Rachel Beck Reviews

I had never used a consultant before applying to business school, but given my position as an untraditional candidate, I am not sure I would have gained entry to Columbia Business School without the expertise of Rachel Beck at mbaMission.

Despite Rachel's own standing as an alum of CBS, she knows a tremendous amount about the business school industry at large and was extremely deft at reading my own potentiality as an applicant from that first free consultation.

Before this experience, I had stereotyped consultants on being generalists under the guise of being experts, but Rachel learned my background more than any mentor even had. Even though she knew Columbia as a former student and as a consultant, she familiarized herself with minutiae of with the school's budding social enterprise club and leadership programs--two areas I was interested in.

Even though I used the "a la carte" services via mbaMission, Rachel answered my every impromptu question about the process--going beyond her job description and the services I was entitled for--and almost always she would respond within a 24 hour period to boot.

I primarily used Rachel as a consultant for honing my resume and essays, but she was instrumental in helping me prepare for informal interviews with staff and my official interview for Columbia. She was thoughtful in tailoring her responses to any question or situation for me Mollie as a candidate--I cannot emphasize this enough.

As stressful as this process is, Rachel helped me manage my own mental headspace and timeline.
Like others below, I recommend reaching out to Rachel in the early spring before your application is due. As a writer, I struggled with the composition of my written components--I was often too emotional and close to the subjects I was writing about and I was very attached to Columbia; I could not always see my deliverables objectively and that's where Rachel came in--she did not dismiss any part of my story or argument, but she helped me with an economy of language, she helped me with the "so what." We did about 7 drafts for each product and though it was humbling, I have never been prouder of an application in its completion. Speaking candidly, she can be blunt in her criticism of one's writing, but trust me: she's on the money.

In sum, Rachel Beck was a true part of my application to business school and she is part of my success in getting in.

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Whether you think you need a consultant or not, everyone, and I mean everyone, should at least have a free consultation. There is no special formula to guarantee admission, but having someone with experience is invaluable. I truly believe that Rachel and I put together my best possible candidacy.

This isn't Rachel's first rodeo and mbaMission definitely takes notes on attributes, application approaches and experiences that has made past candidates successful - so when Rachel makes a suggestion, it comes with insight and knowledge that only someone with experience can provide. It's OK to disagree with Rachel and she is very open to your opinion, but at the same time trust her.

The application process is a marathon, not a sprint, and you two are a team. Rachel takes time to fully digest your life story - from childhood to the time of your candidacy - in order to highlight themes, interesting facts and other strong points. In order for you two to be successful at putting together your best application, the appropriate time is needed for the process to work. Rachel maintains constant communication throughout the process to help guide you as you construct your application(s).

Interview preparation in general is awkward. No matter how bad you want cancel the Skype interview prep with Rachel, fight through it. Nailing the actual interview with the school is so important and there is a fine line between sounding like a robot - and having automated responses - and being well-versed in the practice of interviews. Rachel provides great advice on how to structure responses (yes, even the order for sub-bullets of a response) to help the response flow smoothly or tease future responses, which may help guide the interview in your favor.

Highly recommend reaching out to Rachel if you're new to the MBA application process. Also, starting the application process in April or May will help. You will be surprised how fast spots fill and how detailed this process will be. Most likely you will be working full-time through it all, so allow time for Rachel to do her work and try not submit a first draft a week before the deadline. Rachel and I had 10+ drafts on everything. I think the results from my applications are objective proof of the time and care that the team, Rachel and I, put into everything.

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Summary: Rachel helped me gain admittance to my dream school, Wharton! If you are contemplating the benefits of using a consultant, I would tell you to stop thinking about it and begin working with Rachel. Without Rachel's guidance and encouragement - I would not have even applied to my first choice school.

My Story: As I began the application process for MBA programs, I had a few friends suggest that I look to leverage an admissions consultant. Skeptical at first, but figured I had nothing to lose by a conversation, I scheduled two free 30 minute sessions; one with a competitor company and another with Rachel. As I was pleased with my first conversation with a competitor, I had high expectations before I got on the phone with Rachel. From the first 5 minutes of my conversation with Rachel, I knew she was the person I wanted to work with. Not only was Rachel familiar with the information I supplied before my consult - she came with recommendations and suggestions - something I did not expect from a free session. I thought my GMAT score would limit me on gaining acceptance to a top-tier program, but with Rachel's encouragement, I immediately began working with Rachel on my application and essays to Wharton.

Throughout the process, Rachel was my cheerleader, mentor, and personal coach. Rachel was extremely timely on providing thoughtful, candid feedback (in a good way) and challenged me to present my "best self" in my application. Rachel has a brilliant approach to storytelling and creating a coherent narrative. Rachel took the stress out of the application process for me and helped me achieve my goal of gaining acceptance to a top-tier MBA program.

I cannot thank Rachel enough for encouraging me to apply to my dream school, guiding me throughout the entire process, and helping me gain acceptance. Rachel exceeded every expectation I had and I would highly recommend Rachel to anyone who is considering applying to business school.

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Personal background: International applicant, Female, BB IBD, liberal undergrad, low GMAT(720, which is a weakness compared to the Asian pool), Re-applicant (first tried in R2'2017 but failed), Accomplished a few work and non-work initiatives between R2'2017 to R1'2018 and also got a stronger endorsement from current / previous supervisors

School package - worked on 3 schools (Booth-reapplicant; Wharton-reapplicant; Columbia-Early decision) with Rachel

Rachel is very helpful and patient in helping me go through the application process in 2017. After the "disaster" in the R2'2017, Rachel helped me regain the self-confidence and reshape a better appearance before the AdCom.
Just like what I've done in investment banking, there are a few investment highlights that you should choose Rachel as your admission consultant.

- Efficient and effective working pattern: Rachel is very punctual on turnaround time, which is less than 24 hours. She always uses efficient tools to track our back-and-forth edits and comments; also she is very helpful in addressing any application-related issues and ideas that came into my mind.

- Professional writing as an ex-reporter: As an intl. applicant whose mother tongue is not English, I was worried about my writing. Rachel helped me a lot on this part - she would help rephrase my ideas into a more succinct and native way.

- Great communicator in brainstorming session: Rachel is very proactive in expressing her ideas and comments which she concluded from my prior experiences. I have to admit that applicants sometimes would neglect those shining points which are very valuable from an Adcom's perspective. Rachel is very helpful in giving me guidance to "plunge deeper" into myself.

After initial setback / ding from Columbia Early Decision, Rachel assured me to remain confident and carry out the plan. I feel grateful that our joint efforts finally won me the ticket to four bschools - Kellogg, Berkeley Haas, INSEAD, and Darden. I have decided to go to Kellogg!

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Rachel was instrumental in my admission to Wharton and Columbia. I was applying to MBA programs while based in the Middle East and traveling globally, and Rachel was incredibly responsive and flexible to my timing needs. I also had a unique story to communicate to MBA programs and Rachel was adept at helping me craft it effectively in a way that would really speak to AdComs. Rachel gives you 110% of her focus in every step of the application, from brainstorming essay ideas to prepping for interviews to choosing between acceptances. I truly don't think I would have been accepted to my top programs if it wasn't for Rachel. She makes a very stressful process manageable and makes it her priority to set you up for the most successful outcome possible.

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I recently worked with Rachel on a 3 school package for Round 1 in the Fall of 2017. I would strongly recommend using Rachel for any candidate considering using an admissions consultant to guide you through the process.

Rachel made what is an extremely stressful and hectic process feel very seamless. From our first brainstorm call through submission of the applications, she helps you stay on top of all of your tasks, which can pile up as the process unfolds, while also making sure you are putting on the best impression for admission committees. For me, Rachel's guidance on the application essays was most critical. Where my essay's ended versus where they would have been had I had not worked with Rachel is truly night and day.

Now, candidates who plan to use a consultant should be aware that you still need to come prepared to work, and work hard. Rachel and other consultants can guide, navigate and keep you organized and on task, but you need to do the work.

I ended up getting into my top choice program and will be enrolling in the Fall of 2018. Surely, Rachel's help was a huge factor for my being admitted to my dream program.

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Before Rachel was recommended to me, I had interviewed two other consultants who also came highly regarded. I hadn’t been impressed with either and when I spoke with Rachel I knew instantly it was a fit. I told her my concerns: I needed someone who would respond in a timely manner and who would help me craft my story. Rachel set clear expectations from the get-go about turnaround time and she instilled confidence in me that I had a good story to share.
From a personal standpoint, I didn’t need someone who would help me research schools and programs. I had done that on my own. Rachel is unique given her editorial background and she is a journalist by nature. That is exactly what I needed. I wanted someone who would help me brainstorm ideas for essays and give me editorial help. Rachel surpassed all expectations when it came to that. I always felt she was honest and if she didn’t feel like the story made sense or the essay wasn’t quite there she was very candid. The entire process was collaborative and with Rachel a lot less dauting.
This review wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t share a personal anecdote. The GMAT was not something that came easy to me. I wound up having to take it multiple times until I received a score I felt would not hinder me from getting accepted. Just as I was about to give up after my second time Rachel was my personal cheerleader and kept me going. She helped strategize with me regarding the school’s deadline and still taking the 3rd test in time. I can say without hesitation that if Rachel was not my consultant I would have given up on the entire process. I knew I was paying for the editorial help and brainstorming sessions. However, what I received in return was so much more.
I cannot recommend Rachel enough for her creativity, her brilliance in crafting stories, and her ability to serve as a personal coach throughout the entire process in areas one might not expect!! Do not even hesitate when choosing an advisor. I can guarantee you all expectations will be exceeded with Rachel!

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I interviewed three other MBA consulting firms, but only Rachel at mbaMission clearly pointed out my weaknesses during the one-hour consultation. Her confidence, background in Journalism and being a CBS grad herself really made her stand out from others. After the consultation, I decided to sign up for the one school package with Rachel and was accepted to CBS couple months later.

Rachel was amazing to work with from start to finish. She was very organized and set up clear expectations at the very beginning. I was very stressful during the brainstorming process but it’s Rachel who helped me to pick out the most critical pieces of experience, crafted them into story and connected them throughout my application. She knows how to tackle the essays well and understands what admission officers are looking for. She is not only an phenomenal writer but an incredible story teller.

Throughout the process, Rachel was always supportive, honest and critical. She replied to emails, questions and essay drafts promptly and provided candid feedback. When it came to interview preparation, Rachel herself was once an interviewer so she was able to provide lots of useful tips. We had a mock interview over the phone and I was able to receive real-time feedback, which really helped me to succeed at the actual interview.

Overall, it’s a great experience working with Rachel and it wouldn’t have been possible without her.

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Idea generation for the essays was the hardest part of the entire application process. Rachel made it a breeze. She read through my brainstorm document in detail, and really listened to me before distilling my life stories down to a single theme. When I didn’t think I had anything special, Rachel saw the best in me and helped me pick out episodes in my life that really highlighted my strength. Thanks to her heavy lifting at the beginning, I did not feel stressed despite only starting to write the essays one month before the deadlines.

Throughout the process, Rachel was upfront but respectful, persistent but not pushy. During my moments of panic (e.g. after I thought I screwed up my interview) and self doubt, she was the one that stayed focused and helped me get back on track. She was instrumental in helping me get into HBS.

I also liked mbaMission’s systematic approach. After hearing from other friends about the services that they used, I feel like mbaMission’s framework really helped me save a lot of time throughout the process.

I highly recommend Rachel and mbaMission to anyone who considers business school!

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I had a fantastic experience working with Rachel Beck. She was easy to reach, and very clear about her expectations. To all those thinking about applying and using a consulting service, recognize that it will still be a lot of work. Ultimately, you are writing the essays. That said, Rachel did a great job of helping me organize my stories, thinking through how to structure the essays, and editing to make sure that I'm really putting my best foot forward. For me, it took out almost all of the uncertainty, and allowed me to focus on writing something that is impactful and meaningful. Totally worth it.

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