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
568
4 star
13
3 star
1
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0
1 star
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Based on 582 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.
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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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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September 20, 2016
anilorac16

Joined: Jan 25, 2013

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Amazing value and experience for my MBA application

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by membership [?]

Jessica was an outstanding admissions consultant and her effectiveness, guidance and straightforward counseling gave me the confidence and support to put my best self forward during the admissions process.

I decided to try out a free half-hour consultation with MBA Mission and picked Jessica - in the half hour that we spoke, I gained more insight and guidance in my candidacy as an MBA applicant than I had gained from anybody else combined. She provided feedback on my career goals and told me I needed more specificity, explained what about my background was unique, and shared gaps that she felt could use improvement.

I decided to buy an hourly package from Jessica and spent two hours - one on my resume, and one on my dream school essay. For my resume, Jessica helped my achievements shine through recommendations for a format and how to bring out and articulate impact that I had in my work, as well as helping me consider what helped me stand out next to my peer group. Her resume editing help was second to none, and it truly helped distinguish me from other candidates during the application process AND the interview process, because I had a resume to talk about that I was so excited about!

And for essay feedback - WOW! In only one hour of essay feedback, Jessica was able to help me bring out the best parts of my story through her thoughtful questions and suggestions. I truly believe that her expertise and, truly, her GIFT is in helping you see the best parts of your writing and ideas and bringing that out.

Did I mention how fast Jessica is? She packs SO much knowledge and insight into every single interaction and every single email. She helped me move quickly at a time for me when every hour was crucial - she went above and beyond to get back to me quickly.

I ended up with over $160K in scholarships from two top 5 schools and an admission to my #1 dream school. I couldn't be happier with my experience. Thank you Jessica!

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August 20, 2016
dlas83

Joined: Aug 19, 2016

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
610 Q40 V34

Great experience working with John Sisk

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

I found mbaMission through its affiliation with Manhattan Prep, the company I used for my GMAT preparation. Initially, I didn’t plan on hiring a consultant since I was applying to only one school, but after spending several stressful weeks drafting my essays I decided to change course. I selected John based on the very productive 30 minute free consult I had with him.

John's in-depth understanding of who our audience was, the AdCom, and what they were looking for, was a key component to the process that I would not have been able to figure out on my own. Through our discussions, I was able to create focused, well-rounded essays that told my story in a clear and concise way.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of working with John was one that I didn’t initially envision when I hired him - review of my resume. Going into the admissions process, I was pretty happy with it since I had used it on several interviews and assumed it didn’t need many modifications. John recommended I simplify the technical language so as to make it easier for a non-finance person (as the AdCom reviewers might be) to understand. Together we went about simplifying the layout and highlighting some of the more notable accomplishments of my career, which undoubtedly played a part in my acceptance to NYU Stern. I truly belive I wouldn't have gotten in without John's help.

I highly recommend mbaMission and John Sisk to anyone going through the admissions process. While the cost may seem high, I believe it’s worth every penny!

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August 05, 2016
lasinger

Joined: Aug 05, 2016

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
430 Q27 V22

mbaMission + Jessica Shklar .. A MUST!

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

I can honestly and wholeheartedly say that without the support of Jessica Shklar and mbaMission, my journey throughout the MBA application process, and perhaps even the outcome, would have been quite different. After an “aha” moment, I decided to go full force on a very tight timeline and apply for my Global MBA at Temple University’s Fox School of Business. After speaking with the admissions office regarding deadlines and what was realistic as I pushed forward, I had only two months to complete my application materials, most importantly the two required essays, and study for and take my GMAT.

I dedicated the first month to writing my essays. Having a communications background and six years of professional, full-time working experience, I had in mind the story that I wanted to tell and knew that I could formulate my ideas well enough to get a decent outline. What I knew I would need help with wasn’t grammar or content so much as – am I really giving them what they are asking for? I enlisted the help of a friend of mine who also had success with mbaMission and is starting her MBA program in the fall 2016 at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business. My friend recommended Jessica Shklar, saying “she’s the best, but you might not be able to get her because she’s in really high demand.” In a panic for this last minute help, I reached out to mbaMission, and Aimee replied back almost immediately that she would personally check with Jessica regarding availability. As luck should have it, since I only required mbaMission’s a la carte services and because I was catching Jessica slightly prior to peak season, she was kind enough to accept me as a client. During my Manhattan GMAT course, I had the pleasure of meeting mbaMission’s President and Founder, Jeremy Shinewald, when he came to speak to our class. I introduced myself and spoke very highly of my experience with Jessica, which did not at all come as a surprise to him – what did surprise him was that Jessica was able to take me on with her demanding schedule!

Jessica was attentive to my goals and sensitive to my time constraints. With only two hours of her time via electronic communication, she quickly demonstrated an understanding of my writing and my intention, and did not want to alter my story at all. She gave positive reinforcement with useful and enlightened responses that triggered my creativity throughout the writing process, enabling me to reposition significant points and highlight important areas that should have been at the forefront of my essays but were void in my initial drafts, and that were essential to truly answer what was being asked of me. Every edit that I received from Jessica included thoughtful responses, and even questions so that she could understand the story that I was trying to tell, or my thought process on a particular topic. When I would steer off in one direction, Jessica would give me objective feedback that got me back on track. All of this feedback was crucial as I continued to write and edit, and because of Jessica, I am incredibly proud of my final essays. In fact, I am making an effort to continue to embrace the valuable tools that I learned from Jessica today in my writing and communications.

I highly recommend mbaMission’s services, and if you are able to get on Jessica Shklar’s roster, consider yourself one of the lucky and privileged! If I had to do this again – and I’m glad that I don’t – I would have used Jessica’s services for the entire application process. A true professional that means business and cares!

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July 31, 2016
werdnala

Joined: Jul 31, 2016

Posts: 1

Kudos: 5

Great Asset for Military/Government Applicants - Heidi Granner

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by school email address [?]

Last year I applied to four top 15 programs in round one using hourly services with mbaMission's Heidi Granner.

I applied to programs last year following 7 years of work experience in the US military and government. While my undergrad GPA was high and my work experience was solid, my degree was from a relatively unknown regional school and my GRE score was below average for the schools I was targeting. I chose mbaMission because it had been recommended to me by several other veterans who had successfully navigated the admissions process.

Heidi was critical to my admission to my number one pick school. My work experience was a melange of jargon and acronyms that straddled both active duty military and reserve jobs--confusing to say the least. Heidi's unbiased outside perspective enabled me to make my work experience easier to understand for those outside the military/government, and to highlight my unique experience in my resume and essays.

To date, I have not met anyone with my background applying to MBA programs. Heidi gave me perspective on what schools I should target and which schools would be reaches. This greatly increased the efficiency in which I could complete my applications.

Early on in my search for admissions consultants I thought about reaching out to consultants (former military themselves) that specialize in military applicants. However, my personal opinion is that admissions consultants that are former military can sometimes be biased and assume certain work experiences are easily understood by others outside the military. Most adcom members and recruiters are not former military members, and I decided to use a consultant whose experience was the same as what I hoped to achieve after an MBA. Heidi greatly helped me "civilianize" my resume and make it easily understandable.

Ultimately, I got into my first choice and withdrew my other applications. mbaMission and Heidi Granner exceeded my expectations and I would highly recommend them.

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July 25, 2016
lauragru

Joined: Jul 25, 2016

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
560 Q33 V33

Kate Richardson - Great consultant!

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

My overall experience with Kate was amazing. We worked together mostly on my essays and I can say she has such a creative out of the box way of thinking that really challenged me to make sure that I was giving it my best. I appreciated all of her feedback and felt as though she kept digging deeper to get to my bigger story and helped me unravel it all in my essays. She also is very prompt and will get back to you as soon as she can with even a small question.

I had my heart set on a specific program and was concerned that my quantitative score on my GMAT and my grades throughout my undergraduate program in the quantitative classes would make it difficult for me to get into an MBA program. She helped me figure out how to express my strengths and also touch on my quantitative weaknesses. I feel as though that really helped me to be able to explain these weaknesses rather than avoid them.

Kate and I also did some work on my resume and interview prep. My resume now is very clear and concise and anyone looking at it would be able to understand what I have accomplished without having to ask follow up questions. The interview prep was very helpful because it helped to calm my nerves and keep me on track.

Overall, it was a great experience and I am so excited that I was admitted into my top school! I would recommend Kate to anyone interested in an admissions consultant!

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85 Older and Non-Verified Reviews for mbaMission