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Harshad Mali Reviews

Company: mbaMission

With an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, a BE in mechanical engineering from the Government College of Engineering in Aurangabad, India, and an ME in mechanical and aerospace engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology, Harshad Mali has enjoyed a successful career as both an engineer and an entrepreneur. In addition to having worked in design and product development within the automotive industry for the truck manufacturer Navistar, he has traveled extensively in Europe, Asia, and South America to evaluate and create supply chains for critical hardware. After graduating from Chicago Booth, Harshad co-founded a consulting start-up to address the operational and product commercialization challenges faced by small- and medium-sized manufacturing companies. His corporate and entrepreneurial experiences have given him valuable insight into the various career paths MBAs pursue. An avid mentor and coach, Harshad has participated in university career fairs, discussing professional goals and career paths with graduating students, and has also freelanced as an MBA essay consultant.

4.9 /5 Average Rating
Based on 67 reviews
August 03, 2022
Mjamja

Joined: Aug 03, 2022

Posts: 0

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Far exceeded my expectations!

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Harshad was not only my mentor through this process, but he would also become a friend. It becomes abundantly clear while working with him that he cares about the person as well as the results. He was deeply invested in helping me achieve admission into the school of my dreams. I was accepted into my top choice program as a result and would recommend him to anyone applying to business school.
Specifically, I chose Harshad because of his knack for telling untraditional stories, as mine was not your typical business school application. He took on the challenge with enthusiasm. He put in the time and energy to learn about me and thoughtfully helped me craft my story in a way that was polished and effective. His responses and revisions were always timely and well thought out which allowed for my applications to progress at a pace I was very happy with.
Harshad provided invaluable mock interview preparation that strengthened my application immensely. When faced with unexpected and shorter deadlines on one application he worked with me to get everything done on time and the work product exceeded my expectations. His professionalism, experience, and process achieved great results in my case. The best decision I made when applying to business school was deciding to work with Harshad.

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April 17, 2022
KelloggAdmit121

Joined: Apr 17, 2022

Posts: 0

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Verified GMAT Classic score:
740 Q47 V44

Harshad is truly one of a kind. His abilities as an amazing MBA consultant start with the genuine care he has about your life, your career, and your pursuits in the short and long term. Through the questions and discussion Harshad and I had, I felt he truly understood my background, the academic, professional, and personal decisions I had made in my life, how important an MBA was to me, and how these all fit into the story of my life.

Because he took the time to truly understand who I am, Harshad helped me tell extremely compelling stories about my life and make them shine in my application in ways that I couldn't have done on my own. From full length essays, to short answers, to the resume, to interviews, Harshad gave me a fantastic structure to approach the daunting task of an application. He helped me take the accomplishments, values, and stories from my life and use them to represent myself well to the admissions committee.

I was so impressed with Harshad's ability to help make my essays concise yet powerful in delivery. Time and again through several revisions, Harshad found ways for me to hit my word count, organize ideas in ways that make sense, and convey the core of my message in response to the essay prompts. Harshad is an amazing essay writer and editor, the best I have ever met or worked with. I was similarly impressed with his communication and work style. Harshad's reviews were not only thoughtful and thorough, but timely as well: I received prompt edits and comments on my essays, and they always contained extremely valuable guidance with no fluff.

It is because of Harshad's mentorship through every step in the process, from school selection to requesting recommendations to writing essays to interviews, that I can proudly say I have gotten 110% out of my MBA application experience. That is exactly the feeling you want to come out of this process with.

And it is because of Harshad that I can proudly say I've been admitted to Kellogg!! Harshad has enabled me to achieve a long-standing career goal and dream of mine, as I know he has done for many before me and will undoubtedly do for many who come after. He has truly been a great friend through this process as well, and has been reassuring without sacrificing honesty and trustworthiness; this is an incredible skill and one that few have. If you are pursuing an MBA, you will truly make the most of your opportunity by working with Harshad. His services are worth every penny (and more)!

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April 12, 2022
mishafaraz

Joined: Apr 12, 2022

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A decision you won't regret!

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As a South Asian woman with below average standardized test scores and years of work experience, I knew that achieving my dream of attending a top MBA program would be an uphill battle - that’s where Harshad came in. Harshad helped me navigate the extremely daunting task of applying to top MBA programs and was there to support me every single step of the way.

Harshad is extremely organized, highly knowledgeable and tremendously structured in his approach with all his clients. In addition to being a fantastic editor, Harshad has a deep understanding of what admissions committees look for and helped me craft a very compelling story which highlighted my strengths and mitigated my weaknesses. I genuinely appreciated his direct feedback on my essays and at times when the entire process felt overwhelming and emotional, Harshad was always there to support me and lift me back up again. Towards the end of the application process I came to see Harshad not just as my MBA consultant, but also as a mentor and a friend.

Harshad truly changed my life by helping me and my twin sister get into our dream school, Wharton. I highly recommend anyone looking for a consultant especially those from South Asian backgrounds to choose Harshad - it is a decision you will not regret!

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April 05, 2022
benlee08

Joined: Apr 05, 2022

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
700 Q49 V36

In Good Hands

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Harshad was instrumental to my success. I worked with him through mbaMission’s 3 school package. Not fitting the typical mold, I was very apprehensive about how to portray myself appropriately to the admissions committees. Harshad was recommended to me because he had the “heart of a storyteller”. When we first spoke, his emotional intelligence stood out amongst other qualified professionals I had interviewed for advisory. I was convinced he was the right person to guide me.

In October, I was overwhelmed with what to do. I was full of questions, but Harshad was prepared for all of my inquiries, even scheduling time with me during nights and weekends to accommodate my full-time work schedule. He always responded to my questions promptly. His responses were crisp and insightful.

We began with a brainstorming document that formed the foundation of our work going forward. Afterward, I started drafting my first essays. Harshad was direct in his feedback: several of my drafts were subpar. It was tough for me to accept this reality, but Harshad’s tact and empathy helped me move forward with the necessary changes. I re-wrote the drafts multiple times. I encountered a similar process during my mock interviews and my resume writing as well. The final products were worth it.

Applying to B-school was a critical time in my life, but having an adept, caring professional advising made a world of difference. This week, I received an acceptance from my top pick going into the process. I had hoped for my dream school, but getting in feels completely surreal. I am deeply grateful for all of Harshad’s guidance.

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April 03, 2022
shiv0522

Joined: Aug 21, 2021

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
720 Q49 V40

Look no further!

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I highly recommend working with Harshad to help you with your business school applications. Through his help and a long few months, I got into GSB, Wharton and Booth!

I actually started a little late (in November) for Round 2 deadlines but Harshad was more than up for the challenge. He set expectations upfront - we knew going in this is going to be an uphill battle.

From the onset it was clear that Harshad was highly organized and methodical in his approach. Harshad is definitely not someone who will beat around the bush and/or sugarcoat. He is direct but thoughtful which is the exact duo you will need while going through this process, especially when you get to a point where every day matters. I did this application process while working full time which definitely made my availability difficult but Harshad was very flexible and available for late nights and weekends, whenever I needed him! He is unparalleled with his turnaround time which definitely surpassed my expectations.

Part of the challenge of building out your application is not just having a good story but showing the story rather than telling the story. This is where I found Harshad to be a differentiator - he takes the time to get to know you, your interests, your passions and who you are as a person and makes sure to reflect that in his process to helping build out your application. He will steer you away when you think certain information is valuable to have but is really just fluff (which was extremely useful when trying to meet those pesky word counts!) and push you to write more impact even when you think there isn't anything left. During the mock interviews, he falls into school specific persons that allow you to really practice through different styles of interviews.

Overall, Harshad genuinely wants you to succeed and will do his best to get you to the best place you can be. I recommended Harshad without reservation and to the fullest extent!

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April 01, 2022
aespo

Joined: Apr 01, 2022

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Harshad Mali - Honest, Responsive, Knowledgeable

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Harshad was very helpful through my MBA application process. As a chemist with 8 years of work experience, Harshad used his own engineering background to position my story for success in the business world. I hired Harshad on an hourly basis and he was able to help me with essays from 5 schools as well as my resume without going over the allotted time. He was always available for a quick call, even during the Christmas holiday break. Ultimately, I was accepted at HBS, Tuck and Haas. I believe Harshad helped me sharpen my story and he wasn't afraid to redirect my focus, when needed.

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March 27, 2022
mahaf

Joined: Oct 28, 2021

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
660 Q45 V36

A True Mentor

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Harshad was instrumental in helping me get into the MBA programme of my dreams! His constant support, guidance and positive attitude played a pivotal role in achieving my goals. The MBA application process is an extremely strenuous one - Harshad's positivity and humour really helped alleviate my stress.

Harshad was always very organised, timely and meticulous in his editing and helped bring my story to life in my essays. I was applying alongside my twin sister and we both clicked with Harshad and decided to work with him. He counselled us both but always made sure our individuality showed through our stories and essays. He helped us both get into our dream school!

Overall, I just want to thank Harshad for all his help and support. He was a true mentor and guide during the application process. I highly recommend him to anyone about to take on this MBA admissions journey.

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March 18, 2022
ydago

Joined: Mar 18, 2022

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Kudos: 0

Review of Harshad Mali and mbaMission

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Having Harshad and mbaMission by my side during the MBA application process has been very critical: I do not think that I would have received an admission offer from my target school without his involvement.
Harshad helped me craft my resume and my essays and got me prepared for my interview in a very efficient way.
His tremendous knowledge about top-tier schools allowed me to craft essays that showcased my strengths and tied them with the school’s culture.
One of the key challenges for me was to craft three essays and a resume in a two-week timeframe to apply in the early rounds of my target school. Harshad has been very reliable, well organized, and very reactive which allowed me to meet that goal. Also, Harshad does not hesitate to go the extra mile to deliver the best output possible. He remained available at any time and helped me to answer follow-up questions from the school’s admission committee.
Without any doubt, Harshad is a great asset for any applicant targeting top MBA programs.

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March 11, 2022
pshant121

Joined: Aug 18, 2020

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Major Value Add

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As an Indian male with a below average GPA, I was doubtful about getting into a top MBA program. However, working with Harshad completely changed my opinion. From the get-go he was extremely transparent and honest. He candidly explained to me I come from an over represented demographic and will have to score an above average GRE score to compensate. After receiving my scores we brainstormed the best fit programs for me. He helped me in selecting safety schools, par schools, and reach schools. He was an incredible value add here because he was very knowledgeable about each program and could speak to their different cultures and expertise. After choosing the programs we proceeded to brainstorming. He helped me shine light on things that would differentiate myself and helped me tone down weaknesses in my story. Once I got to the essay writing stage, he would always return things in a day or under with quality edits and comments for me to work on. Overall he was immensely helpful in me getting accepted into Tepper, which is my number one option. He instilled confidence in me and helped me articulate a story that reflects the best version of myself. He is very candid and genuine and doesn’t try to sell services - he genuinely wants to see clients succeed and get into their top programs. He is extremely flexible and accessible. If I ever wanted to chat about anything out he would carve out time in his day to make it happen. His turnaround times are short too so there is no wastage of time. I found the mock interviews to be extremely helpful too since he asks tailored questions for each program. Again this just further reflects his expertise in top programs. All in all, I can confidently say that Harshad was worth every penny. He is extremely knowledgeable and helps curate the best version of yourself. His feedback during mock interviews and essays is relevant and reflects his high attention to detail. Harshad is very easy to talk to and uplifting too. Overall I would recommend Harshad to anyone. Without him I would not have been able to get into my top program of Tepper.

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February 26, 2022
AdityaSharma27

Joined: Aug 08, 2021

Posts: 1

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
760 Q49 V46 (Online)

Best Decision I Made!

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Working with Harshad has been the best decision I took during this admissions cycle. I worked with Harshad through mbaMission's four school package and his work was worth every penny. Right from the first brainstorming session, Harshad has been extremely interested and passionate about my background and goals. As we went through my applications, he has become my most trusted advisor and even a close mentor. I can always trust Harshad to never sugarcoat any advice. This has consistently ensured that my applications were of the best quality. Working with him has also made a better writer in general - even when I write reports at work, I find myself asking "What would Harshad say."

Harshad has always exceeded his turnaround time and I am actually in awe of how hard he works. Additionally, the meticulous detail of his work came through all the edits and suggestions he made for my resume and essays. He will continue editing and asking for revisions right until the draft is perfect. I also appreciated the fact that every time Harshad recommended changes, he always took the time to explain why such changes were needed.

Most importantly, it is abundantly clear that Harshad truly cares about getting the best outcome for me. With his help, I got into a truly amazing MBA program and I would highly recommend him to anyone starting out on their MBA journey.

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