Kate Richardson

I work in investment management and will be attending a part-time weekend MBA program. I worked with Kate on a two-school package and she was an incredible resource in making my applications as strong as possible.

She helped me narrow in on the strengths to highlight in my applications but also helped me identify my weaknesses and develop a plan to address them. One of my key weaknesses was a lack of community engagement.

Kate kept me on task throughout the process. Her help in tailoring my story and providing constructive feedback on my writing resulted in extremely strong essays.

We did mock interviews that made me much more prepared and confident in my interviews. Ultimately I got into both of the schools that I applied to and both offered me merit scholarships that exceeded my expectations. Going into my MBA applications, I was somewhat naive to the process and all that it entailed. Kate helped me navigate all of it and prepared me better than I ever could have on my own.

Kate was extremely helpful throughout the application process, from being a sounding board to ideate the best ways to present my candidacy, all the way through being a quasi-therapist on decision days! She went above and beyond when it came to caring and making sure that I was presenting the best version of myself possible. I would highly recommend her to anyone else.

Kate was a tremendous help throughout my application and instrumental in me getting into a top-ranked school. From the first consultation, she was really professional and patient with me as I figured out my best path forward. I did the 3 school start to finish package and applied during round 2. I had come in with a bit lower GRE scores and she helped me feel more confident about my application and craft a story that would resonate with AdCom teams. I had started working with her in October and we hit the ground running. The whole process felt extremely collaborative and she was always available to answer all of my questions or a quick chat to calm my nerves!

Kate was instrumental to my application – I came to her with specific needs (I had the GMAT done and some schools picked out, but really needed help crafting my story to put into essays). She adapted perfectly to my needs and was always incredibly supportive as well as responsive. She added value by pulling out parts of my story that resonated with AdComs that I wouldn’t have even thought to mention. I’m convinced the essays made the difference in one of the most competitive admit years ever. Thank you, Kate!!

Kate is an INCREDIBLE consultant and did a tremendous job throughout my application cycle. I first contacted her back in May and she had very few Round 1 spots left. I was lucky to have her!

I come from a Big 4 consulting background and technical undergrad. I applied to 5 M7 schools, received interviews at 3 of them, and was ultimately admitted to 1 school and waitlisted at 2.

Kate was there every step of the way. She was kind, thoughtful, and thorough. She brought out the best in my story, helped me find a logical structure to the (sometimes scattered) experiences that make up my life, and pushed me through to the end.

Kate is an incredible editor and is suuuuper patient throughout the process, even when we would go through 5-6 iterations on a single essay. She’s outstanding at both the high-level storyboarding and the granular edits that are required to get an essay to the finish line. She also is great with interview prep, helping me to hone in on the storylines that would speak best to each school.

Kate was AWESOME and I couldn’t recommend her more!

I HIGHLY recommend Kate Richardson. I was extremely hesitant to use a consultant for several reasons, but I am 100% satisfied with my choice. I honestly don’t know if I could have gone through this process and stayed sane without her.

I was so happy to get into a top-choice school, but a bit sad to not work with Kate regularly, which was an unexpected feeling! I felt extremely comfortable with Kate, especially as I had considered myself an “underdog” candidate before working with her. She instilled confidence in my abilities that I lacked before our partnership. I spoke with other consultants, and I felt a bit judged or that they wanted me to be inauthentic to myself and my story, but I never felt that way with Kate. I really looked forward to our chats throughout the pandemic – even if it meant a lot of “homework” on my end afterward. I really appreciate her kindness during a trying time.

Aside from her welcoming and approachable personality, she is EXTREMELY competent, especially with her editing skills, and her turnaround times were truly remarkable. I do not know how Kate sleeps because I would get essays and random questions answered in record-breaking time. I felt like Kate was on speed dial as a resource, and she always had a confident answer to my questions – and anxieties. 

She really helped me tell my story, and I felt authentic and supported throughout this process. Seriously don’t hesitate to use Kate! 

I can not recommend Kate Richardson highly enough to anyone looking for an admissions consultant. Coming from a non-traditional field, I was quite nervous about applying to schools, especially during such a competitive year. Kate was perfect to work with as her feedback was very constructive without being too rough. Not knowing anything about applying for an MBA, she was an integral part of any questions I may have had.

I went through a thorough vetting process with consultants (incl. SB, F) to make sure I found the right person to work with. Other companies told me not to even bother applying to HBS–my profile was uninteresting and average (2 years MBB, 720 GMAT), and there was no way I’d get in. My consultation with Kate was the complete opposite. She believed in me and my story and said I had as good of a shot as anyone else. Kate helped me communicate my story, and brought out aspects of myself that I thought were insignificant that ended up playing a huge role in my interviews. With Kate’s help on 3 Complete Start to Finish packages and some hourly help on a fourth, I went 4/4 with acceptances to HBS, Wharton, Kellogg (with $120K scholarship), and Tuck. Every interaction I had with Kate was positive–always on time, met deadlines, and provided incredibly insightful feedback. The nuance and introspection we were able to pepper throughout my essays was nothing short of spectacular and I went into each interview feeling prepared and confident after all of my practice with Kate. Kate was a joy to work with. I trust her immensely and can’t say enough how much her guidance has meant to me throughout this process. I truly do not think I would have had the success that I did without Kate!

I had a fantastic experience with Kate! For me, there were 3 things that really stood out: her professionalism, her ability to take you from strategy through execution, and her genuine nature.

Professionalism: Practical, efficient, honest, prompt, straightforward. Really made an effort to understand my story and link back to it throughout the entire process. Offered balanced perspectives and took the time to walk through options.

Strategy through execution: Helped me think strategically / big picture, to create a cohesive application strategy. But as we progressed, she was able to really drill into details and help me position details and nuances in a way that really helped me stand out.

Genuine nature: Kate is really friendly and down-to-earth. She’s the type of person you’d look forward to interacting with through the stressful MBA application process.

Finally, I think the mbaMission business model is pretty compelling. You know exactly what you’re getting upfront… you don’t have a ‘middle man’ situation where someone is trying to ‘pair you’ or [worse yet] gauge how much money they could get out of you.

I’ve been accepted to my dream M7 and am so grateful to Kate for all her support!

I really enjoyed working with Kate for this past GMAT application cycle. She is not only extremely knowledgeable about the space and a great resource, but I felt she went above and beyond in terms of the support she was able to offer me. Whether it was her lightning-fast email response times, her willingness to hop on a call to discuss my questions or thought process, or her just generally positive attitude, Kate was an amazing resource throughout this process. She was able to offer very tangible recommendations that resulted in me being able to really tell my story clearly and concisely in my essays and stand out from other applicants. Even after getting into 2 of my top 4 choices (Kellogg and Booth), Kate was great at talking me through the decision and helping me weigh out the pros and cons of each. I truly could not recommend her more!

Attending an MBA program was a dream of mine for a couple of years before I started working with Kate, and now it’s a reality! I’ve been admitted to multiple T20 US MBA programs, all with merit scholarships.

After a brutal year of studying for the GMAT and consistently scoring poorly, I felt it was even more important to work with a professional when applying to top business schools. I could not make the Round 1 deadline because I did not have a competitive score and didn’t want to risk having to re-apply the following year. For me, it was Round 2 or bust. After my fit call with Kate, I was eager to sign up for the Complete Start-to-Finish package for four schools.

Kate was instrumental in helping me formulate my story, building a strong resume, helping me guide my recommenders, and partnering with me throughout the entire process. As someone who has a very small MBA network and in a field that traditionally does not hire MBAs, I knew I would have tons of questions, and Kate is a great sounding board for every and any question I had. As someone applying for the first time, I knew I wanted to do this right, and Kate was a great partner and helped me feel confident that the applications I sent out were the best possible.

Having Kate was so important for me because I was still studying for the GMAT when we started working together. I can’t imagine the hours I would have spent mulling over my essays without guidance. Having Kate allowed me to send her drafts and receive fantastic feedback – freeing up time to study. Kate also helped me realize the GMAT was not working for me and pursue the GRE. This was a difficult decision because I had invested SO much time in the GMAT and I desperately wanted to earn a 700+ score, but I took the leap and didn’t look back. The GRE turned out so much better than I expected and I even admitted that the GRE was fun…I guess it’s fun when you do better than you expect!

Another weak aspect of my profile is my work experience. Kate helped me to formulate a story and make sense of my work experience within each organization I worked for and why I jumped from company to company (I had three jobs in the span of 5.5 years). This was helpful in my interview process and I was able to leverage my experience in a meaningful way to avoid being labeled a “job hopper”.

I really appreciate Kate’s dedication to my MBA journey. She often returned my documents well before the required 2-day turnaround time. Since she is on the East Coast and I am on the West Coast, I would always wake up to multiple documents returned and could tackle them first thing in the morning! Kate was strategic in mapping out my application timeline, based on the amount of work needed to complete the application. For example, we started with Duke Fuqua’s application due to the amount of work required. Completing this application took many iterations, but this helped establish a strong foundation to tackle other schools’ applications.

Kate is personable and someone who genuinely wants to help you succeed. I enjoyed chatting with her about current events and even life outside of work/business school! She shared her experiences at Booth, in consulting, and even helped connect me with MBA students in her network at schools I was interested in. All in all, I would highly recommend Kate as an admissions consultant. The application process was so much smoother than I could have imagined and I’m thrilled to be an MBA candidate this Fall!

As someone who had a traditional business background (strategy/management consultant) with a mediocre GRE score, I was worried about creating an application that would help me stand out from the competition. I was hesitant about using consulting services at first, but once I had my initial consult and was paired with Kate, I couldn’t have been more satisfied. Kate was extremely supportive throughout my entire application process and was always great about answering my questions in a timely manner. Not only is she knowledgeable about each of the top schools’ criteria and what their admissions teams look for, but she was very encouraging and did a phenomenal job keeping me calm as I approached each deadline. She was especially helpful in crafting my story with me by asking me questions that allowed me to dig deep and uncover my personal/career aspirations and goals. As a Round 1 applicant, there’s absolutely no way I would have been able to receive admittance to both Kellogg and Columbia without Kate’s guidance!

Kate is everything you would want in a consultant. She is conscientious, punctual, and an incredible resource. I primarily used her services for essay review and she exceeded my expectations with her level of insight and technical proficiency. We worked as a team to develop highly targeted and relevant essays that I was proud to submit as part of my MBA applications. Without her guidance, I would not be where I am today. I am so grateful for her help and highly recommend her.

I worked with Kate using mbaMission’s hourly services to apply to four schools this past fall (Round 1). Kate was amazing to work with, and I would highly recommend her to anyone looking to apply! Whichever package you decide is right for you, Kate will be a source of encouragement of guidance throughout the application process and help to bring out YOUR best story to the admissions teams.

I’d initially reached out to another admissions consulting company, and when I told her my target schools (HBS, Stanford, Wharton, and MIT) they were discouraging and dismissive based on the names on my resume (I went to a state school for undergrad and work for a consulting firm, but not one of the top 3 strategy firms). During my initial call with Kate, she was encouraging in pointing out the strengths she noticed (triple major, high GPA, unique project experience), while straightforward with me in identifying weaknesses I could address (like re-taking the GMAT to bump up my score slightly above average).

I decided to use mbaMission’s hourly service package for a lower-cost option, and I found this to be of great value. I worked with Kate early on to brainstorm and strategize, prep my recommenders, and write essays. Kate worked with me to craft a unique and strong story that got me interviews at 3/4 of the schools I applied to (HBS, Wharton, and MIT)! I’m planning to attend Wharton next fall, and I could not have done this without Kate!!!

I want to start off by saying not only is Kate the best consultant available, but also a great person. She coached me on every detail of the application, including all of my one-off questions. I valued all of the help that she provided on my target schools. Her knowledge of this space put me in a position to succeed and I knew that she knew what she was doing.

The coaching that she provided for my targeted career path helped me make tough decisions and also guided me for what I’d like to move my career into. It will help focus the first few months of my MBA experience so that I can interview right away.

At the end of the day, having someone that gets to know you, the real you, is invaluable. I was able to trust her to review essays, interviews, letters of recommendation, etc. which is so critical to gaining entrance to your desired location.

Without Kate, I would have been a mess and I doubt I would have shown what a strong candidate I really was for my target schools. She helped me stand out and additionally, I earned a merit scholarship for half of my tuition at Columbia. If that isn’t enough, I was even accepted for interviews at another top 5 target school.

End of the day, we felt comfortable working together, and without hesitation, I would recommend an adviser if you are seeking a top 10 school, or even top 15 depending on the strength of your candidacy. All in all, as someone without family connections, or an IB or consulting background, I had an uphill battle that Kate helped me overcome.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

After a demoralizing experience with the GMAT that lasted for about 7 months, I looked for admissions consultants to provide the guidance and expertise needed to tell my story best and make my application stand out in the best possible way. I did extensive diligence (spoke with more than 5 counselors from several companies) and finally decided to take my chances with Kate Richardson from MBA Mission.

From my initial discussions with her, I instantly realized that I had taken the right decision. She was extremely helpful, professional and kind. As an applicant which checked all of the boxes for the elite schools I wanted to apply to except for a lower-than-average GMAT score, Kate was honest and straightforward with me in regards to my strengths and weaknesses. Nevertheless, she was extremely motivating and positive about the application.

Kate’s expertise on each particular program and their ‘unique personalities’ allowed us to decide on the best possible strategy on how to approach each university. We worked together to identify the key aspects and stories of my professional and personal life that I wanted to highlight on the different components of my application (resume, essays, rec letters, short answers, etc.). I found it reassuring to be receiving guidance from someone who really understands the admissions process and the expectations of each admissions team. As an international student who speaks English as a second language, she was also great on giving me advice to structure my ideas and concisely articulating my story, but at the same time staying true to my own voice.

Kate was structured and organized, which was particularly useful for my tight timeframe (I had to write nine essays for four different programs in about two months). I asked her to keep me on a tight schedule and remind me of my pending to-do’s and overall timeline constantly. She always met MBA Missions’ document return policy and sometimes even returned my essays earlier than what she was supposed to. During the last 2 weeks before the deadlines, she was extremely adaptive to my schedule and even pushed me for extra rounds of comments for my essays until we both felt 100% comfortable with them.

Another very important factor which I came to realize later on was MBA Mission’s multiple resources. From multiple university guides to tailored mock interviews, I was able to take advantage of it all and definitely feel that it was a game changer in the last mile of the application process. I felt fully prepared for my three interviews, particularly at HBS and Wharton, which differentiate from the traditional blind-interviews of other programs.

I was eventually accepted to my top choice and dream school (HBS) and Kate was literally the first person I called after my parents. I am grateful of having had her in my corner throughout every step of the way and couldn’t be more thankful with her!!

Kate is the perfect mix of professionally capable and personable. I have an unconventional background and short WE which made it challenging to apply to top 20 schools. Kate was very patient in the early stages when I was trying to figure out how to tell my story. Here are the things I was impressed by as we moved along the application process:

1. Documents: Kate was such a big help in my resume and essay drafting. She really helped me phrase things in a non-technical way without losing their significance. She offered a fresh perspective on the dos and don’ts for business school application for a young applicant who’s only been in the technical field. For my essays (on average 2 essays/school x 5 schools), she made detailed editing and gave valuable input on re-wording, themes, and ideas of each essay. I easily went through at least 3-4 drafts with each essay. Kate thoroughly looked through them and responded to my comments on every single draft. The thing with essay writing is, even if you’re extremely savvy in business jargon and good at writing, it’s still nice (& necessary) to have someone else’s perspective on your essays because you should never assume other people (Adcom) would react to what you write the same way you do, and this is where consultants who know how Adcom thinks come in. I got interviews with ALL BUT ONE school I applied to, which I could’ve never done without Kate’s help.

2. Content: Kate is REALLY thoughtful and efficient in her communication. For example, I’d tell her my concerns, and she’d respond with her take on the issue and multiple solutions to resolve the problem. This pattern persisted all the way from September to April, from drafting essays, attending events, to selecting letter writers, communicating with schools, and then to waitlist strategies and negotiating scholarships! Even when I didn’t ask, if she had material that she knew would be of help to me, she’d send them to me. She takes the client’s concerns seriously which I appreciated. Kate also doesn’t beat around the bush if something does not look right. She gives honest, direct and constructive feedback every time. Remember you’re paying thousands of dollars for quality, which is content in the most efficient way possible, and Kate lives up to that expectation.

3. Timeliness: Kate never failed to be responsive. This is something I was really touched by. Around the Holiday seasons when according to mbaMission schedule or her vacation, she didn’t need to respond to any emails, she swiftly responded to my inquiries (not document editing) because a lot of R2 deadlines were right around the corner. She had in mind the schools I was applying to and understood my priority. This is not to say that you should submit documents and expect her to edit them for you when she’s on vacation! The fact that she checked her email AND RESPONDED with thoughtful feedback within a day really showed that she cared, and I appreciated that.

I highly recommend Kate to future applicants who feel like they need someone in the know to guide them throughout the process. She made me feel supported and my money was well spent.

Kate is extremely experienced and has been very supportive throughout my entire application process. After taking the time to truly know and understand me, she used her excellent writing skills and worked her best magic on my materials in a timely manner- highlighting my strength and meeting the word/page requirements while keeping my true self on paper. Kate answers all my questions promptly and clearly, and she makes great suggestions from school choices, campus visits to interviews. The application process is quite a headache for everyone but I was so lucky to work with Kate. Her professionalism and personable personality made the process so much easier for me. I highly recommend her to any business school applicant!

I started working pretty late on my applications (2 months before the deadline) so I wanted a professional to guide me through the process. That’s when I engaged Kate based on the recommendation of a friend who had worked with her in the past. I bought a one school package for Booth from mbaMission. Kate was super-helpful in helping me craft the story and she provided honest feedback to weed out any irrelevant information in my essays. As the deadline drew closer, she even reverted with her comments on my essays within a few hours to save time. This speaks volumes about her commitment to my success. Unfortunately, Booth did not work out but I got into Columbia. I would like to attribute the success to Kate as I built upon my work with her while she acted as a sounding board for some of my ideas for other applications. So, if you are looking for a professional consultant who would make sure that you do the job right then I would highly recommend you to work with Kate.

First, a huge, huge thank you to Kate!!! She helped me overcome several trickier elements about my application to help me land an offer at dream school!! I cannot thank her enough!!

When I started looking seriously into MBA programs I realized that this was going to be a harder task than I had originally thought. As an older white-male in consulting, with a lower GPA, a recent job move, and an aspiration to switch industries, I had many challenges to overcome. I reached out to several consultants in May (ahead of the round 1 deadlines in September), to get a sense of how feasible business school would be. Straight away from the first conversation, Kate stood out in a big way, and I could sense that she would be a great person to work with.

There were several facets that not only made it great to work with Kate but also made the process successful. First, from the moment we first spoke, it was clear that Kate is positive and constructive in the way that she engages with you. I noticed this straight away when I compared the first discussion with Kate to those of other consultants, who had interjected with “you’re not going to get into that school” when I described my situation and goals. Throughout the process, Kate was great at building upon my first thoughts and helping me construct a successful application (e.g., starting from my self-reflections to craft a more succinct and compelling view of who I am). Second, Kate quickly focused on building a great story. She took time to really get to know me in a genuine way, showing a lot of empathy and understanding of who I am throughout the process. From this, we were able to build a unique story from my life experiences. I was really impressed at how much she was able to connect the dots between my life experiences! Third, she was honest and clear about the weaknesses and options for how to address them. In this part, it became very clear that Kate has significant experience with consulting for applications. Her experience and approach gave me confidence that we were addressing the challenges (as noted above) in a systematic manner. Finally, Kate’s positive and constructive nature enabled us to have maintained a fluid, comfortable, and open dialogue, which felt very much like a team/partnership approach to the process. Kate was very open to working with me to develop the work together, often co-creating the way in which we would articulate something about me. It was such a great feeling to be going through the process with someone who knows me well, is invested in success, and works in a positive, constructive, and collaborative way!

So what did all of this translate into? Here were the outcomes of going through the process with Kate. First, I had confidence that I was putting my best foot forward, given that I was teaming with an experienced consultant, who knew me very well, and who was invested in me. Second, I had the belief that what seemed to be an insurmountable goal could become a reality, which in turn drove my motivation. Third, I actually learned a little about myself. By Kate getting to know me so well, she was able to help me articulate myself in a way that I had not thought of before. This, in turn, helped me understand more about who I am as a person, which I will take with me to business school and beyond! For example, she connected a specific part of my childhood experience to my leadership style at work, which helped me understand why I am more effective at leading teams with a certain background (I had not reflected on this before!). While I didn’t touch upon this detail in my application, it is this level of reflection and learning that I think is so important for the admissions process (a lot of the process is about who you are and your story!) and more generally in life! Finally, we had a successful outcome on the applications, getting into my dream school directly during round 1!

If you are considering working with somebody in business school applications, I could not recommend Kate more! It was an absolute joy to partner with her! Through the ups and downs in the process, the humorous and more serious moments, and from beginning to end, she was fantastic to work with, and I look forward to keeping in touch with her!!

I couldn’t thank Kate enough for her help and support throughout the admissions process. Last summer, after speaking with a number of admissions consulting services, I decided to set up an initial 30-min call with Kate from mbaMission. On that call, Kate analyzed my profile and discussed her thoughts on my application strategy. She wanted me to put my best foot forward and be confident (and not too stressed). For the next six months, we have spent countless hours on essays, short answers, interview preps, etc., and Kate has been instrumental to all that. She has been extremely supportive and always reminded me of any important deadlines or deliverables. I’d highly recommend Kate for your admissions process.

I purchase the a la carte hourly services through mbaMission, and worked exclusively with Kate. I utilized my time with Kate primarily for refining my application essays’ narrative structure, grammar, and highlighted stories. I also used an hour of time for a mock interview via webcam. Kate was amazing to work with and was a huge reason for my success during Round 1 last year.

I strongly believe that Kate’s advice and suggested edits to my application essays were incredibly beneficial, as some of my initial wording was repetitive, and I sometimes had individual sentences that didn’t fit the overall theme of my essay. She was very honest in her feedback and wasn’t afraid to let me know when certain aspects of an essay just didn’t work. She also had a great deal of knowledge of each school I was applying to (six in total!). This info made my “why MBA” (aka how will our school help you with your post-MBA) story incredibly detailed and more importantly, personalized, for each school I applied to.

Kate was incredibly responsive to the many emails I sent to her for advice, and her suggested edits to application essays I sent her were always returned on time in regards to mbaMission’s standard turnaround time on essay feedback/edits. As I was applying to so many programs in Round 1, it was a necessity to work with someone who was professional and able to get back suggested edits to me as quickly as possible. Kate was all that, but also incredibly friendly and had a good sense of humor.

I also used one hour of my purchased time to conduct a mock interview with Kate (for CBS). We conducted the interview via webcam, ran down a handful of common CBS interview questions, and then discussed the interview and points of improvement. Kate was able to identify a few points of improvement and my actual interview ended up being quite similar to our mock interview.

Ultimately, I received interviews for all six of the schools I applied to, and received offers from three schools (including an M7with merit-based aid!). I withdrew my applications from the other three, but I’m confident I would have received offers from all of them.

Overall, I thought Kate was vital to my success in Round 1, and I’m glad I decided to work with her all throughout the application process. I was so satisfied with her advice, that I purchased additional hours twice! For any applicants applying in Round 3 this year, or applying the next admissions cycle, I cannot recommend Kate and mbaMission enough!

I was recently admitted to HBS, Wharton, Tuck and Kellogg and this would not have been possible without Kate’s guidance.

I worked with Kate early on to identify key themes for my essays and to craft my responses in ways that were clear, powerful and tailored to characteristics and themes relevant to each MBA program.

Kate’s insights were supportive, directive and timely. Iterating on my essays with Kate allowed me to hone my written responses and in doing so, helped me narrate my story for interviews as well. mbaMission’s school specific and interview prep materials were also incredibly helpful in my process and continue to be as I transition from MBA applicant to MBA student.

During a very stressful / time intensive process, I always felt better knowing Kate was “on my side” and felt comfortable reaching out with any question, big or small.

I would recommend Kate’s services to any MBA candidates, at any step in their process!

If you’re looking for a quick takeaway: Kate is amazing and you should feel absolutely confident in putting your MBA fate in her hands.

Kate was recommended to me by a colleague who had worked with her (and gotten into his first choice) last year. As my colleague had suggested, Kate was extremely helpful in vetting out good and bad ideas, providing concrete feedback without disrupting my voice in essays, and offering sound advice on all other questions or concerns I had from start to finish (and I had MANY). She gave me very detailed answers to all my 1AM emails regarding my strategy, school specific questions, financial aid, interview prep, etc. I can go on, but bottom line is having someone like Kate, who is so knowledgeable about the process really helps alleviate the stress, and it also doesn’t hurt that she’s super pleasant to work with. Plus, she got me into my first choice school as well, so that’s 2/2 from my firm!

I worked with Kate on for guidance and brainstorming on several essays for top MBA programs, and she provided great feedback throughout the process. I especially appreciated that she brought some different perspectives and frames to think about how to present my story and background. She was great to work with on a personal level, and I would recommend her to anyone considering applying!

I signed up for the Complete Start-to-Finish package with mbaMission and Kate Richardson was my assigned consultant. Kate supported me in applying to two schools (both Top 20) and I was thrilled to have received an offer from one of them! Kate is a very passionate and caring consultant. She guided me through the admission process and was very responsive – which helped take a lot of pressure off the process. It all started with a brainstorming sheet, which enabled Kate to understand my background and my career aspirations. She was very thoughtful and always gave me advice based on the points I wrote in the brainstorming sheet, which greatly helped me in crafting my unique “why MBA” story. I would definitely recommend Kate to anyone applying to a top MBA program!

I worked with Kate Richardson from mbaMission for my applications. I knew a lot of people who graduated from different MBA schools, felt that I needed a person who is in the know, day to day, and could alleviate some of the stress.

I don’t want to say the MBA application process wasn’t stressful but the mbaMission team and Kate made it as easy going as possible, almost enjoyable.

My process was slightly unconventional, I had left my full time job and have been working on my own consulting gig. Kate helped me position that best for all the applications.

When it came to answering questions, Kate was extremely responsive, and thoughtful. She responded to my emails in a few hours at most, and most of the time followed up with more research afterwards.

I also had a long waitlist period, during which Kate cheered for me, always provided me with tips on how to move forward. She would keep me up to date, tell me what she have heard from ot her schools / places.

And on a personal note, I felt comfortable with Kate; she was very personable, clearly enjoyed the coaching process, and took time to connect on a personal level.

In the end, I got into one of my dream schools and Kate helped me a lot during that too. I can’t recommend working with her enough.

Kate really helped me organize my thoughts and bring out the most out of my profile. I really enjoyed working with her and she even went above and beyond to expedite essay draft turnaround times when the deadlines were tight. I knew from the beginning that my work experience was going to hold me back despite decent academics and a good test score. She really opened my eyes to how to explain my accomplishments to the best of my ability, which will carry me far – even beyond the MBA program that she helped me get into! I highly recommend Kate to anyone who wants to apply to any top 20 MBA program, especially if you have to put together 5 or more applications in a two month span facing a time crunch.

When I first started looking into admissions consulting services, I had a specific idea of what I needed. I was confident I was applying to the right schools, but I knew my essay writing skills were a bit weak. I was matched with Kate and my entire experience working with her was very enjoyable. I never imagined how much I would get out of the experience. She was always cognizant of what I needed and was very accountable in the usage of time.

The concise feedback I received on my essays was tailored to my specific concerns. The comments really helped me focus my ideas. By the time I was working on my 5th application, I had a sort of writer’s block. Kate provided the combination of constructive feedback and “cheering section” support that I needed. This 5th application was for the school that I ended up choosing to go to. I am forever grateful for Kate’s help in getting through the application process.

I am an international candidate and I started working with Kate after recommendation by one of here colleague, and seeing her reviews on Gmatclub and other websites. I can vouch for Kate’s strict adherence to timeline and openness to discuss even the tiniest issue of one’s application. Overall, I can say that Kate has been there for me throughout the season and has been really supportive throughout the process. One advice I would provide to future applicants is that before working with any consultant, do thorough analysis and brainstorming of your goals and reasons for an MBA and then hire a consultant.

I’ll keep this short and sweet. When I first reached out to Kate I was skeptical of even using an admissions consultant because honestly it’s quite costly and I didn’t even think my stats were comparable to what you read online. After speaking with her, I realized I needed help and didn’t really understand the admissions process at all, but she gave me confidence that it was actually possible for me to be admitted to a top business school. Overall she steered me in the right direction of what I needed on my apps, she thoroughly read my essays (commented line by line), and helped me craft a story. I already recommended her to a friend to try and would do so again in a heartbeat.

Kate helps me with my MBA application to UCLA and Berkeley. I don’t have a high GMAT score and need to strengthen my essays and resume to improve my chance to admit to top MBA program. Kate did a great job in coaching me to provide strong details in my essays and succinct my resume. She also responses quickly to my requests with 2 days turnaround time. With Kate strong supports, I am admitted to UCLA this Fall and really looking forward to attending Anderson MBA program. I don’t think I will be accepted to these top MBA program without her help!

I had a great experience working with Kate from mbaMission! She was extremely responsive and guided me through everything I asked for. I was never stressed out during the process and felt a lot more confident about my application after working with Kate.

I started off the MBA process early and did a lot of research and prep on my own but decided to try out a free consultation with mbaMission just to see what they had to say. After 30 minutes with Kate, I learned so much about what it really takes to be a strong applicant and realized I had much more work to do.

I used the hourly services because I was already at the resume and essay stage of the process when I first started working with Kate. I was a little worried about using the hourly services given I had no control over how long someone else took to look over my material but Kate was quick and timely with all her responses! I never felt like she was wasting my time and trying to get me to buy more hours.

Kate provided great feedback on both my resume and essays – she gave me tips to help me come up with better examples and stories that really showed the type of candidate I was. Having a third-party, especially one so experienced and smart, read my essays was invaluable. Kate’s unbiased feedback helped me better understand which examples to use for which schools. Her notes were very easy to follow and she also got back to me with feedback way ahead of our set deadlines – allowing me to constantly make updates.

I’m very grateful to Kate for helping me get into one of my top choices. I’m glad I used an admission consultant because Kate’s prior experiences gave me new perspective into how to tackle the process.

After looking at the extremely competitive admission statistics for top business schools, I decided to work with consultant Kate Richardson to identify strategies to differentiate myself. I was immediately impressed with Kate during our initial brainstorming session. Kate challenged me to think of a breadth of life, academic, and work experiences that would show why I wanted to attend business school and why I would be a desirable student. This discussion proved instrumental for crafting responses to essay prompts and interview questions.
Throughout the application process, Kate motivated me to write essays that were unique and consistent with my story. During our revision sessions, we would discuss what I wanted the admission committee to learn from my essays and how potential responses would contribute to my overall application. I was also impressed with Kate’s knowledge of top business schools. She had very useful advice about the types of responses that each school would find more compelling.
I am very glad that I opted for the all-inclusive school packages with Kate. While I initially assumed that a consultant would be most valuable for the essays, I did not realize the value in having Kate help me to adapt my resume for a business school application, to prepare me for my interview, and to provide guidance for the myriad of short answer questions on the applications. It was comforting to know that I could email her at any time and receive a quick and detailed response.

The best part about mbaMission is the fact that you can work with all of its consultants. Knowing that I wanted to attend Chicago Booth, I requested Kate (an alum) and could not have been more pleased with the experience. I started with the 30 minute free consultation and quickly realized I would need some assistance reviewing my essays. After Kate described all the available services, I purchased the hourly package due to the flexibility – under this option, the consultants work on anything you need (resume, essays, interview prep, etc.). There is a standard two business day turnaround on essays, so factor that into your schedule.
Kate was personable, honest, candid and extremely efficient (very important in the hourly package option). She not only corrected grammatical issues, but also improved the flow and content of my essays. Kate challenged me to increase the personalization of my essays and I could clearly feel that she was an advocate of mine; she did everything she could to bring out the best in my application to Chicago Booth. After feeling comfortable with my essays, I used the remainder of my time for interview prep – again, this is a great feature of hourly services. Kate had a few practice questions to go over, and shared some of her experiences as an alumni interviewer. Throughout the entire process I learned more about myself and why I am pursuing my MBA – Kate was an invaluable asset during the application process and she is one of the main reasons I will be starting at Chicago Booth in June!

In July when I was agonizing over which consultant to choose, my conversation with Melissa B. at MBAMission sealed the deal. But when I decided to go with MBAMission, Melissa recommended Kate to me after knowing my background and my target universities. I wanted to work with an admissions consultant especially because I didn’t have many people around me who had applied for business school in my circles.

Right from school selection to first understanding my story before we went into any application, Kate was AMAZING! She was particular that I not set my sights too low and yet be pragmatic about my chances which made me apply to a range of schools in the M7 and few outside of it, especially being an international student. I finally ended up choosing 4 M7 schools and 1 non-M7 school to work with MBAMission.

I got rejects from three schools and got admitted into Booth (one was still pending at the time of writing this). What’s funny is I chose to work with Kate because I thought that it would be an advantage while writing my Booth essays. Yet, Kate’s knowledge and insights on other universities were amazing. She would always supplement my research during my essays.

When I look back at my rejections, I know very well that it was NOT because of my essays but rather a question of profile / fit / round. That said, ‘all you need is one!’ and I know fully well that my applications would be nowhere as good without Kate’s help. Her attention to detail was awesome and it always amazed me how she would transform my essay, with essentially the same story and build-up, into something absolutely different.

During my interview preparation with Kate, she gave me some truly invaluable tips which I know I will be using going forward as well! Not just that, if I felt my essays needed an additional spark, Kate would always reach out to other consultants at MBAMission and get their thoughts as well which was not something I ever expected out of her.

I think what really stood out to me while working with Kate was just how amazing a person she was and was genuinely interested in my successes and failures. That is really important while working with a consultant since you are going and pouring out details of your life story to someone whom you haven’t met before and you need to be really comfortable doing that. My calls and frequent e-mails (trust me when I say frequent!) never disappointed and I always felt comfortable and relaxed during the entire process.

Lastly, the thing that stood out to me most was when I got my rejections, she gave me additional material to prepare for my Round 2 essays if I ever needed them and ensured that I planned ahead even though I wouldn’t be working with her. Before I received my Booth acceptance, I was able to complete my essays for 2 other universities as a backup all because of Kate’s push. Thankfully I never had to use them 😀

I am an international applicant and decided to work with mbaMission all based on the google research. I was originally looking for someone native and experienced that could help me polish my essays but what happened after was a fantastic and rewarding life experience.
I was matched with Kate Richardson, a very experienced associate from mbaMission. She was very nice and patient from our first talk. I felt so comforted that I found someone I could ask for help and expressed my anxiety during the application process. Kate helped me so much on my self-positioning of my choices for schools and gave me helpful advice on my future career planning. Even standing from the point of an international student, I felt Kate very professional handling all the questions, which truly helped me a lot during the application. My application process was not as smooth as I expected and I got waitlisted and rejected from my dreaming schools but Kate was always there helping me analyze and get out of the desperate situation. Finally, the advice I got the offers from several schools out of my package. And Kate was very nice to help me list the all the pros and cons and gave me advice objectively.
I appreciate her very much for everything she has ever done for me during the process and now I would like to recommend her as the first choice of MBA consulting associate for all the international students.

I’m what an Admissions Committee might call an “unconventional” MBA candidate – I took no math classes in college, and my career experience was entirely creative. As a result, I decided that having some sort of professional assistance during the application process to help me construct my narrative was going to be a good decision.

After speaking with a few different consulting companies, I came across mbaMission, and more specifically, Kate Richardson’s profile. The reviews for both Kate and the company were overwhelmingly positive, and I was pleased to discover that an “Hourly Services” option was offered at a competitive rate; I basically knew what I wanted to say in my applications and where I wanted to apply, so I didn’t need a “package” deal with tons of additional services. I really just needed an additional form of guidance, and more importantly, a voice of reason.

Once I began working with Kate, I found her to be direct, a clear communicator, realistic about my school prospects, and very fast in responding to my questions (of which I had many!). She didn’t try to sell me anything unnecessary, and overall, we created a winning application essay that represented me in my best light.

Ultimately, I earned admission to a Top 25 program, and even received scholarship $$$. There is no question that I couldn’t have done it without Kate’s professional expertise and moral support through such a grueling application process.

If you’d like to find someone to help you with your MBA applications who is extremely knowledgeable about many different programs and will respond directly to your needs with no time wasted, look no further than Kate Richardson.

I worked with Kate on the Chicago Booth Full-Time application and found her to be of great help during the whole process, especially with the essays and application form. Kate was very responsive and helped me incorporate my unique experiences into the application in ways I wouldn’t have thought of myself. Kate was great at helping me navigate this stressful process, and I can say with confidence that I wouldn’t have achieved the same outcome without her! I was accepted to Booth with scholarship $$$ and cannot be happier!

I can honestly say that Kate went above and beyond and truly exceeded my highest expectations. I purchased hourly services from Kate and she was instrumental in my MBA application process. Without her I know I would not have been able to craft my story as well and get accepted to a couple top programs. She is responsive, dedicated, intelligent, and truly does care about helping her clients reach their goals. I would highly recommend working with Kate.

Kate is an incredibly amazing consultant! I was skeptical of paying for application help at first, given the super high cost — but it was honestly worth every penny. I had applied on my own last year, and got waitlisted at my top choice. This year, after realizing that many others got professional application help, I begrudgingly decided to go for the hourly service in the reapplication process. I was pleasantly surprised. Kate pointed out strengths I didn’t know I had, and she really made my application shine. She has uniquely deep insight into the MBA admissions process, and every edit I received back helped focus my narrative. I got in (finally) this time around, and I really think that Kate was what made the huge difference for me. She has also gone above and beyond in the interview prep process — she walked me through the video essay interviews (which I was particularly nervous about – I had bombed the first time I applied), and she gave detailed, useful feedback as we practiced. She also prepped me for the in-person interview, and my actual in-person interview happened to be almost exactly the same as what we had prepped on! My recommendation? Splurge for the application help with Kate, you won’t regret it!

I purchased hourly services from Kate and she was extremely helpful! Kate helped edit and finalize the draft of my top choice school’s application essay. Kate made the most of every minute that I purchased from her, and she always got back to me via email very quickly. Kate helped me tailor the essay to the school, and after working with Kate, I felt confident that the essay was one of the strongest parts of my application. I would highly recommend working with Kate!

Kate was instrumental in helping me craft my story for my MBA applications. I did not have a business background and she helped me make my experience marketable and relevant for an MBA admissions committee. Having a professional available for feedback on all aspects of the application really streamlined the process, and Kate was always quick to respond with quality insights. I avoided countless hours of research and essay tinkering with Kate’s knowledge and unbiased input. Kate was always provided objective feedback in a friendly manner, making the introspection and reflection and enjoyable process. I would highly recommend Kate for admissions consulting services.

Working with Kate during the MBA application process was nothing short of a fantastic experience! I signed up for a complete start-to-finish package with her, and would highly recommend it. From brainstorming, to essay writing, to mock interviews, Kate was with me every step of the way, and she made the journey so much less stressful. When I first spoke with Kate, I knew I had the grades, the test scores and the work experience for my top choice MBA program, but I had no idea how I was going to “tell my story”. The mbaMission Brainstorming guide and my 90-minute session with Kate really helped me reflect on experiences that shaped my education and career so far. Kate had this incredible way of helping me connect stories and experiences from my past to my future goals, and before I knew it, I had already outlines for all of my essays. I usually dread essay writing, but with Kate, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Her suggestions were always so useful – she constantly probed me to dig deeper and explain “why” a program was right for me, or “why” an experience from my work was relevant. Additionally, I felt so much more prepared for my real interview once Kate completed a mock interview with me. She certainly helped calm my nerves and gave me constructive feedback that I could apply when the real interview rolled around. I am so grateful to Kate for helping me turn my MBA dream into reality! She was an amazing support system and I would encourage future applicants reading this to choose to work with her too.

I am an international applicant, a non-native English speaker with non-traditional background (Physical Therapy). Working in the healthcare industry for 4+ years I decided to go back to school for exploring management roles in my industry. It was a big and a bold step for me to consider applying to a top 5 part-time MBA program as I have no business background in school and in my professional career. I was looking for an admissions consulting firm with a strong industry reputation and MBA mission stood out in the all the online forums (GMAT Club, Beat the GMAT) . I narrowed down to Kate as she graduated from one of my target school (Chicago Booth) and I was confident she would be able to assess my profile and my fit for the school as a Booth alumni. She also helped me to decide between applying to full-time vs. part-time programs and my chances of getting accepted into them. Kate was very thoughtful in her approach and told me from Day 1 that getting into my target school is a realistic goal if I work hard. She was able to understand and market my story in a way I could not have done it myself. I was able to highlight my leadership potential which I always thought as my weak area and career accomplishments from a quant perspective. Working on my resume inorder to make it b-school specific was the most valuable service from the package. As an international student, my profile had many challenging and unique experiences (some of which seemed irrelevant to me in the beginning) and Kate was able to highlight them in my essays. Kate was prompt on providing her feedback on my essays and was very open to change some of her suggestions if I did not agree on them.I was fortunate to get accepted in both Kellogg and Booth weekend MBA programs and ultimately chose Booth. Kate went over my career goals and my fit with both programs and helped me to decide on my final pick. I would highly recommend Kate to prospective MBA applicants students especially working professionals.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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