mbaMission Admissions Consulting Reviews

I am grateful to Debbie, who was an incredible coach throughout the application process and was patient with me as I prepared for my Gmat and slowly put together my essays.

Debbie went out of her way to fine-tune her suggestions for the individual programs to which I was applying, enabling me to hyper-target my essays to each school. For example, NYU Stern asks applicants to put together a picture essay as a means of better shocasing creative thinking and emotional intelligence. Debbie and I went through many pictures and selected those that we felt most represented the overlap between my authentic self and NYU's values.

I am earning an MBA at Stern largely thanks to Debbie.

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It's impossible to overstate how great my entire experience with Gavriella was. She was incredibly insightful and diligent and her expertise showed at every available moment. I looked into a number of consulting services and the amount of attention and care that Gavriella puts into her work was evident from the first time we spoke. Naturally, given the investment level of a consulting service I wanted to make the best possible choice and I can say with absolute confidence that I did. Gavriella truly gets personally invested in your success and does everything within her ability to help you achieve your goals. I got accepted into my top choice of program and that would not have been possible without Gavriella's help. If you're looking for the absolute best possible experience in every way - do yourself a favour and get in touch with Gavriella! Even if I hadn't been accepted anywhere, I'd give her 6 stars if I could!

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Katy was the only advisor I used when applying to HBS 2+2, and she's all I needed. While I was still deciding whether to apply to any programs (ie, before I even became her client), she stayed in touch - answered any questions I had about the GMAT, whether my score was good enough, helped me decide which school(s) to apply to for deferred admissions, etc. As an HBS alumnae and former GSB admissions officer, she provides key perspectives and critical info that I couldn't have found otherwise (and I scoured all the forums for all available info) and even communicates with recommenders (if they want) to coach them on how to write a strong letter. Most of all, we did a deep dive on my key life decisions and she was able to construct a highly insightful narrative for my application - I was really impressed with how well she understood me throughout this brainstorming session; this was key to the story I shared in my essay.

Ultimately, when I didn't get in, Katy again provided invaluable advice about how to set myself up for success over the next few years before I reapply. We talked for an hour about what strong EC profiles might look like, if/when/how I should think about moving between jobs, and when I should expect to apply again for the best chance. Though I didn't get in, I learned a lot about the process thanks to Katy, and I believe this will help a LOT as I move forward and reapply in a few years.

Overall, Katy definitely cultivates relationships and cares about the person behind the application. She was able to accommodate me anytime I asked to meet, had follow-up questions, etc. - even on short turnaround - and helped me manage expectations and relax when I needed it. This is definitely a very applicant-driven process, and you will need to proactively reach out with any questions you have and create your own schedule, but Katy is an invaluable resource throughout the process, as long as you're able to do that.

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I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMNEND WORKING WITH MBAMISSION FOR YOUR BUSINESS SCHOOL APPLICATION. Michael at mbaMission helped me craft my essay for my application to HBS and in the end it really paid off. I was admitted! I had a few stories that I wanted to use in the writing process and Michael worked with me to refine different aspects of those stories to make the biggest impact with the admissions committee. Working with Michael was always very straightforward. He was also fast in communication and clear in his recommendations. I would absolutely recommend Michael to anyone applying to business school!

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Initially overwhelmed with the MBA process, I searched for an admissions consultant that could strengthen my candidacy at my top choices. Melissa was the only consultant that seemed genuinely interested in my story and understanding of my reasons to apply to b-school. For our intro call, she provided constructive feedback on how I could better highlight my accomplishments on my resume and thoroughly answered questions regarding the process. After that call, I was completely sold that Melissa was the partner for me.

Throughout the entire process (brainstorming, essay edits, testing strategy, and interview prep), Melissa was encouraging yet kept me accountable and organized; she’s straight with you (honest without being cut-throat) and open to new ideas/suggestions. Melissa is a story-telling wizard, helping me weave themes/past experiences into a compelling narrative and framing my weaknesses into strengths. She asked thought-provoking questions and challenged me to reflect on how I wished to convey myself to these schools. Through this, my final essays had nuance, authenticity, and personality!

Melissa is top-notch and absolutely instrumental in my success in getting admitted to Chicago Booth. Highly recommend her for professionalism, solid expertise, and trusted partnership throughout the admissions process.

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Within a few minutes of speaking to Jessica on the phone during the free consultation call, I knew I wanted to work with her. I had decided to apply R2 with only two months to write my essays and take the GRE. From our first interaction, Jessica believed it was possible for me to apply. And she never stopped believing in me and my goals throughout the entire time we worked together.

Over the next two months, Jessica helped me decide which schools to apply to, tee up my letters of recommendation, and brainstorm and craft my essays. I had initial ideas, but she helped me piece it all together in the perfect way tailored for each school. She also provided support as I studied for the GRE and transitioned jobs amid everything else. Working with Jessica made the process enjoyable, rather than stressful. I loved using the essay prompts to reflect on my values and goals, because that’s how Jessica sees the MBA application — not just as a final destination, but as a meaningful process.

The number one reason I loved working with Jessica is because she is quick — she can complete your sentences, think of solutions before you finish asking the question, and reply almost immediately to every follow up you have. It's truly impressive. Her quick confidence gives you confidence.

I was accepted to my top schools, and I am so grateful to Jessica for everything! I can’t recommend working with her highly enough.

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I came to mbaMission as a reapplicant. I had been struggling with grad school applications for months and was really in a tough spot. Deadlines were approaching, and I was overwhelmed with the process. Given my circumstances at that time, I made the mistake of working with a consultant based on their low rates. The outcome? Rejected by all schools, and a year gone in a flash. I took my time to process everything and reflect. I realized that I took the process lightly. I admit it: my confidence in my 780 GMAT score and 338 GRE score made me overlook the importance of other aspects of my profile. I underestimated the MBA application process. I decided to give this another shot. This time, I took my time to vet the consultancy firms. I started attending webinars and setting up intro calls. I was looking for a consultant who believed in me at a time when my self-esteem was low. After speaking to a few major consultancy firms, I met Jessica. I first saw Jessica at a webinar. What immediately drew me to her and impressed me was how attentive and personal she is with everyone. I could tell from the start that she knew her stuff. I set up an intro call with her where we went through my professional goals, academics, and even personal traumas that led me to be where I am today. She sincerely wanted to understand the story of my life. What makes Jessica unique is that she asked questions that helped me find answers to what’s most important to me and my application. Why do I need an MBA? Why now? Why this specific school? What motivates me? What are my short and long-term goals? Jessica showed me pathways I didn't even know existed and introduced me to programs that fit me better than my initial choices of programs. She was extremely patient with me throughout my application process, tirelessly editing and providing feedback on my essays. She is attuned to detail and a true caretaker of her students. She was always reachable when I had any questions. She was extremely knowledgeable and went into great detail about everything. I cannot say enough good things about Jessica. I've never met someone so passionate about consulting as she was. The best thing about working with Jessica is the personal development journey. The "personal clarity" I gained on this journey has helped me know myself better, which in turn has helped me have a clearer vision of what I want to achieve in life. With her mentorship and guidance while navigating the whole admissions process, I got admitted into two Ivy League schools and multiple M7 schools. Not only did I get picked by those schools due to her mentorship, I also received full-ride scholarships. Facing an already difficult decision, she helped me achieve my goal of getting into my number one choice!

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It has been amazing working with Jessica from mbaMission! Working with Jessica was one of the best decisions I made throughout my MBA application process and I am confident I would not have been admitted to my top choice program if it wasn’t for Jessica’s guidance.

For context, I am an international applicant (Southeast Asia, non-English native) with finance background (Big 4 advisory & local investment bank). Before working with Jessica, I took three free consultation session from three different companies and I found Jessica the most honest and insightful when discussing my background and goals.

There are 3 main reasons why I recommend Jessica as your admission consultant:

First, Jessica invested time to really understand my background and experience. Jessica made me talk about my story starting from early childhood until now, and she did an excellent job at pulling out what she thought was interesting from my profile and building my story from there. Through these discussions, she also guided me to shape my story into something each b-school I applied to would resonate with.

Second, Jessica really helped keep me on track with my application. MBA application process is long, continuous and tiring, Jessica set up detailed and achievable deadlines for each application parts to ensure I can submit my application in time. She encouraged and kept me motivated to make progress on my application. Jessica’s response time was also incredible and she would provide detailed reviews and advice within couple of days.

Lastly, Jessica truly cares about the people she works with. She took the time to reach out to me when my application did not really progress and asked if she can help with anything. She even stayed up late when I really need quick feedback in the final days of my application (We have 12 hours’ time difference).

Jessica’s guidance was a major value throughout my application process and I highly recommend her to anyone applying to an MBA program.

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I’ll start out by saying that I don’t think I would’ve been in the position of choosing between M7 offers if not for Krista.

When I decided to go with an MBA consultant my one and only hope was to find someone that would really champion me and who genuinely wanted to see me succeed – I got that and MORE from Krista!! We laughed, cried, and most importantly celebrated together and I couldn’t have asked for a better person to work with me on this journey.

I spoke to other MBA consultants, but once I spoke to Krista, I pretty much signed up for a package the next day. From the very first conversation, Krista was warm, friendly, and optimistic. I loved that she had clearly read through my resume in detail, and even recommended I apply to some M7 schools I had not thought of applying to.

Krista was probably the only person that could help me throughout this process. I’d say I’m someone that can be quite realistic to a fault, so much so that I cancelled out applying to some schools, thinking there’s no way I’d get in. Krista was there constantly encouraging me, even when things were not looking promising. In fact, I had said to Krista I was not applying to one specific M7 as there’s no way I’d get in. She was eventually able to convince me, and 2 months later, I received a congratulatory email to one of the top business schools in the world.

Throughout the process, Krista was always clear with instructions, paid great attention to detail, and would always get back to me exactly when she said would. She was so invested in my success that there were times she’d even remind me of things I had achieved that I could add into my applications! Her mock interviews were fantastic, and I learnt so much about myself and how I interview. Krista also has a magic touch of transforming your essays, whilst still keeping your tone of voice.

Finally, Krista is extremely fun and bubbly, and we never ran out of things to talk about! Every zoom call we had, she’d always dial in with a different background photo of my country and we would end up talking about popular food spots in my city. As an International, I loved that Krista was always genuinely interested in learning more about my country and it always made our sessions feel very relaxed and informal.

My MBA journey was a wild rollercoaster. But that is where I am extremely grateful for Krista, she was always encouraging, optimistic, and supportive. I 1000% endorse Krista and could not recommend her enough. If I had to give one advice to her future clients, it will be to trust her advice!!!! She really does know everything about the schools, and anything she suggests is always going to be in your best interest. So please do make sure you take her advice – you won’t regret it!

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I reached out to 4 admission consulting companies and ended up choosing mbaMission and Debbie Choy in particular. I like the fact that mbaMission allows potential clients to arrange an intro call with a specific consultant, as opposed to other companies who would match you with some consultants.

I enjoyed working with Debbie. She has a very personable and cheerful personality. She helped me tremendously in terms of connecting the individual pieces of experience into a coherent, convincing story. Debbie is also an effective writer and helped me refine my essays to be more readable and interesting. Debbie often guides me to make connections back to my theme/main point in my interview answers that I otherwise would not have thought about (E.g., tying MIT Sloan’s course cross-registration opportunity in the MIT engineering school with ESG investing). There were instances where Debbie offered to go the extra miles without charging me extra, which makes me feel valued as a client.

In terms of areas of improvement, I believe the firm, mbaMission, should prepare some materials that are uniquely applicable to deferred enrollment candidates. I’m a deferred enrollment candidate myself and I feel like some of the materials that I was instructed to read does not pertain to me. Also, I believe the flexibility of the admission consulting process can be improved. I started working with Debbie late January/early February, and the deadlines are in April. With this short timeframe, I got a bit frustrated when I was asked to read the whole 160 pages guide. I understand that the existing protocol might be appropriate for candidates with a lot of time, and hence can prepare them with a holistic view of the application process. But for candidates under time-pressure, I believe there should be some prioritization guided by consultants.

Some other smaller things that could be perfected include: 1) double checking the contents and links sent in emails; and 2) not letting clients feel rushed. There were cases where the links sent in the emails were not working, and other times the prompts for recommendation letters might not be updated. In terms of the second point, very infrequently would I feel a bit rushed near the end of the meeting.

Results-wise, I received a deferred enrollment offer from Columbia Business School, awaiting MIT Sloan and Virginia Darden. I believe that this offer from CBS would not be possible without Debbie’s help, and I’m very grateful for choosing Debbie and mbaMission overall.

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