Hello GMATCLUB,

I just wanted to share my amazing mbaMission experience with everyone. I pretty much applied to business school on a whim. Not knowing what to expect, I started the application process with 3 months left before the application deadline. A friend suggested I seek help from a consultant. So I contacted all the companies offering free initial consultations.

Some quick info about me: I have a sub 3.0 GPA from a not so reputable state school. I was even placed on academic probation at a junior college! I have less than 3 years of work experience in the least relevant field imaginable. I mean, my track record screams "NOT B-SCHOOL MATERIAL!"

So I was not surprised as consultant after consultant pretty much told me to not waste their time. Others never even got back to me. But John, who I was placed on a 30 minute freebie call with, was encouraging throughout our conversation. Instead of focusing on the negatives, he highlighted the positives. John was very creative and seemed to know exactly what the adcom wanted to hear. It also helped that we kept a great line of communication. He kept me on track during the entire process, and together we made sure I put forth the best application possible.

The end result was an admission to a top 20 European program. I can't thank John enough for all his help and encouragement. I would highly recommend John Sisk and mbaMission to anyone who is interested in applying to business school. Thanks again, John!!

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I found my experience with mbaMission to be incredibly rewarding and it absolutely helped me to be admitted to my top choice business school. My consultant was always available and her comments and critiques helped build my essays and resume into the best possible version.

Rachel, the consultant I worked with from mbaMission, was instrumental in my successful application to business school. Through conversation and email, I felt that she truly understood the story I had to tell and the reasons why I wanted to go to business school and then she pushed me to write the strongest versions of that story. Rachel was especially helpful at cutting to the core of thoughts and helped me cut paragraphs down to sentences - a vital task when the essay can only be a limited number of words.

I felt like she was my partner in the entire application process and would recommend her to anyone seeking admission to a top tier business school.

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I was introduced to mbaMission through the Manhattan GMAT test prep program. I called and did the initial 30 minute session and ended up purchasing a two school package. I asked them who they thought would be a good fit as someone who wants to get into the financial industry and they placed me with Rachel.

Rachel was great throughout the process. She was very responsive, provided great feedback and really helped me tell my story effectively. She also was a great sounding board for different ideas that I had and was an extremely critical asset once I hit submit. She completely exceeded my expectations and I would definitely recommend her--even giving me assistance on schools that were not on the package I purchased.

She pushed me to work as hard as I could and and some of my essays went to v14. It even went beyond essays, including the resume, short answer sections, interview prep and recommender assistance. If I wasn't happy she wasn't happy.

While I didn't get in to my dream school I got into my #2 and couldn't be happier. My one thing of advice is if you have/want very specific career assistance it's probably better to reach out to a current student or alumni in the field you want to get into.

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I started thinking about working with an MBA consultant in June for round 1 applications. I had a 700 GMAT so I knew that I needed to really stand out on the essays to get into my dream school. I had lots of ideas on what I could write about but was looking for someone who can help me decide which stories are the most compelling. I was looking for thought leadership, a direct communication style and someone who really clicked with me. I reached out to friends, colleagues and even my GMAT instructor for consultants they have used and would recommend. I spoke to 8-10 different essay consultants before deciding to go with Angela Guido.

She was someone who really wanted to understand me and help present my stories in the best light instead of just treating me like a client. From the beginning, I felt like Angela was somewhat of a best friend, mentor and epic story evaluator. She was the one my GMAT instructor recommended and I was delighted that she was making time for me in her busy schedule.

Angela was very easy to work with. We spent a lot of time upfront brainstorming and talking about my entire life story. I did most of the hard work on my own (i.e. filling out brainstorming documents, writing drafts of essays/resumes, scheduling time with her to chat, bringing ideas to the table) but we did the all the creative thinking and structuring together. We started with essays for my top choice school. The first one was the toughest one. I think we had a total of 4 or 5 drafts, including one where I had to re-write the entire essay. Angela was very prompt with her feedback and her notes were very clear with thoughtful questions, insightful suggestions and a knack for keeping the big picture in mind. Sometimes, I would have ideas on what I wanted to talk about but had no idea how to approach it. This is where Angela was the most helpful. She could boil down stories to the most important essence and help me recreate it in writing. She never “wrote” anything on my behalf and she trusted that I would be on top of all my applications. I was in charge of the whole process which made our working relationship very positive.

List of what she helped me with:
- Brainstorming – thinking about who I am and how I could differentiate myself
- Essays – at the beginning we did everything together, but by the end I was doing essays on my own without too much iteration
- Applications – including short form answers, I had everything in a word document and she reviewed
- Recommender brainstorming – I ran my recommenders by her and what they were going to write about so she had the “whole application” in mind
- Interviews – we spoke about them but didn’t do a formal practice interview
- Resume
Other things she can help with that I didn’t take advantage of (did it myself, but she could’ve been very helpful):
- Mock interviews
- Read recommendations from recommenders

I sincerely feel like I had a better end product because I worked with Angela. She brought out the best in me. She was so great that I referred many of my friends to her. One of my friends let me read her essays before submitting them for her round 2 application and I was pleasantly surprised that her essays were very different from mine. This was one of my fears of working with a consultant. This just goes to show that Angela really tries to stay true to her clients and does not impose any “molds” or “common guidelines” for them. Everyone remains an individual.

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I first called for a free half hour consultation two years ago and was immediately impressed with the amount of work that Jessica had already put into reviewing my candidacy. Twice after that, my job situation changed in a way that caused me to re-evaluate my business school timeline. Both times Jessica provided me with support as she identified factors that I had not yet considered, even offering career advice. This was truly service above and beyond as I had yet to sign up for any mbaMission package.

When the right timing came along for me to sign up for business school, I did not hesitate to contact Jessica and signed up for a three school package. I was thrilled to work with her and was impressed throughout the whole process of how well she seemed to know me. You can tell by the energy that she puts into her work that she is invested in the future of her clients beyond the application process.

While working with Jessica and mbaMission, I appreciated that I never felt that I was being packaged in a way that was not authentic to who I am. The final essays were still my stories, my experience, and my voice, but presented with a polish that would have required countless hours (that I did not have to spare!) for me to achieve on my own. Beyond that, the materials provided by MBAmission were invaluable during the process. They gave me an efficient framework in which to tackle the application process, which I desperately needed as I was applying during one of our company’s busiest times of year.

When choosing a MBA consultant, choose someone you feel comfortable with, as you will likely be discussing with them intimate details of your life. For me, Jessica gave me the support and confidence to bring out stories from my past that were difficult to tell but important in defining who I am. This type of reflection not only led to an admittance at my top choice of Stanford, but enabled me to learn a lot about myself during the process.

I would absolutely, without hesitation, recommend Jessica to anyone considering an MBA consultant.

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As someone who has used a different consulting firm in the past (and had a much different result) I can tell you a little bit about what makes MBA Mission, and Rachel specifically, that much better. First, just to give you a sense of my profile: I work in management consulting for a very small firm, was graduated from a mid-tier undergraduate university with a 2.9GPA, have 5 years of work experience, and a 740 GMAT.

I decided to work with MBA Mission at the recommendation of a friend and couldn’t have been more pleased with the result. Rachel was an incredible asset throughout. She was able to help me compartmentalize the overwhelmingly large process into small manageable chunks and tackle each one effectively. From crafting my ‘story’ all the way through interviewing, she was there to provide great advice and guidance. I can say with near certainty that I would not have been accepted a top 5 school without her help!

The biggest thing that sets Rachel apart is her candor. It’s nice (and feels good) to have someone tell you how great you are, how perfect your essays are, and how big of a ‘shoe-in’ you are for whatever your top school is; but, that doesn’t get you that coveted acceptance letter. In retrospect, my previous consultant did a pretty poor job of managing my expectations (and helping me craft my application). This was definitely not the case with Rachel – she was blunt (but tactful and friendly) in telling me where I was weak and where I was strong all throughout the process. While it may have been a blow to my ego to hear that my essays weren’t perfect as written the first time (or the 10th), it is that kind of honesty that is really necessary to put together the best possible application and maximize the chances of acceptance. She was integral in helping me shape my story into one that would stand out amidst the pile of other applications and in a way that grabbed the reader’s attention quickly. She was particularly great at identifying elements of my profile, and my story, that I had completely overlooked but that the ad-com would love.

She was also a tremendous help with interview prep. A lot of people (and I was one of them) think that you can enter your interview without much preparation and just ‘wing it’ – Rachel was quick to change my thought process when, after doing rather poorly on our mock interview, she told me bluntly ‘you’re not going to get accepted unless you improve your answers to these questions.’ And then she proceeded to tell me exactly how I should improve. Her suggestions proved to be vital as I encountered many of the same questions she asked in the actual interview!

So, would I recommend her? Yes! A thousand times yes! Sure, working with a consultant is expensive; but, it is nothing when you consider the increase in your earnings potential for the rest of your life should you get accepted to a top school. The process is more complicated and potentially overwhelming than most people realize. A great consultant can really help you put your best foot forward and Rachel is certainly that. Work with her. You won’t regret it.

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I would highly recommend mbaMission's Rachel Beck for MBA aspirants who are looking to get guidance for their applications. She is an expert and a very dedicated consultant. She took allot of interest and spend allot of time in making my application very strong. She is very knowledgeable about the admissions process and knows what each school is looking for in a candidate.

With her help and guidance I was able to get into the school of my choice and even got scholarship offers from multiple schools. I would say I was very lucky to have her as my consultant.

I would highly recommend her.

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My first attempts at essay writing on my own were dreadful because:

1) I didn't believe I had anything extraordinary to tell - I haven’t cured cancer, started a charity, mentored a child, lived in another country, or lost 100 lbs.
2) I couldn't answer the essay questions effectively - 400+ words of background information
3) The tone/voice of my essays was off the mark - It is SO easy to sound whiny, bossy, judgmental, or just plain boring.

I knew I needed help but didn't have the money to hire a 1:1 consultant. So I signed up for the 3-day mbamission Application Boot Camp held in Chicago in August 2012.

The class amounted to 9 hours of live instruction with five other students, a 1 hour pre-recorded class online, and 30 minutes 1:1 with the instructor to review practice essays and answer questions, which I used to discuss application strategy. I was initially nervous about not getting the personal attention of my instructor in a classroom setting. But the group is an added benefit because there are other people to bounce ideas, give feedback, and ask the questions you didn’t think of. But still small enough that your instructor gets to know you, your profile, and answer your personal questions.

Angela Guido is a fantastic instructor. You can tell she has a real passion for this and truly wants to help you succeed. She is intelligent, straight forward, and will tell you like it is. She also has an amazing ability to hear your story and twist it with a fresh perspective, or pull out some ‘a-ha’ that you didn’t initially see, so that you can craft a unique essay. And she will help identify the weaknesses and pitfalls of your writing style, so you can avoid these going forward on your own.

After the class, I was super motivated and applied to 4 schools in Round 1. I got interview invites to all 4, and accepted to 3 - Wharton, Kellogg, & Duke.

If you are SERIOUS about getting into a top 10 program, you are going to need some help. And this class is the best bang for your buck! DO IT!

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Overall, mbaMission was unbelievably helpful throughout the application process. I applied to three schools, and for each I was slightly above average with my GMAT score, but well below average with respect to my GPA as an undergrad. Because of this I felt it was really important for my candidacy that my essays be clear, and stand out.

I worked with Rachel Beck, and she was amazing when it came to guiding my personal experiences into a clear and concise story, communicating exactly why I need to go to business school. Rachel was very easy to work with and didn’t sugarcoat anything, giving essential feedback whenever was necessary.

I applied to these three schools in round 1, and to be perfectly honest, my biggest fear was that I’d shoot for the stars, miss, and have to scramble to apply the following round to a few schools I wasn’t nearly as excited about. Without mbaMission, and Rachel’s guidance in particular, something tells me that fear would have spun into reality.

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Angela helped me extensively throughout the application process. She is a very realistic person and gives you her honest opinion right from the start, which I greatly appreciated.

I did not have a good enough GMAT score for McCombs. My GMAT was way below the average GMAT score of the entry class. However, with Angela's creative skills she aided the build up of my resume and application that got me my acceptance at the University of Texas at Austin.

Angela works very hard and expects the same amount of effort from her client. She cares a lot about the people she's working with and treats their work as if it were her own. She will continue to encourage you to rework your applications, essays and resume until it meets and exceeds the expectations of the admissions officers at any Business School.

I believe that without her input and help I would not have gotten my acceptance.

THANK YOU ANGELA!

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