After researching a few different companies and interviewing 3 different consultants, I did not hesitate to work with Angela, and I still consider hiring her as one of the best things I did to prepare for the long process of applying to business school. She is upbeat, down to earth, kind, and the type of person who will tell it like it is and tell it how you need to hear it. Now that the process is over, I would definitely go back and choose her again in a heartbeat.

I am a non-traditional applicant- first of all, I am a 38 year old mother, so from the perspective from many Adcoms, I may as well have an AARP card. The stats for my admission to any top tier school were not good just based upon this fact alone. I am also military (I had a long commitment), but I had a late start to my career due to some flailings in my personal and professional life in my early 20’s. My extracurriculars were nothing spectacular and my college GPA was 3.3. I did, however, have a 740 GMAT, so I decided that maybe a school or two may overlook my faults if I could sell myself correctly, and this is where Angela came in.

I knew that I would give this one shot- no reapplying next year, so I wanted to make it count. I bought the 5 school comprehensive package and paid the nearly $10,000 fee (gulp!) With her advice, I decided to apply to MIT, Yale, HBS, Kellogg, and Foster (U of Washington). Here are a few of thoughts about my experience with Angela:

1. I am an extremely private person, yet I felt completely comfortable sharing things with Angela that even some of my closest friends don’t know. Not only is she not judgmental, but I also felt that in sharing certain things with her, she was able to understand me as a total person, which was key when helping me craft compelling narratives.

2. She was ALWAYS on time and NEVER missed a deadline or phone call. Ever. She was always prepared for the call.

3. I am not by nature a procrastinator, so I did not hire her to help me stay on track. I hired her because she knows what she is doing. She did not disappoint.

4. I had one minor recommender-related crisis that occurred half way through the process that I freaked out about. Angela was on the phone with me almost immediately and talked me down off the ledge and gave me some much-needed direction.

All of this was still hard work on my part. Having Angela as a consultant did not mean less work for me- on the contrary, it probably resulted in more. I had anywhere from 3-6 drafts on each essay, but as a result, my applications were WAY better than they would have been had I not been working with her. There are so many ways to screw up an essay, and I probably would have if left to my own devices.

I ended up receiving a full scholarship to Yale and a $40K scholarship to Foster. I was offered an interview to both MIT and HBS but was waitlisted at MIT and rejected to HBS. I was rejected to Kellogg (they interview everybody). All in all, not too shabby for someone with my stats! I probably would not have gotten into Yale at all or Foster with such a large scholarship without Angela. So the way I see it, this was a great ROI on my initial 10K. Aside from the economics, working with her just made the process… well, better. It was nice not to have to bug my friends to read my essays and I liked having a totally unbiased opinion. I looked forward to our brainstorming sessions and I felt like she really got me. All in all, I would do the same exact thing and hire Angela again if I had to re-do this process (which I don’t, thank goodness!).

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I was introduced to mbaMission by a friend who is currently attending CBS, the university I wanted to attend myself. She told me that the consulting service was an important part of her acceptance so I decided to order it as well. As I made a late decision to apply to business school, there were not consultants who had attended CBS available anymore. That made me a bit concerned, I remember. So, I read carefully the consultants profiles and chose to work with Kate Richardson, mainly because practical experience is something very important for me and she had been through several human resources roles. The call we did to meet each other was very friendly and enlightening. Afterwards, during the essays reviewing process, she demonstrated a great care with my application, by giving attention to details and trying to help me tell my story in a plain way. Even though a kind person, she would always give me honest feedback, which is something I value much and which definitely enabled me to improve my work along the way. Clearly, Kate has the knowledge to help applicants be accepted in any great school they wish to attend.

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I could not have asked for a better experience. Before I picked mbaMission and met Jen, I had been searching for detailed information on the full-time MBA program at Columbia and for structure in my application process. In little to no time, Jen supplied multiple guides (including an up-to-date insider's guide on Columbia), helped me identify and organize many tasks and got to know me really well. Each time I hit a brainstorming brick wall, Jen reminded me of a pertinent example I had shared in our first week that would tell my story effectively in an essay or interview setting. Thanks to Jen, I felt confident and enjoyed my application process!

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I worked with Daniel Richards on the end-to-end package for three top 25 schools. With a 640 GMAT, all of these schools would have been considered out of reach in the traditional sense, but Dan was able to bring my non-traditional work experience and community involvement to light resulting in acceptance to all three schools. I am convinced that without Dan, I would not have been accepted to these schools.

Through multiple conversations with Dan, we were able to identify the most unique experiences that would lead to differentiation between my application and others. Additionally, Dan encouraged me to take calculated risks, such as videos or creative submissions, when the essay prompt allowed, furthering my differentiation.

As the MBA process can be stressful and daunting, Dan always maintained a positive attitude, while still pushing me. Additionally, Dan was always available for questions (both email and phone), and returned all communications within two days, but usually within only a few business hours. Dan’s flexibility and prompt responses allowed me to work unconventional hours while still meeting all application deadlines.

Having experience with a previous admissions consultant I can attest that Dan is truly the best. Dan’s intellectual ability and dedication to his clients is only matched by his knowledge of the MBA process. It was one of the most worthwhile investments I have made - not only for the edge I gained with my application, but for the encouragement, support and confidence he gave me (and the confidence is really a long term benefit). I highly recommend working with Dan and mbaMission!

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I have an unusual profile for an MBA applicant, so early-on I decided that it would be best to work with a consultant. I went on to have 2 free sessions with the biggest consultancies out there. One session felt very general and impersonal, and the other one was with Angela. It was a complete accident that I spoke to Angela. She kind of just randomly chose my name from the list. Best randomness ever! Just in the intro, the free 40 min consultation, she was on-target and specific. No general stuff, no blablabla, very focused and directed. It was a clear choice for me to work with her. Plus she has like the best reviews out here. Now, she has one more AMAZING RATING from me.

I could write for ages about the journey I had together with Angela towards reaching my goals. She was there when I was excited, when I was exhausted mentally, when I completely lost it (like I was wondering down the streets, completely brain-dead), but also when I finally got admitted to 3 RAD programs. But I'll try to be more to the point. After 6 months of talking and working together, I see Angela as a friend - to the point that I invited her over to my hometown, to give her a tour. (BOOK YOUR TICKET, ANGELA!)

I have an unusual profile. I know, I know, I said that already. But I was terrified the schools wouldn't see past that. So I had to write down my life story for Angela - I wasn't sure which parts were relevant and which weren't. Angela analyzed everything, and together we selected the best stories to fit into those specific school essays. Her depth of analysis, her multi-angle viewpoint and her power to bring out the VERY BEST out of you is the top feature that you need to remember. That is what you want from your consultant, that is what you need from your consultant. Also, she's like really, really, cool. And supportive. And encouraging. All that plus a bag of chips.

Now, to the specific stuff that is borderline voodoo. I didn't know what schools I should be targeting. Angela said HBS, Kellogg, Wharton, Booth, and after some negotiation with me, we added CBS, and LBS. MARK MY WORDS - from the free 40 min intro session in April 2015, she told me: "You'll be a strong candidate for Booth, Wharton, and Kellogg. HBS is a risk, LBS, and CBS are gonna be more difficult."

This September, I got rejected from HBS, LBS, and CBS. This December, I got admitted to Booth, Wharton, and Kellogg. But wait, there's more - she was like - yeah, you might end up with a scholarship from Booth. GUESS WHAT? I DID.

So Angela CALLED IT! She actually called the cards in April. This is how well she knows the schools. This is how well she can analyze you based on a 10 minute intro about your life. This is how well she knows where you fit. What more do you want?

So in case you missed the point, I don't only recommend Angela. I would not have wanted to work with anyone else IN THE WORLD but her. And I'm not just saying it, she is my friend, and I feel lucky I got to know her.

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I worked with Tanya for round 1 applications to three schools using the complete school packages. I was already well into my application planning by the time I started working with mbaMission, so we moved quickly through the initial phases of the complete school package phases.

It was extremely helpful to have Tanya review my essays and provide feedback on them as I was applying to three schools within a three week time window. It was extremely stressful time but having Tanya to review one essay while I began work on the next helped me manage the limited time I had. Tanya is well connected to many of the other consultants, so if she ever feels that another individual is better suited to answer your particular question, she'll leverage the other consultants to get you the best possible information.

Tanya quickly grasped my profile and background and made suggestions about what to include in my various essays/applications that I hadn't even made the connection to. That was particularly helpful when I ran into road blocks as to what to write about for very different essay prompts. I benefited from the mbaMission model for the standard personal essay format. Initially I thought the format/feedback on the personal essay was somewhat generic, but in the end I realized I needed the constant feedback from Tanya to clearly/concisely answer those seemingly simple questions about "why an mba? short/long term career goals?" in my essays.

My recommendation for anyone considering working with an mbaMission consultant/Tanya Gaskins is to make the decision as early as possible in the application process as to be in a position to fully take advantage of the complete school packages.

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I applied to two top 5 business schools in 2013. I was flat-out rejected by one and waitlisted then rejected by the other. When I decided to apply again this year, a friend suggested that I work with Angela. My friend had been accepted to his target school and was waiving the mbaMission flag rather fervently. I was initially skeptical. Believing that my rejections in 2013 were born of too ambitious a school choice, I had targeted slightly less prestigious (top 15) schools and did not believe that I needed an admissions consultant to help me gain admission. On the advice of my friend, however, I emailed Angela and scheduled my free, 30-minute consultation call. For those that don't know (I didn't when I started this process), mbaMission offers a free consultation call to assess your candidacy and to explain how a consultant can help you in your application process. I have heard that other admissions consulting firms offer a similar service but I cannot say for certain because I was completely sold on Angela after our first call. The first thing Angela did was convince me to raise my sights. Instead of applying to the slightly less prestigious schools on which I had settled, Angela convinced me to apply to 3 top 5 programs. She helped me to identify that I had been rejected earlier not because of my credentials, but because of the quality of my application. This turned out to be immensely valuable input as I was admitted to 2 of the 3 programs to which I applied.

As I started the process of applying, Angela and I set about crafting a clear and coherent narrative based on my work experience and my goals. Angela's keen sense of storytelling helped me see an arc in my own experiences and her enthusiasm about my accomplishments was inspirational. She also helped me see (and later explain) exactly how an MBA could fit into that arc and what I could do with an MBA after business school. In the initial, preparation phase alone Angela helped me to develop a better sense of what I had accomplished, who I am, and where I am going.

As I moved into the heart of the application process, Angela’s feedback and gentle reminders improved my confidence and efficiency. Knowing that a professional, who had read and reviewed hundreds of admissions essays, was reading and reviewing my work enabled me to write faster and with more confidence in the outcome. I was also able to take greater risks in my essays, short answers, and even in my interview responses because I knew that Angela would intervene if I swerved too far outside of the lines. I have no doubt that taking these risks helped me to create a more interesting application.

After I was offered an interview at 2 of my 3 targeted schools, Angela worked with me to prepare for the interview. Immediately after interview invites were distributed, she conducted a webinar about the interview process and preparation for the interview. The webinar was invaluable in helping me contextualize the interview and begin to establish the outline for my responses. Later, during a mock interview, Angela helped me to refine my answers and the style of my responses so that I was able to convey the points I wanted to convey without sounding over-prepared or canned. Preparing with Angela for my interviews immensely bolstered my confidence and helped me crush both interviews.

The last thing I will say is that working with Angela always felt personal. She took a genuine interest in me and my goals. Her personal touch teased a handful of (what I think were) really good applications out of a candidate who had been completely rejected previously. I can’t overstate how much I recommend her services.

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I'm writing this review in a state of almost euphoria: As I write this, I've been accepted to HBS, Wharton, Booth, and Kellogg MMM. I can very credibly say that I could not be where I am right now if it weren't for Katy.

I know this because I am a reapplicant, so I know that whatever I was doing before simply wasn't enough. Though I'm fundamentally the same person as I was before (plus a few extracurrics and a fun new post at my company), Katy was able to provide insight as to what I was truly looking to get out of business school. That was at the core of every discussion: she was prying and poking to see what actually makes me tick, and what I'm really striving for -- only then could I craft any kind of real, authentic story (which is absolutely essential to demonstrate to the top business schools).

I know that I was expecting an 'essay proof-reading' service, but what I got was absolutely different, and so much better.

In addition to forcing me to take a long, hard look in the mirror (and through my work experience), Katy did things like walking me back from weak essay ideas, helping me reflect on nuanced parts of my work and personal experience, and more importantly lending a steady, objective hand in how I crafted my application.

For instance, I was originally going to focus a large part of my essays on a personal hardship (which I still believe is a huge part of who I am as a person). But Katy asked the tough questions like, "Does this really demonstrate who you are as a leader? Does this show the admissions officer that you'll be a valuable asset in the classroom? Do you think some part of you is trying to pull on emotional strings rather than highlight your professional/personal strengths?" These were questions that were guided, wise, and ultimately extremely important.

Each person applying to school has so many facets of his or her background to choose from when trying to show schools who they really are. Katy is like a guide in the wilderness, though, when it comes to pointing out what's really important (versus what I was building up in my head).

Katy spent hours on the phone with me going through idea after idea until I felt so confident about what I was putting forth.

But even after that, she was there to help me prep for my interviews and for me to bounce ideas off of. Her flexibility was absolutely critical, as I happen to live in a timezone literally a world away. She took calls late at night, as she was grabbing take-out from a restaurant downstairs -- That kind of effort is far well and beyond what I would expect from someone of her stature and expertise.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, she helped me coach my two recommenders. I asked my mentor and my former manager (with whom I'm great friends) to write my recommendations. That in itself is an extremely daunting task. Katy was full of tips. But what's worse is when one of those recommendations was a bit lackluster: that's a REALLY tough situation, and if Katy weren't there with her sage advice, I may not have asked my recommender to take a much needed second pass at the letter.

Do not expect Katy to write your essays for you. She is here to help you find your own voice, and put it in context of her dozens of years of experience -- she won't be there to take your GMAT, write your essays, write your recommendations, or interview for you.

I went through a quick, admittedly un-comprehensive search when I was looking to meet MBA consultants. Among them, I met with Bhavik from Critical Square, a forgettable person from Stacy Blackman, and finally Katy.

Bhavik was great -- he seemed extremely knowledgable, and was very friendly.

The person from Stacy Blackman called me, spoke with me for 10 minutes, and seemed rushed and hurried throughout the process -- I felt like I was being churned through a monstrous machine.

And finally I spoke with Katy. Not only did we hit it off, it was clear that professionally she is at the top of the game.

What ultimately made me choose to go with Katy (as opposed to the other two consultants) was her experience as a reader for GSB, and her experience at HBS. Those being my top 2 choices, it was a no-brainer (though I'm sure Bhavik would have also done a great job!). That type of experience is irreplaceable, and absolutely comes into play.

If I were to summarize, for anyone reading this, I think hiring someone like Katy is only the cherry on top of: Demonstrated leadership, success at your job, and a great GMAT score. I seriously doubt that without those three things, hiring Katy will make a lick of difference when it comes to getting into your dream school.

But I do think that having a resource like Katy to lean on during the process is the difference between going to a top 15-30 school to a top 5 school. I truly truly believe that.

Thank you, Katy!

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Originally I was pretty set on not paying for an admissions consultant. I had done a lot of research on schools, had a good career goals story and am a strong writer. But a couple of top B-school graduates I respect told me I wouldn't regret hiring one.

So I did a few free 30 minute consultations, and when I spoke with Melissa (Blakeslee) at mbaMission, I was immediately impressed. Besides her credentials (graduated from Kellogg, director of admissions at Rice), she quickly grasped what I was looking for in an MBA program and in a consultant, and we built rapport quickly. I really enjoyed telling her my story, both professional and personal, and getting her guidance on what would make the most compelling material in essays. After discussion with Melissa, I changed two of my essay topics, and I'm so glad I did because the examples I ended up using were more concrete and interesting. Her essay edits were incisive and kicked me in butt a couple of times, but hey, that's what I was paying her the big $$$ for.

Additionally, Melissa was a great resource to talk to for career and MBA program advice. She has an insiders' perspective on comparing Tier 1 to Tier 2 schools, understands the regional differences for recruiting and gave me non-biased, motivating advice on where to go after my acceptance letters came in (i.e. it wasn't just "go to the best ranked school you get into, period")

In the end I was accepted to Kellogg w/o $, Darden w/$$, Rice w/$$$ and got dinged at Harvard. Do I think I could have gotten into these schools w/o Melissa? Possibly, yes. Do I think my odds went way up because my essays were way stronger? Yes. Do I think I was able to make a more confident final decision on where to go (Darden) because of Melissa's advice ? Absolutely. She was responsive, met every expectation and is a highly intelligent, authentic person who gives straight answers. 5 stars all-around.

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Ok, so I cannot overstate how much I recommend mbaMission for anybody seriously applying to top MBA programs. I eventually got into Harvard Business School with below-average numbers, but even during the application process I was telling everybody I knew that mbaMission was a MUST-do if you're serious about business school and can afford it (not cheap). Also, the Start-to-Finish package is the way to go 100% - and probably cheaper than the other options in the long run. Trust me, I broke this down and probably spent 2-3x less than I would have with the hourly rate. You have no idea how much you will reach out to your consultant, and you will thank yourself many times over for biting the bullet in the beginning. My consultant was John Sisk, and he was fantastic. I chose him because I knew I would struggle with telling "my story" and John seemed to be strong in that category. He led me through the process in a clear, honest, productive, and efficient way that was ultimately very successful and enjoyable. I was no-doubt stressed during the process, but that's just part of it. John took the stress WAY down for me and he was my partner in crime during the entire process. My expectations were exceeded at every level (from essay editing, to resume crafting, to strategies visiting campuses) and I can't recommend mbaMission or John Sisk enough. EVEN IF I had not been accepted to ANY of my schools (Stanford, HBS, Sloan, Haas, Anderson) I would have been 100% glad I used mbaMission.

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