I had an amazing time working with Katy for my business school application process. She goes above and beyond at every step, ensuring that my application reflected the best of who I am, and that the overall experience was as seamless and stress-free as possible. Aside from responding to clients at a rapid-fire pace (even if it means she has to stay up very late on many occasions), Katy made sure that I fully understood what business schools looked for and surfaced key actionable insights (e.g., helping schools understand the myriad transitions in my life, addressing my weaknesses) that I had no previous knowledge of, even after doing copious individual research and talking to other consultants / mentors. Furthermore, Katy’s vested interest in my development was clear from the get-go -- she wholeheartedly believed in what I was doing, and helped me believe in myself; ultimately, I would say I was a lot less stressed and much happier about the way my application / interview processes were going versus many of my friends undergoing the same routine, and I can confidently attribute this to Katy.

With her unique background (e.g., HBS alumni, ex-admission officer at GSB), her tenacity to help students succeed at the highest level, and her impeccable communication skills, Katy is absolutely THE business school admission consultant to work with.

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I had heard good things about mbaMission from online reviews but, unfortunately, my experience feel drastically short of expectations.

1) There were one or two instances of my essay reviews coming back with obvious errors. For example, I got feedback from my consultant and their draft had a repeated sentence. For the cost of this service I expect consultants to avoid such basic mistakes.

2) As round 1 deadlines approached I noticed that the feedback I was getting was increasingly minimal (accounting for the fact that essay quality increases with time). There was a couple instances when I only got a one sentence response

3) I also noticed that there was a lot of back and forth with the consultant's own advice. I would write A and they would ask me to write B; a little while later they would ask me to scrap B and write A again

Overall I was better off than I would have been had I not gone with a consultant but I definitely don't feel like I got my money's worth. The ideas I got from my consultant were okay at best. Additionally, I noticed a drastic drop in quality as application deadlines approached. I'm assuming the consultants here are overstaffed and couldn't keep up with the workload.

I recommend using a different service; I've heard great things about Expartus from my peers.

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I could not have asked for a better experience working with Rachel. She came highly recommended from a family friend, and early into my 30 minute consultation call I could see why. She knew exactly what questions to ask to get the ideas flowing, and her brainstorming activity was an integral tool to the entire application process. She helped me tell MY story and I truly feel like my applications showed the most genuine, honest version of myself and highlighted what made me a strong applicant. I feel like the entire process not only helped me tell my story, but made me reflect on why I want to go to business school, setting me up for success once I actually begin. Her thoughtful approach made the process fulfilling and exciting.
Rachel gave excellent feedback throughout the process, and was prompt in responses. While mbaMission promises a 48 hour turnaround, Rachel often got back to me sooner than that. We communicated via email almost daily, but whenever I wanted to chat on the phone she was super quick to get something on the calendar, even that same day. We worked on three schools together and with each school I could feel myself becoming more confident in my story and a stronger advocate for myself. After the applications were submitted, Rachel was a huge help in my interview prep. mbaMission's insight into interviews made what can often be an intimidating process quite pleasant. I genuinely looked forward to showing off my interview skills at each school, and was saved from being stumped on some really tough questions through the firm's guides.
I would recommend Rachel to anyone. As hard as I worked, I could feel her effort mirroring mine. I only applied to three schools, and used Rachel's services for all three. I could not be more thrilled that I got accepted to all three of those schools, and now Rachel is helping with the hardest part-- choosing the best one for me! Thank you mbaMission for matching me with an awesome consultant, and a great supporter and friend (by this time, she knows me better than most!), in Rachel Beck.

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Deciding to work with Kate was easily one of the best decisions I made during my MBA application process! Kate and I worked together for over a year, and she was fabulous, responsive and incredibly helpful the entire time. As a non-traditional applicant, Kate expertly helped me to see and succinctly explain my strengths, frame my career path narrative, and craft a polished, professional application package. Furthermore, Kate made me feel confident and supported from the very beginning and working with her made the application process a fun and introspective experience, allowing me to let go of the inherent stress, enjoy the process and learn a lot about myself along the way. She is an incredible brainstormer, and talking through essay ideas with her helped me to tell my story in an engaging and interesting way. She gave me great advice along the way, including taking MBAMath, which I believe strengthened my application and preparedness for school. Her advice to connect with as many current students and alumni as possible, to attend webinars and chats, and to speak with people in my desired career, allowed me to understand and articulate why each program I applied to was a strong fit for me, and what value I would add to each program. I ultimately was admitted to both Kellogg and Tuck, my two top choice programs, and truly believe she was integral to my acceptances! Finally, Kate is professional, respectful, kind and genuinely cares for her clients - I would recommend her to anybody!

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I was dinged from the 3 schools I applied to the previous year without interviews. This left me feeling unmotivated and unworthy of getting into a top program. Then Harshad entered into the picture. Not only did he help me get into the school of my dreams (one I was previously dinged from before), he helped to instill in me the confidence that I truly deserved it and was capable of getting there. Simply put, he believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. So, thank you Harshad. Thank you for the time and energy you put into helping me craft my best stories. Thank you for your patience in my emotional struggles. And thank you for helping me push my limits and get into the school I always knew I belonged at.

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I was very fortunate to be connected with Rachel by a friend whom she had recently guided into the Columbia Business School Class of 2021. As a resident of NYC with no intention of moving, I was very focused on earning admission to CBS. Rachel immediately connected with my story, and unlike several other consultants I had spoken with, she was optimistic about my credentials. Rachel’s process is thorough – she requests a ton of information upfront to better understand the candidate’s background and she is masterful at synthesizing that information into a compelling application tailored for each program. Additionally, her superior knowledge of the CBS admissions process was invaluable for crafting an application that would ultimately resonate with the admissions committee. I was admitted to CBS, and I am forever grateful to Rachel for helping me achieve that outcome.

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I got connected to Rachel rather serendipitously: through a random 30 minute free consultation. I honestly hadn’t considered the idea of using a consultant, but my Kaplan GMAT tutor highly recommended mbamission, so I decided to give the free consultation a shot. I consider myself to be a diligent, organized, and process-oriented person, so naturally I was skeptical of the value that a consultant would add to my application. Spending $5,000+ was out of the question unless I was convinced that a consultant would be an invaluable resource throughout the process. Rachel was that and more – I can honestly say that I would have been lost without her. Within 10 minutes of hanging up our initial consultation, I had committed to working with Rachel.
I was blown away not only by Rachel’s incomparable knowledge of the process and intimate understanding of the characteristics adcoms look for in applicants, but also by her bubbly yet firm demeanor. Rachel was always friendly, but very direct and never one to sugarcoat anything. She gives her honest opinion, even if it is not what you want to hear at the time, but your application is stronger as a result.
Rachel’s main strength is her story telling ability. She has a unique talent of transforming monotonous details into a compelling narrative. Thoroughly prepared for every call, Rachel provided a fresh perspective and it was clear that she was invested in your journey. I relied heavily on Rachel to frame up my story and help articulate the message I was trying to convey.
Rachel began our intro call by saying that she is, “tough, but fair and I might not like her at times.” While there were some instances where she gave some tough feedback, she was an absolute pleasure to work with. And most importantly, I felt that she was truly invested in my success. We were a team and by the end of the process, I felt that we had built a strong professional relationship. She was one of the first people I notified when I got into my top choice and I could tell that she was genuinely thrilled for me. That meant a lot. I couldn’t have done it without you, Rachel!

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I initially wasn't planning on using a consultant due to the financial commitment, but Rachel came highly recommended by a friend who had an incredible experience, and mine was just the same. I am so grateful for Rachel - from our first phone call she not only made me feel like I had the very best guidance but also put me at ease and gave me the confidence that I could achieve my goal (and as a woman with no finance background I was not initially confident going into the MBA application process!) It was clear that Rachel knew all the ins the outs of MBA admissions, and she also made it clear that I would need to work very hard if we worked together, which I was ready for!

Rachel didn't tell me to be someone else on my application - she helped me shape my own story in a compelling way that was completely genuine and "me." The extra leg-work she required with the brainstorming document helped me get to know myself better and realize my MBA goals in the most authentic way, and in turn I ended up submitting an application that I was truly proud of and reflected exactly who I am. Throughout the process Rachel was very honest and I am so grateful for her thoughtful feedback; it was clear that every essay and thought I sent her she reviewed carefully and responded with deep consideration. She was also completely open when I came back with different ideas too - it was a mutual relationship in which we worked together on every element.

Overall, Rachel was on my team from day one and was a very helpful resource in not only the essay writing but navigating recommendations, formatting my resume, connecting with the school in an appropriate way, staying calm with the test, and prepping for the interview. She was the perfect amount involved and I could not have asked for a better coach/mentor. I also know I will stay in touch with her as I navigate my MBA experience, which in itself shows what a warm, supportive and genuinely kind person she is.

I highly recommend Rachel to anybody who is driven towards an MBA goal; the time and care she took to guide me is priceless and I could not be prouder of the results from this process.

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I would highly recommend both mbaMission and the specific consultant I utilized (Daniel Richards) for perspective MBA applicants.

The Beginning: I set up free consultations with 3 consultants at 3 different firms based on reviews. Dan was the first consultant I spoke to and the other 2 didn't come close to meeting his bar - Dan made sure to make our free consultation about ME, my needs, my interests, he provided me with a solid action plan and recommendations going forward. The other two agencies spent the 30 minutes selling me on their services in a generic pitch.

The Middle: After hiring Dan he provided me with excellent recommendations and feedback from each part of the application - from ironing out my post-MBA goals, to helping me select schools, to meeting with me in person (he's in DC, i'm in NYC), writing (MANY) rounds of essays, and everything in between. All of our communication was quick, straight forward, specific, and actionable. Dan is not afraid to be blunt in his feedback which I personally appreciated greatly - the purpose of a consultant is not to build up your ego but to be realistic and help you present the best version of yourself in an application, which Dan does beautifully.

The End: Came sooner than expected for me because I was accepted into my top choice program which was my first application! Throughout the entire processes and while (impatiently) waiting for a rolling application decision Dan was reassuring. Every single piece of advice and timing estimates from schools he provided was spot on. When deciding if I should continue applying to alternate programs he provided extremely realistic and honest feedback.

Working with Dan and mbaMission eased the arduous task of applying to top tier MBA programs in Round 1. Moreover, while waiting for a decision Dan would check in which truly made me feel like we were in this together. I sincerely thank mbaMission and specifically Dan for a wonderful experience!

Tip - if you're going to work with a consultant start early. I began in February for summer-2019 applications which allowed us plenty of time to talk about things I could change, i.e. taking the HBS CORe course before applications started

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Heidi is an exceptionally talented consultant, and it was truly a privilege to work with her through my MBA application cycle. To anyone considering an application consultant, I cannot recommend her enough. I'm thrilled to say that, with her help, I've been accepted to a dream reach school.

I was a low-GPA and GMAT applicant, and I applied to programs R3-R4 where acceptance probabilities were already low. In order to secure an acceptance offer, I knew I had to differentiate myself through essays, recommendations, networking, and my interview. In short: I needed help conveying the value I would bring to a program, because I definitely wasn't going to be accepted to a top program on my scores alone.

Heidi helped me brand myself as a top-tier candidate. Brainstorming with Heidi was a master class in self reflection, and she was quick to pull valuable skills, accomplishments, and traits from my life experience and work history that the admissions committees would find valuable. I also needed a consultant to hold me to the highest standard in my essays: she guided me through countless revisions until we produced the absolute best products.

Heidi also provided valuable counsel to my recommenders, and with Heidi's help they were best able to quantify my analytic achievements and demonstrated leadership in a manner that showed high career potential with an MBA. Finally, I credit my successful interviews to our mock interviews and preparation.

The MBA application is stressful and challenging on its own. If you hire Heidi, however, you'll find a valuable and experienced partner to navigate the process and refine your application to its best possible form. I can confidently say I would not be at my dream school today without her help!

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