I had a wonderful experience working with Krista Nannery on my applications. The business school application process is a stressful and sometimes lonely experience. Knowing that Krista was in my corner was the only part of this process that actually made things easier and less stressful.

Krista was able to understand my story in-depth and guide me to craft a cohesive narrative. For example, with essays, she helped me assess which stories both addressed the prompt and best illustrated my skill set and experience - and then she’d help me elevate that story in my own voice. Her objective perspective on my career and story was helpful in ensuring my application resonated to an unfamiliar audience (adcom) succinctly.

Beyond her coaching (and therapist-like counseling), she also ensured I stayed on track from a project-management perspective. She’d push me along when I was spinning for too long on an essay draft. There are so many pieces involved in crafting a compelling application and Krista helped me juggle it all.

Working with Krista was a terrific investment. I was accepted to 3 of the 4 schools I applied to, with a 50% scholarship to one of them. I advise my b-school interested friends that I wouldn’t have done the application process any other way.

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I worked with Susan to prepare my school application, and I feel it was a great investment. With work, studying for the GMAT, and a quickly approaching deadline, I had limited time to put all the parts of my application together, and I did not want to waste any of it trying to figure out if I am approaching each step in the best possible way. I wanted to just focus on the content and delivery of each step: essays, resume, short answers, interview, and all the other small things that contribute to your overall application profile. Having Susan guide me throughout the process perfectly fit that goal.

I think many of the other reviews already cover her way of working with a client, but I will highlight what stands out. I did all the work, thinking, and writing of the actual content. Susan provided guidance on what a good application would say about an applicant and was able to look at my work and tell me if it’s achieving that goal or not. It also helps to have the outside perspective because you may think what you have written clearly states an idea, but in reality it doesn’t because you, the writer, “fill in” all the gaps subconsciously since it’s coming from your own mind. Susan, though, cannot do that and quickly points out what is not making sense, or you’ll notice if she got the wrong perspective from your work, indicating a rewrite or clarification is necessary.

The investment was challenging for me, but I am thinking long-term and believe it will pay off since I got into my target school (and more). Do I think a talented or experienced individual can put together a stellar application without a consultant? Definitely. Can someone find all the application guidance they need through internet sites and forums? Sure. But like any decision you make in life, you need to assess your circumstances and make a well thought-out choice. For my circumstances, it made perfect sense to work with Susan, and she did her part *very well*. I couldn’t have asked for someone better.

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I approached the MBA application process with a lot of confidence and focused most of my efforts on GMAT prep. It wasn’t until I actually got into the application process that I realized I needed guidance. I completed the free consultation at MBA Mission and realized that I didn’t know what I didn’t know.

I purchased five hours of time with John and we began working on four school applications but it wasn’t until I began writing these essays that I really figured out what I wanted to do post-MBA. This provided my essays with direction and purpose. Without John’s coaching, my essays were pretty vanilla. Now, whenever I write ANYTHING, I envision John’s comment bubbles popping up, telling me “I need more YOU.”

John was extremely patient and easy to work with throughout the process. This really minimized the amount of stress surrounding the entire application process. His guidance resulted in my admission to a top MBA program AND the #3 operations institute in the U.S.

I highly recommend John and mbaMission. Trust their guidance and you won’t be disappointed.

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I recently worked with Rachel on a 3 school package for Round 1 in the Fall of 2017. I would strongly recommend using Rachel for any candidate considering using an admissions consultant to guide you through the process.

Rachel made what is an extremely stressful and hectic process feel very seamless. From our first brainstorm call through submission of the applications, she helps you stay on top of all of your tasks, which can pile up as the process unfolds, while also making sure you are putting on the best impression for admission committees. For me, Rachel's guidance on the application essays was most critical. Where my essay's ended versus where they would have been had I had not worked with Rachel is truly night and day.

Now, candidates who plan to use a consultant should be aware that you still need to come prepared to work, and work hard. Rachel and other consultants can guide, navigate and keep you organized and on task, but you need to do the work.

I ended up getting into my top choice program and will be enrolling in the Fall of 2018. Surely, Rachel's help was a huge factor for my being admitted to my dream program.

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John was a major contributor to my recent acceptance to a top 10 MBA program. A lot of candidates have the stories and experiences to be competitive, but sculpting those stories into concise personal statements and essays that directly respond to the criteria of various admissions committees is an art – one that John has mastered.

I engaged John on an hourly basis (purchased 5 hours through mbaMission). John was referred to me by a colleague who was admitted to a top 10 MBA program and credited John for his success. I had planned to apply to Booth and Kellogg.

John initially sent me a brainstorming document with questions to help generate ideas for essays, short answers, and interview prep. We then scheduled a phone call to discuss essay questions. John’s familiarity with these schools and admissions committees was immediately evident. He provided a framework for the essay responses that leveraged my professional and personal strengths. After drafting my essays, John provided feedback to improve certain aspects of my story and focus the story to directly respond to the essay prompts. John also reviewed my resume and short answer responses to focus on my achievements and clearly state my short and long term goals.

After successfully executing and submitting the applications, John and I spent our final 30 minutes prepping for interviews. John asked me general interview questions and again helped craft responses that were focused on why the specific MBA program would help my career progression.

To anyone considering applying to an MBA program – this initial investment to improve your application is negligible compared to the overall cost of an MBA. I strongly encourage you to make the investment and engage John.

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Working with Heidi was a great experience all around. I knew my statistics were strong enough to get me into at least one of my target schools, but the final piece I needed was to strongly tell my story via essays, online applications, and short answer questions. Story telling is definitely not one of my strengths, but through phone conversations and feedback on the different drafts of my essays, Heidi got to know me very well and very effectively helped me strengthen the written portions of my applications.

Heidi was extremely prompt in responding to my emails with quick questions, as well as returning the multiple drafts of my essays.

I can happily say that I will be attending one of my target programs, and much of the credit belongs to Heidi’s assistance.

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Getting into Harvard has been my dream for the last six years. I was worried, however, that I didn’t have that unique story you typically associate with people that get into these universities. Then came Katy, who helped me take a step back and weave the many seemingly unrelated elements of my life into one cohesive story that both provided me with the standout story I never thought I had and quite honestly helped me understand myself better. What I quickly began to appreciate is that Katy doesn’t take a one-size-fits all approach to MBA consulting, she really took the time to know me and then tailored how we tackled the essays based on my background and goals.

Beyond that, she was also very knowledgeable about the process answering my many questions with valuable insights from the view of someone who has been an admissions committee member herself. Even though I read virtually ever piece of MBA advice I could get my hands on over the past six years, everything I thought I knew paled in comparison to the insights Katy provided me.

Lastly, I can’t overstate how much Katy truly cares about the people she works with. The MBA process can get really stressful at times, but with Katy’s sound advice and kind words, I never felt overwhelmed by the process. I genuinely can’t recommend Katy enough and after comparing my first and final essay drafts, I honestly don’t know what I would have done without her!

(Harvard Business School and Columbia Business School Admit)

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Before Rachel was recommended to me, I had interviewed two other consultants who also came highly regarded. I hadn’t been impressed with either and when I spoke with Rachel I knew instantly it was a fit. I told her my concerns: I needed someone who would respond in a timely manner and who would help me craft my story. Rachel set clear expectations from the get-go about turnaround time and she instilled confidence in me that I had a good story to share.
From a personal standpoint, I didn’t need someone who would help me research schools and programs. I had done that on my own. Rachel is unique given her editorial background and she is a journalist by nature. That is exactly what I needed. I wanted someone who would help me brainstorm ideas for essays and give me editorial help. Rachel surpassed all expectations when it came to that. I always felt she was honest and if she didn’t feel like the story made sense or the essay wasn’t quite there she was very candid. The entire process was collaborative and with Rachel a lot less dauting.
This review wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t share a personal anecdote. The GMAT was not something that came easy to me. I wound up having to take it multiple times until I received a score I felt would not hinder me from getting accepted. Just as I was about to give up after my second time Rachel was my personal cheerleader and kept me going. She helped strategize with me regarding the school’s deadline and still taking the 3rd test in time. I can say without hesitation that if Rachel was not my consultant I would have given up on the entire process. I knew I was paying for the editorial help and brainstorming sessions. However, what I received in return was so much more.
I cannot recommend Rachel enough for her creativity, her brilliance in crafting stories, and her ability to serve as a personal coach throughout the entire process in areas one might not expect!! Do not even hesitate when choosing an advisor. I can guarantee you all expectations will be exceeded with Rachel!

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I worked with Helen Summers as part of a successful Round 1 admissions cycle for three top-tier schools. I made the decision to apply rather late (end of July) and Helen helped me cull my list to my top schools so I could dedicate the appropriate amount of focus to them, worked with me to find my story, told me the blunt truths about my essay drafts, and assisted my preparation for the interviews. She was tremendously fun to work with and did not shy away from providing tough advice, which is exactly what is required. It was an excellent experience.

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I would not have been admitted to HBS without Katy’s help. She was phenomenal to work with, start to finish, and it was so fun to work with her because it’s clear that she loves her job as a consultant and mentor.

A year before I applied, I hired Katy for a two-school prep package and worked with her closely throughout the entire application process. Katy helped me to position my candidacy; structure, review and edit my essays; provided guidance, edits and thoughts on all my short answers; and prepare for interviews. It was a long and intense process but she worked very hard to provide timely feedback and she always made herself available to answer questions.

Perhaps what I appreciated the most about Katy is her ability to listen and ask sincere questions to really get to know me. A good consultant cannot help you if they do not know you, and Katy showed a remarkable ability to understand my story quickly. Her ability was most evident at the beginning of the application process when I was trying to identify how to position my candidacy and articulate what really motivates me. Katy was extremely effective at helping me uncover the real ‘why’ behind many of my experiences and life decisions, which was crucial for how I positioned by application and structured my essays.

Katy is also very candid and honest. After several weeks of working on my essays, she reviewed them one day and told me they were really boring. It was true, and I’m really glad she let me know. I then completely revamped them with her help and the end product was far superior to what I had initially.

All in all, I found Katy to be knowledgeable, experienced, caring, genuine, and a highly effective 'thought partner'. I recommend her to everyone I know applying and am so glad I used her in my process.

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