mbaMission Admissions Consulting Reviews

You have most likely achieved a fantastic score on the GMAT, boast an impressive GPA from your college or university, and have your sights set on an acceptance to one of the top business schools in the country. I can tell you first hand that all your hard work in undergrad, the grueling hours of your first jobs and the secluded weekends of GMAT studying aren’t enough. Some of the smartest people you will never meet will be rejected from the schools to which you will apply. They will have better grades from a better school, higher GMAT scores, and will have held jobs that makes yours look pedestrian at best. The incredible, almost unbelievable news is that while these variables matter, they are not the only ones that matter and are often not the variables that determine acceptance or rejection at the top schools.

I was a product manager at a medical device company, but before that, I was a salesperson. I had a non-business undergrad major and never considered myself to be an “elite school” kind of guy. In speaking to one of my best friends about applying to business school, he urged me to apply to some of the top programs including Harvard Business School, where he was currently enrolled. I gave a nervous laugh and politely asked him to be serious. He replied “Bud, you have done some pretty incredible stuff so far in your career, even if you don’t think you have.” That’s when he introduced me to Angela.

The chemistry between Angela and I was immediate and while I still wasn’t convinced that I would have a chance at HBS, even with her help, she agreed to take me on as a Round 2 candidate. She was completely upfront about the process. She promised that the output of our time together would be as successful as I wanted it to be, given the amount of effort that I was willing commit. I took her at her word and after a 27 page (single spaced) brainstorming document, countless discussions about what the important themes were throughout my life, and an essay that was edited down from 4500 words after 10 rounds back and forth, I hit the submit button and waited with the hope that I would be awarded an interview and a chance to tell my story in person.

When I walked into the room with my interviewers, they had questions about items in my resume that were less than clear, but mainly, they brought me in to elaborate on the stories that were the fabric of my essay. I was more than happy to relate them in person, and so proud that the stories that Angela helped me to tell were worth 30 minutes of their time.

Angela was right there with me to the end, and she (not my wife nor my mother) was the first person I emailed to celebrate the good news that I had been accepted to Harvard. There is a reason for that. So now, a few words for my friend Angela.

Angela is the greatest gift that you can receive as you look to aim for the stars with this next stage in your pursuit to change the world. She will not do the work for you, but when the world seems as though it has abandoned you and it is you alone that can dictate your fate, you look to your right and there is Angela with you in the foxhole. Throughout the process she wore many hats. She was the cheerleader, the coach, the disciplinarian when I missed an agreed timeline, and the guide that lead me through a deep examination of myself. We are all at a stage in our lives where we believe that this one more thing, this degree or collection of knowledge is the thing that will complete us, transforming us into the people we always wanted to be. What Angela did through her coaching and help in crafting my personal statement was help me realize that the person who I always wanted to be was the person I was already. She showed me through the interpretation of all my answers in my brainstorming document and in her constant probing on the core themes of my essay that this application wasn’t about convincing the admissions committee that I was worthy of their acceptance, but rather about making them aware that I was out there in the world, and that through this introduction, they would have the chance to meet me.

After I was accepted and the whirlwind of transitioning out of work and into school began, I must admit that I had mixed emotions. I was overjoyed that all the hard work had paid off and that I was moving in a direction that I had only dreamed of months before, but I was also a bit sad that the fight was over, and that the transformation and discovery of personal value that Angela had led me through had drawn to a close. Angela did much more than coach me on my personal statement and help me re-format my resume, she objectively evaluated me as a stranger and showed me that who I was deserved the effort that I was about to put in, that the world would be better if I could play a more active role in charting its course, and that my actions and decisions over the past 10 years had made me the person that I hoped that I was. She will always be special to me, and her friendship to this day is a blessing.

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I can not say enough about my experience working with mbaMission consultant, Helen Summers. Helen came highly recommended from a colleague of mine and surely did not disappoint.

My goal was to gain acceptance to Columbia. I had achieved an acceptable GMAT score but knew I would need to really tell my story in a unique way via the application essays. I was aware of the solid reputation mbaMission had and was recommended to Helen by an HBS colleague of hers. I signed up for hourly services.

I do not come from the typical banking/consulting field and was concerned with how that would show through my application. Helen took the time to get to know me, and helped me to better tell my story, and how the Columbia specifically would help me to achieve my goals.

I thought I would quickly use up the hours that I had purchased but Helen was incredibly efficient in reading my essays, marking them up, and sending back with 1-2 days. She was honest and fair with her time and I actually was amazed with how valuable her feedback was, in such a small allotment of time.

She helped me to cut out the "fluff" and effectively illuminate the points I was trying to get across to the admissions team. I appreciated her candor and honest feedback, and can't say enough about her expertise around the admissions process.

I was accepted to Columbia and am incredibly grateful to Helen for all her help along the way.

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I was initially wary of working with a consulting service, especially after I had done a 30 minute intro call with a competing agency, and found that the person I spoke with just wanted me to cough up a sizable amount of money for services I didn't need. But I took a chance on a 30 minute intro call with Dan at mbaMission and, instead of convincing me how terrible my chances were, he rationally and expertly answered questions I had and only during the last 5 minutes did he mention what kinds of services he could provide. I knew then that I wanted to work with him.

My story was already mostly developed by the time I started working with Dan, so I signed up for hourly services, and we worked together on the applications for four schools. He was, at all times, extremely responsive, insightful, and efficient. He was able to coax my absolute best work out of me so that I put together an application I was proud to submit to the schools of my choice.

At times when the process was stressful, and we were emailing drafts back and forth 3-4 times a day, he was always in good spirits and manage expectations and anxiety brilliantly.

I would recommend Dan to anybody. He was always conscientious about how he used my time, and proved himself again and again to be an invaluable resource throughout the process, whether I was freaking out about something I read on a forum or wasn't sure how to describe at length a future that's always subject to some sort of change or preparing for my interview at my top choice school.

Dan's greatest strength is his ability to be blunt yet kind, and never suggest you spin your application into such admissions speak that it doesn't feel like you anymore. He was the best kind of editor in that he was able to consistently push you to the absolute best version of the idea you already had, and make sure you conveyed it clearly and concisely within word limits.

Now that I'm admitted, thinking back, I know that I can't vouch for all admissions consultants, but I would happily vouch for Dan to anyone at anytime. I would work with Dan again in a heartbeat.

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Like many of you, I started doing an extensive research to select the best consultant in the industry. I have a PhD degree in engineering, 5 years of professional experience and GMAT score of 670 and my goal was to attend one of the top prestigious MBA schools to pursue a career in finance. I was 32 years old and knew that this was the last year to do a full time MBA in my life. I spent countless hours reviewing the biography of more than 100 consultants and talked to consultants from 6 different companies until I found Jessica Shklar. She had an impressive resume and she impressed again when we had our 30 minutes trial session. I stopped my search after that call ! I just knew that she was the right consultant for me.
Overall I had a great experience with Jessica. She helped me uncover my best stories She actually impressed me by telling me my own stories. Somehow she knew my stories better than I did!!! :) She also rightfully advised and later convinced me to retake the GMAT to improve my chances to get into my desired schools. She really cared for my success and went above and beyond what I was expecting ( and I normally expect a lot for my money). She helped me get prepared for the interview process and then helped me stay patient which actually, believe it or not, was one of the hardest part of the whole process. I did 4 interviews and finally got admitted into one of my top choices and can't be happier today. She is one of the best in the industry. If I were to do it again, I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else.

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Investing into a MBA consultant can be daunting but I knew in speaking with John for my free 30 minute consultation right away that this was the way to go. He took every part of our initial conversation seriously and truly cared about my future, even had I not worked with him. In being a unique applicant from the Sports Marketing industry with slightly below average academic stats, he knew the best way to create a cohesive story that would excite Columbia.

In not knowing what my career goals were at the start of the process, he helped set me up for success with a number of different assignments to really find something that spoke to me and how I can best position myself for business school. I loved working with him because John is personable, smart, reliable and simply an unbelievable story teller. His insightful additions and edits to my essays were things I never would have thought of. I had to really hone in on my desired job function, company and tie all of that to the school. John was great at doing this and helping me really find my path.

This may be said in all the reviews but there is actually NO chance I could have gotten in without him. It was definitely a process and a lot of work but having a consultant like John alongside made it much more manageable. He teaches you so many things to help differentiate you from the others and it really comes through in the final product and eventually the interview. And it all helped me get into CBS early decision.

I am forever grateful for his help and guidance. It's worth the investment and in the scheme of all the MBA costs you will incur, this is the best one you can make. I could not give John a bigger recommendation.

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As I was researching admissions consultants, I felt overwhelmed so I'm going to try and make this as useful and to the point as possible. Dan is a fantastic consultant. He's professional, organized, knows what he is doing and will go the extra mile to help you craft the best application possible. I was on the fence about hiring a consultant as I thought I would be able to write some pretty decent essays myself. How wrong I was. There were many instances in which Dan helped me re-think my essays. I appreciated his direct style of working and to-the-point feedback. Dan also allowed me to push back on certain areas where I thought his edits didn't fit with my 'voice.' He was supportive in this. If you're someone who is a hard worker and just looking for that extra edge, Dan is your guy. I really can't think of anything critical to say, other than sometimes I felt he was rushed during some of our conference calls. On the other hand I appreciated that in retrospect. Back to his style, I think this is a good thing as well.... He kept me focused on the goal. In the end I learned a ton, created an admissions package I would not have been able to develop on my own and got admitted to my top school of choice. If you'e on the fence, just do it. In the grand scheme of things the cost is a drop in the bucket in the overall investment in the MBA, but will pay off in big ways. I interviewed every major consultancy out there and within about 5 mins of being on the phone I had a gut feeling he was the right consultant for me. I'd suggest you do the same.

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I worked with Katy Lewis on round 2 applications to three different schools (on a package basis). Katy came highly recommended from a friend and I chose her after having initial conversations/ interviews with three other business school consultants.

I know I made the right decision in using Katy, and I believe that she was the difference-maker that helped me get into my target school (off the waitlist, I might add). Speak to anyone who has used Katy – they will universally recommend her (just see the posts below). To keep it simple, Katy has some real differentiators and she added value to my application in very clear, tangible ways:

1. School-specific admissions knowledge: From our first conversation, it was clear that Katy knew what made each school’s admissions department “tick.” Since she already knew the hot button issues for my target schools, she immediately began giving advice about what to emphasize from my background and some ideas to differentiate/ strengthen. What Booth is looking for is vastly different from what Tuck is looking for, and Katy is one step ahead in separately appealing to those schools.

2. Taking essays from solid to great: I imagine that every business school consultant will edit your essays. I’d even guess that every good one will add real value. Where Katy differentiators herself even further is her assistance on the “Why this school?” question in the application. Every school asks and Katy helps craft the essay/ give you ideas so that it sounds like you know the school as well as a current student.

3. Initial Brainstorm: Katy typically sets up an early brainstorm session where you discuss who you are, your background, your interests. More importantly, you talk about your motivations, dreams, fears and focus points. This brainstorm session, as far as I know, is unique to Katy (only someone with her interest in people and personality could pull it off) and helped me figure out what I would write my essays about.

4. Realistic Feedback: From Day 1 – Katy shot me straight about my chances at different schools. Of course, I still applied to all the reach schools on my list (and Katy encouraged me to), but her ability to softly manage expectations/ prepare me for the necessity of overcoming my overrepresented background was helpful. I preferred that to a consultant who was unrealistic and telling me what I wanted to hear.

5. Positive Feedback Approach: At the same time, Katy drives you with positive feedback and reinforcement. Personally, I respond well to positive feedback. Her various iterations of “you are doing a great job” were vital. Look – most people aren’t going to get into every school they apply to and there will be a definite hit to confidence at some point in the process. Katy is a pro at managing that and keeping you moving.

6. Organization and Calendar: I decided to apply to business schools at a very late point in the year and needed to cram to get the GMAT and applications done (while working in finance). Katy’s process schedule/ calendar adherence to it was extremely helpful for me.

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Jessica was an outstanding admissions consultant and her effectiveness, guidance and straightforward counseling gave me the confidence and support to put my best self forward during the admissions process.

I decided to try out a free half-hour consultation with MBA Mission and picked Jessica - in the half hour that we spoke, I gained more insight and guidance in my candidacy as an MBA applicant than I had gained from anybody else combined. She provided feedback on my career goals and told me I needed more specificity, explained what about my background was unique, and shared gaps that she felt could use improvement.

I decided to buy an hourly package from Jessica and spent two hours - one on my resume, and one on my dream school essay. For my resume, Jessica helped my achievements shine through recommendations for a format and how to bring out and articulate impact that I had in my work, as well as helping me consider what helped me stand out next to my peer group. Her resume editing help was second to none, and it truly helped distinguish me from other candidates during the application process AND the interview process, because I had a resume to talk about that I was so excited about!

And for essay feedback - WOW! In only one hour of essay feedback, Jessica was able to help me bring out the best parts of my story through her thoughtful questions and suggestions. I truly believe that her expertise and, truly, her GIFT is in helping you see the best parts of your writing and ideas and bringing that out.

Did I mention how fast Jessica is? She packs SO much knowledge and insight into every single interaction and every single email. She helped me move quickly at a time for me when every hour was crucial - she went above and beyond to get back to me quickly.

I ended up with over $160K in scholarships from two top 5 schools and an admission to my #1 dream school. I couldn't be happier with my experience. Thank you Jessica!

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When I was first looking for an MBA consultant all I was asking myself was “Who will get me into a top 10 MBA program?” Having gone through the process successfully, I now know that this wasn’t the right question to ask. Writing successful MBA applications is about understanding who you truly are and connecting the dots in your life meaningfully to tell your story in a compelling and authentic way. The key to unlock the full potential of this insight, to me, was Angela.

I initially connected with Angela because her post-MBA career path was similar to what I was looking to pursue so I thought we would be a good match. Within a few minutes of our first conversation I knew she was the right consultant for me – blunt, honest, fair, fun and easy to talk to; the kind of person who keeps you positive and relaxed as you explore the tough and fundamental questions in your life that are crucial to answer to build a strong MBA application.

After the initial assessment we decided it would be best to defer my application by a year and give me time to grow professionally. To maximize my additional time, I started to work with Angela as my career coach. What started off as a laundry list of things I enjoy, tasks I hate, successes, failures, attributes and values, turned into a deep insight into my purpose and motivations in life. Angela helped me to seek and create opportunities at work that I would thrive in, which in turn made me feel more confident, raised my profile with senior managers and eventually landed me a promotion.

As we transitioned into essay writing for my applications, we were in a good shape: We knew where I was in life, why I was there, where I wanted to be and how the MBA fit into this equation. What fascinated me about Angela at this stage was her ability to take random anecdotes from my life and draw very meaningful and accurate insights of my character. Because Angela had done such an incredible job to help me find and use my inner voice and realize what I really wanted in a career and why, most essay and interview questions became very easy to answer. Even then, her care for getting the best out of me constantly pushed me to do an even better job.

I interviewed with LBS, IESE, Booth and Kellogg, got admitted to all four schools and held a scholarship from two. Ironically, Angela was the one to suggest applying to these four schools. It was on her insistence that particularly one of them would be truly right for me that I explored these options, and I could not be any happier or more grateful for the outcome. In hindsight, I can see why Angela was pushing for these schools over my initial choices.

I am walking away from my experience with Angela with not only a spot at an elite MBA program that is right for me, but also more confidence in my abilities and a deeper level of self-awareness that will be invaluable going into the MBA and beyond. I was looking for an MBA consultant to get me into a top program – little did I know that with Angela I was going to find a mentor, an inspirer, a cheerleader, and most importantly, a friend who I truly enjoyed sharing this very unique journey with. For that and more I will forever be indebted.

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My experience with Kate was great. She did an amazing job of helping to bring out all of my key attributes through the different areas of my application. She was able to recognize key qualities in my story that I otherwise would not have deemed important to include. Furthermore, she identified pieces of my application that could be replaced with an accomplishment not yet stated when they were already mentioned elsewhere. This really helped me to maximize the limited space.

When it comes to my resume, she has made an impact well beyond that of a grad school application. The majority of my listed accomplishments did not initially show the level of success or the impact that they made. She really challenged me to rework the content in way that made my resume much more meaningful. My biggest struggle was having the ability to communicate in a succinct way to stay within the word or character limits. Kate was able to take long, detailed paragraphs and help me turn them into clear and concise points that showed action to outcome. This will be a lasting benefit on both my resume and my ability to communicate more effectively.

Lastly, she convinced me to add a personal touch to my resume. I now realize this is an important aspect, especially for schools that place a high value on community involvement and collaboration.

I couldn’t have done it without her!

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