Harold Simansky Reviews

I purchased hourly services with Harold who went above and beyond in my MBA journey. I started with a free session with Harold, who was able to look at my data points / story and recommend programs that I didn't even know existed. When I purchased hours with Harold, we spent 1 on 1 time finalizing my list of programs, crafting my story, and then writing essays. When it came to essay preparation, Harold went above and beyond. He provided insights I would've never known about on my own, he always turned around documents very efficiently, and was extremely respectful of my hours purchased and the limit of those. Ultimately, I applied to 5 programs with the help of Harold, and got accepted into my dream / reach school of Columbia. Harold is the best and I would highly recommend him for anyone who has taken the GMAT and is stuck on next steps (i.e. where to apply and how to write essays and fill out applications)!

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I came to the application process very concerned. I am from an over-represented demographic, being a male Chinese engineer, and I was out of work.

Harold was not thrown by any of this. Right from our first conversation he was reassuring, and I felt completely supported and understood. He always listened, and he helped me think realistically about my goals, pushed me to consider schools that I had yet to consider, including some reach schools and more likely schools and he was always an encouraging voice. He was very thoughtful in his approach and his attention to details was second to none. Throughout the process, his ability to break each step down into manageable and meaningful pieces helped bring me closer and closer to polished applications and helped assemble a storyboard true to myself, stories that I was able to paint with pride and confidence. In the end, I got into my three top schools including UNC, USC, and Cornell. I got $100,000+ at both UNC and USC and could not be more thrilled with the outcome. Teaming up with Harold for my applications was the best investment I ever made and is already changing my life. Use Harold, it could be life-changing for you as it was for me.

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Harold was an integral part of my MBA application process and I highly recommend him for any applicant who is considering a competitive business school program.

I worked with Harold over the course of nearly 9 months. We spent introductory calls discussing my post-MBA goals, my expectations regarding school selection, and my plans to take the GMAT. We formulated an action plan for each stage of this process.

In particular, Harold was especially helpful in helping me think through my "narrative" for business school, and reflect that narrative across my resume and essays. Harold read, reviewed, and provided feedback on all of my essays...through this back and forth we developed very strong essays that were well targeted for each school on my list.

Throughout the process, I was appreciate at Harold's listening ability. I felt that he listened to my goals & circumstances, and used this to provide tailored mentorship and guidance.

I was fortunate to receive interviews to four of the five schools I applied to, and Harold helped me prepare for each interview (the Wharton team based interview Mock prep with other potentially applicants was especially helpful).

At the end of the day, I was thrilled to be accepted to all schools where I interviewed, including Wharton and Booth. I am confident that my time spend with Harold was a big difference maker in the quality of my application, and I would 100% recommend him to anyone about to undertake this process.

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Taking standardized test took me longer time than expected. When I started working on the essay I was running a little bit behind in the ideal application timing, then I decided to work with Harrods with the full package.

When we started Harold help me to identify a compelling career path story. She was able to brainstorm with me on a few different options. With his encouragement I was able to do more research on different industries and eventually identify one that fits my background well.

Once I identified my career path interested the initial essay Harold was extremely good when it comes to ping-pong ring different versions of essay to polish it up. The first three versions always took the longest effort. There were times where I feel lost and frustrated. I kept trying and kept writing and was eventually able to create something that meets both of our expectations.

After PSE submission there can’t interviews hero helpful especially when it comes to behavioral interview questions. I could not imagine to get into my dream school without the guidance!

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If you are targeting a top ranked business school, I would highly recommend Harold Simansky, who himself is an MIT Sloan alumnus. He understands the selection process of B-schools really well. He keeps you focused and positive. He helps you discover the unique aspects of your personality and work experience, and helps you present the most impressive, yet authentic, version of yourself.
I hired Harold because I needed a miracle. I came from an over-represented segment in terms of geography (India) and industry (Finance). I had two breaks in my career and had changed job thrice. And I did not have an international work experience. I did not have any direct report to demonstrate my leadership. As a working professional with two kids and a full time job, I could dedicate only limited time to preparing my application. So when I audaciously decided to apply to MIT Sloan, a friend said - “You need a miracle. You need Harold.”
Harold spends a lot of time going through your detailed profile to first understand your background. He then breaks down the application essays into smaller sections. For each section, he gives a few questions. That takes away the pressure of directly writing essays. He then picks few interesting events/data and asks you to elaborate on those. This process continues until he gets all the material he needs. He then sews the pieces together and your essay/application is ready. Interestingly, my essay had many aspects that I wouldn’t have considered as important. But Harold has a knack to pull out the most unique examples that highlight your strengths. I did not have a direct report. But Harold helped me pull out examples from my life that showed initiative and leadership in a different way.
Resume is an important part of B-school applications. Harold metamorphosed my resume. Earlier it had description of projects, promotions and positions. Now it has more data, and examples to show impact of my work. Harold also helped me with the video statement and the interviews. I did mock interviews with him. His feedback on both was very specific.
He is open to suggestions. He patiently listens to your doubts/fears/anxieties and helps you remain focused. He replies to emails within a day and is always accessible on phone. (I submitted my application 3 days before the deadline). I could get through MIT Sloan only because of Harold. Going beyond applications, I have found a mentor who boosted my confidence.

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Harold was amazing and very instrumental in getting me into HBS, Booth, LBS and MIT Sloan!

I went into the process with a lower-than-average GMAT score for all my target schools. Harold did an amazing job of helping me bring the different pieces of my career and life together to make for a very compelling application narrative that got me interviews to all the schools I applied to.

His turn-around time was amazing, almost always beating the two-day promised turn-around. His comments were very thoughtful and always felt like he was reading with a fresh set of eyes. I would definitely recommend Harold to anyone who’s applying to B-school.

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Harold changed my life. I was struggling with the GMAT and was losing hope in my chances at a top MBA program. I met with Harold during a coaching session, and one piece of advice Harold offered to me was to consider taking the GRE, and I took that advice seriously. I quickly pivoted and saw a point jump from 660 on the GMAT to ultimately a 690 equivalent on the GRE. It wasn't an amazing mark, but after taking the GMAT and GRE a combined 5 times, I was willing to take the score that would at least put me in the 80th percentile for the programs I was applying to. This gave me the confidence once again to aim high and apply to the top-tier programs. I'm so thankful that I took his advice because I now have been admitted to Tepper, Foster, Ross, Haas, and Stanford GSB! I truly don't believe I would have been able to share these successes if I hadn't taken Harold's advice.

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I had the good fortune of working with Harold every step of the way of my MBA application process. Since I was embarking on the ambitious journey of putting together an entire application package from scratch, in a matter of just three months, I knew I sorely needed the around-the-clock attention and targeted advice of a seasoned expert. Harold, recognizing the tight timeline I was navigating, really came through for me in playing out this exact role. Above and beyond functioning in a mentor/advisor capacity, though, Harold also came across as a close friend/supporter throughout a lengthy and arduous process. His consistent words of encouragement were much needed, especially in the inevitable moments of self-doubt as I hammered out draft after draft in a seemingly endless cycle.

With respect to the essays, Harold provided very timely (typical turnaround of 24 hours, sometimes less) and comprehensive feedback. We went through multiple (>5) iterations for each of the essays until we were satisfied with the final versions. With each iteration, I recognized a notable step-up in how the content was presented in a compelling yet succinct manner – Harold clearly understood which life examples were most salient in building out my narrative, and helped me find the optimal angle through which these examples were highlighted. Ultimately, Harold’s stringent review of the materials conferred a high level of confidence as I hit “submit” on my application packages – I could safely say there was nothing more I could have done to polish the essays.

For interview prep, Harold took extra care in considering my unique background and objectives when helping me rehearse for a fairly unpredictable stage of the application. Perhaps where he helped deliver the most value was in being a solid thought partner in anticipating questions that would be posed during the actual interviews. Harold also demonstrated a brand of professionalism in proactively recognizing opportunities for me to do mock interviews with his colleagues at mbaMission instead, if he truly felt that that was the best path of preparation for myself. This was a clear signal that he prioritized having a game plan tailored to my personal needs / situation, and was willing to toggle between “stepping in” and “sitting out” based on what made the most sense for my preparation in that moment.

Overall, I would highly recommend Harold for anyone contemplating business school. I truly appreciated his expertise and guidance through many phases of the process, which includes advice that I can still carry and apply in contexts outside of just the business school application.

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Working with Harold was nothing short of humbling. His institutional knowledge guided me through the NYU Stern MBA application with a successful result.
He had a plan of action from the start and met with me to ensure we were aligned on execution. We worked through multiple iterations of my resume and essay where Harold provided guidance on how to improve my application. The best part of working with Harold is that he understood what the result should look like but would not give away the answers. He spent time coaching me to ensure I learned as the process progressed. Harold was prompt with his responses to my emails and always made sure I was clear on the task at hand.
Harold would be my top choice if you are planning to apply to any top tier MBA programs.

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I highly recommend Harold Simansky for his hourly services. Through Harold's resume and essay reviews, I was accepted with scholarship to Booth, Kellogg, Tuck, and Columbia.

Harold was extremely timely and communicative. His reviews - even when it was busy season for round 2 - were extremely efficient. When I had an urgent request due to a upcoming deadline, Harold was understanding and was quick to prioritized my work.

In terms of the feedback, it was clear that Harold had extensive experience in reviewing essays and tailoring them to each school. The essay feedback was very helpful and prescriptive, allowing me to quickly edit and turnaround versions. Harold even shared my essays and resume with other reviewers at mbaMission for no charge. I really felt that I received more value than what I was paying for!

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