Daniel Richards Reviews

I booked a three school package with mbaMission and got a headstart on getting ready for the application drops by having started half a year before deadlines.

We began with a free half hour counseling and after running Daniel through my resume and telling him what I was planning to do with my MBA, he directly told me which of the schools I planned applying to were reasonable and which were most likely not going to work due to a missing fit.
I signed up with mbaMission almost right after that as he was straight forward and didn't hard sell that anything were possible. I also appreciated that he didn't attempt to sell me any safety schools for his company's admit statistics.

Booked a three school package with mbaMission. Daniel did a great job pushing me and asking the right questions for me to dig deeper and come up with my best stories that I was able to use for the essays and interviews.

2/3 schools we applied to invited me to interview but put me on the waitlist afterwards. With the stories and essays ready, I was able to put together two more applications to top 20 schools, at which I got accepted, including one accept with a full tuition scholarship.

In retrospect, I wouldn't have gotten these two accepts had I not received help making these stories shine and the interview prep we did via Skype.

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I applied to the prestigious One Year Full-time Master’s (Fellows) Programs for Experienced Professionals offered only by LBS, MIT, and Stanford. When I began the process earlier this year in the 3rd week of June I approached mbaMission for their Start-to-Finish packages for these 3 schools. After my initial consultation with Katharine she thought it was best for me to work with Daniel Richards. The only problem in this arrangement was that Dan was on his holidays and was expected back only on the 1st of July, whereas the third and Final Application Deadline to LBS was on the 15th of July. I wasn’t sure if I should work towards the 15th deadline or submit my application when I was ready later and then aim for the last few seats that LBS fills by beginning of September. Of course, it goes without saying these last few seats are highly competitive. Katharine realized the time pressure and she connected with Dan and got a response that I should fill in all the prior background information document for Dan to review and that he will get on a call with me the first day when is back, and that we should surely aim for 15th July deadline. Well, with over 5-6 cuts on the essays and Resume, we were all done by the 11th July. Dan’s responses hardly took more than couple of hours. I got an interview call from LBS and once again Dan’s help for the interview preparation was invaluable and it resulted in the interview going smooth and resulting in the admission call. My dream school is Stanford and I waited eagerly for their call which I got finally and once again Dan’s help in interview preparation resulted in getting the admission 3 weeks ago. And, yesterday I got the interview invite from MIT too, which I won’t be attending now.

Dan spent a lot of time reading and re-reading my background information and then interacted with me couple of times till he completely understood me. From then on he was the one who brought out the best in me and connected some of the dots which I would have potentially overlooked. During the process of interview preparation Dan’s encouragement was very useful in confidently interacting with the Adcom, and during the highly stressful time of waiting for the results and thinking I might have answered this question wrong or that, Dan soothed the nerves helped keep the morale high. Surely, without Dan’s prompt and professional help it would have been difficult to get into my dream school. I very highly recommend Dan to anyone who is looking for a stress-free application process.

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I worked with Daniel Richards on the end-to-end package for three top 25 schools. With a 640 GMAT, all of these schools would have been considered out of reach in the traditional sense, but Dan was able to bring my non-traditional work experience and community involvement to light resulting in acceptance to all three schools. I am convinced that without Dan, I would not have been accepted to these schools.

Through multiple conversations with Dan, we were able to identify the most unique experiences that would lead to differentiation between my application and others. Additionally, Dan encouraged me to take calculated risks, such as videos or creative submissions, when the essay prompt allowed, furthering my differentiation.

As the MBA process can be stressful and daunting, Dan always maintained a positive attitude, while still pushing me. Additionally, Dan was always available for questions (both email and phone), and returned all communications within two days, but usually within only a few business hours. Dan’s flexibility and prompt responses allowed me to work unconventional hours while still meeting all application deadlines.

Having experience with a previous admissions consultant I can attest that Dan is truly the best. Dan’s intellectual ability and dedication to his clients is only matched by his knowledge of the MBA process. It was one of the most worthwhile investments I have made - not only for the edge I gained with my application, but for the encouragement, support and confidence he gave me (and the confidence is really a long term benefit). I highly recommend working with Dan and mbaMission!

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After hearing glowing reviews from a fellow college alumni, I signed up for Dan’s help with three applications. I had done a lot of research on business schools and thought I had a strong grasp on which programs would be best for my post-MBA goals. However, my free 30 minute consultation with Dan made me quickly realize I needed to give it more thought; it also solidified Dan was the right person to guide me through the process.

If you are considering working with a consultant, I highly recommend Dan for three reasons:

1. He will push you to achieve your best application

We went through multiple rounds of essay and resume drafts. While the changes between drafts seemed small, the difference between the first and final versions was night and day. By asking detailed follow-up questions, Dan helped me cut through “the noise” and highlight my biggest accomplishments.

2. Dan is a seasoned professional

I was blown away by his knowledge of the various programs. Dan spoke at length about the pros/cons of several schools, ultimately helping me strategize on which ones would be the best fit. His knowledge also helped me craft my story to align with a niche industry, even though my professional experience in the area was limited. There is no doubt, Dan is a b-school guru.

3. You will have a real partner who wants you to succeed

Dan provided priceless insight into even my most basic application questions. He also guided me through vital decisions, such as retaking standardize testing. Dan and I tackled every aspect of the application together, making the process that much simpler.

Choosing to enlist Dan’s help was perhaps the best decision I made in the application process. I’m happy to say that all of the hard work paid off, as I was accepted by my top choice.

I wish you luck in your business school journey.

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I worked with Dan Richards on 3 school applications (CBS/Wharton/Fuqua) - CBS was my top choice and I was ultimately accepted ED.

Dan was instrumental in helping with the brainstorming/editing process. He is not afraid to be frank or push you on points where you can improve. It was also especially helpful that he went to my top choice and was able to provide detailed knowledge. I would say the mbaMission brainstorming method seems a bit daunting and time-consuming at first, but trust the method since your advisor (esp. Dan) has seen it work time and time again. It feels like a lot of upfront work even though you might instinctively want to jump straight into writing - take the pause to brainstorm with your adviser first - it's worth it. Beyond assisting with essays, your advisor will also prepare with you for mock interviews - Dan was very flexible about when we could jump on the phone to do these, and it was helpful to get into the interview mindset to see how you would perform (and how you could improve) for the real interview.

Definitely exceeded my expectations and would recommend Dan for help with applications to any top school.

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This service is worth every dime. I started out with a free 30-min consultation with Daniel. I used Manhattan GMAT for my GMAT prep course and was extremely pleased with my course material and instructor..and results :) When I saw that they partnered with MBAmission for consulting services I signed up! Daniel is awesome. It's reassuring having someone that knows their stuff talk you through the whole process. Specifically, when it comes to essays, this service is invaluable. After reading his comments and following his advice, my essay was so much stronger. Without question. I would definitely say the personal statement help is the most valuable part of this service. It really does make a HUGE difference. There are plenty of folks that freak out at the price and I get it. But there are certain things that I am willing to invest the money in. Getting into an awesome school is one of them.

Daniel also helped me prepare for a killer interview. The most useful component of the interview prep service was his ability to identify what key points i needed to cover during my interview. These are unique a specific to each person. He helped me identify mine so that I could leave the interview having added personal meaning to what is listed on my resume. It is really helpful to have an outside individual identify what these key points are for you and remind you not to sell yourself short. Daniel is just amazing. I was accepted into the perfect program---my target school. Daniel knows his stuff.

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