mbaMission | MBA Admissions Consultants

I was introduced to Katharine (Katy) Lewis by a good friend who worked with her throughout the 2014 application cycle. This applicant was ecstatic to have accepted an offer to Stanford GSB and admitted to many other top schools; she could not have been more excited to recommend Katy and get me started with the application process. As part of the free initial 30 minute consultation (in January 2016), Katy reviewed my resume and discussed my work history, professional goals and interests, and initial school thoughts. My main concern was that I hadn’t achieved a GMAT score I thought was competitive enough; Katy re-assured me to keep going and check back around April / May to re-assess the situation. Once it reached April, I still hadn’t finished my testing but decided to move forward with the process in order to stay well ahead of the round 1 submission timeline. Katy was more than gracious to accept me as a client and start the process while still re-assuring me that the testing would never be an issue as long as I kept trying. I purchased the “complete start-to-finish” package for 3 schools: HBS, Stanford GSB, and Dartmouth Tuck. HBS and Stanford were my top choices; I was slightly unsure about Dartmouth Tuck and ended up changing this school once my final school decisions were due. A few thoughts on each stage of the process: Brainstorming: This is the starting point for all applications and consisted of a detailed questionnaire and a few brainstorming calls to solidify the overall arch to my application. It was initially a bit overwhelming — I needed to provide very detailed commentary on my overall background, from childhood to my current professional environment — but after diving in, it ended up being the most interesting part of the entire process. Portions of my personal history that I thought were relatively inconsequential ended up providing the best starting point for essays; Katy constantly reminded me of this. Her level of enthusiasm for my background and anecdotes gave me such confidence that I was a strong candidate – it made my essay writing process one of self-discovery rather than a chore. School Choice / Application Round: I ended up missing round 1 deadlines due to my testing and reset my priorities to round 2; during that time, I decided to add a handful of schools through the Consortium common application and Katy was able to help me pick and choose which schools I’d be most competitive as an applicant. I ended up choosing Stanford GSB and HBS, and through the Consortium common application I chose Yale, Cornell, UVA Darden, UC Berkeley Haas, and NYU. I was amazed by Katy’s level of knowledge for each school; she’s personally spent time at each of them and can talk for hours about the pros and cons for each school. Aside from that, she was always willing to put me in touch with a former client or contact so that I could get a better sense first-hand sense of each program. Career Goals / Personal Interests: Business school has always been a goal but I had some difficulty verbalizing my post-MBA goals. I’ve spent the last 7 years in the Risk Management division of a large Investment Bank and I did not want to give any impression that I wanted to return to a traditional banking or consulting type of role following graduation. Katy was instrumental in helping me solidify my vision for a logical career path following b-school. This was incredibly important as most (not all) interviews will dig deep here. Katy helped me focus in on a forward-looking vision that was based on my experience and a logical next step that I could believe in my head as I was interviewing. Essays / Final Applications: Submission of the final applications was hectic given the number of schools I was applying to but Katy never missed a deadline and always had feedback that proved invaluable. The essay writing process was iterative and she never altered or made direct changes to any of my written submissions; instead, she would provide comments on ways to re-think certain aspects or strengthen ideas that seemed thin in the context of my overall candidacy. At any point in time, I was free to ‘reject’ her suggestions if I didn’t feel comfortable but I never found that to be the case. At the outset I thought I’d dread writing the essays just given the number I had to do (~14); however, the extensive brainstorming process made it super simple to pair certain personal stories with essay prompts to the point that they almost wrote themselves. I’d perhaps have 4-5 total revisions per essay on those that I cared the most about. Interviews: I was absolutely thrilled and quite frankly couldn’t believe that I received interview invitations from HBS, UC Berkeley Haas, Yale, NYU, and Cornell. Every single school has a different approach; you may meet with any combination of current students, admissions committee members, and alumni. Katy was instrumental in helping me prep and I was never blindsided by the interviews that we prepared for. When all was said and done, I received admissions offers from HBS, Haas, Yale, and Cornell; the result could not have been more positive and I ended up choosing my top-choice of HBS! On a personal note, my relationship with Katy went from client to personal confidant. She was always there to keep my nerves in check and re-assure me when I was doubting myself. Her positive attitude and willingness to chat, at ANY time of the day, made this incredibly long journey surprisingly enjoyable. She was even gracious enough to invite my boyfriend and I to her home when we were in her neck of the woods. In short, this review could never summarize how incredibly instrumental Katy has been throughout this (lengthy) stage in my life. I knew she would get results, but I’m still completely blown away by how positive the results turned out in my case. Some friends of mine have recently expressed a faint interest in b-school themselves and, as a result, I’ve gone out of my way to have them at least speak with her. I would hate for anyone to miss an opportunity to work with such an incredibly talented and caring person.

I worked with Nisha & MBA Mission through the hourly package – as I had already narrowed down my schools and had an idea of what my application would look like. After spending some time understanding my goals and motivation for an MBA, we started outlining the stories that I wanted to tell in each of my essays. Nisha really helped me get my thoughts together and put them down in an essay in a clear and concise way. Nisha was very responsive even through the critical holiday season (I had applied in round 2 – in December/January) and her insights were extremely helpful. I was waitlisted at one of my top choices, and Nisha was extremely helpful in sending additional updates, which eventually helped me get in!

I worked with Harshad to apply for b-school in late 2016, and really appreciated all of his help and work! Due to taking the GMAT later than expected I had a short timeframe to get my applications done (about a month), and Harshad worked tirelessly in order to ensure that he provided advice quickly and efficiently. After undergoing the initial brainstorming for my applications, Harshad was able to analyze and boil down my various experiences in order to suggest an essay path forward that properly highlighted my best qualities to admissions. Even during a short timeframe (and over the holidays) Harshad responded almost immediately to every request or e-mail I sent. He was always available for a call in order to go through potential ideas or changes, and he was available 7 days a week. His edits of my writing were a lifesaver and he really helped me focus my message in all of essays and applications. He was 100% committed to helping me achieve my goals, and I ended up gaining admission to the school that I applied to! I would recommend Harshad to anyone who is applying to b-school. He was a great help, both in the admissions process and in providing great advice on all aspects of the b-school decision.

After burying myself under a pile of B-School essays, application materials and interview questions I realized I needed help and that came in the form of John Sisk at mbaMission. In our initial consultation session, he explained to me that applying to B-School is a marathon, not a sprint, and he was going to be there each and every mile along the way. The “Start-to-Finish” package was the right one for me as I was applying to six schools and had no idea how to even begin. John stepped right in to give me guidance on school selection and got my wheels turning on how to conceptualize my “story” for the various B-School essays. Over the next few months thoughts turned into well-articulated essays alongside a perfected resume. Even though I was already personable and social, John turned me into a better interviewer through expert advice and practice. These are just a few examples of how John will light the path for you to forge ahead. Through thick and thin, John will be there to guide you across the finish line. He certainly helped me achieve my dreams of getting into a top tier MBA program and he can do the same for you. I highly recommend his services and feel confident leaving you in his hands.

Kate greatly exceeded my expectations. At first, I was reluctant to hire a consulting service as I was afraid of getting a cookie-cutter approach resulting in a bland application. However, Kate took the time to understand what I wanted to say, was straight with me when I was being repetitive, and helped me suggesting edits while keeping my voice intact throughout the application. Furthermore, as it often happens, I had little time left to submit my application and was very thankful that Kate responded to all my inquiries promptly and comprehensively according to a scheduled she shared with me at the start of the engagement. Other consultants I spoke to briefly wanted to “force” me into applying to certain schools whereas Kate helped me polish my essays to accurately show what I liked of each school and how I felt I fit in. I am very happy with the outcome and feel proud of my applications for I know I drafted 100% of the content that got me accepted, but Kate’s input was instrumental in polishing my essays and ensuring all my messaged were received as clearly as possible.

I genuinely enjoyed working with Kate because she genuinely cared about my unique story and encouraged me to apply for top MBA programs despite my low GMAT score. Kate laid out a structured plan to address low GMAT verbal by recommending that I take a communication class and obtain an A to demonstrate my verbal proficiency and boost my entire candidacy. Throughout the entire process, Kate was extremely phenomenal at helping me structure my MBA resume and incorporate specific and important aspects of my story into my essays, which flowed like a conversation. She will promptly return all my draft essays with detailed improvements that helped me articulate my MBA goals in a succinct manner. I was absolutely thrilled to work with her and I ended up getting into one of my dream schools. I whole-heartedly recommend her for your MBA application experience. She is extremely knowledgeable and makes the application process easier than studying for the GMAT.

I used mbaMission basically because of the referral from ManhattanGMAT. My initial contact was actually with a different consultant than the one I used, it was with Liza Weale. She truly inspired me to not let my low GPA set me back from top programs. It took me however about another year to really start my application process (with GMAT and all) and unfortunately by that time she was fully committed. Thanks to her interactions with me, she was able to refer me to someone she felt would be a good fit: Rachel Beck. She was indeed right! During those 12 months of prepping, I also had decided to no longer pursue a full-time MBA, but rather an Executive MBA, for reasons that don’t need to be listed here, but that none are out of the ordinary. Rachel, a Columbia graduate, was very quick to get to know me, my ambitions, my weaknesses and fears, and from there start the essay writing process. Overall, the experience was great. It took me however a session or two to understand that the consultants are not going to lead you into every single step – you need to take the initiative a lot of the times, and come up with the questions/thoughts/essays for them to answer/review. There are two important areas where Rachel’s value-add came to life that really marked my application: 1: The main essay. I was very inspired in my first write-up. I over-wrote, but that was fine with me. I was in the zone. I thought I had a keeper… Until she reviewed it. I had not written what I was expected to talk about. Without her, I would have completely choked on this essay. It takes an experienced set of eyes to really know what they’re looking for – and she was exactly that. 2: The essay about ‘what else’ – this is where she marked the difference. The subject we came up with together really touched a nerve to the AdCom – and it even came up in my interview! It was a great experience and definitely the way to go to build a winning application.

Working with Heidi was a phenomenal experience. Through the hourly service package, Heidi and I were able to prioritize our time to improve the areas of my application in order to gain admission into the top 25 business schools. She helped me highlight my accomplishments and prepare an application that would show who I am as a person. Heidi reviewed all my essays and resume, and her feedback highlighted the positives while giving constructive feedback. She pushed me to think about my experiences and helped me present them in the logical way. In addition, she pushed me as a writer and I learned to better articulate and show my story. I submitted 5 applications during the round 2 deadline. I was invited to interview with all 5 of the schools. Once I received the interview notifications, Heidi helped me prepare for my interviews through a mock Skype interview. Ultimately, I was admitted into two schools, waitlisted at two schools, and denied admission into one. Best of all, one of the schools I was admitted to was my first choice, and I will be attending that school in the fall. Heidi was truly wonderful to work with and I highly recommend her! Thank you for all of your help Heidi!

One of the best decisions I made in the application process was getting a consultant, and Jessica is by far the best and most knowledgeable consultant I spoke to. Starting off the MBA process and being a non-traditional candidate, I was unsure on how to sell myself to top MBA programs; however, Jessica guided me through the application process and gave me the confidence to excel. Ultimately, I was accepted into my dream school, which I highly contribute to Jessica’s thoughtfulness and patience throughout the process. A few reasons I think Jessica is the best in the industry: –She gives honest feedback, and pushes you to stay on-track. I really appreciated this quality, especially when writing each of my business school essays. –She has a gift for story-telling. During each call and essay edit, Jessica helped me extract and build upon the most important ideas of each story, which was very helpful. When writing about ourselves, we often think every aspect of our story is vital to write down; however, Jessica is a master at helping you condense but still answer the essay questions thoughtfully. –She is very timely, and turns around work quickly. I was so impressed with Jessica’s ability to turn very high-quality work around fast. Jessica is amazing, and I highly recommend her to anyone applying to business school.

John was a pleasure to work with and helped me manage an incredibly stressful waitlist process. After completing applications without an admissions consultant I found myself waitlisted (after interview) at Stanford GSB, MIT Sloan, and Wharton. John provided a logical and informed process to address my scenario and successfully navigate the waitlist. Even though the schools publically posted that they didn’t need additional information, John helped me find ways to positively communicate to them and tip the needle in my favor. I found him to be responsive, and he always provided value added advice. My only regret is not hiring John as my admissions consultant earlier so I could have avoided the waitlist process in the first place! I can honestly say that without John’s wisdom and coaching I’d be going through the admissions process all over again. Because of him I’ll be attending Stanford GSB in the fall!

Jess was wonderful to work with! I had the pleasure of working with her for two years, and throughout the entire process, Jess was incredibly supportive, knowledgeable and thorough. Jess really worked with me to identify key differentiating points of my skills and experience and then clearly communicate my story in the admissions essays and interview. She is a fantastic writer and helped me articulate ideas in a very succinct way. I ended up getting into my dream school and I thank Jess over and over for all of her insight and hard work to help me achieve my goals! I would definitely recommend Jess for your MBA application experience! Simply the best!

I cannot say enough good things about Nisha and mbaMission overall. I was not originally planning to use a consulting service, but I am so glad I reached out for help. I got started a little late in the application process, but felt immediately relieved after my first call with Nisha. Once she had an idea of my background and goals, we hit the ground running. I felt like I knew my story but was having a difficult time making it clear and concise on paper. Nisha really took the time to understand the nuances of my experiences and my short term and long term goals. She used this understanding to make thoughtful and tangible recommendations on my essays. Nisha provided valuable insight on the essays, but one of the biggest benefits of working with her was her ability to view my application overall. For example, I was worried about my not-so-stellar GMAT score, but Nisha helped me think through ways to offset it throughout the application. While brainstorming, drafting, and editing essays was the biggest reason I sought help, Nisha was willing to assist however I needed it. She made herself available for questions on any part of the process: campus visits, meeting with current students / admissions, etc. Having someone to ask the seemingly dumb questions along the way was such a relief. From my free 30 minute consultation all the way through interview preparation, I was thoroughly impressed with Nisha’s enthusiasm and willingness to help however and whenever I needed it. Thanks to Nisha and mbaMission, I got in to my top choice and I could not be more thrilled!

I had a great experience working with John Sisk from mbaMission on my essays, resume and short answers. It was great to have a third party who really knows what he is doing and has no bias towards my writing/content. With his support, I was accepted into my top two schools (HBS and Columbia). I would highly recommend working with him. (1) John pushed me. Each time that I thought I’d nailed it, he’d reply with insightful feedback, always asking why….why did I want to do X in my career, why does Y motivate me…He challenged me, pushing me to take each aspect of my essays to the next level, really examining my motivations and how they play into my overall story. He is an expert in the space and helped me to dig deeper to product essays I was really proud of. (2) That said, he never stressed me out. He consistently offered great advice, stayed patient, kept me calm and on track, and helped me get my essays across the finish line. He was honest, straightforward and optimistic. (3) I was late to the game and I wish I’d allowed for more time. John was always responsive, but 2 business day turnarounds can add up when you’re close to deadlines (and holiday breaks are upon you). We had a lot of essays going back and forth (and ended up wasting costly $$ b/c I was sending John multiple versions to review at a time due to the pending deadlines). Make sure to take this into account + reach out as early as possible. (4) Before I began working with mbaMission, I spent a lot of time reading sample essays and brainstorming. I ended up overwhelmed and wasting time. I wish that I had reached out to John sooner in the process for his guidance in how to approach the essays and structure my thinking. It was costly, but entirely worth the investment. To have an unbiased expert was invaluable.

I had my first call with Kate in April 2016 and we matched instantly, as she immediately understood my needs and my goals.

I am going to start by the conclusion: Kate was amazing. If I had to go through the process again, I would work with her again without any hesitation.

The first step of the process was to define my profile and my development needs in order to select the schools. After a deep brainstorming, she proposed me the programs that she thought were the best fit. She even proposed programs I did not know and that matched perfectly with what I was looking for. I also really appreciated that Kate was invested in my schools choices but left the final decision up to me

Right after, we “built” a profile from my personal story. We therefore worked on highlighting the parts of my profile that would be interesting for my application. I need to emphasize on the fact that, as an international applicant with 9 years of experience, my profile was “unusual” (older age than average, very “heterogeneous” professional path, degrees very far from what one can expect to apply for a business school) and “not linear”. It was hence not an easy “profile” for Kate. However, she was more than happy to take the bet.

Then we worked on every single aspect of the applications. Her coaching was very efficient as she always found the words to motivate me even when I was completely “broken” and “sunk” in my GMAT preparation as well as in my professional and family life. Her observations and remarks were straight to the point and relevant, without being directive.

On top of that, Kate was very adaptive. As far as she could, she always tried her best to adapt her schedule or her work to deliver her comments in case of an “urgent” request.

At the end of the process, on the 6 school we applied to, I was accepted in 4 among which my dream one!

Jessica had rave reviews from my former manager (“the best”), and I used her for Round 1 of the 2016-2017 cycle with 2/2 admissions at HBS and Wharton. Both a business executive and perceptive storyteller, Jessica outperformed at every step, packing our time with prompt, actionable feedback delivered with off-the-charts energy and humor. In our first conversation, she quickly synthesized my profile (strengths and specifics to improve – e.g. trying the GRE) and cited information on schools I hadn’t unearthed in hours of research and calls. During our sessions, Jessica took time to understand the influences that have shaped me, and my future goals. She then drew out my most compelling accomplishments and experiences, weaving them into a memorable yet strategic narrative that stood out to my target schools. In particular, she is an exceptional writer. She is skilled at understanding the point you are trying to communicate and crafting a succinct, accessible way to get it across. She helped me tell a very context-specific story in a way that was clear and persuasive to any reader, which I believe got me into my top school. I worked with Jessica on my brainstorming, essay (editing again and again until every word had weight), and career goals. She also demystified the process by providing honest answers on what schools expected and how I matched up (How to use the short answers, or present a low GPA?). My engagement with Jessica gave me the edge I needed to get into my dream school, and clarity and focus going forward. Work with Jessica – you will not regret it!!

I had a wonderful experience working with John Sisk from mbaMission. I knew John was committed from our very first conversation, a free, 30-minute phone consultation. He asked detailed questions about my previous experiences and future goals, and based on what he heard, encouraged me to take a quantitative course prior to applying to bolster my quantitative profile. I ended up taking an Accounting course through UCLA Extension (one of several online options John provided immediately following our phone call); I do believe this made a positive difference in my application process, and I credit that entirely to John. As I began to write my essays, John was there every step of the way; he provided timely, detailed, and thoughtful feedback and also made himself available do discuss questions over the phone when I preferred. John was on paternity leave for part of my application process, but ensured a very smooth transition to another consultant from mbaMission (the founder), who was equally as helpful and responsive. The success I had in my application process (getting into 4 out of 5 schools) was certainly due in part to mbaMission! They helped me articulate my story in a way that clearly resonated with admissions committees. My “voice” was not taken away in the process; rather, it was strengthened by their advice and guidance.

Having never applied to a program outside my country (Pakistan), let alone a top global leadership program, I had little idea about where to begin with when I started thinking about applying to a business school. My initial thoughts were that a good GMAT score was all that was needed. It was not until I took 30-minutes free consultation session with Helen Summers from mbaMission that I realized that GMAT is just part of the whole story. She broke it to me that business school application consists of many parts that tell a coherent story together. She was also very honest in telling me that my age and my experience were not going to be attractive features of my application to a full-time program. However, she didn’t discourage me and recommended that I should either apply to a full-time program that targets mid-careers (there are only three in the world by the way) or an executive program. After contemplating for some time, I decided to apply for MIT Sloan Fellows Program. I knew that a novice to admissions process like me needed guidance to produce a good quality application. So, I contacted Helen again who referred me to Harshad Mali. Me and Harshad had an introduction over email and he gave me a bunch of documents to go through. This initial phase primarily consisted of me going through a lot of material and thinking about my own personal story. Scant guidance at this stage was by design so that originality is forced out of me. However, after the first brainstorming session, Harshad grabbed the reins of the process and started guiding it in minute details. At one crunch moment when I had lost all hope of submitting a quality application before the deadline, it was Harshad who kept encouraging me and kept giving me the right feedback till I submitted my application right on time. Harshad is no make-you-feel-good consultant when it comes to essay reviews. He is very direct in his feedback and he makes sure that he informs of this reviewing style in the initial introduction call. And frankly speaking, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. The first review of my essay came back with a scathing critique and red marks all over, making me instantly realize what was wrong with my approach. I promptly corrected myself and from then on, it was smooth sailing. Another feature that made me feel warm was that Harshad was able to connect to my life story at a personal level. This enabled him to bring the best out of me and help me write essays that truly represented me. I felt like I completely owned everything I wrote as my personal authorship and Harshad was only guiding my efforts while he had a very good idea about what the final product would look like. Whether requested or not, Harshad was always there whenever needed. It didn’t matter whether it was day or night, weekday or weekend. We were working in completely opposite time zones. But Harshad made sure that this wasn’t a hindrance in our communication. The efforts paid off and I got invited for the interview. For a starter like me, this was a huge achievement and this wouldn’t have been possible without Harshad’s help. But of course, our finish line was the final acceptance. So Harshad prepared me for the interview as well. We had a mock interview one week before the actual one. Again, he was very honest in his feedback. It included coaching on things as important as how to tackle behavioral questions and things as trivial as how to keep a smiling face all the time. I finally got admitted to MIT Sloan Fellows. This was something that I couldn’t think was within my reach when I started thinking about applying to B-Schools. I can safely say that this was only made possible with Harshad’s help. I strongly recommend him to any B-School aspirant. And if you are from South Asia, Harshad should be your top choice.

I was connected to Harshad by Angela Guido, another mbaMission consultant and generally amazing human being whom I’d met through the Forté Foundation MBALaunch program. I’d had my sights set on attending Chicago Booth from the time I opened my first Manhattan prep book, and I knew it would be a challenging process. I come from a social impact background, and I knew I could really only afford a couple of hours of admissions support. Although I was applying to a number of schools, I decided to devote my time with Harshad to structuring and editing my Booth essay. A Booth alum himself, Harshad was incredibly thoughtful and easy to talk to, and before I knew it I was sharing my life story with him. He helped me to choose an essay topic that felt authentic and meaningful. Notably, Harshad has a depth of expertise about the school and its philosophy, and he helped me to connect the dots between my own values and those of UofC’s “Chicago Approach.” Harshad is an expert storyteller and with his guidance I was able to shape my thoughts into a cohesive and compelling piece of writing. He is strategic and logical, and asks thought-provoking questions. Working with Harshad felt like participating in a writing workshop, and at the end of the process I was proud to submit my application. After I was accepted to Booth in Round 2(!) with some scholarship funding, Harshad helped me to draft a respectful inquiry about possible additional funding, and the school was able to increase my scholarship package. This fall, I’ll be attending Chicago Booth with a very generous scholarship award, and I owe a great debt of gratitude to Harshad for this outcome. I would absolutely recommend working with Harshad for your MBA admissions process.

If you are considering a top school I highly recommend that you sign up for Jessica Shklar’s free 30-minute consultation and you’ll quickly understand why I decided to hire her on the spot for the complete start to finish package. She is exactly what you need her to be when you need it – a strong critic when your work/writing isn’t your best (trust me she’ll know), a strategist providing advice on how to create rapport with admissions officers (a key differentiator for candidates when you’re applying to M7 or T10 schools), and a mock interviewer prepping you for yours at the top school you apply to. She won’t do the job for you, but will give you the guidance, suggestions, hand-on work, and be a sounding board so that you may succeed throughout every step of the MBA application process. I was not a perfect applicant but Jessica helped me maximize my strengths and address my weaknesses and the results exceeded my wildest expectations landing a spot at a top school! Simply put, she’s a true partner in your corner helping you out! After a year and a half of working with Jessica, I am more focused in how I approach everything and a much better writer than before, both of which have me better prepared for B-school this fall at my dream school. Thank you Jessica!!!

I have no doubt that I am attending a Top 15 school because of my work with Jessica. I did a ton of research on both consultants and companies: mbaMission in general and Jessica in particular was undoubtedly the best decision I made in the application process. Seriously: her slots will fill up quickly; lock her in as soon as you can! I did a few 30 minute consultations, and just minutes into my talk with Jessica, I was sold. As a non-traditional candidate, other consultants did not fill me with confidence; Jessica made me feel like my story and candidacy had value – and that it was precisely what made me non-traditional that would get me into a target school. And then she helped make it happen. She has a tremendous gift for drilling down the parts of your story that are both most compelling and that will help you the most with adcoms. The first brainstorming session – and the 20 page document she had me submit beforehand – helped me shine a spotlight on what points I want to focus on and develop a cohesive narrative of my work and personal history. To say that she’s gifted at this is not hyperbole – she truly possesses an unbelievable talent at teasing out the most impressive parts of yourself while crafting an engaging narrative. She has so much insight into the adcoms for top schools and the best and varied ways to approach each individual app – this is info that no amount of googling will help you get and gives you the edge you need to make your app stand out. Every step of the way, she goes above and beyond. She makes you feel like she’s genuinely interested in your success and that the relationship is so much more than transactional. When I didn’t think it possible to shorten my essays any more while preserving meaning, she did so again and again; she was a miracle worker. When I got an interview invite for a school I didn’t even work on with her, she sent me a list of common questions and was available for help. When I had an unfortunate debacle with my transcript, she polled her fellow mbaMission consultants and went out of her way to help me come up with a plan that ultimately landed me where I am today. She’s brilliant, fierce, feisty, thoughtful, knowledgeable, and compassionate – all characteristics that make her a joy to work with. I could go on and on about her virtues and value, but trust me when I tell you this: she is the best of the best.

I purchased a school package with mbaMission thinking it would be helpful to have someone edit my resume and essays. I couldn’t have imagined how much more Susan would be for me. When I struggled to find a way to make my story interesting, Susan helped me see how I was unique and my qualities worth sharing. When I was trying to narrow down the schools I would apply to, she was honest in telling me which she didn’t feel were great fits. When I felt unprepared and unsure during my pre-interview practices, she knew how to be encouraging while providing constructive criticism. Even more, seeing that Susan was truly invested in my success made all of the hours spent revising my applications slightly less painful! I know Susan was instrumental in my acceptance at Kellogg. My experience makes me think how disadvantaged other applicants must be who don’t receive the same insight and support. I would absolutely recommend Susan to anyone considering business school!

I did a “fit call” with Harshad Mali- that call confirmed to me that Harshad was the exact right consultant for me. Some points from my own experience: 1) Harshad will push you until you have a cohesive product that is the best representation of you and your story. Just a week before the deadline, Harshad and I started my Emory essay over from scratch because my previous version was not developing strongly enough. This was the best possible thing he could have guided me to do, rather than moving forward with a weak concept; 2) Harshad always provided great feedback on my deliverable and questions within a day or two. Never late. He reminded me about the coming deadlines. He pushed me to complete essays few days before the deadline. He knew when we had to push to hit key productivity gateways; 3) Harshad was a true partner in the process. Throughout the essay-writing journey, he gave me his edits to ensure that my voice was not lost before further editing/trimming was done. Harshad was with me every step of the way.

Signing up with MBAMission was very straightforward and I’m lucky I got paired with Harshad Mali. From our first 30 minute intro call, Harshad gave valuable insights to my overall profile. As an Indian Applicant, it is quite challenging to differentiate yourself from the applicant pool. I have a diverse background and in many different industries but Harshad understood my story right off the bat and really helped me come up with a coherent narrative that highlighted my strengths and uniqueness. Harshad is no BS consultant and gives honest, straightforward feedback. I worked with him on polishing my resume and essays for five schools and preparing for interview at a top school. Harshad was always prompt and on-time with his reviews and there was never any delay. In fact, he often returned my essays on the same day even though MBAMission has a two day essay review policy. He often poked holes in my drafts but doing so helped me re-think what I wanted to say with more clarity and effect. I also worked with him for interview preparation. Here too, he was direct and effective with his feedback and even took additional time out of his schedule to help me with my preparation. He was also available for Skype calls whenever I had additional questions for essays and interviews. Working with Harshad has been very rewarding. Although we worked together quite professionally, I found him to be more like a close friend who kept my best interest his top priority. Like a close friend, Harshad often said what I needed to hear and not what I would have liked. I’m glad I trusted him with his feedback on my application. I would recommend Harshad Mali to anyone who is serious about gaining admissions to top business schools.

John was incredible in guiding me through all aspects of the admissions process. I had just taken the GMAT for the 2nd time when I first talked with John towards the end of October and was fairly happy with my score but unsure of the best way to move forward in the process. John and I worked together on our game plan from there, and because I was adamant about going to business school in Fall 2016 we decided to move on from the GMAT (although my score could’ve used a little bit of a boost) and start focusing on the applications instead. He was instrumental in helping me choose which target schools to apply to and I appreciated how up-front and honest he was about my candidacy strength for some of the programs I was considering. I’m glad he talked me out of applying to a couple that would’ve definitely been too much of a reach for me based on my below average GMAT score. John and I completed four applications from late October to early January, and he was great in putting in the extra effort as needed to help me successfully meet the aggressive timeline we had put together. He was especially helpful around the application deadlines, too. I would say that John’s biggest strengths were to help put together a strong story and personal statement, helping tie all of my life experiences together for the more creative personal essays and video essays, his feedback/encouragement during interview prep, and his level-headed voice of reason throughout the ups and downs of the process. I am 100% confident that I would not have been admitted to the schools that I was admitted to and that I would not have received any of the scholarship offers that I was awarded. John was instrumental in helping me make the final decision on where to attend business school this fall, too, and I’m very grateful for that as well. John seemed to genuinely care about me and my future plans and I really liked how passionate he was to help me be successful in getting into my target schools. I now consider John a friend after going through this process with him and I’m confident that we’ll stay connected moving forward. Overall it has been a great experience working with John and I highly recommend him for anyone considering applying to b-school.

I would highly recommend working with John Sisk from mbaMission. His experience in journalism and his degree from a top business school give him a unique perspective as an admissions consultant. Entering the admissions process, I had a strong GMAT score and strong enough GPA to get into a top school, but I needed help rounding out my story. That is where Johnny was so helpful. After our free 30-minute consultation, I already had a great idea of how I wanted to put my story together, and over many iterations that story came to life with John’s help. I hesitated in spending the money to hire a consultant, but I found that I got great value from John using the hour-by-hour option. Having been accepted into my top school, I can say that I would not have done a single thing differently. John was instrumental in strengthening my voice and I cannot thank him enough. John continually offered strong advice and was very patient as we worked through my drafts, which made him very easy to work with. He was always completely honest, telling me what worked and what didn’t, but at the same time he was very optimistic and would ensure that the process never got me down. He was also timely in getting his responses back to me within the 2-day turnaround window, which was critical in feeling confident that my drafts were in the best shape possible before deadlines. Thanks John!

Working in education – where virtually every friend and colleague was pursuing/had pursued something other than a business degree – I knew that I would need support navigating the MBA application process. I had only spoken to one other consultant before my “trial” call with Katy – and I immediately knew that there was no need to look further once we had spoken. In those 30 minutes, Katy assured me that my background did not put me at a disadvantage – and she had already gathered a general sense for what my strengths would be in my application. I walked away from that first call feeling like Katy already knew me and saw my potential. Those feelings intensified when Katy and I met for the brainstorm session. Katy was able to consider every random detail from the 24-page (massive) brainstorming document I sent her and extract from them a cohesive and powerful story. In doing so, she helped me to uncover the motivations that led to my past personal, academic, and professional choices – all of which suddenly seemed to reinforce my decision to pursue an MBA. Following our call – and with a clearer sense of self – I felt ready to conquer my applications. One thing (among many) that I love about Katy is her ability to be completely honest and supportive at the same time. I had spent loads of time preparing an essay draft (about an event from my childhood). While Katy appreciated the story, she challenged me to reconsider my lesson-learned from it – and ultimately how it shaped me as a person. This reflection, which Katy facilitated with the utmost sensitivity and care, helped me to understand why I have the passions that I have, and where they stem from. Again, I found myself discovering so much about who I am through the experience of working with Katy. Expect to go deep with her! Finally, as many might relate, I didn’t have a lot of money to invest in an MBA consultant. I was very open about this with Katy. That said, I never felt as though Katy wasted a minute of my time; on the contrary, I often felt as though she either had a superpower OR was giving much more of herself than I deserved (per our contract). Katy is extremely generous with her time and every contribution she makes on your behalf is always her very best. As others have remarked in their reviews, Katy will make you feel like you are her first priority – no matter the number of hours you have with her. Katy told me upfront that admissions to Berkeley (my #1) wouldn’t, and couldn’t, be a guarantee, given its low acceptance rate. But, her ability to bring out my full potential, coupled with her impressive “insiders” knowledge of every great business school (including Cal), made my hope a reality. I will be attending Haas in the fall, thanks to my amazing consultant and friend, Katy.

When I set out to write my applications, my mind was a giant cloud. I had lots of ideas about why I wanted to pursue an MBA, but, as a career switcher, I didn’t know much about the ins and outs of business school admissions process and what adcoms looked for. I wanted to be authentic but whenever I sat down to write, my ideas were all mixed together in a giant spaghetti ball of thought. Jessica has a deep understanding of the application process and helped me to organize my ideas. With her direction, I was even able to understand more about myself and why I desired an MBA on the route to what I desire to accomplish. Not only was she extremely knowledgeable and affable, I felt that she genuinely appreciated my story and cared about my progress. Throughout her webinar and even the free consultation, I never felt I was being sold and received great insight from those offerings alone. That said, purchasing a couple hours to talk through my application was one of the best investments I made. Hands down, you need someone with experience with the application process and admissions to proof your entire app; I didn’t know any such person, so Jessica’s very professional assistance was invaluable.

When I decided that attaining an MBA was going to be the next step in my life, I knew that I was going to need help in the application process (especially given the fact, I only planned to apply to one program). I knew that I was going to seek help from an MBA admissions consulting firm – but did not know which one I was going to choose. After having multiple 30 minute (free) consultations with a few firms (e.g. Stacy Blackman, Veritas Prep, and mbaMission), I decided that I liked mbaMission best. However, I am not writing a review to compare mbaMission to other firms. I am writing a review of the work Kate Richardson (my mbaMission admissions consultant) performed that allowed me to get into the Johns Hopkins/MICA’s Design Leadership program with a merit-based scholarship. Kate is truly a great consultant. She catered to my needs and made the admissions process smooth and even quite fun. I would say the top three things that Kate helped me with were: 1) essay writing/editing, 2) strategy and detail, 3) staying true to myself. As it pertains to essay writing/editing, Kate helped me recognize what stories in my life were going to make the strongest impact on the admissions committee and helped me outline what specific parts of those stories were going to be most pertinent to illustrate. Furthermore, once I started writing the essays, Kate provided insightful notes on my drafts that allowed me to fine tune the tone, clarity, and vividness of the messages I was trying to get across. Regarding strategy and detail, Kate helped me ensure that the content of my essays, recommendation (only one is required for the program I applied to), and Linkedin profile all dovetailed one another. This is extremely important given the fact that the essays I had to write had 500-word limits. It is not efficient or effective to say the same things in multiple essays or have your recommender share the same story you wrote about in an essay (unless he/she has significantly different things to say than you do). With Kate’s help, I felt confident that my materials never overlapped, but complemented one another. Thirdly, Kate never pushed me to write or do anything as it pertains to my admissions portfolio that I felt wasn’t me – which I think is most important. I felt that the application I submitted was the best representation of myself that I could have provided the admissions committee (while staying true to what I believed needed to be said). In closing, if anyone is thinking about get an MBA and has the capital to hire an MBA admissions consultant during the admissions process, I highly recommend Kate without reservation. She is knowledgeable, intelligent, and easy to talk with. More importantly, she gets the job done.

Jessica was very patient and very knowledgeable about the application process and the programs. Throughout the process, she always made herself available and strictly adhered to the 24-hour response rule. She even provided an expedited feedback right before round I deadlines that helped me get the application in on time. I purchased a complete three-school consultation package with Jessica and added on two more – all in round one. Overall, I’m very happy with the result – I got into four top 15 schools with partial scholarships from two. I suggest putting down your deposit with Jessica as soon as you can because her time tends to get booked up really early in the process. The biggest value add I got from Jessica was on the essay and the resume. We did 7 rounds of resume editing and the final version was nothing like the first draft. I knew that I needed to make my resume more “results oriented” but honestly I didn’t know how. Jessica helped me in a way that she played the role of an admission officer, asking the right questions and kept pushing me if my answer wasn’t “results oriented” enough. She also helped me discovered a lot of bullet points that I didn’t think were important but from the eyes of an admission officer, they were. We worked on a ton of essays – at least two for each school, 5-7 drafts for each essay. We started with a brainstorming call that collected all the stories that we were going to use for the essay then we put them together to make the initial draft – she made it fun, kind of putting together a puzzle. Jessica was really good at cutting down on words to without losing the original meaning of the sentence. This is super important because anyone who’s been through the process would tell you that word counts and space are you biggest enemies Pretty much every essay I gave her was 1.5 times of the word limit, and she cut them down to below limit in a concise way with ease. Moreover, Jessica knows how to tell a story in a very interesting and eye-catching way that attracts the readers, kind of like how a good journal reporter writes interesting stories. Again, not every admission consultant can do these things. Mock interviews and the question lists that Jessica gave me were extremely helpful. I interviewed with 6 schools, and I’d say more than half of the questions were on the question lists. I also had a video essay which was nerve-wrecking but Jessica took extra time to help me prepare that so I was pretty ready by the time I got to it. Last but not the least, through brainstorming sessions and interactions, Jessica really challenged me as an individual and got me to think about what I really want to do post-MBA and for the rest of my life, not simply for the purpose of the application. Through working with Jessica and from her candid feedback, I learned my strengths and weaknesses, my preferred working style and figured out where my passion lies. Luckily, I don’t have to go through the application process again but I’d do it again with Jessica because she made it fun and easy.

Ok, so I cannot overstate how much I recommend mbaMission for anybody seriously applying to top MBA programs. I eventually got into Harvard Business School with below-average numbers, but even during the application process I was telling everybody I knew that mbaMission was a MUST-do if you’re serious about business school and can afford it (not cheap). Also, the Start-to-Finish package is the way to go 100% – and probably cheaper than the other options in the long run. Trust me, I broke this down and probably spent 2-3x less than I would have with the hourly rate. You have no idea how much you will reach out to your consultant, and you will thank yourself many times over for biting the bullet in the beginning. My consultant was John Sisk, and he was fantastic. I chose him because I knew I would struggle with telling “my story” and John seemed to be strong in that category. He led me through the process in a clear, honest, productive, and efficient way that was ultimately very successful and enjoyable. I was no-doubt stressed during the process, but that’s just part of it. John took the stress WAY down for me and he was my partner in crime during the entire process. My expectations were exceeded at every level (from essay editing, to resume crafting, to strategies visiting campuses) and I can’t recommend mbaMission or John Sisk enough. EVEN IF I had not been accepted to ANY of my schools (Stanford, HBS, Sloan, Haas, Anderson) I would have been 100% glad I used mbaMission.

After speaking with admissions consultants at a few companies, I ultimately selected Susan because of her amazing reviews on GMAT Club. I knew that she had a reputation for being tough, but that’s what I wanted, and that’s what I got. Susan helped me get into Stanford, my dream school, and I can’t thank her enough. I’m embarrassed to think about how bad my applications would have been without Susan’s help. As a non-traditional applicant with an engineering background, I needed assistance with all aspects of my application – post-MBA career goals, school selection, resume, essays, recommendations, and interviews. Susan guided me through all of it flawlessly. “This just isn’t working.” Susan never hesitated to tell me when something wasn’t working. When I was ready to give up, Susan pressed onward. We went through ten revisions of some essays, and Susan never missed the two-day turnaround. Even if I hadn’t gotten into any business schools, going through the application process with Susan would have been worth it. She encouraged me think critically about my motivations, strengths, and accomplishments, and got me into the habit of asking why to drive down to the deepest levels of a decision or goal. I have no doubt that the applications I submitted were the best I could possibly submit. At times, I thought it was overkill, that there was no way one more revision could make a difference. But Susan always found room for improvement. And it’s hard to argue with success.

I entered the Round 2 application process this year with a 680 GMAT score, professional experience in the entertainment industry and a lack of understanding of how best to use this to aid me in obtaining my MBA from a top tier school. I hesitated to even apply this year because of my sub-700 GMAT score. Many people including other MBA consultants told me I was better off in Round 1 of next year and that I should stay focused on boosting my GMAT score. While the GMAT is a very important metric for admissions officers and consultants, my success in being accepted by my number one program can serve as a testament to the true “holistic” approach and to the advantage you can have in teaming up with the right consultant. I came to mbaMission through Manhattan Prep, where I had a positive experience with their GMAT materials and private tutor. My concern in hiring a consultant was I would just be another client to them, which I couldn’t afford when I needed to really stand out in my essays and applications in order to have any chance of acceptance. I also knew that I was facing an audience whose understanding of my industry and my experience may be very limited. mbaMission really worked to match me with the best consultant who suited my needs in every way. I had a preliminary 30 min call with John Sisk and we not only hit it off from a personality standpoint, but John had previously worked in entertainment and really understood how to best approach framing my essays and complete application. Following that call, I purchased the Complete “Start-to-Finish” Package – Three-School Package. I found the entire mbaMission process to be extremely organized, thoughtful and streamlined. From our initial brainstorm to the final essays, John was very strategic about where we started so we could eventually use the content and stories from our first essay and mold it into every essay for each school, thus maintaining my essence and personal story throughout my applications. Looking back, John made the difference in truly unlocking the best story I could tell, and I honestly believe I would not have told the same impactful and compelling story if I chose to go it alone. John’s approach to writing essays made my entire experience less stressful, more organized, and very streamlined. Additionally, the straightforward delivery schedule and holiday considerations in the mbaMission organization made it very easy for me to plan ahead and around holidays. In the end, I was accepted into HBS in Round 2. Having made it through the application process, I would strongly urge future applications to not only trust in the holistic process of compiling a complete application but also to strongly consider teaming up with a consultant to help you tap into your best story and position. In my case, I know John made a huge impact in my applications that was exponentially more valuable than the price.

Krista Nannery was assigned to me as my consultant for the “Start-to-Finish” package for 6 schools whose applications I worked on from June – November 2016 for Round 1 of the 2016-2017 admissions cycle. Wow, was I lucky to have Krista, I could not have asked for anything more in the experience. She helped me beyond what I even thought was possible for an admissions consultant. The most important way she helped me is probably one that goes overlooked when judging the value of a consultant. I am a white male with a pretty bland job, and in general I thought there just wasn’t anything that interesting about me. Krista completely changed the way I view myself, and for that I cannot thank her enough. She took the time to really get to know me and learn about all of my accomplishments and desires. She disagreed with my assessment, and over time convinced me that there were interesting and unique aspects of my profile that we could use. When it came to the essays, she had ways of tying together experiences and stories that best conveyed my message. When we would discuss topics for a given essay, she would bring up things that I had completely forgotten about. She would point out patterns in my history and personality that I didn’t even know existed. At times, it seemed that she knew me better than I knew myself. This was a priceless component of our collaboration that I am sure made the difference in my applications. Aside from her magical ability to make a bland applicant shine, Krista was brilliant in all the technical aspects you might expect from a consultant. She is a marvelous essay reviewer and would help me transform my wordy and rambling prose into crisp, clear B-School essays. She also knows the process inside and out. She always had a plan and was one step ahead of me. As I was finishing one phase of the process, she had already mapped out what to do next, and so was constantly pushing me to get the most out of the process. If I ever asked something particularly new, she always had a colleague or contact she could ask for a second opinion, which she would get back to me extremely quickly. And that is the other thing, Krista is FAST and EFFICIENT. I sometimes felt like her only client- she would turn things around much faster than the MBA mission contractual 2-day turnaround policy. At first I was slightly worried when Krista mentioned that she was based on London (I was in NYC), but this actually turned out to be an advantage. While I was sleeping, she was working, so that when I woke up in the morning I had a beautifully edited draft of my latest essay waiting in my inbox. Krista will work really hard for you and get the job done, period. Aside from all this, what really sets Krista apart is her personality and dedication. She has what I would best characterize as a bedside manner. The process can be stressful, but Krista will always make you feel better and get your head back in the game. For me this happened when we did our first mock interview, which I did extremely poorly. Krista handled it very well, and had some great suggestions for me. She made sure we scheduled another round before my first interview. Her advice made all the difference; I came back a different candidate, one totally prepared for my interview. Because of all this, Krista is not just my consultant, but now my friend; I feel very lucky to have met her. It is because of her that I was accepted to Booth and Wharton. I enthusiastically recommend Krista to future MBA applicants.

The price of mbaMission packages looks scary, but fret not, you have made a good investment. When I started the whole MBA process, I could see myself studying for GMAT and eventually getting the hang of it. However, I was scared of the essays and the admissions process. So, I decided to read reviews like this one and made up my mind to work with Susan. Susan is a straightforward, diligent and caring person. What I really like about her is that she motivates you to give your best. The whole system that mbaMission has developed (brainstorming, outlining essays, etc.) requires lots of hours, so be prepared for some serious soul-searching and essay writing when you sign up. Susan has vast knowledge about the schools, and she is happy to discuss which schools would be a good fit for you. Take advantage of this opportunity and don’t ignore her advice! She was right from the beginning about which schools I would get into. I won’t deny that working with Susan in the beginning was challenging, but that was mostly because I wasn’t fully prepared for B-school. Susan highlighted my strengths and weaknesses early on in the process and pushed me to think hard on why getting an MBA was important to me. Through this soul-searching, I was able to nail down the career goals part of the application (which is incredibly important). Susan is an amazing editor and will not let you walk away with BS in your essays (she will call you out on it). For my first school, I think we worked on 15 essay drafts, and each draft was significantly better than the last one because of Susan’s editing and comments. One of my biggest fears of working with a consultant was that my essays might not sound like me by the end, but with Susan, that was never the case. She will give you numerous comments in the essays, but you are the one doing all the writing. Also, the process gets easier once you write your first few essays…by the end of my applications, I would nail my essays down in 3 to 4 drafts. Susan is extremely accommodating with her schedule for calls or any last minute requests you might have. She is so dedicated to her clients that even when she takes her August “holiday”, she will still edit essays and return your work according to mbaMission’s return policy. With the flexibility of mbaMission packages, I worked on everything – from resume to my answers for the online application – with Susan along with the essays. With Susan’s help, I felt comfortable and satisfied with every application that I submitted. Next step in the MBA game was interviewing. Susan and I did mock interviews in which she gave me good tips, based on her knowledge of schools, on how to improve my answers and make them relevant to what the school was looking for in their candidates. These practice sessions prepared me very well for the actual interviews. Funny interview story – I got super nervous in my first interview and sent a panicked email to Susan after it. She is such a positive and caring person – she wrote a long reply saying that everything was going to be fine! And she was right…I got two acceptances (with scholarship) and one waitlist from my dream school! Another advantage of the mbaMission package – I worked with Susan to prepare an update for the school where I was waitlisted. My acceptances wouldn’t have happened without Susan. I absolutely loved working with her, and I highly recommend Susan and mbaMission to anyone considering B-school seriously. Thank you, Susan. You have been a great mentor!

Rachel Beck is a fantastic business school application consultant! I spoke with her initially in a free 30-minute consolation, and during that conversation Rachel helped me devise a strategy that was tailored for me, as I was interested in part-time MBA programs. Instead of being eager to simply sign me up as a client, she was honest about my GMAT score and recommended that I boost my score in order to have a better chance at being admitted. A few months later, after getting a better GMAT score, I knew that I could trust Rachel to provide the guidance I needed to navigate the application process. I am a strong writer, but with her expertise Rachel helped me to bring out the most important messages in my essays. I went through numerous drafts of each essay, and she was patient turning them around–and always doing so in a timely manner. I applied to two schools and was admitted at both. Therefore I would strongly recommend Rachel if you are looking for a knowledgeable, hard-working and experienced business school consultant who is an excellent writer, and who gets results for her clients.

I got into my dream school all thanks to Debbie!! After hours of research, I decided to go with her and I’ve had no regrets. Before signing on with her, I felt a bit lost as to how to approach the essays after I got through the GMAT, and our first conversation was excellent motivation to get off my butt and start getting serious about thinking through my b-school story. The best thing about Debbie is that I got the feeling that I could talk openly and honestly about myself, which is so important in writing compelling essays. After a very detailed conversation about myself, she pin-pointed exactly what my selling points were and gave me great ideas for each of my essay topics. Of course, it was all on me to write the outlines and all the essays from start to end, but Debbie was always there to make sure I stuck to those initial outlines and helped keep me on track. Another great thing about working with Debbie is that she always made time to review my essays as many times as I needed until I felt comfortable with submitting them — and trust me, we went through A LOT of revisions. It was to the point where I felt bad about asking for one last revision, but she always came through for me. She told me in the beginning that she limits herself to a certain number of clients each year so that she could dedicate enough time to each one, and I could really tell that it was true! She’s also a great straightforward writer, which helped a lot in refining my sometimes convoluted writing style. I don’t consider myself a bad writer so the writing style of admissions consultants was what worried me most, and I definitely feel like I lucked out with Debbie. Debbie is such a kind, approachable person, but at the same time she’s extremely honest and a no-BS type of consultant. Don’t expect her to do your work for you — show that you’re serious about this and dedicated by doing all your work on time and putting a lot of hard work into it, and I have no doubt she’ll do the same.

Applying to business school was an overwhelming experience for me. I was a non-traditional applicant and struggling with how to present myself. I knew what I wanted schools to know about me, but wasn’t sure how to express all of that eloquently in essay form. When I contacted mbaMission, I specifically requested a consultant who would be comfortable working with an unconventional applicant, because it was important to me that I stay authentic to myself throughout the process. Working with Kate was such a pleasure from day one. She is incredibly insightful and knowledgeable when it comes to what various schools are looking for, and is an outstanding editor. I applied to a giant number of schools (a total of seven in round one). She was extremely organized and kept me motivated while I was nearing the finish line, especially given all those different deadlines and essay topics. Kate was full of very honest and straightforward feedback, while still managing to be kind and encouraging. Most importantly, Kate was really able to draw upon my strengths to create compelling applications, and asked me all the right questions while I was working through the essays. After submitting each application, I was certain that I had put my best foot forward, and that confidence in myself and in my story would not have been possible without Kate’s help and expertise. I am 100% convinced that I would not have had the same successes in being admitted to top business schools if I hadn’t worked with Kate on every application. I’ve already recommended Kate to friends of mine going through the business school application process right now. Kate is such a gem for anyone applying to business school, and it was truly a pleasure to work with her.