I booked a three school package with mbaMission and got a headstart on getting ready for the application drops by having started half a year before deadlines.

We began with a free half hour counseling and after running Daniel through my resume and telling him what I was planning to do with my MBA, he directly told me which of the schools I planned applying to were reasonable and which were most likely not going to work due to a missing fit.
I signed up with mbaMission almost right after that as he was straight forward and didn't hard sell that anything were possible. I also appreciated that he didn't attempt to sell me any safety schools for his company's admit statistics.

Booked a three school package with mbaMission. Daniel did a great job pushing me and asking the right questions for me to dig deeper and come up with my best stories that I was able to use for the essays and interviews.

2/3 schools we applied to invited me to interview but put me on the waitlist afterwards. With the stories and essays ready, I was able to put together two more applications to top 20 schools, at which I got accepted, including one accept with a full tuition scholarship.

In retrospect, I wouldn't have gotten these two accepts had I not received help making these stories shine and the interview prep we did via Skype.

Read More

Just like the title says, Angela is really somebody who cares about getting to know you as an applicant, and not just putting together a package that she thinks the Adcom wants to see. I've heard a number of horror stories of other applicants who used lesser consultants, and ended up with cookie-cutter applications that didn't really say who they were.

Angela's process started with a lengthy consultation and questionnaire. At first I was reluctant to fill another lengthy document on top of the application that I was about to embark on, but its value was very quickly apparent. After reviewing that document and through subsequent conversations, Angela really got to the core of who I was and what motivates me. Without Angela's guidance, I certainly would have taken a much more standard approach to my application, laying out accomplishments, career points, etc. With her help, my application was tailored to who I was, and my personality came through.

On top of her guidance through the essays, it was very comforting to have someone as experienced as Angela to bounce questions off of. Every little thought that you have on the application -- even as trivial as what font should I use -- she'll have good advice for, even if that advice is "don't worry about that...seriously".

Read More

I used the complete start to finish package from mbaMission. John not only gave me fantastic guidance and feedback but also meaningful support and encouragement. He helped to keep me on the right track during the brainstorm process, and helped me to view the application as a whole, as the admissions board would. He helped me to market and capitalize on my strengths and ensure these were communicated in my application. During the essay writing process, John asked all the right questions to direct my focus on the right topics and pushed me to perfect my essays. John also helped me tremendously during the interview process which was the most stressful part for me. He gave clear and constructive feedback, helped me to stay focused and calmed my nerves. Lastly, John was always available via phone and email for quick questions and support. I got into both of the two schools I applied to with John's assistance.(CBS and NYU) I highly recommend his services!

Read More

After using Manhattan GMAT prep to prepare for the exam, my instructor told me she would pair me with mbaMission's best consultant, Angela Guido. I was already impressed by the strong recommendation, but during the free consultation with Angela I was further impressed with the candor she spoke of my candidacy, the concrete advice she provided me, and the fact that she did not try to push her consulting services on me. I decided to work with Angela on a 2 school Complete-Start-to-Finish Package and I would highly recommend Angela to anyone comparing MBA admissions consultants.

Before the school applications were even released, Angela worked with me through 13 revisions of my resume. She dissected every sentence and we worked through every word, "de-jargoning" my resume. I later sent my resume to a friend (and Kellogg admissions fellow whose opinions I trust greatly), and he informed me that my resume was the best he'd seen. I attribute this praise to Angela solely.

Angela, was very responsive to my correspondence, often returning multiple drafts of documents within a single day. Aside from resume prep, Angela's greatest strength in my view is her ability to pick out the aspects of my background that led to major life decisions I'd made, and subsequently articulate these insights on my application.

I can't recommend Angela highly enough. If you plan to use mbaMission, Angela should be your first choice. If you aren't planning to use mbaMission, Angela Guido should be a strong reason to reconsider.

I was admitted to Wharton, Sloan, and Booth and I know that I couldn't have done it without Angela.

Read More

I was hesitant to hire an admissions consultant, but a good friend who got into HBS highly recommended Angela so I did a trial call. I quickly hired her.

I could speak of how she overhauled my resume – still 100% accurate but much more impressive, or how she understood me so quickly and what to highlight for my story, or the quality of her feedback that helped me shape my essay into the masterpiece I feel it is (my HBS interviewer told me “I love the way you write”). Yet I feel the most telling example is when Angela told me she woke up in the middle of the night and realized we HAD to add back a portion of the essay we just removed. That’s the kind of person you want to work with.

Read More

I had a wonderful experience working with Jen Kedrowski. I believed the weakest aspect of my application was my work experience and Jen worked very hard to help me highlight my accomplishments and address my weaknesses. We also spent many productive hours preparing for interviews, of which I had six in a two week period. I chose Jen because she received her MBA from Cambridge and I was most interested in LBS, but this does not mean that she has limited knowledge of the American schools. Jen helped me get accepted to Booth, Yale, and Cambridge, and waitlisted at Dartmouth and LBS. If you are looking for a consultant who is very diligent, enthusiastic, reliable, and detail oriented, I would highly recommend Jen Kedrowski at mbaMission.

Read More

I worked with Angela on a two school package for both HBS and GSB.

What really impressed me right away was how she read into my personality so well. After reading through my initial brainstorming materials, and doing an 30 minute call, it felt like Angela had known me for years.

She was tremendously helpful in helping me brainstorm essay ideas and helping me frame my life story and interests in a convincing way! I was very happy with the end result of my essays and felt they really reflected who I was.

Angela was quick to respond to any questions I had over email, and always got drafts of my essays back to me in a timely manner.

Although I did not end up getting into either of my top choices, I was able to leverage the work I did on both schools into an application to Wharton and was admitted! Angela even helped me in my interview even though it wasn't one of the two schools I was working with her on. Talk about going above and beyond!

If anyone is on the fence about hiring a consultant, I highly recommend you spending 30 minutes (free consultation!) on the phone with Angela!

Read More

Before I ever met Melissa Blakeslee, I was excited to work with her because of her experience working on the other end of the admissions process, as an executive director of admissions at Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business. More than helping me craft essays and applications that would appeal to the admissions officers though, Melissa helped me build an authentic application because she was completely committed to getting to know me. Equal parts therapy session and brainstorm, our first meeting was a 1.5 hour call where we talked about everything from my upbringing to my work experience. During our next brainstorming session, she continued to bring up ideas that evolved some of the topics we had discussed 2+ months earlier.

When it came time to practice for my interview, Melissa was the ultimate resource because she knew me as well (if not better) than I knew myself. She suggested answers that I hadn’t considered and reminded me of experiences that I had forgotten. In the end, I was perfectly set-up for an interview that told one cohesive story, rather than a series of disjointed, one-off answers.

More than anything else though, in searching for an admissions consultant, I was looking for a real partner to guide me through a pretty overwhelming process. Someone who’d be as invested in my success as much as my mom or dad might be. In Melissa, I found exactly that. When it was crunch time, I was incredibly grateful to have Melissa with me in the trenches. She provided feedback on my essays quicker than I could edit them and was the only reason I got everything in on time. After a poor interview, Melissa gave me some much-needed perspective, helping me parse the emotional from the rational. And when I found out I had been admitted to my dream school, Melissa was my third call (after my parents and grandma). If I could go through it all over again, I wouldn’t do it with anyone else but Melissa.

Read More

I worked with Angela from MBA mission for a 2-school package for R1 (Tuck, Haas), and then decided to add a third school for R2 (Harvard). I applied R2 to Wharton and Kellogg on my own as its a numbers game.

My background - Deals from the Big 4, 720 GMAT, 5 years of work experience, good (but not great) extracurriculars in college and afterwards.

This is the 3rd year I applied to business schools. 2 years ago did R3 at Harvard (looking back I had no shot), last year I did R2 at H/W/Tuck. All dings, with interview invite at Tuck. Over the summer I felt that this was realistically my last shot to apply, and I just didn't want to gamble with my chances.

A guide in the process. Just like you wouldn't trek across the desert on your own, you probably shouldn't apply to business school without help. You might get to the destination in the end, but youll probably take a wrong turn at some point. Last year I would spend weeks crafting a an essay, only to realise at the end that even though it was written well the story didnt work and I needed to restart (I got up to 20+ revisions last year on some essays). This time around with each revision I knew I was on the right track (only about 5-8 revisions per essay). This was INCREDIBLY useful as I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Positives
- STORY CRAFTING. Angela helped me dive into my career and college to pull out the best stories. About half of them were ones I wouldnt have included originally, but looking back now they are some of my most powerful. She also helped me get under the skin of each school and essay question so that I could change perspective and tell the same story from multiple viewpoints depending on what was required.

- TIME SAVINGS. She knew the process and always had the answer. The previous two years I constantly read online forums and books on application strategy. This killed my time and restricted how many applications I did. I also would read advice in one place, and have it contradicted somewhere else.

- SUPPORTIVE - Angela was really my champion throughout the process. She was honest in schools I didnt have a shot at (Stanford) - but also encouraged me to stretch myself and go for my dream schools. She also provided much needed encouragement when I was sick of the process and wanted to give up.

- Consulants are the only ones with truly OBJECTIVE FEEDBACK. Angela called me out when my essays were crap and I needed to change direction at the start. Family and friends aren't objective and don't understand the process. They should provide feedback on the essays (at the end of the process when its being tightened), but they are not the best help crafting the theme and story.

Advice I wish I could have given myself a year ago
- Speak to consulants as early as possible. I started in July and really felt like I should have started earlier to ease my stress levels as the deadlines loomed.The best consulants get fully booked months in advance, this wasnt something I was aware of going into the process.

-Personality fit is also really important and something I didnt consider as much when I started the process. Even within the same company its likely you will connect really well with some consultants, and may not well with others.

- She wont do the work for you or chase you. She guides you in the process but wont carry you. At the end of the day, its your voice, your stories - she just makes sure your best stories are picked and they come across as polished as possible.

I have been accepted to Kellogg!!!!! (and interview invite is TBD at Harvard) Although Kellogg wasnt one of the school's I worked with Angela on, there were many areas that overlapped (my "theme", interview advice, resume, letter of recs, some parts of the essays). Generally my thought process had also changed from previous applications (i.e. show - dont tell). Ironically, my Tuck application was better than my Kellogg application, goes to show sometimes its just a bit of luck.

Overall - HIGHLY recommend both Angela and MBAmission - I wouldnt have been accepted without using her. Simple as that.

Read More

In July when I was agonizing over which consultant to choose, my conversation with Melissa B. at MBAMission sealed the deal. But when I decided to go with MBAMission, Melissa recommended Kate to me after knowing my background and my target universities. I wanted to work with an admissions consultant especially because I didn’t have many people around me who had applied for business school in my circles.

Right from school selection to first understanding my story before we went into any application, Kate was AMAZING! She was particular that I not set my sights too low and yet be pragmatic about my chances which made me apply to a range of schools in the M7 and few outside of it, especially being an international student. I finally ended up choosing 4 M7 schools and 1 non-M7 school to work with MBAMission.

I got rejects from three schools and got admitted into Booth (one was still pending at the time of writing this). What’s funny is I chose to work with Kate because I thought that it would be an advantage while writing my Booth essays. Yet, Kate’s knowledge and insights on other universities were amazing. She would always supplement my research during my essays.

When I look back at my rejections, I know very well that it was NOT because of my essays but rather a question of profile / fit / round. That said, ‘all you need is one!’ and I know fully well that my applications would be nowhere as good without Kate’s help. Her attention to detail was awesome and it always amazed me how she would transform my essay, with essentially the same story and build-up, into something absolutely different.

During my interview preparation with Kate, she gave me some truly invaluable tips which I know I will be using going forward as well! Not just that, if I felt my essays needed an additional spark, Kate would always reach out to other consultants at MBAMission and get their thoughts as well which was not something I ever expected out of her.

I think what really stood out to me while working with Kate was just how amazing a person she was and was genuinely interested in my successes and failures. That is really important while working with a consultant since you are going and pouring out details of your life story to someone whom you haven’t met before and you need to be really comfortable doing that. My calls and frequent e-mails (trust me when I say frequent!) never disappointed and I always felt comfortable and relaxed during the entire process.

Lastly, the thing that stood out to me most was when I got my rejections, she gave me additional material to prepare for my Round 2 essays if I ever needed them and ensured that I planned ahead even though I wouldn’t be working with her. Before I received my Booth acceptance, I was able to complete my essays for 2 other universities as a backup all because of Kate’s push. Thankfully I never had to use them :-D

I really can’t overstate how much I recommend her services.

Read More