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Kate Richardson earned her MBA from the University of
Chicago’s Booth School of Business and has a BS in psychology from the
University of Illinois. After earning her MBA, Kate worked for several years in
management consulting at Axiom Consulting Partners, a boutique strategy
execution firm. Kate’s work at Axiom focused on ensuring that clients had the
right organization and talent in place to execute their business strategies. As
a principal with the firm, she also co-managed its recruiting program,
including hiring MBA interns, and mentored entry-level consultants. While at
Chicago Booth, Kate was actively involved in the Business Solutions Group and
the Dean’s Student Admissions Committee and was also an Admissions Fellow,
reading applications and conducting on-campus interviews. Kate has remained
involved in the Chicago Booth community since graduating by serving as
communications chair for the Booth Alumni Club of DC and as an alumni
admissions interviewer. Before attending business school, Kate worked in human
resources for Pepco Energy Services and KPMG. Kate brings a passion for identifying
and developing future business leaders to her work at mbaMission. Originally
from the Chicago area and having spent most of her professional career in
Washington, DC, Kate now lives in Columbia, South Carolina.
Product mbaMission School Package
Consultant Kate Richardson
I started evaluating MBA Admissions Consultants right after I took the GMAT and had gotten a score I was happy with. I did free intro calls with consultants at several different companies. During that first call with Kate, it was clear she was genuinely trying to get to know my background and my aspirations, rather than pitch the service, which I really appreciated. She spoke with me much longer, and in much more detail than any of the other consultants at other companies I spoke with, so she and MBAmission was the clear choice. I worked on full packages for two schools with her (everything other than GMAT prep). We started with lengthy conversations about which schools to choose based on my interests, and realistic prospects of acceptance. Kate was very upfront about my strengths and weaknesses, and how these could be viewed by different schools. Then, knowing the challenges full well, I decided I only wanted to apply to two Top 20 stretch schools. Kate assured me she would do everything possible to set me up for success, and indeed she did. She was incredibly helpful with essays and application short answer questions, helping to identify my best personal stories to use, and how best to present them. Over multiple months, we had many phone and UberConference talking over drafts, and Kate was extremely flexible in working around my schedule. When the dates came to submit, I felt confident I had done everything I could to put together my best applications possible. Then as I waited, Kate continued to strategize with me about what could be done should different outcomes occur. This frequent communication alleviated much of my stress, as it was great to know Kate had plans of how to assist further, regardless of the outcome. When the interview offer for my preferred school did come, Kate was among the first people I told. We immediately jumped into interview prep, and Kate's wealth of interview resources and experience were invaluable. When the interview day came, I again felt I was as prepared as I could be, and went in confidently and (relatively) stress-free. Afterwards, once again Kate and I discussed ideas for how to set my thinking going forward. But at that point it wasn’t necessary, as just a couple weeks after interviewing I received my offer of admission to my top choice school! Thanks for all the help Kate!
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Product mbaMission Hourly Services
Consultant Kate Richardson
I was recently admitted to HBS, Wharton, Tuck and Kellogg and this would not have been possible without Kate's guidance.
I worked with Kate early on to identify key themes for my essays and to craft my responses in ways that were clear, powerful and tailored to characteristics and themes relevant to each MBA program.
Kate's insights were supportive, directive and timely. Iterating on my essays with Kate allowed me to hone my written responses and in doing so, helped me narrate my story for interviews as well. mbaMission's school specific and interview prep materials were also incredibly helpful in my process and continue to be as I transition from MBA applicant to MBA student.
During a very stressful / time intensive process, I always felt better knowing Kate was "on my side" and felt comfortable reaching out with any question, big or small.
I would recommend Kate's services to any MBA candidates, at any step in their process!
Product mbaMission Hourly Services
Consultant Kate Richardson
If you're looking for a quick takeaway: Kate is amazing and you should feel absolutely confident in putting your MBA fate in her hands.
Kate was recommended to me by a colleague who had worked with her (and gotten into his first choice) last year. As my colleague had suggested, Kate was extremely helpful in vetting out good and bad ideas, providing concrete feedback without disrupting my voice in essays, and offering sound advice on all other questions or concerns I had from start to finish (and I had MANY). She gave me very detailed answers to all my 1AM emails regarding my strategy, school specific questions, financial aid, interview prep, etc. I can go on, but bottom line is having someone like Kate, who is so knowledgeable about the process really helps alleviate the stress, and it also doesn't hurt that she's super pleasant to work with. Plus, she got me into my first choice school as well, so that's 2/2 from my firm!
Product mbaMission School Package
Consultant Kate Richardson
I signed up for the Complete Start-to-Finish package with mbaMission and Kate Richardson was my assigned consultant. Kate supported me in applying to two schools (both Top 20) and I was thrilled to have received an offer from one of them! Kate is a very passionate and caring consultant. She guided me through the admission process and was very responsive - which helped take a lot of pressure off the process. It all started with a brainstorming sheet, which enabled Kate to understand my background and my career aspirations. She was very thoughtful and always gave me advice based on the points I wrote in the brainstorming sheet, which greatly helped me in crafting my unique "why MBA" story. I would definitely recommend Kate to anyone applying to a top MBA program!
Product mbaMission School Package
Consultant Kate Richardson
I worked with Kate Richardson from mbaMission for my applications. I knew a lot of people who graduated from different MBA schools, felt that I needed a person who is in the know, day to day, and could alleviate some of the stress.
I don't want to say MBA application process wasn't stressful but mbaMission team and Kate made it as easy going as possible, almost enjoyable.
My process was slightly unconventional, I had left my full time job and have been working on my own consulting gig. Kate helped me position that best for all the applications.
When it came to answering questions, Kate was extremely responsive, and thoughtful. She responded to my emails in a few hours at most, and most of the time followed up with more research afterwards.
I also had a long waitlist period, during which Kate cheered for me, always provided me with tips on how to move forward. She would keep me up to date, tell me what she have heard from other schools / places.
And on a personal note, I felt comfortable with Kate; she was very personable, clearly enjoyed the coaching process, and took time to connect on a personal level.
In the end, I got into one of my dream schools and Kate helped me a lot during that too. I can't recommend working with her enough.
Product mbaMission Hourly Services
Consultant Kate Richardson
Due to Kate’s help, I was able to gain entrance into my top business school selection in the M7 (HSW). She came recommended from another consultant who thought she would be better help tell my story and had experience with this particular M7 school. She was instrumental in me understanding my key strengths for my business school application, and how to hone those stories into powerful narratives in my essays that would resonate with my recommenders and the adcom. I had very specific needs when I first met Kate, and that was to strengthen my essays and also convey my story for wanting to attend business school to my recommenders. In addition to multiple brainstorming sessions to lay out a strategic roadmap and timeline for my application, Kate helped me pick out specific work experiences that aligned with the ethos of the business school I wanted to attend. I found her help to be so impactful, that I decided to also gain her help with interview prep and application review. Due to her interview prep, I was able to catch a few questions that my interviewer had for me that I had not previously prepped for. While I don’t think it would have been a disaster had I not prepped for these questions, Kate’s helpful bank of questions and how she coached me through my responses real-time I owe to how successful my interview went. I highly recommend Kate if you want someone that will be honest with you, but will help elevate your story that resonates specifically to your school and needs.
Product mbaMission School Package
Consultant Kate Richardson
Working with Kate was a fantastic experience. I was recommended her services by a friend (Kellogg admit) with whom Kate worked the prior year and I was not disappointed in our partnership. Kate was friendly, honest and, perhaps most importantly, knew when to push back and how to continually drive the process forward.
Kate constantly provided timely advice and feedback, always willing to answer the smallest of questions at the drop of a hat, which provided me comfort during the process – a process which can easily overwhelm. Further, Kate had us sticking to a schedule that made me feel I was never falling behind.
Kate’s support and guidance were holistic in the process. When I was waitlisted at one of my target schools, Kate’s positivity was truly appreciated and I believe her insights into how to handle the process really did drive the positive result I received – admission!
Just like my friend did last year, I’d definitely recommend Kate’s (and mbaMission’s) services. When searching for consultants this time last year, I remember feeling like just another statistic to each of the firms I had consultations with. The conversations were blunt and almost strictly about the numbers (GPA, GMAT, etc.) – that was not the case with Kate. From the beginning, we built a strong relationship and reviewed my holistic story which I knew would lead to the results I was looking for.
Product mbaMission Hourly Services
Consultant Kate Richardson
When I made the decision to apply to business school nearly 2 years ago, I picked up a copy of the book "How To Get Into the Top MBA Programs". It was an incredibly long book and didn't provide me much help in setting a framework around the application process. I felt lost and overwhelmed. I knew I needed help but wasn't entirely sure where to turn.
I found mbaMission and was paired with Kate. After completing the free consultation, she made me feel far more at ease about tackling the applications. Most of all, she was 100% honest with me about my program choices and what I needed to do to position myself better. It was roughly 6 months later that we touched base again and decided to move forward with a partnership. After analyzing where I was in the process, we came to the decision that the Hourly Services would be most efficient with my timeline.
Over the course of the last year, Kate has been my guide through the application process. Everything they say about it is true: it's remarkably introspective, requires a great deal of time, forces you to put your best foot forward, and is incredibly detailed and tedious. I can say with confidence that I could not have done it without Kate. At each step of the process, she provided sound advice and direct, honest feedback. This is rare. Most people will hesitate to say anything outside of praise. Kate constantly helped me evaluate everything from large items such as essay drafts to minor details such as how many GPA decimal places to include. With her help, I was able to craft the best possible applications and was invited to interview at all 4 of my program choices, was admitted to 2, and have been waitlisted at 2.
I can’t say enough about Kate. She has an intimate knowledge of the top programs, she puts in time to thoughtfully review every aspect of your candidacy, she’s efficient with her time and has a quick turnaround when you need it. But most of all, she genuinely cares about her clients. I never felt as though I was just another name on a list. Kate took the time to understand who I am, what I’m looking for, and how I can get there. By focusing on that, my voice wasn’t lost in the process – rather, it was enhanced. She provided me with a different perspective that refined my applications in a unique way.
I spent roughly $3,500 on mbaMission’s services. While I was given access to a number of guides and inside information, the real value came from my interactions with Kate. It was worth every penny! I would recommend this service to anyone looking to apply to business school.
Product mbaMission Hourly Services
Consultant Kate Richardson
I am so glad that I decided to work with Kate - she is fantastic! She was instrumental in helping me craft my story for my MBA applications. She took the time to truly understand my story - my career aspirations, professional experience, personal achievements, interests, and my personality. She started by having a consultation with me in which she provided very honest and direct feedback, which was critical to my decision about which programs to apply to. She is very knowledgable about the top MBA programs, so she could speak to my fit with each program and helped me craft my story for each application.
I was initially hesitant to work with a consultant because I did not want my voice to be lost in the crafting of a narrative or the editing process. However, Kate is very thoughtful about how she provides feedback. She helps guide you in the right direction, but she does not take away your unique voice. In fact, she helps you bring it out in your application in ways you may not have identified. She also does not push her opinions on you - she shares her suggestions, but lets you decide what is best for you.
One very important part of why I had such a great experience working with Kate is that she never made me feel like our time together - whether on the phone or in email - was ticking away without moving the needle forward. It goes without saying that purchasing consultative hours or a school package is a big financial investment, so you want to be confident that you're getting the most out of it. I absolutely felt that way with Kate.
In the end, I was admitted to my top choices! Thanks to Kate for all of her help!
Product mbaMission School Package
Consultant Kate Richardson
Kate was instrumental in helping me craft my story for my MBA applications. I did not have a business background and she helped me make my experience marketable and relevant for an MBA admissions committee. Having a professional available for feedback on all aspects of the application really streamlined the process, and Kate was always quick to respond with quality insights. I avoided countless hours of research and essay tinkering with Kate’s knowledge and unbiased input.
Kate was always provided objective feedback in a friendly manner, making the introspection and reflection and enjoyable process. I would highly recommend Kate for admissions consulting services.