mbaMission Admissions Consulting Reviews

Harold is not only an exceptional coach and advisor but also a genuinely great person. I couldn’t have imagined a better advisor for my MBA journey. Right from our first meetings, Harold showcased a perfect mix of professionalism and friendliness. During the brainstorming phase, he dedicated significant time to understanding my background and asked super insightful questions that turned out to be super important in later stages when drafting different applications.

Initially, I underestimated the complexity of MBA applications, assuming a straightforward process. I soon realized the intricate nature of tailoring applications to various programs. Harold’s expertise was invaluable here; his knowledge of each program's nuances proved to be extremely helpful.

Although our initial agreement was to focus on five MBA programs, Harold's flexible and collaborative nature led us to expand our scope. In the end, I applied to 10 MBA programs, got accepted at 5, all within the top 15, was waitlisted at 3, and received only 2 rejections.

Lastly, what sets Harold apart is his responsiveness and availability. He returned emails almost instantly and provided feedback even on the 25th of December, Christmas Day - a level of dedication beyond what one might expect from an advisor.

In summary, Harold is a prime example of professionalism. He’s always ready to assist—even during holidays—and offers prompt, insightful feedback. For anyone seeking a friendly yet professional MBA advisor, Harold is the ideal choice.

Read More

I am an international student from Russia, working in tech. I’ve been working with Katy for Round 2 application cycle, and I could not wish for a better partner to guide me. There are several points to support this statement.

First, Katy is incredibly knowledgeable about the subject area and realistic. I first contacted Katy in late May, looking to apply in Round 1 and she, having realized that I had not had my GMAT taken at the time, discouraged me from applying in Round 1, because I simply won’t be able to craft a strong application, juggling GMAT prep, applications and full-time work. Also, before we kicked-off Round 2 application, she made sure that even with a high GMAT score I keep my expectations realistic. She helped me to brainstorm the application strategy and select schools I would be better off given my career ambitions.

Second, Katy is incredibly dedicated. She really delved into my background from the get-go, and took time to understand me, my personality, my motivation and career journey — and she managed to did it better than I understood it myself. She helped me to look at my career as a side observer and pick up the themes about me that I had not realized myself. That new perspective was really instrumental in the preparation process as it helped me to write candid and personal responses to the schools’ essay questions.

Third, Katy is very structured and methodical with her approach to work. She has all the materials ready to help you think about yourself, she is upfront with turnaround times and her work/holiday schedule months in advance, relentless in constant quality improvement (if time permits), she helps you to gather the thoughts in the right form in preparation for the interviews, and, finally, provides relevant consideration points as you get the good news from several schools.

Finally, Katy has an amazing personality, she is very open, kind and funny. I considered several other consultants, and I am so happy that I decided to proceed with Katy. I applied to 5 schools, got accepted into 4 (with scholarship in Wharton) and waitlisted in Chicago Booth, I certainly would not be as successful without her.

Be prepared to work a lot with Katy, but it’s worth it.

Read More

I approached Debbie in October 2023 for interview training. Unlike some consultants who prefer to read a script of the “walk me through your resume” answer, after reading my application materials, Debbie asked me to do a mock-up right away. The first mock-up certainly felt stressful, but I found myself making progress very quickly after the first session. After 3 sessions with Debbie, I believed I was fully prepared for the interviews.

What I truly appreciate about Debbie’s work is her detailed feedback - I have done multiple mock-ups with current students but often their feedback are way too general. Debbie’s feedback, on the other hand, ranges from the structure of my answer to my facial expressions. She truly pays attention to my performance and gives useful advice that are also beneficial for my job interviews in the future.

More importantly, whenever Debbie pointed out a problem, she almost always suggested her solution. I also had worked with a freelancer to prepare for my essays and resume before I found Debbie. My freelancer consultant charged me a lot less compared with Debbie. However, I would spend a lot more hours with her than with Debbie. In a word, I understand that Debbie, at her level, charges more than many other consultants, but it is absolutely worth it. Debbie’s feedback and suggestions are always very sharp, constructive and on-point.

For example, I struggled to put my story together as someone with an engineering degree and an art degree, and Debbie suggested that I position myself as someone who prefers to use both sides of her brain - right hand side and left hand side, meaning quantitative and qualitative. And a weakness (lack of cohesiveness) suddenly became a unique strength of mine. There are a couple of other similar examples, and I benefit so much from Debbie’s solutions.

I was eventually admitted to Ross with 20k scholarships. In addition, I was admitted to Tepper and Johnson with half scholarships, and Darden and UNC with full scholarships.

In the zoom call where I received the great news from Ross, the AdComs specifically mentioned that the interviewer (a Ross alum) gave high praises on my interview performance. Obviously I performed well because Ross was my second last interview, but I also could never have done it without Debbie’s professional instructions and continuous support.

Read More

When I was looking for an admissions coach, I was immediately drawn to Debbie's candor, her commitment to excellence, and her positive and pragmatic attitude. As an Asian-American female pivoting out of finance, I also connected with Debbie at a personal level given her background, and I believed she would best understand and help me craft my unique story. Reflecting on a highly stressful and exhausting year-long process (April 2023 to April 2024), I feel EXTREMELY FORTUNATE AND HAPPY (CAPS LOCK REQUIRED) to have worked with Debbie. Debbie truly partnered with me and rooted for me every step of the way, pushing me to put my best foot forward while always providing a safe space for me to be honest and authentic.

I applied to 4 schools (H/S/W/MIT), and Debbie was critical to helping me structure and advance my applications. Completing 4 applications can feel super daunting, but Debbie set progressive timelines that made everything feel manageable. One of Debbie's many strengths is her ability to balance detail orientation with strategic guidance: for EVERY essay and short answer, she provided highly effective feedback, from sentence phrasing to essay flow, that allowed me to best convey my story and my voice.

I ended up applying R2 due to a lower than median GMAT score that I was trying to increase ahead of the R1 deadline, but I couldn't, and I didn't even end up achieving my target score. It was brutally disappointing, but I still applied R2 and was very worried that my test score would be the gating factor. I was rejected from H/S/W but accepted to MIT. If it weren't for the thoughtful, strategic brainstorming that we did together for EVERY part of my application for EVERY school in order to best showcase my personality and my experience as a candidate, I wouldn't have been able to pull it off. Without Debbie, I would not be going to my dream school. Full stop, period.

Debbie's THE BEST. Work with Debbie.

Read More

I remember telling Harshad mid-way during applications that I was very thankful I worked with him irrespective of the outcome. A few weeks later, receiving interview invites from almost all schools I applied to, we had exceeded my expectations. Today, after receiving an admit with scholarship from my dream school, all I can say is I am glad I worked with him.

When I started the application process, I was anxious about applying in R2 as an applicant from the overrepresented pool of Indian consultants with an engineering background. While many admissions consultants either said "round doesn't matter" or "You have no chance", Harshad was honest in his views on the matter - presented facts, nuanced perspectives without judgement. I knew he was the right fit and trusted him as my advisor.

He was not just my consultant, but became a trusted friend in the process. He was always available, gave me his honest feedback, helped me brainstorm, ensured I met all the deadlines, but most of all helped me portray my authentic self, was thoughtful and considerate in bringing out my life experiences through my essays. He understood my background, my passion, and my goals and together, we built my applications. Right from selecting schools, to essays, to choosing and managing recommenders, to additional forms. He mentored me so I understood the application process, presented his nuanced views on various aspects empowering to make decisions in my narrative. He went above and beyond to support my business school endeavors! In addition to all of this, we would have insightful and fun conversations that kept my morale high throughout the process.

You can't go wrong with choosing Harshad for your BSchool applications :) I am more than happy to answer any questions that prospective applicants have about his working style. Feel free to DM on LinkedIn.

Read More

Initially, I started the MBA application process without considering an admissions consultant. After speaking to seven different consultants, including another from mbaMission, it became clear that Katy resonated with me most, and I clicked with her working style immediately. Her schedule was fully booked when I spoke to her, so I had to be patient and persistent to get a slot. But for me, it was Katy or no one. Thankfully, I was able to become her last R2 client. I’m glad I chose Katy because I firmly believe I wouldn't have achieved the same results without Katy's guidance.

I applied to six schools in total: Stanford, Harvard, Wharton Lauder, Columbia, Kellogg MMM, and Booth. Katy worked with me on my applications for Stanford, Wharton, and Kellogg. I got admits to all these schools except Harvard. Additionally, I received over $100,000 in merit scholarship from one of these institutions.

From the outset, Katy surpassed my expectations of a consultant. She generously offered assistance with my Lauder, MMM, and Kellogg Alternate Program essays, even though she didn’t have to do this. I was very grateful for this as it made me feel that Katy truly cared for me as a person and wanted me to succeed. Katy also leveraged her network to connect me with alumni at Stanford, Wharton, and Kellogg. These connections provided unique insights not readily available online. This not only allowed me to craft more meaningful and targeted essays but also helped me broaden my network at these schools – something I'm also incredibly grateful for.

Katy remained readily available for phone calls throughout the process. While her schedule became quite demanding towards the end, she ultimately made time when it mattered most, helping me refine my essays and ensure they were in the best possible shape. The mock interviews with Katy were incredibly beneficial and reflective of the actual interviews I had at each school. I recall that my Wharton mock was extremely helpful in getting me acclimated to the TBD format, boosting my confidence for the actual interview. Katy even provided interview materials for schools beyond my package, ensuring I felt comfortable going into those interviews as well.

One key takeaway from our first session was Katy's emphasis on service-oriented work. She stated her commitment to doing whatever her clients needed. Throughout the process, I truly felt she delivered on that promise. I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have worked with Katy. While the results speak for themselves, I'm even more grateful to have gained a lifelong friend who really understood and supported me throughout my MBA journey. If you're considering your MBA journey, I highly recommend using Katy as your consultant. She is the best out there. At the very least, you should consider scheduling a free consultation with her. You'll get a sense of what I'm talking about, and you won't regret it!

Read More

As an international applicant, the MBA application process felt daunting and confusing to me. After a 30 minute free consultation, I was matched with Debbie, whom I felt had a similar background to me (grew up in Singapore, worked at J.P. Morgan). Additionally, Debbie had graduated from Stanford, which was my dream school.

I remember feeling very assured after our first call, when Debbie helped me navigate critical decisions, such as which schools to prioritize in my applications.

One of the areas where Debbie truly excelled was in refining my essays. Writing compelling and authentic essays was a challenge for me, but Debbie's insightful feedback and guidance transformed my essays. She encouraged me to be vulnerable, and it enabled my voice to come through in my writing.

Additionally, Debbie did not overlook any aspect of the application, including the (many) short-answer questions in the application form. Her feedback is timely and always actionable.

Thanks to Debbie's guidance, I received acceptance letters from Stanford, Berkeley, Wharton and MIT, and secured over $50,000 in fellowship awards.

If you're considering MBA admission consulting services, I highly recommend mbaMission. You won't regret it!

Read More

I applied to HBS and Harold helped me get into the school, but what a journey it's been!

In short, I could not have imagined the process without Harold. From the start, he helped me understand and prepare for the application process better than I could have on my own, by providing me with a lot of materials and the timeline we would be working under. Given I am not from the US and I had little time due to my job requirements, the application process was as smooth and efficient as it could have been. What should have a heavy workload became manageable after following his guidance.

Where Harold really stood out was in his ability to help me convey my personal story into a compelling narrative, which I think is what ultimately makes the difference. We had quite a bit of back and forth as we were brainstorming around the narrative but, once it was agreed, the process suddenly became a lot easier (and actually really fast). It was overall much faster and efficient than I thought it would be (also thanks to Harold's quick turnaround times, edits and feedback).

When we started interview prep, Harold helped me prepare for the dreaded interview, providing me guidance and helping me understand how to navigate it. I don't think I would have been accepted without his help and guidance, up until the very end.

Read More

Working hourly with Julie-Anne starting at the back half of my MBA admissions process provided me with valuable direction and feedback in order to mold my resume, essays and short answers to the MBA Admission audience. While I had a lot of great content in first drafts, Julie-Anne assisted with streamlining and structuring the materials to emphasize and showcase what MBA Admissions personnel is looking for while cutting out unnecessary clutter. Once I received an interview invitation, Julie-Anne conducted a mock interview with me which provided me with key considerations to keep in mind and helped prepare me for my actual in person interview. Thanks Julie-Anne!

Read More

Choosing the right MBA admissions consultant can be a game-changer in the application process, and my experience with Jessica was nothing short of outstanding. From our initial conversation, it was evident that Jessica possessed a deep understanding of the MBA admissions landscape, paired with a genuine commitment to my success.

The personalized approach was the first aspect that stood out. Jessica took the time to understand my unique background, career aspirations, and personal values, ensuring that every piece of advice and strategy was tailored to my specific goals. This level of customization made a significant difference, especially when crafting my essays and prepping for interviews.

Jessica's expertise in storytelling is her true “super power”. She helped me articulate my experiences and vision in a compelling and coherent manner. Her feedback was always constructive, detailed, and insightful, pushing me to refine my narrative until it resonated with clarity and impact.

Additionally, her support extended beyond just the application materials. Jessica provided moral support and guidance throughout the often stressful process, reminding me to stay true to myself and my aspirations.

The results speak for themselves. I was accepted into HBS and GSB, and I attribute a significant part of my success to Jessica's guidance. I HIGHLY recommend Jessica to anyone seeking a partner who will invest deeply in their MBA journey and help them achieve their highest potential.

Read More