During our first call, Harshad immediately put me at ease. He explained that there was no pressure to work together and didn’t come across as salesy. That made our discussion productive and helped me understand clearly how he could guide me. He shared detailed foundational materials at the start. While these felt overwhelming and a bit bureaucratic at first, they ended up being incredibly helpful for keeping the process organized and making communication across multiple drafts and essays much easier.

After spending years in my own professional bubble, my version of my story came off as dry. Harshad’s deep understanding of the MBA admissions landscape made all the difference. He helped me turn my background into compelling, clear narratives that highlighted the unique qualities I’d bring to the classroom. He also guided me in striking the right balance between my experiences and aspirations in my applications.

Harshad invests time not only in understanding your story but also in noticing patterns in how you think, which proved very useful. He organized multiple calls and made it easy for me to clarify what mattered most and what I wanted from business school.

His school selection strategy was logical and centered on what you’re hoping to get from the MBA experience. I ended up changing some schools on my final Round 1 list based on his advice. After visiting campuses and speaking with students and alumni, I found his perspectives truly added value to my own research. He helped me prioritize which applications would be most challenging and which materials could be reused across schools. He consistently put my best interests first. Even for schools where I wasn’t using his services, he generously shared his advice.

For one of my essays, I struggled to keep my message concise without losing its core meaning. Harshad patiently worked through several drafts with me until I was happy. His incredibly fast turnaround, often within 24 hours, was a lifesaver while I balanced work and applications.

Thanks to Harshad’s guidance, I was admitted to Harvard, which was truly a dream come true. His methodical approach and patient mentoring were key in helping me overcome my initial challenges and present the strongest possible application.

If you’re worried about not having the usual feeder pedigree that seems common on online forums, don’t get discouraged. Be genuine when telling your story and work with Harshad, who is truly skilled at helping you showcase what makes you unique so you can stand out in a competitive pool.

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Strengths:

One of the biggest strengths of mbaMission is the structured roadmap it provides from the very beginning. The process is not just about writing essays. It starts with deep introspection. Before even touching applications, I was guided through exercises that helped me clearly identify my strengths, weaknesses, and the key experiences that define my story. That foundation made everything that followed, including essays, short answers, and interviews, far more cohesive and authentic.

The firm is clearly well established, and that shows in both the methodology and the quality of its consultants. My consultant, Christine Patel, was exceptional. She was thoughtful, attentive, and highly invested in my success. She did not just edit essays. She helped me find and articulate my voice. I came into the process knowing I wanted to pivot from healthcare into consulting, but I struggled to clearly communicate why. Through our work together, I was able to build a compelling and logical narrative that tied my past experiences to my future goals.

Another major strength is how iterative and developmental the process is. With each round of feedback, I could see tangible improvement in my writing and clarity of thought. By the time I reached interviews, I felt extremely well prepared and confident because I had already done the hard work of refining my story.

The OnTrack modules were also incredibly valuable. They helped me understand how to approach different schools, tailor my messaging, and learn each program’s culture and strengths. Beyond admissions, Christine also provided strategic guidance on scholarships, which helped me not only secure multiple offers but also successfully negotiate increased funding.

Overall, I can confidently say I would not have been as strong an applicant without mbaMission and Christine’s support.

Would make the product better:

If there is one area for improvement, it would be the user experience of the OnTrack platform. While the content itself is extremely valuable, navigating the modules could be smoother. For example, not being able to easily scroll through content and needing to click “next” at the bottom of each section made the experience slightly less intuitive than it could be.

That said, this is a relatively minor issue compared to the overall quality of the service. The substance of the program, including both the consulting and the resources, is excellent. Improving the platform’s usability would simply elevate an already strong offering and make the experience even more seamless for users.

I had an outstanding experience with mbaMission and highly recommend their services to anyone applying to business school. Working with Christine Patel was a game changer for my application journey. She was diligent, responsive, and genuinely invested in helping me succeed. Her guidance pushed me to think more deeply, write more clearly, and present the strongest possible version of myself.

Through this process, I not only gained admission to multiple programs but also secured significant scholarships and successfully negotiated additional funding. More importantly, I developed a clear and compelling personal narrative that gave me confidence throughout interviews and the entire admissions process.

For anyone interested in healthcare, or really any field, I strongly recommend Christine. Her ability to bring out your story, combined with her attention to detail and enthusiasm, makes her an exceptional consultant.

I am excited to be starting business school at Ross, and I genuinely believe that this outcome would not have been possible without Christine and mbaMission.

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Strengths:

Structured and detail oriented. Very professional

Would make the product better:

More help on testing strategies

I worked with Cat Ho through mbaMission, and she genuinely shaped how I thought about my application, not just the essays themselves, but the whole strategy and how I was presenting myself.
From the start, she was easy to talk to in a way that mattered. I didn’t feel like I had to show up with everything figured out. She gave me room to think out loud, but she also kept things organized and was always flexible around scheduling, which honestly saved me more than once during a hectic few months.
The thing that surprised me most was how much she was able to pull out of my own background. Experiences I’d written off as ordinary, she’d push back on, asking questions until something real surfaced. That’s how themes like curiosity and cross-cultural perspective ended up at the center of my story, rather than just footnotes. It’s genuinely hard to see that stuff in yourself, and she had a knack for it.
She was patient throughout the whole process, never making me feel rushed, but she also didn’t sugarcoat things. If something wasn’t landing, she’d say so, and then immediately tell me why and what to try instead. That combination of honesty and direction was exactly what I needed.
Her turnaround times were fast, which kept things moving during a stretch where deadlines were tight. And the feedback never felt generic; it was always specific to what I was actually trying to say.
By the end, Cat felt less like an editor and more like a thought partner. She helped me see my own story more clearly, and that made the whole process feel a lot less overwhelming.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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Working with Katy was one of the best decisions I made during the MBA application process. I’m from South Africa and come from a fairly traditional consulting background, so I wasn’t sure how distinctive my profile would feel in such a competitive pool. With Katy’s support, I applied to Harvard Business School, Stanford GSB, and Columbia Business School, and secured interviews at all three, admission to two, and am still waiting on one final outcome.

What I appreciated most was that Katy never tried to force me into a packaged narrative. Instead, she helped me reflect much more deeply on my experiences and identify the themes that genuinely connected my personal story, professional path, and future goals. She was incredibly effective at helping me bring out the strongest examples from my life and shape them into essays and interview stories that felt clear, compelling, and still completely true to me.

She also brought a rare combination of warmth, empathy, honesty, and sharp judgment. She is kind and encouraging, but also candid when something needs to be stronger, and that made her guidance especially valuable. Throughout the process, I felt that she was genuinely invested in my success and that she truly believed in me. I’m very grateful to have worked with her and would recommend her wholeheartedly to anyone looking for an admissions coach who combines real expertise with genuine care.

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Strengths:

End-to-end coaching, school selection, essay construction, interview preparation, holistic feedback, direct & honest communication.

One first free consultation with Harshad and I knew I wanted to work with him. And I made this decision after speaking with over 10 consultants across the globe.

What stood out is his genuine care. Harshad spent hours on brainstorming sessions to understand me – not only my motivations but also me as a person. We uncovered what he calls the ‘unknown knowns’, by helping me reflect on my life decisions and how those have led me now to pursue my MBA.

Harshad’s highly organized process helped me stay on track. Right from school shortlisting, resume creation, essay editing, his methodical approach made the overwhelming process so much simpler. With separate brainstorming sessions for each school, Harshad helped break down each essay prompt and read between the lines. This helped me truly understand what each program was looking for. These conversations made me reflect intensely and pick the right stories to share.

His involvement really stood out in the turnaround time, working across time zones, late nights, and even weekends. With him as my trusted advisor, I’d reach out for the tiniest of my queries – choice of recommenders or timing my application. Often, he’d refine the essays even when we were satisfied with the drafts. His striving for so much perfection and high quality motivated me to work even harder.

His honest and direct feedback is what any candidate needs in this process. I distinctly remember my Sloan cover letter. Two days before the deadline, on a weekend, I’d sent my drafts to Harshad. He told me plainly that my cover letter wasn’t going to make it. How he is different is he provided me with strong, actionable feedback to re-curate my entire draft and worked tirelessly to express my stories exactly as I meant to in such short time. Today, the Sloan cover letter I’ve submitted remains very special to me and is world apart in quality from my first draft.

In the age of AI-driven storytelling and the noise around it, our process was entirely human - not once did we use AI nor did Harshad suggest it. This made months of working together deeply personal and transformative, and for that, I’m incredibly grateful.

As I was applying in Round 2 from an overrepresented pool, all other consultants I reached recommended targeting only T-15 schools. Harshad is the only one who believed in me and our work together enough to aim for M7s. I received interviews from four M7 schools and I’m heading to MIT Sloan this fall, something I couldn’t have achieved without Harshad’s guidance and motivation.

One of my most valuable aspects was the mock interviews with Harshad. They were so school specific – in the nature of the interviewer behavior to questions tailored to my profile, that in the actual interview, I felt super confident and ready.

Beyond all, I’m glad that I have gained a mentor for a lifetime in Harshad. He’s been one of the first few people I’ve wanted to share my every result with. He’s been my trusted advisor and continues to guide me beyond applications - from scholarship negotiations to planning my B-school journey.

The MBA application process can be a daunting experience, but with Harshad on my side, I felt confident at every step of the way! There isn’t an aspect of MBA application process he didn’t surpass my expectations in.

A five-star review doesn’t even begin to capture it :)

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I worked with Harold Simanski throughout my MBA application process, and what stood out immediately was how invested he was in understanding my background and my case. Harold then pushed me to translate and tailor my experience into clear, outcome-driven narratives that resonated with admissions committees.

His turnaround times were very consistent with the right priority at any given time in your process, as Harold is aware of upcoming deadlines and milestones. Harold’s feedback was precise and actionable, he challenged and pushed me to be more specific and honest in how I presented my story. He also guided me to change direction in my narrative when I needed to.

Harold struck the right balance between candor and support. He was direct when something wasn’t working, but also encouraging and confident in my potential, which helped me stay locked in through a long and demanding process.

I genuinely felt like he was in my corner the entire time, and his guidance played a key role in my admission to top programs, including HBS and Sloan.

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Susan McInerny surpassed my expectations in all ways and I recommend her without qualification. So as to not bury the lede – I only applied to Wharton's executive MBA program, I was accepted, and I am certain that Susan's prudent guidance meaningfully improved my chances.

I first considered pursuing an executive MBA in early 2025. In the course of my research, I came upon mbaMission. Recalling the many, many hours I invested in applying to law school—and now having a far busier schedule such that I wouldn't have those hours—I was eager to lean on a professional's guidance. Susan answered my questions, was not sales-y, and clearly explained the cost structure and what to expect if I decided to hire her.

Two months later, I hired Susan who, thereafter, consistently outpaced her own self-imposed deadlines in the process. With her guidance, I went from a general notion of wanting to attend business school for career advancement to a finely-honed personal story that would not only show the "best me" in my application but clarified my own aimed-for trajectory.

Being aware of my own idiosyncrasies, I appreciated how she calibrated to my personality and work style. What's more, I dare say Susan became a friend throughout the process.

Looking back, hiring Susan will likely prove to be one of the best investments I've ever made.

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Rachel was an exceptional support from the very beginning all the way through the end of my MBA application process. From day one, she put a huge amount of effort into really getting to know me and my story in depth, and this created a strong connection between us, which meant we understood each other immediately and were able to work very effectively right from the start.

Rachel is an outstanding professional who supports you at every stage of the process, making sure that every single detail is consistent with your story and as impactful as possible. She has an incredible ability to take your ideas for essays and shape them into something clear, compelling, and highly polished. But what truly sets her apart—and what made the biggest difference for me—is her genuine ability to understand who you are and bring out the elements that make you unique in every essay and every piece of your application. She knows how to highlight your strengths and build a coherent, authentic narrative around them.

Beyond being an amazing consultant, Rachel is also a constant source of support and motivation. She pushes you to do your best at all times and helps you bring out the best version of yourself. As she likes to say, she’s the “strict but motivational mom everyone should have”—and that couldn’t be more accurate.

Working with Rachel helped me grow not only as a professional, but also as a person. I can say with complete confidence that without her, I would have never built such a strong application or been admitted to my dream school (one of the M7). She was truly essential to my journey, and I highly recommend her to anyone considering applying to an MBA program.

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Katharine Lewis was instrumental in my MBA application process, and I cannot recommend her highly enough. Coming from a traditional background in investment banking and private equity, I initially struggled to differentiate my story, but Katharine pushed me to take thoughtful risks, lean into my genuine passions, and craft a narrative that was both authentic and compelling. Her ability to identify what truly sets a candidate apart is exceptional, and her guidance helped me translate my experiences into a clear, differentiated story that resonated with admissions committees. Beyond her sharp instincts as an advisor, Katharine brings a deep understanding of the process, informed by her time at Harvard Business School, her experience on the Stanford GSB admissions committee, and her service on several higher education boards at prestigious institutions, which gives her a unique perspective on how these schools evaluate candidates. Her feedback was consistently insightful, candid, and highly actionable. I am confident that I would not have achieved the same outcomes, admission to Stanford, Harvard, Wharton, and Columbia, without her support.

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Strengths:

Nisha is incredibly strategic and thoughtful in how she approaches the MBA application process. She pushed me to go beyond surface-level responses and really clarify my story, which made a huge difference in how I presented myself. Her feedback is direct, actionable, and always grounded in what admissions committees are actually looking for. She’s also very organized and responsive, which made the process feel much less overwhelming.

Would make the product better:

Honestly, not much. If anything, I’d say that being prepared and coming in with initial ideas helps you get even more out of the experience, since she pushes you to think deeply and refine your narrative.

I worked with Nisha as my MBA consultant, and she had a meaningful impact on my application journey. From the start, she brought a clear, strategic approach while still making the process feel personal and reflective. She consistently pushed me to go deeper, helping me move beyond surface-level answers and really articulate my story in a way that felt authentic and compelling.

Her feedback was always thoughtful, direct, and actionable, and she struck the perfect balance between guiding me and letting my own voice come through. She was also incredibly organized and responsive, which made a stressful process feel much more manageable.

I’m really grateful for her support throughout this journey. I was ultimately admitted to Stanford Graduate School of Business, and she played a meaningful role in helping me get there. I would highly recommend her to anyone applying to business school.

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