Gatehouse Admissions Consulting Reviews

My first experience working with Liza was through mbaMission's Boot Camp product. The Boot Camp is an all day online session with an instructor that really give you a great jump start on the essay process of your applications if you don't have the time or money to spend on a full school package. I found this Boot Camp to be extremely helpful, but you need to be willing to put in the work yourself (prep work leading up to the session, during the session, and homework after) to get the most out of it.

Liza was great during the session and provided very valuable feedback to me on my homework assignment, which was to write a draft of one of my essays. For some, just this one activity might be enough guidance for their whole application process. However, I felt that I needed a little more expert advice on the rest of my essays, so I decided to purchase a few hours of the Hourly Services with Liza because of my positive experience with her in the Boot Camp.

Liza was always very up front and honest in answering my questions and her assessments of my essays. She was very encouraging in pushing me to strive for my greatest, but was also unbiased and honest - willing to tell me when she thought a particular school may be a reach for me. When giving essay feedback she was able to not only just offer ideas for better wording, but also ask me questions about the topics that really helped me focus on the right issues and get my mind in gear. She was very prompt in her responses and offered valuable advice once it came time to making admissions decisions. I would definitely recommend Liza to anyone navigating the business school application process. It is certainly daunting to do alone and having Liza as a resource made everything a lot easier!

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When I started the application process, I admit that I was skeptical about consultants. I’m extremely organized and have been told I’m a strong writer – so I was confident I could do everything on my own, without cutting a big check. One of my best friends worked with Liza a few years ago, did very well in the application process and encouraged me to at least do the 30 min session with Liza – after all, it was free. My friend had nothing but positive feedback about Liza and raved about the experience working with her. I really trust her so went ahead with the call, but still thought it would be a sales pitch. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Liza had reviewed my resume and responses to mbaMission’s questionnaire thoroughly before our call and after giving a brief introduction, turned it over to me to use the remaining 28 mins how I saw fit. I came with a bunch of questions and frankly, concerns, and Liza was direct, honest and encouraging in her answers. It was far from a sales pitch. I walked away with a feeling that I should reconsider working with her and ended up deciding to do the start to finish package for the 4 schools to which I was applying.

Throughout the process, Liza was my biggest supporter, provider of constructive feedback, motivator and at times, therapist. Her knowledge of the process and each school’s quirks was clear but perhaps more importantly, she really got to know me and therefore could help me strategize and determine how to position my best self in each piece of the application.

In the beginning, I was anxious and just wanted to get started on the essays but Liza reminded me that I needed to be patient with the step by step process she laid out. I was skeptical once again, but listened. She was right -- the brainstorming process could not have been more important. I spent that first weekend answering the many questions she provided. The result was 15+ pages about all aspects of my life, past experiences, values and personality. The self-reflective process and probing questions that Liza asked after reading the document became the starting place for my essay topics. Liza helped me to see how my accomplishments were just that – accomplishments. And as we went along, her comments in each draft were pointed and pushed me to articulate a specific point more clearly in the next version. The robust and honest dialogue we had was so valuable as I tried to show the admissions offices what I am all about.

Liza kept me organized & accountable and made the overwhelming application process seem less daunting as we tackled each essay/task step by step. I tend to overanalyze and as such, tweaked the wording or sentence structure of my essays frequently – Liza was patient and truly wanted me to feel 100% confident with the end result. After many iterations, she finally helped me to let go and press the submit button, knowing I really did put my best foot forward. It didn’t stop there – she was there to prepare me for my video essay and interviews, and served as a sounding board as I made my final decision.

In addition, Liza was there when things didn’t go so smoothly. First, I had a few bumps in the road with my recommenders. Liza calmed me down and offered constructive suggestions given the circumstances to get to a positive outcome. Second, one of my interviews went poorly and Liza made herself available on a Friday evening and early Saturday morning to help me bounce back. She never made me feel rushed on our phone conversations (which always went over our allotted time), answered my frequent emails quickly and thoroughly, and helped me put things in perspective while waiting for and hearing the results.

Now that I have a few acceptances under my belt and am thrilled with where I’ll spend the next few years, I look back and realize that partnering with Liza was worth every penny I spent. Liza goes above and beyond, is truly invested in her clients, and is someone you want on your side as you take this next step. While I already miss seeing Liza’s name in my inbox every other day, I can honestly say that I think we will keep in touch long after this application year.

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I at first was against using a consultant as I was already stressed about the cost applying, let alone an MBA. Like everyone else, I had applied to undergrad on my own with no problem and questioned why I would a need a consultant for graduate school. I could not have been more wrong. The MBA process is a beast – it is far more competitive, far more nuanced, and forces you to think about your future in a way most people are probably avoiding.

A few weeks before applications for round 2 were due, I met a friend for lunch to talk about our b-school struggles and she mentioned she just got into Harvard round 1 and used a consultant that really helped with her resume. She said I could set up a free 30 minute call with her to see if she could be of help to me. Of course I expected 25 minutes of this call to be a marketing pitch. It was the exact opposite. She gave her 2 minute roadmap of the call and then immediately asked me what questions I had. We spent the entire 30 minutes addressing any and all questions I had regarding my application from “how should I explain my GMAT math score” to “who is the best person to pick as a recommender.” She was a great smart, thoughtful, and rapid fire responded to me. It was the most helpful 30 minutes of my application process.

Unfortunately, I didn’t utilize this resource until too late in the process and regretted every moment of it. But I told myself, if I got an interview, I wanted her guidance.
Luckily, this chance came. My interview date gave me limited time to prepare and Liza found time in her schedule to talk to me. She helped me formulate my best answer to central questions like “why an MBA at X and why X career.” She helped me organize my thoughts and then convey them in a logical, succinct way. She even set prep material so we could take the most out of our call and she was kind enough to go past the allocated time. I felt as though she was truly invested in my success and she did everything she could to help me achieve my goals. I know she helped me because I got into or waitlisted at the schools I interviewed at. I don’t think this would have been possible without her help.

I unequivocally recommend her to anyone that is applying to get an MBA.

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Selecting Eric Hallowaty was one of the best decisions in my life. He was an invaluable asset and instrumental to helping me to get into several top business schools.

Going into the application process, I wanted to make sure I chose the right admissions counselor to guide me in such a significant (and stressful) few months. I spent an enormous amount of time reading through most GMAT Club reviews on admissions consultants, and ended up choosing mbaMission after doing several 30 minute free consultations. The biggest differentiating factor for me was that mbaMission is the only consulting company whose consultants work full-time for them; thus they are constantly immersed in applications and have the most expertise.

Coming from a finance background, Eric was the perfect fit for me, having also worked in finance. Eric’s biggest strengths are 1) his logical train of thought and 2) his straightforward demeanor. While brainstorming, Eric has an innate ability to distill my verbose stories and anecdotes, and was immediately able to grasp the main concepts, and followed up with insightful questions. Additionally, I appreciated his honest opinion and feedback on my essays. When he didn’t think a story or an approach would work for the essay, and would lead to a dead end, he wouldn’t sugarcoat his opinions in an effort to appease me; he would directly tell me that he would approach it a different way. This allowed me to put forth my most effective essay.

Eric was instrumental in guiding me through the application process; from brainstorming the best approach to an essay to making sure my essay logically made sense, he was a true difference maker. If I had to repeat the process, I would choose Eric again in a heartbeat. I would full heartily recommend Eric for anyone applying to business schools, especially from a finance background. It’s one decision you won’t regret!

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Initially, I had been hesitant to work with an admissions consultant knowing that many other peers had been admitted to top business schools without any assistance. However, my opinion completely changed after working with Liza and looking back at what an amazing job she did guiding and supporting me through the entire process beginning before I even took my GMAT. I have highlighted below what I view as her most significant strengths, and could not recommend her more strongly to anyone looking for an MBA admissions consultant.

1) She is entirely invested in getting to know the ins and outs of your life and personality – what makes you tick, which is so important during the admissions process. As a result, the commentary and feedback on all elements of my application were far beyond structural and grammatical but rather unique to my qualities that she thought should be emphasized. There were even some things she picked up on and noticed about me that I hadn’t even thought of myself, but ended up coming through in various ways throughout the application.

2) She is the most enthusiastic person I have ever worked with, staying extremely positive and motivating no matter the situation. During the process I had some very rough times at work and there were many times when I didn’t think it was going to be possible to get my applications in. She was the single driving force keeping me going with her constant positive feedback and mentoring. If I didn’t know she was working with other clients, I might have thought I was the only person she was helping through the process – that is how much attention she gives to each and every one she works with. She will also make herself available to talk about anything you need at almost any time, and always managed to brighten my day and relieve some stress.

3) She is very knowledgeable about the entire process and the nuances of each school’s essays and application materials. It is very clear that she has a lot of experience in this field and most any question that I had she knew the answer to. She was also able to steer my thoughts in the right direction for brainstorming in ways that I thought got me to the correct content for each school. Plus, she is a graduate of a top program so has actually been through it herself.

4) She is so dedicated to you, and it never felt like my time was getting cut off or I was not getting what I paid for (which I have heard from other people). Often times we would go over our time limit but it is so clear that her goal is to help you in whatever way possible. She went above and beyond what I expected in terms of personal investment in my success during the process.

5) She is open, honest, and will tell you her opinion in a straightforward way. I will admit it was hard to hear negative feedback sometimes, but she was so good at being critical and at the same time still being my best friend helping me to improve the content of my application beyond what I thought I was capable of. I put a lot of value on this as I liked to be pushed to achieve the best result possible.

I can say with confidence that you will definitely not regret working with Liza, she is an incredible partner to have through the admissions process.

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As Eric says in his initial 1-on-1 meeting, he was the “Sherpa” that I needed to help guide me through the admissions process. He’s not going to hold your hand but he does everything he can to position you the best. I got the three school admissions package with Eric for round 1 admissions. With his help, I was admitted to two of my choices (Wharton and Booth). Eric helped me craft a story after reviewing my personal brainstorming document, helped structure my essays and reviewed many details of my application.

Here’s where Eric was valuable to me:

(i) He was pivotal in helping me figure out what my story would be
(ii) He was upfront and honest and set my expectations straight
(iii) He helped me figure out what schools would be the best fit for me
(iv) He had a playbook that I was easily able to use in some of my applications
(v) He was very knowledgeable about the process and the applications and was capable of answering every single one of my questions; he also helped me deal with every ambiguity I faced in the process

I absolutely recommend using Eric as he will be an invaluable resource in the admissions process.

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When it came to applying for business school, I was one of those crazy applicants who went all out with regards to preparation. I researched the various services over several weeks, finally settling on Manhattan Prep for my GMAT class, Stratus Prep for one-on-one tutoring, and mbaMission for consulting. Among all resources leveraged, my experience with my consultant, Eric, at mbaMission was by far the most helpful in achieving my acceptances. Eric always provided me with timely responses and honest feedback. From the initial evaluation of my target schools, to editing my many essays, Eric always helped me stay on track with realistic goals and provided valuable insight into the applications process, details I wouldn’t have known otherwise.
In addition, one of the biggest differentiator between mbaMission and other MBA consulting services is that with mbaMission you are assigned one consultant who works with you from beginning to end. With other consulting services however, you sometimes work with multiple consultants (general/school specific consultants). I much preferred working with one consultant throughout the entire application process because Eric became so familiar with my story that he was often able to suggest anecdotes from my personal and professional life (stories I hadn’t even thought of) that would be relevant to add to a particular essay. I had a great experience with mbaMission, and would strongly recommend using their services (and Eric specifically if he is available) if not for all of your schools, at least for the top contenders.

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Applying to school was by no means a fun process, but made all the more comfortable thanks to Liza. She was incredibly positive and encouraging, while keeping it real about my chances for each school I was looking at.

After the initial free 30min consultation, I ultimately decided I needed help with just one application, so bought 4 hours vs. the more expensive all-inclusive package. I found that this was enough for me, and (thanks to Liza’s instruction) made sure to be extremely prepared for each call to maximize my time with her. I never felt like she was trying to sell me on extra hours or needlessly waste my time. Rather, I felt like she really took the time to get to know me and my “story”, and had my best interests in mind through the end.

I had a tough time deciding which stories to go with for the 2 essays assigned, and an even harder time trying to figure out how to say anything meaningful with so little words! Liza was great at helping me dig deeper into the impactful pieces of my story while cutting out the fluff to get me to a quality finished product.

I was also really happy with her help on my resume. I thought I had an awesome draft to start, but quickly realized that a b-school resume is nothing like the resumes I had put together in the past. After reviewing my brainstorming doc, Liza helped me incorporate and expand upon aspects I didn’t even realize would be attractive to an admissions committee.

Anyone applying to business school should feel confident having Liza in their corner.

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I first spoke to MBAMission Senior Consultant, Eric Hollowaty in 2014 after the company had been recommended to me by Manhattan GMAT. Since that date, he has given me nothing but fantastic advice, all of which played a critical role in my eventual acceptance at my first choice school.

When I first planned to apply, Eric suggested that I wait a year. I was on the younger side and my GMAT score was low. He urged me to spend the next several months studying for the GRE (rather than the GMAT), improving my work experience, and visiting schools.

After a disappointing GRE score, I couldn’t have been happier that I followed his advice. Reading only the message boards, I should’ve been applying to schools ranked 50-60 – certainly not schools in the top 15. However, given my strong work experience and undergraduate performance, Eric helped me to determine which schools would be good fits.

I certainly had to do all of the work, but Eric spent hours helping ensure that my application properly showcased my strengths and unique qualities (plus he could always spot when I was tired and resorted to filler).

Throughout the process Eric was always up front and honest with me. It was clear that he believed in me and felt that I can handle top programs but he also never lied to me about my chances of getting into certain (score focused) schools. In the end, he played an invaluable role in my ultimate success and I cannot thank him enough for that.

If you are in a situation in which you have a weakness in your application, but are an overall strong candidate, and want to get into a top program, I’d absolutely recommend working with Eric/MBAMission.

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First some personal background: I am a 28 year old, former strategy consultant, and have never considered an MBA to be a make or break part of my life or my career. I always viewed the degree as a means to an end. The trouble was, I was beyond the standard application age of my fellow consultants, and I had already been promoted beyond the post-MBA level. In short, I had a lingering feeling that the standard, youthful, “spray and pray” application strategy wasn’t going to suit me.

When I finally decided that I wanted to make a run at an MBA, I wanted to do it the right way. To fulfill that need I turned to the “McKinsey” of the field: mbaMission. As the saying goes, no one gets fired for hiring McKinsey. I knew my application strategy was a little outside the norm, and didn’t want to have any regrets about quality.

I heard about Eric Hollowaty and mbaMission from a friend who had been admitted to HBS. I reached out to Eric and let him know my situation. He challenged some of my hypotheses (in a good way), verified others, and helped me set a strategy that fit my goals.

In the end, that strategy was to go for broke on just two schools. Eric and I agreed that either of those schools would invariably change my life, and that a backup option, while attractive, probably wouldn’t add as much value as I thought I needed. In my mind, getting the strategy verified was worth the full fee.

After we set the high level strategy, Eric helped me craft an essay that fit the bill perfectly. My whole application was a hail mary, and I needed an essay topic to match. Without revealing too much, Eric helped me write an "edgy" essay that maximized my chance of winning admission, given my less than perfect odds going in. It would have been impossible to write it without him.

In the end, the strategy fell a little short, and I wasn’t accepted to either of my schools. Though naturally disappointed, it was an easy lump to take because I knew I had submitted the best package possible. I wrote Eric directly and told him that even in defeat, mbaMission had been worth the cash.

If you’re serious about doing an MBA application right, I don’t know why you’d go anywhere else.

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