A Fantastic Experience

Applying to business school had always been at the back of my mind. I had been in touch with mbaMission’s founder, Jeremy Shinewald for a few years before deciding that I was ready to apply. Given my story and the schools I was targeting (HBS and Stanford), Jeremy recommended I work with Monica. I will never be able to thank him enough for this.

Working with Monica was a delightful experience. She is detail-oriented, attentive, creative, reliable, professional, and clearly knows her way around the application process.

What made this collaboration so seamless is that I truly felt that Monica’s approach was highly tailored to my personality, my strengths, and my weaknesses. She was able to achieve this by taking the time to know me in order to bring the best out of me.

I knew that my biggest issue would be essay writing. Through our numerous brainstorming and drafting sessions, Monica appropriately helped me dissect my story and turn it into compelling essays. She helped me identify the correct structure, tone, and anecdotes to convey my ideas in the best way possible. I am still amazed by the contrast between the first and final drafts of each of my essays.

Monica also helped me prepare for my interviews in the most thoughtful way possible. For HBS, she shared detailed notes with one of her colleagues who conducted a mock interview with me. In hindsight, it really felt like the real thing. For Stanford, she prepared questions that helped me better communicate my passions, my accomplishments, but also my setbacks. This was all incredibly helpful.

Besides the essays and interviews, Monica also helped with the short answers on the actual applications. She helped me transpose my resume into a more business school friendly format. She even helped my recommenders with the letters that they ultimately submitted for me!

I really did get the full package with Monica. Along the way, she would check in, encourage me, or follow up after an interview. She showed that she was invested in my success, and that she cared. I would not have achieved my dream of attending HBS without her. Aside from the incredible mentorship I received throughout this process, I really feel like I have made a friend.

Thank you, Monica!