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
553
4 star
12
3 star
1
2 star
0
1 star
0
Based on 566 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.
August 19, 2017
chamberPlayer

Joined: Aug 19, 2017

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Personalized feedback, awesome flexibility, great resources

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It is an understatement to say I would not have gotten into business school without the help of Nisha from mbaMission. Throughout our one year working together, Nisha was a guide and thought partner I could count on. Her thoughtful feedback, rapid turnarounds, and ability to leverage other mbaMission resources made a huge difference in my candidacy.

Nisha got to know me pretty well, despite just working on an hourly engagement. Thus, she was able to give me personalized feedback at all levels: from clarifying and tightening essay language to guidance on how I could improve my overall applicant profile. Nisha provided this feedback consistently much faster than the 2-day turnaround requirement. To drive this point home: Nisha returned feedback on an essay to me within 24 hrs while on the flight to her wedding. Nisha also went above and beyond by pulling on other mbaMission resources to help me. For example, Nisha asked her colleagues for feedback on one of my video essays and shared valuable content on what specific schools look for, which was not something you could find anywhere else.

In summary, Nisha was an essential partner on my journey to business school, someone I could rely on to have my back at a moment’s notice. I can’t recommend her or mbaMission highly enough!

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August 08, 2017
jhow1003

Joined: Mar 18, 2016

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

All Around Above and Beyond What Can Be Expected

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Brian Eng and I worked over the course of roughly 2 months on the application process to get into my desired MBA program. I was working roughly 10-14 hour days at the time in consulting and was very burnt out of having to wake up even earlier than normal or working later in the evening on writing papers. Brian made the process both manageable and as painless as possible. His fluid style and targeted suggestions allowed me to not only create the best possible application that I was capable of, but was also instrumental in having me achieve my target dates at each predetermined interval. On top of making me a better writer and applicant, Brian was personally a delight to work with. Maintaining a positive attitude and adding personal color to conversations helped me keep my sanity on nights where I would be writing well into the morning. Brian is world class at what he does and he is proud of his work, as he should be. I wouldn't be in my first year at Cornell (my top target school) without his dedicated help and guidance.

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July 30, 2017
milapplicant2019

Joined: Mar 20, 2017

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Admissions Success!

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I wouldn't have been accepted to business school without Katy's advice and perspective. I only applied to four schools (Stanford, Haas, Ross, and Foster) in the 2nd round. As a military applicant deployed to Korea, Katy always made sure to accommodate me despite the fifteen-hour time difference and my hectic schedule. Katy understood and explained how to polish each piece of my application. Katy's insight into translating military experience into essays and in my resume, were particularly helpful.

Ultimately, I was accepted to my top school. I can honestly say that I do not think I would have been admitted without Katy’s help. I strongly recommend her service, particularly to applicants with non-traditional backgrounds.

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July 27, 2017
moyay4

Joined: Jan 07, 2013

Posts: 3

Kudos: 8

Self-reported Score:
680 Q47 V35
710 Q46 V41

I booked an hourly package with Dan Richards because I had a pretty good idea of essay topics but needed some help putting it all together and making the essays flow together. I was hesitant to use a consultant at first, but after talking to several friends who recently went through the MBA process, and after my 30 min consultation, I was convinced this would be well worth the investment -- and it was! Dan and mbaMission exceeded my expectations and helped make the application process feel much less stressful.

Dan is an extremely gifted writer; my responses would often be verbose and all over the map, but Dan has the unique ability to cut through the weeds and say "this is what I think you're trying to say, let's try to frame it in this way...". We went through 5-7 drafts on each essay, and each was significantly better than the last thanks to Dan's feedback and guidance. I am confident I would not have submitted such strong essays without his help.

What was even more valuable was that Dan really helped me map out my career path and think through what each job (and responsibilities) meant. This was key both to my essays as well as my own, personal growth. Dan is clearly very familiar with all types of career paths and can offer many details and insights to roles, responsibilities, etc.

Going into the process, I thought my resume would need minimal work - boy was I wrong! Dan helped make it MUCH stronger and cleaner. I learned that a business school resume is different than a professional one, but I also took away some tips to use in a professional context as well.

Lastly, Dan helped me decide when enough was enough, and to just submit and stop worrying :-) I think you can go on forever refining essays, resumes, etc., but at one point that becomes more detrimental than helpful! Dan helped me decide when that point was reached.

With Dan's help, I was able to get into my top choice school!!

I felt Dan was very respectful of our time together and I would not hesitate to recommend him, or mbaMission, to a friend. Well worth the investment!

A side note about mbaMission:
I originally spoke with Katy from mbaMission during my 30 min consultation. When it turned out she was booked for hourly work, she was quick to recommend Dan based on my background and choice of schools. I get the sense that mbaMission has a lot more camaraderie than some of their peers -- which I think is great! I had several 30 min consultations and was most impressed by mbaMission's professionalism, breadth of knowledge, and superior recommendations. I would certainly use them again.

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July 23, 2017
bennyburs

Joined: Jul 14, 2017

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Extraordinary consultant and person!

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by school email address [?]

During my admissions process, i spoke to many different consultants to see which was the best fit for me. One of my favorite things about MBA mission was that i was able to get my free 30 minute session directly with Katy. I quickly got a sense of what she was about and realized that she was the best person to help me on this journey.

She quickly understood my story and helped me find the best way to express it. I come from an nontraditional background so for me it was very important to get the right story on paper to show my best qualities. Katy was extremely helpful in the planning and brainstorming sessions and was able to ask all the right questions. She was truly interested in my story and made me feel like I was her most important client every time we spoke.

During the application process she was also outstanding, she did a fantastic job of reading and editing the essays without being invasive and making them sound as if they didn't come from me. She was very timely in her responses and was available during weekends and even during Christmas break.

Overall, I was very pleased with Katy's guidance and I am sure that she is a big reason as to why I will be attending Columbia Business School this fall!

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July 09, 2017
believeinurself321

Joined: May 28, 2016

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

HIGHLYYYYY recommend Helen Summers!

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by school email address [?]

When I first started the process of applying to business school I was really unsure if I wanted to use a consultant. Between GMAT prep class fees and travel expenses to visit schools, the cost of applying to business school adds up quickly and I wasn't sure if a consultant would be worth the cost. Since I knew people that had gone through the process of applying to business school, I had a solid understanding of the work needed to complete an application but I really needed a top consultant to help me craft my story and write strong essays...at least I thought that was all I needed.

Helen was recommended to me and after our first conversation, I knew I made the right choice. She helped me pull out the elements of my story that embodied who I was the most and pushed me to dig deeper whenever I got lazy in my writing. At times, I was so frustrated with the process I was ready to stop and Helen always lovingly brought me back on track and helped me create a plan to make the process less stressful. She provided edits and ideas very quickly and was always responsive whenever I got stuck. She also did a mock interview with me (with specific questions about my background) and coached me on how to give strong and thoughtful answers. Needless to say, many of the questions she asked me were exactly the questions I was asked in my real interview. Her mock interview was excellent preparation for the real thing.

In general, I saw Helen as more than just my admissions consultant, she was also my cheerleader and part time life coach. LOL I truly felt like she was invested in my success and because of her guidance and extreme talent in bringing out the best in people, I was admitted to several schools and will start at Stanford this fall. I couldn't be more excited! :)

I definitely recommend Helen as a top business school consultant. Thank you to her and the entire mbaMission team for helping me to achieve this dream!

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June 26, 2017
Joserivero

Joined: May 07, 2016

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
740 Q48 V44

Excelent service!

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

Kate greatly exceeded my expectations.
At first, I was reluctant to hire a consulting service as I was afraid of getting a cookie-cutter approach resulting in a bland application.
However, Kate took the time to understand what I wanted to say, was straight with me when I was being repetitive, and helped me suggesting edits while keeping my voice intact throughout the application. Furthermore, as it often happens, I had little time left to submit my application and was very thankful that Kate responded to all my inquiries promptly and comprehensively according to a scheduled she shared with me at the start of the engagement.
Other consultants I spoke to briefly wanted to “force” me into applying to certain schools whereas Kate helped me polish my essays to accurately show what I liked of each school and how I felt I fit in.
I am very happy with the outcome and feel proud of my applications for I know I drafted 100% of the content that got me accepted, but Kate’s input was instrumental in polishing my essays and ensuring all my messaged were received as clearly as possible.

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June 26, 2017
NKA32

Joined: Jun 25, 2017

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Kate is a rockstar!

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by school email address [?]

I genuinely enjoyed working with Kate because she genuinely cared about my unique story and encouraged me to apply for top MBA programs despite my low GMAT score. Kate laid out a structured plan to address low GMAT verbal by recommending that I take a communication class and obtain an A to demonstrate my verbal proficiency and boost my entire candidacy. Throughout the entire process, Kate was extremely phenomenal at helping me structure my MBA resume and incorporate specific and important aspects of my story into my essays, which flowed like a conversation. She will promptly return all my draft essays with detailed improvements that helped me articulate my MBA goals in a succinct manner.

I was absolutely thrilled to work with her and I ended up getting into one of my dream schools. I whole-heartedly recommend her for your MBA application experience. She is extremely knowledgeable and makes the application process easier than studying for the GMAT.

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June 23, 2017
lv2017

Joined: Apr 23, 2017

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
660 Q43 V38

Brought me to the next tier of competitiveness - highly recommend

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

I started working with Nisha a bit late in the game - meaning I had already taken the GMAT twice, recruited my references and I was only about 3 months out from application deadlines. I was aiming for 4 top 10 MBA programs and had high expectations. Nisha hit the ground running with me for resume and essay reviews and edits. Given that each school had their own 2-3 essay prompts, documents were flying back and forth between us daily. She really knew how to tailor each essay to the particular school and knew the inside scoop on each admission committee.

Nisha not only helped me have amazing essays, but she helped me stay true to myself so that my personal stories captured the admissions committees' attention. She is a genius at getting word count down without cutting out meaning and creativity. Beyond the written work, Nisha was amazing at making me feel confident in my applications and helped me keep a level head when it was getting down to crunch time. Her calm, collected personality was the perfect compliment to mine as I was often stressed and seriously limited for time.

Nisha was incredibly dedicated to me with time as well. She always made sure to return edits to me no later than the next day, often in the same day. She worked over the holidays with me and even on weekends. It never felt like she was just "doing her job" it truly felt like she was doing anything and everything she could to help me succeed.

Once applications were submitted, Nisha helped me with interview prep, knowing not only the style of the interview but also knowing the exact questions they were going to ask. One killer resume, 10 impactful essays, and several interviews later, I am about to start my full time MBA at a top 10 program with many thanks to Nisha. I could not have done this without her!

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June 20, 2017
micheai

Joined: Jun 20, 2017

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
650 Q44 V35

Heidi is Phenomenal!!!

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Working with Heidi was a phenomenal experience. Through the hourly service package, Heidi and I were able to prioritize our time to improve the areas of my application in order to gain admission into the top 25 business schools. She helped me highlight my accomplishments and prepare an application that would show who I am as a person. Heidi reviewed all my essays and resume, and her feedback highlighted the positives while giving constructive feedback. She pushed me to think about my experiences and helped me present them in the logical way. In addition, she pushed me as a writer and I learned to better articulate and show my story.

I submitted 5 applications during the round 2 deadline. I was invited to interview with all 5 of the schools. Once I received the interview notifications, Heidi helped me prepare for my interviews through a mock Skype interview.

Ultimately, I was admitted into two schools, waitlisted at two schools, and denied admission into one. Best of all, one of the schools I was admitted to was my first choice, and I will be attending that school in the fall. Heidi was truly wonderful to work with and I highly recommend her! Thank you for all of your help Heidi!

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84 Older and Non-Verified Reviews for mbaMission