As someone without a unique background, when I first started planning for my business school applications, I knew that I wanted to use the absolute best admissions consultant in the industry. I conducted extensive research, vetting senior consultants at many of the well-known admissions consulting firms, and then I found Katy. What drew me to Katy was her personal expertise with my top choice schools (Stanford, Harvard), an approach focused on deep personal reflection and thematic synthesis, and her track record of success. After our first phone call, I was sure that I had the very best thought partner available in the industry at my side.

Katy and I began working together by brainstorming a detailed framework that examined a wide range of my life experiences. From there, Katy was instrumental in helping me make connections across disparate parts of my experiences, allowing me to tease out compelling nuances that highlighted my unique decision making processes and internal motivations. As the outline of my essays took shape, Katy worked closely with me to think through trade-offs around what messages to focus on, how to succinctly and powerfully express these messages within constrained word counts, and ensure that every aspect of the application summed to whole that was more than the sum of its parts. And what was especially helpful about Katy is that she applied a rigorous intensity of feedback to not just my essays, but to all parts of my application, including my resume, preparation for my recommenders, and my interview preparation. By the end of all of our iteration and preparation together, I had confidence that I was expressing my best possible self to the admissions committees.

With Katy’s counsel, I applied to both Stanford and Harvard, and was accepted to both schools in round 1.

Looking back on these 12 months, I can say with confidence that working with Katy was one of the best professional decisions that I have ever made. I believe that Katy’s storytelling acumen, tactical experience borne from her decades of advising, and her willingness to go the extra mile for her clients quite simply make Katy the leading admissions consultant in the industry – period.

If you are seeking to be accepted into a top business school, I cannot recommend Katy enough.

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I’m not someone who likes to spend money, so choosing to hire an admissions consultant seemed outrageous to me. However, I told myself I would only go through the application cycle once and would give it my very best shot. By hiring Krista, I knew I was giving it my all. In hindsight, it’s hard to tell what actually got me into various schools (Berkeley Haas, Yale SOM, and Michigan Ross), but I knew by using an admissions consultant I was putting my very best foot forward. If I were to do the process all over again, I would not change a thing.

I decided to go with Krista because we shared a common interest of international travel and I felt that she would take the time to get to know me. I realized this after our initial free 30-minute consultation. I wasn’t wrong and am so happy with my decision to work with Krista for my MBA applications. I felt like Krista took the time to get to know me and cares about the people she works with. A great tool mbaMission provides is a brainstorming document to populate prior to beginning any applications. The document takes over 10 hours to complete and seems like a bit of a waste when you’re spending so much time on something that isn’t directly writing essays. However, this document helped Krista get to know me and really understand me from a personal and professional perspective.

I worked with Krista on three schools (two of which I was admitted to). The feedback Krista provided was always extremely helpful. Even when I received conflicting feedback from other reviewers, Krista was able and willing to reason through everything with me. Krista served as my source of truth with a helpful yes or no answer to all my questions. She placed more emphasis and care on me as a person, wanting me to submit applications I felt were my very best. Not once did I feel like her “client”. Krista made time for various discussions about my essays and future applications. One of the things I liked most about using an admissions consultant was the timeline they’re able to keep you on. I was able to start my applications at the beginning of July and take a two week break in September before submitting. This helped to spread out the work and ensure I was not doing everything last minute. Krista always kept to the two-day turn around promise.

I thoroughly enjoyed working with Krista and feel like I’ve gained a fantastic mentor in the process. I can’t recommend working with her enough!

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I spoke with many admissions consultants prior to meeting Katy from mbaMission. We clicked instantly. Two things about her stood out to me:

First and foremost, her honesty. Right from the start she was crystal clear about everything I needed to do in order to maximize my chances of getting into the top programs. Although some of things she asked me to do required a lot of work (like re-taking the GMAT), I am glad I listened to her. All throughout the application process, Katy was instrumental in helping me highlight the strong aspects of my profile, as well as address any potential weaknesses.

Second, her genuine care. Katy's unconditional support helped me get through the mentally and emotionally demanding MBA application process. In every step of the process - from GMAT preparation to final school selection - Katy was there to make sure I was OK and giving my very best. As a non-native English speaker, I found her essay reviews very helpful. She helped me articulate everything I wanted to tell admissions officers into concise messages. Interview preparation was also outstanding - many of the things she asked me during our prep sessions came up in the actual interviews!

The results speak for themselves: I applied to 5 different schools (Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth, and Kellogg) and received acceptances from all 5. I also received substantial fellowships from several schools. Katy was instrumental in helping me achieve this, I'm incredibly grateful for her support. If you are looking for an admissions consultant that will have your back through the ups and downs of the application process, Katy is your person.

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Helen was essential in my business school application process. When I started working with Helen, I was already significantly behind the recommended Round 1 timeline, but Helen helped at every step along the way and pushed me develop two strong applications in only a couple of months to get my application in by the R1 deadline! Helen was particularly helpful in brainstorming essay topics, thinking strategically about recommenders, generally making sure that all of my ducks were in a row come application submission time, and interview preparation / mock interviews. Helen helped me achieve my goal of getting into all of my schools of interest, and I could not recommend her highly enough!

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Background
I graduated from a top 10 UK university with okay grades (graduated with a 2.1). Following university I worked within financial advisory at one of the Big Four. Having grown up in the UK, I wanted to use a consultant as I was not familiar with the US system and had no real idea how competitive I would be at some of the leading schools.
Overview of experience
Kate was absolutely AMAZING, I definitely could not have gone through my process without her!! I began chatting with Kate in 2018 after signing up for the pre-application strategy service; I wanted to learn more about the US process and bounce ideas as I researched more about US MBA programs. She was readily available when I had questions and would also occasionally check in if she hadn’t heard from me in a while (she continued to check in until I finally decided in apply 1year+ later).
I choose to work with Kate as she showed a genuine interest in wanting to help me and looked beyond my statistics; I decided that I only wanted to apply to M7 schools and when undertaking free consultant consultations, a number of them focused on GMAT and employer when advising on schools.
Kate and I began officially working together in 2019. I applied to 5 schools in round 1 which was both a lot of pressure and work, however, Kate’s flexible approach allowed me to work on multiple applications seamlessly. If you are looking for someone that is really invested in you achieving your milestones, Kate is your consultant. She was very dedicated to ensuring I completed key work streams at the agreed date and times; and was always prompt in providing feedback (due to careful planning, I was able to get instant feedback at times on my essays!).
Kate was instrumental in helping me portray my story in a compelling way and showed patience (I was clear on how I wanted certain aspects of my essay to come across, which at times created extra work when it came to streamlining and trimming my essays).
Kate was supportive during the process, particularly when I got my first two dings and her encouragement kept me going. Ultimately, I ended up getting into my dream school and will be attending HBS in the fall!
I would highly recommend Kate to anyone looking for a consultant to help them on their MBA journey!!

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Background: econ undergrad to investment banking to private equity. Applied to HBS and GSB. Received interviews at both schools (GSB R1, HBS deferred R1, interview R2), and was admitted to GSB (did not take HBS interview).

I was looking for a consultant who would a) walk me through the process of the application to limit effort on my end, b) provide constructive criticism on the essays, and c) keep me on track to submit so I don't pull an all-nighter the night before. Julie-Anne certainly filled all of those roles for me. I would say that she stood out the most in regards to the essay writing, where she was extremely helpful with brainstorming constructs, as well as giving me the hard feedback of when I totally needed to scrap an essay (which with hindsight, was the right call!).

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Melissa is a ROCK STAR admissions consultant – she was absolutely fantastic, from start to finish. She walked me through the application process step-by-step, offering crystal clear guidance on our timeline and working relationship. Through the brainstorm exercise, she provided a comprehensive assessment of my profile and helped me craft a cohesive narrative around my candidacy – it was a crucial step that put me in a rock-solid position to succeed going forward. Once we winnowed down my target list of schools, Melissa helped me thoroughly understand what each school looked for in prospective students. With that in mind, we were able to further tailor my candidacy – she later provided strategic and tactical advice on my essays, helping me hone my structure, theme, and tone. The final product was airtight – clear, concise, and compelling. Melissa also helped polish me for interviews as well, providing detailed insights into who might interview me, what questions I should expect, and how I should answer them. It’s that laser-focused attention to detail that helped me prepare for softballs and curveballs in the interview process. And after I secured my acceptances, she helped me weigh my decision and tackle post-acceptance logistics (e.g. deposits, scholarships). Throughout the cycle, she was remarkably responsive, specific, and compassionate – her work ethic and interpersonal skills made the process painless. Overall, I cannot overstate Melissa’s tremendous value – she is a phenomenal resource and I’m so lucky to have been paired with her. She’s worth every penny!!

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It is my great pleasure that I enthusiastically recommend Harshad Mali to the highest degree as a MBA consultant.

There are three aspects to know about Harshad:

1. Harshad knows the MBA process on an intimate level. Regardless of what question I had about the GMAT, business schools, application process, essays, etc, Harshad always had the right answer for me. He has true expertise and a deep knowledge pool that he wants to share with his clients.

2. Harshad will bring out the best in you. Like all great coaches, Harshad does not try to change who you are. Rather, he brings out your best traits and works with you to highlight them in your MBA application and put you in the best position to be accepted to the school of your dreams. He knows how to "check all the boxes" that business schools look for, while making sure you stand out from your competition.

3. Harshad is a person of the highest character. His communication is direct and honest, always pushing you to be the best version of yourself. Most importantly, he cares to a profound degree. Your success is his success and it is tangible in his interactions.

If you view an MBA as an investment and want to ensure you give yourself the highest chance of admittance, I highly recommend you stop what you are doing and reach out to Harshad. Harshad is exceptional!

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I worked with Katy to prepare for my R1 HBS interview and I can't say enough about the experience. She's extremely knowledgeable about the application/interview/admissions process and knew exactly where to push me in my prep. We did two mock interviews where she drilled me on my professional experience, extracurricular activities and post-MBA goals. The mock interviews closely resembled what my actual HBS interview experience was like, with several questions / themes resurfacing during the real thing. She gave detailed advise as to how I should position myself given my background and professional experience (white male, private equity, etc.). I especially appreciated the fact that I never felt like I was "on the clock" with her - she genuinely wanted me to succeed and was willing to do whatever it took to help me prepare. Overall, Katy was extremely helpful in my MBA application process and I would highly recommend working with her.

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Working with Helen was awesome! I had had experience with an independent consultant the year prior, and I can’t believe the difference. Working with a below 700 GMAT, I knew I had to tell my story very strategically in order to reach my T10 goal, and Helen helped me do exactly that.

Helen was incredibly friendly, yet honest and direct when my work or approach was less than she expected of me. She also made me dig deep to find my story and even helped me have a clear sense of where I wanted to go in the future. Turnaround time was outstanding, in that I NEVER had to wait for the turnaround policy specified on the welcome package because Helen was so responsive. She was also very patient with me considering that I often made last minute changes or came up with new ideas for essays that had already been revised.

Helen was not only outstanding professionally, but she also made me feel like I had a new friend—she got as excited as I did whenever I received good news! But let the results speak for themselves. The year before, I had applied to one M7 and didn’t even get an interview. With Helen, I applied to three other M7s and a top 10 (U.S. News) business school, and not only did I get into my top choice, but I also got in everywhere else I applied to except one M7 school, and got scholarship money everywhere I was admitted to, which I never even dreamed of! Thank you Helen, you were an essential part of my MBA application journey!

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