Devi Vallabhaneni

I worked with Devi on my full application and HBS interview. Devi was the consultant I think everyone needs, she’s honest, supportive, and efficient. The application process can be very stressful and Devi did an amazing job at helping me go through all the steps perfectly. Crafting my story was the hardest part (for me) as I felt like I had no interesting story to tell but Devi helped me communicate effectively which helped my writing even beyond applications. Devi was very honest and clear which made me trust her feedback even more. I then purchased interview sessions with Devi and I have to say, don’t second guess this service – if you get an HBS interview invite get these sessions! Each session was different and we worked on answering different questions in a thorough and concise manner. She really helped me think and speak clearly about my job, goals, and experiences. I went into my interview with the confidence that I needed and even though (as she says) we can never anticipate the questions, I was able to answer each question with confidence and ease.

If you got an interview invitation from HBS, that’s a sign that you should work twice as hard on your story as you did during the application stage. I realized that after a bootcamp style preparation for an interview with Devi, a process that helped me to deeply retrospect about my story, reflect on my professional and personal experience and present my achievements in the most natural way.

Since our first call, I realized how lucky I was to get a slot in Devi’s schedule. Devi knew my whole application down to every last detail in my CV and essay. We had multiple mock interviews with follow-up discussions on how exactly I could sharpen a particular story: which details should be helpful to liven it up and what could be missed out without further regret. Story by story I was sharpening my profile. Although exhaustive, this approach was always fun and productive. For example, we spent quite some time working on a core story in my profile about how I changed the approach to the pitching preparation process within my firm. Challenging with thought-provoking questions Devi pushed me to dig deeper into intentions that I had, what issues I faced, how I overcame them, and how this project helped my firm win clients from new sectors and materially transform our revenue mix. Interview preparation really helped me to realize how much I have achieved and performed during my career, providing me with additional confidence at the interview.

During the interview day, I had zero stress, as the vast majority of questions that the interviewer asked me were those that we discussed with Devi during our sessions. This is a kind of insight and understanding of the interview process that probably only Devi can provide given her experience.

HBS interview prep experience with Devi became a foundation for all other interviews and helped me secure offers not only from HBS but also from Yale, Wharton and MIT.

The interview is the last and most important step to your dream MBA program and you should not compromise on the quality of your preparation. So, if you are serious about your HBS or other B-school interview preparation, Devi is a go-to consultant for this.

I did the Complete Start-to-Finish Package with Devi and from the very beginning I could sense how invested Devi was in my success. Her direct and straightforward style helped me put my best foot forward in applications and truly showcase both my accomplishments and personality. More than just helping me pack more in an essay, she pulled out stories and emotions and helped me add more depth to my writing. With regards to interviews – her knowledge regarding the HBS interview was evident. The prep session helped me pinpoint areas of improvement that I was able to address ahead of the interview. I was shocked at how comfortable I ended up feeling during the interview itself. Overall, I’d highly recommend working with Devi for your MBA applications!!

Devi is definitely the straightforward tough love consultant. I had done a fair bit of research before I decided to hire a consultant but I wanted someone to help me narrow down my essay focus and help me “sanity check” my profile. I wrote a 25-page brainstorm document before our first meeting and I could tell she read it thoroughly and was able to very quickly point out what was unique about my profile. She gave me clear instructions on how to approach the orders of essays as well and even though I was hesitant to do my HBS essay last (since it was my top choice), it ended up being the easiest to write and one of my favorite pieces of writing ever.
But more importantly, Devi was a HUGE help during my interview process for HBS. I had researched and read perhaps a bit too much before my first mock interview and was trying to keep my answers very short at the expense of the completeness of my stories. During our first mock interview, Devi was very direct in pointing that out and even though it was very stressful to shift my mindset as I prepped for our second mock in just a few days, it did me wonders because her guidance on how to structure my focus points was EXTREMELY helpful. My actual interview overlapped a bit with our mock and I felt comfortable in answering questions I didn’t prepare for using the same approach as my other answers.
I am so happy I got accepted to my dream school HBS in R1 and will always be grateful for Devi’s help throughout the process. If you also want to get into HBS (and also other schools), you must talk to Devi!!

Devi was instrumental in getting me into HBS, and I was fortunate enough that she still had space.

I initially thought that HBS interview would be like any other. How different could they be? Very, as it turns out. From the style of questions, to their substance, HBS interview was unlike any interview I’ve gone through.

Devi knew my application and resume better than I did myself, and she spent more time preparing for our sessions than I did (and I spent a lot of time preparing). Her feedback was on point and actionable, and made all the difference.

She also told me when I had enough practice, which I appreciated. Of course, it would have made better financial sense for her to continue, but this just goes to show that she always has the candidate’s best interest at heart.

When the interview day finally came I was shocked by how many questions that we practiced actually came up (these were questions about very specific experiences rather than generic questions). In the heat of the moment, however, I got somewhat tangled and thought that my chances of admission were gone. As it turns out, they weren’t! Devi prepares you to such a standard that even what feels like a bad interview is in fact good.

I would not have made it without Devi, and I cannot recommend her enough. You should work with her if you’re serious about getting into HBS. I’m having the time of my life, and I’m sure you would too!

When I first received an invitation to interview at HBS, GSB, and Wharton, I was overjoyed, but also overwhelmed. I had no idea where to begin and no idea how to prepare. I spent days trying to find the right consultant and ultimately chose Devi because of her amazing reviews and online content (I highly recommend watching her YouTube videos discussing interview prep). I did the intensive interview prep with Devi – I cannot stress enough how essential this prep was for me, not only for my HBS interview but also for my GSB interview. Devi gave me insight into what the interviewers are looking for, she gave me a structure for prepping in between sessions, and she instilled in me confidence in my responses. Her feedback on everything was direct and actionable. Most importantly, she gave me a blueprint to position any response regardless of whether I had encountered that question before or not—often interviewers ask questions for which you hadn’t directly prepared. I cannot stress enough how helpful Devi was for my process. I absolutely recommend Devi to other applicants going through this process.

I did the 3-session HBS interview prep package with Devi and it was absolutely worth it. From extensively reviewing my application, Devi was able to predict the types of questions I would receive in my interview. Each session resulted in a tighter set of key talking points to hit as well as homework to practice. From this, I felt confident heading into the interview and was fortunate to be accepted!

Since the beginning of college, I had my eyes set on eventually applying to HBS, my dream business school. So when it came time for me to choose an MBA consultant to work with, it was a huge decision for me. After months of evaluating various consultants, I ultimately reached out to Devi for the Complete Start-to-Finish Package based on all of her raving reviews. Now, after having worked directly with Devi over the course of several months, I can assure you that she deserves ALL the praise that you see online.

Among many other reasons, I came from a highly traditional background and found it difficult to craft a story based on my distinct life experiences. After one single brainstorming session, Devi worked with me and guided me to craft an application with a clear theme and thesis. Simply put, I would not be going to HBS without Devi’s guidance.

As all the other reviews suggest, Devi is everything that you need in a consultant. Above all, she is honest, straightforward, and efficient. So, if you really are serious about going to your dream business school, Devi will be worth the investment as she will give you the best possible guidance. Applying to business school was a huge milestone in my life, and I am beyond grateful that I chose to work with her. THANK YOU AGAIN DEVI!!!

The interview coaching I received from Devi was simply spectacular! She identifies exactly where your gaps are and creates an action plan that is customized to your needs. Devi challenges you to dig deeper and try different ways of answering a question. These exercises tremendously build your comfort, agility, and overall confidence with the interview process. Her wealth of insights and experience is unmatched, and she truly supports you every step of the way. Words cannot begin to express how grateful I am to Devi – she is outstanding!

Devi is a seasoned admissions professional who helped me successfully get into my top choice school (GSB/HBS). She has an extremely direct style which helps you efficiently see areas of improvement in your application.

I did not hire Devi as my main consultant, but I did do her free consultation. I am still recommending her because of the quality of that consultation and because I heavily relied on the resources she has online for preparing for the HBS interview. As an ORM software engineer with a solid background, there are two extremes for consultants. On one end, there’s the consultant that will tell you that you’ll get in everywhere as long as you sign with them. The other will try to make you aim lower so they can have an easy win. Devi was neither. She was realistically encouraging and gave me actionable feedback on things I could work on before the admissions process. Her free HBS interview prep material is essential viewing for anyone invited to interview by HBS, and I’m confident that working with her on the interview 1:1 would be valuable for those that need a bit of coaching. She’s been an HBS interviewer, so she knows what they evaluate. I attribute a large part of my successful HBS interview to her prep materials.

If you receive an interview for HBS, the best thing that you can do is immediately book a mock interview with Devi. Devi not only improved my interview ability with HBS but my interview skills in general. Our mock interview process felt exactly like the real thing and Devi put a ton of time reviewing my application ahead of our mock interviews. I was super well-prepared for the real interview – this was because Devi knows exactly how to prep you through her mock interviews. She asks very detailed questions that reflects what you should expect for the HBS interview and how to think through it.

More than that, Devi’s feedback sessions after the mock interviews were incredibly helpful. She will give you the feedback that you need to hear to really improve. She is truly amazing as a coach and as a person. I could not have been accepted into HBS without Devi’s mock interview prep.

I’m very grateful for the advice and support Devi provided me throughout my application process. Devi always gave prompt, candid, clear, and immensely helpful feedback on my work. What I appreciated most, though, was that Devi matched my intensity. She truly was a partner who I simply wouldn’t have been able to navigate the process without and to who I credit much of my GSB acceptance.

Thank You, Devi!!! I decided to work with Devi because I wanted someone with experience specific to HBS for my R2 interview. Devi treated our mock interview sessions very much like the real thing and I could tell she had reviewed my application in detail. The questions she asked pushed me to ensure that I was well-prepared for the real interview and the variety of questions I was likely to be asked. Devi’s feedback throughout the process was clear-cut and brief. I know the time I spent working with Devi made a huge impact on the success of my application!!

Overall, I had an excellent experience with Devi and was accepted to a top-choice program! She was incredibly efficient, knowledgable, and pleasant to work with throughout the application and interview process. She really helped me reflect on my experiences and stories to draw out the most powerful anecdotes, and her approach was very pragmatic. I would strongly recommend her to anyone looking to work with a consultant.

I’m so grateful that I chose to work with Devi for HBS interview prep. When I got my R2 interview invite, I knew that I wanted to do everything in my power for it to be successful. If I was denied or accepted, I would have done everything I could.

Without Devi, I easily could have driven myself crazy trying to come up with answers to questions that other students had reported in their interviews. The thing is – those questions were only applicable to those students since HBS is so individually catered. As a former HBS interviewer, Devi read my entire application and identified the points she would ask questions about so I could narrow down my preparation and really hone in on the stories that best exemplified my character. In only two sessions, Devi helped me tighten my answers, which in turn led me to answer more confidently.

My interview went swimmingly – it felt like a conversation! Devi had predicted nearly every question I was asked, and for those she did not, we had discussed stories and examples that fit into those neatly.

I’m 1000% glad I worked with Devi. With her help, I’m a stronger interviewer for future jobs and am getting to go to my dream MBA program. I would recommend her to my peers in a heartbeat.

Devi was fantastic – I reached out to her with little time to spare (<1 month) until applications were due for my MPA/MPP submissions. Devi confirmed she could work with me on a flexible time schedule and she was super available to help me cram in everything we needed to get done, but without skipping any steps!! She made sure we did all the exploration, helped me solidify my main story and worked with me with a balance of caring, efficiency, and candidness to deliver my story and guide me through decision points (e.g., retaking GRE). She made sure we got everything in and felt good about it, and it worked – I got into my desired program at HKS 🙂

Working with Devi to prepare for my HBS interview was the best decision I’ve ever made. My experience was invaluable, and I can confidently say that I could not have done it without Devi’s advice and training. If HBS is your dream school, I would highly recommend working with Devi.

She’s incredibly experienced and knew how to bring the best out of me. Her feedback was very candid and pragmatic. She helped me reflect on my stories and experiences and guided me towards ways that I used to tweak my answers and bring out the personal element in each of them. Devi helped me become a better storyteller and a more engaging interviewee in only 2 sessions. She’s magic!

It was very clear for me that Devi spent ample time reading and studying my application. She knew it inside out and also understood my industry quite well. Her effort showed in the follow-up questions she asked me during our sessions. Devi’s questions prompted me to focus on areas that I had initially overlooked and helped me better prepare my answers and stories.

Also, she helped me highlight the main catchy areas in my story and guided me on how to give more crisp and succinct answers without losing the engaging element in them.

It’s also worth mentioning that Devi is incredibly nice, caring, and supportive. When she gave me advice, she did it in a very constructive manner that left me energized to improve rather than feel demoralized. She encouraged me to get better and led me there. I absolutely loved working with Devi and I loved her style.

Working with Devi has been an absolute pleasure and I would definitely recommend working with her to prepare for HBS interviews. She can definitely help you get there!!

And I am glad I did. I literally had 2 weeks for Wharton and 4 weeks for Berkeley. I called Devi. She said – If you are ready to hustle, I am too. And so, we did.
We spent the next couple of weeks on the application, formatting the resume, revising the essays, and were able to make it in time. Devi is to the point. If she felt the application wasn’t good enough to be submitted, she would have said so. She made me think and reflect on critical aspects of my life. She urged me to write from the heart and be honest. I got into Berkeley, and I am so excited about it. I wouldn’t have done it without Devi.

Devi’s years as an admissions officer at HBS were incredibly valuable for me in navigating the uniquely structured HBS interview. Devi’s mock interviews were so close to the real deal, and her feedback for areas for improvement was essential in showing up prepared for my real interview.

If you have an HBS interview coming up, don’t hesitate to work with Devi! She’ll help you surface the most important parts of the application that the Admissions Boards want to hear as well as craft a cohesive story that flows through your interview.

I don’t think I would’ve gotten an admit to the HBS class without her help.

Devi was great to work with and a major help in preparing my business school applications! She really helped me prepare all parts of my application from my resume to my essays to interview preparation. I appreciated how straight forward and frank she was because I knew I was always getting an honest and well-qualified opinion. Would definitely recommend!

I chose the two-school start-to-finish package with Devi after completing initial consultations with a half dozen top-rated consultants. Even though she had fewer start-to-finish reviews than some of the other consultants I spoke with, I could sense that Devi was particularly sharp and savvy. But I ultimately chose her because she best understood my career in the financial industry, my goals, and my aggressive school selection strategy.

Even before getting admitted to the GSB class of 2024, I was able to say with confidence that I made the right decision.

A few aspects of my experience with Devi stand out:

1. She never wasted my time. She’s extremely concise with her comments and conversations and doesn’t add fluff. Her value comes from decisive and efficient commentary, rather than endless facetime. As a busy professional, this was a highlight for me.
2. I was at a complete loss for how to approach the Stanford essays when we first spoke. The brainstorming docs we worked on helped her suggest a theme that I ran with. We crafted a very unique essay that I think helped me stand out from the pack.
3. Again using the brainstorming document, she was able to pull out quite a few interesting anecdotes and experiences that were helpful for short answer and supplementary essay questions.
4. Devi was excellent and prompt with editing and resume review, especially during the final application push.
5. Unsurprisingly given her background, Devi was very helpful with mock interview prep. Her deep familiarity with my story also naturally made the sessions much more productive than other mock interviews I completed.

My time with Devi was an expensive investment, but one that was well worth it in hindsight.

With 2+ years of work experience at the time of application, I was successfully admitted to Wharton’s full-time MBA program with guidance from Devi. Communication with Devi is highly effective as her comments are always straightforward and to the point. Devi encouraged me to think deeply about why an MBA is right for me now (since I also come from a quite technical background) and to discover my true motivation and passion for my long-term career. With the help of retrospect and prospect, I was able to tell a compelling story that connected all the dots.

I started working with Devi only a couple of months before round 2 apps were due. With only 2 hours of time purchased, she was very efficient and made the most of each and every minute we had together. Devi is the perfect mix of honest and supportive. She helped me reshape my narrative in my applications by clarifying my purpose across my essays and providing thoughtful guidance to my recommenders. Before working with Devi, I was rejected from the one school I had applied to the year earlier. After just 2 hours of time with her, I was accepted to 3 and waitlisted at 1 out of the 4 T-15 schools I applied to. Use Devi!! You will not regret it!

Working with Devi was an excellent experience. I came to her a bit discouraged after not being accepted to my target schools the year prior. She was the perfect balance of encouraging and realistic – she kept me committed to the process and helped me feel exceptionally well prepared. Happy to have been admitted to Wharton as a re-applicant. I only wish I had worked with Devi the first time around!

Without hesitation, I can say that Devi helped me put forward my best self in the best light on all my applications. This was more than just helping me format or write the best essays. The most valuable part of my time with Devi was either in our calls or the homework she would give me which really made me introspect. Devi gave me the confidence to write about some of the stories in my life that I may not even have thought to do so without her pulling them out of me.

Devi was perfect for me because she gave tough love when I wasn’t giving my 100% and assuring advice when I panicked. In retrospect and in discussions with other candidates, I realize this is incredibly valuable as not all consultants are able to change their management style as adeptly to suit each situation or candidate.

The other factor to note is that while I would apply to additional programs that I did not work with Devi on, Devi’s work with me on my three main applications absolutely improved the overall quality of my independent applications.

I worked with Devi on two schools and I would not have made it through the process without her! I had a little over a month to get two applications in and Devi helped me navigate the process from start to finish. I appreciated how candid Devi was while going through my story, essays, and interview process. She provided both honest and necessary feedback. It was evident how much she cared about me and I took the advice to heart. After a long journey, I have been admitted to NYU Stern. I can confidently say that I would not be in this position without Devi’s help. I would recommend her to anyone who plans on applying to business school.

Devi did a great job tailoring the experience to my needs and personality. It was clear that she doesn’t have a prescribed formula for each candidate and she gave me what I needed to succeed. She really took the time to get to know me and we quickly established a strong relationship. We worked together to create a cadence and communication style that allowed us to cruise through four applications rather seamlessly. She was great at maintaining a balance – on the one hand offering support and empathy, while on the other challenging me when needed. She helped me gain confidence when talking about my long and short-term goals and write actionable plans to achieve them. She also pushed me to own my accomplishments in my applications and made sure that I didn’t sell myself short at any point. I highly recommend working with Devi!

In the run up to my HBS interview, I decided to work with Devi (we did three mock interviews together in total) – and I am so pleased that I did. I did a number of mock interviews with friends / colleagues, but they did not replicate the intensity and pace of the real HBS interview in the same way that Devi’s mocks did. When it came to the real thing, I was so much more comfortable and prepared than I would have been without her help, and ultimately I feel that this was a factor in successfully passing the interview and gaining admission. Thank you, Devi!

I spoke with several consultants when starting my MBA applications and ended up signing with Devi due to her supportive but straightforward attitude, results-oriented approach, and comprehensive knowledge of each stage of the process. This turned out to be a great choice – Devi guided me seamlessly through crafting my story, writing essays, and interviewing. Her feedback was direct and always delivered through a school-specific lens. It was clear that Devi thoroughly understood the qualities that would make a given applicant standout to the admissions committee of each program. I greatly enjoyed working with Devi and would recommend her to anyone in need of a consultant!

Devi and I worked together on a two-school comprehensive package. I found the most value in Devi’s expertise helping me put together my story. I came in without a clear post-MBA long-goal or the pieces assembled that got me there, and in the span of a couple of conversations she helped me identify and be able to tell that story. Overall, I was invited to interview for and accepted to one of the schools we worked on together, and I had a positive experience working with Devi. It’s a big financial investment, but I truly think Devi honed my story in a way I couldn’t have on my own.

I have no regrets hiring Devi as my coach. I actually had consultations with several coaches and different firms before meeting Devi and knowing instantly that she was the right fit for me. She has a no-BS attitude and will give you the direct and honest feedback that you need to put your best foot forward for your HBS application.

Devi’s talent is that she is able to pull personal stories out of you that you might not even find compelling or worth sharing. Given her experience on the HBS admissions team, she has seen thousands of applications and knows what is unique/interesting, and what it takes for a successful essay. To me, this was one of the most valuable parts of working with Devi. Given the broad HBS prompt, I’m not sure what I would have ended up sharing if I didn’t have the brainstorming sessions with Devi to work from.

When I met Devi I had a 700 GMAT score and was considering re-writing. Devi reviewed my profile and instead suggested that I focus on my applications rather than trying to squeak in a few extra GMAT points with my remaining time. She knew that I had lots of community/leadership experience that could compensate for my lower GMAT score. Without her guidance, I would have focused my efforts on the wrong areas. Together, we crafted a compelling application that clearly resonated with the admissions team and I am so grateful I didn’t have to study and rewrite it.

Finally, Devi nailed the mock interviews. I had 3 mocks with Devi and went in feeling very well-prepared. There wasn’t a single question that caught me off-guard and I felt calm and confident knowing that prior to the interview, I had done virtually everything that I could to prepare.

A fantastic coach and a true expert. She knows her stuff. Definitely worth the investment.

I reserved 5 mock HBS interview sessions with Devi, and they were beyond valuable. As an HBS alum, former HBS adcom interviewer, and veteran MBA admissions coach, she has an insider’s perspective on how to do well in the HBS interview. Beyond that, she’s also just a lovely person who is really enjoyable to work with.

For intensive HBS mock interview prep, Devi reads all of your written application materials, prepares a set of questions, and conducts a 30-minute mock interview followed by 30 minutes of feedback on how you did. At first, I wondered if 5 sessions might be overkill but it CERTAINLY IS NOT! With 5 sessions, we were able to go deep on a different area of my application (i.e. college, job #1, job #2, etc.) each time. By the time we were done, I felt ready for absolutely anything, without being overprepared or sounding rehearsed.

Devi’s feedback after each interview session was actionable and direct. One of my weaknesses was giving shorter responses without sufficient detail, and Devi would tell me during the feedback portion what I could have added to a response to make it stronger. I was able to put this into practice and could feel myself getting better with each session. I’m more introverted and soft-spoken by nature, and Devi stressed the importance of showing up as your authentic self – albeit a more confident, polished version of yourself. Devi does a great job of providing feedback while building your confidence.

The actual interview was great – it even felt easy – and I know it’s because I was so well prepared with Devi’s help. Ultimately, I was admitted to HBS! I’d recommend Devi to anyone who wants to crush their HBS interview.

Does it sound like an HBS alumna and former HBS AdCom member may be well-positioned to prepare you for the HBS interview? If it does, trust your instincts.

Devi’s interview prep is easily the best $2,500 I’ve ever spent. I had two hourlong sessions with her scheduled a week apart, and within those she created an environment practically identical to the ‘real deal’ in terms of questions she asked, conversation flow she maintained, pacing, and general demeanor towards me — which in my mind would be impossible to pull off by an admissions consultant who has never sat in on (let alone led!) an actual HBS interview (remember the part where Devi was an HBS AdCom not too long ago? That counts for something). My actual HBS interview felt like a walk in the park, and that’s not because my interviewer went particularly easy on me, but because my prep was bulletproof thanks to Devi.

The punchline is that I ended up getting into HBS and also receiving a substantial scholarship to attend Wharton, where funnily enough I also found myself relying heavily on my interview prep with Devi for HBS.

Don’t leave the HBS interview prep to chance — go with someone who has both the credentials and the experience to set you up for success.

Devi is the best of the best and I highly recommend working with her and the MBAMission team on your business school applications. Devi is a thoughtful editor, gifted storyteller, and probing mock-interviewer who helped me draw novel connections in my personal and professional journey to best communicate my story. Most importantly, Devi cares deeply about her clients’ success. She takes the time to truly understand your world and is not afraid to give you honest feedback even if it means a late-stage redraft or additional interview prep. While gaining admission is no doubt the goal, working with Devi to craft your personal narrative and reflect on your journey is an experience that will serve you well whether you matriculate in business school or not. I came to Devi with the difficult task of only applying to two of the most selective MBA programs. Although I did not gain admission, I am confident that with Devi’s guidance my applications were as strong as they could have been and I am excited to embark on my next chapter with the introspection that Devi helped facilitate.

A friend of mine who had gotten into both the GSB and HBS had recommended mbaMission, and spoke highly of his experience with one of their consultants in particular. When I reached out to mbaMission to work with that same consultant, unfortunately, she was booked up. Instead, based on my goals, they recommended that I work with Devi. At the time, HBS was my top choice and I was told that Devi was one of their HBS experts. Full transparency, I was hesitant at first: Devi didn’t have as many reviews as my originally requested consultant, and if I was going to pay the hefty price, I wasn’t sure if it would be worth it if I couldn’t work with the person I originally wanted. Long story short, I am so glad I decided to sign with Devi (the comprehensive package for 1 school – HBS) and looking back would do nothing differently. When Devi and I first started working together, it took me some time to understand her MO. Our first session together was shorter than I had expected, and at first, I worried that it was rushed – Nope! Turns out that when you’re someone who has literally worked in HBS admissions, has been coaching prospective MBAs for many years, and knows exactly what it takes, you become very streamlined in your advice and approach… And that was Devi for you! It became clear that Devi was meticulous and very thoughtful about each piece of advice she gave, even if her thought process wasn’t always openly communicated. After realizing this, I put my full faith in her and trusted the process. I started appreciating and respecting her no-nonsense approach and very much enjoyed our conversations. In particular, she was most instrumental in helping me figure out how to position the HBS essay. I believe 1 session with her saved me HOURS of time I would’ve spent trying to figure out what information was worth conveying/ what was superfluous. I also paid extra for the HBS intensive interview coaching with her and felt that it simulated my HBS interview fairly closely. In fact, I feel that her HBS interview sessions were a bit tougher, which made me feel even more relaxed during the actual interview. Ultimately, I got into HBS and believe that Devi’s coaching significantly streamlined the process for me and played a key role in helping me secure the offer. I plan on recommending Devi to anyone who reaches out for advice. I feel thankful to have met her!

I worked with Devi to prepare for my MIT Sloan interview. Hiring a consultant was a daunting, expensive step for me. However, hiring Devi was the most important investment I made during the business school application process.

During our only prep session five days before my interview, Devi was able to hone in on the key aspects of my narrative. I come from a non-traditional background, and I’m not particularly adept at marketing my achievements or aspirations. Devi coached me to be more forthcoming and comprehensive in my answers. Her guidance helped me lean into the strategic implications of my work and restructure several of my responses to classic interview questions.

Devi’s advice is targeted, specific, and (most importantly) effective. Not only was I accepted to MIT Sloan, but I also received fellowship money. I believe my interview performance cinched that offer. You will not regret working with Devi – she is a pro’s pro.

If you have an HBS interview, please consider Devi!! I reached out to Devi once I was offered an interview and it turned out to be a fantastic decision. Devi’s experience as an HBS interviewer enabled her to create a mock session that surfaced many questions that appeared on the actual day. She pressed me where my answers were warranted and created a mock that very closely mirrored the rhythm of the actual day itself. Indeed, our mock preparation was actually slightly harder than my real interview with the result that I felt much more comfortable and well prepared for the questions that eventually came my way. Devi also provided very clear and tactical guidance on how I could improve the quality of my answers. This allowed me to drastically improve the structure/depth of my answers (whilst maintaining concision) as well as suggesting which aspects of my candidacy were worth highlighting where I could. With Devi’s help, I felt like I had performed to my best during my interview with the end result being that I was successfully admitted.

When I received the HBS interview, I started doing research. I quickly realized that HBS interview is a different challenge compared to interviews at other schools in two ways, 1)it’s holistic, meaning that the AdCom interviewer would have read my entire application package, 2)it will deep dive into a few of my past experience, instead of asking open behavioral questions. As a result, I could not provide the same stories that I would share for the typical MBA interview questions.

Devi was direct. I had two sessions with her. In our first session, she directly pointed out that my responses were too scripted. That was an awakening moment. Particularly when Devi demonstrated to me the difference between a “natural conversation” versus a “scripted presentation”. And during the actual HBS interview, the interviewer wants to have a natural conversation with me, because they really want to get to know me as a person.

I would recommend Devi to my friends and colleagues, 110%. Without the two mock sessions with her the week before my interview, I could not imagine that I would get into HBS.

If you want to get a sense of Devi’s instruction style. Here is a link to a great interview session she had with P&Q’s John, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYAxnp-ukps

I started working with Devi a week before my HBS interview, and all I can say is Devi is genuinely amazing. I came from a non-traditional background and hadn’t had an interview in almost 4 years. I felt rusty and needed some guidance for the interview process. After just two 30-minute sessions of Devi’s intensive mock simulation, I had the exact recipe on how to ace interviews. Not only did she prepare me for HBS’s interview, but the guidelines and frameworks provided helped me deliver successfully and confidently in all 6 interviews I had. Trust me when I tell you that her direct and experienced approach towards framing your story is key to succeeding with the interview process. Devi was crucial in helping me receive an offer from both HBS and GSB! 100% recommended if you are serious about getting to a top MBA program!

Devi was amazing to work with and brought the expertise I needed to nail my apps and get into HBS. I have a non-traditional background and a GMAT score shy of the 700s. If you get a chance to work with her, I would not pass up on it!! I worked with her on most of the schools I applied to. Devi comes thoroughly prepared and has thought through her point of view prior to every touchpoint. She is incredibly experienced and understands what to show off in your profile for each school and where in the process to best do that. She knows exactly how your app will be read, which allowed her to guide me on making very critical decisions- eg. length of my essay (we leaned longer), what part of my story to focus on (to show my work experience range). Every part of working with her is well thought through- even the school prep timeline and order.

Devi alone was sufficient for mock practice- north of 80% of what I got in my HBS interview I had prepped with her, and most areas we practiced in the mock were touched on during my interview. Expect her to know in the first question of a mock if you’re ready or not for the real deal. She does a great job of teaching you how to best repurpose your stories for different questions. Her rigor with mocks is intense and is the last step before you go for your “final”. She ensures that you are not only prepared to perfection, but also you feel confident in your execution. A fantastic coach and a true expert. Her work ethic is commendable and I learned a lot from her that I will be carrying into my career too!

Here’s the punchline: if you’re like me and want to walk away knowing that you did absolutely everything you could to put forward the best application, work with Devi. If HBS is your dream school, there is seriously no comparison.

Deciding to work with a consultant is a big step, and it’s really hard to tell who the right person to work with is. I spoke to friends and did extensive research on many consultants, and Devi’s track record and experience as an HBS alum, HBS interviewer, and as part of HBS admissions were clearly unparalleled – so I went all in and decided to work with her from start to finish.

By far, that was the best thing I did. Others who had worked with consultants told me that, comparatively, Devi’s commitment to this was much, much greater than what they had experienced. Devi actually understands what business schools are looking for at the deepest level, so she’s not trying to force you to come up with false pretenses to fit what many might assume the schools care about. Instead, she works to bring out your most authentic self, drawing out the stories and experiences that say the most about you in a way that is highly captivating. She will also be brutally honest, which is important. Particularly, she helped me create an overarching theme that tied my experiences together, allowing me to tell a clear, cohesive and deeply interconnected story about what really matters to me. In fact, the first draft of my essay was pretty much what I ultimately submitted because we had so extensively brainstormed and set the foundation in advance.

Devi also predicted how the interview would go to a tee. I felt 100% prepared. There was one specific distinction Devi called me out on in our mock and it ended up being an important discussion point in the interview – there is a reason why she is the HBS interviewer in residence!

Lastly, Devi is just a wonderful and kind person to work with! She was one of the first people I told about my HBS admission and I could tell she held such genuine happiness and excitement for me – I’m so thankful to have had her on the journey!

I worked with Devi to prepare for my HBS interview. I had two 1-hour sessions with her, and it was amazing how Devi was able to get to know me so quickly and provide valuable coaching within such a short amount of time. She reviewed my full applications beforehand, and I feel that she simply cares about getting to know who I am/what I do/why I do what I do/etc/. She is also extremely dedicated to giving me personalized advice by providing actionable things to work on even though interview prep can be ambiguous and overwhelming. Most important of all, Dev is incredibly encouraging and she expressed so much excitement when she saw my gradual improvement from my first to the second session, which truly inspired me and instilled in me lots of confidence going into my actual HBS interview. I’m so thrilled to find out that I got into HBS last week, and I feel grateful for Devi’s coaching.

Now looking back at this journey, I truly believe what Devi said about her passion for coaching and helping aspirational candidates get into their dream school. I really enjoyed working with her on the HBS interview prep and I learned a ton from her. I highly recommend working with Devi based on my own experience!

Working with Devi for interview prep was the best thing I could have done for my HBS interview. I was already working with Jessica on my applications and she recommended I do a session or two with Devi for my interviews. Not only that, Devi is incredibly supportive and truly someone who wants you to succeed. She is on your team from day one. When I got my acceptance, she called me and congratulated me immediately – she cares so much for her clients and it shows. In my actual interview, because of Devi’s incredible skills of pulling out the information that was important, I actually really enjoyed it and had answered some of the questions I got in the real interview with Devi.

Devi is incredible. She is so motivating, supportive, and I truly looked forward to every single conversation with her. I learned so much from her, and she is so meticulous in her detail. In every 30-minute conversation we had, she does not miss a single thing you say. She picks up on everything, from your mannerisms to even the smallest word, and she transforms the way you think and speak about yourself in such a short, compressed amount of time and does so with incredible knowledge. She teaches you to tell your story with all the information you want to share in a very succinct manner, and more importantly, teaches you to talk business – which was the key for me as I came from a non-business discipline. During our practice sessions, when I said something new, exciting, or interesting, she motivated me so much to do things like that and really expressed her excitement. You can tell she understands people so well. She is the most supportive person I could have ever asked for, she’s truly on your team, cares so much about your success, and puts her heart and soul into helping you tell your story in the best way possible.

Although I was so nervous after my real interview, Devi’s words of advice and comfort left me feeling so much better than I otherwise would have. She raises your interview bar so high, that even if you mess up a bit, there’s a buffer for that. She spends so long reading through your whole application, and marks down every single thing to talk about — you can tell she is just so good at what she does, and getting mock interviews from an ex-HBS interviewer is really a dream.

I could not have asked for a better partner or team member than Devi, and I am so grateful that I was able to work with her and have her support and guidance along the way.

I worked with a different consultant for my applications but felt something amiss even after completing their mock interview. I attended a P&Q webinar with Devi and her background, confidence, and experience with HBS’ process really appealed to me. I took a risk and purchased her two-interview package because getting into HBS was my lifelong dream.

Just five minutes into my first HBS mock interview session with Devi and I knew I was exactly where I needed to be, and in safe hands. It was clear that Devi had spent ample time reading my application and understanding my story. She helped me realize and focus on the most important parts of my application. I was over-explaining things, but Devi helped me be succinct. She fixed my language, making it more business-oriented rather than technical. She also helped make my content interesting, relevant, and practical. Practicing my interviews with her became fun, and I ended up adding sessions to polish my skills even further.

When I did the actual interview, it turned out that Devi had predicted EVERY SINGLE QUESTION. Long story short, I was on a different planet before I met Devi, and she got me exactly where I needed to be to get into HBS. Not just that, she became my friend and that’s something I will always cherish.

Get this straight – I am an Indian engineer (based in India), 28, Male, non-IITian who got into the extremely competitive (especially for my demographic) MS/MBA joint degree program that only admits 30 students from across the world. If that doesn’t speak for her skills, nothing else can. You can hire her without a second thought, and you won’t regret it.

I worked with Devi to prepare for my HBS interview. We had two sessions and these two hours were very efficient and helpful! Here are objective descriptions about the process, no exaggerations.

I have a non-traditional background. Devi is very experienced and knows exactly how HBS admission would read my application. In the first session, Devi went through an HBS-type mock interview and identified a couple of major areas that needed improvements, including 1. topics that I did not know how to deliver in a clear but impactful way, and 2. answers that need to be structured. Devi gave me homework to work on those areas for a week. The second session was a fine-tuning process. Devi really GUIDED me to dig into my application, from achievements to career goals, and helped me put these pieces together and deliver them in a concise and logical way. What I mean is that besides the information/argument in career goal essays, I was able to tell why I chose this SPECIFIC role and what I would do differently from the current industry manner and why. During the session, Devi not only pointed out what I did not do well, but also gave me a chance to practice multiple times until both of us felt comfortable about the answer. Devi also motivated me to think of a couple of main pieces of information I would want to communicate during the interview and figure out how to incorporate those into the answers to different questions.

My actual interview contained 50-60% information (of course asked in different ways) that Devi helped me clear out, including career highlights. With Devi’s challenging questions, I was calm and comfortable answering those unexpected questions.

I successfully completed all six interviews with top ten MBA programs!

If you are fortunate enough to work with Devi, you would be making a mistake to do anything else. I worked with Devi specifically on interview preparation. Devi is likely the most skilled interview coach you can work with. I made it through each of my six interviews successfully (all six of which were top ten schools), which is the strongest testament to Devi’s coaching. Her approach is highly personalized, focusing on bringing you from an average or good interviewer to a stellar one. She will not shy away from the constructive feedback you need to be your best, but she has a gift of instilling confidence in you along the way. She gets to know you and who you really are, and then helps you convey who you are in a way that is genuine and true to yourself – this is quite a refreshing approach given all the formulaic interview advice that’s available. I could feel a meaningful difference in my skill set and confidence after working with Devi. She knows more about the nuances of interviewing than anyone I’ve met, and I cannot recommend her enough. Please work with Devi if you have the opportunity to. You will be happy you did!

In just 1.5 months, Devi helped me prepared 4 applications from scratch! I had a lower-end GMAT core 680-700 with a non-traditional background and decided to apply to the second round very late. Devi investigated my profile on a personal level, help me build my story, and gave me so much confidence to apply for my dream schools. We worked at Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, and MIT. I received interviews from HBS and MIT. I eventually got into my dream school – HBS!

Devi is highly experienced in the application process, responsive in providing feedback, and professional in our interactions. Her instincts for what the admission teams are looking for are dead-on for my essays! Devi is incredibly smart to quickly point to the spotlight of my experiences and a brilliant great storyteller to sharpen my stories. Devi gave excellent guidance on the order of school applications to work on. Following her strategy, I can thoroughly reflect and delve deeper into my story efficiently using our limited time. I truly appreciated that Devi showed some “tough love” and kept me on track with applications during stressful times.

In preparing for the interview, Devi is unquestionably the pro with years of experience working with the admission team. Not only was Devi giving me mock interviews, but she also taught me how to verbally structure my stories better on each of my resume items and work on the strategy to lead the interview conversation to my advantage. I have to admit that I also tried to work with other consultants on mock interviews to get more practice hours. However, I was getting much better insights from even a 30 min session with Devi than a 2-hour session with other consultants (also are graduates of HSW). Devi is great at predicting interview questions and does not just focus on the resume. Most questions we practice ended up coming up in the actual interview! I was always met with encouragement when we practice. I strongly recommended working with Devi on your interviews. The quality would be beyond what you paid for!

Personally, I have learned so much from Devi in her work ethic and effective communication. Her communication was direct, concise, and articulate to get the story right. I am incredibly fortunate to have worked with Devi. She brings Harvard caliber dedication and professionalism to her work. I cannot thank her enough. You will be lucky to work with her too!

I worked with Devi to apply for three deferred MBA programs. With her help, I received interview invites from all the programs and was admitted to two: Harvard and Stanford. I would not have been able to achieve this without Devi’s help.

Devi pays a great deal of attention to all the details of your story. She has a great talent for understanding what makes you, your story, and your journey unique. Her advice was right on point, perfectly tailored to my background, and enhanced by her wealth of knowledge.

As someone coming from a technical background, I tended to dismiss (unintentionally) important business and leadership lessons and focus on technicalities while writing my applications. Devi helped me highlight the key parts of my experiences, organize my whole application most effectively, and fine-tune my stories to put my best foot forward.

Throughout the process, she would push me to excellence.
When I finally submitted my applications, I was proud and happy with what I submitted. I was impressed by and thankful for her knowledge and experience, straight and sincere feedback, and impeccable commitment and work ethic.

When it was time for the interviews, Devi provided crucial feedback, tips, and prep materials that made a huge difference.

I sincerely recommend her. I am sure that if you listen to her feedback, your application will be way stronger than you can even begin to imagine. For such an important life event as an MBA, her services are a great investment.

Devi is truly outstanding. If you are serious about HBS, and in particular the interview, look no further. Her instinct is spot on, and her insight and candor pushed me to be more confident, more articulate, and more comfortable. She is patient, understanding, and extremely dedicated – she takes her client’s success very seriously. Our two mock interview sessions were extremely productive, and pushed me to get out of my head, to improve, and to sharpen my story and goals. Devi’s extensive knowledge across industries was incredibly valuable. Working with her is not only an opportunity to improve your interview experience, but also to get advice and feedback from an extremely smart, successful HBS alum. She is pragmatic and direct, and pushed me to develop communication skills that I will carry with me for life. Because of Devi’s support with the interview, I was admitted! Thank you Devi!! Regardless of outcome, working with her was money well spent – the clarity and confidence she will bring to your story and goals is invaluable. I cannot recommend Devi enough – she is wonderful, and an absolute pro.

In July 2020, I started working with MBA Mission to further refine my MBA story and profile. I would have never have dreamed that I am now admitted to my top choice, HBS, for the Class of 2023.

The team at MBAMission and Devi have been invaluable throughout the process. I opted for Devi after hearing and reading glowing recommendations, and I was not disappointed. Her demeanor and candor provided invaluable feedback that prepared for the HBS interview process. She provided great clarity on the types of stories that would resonate, and her personalized recommendations were actionable (which was not always the case with other consultants)

After three interviews with Devi, I felt prepared and confident to ace my interview.

The answer is YES! When I got the HBS offer finally, there were too many people I want to say thank you to. Among them, I think the critical person is my HBS mock interviewer Devi Vallabhaneni. I feel so lucky to know her from another HBS alumni, who also got huge help from Devi. He told me that Devi is very effective and sharp. I booked Devi’s mock session immediately. Although I only had one week left for my HBS interview, Devi still helped me arrange two mock sessions with a qualified interval for me. I extremely enjoyed the mock sessions with Devi and her mock questions did happen in the real interview. One of the answers that Devi guided me in also impressed my real interviewer of HBS because the real interviewer sent a congratulations letter to me and mentioned that answer. Without Devi’s help and encouragement, I cannot improve so effectively and quickly. Devi told me the secret of the interview. I felt so satisfied and happy after my real interview because I prepared almost every question and I knew my answers were sharpened by Devi’s professional advice. It’s Devi that helped me perform well and got HBS offer!
If you see this, trust me, Devi is the best and the highest ROI investment in your MBA application journey!

Devi’s encouragement and coaching through the stressful and unfamiliar interview process was pivotal in my acceptance to eight MBA programs. I had to push myself out of my comfort zone throughout the MBA application journey, and especially during the interview process. Her help and feedback were the first steps for me to build confidence with spontaneous speaking and selling myself, and have given me the confidence to continue to improve in this area as I pursue an MBA. I highly recommend her services!

What started as a mentoring-mentee relationship turned into almost a friendship by the end. Devi truly connected with me to learn more about my background and how that can help me in my interview. Every step of the way, she encouraged me to be my true self, and guess what, it worked!
Her tips are priceless. Her advice on your story is second to none!

I worked with Devi from MBAMisson for the R2 2021 app cycle. I was applying to the top 7, schools. I ended up getting interviews for Harvard, INSEAD, and Chicago. I received an offer from INSEAD.

I delayed getting a consultant until the very last minute, thinking that I was able to go through this process on my own. The truth is, there is a lot of general information out there, but without a consultant, it is hard to narrow down the specific advice relevant to your application. Thankfully, the team at MBAMission was able to match me with Devi pretty close to the deadline (12/24). Although it was the holiday season, Devi put in work every day to make sure that my application was as strong as possible. She didn’t have to do that, and I really appreciate it.

What I liked most with Devi, is that she will push you to the very end. Her feedback was candid and straight to the point. Admissions consultants are expensive. I appreciated her sensitivity to time and straightforwardness. In the two weeks that I worked with her, I managed to squeeze in over 5 revisions for my essays, and I applied to 6 schools. It really was a lot of work. In all honestly, I was sleep-deprived and exhausted by the end of the process. Without Devi telling me that there was still room for improvement, I wouldn’t have been able to push myself that hard. Revision #5 on my Harvard essay was done 4 hours before the deadline. It was Devi that pushed me to rewrite that damn thing one more time.

Harvard is my dream school. But in truth, my credentials are a bit weak. I did manage to get an interview but was not able to get the offer. Despite this, I don’t regret any second spent working with Devi. I am 100% confident, that without her help, I would not have gotten that interview in the first place. Devi knows her stuff very well. I look at the essays I wrote before and after her help, it really is a world of difference. If anyone reading this is interested, PM me, and I will show you the before and after.

Overall, despite my disappointing outcome, I still highly recommend working with Devi. The interview experience alone has given me the self-confidence that I am the so-called ‘Harvard calibre’. And I’m sure, this sort of self-confidence will continue to pay dividends for the rest of my career. Thank you, Devi.

Best of luck with your applications.

I had started working with a different consultant when I had started my application process for the 2021 intake. However, a few weeks before the deadline, I was not very convinced with my application and decided to reach out to MBAMission based on a trusted friend’s recommendation. I had the opportunity to work with Devi over R1 and R2, and I must admit that I was super-impressed with what she did to my application. Apart from highlighting my key work achievements, she was able to identify aspects of me that added uniqueness to the overall application. She was always quick to respond to my emails, and our interactions were crisp and effective. Devi had great clarity on my strengths and weaknesses, and she used to keep responding with suggestions till she was convinced with the final output. I am extremely thankful to Devi for helping me make it to my dream school – Kellogg.

Devi was incredible to work with – she took the time to understand my background, pushed me to think through what I really want for my career longer-term and how the MBA fits into that and helped me draw out key experiences that I had (which I had overlooked) to emphasize in my application. She truly cared about me as an applicant, which made the whole experience a lot easier for me!

Devi was extremely helpful to me in my application process. I worked with her doing the start-to-finish package for two schools. I had applied two years ago without the help of a consultant. Devi was great at helping me craft my story for the admissions committee and helping me decide which experiences were the best to tell in which parts of the application. She strikes a great balance of having her own opinions and listening to you.

One of the main benefits that I found from working with Devi compared to the first time I applied was that when I applied on my own, I found myself constantly second-guessing what I had written and drafting several wildly different versions of outlines and essays. With Devi, I spent a lot of time upfront brainstorming on my own with a worksheet that she provided. Then, we spent a good amount of time together discussing my experiences and settling on the story to tell the admissions committee. From that point on, the process certainly still required a good amount of effort and iteration, but there was so much less second guessing, which resulted in a much more efficient process. I felt confident in the direction that I had chosen to go with Devi’s help. Devi’s is extremely efficient to work with.

Ultimately, I was admitted to Stanford GSB and could not be more thrilled. I would certainly work with Devi again and recommend any others to work with her.

The best of the best. Accepted to both HBS and Stanford.

I firmly believe that I would not have gotten into HBS without Devi. I had one mock-interview included in a package I had purchased with another consultant from another firm (who helped with my written application); the difference in quality of coaching, feedback, preparation, and questions asked was night and day.

Simply put, Devi is the best of the best. If you are serious about HBS, you must work with her. Unlike other schools, HBS heavily weights the interviews, which are conducted by its Admissions Board. If you get to the interview stage at HBS, you have a 50/50 shot of getting in: how you perform will undoubtedly determine whether you get in or are rejected. As such, working with Devi means working with someone who not only knows the ins and outs of the HBS admissions process and understands the mindsets of the interviewers, but who has also lived through the experience herself. The interview is as tough as they say it is (anything in your application, essays, recommendations, industry is fair game), and there is no “winging it”—I knew, especially in this year’s virtual, extremely competitive round, that I had to take myself to the next level, and I knew Devi could help get me there.

Even after our first mock interview, I immediately noticed a difference. Devi’s coaching style is specific and targeted: she articulates very clearly what it is that I need to work on for our next session. Each time, she prepares a comprehensive set of questions uniquely tailored to my written application. Her pacing (~25 questions in 30 minutes) and the types of follow-up questions asked will prepare you above and beyond for the real deal.

Most importantly, Devi listened intently and strategized how best to shape my story in a way that would resonate most with HBS Admissions. She also taught me how to drop in “teasers” for my interviewer to “bite” on so that I could drive/steer the conversation towards the stories I wanted to tell.

Devi was not just a coach or an advisor, but someone whom I could lean on during what was an incredibly stressful, anxiety-ridden time. At one point, I had lost confidence after a combination of being (unexpectedly) grilled by my Stanford interviewer and stumbling through a one-time mock-interview with another consultant. Devi helped me brush it off and focus on my HBS interview ahead of the following week.

I had initially signed up for 3 sessions, but after seeing how much incremental value I was gaining every minute spent with Devi, I decided to upgrade my package to 5 sessions.

In the end, Devi and I had practiced 95% of what was asked in my actual HBS interview, and my conversation that day flowed naturally. Coming out, I was confident that I had nailed it. I almost never EVER say that I “nailed” anything because I am always hyper-critical of my own performance, but I can genuinely say that I have never been more prepared in my life for an interview, all thanks to Devi.

I was ultimately accepted at not only HBS, but also Stanford GSB. Devi called me the day acceptances came out, overjoyed. She is genuinely invested in you throughout the entire process and will push you to be the best version of yourself. She is someone I will continue to stay in contact with for years to come. I could not recommend Devi highly enough.

There are many consultants who provide the same kind of cookie-cutter service to all their clients and give you the “standard” counsel and help. That is absolutely not Devi; she takes the time to truly comprehend your profile and your story, which allows her to tailor her advice especially to you. This sets her apart, making her the most valuable and professional counsel on the market, and is why I wholeheartedly recommend you invest in her services and take the time to truly heed her recommendations.

I got in touch with Devi after my HBS interview invite, and instantly her expertise shined through. After a thorough read through my file and our first mock session, she understood my profile, my strengths, and my weaknesses, and adapted the practice questions and areas of focus accordingly. Going over questions and my answers with her gave me the tools to better myself. Over the course of three sessions, we made sense of the coherence of my profile, identified which areas of my story I had locked down, which areas needed more practice and what aspects of my presentation and delivery needed what work.

It is obvious from Devi’s background and profile that she knows HBS, their admissions system and their interview style like no other, but that is not what makes her the best. What makes Devi the best is how she preps you, in your own individuality, to succeed for yourself at the HBS interview. You will truly see yourself progress and directly perceive the value of having her on your side, guiding you to being the best “you” you can be for the interview, whatever the questions that come up.

This is why I recommend a bare minimum of two sessions with her: one to set a baseline, and one to compare the progress. You will see for yourself just how much progress you will have made from doing the practice and exercises she recommends for you. She is always available for more sessions, and can even help you with the Post-Interview Reflection.

There is no better tailored service for HBS prep out there than Devi! Don’t wait up, go call her onto your team, especially if you have just received your HBS interview invitation, and earn your own spot yourself into the HBS classroom!

I worked with Devi to prep for my HBS interview and she completely rewired my interview performance. If HBS is your dream school then I would not hesitate to work with Devi she is amazing and will be a great investment on your journey to Cambridge.

Summary: I had a convoluted story and worked with multiple mock interviewers to prepare. Devi was by far the most prepared, gave the clearest and most actionable feedback, and seemed truly invested in my success. The HBS interview isn’t “hard” in the sense that the interviewers are warm and friendly, and generally don’t ask trick questions. During my preparation, I spoke with several people who had interviewed, both admitted and rejected; almost all of them said that they thought it had gone well. Also, most people who get an interview, especially from finance and consulting, already have experience with difficult, lengthy processes and have developed above average interview skills. That’s why it’s so important to prepare to a level far beyond what you think is necessary – the competition is not average.

HBS was my dream school, and I don’t think I would have got in without Devi. After receiving an invitation to interview, I thought that I could adequately prepare on my own. I’d made it through demanding, multi-round interview processes in investment banking before, and I figured that through extensive solo practice and preparation, I could get through the HBS interview successfully as well. After spending many hours watching videos, reading articles, writing out every example I could think of in the STAR method, and practicing out loud, I still didn’t feel confident enough and decided to work with Devi.

I approached my first session with Devi as if it were the actual HBS interview (suit and tie included). I was struck by how specific Devi’s questions were, and how intimately familiar she was with my application – there were no superficial or “fluff” questions. Some might have overlapped with things that I had seen in HBS interview guides, but Devi asked them in the context of my application in a way that I hadn’t thought of myself. When she asked me for my impression of the interview, I said that despite some wordy answers, I thought it had gone well. I’d certainly felt more confident about my performance than I had felt about successful banking interviews.

Devi disagreed, and provided me with very candid feedback on my approach to answering, and the depth of my answers. I had some uncommon professional experience and it was difficult to convey everything I’d done in my current position, so my natural inclination was to talk at a high level and not offer specific anecdotes. Devi taught me how to adapt my style to give a brief, high level answer, support it with multiple brief anecdotes, while making sure that I didn’t lose sight of the original question in my conclusion. It took multiple sessions to get to a point where I had truly internalized this approach, but there were substantial improvements in my performance between each successive session. It’s important to start as early as possible after receiving your interview invite so that you can properly space out the sessions and actually incorporate Devi’s feedback – it’s usually not minor advice that you can tweak at a moment’s notice!

Even if you can only do two sessions with Devi, it’s an incredibly accurate reflection of the actual HBS interview, and the feedback is invaluable in preparing. Devi is very invested in her clients’ success, and I can’t recommend working with her strongly enough, especially if your dream is HBS.

Devi played an instrumental role in my acceptance to HBS. She is the DIFFERENCE MAKER! We did 2 sessions together preparing for my HBS interview and Devi approached these meetings having done her homework, and perfectly customizing her feedback to ensure my success in the interview. Her feedback was candid, clever, and informed by her many years of experience helping successful applicants. I came from a non-traditional employer for HBS, and Devi was critical in helping me to best explain my story, break down what I do at work, the successes, and challenges I’ve faced, and packaging all that into a great story for the interview. I highly recommend Devi for any applicant and believe she is a true difference-maker in my success and the success for so many candidates.

As a reapplicant, I believe that Devi was key to my admission to HBS. Each one of our interview prep sessions were tailored for me, and she truly forced me to think on my feet with questions from different angles. She always gave candid feedback, and showed me ways I could improve my interview skills. What I learnt from Devi will for sure help me beyond my HBS interview: She taught me how better to tell my story to other people. In the end, the interview did not feel so scary anymore, and I truly had fun during my interview. I highly recommend Devi to anyone who is serious about HBS.

Stop wasting your time on forums and Youtube videos that claim to reveal the secret of the HBS interview. Work with Devi!

After receiving the HBS interview invite, I spent hours reviewing countless articles and videos to prepare and decided to buy coaching sessions with Devi. I came to the 1st mock with Devi as if it was the real interview and was really confident. I was ready as I asked several friends to review my material and did multiple mock interviews. I thought I did well, but the reality was cruel… the performance was terrible.

Devi went straight to the point and gave me feedback and tips to improve, and most importantly what kind of structured answers I should give. I was using the STAR method but my answers were either lacking details or too long.

Because of her help, I improved over time (she always gave me homework after each session) and really knew how to approach the interview. She imparted practical knowledge to me, and eventually, I became more confident and ready to answer any questions I would be asked.

Thank you Devi for being a tremendous coach!

I worked with mbaMission and Devi Vallabhaneni for the 2020 MBA application cycle (2021 start). I recommend going with a start-to-finish package as Devi was an amazing resource throughout the entire application process.
To begin, Devi and I walked through just about every detail of my personal and professional life and educational background. Devi then helped me to extract stories that would make the most impact in an application, even though I may have overlooked these myself. Devi and I spent the most time on my essays and resume. She helped me to trim parts of essays that would not be seen as important to admissions committees and make my resume more quantifiable and impact-oriented.

I found that Devi’s background and familiarity with the schools to which I wanted to apply and my desired post-MBA career were particularly helpful. It goes without saying that Devi was always punctual and thoughtful. She was straight forward and did not tell me what I wanted to hear but what I needed to hear. Her guidance and help led to being accepted into on of my top program choices, and for that, I am super thankful to her and the mbaMission process. I certainly found the cost of the start-to-finish package to worth it.

To be brief and clear, if you receive an HBS interview, work with Devi. I am inclined to say that it is worth every penny, but it is definitely worth far more. With Devi’s masterful help, I entered my HBS interview prepared and confident, and ultimately was accepted. Prior to our first meeting, Devi read my application materials with care and asked probing questions that were remarkably similar and, in many cases, identical to ones that I received during the actual interview. Most important, she pushed me to “tell my story” in a way that was decipherable by those outside of my particular industry. Her feedback was clear and focused and at the end of each session, I had my homework marching orders to prepare for the next one. During the actual interview, I was comfortable and was able to strike a rapport with my interviewees with plenty of laughter, no “umms” (Devi is good at expelling those from your vocabulary), or awkward pauses. Walking out of the room, I was sure that I could have not performed any better. She does not sugar coat her feedback and is exactly the kind of person you want for this purpose. She attempts to be flexible with her time and knows how important this event is for you. I cannot recommend her more.

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

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

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

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

— TL;DR —

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

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

Devi is amazing. In our 3 sessions, Devi homed in on exactly what the HBS admission committee wanted to investigate in my interview and helped me create a tone and brand that rung through my HBS interview. Devi correctly assessed that Harvard would want to dive deep into my knowledge, viewpoints, and expertise on the function I have been in for the past 5 years. When the HBS interviewer grilled me for 10-15 minutes on this exact topic, I felt completely ready to answer their questions.

Additionally, Devi helped me hone the persona that I brought into the interview. My demeanor in the interview room was heavily colored by my coaching with Devi, and I felt that it resonated incredibly well with my interviewer since it fit in so well with my story.

Devi is also a great coach. She pumped me up and helped give me the confidence that I could walk into the interview, tell my story, and know that I gave the admissions committee a great picture of who I am and what I can contribute to the HBS classroom.

Her services are pricey but well worth it if you have the funding. I think her coaching played a big role in me landing a “Yes” from HBS and would recommend her to any of my peers.

Devi is one of the most incredible people I have encountered. She, not only fully prepared me for the HBS interview, she transformed the way in which I convey my story. There was not a single question the HBS interviewer asked, that Devi and I had not prepped for. I saw the tremendous lasting impact of Devi while on my Pre-MBA internship interviews. The feedback I received was how succinct my story was and how I was poised and polished. I, without a doubt, will refer anyone I personally know and encourage anyone reading this to use Devi as I know she will generate value far beyond your expectations.

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.

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!

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

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

I can’t give enough praise to Devi for thoroughly prepping me! Her prep also put me in great shape for my Wharton (I got accepted last week!) and Sloan (waiting to hear back in a few days) interviews. To be honest, I was hesitant about getting a consultant’s help at first because I was worried that I’d get “over-polished” and reveal less of my personality at the interview. I was completely wrong! Prepping with Devi made me reflect deeper and I ended up having many anecdotes to share outside the ones I’d already stated in my application. Her prep also helped me identify common themes in my experiences and this awareness let me answer the “why” interview questions comfortably. Finally, Devi’s interview simulation got me in the habit of articulating my answers more concisely and consequently, I was able to cover a lot of ground with my HBS interviewers. She’s really the best!

Working with Devi was a fantastic experience! When I first received my HBS interview invite, I was happy, but my happiness quickly turned into panic. I did not know how to prepare for interviews, let alone HBS! Devi’s patience and guidance helped me overcome my challenges. Her dedication to perfect my performance demonstrates her sincerity in helping make a difference in people’s lives. Despite being eight time zones apart, Devi trained me every day via Skype and took the time and effort to fly halfway around the world to conduct with me multiple in-person mock interviews to make sure I was ready for my interview. She helped me self-reflect to extract impactful stories related to my resume and taught me the right approach to connect my different stories.
Most importantly, she trained me not to sound “scripted”! Although I practiced with Devi for HBS, her preparations paid dividends. I leveraged her approach during my interviews with other top schools and, thanks to her, I also got admitted to Stanford and Wharton!!! Working with Devi is the best investment ever!!!

I cannot recommend working with Devi enough. Once I got the HBS interview, I signed up for 2 mock interviews with her and honestly feel like it could have made the difference between my accept / reject.
Having been an interviewer in the past, Devi knows the HBS interview process inside and out. Prior to our first interview she had studied my application thoroughly and was able to ask specific, targeted questions (many of which actually came up during my interview!). In addition to helping me understand what the interview would be like, Devi was particularly good at helping me think through how to answer questions thoughtfully and how to emphasize certain points I wanted to get across.
In addition she’s super nice, honest, and gives constructive feedback. Really also got the feeling that she’s genuinely rooting for me. Totally worth it and would recommend the sessions to any of your future clients.

I had the pleasure of working with Devi for Round 1 of HBS application process during the interview stage. I cannot recommend her highly enough. She is all things you could want in a consultant: extremely knowledgeable about HBS and its process (which leads to really interesting insights), gives very thoughtful feedback that you can actually work on to improve your chances, and is honest and friendly.
Devi’s interview coaching was fantastic. We set up two sessions which mimicked the real life HBS interview. Devi does her homework: she fully researches and analyzes your entire application beforehand, coming up with tailored and specific questions to interview you with, similar to how an actual HBS interview would. Devi has the benefit of being a former HBS interviewer herself and applies the same dedication and prep to the mock interview. After the interview, Devi gave really valuable feedback on everything from style, to other questions they could ask me, to the actual answers and structuring of the answers. Because her advice was really tangible, I could actually use it, improving myself and my chances by the second mock interview. And by the second mock interview, I definitely noticed a significant improvement thanks to Devi’s advice and feedback.
Another great point about Devi – beyond her knowledge, her dedication to mirroring the actual interview, her sharp and practical feedback – is that she is truly committed to making you as confident and comfortable in the process as you can be. She never capped our time because she wanted to ensure I got all my questions answered. Beyond the mock interviews, she was always prompt on email should I think of a question offline.
When it came to my actual HBS interview, I felt it was more similar to my mock interviews with Devi than my primary consultant. In fact, one question in particular she told me to watch for actually popped up in the interview! Moreover, her coaching on ‘how’ to answer a question was particularly helpful.
I can’t recommend Devi highly enough – if you want to seriously see a significant improvement before your HBS interview and want someone who knows the process inside out to coach you, definitely go with Devi.