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Jessica Shklar Reviews

Company: mbaMission

After graduating from Harvard College with a degree in anthropology, Jessica Shklar worked in nonprofit education, first doing curriculum development for an adult education center and then in the admissions office of a small university in Los Angeles, where she advised applicants to both the undergraduate college and several graduate programs, including business school. While there, she developed and delivered workshops around the country on Selecting the Right College and How to Write an Effective Application Essay. Having been accepted to every business school to which she applied, including Stanford, Kellogg and Yale, Jessica ultimately chose to attend HBS, where she completed her MBA with distinction (graduating in the top 10%). After starting work, she volunteered in the New York City public school system, helping high school seniors with their college applications. She has worked at several Fortune 100 companies, including American Express and JPMorgan Chase, where she was the quality leader and a senior vice president for Chase Home Finance. Jessica is also a Six Sigma Master Black Belt, with specific expertise in Six Sigma deployment and initialization.

Source: http://www.mbamission.com/about/?display=team&name=jessica-shklar

5.0 /5 Average Rating
Based on 214 reviews
August 27, 2025
ACLHawley

Joined: Aug 27, 2025

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Grateful for Jessica's Guidance! Dream School, One and Done!

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Working with Jessica Shklar at mbaMission was truly a gift. She helped my brother get into his dream schools a few years ago, so when it was my turn, I knew I wanted to work with her. From the very beginning, Jessica had a way of making the overwhelming application process feel approachable.

When I first filled out my brainstorming document, I worried that I didn’t have much of substance to share. But on our very first call, Jessica guided me through my story in a way that made everything click. She has such a knack for pulling out the right details, weaving them together, and shaping them into something powerful while always keeping it authentic and in my own voice.

She was with me every step of the way, refining drafts, giving thoughtful advice, and calming my nerves when I doubted myself. Thanks to her support, I was accepted into my dream school on my very first application!

I couldn’t be more grateful for Jessica’s guidance, patience, and expertise. She made a daunting process not only manageable but actually rewarding. I would recommend her wholeheartedly to anyone starting their MBA journey.

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August 08, 2025
doloremunde

Joined: Aug 08, 2025

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Jessica Shklar: Stellar Experience!!

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Jessica, has been a fantastic partner in my business school application. It all started with a 30min consultation in which I was able to confirm her homerun storytelling ability. Since I scheduled this ahead of time (several months before the business school application) the 30min consultation served to plan and strengthen areas where I could show improvement in my profile.

After signing up for a full package, she has been just the best application partner I could have asked for. Very strategic, most if not all replies for quick questions within 30min, assays returned with high quality suggestions and edits. Willing to accommodate scheduling difficulties. And ongoing support even after acceptances for advice on scholarships!

Jessica was able to help me get into my top school of choice, HBS. If I had the chance to do it all over again, I would happily do so.

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July 07, 2025
mohamudm

Joined: Jul 07, 2025

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Absolute Rockstar!

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I reached out to Jessica Shklar at mbaMission during the early stages of my deferred MBA journey, and her guidance was transformative. While I did not have the opportunity to work with Jessica on a full package, I took advantage of the free 30-min consultation that mbaMission offers. In just 30 minutes, she helped me see how parts of my background, like my military education, were actually strengths, not weaknesses. Jessica offered a realistic, thoughtful review of my profile and gave me the confidence to pursue programs I once thought were out of reach. Her generosity and insight were invaluable, especially for someone like me who was doubting their potential. I’m incredibly grateful for her support and highly recommend her to any MBA hopeful.

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June 22, 2025
C99

Joined: Dec 28, 2020

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Jessica Shklar #1

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I was incredibly fortunate to work with Jessica Shklar on my MBA applications during the Round 1 2024 cycle. As an international applicant, I was completely unfamiliar with the US MBA admissions process and in desperate need of trusted guidance.

In my country, using admissions consultants is virtually unheard of, so I approached the process with a healthy dose of scepticism. I spoke with several of the top consultants for initial consultations (all the big names you’d know)—but from the very first call, Jessica stood out. Not only did she have a deep understanding of the admissions landscape, but it was clear she had thoroughly reviewed my profile beforehand. Within minutes, she demonstrated a sharp grasp of my strengths, weaknesses, and how best to position me for each school. On top of that, her enthusiasm was infectious—I immediately felt she was someone who would be firmly in my corner. I knew right then that I had to work with her.

I initially planned to apply to eight schools in Round 1—a daunting workload—but Jessica kept me focused, organised, and confident. We spent hours brainstorming and refining ideas, crafting a distinctive narrative that could be tailored to each application (each one is truly different!). Her feedback was always direct, structured, and deeply insightful.

Jessica’s ‘superpower’ is her ability to uncover powerful stories in your life—ones you didn’t even know existed. She helped me identify themes and patterns I had long overlooked and pushed me to articulate them in my own authentic voice, stepping in only when I veered off course. Her brainstorming sessions are, quite frankly, legendary—I’ve never met someone more skilled at shaping compelling, creative, and unique narratives (and at rapid pace).

Beyond her immense talent, Jessica genuinely cares about her clients. She was generous with her time, accommodating time zone differences. When I felt overwhelmed or unsure, she offered steady reassurance and helped me regain clarity and focus. When I doubted certain aspects of my profile, she proactively leveraged the broader resources of mbaMission, even brainstorming ideas with her colleagues to make sure we had the strongest possible approach.

Thanks to Jessica’s support, I was ultimately accepted into three M7 schools. Without her, I truly don’t think I would have even come close.
Do yourself a favour and invest in your future—trust Jessica. You won’t regret it.

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June 16, 2025
wombat5393

Joined: Apr 16, 2025

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Highly Recommend - Deeply Invested in Client Success

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I started thinking about business school in October without a clear direction. I spoke to a few consultants and Jessica immediately stood out. During our free consultation, she didn’t try to sell me any packages and instead focused on me getting the most value in those 30 minutes. She followed up promptly with detailed notes and suggestions. While some other consultants were quick to judge (I am on the older side of applicants) or steer me in a specific direction, I never felt that with Jessica. She genuinely listened and supported the path I wanted to take.

Since I started the process so late, I applied in Round 2 to three schools but didn’t get in – they were all ambitious choices. At that point, I assumed my MBA journey was over.

Jessica then reached out and encouraged me to apply in Round 4 to a school that had originally been high on my list, but I hadn’t applied to due to time constraints. Although she typically doesn’t work on applications that late in the cycle, she made an exception and helped me navigate what I could do differently this time. With her guidance, I got in with a scholarship (in R4!) and am going to school this fall! She continued to look out for me even after her formal responsibilities had ended, offering consistent encouragement when I had given up.

Working with Jessica never felt transactional. While her services are on the higher end, I never once questioned whether I was getting my money’s worth. She is truly exceptional at what she does - and she genuinely cares about every single client she takes on. There were moments when it felt like she understood my story better than I did, especially when we were working on my essays.

If I had to go through this process again, I would choose Jessica in a heartbeat. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for an MBA consultant.

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June 15, 2025
redroses

Joined: Jun 15, 2025

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Jessica Shklar – An Expert on the Process

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It was a great experience working with Jessica—from the jump in our introductory call she was straightforward, very easy to talk to, and provided thoughtful prods on potential narrative threads in my background, underscoring the main strengths of working with a consultant- someone who knows the process thoroughly and can provide incisive insight and strategy on how you are currently showcasing your story and how it could be improved-- all of which gave me great confidence in choosing to work with her!

Throughout the application journey, Jessica helped ease any anxieties from the process with her clarity and depth of knowledge-- she laid out the steps and function of each approach and meeting, making the marathon of applying much more digestible and coherent. She took time to deeply understand my background, forming a foundation to build off of in subsequent meetings, and her frankness was refreshing in providing honest and clear direction in what was realistic.
She was always prompt in responding, and for almost any situation or question had fantastic advice and specified expertise.

Jessica's invaluable support made the entire application season much more doable!

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May 21, 2025
PMC13

Joined: May 21, 2025

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Focus score:
675 Q82 V86 DI83

Highly Recommend Jessica Shklar

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As someone who comes from a very untraditional background for business school, with no friends or mentors applying for MBAs, an admissions consultant felt necessary.

I talked with a few different consultants before finally meeting Jessica and it was a breath of fresh air. She struck the perfect balance between being optimistic/motiviational as well as realistic about my chances. Her brainstorming process allowed us to frontload most of the work so that when it came to writing the actual essays, the difficult part was already done. Her feedback was incredibly clear and she provided as much direction as I wanted throughout the whole process.

I ended up getting into two top programs along with a substantial scholarship so the investment was definitely worth it.

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May 21, 2025
Apk641

Joined: Sep 08, 2024

Posts: 40

Kudos: 31

Best Consultant!

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One of the biggest strengths of this service is the personalized support. From the very beginning, Jessica made me feel heard and understood. I was struggling to clearly express my story, but she asked the right questions, listened closely, and helped me bring out the experiences that truly mattered. Her feedback was always thoughtful, and her insights pushed me to think more deeply about how to present myself with clarity and confidence.
What really set Jessica apart was her unwavering belief in me. While others were quick to say that my dream school was out of reach, Jessica never saw it that way. She saw my potential even when I doubted myself, and that belief gave me the confidence to keep going. She helped me polish every detail until my application felt authentic and strong.
Thanks to her guidance and encouragement, I achieved something I once thought was impossible. I’m incredibly grateful for her support and can honestly say I wouldn’t be where I am today without her help.

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May 19, 2025
jananamar2

Joined: Nov 23, 2023

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Strongly recommended

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I worked with Jessica during my MBA application process, initially targeting Harvard and Stanford in Round 1. I came into the process with a 715 GMAT Focus Edition score, a background as an MBB consultant, and three years of experience as an entrepreneur who successfully scaled a business to millions in revenue.

From the very first interaction—even before I officially became her client—Jessica was responsive, insightful, and genuinely helpful. The demo call alone provided real value, without any pressure to commit. Once we started working together, she proved to be highly professional, always meeting deadlines and taking her work seriously. Just as importantly, she offered meaningful emotional support throughout the process, which helped me stay focused and motivated.

While I didn’t get into Harvard or Stanford, I used the strong materials we had built together to apply in Round 2 to Wharton and MIT Sloan—where I was admitted to both. Even though Jessica wasn’t directly involved in those Round 2 applications, the foundation we created together was very useful to my success.

Jessica was a valuable partner in this journey. She may not promise outcomes, but she provides structure, honesty, and a strong support system—both intellectually and emotionally—that makes a real difference.

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May 05, 2025
njv108

Joined: Jul 11, 2024

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Focus score:
655 Q80 V82 DI86 (Online)

Jessica Shklar - Best in the Business!

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As I prepared to apply to a top-tiered business school program, I knew the importance of having the right consultant. I spoke with 8 different ones who all felt very transactional and like they would put my best interests in mind, so long as I could make up my mind and make the hefty investment in the arbitrarily short amount of time and availability they claimed they had remaining. Then came Jessica.

From our first conversation, I was incredibly impressed with her ability to ask thoughtful questions and listen with remarkable patience. She dug deep into my background (back to my childhood), my motivations for getting an MBA, and where I would flourish into the person and professional that I’m capable of being. She gave me the space to speak very vulnerably about my experiences and helped me brainstorm how I would weave those into my applications in the right way. Our sessions were intentional and productive, and she did a really good job of guiding me to put my best application forward, but recognizing that it was MY application to ultimately prepare how I thought was true and authentic to me.

Fast forward to the school selection process, I had my two schools set, but hadn’t decided on a third. I aimlessly threw names around, but they weren’t backed by any serious thought, just what I thought seemed good. As she got to know me, she recommended that I consider Stanford GSB, a school that she thought would fit my values and provide the growth experiences that I sought. When you tell someone they’re a “good fit” at the most competitive and elite business school in the world, you don’t know what to make of it. While she did acknowledge that there is obviously no guarantee GSB would work out, she helped me dig deep and find the confidence that if anyone could get in, it was me, and let me make the decision for myself. As I continued crafting my application and ultimately got the interview/visited the school, I fell in love with it and couldn’t stop thanking her. As we approached decision day, she offered unwavering emotional support as it was a very stressful time for me. When I got the call that I was accepted, I couldn’t wait to call her and celebrate.

Without Jessica, I never would’ve had the personal belief, motivation, or strength of application to apply to Stanford GSB, let alone interview and get accepted. Now I’m heading there for what will be a life-changing 2 years. I will never be able to repay Jessica, but the least I can do is help the next person looking to maximize their MBA application process: stop wasting time on 30 minute consultations with companies that don’t care about you and work with Jessica. She will bring the best out in you and you will be grateful that you chose to work with her.

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