Thorough and methodical

I initially decided to do my free 30-minute consultation with Jen because I saw that she had done her MBA studies overseas (at Cambridge) and might possibly have better insight than other consultants with regard to my background (I had spent half my career overseas and didn't want to just come across as "the international guy"). Jen told me in that call, that any of mbaMission's consultants could help me present a solid narrative with my background, but I stayed with Jen because she came across very professionally and agreeably and came into that meeting with some great feedback prepared.

I was only applying to one program - Fuqua's Cross Continent MBA, so I didn't take advantage of any school selection or program compatibility services (Jen did advise that the program I'd chosen was a good fit, though).

I worked through the brainstorming exercises, which are used for all of mbaMission's school package consultations. The exercises were very thorough and got me to reveal to myself all the content I needed to put together my application, essays and all. After brainstorming on my own, Jen helped me explore the content I'd generated from many different angles, to create an even more robust collection of information to draw from when it came to essay writing.

Essay writing was an iterative process, where each draft and round of feedback brought my application closer to the story I wanted to tell. Each essay needed 3-6 rounds of revision and feedback, each round taking 1-3 days. I really appreciated the quick turnaround and thoughtful feedback on the essays. The extensive writing and revision process, along with the brainstorm material used as the basis, allowed for very rigorous essay creation.

Jen also advised me on choosing and reconnecting with recommendation writers, and everything went very smoothly on that front.

When it came time to interview, Jen helped me prepare for a mock interview with her, again using the brainstorm material. The mock interview gave me a chance to get my jitters out of the way and get comfortable talking about myself and keeping responses within my overall narrative. The interview with the adcom member went as smoothly as possible and I felt confident and prepared throughout.

To conclude, I hired Jen via mbaMission with a clear goal in mind - to put in as much time and energy as I needed to put together the best application I could for the program I'd already chosen. Jen was an insightful and responsive coach throughout the process and gave , me tools which were extremely helpful in telling my story. I was looking for help primarily with essays and the interview, but Jen helped me make sure my application was strong on all fronts, and I was admitted to my program with scholarship.