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Consultant Jessica Shklar
I was a re-applicant. I contacted a couple consultants after reading evaluations on GmatClub. Only Jessica made an impression on me right away. She and I spoke for thirty minutes during which I realized how understanding and knowledgeable she is. We got along well right away. She is well-versed in the specific prerequisites for admission to each school. To get to know me better on a personal and professional level, she arranged a meeting. She was honest in her questioning and quick to pick up on and recall the significant moments in my life that I had personally ignored. She swiftly outlined a plan on how to proceed. Jessica used her knowledge and skills to help me turn my story into beautiful artwork. She is a perfect friend and professional. I was able to get into Columbia with her assistance, and Stanford invited me for an interview.
Product mbaMission School Package
Consultant Katharine Lewis
I was connected to Katy through a co-worker who was a former client and who recommended her strongly (she had helped him get into HBS the year prior). I interviewed 3 other consultants besides Katy, but I felt that Katy and I had the strongest connection out of all of them. I am very happy that I chose Katy; not only did she help me drive a successful outcome (admitted to GSB in Round 1), but she made the overall process fairly stress-free through excellent planning and time efficiency.
I would highly recommend Katy’s services to anyone applying to business school.
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Consultant Gavriella Semaya
Coming from an industry where an MBA is not a common choice, I decided to rely on a consultant for my applications. I chose the 5 Schools package and I couldn't be more satisfied with it. I met Gavriella the year before actually applying, but due to low GMAT scores (also suggested by her), I decided to postpone. When I started working with her, I discovered her commitment to the process and to you. She helped me with screening business schools and suggesting where I would better fit, understanding really who I was and coming up with my story, writing the essays (she really excels at it, I couldn't have expected anything better), and processing all the background tasks the applications require. When I felt short of time, she put down a timeline to track progress and missing steps, to be sure not to miss anything. She really went above and beyond. It was clear she really cared about me and did her best to support the journey, morally and professionally. Ultimately, I was admitted to two M7 schools and 4 schools out of 5 overall. I'm sure I couldn't have done it without her.
Product mbaMission School Package
Consultant Jessica Shklar
My journey with Jessica started with a free 30-minute consultation back in November 2021. Notwithstanding the fact that it was a free session, Jessica did not hold back on providing helpful, direct, holistic and informative advice about my background and what was required from my end if I were to be competitive at my dream school, which is HBS.
Throughout the application process, the one thing that I value the most from Jessica is her straightforwardness. In other words, Jessica was not afraid to provide me with advice that I would not necessarily want to hear. In my opinion, consultants are there to steer their clients in the right direction, which might not necessarily be the direction that the clients would have preferred to proceed with, for various reasons. The best consultants, which undoubtedly includes Jessica, are able to guide their clients towards the right path with much encouragement and support.
It was her unflinching and direct advice which led me to apply in R1 instead of R2 (despite my initial plan to apply in R2), retake the GMAT/GRE (despite my continuous protestations to the contrary, given how difficult the whole “Prep" process had been) and tell my own personal and distinctive story (despite my lack of confidence in my own story and upbringing). All in all, it just goes on to show how Jessica is able to, via her own brand of directness, connect with her clients on a professional and emotional level to create a unique partnership between client and consultant.
As for the other typical values and traits that clients look for in consultants, Jessica has them in spades. She is an excellent story-teller while her essay editing skills are second to none (and this is coming from someone who reads, reviews and writes legal documents for a living!). She is also very knowledgeable with regards to the whole application process and her response time in connection with work deliverables is comparable to the very best who work in the professional services sector (i.e. legal attorneys and financial advisers). Last but not least, she also has the human touch that makes it very easy to approach her as a partner in this long and arduous application journey.
If you are looking for an admissions consultant, look no further than Jessica. After all, I am pretty certain that without her help, I would not have gotten into my dream school.
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Consultant Melissa Blakeslee
Hire Melissa. It’ll be the best decision you make. As another reviewer mentioned, Melissa is in a class of her own. I’m going to Kellogg because of her!!!
After reading reviews of 40+ consultants and interviewing 9 different consultants, I did not hesitate to hire Melissa. She combines her direct work experience of leading an MBA admissions committee at Rice (Jones) with her lived experience as a Kellogg alum. Additionally, after going through the whole process, I can tell you that her approach is incredibly distinct, not just something off the MBAMission shelf. It was clear from the start that Melissa saw me as a person with a distinct and important story, not just another client.
Most consultants told me to apply to 6-8 schools because my GMAT was below average, and I was an older applicant. Melissa worked with me to avoid the “spray and pray” approach, but instead, helped me select schools that aligned most closely with my personal narrative/preferences. We ended up selecting four top-10.
From there, the writing process flowed very naturally. Her feedback was always on time and to the point. She successfully identified when I was drifting from my story or adding “fluff” that makes adcoms fall asleep. Being able to write essays alongside Melissa was a complete gift. Without going into too much detail, Melissa helped me discover parts of myself that will impact my life far beyond the application process. And for that, I am beyond grateful.
To wrap up, I ended up getting into my dream program (Kellogg’s MMM program) and will be headed up to Evanston this year!
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Consultant Jen Kedrowski
I contacted Jen when I was preparing for an interview for admission to Kellogg's MMM program. I did a 30 minutes free consultation with her and then a mock interview. Both sessions were very rich and she provided me with practical advice as well study material which came in very handy during my preparation. However, I was not admitted most probably because admission into the program was very competitive and I did not have the opportunity to work extensively with her.
Jen encouraged me to give another shot at applying to business school and proposed practical steps as well a calendar of activities that would help improve my chances. First, she advised me to try the GRE after several attempts at the GMAT. She encouraged me to make one, then a second, and finally a third attempt, progressively increasing my scores. She then guided me through a careful choice of programs, five of which I applied to. Thanks to the diligent approach she adopted in guiding me through brainstorming, updating my resume, writing my essays, working with my recommenders, and filling my applications, I was called up for interview by three of the schools I applied to (a feat I failed to accomplish for all of the programs I previously applied to except Kellogg, which had as policy interviewing all candidates) and subsequently placed on the waiting list of one of the programs (Georgetown McDonough) and was granted admission to McCombs UT Austin (One of the two other schools, one of which I applied to through the early action option). I can state unequivocally that Jen helped me significantly improve my applications and get an admission into McCombs. I will gladly and confidently recommend her services for anyone seeking advice and coaching for admission into any MBA program.
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Consultant Gavriella Semaya
Gavriella was great! The MBA application process is long and difficult, so having someone as experienced and supportive as her was crucial towards my success. Professional, intelligent, and articulate, she consistently demonstrated a genuine care for my application. Gavriella is particularly talented towards helping applicants with their essays: her insight enabled me to tell my story in a way that highlighted my personality and professional goals in a manner that was both coherent and engaging.
Extremely responsive and willing to go the extra mile for her clients, she exceeded all expectations and has my highest recommendation for any prospective MBA student.
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Consultant Gavriella Semaya
Out of the 5 school I worked on with Gavriella, I received interview invites from 4 and will now go and attend HBS!
I got multiple offers and scholarships. (Applied to 6 M7 schools(Worked on 2 schools myself) and LBS)
My guide and mentor- The Guru who made it happen. As traditional Indian saying goes, Guru guides you to your destiny, so bow to the Guru even before you bow before God and she is the mentor who made it happen for me. Unsure of my candidacy, she instilled confidence in me and pushed me to introspect until I found why I believe in certain things or choose to behave a certain way. The MBA journey is far longer than the two-year program and while a good GMAT Score feels like a big milestone, it is just the beginning. Your growth begins with applications- as you introspect and find the underlying why you grow and she ensured I knew each why. She highlighted to me how things that seem monotonous or mundane to me, were actually not that common and how I could convey that effectively to the schools to get the interview invites. She made the journey so smooth and easy-paced that I did not feel the anxiety until the HBS Interview invite came and I processed how real this all was. Preparing for the interview, I appreciated my application and felt this sense of immense gratitude towards Gavi that is hard to put into words. I am so glad I chose MBAMission and that Jessica connected Gavi and I. Besides the 5 schools I chose to work on with Gavi, she helped me put together my application for two more schools, highlighting how the essays could be along the structure of school A or B.
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Consultant Heidi Granner
Heidi was a crucial part of my application process. I worked with her for CBS and was able to convert it.
Being from an overrepresented demographic with an average GMAT score, I was skeptical of even getting an interview at CBS so I feel Heidi's support really made all the difference.
She helped identify the most unique aspects of my story and provided brilliant suggestions on all parts of the application material. Her depth of experience was evident in the quality of school-specific inputs she shared, which helped me tailor my resume & essays well.
Her feedback on my material was clear, concise, well-reasoned, and always on schedule (even a day before the deadline in one instance!)
She also helped me with a mock interview, where again the depth and breadth of feedback provided was unparalleled.
Not only was she able to fine-tune the content of my answers but also helped improve the body language and overall presentation.
Would absolutely recommend Heidi to anyone looking for expert help with their B-school applications!
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Consultant Melissa Blakeslee
I worked with Melissa for this year's application cycle. I agree with most, if not all, of the other five star reviews on here. My stats aren't stellar, but I was admitted to multiple full-time MBA programs, inclusive of scholarships and two M7s! I would attribute this to Melissa's deep expertise of the admissions process as she was a former applicant, was a former admissions officer, and has helped countless applicants articulate their stories in a thoughtful and compelling manner that adcoms look for. Furthermore, engaging in a consultant is a hefty investment no matter how you slice it, hourly or package. Yes, you want to get results (acceptances)--which I'm confident Melissa will be able to help with--but working with someone who's genuinely a good person and pleasant to work with is something I strongly believe that differentiates Melissa. I never felt put down and always had a feeling of encouragement with Melissa in my corner. Constructively honest, a true partner, and a fantastic communicator, amongst others, I highly recommend working with Melissa!
