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Product Gatehouse Admissions Consulting
Consultant Eric Hollowaty
Working with Eric was one of the best decisions I made during my MBA application process. As an engineering graduate with a second upper honor degree from a global top 50 university, I initially felt unsure about how to position myself in the competitive MBA admissions landscape. Eric’s guidance was instrumental in helping me identify my unique strengths and connecting my profile to each school’s distinct strengths.
What set Eric apart was his ability to add value in very specific ways:
He helped me refine my career goals and connect my engineering experience to my post-MBA aspirations in a way that felt authentic yet ambitious. Eric challenged me to think deeper. One of my essays went through multiple iterations, and each time, his feedback sharpened my reflections and made it more impactful.
Thanks to Eric’s support, I was admitted to CBS. I wholeheartedly recommend him to applicants, especially those with non-traditional backgrounds who need help translating their strengths into a compelling MBA application. His expertise and encouragement made all the difference!
Product Gatehouse Admissions Consulting
Consultant Rachel R Nelson
Strengths:
responsiveness, helpful insights, personalized
Would make the product better:
n/a
I started working with Rachel quite late into round 2 (around end-November) and was initially nervous about whether we could pull everything together in time. From day one, Rachel jumped right in, helping me organize and prioritize the many moving pieces of my application while never making me feel rushed or behind. Her responsiveness was unmatched - whether it was (many) questions over email, quick check-ins, or strategic brainstorming sessions, Rachel always made time, even during the holidays. I was especially grateful for her availability between Christmas and New Year’s to accommodate my short timeline, when many others would have been offline.
What truly set Rachel apart was her ability to help me tell my story. Coming from a consulting background, I struggled to differentiate myself and articulate my post-MBA goals in a compelling way. Rachel asked the right questions, challenged me to dig deeper, and helped shape a narrative that felt both authentic and impactful. Her feedback on my essays, resume, and even the short-answer questions was consistently sharp and constructive, yet always encouraging.
Thanks to her guidance, I was admitted to Kellogg’s One-Year MBA program (my only application) and I can confidently say I wouldn’t have gotten there without her support. I was initially hesitant about the investment but it was worth every penny especially if you are an international student like myself.
Product Gatehouse Admissions Consulting
Consultant Rachel R Nelson
Strengths:
thoughtful and strategic, efficient with time, supportive but direct
Would make the product better:
Since I came in with a less traditional major background (social policy), I think it would’ve helped to get even more examples or templates early on for reference.
I'm a recent graduate from Northwestern University, where I studied Learning and Organizational Change and had a focus in marketing. I graduated with a 3.8 GPA and was applying to deferred MBA programs during my senior year.
Working with Rachel made a huge difference in my application process. She never wasted my time—instead, every session felt intentional and productive. She asked thoughtful questions that really pushed me to reflect on my long-term goals, and helped me build a clear narrative connecting my past experiences with where I hope to go. She checked in regularly, helped me manage my stress around the process, and gave me the freedom to shape what our work together looked like.
With Rachel’s support, I applied to the Kellogg Future Leaders Program and was accepted. I’m so grateful for her guidance and highly recommend working with her—especially if you’re looking for someone who will bring your story to life.
Product Gatehouse Admissions Consulting
Consultant Lynn Moloney
I had an awesome experience with Lynn on my application to HBS, GSB and Wharton (was fortunate enough to get into HBS and Wharton and am headed to HBS!). I spoke to a few consultants before my application process and liked that Lynn seemed focused on story-telling aspect of my application rather than just iterating on grammar / project management. I wanted to tell the story of my transition from a very traditional background (Ivy league Economics major, private equity, top percentile GRE score) into a less traditional career path afterwards, and Lynn was very quick to understand and shape the narrative going into my applications. Her perspective shone in the ideation phase, where I had a lot of discrete ideas and anecdotes that I was struggling unite under a common thread; she immediately found commonalities between these different pieces and saved me dozens of hours of me iterating on my story.
Lynn was hyper focused on every little detail of my application to make sure that we were telling this consistent story, and made sure nothing slipped through the cracks. I loved how painless the application process felt with Lynn’s support, and when I felt like I was lost or unsure through the process she helped me stay confident and on track. I was frankly much more stressed about the interviews than the essays themselves, and when my HBS and Wharton interviews came around, she was extremely supportive and made sure to answer all questions and assuage my anxieties so I felt incredibly prepared going into these interviews. Overall, I’d recommend Lynn to anyone looking for an MBA admissions coach that’s more than just an essay editor but is an insightful storyteller who can help you reflect on your life and tell a coherent, persuasive story on your professional career and MBA journey.
Product Gatehouse Admissions Consulting
Consultant Hollis Kline
Working with Hollis Kline was the single best decision I made in my MBA application journey. Thanks to her expert guidance, I was fortunate to gain admission to both Harvard Business School and Stanford GSB. But beyond the results, it was Hollis’s approach—deeply personal, calm, and incisive—that made the process so meaningful. She took the time to truly understand me: my goals, my values, and the nuances of my story. From that foundation, she helped me craft applications that were authentic, compelling, and strategically sharp.
For context, I’m a private equity associate with five years of combined experience in investment banking and PE. I studied finance at Indiana University and scored a 695 on the GMAT Focus. Like many applicants with a traditional pre-MBA background, I knew standing out would require thoughtfulness, precision, and depth. Hollis delivered on all three. She is personable and laid-back in a way that puts you at ease, yet she’s also relentlessly committed and unafraid to challenge you when needed. Her feedback was always sharp, constructive, and focused on making my application the best it could be.
Hollis is more than an admissions consultant—she’s a true partner and advisor. For anyone looking to rise above the noise and submit a distinctive, high-quality application to a top MBA program, I cannot recommend her highly enough.
Product Gatehouse Admissions Consulting
Consultant Rachel R Nelson
Working with Rachel was truly one of the highlights of my MBA journey. I started the process quite late (mid-November for Round 2), with a GRE score slightly below the median, being a white male applicant, and with a background in management consulting, so I knew I needed to bring real depth to my story to stand out. Thanks to Rachel’s guidance, I was fortunate to be admitted to both Wharton and MIT out of the four schools I applied to (other ones being Kellogg and Booth).
What made working with Rachel so special wasn’t just her sharp strategic advice (which was spot-on), but how quickly she created a space where I felt I could be completely honest, something that allowed me to go deeper in my storytelling. She helped me uncover what was unique about my path and pushed me to articulate it with authenticity, confidence, and warmth.
She helped me structure my time efficiently and stay on track without feeling overwhelmed, always helping me prioritize without ever making the process feel transactional or rushed. I genuinely looked forward to our calls, which kept me grounded through a pretty intense few months.
I’ll always be grateful for Rachel's support, and I can’t recommend her enough!
Joined: May 30, 2025
Posts: 0
Kudos: 0
Verified GMAT Classic score:
760 Q49 V45 (Online)
Product Gatehouse Admissions Consulting
Consultant Alex Salton
Alex was an absolute joy to work with last year. I was accepted to 5 out of the M7 schools (Booth, CBS, GSB, Kellogg, Wharton) that Alex supported me on with $450k in total merit scholarship across the schools. I graduated from a top 30 school and worked in financial services after graduating. He is the right fit for someone who is all in--if that is you, work with him!
Alex was particularly helpful in the following areas:
>Forcing me to dig deep in identifying and displaying 1) the granular skills I needed to achieve my goals, and 2) the ways that a given school's program can specifically enable me to achieve those goals. I think most consultants bring the latter but Alex really pushed me to think about the former. Gatehouse hires consultants who attended top MBA programs and often work in prestigious roles after attending those programs: this background uniquely enables Alex to see the connectivity between the classroom and real world skills.
>Pushing me to identify and highlight impact in my resume. Alex pushed me to really dig out the impact of my work even when I thought a given point was perfect: herein lies a key value driver of a talented consultant. Friends and families will typically read your work and affirm how great it is. No matter how honest you ask them to be, they won't be because they have nothing to gain.
>Helping me stay on track and organized. Alex sent back feedback meticulously on schedule according to Gatehouse's review timelines. Having a reliable consultant is so important and it's so easy for part-time consultants to procrastinate in sending back feedback. However, I always felt that Alex prioritized sending me back comments in a timely manner--I couldn't even tell that this wasn't his full-time job!
After submitting my applications, he set aside plenty of time to conduct mock interviews with me (another one of his strengths). I genuinely feel that I became a more natural interviewer after working with him and know that will help me when I'm applying for internships and full-time roles. By the end of the journey, I felt that Alex knew me better than most of my friends and through working together, he helped me discover myself.
Product Gatehouse Admissions Consulting
Consultant Liza Weale
Industry: Financial Services (not Investment Baking / Private Equity), 5 Years Experience in Strategy and Product; Test Score: 720 GMAT; GPA: 3.75 @ Ivy+ School, Social Sciences Major, Humanities Minor
I asked some friends for MBA consultant recommendations, and after meeting Liza, I knew I found the best one. In our first meeting, Liza described honestly, based on my high-level stats, my initial strengths and deficiencies, and how I could draft an application that harnesses both.
I truly felt that Liza’s approach as a consultant helped me to write essays that felt as authentic, well-rounded, and captivating as possible. The three most emblematic ways Liza helped me do this were:
1. Making me write an inventory of my entire life experience - childhood, personal, professional, and extracurricular experiences and stories. Writing this out was extremely helpful in reflecting on how my experiences led me to where I was and where I wanted to go next. We used this inventory to have a deep discussion on the points in my career and personal experiences that would demonstrate in applications who I was, why I wanted to pursue a MBA, and why I thought I was the right fit for certain schools. Most importantly, this experience allowed Liza to get to know me, and push me to demonstrate my most authentic self as I wrote essays.
2. Like writing a novel, I was the author and Liza was the editor - only that Liza pushed me like a track coach would push a runner in doing everything they could to hit their best ever time. With each draft I wrote, Liza pushed me for perfect - in choosing the right story, in making sure every sentence advanced the point of the essay, and ensuring my personality shined through. The journey to finishing an essay was so profound that some of my essays (even those that were only 250 words) had 10-15 drafts.
3. In preparing for interviews, Liza hosted a few mocks with me. Her feedback was vital, since she knew both what schools were looking for as well as who I was (especially so by this point in the process). She helped me realize that MBA interviews are conversations where I painted a cohesive picture on who I was within a 30-45 minute time frame.
Lastly, as a full-time professional, I appreciated how Liza helped me set the pace on how often I turned around drafts as well as holding me accountable to deadlines we set. This allowed me to chip away at essays consistently and diligently over months to avoid any significant last-minute work.
I deeply enjoyed working with Liza, who was a coach, editor, cheerleader, and friend all at the same time. I applied to three schools, and was accepted to HBS (attending), Wharton, and Sloan - in huge part thanks to the process of working with Liza!
Product Gatehouse Admissions Consulting
Consultant Liza Weale
Strengths:
Accountability, Positive Reinforcement
As a healthcare tech consultant at Deloitte and Brandeis grad with a 3.4 GPA, my MBA journey had its challenges. Despite multiple attempts at the GRE, I couldn't push my score beyond 306 - not exactly what top programs look for.
That's where Liza and Gatehouse Admissions made all the difference. Unlike other consultants who glossed over my weaknesses, Gatehouse was refreshingly honest. Liza didn't just tell me what I wanted to hear - she gave me straight talk about where I stood and what we needed to do to overcome my test score limitations.
What really made Gatehouse stand out was how they helped me craft my story. Looking at my initial essays now, I can see they were completely off target. Through Liza's guidance, I discovered what actually mattered in my application - not just improving my weaknesses, but highlighting my authentic strengths in a way that made sense for MBA admissions.
Gatehouse kept me organized and accountable throughout the application process for all three schools. The structured approach helped me stay on track with deadlines, and Liza's positive reinforcement kept me going when things got tough.
Gatehouse's expertise in storytelling is why I got into Kellogg's MBAi program despite my GRE score. They didn't just edit my essays - they helped me find and articulate my unique value proposition in a way no other consultant could have.
Product Gatehouse Admissions Consulting
Consultant Rachel R Nelson
Background: White, Female, 26, 3.91 GPA (Non-target), 715 GMAT Focus, 2 years IB + 2 years PE. I worked with Rachel on HBS (R1), Wharton (R1) and GSB (R2) and received offers from GSB and Wharton.
Rachel was referred to me by a close friend who worked with her the prior year and had a great experience + successful outcome wrt his applications. Rachel and I began working together in May (on schedule) but I struggled to make progress on my essays while also studying for the GMAT. Rachel continued to encourage me and provided constructive feedback on the drafts I shared, but she also began advocating for a change in our planned timeline. I stubbornly insisted we continue with all three applications in R1 as planned and Rachel did her best to work with me, turning comments quickly even up to the last minute. Only after submitting an incomplete application (HBS) did I listen to her advice and decide to push my GSB application to R2.
Pushing GSB to R2 gave me the time I needed to rework my application from scratch and put my best foot forward, ultimately leading to an interview (which Rachel helped me prep extensively for, even on the weekend while she was traveling) and an offer to attend. Rachel's knowledge of the application process and timeline, her direct feedback, patience, and willingness to work through challenges with me were instrumental in my acceptance to the GSB.
Ultimately I needed to put the time and focus required into the applications (no one else will do that for you), but Rachel was patient and persistent in her support while I learned that lesson. She pushed me to make my applications and interview responses better until they were polished and reflected my best. I am incredibly happy with this outcome and would gladly choose to work with Rachel if I had to do this all over again - highly recommend and can’t thank her enough!