When I first started the MBA application process, I really had no idea where to begin. I was one of the first of my peers to apply to business school and was coming from a somewhat non-traditional background (family business).

After doing some preliminary research, I decided to reach out to MBAMission and set up an initial consultation with Jessica Shklar. In our first meeting, I was immediately blown away by how much interest Jessica showed in my story and how much it genuinely seemed that she cared about my future (and admission to the business school of my choosing). Even in our first consultation, she was already coming up with the best possible ways to tell my "story" and present my accomplishments.

Throughout the admissions process, Jessica was there every step of the way. From reviewing my resume until it was absolutely perfect to going through iteration after iteration of my essays, Jessica was always willing to help and guide me through the process. Jessica was especially helpful during the "waiting" process, always willing to calm my nerves and answer any calls/emails/questions I had (no matter how often and I'm sure annoying!).

In summary, I really could not be happier with the consulting experience Jessica provided for me. I would not be where I am today without her help and truly believe that she is the reason I was accepted to Columbia Business School.

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I was unfamiliar with the MBA application process and decided to choose mbaMission (Jessica) to guide me from start to finish. I evaluated several consultants at the time and, after talking with Jessica, I felt that she was the right person! In the 30-minute free session, Jessica tried to help me as much as she could within the time limit. If you have a chance to evaluate many consultants, you will certainly know that the free session is actually the marketing session. However, this is not the case for Jessica. I bought 5 school start-to-finish package and eventually got interview at HBS (post-interview waitlisted and dinged), Wharton (admitted), and Booth (admitted). So in this review, I would like to tell you 3 key points about Jessica that eventually led to my successful applications.

1. Identification of Meaningful Personal Stories

In my case, I was able to list out personal stories that really shaped my life but, at first, connection among them was relatively weak. Hence, I was so tempted to write about my job, initially. Jessica was an expert in identifying meaningful personal stories and she would keep asking you to explain those stores in details. During the process, you would start to realize by yourself how much impact those events were. In the end, a few personal stories represented the core part of my essays and were used for 4 schools (out of 5) and accounted for at least 70% of word counts. I wrote only 1 paragraph about my job for each essay and its role was to support my personal stories.

2. On-Time Delivery and Perfection

Jessica always commented my drafts, on time, and she would not stop doing it until the essays are perfect. She would ask you to write as much as possible up 50% more than maximum word counts and gave you tons of comments that, sometimes, took me a week or so to address. This is a very efficient process. You overwrite it first and then remove certain parts, one by one, so, in the process, you will see the big picture and force yourself to consider each point in depth. You would likely run out of energy before she does. On each school, I worked with her at least 8-12 drafts. And even my final draft sometimes still had her pending comments that I needed to remove because of limited space.

3) Genuine and Authentic

My essay got me an interview at HBS so it was great, although I couldn't convert the interview to the offer. The essay question was "Introduce yourself to classmates" and was the great opportunity to show your personality so I wrote it in a very personalized and funny way, while mentioning some of my achievements but not too many (imagine you brag for 10 minutes. How could that be interesting to your classmates?). Before I submitted my essay, I sent the essay to my boss (and my recommender) for review. And he said "this essay is so authentic. It feels like you are speaking to me..... It's alive". Jessica helped me set the tone for my essay and, in my opinion, I like HBS essay the most.

So in my opinion, I strongly recommend Jessica. You need experts who can look into your stories and express independent opinions. During MBA application, you will burn out. So better invest now and get the best shot.

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I chose mbaMission and specifically Jessica on the recommendation of a friend who applied to business school the year before me and thought that mbaMission was the reason that he was able to get into a great school and complete his applications on time, and I could not agree more.

I was extremely impressed with Jessica from the start of my consultation and have recommended her to friends already. The consultation is a free 30 min session and I assumed that she would mainly sell me on mbaMission. However, she did so much more than that. I did my consultation 6 months prior to starting the application process and I asked her what I could do to strengthen my application. Because she had spent time looking into my resume and activities, she gave me actionable items which I did over the next 6 months that really strengthened my application with tangible examples – and that was even before I hired her!

I decided to apply to 6 schools and I do not believe that I could have done it without Jessica. The ability to send an essay off to Jessica and have her look at it with fresh eyes and a different and honest perspective was so valuable. Not only did it help me stay on track with timing throughout the process, but she also had a different perspective and would point out when I said something that didn’t make sense due to company/industry terminology, didn’t answer the school’s question or was not my best work.

Her ability to answer quick questions that would have taken me valuable time to research (and who knows if I would’ve gotten the correct answer) and help me with interview prep kept me sane through the process and helped me feel confident and prepared during the interviews.

I think that the brainstorming sessions however, were where Jessica really went above and beyond my expectations. My brainstorming doc was a total of 26 pages full of disjointed random things and stories. I was so impressed how Jessica was able to connect my work, health situation, volunteer, and family experiences all into one strong story full of rich, measurable, tangible examples. She even pulled some great quotes from my doc that I used as my intros to many of my essays! The story she helped me create really painted the best picture of me as a candidate and enabled me to get into one of my top schools which I am so excited to attend!

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I had finished my GMAT and was in the essay-writing phase of my application when I first spoke with Jessica. I took the 30 minute trial to see if speaking with a consultant (specifically one who had helped others get into my dream school) would help me structure some of my thoughts. It did so much more.

My call with Jessica was very warm and friendly, but we actually didn't spend time "small-talking." Instead, Jessica asked how she could help and, when I told her that I needed some help organizing my thoughts for my essay, she asked why I wanted to go to school. I spoke for a few minutes (with Jessica listening intently and asking a few questions here and there). As soon as I rambled through my explanation, Jessica matter-of-factly followed with: "Okay, here's what I would do. Make your intro about X. Take this angle or that angle, whichever feels better. Follow with points A, B, and C, and conclude saying Y. That's how I'd structure it. What do you think?"

It was the most productive half hour I'd had in my whole experience applying. I ended the call action items, to-do's, feedback, and more from someone who I had just met but who knew exactly what I needed to make my application better.

I ended up purchasing more hours so that I could get Jessica's help trimming down my very long essays. She did so much more: she called out examples that seemed weak, encouraged me to elaborate on ideas that made my essays unique, and helped me clarify the main points of each of my essays. From that phone call all the way through edits of letters while I was on the waitlist, Jessica guided me in a way that was incredibly constructive and efficient.

I am so grateful that I met Jessica and had her help. She went above and beyond with my timelines and, when I eventually got in, I could practically hear her shouting in excitement with me!

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I worked with Jessica from July 2014 until March of this year. I purchased a 5 school all-inclusive package. With an overrepresented background, consulting, and a very hectic schedule, I wanted guidance as well as a “project manager” of sorts as support throughout the entire process.

Jessica is fantastic, if you are lucky enough to get her while she still has room, pay your initial deposit immediately and process everything later – she is the best. I met with other firms, and none of them even come close to what I found with Jessica. Other firms used scare tactics, like “oh you went to a state school, so we’ll address that” to “you are on the younger side so we can use this as a trial run.” On the other hand, Jessica never did this; she reviewed all the materials I submitted and listened to what I had to say and immediately saw what should be capitalized on my applications. Instead of saying state school, Jessica said, “with such a strong GPA and your M&A experience it will be easy to highlight.”

My essays were very personal in nature, and Jessica took this seriously, considering the sensitive nature and the personal side this revealed on my applications. Every essay for every school was different, even if the questions were nearly identical. I so appreciate Jessica’s time and thoughtfulness with the countless reviews. Jessica helps you describe your most important themes in the most concise and direct manner. Jessica knows the personalities of every school and ensures each client presents their best story at each school.

When you sign up with Jessica be ready for direct and honest feedback. It is something that I so appreciated with her, but it isn’t always an easy process. Jessica always remains professional and believes in everyone she works with.

Outside of just the application materials, Jessica was invaluable during the interview process. I received interviews at every school and Jessica was on point with the questions she used in each of our prep sessions. In addition, Jessica’s advice was a necessity in navigating the relationships that are made at each school, from post-interview notes to job changes during the admissions process.

Jessica is one of a kind, she helped me craft my admissions story to be one that allowed me to choose from two of the top three MBA programs.

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After feeling disappointed after my first GMAT test, I decided to take a break and learn more about the mba admission process and I was unsure whether I should apply this upcoming year. I decided to attend a free webinar session with mbaMission which was led by Jessica Shklar. I was immediately blown away by all the examples and testimonies about how to “tell your story” effectively. After the free webinar, I quickly requested Jessica to try out the 30 minute consultation. We met immediately the next day and she went over my profile, resume, and scores. Just within that first session, she told me I had a very unique and interesting background and said I had a great story to tell.

I had done some free sessions with some other consultants but Jessica’s thorough analysis, honesty, and encouragement was what sold me. I was only going to apply to 2 top-tier part time mba schools so I wanted to make sure my applications were solid the first time. Throughout the whole process, Jessica has given me the ability to successfully craft my story in a way that delivers effectively and creatively. She is able to pinpoint and highlight strengths you would not have thought of. I even crammed a last minute second application in less than 5 days and Jessica was able to guide me through it all - and the best part of it all, I got in! From the brainstorming sessions to our daily communication, Jess has been prompt, responsive, and critical in each step of the way. I ended up getting into one of the 2 schools that I applied to but I don’t think I would’ve had the confidence to apply this year if it wasn’t for Jess. I would highly recommend investing in mbaMission and request her if you can!

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Jessica came highly recommended from a close friend who had also enlisted her services, and she did not disappoint. Having helped the friend get into 2 top 10 MBA programs, I had confidence that I was in good hands, however, Jessica far exceeded my expectations.

When Jessica and I started working together, I was in the midst of an overseas deployment, and knew that my dealings would be a little more difficult than what she was used too - she never missed a beat. Additionally, I informed Jessica from the get-go that I would only be applying to 1 business school, at least for the first round. Where I would have expected some reservations or cynicism, given that many philosophies are to cast a wide net and if you are fortunate enough to get into multiple programs you have some high-quality problems, Jessica was absolutely willing, and even encouraged the selection of only the school I was truly interested in.

The process that mbaMission utilizes is tried and true, and I immediately saw the value-added in the organization of my resume and story into a cohesive narrative, which when completed was able to highlight the strengths and characteristics that most benefitted my application. After completing and organizing the the initial data mining, we jumped right into the essays. There was no draft limit on the number of revisions we worked with, some essays needing more work than the others, but the ability to make the story as concise and strong as possible is what I truly benefitted from. Jessica was able to weed through the chaff of my initial drafts and my finished products were 1st class essays that wasted no words. The best part of the essay editing is that while my essays were stronger because of the editing, the tone and story never changed from that of my own voice. Jessica's work was strictly edits and suggestions and never mandates or complete revisions of my thoughts. Because of this, when I submitted my final application I was proud of MY work and knew the admissions committee was meeting me as an applicant.

I highly recommend the mbaMission admissions consulting process, and if you are lucky enough that Jessica can squeeze you in as a client, don't hesitate, you will not be disappointed.

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Choosing Jessica Shklar (and mbaMission) as my admissions consultant was the best decision I made in my application process.

After researching many admissions consulting firms, mbaMission rose to the top for two reasons: 1) the numerous outstanding reviews I read on admissions websites/ blogs 2) the recommendation from Manhattan GMAT, a company I trusted after success with their course. I combed numerous websites, and found many mbaMission testimonials that touted Jessica, so I set up my free consultation with her. I had previously completed free consults with other prominent firms, but after spending 30 minutes with Jessica, I knew I wanted to work with her. Jessica came very well prepared, having carefully studied my resume prior to our initial meeting. I was impressed by how personal she was and how she carefully tailored all her questions/ comments/ advice around the nuances that were important to my story.

Jessica’s credentials are impressive and reviews from her former clients were exceptional, but what made her distinctly valuable to my applications was her ability to help me capture who I am on paper. After brainstorming with me and reviewing some of my drafts, Jessica encouraged me to write one of my essays about a very tricky subject – my faith – because it’s a very important part of who I am. Working with a delicate topic, Jessica helped me compose a deeply personal essay that was not offensive yet remained true to what I believe. Without Jessica, I wouldn’t have even attempted to write on my faith. Yet with her help, the essay I eventually produced was outstanding because it was uniquely me. The essay Jessica helped me craft added immense depth to my application and helped me come alive from a ‘flat’ file.

The result: I was accepted – and am matriculating – to Chicago Booth with a half tuition scholarship. A year ago, I would have considered myself to be a ‘coin-flip’ decision at Wharton/ Booth/ Kellogg. With Jessica’s help, I was accepted to 2 of the 3 and waitlisted at the other.

Sure, the cost of a consultant is expensive. But against the bigger picture of spending six figures on b-school, it’s a worthwhile investment. For me, the cost of a top-notch admissions consultant like Jessica paid returns (10x), as I’m convinced I wouldn’t have received the large scholarship I did without her.

Without reservation, I highly recommend Jessica Shklar to any applicant considering a top business school.

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Jessica,

As I am preparing to head toward my target school, I want to seize the opportunity to publicly thank you.

-Thank you for the incredible support you gave me above and beyond your professional duties!
-Thank you for giving me the power to believe in myself in the good as well as in the bad times.
-Thank you for the faith you placed in me and for building-up my self-confidence by uncovering the qualities and abilities that set me up apart as a truly competitive candidate.

You played a critical role in my admissions at Wharton and Harvard and I realize that none of those accomplishments would have been possible without you.

I had the chance to work with you and I could write a whole essay explaining how potent an asset you are…but most reassuring to me is that I now know that I have someone like you by my side and that I can count on you at any time.


THANK YOU

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