When I made the decision to apply to business school nearly 2 years ago, I picked up a copy of the book "How To Get Into the Top MBA Programs". It was an incredibly long book and didn't provide me much help in setting a framework around the application process. I felt lost and overwhelmed. I knew I needed help but wasn't entirely sure where to turn.

I found mbaMission and was paired with Kate. After completing the free consultation, she made me feel far more at ease about tackling the applications. Most of all, she was 100% honest with me about my program choices and what I needed to do to position myself better. It was roughly 6 months later that we touched base again and decided to move forward with a partnership. After analyzing where I was in the process, we came to the decision that the Hourly Services would be most efficient with my timeline.

Over the course of the last year, Kate has been my guide through the application process. Everything they say about it is true: it's remarkably introspective, requires a great deal of time, forces you to put your best foot forward, and is incredibly detailed and tedious. I can say with confidence that I could not have done it without Kate. At each step of the process, she provided sound advice and direct, honest feedback. This is rare. Most people will hesitate to say anything outside of praise. Kate constantly helped me evaluate everything from large items such as essay drafts to minor details such as how many GPA decimal places to include. With her help, I was able to craft the best possible applications and was invited to interview at all 4 of my program choices, was admitted to 2, and have been waitlisted at 2.

I can’t say enough about Kate. She has an intimate knowledge of the top programs, she puts in time to thoughtfully review every aspect of your candidacy, she’s efficient with her time and has a quick turnaround when you need it. But most of all, she genuinely cares about her clients. I never felt as though I was just another name on a list. Kate took the time to understand who I am, what I’m looking for, and how I can get there. By focusing on that, my voice wasn’t lost in the process – rather, it was enhanced. She provided me with a different perspective that refined my applications in a unique way.

I spent roughly $3,500 on mbaMission’s services. While I was given access to a number of guides and inside information, the real value came from my interactions with Kate. It was worth every penny! I would recommend this service to anyone looking to apply to business school.

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Hi,

I would like to recommend Daniel Richards from mbamission. I started working with Dan early on during the application process for top schools such as Columbia and UCLA Anderson. From the first introductory call I felt very comfortable working with Dan. He is not only a professional and expert on the MBA application process, but he was very honest from day 1 without making you feel bad for any shortcomings, to the contrary he helped me find my strengths and how to make those strengths shine through in my application. Additionally, writing essays has never been my forte, especially in English that is not my first language, Dan has a gift for ensuring that what I wanted to say came across polished and ensuring the reader felt something while reading my essays. If it wasn't for Dan and his strategic and smart advice I would not have gotten an interview invitation from UCLA, trust me my GMAT score was way below their average. I understand mba consultants services are not cheap, but working with Dan was worth every penny. Specially if you are a busy professional without any time to waste during the stressful application process. He responded promptly to all my questions, even when there deadlines nearby and he was busy with many clients. Thank you Dan for all your help during this process.

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As an applicant with a non-traditional background, I knew that I was going to need all of the guidance I could get on the business school application process. I decided to enlist mbaMission’s services, and the company’s founder highly recommended Susan. Working with Susan was the best decision I could have made. She gave me invaluable advice and asked me all of the right questions that I had no idea I needed to be prepared to answer.
When I started with Susan this past fall, I was very late in the admissions process. I intended to apply to schools for round 2, but was still studying for the GMAT and deciding which schools to apply to at the same time. Right off the bat, Susan helped me set realistic expectations for studying/working full time/applying to schools in a short time period. She helped me cut down my school list to schools that would be a good fit for me and that I could realistically get into. She advised me to stick with previous GRE scores (and helped me realize that these scores would get me into b schools) so that I would not waste any more time studying for the GMAT and actually start focusing on working on my applications.
Susan also made sure that every single minute of my time with her was spent wisely. For example, during our first brainstorming call, Susan realized that I needed to do more research on my short term and long term post- MBA career goals; specifically, how my target school would support me in these goals, before we could proceed any further. She stopped the conversation short so that we would not waste any more time, and gave my guided questions to think about as I did my own research on these topics.
Susan never missed a deadline and usually returned any items I sent to her for feedback early. Susan’s feedback was always thorough and insightful.
Susan provides very blunt criticism (as others have touched upon), but without her help I know I would not have gotten into my top choice school. She makes you work really hard, but it will pay off immensely!! She sincerely wants to make sure that you have the best application possible. I am a better business school candidate because of working with her.

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I worked with Melissa Blakeslee on a 4-school package and it was a phenomenal experience overall. I started the process extremely early, signing up with Melissa months before essays were even released. Beginning with the free consultation, I could immediately tell that she was focused on giving me as much value as she could. I felt that we immediately clicked because of her passion, knowledge about the programs, and sincerity.

Melissa coached me through the GMAT process (I scored a 710, and one month later a 740) and was very honest about how my score would play a role in my overall application profile. Once I hit a 740 she candidly told me the time investment to score higher would not be justified for the returns it would get me and we focused our efforts elsewhere.

Throughout the school selection process we spoke at least twice a week via email (frequently more), and Melissa was always extremely responsive to phone call requests. We weighed each school's pros and cons as they related to me and my personality. She even set up phone calls to go over each school after I visited them and learn what my impressions were. That was truly the best thing about Melissa - she took the time to learn who I was and what I wanted. And to be perfectly frank, I didn't even know what I wanted. We figured it out together.

As we worked through essays Melissa was a fantastic resource. Her edits were concise and thoughtful. We probably went through 4-6 iterations of the first essay, and then really flew through the next ones as I learned the process. We had an hour long brainstorming session for each one (did I mention how available she was?) that really focused on crafting a compelling story for each school. Melissa has a deep understanding of what each school is looking for.

As I received interview invites Melissa also scheduled mock interview phone calls that were very helpful. I've always been great at interviews but she gave me tips and tricks to really hit the points interviewers are looking for. Despite those tips being a huge help, I would say the best thing Melissa did was talk me off the ledge as I got nervous beforehand. Her calming reassurances showed that she truly cared about me and my success.

I could go on and on about how great Melissa is, but just sign up with her already. The results speak for themselves. I was accepted into every school I applied to (Kellogg, Ross, Darden, and Tuck) with significant scholarship offers at all but Tuck. I'll be attending Kellogg in the fall and could not be happier about my decision to hire Melissa. As great as she is at her job, she's also a fantastic person that I am still in frequent contact with and consider a great friend. If you want more than just an essay editor or someone who reiterates advice you can freely find online, choose Melissa!

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Self reflection is hard, and as it turns out, the MBA application process requires a lot of it. Each candidate comes in with different strengths, and it becomes about showcasing them in an interesting and meaningful way. I approached the application process with a lot of determination, but some hesitation because my GMAT score was right on the cusp of what is widely considered a "safe" score for the top programs. John worked with me to craft my story in a way that let my strengths shine, and showed me that the GMAT is only one data point among many in this application. Not only did he help me make my application something that I was proud of, but was always patient and available. He was willing to review everything I wrote, including emails to professors, alumni and current students, as well as talk on the phone regularly for advice. I can honestly say that John was instrumental in helping me gain admission to my top choice of program. I cannot wait to start b-school in the Fall, and am so grateful that John was referred to me. If you are considering using John, you will not be disappointed. Trust me, it is worth the investment!

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Helen was honest and ended up being very accurate about my chances of admissions for the schools I was looking to apply to. She is easy to talk to and has a tough love approach which pushed me to put forward the best application possible. I also had a low undergrad GPA and Helen knew how I could shape my application to put my best foot forward.

She was extremely timely with her responses and it was easy to set time with her to ask any question I had throughout the process. She always had answers and never steered me wrong!

A few HUGE value adds stand out to me:

1. During the brainstorming sessions, when I would get stuck, she always had ideas and examples that got my brain churning. She was honest with feedback about stories and experiences that I came up with which really helped me shape my essays/interview answers.
2. For interviews, she had great advice on how to prepare, tweak answers and make a good impression. With her help, I was confident for the in person interviews which, I believe, made a big difference.
3. Throughout the time I was wait-listed, I was in constant communication with admissions. She helped me come up with talking points for in person admissions meetings and she helped me approach every email and update. All of this really helped me get noticed and I came off the wait-list quickly.

All in all, I don't know if I would be starting at my dream school in the fall without her and I am so thankful.

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I used Katharine Lewis for a 2-school package (all-inclusive). It seems like a lot of money upfront and I didn't know if I 'needed' a consultant at first - some mentors and friends said that my profile is so good, why would I want one? but I am SO happy with my decision, and Katy definitely made it worth it.

From helping me navigate the MBA admissions process, to reading multiple drafts of my essays until they were perfect, to doing mock interviews, to coaching me through the waitlist process for HBS, Katy was absolutely phenomenal and she has truly become a great friend.

Katy has such extensive experience that she knows how to guide the essays, recommendations, application (like what extracurriculars to highlight there vs. other places in essays, etc.). Also, the mock interviews she gave me truly helped me prepare for the real interviews, and she was able to provide significant additional reading for me.

I got into Wharton (with a large fellowship), into Stanford GSB, and waitlisted after interviewing with HBS.

I am pleased with the results and a lot of it is due to Katy!

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When I began evaluating consultants, I was looking for someone with a similar background to mine. On paper, Harshad and I could not be more different. Angela assured me that he is extremely talented, but I still had my doubts about whether or not he would be the right fit for me. Boy was I wrong.

Based on my credentials, I was an underdog in the b-school admissions process. I had a number of prospective consultants break the news that I was a long shot for top-tier schools and they encouraged me to lower my expectations. Not Harshad. From the get-go, it was clear he was in my corner. Instead of trying to convince me to settle for lesser schools, he immediately focused on what I could do to best position myself to be accepted into my top choice programs. This attitude was the primary reason I chose Harshad and it was quite possibly the smartest move I made in the entire process.

Harshad’s approach really worked for me during the essay-writing process. He dug deep into my background, my motivations, and my career aspirations and made sure my essays were a reflection of who I truly am. He was masterful in pointing out my strengths for me and also in encouraging me to think about how my weaknesses could be addressed through an MBA--this self-reflection made for great essays. I was also impressed by how economical he could be with word count--all of the content was my own but he was able to really help me eliminate fluff and say what I really meant to say. Another thing I really appreciated about Harshad was his follow-through. If he said he would get you revisions on a draft by Wednesday AM, I could count on it being in my inbox when I woke up Wednesday morning. He was reliable and always made himself available for me throughout the process.

Harshad pushed me really hard, but I appreciated all of his feedback. I knew that he was challenging me to be better because he genuinely cared about my success as an applicant. Harshad was the first person I emailed when I got my GMAT score, the first person I notified when I received invitations to interview, and the first person I pinged when I got off the phone with Admissions Officers letting me know I was in. He was more invested in my success than some of my closest friends. Applying to B-school is an arduous and humbling process; there were many times I questioned my worth along the way. Harshad was always there to pick me back up when I was knocked to the mat.

I have serious doubts about whether or not I would have succeeded in this process without Harshad. In fact, I’m almost positive I wouldn’t have gotten into my top schools. With Harshad’s help, I got into my dream schools, Wharton and Columbia, but had other excellent options like UVA Darden and NYU Stern as well. I was waitlisted at Kellogg but I’m pretty sure that’s because I opted not to have Harshad help me with that one in an effort to save money :)

I can’t recommend Harshad highly enough. I direct anyone I know who is about to embark on this process to him.

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Jessica Shklar is an amazing advisor.

- She helped me elevate my story and application. I thought I knew it going in - but she helped me really interrogate my goals, arguments, and narrative. She never directed me on what to write - rather, her wealth of experience about the application process helped me identify what to emphasize and what was missing based on what each school is looking for. She sharpened and refined, helping me present to each school the best version of myself.

- Hugely effective use of time. She's incredibly efficient both in the hourly services, but also in writing editing. She didn't just elevate my work - she taught me how to be a crisper, more effective writer in general. Hard to overstate how important that is for business school applications.

- Most importantly, Jessica is a kind, thoughtful person and made me feel good about my candidacy. B-school apps are tough and there are lots of people ready to tell you why you won't get in or play down your goals and expectations for yourself. Though I wasn't confident about myself going in, Jessica helped me embrace my strengths and be confident in my overall candidacy. I actually think this is a necessary factor in being successful. Your consultant should be your cheerleader!

I will now be attending a top 5 b-school in the fall. So, so grateful for her support. Working with Jessica was the best investment I made this year and 100% confident it wouldn't have happened without her.

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I am so glad that I decided to work with Kate - she is fantastic! She was instrumental in helping me craft my story for my MBA applications. She took the time to truly understand my story - my career aspirations, professional experience, personal achievements, interests, and my personality. She started by having a consultation with me in which she provided very honest and direct feedback, which was critical to my decision about which programs to apply to. She is very knowledgable about the top MBA programs, so she could speak to my fit with each program and helped me craft my story for each application.

I was initially hesitant to work with a consultant because I did not want my voice to be lost in the crafting of a narrative or the editing process. However, Kate is very thoughtful about how she provides feedback. She helps guide you in the right direction, but she does not take away your unique voice. In fact, she helps you bring it out in your application in ways you may not have identified. She also does not push her opinions on you - she shares her suggestions, but lets you decide what is best for you.

One very important part of why I had such a great experience working with Kate is that she never made me feel like our time together - whether on the phone or in email - was ticking away without moving the needle forward. It goes without saying that purchasing consultative hours or a school package is a big financial investment, so you want to be confident that you're getting the most out of it. I absolutely felt that way with Kate.

In the end, I was admitted to my top choices! Thanks to Kate for all of her help!

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