Melissa Blakeslee is an amazing Admissions Consultant!

Strengths:

* Exceptional responsiveness
* Strategic, school-specific advice
* Strong interview preparation
* Tailored, individualized approach
* Honest and realistic, but encouraging
* Deep knowledge of top MBA programs
* Helped craft a cohesive, authentic narrative
* Made a stressful process manageable
* Strong results-driven outcomes
* Genuine investment in client success

Would make the product better:

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Working with Melissa Blakeslee was hands-down the best decision I made during my MBA application journey. I applied to three schools this past cycle — Columbia Business School, Duke Fuqua, and UT Austin McCombs — and was admitted to all three, with scholarship offers from Duke and Texas. This fall, I'll be heading to CBS, which was my dream school and very much a reach for me. I genuinely don't think that outcome would have been possible without Melissa in my corner.

What stood out to me from day one was Melissa's communication. She was unbelievably responsive — emails were almost always answered within hours, and she made herself available whenever I needed to talk something through. The MBA application process can feel isolating and overwhelming, but Melissa's consistency and accessibility made it feel manageable. I never once felt like I was waiting on her or wondering what the next step should be.

Her strategic thinking is where she really shines. Early on, I was struggling with the GRE, and rather than just push me to keep grinding away at it, Melissa took a step back and looked at the bigger picture. Based on the schools I was targeting, she suggested I pivot to the Executive Assessment (EA). That single recommendation was a game-changer — it played to my strengths and freed up bandwidth to focus on the parts of my application where I could really differentiate myself. It's a perfect example of how Melissa doesn't just follow a template; she tailors her advice to each client's specific situation and target schools.

CBS was always my top choice, but on paper it was a stretch. When I expressed some hesitation about even applying, Melissa encouraged me to go for it. She believed in my story and helped me articulate why CBS was the right fit in a way that was authentic and compelling. Her interview prep was equally strong — she ran thorough mock interviews, gave me sharp, actionable feedback, and made sure I walked in feeling confident and prepared.

Beyond her expertise, Melissa is just a genuinely kind, thoughtful, and encouraging person to work with. She celebrated the wins with me and helped me stay grounded through the stressful moments. If you're considering working with a consultant for your MBA applications, I cannot recommend Melissa highly enough. She combines deep knowledge of the process with real strategic insight and an unwavering commitment to her clients. I'll forever be grateful for her guidance!