Krista McNamara

Working with Krista was a transformative part of my MBA journey. Admissions can feel like a black box, but Krista understands that the most important aspect is to tell your story. She excels at helping you answer the critical questions: Who are YOU? What makes YOU different? Why an MBA, and why that specific program? What do you bring to the school?

Krista’s guidance was instrumental in overcoming significant challenges, such as a low GPA or test score. With her help, I gained acceptance into my dream schools, including Columbia, Duke, and Booth, all with substantial scholarships ranging from 50% to 100% of tuition through the Forte and Consortium programs.

Her expertise was invaluable in navigating multiple waitlists and negotiating with each school. Krista was the biggest support throughout the entire process, and saying I couldn’t have done this without her still doesn’t give her enough credit. Thanks to her, I not only got into top MBA programs but also secured fantastic scholarships.

If you’re looking for someone who will help you tell your unique story and maximize your potential, Krista is the consultant you need.

Working with Krista was a wonderful experience! She is empathetic, professional, strategic, and truly met me wherever I was at. The application journey is a long one with all its ups and downs, but Krista provided an incredibly safe place for me to process and bring my authentic self in the application. I couldn’t have done it without her!

Working with Krista was the best decision. When I struggled with the GMAT and was beaten down by low confidence, Krista was always there, letting me know that she was my number one supporter. At the end of the day, the support and confidence from someone who knows your profile/application best is what keeps you going.

Krista also kept me accountable for the application timeline while being extremely considerate of my schedule. The process was still not easy, and I can’t imagine doing it without Krista. Coming from a non-business background, I had no idea what schools were looking for in their candidates, and Krista helped me sort my ideas into stories that eventually got me into my dream school and other top schools. Her feedback was effective and timely. Most importantly, she held my hand while digging through my life stories and let me know that even the random experiences that I thought didn’t matter made me a unique candidate. I genuinely felt better every time I spoke with Krista.

I was deciding between working with Krista and consultants from other well-known companies, but I feel so lucky to have made the right choice. Krista remembered my story, struggles, and even my recommenders’ names because she viewed me as myself, not just applicant #7. I wholeheartedly recommend Krista.

Coming from a non-business Background, Krista did such a good job preparing me professionally for my MBA. She pushed me to ask myself the right questions about myself, and she dove into my story deeper to help uncover my authentic personal story. Even though I felt overwhelmed some weeks, she made sure we started early, so I had time to complete the activities in a pre-organized timeline.

Working with Krista was the best experience ever! She was so thoughtful and flexible when it came to my busy schedule and kept me on track with all the application timelines. She pushed me to apply to my dream school even though I had a below average test score and was feeling major imposter syndrome. I can’t thank Krista enough for all the time and effort she put in to helping me with everything from coming up with potential recommenders to countless reviews of my essays. I am so happy that Krista believed in me even when I didn’t because in the end, I got into all 3 of the schools I applied to with her and am going to my dream school this fall!

When I decided to pursue an MBA, I feared my profile was not good enough to be considered by major business schools in the USA. I am an “older” than average candidate and after taking it twice, my GRE score was less competitive than that of other well qualified candidates. Since attending an MBA involved such a huge investment in addition to not working for two years, I was not willing to take the risk unless it was at a highly reputable program. At the beginning I wasn’t sure I wanted to work with a consultant. I spoke with several of them, but after first meeting Krista I knew she was my choice. After speaking with Krista during our first meeting I realized that I didn’t need to be younger or have a higher GRE score. I had everything to show the Adcoms what I was worth of right in front of me. I just needed someone with her level of expertise, giving me full attention during this journey so that I could realize and be able to tell my story effectively. And since my goals were so focused on empowering women, who better than a female entrepreneur as Krista to help me rationalize them. We started working together in mid-July and was able to apply to five schools, all in round 1. Krista played a big role also during down times when I thought I wouldn’t be able to make it. In the end, I was admitted to 4 schools, 3 with scholarships, and waitlisted at 1. It was incredible for me once I got the news. When I started, I wasn’t even hoping to be admitted at one program, while now I had four to choose from with substantial scholarships. Krista’s support was so valuable also when it came to deciding which school to attend. Right now, that I know where I will spend my next 2 years, I am proud to admit that I couldn’t have done it without her support. So far, working with Krista is the best investment I have made in addition to the one that I will be making for my MBA.

Working with Krista at Her Story was the best decision I made throughout the Business School application process. She made such a daunting process feel manageable, guided me in every right direction, and her insights and detailed reviews certainly elevated my application package. I received acceptances from my top two schools (Wharton and Kellogg) and truly owe so much of it to Krista’s support. Her services are effective and expert. I would always recommend working with Krista!

Working with Krista was by far the best decision I made throughout my application process! She was my #1 supporter and helped me craft compelling essays that would have taken 10 times the effort without her. I want to note that I am a true researcher at heart, and I interviewed consultants from other larger firms. I was not nearly as impressed by them as I was with how Krista approached the MBA process. Out of about 4/5 other large and popular companies, Krista stood out because she has a holistic approach to the MBA process. She treats you first and foremost as a person with unique and important experience and qualities, and she helps you craft your own individual story. At other firms, I was finding that they tried to fit me into a box, one that I didn’t fit into because of my unique background. Krista helped me turn what I then perceived as “flaws” in my background to assets when shaping my application. It fundamentally changed how I perceived and spoke about some parts of my background too, and I realized how important it is to recognize every part of your story as something to be proud of.

She has a super efficient review process with essays, and she was amazing at keeping me on track to reach my goal of applying to 9 schools R1. I ended up getting into many of my top choices with scholarships with her help. I would not have been able to complete that many applications without her help and organization! I am so excited to say that I will now be attending one of my dream schools with a Forte scholarship. That would not have been possible without Krista!! If you are looking for an amazing consultant consider working with Krista!!

I can’t say enough positive things about my experience working with Krista. It was important to me that I found a consultant that was willing to truly play the role of a coach and Krista exceeded my expectations. She was my #1 supporter when I needed encouragement, she pushed me to meet deadlines or submit another revision when I needed a nice kick-in-the-butt, and she didn’t hesitate to jump on the phone for a quick call when I needed a sounding board. I work a demanding job and I relied on Krista heavily to help keep me on track and push me to meet deadlines – she was incredibly organized and responsive. I also was very nervous about how my lower test scores may detract from my applications and it was important for me to find a consultant that believed in my work experience, prior academic successes, and overall personal drive to get into a T10/20 program. Krista helped me to highlight the strengths of my candidacy and ultimately it ended up in admission to all of my top choices (Tuck, Darden, Kellogg, and Columbia) with Forte Fellowships at each. The MBA application process is long and taxing, but Krista brought so much energy and encouragement at every step of the process, especially when I felt a lot of self-doubt and was questioning my ability to get into a top program. I couldn’t be happier with my decision to work with Krista and I have now recommended her to everyone I know that is considering going through this process!

Krista was so helpful and encouraging as I was putting together my applications. She allowed me to pick and choose where I felt like our time together was most useful, which I really appreciated. She made sure to be a partner with me during this process, and on a few occasions, I was able to give her a quick phone call to talk through an essay idea outside of our normal 1-hour blocks together. She was a great sounding board as I workshopped my story. She was also helpful after I got my acceptances and talked through my decision with me. I would not have gotten into GSB, HBS, and Kellogg (w/ Forte Scholarship) without her!

I initially chose to work with Krista because she offered an hourly rate, which was something I could not find anywhere else. I knew I didn’t want to spend $5k+ on a 3 or 5 school package so the hourly sessions were a great deal for me as I was able to do all the prep work on my own and then work with Krista to put it all together. She was very easy and flexible to work with and made me feel confident about my applications. She helped me with school outreach, resume, essays, and overall application for three M7 schools; I was accepted into two of them, including my top choice program, and received a scholarship from one as well. I’m so glad to have had Krista’s support during the application process!

Krista made a night-and-day difference in my MBA application process. As the first person in my family to apply to MBA programs (and an engineer with no business school experience), I was worried about applying, particularly to top programs. Krista made the experience pain-free and actually enjoyable, however! She helped me find my story and my voice and genuinely listened to my wants and needs. I never felt like she was trying to lead me along a set path–she and I were truly on the journey together!

Thanks to Krista I was accepted to six of the eight Top-20 programs to which I applied (waitlisted at one), and I was offered scholarships at every program I was admitted to (including three full rides)! Most importantly Krista made me feel good about myself at every step of the process and made me confident in my applications everywhere. I cannot recommend her enough!!

Krista was an incredible consultant for my full-time MBA application journey. In my darkest moments, she was always a bright light. She was incredibly encouraging. I came to her with a jumbled mess of ideas and she helped me shape who I was as an applicant. I ended up getting into most schools I applied to with scholarships at every school I was accepted into! I even got a full ride from one of the schools. I couldn’t have done it without Krista.