GMAT Club

Hourly Services Reviews

For those who have identified specific needs and require focused advisory services, we offer "A la Carte" services.
5.0 /5 Average Rating
5 star
571
4 star
13
3 star
1
2 star
0
1 star
0
Based on 585 reviews

AI Super-Summary of Customer Reviews for Hourly Services*

These reviews highlight the impactful support and guidance provided by various MBA admissions consultants, who have helped clients shape compelling narratives, optimize application materials, and ultimately gain admission to top business schools. Reviewers consistently praise the consultants for their responsiveness, professionalism, and ability to provide personalized feedback that aligns with each client's strengths and goals. Several clients succeeded in securing admissions with scholarships, and emphasize the consultants' role in addressing application weaknesses and building confidence for interviews. Overall, it's clear that these consultants have made a significant difference in their clients' educational and professional journeys.
9 users mention "Admitted"
  • "With his guidance, I went from being lost and confused to getting into fantastic schools!..." Read more
  • "At the end of the process I got into my top school (Wharton)..." Read more
  • "Thanks to Kate, I was accepted into Kellogg..." Read more
  • "in securing my place at my top-choice program - HBS!..." Read more
  • "I am thrilled to say I got into my target MBA program Darden!..." Read more
  • "I was admitted to my #1 choice, Columbia Business School..." Read more
  • "I applied to Stanford MSx program and got admitted...." Read more
  • "I was accepted into all five of the top MBA programs I applied to...." Read more
  • "I worked with Julie-Anne for the MBA program and was admitted to both Columbia and Wharton...." Read more
5 users mention "Responsive"
  • "he is very quick to respond to emails and often provides detailed and thoughtful feedback on the same day..." Read more
  • "Michael is very experienced, responsive, and knows how to highlight your unique strengths..." Read more
  • "highly responsive to my needs...." Read more
  • "She was also very responsive and I never had to wait long for feedback...." Read more
  • "I was especially impressed with her responsiveness and availability, which were crucial given my tight deadlines and demanding work schedule...." Read more
3 users mention "Scholarship Awarded"
  • "offers of admission and scholarships from all 5 other schools. The lowest amount of scholarship I got was 50% of tuition, and I even got a full-ride scholarship..." Read more
  • "Harold guided me through the scholarship negotiation process, helping me leverage offers effectively to maximize my financial aid...." Read more
  • "I was accepted to an M7 program with full tuition..." Read more
3 users mention "Top-Tier School Focus"
  • "she was helping the clarity of my application through her artful guidance and deft editing...." Read more
  • "Debbie also gave a lot useful tips and strategic comments which allowed me to be more focus on the most important things...." Read more
  • "Julie-Anne has worked on getting many students in different programs so she knew what are good areas to be highlighted in essays and characteristics of different schools...." Read more
2 users mention "Non-traditional Backgrounds"
  • "As a non-traditional applicant, applying to business school was a bit intimidating. When I first met with Harshad, I could tell right away that I wanted to work with him. He is skilled at and passionate about crafting a story that is not only compelling to admissions committees but also speaks to your unique strengths...." Read more
  • "I come from a nontraditional background and knew that seeking the help of an admissions consultant was likely the best way for me to craft the best applications possible...." Read more
2 users mention "Interview Prep"
  • "Her warm personality made the stress and tediousness of MBA applications and interview prep easier to handle...." Read more
  • "Kate was also instrumental in preparing me for the interview process...." Read more
2 users mention "Free Consultation"
  • "I started my process at mbaMission with a 30-minute free consultation with the next available consultant..." Read more
  • "mbaMission offers a variety of service package. I chose the hourly service which allowed me to use the time flexibly and wisely...." Read more
2 users mention "Career Transition"
  • "Kate took the time to understand my unique background, career goals, and personal story...." Read more
  • "I came from financial services and decided I was ready to transition into consulting..." Read more
2 users mention "Value for Money"
  • "The cost is absolutely worth it...." Read more
  • "I believe the hourly service is a great value if you are particularly seeking assistance with the essay portion of your application...." Read more
2 users mention "Supportive"
  • "having someone in my corner who genuinely cared about my success made all the difference...." Read more
  • "providing unwavering support and motivation..." Read more
1 users mention "Reapplication Success"
  • "As a reapplicant, I could easily see how she was helping the clarity of my application through her artful guidance and deft editing...." Read more
1 users mention "Low GPA Success"
  • "Despite my below-average GPA, Harold s strategic insights led to my acceptance at Dartmouth Tuck and Chicago Booth, with significant scholarships, and admittance to another T10 school...." Read more
1 users mention "Industry Specialist"
  • "my professional background is in advertising/marketing, which is where Kim spent most of her career prior to doing MBA admissions and consulting work...." Read more
1 users mention "Career Changers"
  • "provide advice that was best tailored to help me achieve my goals. She was also able to be flexible as I decided what I wanted to do..." Read more
1 users mention "Resume Review"
  • "she felt that my resume was in good shape and it would be more beneficial for her to spend time refining my essays..." Read more
1 users mention "Time Management"
  • "she is really good at pushing you to think through what differentiates you and how you can highlight yourself..." Read more
1 users mention "Essay Editing"
  • "what was unnecessary and what needed fixing, without worrying about sugarcoating something I really appreciated...." Read more
*Review summaries are AI generated from 25 latest reviews in the past 2 years.
March 30, 2023
MBACandidate2025

Joined: Mar 30, 2023

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

If you're not working with Krista, you're making a mistake!

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

Working with Krista Nannery from mbaMission was the best decision I made during my MBA application process. Krista helped me to create the best application I could by really taking the time to understand my story and my strengths. I felt really seen and supported by Krista. She regularly beat expected turnaround times on drafts I sent her, and her edits and comments were always spot on and thoughtful. The MBA admissions process is tough, and Krista was my rock throughout it!! I am thrilled to have been accepted to my dream school, and I truly don't think I would have gotten here without Krista. I can't recommend her more highly!!

Read More

March 21, 2023
N9314

Joined: Mar 25, 2021

Posts: 3

Kudos: 5

Kim help me achieve more than I ever imagined!

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

I cannot recommend Kim enough. She truly cares about her clients and she goes above and beyond to help them achieve their goals. Kim has a breadth of knowledge about top programs and can help candidates understand their strengths and opportunities. Kim helped me asses my profile and identified areas of opportunity for me. She also reviewed my essays for one of my top programs, and helped me with interview preparation. Kim's feedback and direction helped me improve significantly and she was always cheering me on and rooting for me. I am fortunate to have gotten into all of the schools I applied to and I could not have done it without Kim's help!

Read More

March 09, 2023
amnasarah

Joined: Mar 09, 2023

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Great service

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by school email address [?]

I would highly recommend Gavriella from MBA Mission for the hourly service! I believe I purchased 5 hours of her time and that was the perfect amount. After an initial conversation, all of our communication from there was via email so it was easy with my busy schedule. She was really easy to communicate with and always turned around my documents within the tight time frame we agreed. I felt like she really helped to enhance my essays in a way that was really productive and helped tell my story better. She was incredibly helpful and exactly what I needed to push my application further.

Read More

verify-zero-posts
This reviewer has not participated on GMAT Club but it is a REAL person and a REAL review. GMAT Club has verified this test-taker's identity through GMAC/Pearson Vue Score Reporting system or .edu email address and confirmed that this reviewer indeed took the GMAT, is unique, and has not submitted multiple reviews.
March 02, 2023
dtackeff

Joined: Mar 02, 2023

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

An Expert Perspective

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

Having Harold's services was like having a map to the black box of business school applications. He is consistently available for all your questions from A to Z. He puts sign posts up every step of the way to keep the process on track, did multiple rounds of edits for each application, and seemed invested in my candidacy. He has expert knowledge of the each school and their personalities. You will put your best foot forward with every application. Once applications were submitted, Harold and his colleagues did an excellent job preparing me for each disparate interview. It was a pleasure to work with him.

Read More

February 26, 2023
marchgirl

Joined: Feb 26, 2023

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Couldn't recommend Gavriella enough!

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by school email address [?]

I was juggling multiple things at once when applying for business school (work, GRE prep, online masters program) under a pretty tough deadline. From day one, Gavriella was the most helpful and supportive consultant I could've asked for. She truly understood me and was hands on from the very start.
She was realistic in her recommendations and always had unwavering faith in me, which at the time, was more valuable to me than actually getting through the application process. She was very detail oriented, prompt and constructive. She gave me great guidance in amplifying my highlights, knowing which experiences to highlight and how to successfully showcase my story. Her industry knowledge regarding what business schools look for was invaluable.
Gavriella was friendly and assuaged me of my fears - something that I did not expect from this whole process. I couldn't recommend her enough to anyone looking to start the business school application process - she is amazing!

Read More

verify-zero-posts
This reviewer has not participated on GMAT Club but it is a REAL person and a REAL review. GMAT Club has verified this test-taker's identity through GMAC/Pearson Vue Score Reporting system or .edu email address and confirmed that this reviewer indeed took the GMAT, is unique, and has not submitted multiple reviews.
February 20, 2023
hkt

Joined: Feb 20, 2023

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Krista is the BEST

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

Krista understood my story and what I’m passionate about. She helped me showcase who I am in a very practical, descriptive, and consistent way across all of my MBA applications - and I got into 11/11 business schools (including Harvard, Wharton, and Stanford) with nearly $1M in offered scholarship money.

Some things that stand out about Krista:

1. Helped me maximize the time. From the very beginning, Krista advised me on how best to use the hours that I purchased from her. We regularly exchanged materials with very detailed instructions on where/where not to focus her review time - and she stuck to it every single time. This made me feel like she prioritized me and what I needed vs. running down the hours (which can be a concern for hourly services in any space). She also suggested what I could do on my own as well (e.g., grammatical reviews), so that she could focus on higher-value feedback for the money that I spent. Krista always tailored her approach to me, which made me feel cared for as a whole person during what can be an incredibly vulnerable process.

2. Invested in me holistically. Even with me being an hourly client, Krista still offered other materials (e.g., school guides and FAQs) and ongoing support (e.g., check-in emails the day of acceptance days) that made me feel like she cared about me holistically. Another way Krista showed her investment in me was by always keeping up with my storyline across all 11 of my applications. For example, Krista offered very targeted suggestions of what I should pull into one of my applications from an earlier application based on the prompt and what my story may have been missing. This helped me focus my efforts, use my hourly services more efficiently, and made me feel heard and seen - Krista truly believed in me and what I could accomplish.

3. Believed in me from the beginning. From our initial conversation, Krista believed in my applicant profile and what I could bring to every MBA program that I applied to. I had concerns about my test scores, which Krista did provide support for me to increase slightly, but I knew I needed my application to stand out in other ways. Not only did Krista help me strengthen my narrative, but she provided endless encouragement along the way. She gave me so much praise on my materials (when it was warranted) and regularly reminded me of how much I’ve accomplished in my career (and as a person) to get me to this point. Krista’s support had an incredibly positive impact on my entire MBA application process and kept me going when times were difficult.

Krista came recommended to me by a very close friend - and now I’ll recommend Krista to everyone I know. Although I’ll never know why these schools accepted me, I’m confident that my applications were better because of Krista.

Read More

February 17, 2023
voilamagic

Joined: Dec 23, 2022

Posts: 0

Kudos: 5

From Good to Great!

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by school email address [?]

I wholeheartedly recommend working with Debbie on your applications. With Debbie's invaluable guidance, I've been admitted to one of my top two choices of business schools, a top 5 institution! I've already interviewed at another two of the four schools I applied to, with final decisions still pending. I'm still in the running to be admitted to all four schools!

Debbie gave me candid and impactful advice on my personal branding - how to highlight the unique aspects of my background and show alignment with my goals. With the essays, be prepared to really engage with Debbie. She'll come at you fast and furious with seedlings of ideas, grown from the fertile soil of your unique background and story. They are merely suggestions; often it's the thinking behind her ideas that will then prompt your own inspired idea. This brainstorming process is critical to the final outcome. Trust this process and trust Debbie. It will save you much grief down the road.

Not currently working, I had plenty of time to spend not only considering and incorporating Debbie's suggestions but also independently reflecting on what other changes I wanted to make. We worked very efficiently together and generally arrived at a very polished result in three or four iterations. I feel that she adapts well to her clients - for me, as a decent writer, she focused most of her attention on structure and message, but I've seen that she also has the writing chops to refine drafts at a lower level.

We worked very closely for two of the four schools. The learnings I gained from less than 10 hours of her time then flowed naturally through the remaining two schools. Through the process I've become stronger at telling my personal stories, a skill that will help me throughout business school and beyond.

Read More

verify-zero-posts
This reviewer has not participated on GMAT Club but it is a REAL person and a REAL review. GMAT Club has verified this test-taker's identity through GMAC/Pearson Vue Score Reporting system or .edu email address and confirmed that this reviewer indeed took the GMAT, is unique, and has not submitted multiple reviews.
January 27, 2023
Tunesyone

Joined: Jan 06, 2022

Posts: 2

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
710 Q48 V39 (Online)

Melissa Is A Gem! Hiring Her Will Change Your Life!

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

Hire Melissa. It’ll be the best decision you make. As another reviewer mentioned, Melissa is in a class of her own. I’m going to Kellogg because of her!!!

After reading reviews of 40+ consultants and interviewing 9 different consultants, I did not hesitate to hire Melissa. She combines her direct work experience of leading an MBA admissions committee at Rice (Jones) with her lived experience as a Kellogg alum. Additionally, after going through the whole process, I can tell you that her approach is incredibly distinct, not just something off the MBAMission shelf. It was clear from the start that Melissa saw me as a person with a distinct and important story, not just another client.

Most consultants told me to apply to 6-8 schools because my GMAT was below average, and I was an older applicant. Melissa worked with me to avoid the “spray and pray” approach, but instead, helped me select schools that aligned most closely with my personal narrative/preferences. We ended up selecting four top-10.

From there, the writing process flowed very naturally. Her feedback was always on time and to the point. She successfully identified when I was drifting from my story or adding “fluff” that makes adcoms fall asleep. Being able to write essays alongside Melissa was a complete gift. Without going into too much detail, Melissa helped me discover parts of myself that will impact my life far beyond the application process. And for that, I am beyond grateful.

To wrap up, I ended up getting into my dream program (Kellogg’s MMM program) and will be headed up to Evanston this year!

Read More

January 23, 2023
sk1010

Joined: May 04, 2022

Posts: 2

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
730 Q50 V38

Highly Recommend Heidi!

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

Heidi was a crucial part of my application process. I worked with her for CBS and was able to convert it.

Being from an overrepresented demographic with an average GMAT score, I was skeptical of even getting an interview at CBS so I feel Heidi's support really made all the difference.

She helped identify the most unique aspects of my story and provided brilliant suggestions on all parts of the application material. Her depth of experience was evident in the quality of school-specific inputs she shared, which helped me tailor my resume & essays well.

Her feedback on my material was clear, concise, well-reasoned, and always on schedule (even a day before the deadline in one instance!)

She also helped me with a mock interview, where again the depth and breadth of feedback provided was unparalleled.
Not only was she able to fine-tune the content of my answers but also helped improve the body language and overall presentation.

Would absolutely recommend Heidi to anyone looking for expert help with their B-school applications!

Read More

January 19, 2023
g60654

Joined: Feb 14, 2022

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
750 Q49 V42

Money well spent

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

I worked with Gavriella Semaya and had a great experience. I had solid stats but, in my opinion, pretty average work experience and extra-curriculars. With Gavriella's help I was able to get into two M7's out of the three I applied to. She was especially helpful with the essays. Her recommendations really helped me narrow in on the best ways to answer the questions, and what points to touch on.

Also, Gavriella was prompt in communication, and gave lots of extra advice via email. Sometimes you have little questions that don't necessitate a call, but are still very important.

I would definitely recommend.

Read More

verify-zero-posts
This reviewer has not participated on GMAT Club but it is a REAL person and a REAL review. GMAT Club has verified this test-taker's identity through GMAC/Pearson Vue Score Reporting system and confirmed that this reviewer indeed took the GMAT, is unique, and has not submitted multiple reviews.

85 Older and Non-Verified Reviews for mbaMission