School Package Reviews

I was an international applicant, with a very non-traditional background. I applied with Katy to 5 schools (HSW, MIT, Booth). As I had no previous MBA connections, Katy was instrumental in improving my understanding how to navigate the world of MBA admissions. We did a lot of brainstorming in advance and defined the strategy of the essays. She was able to work with tough deadlines and always managed to deliver the updates. 2020/21 admission cycle was tough for internationals in the US, so I applied to INSEAD on my own and was admitted. I wasn't admitted to 5 US schools with Katy but I used materials for my INSEAD application. In addition, Katy provided a mock interview for INSEAD. In general, I highly recommend Katy as a consultant.

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Going into the application process, I was a bit intimidated that I didn’t fit the ‘traditional’ applicant profile, but from the first time I met with Krista, she helped to dismiss these doubts and I was confident she was the perfect partner to help me navigate this process. I connected with Krista’s warmth and kind demeanor, but also appreciated her firmness at times to push me towards optimal success. She specifically encouraged me to stay diligent in my efforts to raise my GRE score until I was able to achieve a score I needed and we felt confident in, which I believe ultimately played a role in my success.

Krista has a productive partnership style – she is very responsive and instructive over e-mail and uses video meetings when necessary. I left each meeting with Krista clear on my next steps and she made it easy to follow a timeline that felt realistic, but ensured we were going to hit our key deadlines. Her feedback style was constructive, yet encouraging and she always explained her thoughts and was open to talking them through so that I felt comfortable with the direction we were proceeding in.

I greatly appreciated Krista’s breadth of knowledge on each of the schools I was applying to and that she was able to guide me on how to best tailor my story for each school specifically. With my resume, she greatly helped me re-shape it to highlight my industry expertise and encouraged me to weaponize anything that made me unique. She made me feel confident in my story and candidacy and was diligent in going through drafts of essays to ensure they were where they needed to be at submission time.

In Krista you get so much more than a consultant – you get a mentor who is genuinely invested in this process with you. More than anything, I am grateful for Krista’s patience, encouragement, the confidence she instilled in me, and the areas she pushed me to improve. Krista commitment to her clients is further expressed in the excitement and happiness she feels when they succeed. Having achieved great results with acceptances to three schools, including my top choice in Wharton, I would strongly recommend Krista to anyone who is embarking on this admissions journey.

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I’ve applied for a few T20 business schools’ MBA program in Round 2 for 2023 admission, and I have been admitted to my top choice school with scholarship offer that is way more than I could ever dream of.
My experience of working with Gavriella has been amazing beginning to end. As an older applicant (mid 30’s) with none-traditional background, I had a lot of doubt about myself when I started the MBA journey. Gavriella did a great job to be there for me and to build my confidence. She was very caring and passionate -- a very good listener and a genuine friend who made me feel comfortable to share my stories and put trust in her. I felt so lucky to have her during the whole process.
The best part of my experience with Gavriella is that, instead of trying to fit in any typical category or image, she worked with me to create a unique strategy to present my true self. She guided me to look back into my life/work experience, to reflect and to find connection between my past and future goals.
She was always approachable, answered my inquires right away and more than often gave back more than I could’ve asked. Whether it was with essay drafting, recommendations, school networking, interview prep or actions after submission, she always thought ahead and offered me insight to guide me through the key turning points in the application timeline.
My result is beyond what I have expected, and I am extremely grateful for Gavriella’s generous assistance.
Also a shoutout to resources mbaMission provided to me, including brainstorm framework, recommendation and interviews tips, etc. Big help, not only saved me time but helped me to best prepare myself!!

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I have been thinking about getting an MBA for a while because as a project manager, I thought my projects would be more successful if my company had strong organizational support, but I do not know how to build a strong and effective organization. After talking with an alumnus from my Master’s program, he strongly recommended Krista to help me with my applications.

Krista helped me position myself and picked the best school combination for me. Before talking with her, MIT was the only school on my list. After reviewing my profile (international female with 10 years of experience in manufacturing and an engineering background), Krista suggested adding Fuqua and Tepper. Because of my undergraduate GPA (3.0), Krista suggested I take a class, Math for Management through UC Berkley online, to strength my profile. I got an A, a great improvement for my understanding of math and also good for my applications.

Krista helped me improve my resume tremendously. The final version is the 7th revision. After sending Krista my brainstorming document, we started the back-and-forth exercise to keep modifying and improving my resume. Her smart questions made me dig deeper. For example, for my project manager role, I only mentioned “led project team”, but Krista asked me things like “How many people did you manage and what did they do?”, “Do you know the male/female ratio in the company? How many project managers are there? “, “How many people did you manage?”, and “What about international work?” Because I am working in a male-dominated industry, I am the only female project manager in the company. But before Krista asked me these questions, I did not notice how unique I was and how impressive my job was!

My hobbies? First time, I simply put running. Then Krista replied ‘I think you probably have more hobbies than what you listed! Think about this and add more! Ok, I sat back and told myself, “Yes, I like watercolor painting, practicing piano, doing home crafts.”

There were times I hoped Krista would take a nap and not reply to my email so quickly, so I can get a little bit of time to relax. She was the one on top of everything and I knew as long as I followed her pace and suggestions, she would guide me to my dream school.

Krista also helped me pick the best people to write recommendations for me. At the beginning, I planned to get recommendation letters from my previous boss and a staff member from my Master’s program as I was hoping to keep my application quiet, so my job will not be jeopardized. After talking with Krista, she pointed me to the right direction: I should pick up someone from my current employer because I am applying for an MBA – Admissions is looking for candidates with strong business skills and potential, not volunteer experience. I took Krista’s suggestion and had a very candid conversation with one of my employer’s vice presidents. Surprisingly, he did not hesitate to support me and was excited to write me the recommendation letter. The resulting letter was really strong. Krista mentioned she loved the letter as the VP provided detailed information about his working experience with me and the strength of my candidacy.
Krista also stuck with me through all the ups and downs. It has been a long time since Krista and I we worked together, from September 2020 until May 2021. For sure, Krista went far beyond her responsibility. Krista was always at my side. When I got the MIT interview invitation, I shared the great news with her immediately. When I got the offer from Duke, Krista was the first one I messaged as I knew she would be as happy I as was. At a few points during my application process, I worried I could not get enrolled this year, Krista showed her empathy to me and at the same time, pushed me to improve my candidacy, take another Executive Assessment test and look for more leadership roles.
Krista set a great example to me to never give up. When I took my 2nd EA exam, I only improved 3 points and was disappointed, Krista told me every point counts and business schools like to see people keep trying. Krista is right. When the Fuqua admissions office called me, the woman told me that I did exactly what they expect a candidate to do - keep trying.
Krista and I we had a lot of fun work together and she helped me to know myself much better. One of Fuqua’s essays is ‘25 random things about yourself”. I scratched my head and was not sure where to start. Krista told me she wanted to see at least 35 random things! That is so demanding! But that was the right thing to do, because we can have a bigger pool to pick the best 25 things. Krista suggested that I search for suggestions and feedback from my friends and coworkers. It was a fun and surprising experience; I got so much feedback from the people around me. their points of views really surprised me. After the 1st draft, Krista and I started to go through each single item on my list and picked and chose the best ones to show the unique side of me.
By looking back the whole application process, the word I heard from Krista the most is “impressive”. Krista made me realize the accomplishments and feel more confident in myself. I highly recommend her as your consultant!

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Using MBA mission, especially Nisha Trivedi, was the best decision I could have possibly made for MBA admissions. She knew exactly the steps needed and what to expect from the entire process. I do not think I could have gotten in without her help. From brainstorming to essay writing to the interview, she kept me informed every step of the way and ensured I was as prepared as possible. She was not only knowledgeable but showed a deep interest in my success. Because of MBA mission, I got into programs far beyond what I ever expected. I am very thankful.

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I had the opportunity to work with Krista after I got rejected for all my target schools using other consulting services. After I started working with her I immediately saw the difference and felt way more confident than a year before.

Krista focused on every detail of my application, even those that I had never considered important. She also kept me track of the timeline which sometimes flybys but more importantly she also gave me a lot of feedback that sometimes other consultants try to sugarcoat but as an applicant is important to be aware of, especially in my case since I come from a usually overrepresented pool (finance). She also made a lot of suggestions that I am sure played a pivotal role in my application.

Now I can happily say that I´ll be attending my dream school (Wharton) and received two other offers from great schools. But I am sure that I would not have done it without Krista´s help. She genuinely cared about my application process and all the high and lows that it represented. I am always going to be grateful to Krista for helping me achive one of my dreams.

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I hesitated using an admissions consultant at first, but I don't know why I did - Jen was a godsend and worth every penny. She supported me every step of the way, got to know me well beyond my resume, and helped me craft a compelling story that maximized every word of every essay and every line of my resume. Jen is helpful, motivating, an expert in all things admissions, and is happy to answer any question about any part of the process (no matter how minor) and review all the millions of iterations of essays with great attention to detail. I couldn't have achieved the results I did without Jen's help, and she got me there way faster and way more efficiently than I would have on my own.

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I started the MBA application process, hiring Jen as my admissions consultant almost exactly a year ago, having no idea what my final list of schools to apply to would be or where I would end up! After a year of self reflection, countless essay drafts, and tons of anxiety in the mean time, I am so happy to be attending one of my top schools (Kellogg) in the fall!
Jen took the time to understand who I am and what I want out of an MBA program and career and helped me learn these things about myself as well. She is great at pulling the most compelling aspects of a candidate out through discovery sessions and helping weave them throughout your application to make a cohesive and compelling story. She knows this industry up and down and is very familiar with how to present an applicant in the most compelling way for each individual school. Many other consultants are very knowledgeable as well; however, what made Jen stand out from all the rest was her supportive and understanding nature. I felt like we were in this together and my success was her success. We had many long conversations about what schools would be the best fit for me versus what schools I was best qualified for as a candidate. We talked about options to improve my application and what parts of myself were most important for me to showcase.
I worked with Jen on a 4 school package and ended up adding on a 5th school. Most of my schools were M7s and I got rejected from a few, with Jen there to support me; however, my Kellogg acceptance made this whole process worth it! In the days leading up to Kellogg releasing their decisions in December 2020, I kept re-reading my application and the Kellogg website and I realized that everything I showcased in my Kellogg application perfectly aligned with what the school was asking for in their essays and in their students values and attributes-- I have no doubt that Jen was instrumental in me crafting an application that reflected the core values of Kellogg and made me stand out as an applicant. Admissions consultants are a big investment, one that I was nervous about but looking back, I am confident that this investment was the key to my success!

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Kate is awesome! Aside from being kind and understanding, she was so helpful and supportive throughout the entire process. With all the different elements, from essays to interviews, Kate was an incredible resource and sounding board who helped alleviate so much stress by breaking up the process into manageable pieces. She gave excellent guidance, kept me on track, and was extremely quick to respond to any questions I had.

Kate really took the time to learn about me and my goals, and she helped me to develop my story in a way that would stand out to the schools I was applying to.

I am very thankful for the support she provided throughout my MBA application journey. I definitely would have felt lost without her help. I would absolutely recommend her as an admissions consultant!

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I suspect many MBA applicants view the admissions consulting business with a fair measure of cynicism. I certainly did. The upfront cost is high, most firms market comparable services at a similar price point, and online reviews are almost uniformly positive. Yet, after my first conversation with Katy Lewis, I immediately realized she would be a valuable partner and advisor. I am now fortunate to also call her a friend.

I write this testimonial as someone who was accepted to Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton in a historically competitive admissions cycle. Even if I did not achieve these incredible outcomes, I would value Katy’s services equally highly. Katy has received dozens of testimonials speaking to her personality, work ethic, dedication, and value for interview preparation. I wholeheartedly agree with these reviews. I now want to highlight some additional facets of Katy’s work that, while less obvious, are perhaps even more important.

Katy’s education and experience seem custom-tailored to her present role. She unites the strategic thinking of a McKinsey consultant with the discerning and critical eye of an attorney. As an HBS alum and former member of the Stanford GSB admission committee, she brings a true depth of understanding to the application process. Moreover, Katy has years of experience working with clients specifically targeting the top three MBA programs in the country. Carefully read the bios of admissions consultants from other firms; buried in a sea of self-congratulatory superlatives you might find one or two relevant substantive experiences. With Katy, every relevant skillset and experience is brought into play. If you are serious about optimizing your chances, why compromise?

Katy demonstrated a sophisticated and enthusiastic understanding of my background and career aspirations. Though we do not share a similar professional background, Katy immediately and intuitively grasped the “narrative arc” uniting my educational and professional experiences. This ability allowed Katy to provide individualized, thoughtful, and nuanced advice specific to my situation. Thus, contrary to prevailing wisdom, Katy advised me to apply in round 2, which proved to be a shrewd (and very beneficial) decision. Any consultant can provide generic advice about the various components of the application (essay, recommenders, employment, etc…) Katy’s value was most evident in those ambiguous situations that ultimately come down to a matter of sound judgment.

Katy was incredibly proactive at all stages of the application process. She volunteered to reach out to my letter writers to provide some insight into the MBA admissions process. As I come from a non-traditional background, my recommenders had never written a letter of recommendation for admission to business school. Understanding the admissions criteria helped my recommenders more effectively communicate their sentiments. Perhaps most importantly, I felt like my own voice, style, and values, and motivations were clearly present in each and every application. At no point did Katy attempt to “package” my unique story into a template.

Returning to my skepticism regarding admissions consultants, I do suspect that in 99% of cases they are ineffectual or downright harmful. Katy Lewis is the other 1%.

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