If you want someone who will actually challenge you, not just polish you, hire Heidi.

I came in as a consultant with a solid resume. However, she was the critical element in helping me find my actual voice, shape my experiences into a well-rounded application, and stay organized through the whole process while working a demanding job. That combination is hard to pull off. She came highly recommended to me by a mentor and I am so grateful.

She doesn't start from what you've done. She starts from who you are. Every session built on the last, and she had a way of catching things I'd said in passing and recognizing they were actually the whole point. The clearest example: after a few sessions going broad on one essay, she said "this one sentence you said 4 sessions ago felt powerful, what if we start from scratch and focus on that theme?". That call changed everything and became the foundation of my What matters most essay.

While i've seen success stories with her for all major schools, in particular if your dream school is Stanford (was mine), she is the best person you can work with. She Stanford in and out and helps you communicate your skills and personality for GSB in a powerful way incl. brainstorming how to bring out the best sides of your with recommenders and various smaller parts of the application.

Got into my dream school and would hire her again without hesitating.

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Working with Heidi was one of the most defining parts of my MBA journey. She brings a rare combination of sharp judgment and genuine care, and she does not let you settle. Her “tough love” approach meant she consistently pushed me beyond what I thought was enough, holding me to a much higher bar until every piece of my application truly reflected my best thinking.

What stood out most was how tailored her guidance was. My background and goals are not conventional, and at times I saw them as risks. Heidi saw them as strengths. She helped me unpack my story, challenge my assumptions, and turn what felt uncertain into something clear, differentiated, and compelling.

Having her in my corner was incredibly grounding throughout what can be a very overwhelming process. I am now heading to Oxford Saïd this fall, and I can say with full confidence that I would not be here without her guidance. I feel very fortunate to have worked with her.

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Heidi exceeded all expectations! From the start she was very good in helping me find the story I wanted to tell. We reviewed my background, determined what worked and what didn't, and planned out the whole application process. She gave me excellent feedback and helped me through every challenge. I felt supported every step of the way and she would always make time to help me no matter the hours. I would highly recommend for anyone looking to take their MBA applications to the next level. Especially for the top schools like Stanford, HBS and Wharton. Thank you Heidi for everything!!! You are awesome!!!!

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Heidi was a game changer for my applications. I walked into this process unsure of what I wanted to pursue, what schools I was targeting, and questioned if I was “good enough” to apply to the top programs. Right away, Heidi eased my anxiety by breaking down the application process into manageable, bite-size components and creating a step-by-step strategy for how we would tackle every part of my application from start to finish. Additionally, Heidi’s level of professionalism and responsiveness to my messages was exceptional. What I valued most about working with Heidi was her introspective approach. She helped me gain real clarity on my career vision by starting with my core values, what genuinely drives me, and connecting that to the “why” behind my decisions (both professional and personal) and future goals. That foundation made my entire application feel both compelling and cohesive. It created a clear, consistent narrative thread that tied everything together, making it easy for admissions teams to understand not just what I’ve accomplished, but why I’m pursuing an MBA and where I want to go next.

I chose the 3 school package and Heidi was there for every step of the process from advising me on where to improve my GRE score to helping me identify the right recommenders and negotiating my scholarship offers. Not only did Heidi help me achieve acceptances to Columbia, MIT, Kellogg, and Booth (all with significant scholarships), but she helped me become more confident and empowered me to believe I can achieve something that seemed impossible.

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From early in the process, Heidi knew exactly when to advise me to focus on other initiatives (like the GMAT) and when to push harder on applications. She struck a perfect balance between encouraging me to dig deeper to find the answers within myself and taking a more proactive approach to help craft my story. I applied to MIT, NYU, Stanford, and Kellogg, and was admitted to all but MIT (where I applied in Round 2 as an international student—something they generally recommend against). I am certain I wouldn't have achieved these results without Heidi’s guidance. Highly recommend!

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Heidi helped me immensely to refine my story, my why MBA, and career vision. She had a regular pace of asking probing questions that helped me think through so much more about my career, experience and self. We spent a lot of time on the first application, and it was so apparent with the next applications that all of that work paid off. Obviously the process was stressful, but I always felt confident that I was making the best choices and putting together the best application I was capable of. Heidi bent over backwards to make sure I felt as confident as possible submitting every application and going into every interview. I ended up getting into my second choice, and was just accepted off the waitlist to my top choice! I cannot recommend working with Heidi enough!

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Working with Heidi was one of the best decisions I made during my MBA application process. She helped me articulate my thoughts more clearly, understand my strengths at a deeper level, and embrace my own voice rather than fitting into a standard template. Her guidance was thoughtful, honest, and consistently focused on authenticity.
Heidi showed genuine faith in my potential and encouraged me to present the strongest version of my own story. Her support played an important role in my admission to Columbia Business School with a full scholarship, and I would highly recommend her to anyone navigating the MBA admissions journey.

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Working with Heidi Hillis was one of the best decisions I made during the MBA application process. From the very first conversation, it was clear that she genuinely cared about me as a person, not just as an applicant.

Heidi is an exceptional listener. She took the time to deeply understand my background, my values, and where I wanted to go, and then helped me translate that into applications that felt honest and grounded. She challenged me when needed, pushed me to be clearer and more reflective, and consistently gave feedback that made my writing and thinking stronger. I never felt rushed, boxed into a template, or steered toward someone else’s version of success.

What truly sets Heidi apart is the trust she builds. Throughout the process, she was a steady and calming presence, part admissions consultant, part career coach, and part sounding board. She inspired real confidence in me, both in my applications and in myself, and helped me show up authentically in a high-stakes process.

I cannot recommend Heidi highly enough. The experience was absolutely worth it, and I am deeply grateful for her guidance and support.

She helped me get into all three of my applied schools (HBS, GSB, Berkeley).

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After speaking with seven consultants, I decided to work with Heidi based on an instant connection around how to structure my application, as well as strong recommendations from coworkers.

As a candidate with a traditional background, I was looking for a way to stand out from my peers. Heidi helped me articulate my story in ways I had not previously considered. She is incredibly responsive and a true thought partner, taking the time to deeply discuss how best to present my candidacy, rather than focusing on surface-level grammar edits, which I have heart to be common with other consultants from peers.

Heidi’s interview preparation was also outstanding. The mock interviews she conducted were nearly identical to my actual interviews, which made the real experience feel much easier as I was adequately prepared.

As an aside, I had previously applied to HBS and was rejected, and I genuinely believe Heidi was the difference-maker this time.

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Heidi’s support was instrumental to the success of my business school applications. Two things worth highlighting:

1. Heidi was incredibly dedicated to my personal story. She helped me uncover unique, impactful experiences that I would have overlooked on my own, bringing a level of depth to my essays that made them truly stand out.
2. Despite having gaps in my profile such as low GPA and average GMAT, Heidi never discouraged me from aiming for top-tier schools. Instead, she worked tirelessly to pivot the focus toward my strengths. I am deeply grateful for her belief in my potential and her relentless work ethic.

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