Debbie Choy Reviews

I was extremely busy at my work during the admission season, and knew very little about admission process when the application deadline was only around 3 months away. So I chose to get Debbie Choy's help. I summarized some most important insights from Debbie as below, which turned out to be very true and helped me to be very efficient during the process.
1. Recommendation of what schools or programs suit me best;
2. What the admission offices are looking for from applicants, and what makes the applicant different from others;
3. How to write essays that present yourself better;
4. Debbie controlled the application schedules very well. She always gave responses within the time as she promised, and would also check in me when I was a little behind on things that needed to be done;
5. Debbie also had a mock interview with me, which turned out to be very similar to what I experienced in real. It made me very prepared and confident during the interview.
Overall speaking, Debbie has a very clear, easy and sense-making process for you to follow in order to complete the admission process. I felt it was just a matter of time and process to get admitted by your dream school, as long as you follow her process. I strongly recommended you to use Debbie's help if you would like to maximize your acceptance possibility, and make your process as easy as possible.

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After working with Debbie on my applications, I was admitted to a top 10 MBA program! Debbie helped me with applying to 10 schools in only 1.5 months! I realized late in the game that I wanted to apply in Round 1, and I approached mbaMission to be paired with a consultant who could help me with my applications. I was very fortunate to have been paired with Debbie!

For my first school, I had already prepared drafts by myself. I gave these to Debbie for review and confidently told her that these drafts were “near final” and only needed a quick read before submission. To my surprise, Debbie told me that my drafts needed a complete rewrite. I was shocked but appreciated her candidness and honesty.

In the next week, I heavily relied on Debbie to provide feedback on my drafts. What I like about Debbie's style is that she didn’t sugarcoat anything, always pushed me to reflect deeper on my experiences, and provided good advice to help me be more succinct in my writing. In my essays, I sometimes found myself getting lost in the details that the writing lacked the "so what?" factor. Debbie would redirect my attention to focus on the big picture and tell me to cut content if necessary. Further, her flexibility and positive attitude helped calm me down in times of stress and focus on the execution of the applications.

After finishing my first application with Debbie, we had developed a great working relationship, and the rest of my 10 applications went rather smoothly. As a demanding client, I sent her at least 3 essays to review every day (Each school had 2-3 essays, so in total it was about 30 essays that I had sent her way). She always provided prompt, detailed and high-quality feedback. I even wondered how she was able to do all of this in so little time!

Debbie is great at all aspects of the application, from helping me brainstorm ideas to outlining the actual essay and providing feedback. She was available through phone, skype, and email. I even did a mock interview with her over Skype two days before my actual interview and it made a tremendous difference. Before the interview, I was stuttering on the basic questions such as "Walk me through your resume". But she gave me helpful feedback that allowed me to structure my answers and practice effectively, which made me feel confident going into my interview.

In conclusion, Debbie is a stellar, seasoned, and top-notch consultant. Completing applications for 10 schools in 1.5 months was a daunting task, but Debbie maximized the limited time we had to help me craft stellar essays. If you work with Debbie, she will make sure that you are always submitting your best work! There were times when I submitted drafts that were weak, and Debbie held me accountable by asking me to rewrite the entire essay or think of new experiences to write about. I greatly enjoyed working with Debbie and definitely recommend with flying colors!

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I hired mbaMission for a two school package, and Debbie is my consultant. I only applied to two schools and was admitted to my dream school. I wouldn’t be able to achieve that without Debbie’s guidance.

Why mbaMission?
After talking to all top MBA consultant firms I could find, I decided to go with mbaMission because mbaMission truly puts my interest first and cares for its consultants. This is the reason why the firm does not offer money-back guarantee, promise unprovable results, and offer discounts or sales. (Read: https://www.mbamission.com/about/?display=faq). I also like how I am paired with one consultant who will spend time to understand me, be my friend, and be with me throughout the whole process.

Why Debbie?
Besides all the great qualities that Debbie has a MBA consultant, I specifically asked Debbie to be my consultant because of the similarities in our backgrounds. I felt she could guide me to articulate my stories to the schools better, and it was the best decision I have ever made.

Here are a few reasons why I highly recommend Debbie:
1. During the brainstorming process: Debbie helped me prioritize my stories that would highlight my strengths and differentiate me from the rest of other applicants who are from the same industry. She also gave me advice on how I can arrange these stories so my essay will have a logical flow.
2. During the writing process: Debbie is very generous with feedbacks and willing to ask tough questions. These questions allowed me to think more strategically and improve my essays significantly. She continued to challenge me until we are both happy with the essays.
3. Throughout the process: Applying to top MBA programs is hard, and there were times I felt like giving up and thought I might not make it. Debbie never gave up on me. She was always there to support me and helped walk me through the process. This is why I really appreciate the one-on-one working relationship that mbaMission offers.

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I knew I wanted to work with an admissions consultant, so when I started the process, I took advantage of the 30 minute free consultation most consulting firms offered and "interviewed" several of them, including Stacy Blackman, Stratus Prep, Expartus, Veritas and mbaMission. I ended up choosing mbaMission based on fit.

My consultant was Debbie Choy. I worked with her on a 4 school package for round 2. I personally applied to 5 schools and also the Consortium (an application on its own) and was admitted into 4 schools (waitlisted at the 5th) as well as the Consortium.

Debbie was instrumental to my success. She worn several hats and served as my:

1) Project Manager - the business school application process was extremely overwhelming and had a lot of to do's. Debbie structured the process in a manageable way and was by my side through every step of the process.

2) Supporter/Advocate - I didn't have much confidence going into the process. I didn't have a spectacular GMAT score or an impressive background. However, Debbie was able to help me tell my stories in a compelling way. I never felt uncomfortable around Debbie. Even when I felt like my essay was poorly written or my interview prep answers were not good enough, Debbie always cheered me on while providing constructive feedback and teaching me how to improve. Before I started the process, I was prepared for not getting into any schools, and I told myself that I would be happy getting into 1 out of the 5 schools I applied to. It was a true surprise when I found out that I was accepted into almost all the schools I applied to, some with scholarships.

Overall, I had a pleasant working relationship with Debbie. I would be happy to recommend her to anyone!

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I highly recommend working with Debbie Choy at mbaMission , because she is the reason I got accepted to my dream b-school.

Last year, I applied to five b-schools on my own and I got dinged from all of them even without any interview invitation. I have a successful professional resume in healthcare industry with low GMAT and I did not know how to tell my story for my application.

So this year, I decided to work with a consultant. And I found mbaMission and luckily I started to work with top-notch consultant, Debbie Choy. I applied to 6 b-schools in total and used a 2-school package.

Because of Debbie’s help, I came out of the application process feeling confident and armed with much clarity. Debbie really helped my story stand out.

Her turnaround for essay reviews was so fast, and she pointed out weaknesses that I could not have noticed before. Because I am an international applicant, it was hard for me to figure out what to say during my interviews. Mock-interviews I had with Debbie were hugely helpful for me, she addressed flaws and weaknesses that helped me polish my answers and determine which stories to emphasize. Her help and feedbacks for interviews will be helpful for my future job interviews, as well.

After all my applications were submitted, I got into 4 b-schools with scholarships. Most importantly, I received an interview to my top choice program and was admitted with a scholarship and an assistantship.

I am pretty sure that I would not have gotten into my program without Debbie’s help. I have been extremely pleased with mbaMission’s services. And I would HIGLY recommend–Debbie Choy- to anyone who wants to work with enthusiastic, creative and experienced consultant, and who makes the application process enjoyable.

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I purchased the Start to Finish package with Debbie Choy at mbaMission. Debbie was very helpful in providing insight to make me stand out among other candidates. She did an excellent job delivering an unbiased opinion on which of my experiences were impressive, unique, and most appropriate for my selected school’s essay questions. While I didn’t get admitted to the school of my choice, I did receive an interview at one of my top four choices (still awaiting a response) and I don’t think this would have been possible without Debbie’s help. I do wish that Debbie encouraged me to reach out to students, professors, and admissions members more to truly understand the campus. I didn’t do this as much in my first round applications as I did in my second round applications because I underestimated the importance of this step. Consequently, I felt a notable difference in how well I understood campus life—as evidenced by my second round invitation to interview. I would absolutely recommend Debbie to a close friend, but with the caveat that the friend is driven enough to introspectively reflect and identify their short and long term career goals and ambitious enough to reach out to those on campus to truly understand the atmosphere.

There are a lot of negative reviews out there about graduate school consultants. This is understandable given how subjective the admissions processes are at top B schools, yet this is no excuse to blame the consultant for not providing you with the skill set necessary for admission. Your application is your responsibility and your consultant is there to help you answer questions that develop along the way; peer deeper into your life to help you highlight your unique attributes; offer admissions tips you may not have thought of; and in my case, enforce deadlines. Your consultant is not there to miraculously increase your GMAT score, turn your past into an exaggerated list of accomplishments, or write your essays for you. You must be honest about your previous achievements and future goals. Unless you communicate this information clearly and comprehensively, they cannot help you sculpt your ideal application.

The required brainstorming document provided by mbaMission is critical because it helps you deeply reflect on who you are and what matters to you most. It’s true; you can purchase this document from mbaMission for less than the thousands you will spend on a consultant. Yet the unbiased advice and subject matter expertise a consultant provides in helping you determine your essay content and structure; revising your resume, proofing your recommendations, and identifying the weak points of your personal or professional experiences is invaluable when you think of the benefits a strong MBA program will offer you. Additionally, having the piece of mind to send an essay that you poured your blood, sweat, and tears over, to a trained writer for multiple rounds of edits makes you confident that you’re submitting your best essay possible. I recommend mbaMission as a great resource to complete your applications—and I highly recommend Debbie Choy if you choose to work with a consultant. Her opinions are honest and holistic—and she’s a great teammate!

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Debbie was a fabulous consultant during my b school application process. The most valuable part of our time together was the brainstorming process. After reading through my brainstorming doc, we got on the phone so that she could ask me probing questions about some of my responses and help me think through which experiences were most formative and important to include in my applications. She has great insider’s knowledge of how admissions committees will evaluate applicants, which meant she was able to tell me directly, “Yes, experience X will resonate with adcoms, but experience Y seems less interesting and/or relevant.” That firm guidance was incredibly valuable—she wasn’t afraid to tell it to me straight. Although our brainstorming call was pretty short (more on that below), I came out feeling like I had a good plan of attack for my essays. The next time she and I spoke, we went over my short and long-term goals after business school. She helped me craft a compelling and ambitious vision that explained how an MBA degree would help me achieve my long-term career aspirations.

One big consideration for me when signing up for mbaMission was cost. I work in the social sector, and hiring a consultant was a big investment. I knew I couldn’t do a “start-to-finish” package because it was simply out of my budget. I was a little wary about whether the hourly consulting services would be a value-add, but Debbie did a fabulous job at providing high value in the short amount of time that I could afford.

Debbie also had an extremely positive attitude throughout, which made a huge difference for me while navigating the stressful application process. Her support was invaluable to helping me get into two of my top choice programs. Thanks a million, Debbie!

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I started my MBA application back in June/July of 2013. I found it difficult and somewhat confusing as to how I would submit a detailed, yet concise application of who I was as a person. I had never done an application like this before!

After looking around on GMAT Club, I happened to come across mbaMission. They offered a free consultation, so I decided to give it a try - can't go wrong with that! I was setup with Debbie Choy and I found her personality very compatible with mine. She did exactly what a consultant should do - give an open and honest opinion of your chances of acceptance at certain schools. She also pointed out strengths and weaknesses in my application, but not once did she ever try to sell mbaMission to me. I never felt forced or pressured into purchasing one of their services.

After the free consultation, it didn't take much thought before I signed on for a school package. My experience over the next couple months was great. Debbie is very knowledgeable about the entire MBA application process and most of all, she is very detailed. There were definitely times where I felt like the resume or essay was done, but she would always find something else to say about it and we would have to do another iteration.

After my application was submitted and I got an interview, she was able to give me a mock interview that very closely simulated what I experienced on the actual day. She gave me a strategy and gave me some extra tips to succeed on the day of the interview.

Well, it looks like it worked out because I got accepted into my school of choice and I am very grateful to have had Debbie Choy as a mentor/coach through this process. Although you might think that the price of a school package is steep, let me remind you how much a typical MBA program costs - this is a small investment to push you towards your dream. Also, with a strong application, you have a very good chance of receiving a scholarship which will be a lot more than what you paid for a school package at mbaMission.

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