mbaMission Admissions Consulting Reviews

Jen has been incredibly helpful and instrumental to my MBA application process over the last six months. With her help, I was able to tell my story in a way I was really happy with. The MBA application process is demanding and difficult at times, but Jen helped me grow throughout the process and continuously learn more about myself along the way.

Jen was always responsive and thorough throughout our time working together. I always felt that she had substantive and value-add feedback whenever she sent back drafts, but never commented just to comment. It always felt as though we were really in the MBA application process together - the partnership was amazing! I would absolutely recommend Jen to anyone I know going through the MBA application process in the future!

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From our first consultation, he made my anxiety and intimidation associated to the whole process disappear. He patiently heard about my background and experiences, and quickly identified the big themes that he could see playing in my favor. He gave me the hope and confidence (in addition to the tactical and editing support, of course), that got me into 7 highly competitive MBA programs, despite having relatively low standardized test scores. Thanks to his incredibly valuable help, I will be heading to Cornell this fall!

From the first call with him, I felt I had a team —someone with deep industry knowledge and experience that would be rooting for me in every step of the process. And, as the months went by, his work surpassed my expectations in every possible way. Not only did he help me explore my background to craft my story, but he was able understand my motivations and goals, and help me connect all the points together with a level of clarity that I would have been able to achieve on my own.

I booked Stratus Admissions’ 5-school deal because, after I spoke with him, I could not imagine doing any of my “top choice” schools on my own. Harold and his team were so committed to my success, that they went above and beyond to help me with those schools as well as with reviewing my final essays for a few other schools. He always answered my emails in less than 24 hours and made me feel like every question was a valid one. Not only did he review versions of my outlines, drafts, and final essays, but he also gave me advice on how to handle school visits, he read over some of my “thank you” emails, and was there to support me in absolutely any aspect I needed.

Additionally, Harold gave me valuable insights regarding common interview questions for all the schools where I interviewed, and made sure that I could conduct mock interviews with “school-specific” experts from his team.

To be honest, I could keep going forever, but will just summarize it in three main points: (1) Harold was not just my admissions consultant, but he actually became sort of a best friend/therapist to help me deal with the stress of the process and push me forward. (2) He has an incredible amount of experience and knows all the top schools thoroughly, so he is able to give his clients the insights and actionable feedback that helps them craft their best story, and (3) he is so invested in your success, that he will be flexible in every way he can and will work with you to make sure you achieve the best outcome, not matter the circumstances.

Anyone out there trying to work with an admissions consultant, DEFINITELY speak with Harold!

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After a demoralizing experience with the GMAT that lasted for about 7 months, I looked for admissions consultants to provide the guidance and expertise needed to tell my story best and make my application stand out in the best possible way. I did extensive diligence (spoke with more than 5 counselors from several companies) and finally decided to take my chances with Kate Richardson from MBA Mission.

From my initial discussions with her, I instantly realized that I had taken the right decision. She was extremely helpful, professional and kind. As an applicant which checked all of the boxes for the elite schools I wanted to apply to except for a lower-than-average GMAT score, Kate was honest and straightforward with me in regards to my strengths and weaknesses. Nevertheless, she was extremely motivating and positive about the application.

Kate’s expertise on each particular program and their ‘unique personalities’ allowed us to decide on the best possible strategy on how to approach each university. We worked together to identify the key aspects and stories of my professional and personal life that I wanted to highlight on the different components of my application (resume, essays, rec letters, short answers, etc.). I found it reassuring to be receiving guidance from someone who really understands the admissions process and the expectations of each admissions team. As an international student who speaks English as a second language, she was also great on giving me advice to structure my ideas and concisely articulating my story, but at the same time staying true to my own voice.

Kate was structured and organized, which was particularly useful for my tight timeframe (I had to write nine essays for four different programs in about two months). I asked her to keep me on a tight schedule and remind me of my pending to-do’s and overall timeline constantly. She always met MBA Missions’ document return policy and sometimes even returned my essays earlier than what she was supposed to. During the last 2 weeks before the deadlines, she was extremely adaptive to my schedule and even pushed me for extra rounds of comments for my essays until we both felt 100% comfortable with them.

Another very important factor which I came to realize later on was MBA Mission’s multiple resources. From multiple university guides to tailored mock interviews, I was able to take advantage of it all and definitely feel that it was a game changer in the last mile of the application process. I felt fully prepared for my three interviews, particularly at HBS and Wharton, which differentiate from the traditional blind-interviews of other programs.

I was eventually accepted to my top choice and dream school (HBS) and Kate was literally the first person I called after my parents. I am grateful of having had her in my corner throughout every step of the way and couldn’t be more thankful with her!!

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After speaking with a handful of consultants at both boutique firms and big name companies, I decided to work with Heidi Granner. Other consultants felt I was too "high risk" to take on as a client since I had a low GMAT, GPA, and only 3 years of experience. Heidi was the first to show compassion and confidence in pulling together a great application. She was realistic in telling me which schools to target and worked with me on my essays on an hourly basis. Since I was applying to 3 schools, the hourly option was best for me. Her turnaround was quick and even ahead of schedule. The improvement from my first draft to my final drafts were incredible. Heidi was forthcoming with opinions if an essay lacked substance but always gave me the option to choose whatever topic I chose. I really appreciated her thoughts and took her edits very seriously. I'd highly recommend working with Heidi on your MBA essays.

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I loved working with Harold Simansky! He was prompt and accessible - even over the holidays, which was critical as a round 2 applicant. Harold was generous with his time, and always struck a great balance of practicality, efficiency, and effectiveness in his advice and comments. He went above and beyond in the drafting process by consulting with his colleagues and giving me honest feedback to ensure that I had the strongest application. Strongly recommend the standard package w/Harold for at least 1 school!

I also loved working with Stratus as a whole. Their process was incredibly helpful in thinking through my career trajectory and understanding what I was looking for in my MBA experience. Additionally, the depth of resources that Stratus had to offer was extremely helpful in getting my application right. Being able to receive extra reviews from school specialists and interview prep from alumni was amazing. Great to feel like you have a whole team behind you!

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I was skeptical of using a consulting service at first, but not I can't even picture what I would have done without them! I was walked through the process step-by-step, had someone to bounce ideas off of and get direction when I needed it, and another set of eyes to go over my work whenever I needed it.

Krista was a pleasure to work with. Knowledgeable, communicative, and able to give just the right push to get things done. She had a satisfying answer to every question I had, and her feedback was always great, whether she was proofreading or brainstorming with me.

I highly recommend using the service. The price is steep, but it's well worth the money!

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I was referred to Harshad by another mbamission consultant, who spoke highly of him. I used hourly services with Harshad since I needed help with certain aspects of my application, and without a doubt, it was the best decision. After my first two consultations with Harshad, I was impressed by his authenticity, honesty, and willingness to help me. He and I explored all areas of my background to come up with a clear, cohesive story. Harshad recommended a four-pronged strategy that became the foundation for my essays, considerably strengthening my application for the four schools that I applied. I applied in the January round, and I started my application in November of the prior year, leaving me about three months to complete my applications (I already took my standardized tests when I first contacted Harshad). The time to complete my application seemed short and daunting, but Harshad made the experience so much better. We both had a great work rhythm, and Harshad was always responsive to my emails, answering my questions clearly and in detail. In each step of the way, I felt very comfortable and confident working with him.

In the end, I got into all four top schools schools, with significant scholarship money. I’m thrilled about the results, and I truly recommend working with Harshad. Thank you for all of your help!

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John/MbaMission was the first admissions consultant company to take the time to look beyond my stats on paper and hear my story/motivations for applying.

I researched and spoke with several similar companies to gage my chances at different programs and heard I needed to readjust my expectations. My less traditional background (major/undergrad institution), and only 3 years of work experience (4 at program start) would rule out top schools. One company even told me "it doesn't matter if you score an 800 on the GMAT, you're not the type of applicant top programs are looking for." However, mbaMission was different.

John was incredibly encouraging, responsive, and attentive throughout the entire process (even just to check in during the decision waiting period). He restored my confidence and helped me tell my story which clearly articulated my personal and professional reasons for wanting an MBA. The result was a clear illustration of not just why I wanted an MBA but also everything I had done to prepare and how it would be pivotal in my career aspirations.

While I was still slightly jaded by the prior feedback I heard, I chose to only apply small number of schools (a couple M7/T5 and one T10) with the intention of waiting and applying next year if needed to a more "realistic" range. However, this was not needed because not only was I accepted (including a scholarship), but I also had a choice of programs. I am thrilled to say I will be headed to an M7/T5 in the fall! I would highly recommend John and mbaMission to anyone going through this process.

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Trusting Katy to guide my MBA admission process (written application + interviews) was best decision I could have made. Uber efficient with your time and money. Do everything you can to work with her. Would do it again 100 times out of 100.

Do you know why you want to go to business school? No, why you really want to go to business school?
What about [insert city name] ecosystem makes you want to spend 2 year of graduate school studying there?
Which business school is the best cultural fit for you?
What about your first job made you see the world differently in your second job?

There is no formula here. Personal answers to these questions require conversations with many people you respect and trust; I felt this about Katy after just one call. In addition, I found Katy's MBA specific experience to be invaluable - of being an HBS student herself and seeing thousands of previous successful and non-successful people go through and come out the other side of business school. Katy cared about my success, became my go to thought partner by asking questions like these, and helped me self-discover and articulate moments in my past that make me special and well suited for a particular business school.

I have a unique perspective on MBA consultants because I actually started my journey with an MBA consultant from a different firm - The Admission Advisory Group - it was a horrendous experience DONT GO THERE!. That other consultant pushed a "formula" on me for the written application and told me to wait a year before applying and I would not get in because my application did not fit into their "formula". I was extremely demoralized after that first experience with the other consultant and knew the advice didn't sound right. Now on the other side I know there is no magic formula (don't go looking for one) to get into business school, and I am grateful I found Katy to help me help myself shine.

Lastly, When it came down to interviews, Katy knows the ins and outs of the different styles at various MBA programs. Her mock interviews with me (even on weekends) helped me shorten my answers, focus on my unique aspects, and go into the interviews with confidence.

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I signed up for hourly consulting services with Krista Nannery less than a week before Christmas last year. I was feeling dejected about my MBA prospects, having been waitlisted/denied at the two schools I had applied to in R1, and desperately needed help with my essays for three R2 applications.

From day one Krista was cheery, positive and professional. Her sunny demeanor re-energized me and her enthusiasm for the programs I was applying to reminded me why I started the application process to begin with. What I liked most about working with Krista was the way she seamlessly transitioned between specific, detail oriented feedback on my writing (like punctuation and syntax errors) to very broad, holistic feedback (really making me think through why I picked certain examples for my essays and whether there were better examples I could be using).

She was also incredibly quick with turnaround times, especially considering we were working around the Christmas and New Year holidays. She often returned materials to me well ahead of the stated deadlines for mbaMission consulting.

She also made the consulting process very personal by sharing her own reactions and similar experiences to what I wrote about in my essays.

After my applications were submitted, Krista checked back in for news on interview invites and also gave me helpful guidance on making my final choice once admission decisions came in.

At the end of the day, I ended up getting interview invites at all three schools that Krista helped me apply to, and was admitted to two M7 schools with scholarship money at both. It definitely would not have been possible without Krista!

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