mbaMission & Rachel

I signed up for a four school package with Rachel at mbaMission.

In March of 2012, I called mbaMission for a free consultation. I had just secured a high GMAT score, and while I thought it might be enough to get me into a top school, they pointed out that I was weak in my career and extra-curriculars. After hearing this, I decided to wait a year and work on these weaknesses, while seriously considering whether I wanted to sign up for one of mbaMission’s full school packages.

After a lot of research, I signed up for the service, and chose Rachel based on her background and reviews.

Rachel was the perfect choice. The most challenging part of the process for me was becoming comfortable talking about myself, but through extensive free-writes, Rachel forced me to dig deeper into my past and pull out things that would enhance my story. She never hesitated to honestly critique my essay drafts, and she helped me avoid topics that would have been detrimental to my application. The mock interview she gave me was also crucial. Some of my intuitive responses were the opposite of what an admissions committee would want to hear, and I definitely would have answered some of the real interview questions poorly without her guidance.

But none of that compares to what Rachel really helped me with – my story. For over a year, I had planned on applying to school with a finance / consulting angle, thinking that this would improve my chances of acceptance. Fortunately, Rachel caught this early and explained that the finance / consulting angle would actually hurt my chances because that pool of applicants is far more competitive. Instead, Rachel drew from my free-writes and my past and encouraged me to apply with a focus on media, which I am genuinely passionate about. Not only did Rachel improve my chances of acceptance, but she also helped me retool my career focus to something I truly wanted.

I was accepted to Columbia early decision. I recommend mbaMission and Rachel to anyone pursuing a top school.