It has been a long, stressful road to get to this point, but with Debbie’s help, I got into one of my top choices – Wharton. I started the application process for round 1 with only a month until the deadlines for some of my top schools. Super overwhelmed and only having just retaken the GMAT a second time I was scrambling to get started and decided to take the leap with Debbie. Right at the get-go, we kicked it into gear- she got to know my story and helped me formulate a strategy on what schools I should apply to and when. What I like about Debbie is that she will be honest with you. A consultant can only do so much for your application, but she has a lot of good insight into what schools are looking for and what would be a good fit for you from her perspective. She might even convince you to look at a school you have not considered before. I ended up splitting applications between round 1 and 2 to prioritize my top choices. Debbie seriously knows some of the most intimate details of my life. She helped me pick and choose what stuck out to her and what sounded interesting – those things that truly represented who I am and could help tell my story. But it was always a two-way street – if I felt uncomfortable about making something the highlight of an essay or felt my evidence was not substantial, she would help me choose a different topic or spin it a different way and make it flow so much better. I trusted her. I highly recommend working with Debbie if you are considering a consultant. Even when I was waitlisted at another top school she helped me navigate that process as well. She was always encouraging me even if I heard bad news so I felt motivated to continue. Additionally, she answered ALL my questions even if they were simply logistics related. No question was unimportant. At the end of the day, with the MBA admissions process you just don’t know what is going to happen, but having Debbie there to help me along the way and have my back really helped keep me sane and focused. I also ended up using outlines/ideas we used for many other applications outside of the package I had with Debbie which saved a lot of time later on in Round 2.

Thanks Debbie!

Read More

Results: Admitted to Stern R2

Review: 5/5 stars

Daniel helped me through my application process by helping me craft an appealing narrative, through a methodological discovery process. He plays the role of a trusted advisor diligently since he is not afraid of providing honest feedback.


His process is very straightforward and involved. While he enables the applicant to be the primary narrator for his/her story, Daniel provides valuable insight which is critical for success.

I have since recommended Daniel and mbaMission to many friends and will continue to do so going forward.

Adjectives I would use describe Dan: Honest, diligent, insightful, and funny (sometimes)

Thanks again.

Read More

When I decided to apply for business school, I knew I wanted support from someone who is experienced and has a strong professional background. After speaking to several admissions consultants, I chose Heidi and I could not have made a better decision! Right from the start, Heidi was candid and encouraging. She pushed me to brainstorm essay ideas that I wouldn’t have thought of if I had just gone with the most “obvious” themes. Because of our interactions, my essays became much deeper and reflective than what I could have done on my own.
As someone who is very organized, I really appreciated Heidi’s timely replies and fast turnarounds. Even though we had a 12-hour time difference, we managed to stay on schedule and I submitted all four of my applications for round 1 on time.
Heidi’s support really helped navigating the business school application and interview process much easier. I highly recommend her!

Read More

From my first conversation with Krista, it was clear that she was incredibly smart, encouraging, kind, and fun. While I was apprehensive to spend $6k on a consultant at the beginning of the process (two school package), the return I received on my investment far exceeded my expectations. Deciding to work with Krista was likely the most important decision I made in the MBA admissions process.
Krista helped me with school selection, identifying great programs that I had originally overlooked. She recommended schools that not only have strong brands, but also have great resources and recruiting opportunities specific to my post-MBA goals.
Krista provided me with great advice on how to use the essays and my resume to communicate compelling aspects of my candidacy outside of professional experience. By including a more personal element in my essays, I was able to show that I am a more well-rounded candidate. Additionally, Krista helped me identify aspects of my candidacy that should be explained further in the optional essay. This advice was very helpful because it allowed me to control the narrative on aspects of my story that I otherwise would not have known to explain in more detail.
After I submitted my applications, Krista helped me prepare for interviews by conducting mock interviews. This preparation helped me to relax and present well when it came time for real MBA interviews.
Krista is incredibly reliable and always turns feedback around quickly! This was especially important to me because I was working on the applications on a tight timeline and needed a consultant who was very responsive.
In the end, I received admission to a top school, where I am incredibly excited to start this fall. I owe a debt of gratitude to Krista for going above and beyond my expectations and helping me achieve my goal. She was a true pleasure to work with and her guidance and encouragement made a huge difference in navigating the difficult MBA application process.
If I could do it all over, as one of the first steps in my preparation for business school, I would have set up a preliminary call with Krista and retained her.

Read More

Dan Richards worked with me on interview prep and waitlist responses for two top 15 schools. In short, he was a straightforward yet optimistic cheerleader who gave me clear answers and kept me from coming undone, during this very stressful period. He was so pointed with his recommendations that it left me little to figure out on my own. He also prepped me to succeed in a brutal 2 hour business school interview so I think he really knows his stuff. He answered emails in a timely manner and never left me hanging. He was also unafraid to volunteer his own MBA experiences to help me navigate the application process. Therefore, in summary, I couldn't recommend Dan enough.

Read More

I worked with Krista from mbaMisssion on an hourly basis. She really took the time to get to know me as a person, which gave her a full understanding of my profile. Her feedback led to stronger essays and a more powerful resume. She responded timely and was available for scheduled skype calls. She also had knowledge of the process and good tips for the application and interview. The service is expensive, but it really helps put your best foot forward and is worth the cost is worth to get you into a strong MBA program. Sign up for your free 30 minute consultation before starting any applications to talk to Krista, she can provide guidance and direction.

Read More

Michael was a tremendous help in my application process and eventual admission to LBS. I was originally referred to Michael by one of his colleagues at mbaMission and found his upbeat, can-do attitude refreshing after rather dreary conversations with consultants at competing firms. We worked over tight timelines whereby he was incredibly responsive and composed from start-to-finish (brainstorming to interview prep). I was impressed by Michael's consistency in providing valuable feedback and/or insights at each turn and found him to be a very reliable partner throughout. In summary, Michael was a true pleasure to work with and I highly recommend him.

Read More

I had a terrific experience working with Harold. I was on the fence about working with an admissions counselor once I decided to apply to business school. A friend connected me to Stratus, and I am very glad I chose to go ahead with it.

From the start, I found Harold to be very insightful and his style to be very compatible with what I was looking for. I had taken the GMAT by the time we started working together, and was focused on the personal statement. I had a very clear idea of the part of my story that I wanted to tell in my application, but felt that my early attempts were not doing it justice. Harold helped me to pull everything together, not only for the essay itself, but also more broadly as I reflected on what my narrative had taught me. In the end, I was very proud of the personal statements I wrote, and felt confident they were genuine representations of me.

Throughout the process, Harold was extremely responsive. He had a very good balance of checking in when I had not reached out in a while, but understanding when I needed to work through things at my own pace. He was there whenever needed, from reviewing drafts to talking things out. Beyond the essays, he also provided me with advice on various other aspects of the application. The result was a successful set of Round 1 applications, with admissions to HBS and GSB, the two schools I applied to. I could not have asked for a better outcome, and I am thankful for Harold’s support throughout the process. I highly recommend working with him!

Read More

Going to business school was a goal I had set for myself as a Junior in college. For the past 5 years, I have selected jobs, extracurriculars, and more to improve my chances at attending a top business school. When it finally came to apply last Fall, I wanted to work with someone that shared my high expectations and would help make my application amazing. John helped me put together an incredible application that could have never produced myself, and helped me get into my dream school.

Throughout my application process, John was a superstar for me to have on my team. Every good team needs an MVP, and I am glad I was able to have John throughout this long journey.

John stood out in every facet of the application process. When I struggled to develop my story and post-MBA goals, John was always quick to hop on a phone for us to brainstorm with anecdotes from previous clients and templates to help me organize my thoughts. When I struggled to come up with ideas my essays, John helped provide me an outline combining my story and what winning essays look like. When I then struggled to keep to the word count of my essays, John provided incredible advice and edits to help make my essays stand out. And every time I was about to make rookie mistakes in the application process, John steered me straight.

Even more, John made the entire process thoroughly enjoyable through his calm demeanor, professionalism, and personal touch. Constantly throughout this process, I was overwhelmed and scared. However, every interaction with John helped keep me focused. Phone calls and e-mails were filled not only with constructive feedback but also humor. John not only saw me as a client, but got to know me for me, which not only made working with him fun, but also made him an amazing partner to bounce ideas off of.

Today, as I re-read my essays and entire application today, I am amazed at the final product. There is no way I could have ever gotten in to the schools I did without John. For anyone considering applying to b-school, I would not hesitate when working with John. He simply is the best there is.

Read More

Jen has been incredibly helpful and instrumental to my MBA application process over the last six months. With her help, I was able to tell my story in a way I was really happy with. The MBA application process is demanding and difficult at times, but Jen helped me grow throughout the process and continuously learn more about myself along the way.

Jen was always responsive and thorough throughout our time working together. I always felt that she had substantive and value-add feedback whenever she sent back drafts, but never commented just to comment. It always felt as though we were really in the MBA application process together - the partnership was amazing! I would absolutely recommend Jen to anyone I know going through the MBA application process in the future!

Read More