I offer my highest recommendation to Akiba. I’ll try to sum up my experience with Akiba in 3 brief points.

1. Akiba helped me tell my story with integrity, creativity, and purpose. Always a patient listener, Akiba made the effort to get to know me. This paid off -- her in-depth knowledge of me and my experiences helped her deliver valuable insights throughout the application process. Often times her insights would be pulled and patched from conversations we had months earlier.

2. Akiba didn’t sugar coat anything. I was seeking honest feedback, and that is what I received. I was happy to hear “we need to re-think this… this could be stronger… I don’t really like where you’re going here.” This ‘real’ communication ultimately made my essays stronger. (She also offered tons of positive encouragement throughout the process). She was especially talented at restructuring sentences to lose the fluff and emphasize what was important.

3. I am extremely happy I had to the opportunity to work with Akiba. There is no doubt that my applications were stronger after working with Akiba. My partnership with her earned me interviews at 2 top 10 schools and a sizeable scholarship from a top 15. I am now reviewing offers from multiple schools. If you are going to work with MBA Mission, seek Akiba out. You won’t regret it.

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I worked together with Angela on a hourly basis to craft, and edit my essays as well as edit my resume.

The process was amazing, and Angela was very efficient, organized and helpful. We were working on a tight deadline 1.5 weeks from start to finish, to complete the brainstorm, 3 essays and my resume. All of her work was very thoughtful and insightful. Even though we had a tight deadline, she was able to break out the work into batches, and we plugged away at it.

When I was being generic in my responses she was blunt and honest, and did not let our time deadline effect the quality of work. She pushed me ( in a good way ) to uncover my true motivations, feelings, and emotions, and had me effectively express myself them in my essays.

Her editing skills are second to none, and really helped me create essays the flowed, and read well. Some very helpful tips and hints helped to perfect my applications.

I was recently admitted to Stanford GSB and couldn't have done it without her! I would highly recommend her.

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I cannot recommend mbaMission highly enough and specifically Jessica Shklar. I don't know if I could have gotten into HBS without her. To say that she was instrumental in my MBA application is a massive understatement - she literally transformed my application and my essays, made them come alive. I think the most difficult aspect of these applications is that no matter how much time, heart, and soul you pour into them, you still self-doubt and over-analyze. The amazing thing about working with mbaMission's extremely talented writers is that you can rest easy with the knowledge that you will really, truly submit your best possible application - you don't have to worry about whether you could have done something better. Not only do you get external affirmation from an expert who has read thousands of these essays, but you also will have fine-tuned it with her to the point where you feel happy with your application, and I think that this is critical to stay sane and happy throughout this process.

mbaMission, specifically Jessica Shklar, are by far the best consultants out there in my opinion. I have spoken to friends who have tried other consultants - the problem with others is that 1) they may not care as much or really give it their all...Jessica responded immediately to a million e-mails a day from me with depth, knowledge, and guidance, and every draft I got back was insightfully edited word-for-word (she entertained my debates and over-analysis of literally every single word); and 2) they are not professional writers in the way that mbaMission consultants are - Jessica is a brilliant, gifted writer who will bring your essays to life and make sure your story comes out comprehensively, compellingly, and powerfully enough to resonate with the AdCom. She framed so many of my essays into words that I was unable to get on paper myself. She has the ability to cut through a jumbled, non-sensical mess of words on the paper and say, "This is what you are REALLY trying to say. This is the crux of it, the meaning that is coming out. Try saying it this way instead..." Her suggestions every single time were so brilliant I counted my lucky stars that I had found her.

Jessica truly exceeded all of my expectations. I did not think that I could find a consultant who would be there for me as much as she was, through every single line, draft, and question. The best thing about her is that she is a straight-shooter - no bs, no nonsense, no sugar-coating. She tells you how it is and doesn't waste time. If your draft is no good, she will tell you, but then help you to improve it step by step. She will not rest or allow you to submit until you both are 100% happy with it. And she helps not just with the essays (though at essays there is no one better in my opinion), but also with the entire application, interviews, etc. Hire mbaMission and Jessica Shklar - best decision you will ever make if you want to get into the school of your dreams!!

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My experience with mbaMission consultant was a great one. Starting with the brainstorming document, I was able to get great stories to tell on my applications and bring out the best part of my personal experience. Once I decided on the schools that I wanted to apply to, I was able to go through the essay questions with my consultant and determine the best stories to tell in each one. Although the process was stressful at times, getting help from the consultant allowed me to time my application process, and not wait until the last minute.

I was recommended this company when I started the process, and would I definitely recommend mbaMission to anyone considering having a consultant help them in the admissions process.

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I signed up for the Application Boot Camp in August 2011, primarily to kick myself into gear for the application essay-writing process. Boot camp definitely got me started brainstorming ideas for essays, but, more importantly, the class provided me with a clear framework for developing a strong application narrative. Angela led the class with enthusiasm and a great sense of humor; she's super smart and "with it," and I found her really helpful in guiding my thinking about which stories to choose for the schools I applied to. I also left the class with a fully revised, ready-to-go resume, which was great to have on hand, ready to go during application time.

Overall, this class was a great way to start the process, and you get bang for your buck. I feel like I got the personalized benefits of one-on-one consulting in a collaborative, group setting. I also enjoyed the other people in the class, and I found their feedback on my work useful. One person in the class even set up an e-mail list for ongoing feedback and collaboration, which I thought was great. (Although I must admit I didn't use this forum because I felt on such solid ground after the class.)



- The extent to which the class enabled you to get a better sense of who you are, your accomplishments, and your future

- The usefulness of having 1:1 feedback on your work from a consultant

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I didn't expect to be such an active participant in mbaMission's MBA Application Boot Camp. It was surprisingly interactive with a lot of great exercises that showed you effective story telling techniques for your essays and how to build an outstanding resume. I learned what the admissions committees look for as well as what my strengths and weaknesses are in my application.

Angela is an exemplary consultant. She is upbeat, open, honest and extremely knowledgeable in this field. I was impressed with her ability to connect with all of the students in the course and respond to all of our questions thoughtfully and adequately. She always provided us individual constructive feedback especially in the end during our final one-on-one meeting. With her help, I left the course knowing precisely what more I needed to work on and with greater confidence.

Even though I don't plan to apply until Fall 2012, I feel got a solid start on the overwhelming process. This course truly exceeded my expectations. It was money definitely well spent. I would highly recommend this course to all MBA applicants.

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I took the GMAT in early December 2011, and got a good enough score that I decided I would try to do one application for the Round 2 deadlines. I signed up for a 30-minute free consultation with MBA Mission, where I got some good feedback, and decided that I would sign up for the boot camp.

The boot camp is a great way to get started with your first b-school applications, particularly for those who are brand-new to the process and haven't been planning to go to b-school for the last five years. The instructor, in this case Angela Guido, answered basic questions like what are admissions committees looking for, how to shape your essays, and what to put on your resume.

This class is not going to magically transform you into a brilliant writer, but it may improve your storytelling abilities and it may help you find the right subject/event to share with the admissions committee.

The best value by far from the class is the essay review that the instructor provides, which included line edits as well as a 20-minute private conversation on the phone. Angela gave me very insightful comments, and helped me find the right direction for my essay. I ended up scrapping the essay that I shared with the class entirely, but am confident it was the right decision.

Angela gave excellent advice and direction, and she really helped make the class a comfortable, interactive one. I was nervous about the online format of the class, but she pulled all of us onto the microphone and got us to talk. It felt very close to a live class and I appreciated that.

Having attended some of mbaMission's free seminars, I noticed there was some overlap in content given in the class, which is understandable--most of the other students likely hadn't seen mbaMission's presentations before.

Overall, I would say this is a great deal for a great price. Once I finished the class, I approached the rest of the application process with much more confidence. It was a great way for me to begin my applications.

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I took the online bootcamp in Dec 2011. The program is designed for working professionals with a 8-11PM EST schedule for 4 sessions. Although there is an onsite version in certain cities, I felt that the online format had its own advantages in perhaps letting us share freely with each other, which was very helpful for some of the exercises and exchanging feedback. The software/website used for the class is like a more fun version of Webex.

For the first three sessions, we covered:
-Overall application process, what schools are looking for. There were only 6 students in my bootcamp so we had plenty of opportunities to ask individual questions. I think we all overlapped on some schools anyway.
-Essays: the meat of the course. Types of essays, brainstorming and organization, storytelling methods, do's and don'ts, critiques and samples.
-resumes
Exercises accompanied the topics. For example, we would think of memorable life experiences to share to demonstrate story elements. We also spent a few minutes here and there to write sample excerpts, beginnings, endings, and resume elements.
I might have left out some topics but these were the ones I focused on.

The fourth session was scheduled a week after the third and was slotted for 1:1 private essay critiques with each of us. We sent Angela our essays along with some other homework before the last session.

The instructor Angela really shed some light on the essays for me. Toward the end, she let us bring up any non-traditional essay questions that stumped us and we explored it together with the class under her guidance. These exercises sewed the seeds for what would develop in my head over the next few days. Without them, I would likely have written many throw-away drafts before achieving any similar coherence and depth.

Angela was an energetic and fun instructor who knew how to respond individually to each of our styles to bring out our stories. She offered to hang around after every class for extra questions at after 11PM her time. Her enjoyment of teaching and helping came through every session. I didn't know about this beforehand but you can sign up for a 30min free consultation with MBAmission and request Angela if you'd like to chat with her first and ask about the program.

Overall Value:
In addition to the course, we got the MBAmission application guide book and our choice of one detailed school report. Combined with 9 hours of class time and a 1:1 essay review, the total value for the price of roughly two application fees was an easy choice for me. I recommend it without hesitation, especially with Angela, whether you're just starting the application process or are only weeks from deadlines like I was.

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The mbaMission Boot Camp came at just the right time in the process for me. Deadlines were about a month away, and I was beginning to worry about being behind in my preparation. The class was structured so that no matter where an applicant was in the process, it would be beneficial. The time the class required me to dedicate to the process was the perfect motivation for advancing my applications. Compared to simple essay reviews or reading books on my own, the class allowed me to progress my essays a tremendous amount for the time and price.

Angela taught the class in a very cooperative and interactive way, and this allowed me to both test out essay ideas and also learn from critiquing those in my class. She taught me how to craft my message into enjoyable stories with vivid details and a captivating structure. The most impactful lesson I learned was how to show the reader who I was and my accomplishments through examples rather simply telling about achievements and events.

This was a great class that jump started my applications and resulted in a great final product.

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After completing the MBA Application Boot Camp with mbaMission I was incredibly inspired and actually excited to continue with my business school applications. As someone looking for a career transition, I had many uncertainties about even applying. The course is a huge self exploration process and I left with a better sense of who I was, what I wanted, and where I stood as an applicant. As a result, I gained the strength and confidence I was lacking in order to persevere with the application process.

Consultant Angela Guido is absolutely fantastic! She has you do various exercises that pull out the qualities about yourself that you either forgot or didn’t realize existed, and helps you articulate these qualities effectively in the essay writing. She beats you over the head (with love) with the “show don’t tell” method of writing and once you get it, the essays instantly become easier and actually enjoyable to write as well as much more exciting! Angela has a wonderful “can do” attitude and is extremely knowledgeable, enthusiastic and supportive while still providing realistic expectations.

This has to be one of the best values out there in terms of MBA application consulting. You will see a huge improvement in such a short amount of time and will feel much more comfortable with continuing the process on your own if you are not able to afford additional consulting. You also get the benefit of hearing your classmates’ stories and goals which helps for your own essay ideas and defining your own goals while still getting a significant amount of personal feedback. The best of both worlds!

I highly recommend this workshop. It was a truly great experience that made all the difference.

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