AMAZING consultant - Monica Okrah

I decided to hire a consultant because writing was my weakness (I had done poorly in some classes in college due to my inability to complete decent enough papers on time). On top of that I was also hoping to apply to 7 schools with only 2 months left till the Round 2 application deadlines, so I was looking to add some structure to the process that would help me avoid feeling overwhelmed. I bought a two-school package and selected the toughest applications from those 7 for Monica. Here are all the ways in which she helped me:

1) Monica helped me structure the writing process. She explained the number of drafts i would need to go through to write good essays, as well as how much time she needs to get her comments and edits back to me. I planned my essay writing around that, leaving enough time for multiple drafts before the deadline. The number of drafts is not limited by mbaMission so while some essays i finished in just 3-4 drafts, other essays took me 7-8 drafts! Realizing that i would go through so many drafts lowered my stress about the first few drafts - they did not need to be perfect. I knew i just had to put some thoughts on paper and move forward in baby steps. In the end, I had some seriously good essays!

2) Monica helped me move forward when I was stuck. A few essay topics (I am looking at you, MIT Sloan!) were really confusing and hard to relate to my own experience. I felt stuck, but I knew that I had to quickly find a way to proceed in order to complete the applications by the deadline. Monica helped me think through some ideas and find themes to my essays that could relate to my experience. At other times she suggested how to re-structure my story to make it more interesting to read.

3) Monica helped me improve my essays by asking me very good questions about the details of my stories. When i expanded on some of those details, my stories came to life.

4) Monica provided moral support and for me this was the most important part! A few times during the process i panicked and doubted myself. I thought that i should apply to some lower ranked schools instead of the top schools i was targeting. I had some flaws in my background (a lower GPA, and no brand name employment). Monica told me that it was OK, and that I did not have to be perfect to make it into a top school!!! She praised my unique accomplishments since undergrad, and assured that admissions could forgive a few mistakes if the rest of the application is solid. She helped me write the optional essay to explain the circumstances. Her kindness helped me move forward.

From the beginning my own application strategy was clear to me - I knew what in my background I wanted to highlight, and what i needed to explain in my applications.
Of course I knew my stories better than Monica or anyone else, so my best essays were the ones for which I had my own creative idea. I worked with Monica on telling this story better and became a much better writer throughout the process. Just learning from Monica how to write and tell my story was worth the money. I learned more from working with Monica than in all my college writing classes!!!

I mostly used the same essays that i worked on with Monica for all schools, (adjusting them slightly to school specifics). I applied to 7 top schools, interviewed at 5 and got accepted at 3. I am starting at my dream M7 school in the fall.

Overall Monica was AMAZING to work with and I am very grateful for her hard work and for her kindness. I highly recommend her! She will be your biggest cheerleader!!!!