Best investment ever made

While deliberating whether to apply to b-schools last summer/fall, I decided to reach out to a few MBA consulting firms to test the waters and gauge my likelihood.

My initial call with mbaMission was actually with another consultant, but realized after the call that she only available in a few weeks. With the hopes of starting the application process sooner, I enquired mbaMission for consultants who were immediately available. Of the options given, I decided to go with Monica based on good reviews I read about online.

Right from our first brainstorming call, I knew that I had made the right decision. I felt comfortable breaking out of my introverted shell, and share with her everything and anything on my mind. It was clear that she had done her homework as well - she asked me very detailed follow-up questions based on the brainstorming questionnaire I had filled out prior to the meeting, and often referenced even the most minute things I had written on there to provide advice / suggestions. It was through her that I was able to fully introspect on myself - my values, aspirations, accomplishments and even failures. These provided me a strong ground to source my stories as I went on to write my essays.

Initially I was going to go for a 2-school package only, but as I got to further appreciate Monica's expertise and effectiveness as a sounding board, I decided to use her for all of my remaining 3 schools as well. Over a little more than 3 months, we had very frequent calls in addition to the back-and-forth emails with edits. I was especially impressed with how Monica could let me know when something didn't seem right to her, without making me feel offended. Her constructive feedback was always delivered in a direct and genuine manner.

I applied to a total of five M7 schools in R1 with Monica's support, and was invited to interview from Wharton, Sloan and CBS. I was ultimately accepted at Wharton (with $$) and Sloan (withdrew application from CBS).

I highly recommend Monica to anyone who's thinking of applying to b-schools. She will not only be a great advisor but also a friend to emotionally support you through the process.