mbaMission | MBA Admissions Consultants

To start off, Harshad was very patient and honest when he conducted the 30 min free consultation with me, which made me decide to work with him. Harshad was very responsive to all my questions and did a great help to my applications, especially on resume and essays writings. I will not be able to get in a top business school EMBA program without his help! I highly recommend Harshad to everyone who needs help in their MBA/EMBA application.

Kate was an incredible consultant and guide for my MBA apps. I worked with her throughout the summer and she tailored her services to my needs. As a bit of a procrastinator, Kate found the perfect balance, she knew when I needed a fire lit under me. All applications were submit on time and in the first round, as we had agreed was the plan in June. She is an top notch editor that pressure tests your thinking and phrasing. She does not change what you are saying to be sure it is best for the MBA programs you are interested, rather, she helps you say what you want to in the best way for these programs. I really appreciate all the work Kate did to help me out and recommend her to anyone who is considering her services!

From my initial consultation to preparing for interviews, Melissa was easy to work with, genuine, and always gave me the impression she really cared about my outcome.
As a foreigner entering the business school application process without any experience in the US college system, I found the whole thing intimidating to say the least – and the decision of which consultant to use even more stressful. After completing a free session with Melissa I was immediately confident in my choice; her extensive experience in the field, both in the university system itself as well as in a consulting capacity, was very evident. She was honest in pointing out the weaker aspects of my background, but also overwhelmingly positive about where we should focus to provide me the best chance.
Over time as we worked together, she was instrumental in helping me construct and communicate my narrative effectively. I found the brainstorming session particularly helpful for this. During the essay writing (hardest part for me), she provided quick, actionable feedback, which was always constructive and positive in nature, and made me feel like I was on the right path.
I was ultimately accepted into my first preference, a school I had initially thought was a big reach. I can confidently say this would not have been possible without Melissa’s amazing help, and so cannot recommend her enough to prospective business school applicants!

Devi has been instrumental in ensuring my success in the application process. Devi will help you elevate your candidacy from great to outstanding. It is a must if you are serious about HBS regardless of your applicant profile. You do not want to have regrets by missing this great experience. Specifically, her tailored advice on how to interview and present my candidacy was unparalleled given her experience on the board and her holistic understanding of the HBS process. 70% of the questions during the interview resembled in either essence or in entirety what was practiced. Beyond the sheer coverage of key questions, Devi was able to help me understand my candidacy from a different and more strategic perspective. The new view helped me frame the answers in a more concise, compelling and powerful narrative which came through during the interview. The practice built up my confidence and helped me have a strong interview. In addition, the perspective gained in the process is something that will serve you not just for the MBA, but for the rest of your professional life.

Thank you for your feedback. We are sorry to hear that you ultimately felt unsatisfied with our services at the conclusion of your application efforts. We have designed our consultant–client relationship to be a collaborative partnership, based on frequent and honest communication, and a review of your file shows that your experience included roughly 16 phone conversations, 95 emails, and 60 document reviews. We certainly understand how not reaching a desired goal at the end of a challenging journey can retroactively affect one’s impression of an experience, but our understanding along the way was that you felt you were being adequately counseled and supported–for example,

– You purchased an additional school while working with our consultant, proactively extending and expanding your engagement with our firm.
– You remarked to a recommender that “Usually she [your mbaMission consultant] responds faster than that because she’s awesome….”
– You regularly thanked your consultant and expressed satisfaction with her work:
– “As always, thanks for all the feedback and help!”
– “Just wanted to let you know that I thought the interview went well and the practice really paid off.”
– “With the Wharton essays coming together nicely …”
– “As for the other schools, thanks for the suggestions! Those really do help.”
– “See attached for my updated essays based on your feedback. Thanks again for your efforts in reading through it and giving me detailed feedback!”
– “See attached for my updated essays, thanks for helping me cut them down!”

We certainly would have adjusted our efforts if we had gleaned during the process that you felt you needed more. We are sure that we can learn from this experience and hope you take us up on our offer to discuss the situation further.

Sincerely,
Jeremy Shinewald
mbaMission

As a reapplicant, I was lacking confidence in my chances of success and I was nervous about my future. Kate was able to put some of that nervousness at ease by helping me highlight my strengthens and minimize my weaknesses. She was instrumental in helping me more clearly define my “why”. I improved significantly in almost every part of my application. My resume was more impactful, my essays were more powerful and clear, and my interviews went better because I was more prepared. This was all thanks to Kate. I was initially hesitant to hire a consultant because I didn’t want to manufacture my resume or essays, I wanted them to be an honest representation of myself. With Kate, though, she brought out my best and helped me approach the process in a much more logical and coherent way, while challenging me to dig deeper and improve at every iteration. I have no doubt that without Kate in my corner I would not have been accepted to my top schools. She was an absolute pleasure to work with and I highly recommend her to anyone seeking admission to a top program.

There is zero chance I would have made it through the application process without Melissa.

The primary internal debate I was having with myself leading up to the application process was whether or not to seek professional assistance. Due to financial reasons, I thought…..maybe I could do it myself and save some money. I could NOT have been more wrong…

During my initial 30 minute free consultation very early on in the process, Melissa came prepared and ready to help. She gave me tangible next steps so that I could maximize my time between that first call and when we would begin writing essays months later. Her advice ranged from ‘getting more involved in a volunteer organization I was already apart of to retaking the GRE to taking HBX CORe to improve my quantitative abilities’.

Hiring Melissa was the investment of a lifetime. It was my first large purchase, biggest financial sacrifice, and I am absolutely THRILLED with the outcome of our work together. And thrilled is a drastic understatement.

She gave me the confidence I needed to own and tell my story. Melissa provided truly the most candid / honest feedback I needed on every single word I put in my essays.

She mandated that I dig deeper, push myself harder, and brought out the absolute best in me – all while being an incredible mentor, friend, and support system.

In the end, I got into my #1 dream school: Darden. It was a stretch. We knew it was a stretch going in, but her unwavering confidence in me got me over the finish line. I learned that applying to business school takes a village, and I’m eternally grateful Melissa was part of my village.

Kate was incredibly instrumental in easing the application process. From the our first conversation when we discussed target schools and brainstorming, she was the ultimate professional. She helped me bring out the best aspects of my profile in order to put my best foot forward when it came time to apply. She was the ultimate professional, keeping me on task as the application season progressed and always available for an email or chat whenever I felt bogged down. I felt Kate went above and beyond to make sure I was satisfied with my application prior to submission. I would highly recommend Kate to all future applicants!

Krista Nannery helped me gain admission to a T10 MBA program by helping me truly understand my career goals; helping me write strong, impactful, and memorable essays; and helping me prepare effectively for behavioral interviews and group interview activities. Moreover, I feel like Krista really cares about helping me reach my career goals, and over the past 6 months, I feel like she has grown into a friend rather than a consultant.

If you read nothing further than this, please read this:
She will absolutely strengthen your candidacy for your MBA program of choice. I went from settling for a T35-T50 school with a median salary outcome of $100k to a school with a median salary outcome of $145k. Just considering this, my ROI IS OVER 300%. If you consider scholarships and intangibles like experiences and network, my ROI is significantly higher.

Before Krista: planning to apply to T35-T50 schools

After Krista: Applied to 7 schools
Admitted to 2 T10 (one with a small scholarship)
Admitted to 2 T15-T20 (both with half scholarships)
Dinged WITH interview from 1 M7 school
Waitlisted with interview from 2 T15

Here are some highlights on what Krista helped me with:

1. Brainstorm. She helped me brainstorm potential essay topics by thinking about my personal, undergraduate, and work experiences. This was SO important because ALL of us have valuable experiences to share with admissions committees, but we sometimes discount those memories. As an experienced admissions insider, Krista helped me understand my unique experiences and how I could showcase them on my applications.

2. School selection. After considering my career goals and family needs), she helped me select schools that would be a good fit for me. Again, there is SO MUCH MISINFORMATION and stereotypes on the internet about MBA programs, so I’m glad that I had someone as knowledgeable as Krista on which schools could help me achieve my goals. She helped me pick 7 schools to apply in Round 1 since I wanted to be finished by early 2020. Krista was REALISTIC with me about my chances at certain schools, something I really appreciate after this humbling process.

3. Essays. Krista’s help in this area likely helped me get a scholarship from a T10 school. Krista helped me plan and put together top-notch essays. I tend to ramble (can you tell?) and Krista helped me refine my essays to the most important topics. In some cases, she helped me restructure my essays to make a stronger, more impactful statement. To be clear, she did not write my essays, but she did make my essays 100% better. If you’re a regular person like me, I promise you, your essays will be so much better after working with Krista.

4. Recommenders. Krista helped me manage my letters of recommendation very effectively. First of all, she gave strict timelines that I used in order to get my applications in on time. This was very important since one of my recommenders took FOREVER to get back to me. When one of my recommenders gave me bland feedback, Krista helped me put together conversation points that helped me speak with that recommender. He ended up writing a fantastic letter of recommendation that included specific examples. Krista really saved the day here.

5. Interview prep. This was HUGE. MBAmission provides free interview guides for top programs. These guides include actual questions and what to expect. Krista took this a step further and conducted mock interviews with me. This gave me a significant advantage over other applicants since I had an idea of the pressure that I would feel answering real interview questions. Krista asked actual behavioral questions that sometimes caught me off guard, but this helped me during the real interview. In one scenario, 100% of the questions during my T10 interview were asked either in our mock interview or in the Interview guide. HUGE ADVANTAGE!!!

6. Advice and Friendship. I feel like Krista really cared about me, my family, and my helping me reach my goals. At no point did I ever feel like we had a transactional relationship. During this entire process, I feel like Krista has grown into a family friend, someone that I can trust for real, honest career advice. I think we all need someone like that in our corner.

Nisha made every step of the application process a breeze. From the very beginning, she was so thorough and insightful. She enabled me to craft my application so precisely and present the very best version of myself to my target schools. Before getting started with her, the process was a bit foreign to me and I didn’t have a great idea of what each school looks for. She was the expert I needed to make sure I was hitting all the notes I should be. Her turnaround time was perfect, and her advice was very directed and thoughtful. Her critical process was exceptional and really helped me dive deep to develop ideas and explore the impacts I’ve made in my professional, academic, and personal activities. In the end, I knew I had maximized my potential when submitting my applications and it paid off. I was accepted to a top program and I can’t thank Nisha enough for her help in getting me there!

Susan was extremely helpful throughout the entire process (finalizing GMAT scores, narrowing down my school list, reviewing my application materials, prepping for interviews…). I appreciated her no-nonsense approach; I felt like her lack of sugar-coating really helped me create the best possible application. It is clear she is very invested her clients, and she always made the time to hop on the phone to review an essay or email answer even my smallest questions (like what to wear to interviews!). Susan was a wonderful help throughout each step of the application process, and I felt much more confident having her in my corner.

Devi was incredible to work with and I could not recommend her more! Finding out I had been invited to interview at HBS was one of the most thrilling experiences of my life. But despite reading all of the interview primers, networking with students, and mock-interviewing with my partner multiple times a week, I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that there was more I could do to prepare. Luckily, working with Devi completely allayed all those fears. She took me on with extremely short notice and, from our very first session, she proved her worth. Despite being lucky enough to go through many mocks with a very willing partner (who manages 70+ people and is in charge of interviewing new candidates at her firm), the HBS interview is just simply different. Devi’s intimate knowledge of how the HBS interviewer thinks, what types of questions would be asked and (more importantly) the pace of their questioning, immediately helped me reframe my mindset to achieve success in the HBS interview environment. While I initially thought the value from working with Devi would come from the peace of mind knowing I’d done everything I could to prepare, my mock interviews went so far beyond that. I genuinely don’t know if I would have been able to succeed without her counsel. Knowing the outline of what to expect, and how to best prepare for it, gave me immense confidence leading into the interview and I am so thankful to Devi for taking me on as a client!

Susan is a fantastic admissions consultant. I can’t say enough about her contribution to my applications.
She spends a lot of time upfront clearly laying out her process so that working with her is efficient and methodical. We spent a lot of time brainstorming my story and how it will fit with my target programs. I did not have a safe school and she respected that decision – her goal is to make your application the best it can be for each school you choose. Within the framework of my story, she pushed me to adapt each application to the specific schools to increase the likelihood of success. The application has to be genuine and has to align if/when invited to interview, so she is careful not to draft actual text. She NEVER missed a 48hr turnaround deadline and frequently sent through comments earlier. During crunch periods when I needed things turned around more quickly she took the time to explain what my options were and her availability to accommodate. Her guidance is always clear, helpful, and specific when it needs to be. She must have turned my HBS essay 30+ times and the 4 others 15+.
Applied to 5 schools; Accepted to 4 (HBS, Wharton ($$), Tuck, Kellogg ($$$)), wait-listed at 1. White male in finance.
She is not stressful to work with. She can seem ‘tough’ at times, but in the best way possible: only because she knows if your application does not yet fully reflect your potential in the context of each school’s values. She will insist that the essays can get better and will give you the guidance to help you get there.
Finally, she’s on your side. She cares about your success and will be anxious with you when decision are released!
I highly recommend choosing Susan as your admission consultant.

When first contemplating an admissions consultant, I was very hesitant as many others probably are due to the cost. I took the jump after my initial consultation with Krista and think it was the best decision in gaining admission to a program that will change my life and well worth the investment.

Krista worked with me in essentially every step of the process except GMAT prep. The three things that benefitted me the most were school selection, crafting my story, and her personal interest in my success.

School Selection: Krista and I talked in depth about school selection. She introduced me to a wide selection of schools that she thought would be a good fit for me that I had not considered. Through our conversations, she opened my eyes to how school fit could effect my future career and experience at a school and ultimately helped shape the list of schools I applied to.

Crafting My Story: Coming from a non traditional background, I was at a point in my life to transition to a new career but wasn’t exactly sure how I would make the transition. It’s important to have your own broad vision but not knowing what you don’t know makes it hard to paint a complete picture. Krista’s experience really helped fill the gaps in my story and allowed me to better communicate the “where I’ve been, where I’m at, and where I want to go” story. She also helped to translate the essays we worked on together to fit prompts for other schools that I worked on myself.

Personal Interest: I think the most important part of my relationship with Krista was her personal interest in my success, her professionalism, and dedication to what she does. Krista is deeply passionate about what she does and it shows. She has always returned my documents with corrections early, sometimes same day depending on her workload. She is extremely responsive to email for quick questions and easy to schedule skype calls with to talk about progress throughout the application process.

Having Krista and the resources of mbaMission by your side through your application process is probably the best decision you can make. With Krista’s help, I have acceptance letters from two top 10 programs with scholarships. It was truly a pleasure working with Krista this past year and cannot recommend her enough.

At the moment I’m writing this, I’ve just finished and sent my applications for HBS and Wharton R2, it’s still some weeks before interview invitations and a couple of months before final decisions.

Even with that said, I cannot recommend Katy enough. Ever since the free consultation she went further and beyond than what I expected and even experienced with other consultants at their respective free consultations. She was very open with me about my initial GMAT score which was not good enough for the schools I wanted to apply, furthermore given the date where I achieved a “decent” GMAT she was also very clear to me that I wouldn’t be able to land a 1R application and that we should better work towards R2. This very honest and mindful advice was key for me and I’m sure that many other consultants could have tried to seize the opportunity to rush an application and free one more client spot for R2, but not Katy.

So we started working for R2. The very first day of work she sent me all of the material I would need for the whole application process, which proved to be much more challenging and burdensome than what I had anticipated, but Katy helped me to go, firmly, one step at a time, putting attention to all details. During the first sessions she helped me define which schools I had a better chance given my profile (so I changed from Stanford and Berkley to HBS and Wharton…). As I am a Latin-American applicant coming from a family business, the differences in these programs were not very clear to me, so her insights for this initial and crucial part of the process were invaluable. Furthermore, and specially for someone coming from my background she helped me identify how should I present myself to the AdComs, what stories should I bring into my essays, and very very importantly how to choose and coach my recommenders.

Before continuing, I have to address Katy’s amazing skill to help me trim my essays, reducing a lot of clutter and to make them very clear, concise and directed specifically for the programs I had chosen.

Regarding the recommenders, given my background, it was the part of the application that I had the least idea on how to approach. Katy helped me identify my best fits given the stories I shared with them and how the fitted the rest of my application. Furthermore, she was in contact with them and guided them through the daunting recommendation writing process. If you are a Latin-American applicant, coming from a family company or even a regional company, I cannot stress on how important is that someone guides your recommenders during this process, as the very concept of Letter of Recommendation expected by the AdComs is very very different to what is/was in my recommenders heads.

Finally I have to recognize and thank Katy enormously because she went trough the whole process with me being available practically all the time, even despite all the holidays that come just before R2: Labor day, Columbus, Veteran’s, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s… And I didn’t even had to use express services nor anything like that.

Even if I don’t get admitted to any program (I applied with Katy only to HBS and Wharton, because that’s as far as my budget could go, but I applied to 3 other programs on my own) she helped me to give my best shot possible at ALL my application processes, because I learned so much about me and how to go through the application processes in general.

I am sure that working with Katy was the best decision I could make, she really pours herself completely to help you; your application matters to her as much as you, as simple as that.

tl;dr: Katy is an amazing consultant who cares for your application as much as you do. Amazing support through all the process. For me, as LatAm applicant from family business, the key was the LoR support. Tip: book early!

Katy was phenomenal! I come from an over-represented background (white male, financial services, etc.) and Katy helped me craft an application that was able to get me in to HBS! Beyond help with the application itself, Katy was a great sounding board for all things business school-related and I’d highly recommended her services to anyone considering going through the heavy undertaking that is applying to business school.

Nisha far exceeded my already high expectations of an mbaMission admissions consultant. Her assistance drastically improved every phase of my applications. She transformed my resume and gave stellar feedback on my essays, focusing equally on the content I included and the way I presented it. She has a remarkable way of pulling insights out of you and making you think critically about the impact you’ve made on the job and within your extracurricular pursuits.

I held a mock interview with her, which was exceedingly helpful, and when given multiple (yes, MULTIPLE!) scholarship offers to top schools she even helped me to navigate between my acceptances. Her turnaround time is fantastic and she gives incredible advice whenever asked.

Nisha didn’t only put me in the best position to succeed with my applications. She taught me how to truly sell myself, a skill that will benefit me even beyond business school. If there’s one thing you should do to improve your chances of getting into the school of your dreams, hire Nisha Trivedi.

She’s the best!

I worked with Heidi during the 2018 Round 1 and 2 admissions cycles and came away with very little to show for both the large time and money investment. While Heidi can seem nice and encouraging, she poorly managed my expectations as a client and at times seemed to put little effort into reviewing my materials. After applying this past year, I was actually able to gain an acceptance but it was not with any of the materials I created with Heidi. I now believe that the consulting services from her and MBAMission added no value and I was scammed.

Before deciding which admission consultant company to choose, I conducted several free consultations to get a sense for the different approaches and also for the consultants I would be working with later on.

I found it very helpful that Jen, who conducted the initial consultation, was also the actual consultant who helped me create my applications later on – at some other firms the initial consultations were not conducted by the actual consultants. From the beginning I had the feeling that Jen was very knowledgeable and that she provided exactly the advise that I felt I needed. Therefore, I decided to work with her.

This decision turned out to be perfect, as she managed to help me demonstrate my strogest self in my applications. She took several hours in the beginning to understand my background thoroughly which allowed her to probe my application at later stages, as she always hat alternative situations in mind that I could possibly leverage. Furthermore, she helped me prepare efficiently for the interviews as she had great insights into the schools’ interview process and questions asked.

I found the process extremely smooth and not stressful at all. Jen was approachable and always replied within the company’s turnaround time. Quick questions were answered much faster.

Therefore, I can only recommend Jen to anyone applying to business school. Jen’s knowledge, experience and communication style made her the perfect consultant to work with. Her support exceeded my expectations by far.

From the get-go, working with Debbie was a fantastic and seamless experience (and I’m not just saying that because I got into my dream school, HBS, with her guidance). When I started the process early in the summer, I had an extremely vague idea of how to approach my application. I had a rough sense of what type of work I wanted to do post-MBA, but I wasn’t sure how I’d draw a direct line between my professional, academic, and life experiences and the amorphous concept of my future career.

From the moment I began working with Debbie, that began to change. During our kick-off call and brainstorming sessions, I began to delve much deeper into the experiences that I’ve had. I think most people (or at least would like to imagine) aren’t predisposed to constantly think about how great they are, or the great things they’ve done, but the application process requires you to do so. Debbie expertly coaxed these details out of me and helped me construct an application narrative that still felt deeply authentic; she never tried to impose anything on me or my application that felt uncomfortable.

As we continued through the process, Debbie was responsive and respectful, and ultimately guided me through an extremely introspective period of my life. Debbie also helped me prep for my interviews and set me up with her colleague on short notice for school-specific interviews (i.e. HBS). She always felt like a genuine partner who was most interested in my success and, if I had to go through the entire process again, I would do it the exact same way with the exact same counselor. I learned a lot about myself along the way and I’m certain that my experience would have been much different (see: worse) without Debbie’s expertise.

I met with Kate for a free, 30-minute consultation when I was just starting to think about applying to school. Very quickly, Kate was able to provide recommendations for a game plan for me. Months later, when I was ready to start my applications, I reached out to her for her help. Her approach was thoughtful and personal, and with her help, I was able to get into my top two schools!

Background on me: White, male, finance, small school (GPA 3.9 / GMAT: 680 / 5 years of experience upon matriculation). Pre-MBA I worked at a relatively unknown firm.  So all in all, I felt like I had a somewhat weak profile compared to the whole of the applicant pool. 

I knew early on that I would use an admissions consultant and would need a way to differentiate my self from a competitive applicant pool. I spoke to a few consultants and told them my background. However, Jen truly stood out because she generally understood my background and on a free consultation helped me start to craft my story. She seemed to be generally enthusiastic about the process too.  Ultimately I signed up for the complete package.

Working with Jen helped me tremendously throughout the entire challenging process.

Jen helped me tremendously when finding and developing my story – taking what I said/wrote and crafting it into a coherent story. Jen’s main strength is her story telling ability. She has a unique talent of transforming somewhat incoherent details into a compelling narrative. She helped me uncover both personal and professional stories that I had forgotten/didn’t think were relevant and helped me make them come to life. I believe that my applications were sent in with a clear cohesive story that helped me stand out as a unique candidate. Also, the mock interview prep was thorough and very helpful. And most importantly, I felt that she was truly invested in my success. We were a team and by the end of the process, I felt that we had built a strong professional relationship. She was one of the first people I notified when I got into my top choice and I could tell that she was genuinely thrilled for me. That meant a lot. I couldn’t have done it without you, Jen!
While certainly not a cheap investment, it has paid itself back tenfold.

Kate’s guidance and support throughout the admissions process was second to none. I was offered admission to Booth, Kellogg, and Tuck, each with scholarships, and I couldn’t have done it without Kate!

Kate led me in developing and communicating my personal brand by guiding me through a process of self-discovery (many phone calls and Skype sessions of brainstorming and questions). She helped me see patterns within my interests and education and work experience that enabled me to tie together my story, why I needed an MBA, and why now. By being straightforward about the weaknesses in my application (a shorter work history and somewhat jumpy resume), Kate helped me address these weaknesses within my written application and prepared me to answer questions around them in interviews.

As I built my resume, short answers, and essays to tell a cohesive story, Kate’s feedback was exceptional. Always timely and professional, Kate understood what I was trying to convey and made suggestions that helped me best articulate it. She was so thoughtful, remembering (and reminding me!) of small details from our prior conversations that, once incorporated, brought my essays to the next level. Another big value-add was Kate’s in-depth knowledge of each program and its students/culture. While sometimes I used similar anecdotes for essay questions and/or short answers, no two answers were the exact same, as each was adjusted to fit the school’s values. Kate was key in helping me show how I was a good fit at each particular school. The same held true when it came down to interview preparation: Kate helped me prepare for each school’s interview, quizzing me on questions she typically sees asked at specific schools and giving me tips on how to make my responses less cookie-cutter and more unique to the values of each school. I attribute my interview-to-admit success rate to Kate’s help in preparation.

After receiving the calls with good news, Kate was one of the first people I told because I was so appreciative of her help throughout the process. She saw me at my best and my worst, and she was a sounding board for all things MBA-related (and some less-MBA-related like a potential company switch pre-MBA). I highly recommend working with Kate to anyone applying – she is the best and will help you find success in the application process!

When I started the MBA application journey, I didn’t know how necessary or valuable a consultant would be. I chose to work with Katy after reading her reviews online and chose her because she had worked in Stanford admissions, which at the time was my top choice. When we did our initial consultation, I told Katy that I was applying to Stanford, Haas, and Wharton. I didn’t think I was “good enough” for HBS and didn’t give it fair consideration because of this lack of confidence. Katy immediately told me that after looking at my profile she thought I should apply to HBS and having gone there herself, told me about how great her experience was. I was shocked and flattered that an alumna thought I was worthy and so I decided to apply and Katy worked with me on my HBS application. We worked on about sixteen drafts of my essay, sending it back and forth to each other and it slowly came to life. Katy’s help was priceless. I wouldn’t have initiated a lot of the essay changes if I was working alone on it. I probably would have stuck with some of the original content that was not as strong, but when you have Katy reading it with you, she suggests ideas more objectively and challenges you to keep taking the essay to the next level. The second item that was helpful to me was organizing the information for my recommenders. Katy had an excellent template that made me a lot more confident in what I was asking my recommenders to write. She also read their letters and gave them feedback and both my recommenders said Katy was extremely helpful and appreciated the feedback as neither one of them had ever written MBA recommendation letters. I got interviews at all four programs I applied to and Katy offered to do mock interviews for all of them. Her mock interviews were very similar to my actual interviews and she had so many resources to help me prepare and feel most confident about them. In the end, I was accepted to HBS and I know for a fact that I would not have even applied if it were not for Katy saying she saw potential in me. For me, she was a true mentor. She gave me confidence and encouragement in every single email and conversation and helped keep me accountable and motivated through what can be a very long and stressful journey. I think a common struggle applicants have is always doubting if they are doing the right things in their applications and actually presenting the bet version of themselves. Having Katy there to give me that assurance and remove that doubt was invaluable. I am so thankful for Katy’s help and encourage everyone to choose her as their mentor.

I had an amazing time working with Katy for my business school application process. She goes above and beyond at every step, ensuring that my application reflected the best of who I am and that the overall experience was as seamless and stress-free as possible. Aside from responding to clients at a rapid-fire pace (even if it means she has to stay up very late on many occasions), Katy made sure that I fully understood what business schools looked for and surfaced key actionable insights (e.g., helping schools understand the myriad transitions in my life, addressing my weaknesses) that I had no previous knowledge of, even after doing copious individual research and talking to other consultants/mentors. Furthermore, Katy’s vested interest in my development was clear from the get-go — she wholeheartedly believed in what I was doing, and helped me believe in myself; ultimately, I would say I was a lot less stressed and much happier about the way my application/interview processes were going versus many of my friends undergoing the same routine, and I can confidently attribute this to Katy.

With her unique background (e.g., HBS alumni, an ex-admission officer at GSB), her tenacity to help students succeed at the highest level, and her impeccable communication skills, Katy is absolutely THE business school admission consultant to work with.

Harshad’s help throughout the whole process was incredible and it was with his help that my application was as strong as it could be. Even though my age is younger than the average age of most MBA students, I was still interviewed by all the schools I applied to and got accepted into a top 10 school. I know I would not have been as successful without his help! His support is very strong and he is extremely good at breaking down and polishing your experiences to create a compelling message for admissions. As I have a technical job, it was through this that we clearly broke down my achievements so they could easily highlight my fortitudes for an MBA. Furthermore, as others have stated his feedback is concise, straight to the point, thorough and insightful. He will make sure your application components are the best they can be and succinctly express your achievements – extremely useful when you want to capture your story in word limited essays! Finally, he always provided feedback in a very timely manner allowing me to submit my applications without any rush. The whole process, from brainstorming for the essays to submitting the applications was definitely made easier by his help! I am extremely grateful for all his support and apart from being great at his job he is also a friendly fun person to work with, making the whole process a lot easier and enjoyable. I have absolutely no doubts about recommending Harshad and am extremely thankful for all his support!

Debbie was truly a pleasure to work with. She was accessible, easy to work with, constructive, and friendly.

My MBA journey began in 2018 when I applied to a number of top tier schools without the aid of a consultant. Although I felt that I put my best foot forward, in retrospect there were a number of holes in my application. I received interviews at a few schools but was ultimately waitlisted and denied.

In 2019, I decided to move forward with a consultant. From the moment that I began to speak to Debbie, I knew that she was different. She was friendly, supportive, constructive, yet direct. She helped to frame my essays in such concise and descriptive ways that I could not do on my own. Also, she was helpful when I ultimately received interviews.

Thanks to Debbie I received admission to a top-tier MBA program as a re-applicant. I would recommend her services to anyone!!!

Coming into the MBA application process, I felt that I had a pretty decent grasp of the process. I had taken the GMAT and performed well, I had my list of schools picked out that I wanted to apply to and I knew what I wanted to write about in my essays (and felt that I was a good writer). For these reasons, I originally did not believe that I needed a consultant to guide me through the process.

After speaking to Kate during the free consultation, I realized that her expertise would be instrumental to my MBA application process. I ended up purchasing an hourly package with Kate. Over the course of about 2 months, Kate was very helpful in ensuring that the tone and phrasing of my essays were in line with what the MBA programs were looking for. Additionally, she would present alternate ways to present myself in my essays that would help me stand out to admissions officers. She was very timely in her responses and as a result, I was able to complete all of my applications well ahead of schedule.

As a result of Kate helping me to fine-tune my essays and applications, I managed to receive interviews to several of my top choices and utilized Kate for the interview prep. She provided very honest feedback that I was able to leverage to improve my interviewing ability. Thanks to Kate, I felt incredibly prepared for all of my interviews and in the end, managed to get an acceptance to one of my top choices (Booth) and even received a scholarship!

Looking back at the process, I cannot thank Kate enough for all of the help that she provided me throughout the application process. Kate is incredibly experienced, professional, timely and helpful and very clearly cares about establishing a personal touch with each of her clients. If you are looking for a consultant to help you fine-tune your MBA applications, Kate is clearly one of the best and I cannot recommend her enough!

Thanks to Debbie, I’ll be heading to Charlottesville to attend UVA Darden next fall! I worked with Debbie on the four-school Complete Start-to-Finish Package. From beginning to end, Debbie was extremely helpful, and she really helped me craft my applications in the most compelling way.

During the brainstorming process, she took the time to understand my story, and she helped me identify the most unique aspects of my profile. I really appreciated how she helped me clarify my short and long-term goals in the context of my professional background and experience.

For the essays, she helped me identify my most compelling stories for each essay prompt, and she gave me advice on how I can outline and structure my essays to engage the admissions committee. When reviewing my essays, she would always return her feedback within two business days.

Overall, I would highly recommend Debbie for anyone who is looking for an admissions consultant. I’m extremely happy with the result, and I’m looking forward to attending my dream school!

Deciding to work with Kate was easily one of the best decisions I made during my MBA application process! As a non-traditional applicant, Kate expertly helped me to see and succinctly explain my strengths, frame my career path narrative, and craft a polished, professional application package. Furthermore, Kate made me feel confident and supported from the very beginning and working with her made the application process a fun and introspective experience, allowing me to let go of the inherent stress, enjoy the process and learn a lot about myself. She and I worked together for over a year, and during that time, she was an amazing brainstormer, helping me to select and articulate my strongest stories from both my careers and extracurriculars, gave me excellent interview prep and immediate advice, and thought of every small detail – from my resume to social media and LinkedIn, to working with recommenders. Her advice to connect with as many current students and alumni as possible, to attend webinars and chats, and reach out to those in my desired field, ultimately allowed me to understand and articulate why each program I applied to was a strong fit for me, and how I would add value to each program. I ultimately was admitted to both Kellogg and Tuck, and truly believe she was integral to my acceptances! Finally, Kate is professional, respectful, kind and genuinely cares for her clients – I would recommend her to anybody!

I was dinged from the 3 schools I applied to the previous year without interviews. This left me feeling unmotivated and unworthy of getting into a top program. Then Harshad entered into the picture. Not only did he help me get into the school of my dreams (one I was previously dinged from before), he helped to instill in me the confidence that I truly deserved it and was capable of getting there. Simply put, he believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. So, thank you Harshad. Thank you for the time and energy you put into helping me craft my best stories. Thank you for your patience in my emotional struggles. And thank you for helping me push my limits and get into the school I always knew I belonged at.

Krista at mbaMission is a true delight. She was highly responsive, organized, and resourceful regarding each school’s admissions process, key programs, and application components.

Krista was able to highlight each school’s thematic areas while helping me seriously shape my application narrative. She did this efficiently (I was an hourly client) and with exceptionally high standards.

I was considering working with another well-regarded admissions consulting firm, but after my 30-minute introductory call with Krista, I could not imagine working with anyone else. I could always count on Krista to provide thoughtful, detailed feedback on my essays and applications while maintaining good humor, perspective, charisma, and enthusiasm.

During the process, we discovered that both Krista and I are big readers, and I really enjoyed getting to know Krista on a more personal level, sharing our book lists, and chatting about our favorites. I highly recommend Krista for your application needs and consider myself lucky to have found her services. I was ultimately admitted to my first choice program in R1!

I got connected to Rachel rather serendipitously: through a random 30-minute free consultation. I honestly hadn’t considered the idea of using a consultant, but my Kaplan GMAT tutor highly recommended mbaMission, so I decided to give the free consultation a shot. I consider myself to be a diligent, organized, and process-oriented person, so naturally, I was skeptical of the value that a consultant would add to my application. Spending $5,000+ was out of the question unless I was convinced that a consultant would be an invaluable resource throughout the process. Rachel was that and more – I can honestly say that I would have been lost without her. Within 10 minutes of hanging up our initial consultation, I had committed to working with Rachel.

I was blown away not only by Rachel’s incomparable knowledge of the process and intimate understanding of the characteristics adcoms look for in applicants but also by her bubbly yet firm demeanor. Rachel was always friendly, but very direct and never one to sugarcoat anything. She gives her honest opinion, even if it’s not what you want to hear at the time, but your application is stronger as a result.
Rachel’s main strength is her storytelling ability. She has a unique talent for transforming monotonous details into a compelling narrative. Thoroughly prepared for every call, Rachel provided a fresh perspective and it was clear that she was invested in your journey. I relied heavily on Rachel to frame up my essays and help articulate the message I was trying to convey.

Rachel began our intro call by saying that she is, “tough, but fair and I might not like her at times.” While there were some instances where she gave some tough feedback, she was an absolute pleasure to work with. And most importantly, I felt that she was truly invested in my success. We were a team and by the end of the process, I felt that we had built a strong professional relationship. She was one of the first people I notified when I got into my top choice and I could tell that she was genuinely thrilled for me. That meant a lot. I couldn’t have done it without you, Rachel!

I initially wasn’t planning on using a consultant due to the financial commitment, but Rachel came highly recommended by a friend who had an incredible experience, and mine was just the same. I am so grateful for Rachel – from our first phone call she not only made me feel like I had the very best guidance but also put me at ease and gave me the confidence that I could achieve my goal (and as a woman with no finance background I was not initially confident going into the MBA application process!)
It was clear that Rachel knew all the ins the outs of MBA admissions, and she also made it clear that I would need to work very hard if we worked together, which I was ready for!

Rachel didn’t tell me to be someone else on my application – she helped me shape my own story in a compelling way that was completely genuine and “me.” The extra leg-work she required with the brainstorming document helped me get to know myself better and realize my MBA goals in the most authentic way, and in turn I ended up submitting an application that I was truly proud of and reflected exactly who I am. Throughout the process Rachel was very honest and I am so grateful for her thoughtful feedback; it was clear that every essay and thought I sent her she reviewed carefully and responded with deep consideration. She was also completely open when I came back with different ideas too – it was a mutual relationship in which we worked together on every element.

Overall, Rachel was on my team from day one and was a very helpful resource in not only the essay writing but navigating recommendations, formatting my resume, connecting with the school in an appropriate way, staying calm with the test, and prepping for the interview. She was the perfect amount involved and I could not have asked for a better coach/mentor. I also know I will stay in touch with her as I navigate my MBA experience, which in itself shows what a warm, supportive and genuinely kind person she is.

I highly recommend Rachel to anybody who is driven towards an MBA goal; the time and care she took to guide me is priceless and I could not be prouder of the results from this process.

Heidi is an exceptionally talented consultant, and it was truly a privilege to work with her through my MBA application cycle. To anyone considering an application consultant, I cannot recommend her enough. I’m thrilled to say that, with her help, I’ve been accepted to a dream reach school.

I was a low-GPA and GMAT applicant, and I applied to programs R3-R4 where acceptance probabilities were already low. In order to secure an acceptance offer, I knew I had to differentiate myself through essays, recommendations, networking, and my interview. In short: I needed help conveying the value I would bring to a program because I definitely wasn’t going to be accepted to a top program on my scores alone.

Heidi helped me brand myself as a top-tier candidate. Brainstorming with Heidi was a master class in self-reflection, and she was quick to pull valuable skills, accomplishments, and traits from my life experience and work history that the admissions committees would find valuable. I also needed a consultant to hold me to the highest standard in my essays: she guided me through countless revisions until we produced the absolute best products.

Heidi also provided valuable counsel to my recommenders, and with Heidi’s help, they were best able to quantify my analytic achievements and demonstrated leadership in a manner that showed high career potential with an MBA. Finally, I credit my successful interviews to our mock interviews and preparation.

The MBA application is stressful and challenging on its own. If you hire Heidi, however, you’ll find a valuable and experienced partner to navigate the process and refine your application to its best possible form. I can confidently say I would not be at my dream school today without her help!

I started my application with another wonderful consultant that had to go on maternity leave and Jen kindly helped me with the interviews preparations. She was helpful and factual in her feedback, both during live sessions and guidance of my self preparations. I felt very confident during the actual interview, that appeared easier than the prepping sessions.

I had a feeling that the whole process was very well thought through initially, and later tailored to each student – via timeline, collecting best personal stories, and adjusting working style. Overall, this was, I think, a life-changing experience for me and application would have been so much more complicated, stressful, lengthier and error-prone.

I have worked with Heidi Granner for the most part, and Jen Kedrowski helped me with interviews preparations at the end, as Heidi was leaving on maternity leave. As I mentioned, engaging with Mbamission was one of the best decisions I have made during this year. I am impressed with the level of professionalism, passion, and dedication Heidi showed throughout the process, and with way, Jen hopped at the end and made me feel confident at the interviews. Not only did I feel calm and guided throughout the process, but Heidi always found the right words of encouragement – something that tremendously helped mentally to pull through (job complex situations). Heidi was always punctual, professional, and knew exactly how to better structure your responses, allowing the essays to stay personal and authentic, yet answering admission committees questions within the strict word limit. Towards the (happy) end of my journey, Jen helped me to prep for the interviews. She was also amazing in the way she gave me feedback and guidance to further preparation. I had a feeling that the whole process was very well thought through initially, and later tailored to each student – via a timeline, collecting best personal stories, and adjusting the working style. Overall, this was, I think, a life-changing experience for me and application would have been so much more complicated, stressful, lengthier and error-prone.

Harshad’s help was incredible and put me in a position to choose between offers from Top 10 schools. The application process can be long and grueling, but Harshad always gives it his all and his support turned all of the ups and downs into a truly rewarding journey. I don’t believe I would have been as successful without his help, and here are his strengths to support why – 1) He is exceptional at distilling your experiences and actions into clear and compelling messages that can be understood by admissions committees. For someone who has a tendency to dive right into the complexities of situations, this was incredibly helpful. 2) As other reviews have stated, his feedback is concise, direct, insightful, and constructive. He regularly suggested course corrections that ended up producing excellent application materials. 3) He is an incredibly hard worker who has your best interests in mind. He always provided feedback in a very timely manner and rest assured that when crunch time comes, he will not be the bottleneck in the process. 4) While he frequently does have strong views on materials, he was always more than happy to get on the phone for additional brainstorming and to thoroughly go over any questions or doubts I had. This combination of conviction with the willingness to discuss how to improve upon his suggestions further by taking them in new directions is a powerful combination that ensured materials were completed efficiently and effectively. In addition to all of the skills and traits mentioned above, perhaps what I have valued most is his persistent realism and optimism. While he does not sugar coat anything, he always sees a path to success and is clear about what it will require. I have absolutely no doubts about recommending that you hire Harshad. I am thankful I did.

I had a challenging story to communicate (white male, finance background, weak GMAT, career pivot, location pivot, etc.) but Julie did an amazing job of working with me to craft a compelling and unique story for each MBA program that I considered. In addition, I was an extremely demanding client (applied to nine MBA programs) yet Julie always rose the occasion when deadlines arrived. She went above and beyond for me several times throughout the application process and I am very thankful that I selected her as my consultant. Highly recommend to any MBA candidates looking at a hiring a consultant!

I am not over exaggerating when I say without Jen I would not have gotten into Haas.

I am a reapplicant. I had a low GRE score. I had a difficult story I needed to tell and Jen helped me to do that seamlessly. She really brought my essays to life, helped me to prep for my interviews with inside knowledge on how each interview worked and who the people were I’d be interviewing with, and provided a unique idea for my waitlist updates for Ross, Wharton, and Haas.

Jen is the kind of consultant that is there every step of the way as your cheerleader. She’s incredibly efficient, smart, not pushy, and kind. She believed in me when no one else did and that confidence showed in my interviews and essays and this June I was accepted into Haas!

Unfortunately, I’ve had to defer a year due to medical issues but Jen again was helpful with helping me traverse that situation and I look forward to starting Haas next fall.

Do yourself a favor and give her a call, you won’t regret it.

Thank you, Jen!

I worked with John in 2018-2019 using MBA Mission’s Start to Finish package for 5 different schools. Overall the experience was great! John is great at brainstorming and helping you articulate your key talking points. As someone who knew almost nothing going into the process, it was very helpful to have John guide me through the process. He helped tremendously with brainstorming and editing. Also, once we got interview invites, his interview prep was particularly helpful. This was one of the most helpful features for me, because walking into my interviews I felt very calm and prepared because I had done so much practice already with John. I come from a non-traditional background, and don’t have too many coworkers or friends getting MBAs, so it was very helpful to have John’s expertise along the way. I ended up getting into Stern, CBS & Booth with John’s help! I’ll be joining CBS next year!

Stats – Female from West Africa in PE/Impact Investments.
I needed someone to help review my essays to support my EMBA application at a world-class school in the UK. Given my Africa background and investments focus, I really needed to position myself in a compelling manner. Julie-Anne gave very constructive and thought-provoking feedback (I was sure she knew me from 10 years back!) as she really GOT my story and was able to appreciate my journey and help articulate it better. Her background in finance and being an MBA holder really showed strongly. Despite the tight timelines and imminent application deadline, Julie-Anne went above and beyond for me and was able to turn around my essays very speedily (at a point overnight) which helped me meet my deadlines. I secured a spot within 3 weeks of submitting my application! So glad I chose you, thank you for working with me Julie-Anne.

Working with Michael was the single best decision I made throughout my application process. He has the unique ability to truly bring out the best parts of you in your application so that you shine in the eyes of the admissions committee. Not only was he exceptional at meeting (and often beating) deadlines, his advice was always clear and direct, and allowed me to put my best foot forward when it came to submitting my application. While my raw stats were slightly below the median of my target schools, Michael worked with me on 4 applications, which turned into 4 admits! Because of his guidance, I’ll be heading to my dream program this Fall. I cannot recommend him enough!

Wow! What a hardworking consultant.

Harshad will spend as much time as you need to make sure you feel 100% confident in your application/ interview/ whatever really! He does an amazing job at helping you dig deep to find your strengths and ultimately, your story. Harshad never once was late with an email or deadline and honestly exceeded my expectations in every area. Going into the process I was highly skeptical that a consultant would be necessary/ worth the money.

After going through the process I keep recommending my friends to use a consultant/ Harshad specifically. I used a five school package for R2 and felt like the extra push from a consultant in terms of helping you spend more time on each app was well worth the effort as well. In short, when you work with a consultant you will spend MUCH more time on apps but it will be all worth it in the end. I promise.

I was referred to mbaMission by my GRE counselor a few months prior to submitting my application to Stern’s part-time program. I was a bit reluctant to spend more money on my application, but I decided to sign on for a starter package, and I’m so happy I did (I ended up extending my time). My initial hope was that I would receive guidance on my essays and other components of my application. I ended up receiving indispensable counseling on most/all components of my application, but my counselor, Jessica, also helped me to prioritize tasks for my application. She was also very responsive and helped answer all of my questions regarding the application process, etc. (truly all of my questions). Highly, highly recommend this service…well worth the investment.

I’ve worked with Krista Nannery for the second round of my MBA application. Words cannot describe how much Krista has helped me along the way, but I shall try. And I hope you read through this long review to understand how awesome Krista is.

Without Krista’s help, in the first round, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I have a decent profile, a good GMAT score, and I thought I didn’t need the help of an admission consultant. After all, years ago when I applied to engineering grad school, I did it myself and received admissions to all schools that I’d applied to, including household names such as Stanford/MIT/Berkeley, and some even provided me a full ride. I thought applying to business school would be no different, that I would apply to a couple of top schools, and some will accept me for sure.

The outcome of my first round application was disastrous, to say the least. I was getting dinged left and right by top schools, and the ones that didn’t reject me outright put me on the waitlist.

I knew I needed help. Applying to business school is hard. It’s more than just a good profile and a good GMAT score. It’s about how you present yourself, it’s about what to put in front of the admission office with a limited amount of space, it’s about your own brand. I was lucky that I didn’t apply to one of my dream schools – Chicago Booth in the 1st round, and I started my application in the 2nd round with Krista’s help.

My essays changed drastically with Krista’s guidance. We had a discussion back and forth about my experience and what to present/how to present with the limited space. Whenever I sent Krista my essay, she almost always replied in about 24 hours, even though the contractual requirement is 48 hours. Her comments are thoughtful and direct, starting from the structure and content selection of the essays to the detailed wording that would make me shine the most. You’ll be surprised by how knowledgeable Krista is about what makes the best case for the candidate, and how she helps you put your profile in the best light possible.

Indeed, the two Booth essays are the best ones I was able to put together in the entire application process. Additionally, Krista also advised me on how to better communicate with my recommenders about what might be helpful to include.

And so I received the interview invite from Booth, the first and only M7 invite I got in the entire process. Krista then helped me prepare for the interview, from my content, to my demeanor, from the traditional Why MBA/Why now/Why Booth questions, to the more specific ones for Booth from her knowledge and mbaMission’s database. I’m confident to say that I did well in my interview.

Remember I was waitlisted in the 1st round? Krista also helped me strategized about what to do and additional material to be submitted for these waitlisted schools. But what made Krista an amazing consultant wasn’t just all the material/strategy help she provided. What set Krista apart was the fact that she truly cares about me. She cares about what I was going through and encouraged me through the hard parts. For me, this is the most important part, because when I receive bad news in the process, I don’t want to share with my family as I don’t want them to worry. But I had no problem sharing my news with Krista, be it good news or bad news because I knew she is my friend. I knew Krista would be ecstatic if it was good, and I knew she would give me as much support as possible if it was bad. I always felt that she was equally invested in my case, and we were in this together.

When the time came, I got into Booth! Moreover, I got off the waitlist for Haas and Yale SOM as well! As I said, Krista has much to do with all these acceptances.

But Krista doesn’t stop here! As I said, she was truly invested in my case, and when I had trouble deciding among Booth/Haas/SOM, she even connected me with her personal connections that went to these schools so I can discuss with them! Additionally, Krista has quite an international background and a great understanding of China/Southeast Asia, and thus she was able to provide me with a tremendous amount of knowledge about different schools’ resources in the international stage. If this is not caring, I don’t know what is!

Everybody says that an MBA is a life-changing experience. I haven’t gone through it yet, but I can honestly say that the application process for me has already been a perspective-changing journey. It challenges me to reflect on what I’ve done so far in my life, and what I want to do in the next phase. In retrospect, to go through this process successfully, you need hard work, you need a strategy, you need preparation, and most importantly, you need supports from a friend that is equally invested in you. I can vouch that Krista has provided me with all these at the highest level and then some, and I’m lucky to have her helping me along the way!

Thank you, Krista! I wholeheartedly recommend her service for future applicants!

I did two mock interview sessions with Katy for the deferred enrollment program of Sloan and Columbia. Katy not only read through my whole application to prepare for the mock but also provided me many tips regarding selecting schools and reapplying for regular MBA programs. Although I only had Katy for interview preparation, she was always there for me for other non-interview related admissions questions/concerns. After I received the offers, Katy even had a 20min long phone call with me to help me decide which school to go to.

If I decide to reapply Harvard or Stanford in the future, for sure I will come back to Katy. Honestly, the biggest regret I had for the past application season is that I didn’t get to know Katy early enough to make her my consultant.

I had a wonderful experience working with Jen Kedrowski. I believed the weakest aspect of my application was my work experience and Jen worked very hard to help me highlight my accomplishments and address my weaknesses. We also spent many productive hours preparing for interviews, of which I had six in a two week period. I chose Jen because she received her MBA from Cambridge and I was most interested in LBS, but this does not mean that she has limited knowledge of the American schools. Jen helped me get accepted to Booth, Yale, and Cambridge and waitlisted at Dartmouth and LBS. If you are looking for a consultant who is very diligent, enthusiastic, reliable, and detail oriented, I would highly recommend Jen Kedrowski at mbaMission.

Waiting to start my next two years at Kellogg, I cannot thank Heidi enough for her support and partnership. As a reapplicant, I really wanted to give my 100% effort this round and decided to use an MBA admissions consulting firm. I applied to seven schools (aggressive plan with no safety school), and got accepted to two schools and waitlisted at one. I can’t be any happier about the results.

I considered six different MBA admissions consulting firms, and mbaMission stood out to me. It provided structured but proven processes that help candidates simplify the entire application process, understand their backgrounds to develop cohesive narratives and identify their strengths and weaknesses. However, talking to Heidi drove my decision home.

Heidi was easy to talk to about my background, not only the past professional experiences but also my unique upbringing. This partnership most importantly helped me identify the unique aspects about my life I didn’t even realize that I had. I think being able to trust Heidi and really reflecting on my personal stories, motives, and values with her truly made the entire experience easier.

Once the main themes were identified, she helped me craft a story in a powerful way to ensure my application was tailored to each school. Each personal statement at least had three rounds of reviews. She was always responsive to my requests and specific needs, and her suggestions were thought-provoking at times. I wouldn’t call myself a writer, but Heidi pushed myself to really present my submissions as best as they could be. As a reapplicant, this process was extremely helpful. Writing a personal statement on your own without much guidance could take 10+ rounds of edits because you are not 100% sure what’s the best way to present yourself. Last year, I got help from a handful of current MBA students in addition to families and friends but I realized their assistance was based on their own experiences only. Having Heidi on my side definitely provided me confidence and helped me understand when my essay was ‘good to go’. Looking back at my personal statements, I am quite proud of them!

The MBA application process is daunting and I have done it two years in a row! This year, I added five more schools to the list but I honestly feel like it was less stressful because of Heidi’s support. Thank you, Heidi, for helping me along the entire way!

If you look in the dictionary for the definition of “phenomenal”, you will see a photo of Debbie Choy. All thanks to Debbie, I am headed to UVA Darden – my dream school! – this fall and I could not be more thrilled!!! Debbie went above and beyond in every single way for me. Debbie’s talent as a coach and a partner, her ability to highlight the most compelling parts of your story, her constant cheerleading, and her honest but casual style are just 4 of many things that make her an all-star MBA consultant. If you want to work with the best, work with Debbie. No contest. When I got into Darden, she said “OMG, I HAVE LITERAL TEARS OF JOY” – that’s how close we got and how dedicated she is to your success.

I worked with Debbie on a 6 school package and was able to use much of the work we did to apply to even more schools. I have a very non-traditional background: 7 years of experience in tech, Humanities double major from a top public university and definitely more of a “poet” than a “quant”. I also had a well below average GMAT score. I opted to go with Debbie because 1) I didn’t want to go through the process blind, 2) I wanted to get the application process right the first time (versus re-applying) and 3) Debbie went to a school I have the utmost respect for. I also work for a startup and my schedule is crazy – I needed someone to be the “hammer” and make sure I got things done on time. I wanted to present myself in the best possible light and given how unique my background was, I didn’t really know how to shape my narrative. Enter Debbie!

My results blew me away: 2 straight admits w/ 1 scholarship, 4 waitlists (Dartmouth Tuck, UVA Darden, NYU Stern, and CMU Tepper). I expected to get into 1 school max – not have, at one point, 7 potential options. And then I cleared the waitlist at Darden and am headed there!

I’ll never forget our kickoff call when I told her how many schools I was applying to (hint: 10+) because I was convinced I wouldn’t get in anywhere. Debbie just smiled and said, “Ok, it’s all about execution then!” She was constantly positive, always uplifting. From taking the GMAT 5 times to then taking the GRE to deal with one of my recommenders bailing last minute, Debbie was consistently calm, cool and collected (even when I certainly was not). She always helped me find creative solutions, pushed me to produce the highest quality drafts I could and really helped me present myself in the strongest possible way. If an essay was headed in the wrong direction, she wasn’t afraid to tell me and have us start over – which was very confidence-inspiring. She remembered key aspects of my story and found new ways to tell the same story in a way that would appeal to each school. I was so impressed with the depth of Debbie’s knowledge; for instance, the way we prepped for my Darden interview was completely different than how we prepped for Tuck. In applying to so many schools, I even accidentally sent her a document for one of the schools I was not working with her on – and she reviewed it! When I offered to retroactively pay her, she declined and just said she “hoped it was helpful”. She is one of the most kind-hearted, dedicated and altruistic people I’ve worked with through my career. When I was in “waitlist purgatory” for what felt like forever, Debbie helped me figure out creative ways to update AdComs and keep the ball rolling. And, most significantly, she demonstrated boundless empathy and support for me during a year where I lost a family member midway through the application season, completely unexpectedly. I could not have asked for more from an admissions consultant – who has since become a friend.

Despite how much self-doubt I had through the process, Debbie consistently built me up and never acted like my many silly questions about short answers on the app form were silly. The application process is stressful: you feel the highest of highs and the lowest of lows and the waiting in between can drive you crazy. Debbie was there through it all – reviewing essays I had grown tired of reviewing, pushing me to produce the best possible drafts and even making herself available to one of my recommenders if he had questions. She really gets on the same side of the river as you and is side-by-side with you as you navigate this stressful and intense process. You have to work with Debbie. I would do it all again if I could – and I’m already jealous of the lucky folks who get to work with her this application season.

Knowing I want to go into tech entrepreneurship, Debbie told me: “If you ever start a company, I want to be one of your investors”. 🙂 What you invest in the process with Debbie you will get back tenfold.