I first talked to Susan during a free phone consultation, after reading all her positive reviews. These initial 30 minutes convinced me that she would help make my applications stronger, and I decided to work with her for a 3-School package. I had a set list of schools in mind that I wanted to apply to. Although all 3 were reaches, she didn’t encourage me to apply to safety schools. I only had two months to submit my three applications, which was enough given Susan’s punctuality for returning material. She never missed her two-day deadline, and often returned documents ahead of time. She sent back comments on at least 50 versions of my essays and resumes. She was always available for a quick phone meeting when I needed help defining the direction for an essay or understanding a comment. Many reviews describe Susan as being “tough,” and that’s exactly what I needed. I thought at first that I had precise career goals and reasons for getting an MBA, but she challenged my assumptions, thereby making my personal statement clearer. She helped me pinpoint the distinct aspects of my background and personality that I could bring to a business school community. All these elements were extremely helpful for my essays and resume, but she was also great for interview preparation. I’m delighted to announce that I’ve been accepted to my top choice (top-ten program), with a significant scholarship! Susan was instrumental in helping me get there!

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I hired Susan Kaplan to help me with my applications for the MBA class of 2021, with excellent results! I applied to 3 business schools and was admitted to 2 (HSW and another top school with $$) and waitlisted at 1 (HSW). I started working on my applications in June with deadlines in September, after I completed my GMAT. We started with a review of my target schools and Susan gave me honest feedback about my chances. She helped me go through my personal and professional history and identified ideas for effective essay topics that I wouldn’t have pinpointed on my own. Although I was largely responsible for my application timeline and keeping myself on track, Susan was always prompt with feedback and never missed her review deadlines. I am currently residing abroad and she did a good job of accommodating the time differences with our calls.
Overall, the biggest value I got out of the consultancy was the essay feedback. I come from an engineering background and Susan helped me phrase my stories and experiences in a way that someone from any field could understand. Of course I did all of the writing, but her comments were invaluable in shaping how I told my stories. She did an excellent job of finding themes that tied experiences from my personal and professional lives together. She pushed me to go much deeper into my motivations and mindset than I would have otherwise. Although I had very strong stats going into the application process, I believe it was my essays that set my application apart. I would highly recommend Susan to any applicants that are looking for open, honest feedback, but are also self-motivated and not looking for someone to “mother” them through the process. At the end of the process I felt like the applications were fully my own, with Susan providing the push and assistance to make them the best work I could produce.

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First, a huge huge thank you to Kate!!! She helped me overcome several trickier elements about my application to help me a land an offer at dream school!! I cannot thank her enough!!

When I started looking seriously into MBA programs I realized that this was going to be a harder task than I had originally thought. As an older white-male in consulting, with a lower GPA, a recent job move, and an aspiration to switch industries, I had many challenges to overcome. I reached out to several consultants in May (ahead of the round 1 deadlines in September), to get a sense of how feasible business school would be. Straight away from the first conversation, Kate stood out in a big way, and I could sense that she would be a great person to work with.

There were several facets that not only made it great to work with Kate, but also made the process successful. First, from the moment we first spoke, it was clear that Kate is positive and constructive in the way that she engages with you. I noticed this straight away when I compared the first discussion with Kate to those of other consultants, who had interjected with “you’re not going to get in to that school” when I described my situation and goals. Throughout the process, Kate was great at building upon my first thoughts and helping me construct a successful application (e.g., starting from my self-reflections to craft a more succinct and compelling view of who I am). Second, Kate quickly focused on building a great story. She took time to really get to know me in a genuine way, showing a lot of empathy and understanding of who I am throughout the process. From this, we were able to build a unique story from my life experiences. I was really impressed at how much she was able to connect the dots between my life experiences! Third, she was honest and clear about weaknesses and options for how to address them. In this part, it became very clear that Kate has significant experience with consulting for applications. Her experience and approach gave me confidence that we were addressing the challenges (as noted above) in a systematic manner. Finally, Kate’s positive and constructive nature enabled us to have maintain a fluid, comfortable, and open dialogue, which felt very much like a team / partnership approach to the process. Kate was very open to working with me to develop the work together, often co-creating the way in which we would articulate something about me. It was such a great feeling to be going through the process with someone who knows me well, is invested in success, and works in a positive, constructive, and collaborative way!

So what did all of this translate into? Here were the outcomes of going through the process with Kate. First, I had confidence that I was putting my best foot forward, given that I was teaming with an experienced consultant, who knew me very well, and who was invested in me. Second, I had belief that what seemed to be an insurmountable goal could become a reality, which in turn drove my motivation. Third, I actually learnt a little about myself. By Kate getting to know me so well, she was able to help me articulate myself in a way that I had not thought of before. This in turn, helped me understand more about who I am as a person, which I will take with me to business school and beyond! For example, she connected a specific part of my childhood experience to my leadership style at work, which helped me understand why I am more effective at leading teams with a certain background (I had not reflected on this before!). While I didn’t touch upon this detail in my application, it is this level of reflection and learning that I think is so important for the admissions process (a lot of the process is about who you are and your story!) and more generally in life! Finally, we had a successful outcome on the applications, getting into my dream school directly during round 1!

If you are considering working with somebody on business school applications, I could not recommend Kate more! It was an absolute joy to partner with her! Through the ups and downs in the process, the humorous and more serious moments, and from beginning to end, she was fantastic to work with, and I look forward to keeping in touch with her!!

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Debbie was extremely instrumental in my admission to NYU Stern, where I was originally wait-listed at. From the initial essay writing preparation stage to the interview practice session, Debbie was always extremely professional and goal-oriented in her approach to help me with my applications.

During the essay writing phase, I really liked how Debbie took a holistic approach to help me understand my strengths and weaknesses as an candidate, and helped me pick out the best life stories that would ultimately be the main focus of my essays. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience working with Debbie . I left our first brainstorming session with a clear story and direction for my essays,

During the interview stage, Debbie practiced with me thoroughly via Skype and helped me with many of the intangibles that are essential for a successful interview. "The delivery is often just as important if not more important than the content", as she would often remind me throughout these sessions, which was something I couldn't have agreed with more and really benefited from as an candidate.

Finally, while initially discouraged by the wait-list offer, I was even more impressed by Debbie's ability to keep me motivated and helped me strategize a plan that would ultimately gain me admission to the school. Throughout the application process, she not only delivered to me top notch professional services, but she actually made me feel that I had a cheerleader in the background that was helping me with every set back. I would wholeheartedly recommend her service to anyone seeking an incredible MBA consultant!

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After deciding to use an admission consultant service for 2 of my R1 applications (HBS, Wharton), I did my research to identify both the company and the consultant that would be the best fit for my needs. Having taken the Manhattan Prep GMAT class, the mbaMission services came highly recommended through my instructor, previous students, and the Forté Program. I chatted with 3 other consultants prior to connecting with Helen, and Helen was by far the most lively, energetic and genuinely excited consultant I had met. From the first day we chatted through the end of our time working together, Helen was genuinely interested and passionate about telling my story and was not afraid to share harsh, direct criticism or review the same essays 6+ times to ensure we had the perfect word choice and flow. She helped me to dig deep from the very beginning, pulling out the stories and interesting tidbits about myself that would truly help me stand out among my peers. She makes herself extremely available, offering to set up phone calls or communicate over email, and is very upfront about expectations to ensure a good working relationship. Helen and I worked on Wharton and HBS together and while I was rejected at HBS, I did receive good news from Wharton & even some money! If you're in the market for a consultant - look no further!

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Working with Jen was so easy! I had to manage my time, but she was quick to respond and always met the committed turnaround. From the very beginning, Jen did a great job providing me with the necessary feedback to help shape my story for my essays. The probing questions she asked me helped me identify past experiences that I was able to share with admissions through my essays. Also, she helped me a lot with determining which schools would be a good fit and I ended up applying to more competitive schools and I got in! She was the first one that encouraged me to start talking to students, faculty, and admissions at the schools, which ultimately helped me find my best fit.

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I'm a Guatemalan who majored in philosophy. Professionally, I was trained in innovation management consulting and entrepreneurship, ending up in as dean of a liberal arts college at a Guatemalan university that functions much like a startup, since the college is radically innovating on how higher education works.
When I began exploring options to further my career, an MBA was perhaps not on the top of my list. After having a go at my first startup, I was still interested in entrepreneurship and starting my own company. After talking to friends and colleagues, I decided to pursue an MBA.
Soon after beginning the process, I realized that it was a bit overwhelming and that getting a helping hand would greatly improve my chances of getting accepted at a school I was interested. That's when I contacted mbaMission and Kate Richardson became my guide.
Throughout the process, Kate relentlessly pushed me to perfect my pitch to the schools I applied. We worked on my resume, essays and short answers many times. Kate helped me stay motivated and gently push me in the right direction. Without her feedback, I would not have been able to tell my story in such a compelling manner which even landed me a scholarship!
Working with mbaMission, and especially Kate Richardson, was a great decision. The turnaround times for the work I submitted were great: when I submitted an essay for review, Kate would have it in a day or two. I would get great all-around feedback, since Kate would know all the schools I was applying to, the story I was trying to tell and give my guidance on how to tell that story in the most compelling manner.
I am immensely thankful to Kate and the mbaMission team!

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I couldn't thank Kate enough for her help and support throughout the admissions process. Last summer, after speaking with a number of admissions consulting services, I decided to set up an initial 30-min call with Kate from mbaMission. On that call, Kate analyzed my profile and discussed her thoughts on my application strategy. She wanted me to put my best foot forward and be confident (and not too stressed). For the next six months, we have spent countless hours on essays, short answers, interview preps etc., and Kate has been instrumental to all that. She has been extremely supportive and always reminded me of any important deadlines or deliverables. I'd highly recommend Kate for your admissions process.

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I worked with Michael to apply to 8 highly competitive full-time MBA programs across Round 1 and Round 2, of which I am attending UCLA Anderson. The process was grueling, but Michael and I charted a course together, working closely to meet the deadlines I set for each application. Michael always responds quickly with pointed questions designed to distill the most important aspects of my story and ensure that they are reflected in my application. Each aspect of the application is crucial and Michael ensures that each component is addressed thoughtfully and holistically captures the candidate that you are. Michael was a pleasure to work with and I would recommend him to anyone applying to business school.

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I had Susan during the initial free phone consultation and hired her for a two school package. With her help, I got into 1 of the top 10 schools she helped with and accepted at 2 other Top 10 programs I applied to on the side, admission successes for which I heavily relied on my essay work and application strategies from my work with Susan. Susan is great at identifying and pulling out stories for your essays. First and foremost, she helps you identify your "story" and makes you stick with this story throughout. In this aspect, her marketing background shines through. She really pushes you to be introspective and think about what stories you want to tell in your personal statements. For essays related to "why this school" she ensures that you do your research and, most importantly, is the reinforcement to make sure your story is cohesive and stays on track. Susan also promptly replies to emails and inquires. My advice for those deciding to hire a consultant is to really think about your post-MBA goals and story (personal/professional). If you believe you need help developing these, then hire Susan! I would also add for the cost-sensitive customers, do some research about your top choice schools - particularly focusing on what their essay questions are and what they look for in their applicants. If you are hiring her for a 2-school + package, I would hire for schools that are unique in their application processes and student qualities . Also keep in mind that this is a school-based package. While Susan will go above and beyond for the schools you hire her for, she will stick with the schools she is hired for.

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