I’m a porn star. Well, technically an adult fetish model, producer, and community leader. But to anyone reading an application or resume, I’m a porn star. By day I also run my own small business in education, but it’s my other “adult” interests that were obviously my biggest concern, and obstacle in applying to business school.

Before starting the application process, I made the decision that I was going to choose to be “out” during the entire process. I didn’t want to lie to get in, and I didn’t want to live a lie at school, in constant fear of being discovered-- especially when the thing I was hiding was something I’m actually quite proud of. So I decided I was going to need help, and was hoping to find someone brave enough and bold enough to take me on as a client.

I started my journey with MBA mission through the free consultation. I chose Susan, and sent in my stats and resume, and crossed my fingers. Susan smartly decided to send my information to a few other consultants to get their opinions and insights to better help her with our first conversation. And it was at that time that Angela responded by saying essentially, “this girl seems awesome, and if she wants to hire us, I want to work with her!”

When Susan told me that another consultant had said that, I was thrilled. I felt so confident and hopeful knowing that the person I was going to be working with was not only not going to judge me and the choices I’ve made, but also was going to work hard to champion me, and was as motivated as I was to help me succeed and reach my full potential. She knew what she was up against, and she wanted the challenge.

I can say with all honesty and complete sincerity that if it weren’t for Angela, I would not have gotten in to any business school most likely, let alone my top choice (a top 15 program) with a prestigious fellowship, and a full ride to my third choice school. She was there for me during the entire process in ways that really exceeded her job description. From working holidays and extra “hand holding,” to a face to face conversation in a coffee shop about my future that I’m rather certain changed my life, Angela was there for me, pushing me to be and to do better.

Brilliantly, Angela made me take the GMAT. I had a strong score on the GRE, and had intended on simply using that score. But Angela thought it was important that I didn’t give anyone any reason to doubt my abilities, and she felt confident that I would do well on the test. So with some prodding, and some guidance on prep, I took the test, and scored a 750, which I know lent credibility to my overall application and allowed me to put my best foot forward. I didn’t want to take the test, but listening to her on that was one of the best decisions I’ve made.

Angela also worked exceptionally hard to help me write my optional essay. We decided early on that that would be the place I explained my life—who I am and the choices that I’ve made. It was always a big ask. I needed to strike the perfect tone; the just right balance of being proud but not defensive, and understanding but not apologetic. We did over a dozen drafts of that essay, and Angela sent versions around to other consultants, getting second, third, and fourth opinions from people who didn’t know me as well to make sure that we hit that tone. In the end, those 250 words are some of the best “I’ve” ever written.

Personally, Angela is one of my favorite people ever. She’s witty and smart, passionate and opinionated, and she’s fun to talk to and be around. She worked hard for me and made me want to work harder for her. She believed in me when not very many people would have, and was prouder when I got in than just about anyone else.

I’m beyond thankful to have gone on this journey with Angela, and wouldn’t want to have done it with anyone else. Together what we achieved is pretty close to miraculous, and at the end of it, I’m thrilled to have worked with someone who I now like to consider a friend.

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A little less than a year ago, I was dreading the entire business school application process. I had taken my GMATs the year before, but I had no idea how to tackle the essay questions or how to make my resume stand out. Because of this, I came to mbaMission, and to Dan specifically. Looking back now, I can honestly say it was the best decision I made in the process.

From day one, Dan really worked to understand my story and help crystalize the parts that would make me stand out among a sea of applicants. We worked through my resume line by line through countless hours to make each task I did at work come alive.

Additionally, Dan helped me brainstorm unique experiences outside of work I can bring to my application. By the end of our brainstorm sessions, I felt like he knew me better than my best friends. The process not only made my essays come alive, but also helped me realize exactly what I want to do post-business school. It was a very tiring, but ulitmately unbelievably rewarding experience.

Dan was also extremely patient with me during my application process that lasted well over 6 months since I applied in both R1 and R2. Sometimes I would blast him 5 emails at 2:00AM freaking out about every little detail. He always replied promptly and always managed to calm me down.

As a side note, mbaMission's mock interview for the Wharton TBD was also extremely helpful. I went into the real interview feeling like I know what to expect and the two experiences were very similiar.

With Dan's guidance, I was admitted to Wharton in R2 and MIT Sloan and Columbia in R1. I will most likely matriculate at Wharton this fall - thank you Dan!!!

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I was never really good with portraying all my thoughts on paper. So even though I knew exactly why I wanted to go to a top business school, writing it all down in a concise yet clear format was hard for me.

I applied to a couple top b schools for R1 earlier this year but did not even get any interviews. These were my top choices at that time (since these were local to where I live). So for round 2, I knew I had to revise my strategy. I started to look for consultants and reached out to several different organizations and had chats with a few consultants.

My chat with Daniel went really great. He had already read my resume (unlike some other who never did) and could right away point out several things on my resume which needed to change. From the beginning, Dan was very honest and to the point. He pushed me to achieve my potential and think about different approaches for the same essay. To give an example, he would help me clear my thoughts on essays I would send him, but many times also leave open ended questions to push me to think outside the box.

The other thing about Dan which I must point out is that he was always there. I remember sending him essays really close to Christmas break and even though he was on vacation he would return my essays back as soon as he could. I found Dan's working style very friendly in spite of being so professional. Also, Dan always replied back to emails really quickly if I ask him a question or two. He is very considerate of the timelines.

I also did interview prep with Dan and I found it SO useful! Mock interview with Dan really helped me stay calm during the real interviews because I had already discussed the various points which I must talk about. My interviews went really well and I got admitted to all the schools I interviewed for in R2- Kellogg, Tepper and McCombs.

I strongly suggest you to look up Daniel Richards from mbaMission. His writing, work ethic and honestly is exactly what got me into business school when I had almost lost all the hope!

Last piece of advice which I learnt the hard way: initially the consulting services may seem expensive but it is well worth if you get into your dream school! I wish someone had told me about Daniel when I was applying for R1! I would have saved on so much time and anxiety!

Goodluck to you all out there.

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mbaMission was incredible in helping me apply to school. I am a joint-degree candidate, who was interested in only HBS and I was able to work with a joint-degree holder from HBS, Katharine Lewis. That in and of itself is unique. But Katharine was above and beyond fantastic. My application was very last minute and she took on the case because of an obvious interest in my story and love for her job. She was always available, be it weekends, or two days before the deadline.

Katharine worked with me in reviewing my application and in my mock interview. Because I was interested in only one school, Katharine’s “insider baseball” knowledge was really useful and comforting. In addition, her feedback was insightful and helpful in shaping my story and improving my candidacy.

Working with Katharine was great not only because of the work we produced, but also because she is really on the ball. You can tell she is just an incredibly sharp person (in additional to her killer resume at McKinsey, Stanford, etc.) who likes working with applicants. As a result, I felt like my two hours went an incredibly long way—definitely a solid investment.

I should note that I came to Katharine after an incredibly negative experience with someone from MBA Exchange who literally called me by the wrong name in all of our email exchanges, despite the fact that she had read my resume, spoken to me on the phone ,etc. Do NOT just go with any consultant who has worked in admissions at your target school, because they are not all made the same. Katharine is clearly just sharper and doing this consulting because she likes it and finds it interesting as opposed to “hey, I used to interview for a top school so I’m probably qualified.”

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Consultant: Adam Grossman (mbaMission)

Personal Profile:
Undergraduate School: Brown
Undergraduate GPA: 3.3
GMAT: 670
Work Experience: 4+ years

Package purchased: 4 School Start-To-Finish

Schools Applied to and Results:
Duke Fuqua: Admitted
UVA Darden: Rejected
Northwestern Kellogg: Admitted
UCLA Anderson: TBD

Review:
Adam was absolutely invaluable in taking the mass of raw material and disorganized thoughts and ideas and helping me turn them into a clear and concise vision to present to admissions committees. From the start, Adam was a partner in the process from start to finish. He helped me finalize a list of target schools based on my interests, strengths, and weaknesses.

I identified Kellogg as my first choice and we went after that first. We customized each essay for each school taking into account each school’s individual characteristics. Adam had great perspective on how to uniquely position myself for each school. He was very responsive to questions and helped provide excellent edits. I never lost my voice throughout the essay writing process and he helped me with every single detailed question I had. Adam was always there to support and always had good answers.

He was a no nonsense guy which is incredibly important in the process. His feedback was always direct and constructive. We worked efficiently and productively together improving both my abilities and our output after each meeting.

I would highly recommend Adam and mbaMission. As a result of our work together, I got into my top choice school even with below-average GMATs.

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Overall, mbaMission was tremendous in helping me select/apply to business school. I downloaded most of their school guides and their start-to-finish guide and referenced them constantly throughout the process.

I worked with John Sisk and he was instrumental in guiding me through my applications. He listened to my story/goals and helped me construct a clear, focused approach to my essays.

John constantly pushed me to dig deeper on why I wanted to go back to school and why my goals made sense - my essays and applications were much better for it. He helped highlight my strengths but also didn't hesitate to point out when my essays or ideas needed work. Applying to business school can be a humbling process, and John helped me fight through those moments of uncertainty.

I couldn't have done it without John and I would highly recommend him to anybody else applying to business school.

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After an unsuccessful attempt at getting into bschool last year, I decide this year to enlist the help of a consultant. My initial consultation was with Rachel Beck. She could tell that I was beat down by the process of a year ago and really needed a good pep talk. She was also 100% not pushing mbaMission's services and really left the decisions up to me. I was very impressed with the sales approach and eventually signed up to work with John Sisk. John was extremely helpful in getting me to get all of my ideas and experience on paper and into a few essays. Most of all, John let me tell the story I wanted to tell. A lot of other consultants had advised that if I wanted to go to bschool, I needed to tell a different story than what I actually wanted to do because I had some lofty goals that adcoms would frown upon. John let me tell that story and surprise surprise it worked. I was accepted in R2. My advice to other mba prospects is if a consultant wants to change your story for the sole purposes of the adcoms, get a new consultant - call John at mbaMission and get into bschool with the story you want to tell.

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According to my experience, applying an MBA program is a tough job that requires not only hard work but also a strategic and focused approach. Before deciding which consulting service to use, I talked to a few consulting companies and tried their free sessions. I do suggest to “shop around” and you will find the right one. In my case, I found mbaMission was very impressive. After I provided my profile and answered a couple of questions, the consultant outlined an overview of my strength, weakness, and which schools I should target. It was simply, professional, and focused! After signing up the product, I chose to work with Pamela, a very experienced consultant. Now I have got the offer from the school of my dream. I must say I did the right choice and found the right person!

I was very happy working with Pamela. She was methodical. Everything was so well organized that I knew exactly what I would expect down the road, and I could plan my tasks down to every single day! Although the service was delivered online, the communication and collaboration was thorough and effective. During the whole process, I didn’t panic at all! What a surprise! I suggest to carefully read the documents they send over after you sign up the service. They are very useful!

Essay editing is important part of the whole service. I felt I was fully supported. For each essay, she walked it through with me from analyzing the topic to editing revisions to completing the essay. In addition, when I was stuck somewhere, she always provided a high level guidance that forced me to think in a “macro” perspective. I see this is a great approach to allow me to reshape my thoughts and restructure the content. This approach worked for me very well. I suggest writing essays on your own – you will be the person who takes the interview and you have to think a lot in the whole process!

At the post offer stage, when I was deciding which school to choose, she made sure I had full information to make the decision and provided valuable and unbiased advice. This is also an important stage, especially when you have multiple choices. For me, Pamela is an expert in this area – she knows the top B-schools well and has great knowledge in the post-MBA fields. So her advice helped me a lot!

In summary, I am very impressed and do appreciate her help and work during the whole process. I definitely recommend mbaMission, especially Pamela, to anyone who wants to apply to top B-schools. Finally, I want to say when applying an MBA program, you are not doing something for fun. You need to be serious! It is your opportunity to change your entire life! So make your choice wisely!

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Decision to Hire Angela

When I first decided to apply to MBA programs, I had no idea how competitive I was, where I had a shot of getting in, or how high I should reach. While I had good stats (3.9 GPA from a top 20 liberal arts school, 760 GMAT), I worked in accounting for 3 years and I didn’t know how to differentiate myself from the other good applicants who were applying. I didn’t feel like I had a particularly interesting story. I was intrigued by the idea of hiring a consultant but, frankly, couldn’t fathom spending that much money only one year before I would be taking out upwards of 150K in student loans.

When I got an email from mbaMission inviting me to have a free 30-minute consult live in my city, I figured I had nothing to lose. I went in thinking that if a consultant would simply save me time – tell me things I could find online, save me calls to admissions offices, etc – edit my essays, and set a schedule for me, I would skip it. But if hiring one would actually increase my chances of getting in in ways that I could never do myself, then I would consider it.


Free Consult

In my 30-minute consult, Angela assessed my competitiveness at all the schools I was considering, helped me with my resume, told me I didn’t need to take the GMAT again (despite getting 70% Quant and 67% IR scores) and helped me with my “story” – my reason for going to business school and my post-MBA goals. I remember leaving that 30 minutes consult feeling already like she’d added incredible value to the process. I no longer had to stress about whether or not I should retake the GMAT or figuring out what schools I should apply to.

I realized that if I thought an MBA was worth the cost of tuition and opportunity cost of not working, it was definitely worth another $3.75K to have a consultant help me with one school. After all, applying to one school would mean perfecting my resume, my “story,” and, if I picked the right school, I’d probably be able to use the essays for other schools. So I decided to use Angela for one school.

My next dilemma was which schools to choose. I had decided to apply to Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton as reaches, Booth and Kellogg as fit schools, and Fuqua as a safety. And I couldn’t figure out which one hire Angela for. If I chose Harvard to increase my chances of getting in, I figured I could still end up rejected everywhere. If I chose a fit school, then I thought my chances at HBS/Stanford went out the window. If I was only going to get into my safety, then I thought it was worth using a consultant to see if I could get scholarship money. In the end, I decided if it was worth using her for one school, it was worth using her for all of the schools. And that $8K when compared to the cost of an MBA was a drop in the bucket, especially if I could get a scholarship that would make the consultant more than pay for itself.

Hiring Angela was the best investment I’ve ever made. I ended up with full tuition scholarships to Booth and Fuqua, a partial scholarship to Wharton, and admission into HBS. I’m not at all saying that I don’t deserve admission or scholarships at these schools, but I can say without a doubt that I would not have been this successful in my applications if I had not hired her.

One of the biggest values that Angela brought to the admissions process was making me realize how strong of a candidate I was. When I first spoke with her, I thought I was a weak candidate and that Booth/Kellogg would be a reach. I wasn’t even thinking of applying to HBS/Stanford. But Angela recognized aspects of my candidacy that made me exceptional and pushed me to be as successful as I could.


Essays

She knew what I needed to highlight in my applications. At the beginning of our work together, Angela and I had a long brainstorm session in which she got to know ALL of my stories, personal, professional, and from undergrad. Because of this, whenever we started working on a new essay, Angela was able to pull from my life stories to know how I should best answer the question. Throughout the process, I was amazed at the extent to which Angela was able to tie together stories from my life that I would not have pieced together. She was able to find themes that portrayed parts of me I hadn’t identified. For someone who believes she has lived a very normal life, I didn’t think I could put together an inspiring essay. But Angela got to know me well enough to find the things about me that would make me shine in the eyes of the adcoms.

As I wrote the essays, Angela pushed me to do what she knew I was capable of. We went through 12 versions of some essays. In the first versions, she would often tell me to scratch it and start over. While I’m a perfectionist and a hard worker, Angela pushed me farther than I could have pushed myself. She often asked for more insight into what I was thinking, what my motivation was, and what I learned in a way that helped me discover things about myself that I never would have learned without her. Also important to note is that my essays (and the rest of my application) were entirely my work. She asked questions and pushed me to success, but didn’t make direct edits or in any way embellish the truth. Still, looking at the end product, I couldn’t have written the essays on my own.


Interviews

When it came to interviews, Angela delivered a workshop for all her clients with a really novel and refreshing approach to interviews. Then for each individual school interview, she helped me feel thoroughly prepared. She not only helped me come up with answers to specific questions during mock interviews but more importantly, taught me a methodology for how to answer questions, so I would never be stumped. She built up my confidence, which is perhaps the most important part of an interview. She even sent me a youtube video of an interview with a movie star so I could learn by example how to show in an interview that I’m human without apologizing. She taught me how to highlight my strengths without sounding full of myself. These are lessons I will take with me and apply to future job interviews, and I have even begun coaching my colleagues based on what I have learned from Angela.


Overall

One of the most incredible things about working with Angela is that I always felt like I was her only client. One of my hesitations in hiring a consultant was the fear that they would give the same advice to everyone. Angela’s advice was completely tailored to me. She also responded to my emails sometimes instantly. Even when on her holiday vacation, she responded within a couple hours to any and every question I had. She could not have been more devoted or available.

Coming from an industry where we track the time spent on each client, I was also nervous that if I got a package, the consultant would cut corners and try to spend as little time with me as possible. But on the contrary, Angela went above and beyond to give her time and energy. She pushed me to write more drafts of essays. After I was accepted to schools, she initiated a call with me to discuss my thoughts and offer advice on where I should accept. After I visited schools for their accepted students events, she reached out to me to hear how they went. I truly feel like Angela cared about my success and in finding the best fit for me almost as much as I did. She was there every step of the way.

For me, as a type A perfectionist, working with Angela also considerably reduced the amount of stress and anxiety I felt during this whole process, largely because instead of worrying over details, I trusted Angela. While I had been freaking out over whether to retake the GMAT, Angela said no, so I didn’t give it another thought. There are countless questions that you will have during the application process, any of which could cause considerable doubt and anxiety. Working with Angela took all of that away. If she said to use story A instead of story B I said okay and moved on instead of second guessing myself. Angela’s fees were worth it if only because working with her during this year-long period made my life a lot easier.

I can’t express enough how valuable Angela was in this process. My friends can attest to this as I can’t count the number of times I said to them “I don’t know what I’d do without Angela.” I’ve raved so much about her to everyone I know that my friends have already referred their friends and colleagues to her.

So if I had to give those of you applying to business school one piece of advice, I would say hire a consultant, and hire Angela. The value you will get far outweighs the cost.

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I'm an over-thinker, so I had a ton of questions all the time. When I wanted to speak on the phone, we would schedule a call. More often though, to make the best use of the expensive time, I would organize multiple questions in a big email. Dan was always helpful and got back to me within a day or so. I also asked him to review several essay drafts for me. I didn't use any of his exact words because it wasn't really my voice, but his advice on structure and general direction helped me improve my writing. If I could go back, I might've tried harder to find answers to some of my questions elsewhere to save a little money, but would've still used him and benefited from his wisdom to an extent.

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