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440
10,000
Graduate: 3 Years
Firm
Dartmouth College
Harvard Business School
Finance
Management Consulting
Ernst & Young
Morgan Stanley
English
Senior Consultant
mbaMission
California
United States
Net Promoter Score: 9.84
Julie-Anne Heafey earned her bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and her MBA from Harvard Business School (HBS), where she was co-president of the Women’s Student Association and collaborated with the admissions committee on attracting women applicants. After earning her MBA, Julie-Anne entered strategy consulting, initially working with the Parthenon Group in Boston and then as a freelance consultant to businesses in financial services, health care, software, retail, and social impact in New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
Julie-Anne began her pre-MBA career in finance, working in France through an internship with the CFO of a large steel company through the École Polytechnique. Later, she joined an equity research team at Salomon Smith Barney, writing call notes, company reports, and industry overviews. Intrigued by how technology was transforming the industry, she transitioned to the firm’s fledgling Internet group, which was tasked with developing the company’s first Web site and online services. There she discovered her passion for strategy and marketing.
While at Dartmouth, Julie-Anne led tours and information sessions for the admissions department and now interviews applicants to the college each year as an alumna volunteer. She has also taught GMAT test-taking skills with Kaplan Test Prep and counseled aspiring MBAs on their business school applications. Julie-Anne is excited about helping mbaMission clients position themselves for success in the competitive application process.
mbaMission is the world’s leading MBA admissions consulting firm and the only one exclusively recommended by Manhattan Prep and Kaplan GMAT. Our dedicated, full-time Senior Consultants work one-on-one with business school candidates to identify and showcase their strongest attributes in their applications.
When applying to an elite MBA program, you need elite experience on your side. mbaMission’s full-time consultants are highly skilled communicators with comprehensive knowledge of the MBA admissions process, and helping you navigate that process to your fullest potential is our sole priority. You can be confident of having our undivided attention, because admissions consulting is our exclusive focus. In pursuing your MBA, you are making an important investment in yourself, so choose a firm whose singular objective is helping you achieve your goals.
Our full-time team includes MBAs from all the top programs. Although you work exclusively with one dedicated consultant at mbaMission, you benefit from the experience and input of our entire team. Our consultants intercommunicate constantly, sharing information, ideas, feedback, and recommendations. We also conduct semimonthly meetings, require ongoing training, and hold an annual full-company conference, where we gather to discuss best practices and continue improving our skills and knowledge base. More than 20 full-time admissions experts combine their know-how and experience to advance your cause. We know that our being at the top of our game means you have the greatest chance of success, and together, our team will find the best ways to strengthen your application.
One-on-one consultation services, comprehensive admissions and school-specific guides, a robust blog, free eBooks, essay analyses, and other valuable resources—visit our Web site to find all that mbaMission offers. FREE CONSULTATION Want to know your chances of being admitted to business school? Wondering how to differentiate yourself from other applicants? Sign up for a free, 30-minute consultation with an mbaMission Senior Consultant today! FEATURED SERVICES Complete Start-to-Finish Package A la Carte Hourly Services Mock Interview Sessions Ding Review Pre-Application Strategy RESOURCES Robust blog Free Interview Primers Free Personal Statement Guide Free Selecting Your Target MBA Program eBook Free Social Media Primer Business School Insider’s Guides MBA Admissions Guides Free monthly online and in-person events
Location: California, United States
Email: info@mbamission.com
Website: https://www.mbamission.com/consult-pq/
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I decided to apply to business school a little later in life than (I believe) most people do. Having started to work full time early on, in the industry I have always been passionate about, I had never heard of MBA programs until I decided to make a career change. The chance of potentially studying in a top business program was a tangible path moving forward and I decided to dive in. As an international applicant with a non-traditional background, I realized I needed support along the application process if I wanted to improve my chances of success – that is when I crossed paths with mbaMission and Julie-Anne.
From the very start, Julie-Anne shared plenty of useful insights in terms of establishing a reasonable and efficient timeline for getting things ready to submit applications. As we started working on my resume, she was able to articulate feedbacks in a candid and effective way, ensuring there was always improvement after each interaction between the two of us. However, she helped me the MOST (yes, it was a lot of help) with my essays. After going through a couple of brainstorming sessions, she was able to identify specific situations and examples to be used in my essays which I would have never been able to identify by myself. After pointing me out in the right direction, she supported me with actionable feedback in every draft along the way, helping me hone each essay based on the specific prompts of each school. After the essays were ready, we worked together on short answers, and the other parts of the application process.
In my opinion, Julie-Anne’s support was instrumental to my success during application season. I applied to 6 of the M7 schools in R1, and have just accepted an offer from one of them.
Julie-Anne was incredibly helpful from start to finish and I could not be more grateful to have had her help through my application process. I was admitted to HBS in R1 with her help, which was my dream outcome.
What I’m most grateful for is her no B/S type of attitude. I naturally struggle with writing, so I needed her to tell me straight up when my essay was headed in the wrong direction or came off differently than I intended it. She was readily available throughout my application process, which was super helpful when I was in the deepest part of my writing process and needed to talk out my ideas with someone. She also gave me great tips for my interview process, which gave me the confidence to know I was fully prepared walking into my interview.
I would recommend her to anyone applying to business school.
Working with Julie-Anne was amazing. I was looking to advance in my current industry through a MBA, with 2 YOE & a 325 GRE. She is very blunt with her feedback and does not sugar coat things, which is what I wanted. But she is also very encouraging & walks alongside you on the journey of the application process. The difference in my essay’s first draft and final draft was night & day due to her expertise on each school individually. She is worth the money.
I applied to one of HSW schools, coming from a consulting and PE/VC background. I was coming from a challenging demographic with a lot of applicants like myself (not URM, working in Finance, etc). I had the GMAT out of the way but really needed to focus on essays. I had a friend who had worked with Julie-Anne last year and had a very successful outcome on his/her HSW applications.
Overall, Julie-Anne was very helpful in brainstorming my potential stories, building out ideas, iterating on them, organizing ideas into short stories vs. main essay, etc. I applied in undergrad with a similar story and was rejected, but likely got in this time because we presented it in a different way. Brainstorming my entire background with Julie-Anne was super helpful during my application.
She has very strong inside knowledge of how MBA admissions work – knowledge you don’t have applying by yourself. That insight can help guide how to craft your stories and is definitely a value add. Her program has organized milestones and a process built around ushering you through an application, which helps a lot, particularly if you are juggling applying outside of your day job.
Julie-Anne (and an admissions consultant in general) is a worthy investment if you’re sure on business school. Those dollars spent will pay dividends down the road.
When I decided to apply for an MBA program from my job in consulting, I knew I was facing challenges as a young applicant with limited work experience (having worked at a single company since graduating from undergrad). However, I believed in my story and had confidence in my background, so I chose to work with Julie-Anne. It turned out to be the best decision I made throughout the entire process.
As someone who has always been more comfortable with numbers than with essays, I found the application process daunting. However, Julie-Anne’s expertise and guidance were evident at every step. She consistently pushed me to bring out my best in every aspect of my work, from crafting compelling essays to preparing for interviews. Her level of skill and knowledge exceeded my expectations. Despite what I initially saw as insurmountable barriers, Julie-Anne’s approach and unwavering dedication helped me secure admission to all three schools I applied to. Moreover, the introspective nature of the process and Julie-Anne’s incredible mentorship allowed me to learn a great deal about myself along the way. I truly believe that no one else could have achieved the same remarkable results as she did with me.
Julie-Anne sets high expectations and will push you to reach your full potential. Her meticulous attention to detail played a pivotal role in my successful MBA admissions journey. For the first time, I feel that my essays and writing are truly exceptional. I wholeheartedly recommend Julie-Anne to anyone considering the MBA application process.
Julie-Anne was incredibly supportive in helping me craft a compelling application for business schools. Having lived in multiple countries and worked across various industries, I was initially uncertain about which experiences to highlight and how to structure my application. Julie-Anne guided me through brainstorming and organizing my application package, offering insights on which experiences to emphasize and suggesting ways to enhance my profile, such as taking additional coursework. She diligently provided detailed answers to all my questions, even consulting her colleagues on topics she was less familiar with. Her feedback was prompt and thoroughly detailed, offering specific improvements and suggestions.
Working hourly with Julie-Anne starting at the back half of my MBA admissions process provided me with valuable direction and feedback in order to mold my resume, essays and short answers to the MBA Admission audience. While I had a lot of great content in first drafts, Julie-Anne assisted with streamlining and structuring the materials to emphasize and showcase what MBA Admissions personnel is looking for while cutting out unnecessary clutter.
Julie-Anne is the best!! Coming from an accounting/audit background, I knew I had an uphill battle to differentiate myself from other applicants. I had initial conversations with other admission consultants but immediately resonated with Julie-Anne’s approach.
From the very first call, Julie-Anne took the time to get to know me and my career goals. I tend to be long winded/too technical in my writing which is not good for MBA application essays. Julie-Anne worked with me to consolidate my thoughts and simplify my essays for Adcom. Working with Julie-Anne drastically improved the quality of my essays. I was shocked to see the stark improvement between my initial and final essays.
There were also points in time where I was busy with work and put my applications on the backburner, but Julie-Anne kept me accountable. Without her I would have missed submitting quality round 1 applications.
Once interview invites rolled out, Julie-Anne worked with me to polish my interview skills. I was very rusty. She delivered candid feedback in an uplifting way.
Ultimately, I was accepted at my dream T15 with a full scholarship! I was also accepted at other T15s with scholarships (ranging from $ to $$$$) and waitlisted at a M7 (Hail Mary application).
These results would not have been possible without Julie-Anne’s guidance. I whole heartily recommend her and the Complete Start-to-Finish Package to anyone looking to get into their dream program!! She was very supportive/responsive throughout the entire process (brainstorming/drafting/prepping for interview/analyzing offers). Look no further if you want to work with an amazing thought partner throughout the MBA application journey.
I am a middle market private equity associate in NYC. Julie-Anne’s strength is getting the best product out of her pupils. She really encourages introspection and doesn’t let you stop short of your best work. She is very responsive and will take time at a moment’s notice to respond to a call or address a minor question. For these reasons, she is certainly in the top 1% of consultants. She has worked with me as well as a number of prior applicants from my firm and we’ve all gotten into great programs.
In my particular case, we needed to find a way to balance the struggles I’ve faced with not sounding too negative. We needed to find a way to position things positively and tie in evidence from different parts of my life that supports the thesis that I’m learning and growing. Julie-Anne worked tirelessly with me to really understand my story and prioritize what data points best convey who I am.
I had the pleasure of working with Julie-Anne as my MBA admissions consultant, and I can confidently say that her guidance and expertise were instrumental in shaping my successful application journey. As someone deeply entrenched in the world of Private Equity, with a GMAT score hovering around the M7 median, I knew that standing out was crucial in the fiercely competitive landscape.
Julie-Anne’s keen insight into the nuances of MBA admissions was evident from the start. With her expert guidance, I was able to strategically accentuate the most captivating facets of my application, which not only complemented my scores but also highlighted my unique qualities. Her adeptness during the brainstorming phase was a game-changer. She skillfully prodded me to delve deeper into my experiences, bringing out the more inventive and creative aspects of my essays.
One standout area was Julie-Anne’s adept assistance in shaping my “Why MBA” essays. Crafting a compelling narrative about my career roadmap was a challenge I initially faced. Julie-Anne’s thoughtful guidance and astute feedback helped me paint a vivid picture of my aspirations, tying them seamlessly to the MBA program’s offerings.
Without Julie-Anne’s meticulous support, I am certain I wouldn’t have achieved such a remarkable outcome. Her ability to dissect my experiences and weave them into a captivating story for the admissions committee was unparalleled. Thanks to her, I secured a spot at my dream business school.
In a sea of MBA admissions consultants, Julie-Anne truly stands out. Her strategic insights, creative essay coaching, and dedication to her clients’ success are a testament to her exceptional skills. For anyone seeking not just an admissions consultant, but a genuine partner in their MBA application journey, Julie-Anne comes highly recommended.
I’m a candidate from Singapore and I worked with Julie-Anne as an hourly client for one month before I submitted my application as well as throughout the interview process. She was a fantastic consultant and I was admitted to HBS and Wharton.
Julie-Anne was incredibly helpful when it came to brainstorming ideas for my application essays. With her help, I was able to pick out the stories and experiences that had shaped me the most in my life and through her probing questions and willingness to go deep, I was able to find the common thread that tied those stories together, something I had never quite been able to do before. The outcome of our brainstorming sessions ended up being the crux of my essays and enabled me to showcase how I had gotten to where I was and explain what had led me there. If you’re looking for a consultant to help you better understand and craft your story, she’s the one to go for.
She was also great at helping me make my writing more impactful, answering the many many questions I had, and giving me sound advice on how to go about the process. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience that helps to take the uncertainty and anxiety out of the application process – something I found very helpful. My favourite part about working with Julie-Anne though was her constant enthusiasm and encouragement. She was fully invested in the entire process and truly cared about how I did.
If you’re looking for a consultant who is kind, effective, encouraging and highly-skilled at what she does, you can’t go wrong with Julie-Anne!
I’m coming from a very traditional background – 2 yrs of IB, and 2 years of PE (US based). I needed to differentiate myself through my story and application. I wanted someone who would be very direct and honest with me, and Julie-Anne was. She tells you what you need to hear. She was also super responsive and available – whenever you needed to chat, she found a way to accommodate. I decided to apply in July, with <5 weeks before the Round 1 deadline. While other consultants I spoke to told me I shouldn’t try to make the deadline, Julie-Anne encouraged me to go for it if I wanted to – she helped me ramp up quickly and made sure I was in a position to submit for the R1 deadline. Julie-Anne was a HUGE reason I got into both of my dream schools – I truly could not have done it without her. I' ve recommended her to every single one of my friends so far!
When I first started working with Julie-Anne, I had a bunch of jumbled ideas that didn’t fully mesh together. Julie-Anne worked with me tirelessly to help me clarify my message and gain admission to my top-choice school. I have no doubt that Julie-Anne’s help with my essays and resume played a key role in my admission to my top-choice school. I could not recommend Julie-Anne more highly. She is honest, empathetic, and always willing to help – no matter how small an ask. Julie-Anne is simply the best.
As I learn more and more about the applicant pool of top MBA programs, I realize how many weak points I had in my application. No test score and a below-average GPA are two data points that come to mind. Further, I started the whole process around Thanksgiving (with only about a month and a half until Round 2 deadlines), so to say I felt the odds were stacked against me is putting it lightly. My cousin (a 2nd year at UNC Kenan Flagler) had hired Julie-Anne Heafey from mbaMission and strongly recommended I do the same.
From our first conversation, I could tell Julie-Anne was passionate about her work and truly cared about her clients’ aspirations/success. Also impressive was her strong professional background and depth of experience with MBA application processes. In my UVA Darden application, she was instrumental in helping me strengthen the weak areas of my application while finding ways to emphasize and highlight the strong areas. She challenged me to dig deep to generate essay ideas through our Brainstorming session (an area I was totally lost in). Once we agreed on essay topics, Julie-Anne’s critiquing of several drafts was critical in forcing me to think deeply about the messages I wanted to convey. I believe my powerful essays were the strong points of my applications, and a lot of that credit is owed to Julie-Anne. Additionally, Julie-Anne pointed out areas of the application that I would have totally overlooked (short answer questions & why Charlottesville). Although these are brief parts of the application, the admissions committee looks closely at them. Lastly, she helped me re-construct my Resume, something I would have never thought important without her valuable advice.
I will be attending Darden this fall and truly believe I wouldn’t be here without the help of Julie -Anne. I would highly recommend anyone applying to MBA programs to hire her!
I am a URM applicant who wants to enhance my technical and soft skills in an MBA program, so I decided to hire my first admission consultant, Julie-Anne, with a start-to-finish school package. I had a feeling that I was in good hands when Julie-Anne kindly checked in with me multiple times before application season, even when I postponed my MBA application from round 1 to round 2 due to unforeseen circumstances.
While it is true that you will not know if you could have done it with or without a personal admission consultant, I know, undoubtedly, that Julie-Anne made me put my best foot forward, accompanied by essential resources. Outside of the essay revisions, Julie-Anne provided the following resources: brainstorming exercises, interview prep presentations, scholarship + fellowship opportunities, connection to career counseling, and mock interviews.
Regarding application essays, Julie-Anne and I met via zoom and phone calls to lay out a plan to tackle essay season (please give yourself time by starting earlier than later). We, the clients, ultimately get to choose what ends up on the application, but I wholeheartedly appreciated Julie-Anne for challenging me on all of my essays. Her thorough feedback and questions, which are always organized and well-documented, are supposed to invoke introspection. Julie-Anne constructive feedback pushed my limits to write more meaningful essays because she read my essays through an admission lens. She meticulously reviewed all of my essays.
The results? I received a full fellowship ($$$$+$) to the perfect, top MBA program that fits my needs and goals. I have zero regrets about hiring Julie-Anne. She is a true professional who will bring the best out of you.
I am an Indian male with a management consulting background. I have limited extracurriculars. My biggest challenge was standing out among the extremely competitive Indian consulting cohort.
1) Julie-Anne is super clear and frank. She encouraged me to apply to a mix of dream, reach & target schools given the competitiveness of the cohort. This turned out to be a solid bet as I got 2 amazing admits & 2 waitlists out of 9 applied schools!
2) Julie-Anne brainstormed with me to understand my entire life journey and interests. She understood me as a person which helped bring out stories from my backpacking experiences, specific assignments as a consultant, my passion for music that truly brought out me and helped me stand out in my application
3) She was extremely invested throughout the process. She created resources for resume creation, form filling, interview prep, attending events, networking in schools, etc., which made the whole process simple. Her nudges on networking in schools ensured I was well bonded and had a nuanced understanding of how the schools fit with my journey and vice versa. This along with her amazing interview prep guide + mock interview ensured I had amazingly smooth interviews (despite getting a hostile interviewer in some cases). Even on my resume, her nudges made my resume stand out (an adcom at a school I was admitted to highlighted how my profile stood out due to that, and I give full credit to Julie-Anne for it).
4) Julie-Anne is not just a consultant, she is available even when you’re panicking or worried. E.g. In my 4th/5th application, I was starting to lose hope and steam. This started to reflect in my output. She had an honest chat with me about how I was feeling. This nudged me to keep pushing and write authentic + specific stories for all!
5) She has a high bar on each doc. On some schools, she continued to push even though through several iterations to get a clear goal story, why the school, specific experiences/reflections from me. I credit both my admits to this, my applications wouldn’t have been half as good without her push!
6) She has amazing clarity on the culture, approach, and things to look out for in each school. This combined with how well she understands your story results in amazing brainstorming sessions where you know what you should speak about in the application!
I would urge you to work with her with your eyes closed. By far the best admissions consultant you can work with!
My background is fairly “vanilla” for a finance candidate – 2 years IB BB, 2 years private equity, econ grad. Given how difficult it is to stand out in the finance crowd, I knew that good essays were key to getting into my top choice schools.
Julie-Anne was 100% essential in helping me craft my stories and dig deep into who I am and what I want out of my career. What I appreciated was her honesty – whenever something worked, she pushed me to dig a level deeper, and whenever it didn’t, she told me upfront that the story would not work. I ended up scrapping several ideas I started with, which looking back was absolutely the right move. Furthermore, she showed a level of detail and care in every piece of my application that surprised me – for example, having gone through banking and private equity recruiting, I’d thought my resume was polished and good to go, yet Julie-Anne pointed out several spots I could improve my phrasing and highlight my leadership and responsibilities. My resulting resume was at least 2x stronger.
I applied in R1 and was initially waitlisted at Stanford; I knew the chances of getting off the GSB waitlist were very low, but wanted to give it my best shot. Julie-Anne was extremely supportive in helping me draft my waitlist updates and offering career advice throughout. I ended up getting into GSB in R2 and was also accepted to Wharton with $$.
I highly recommend Julie-Anne to every applicant – not only is she a fantastic consultant, but she is also the most wonderful mentor and cheerleader throughout the process. I could not have asked for a better experience; I owe getting into my dream school to her!
Applying while on active duty, Julie-Anne was essential in my application process by helping me articulate my military experience into thoughtful and effective essays. I valued her direct feedback, something friends and family often didn’t give when I asked for their help and her dedication to helping me create the best applications possible. I never felt like a client working with Julie-Anne, but instead more like a student because of how much she cared about me and my application and how willing she was to help around the clock for months. From her school background, work experience, and knowledge of the MBA admissions process, Julie-Anne is truly a professional and master at what she does. I am 100% confident I wouldn’t have been accepted into my top choice M7 school without Julie-Anne and would recommend her to anyone serious about enrolling in an MBA program.
I came into the MBA application process knowing that I would have an uphill battle – my undergraduate GPA was below the average range at Tuck and my work experience in private wealth was good but didn’t truly transcend what my peers were doing.
I knew that in order to be successfully admitted, I needed to show that I was smarter than my GPA led on (I had an upward trend and a really strong GMAT), but also I needed to convince the admissions team that I had a strong reason to get an MBA.
Julie-Anne helped me do exactly that. She reviewed my resume and helped me cut out unnecessary elements and highlight my strengths. She also made it so that my resume would be easy to read from an admission officer’s point of view by helping me to concisely communicate my actions, emphasize my results, and define the recognition my employers gave me.
She also helped with my essays. As a Dartmouth undergrad, Julie-Anne knows life in Hanover and helped me provide specific details to the admissions team on what makes the experience unique (she did her first two years of undergrad at Columbia and went to HBS for her MBA so I’m sure she can do the same for those schools).
Her interview prep also helped me to pace my answers the right way and not waste my words.
Julie-Anne made the entire process very easy – she was tough but supportive. She always met her deadlines, and completely changed the quality of my work. Looking at where I started and where I ended up with my application, I really have to thank JA for being one of the biggest factors in my acceptance to Tuck (which has been a very positive experience for me).
I highly recommend Julie-Anne to anyone looking for an MBA admissions consultant.
Profile: Management Consultant at MBB Nationality: India GMAT: 750 Q50 V42 Admits: Wharton, MIT Sloan
I onboarded Julie-Anne for my application process after speaking to multiple consultants because I really liked her approach from the off. During our 30-minute free consultation, she understood my profile, background and motivations deeply. She even sent a detailed summary of our discussion along with her preliminary thoughts right after. This really impressed me and stood out for me vs. other consultants.
Throughout the application process, Julie-Anne was always there for me, as a consultant and a mentor. She was thoughtful, creative and a calming presence. On multiple occasions, she went out of her way to help me – such as responding back within less than the prescribed time when I was under pressure. There were times when I was less responsive than I should have been but Julie-Anne ensured I was always on my heels – which was a major reason why I was able to meet all my deadlines. Julie-Anne’s main focus was always ensuring that I put my best foot forward and she ensured that was the case, even if it meant not sticking to the prescribed SLAs at times. For example, if she felt my performance in behavioral interviews was not up to scratch, she kept doing mock interviews till I was able to perform to my best capability.
In addition, I felt MBAMission’s resources were very strong – covering a gamut of information, from brainstorming about your story, to choosing and contacting your recommenders, to getting off the waitlist. I have seen resources from other admissions consultants and I strongly consider MBAMission to be the best of the lot.
In summary, I am very grateful to Julie-Anne for her help and support, and strongly attribute my success in the application process to her.
Julie-Anne played a huge role in my being accepted to my top three choice schools, Harvard Business School, Wharton/Lauder and UVA Darden in Round 1 of the 2020-2021 Admissions Cycle. While I had all the right pieces (720 GMAT, high GPA and strong recommendations), I struggled to develop my MBA story through my essays and short-answer responses. More specifically, coming from international development, I was completely lost about how to contextualize my background and skills through a business lens and articulate how I could contribute uniquely to the classroom.
Julie-Anne exceeded my expectations on every front. She was accessible, diligent, kind and strategic. She listened closely early on to understand who I was, why I wanted an MBA and what I hoped to do, and then used that knowledge to help me strengthen my voice in my essays. She read countless drafts, jumped on dozens of brainstorm calls when I hit a roadblock (even on Sunday mornings!), and calmed my anxieties the night before my interviews. She was highly professional and knowledgeable; I always felt that she knew exactly what she was doing, whether helping to tweak my resume or determine how to conclude my essays (and the results showed!). Her expertise on what the Admissions Committee values at each particular school heightened my applications and helped me to really shine. Also, the fact that Julie-Anne attended HBS, one of my top choices, and worked in consulting, my intended post MBA career, made her a real role model for me throughout the process. I highly recommend Julie-Anne !
Julie-Anne was a huge help throughout my application process. She constantly provided guidance on what admission officers value and in turn aspects of my candidacy to highlight. Julie-Anne was helpful in brainstorming ideas and crafting my essays. She also helped me write strong short answer responses and ensure all aspects of my application were additive. The interview prep was also incredibly helpful. One point worth noting is MBA Mission’s SLA and 2 business day turn around time for essay editing, which JA stuck to fairly strictly.
I was a military applicant with a low standardized test score and an unconventional story to share. Initially, I reached out to mbaMission only for strategic advice—I thought that I had a good understanding of what information I needed to present, but I wanted a second opinion to ensure I was hitting the mark. After speaking with Julie-Anne, I immediately realized how helpful it would be to have someone guide me throughout the process. Julie-Anne was a coach, supporter, and teacher throughout the most challenging points of the application cycle. She took time to get to know my ambitions, reasoning, and most importantly, “me” as a person. Her perspective helped me improve my essays by navigating blind spots, presenting my weaknesses in a positive light, and helping me better explain my path. In advising me on how to realize my “potential,” Julie-Anne helped me get into an M7 business school (Stanford/Harvard). Julie-Anne went far beyond my original expectations and I’m so thankful for all of her help!
The MBA application process can be difficult to navigate. It requires thorough self-reflection, high-quality essay writing and a resume that helps highlight your accomplishments and show your career impact. This becomes even more important if you have an atypical career path like myself, where I have worked on both the investing and operating side of business across 5+ industries.
I’ve had a number of friends who have completed MBA programs, and most of them utilized an admissions consultant to help work through the application process. I took the admissions consultant decision very seriously, and conducted a number of 30-minute phone screenings that many services offer. After speaking with Julie-Anne Heafey at mbaMission, it became abundantly clear that she was the ideal consultant to work with throughout the MBA application journey.
In my opinion, Julie-Anne has a number of traits that make her a fantastic consultant:
* She is professional and direct. With hourly services or a full-scale package, you want an admissions consultant who gives you candid feedback and pushes you to improve every item of the application. Julie-Anne did just that. Whether we had phone calls or exchanged comments via email, she got to the point quickly and made sure we worked through comments in an efficient manner.
*She is very responsive. Whether I had one-off questions or needed additional clarification on her comments, Julie-Anne responded quickly to ensure we stayed on track with application deadlines.
*She is truly invested in your success. This is not just a transaction for Julie-Anne. She cares deeply for her clients and will check-in throughout the process (and after) to see what else she can do to support you.
I had two aspects of my application I was concerned with: (1) my lower than average GMAT score and (2) my above average age. Julie-Anne helped me overcome these issues to submit strong applications that resulted in me being admitted into 4 out of the 5 top 10 programs that I applied to, including my top choice of Wharton. I cannot recommend Julie-Anne enough.
Julie-Anne was an incredible consultant. She guided me every step of the way and gave me candid feedback that enhanced my application. I was accepted to all three programs I applied to, and do not believe I would have been able to achieve that without her help. Coming from a very traditional finance background (Ivy League undergraduate, investment banking, private equity) I thought there was a magic formula for entrance and Julie-Anne steered me clear of that assumption. She helped me bring out my unique attributes in my essays and brain storm what it was I really wanted to get out of business school. So very thankful for Julie-Anne!
From the start, Julie-Anne asked hard questions that challenged the way I thought as I wrote my application essays. As a person from big tech with a mid-tier university background (and very little extra-curricular involvement), I needed her help in ensuring I stood out. The best part about working with Julie-Anne was her ability to help me turn my background into meaningful stories. Julie-Anne spent hours brainstorming with me, and when it came to providing feedback on my essays, she was incredibly honest. She encouraged me to scrap essays and start over when needed, and also dig into the details more that I otherwise would have. Without her help, my stories would’ve been too broad to earn interviews at top schools.
Besides her stellar editing, Julie-Anne is personable and communicative. She met deadlines and kept me on track as well. Her frankness during interview prep was greatly appreciated and helped me get into three M7 schools that I interviewed at. It seemed like every question I had asked, we had discussed in my mock interviews.
Julie-Anne even helped where she didn’t need to. She checked in frequently and offered advice for negotiations. She’s super knowledgeable and definitely worth the investment (especially if you are struggling with essay brainstorming/editing).
I worked closely with Julie to draft and edits my resume, essays, and other application materials for 3 part-time MBA programs. Julie was a terrific partner who delivered feedback quickly and helped me brainstorm new ideas when I was feeling stuck. I was accepted by all 3 of my target programs, and owe much of my success to Julie’s help. Thanks, Julie!
My GMAT score was 650 only, and I was already much older than the MBA students’ average age.
To maximize my lean chances to be accepted at a top business school, I knew that my essays, my resume, and all the rest of my application should be impeccable. I decided to get specialized help but was advised by two different admissions consultants to drop my dream and seek another way to pivot my career. I hopelessly insisted a third time, and that’s when I met Julie-Anne Heafey from mbaMission.
For the first time in a free 30-minute consultation, someone went beyond basic parameters such as my GMAT score, GPA, or my age. Julie-Anne patiently took the time to listen to my story and holistically understand my goals. On that same day, I signed a 6-school-package with her and we started right away to craft my applications. On my resume, Julie-Anne was strategic, helping me to not only evince the quant skills the admissions officers expect from good candidates but also translate my achievements in the film industry to a more clear business language. On my essays, Julie-Anne’s sharp and direct questions helped me to significantly tell my story and consistently explain how an MBA would allow me to achieve my next goals. For each of the six schools, she kept dedicated, reviewing countless versions of my applications.
It was a long process, but Julie-Anne was always motivating and supportive, pushing me to overcome myself, find my voice, and deliver the candidacy that allowed me to be admitted at Stanford.
The full school package was extremely helpful at mbaMission. I was able to receive edit help with essays, interview prep for several schools, and resume review. There were a few brainstorming calls that were helpful for me to figure out my point of view for my essays. We also went through the different characteristics that each school was looking for in the essays. Julie-Anne was the highlight of working with mbaMission as she was particularly helpful editing the essays. I currently work in private equity and do not have the strongest writing skills and Julie-Anne was able to give me specific comments to pull out the necessary details needed in my essays. She also works extremely fast under tight deadlines even when she is busy juggling multiple students. Additionally, in our mock interviews, she knew exactly what my weaknesses were and gave me tips to bring the best version of myself to the interview process. I would highly recommend her to any student applying for business school.
Coming from a technical background in the oil industry, far removed from the business realm, I knew that an outsider’s perspective, especially one grounded in the MBA process would be beneficial to help my stories come across. (This meant ensuring that my technical resume and stories about technical projects were approached in a way that could be understood by a variety of audiences.)
Initially, upon speaking with friends who navigated the MBA process, I reached out to a competitor consulting firm and after an initial conversation with a consultant, she provided lofty claims that they felt that I would absolutely get into the top 7 schools and that given my lack of a job title change that was what needed to be focused on. The more I dug into the competitor company, I felt that it was too formulaic and I was just another applicant in their system. I wasn’t given options of who I’d work with (it felt like a very “behind closed doors” situation) or any more personal interaction aside from this short intro call but instead was pushed a plethora of emails about their packages and links of their former success stories. While I recognize that certain MBA programs look for specific things, I wanted to ensure that my story was heard and my consultant cared about my success.
I’d read about mbaMission online, through P&Q, and it had been recommended to me by a family friend. When I reached out to have an initial conversation with the recommended consultant, she went above and beyond connecting me with 3-4 profiles of consultants who she thought I would best work with (as she was no longer working as a consultant for the time being). I ended up having another intro call with Julie-Anne, who I felt matched my energy and was very open and honest that she aimed to highlight her clients’ stories in the best way possible—that the individual aspect was more important than explaining a lack of job position change. Her demeanor was very appealing as I could tell she was invested in her clients rather than just trying to snare new clients with claims of an M7 guarantee. (Note all of these conversations happened before I event sent mbaMission a single dime. I truly felt they were invested in the human side of things rather than just the commission. I think that is apparent when you realize just how many free materials/guides that mbaMission offers, among many other aspects of their approach.)
While certain individuals reflect that they perhaps could have navigated the process without a consultant, by having family/ friends read their essays, I disagree. Julie-Anne knows how to navigate the process in a seamless manner and acts more than just an accountability coach, challenging you to make your essays better every single time. She also brings unbiased feedback to the table, unlike your family and friends. I think Julie-Anne Heafey was particularly helpful in helping me preserve my story while ensuring my tone was always upbeat and positive (which can be challenging during trying work stories). She also listened to my concerns that my essays weren’t coming across the way that I wanted to. She worked as tirelessly as I did to help fix that until the 11th hour—this was honestly due to my ability to preemptively work on apps due to an intensive work schedule. The difference was not only was it evident that she cared about me as an applicant, and abated my last-minute concerns, she also gave honest feedback throughout the process. She was incredibly diligent and really helped me hone in not only on my stories and quantifying why specifically I wanted to go to a certain school/ dual program, but she did so in a manner that felt like I was her only client.
With Julie-Anne’s help, I ended up getting interviews at 5 of the M7 schools, including HBS. She’s an incredible asset to mbaMission and it would a mistake on anyone’s part to consider someone else or beyond those on the mbaMission team. I truly stand by this opinion and could not think of a better individual with whom I would trust my stories, concerns, and experience the MBA process with.
Background: Econ undergrad at Ivy, Product Manager, male, over-represented demographic. Applied to MIT, CBS and Wharton. Received interviews at all schools, was admitted to MIT and CBS.
When I first began thinking about applying for an MBA, I worried about my chances because I was an over-represented demographic and felt I didn’t have a unique story (I had spent 4.5 at the same company in one role). I was looking for a consultant who was honest, could help craft my story, tell me my strengths and weaknesses, and keep me on track with the deadlines. Julie-Anne was fantastic and helped in every aspect of the application, even in areas that I didn’t know I would need help.
She was honest in her feedback (my qualifications, strengths, weaknesses), spent hours brainstorming with me to find a way to uniquely tell my story, and made sure I met my deadlines. She was especially helpful on the essay portion of the applications, which I found the most challenging and open-ended.
Julie-Anne was extremely responsive through every iteration of my application no matter the question or amount of times I asked. Even as I moved on to the interview process of the application, she was there to guide me along and give me advice on how to prep, knowing each school as well as the next. Julie-Anne truly cares – even after I was admitted, she was there as a sounding board to help me decide on which school I should attend. She got to know me well enough over the application process that she was able to give me actionable advice on which school would be a better culture and professional fit.
Initially, I was concerned with the cost of a consultant, but I can definitely say that Julie-Anne was worth it, and got me into my top choice!
I’ve been accepted to two M7 schools, and I’m almost certain I would have come up empty without Julie-Anne’s guidance and support.
Compared to other MBA hopefuls, I was very late to join the game when I realized I wanted to pursue an MBA. As an MBA was not on my to-do list, my profile/experience wasn’t geared towards MBA admissions. My stats were average to below average for M7 standards, and my work experience doesn’t jump off the page as remarkable.
I applied to five M7 schools, and only had a short amount of time to put together my applications. Julie-Anne helped me through the entire process – from validating why an MBA is right for me, to helping understand what each school values in their candidates, to putting together tailored applications that highlight my strengths and unique selling points. We went through my work/life experiences to find unique stories and achievements, many of which I would have never even thought to include in my applications.
Julie-Anne provided very honest and detailed feedback along the way and pushed me to put my best foot forward in every aspect of my application. The admissions process can be opaque and tricky to navigate. Julie-Anne’s guidance added a lot of clarity, and I was able to submit applications with a strong sense of purpose and confidence in my candidacy for a top MBA program.
I highly recommend Julie-Anne’s services to ensure that by the time you press submit, your application is as good as it can be.
When considering B school, I was worried about my chances given my GMAT and background. I had only taken the GMAT once and my score did not make me stand out. I spent 4 years with one company in accounting/consulting, didn’t have a brand name undergrad, and was part of a overrepresented demographic. I was also skeptical of the cost of admissions consulting services.
When considering a consultant, I was looking for someone who would be able to candidly evaluate my application. I did several free consultations with firms to get a feel for different consultants, and Julie-Anne stood out among others for her sincerity and willingness to go above and beyond in providing advice.
If you are on the fence about using a consultant, Julie-Anne was worth the cost and incredibly beneficial throughout the process. She was particularly helpful in the school selection process and giving realistic feedback. Julie-Anne provided unique perspectives when evaluating my drafts and her advice was critical to refining my story through my essays. The essays are the most opaque portion of the application process and Julie-Anne’s experience made her an awesome sounding board. The entire mbaMission experience was positive and helped take my application from good to great.
Julie-Anne was genuine, responsive and encouraging during the crazy application season. She was a great resource from idea generation to making a final decision. I can’t thank her enough for helping me get into my dream school!
Julie-Anne was truly awesome to work with throughout my application process. I am an engineer and not a natural storyteller so her guidance was tremendously useful for making my application stand out. She was extremely helpful at giving advice and feedback on the tricky smaller sections of applications (Stanford has what feels like 15 mini-essays) and I was able to get interviews at GSB, Kellogg, and MIT with admittance at the latter two schools. Julie-Anne really helped me stay on track while applying to 5 schools in round 1. While it can be tempting to put off application work until later in the summer, having a consultant like Julie Anne and starting earlier will help you not stress deadlines at the end, knowing you have put your best foot forward.
Background: econ undergrad to investment banking to private equity. Applied to HBS and GSB. Received interviews at both schools (GSB R1, HBS deferred R1, interview R2), and was admitted to GSB (did not take HBS interview).
I was looking for a consultant who would a) walk me through the process of the application to limit effort on my end, b) provide constructive criticism on the essays, and c) keep me on track to submit so I don’t pull an all-nighter the night before. Julie-Anne certainly filled all of those roles for me. I would say that she stood out the most in regards to essay writing, where she was extremely helpful with brainstorming constructs, as well as giving me the hard feedback of when I totally needed to scrap an essay (which with hindsight, was the right call!).
I had a challenging story to communicate (white male, finance background, weak GMAT, career pivot, location pivot, etc.) but Julie did an amazing job of working with me to craft a compelling and unique story for each MBA program that I considered. In addition, I was an extremely demanding client (applied to nine MBA programs) yet Julie always rose the occasion when deadlines arrived. She went above and beyond for me several times throughout the application process and I am very thankful that I selected her as my consultant. Highly recommend to any MBA candidates looking at a hiring a consultant!
Stats – Female from West Africa in PE/Impact Investments. I needed someone to help review my essays to support my EMBA application at a world-class school in the UK. Given my Africa background and investments focus, I really needed to position myself in a compelling manner. Julie-Anne gave very constructive and thought-provoking feedback (I was sure she knew me from 10 years back!) as she really GOT my story and was able to appreciate my journey and help articulate it better. Her background in finance and being an MBA holder really showed strongly. Despite the tight timelines and imminent application deadline, Julie-Anne went above and beyond for me and was able to turn around my essays very speedily (at a point overnight) which helped me meet my deadlines. I secured a spot within 3 weeks of submitting my application! So glad I chose you, thank you for working with me Julie-Anne.
Julie-Anne was incredibly helpful and got me ready to perform well during my interview. I had a few holes in my application, and she and I worked through a few different answer options to make sure I was putting my best foot forward. I’m grateful for the time we spent doing this prep because it worked and I got into my dream school.
Data Points: GPA: 3.8 Undergrad Degree: Management Information Systems Gender: Male GMAT Score: LOW Current Industry: Tech Leadership activities: Heavy involvement during undergrad/post graduation Volunteering activities: Heavy involvement during undergrad/post graduation Life Goals: #1 Develop a platform to help people discover their passion. #2. Help minorities pursue a degree in technology Julie-Anne Heafey was my MBA consultant during the 2019 applications process. In my experience in working with her, I can honestly say she was everything you could ask for when it comes to an MBA mentor! There are three key areas where I felt Julie-Anne really stood out for me as a remarkable consultant. #1. Julie-Anne is a great listener. Not once did I feel like I was losing my story or was not remaining true to myself. Julie-Anne takes the time and attention to really dig deep into who you are as a person and what truly defines you. It really helped when tackling the essay prompts for these top tiered schools! #2. Julie-Anne is very responsive. During the application process, you will have last minute questions and or change of topics/material when it comes to your essays. Whenever I needed to reach out to Julie-Anne she would respond almost immediately! She has a turnaround schedule and will always give you a heads up on any planned family vacations to help coordinate schedules! She was even gracious enough to provide a phone number for any last minute emergencies related to my applications! #3. Julie-Anne takes her job very seriously. You can tell Julie-Anne has done her research in understanding each school and how you will fit within their culture. Not only that but she will also suggest schools outside of your target list that you may have never considered. More than anything, Julie-Anne is trying to find the perfect culture fit for you as part of the process, I can’t stress enough how important that was for me! It was amazing having Julie-Anne as my MBA mentor and I very happy and grateful that I will be attending the Haas School of Business this fall! Good luck everyone and if you are reading this, hopefully, I was able to help you in your matchmaking process!
Stats – male, reapplicant, career pivot. My favorite thing about Julie-Anne is her no-nonsense approach and her willingness to help with all aspects of an application. After speaking with her during a free consultation, I knew she’d be extremely valuable during the application process. She doesn’t sugar coat, and her honesty was very important as I honed my application. With her guidance and expertise, she was able to help me turn an application that was getting me nowhere into several acceptances at top programs. There cannot be enough said about the power of another set of eyes, especially ones as sharp as Julie-Anne’s. She can be as detail-oriented or high-level as you need her to be, and she truly cares about the success of those she helps. I couldn’t recommend her highly enough.
Julie-Anne is simply incredible. She was an invaluable resource throughout the entire process. I was accepted to my dream school, which was quite a stretch given my unique background. It would not have been possible without Julie-Anne’s sage advice and assistance. She is truly extraordinary!
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