). I found it reassuring to be receiving guidance from someone who really understands the admissions process and the expectations of each admissions team. As an international student who speaks English as a second language, she was also great on giving me advice to structure my ideas and concisely articulating my story, but at the same time staying true to my own voice.

Kate was structured and organized, which was particularly useful for my tight timeframe (I had to write nine essays for four different programs in about two months). I asked her to keep me on a tight schedule and remind me of my pending to-do’s and overall timeline constantly. She always met MBA Missions’ document return policy and sometimes even returned my essays earlier than what she was supposed to. During the last 2 weeks before the deadlines, she was extremely adaptive to my schedule and even pushed me for extra rounds of comments for my essays until we both felt 100% comfortable with them.

Another very important factor which I came to realize later on was MBA Mission’s multiple resources. From multiple university guides to tailored mock interviews, I was able to take advantage of it all and definitely feel that it was a game changer in the last mile of the application process. I felt fully prepared for my three interviews, particularly at HBS and Wharton, which differentiate from the traditional blind-interviews of other programs.

I was eventually accepted to my top choice and dream school (HBS) and Kate was literally the first person I called after my parents. I am grateful of having had her in my corner throughout every step of the way and couldn’t be more thankful with her!!

After speaking with a handful of consultants at both boutique firms and big name companies, I decided to work with Heidi Granner. Other consultants felt I was too “high risk” to take on as a client since I had a low GMAT, GPA, and only 3 years of experience. Heidi was the first to show compassion and confidence in pulling together a great application. She was realistic in telling me which schools to target and worked with me on my essays on an hourly basis. Since I was applying to 3 schools, the hourly option was best for me. Her turnaround was quick and even ahead of schedule. The improvement from my first draft to my final drafts was incredible. Heidi was forthcoming with opinions if an essay lacked substance but always gave me the option to choose whatever topic I chose. I really appreciated her thoughts and took her edits very seriously. I’d highly recommend working with Heidi on your MBA essays.

I was skeptical of using a consulting service at first, but not I can’t even picture what I would have done without them! I was walked through the process step-by-step, had someone to bounce ideas off of and get direction when I needed it, and another set of eyes to go over my work whenever I needed it.

Krista was a pleasure to work with. Knowledgeable, communicative, and able to give just the right push to get things done. She had a satisfying answer to every question I had, and her feedback was always great, whether she was proofreading or brainstorming with me.

I highly recommend using the service. The price is steep, but it’s well worth the money!

I was referred to Harshad by another mbaMission consultant, who spoke highly of him. I used hourly services with Harshad since I needed help with certain aspects of my application, and without a doubt, it was the best decision. After my first two consultations with Harshad, I was impressed by his authenticity, honesty, and willingness to help me. He and I explored all areas of my background to come up with a clear, cohesive story. Harshad recommended a four-pronged strategy that became the foundation for my essays, considerably strengthening my application for the four schools that I applied. I applied in the January round, and I started my application in November of the prior year, leaving me about three months to complete my applications (I already took my standardized tests when I first contacted Harshad). The time to complete my application seemed short and daunting, but Harshad made the experience so much better. We both had a great work rhythm, and Harshad was always responsive to my emails, answering my questions clearly and in detail. In each step of the way, I felt very comfortable and confident working with him.

In the end, I got into all four top schools, with significant scholarship money. I’m thrilled about the results, and I truly recommend working with Harshad. Thank you for all of your help!

Applying to top MBA programs is, for most people, a stressful and worry-some process. When an applicant comes from a competitive background, the process can be even more difficult. It was for this reason that, after months of my own investigation, I decided to work with an admissions consultant. I booked a preliminary call with Jessica because her own pre-consultant professional background was similar to mine; I chose to work with her because I felt supported in a way not felt before. Jessica simplified the process for me and gave me crucial advice. She exceeded my expectations with the dedication and swiftness of her responses. I believe her greatest strength is in both listening to her client and frankness. I do recommend Jessica for clients who come from unusual, but also competitive backgrounds.

John/MbaMission was the first admissions consultant company to take the time to look beyond my stats on paper and hear my story/motivations for applying.

I researched and spoke with several similar companies to gauge my chances at different programs and heard I needed to readjust my expectations. My less traditional background (major/undergrad institution), and only 3 years of work experience (4 at program start) would rule out top schools. One company even told me, “It doesn’t matter if you score an 800 on the GMAT, you’re not the type of applicant top programs are looking for.” However, mbaMission was different.

John was incredibly encouraging, responsive, and attentive throughout the entire process (even just to check in during the decision waiting period). He restored my confidence and helped me tell my story which clearly articulated my personal and professional reasons for wanting an MBA. The result was a clear illustration of not just why I wanted an MBA but also everything I had done to prepare and how it would be pivotal in my career aspirations.

While I was still slightly jaded by the prior feedback I heard, I chose to only apply to a small number of schools (a couple of M7/T5 and one T10) with the intention of waiting and applying next year if needed to a more “realistic” range. However, this was not needed because not only was I accepted (including a scholarship), but I also had a choice of programs. I am thrilled to say I will be headed to an M7/T5 in the fall! I would highly recommend John and mbaMission to anyone going through this process.

Trusting Katy to guide my MBA admission process (written application + interviews) was the best decision I could have made. Uber efficient with your time and money. Do everything you can to work with her. Would do it again 100 times out of 100.

Do you know why you want to go to business school? No, why you really want to go to business school?
What about [insert city name] ecosystem makes you want to spend 2 years of graduate school studying there?
Which business school is the best cultural fit for you?
What about your first job made you see the world differently in your second job?

There is no formula here. Personal answers to these questions require conversations with many people you respect and trust; I felt this about Katy after just one call. In addition, I found Katy’s MBA specific experience to be invaluable – of being an HBS student herself and seeing thousands of previous successful and non-successful people go through and come out the other side of business school. Katy cared about my success, became my go-to thought partner by asking questions like these, and helped me self-discover and articulate moments in my past that make me special and well suited for a particular business school.

I have a unique perspective on MBA consultants because I actually started my journey with an MBA consultant from a different firm – The Admission Advisory Group – it was a horrendous experience DONT GO THERE!. That other consultant pushed a “formula” on me for the written application and told me to wait a year before applying and I would not get in because my application did not fit into their “formula”. I was extremely demoralized after that first experience with the other consultant and knew the advice didn’t sound right. Now on the other side I know there is no magic formula (don’t go looking for one) to get into business school, and I am grateful I found Katy to help me help myself shine.

Lastly, When it came down to interviews, Katy knows the ins and outs of the different styles at various MBA programs. Her mock interviews with me (even on weekends) helped me shorten my answers, focus on my unique aspects, and go into the interviews with confidence.

Really thorough, provided candid and relevant feedback, helped with everything from beginning to end. My first time applying I went with another consulting firm and got dinged by all schools (0/5). 2nd time around I went with Jen and she recommended to boost my GMAT and reach out to current students to truly identify why I wanted to attend. My application was so much more polished and it got me in. Working with Jen, she handled everything, had great editing skills, etc. She was extremely helpful!!

I signed up for hourly consulting services with Krista Nannery less than a week before Christmas last year. I was feeling dejected about my MBA prospects, having been waitlisted/denied at the two schools I had applied to in R1, and desperately needed help with my essays for three R2 applications.

From day one Krista was cheery, positive and professional. Her sunny demeanor re-energized me and her enthusiasm for the programs I was applying to reminded me why I started the application process, to begin with. What I liked most about working with Krista was the way she seamlessly transitioned between specific, detail-oriented feedback on my writing (like punctuation and syntax errors) to very broad, holistic feedback (really making me think through why I picked certain examples for my essays and whether there were better examples I could be using).

She was also incredibly quick with turnaround times, especially considering we were working around the Christmas and New Year holidays. She often returned materials to be well ahead of the stated deadlines for mbaMission consulting.

She also made the consulting process very personal by sharing her own reactions and similar experiences to what I wrote about in my essays.

After my applications were submitted, Krista checked back in for news on interview invites and also gave me helpful guidance on making my final choice once admission decisions came in.

At the end of the day, I ended up getting interview invites at all three schools that Krista helped me apply to, and was admitted to two M7 schools with scholarship money at both. It definitely would not have been possible without Krista!

I initially decided to do my free 30-minute consultation with Jen because I saw that she had done her MBA studies overseas (at Cambridge) and might possibly have better insight than other consultants with regard to my background (I had spent half my career overseas and didn’t want to just come across as “the international guy”). Jen told me in that call, that any of mbaMission’s consultants could help me present a solid narrative with my background, but I stayed with Jen because she came across very professionally and agreeably and came into that meeting with some great feedback prepared.

I was only applying to one school, The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, so I didn’t take advantage of any school selection or program compatibility services (Jen did advise that the program I’d chosen was a good fit, though).

I worked through the brainstorming exercises, which are used for all of mbaMission’s school package consultations. The exercises were very thorough and got me to reveal to myself all the content I needed to put together my application, essays and all. After brainstorming on my own, Jen helped me explore the content I’d generated from many different angles, to create an even more robust collection of information to draw from when it came to essay writing.

Essay writing was an iterative process, where each draft and round of feedback brought my application closer to the story I wanted to tell. Each essay needed 3-6 rounds of revision and feedback, each round taking 1-3 days. I really appreciated the quick turnaround and thoughtful feedback on the essays. The extensive writing and revision process, along with the brainstorm material used as the basis, allowed for very rigorous essay creation.

Jen also advised me on choosing and reconnecting with recommendation writers, and everything went very smoothly on that front.

When it came time to interview, Jen helped me prepare for a mock interview with her, again using the brainstorm material. The mock interview gave me a chance to get my jitters out of the way and get comfortable talking about myself and keeping responses within my overall narrative. The interview with the adcom member went as smoothly as possible and I felt confident and prepared throughout.

To conclude, I hired Jen via mbaMission with a clear goal in mind – to put in as much time and energy as I needed to put together the best application I could for the program I’d already chosen. Jen was an insightful and responsive coach throughout the process and gave me tools which were extremely helpful in telling my story. I was looking for help primarily with essays and the interview, but Jen helped me make sure my application was strong on all fronts, and I was admitted to my program with scholarship.

Profile:
Male, 730 GMAT, Top-40 Undergrad College

Accepted: Stanford

I worked with another mbaMission consultant for most of the application process (Liza Weale—she was absolutely amazing!), but in order to get an additional perspective going into my Stanford interview, she connected me with Jeremy. Jeremy went above and beyond the call of duty helping me prep for this interview. Not only did he make time to do a mock with me while he was on a family vacation, but he also offered to talk with me a second time the night before the interview to make sure I felt fully prepped going into it. He was straight up with me, offering both encouragement/praise and opportunities to get better (with suggestions of little tweaks to come off stronger). He gave me the confidence that I belong at the table of somewhere like Stanford (something I had a bit of self-doubt about) and helped me feel ready and excited going into the interview. I came out of the interview feeling as though it went as well as it could have and I can’t thank Jeremy enough for his help making this happen.

Kate is the perfect mix of professionally capable and personable. I have an unconventional background and short WE which made it challenging to apply to top 20 schools. Kate was very patient in the early stages when I was trying to figure out how to tell my story. Here are the things I was impressed by as we moved along the application process:

1. Documents: Kate was such a big help in my resume and essay drafting. She really helped me phrase things in a non-technical way without losing their significance. She offered a fresh perspective on the dos and don’ts for business school application for a young applicant who’s only been in the technical field. For my essays (on average 2 essays/school x 5 schools), she made detailed editing and gave valuable input on re-wording, themes, and ideas of each essay. I easily went through at least 3-4 drafts with each essay. Kate thoroughly looked through them and responded to my comments on every single draft. The thing with essay writing is, even if you’re extremely savvy in business jargon and good at writing, it’s still nice (& necessary) to have someone else’s perspective on your essays because you should never assume other people (Adcom) would react to what you write the same way you do, and this is where consultants who know how Adcom thinks come in. I got interviews with ALL BUT ONE school I applied to, which I could’ve never done without Kate’s help.

2. Content: Kate is REALLY thoughtful and efficient in her communication. For example, I’d tell her my concerns, and she’d respond with her take on the issue and multiple solutions to resolve the problem. This pattern persisted all the way from September to April, from drafting essays, attending events, to selecting letter writers, communicating with schools, and then to waitlist strategies and negotiating scholarships! Even when I didn’t ask, if she had material that she knew would be of help to me, she’d send them to me. She takes the client’s concerns seriously which I appreciated. Kate also doesn’t beat around the bush if something does not look right. She gives honest, direct and constructive feedback every time. Remember you’re paying thousands of dollars for quality, which is content in the most efficient way possible, and Kate lives up to that expectation.

3. Timeliness: Kate never failed to be responsive. This is something I was really touched by. Around the Holiday seasons when according to mbaMission schedule or her vacation, she didn’t need to respond to any emails, she swiftly responded to my inquiries (not document editing) because a lot of R2 deadlines were right around the corner. She had in mind the schools I was applying to and understood my priority. This is not to say that you should submit documents and expect her to edit them for you when she’s on vacation! The fact that she checked her email AND RESPONDED with thoughtful feedback within a day really showed that she cared, and I appreciated that.

I highly recommend Kate to future applicants who feel like they need someone in the know to guide them throughout the process. She made me feel supported and my money was well spent.

Thanks to Michael, I found him truly helpful. English is not my native language. But working with Michael was awesome, I got answers to my all questions. He studied my essays carefully and gave constructive feedback.
As a result, I was admitted in Round 1 to my first choice school in the US.

Right from the moment I started working with Harshad on my MBA application journey, he has always been there by my side and motivated me to bring out the best in myself and this helped me build a strong and authentic application – one which wouldn’t have been possible without his support. Harshad treats your success as his own and this trait of his is evident through all his efforts throughout the application process. Harshad always provides constructive criticism and doesn’t hold back from giving you his honest and straightforward opinion and this quality has helped me correct course numerous times be it while editing an essay or preparing for interviews. What makes him the best is that he is relatable! Whenever I have had my self-doubts about the whole MBA process, he has always highlighted my strengths and reassured me that this is indeed possible, often times quoting from his vast experience. His pep talks and positivity has helped me transform into a confident and self-sufficient MBA candidate. I strongly recommend Harshad for anyone looking for an MBA consultant!

Krista is a fantastic consultant, friend, and mentor. The whole MBA process was intimidating for me. I wasn’t around a lot of MBAs where I grew up professionally, so I wasn’t quite sure how I would fare or even where the whole process was leading me. But with Krista’s help and mentorship, I could see the entire picture-not only in what schools were right for me but also what career options were in line with my values. After our 30-minute free consultation, I knew Krista would be the perfect consultant to help me. Krista was the consummate professional during the application process-always prepared for our meetings, quick to return products (and to gently remind me to get back on track when I fell off task), and insightful in her feedback. By the time I hit submit, I was 100% confident that I had the best application possible. I had complete trust in Krista’s judgment and would recommend her to anyone who wants to chase their MBA dreams.

Harshad and I were engaged in the Pre-Application Strategy package for a year. I still remember what I was when I had the first free call with him. And, I have seen tremendous improvement in me as a person since then and all because of Harshad’s guidance.

We started by discussing my professional background, and he was very patient and interested in what I had to say. Then, he told me exactly what was good in my background, and what not so much. He told me I need to focus on my communication, extra-curricular, and present job responsibilities if I want to be a successful applicant next year. I always thought I had good communication skills, but Harshad won’t let you rest till you are “actually good.” He inspired me to join Toastmasters, Junior Achievement, Big Brother Big Sister and kept on pushing me whenever I got lazy. He pushed me to go to the class visits of all B-Schools I want to apply. I used to talk to him biweekly with my progress, and sometimes I pushed myself so that I have something to tell to Harshad in the next call because I didn’t want to disappoint him. This is the influence Harshad can have as a mentor. One time, he called me despite being sick, and I could tell from his voice that he is not well. This is the level of professionalism Harshad has. He doesn’t worry about the clock; his sole intention is to help you; I never thought he was doing it for the money. It was my success that drove him.

He didn’t only help me in my application; he is like a big brother in my circumstances as well. I took advice from him about whether I should get married now or after MBA, on the girl I was talking. He advised me on my family problems, on what books to read, how to handle office politics. He used to share the books he is reading and what he learned from them. He shared with me his learnings from the people he admires in life and expected me to grow as a person from his mistakes. Once, I was in Chicago, and he took me to drinks, and we discussed life in general. In that talk, he told me how I should improve in the ways I am living my life. I still have all those bullet points in records, and I agree with each of them.

In short, Harshad is the best you can get. I have talked to multiple consultants, and they were nowhere near to what Harshad brings to the table. I have continued my package with Harshad for the All-in package this year because of the fantastic experience I had before.

Working with Harshad throughout the application process was extremely rewarding. I had a very unique and difficult timeline/situation, but Harshad worked with me through it all and supported me during each phase of the process. Harshad is an amazing storyteller; he was able to bring out my best qualities and help me put them into words to show the AdCom what I could bring to a program. He is able to do this because he takes the necessary time to get to know his clients and he is a diligent listener. Harshad was not just interested in my professional background; he cared about what motivated me, he asked questions about my family, my childhood, everything. Personally, my favorite aspect of Harshad was his honesty. As someone who did not have much time to waste, I really appreciated his direct approach–it showed me how much he cared about the quality of my applications and that he knew the quality of work I was capable of.

With the help of Harshad, I was able to land 4 admits to top 10 schools and I know for a fact that I would not be where I am today without him. I signed up with Harshad thinking of him as a consultant, and I am leaving the process thinking of him as a friend. Thank you, Harshad!

When I first started the MBA application process, I was very confused and had no idea what admissions committees were “looking for.” During my initial calls with Harshad, it became abundantly clear that he was the person I needed to guide me through the process. He was extremely attentive to my concerns about weak points in my profile, and he could provide direct answers to all my questions about various schools, essays, etc.

I could go on and on about my time working with him, but I think it’s best to highlight what I feel are a few of his greatest strengths.

1) He was a friend, not just a consultant. Harshad truly wanted to get to know me as a person. During our initial brainstorming call, he continued to ask follow up questions as we dove deeper into my stories; it was clear he wanted to understand the underlying meaning each one had to me. And this is one of the many ways he was able to push me to write essays that truly reflect who I am as a person. It never felt like he was “working” or “doing his job,” just a friend who genuinely wanted to help me achieve my goals.

2) He didn’t let me settle for “good enough.” There were a number of times throughout the process where I would send Harshad a draft I thought was solid. On paper, the essay was logical and “made sense.” However, Harshad recognized there was significant room for improvement; he knew these essays didn’t cut deep enough. So he pushed me to continue to dive deeper into my stories until I found something that truly reflected who I was and who I am today. On my own, I would never have pushed myself through this process of deep self-reflection. Looking back, my final essays were night and day compared to my earliest drafts.

3) He was a rockstar consultant all around. Harshad went above and beyond his duties as a consultant: as others have mentioned, he consistently provided feedback on my drafts far in advance of his firm’s required timeframes. Furthermore, he is extremely knowledgeable about the application process as well as the similarities and differences between various top MBA programs. He was also instrumental in helping me drastically cut down the word count on my preliminary drafts without losing the true meaning/message behind my stories.

Since I’m sure some people reading this will be interested to hear how things worked out… I am super excited to say that I’ll be attending an M7 school later this year with a 50% scholarship! I absolutely would not have accomplished this without Harshad. I can’t recommend him strongly enough.

I’m almost 35 years old. I went to a small state school. I was out of a job for 15+ months. Before my current career, I worked blue-collar jobs. My GRE quant was 65%. I had a family tragedy in the middle of the application cycle.

Despite ALL that, with Jessica’s extraordinary guidance, these are my results:

Applied – Stanford, Harvard (MBA & MPP), Wharton, MIT, Haas, Yale, Virginia, UCLA, UNC, Georgetown
Interview invites – EVERY. SINGLE. SCHOOL.
Accepted – 9 admits, 1 waitlist, 1 ding. Candidly, both non-admits were cuz I screwed up the interviews. C’est la vie 🙂
Funding offered – $257K+ (from various schools)
Attending – Joint Stanford MBA and Harvard MPP (with an awesome named fellowship)

At heart, Jessica is a storyteller. She took the block of stone I gave her (over 30 pages of stories/vignettes and hours of phone calls), and helped me sculpt a masterpiece.

One story highlights many of her strengths: for the GSB essay, I was struggling for an opener. Jessica mentioned a short phrase I’d written in my 30+ brainstorming pages. And voila, I had an intro which tied the whole essay together.

This small story shows her eye for detail, her work ethic, and most importantly, her tradecraft of shaping narratives that both tug at the heartstrings and engage the intellect.

To me, the goal of an application — something more subtle than the explicit goal of getting accepted — is getting the Adcom members to be YOUR advocate. Jessica understands that. And that is exactly what we did. The amazing and humbling outcomes I’ve had were only possible with Jessica on my team.

I enjoyed working with Jessica so much that, crazy as it sounds, I actually miss the hellish application process! That speaks volumes in itself.

Michael helped with brainstorming ideas for multiple aspects of my applications. He asked tough, in-depth questions which were great at getting my ideas to flow. I really appreciate his help with my resume as well to conform it to business school standards. His flexible hours were great as was his response time. Overall would highly recommend.

To kick this review off, I will say that my MBA application season was an uphill battle. My undergrad GPA is sub-par (2.5) and I have no alternative transcript to mitigate it in any way. Additionally, I had only 3 years of work experience at a no-name tech firm.

Every single consultant I spoke to before Harshad told me to trash my target list and look at part-time programs or lower ranked schools. However, I was determined to get into a full-time top 20 program and needed a coach to believe in me and help me achieve this goal.

Harshad was exactly that and much more! Right off the bat, Harshad was blatantly honest with me and made sure I understood that I was punching above my weight when it came to my targets. Harshad coached me and was available at a moments notice to help me strengthen my essays and personal story. He always went above and beyond to give me critical feedback that was crucial to my success in the application season, always being brutally honest and guiding me through the process.

In the end – I did what no other consultant believed I could do. I got into a top 20 program with a bloody full scholarship! I still can’t believe it to this day. Looking back at my lousy attempts to write my essays before I was introduced to Harshad makes me sure that I wouldn’t even be close to where I am today without his help. I am so happy I bit the bullet and hired Harshad and am at ease knowing I will not have to worry about tuition for the next two years.

Thank you again Harshad! I would recommend your services to anyone and everyone thinking about applying to any MBA program.

After taking the GMAT, I was a bit lost in terms of where, to begin with, the application process. I couldn’t decide how to best position my non-traditional healthcare background.

Nisha helped me tell my story more effectively and challenged me to be introspective about why I am pursuing my MBA. Working with her helped me to more clearly define my short and long-term goals, which became imperative not only for applications, but also for business school meet-and-greet events and, later on, interviews. Throughout the entire process, Nisha was prompt, encouraging and thoughtful in her feedback. I applied to 4 schools and was accepted to three with varying merit-based scholarships (including my “reach” school!), and am wait-listed at the fourth. I believe I would not have come nearly this far if not for Nisha’s guidance.

I had the pleasure of working with Krista after speaking with many other consultants and she was absolutely fantastic. From our very first call, I knew that she was someone that I could trust and be comfortable around.

What I loved about Krista:

– From the start, I could tell that Krista is very experienced and organized, which made the whole chaotic application process much easier to navigate and enjoyable. She knew what had to be done, kept me on track, and turned everything around super fast.

– Krista was really great at helping to ease my stress. Throughout the process, I often approached her with problems that seemed like a huge deal to me, and every time she was able to provide simple and elegant solutions. I knew that I could rely on her anytime I had a question/concern and would be able to receive great advice promptly.

– She is an excellent writer and communicator. Krista has a simple, clear, and beautiful writing style that made my essays much more compelling. I loved that she never tried to take away my voice, but simply took what I wrote and gave smart suggestions to enhance it.

– Overall, Krista is just a wonderful person to work with. She is fun, kind, relatable, supportive, and she was always cheering for me. I was very comfortable talking to her and I genuinely enjoyed all our conversations.

Ultimately, I was admitted to Booth and I don’t know if I could’ve done it without Krista. I highly highly recommend her to any future applicant – you won’t regret it!!

Harshad and I started working together in August and he helped me through two rounds and applications to seven schools. I can honestly say this feat would have been impossible without him. Fundamentally, he is a warm and kind person who has just the right touch of honesty and pragmatism to keep you focused on what really matters. He is extremely efficient and is more than willing to help you under tight deadlines, which for me was crucial in round 2 where a number of deadlines were back to back. His approach helped me discover a lot about myself and he really pushed me to dig deep and develop unique and interesting ways of defining who I am within each school’s vastly different essays.
Harshad made me a better writer and helped me write great essays. He never injected his voice into my content, but simply helped flush out my own ideas in compelling narratives. I felt confident that my essays were the best I could have done and I am not entirely sure what that peace of mind is worth.
Best of all, Harshad’s hard work helped me get interviews at every single school I applied to, which was a difficult feat given my competitive but not stellar GMAT.
Four admits, two waitlists (hopefully admits), and one rejection (after an interview) later, you could say Harshad was worth every penny. I am still deciding between two of my dream schools (both in the top 10) and I know I wouldn’t be in this position without Harshad. I would highly recommend his consulting services to anyone.

Kate is extremely experienced and has been very supportive throughout my entire application process. After taking the time to truly know and understand me, she used her excellent writing skills and worked her best magic on my materials in a timely manner- highlighting my strength and meeting the word/page requirements while keeping my true self on paper. Kate answers all my questions promptly and clearly, and she makes great suggestions from school choices, campus visits to interviews. The application process is quite a headache for everyone but I was so lucky to work with Kate. Her professionalism and personable personality made the process so much easier for me. I highly recommend her to any business school applicant!

I jumped in the MBA application journey pretty late in the cycle with not much time to do a deep self-reflection and was initially left clueless in terms of coming up with stories that are uniquely personal and interesting. Then I met Jeremy, who carried me through the brainstorming process, took seemingly unrelated pieces of anecdotes, and weaved them into coherent narratives that would have allowed me to be a stand-out candidate. Jeremy was also very patient, enduring many rounds of drafting my essay responses with a goal of making sure that my stories have enough substance. Also extremely knowledgeable in details of each MBA program. No doubt Jeremy has been highly successful in MBA admissions consulting business for so many years and I would certainly be in a group of the reviewers here who highly recommends working with Jeremy.

I started working pretty late on my applications (2 months before the deadline) so I wanted a professional to guide me through the process. That’s when I engaged Kate based on the recommendation of a friend who had worked with her in the past. I bought a one school package for Booth from mbaMission. Kate was super-helpful in helping me craft the story and she provided honest feedback to weed out any irrelevant information in my essays. As the deadline drew closer, she even reverted with her comments on my essays within a few hours to save time. This speaks volumes about her commitment to my success. Unfortunately, Booth did not work out but I got into Columbia. I would like to attribute the success to Kate as I built upon my work with her while she acted as a sounding board for some of my ideas for other applications. So, if you are looking for a professional consultant who would make sure that you do the job right then I would highly recommend you to work with Kate.

When I initially booked my free consultation with Jeremy, I very much expected him to sell me on the benefits of choosing mbaMission, and why I needed to be a client as soon as possible. That was not the case in the slightest.

Instead, I received very direct, sincere career advice that involved convincing me why I don’t need the services offered by mbaMission at the moment, and that I should just be focusing on being my best professional and community member. When I needed more advice a few months later, Jeremy took the time to book another free consultation with me, which I greatly appreciated.

I cannot say enough about how highly I recommend Jeremy to anyone looking for a genuine mentor. He exemplifies what it means to truly care about somebody’s personal and professional success.

From day 1, she was so confident in me and my story. I was a bit doubtful in getting into top MBA schools, because of my average GMAT score. She boosted my confidence in every call, in every email we exchanged. She is very fast in responding to any of the questions. The brainstorming session with her is extremely helpful. I advise everyone to put in all your soul, put in all the stories and work really hard to understand what’s your story and what you want to do. This will help Katy to better understand what drives you in life and then Katy will surely transform your small anecdotes to something much bigger and impactful.

I love the way she asked me to write down all my prompts/thoughts without paying attention to the words limits in the essays (which was by the way, too much work for her). With this activity, she could understand the way I want to approach my essay. She pushed me hard all the time to brainstorm in each and every part of my essay where I thought, things were missing. With her support and encouragement, I came out with such a creative essay, which made me believe that someday, I could be an author of a bestseller:) haha!

I can’t thank her enough for the interview preps, mock interview, and her undistracted time and attention. She instilled so much confidence in me, released my anxiety and tension before the interviews. The east and west time difference worked perfectly for us. It was like we were working round the clock, utilizing all 24 hours.

Because of Katy, I got into 2 prestigious schools and with scholarships in both the schools 😀

I am not sure whether this review gives justice to the support and attention Katy gave me throughout my application journey. You will never ever regret your decision by choosing her.

Data Points:
GPA: 3.8
Undergrad Degree: Management Information Systems
Gender: Male
GMAT Score: LOW
Current Industry: Tech
Leadership activities: Heavy involvement during undergrad/post graduation
Volunteering activities: Heavy involvement during undergrad/post graduation
Life Goals:
#1 Develop a platform to help people discover their passion.
#2. Help minorities pursue a degree in technology
Julie-Anne Heafey was my MBA consultant during the 2019 applications process. In my experience in working with her, I can honestly say she was everything you could ask for when it comes to an MBA mentor! There are three key areas where I felt Julie-Anne really stood out for me as a remarkable consultant.
#1. Julie-Anne is a great listener. Not once did I feel like I was losing my story or was not remaining true to myself. Julie-Anne takes the time and attention to really dig deep into who you are as a person and what truly defines you. It really helped when tackling the essay prompts for these top tiered schools!
#2. Julie-Anne is very responsive. During the application process, you will have last minute questions and or change of topics/material when it comes to your essays. Whenever I needed to reach out to Julie-Anne she would respond almost immediately! She has a turnaround schedule and will always give you a heads up on any planned family vacations to help coordinate schedules! She was even gracious enough to provide a phone number for any last minute emergencies related to my applications!
#3. Julie-Anne takes her job very seriously. You can tell Julie-Anne has done her research in understanding each school and how you will fit within their culture. Not only that but she will also suggest schools outside of your target list that you may have never considered. More than anything, Julie-Anne is trying to find the perfect culture fit for you as part of the process, I can’t stress enough how important that was for me!
It was amazing having Julie-Anne as my MBA mentor and I very happy and grateful that I will be attending the Haas School of Business this fall!
Good luck everyone and if you are reading this, hopefully, I was able to help you in your matchmaking process!

The application process is awful, but you have to commit to it. It’s nearly impossible if you don’t have a support system that’s pushing you, encouraging you and supporting you. Harshad is incredible. In the midst of all the self-doubting, he’s there to remind you why you are embarking on this journey. He gets you excited about the prospects, and with it, motivates you to put your best application forward. He’s incredibly wise and his advice has been unparalleled to anyone else I’ve spoken during this application process. He is able to shape your story in a way that makes so much sense that you wonder how you didn’t come up with it yourself — that’s how natural it flows and that’s a huge + in applications. His tips on crafting the story and guidance on the daunting essays are truly what helped me get to where I am now. I would not be where I am now without Harshad. He is so excellent at identifying which schools would be a good fit for you. If you have decided to embark on this MBA journey with all the potential loans in the future, this initial investment is essential. You will not regret it. There are so many consultants out there, but I can honestly say that this is was the best experience and I could not have imagined having to work with anyone better.

Referred by a friend, I reached out to Katy after unsuccessfully applying to a couple of schools the year before. Thanks to Katy’s help I’m extremely excited to have gotten into Tuck and Darden. Katy was incredibly helpful throughout the entire process from brainstorming to essay editing to interview prep. However, as someone coming from an over-represented area (analyst in financial services), I think where Katy helped me the most was in guiding me to recognize and fully appreciate the aspects of my story and profile that were unique and powerful. Katy also encouraged me to take risks in my essays and gave me the confidence to do so. She also was just a lot of fun, and I always really enjoyed our conversations. I would highly recommend working with Katy to anyone who is seriously interested in going to B-School!

Rachel was recommended by a friend who loved working with her. My experience was exactly the same! From the beginning she was very professional, knowledgable, and honest (which is something I really appreciated). She truly helped me figure out the ins and outs of the whole application process which can be very daunting, and she constantly checked on me to make sure things were going according to plan. She pushed me to work hard and I really appreciate all her help. I’ve recommended her to a few friends thinking about their MBA and I suggest if you’re curious at all about getting an MBA, to schedule a call with her. As I mentioned, she’s very honest and will let you know if she can help you or not.

Thank you, Rachel!

Jessica was the only consultant I felt truly understood me through the innumerable free consultations I did, and she was the one I decided to go for when the time came to apply. She proved to be quite a good resource through my application process. My biggest concern was my essays, and she gave frank feedback, and really pushed me to dig deeper and introspect when necessary. She always met her deadlines and through her diligence, I developed a really good schedule for myself as well. She is a really good consultant for mbaMission and I recommend her to anyone looking to get help through the application process.

I was introduced to Jeremy while I was in law school and contemplating a JD/MBA (I had worked in finance for several years before going back to school). We met on several occasions and I worked with him formally as my consultant and mentor. We discussed during several meetings whether going to business school was the right decision for my path as an entrepreneur. Jeremy was balanced, objective and extremely informed on not only the admissions process but also on the schools themselves, costs and benefits, overall experience and ultimately the value he thought it would provide.

Jeremy helped me decide that it was not in my best interest to pursue the MBA as my age, experience and life circumstances would afford me my desired path without the extra degree. I am a real estate entrepreneur and so thankful for Jeremy’s guidance in making the tough decision not to pursue additional schooling. This also left me without the additional debt burden, which would have made the destination to my goal all the more difficult.

I could not recommend Jeremy more highly as a consultant, mentor or friend. He has personally invested in his clients best outcome and I am so fortunate that I had him by my side throughout the process.