A Phenomenal Partner in my MBA Journey

I was an applicant with a non- traditional background. I didn't do my undergrad from Harvard/ Stanford/ Ivy- league/ Oxbridge etc. I came from a humble academic background in terms of my alma mater. There was no MBB on my resume etc. So I always felt the odds were totally against me of gaining admission to any MBA school let alone HBS and Stanford GSB. I spoke to various people in my run up to beginning my application to gauge what they thought my chances were and all of them told me I had no chance of getting into HSW. Time started to pass as hope dwindled and I was only a few months away from the application deadline. Then I met Heidi...

Heidi listened to my story carefully, she didn't interrupt me as I opened my heart out, told her about my fears, why I thought I didn't have a chance but still wanted to give it a go, what my hopes and aspirations were for the future. She took the time to understand me, made no assumptions and after half an hour of the first chat Heidi was the first person to not only encourage me to apply in that application round but also provided a realistic understanding of where I stood- no raising false hopes/ no exaggerating my accomplishments to make me feel good or destroying my self confidence (whatever I had left of it) by highlighting weaknesses in my profile.

Heidi was the guiding light I needed- highly structured, enthusiastic, methodical, detailed, caring. I never once felt that I could not open my heart to Heidi. She was the consummate professional, happy to be challenged, willing to listen, open to ideas, flexible in her approach. I was able to start from the beginning with her breaking down my entire life story and through that process came a self- realisation and awareness of how to tell my story. The process with Heidi was more than just an application it was a process of enlightenment. I learned more about myself in a few months than I had done over my entire life and that helped unlocked my application potential. She guided me through the entire process as an inspirational mentor and talented teacher. I was able to draw on stories in my life that I had forgotten about and others I hadn't realised the significance of both to me and the application, all thanks to Heidi.

I beat the odds and the naysayers. I got into HBS and GSB. There is only one person that believed in me, who never lied to me, never falsely raised expectations or belittled my chances, the only person that was real and committed to helping me put the best application forward that I could muster, only one person that was willing to take a chance on me- Heidi. This is something I will forever be grateful to her for.

What else can I say? Heidi is a superb admissions consultant. Anyone would be lucky and blessed to have her as a consultant.