My experience with Katy from mbaMission was really wonderful!! Be prepared to spend money (mbaMission is great - but expensive!), but overall it was definitely worth the investment.

I originally decided to take the GMAT as kind of an afterthought to keep my options open since I was feeling pretty dissatisfied with my job. After taking the GMAT, I went to sit in on some classes at Bay Area schools and was sold on applying.

Immediately I contacted Katy, who I had spoken to during my 30 minute free consultation. I was pretty upfront in that I wasn't sure exactly what my future goals were or how business school would play into those goals (key components for business school applications). I come from a non-MBB consulting background with a non-traditional focus, which I think could have worked against me during the application process. During our first brainstorming session, Katy identified patterns in my extracurriculars that I would never have seen, helped me define my goals in that light, and even suggested firms that focused on what I was passionate about! Katy was equal parts life coach and admissions consultant!

Katy offered great advice at every step along the way, from school selection to picking my recommenders. Katy thoroughly reviewed my essays and helped me to dramatically cut my word count (which was SO helpful for me). During mock interviews, Katy helped me to define my story in a few concise points. She helped me frame my behavioral answers in the same way, which allowed me to avoid rambling!

Overall, I don't think I would have done nearly as well without Katy's help. Now I am in the stressful position of deciding which school to attend - definitely a good problem to have!

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I'm writing this review in a state of almost euphoria: As I write this, I've been accepted to HBS, Wharton, Booth, and Kellogg MMM. I can very credibly say that I could not be where I am right now if it weren't for Katy.

I know this because I am a reapplicant, so I know that whatever I was doing before simply wasn't enough. Though I'm fundamentally the same person as I was before (plus a few extracurrics and a fun new post at my company), Katy was able to provide insight as to what I was truly looking to get out of business school. That was at the core of every discussion: she was prying and poking to see what actually makes me tick, and what I'm really striving for -- only then could I craft any kind of real, authentic story (which is absolutely essential to demonstrate to the top business schools).

I know that I was expecting an 'essay proof-reading' service, but what I got was absolutely different, and so much better.

In addition to forcing me to take a long, hard look in the mirror (and through my work experience), Katy did things like walking me back from weak essay ideas, helping me reflect on nuanced parts of my work and personal experience, and more importantly lending a steady, objective hand in how I crafted my application.

For instance, I was originally going to focus a large part of my essays on a personal hardship (which I still believe is a huge part of who I am as a person). But Katy asked the tough questions like, "Does this really demonstrate who you are as a leader? Does this show the admissions officer that you'll be a valuable asset in the classroom? Do you think some part of you is trying to pull on emotional strings rather than highlight your professional/personal strengths?" These were questions that were guided, wise, and ultimately extremely important.

Each person applying to school has so many facets of his or her background to choose from when trying to show schools who they really are. Katy is like a guide in the wilderness, though, when it comes to pointing out what's really important (versus what I was building up in my head).

Katy spent hours on the phone with me going through idea after idea until I felt so confident about what I was putting forth.

But even after that, she was there to help me prep for my interviews and for me to bounce ideas off of. Her flexibility was absolutely critical, as I happen to live in a timezone literally a world away. She took calls late at night, as she was grabbing take-out from a restaurant downstairs -- That kind of effort is far well and beyond what I would expect from someone of her stature and expertise.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, she helped me coach my two recommenders. I asked my mentor and my former manager (with whom I'm great friends) to write my recommendations. That in itself is an extremely daunting task. Katy was full of tips. But what's worse is when one of those recommendations was a bit lackluster: that's a REALLY tough situation, and if Katy weren't there with her sage advice, I may not have asked my recommender to take a much needed second pass at the letter.

Do not expect Katy to write your essays for you. She is here to help you find your own voice, and put it in context of her dozens of years of experience -- she won't be there to take your GMAT, write your essays, write your recommendations, or interview for you.

I went through a quick, admittedly un-comprehensive search when I was looking to meet MBA consultants. Among them, I met with Bhavik from Critical Square, a forgettable person from Stacy Blackman, and finally Katy.

Bhavik was great -- he seemed extremely knowledgable, and was very friendly.

The person from Stacy Blackman called me, spoke with me for 10 minutes, and seemed rushed and hurried throughout the process -- I felt like I was being churned through a monstrous machine.

And finally I spoke with Katy. Not only did we hit it off, it was clear that professionally she is at the top of the game.

What ultimately made me choose to go with Katy (as opposed to the other two consultants) was her experience as a reader for GSB, and her experience at HBS. Those being my top 2 choices, it was a no-brainer (though I'm sure Bhavik would have also done a great job!). That type of experience is irreplaceable, and absolutely comes into play.

If I were to summarize, for anyone reading this, I think hiring someone like Katy is only the cherry on top of: Demonstrated leadership, success at your job, and a great GMAT score. I seriously doubt that without those three things, hiring Katy will make a lick of difference when it comes to getting into your dream school.

But I do think that having a resource like Katy to lean on during the process is the difference between going to a top 15-30 school to a top 5 school. I truly truly believe that.

Thank you, Katy!

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Originally I was pretty set on not paying for an admissions consultant. I had done a lot of research on schools, had a good career goals story and am a strong writer. But a couple of top B-school graduates I respect told me I wouldn't regret hiring one.

So I did a few free 30 minute consultations, and when I spoke with Melissa (Blakeslee) at mbaMission, I was immediately impressed. Besides her credentials (graduated from Kellogg, director of admissions at Rice), she quickly grasped what I was looking for in an MBA program and in a consultant, and we built rapport quickly. I really enjoyed telling her my story, both professional and personal, and getting her guidance on what would make the most compelling material in essays. After discussion with Melissa, I changed two of my essay topics, and I'm so glad I did because the examples I ended up using were more concrete and interesting. Her essay edits were incisive and kicked me in butt a couple of times, but hey, that's what I was paying her the big $$$ for.

Additionally, Melissa was a great resource to talk to for career and MBA program advice. She has an insiders' perspective on comparing Tier 1 to Tier 2 schools, understands the regional differences for recruiting and gave me non-biased, motivating advice on where to go after my acceptance letters came in (i.e. it wasn't just "go to the best ranked school you get into, period")

In the end I was accepted to Kellogg w/o $, Darden w/$$, Rice w/$$$ and got dinged at Harvard. Do I think I could have gotten into these schools w/o Melissa? Possibly, yes. Do I think my odds went way up because my essays were way stronger? Yes. Do I think I was able to make a more confident final decision on where to go (Darden) because of Melissa's advice ? Absolutely. She was responsive, met every expectation and is a highly intelligent, authentic person who gives straight answers. 5 stars all-around.

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I highly recommend Monica!

For the vast majority of the application process, I worked with another (amazing) mbaMission consultant, but Monica conducted my mock interview for HBS.

Monica thoroughly reviewed my application materials and presented challenging questions that, at the time, I was not fully prepared to answer. She adeptly drilled down into the parts of my application that the admissions department was likely to have questions about. This served as a tremendous wake up call!

Following our conversation, Monica promptly circled back with an incredibly helpful document outlining each of the questions she'd asked/wanted to ask, and which I should focus on in the weeks leading up to game day.

Having this guidance channeled my prep and significantly boosted my confidence heading into the real interview.

From start to finish, Monica was a pleasure to work with. She was diligent, engaging, and incredibly insightful!

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CBS was my top choice. I was extremely happy to get an invite to interview. At that point, CBS felt like it was so close and yet so far. I decided I would do all I can to prepare for the interview. I spoke with friends that were alumni, they shared their thoughts. But at the end of the day, you need someone that knows the school, was an interviewer so knows what they are after. I was stressing about structuring my answers the perfect way. This is where Rachel came in. She stressed and stressed again that this is a fit interview. That was a game changer for me because it gave me an authoritative source about they way I should approach the interview. I could focus all my energy on one approach. She prepped me through the key questions, which was great. Patiently pointing out strengths and helping me on weaknesses. She was very flexible in terms of times at when to meet, splitting our 2 hours into 2 sessions: one on a Saturday morning since it worked best for me and another the day before the interview. She was excellent and I would hire her again for interview prep. Thanks for your help Rachel! A few weeks ago, I got admitted and I'm extremely excited to be heading to CBS.

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Ok, so I cannot overstate how much I recommend mbaMission for anybody seriously applying to top MBA programs. I eventually got into Harvard Business School with below-average numbers, but even during the application process I was telling everybody I knew that mbaMission was a MUST-do if you're serious about business school and can afford it (not cheap). Also, the Start-to-Finish package is the way to go 100% - and probably cheaper than the other options in the long run. Trust me, I broke this down and probably spent 2-3x less than I would have with the hourly rate. You have no idea how much you will reach out to your consultant, and you will thank yourself many times over for biting the bullet in the beginning. My consultant was John Sisk, and he was fantastic. I chose him because I knew I would struggle with telling "my story" and John seemed to be strong in that category. He led me through the process in a clear, honest, productive, and efficient way that was ultimately very successful and enjoyable. I was no-doubt stressed during the process, but that's just part of it. John took the stress WAY down for me and he was my partner in crime during the entire process. My expectations were exceeded at every level (from essay editing, to resume crafting, to strategies visiting campuses) and I can't recommend mbaMission or John Sisk enough. EVEN IF I had not been accepted to ANY of my schools (Stanford, HBS, Sloan, Haas, Anderson) I would have been 100% glad I used mbaMission.

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This is a review for using the hourly services at mbaMission. I worked entirely with Rachel, beginning in early June, until my acceptance into my first choice school in late September. We had a kick-off call to discuss which schools I was applying to and she gave me really helpful feedback on my list, and suggested a few that I hadn't really considered.

I mainly used the hourly services for help with my essays. Throughout the writing process, Rachel gave really specific, detailed edits and feedback - I hadn't written in years, and when I wrote my first drafts, a lot of important details/aspects of my story were missing. I felt like Rachel really knew me, and knew where I wanted to go with my MBA, and so her comments and revisions were completely in line with my overall story; with her help I was able to translate my story into 250 or 500-word nuggets without losing important elements. Throughout it all, Rachel was very, very supportive but never shied from pushing me to deliver the best possible versions of my story to the Admissions Committees. She was incredibly responsive and was always willing to schedule a call if I felt like I had more questions. In the end, I was accepted into CBS early decision, and I give Rachel's guidance and coaching a lot of credit with helping me get there.

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After hearing glowing reviews from a fellow college alumni, I signed up for Dan’s help with three applications. I had done a lot of research on business schools and thought I had a strong grasp on which programs would be best for my post-MBA goals. However, my free 30 minute consultation with Dan made me quickly realize I needed to give it more thought; it also solidified Dan was the right person to guide me through the process.

If you are considering working with a consultant, I highly recommend Dan for three reasons:

1. He will push you to achieve your best application

We went through multiple rounds of essay and resume drafts. While the changes between drafts seemed small, the difference between the first and final versions was night and day. By asking detailed follow-up questions, Dan helped me cut through “the noise” and highlight my biggest accomplishments.

2. Dan is a seasoned professional

I was blown away by his knowledge of the various programs. Dan spoke at length about the pros/cons of several schools, ultimately helping me strategize on which ones would be the best fit. His knowledge also helped me craft my story to align with a niche industry, even though my professional experience in the area was limited. There is no doubt, Dan is a b-school guru.

3. You will have a real partner who wants you to succeed

Dan provided priceless insight into even my most basic application questions. He also guided me through vital decisions, such as retaking standardize testing. Dan and I tackled every aspect of the application together, making the process that much simpler.

Choosing to enlist Dan’s help was perhaps the best decision I made in the application process. I’m happy to say that all of the hard work paid off, as I was accepted by my top choice.

I wish you luck in your business school journey.

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I worked with Dan Richards on 3 school applications (CBS/Wharton/Fuqua) - CBS was my top choice and I was ultimately accepted ED.

Dan was instrumental in helping with the brainstorming/editing process. He is not afraid to be frank or push you on points where you can improve. It was also especially helpful that he went to my top choice and was able to provide detailed knowledge. I would say the mbaMission brainstorming method seems a bit daunting and time-consuming at first, but trust the method since your advisor (esp. Dan) has seen it work time and time again. It feels like a lot of upfront work even though you might instinctively want to jump straight into writing - take the pause to brainstorm with your adviser first - it's worth it. Beyond assisting with essays, your advisor will also prepare with you for mock interviews - Dan was very flexible about when we could jump on the phone to do these, and it was helpful to get into the interview mindset to see how you would perform (and how you could improve) for the real interview.

Definitely exceeded my expectations and would recommend Dan for help with applications to any top school.

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I chose to go with the hourly services so that I could spread the consulting time out over a number of different schools. I had very little traditional business experience so I really needed someone to help me frame my story and experience in a way that would speak to the admissions committee. Today I'm happy to report that I got into my TOP school, and I really could not have done it without Melissa.

From day one she was very professional. She never wasted any of my time on our phone calls and was completely transparent about the amount of time spent on assignments and emails. Not only did I appreciate this level of transparency, it helped keep the costs down by allowing me to only buy as much time as necessary. I used every minute that I paid for.

Melissa initially helped me with school selection, which wasn't easy because I was aiming for Columbia with a GMAT of 640. But when I decided to forge ahead anyway, she was nothing but supportive.

We then spent a considerable amount of time on my resume. Like other people have stated, they do not write the documents for you. But that wouldn't be authentic anyway. Melissa's guidance on my bullet points, style, and structure transformed my resume.

When we worked on the essays every draft I got back from her had lots of helpful edits. Additionally, Melissa was particularly good at turnaround - I got most of my documents back in 36 hours or less, and everything definitely before 48. Again, the level of professionalism here was top notch.

After a lot of back and forth I ended up with a very strong application. I feel that mbaMission helped me communicate my story in the most relevant and convincing way possible. I would have ended up with a totally different set of documents had it not been for their guidance. When the time came, I felt very confident hitting "submit".

Then when I got an interview request, Melissa made time for me even though it was last minute. We spent an hour on the phone to prepare and the next day I interviewed extremely well.

Overall, I felt that Melissa was genuinely interested in my progress. It was especially great to get encouraging emails when I was struggling with the GMAT! I would definitely recommend hiring mbaMission. Even if you are someone who has been through graduate school admissions before, MBA admissions is a totally different game. You need someone who "gets it" to look over your documents and steer you in the right direction.

Finally, yes they are very expensive. But so is business school. A little investment upfront might make all the difference in how your tuition dollars are spent. It most definitely did for me.

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