My first attempts at essay writing on my own were dreadful because:

1) I didn't believe I had anything extraordinary to tell - I haven’t cured cancer, started a charity, mentored a child, lived in another country, or lost 100 lbs.
2) I couldn't answer the essay questions effectively - 400+ words of background information
3) The tone/voice of my essays was off the mark - It is SO easy to sound whiny, bossy, judgmental, or just plain boring.

I knew I needed help but didn't have the money to hire a 1:1 consultant. So I signed up for the 3-day mbamission Application Boot Camp held in Chicago in August 2012.

The class amounted to 9 hours of live instruction with five other students, a 1 hour pre-recorded class online, and 30 minutes 1:1 with the instructor to review practice essays and answer questions, which I used to discuss application strategy. I was initially nervous about not getting the personal attention of my instructor in a classroom setting. But the group is an added benefit because there are other people to bounce ideas, give feedback, and ask the questions you didn’t think of. But still small enough that your instructor gets to know you, your profile, and answer your personal questions.

Angela Guido is a fantastic instructor. You can tell she has a real passion for this and truly wants to help you succeed. She is intelligent, straight forward, and will tell you like it is. She also has an amazing ability to hear your story and twist it with a fresh perspective, or pull out some ‘a-ha’ that you didn’t initially see, so that you can craft a unique essay. And she will help identify the weaknesses and pitfalls of your writing style, so you can avoid these going forward on your own.

After the class, I was super motivated and applied to 4 schools in Round 1. I got interview invites to all 4, and accepted to 3 - Wharton, Kellogg, & Duke.

If you are SERIOUS about getting into a top 10 program, you are going to need some help. And this class is the best bang for your buck! DO IT!

This class was absolutely worth the money, and more, beyond what it costs. Angela is engaging and friendly, yet no-nonsense.

The classes were engaging and went at a steady pace - I never was bored or felt overwhelmed. If anything I would suggest that they be harder sticklers about doing the homework (I didn't do mine....) because, like the rest of the class, the homework was extremely helpful as well!

During class we worked on everything from essay writing (whooaa before I took this class was I ever way off) to the resume to getting in the mentality of the AdCom. I've been complimented on my resume many times but it looked like a piece of garbage before I learned what we did in the class.

Totally would recommend these guys - just pony up the cash and do it, you won't regret it!


And I say I got into "some, but not all" of my schools, but I haven't heard back from the yet, so I don't know. But did this improve my application? 100%

I took the mbaMission's application bootcamp in August and its a short, rigorous program that drivels down every generalist nitty-gritty of the application process into your head in a very short time. The class size was small so there was plenty of room for personal interaction.

Our instructor was Angela Guido whose extraordinary energy and depth of knowledge seemed a little intimidating at first, but she turned out to be extremely friendly and helpful. So in a nutshell, here's what you'll walk out with after taking this course -

1. Learn the factors that would help you pin down a healthy and balanced list of schools that you would want to apply to. Before knowing these factors, my choice of schools seemed pretty 'random'. Not only choosing a school for the right reasons very important in realizing your ambitions, but you're also able to convince the admissions committee a lot more convincingly that you're the right choice for them.

2. Learn how to write effective and powerful essays. Essays, of course, are the most important part of an MBA application and gives you an unlimited opportunity to shine. But its also the most slippery road down the path to a B-school. This course acquaints you with different kinds of essays and shows you how to brainstorm ideas, stories from your life etc. to create a powerful self-character and bring it across in the essays. Then there are numerous do-and-don'ts in the essays which can make or break an app. Angela conducted extensive practice exercises to help put us in ad-com's shoes and understand why what works, works and why what kills an app does so. This was very enlightening!

3. Learn the do' and don'ts of an effective resume, in a way similar to the essays.

4. An personal one-on-one essays analysis and critical feedback.

Ultimately, this course made me realize just how much work goes into preparing an surefire application but also gave me some very effective tools to work with. I've just started applying to schools and I use these tools everyday while preparing my applications.

The program could be a bit of a pinch in the wallet but I do believe that mbaMission are the best in what they do, and with Angela as the instructor I think it was worth the money. I would highly recommend this excellent program to anyone who is serious about getting into a top-10 B-School and wants a cheaper alternative to complete start-to-finish packages.

This class was very helpful in first understanding the expectations of the Admissions Committees, and how to put together a successfull application, including how to frame essays and write resumes. Angela provided examples and exercises that allowed us to think through some of the most critical questions, including what we hoped to accomplish through pursuing an MBA. She was also able to provide tailored feedback for each of the students, based on our backgrounds and goals in seeking an MBA.

The other benefit of taking this class was meeting other applicants, who were going through the same process. We were able to bounce ideas off of each other and review one another's essays.

Overall, this class provided a lot of help in preparing applications, and, even though it was only a couple hours on a weekend, made a big difference in the quality of my applications.

Prior to the course I had invested almost $2,000 towards getting into b-school. How hard could essay writing be? I have ample experience and got a 6 on my GMAT essays.

Let the fantasy stop there. This course completely changed my perspective on b-school essays and really highlighted how unprepared I was, drawing attention to the nuances of the school's questions while at the same time providing the tools necessary to create a cohesive application.

Even if you feel organized and prepared, the ROI of this program should compel you to invest just to ensure you're on the right path and are truly sharing a UNIQUE, powerful story with your schools.

Angela's no-nonsense attitude allowed me to get direct feedback and focused more of my attention on where it counted - crafting an honest, genuine story for my schools.

While I am still applying and cannot tout acceptances, yet, I can certainly tell you that I would have been a direct-deny for both schools without this course.

Thanks, Angela!

The mbaMission Application Boot Camp exceeded my expectations. It completely changed the way I am going about writing my essays. It helped me truly understand what the admissions committees are looking for and taught me how to write compelling and vivid essays through storytelling. The boot camp helped me understand my strengths, identify my accomplishments, and ultimately get a better sense of who I am in order to build my essays.

Angela Guido is a great instructor. She has a passion for helping others and is an expert in getting the best out of everyone in the classroom. She has the unique ability to see things for what they are and help you turn them into a compelling story. She made me feel comfortable and confident about the application process. Angela created a comfortable environment to share and learn from my other 5 classmates. It was extremely helpful having other students to learn from and bounce ideas off of.

I am currently completing my applications and feel confident that Angela has put me on the right track. I would recommend this boot camp with Angela for anyone who is looking for a competitive edge in your application process and want to learn from the best.

I'm a busy lady and I decided to do this whole MBA thing last-minute - and woefully underestimated how much time and energy it would take.

I took the Boot Camp course to get oriented in the process and understand how I should be approaching the application, essays in particular. The course did that and more - it actually forced me to start in on actual essay work, which got me moving far ahead of when I would have started otherwise, and really motivated me once I understood how seriously I needed to take the essays - i.e. just being a "good writer" doesn't get you terribly far, it's really a specific writing craft that takes a lot of thought, time and revision - this course certainly prevented me from shortchanging it.

Angela is simply fantastic - she's the reason I actually took the course content to heart. I am skeptical of services like this and she was immediately credible, authoritative and clearly passionate about helping people do the very best they could with these apps. She sold me on the service and I used mbaMission for even more help subsequently.

I think this course gives you the tools you need to pull off the most important written aspects of the application well. I have gotten interviews at both schools I applied to (decisions havent come out yet) - they were extremely competitive and this program gave be very sound footing towards a real shot at both.

I signed up for the Application Boot Camp in August 2011, primarily to kick myself into gear for the application essay-writing process. Boot camp definitely got me started brainstorming ideas for essays, but, more importantly, the class provided me with a clear framework for developing a strong application narrative. Angela led the class with enthusiasm and a great sense of humor; she's super smart and "with it," and I found her really helpful in guiding my thinking about which stories to choose for the schools I applied to. I also left the class with a fully revised, ready-to-go resume, which was great to have on hand, ready to go during application time.

Overall, this class was a great way to start the process, and you get bang for your buck. I feel like I got the personalized benefits of one-on-one consulting in a collaborative, group setting. I also enjoyed the other people in the class, and I found their feedback on my work useful. One person in the class even set up an e-mail list for ongoing feedback and collaboration, which I thought was great. (Although I must admit I didn't use this forum because I felt on such solid ground after the class.)



- The extent to which the class enabled you to get a better sense of who you are, your accomplishments, and your future

- The usefulness of having 1:1 feedback on your work from a consultant

I didn't expect to be such an active participant in mbaMission's MBA Application Boot Camp. It was surprisingly interactive with a lot of great exercises that showed you effective story telling techniques for your essays and how to build an outstanding resume. I learned what the admissions committees look for as well as what my strengths and weaknesses are in my application.

Angela is an exemplary consultant. She is upbeat, open, honest and extremely knowledgeable in this field. I was impressed with her ability to connect with all of the students in the course and respond to all of our questions thoughtfully and adequately. She always provided us individual constructive feedback especially in the end during our final one-on-one meeting. With her help, I left the course knowing precisely what more I needed to work on and with greater confidence.

Even though I don't plan to apply until Fall 2012, I feel got a solid start on the overwhelming process. This course truly exceeded my expectations. It was money definitely well spent. I would highly recommend this course to all MBA applicants.

I took the GMAT in early December 2011, and got a good enough score that I decided I would try to do one application for the Round 2 deadlines. I signed up for a 30-minute free consultation with MBA Mission, where I got some good feedback, and decided that I would sign up for the boot camp.

The boot camp is a great way to get started with your first b-school applications, particularly for those who are brand-new to the process and haven't been planning to go to b-school for the last five years. The instructor, in this case Angela Guido, answered basic questions like what are admissions committees looking for, how to shape your essays, and what to put on your resume.

This class is not going to magically transform you into a brilliant writer, but it may improve your storytelling abilities and it may help you find the right subject/event to share with the admissions committee.

The best value by far from the class is the essay review that the instructor provides, which included line edits as well as a 20-minute private conversation on the phone. Angela gave me very insightful comments, and helped me find the right direction for my essay. I ended up scrapping the essay that I shared with the class entirely, but am confident it was the right decision.

Angela gave excellent advice and direction, and she really helped make the class a comfortable, interactive one. I was nervous about the online format of the class, but she pulled all of us onto the microphone and got us to talk. It felt very close to a live class and I appreciated that.

Having attended some of mbaMission's free seminars, I noticed there was some overlap in content given in the class, which is understandable--most of the other students likely hadn't seen mbaMission's presentations before.

Overall, I would say this is a great deal for a great price. Once I finished the class, I approached the rest of the application process with much more confidence. It was a great way for me to begin my applications.