Highly Recommend Liza Weale!

I had known for a while that I wanted to apply to business school – specifically, to some of the most competitive programs out there. Since the application process seemed so daunting, I decided early on to use a consultant. A friend and mentor of mine introduced me to mbaMission, and I had a 30 minute consultation with Jeremy Shinewald. Jeremy paired me up with Liza Weale, describing her as an “excellent consultant” and someone who is “very personally invested, taking each client deeply personally”. After nearly a year of working with Liza, I wholeheartedly agree.

From the moment I met Liza, I could tell that she was truly passionate about her work and took the application process very seriously. She was enthusiastic and energetic, and I was excited to begin the process together. Our first task was brainstorming – helping me to rack my brain for stories, anecdotes, experiences, etc. that I might turn into my essays. Liza helped me to craft my story, stringing together my experiences in a way that painted a true picture of who I was as a professional and as an individual. I was immediately impressed and felt much more at ease.

Liza was incredibly helpful in editing and tweaking my essays (as well as helping me with the short answers, preparing me for interviews, etc). Her comments and edits weren’t just “word smithing” – she gave thoughtful feedback with concrete suggestions for how to improve the idea/flow. She knew my “story” so well that she often suggested adding anecdotes to strengthen my essay that I hadn’t even thought about! On some of my essays, we went through 20+ iterations – and she worked just as hard on the last iteration as she did on the first.

But, it was much more than essay help. Trust me – the process can be stressful, defeating and tricky. Liza was my therapist, confidant, and strategist all in one! She ALWAYS made herself available to answer to my questions (and calm my fears) – and I had a lot of them!

Liza always went above and beyond to streamline my story and really push me to put forth top-notch applications. Perhaps my favorite part about working with Liza was how proactive she was – she didn’t wait for me to ask a question or raise a concern, but instead continuously brought things to my attention that I should consider. For example, she didn’t hesitate to suggest a re-write of my essay (taking a completely different direction), even if it meant more work for her. And often, I would get emails to the effect of “I was thinking more about XYZ, and even though my gut reaction was to do X, I think we might want to consider doing Y. Here’s why…” Liza’s dedication to her role was infectious and second to none. I felt as though she was working just as hard as I was, and really took my applications as seriously as I did. While I’m sure she had a number of clients, I always felt like I was getting her undivided, personal attention.

I owe a great deal of my success in the B-school process to Liza. I got into my dream school (HBS)! I’ve already recommended her to my friends and co-workers. If you’re serious about business school, don’t hesitate to work with mbaMission – and more specifically with Liza! It’s definitely worth the investment.