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.
January 15, 2017
victoriarau

Joined: Jan 15, 2017

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
720 Q47 V41

I chose John as my admissions consultant because I read that he liked storytelling and would help me tell my story to the Admissions Committee convincingly and authentically. He absolutely delivered. John and I went talked through my approach to the essays, and he guided me to craft my experiences in a structured way that would allow the Admissions Committee to find what they were looking for. We went back and forth on many drafts, and John pushed me to a winning draft of one of my Wharton essays. When John went on paternity leave, he ensured that I was in good hands to finish off the Wharton application (which eventually gained me admission).

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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.
January 12, 2017
somnathbabu

Joined: Jan 26, 2015

Posts: 37

Kudos: 12

Verified GMAT Classic score:
710 Q48 V38

I couldn't ask for more

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It all started with a free 30 minute consultation which is when I realized the value Jessica would add to my application. I had tried many other consultants and none of them were bad. But this 30 minute conversation blew me away. I can assure you that no other consultant will really invest so much into studying your profile and offering you free advice loaded with value and that too for free.

Then comes the next good thing. They will never press you to purchase their services. Actually, they dont need to. I am sure any applicant will be convinced about them after a single conversation.

Jessica helped me - a true mentor, pressing me to deliver my best, and supported me with her expertise and making me delve deeper at every step to discover my true potential. I will forever be thankful for her support and inspiration.

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January 04, 2017
aicliffo

Joined: Nov 12, 2013

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Highly Recommend Jessica Shklar // MBAMission

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Jessica is incredible. I was very knowledgeable about the MBA process coming in, but still wanted a professional to review my essays and help with interview prep on an hourly basis. I selected Jessica based on her glowing GmatClub reviews.

I applied to 5 M7 schools Round 1 in Fall 2016, interviewed with 3, accepted to 2 (waitlisted at 1). Due to my schedule, I was unable to begin working on my applications until July. Jessica's targeted insight into what adcoms and specific schools were looking for helped me develop a roadmap for the two months before applications were due. She's also very gifted in helping you realize the best stories and themes to showcase in your applications. Jessica is honest in all of her feedback, which is invaluable, yet supportive in making you feel like you have a real shot at your reach schools.

Jessica is very conscientious of helping you get the most out of your time with her. Even during her busiest periods, she often turned around essay edits before the standard MBA Mission 48-hr response time and responded to any questions within 1-2 hours. When I added an application to my list with less than two weeks before the deadline, Jessica worked with me to do three reviews of the essay in just over a week.

Ultimately, I was admitted to Chicago Booth, Columbia, and waitlisted at MIT. I can't thank Jessica enough for her help and highly recommend her to any aspiring MBA applicant!

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January 03, 2017
jmlyons

Joined: Jan 03, 2017

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Positive experience with mbaMission's John Sisk

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

I had a wonderful experience working with John Sisk from mbaMission. I knew John was committed from our very first conversation, a free, 30-minute phone consultation. He asked detailed questions about my previous experiences and future goals, and based on what he heard, encouraged me to take a quantitative course prior to applying to bolster my quantitative profile. I ended up taking an Accounting course through UCLA Extension (one of several online options John provided immediately following our phone call); I do believe this made a positive difference in my application process, and I credit that entirely to John. As I began to write my essays, John was there every step of the way; he provided timely, detailed, and thoughtful feedback and also made himself available do discuss questions over the phone when I preferred. John was on paternity leave for part of my application process, but ensured a very smooth transition to another consultant from mbaMission (the founder), who was equally as helpful and responsive. The success I had in my application process (getting into 4 out of 5 schools) was certainly due in part to mbaMission! They helped me articulate my story in a way that clearly resonated with admissions committees. My "voice" was not taken away in the process; rather, it was strengthened by their advice and guidance.

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December 21, 2016
jeff1090

Joined: Dec 21, 2016

Posts: 3

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
710 Q47 V41

Dan Richards - Excellent Consultant

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

After speaking with other leading MBA consulting firms (e.g., Veritas Prep, Stacy Blackman), it was abundantly clear that mbaMission, and specifically Dan Richards, had the tailored approach I needed to be successful in the admissions process.

In the first 30-minute consultation, Dan provided unique insights that were very different from the boiler plate / false-hope language that were prevalent in other free conversations. He asked targeted questions and worked with me to develop a go-forward strategy to be competitively positioned for the round 1 admissions process.

I engaged his services, and throughout the process he provided value-add, honest feedback on all my application materials. He was always timely in his response, was transparent about the quality of work (good and bad) and had an awareness of how all the submitted materials jived with my overall narrative.

With his help, I got into the one school (top 20) I applied to! I couldn't of done it without Dan's help. Highly recommend his services to anyone who has the opportunity to speak with him.

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November 28, 2016
an90

Joined: Nov 26, 2016

Posts: 4

Kudos: 6

Verified GMAT Classic score:
Canceled

Harshad Mali Saved My Applications

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

Signing up with MBAMission was very straightforward and I'm lucky I got paired with Harshad Mali. From our first 30 minute intro call, Harshad gave valuable insights to my overall profile. As an Indian Applicant, it is quite challenging to differentiate yourself from the applicant pool. I have a diverse background and in many different industries but Harshad understood my story right off the bat and really helped me come up with a coherent narrative that highlighted my strengths and uniqueness.

Harshad is no BS consultant and gives honest, straightforward feedback. I worked with him on polishing my resume and essays for five schools and preparing for interview at a top school. Harshad was always prompt and on-time with his reviews and there was never any delay. In fact, he often returned my essays on the same day even though MBAMission has a two day essay review policy. He often poked holes in my drafts but doing so helped me re-think what I wanted to say with more clarity and effect.

I also worked with him for interview preparation. Here too, he was direct and effective with his feedback and even took additional time out of his schedule to help me with my preparation. He was also available for Skype calls whenever I had additional questions for essays and interviews.

Working with Harshad has been very rewarding. Although we worked together quite professionally, I found him to be more like a close friend who kept my best interest his top priority. Like a close friend, Harshad often said what I needed to hear and not what I would have liked. I'm glad I trusted him with his feedback on my application.

I would recommend Harshad Mali to anyone who is serious about gaining admissions to top business schools.

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November 20, 2016
MBAGirl44

Joined: Nov 19, 2016

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

MBA Hourly Services with Kate Richardson, mbaMission

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

Kate and I met through the mbaMission free profile evaluation process. From the very beginning, Kate was incredibly supportive and encouraging of my MBA goals to gain admission at a top ten school (despite my concerns about a lower GPA and GMAT/GRE scores) and I knew she would be a fantastic resource throughout the process. Conversations with MBA consultants from other companies had left me feeling a bit discouraged about my chances for admission, but Kate restored the confidence I needed to push forward and achieve my goals.

Throughout the process, Kate motivated me to write essays that were unique and consistent with my story to highlight my strengths as an applicant. She challenged me to push further and convey examples from my professional experiences in a more thoughtful and cohesive way. Given I used the hourly service package, she was also incredibly mindful of what feedback I was looking for from her and maximized the time we had so she could review all the materials and essays for each school I was applying to.
Kate was also extremely helpful as I prepared for an interview with one of my top choice schools (CBS). Given her experience across several schools and her strong attention to detail to my overall story and background, I knew her help in the interview prep process would be invaluable. We spent a full hour doing a mock interview and Kate provided advice on how I could tweak my answers based on her knowledge of the program and past interview experiences. After spending this hour with her, I felt much more prepared and relaxed going into the interview and ultimately got in to the program!

Lastly, Kate went above and beyond to talk me through the decision-making process after I gained admission into a few part-time and full time options based on her understanding of my career aspirations and long-term goals. Ultimately, I chose to attend Columbia’s full-time MBA program and could not be more excited! Overall, my experience was very strong and Kate played a very important role in helping me get in to my top choice. I would highly recommend her to anyone beginning the MBA application process!

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November 09, 2016
JS2680

Joined: Nov 04, 2016

Posts: 0

Kudos: 5

Verified GMAT Classic score:
Canceled

Huge thanks to Nisha and mbaMission!

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

I cannot say enough good things about Nisha and mbaMission overall. I was not originally planning to use a consulting service, but I am so glad I reached out for help.

I got started a little late in the application process, but felt immediately relieved after my first call with Nisha. Once she had an idea of my background and goals, we hit the ground running. I felt like I knew my story but was having a difficult time making it clear and concise on paper. Nisha really took the time to understand the nuances of my experiences and my short term and long term goals. She used this understanding to make thoughtful and tangible recommendations on my essays.

Nisha provided valuable insight on the essays, but one of the biggest benefits of working with her was her ability to view my application overall. For example, I was worried about my not-so-stellar GMAT score, but Nisha helped me think through ways to offset it throughout the application.

While brainstorming, drafting, and editing essays was the biggest reason I sought help, Nisha was willing to assist however I needed it. She made herself available for questions on any part of the process: campus visits, meeting with current students / admissions, etc. Having someone to ask the seemingly dumb questions along the way was such a relief.

From my free 30 minute consultation all the way through interview preparation, I was thoroughly impressed with Nisha’s enthusiasm and willingness to help however and whenever I needed it. Thanks to Nisha and mbaMission, I got in to my top choice and I could not be more thrilled!

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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.
November 01, 2016
jpepe3

Joined: May 16, 2014

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Thanks to MBAMission - Helen Summers

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by membership [?]

I can not say enough about my experience working with mbaMission consultant, Helen Summers. Helen came highly recommended from a colleague of mine and surely did not disappoint.

My goal was to gain acceptance to Columbia. I had achieved an acceptable GMAT score but knew I would need to really tell my story in a unique way via the application essays. I was aware of the solid reputation mbaMission had and was recommended to Helen by an HBS colleague of hers. I signed up for hourly services.

I do not come from the typical banking/consulting field and was concerned with how that would show through my application. Helen took the time to get to know me, and helped me to better tell my story, and how the Columbia specifically would help me to achieve my goals.

I thought I would quickly use up the hours that I had purchased but Helen was incredibly efficient in reading my essays, marking them up, and sending back with 1-2 days. She was honest and fair with her time and I actually was amazed with how valuable her feedback was, in such a small allotment of time.

She helped me to cut out the "fluff" and effectively illuminate the points I was trying to get across to the admissions team. I appreciated her candor and honest feedback, and can't say enough about her expertise around the admissions process.

I was accepted to Columbia and am incredibly grateful to Helen for all her help along the way.

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October 30, 2016
eg1529

Joined: Oct 30, 2016

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
720 Q45 V44

Forever grateful to Dan!

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

I was initially wary of working with a consulting service, especially after I had done a 30 minute intro call with a competing agency, and found that the person I spoke with just wanted me to cough up a sizable amount of money for services I didn't need. But I took a chance on a 30 minute intro call with Dan at mbaMission and, instead of convincing me how terrible my chances were, he rationally and expertly answered questions I had and only during the last 5 minutes did he mention what kinds of services he could provide. I knew then that I wanted to work with him.

My story was already mostly developed by the time I started working with Dan, so I signed up for hourly services, and we worked together on the applications for four schools. He was, at all times, extremely responsive, insightful, and efficient. He was able to coax my absolute best work out of me so that I put together an application I was proud to submit to the schools of my choice.

At times when the process was stressful, and we were emailing drafts back and forth 3-4 times a day, he was always in good spirits and manage expectations and anxiety brilliantly.

I would recommend Dan to anybody. He was always conscientious about how he used my time, and proved himself again and again to be an invaluable resource throughout the process, whether I was freaking out about something I read on a forum or wasn't sure how to describe at length a future that's always subject to some sort of change or preparing for my interview at my top choice school.

Dan's greatest strength is his ability to be blunt yet kind, and never suggest you spin your application into such admissions speak that it doesn't feel like you anymore. He was the best kind of editor in that he was able to consistently push you to the absolute best version of the idea you already had, and make sure you conveyed it clearly and concisely within word limits.

Now that I'm admitted, thinking back, I know that I can't vouch for all admissions consultants, but I would happily vouch for Dan to anyone at anytime. I would work with Dan again in a heartbeat.

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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.

84 Older and Non-Verified Reviews for mbaMission