TL;DR: With a somewhat scattered career trajectory, I needed someone very skilled in helping me draw out compelling career and personal narratives (the essays), and present myself in a beautiful package (the whole application). John’s previous reviews share a theme of exceptional storytelling, and he did exactly that with me. It was nice to have John as a partner who cared about the results. I was admitted to Columbia Business School!

Researching Consultants: Quantitative measures aside, the key to a successful MBA application is undoubtedly compelling career and personal narratives, which are also by far the most challenging. As I read detailed reviews of consultants, their key strengths became apparent. John’s previous reviews share a consistent theme of him helping applicants put together compelling applications and stories (he does have a journalism background after all).

Working with John: I went with the hourly package. As I think back on the application process, there were several things John did that maximized the efficiency and results:

1. With hourly services, John is very efficient with time, but most importantly, the feedback that he sends back is direct and actionable. This allowed me to make drastic improvements to my essays between each iteration. The final product was an essay that read so smooth and conveyed so, so much in 500 words.
2. John clarified how I should tackle each essay, which was so helpful given the prompts are vague and cut out the many extra drafts I would have had to do.
3. I found it super helpful to have a call with John, especially when I hit writer’s block, to bounce ideas off of him. These sessions were extremely productive in moving things along rather than spending days stuck on something.
4. Lastly, I will say that the road of an MBA application is a lonely one. John was a partner who cared about the success of my application, and his professional and calm demeanor kept me going and focused.

Result: Acceptance to Columbia Business School!

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Daniel is extremely helpful during the process of my application to CBS. The constructive advice from him has ensured my efforts are always on the right track. His response was always on time or even before the timeline, which provided me sufficient time to work on the documents. I particularly like the part that Daniel is not afraid to make straightforward comments and feedback. If he felt the story is not good, he will directly let you know and continue to work with you on it from scratch.

I'd love to introduce him to my friends who are also preparing for application.

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I had the pleasure of working with Jen in 2015 for my MBA applications. I give her credit for helping me get into my number one choice, Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. Jen gives great advice on essays and general MBA application strategy in general. On top of that she is very friendly and easy to work with. I consider my MBA an investment so I wanted to get into the best school I could and therefore chose to use MBA Mission to make sure my applications were the best they could be. The services are not cheap but they are worth it because better schools offer a better return on investment so swallow your pride, get out your check book, and use Jen, you won’t regret it.

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I was originally a bit skeptical on working with a consultant, but after taking a free consultation with Michael Guttman at MBAMission, I knew within 5 minutes that I needed to work with him. I had taken consultations with a few other companies, but Michael has a unique ability to put his clients at ease, and did a fantastic job navigating me through the application process. Aside from all of his insight, the thing I appreciated most about Michael was his commitment to presenting the most authentic version of myself in my application package. He is truly gifted at maximizing the potential of his clients, and took great care in making sure I stayed true to the things that made me a unique candidate. He's able to do this because he takes a genuine interest in getting to know his clients, and asked questions that forced me to do some deep self reflection on who I am and why I want an MBA. I also really appreciated how considerate he was, often providing his feedback well before the MBAMission deadline so I would be able to maximize my revisions ahead of the Round 1 deadlines. While the anxiety ahead of interview invites is brutal, I am significantly more at ease knowing that working with Michael has enabled me to submit the best possible application I could.

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I began working with Dan after I had taken the GMAT and selected one school I wanted to apply to. I used my mbamission consult to discuss what other schools I should apply to within round 1, which was really helpful and then I decided to work with him via the hourly a la carte services.

I thought Dan was very straightforward and blunt, which was helpful to me as I tried to make a strong case for my application after a traditional career but having taken over a year off from full-time work doing travel and some freelancing. Dan helped me to focus my personal essays for the three business schools I applied to (all top 10) and let me know what areas were of most importance to each school. Throughout the process Dan had a quick turnaround and would often use a fraction of an hour to complete a review of an essay. He was also very clear about deadlines to review applications in advance of the actual round 1 deadlines.

I also worked with Dan to do a mock interview which gave me good confidence going into an unusual interview with an adcom person and a traditional interview with an alumni.

I would highly recommend working with Dan, as well as the hourly services if you have already begun some of your due diligence on schools (otherwise the school packages may be more appropriate).

Ultimately, I got into my first choice school, in no small part to Dan's assistance, and withdrew my other applications.

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Kevin and the rest of the mbaMission staff were an excellent help from my first meeting with them all the way through the waitlist process. I came from a non-traditional background in Education and Kevin worked very closely with me crafting my overall approach to the applications. He often went above and beyond what was expected with very quick turnarounds in consultations. A lot of the consultations were done around the holiday season, and Kevin was always willing and able to help out at any moment. I do not think I would have found such success without his help. Thanks Kevin!

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I started working with Rachel 15 months before submitting my application. In the beginning, we scheduled a kick-off call in which I told her about my background and why I thought I wanted to get an MBA. Upon analyzing my documents, she gave me a detailed roadmap. For example, as my undergraduate GPA was low, she recommended that I take summer courses. She thought that I lacked volunteer work and suggested that I try to find ways to give back to the community and my previous schools.

In parallel, we started working on my essays. I enjoyed the structure which she provided. We would brainstorm on the phone and then I would send bullets of my notes. After a few revisions, we would have polished essays. We worked on my resume and she provided me tips on how to approach people who would write me recommendations. In addition, we prepared for the interview.

I am now finished with the first semester of the program and a few of the first semester courses, such as Executive Leadership and Leadership and Organizational Change, required me to work on personal development plans. My previous work with Rachel became the foundation of these plans. What started out as an MBA application gave me the opportunity to take a strategic look at my career and personal life. I highly recommend Rachel as she has a unique talent to see through a person's core and reveal that in the application. As a bonus, during this process, you also have a chance to learn about what matters to you in life.

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Deciding to use a consultant:

During my 1.5 years prior to working with Helen, I secured a >700 GMAT, did extensive school research, and attended a dozen MBA networking events. Although I had an idea of what story and themes I wanted to share on my applications, I was unsure how to tell my story in the most effective manner. I began researching different admissions consulting firms when I discovered Helen’s bio at mbaMission.

Soon into my introductory call with Helen to discuss my profile, career goals, and target schools, I knew I wanted to work with her. Helen displayed her knowledge of consulting applicants in applying to top MBA programs and had experience consulting applicants with a background like mine. She was also more than ready to help me shoot for my target schools – HSW.

Essay writing:

The essay writing portion of MBA applications was my biggest challenge. I am confident in my writing abilities, however producing a common theme across multiple essays and free-form application questions requires vision and skill. This is where I needed the most help.

Helen and I held discussions to brainstorm what personal and professional experiences would be most effective to share with each school. Once we settled on a strategy, including which essays to write first and which experiences to match with what essay prompts, I began to write. Helen never once missed a turnaround deadline. In fact, I can recall more than a few occasions where she delivered one business day earlier than expected. Her comments were always detailed and constructive.

What I enjoyed most about working with Helen was how opinionated she was. When she didn’t like how a story came together, she would simply tell me why and to try again. No sugar-coating. Helen reviewed each essay, which averaged 4 – 6 drafts and provided the same rigor of feedback to my free-form application questions (an often overlooked and valuable portion of the application).

Interview prep:

Once I received interview invitations to each program, Helen quickly transitioned into mock interview mode. She conducted three separate mock interviews, each proving to be accurate simulations of what I encountered. Since one program offered a team-based interview, Helen organized for her company to conduct a virtual group interview.

Final results:

In the end, I was admitted to two programs (including my dream school) and waitlisted (and withdrew before a final decision) at the third.

If you’re looking for an experienced and talented consultant, look no further. Helen was an absolute joy to work with. I highly recommend Helen Summers.

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I could not have asked for a better person to work with than Helen Summers. She went above and beyond to help me with all aspects of my applications through every stage of the process. Whether it was helping me brainstorm, editing multiple drafts of my essays, giving me feedback on video essay recordings, preparing for interviews, and managing an incredibly long waitlist process (successfully!), Helen provided invaluable support, encouragement, and insight every step of the way.

During the writing process Helen pushed me to dig deeper and convey a message that would resonate and set my story apart. She was extremely timely with her comments and was not afraid to provide the direct and honest feedback I needed to hear. After receiving interview invitations Helen helped me practice through mock interviews and understand the different interview styles I could expect from each school.

The MBA application process is a marathon. Helen's guidance helped me navigate the process successfully and achieve results well beyond my expectations. She was there for me at every step of the way. With her help, I received interviews at all of the programs I applied to, generous fellowships from top programs, and I was admitted to my dream school!

To anyone who is hesitant about working with a consultant I would highly recommend it, especially working with Helen!!

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Nisha was everything I needed and more. She was so thorough, contentious of my time, money, and needs, and supportive the whole time. I was under a lot of pressure at work and felt really limited with my time in the application process and Nisha worked with all of my challenges. She was really good at helping me schedule and make deadlines for myself and keeping me accountable. Nisha helped me from A to Z with defining my "why" and forming my story in a genuine way that would resonate with others to guiding me through the waitlist process. She was so strategic with what information I should share and when - I would not have been able to do that part on my own. She was also so enthusiastic about my prospects and truly wanted the best for me. She was honest about my application and helped me gain perspective when needed. Nisha was so clutch in preparing for my interviews - I didn't think I was as rough as I was, and she was able to help my refine my skills and answers to typical questions. mbaMission has tons of resources to use and she was able to leverage them for me. I can't thank her enough, especially since I ended up waitlisted (and thankfully accepted) to my top choice and had more work left to do. I was so frustrated and she was really there for me and helped me through it. I am so thankfully for her guidance and working through everything with me. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Nisha!

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