I initially started trying to tackle MBA applications on my own. Right before Round 1 deadlines I realized my applications were not nearly the caliber they should be to get into one of my ambitious schools. I was initially very shocked at how expensive an admissions consultant could be but settled on Stratus Prep quickly after talking with some of their staff and appreciating how easy they were to talk to.

I worked with Harold Simansky and immediately we began crafting my story. His push to make me dig deeper was a tough experience, but ultimately so rewarding as we were able to create a solid framework for my strengths, story, and where I'm looking to go. The experience itself really helped me understand why I wanted an MBA and what some realistic goals were.

Harold was able to help me write and shape essays that were lightyears ahead of the essays I wrote by myself. He helped me shape each essay for what the school and prompt were looking for, and cut out any material that really didn't provide a purpose or differentiating factor. I was nervous about how quickly I would receive feedback, but always impressed by the speed and quality I received, even as I was finishing applications around Christmas time.

In the end, I got into a great program I really didn't think I had much of a chance with. I'm so grateful for the help that Harold and all the Stratus Prep team was able to provide.

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I used the hourly service because I mainly need help with proof-reading my essays and finding the right "story" to tell. My consultant has been very responsive to all my questions, and gave many useful comments on where I could provide more context and how I can make the essays clear and powerful. I also used mock group interview service, although it's a bit expensive, it helped to give me an idea of what kind of group dynamic and interaction I expect to experience in the real setting. I appreciate their nice and encouraging style, but I think sometimes they could've been a bit sharper on pointing out where I needed to improve. Overall it's been a positive experience working with mbaMission.

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I purchased the Start to Finish package with Debbie Choy at mbaMission. Debbie was very helpful in providing insight to make me stand out among other candidates. She did an excellent job delivering an unbiased opinion on which of my experiences were impressive, unique, and most appropriate for my selected school’s essay questions. While I didn’t get admitted to the school of my choice, I did receive an interview at one of my top four choices (still awaiting a response) and I don’t think this would have been possible without Debbie’s help. I do wish that Debbie encouraged me to reach out to students, professors, and admissions members more to truly understand the campus. I didn’t do this as much in my first round applications as I did in my second round applications because I underestimated the importance of this step. Consequently, I felt a notable difference in how well I understood campus life—as evidenced by my second round invitation to interview. I would absolutely recommend Debbie to a close friend, but with the caveat that the friend is driven enough to introspectively reflect and identify their short and long term career goals and ambitious enough to reach out to those on campus to truly understand the atmosphere.

There are a lot of negative reviews out there about graduate school consultants. This is understandable given how subjective the admissions processes are at top B schools, yet this is no excuse to blame the consultant for not providing you with the skill set necessary for admission. Your application is your responsibility and your consultant is there to help you answer questions that develop along the way; peer deeper into your life to help you highlight your unique attributes; offer admissions tips you may not have thought of; and in my case, enforce deadlines. Your consultant is not there to miraculously increase your GMAT score, turn your past into an exaggerated list of accomplishments, or write your essays for you. You must be honest about your previous achievements and future goals. Unless you communicate this information clearly and comprehensively, they cannot help you sculpt your ideal application.

The required brainstorming document provided by mbaMission is critical because it helps you deeply reflect on who you are and what matters to you most. It’s true; you can purchase this document from mbaMission for less than the thousands you will spend on a consultant. Yet the unbiased advice and subject matter expertise a consultant provides in helping you determine your essay content and structure; revising your resume, proofing your recommendations, and identifying the weak points of your personal or professional experiences is invaluable when you think of the benefits a strong MBA program will offer you. Additionally, having the piece of mind to send an essay that you poured your blood, sweat, and tears over, to a trained writer for multiple rounds of edits makes you confident that you’re submitting your best essay possible. I recommend mbaMission as a great resource to complete your applications—and I highly recommend Debbie Choy if you choose to work with a consultant. Her opinions are honest and holistic—and she’s a great teammate!

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I booked a three school package with mbaMission and got a headstart on getting ready for the application drops by having started half a year before deadlines.

We began with a free half hour counseling and after running Daniel through my resume and telling him what I was planning to do with my MBA, he directly told me which of the schools I planned applying to were reasonable and which were most likely not going to work due to a missing fit.
I signed up with mbaMission almost right after that as he was straight forward and didn't hard sell that anything were possible. I also appreciated that he didn't attempt to sell me any safety schools for his company's admit statistics.

Booked a three school package with mbaMission. Daniel did a great job pushing me and asking the right questions for me to dig deeper and come up with my best stories that I was able to use for the essays and interviews.

2/3 schools we applied to invited me to interview but put me on the waitlist afterwards. With the stories and essays ready, I was able to put together two more applications to top 20 schools, at which I got accepted, including one accept with a full tuition scholarship.

In retrospect, I wouldn't have gotten these two accepts had I not received help making these stories shine and the interview prep we did via Skype.

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I had availed myself of mbamission essay editing services 2 weeks ago and didnt know if i would be able to submit my applications in R2. Having consulted with 4-5 top admissions consultants/consulting boutique ,I decided to ahead with Tanya Gaskins from mbamission.
The turnaround time was pretty quick, sometimes even a day or few hours. Tanya provided me with several docs and went over several drafts before coming up with an essay that completely justifies my journey so far. Her emails were detailed and clear to the point of how we should go about to best utilize her time and experience in editing essays.
Her valuable insights into mba applications helped me add several key points that i had initially missed in my essays.
Now that i think of my essays,i am sure that without Tanya's help,I could not have crafted a compelling essay.

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I was introduced to mbaMission by a friend who is currently attending CBS, the university I wanted to attend myself. She told me that the consulting service was an important part of her acceptance so I decided to order it as well. As I made a late decision to apply to business school, there were not consultants who had attended CBS available anymore. That made me a bit concerned, I remember. So, I read carefully the consultants profiles and chose to work with Kate Richardson, mainly because practical experience is something very important for me and she had been through several human resources roles. The call we did to meet each other was very friendly and enlightening. Afterwards, during the essays reviewing process, she demonstrated a great care with my application, by giving attention to details and trying to help me tell my story in a plain way. Even though a kind person, she would always give me honest feedback, which is something I value much and which definitely enabled me to improve my work along the way. Clearly, Kate has the knowledge to help applicants be accepted in any great school they wish to attend.

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I was applying for schools while living abroad, so the hourly service was the best way for me to receive the support I needed while halfway across the world. John really helped me shape my story from the beginning, making it more logical and concise. He also challenged me in areas of my application that needed to be challenged. Moreover, I am happy that I elected to do the hourly services, because once I had the initial direction I was able to apply to my remaining schools on my own (I was admitted to both schools). My only qualm would be that it was sometimes hard to rectify stylistic differences via email, which due to our geographical limitations was my only means of communication. Overall, John was a great help and I would recommend him and mbaMission to other prospective MBA students.

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