Harold Simansky

I worked with Harold on MIT Sloan’s additional essay, which I was requested after my interview invitation. First of all, he guided me properly about the direction of my essay. He also helped me write a competitive essay. Also, he is really good at communicating. Every time I had a hard time writing essays, he helped me a lot without any sign of annoyance. Eventually, I got admission to MIT Sloan school thanks to his help. Without his help, getting admission to MIT would have been difficult.

Coming from a non-traditional background, I knew I needed the help of an MBA consultant. I couldn’t be happier that I chose mbaMission and was paired with Harold Simansky. When I began the process, I didn’t really know what my story for my essays would be or even what industry I should target. Harold was extremely helpful in helping me craft a great story and also providing me with the resources to find a good post-MBA industry/job given my background. The resources and guides offered by mbaMission are extremely informative and played a crucial part in my MBA application process.

But the school package was well worth the price as Harold was always available to chat anytime I had doubts or needed his advice. On top of that, he helped me with every single part of my application (from resume to essays to approach with letter of rec writers and finally on interviews) and was always timely with edits/suggestions/feedback. Harold also was always empathetic and understanding throughout the application process. I always felt I had someone in my corner, even during the most difficult parts of the process. Harold exceeded my expectations every step of the way. I owe lots of my success in gaining admittance and full rides to 3 top schools to the excellent service provided by Harold and mbaMission.

To wrap up, I’m now getting to attend my dream school Haas and couldn’t be happier with the outcomes of the process! I highly recommend Harold and mbaMission to anybody who is looking to gain admittance to a top-tier MBA program!

Harold Simansky was a fantastic tutor. He gave me great insight as we worked on my essays, and his suggestions were really useful. He helped me get into almost every school on my list! He is well worth the cost of his hourly rate, and you will be in very good hands with him!

I approached Harold on 4th August ’21, a little over a month before the deadline for most b-schools. On top of that, I am an Indian male consultant with an accounting background. While most other consultants felt that the time was too short, Harold was confident I could manage my applications given that I was going to take the next few weeks off to focus on my applications. Harold focused on the key parts of the essays and helped in the quick turnaround of high-quality essays. Harold would not shy away from expressing his contrarian views – he never gave any incorrect advice just to please me. Having worked extensively with clients who have been admitted to M7 schools, Harold has a very good sense of what will be perceived well with adcoms. Most importantly though, Harold was a great person to work with during the application process – he kept me motivated during the entire time. Eventually, I had an acceptance from Booth and a waitlist from Kellogg.

I came to the application process very concerned. I am from an over-represented demographic, being a male Chinese engineer, and I was out of work.

Harold was not thrown by any of this. Right from our first conversation he was reassuring, and I felt completely supported and understood. He always listened, and he helped me think realistically about my goals, pushed me to consider schools that I had yet to consider, including some reach schools and more likely schools and he was always an encouraging voice. He was very thoughtful in his approach and his attention to detail was second to none. Throughout the process, his ability to break each step down into manageable and meaningful pieces helped bring me closer and closer to polished applications and helped assemble a storyboard true to myself, stories that I was able to paint with pride and confidence. In the end, I got into my three top schools including UNC, USC, and Cornell. I got $100,000+ at both UNC and USC and could not be more thrilled with the outcome. Teaming up with Harold for my applications was the best investment I ever made and is already changing my life. Use Harold, it could be life-changing for you as it was for me.

I could not have gotten into my target school (Wharton) without Harold. From our first conversation about whether an MBA made sense for someone like me (a lawyer looking for a career pivot), to choosing between the GMAT and GRE, to multiple rounds of essay review and interview prep, Harold was insightful, responsive, and amazingly supportive. My background is non-traditional for an MBA applicant, and I definitely could not have put together as compelling a story as I did without Harold’s coaching, which was incredibly detailed and school-specific. Even during the peak season before Round 1 deadlines, Harold never missed his promised 2-day turnaround time and regularly responded the next day with great feedback on my essays. I also really appreciated that he laid out a clear timeline for when we should be hitting each application milestone (finishing the GRE, reaching out to recommenders, finishing essays) that made the whole process feel manageable. Simply put, I could not have asked for better support throughout my application process and would STRONGLY recommend Harold to anyone who is applying!

I worked with Harold Simansky in the 2021-2022 MBA application cycle and I would highly recommend him to anyone considering applying to MBA programs. Some things I really liked about working with Harold – First, he focuses on your personal and distinct story. I am a career switcher – trying to move from the energy industry into sustainability. Initially, I struggled with defining how my past career paired with an MBA would guide me into sustainability. However, through various in-depth brainstorming exercises, he helped me develop a clean and true-to-myself story that helped me in my applications, conversations with students and faculty, and my interviews. Second, Harold is prompt in his responses. Even though he is a top consultant with many clients demanding his time, I always felt my application had his full attention as he consistently responded to me in a timely manner. Third, Harold is going to push you to put the best possible application together. We spent much of our time on the front-end brainstorming essay topics, outlines, and resume structures. Then, we dove into drafting up responses. I’d write a draft, send it to him, he’d quickly provide critiques and suggestions, and then send it back to me so we could cycle again. We did this a lot and he focused on each component of every application being very specific to each school. By the time we were done, I was blown away by the quality of the essays, short answers, resume, and other responses he had helped me put together. Here’s the best part. Since Harold focused on ensuring every word I wrote was true to myself and my story, I felt as if I didn’t even need to prepare for interviews! We spent months developing applications that honestly described my career path, desire for the schools, and future aspirations. That made it surprisingly easy to walk into interviews fully prepared with minimal prep. Now, what was the result of all of this? Was it worth the money? To me, the answer is a definitive YES. While I’ll never know what would have happened if I had not decided to work with Harold, I do know that, by working with him, I not only got into my top schools, Fuqua and Darden, but I also got full-tuition scholarships to each.

If you are targeting a top-ranked business school, I would highly recommend Harold who is an MIT Sloan alumnus. He understands the selection process of B-schools really well. He keeps you focused and positive. He helps you discover the unique aspects of your personality and work experience and helps you present the most impressive, yet authentic, version of yourself.

I hired Harold because I needed a miracle. I came from an over-represented segment in terms of geography (India) and industry (Finance). I had two breaks in my career and had changed jobs thrice. And I did not have international work experience. I did not have any direct report to demonstrate my leadership. As a working professional with two kids and a full-time job, I could dedicate only limited time to preparing my application. So when I audaciously decided to apply to MIT Sloan, a friend said – “You need a miracle. You need Harold.”
Harold spends a lot of time going through your detailed profile to first understand your background. He then breaks down the application essays into smaller sections. For each section, he gives a few questions. That takes away the pressure of directly writing essays. He then picks a few interesting events/data and asks you to elaborate on those. This process continues until he gets all the material he needs. He then sews the pieces together and your essay/application is ready. Interestingly, my essay had many aspects that I wouldn’t have considered as important. But Harold has a knack to pull out the most unique examples that highlight your strengths. I did not have a direct report. But Harold helped me pull out examples from my life that showed initiative and leadership in a different way.

The resume is an important part of B-school applications. Harold metamorphosed my resume. Earlier it had descriptions of projects, promotions and positions. Now it has more data, and examples to show the impact of my work. Harold also helped me with the video statement and the interviews. I did mock interviews with him. His feedback on both was very specific.

He is open to suggestions. He patiently listens to your doubts/fears/anxieties and helps you remain focused. He replies to emails within a day and is always accessible on phone. (I submitted my application 3 days before the deadline). I could get through MIT Sloan only because of Harold. Going beyond applications, I have found a mentor who boosted my confidence.

Harold was amazing and very instrumental in getting me into HBS, Booth, LBS and MIT Sloan!

I went into the process with a lower-than-average GMAT score for all my target schools. Harold did an amazing job of helping me bring the different pieces of my career and life together to make for a very compelling application narrative that got me interviews with all the schools I applied to.

His turn-around time was amazing, almost always beating the two-day promised turn-around. His comments were very thoughtful and always felt like he was reading with a fresh set of eyes. I would definitely recommend Harold to anyone who’s applying to B-school.

I was struggling with the GMAT and was losing hope in my chances at a top MBA program. I met with Harold during a coaching session, and one piece of advice Harold offered to me was to consider taking the GRE, and I took that advice seriously. I quickly pivoted and saw a point jump from 660 on the GMAT to ultimately a 690 equivalent on the GRE. It wasn’t an amazing mark, but after taking the GMAT and GRE a combined 5 times, I was willing to take the score that would at least put me in the 80th percentile for the programs I was applying to. This gave me the confidence once again to aim high and apply to the top-tier programs. I’m so thankful that I took his advice because I now have been admitted to Tepper, Foster, Ross, Haas, and Stanford GSB! I truly don’t believe I would have been able to share these successes if I hadn’t taken Harold’s advice.

I worked with Harold through the entirety of this year’s R1 application season and found his guidance to be indispensable.

From the beginning of the application cycle (nearly 8 months ago), Harold helped me think through school selection and which programs to target. He directed me to school resources I likely never would have found on my own, and gave me insight into the application process that put my mind at ease.

Once I began to write essays, Harold worked with me to identify the most relevant parts of my background and translate that into a compelling essay. He consistently gave quality feedback on my essays and resume (his turnaround time is very quick!), along with helpful guidance as I chose my recommenders.

Prior to my interviews, Harold and I sat down to prep for each one. In particular, the prep for the Wharton team based interview was incredibly helpful.

All said, of the five schools I applied to, I was admitted into four (including my top choices, Booth and Wharton). I am thrilled with that result and owe it in large part to the rigor that Harold put my applications through.

Finally, my experience with Harold has always been that he is a kind person who is generous with his time. I’ve enjoyed getting to know him over these past eight months and highly recommend him to anyone considering business school.

Taking standardized test took me a longer time than expected. When I started working on the essays, I was running a little behind than the ideal application timing, and then I decided to work with Harold with a full package.

When we started, Harold helped me to identify a compelling career path story. My initial thought was to enter consulting after MBA. With Harold’s experience in the consulting industry and an understanding of my diverse professional background, he felt that entering the consulting industry wouldn’t be a compelling story to tell for my career goal essays. And he encouraged me to brainstorm and explore other potential career options. Therefore, I did some more research in the VC and entrepreneurship space, and was eventually able to identify something fits my background significantly better.

Once I identify the career path, and draft the initial essay. Harold was extremely good when it comes to ping-ponging different versions of the essay to polish it up. The first three versions always take the most effort. There were times where I felt lost and frustrated. I kept trying and kept writing, and was eventually able to create something that meets both Harold’s and my own expectation.

After the essay submission, there came the interviews. Harold was very helpful, especially when it comes to behavioral interview questions. Overall it’s a great experience working with Harold. I could not imagine to get the HBS offer without his guidance!

I tried to get into b-school for 3 years. I worked with Harold and got in 2 months later.

When Harold works with you, it’s like you’re the only client in the world and nothing else matters. Harold was personally invested in my success and he was my first call whenever I received good news in the process since he was part of the journey and I wouldn’t have wanted to celebrate without him.

Harold was absolutely amazing;
1. Very specific advice for each part of the application
2. Extremely skilled in personalizing your application to you specifically, for the school you’re applying for
3. UNREAL turnaround times. I would send him 3 separate emails for 3 different schools and he’d send them back like it was ping pong.

I had the good fortune of working with Harold every step of the way of my MBA application process. Since I was embarking on the ambitious journey of putting together an entire application package from scratch, in a matter of just three months, I knew I sorely needed the around-the-clock attention and targeted advice of a seasoned expert. Harold, recognizing the tight timeline I was navigating, really came through for me in playing out this exact role. Above and beyond functioning in a mentor/advisor capacity, though, Harold also came across as a close friend/supporter throughout a lengthy and arduous process. His consistent words of encouragement were much needed, especially in the inevitable moments of self-doubt as I hammered out draft after draft in a seemingly endless cycle.

With respect to the essays, Harold provided very timely (typical turnaround of 24 hours, sometimes less) and comprehensive feedback. We went through multiple (>5) iterations for each of the essays until we were satisfied with the final versions. With each iteration, I recognized a notable step-up in how the content was presented in a compelling yet succinct manner – Harold clearly understood which life examples were most salient in building out my narrative, and helped me find the optimal angle through which these examples were highlighted. Ultimately, Harold’s stringent review of the materials conferred a high level of confidence as I hit “submit” on my application packages – I could safely say there was nothing more I could have done to polish the essays.

For interview prep, Harold took extra care in considering my unique background and objectives when helping me rehearse for a fairly unpredictable stage of the application. Perhaps where he helped deliver the most value was in being a solid thought partner in anticipating questions that would be posed during the actual interviews. Harold also demonstrated a brand of professionalism in proactively recognizing opportunities for me to do mock interviews with his colleagues at mbaMission instead if he truly felt that that was the best path of preparation for me. This was a clear signal that he prioritized having a game plan tailored to my personal needs / situation, and was willing to toggle between “stepping in” and “sitting out” based on what made the most sense for my preparation in that moment.

Overall, I would highly recommend Harold for anyone contemplating business school. I truly appreciated his expertise and guidance through many phases of the process, which includes advice that I can still carry and apply in contexts outside of just the business school application.

Working with Harold was nothing short of humbling. His institutional knowledge guided me through the NYU Stern MBA application with a successful result.

He had a plan of action from the start and met with me to ensure we were aligned on execution. We worked through multiple iterations of my resume and essay where Harold provided guidance on how to improve my application. The best part of working with Harold is that he understood what the result should look like but would not give away the answers. He spent time coaching me to ensure I learned as the process progressed. Harold was prompt with his responses to my emails and always made sure I was clear on the task at hand.

Harold would be my top choice if you are planning to apply to any top-tier MBA programs.

Working with Harold was the best decision I made during the MBA application process. The work we did together was absolutely instrumental in getting accepted into several of the top business schools in the country.

I highly recommend Harold Simansky for his hourly services. Through Harold’s resume and essay reviews, I was accepted with a scholarship to Booth, Kellogg, Tuck, and Columbia.

Harold was extremely timely and communicative. His reviews – even when it was a busy season for round 2 – were extremely efficient. When I had an urgent request due to an upcoming deadline, Harold was understanding and was quick to prioritize my work.

In terms of the feedback, it was clear that Harold had extensive experience in reviewing essays and tailoring them to each school. The essay feedback was very helpful and prescriptive, allowing me to quickly edit and turnaround versions. Harold even shared my essays and resume with other reviewers at mbaMission for no charge. I really felt that I received more value than what I was paying for!

Two of my friends have worked with Harold for b-school applications and got into top schools, and strongly recommended him to me. When I applied, I only had a few months to spare and was trying to retake the GMAT. On top of that, I have non-traditional work experiences that I was struggling to tie together in my essays. Harold knew exactly what I should/should not highlight and gave VERY clear comments. I was especially impressed by his turnaround time. Without Harold’s clear guidance, there is no way I would have been able to complete 3 applications in 2 months while working long hours AND also get into Booth with a scholarship.

Harold was the first admissions consultant I spoke to that made me feel confident and excited about the application process. He helped me to distil a complicated career path into a coherent story, and re-fashion what I had initially seen as application weaknesses into that narrative. He was calm and assured throughout the entire process, but also great about reaching out to me if I ever dropped the ball and hadn’t been in touch for a little while. When it came to turnaround times, he never over-promised but regularly over-delivered. I was ultimately offered a place at my first-choice school, one which another consultant had told me I was ‘not the right candidate for’. Harold’s encouragement and support were integral to that achievement.

At first, I was hesitant to use an admissions consulting service, but after my first chat with Harold, I knew it was going to be worth it. Harold was genuinely invested in me, and wanted to give me the tools to succeed. He gave incredibly helpful insights into what admissions committees might be looking for – for instance, he provided me with lists of clubs and offerings that set certain programs apart so that I could incorporate them into my essays. Harold’s guidance on my essays made me feel all the more comfortable before I pressed “Submit” on my applications.

I would highly recommend Harold to anyone who is looking to bring their application from “good” to “great”. I was admitted to both HBS & Stanford GSB, and Harold was instrumental in helping me both prepare my application materials and rehearse for my interviews for these programs. I know that I could not have gotten to this point without Harold’s expertise.

I really enjoyed speaking with Harold and appreciated his expertise in many areas of preparation for my MBA application. It can be a stressful process, so it really helps to have someone on your side who knows the process inside and out. Harold is very responsive and provided advice that was tailored to my situation. He provided great feedback on my application materials, and I believe that this contributed to a successful outcome – I was thrilled to receive admission offers from multiple top schools. His perspective also helped me make an informed decision at that point, understanding the pros and cons of each option.

I had the pleasure to work with Harold throughout my MBA application process. Harold is extremely kind, proactive, and helpful. I spoke with a few other consultants before choosing Harold but felt that Harold really took the time to personally understand my story and that he would be the best to help me on my MBA process.

During our process, Harold was supportive, timely, and invaluable. He was very quick to get back to me and was happy to hop on the phone if I had questions or concerns. I ended up doing a final push for rolling admissions during COVID, and Harold would immediately get back to me and help me meet my last-minute deadlines. His feedback on essays and overall applications was extremely helpful. He had great attention to detail, and really knew the schools inside and out.

Ultimately I was accepted to UVA Darden and am excited to attend! I know I couldn’t have done it without Harold and am extremely grateful. I would highly recommend Harold to anyone (in fact I’ve already referred one of my friends)!

It might be easy to stand at the end of this process, having turned down a scholarship at my #3 school for a place at my #1 school, and say that “everything works out for the best”. I would say instead that things have worked out – better than I would have dreamed – despite waitlists, late nights, dreaded GREs, thousands of corrections, and many tears. I have countless stories that I could recount about calling Harold at off-hours in a puddle of self-doubt, where he managed to re-assure and motivate me to continue putting one foot in front of the other. Things worked out, because I was lucky enough to have Harold as my consultant.

I started working with Harold soon-after taking my GRE for the first time. From then on, he helped me weather some early insecurities about my lack of quant background. At a certain point, we shifted strategy from re-taking the GRE yet again to focusing on telling my story in my application. I am truly indebted to him for the tactical and emotional support he provided me with throughout this early part of the process.

Landing on an actual list of schools to apply to was yet another arena in which Harold’s expertise was invaluable. Though I had thought that I had already identified schools that were a good fit, he continued to push me to consider a few more options. His counsel helped me land on a list of schools that fit with my goals and personality. I’ll particularly emphasize that he was so supportive of the schools I had initially fallen in love with, but remained grounded in challenging assumptions that may have been guiding my preferences.

Settling on a strategy of applying to my dream two schools round 1 and a number of others round 2, Harold steered me through a forest of essay questions. He was so prompt with his responses, always leaving me with plenty of time (and work!) to remain on track. He always kept my best interests at heart, making sure that I was producing essays that told my story, resonated with specific cultures of the schools, and clearly defined my hopes and dreams. Though challenging to receive an email from him telling me to completely scrap an essay for the second time, it made clear to me just how invested he was in my success.

From essays to interviews to final decisions, he was there every step of the way.

I really cannot overstate how absolutely fantastic it was to work with Harold throughout my application process. From start to finish, he was a trusted advisor, effective coach, brilliant editor, and – when times got tough – fantastic motivator. I truly do not think I could have ended up with an acceptance to my dream school without him.

Put as simply as possible, trust this man. Harold is largely responsible for my getting accepted to Johnson (Cornell) and for my career trajectory since then. He lives and breathes the admissions process and has a better idea of your strengths and weaknesses than you do.

Trust this man, and he will guide you true.

I struggle to emphasize just how impactful working with Harold was on my MBA application process. From the very first meeting to helping me choose between acceptances, Harold’s help and advice were invaluable. I started working with Harold in early June before Fall Round 1 deadlines. From the beginning, he was great about taking the intimidating MBA application process and breaking it down into simple steps with achievable timelines. Harold’s assistance in crafting my story and really honing in on my strengths and weaknesses and how they matched to my target schools set me up for success from the get-go. Harold’s impact on my application essays was extraordinary. Both in helping me with the big picture of the story I was trying to tell, and the final edits and tweaks to make the essay as specific to my target school as possible, his work was critical to my success. Harold’s knowledge of top schools and what they are looking for in candidates is unparalleled, and this is most evident in his help with interview prep. I was invited to interview at four of the schools I applied to, and Harold was instrumental in my preparation, including offering mock interview practice. Finally, I want to highlight the ease of working with Harold. He is always very prompt to respond to any question or request, and quick to review and provide feedback on essays. He takes great pride in his work, and truly gives personal attention to all his clients. I can confidently say that Harold’s services are worth every penny. I started at my top choice MBA program last Fall, and could not have done it without Harold!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Harold was the best admissions consultant for me and he played a huge part in my success in getting accepted into Columbia Business School. Our work together focused on breaking the application process into individual components and developing a well though-out plan before any writing began.

Harold and I were successful for the following reasons:

Harold began the process by getting to know everything about me and took the time in the beginning to understand my story. Business school applications can be a very time-consuming and difficult process that requires organization and a well-thought-out plan before the writing process begins. In this way, he is remarkably efficient at time management and we saved a lot of time by getting fully acquainted with my story in the beginning.

He showed me how to organize my thoughts and how to best showcase my characteristics and abilities for admissions committees. Harold was amazing at walking me through the thought process of writing essays. As someone who struggles to start an essay, Harold helped instill confidence in my writing ability and helped me get started. He also gave me clear and concise instructions on how to navigate each essay, especially focusing on the attributes and characteristics each school is looking for in a candidate. His insight was a major help.

Lastly, his turnaround time on essay comments was excellent. He communicated to me when he would have time to read through my essays almost immediately and he always returned comments well before his deadlines.

If I were to go through the application process again, there is no doubt in my mind I would choose Harold Simansky again!

I don’t know what I would have done without Harold during my MBA application process. I came from a highly non-traditional professional background and wasn’t sure how my story would be received. Indeed, I spoke to consultants from other agencies and was flat-out told that my story “was really weird”, along with a list of schools that I shouldn’t bother applying to. In stark contrast, Harold was extremely encouraging and positive, and from the get-go, showing genuine interest and belief in my story and MBA goals. This made a huge difference in bolstering my confidence in the process.

Beyond that, Harold was extremely responsive and communicative through both Round 1 and Round 2, as I shifted strategies and adjusted my list of schools. He was truly an invaluable resource that I could ask a wide-ranging scope of MBA-related questions. For those considering hiring a consultant for their MBA applications, I look back and think that it was 100% worth it, especially with someone like Harold.

Harold was instrumental throughout my MBA application journey. Harold truly takes the success of his students as his own. I was shocked by the amount of dedication and energy he brought to presenting my application in the best light and his belief (and support) in me to finish all my application in round 1. From start to finish, Harold provided timely, constructive, and supportive opinions when reviewing my essays. I ultimately received admission to 3 of 3 MBA programs I applied to HBS, Wharton, and Booth (with a fellowship of over $100k). I could not have done this without Harold!

I’ve been working with Harold for over a year now, and couldn’t be more grateful for the support he’s provided. From the get-go, he listened to my interests and passions and helped me find the unifying thread that brought that all together into a strong story.
Harold is incredibly knowledgeable about different schools, the application process, and career paths. He has opinions about different programs, which is refreshing. He is able to balance making space for your own needs and desires while sharing his genuine thoughts. Having his expertise helped me feel stable within this opaque process.
What I appreciate the most about Harold are his patience and empathy. Applying to an MBA program can be an anxiety-filled and emotional process. Through it all, Harold was always there to listen without judgment. He took an interest in me as a person and was really invested in my success. This is what makes him such a rare and valuable consultant — that he is able to combine his expertise with his emotional intelligence.
Under Harold’s guidance, I was admitted to 5 schools: MIT, Berkeley, Wharton, Yale, and Kellogg, and waitlisted at Stanford.
I would highly recommend working with Harold and am so grateful to be one of his clients.

Harold was a great listener who helped me get to the heart of my story. I came in feeling fairly confident about executing my app (actually writing it), but wanted to make sure I got the story right. Harold helped me digest all my past experiences and synthesize them into something cohesive. In addition, he was a great resource to bounce ideas off. That perspective really helped steer the course for my whole application, which I found tremendously helpful and confidence-inspiring. In the end, I was admitted to Wharton with a healthy scholarship.

From my very first conversation with Harold, I knew he was the perfect mentor to guide me through the physically and emotionally draining MBA admissions process. For reference, I come from an extremely over-represented cohort. What really stood out for me was that he “listened” to my entire story for the first 15 mins and took into consideration all that I had to say before sharing his thoughts on how I should position my application. All the other consultants I had spoken with tried to force-fit my story into a certain profile type even before I had the chance to explain the nuances in my story.
Working with Harold during the actual application process was also a breeze. He was very responsive and would provide comments on essay drafts, resume and other short answers within 12-24 hrs. He was very encouraging throughout the process and acted as more of a mentor than simply a consultant.
As is the case with most applicants, we have a tendency to solicit feedback from family/friends/colleagues – most of which can be extremely differing and confusing. Harold made sure to address each piece of external feedback that I received. What really stuck with me was that he did not diminish or belittle the external feedback but clearly explained his point of view and showed me ways I could incorporate some of that feedback into my application without complicating the overall narrative.
I was extremely happy with my experience and would definitely recommend Harold to any future applicants.

I only had one month left to write my essay before the application deadline. I was so fortunate to have Harold to go through the process with me. Harold can understand my profile quickly and transform it into a story that appeals to the admission committee of my dream school. Whenever in doubt, I can always arrange a call with Harold and e-mail him. His quick response and accurate answer assure me that I did not waste my time and I was on the right track. The application process can be very stressful. However, there is nothing better to have a mentor, motivator, and friend like Harold who is dedicated to ensuring you have the best version of yourself in the application and get admitted to your dream business school.

Some admissions consultants pride themselves on attributes like “critical”, “brutally honest”, and “harsh”. Harold stands as a refreshing contrast to these types: supporting your good ideas and candid in suggesting ways to improve. Harold was great at focusing on the fundamental parts that build an application: short-term/long-term goals, program-fit, etc. He was able tackle high-level issues like how is essay prompts are addressed rather than get bogged-down in minutiae. Overall, I’m very happy to have worked with Harold and would highly recommend.

Harold is a consultant that you cannot afford not to use if you are serious about getting into a good MBA or EMBA program. I applied one month before the dateline for round 2 of an EMBA program with Sloan. If not for Harold’s experience and insightful knowledge of the admissions process I will not have had the right strategy and approach to complete my admissions application to get into the program. Harold got me very focus on what I needed to do on my application and we planned each material I had to submit carefully so that I’m able to differentiate myself from the other applicants to the admissions committee.

Harold is also very good with clients living in a different time zone. I work in Asia and he was able to fit my schedule to provide timely reviews and advice on my application and anything I wanted to talk or know about. I highly recommend him to anyone, especially those in Asia, looking at a patient, knowledgeable, and a steady hand to work with on your admissions and interview process.

I was referred to Harold by a friend and mainly needed help with my essays. As a non-native English speaker and someone better with numbers than words, essay writing has never been my strong suit. Luckily, I found Harold. Harold is very efficient and well-organized, which makes him a great pleasure to work with. All his suggestions and comments were direct and to-the-point. He was also very motivating. I knew exactly which schools I wanted to attend and didn’t want to apply to ‘safe schools’ simply for the sake of it. Harold understood my situation from day 1 and fully supported my decisions. Whenever I feel unsure about myself or my decisions, Harold would motivate me with his wealth of knowledge. I highly recommend Harold to anyone for b-school application.

When Harold and I first started working together my story was a mess. Harold helped shape the storytelling to highlight my key strengths, mitigate some of the weaknesses and – most importantly – make it more personal. I am really happy about the end product.
I would like to highlight that Harold went above and beyond to help out. I had very little time and Harold’s swift turnarounds meant that I could get it out of the door in time!. Thank you!

Harold was an absolute pleasure to work with. He was organized, straight forward and insightful. He gave candid pointed feedback which was helpful in getting my essays to the finish line. I felt that Harold genuinely cared about the process and was a great support system through a very stressful time.

I got a late start to the MBA application process after spending more time than I had planned preparing for the GMAT. Harold helped me stay on track for round 1 by helping me prioritize my top schools and created a plan that enabled me to get all applications done on time. The most difficult part of the process for me was finding the time to write essays with a busy work schedule. Harold was instrumental in helping me organize my essay topics so I could make the best use of my time. He encouraged me to keep sending him drafts even when far from perfect form. Harold’s insightful feedback and knowledge of the application process led to a final product I felt confident submitting. I ended up getting into my first choice school and couldn’t have done it without Harold. I would highly recommend his services to anyone starting this process.

Harold was a fantastic mentor and consultant throughout the MBA applications process. Coming from Private Equity, I knew I needed to have a unique story to stand-out amongst the other, plentiful finance applicants. Harold helped me hone my life story to something concise and digestible for the AdCom. He often provided insights and suggestions that were the exact catalysts I needed to round out my application. I applied to a handful of schools and Harold was able to give me unique feedback on each that helped put my applications “over-the-top”. I would definitely recommend and use Harold again.

I always wanted to do an MBA, but I had a lot of weak points in my application: low quant score on my GRE, several gaps in my work experience, a non-traditional background that wasn’t very analytical/quantitative, etc. Despite these challenges, Harold worked with me to pull out the best and most impressive parts of my story, and I ended up getting into every school I applied for + some with scholarships. I can’t recommend Harold enough!

When I realized this year my only real shot at business school, I knew I couldn’t risk overlooking anything in this very delicate process. With a below 3.0 GPA and a good but not great GMAT score, I knew I needed someone to guide me through the MBA process.

From the initial brainstorming session with Harold, I knew I had made the right choice. Harold helped me identify the key strengths that made me unique and valuable to the schools I was applying to. The faster I worked, the faster he responded. He was always attentive to my concerns and hesitations, and I appreciated his quick responses to my emails. If I had a quick question, I would often receive a response in minutes!

Harold is very knowledgeable, and thanks to his guidance, I have been accepted to INSEAD and will be going there this Fall!

Harold has been an indispensable resource for my application journey to HBS. The time and care that Harold spent to understand my candidacy was above and beyond my expectations and was instrumental in providing tailored advice that took my application to the next level. His holistic understanding of the MBA application process, his unparalleled knowledge of each program and the time spent knowing my strengths and weaknesses were crucial for my success. I would have not been accepted to HBS without his counseling, guidance and overall direction. A must if you are serious about applying to business school.

I found Harold via referral. I was mostly looking for help with my essay, as well as polishing off a few other areas of my application. Harold delivered on everything I hoped for and more.

After giving him what I wanted to get out of an MBA, he told me what my realistic chances were for getting into some of the programs I was looking at. He even recommended a new program that I hadn’t thought of and ultimately became the program I decided to go with.

Harold was extremely helpful in the essay component of my application. He helped me workshop a few different themes until we found the one that was right. During my interview, the admissions officer referenced specific elements of my essay which Harold had recommended I add.

Harold also had me well prepared for my interview. In fact, when I did my actual interview, there was only one question asked that Harold and I hadn’t prepped for.

Lastly, Harold was always available. His responses were mostly within 24 hours, and never more than 48. There were sometimes he was replying within a few hours during the holidays too! Overall, I would definitely recommend Harold.

Quick background: I am a 35 years old candidate with a traditional work experience (finance/investment). I first applied to B-schools about 5 years ago using a “consultant” who only worked with me on the essays. I applied to HBS, Stanford, Wharton and UC Berkeley. Dinged from ALL of them without an interview! I had a low GMAT (620) and my essays (in hindsight) were weak. I attempted the GMAT multiple times without success, so I decided to sleep on it for few years.

This time around, I did an extensive research on consultants, including various interview calls. Some of them are highly ranked with extensive experience. Many of those highly-ranked consultants tried to persuade me to only apply to top 30 schools, international schools (outside of US) or executive MBA. It was obvious they cared about their “success rate”. Harold was completely different! From the first call, he was very honest about my profile, but also very supportive. I still remember his words: “if it is a dream school, then we are applying to it, but we also need to explore other schools”. My initial list was Stanford, UC Berkeley, MIT and Yale. We also added Duke, but pushed Yale for later given the timeline. And guess what? I Got interviews from 3 of 4 schools and got accepted to two schools. I slightly improved my GMAT to 650, but decided to try the GRE. I got around 315 in the GRE (with 165 in quant), so Harold recommended I only submit my GRE score, which I did.

During the process, Harold was impressive in his quick responses and great feedback. Thanks to the time difference, we were working 24/7. I would wake up super early morning (which is late evening his time) to work on his comments that he sent few hours ago, and he would work on my changes while I was at work. I never had to worry about weekends with Harold! He was always online. What I realized is that the harder I worked, he would match my efforts! Few times he would prioritize other students for a day or two but that’s just because they have deadlines coming in. At the end of the day, it is YOUR application, so the more effort you put in, the more you will get from Harold, and he delivers!

In addition to his impressive efforts, Harold has a great experience and insight when it comes to schools. He would help you focus on the aspects of your story that would make you stand out.

I am forever grateful to Harold for all his hard work and making a dream come true, especially to someone who is considered “old” and a has a mediocre test score! If I had to do it again, I will go with Harold without hesitation!

It was July 2019 when I started thinking about getting an MBA. I didn’t even know what GMAT was back then. I changed career to a completely unrelated field 2 years ago, so I had no idea how to get my story straight. 5 months later, I was successfully admitted to my top choice M7 school by round 1. It was all because of Harold’s encouragement and guidance.

Harold has his own method and system to bring out the best story to tell. I came from technical and non traditional background and over-represented demographics. From our brainstorm call, he asked questions that helped me identify unique stories throughout my life to write about which I probably would have overlooked if I were to do this myself. He gave extremely helpful guidance on how to naturally connect these stories together.

He was also very encouraging when I was taking the GMAT. When I didn’t do well on the first attempt, he encouraged me to try again. After my second attempt, he told me to put GMAT aside and focus on the application, which was the best advice. He knew what was important for my application. He helped me steering towards the right direction.

Harold is very efficient. He almost always responds within 24 hours. He gives advanced notice when he will be out of office. Timing was never an issue between us. He reviewed every single detail of my application. It made me feel less anxious throughout the process.

For interview prep, Harold will adjust his questions depending on the school you are applying to. He gives tips on not only answering standard questions but also what is likely to happen right before and after the interview. He shares anecdotes from his extensive MBA consulting experience. I felt prepared going into my interview.

As a detail oriented person, he even gave me a lot of tips before I went to school visits, including what to look out for during class visits, things to keep in mind in general, and how to get the most out of such visits.

You will not regret hiring Harold as your MBA consultant. He will try his best to craft your story, prepare for your interview and do anything he can to support your application. I’m very satisfied for his service. By writing this review, I hope more people can benefit from his experience, skills and dedication.

This is my 2nd time applying. I’ve work with a consultant when I first applied two years ago, so I am able to compare my experience. Harold really stood out in two ways 1) Clarity – Harold has helped tremendously restructuring my stories in more concise ways for readers. He doesn’t just tell you it is not working; he suggests here is how it may work. 2)Encouraging – Harold made the application process less stressful and more positive. He delivered his comments in a positive but constructive way.