Liza is the BEST!!

My background: Female, 5 years in finance/investment banking at a BB firm, ivy league liberal arts background (poli sci/econ major), 730 GMAT, 3.7 GPA

Admitted to HBS, Wharton and MIT Sloan, received merit-based scholarship at Wharton and Sloan. Rejected from GSB. Worked with Liza on HBS and Wharton.

Less than a year ago I hadn't opened a GMAT textbook and right now I'm on my way back from an admitted students weekend at a school I could only dream of getting into. It's surreal and 100% would not have been possible without Liza.
I was referred to Liza through a friend and decided to set up a 30-min free consultation to see what kind of advice I could expect from an admissions consultant and what she thought about my candidacy. I knew I had certain "on paper" strengths (good GPA, ivy league school, solid firm/professional experience), but was concerned about my lack of leadership/involvement in activities outside of work and that my profile was otherwise overrepresented. In the 30 minutes, Liza gave me honest and actionable feedback, including ways to address weaker spots in my application and a plan for tackling next steps. The overwhelming process seemed much more manageable by the end of our call, and I felt more confident in myself as a competitive applicant. She was clearly a pro and I didn't hesitate to sign up.

Liza is a dream to work with in so many ways, but she was especially helpful in two key areas. First was helping me craft my "story" - by the end of our brainstorming session she was able to tease out the key theme weaving together all the seemingly random life anecdotes I had written down. I never would have thought of that seed idea on my own but it was perfect, which is a testament to how well she understands her clients. Her feedback was invaluable throughout the essay writing process and I almost always took her suggestions, from high level structural changes to word choice. And when she indicated  she was comfortable with where drafts stood, I trusted her and didn't sweat any more iterations.

The second area where Liza was critical was interview prep. I didn't realize how underprepared I was for the HBS interview until we had our mock. After that, I had a much better understanding of what the real interview would be like and the types of questions I could expect. I was very well prepared for the interview day of and most of the questions I got we had workshopped or raised during prep.

I'm honestly not sure I would have completed a single R1 application, let alone four, if I hadn't had Liza in my corner. She's your constant champion throughout a long and draining experience.  There were some really stressful times when I was running up on deadlines, crushed at work and taking the GMAT for a third (!!) time less than a month before R1 apps were due. Liza was always there urging me on and helping me believe in myself, whether with an email or reassuring phone call. She is compassionate and truly cares about her clients, but she will definitely push you to be disciplined and invest the time and work required to get the most out of this process.  She is unfailingly positive but what I appreciated most was her honesty. She approached every issue or conversation in a measured way but did not hesitate to call out where things need improvement and never inflated my expectations one way or another. This is exactly the type of person you want as an advisor when going through a process as important as this one.

There is no way I would be considering the options I have now without Liza and I can't recommend her enough. THANK YOU, LIZA!!!!