I initially did a free 30-minute consultation with Katy. She was very helpful during our chat so I ended up working with her further after that. There were two parts of my application she was extremely helpful with. The first one was brainstorming ideas around what my essays should be about (I applied to HBS and Wharton, and HBS has a notoriously vague prompt). She helped me decide which parts of my story would be interesting to highlight and which parts not so much. Having a third party (Katy) who was great at identifying best parts of my candidacy and working with me to highlight them was invaluable.
The second aspect Katy was extremely helpful with was interview prep. Katy did an amazing job helping me practice my interviews. I had talked to some friends who had previously gone through the interview process and the advice I was getting from them was stressing me out. Katy calmed me down and helped me practice for these interviews. If you end up working with her on your application process, make sure she is your main source of truth for the interviews and not some friends who might’ve gone through the process. As she told me “everyone attributes their success to different parts of their application/interview, it doesn’t mean they are right”. If I were to do the process over, I would practice my interviews with Katy and maybe one more trustworthy friend.
Overall, Katy really knows what she is doing and I would highly recommend her. I ended up getting into both HBS and Wharton and am Boston bound this fall!

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First, a huge huge thank you to Kate!!! She helped me overcome several trickier elements about my application to help me a land an offer at dream school!! I cannot thank her enough!!

When I started looking seriously into MBA programs I realized that this was going to be a harder task than I had originally thought. As an older white-male in consulting, with a lower GPA, a recent job move, and an aspiration to switch industries, I had many challenges to overcome. I reached out to several consultants in May (ahead of the round 1 deadlines in September), to get a sense of how feasible business school would be. Straight away from the first conversation, Kate stood out in a big way, and I could sense that she would be a great person to work with.

There were several facets that not only made it great to work with Kate, but also made the process successful. First, from the moment we first spoke, it was clear that Kate is positive and constructive in the way that she engages with you. I noticed this straight away when I compared the first discussion with Kate to those of other consultants, who had interjected with “you’re not going to get in to that school” when I described my situation and goals. Throughout the process, Kate was great at building upon my first thoughts and helping me construct a successful application (e.g., starting from my self-reflections to craft a more succinct and compelling view of who I am). Second, Kate quickly focused on building a great story. She took time to really get to know me in a genuine way, showing a lot of empathy and understanding of who I am throughout the process. From this, we were able to build a unique story from my life experiences. I was really impressed at how much she was able to connect the dots between my life experiences! Third, she was honest and clear about weaknesses and options for how to address them. In this part, it became very clear that Kate has significant experience with consulting for applications. Her experience and approach gave me confidence that we were addressing the challenges (as noted above) in a systematic manner. Finally, Kate’s positive and constructive nature enabled us to have maintain a fluid, comfortable, and open dialogue, which felt very much like a team / partnership approach to the process. Kate was very open to working with me to develop the work together, often co-creating the way in which we would articulate something about me. It was such a great feeling to be going through the process with someone who knows me well, is invested in success, and works in a positive, constructive, and collaborative way!

So what did all of this translate into? Here were the outcomes of going through the process with Kate. First, I had confidence that I was putting my best foot forward, given that I was teaming with an experienced consultant, who knew me very well, and who was invested in me. Second, I had belief that what seemed to be an insurmountable goal could become a reality, which in turn drove my motivation. Third, I actually learnt a little about myself. By Kate getting to know me so well, she was able to help me articulate myself in a way that I had not thought of before. This in turn, helped me understand more about who I am as a person, which I will take with me to business school and beyond! For example, she connected a specific part of my childhood experience to my leadership style at work, which helped me understand why I am more effective at leading teams with a certain background (I had not reflected on this before!). While I didn’t touch upon this detail in my application, it is this level of reflection and learning that I think is so important for the admissions process (a lot of the process is about who you are and your story!) and more generally in life! Finally, we had a successful outcome on the applications, getting into my dream school directly during round 1!

If you are considering working with somebody on business school applications, I could not recommend Kate more! It was an absolute joy to partner with her! Through the ups and downs in the process, the humorous and more serious moments, and from beginning to end, she was fantastic to work with, and I look forward to keeping in touch with her!!

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Debbie was extremely instrumental in my admission to NYU Stern, where I was originally wait-listed at. From the initial essay writing preparation stage to the interview practice session, Debbie was always extremely professional and goal-oriented in her approach to help me with my applications.

During the essay writing phase, I really liked how Debbie took a holistic approach to help me understand my strengths and weaknesses as an candidate, and helped me pick out the best life stories that would ultimately be the main focus of my essays. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience working with Debbie . I left our first brainstorming session with a clear story and direction for my essays,

During the interview stage, Debbie practiced with me thoroughly via Skype and helped me with many of the intangibles that are essential for a successful interview. "The delivery is often just as important if not more important than the content", as she would often remind me throughout these sessions, which was something I couldn't have agreed with more and really benefited from as an candidate.

Finally, while initially discouraged by the wait-list offer, I was even more impressed by Debbie's ability to keep me motivated and helped me strategize a plan that would ultimately gain me admission to the school. Throughout the application process, she not only delivered to me top notch professional services, but she actually made me feel that I had a cheerleader in the background that was helping me with every set back. I would wholeheartedly recommend her service to anyone seeking an incredible MBA consultant!

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After deciding to use an admission consultant service for 2 of my R1 applications (HBS, Wharton), I did my research to identify both the company and the consultant that would be the best fit for my needs. Having taken the Manhattan Prep GMAT class, the mbaMission services came highly recommended through my instructor, previous students, and the Forté Program. I chatted with 3 other consultants prior to connecting with Helen, and Helen was by far the most lively, energetic and genuinely excited consultant I had met. From the first day we chatted through the end of our time working together, Helen was genuinely interested and passionate about telling my story and was not afraid to share harsh, direct criticism or review the same essays 6+ times to ensure we had the perfect word choice and flow. She helped me to dig deep from the very beginning, pulling out the stories and interesting tidbits about myself that would truly help me stand out among my peers. She makes herself extremely available, offering to set up phone calls or communicate over email, and is very upfront about expectations to ensure a good working relationship. Helen and I worked on Wharton and HBS together and while I was rejected at HBS, I did receive good news from Wharton & even some money! If you're in the market for a consultant - look no further!

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Working with Jen was so easy! I had to manage my time, but she was quick to respond and always met the committed turnaround. From the very beginning, Jen did a great job providing me with the necessary feedback to help shape my story for my essays. The probing questions she asked me helped me identify past experiences that I was able to share with admissions through my essays. Also, she helped me a lot with determining which schools would be a good fit and I ended up applying to more competitive schools and I got in! She was the first one that encouraged me to start talking to students, faculty, and admissions at the schools, which ultimately helped me find my best fit.

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I'm a Guatemalan who majored in philosophy. Professionally, I was trained in innovation management consulting and entrepreneurship, ending up in as dean of a liberal arts college at a Guatemalan university that functions much like a startup, since the college is radically innovating on how higher education works.
When I began exploring options to further my career, an MBA was perhaps not on the top of my list. After having a go at my first startup, I was still interested in entrepreneurship and starting my own company. After talking to friends and colleagues, I decided to pursue an MBA.
Soon after beginning the process, I realized that it was a bit overwhelming and that getting a helping hand would greatly improve my chances of getting accepted at a school I was interested. That's when I contacted mbaMission and Kate Richardson became my guide.
Throughout the process, Kate relentlessly pushed me to perfect my pitch to the schools I applied. We worked on my resume, essays and short answers many times. Kate helped me stay motivated and gently push me in the right direction. Without her feedback, I would not have been able to tell my story in such a compelling manner which even landed me a scholarship!
Working with mbaMission, and especially Kate Richardson, was a great decision. The turnaround times for the work I submitted were great: when I submitted an essay for review, Kate would have it in a day or two. I would get great all-around feedback, since Kate would know all the schools I was applying to, the story I was trying to tell and give my guidance on how to tell that story in the most compelling manner.
I am immensely thankful to Kate and the mbaMission team!

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I couldn't thank Kate enough for her help and support throughout the admissions process. Last summer, after speaking with a number of admissions consulting services, I decided to set up an initial 30-min call with Kate from mbaMission. On that call, Kate analyzed my profile and discussed her thoughts on my application strategy. She wanted me to put my best foot forward and be confident (and not too stressed). For the next six months, we have spent countless hours on essays, short answers, interview preps etc., and Kate has been instrumental to all that. She has been extremely supportive and always reminded me of any important deadlines or deliverables. I'd highly recommend Kate for your admissions process.

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As a career academic and Latin teacher transitioning into sustainability management, I was not your typical MBA applicant. I was making a major career shift and I’m confident that, without Katharine’s guidance, I would not have had the success I did. In just the initial consultation, Katharine helped me create a focused and direct action plan. She guided me through the creation of a narrative that both highlighted my achievements and captured my personality.
Once the applications were in, Katharine led me through mock interviews and the development of an elevator pitch. She boosted my ability to speak with confidence and clarity about my goals. Before interviewing for USC Marshall—to which I was recently accepted!—Katharine provided me with resources for both school-specific and general information and advice. Currently, I’m waitlisted for NYU Stern and Katharine continues to provide support and aid from reviewing update emails to admissions to creating a game plan to get off the waitlist.

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I worked with Michael to apply to 8 highly competitive full-time MBA programs across Round 1 and Round 2, of which I am attending UCLA Anderson. The process was grueling, but Michael and I charted a course together, working closely to meet the deadlines I set for each application. Michael always responds quickly with pointed questions designed to distill the most important aspects of my story and ensure that they are reflected in my application. Each aspect of the application is crucial and Michael ensures that each component is addressed thoughtfully and holistically captures the candidate that you are. Michael was a pleasure to work with and I would recommend him to anyone applying to business school.

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I was referred to Dan by a friend and used him on an hourly basis for my applications. He was absolutely fantastic throughout the entire process. He was always honest (which I really appreciated), helpful, and responsive. Dan molded my essays and made them that much more detailed, poignant, and meaningful. For my resume, Dan transformed what I thought to be a polished resume to a business school resume ready to be submitted. Throughout the revision process, it was clear to me that Dan's suggestions and feedback were worthwhile to my entire application. Dan consistently set realistic expectations and guided me through a constructive timeline. In the end, I got into my top choice, and I know that I could not have done it without Dan's help. I would recommend him to anyone interested in applying to business school.

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