Background: late 20s female, ~5 YOE in STEM field, sub-700 GMAT & below average GPA for schools I was applying to.

Results: Admitted to HBS (attending) and Wharton

I worked with Laura primarily for interview prep for my top two schools and preparing an additional application for a later round in the event that I was not admitted. The preparation Laura gave me going into my interviews made all the difference! The mock interview we conducted for HBS in particular was a highlight -- she took the time to review my application in detail and asked a lot of questions in a short time period, just like the real HBS interview. I was also able to participate in a mock Wharton group interview that her colleagues were hosting. These experiences in particular made me feel incredibly prepared and I was able to go into each interview with confidence. Despite my lower stats, I was able to receive an offer of admission from both of my dream programs!

Laura was great to work with! Thanks to her advice, encouragement, and quick feedback throughout the busy process, I was able to go into each next step (including juggling interviews with additional application prep) with ease and confidence. I highly recommend working with Laura; I had a great experience!

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Background: Caucasian Male, 7 years general finance experience, liberal arts undergrad, GRE: 324. Results: Accepted to 2/2 schools (Columbia and Stern). April was an excellent partner throughout the business school application process and she was truly invested in my success. I felt like April put the same effort into advising me through my application process as she would for her own MBA applications, making me genuinely trust her as a partner. I came to April with a narrow list of schools I wanted to attend. She was completely supportive, and based on my list helped identify other schools I might want to consider. At times when I was exhausted from work, studying for the GRE, and writing essays, April helped me prioritize which tasks to focus on and was there to continue to push me forward.

I'm confident that April's knowledge and high standards helped get my application materials to the next level. From our very first meeting, April helped me recognize the strengths in my experiences and develop a cohesive and interesting story. April provided unparalleled guidance and the tools to success, ranging from essay idea formation to interview preparation. We had multiple brainstorming sessions, and we went through multiple versions of certain essays before agreeing on the strongest topic for that essay. Admittedly, I can be stubborn about criticism of my writing; but April was not afraid to provide direct feedback (in the best way). April knew when to challenge my ideas and ask me to dig deeper or take something to the next level. She was not willing to settle for anything less than what she knew to be my full potential. She was honest with me when she felt something wasn't right and made helpful suggestions to guide me in the right direction. Ultimately, her counsel was crucial in my successful outcome.

I was comfortable knowing that April and the Gatehouse team were always giving me sound advice. April is an absolute professional and an expert in this field, and I wholeheartedly trusted her guidance. She had all the answers to my questions as I worked through the application process, and occasionally she would bring in another Gatehouse expert for a second opinion, making me feel like she truly had my best interests at heart. Gatehouse is a great company, and I cannot recommend April enough as the right consultant there. She will absolutely ensure your full potential is reached.

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Background: Asian/white male, worked for new HF/PE/VC fund for four years (straight out of college), 3.9 GPA at Harvard/Yale/Princeton undergrad, 770 GMAT. Result: Admitted to HBS.

While I was initially skeptical of the value of working with a consultant, I am so glad I ended up working with Gatehouse and Rachel specifically. Rachel got to know my story, work experience, and extracurricular involvement in detail and we worked together to create a cohesive application that resulted in receiving interviews at both HBS and GSB (and an acceptance to HBS). Throughout the process, there were numerous times when I sent essay drafts I thought were pretty decent but once I got Rachel's feedback, I realized that they actually needed a bunch of work. Rachel's suggestions were immensely helpful, and pointed out things that I never would have even thought to consider. While some of these changes were tactical (e.g., fitting into word counts), many of them were also in the spirit of conveying a better overall story / narrative, which she was able to do because she put in a lot of work in getting to know me upfront. While the bulk of our work together was on the core essays, Rachel was helpful every step of the way of the application process, including incremental written materials (e.g., HBS Further Consideration Update) and the interview process.

If you're considering working with a consultant, I would wholeheartedly recommend Rachel and the Gatehouse team!

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When I began the MBA application process, I was a bit overwhelmed and unsure of my target schools. Since I had not taken the GMAT and had untraditional work experience, I also did not know what was realistic. After connecting with Gatehouse through a friend, I had fit chats with different consultants and began working with Rachel in early spring for R1 applications the coming fall.

From Day 1, Rachel was highly attentive, inquisitive, and authentic. I quickly knew I liked her forthright and thoughtful approach. She had an answer for all my questions and provided a plan of attack right away with clear guidance on how best to allocate my hours throughout the process.

I graduated from a top state school where I majored in finance (3.53 GPA), and I worked in roles at tech start-ups thereafter. Rachel had a transparent perspective on school selection and patiently pushed me to find the best school fit for me while keeping the process grounded in reality. After scoring a 730, I clearly knew what school I wanted to attend, a decision that was made easy by Rachel’s research suggestions and insightful questions early in the process.

When we began essay work, it became evident to me that Rachel had been making a strong, genuine effort to understand me as a person across all facets throughout the prior months. Rather than simply providing instructions, she (patiently) used an arsenal of thought-provoking questions that extracted information and guided me to craft my best essays. Similarly, Rachel was a wonderful interview prep partner. She had a firm understanding of what schools were looking for and a special ability to convey the finer details of the process. To hit on a few other things: Rachel always kept me on-track and on-schedule, she’s a fantastic communicator, and possesses a great sense of humor which is much needed at times.

Most importantly, I just enjoyed working with Rachel because she’s a great person. In the end, I was accepted at every school I applied to, including my dream school, Tuck. I cannot say enough good things!

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Background: Late 20s male, east coast, bulge bracket investment banking followed by private equity, non-ivy, 3.9 GPA, 164V/162Q GRE

Result: Admitted to Harvard Business School R1

Liza came highly recommended to me by a friend who was a former client of Liza’s. Liza was extremely instrumental in my MBA application process. She is incredibly skilled at leading you through the introspective process of essay and application writing (both the professional and personal aspects). Liza goes above and beyond to make sure that you are putting your best foot forward.

Liza is incredibly patient, as getting to the best essay requires several rounds of iteration. She takes a comprehensive approach to your application and takes a genuine interest in her clients. She is truly a partner in the application process and she is there with you every step of the way. Beyond the essays, Liza is also instrumental in helping you prep your recommenders, preparing you for interviews, and even filling out the very lengthy online application portals.

Working with Liza was the best decision I made in preparing for the MBA process – I recommend her and Gatehouse without hesitation.

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Background: Mid-20s Asian male, HYP undergrad, 2-years boutique investment banking, 2-years mid-market private equity.
Result: Admitted Round 1 to HBS and Wharton HCM.
Liza was recommended to me by a friend in PE and who had worked with her in the prior application cycle. Liza played a critical role in my application and interview processes at HBS, GSB, and Wharton. Not only was she incredibly knowledgeable about all things business school (and frankly finance & PE), but she was also thoughtful, motivating, and compassionate during a very challenging 4-5 month stretch where I balanced a demanding job and putting together my entire application.
In my opinion, Liza’s biggest value add and what differentiates her vs. other consultants is her ability to guide you through the introspective part of the application. She invested significant time at the beginning of the process to get to know me personally and professionally. With her support, I was able to weave together the most compelling parts of my story into succinct essays that helped me stand out in the growing applicant pool of PE associates. We iterated back and forth on many versions of my essays until I felt proud of them.
I would absolutely recommend Liza. It’s an investment in yourself if you are serious about applying to business school. Her expertise and thoughtfulness really made the difference for me.

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I highly recommend Rachel Nelson at Gate House Admission to anyone looking for expert guidance on their MBA application process. I had the pleasure of working with Rachel and was blown away by her professionalism, expertise, and support throughout the process.
When I first reached out to Rachel, I was feeling overwhelmed and unsure of where to start with my MBA application. I was looking at top tier schools, and felt a bit discouraged by my chances of getting in. I studied entrepreneurship at a small business school, and my GPA of 3.1 was below the median for most of my target schools. In addition to my stats, I had a tight deadline of just 2 months to get everything in order, and I wasn't sure if it was even possible. In our first discussion, Rachel immediately put me at ease and assured me that we could make it happen.
Over the next few weeks, Rachel worked closely with me to get my application in top shape. She helped me craft a compelling narrative for my personal statement, provided valuable feedback on my resume and essays, and even prepared me for my interviews with mock questions. She was always available to answer my questions and offer support, no matter how small or trivial they may have seemed.
In the end, thanks to Rachel's help, I was accepted into CBS, my top choice MBA program and couldn't be happier. I can't thank Rachel enough for all that she did for me, and I highly recommend her services to anyone looking for top-notch guidance on their MBA journey.

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Background: Caucasian female, 5 years of experience (2 years investment banking, 3 years private equity), GMAT: 690
Results: Accepted to Booth, Kellogg and Tuck

April was the guiding force for me throughout my MBA application process and was a true advisor and friend along the way. From the onset, April provided the perfect balance of “tough love” that I needed to be held accountable yet feel supported in the process. When there were weeks I needed to study for the GMAT or prioritize work, she gave me the space to do so and updated our calendar accordingly. When time was getting tight, she was honest and held me to our deadlines. This balance and her approach gave me the structure to make progress on my applications without feeling overwhelmed or behind during busy weeks.

This balance of serving as a sound advisor and supportive friend extended throughout the process, from essay writing to interview preparation. As I worked through brainstorming my essay topics, April helped pull out pieces of my “story” she thought would be interesting to focus on. As I iterated drafts with her, she was never afraid to be honest when things weren’t clicking and to ask thoughtful questions to help move me along and solidify my points. She helped me effectively communicate my values, what in my life shaped these values, how I have leveraged them in my career, and how I plan to in the future by asking tough questions and talking through my responses. The process not only helped me write an essay I was very proud of, but also allowed me to better understand myself and my motivators. This guidance extended throughout my application – from ensuring my resume was data-dense and focused on quantifying my accomplishments, to running through several mock interviews and pushing me regardless of how prepared I felt, her guidance was instrumental to my success.

April was also extremely professional throughout our time working together. She was responsive and organized and always made the deadlines she set. She was always open to schedule a call to chat through things and always provided comprehensive feedback, regardless of the number of iterations she had already reviewed of an essay, resume or short answer. Her patience and commitment to working with me until my applications were great was steadfast and deeply appreciated. In summary, I cannot recommend April enough. If you are looking for someone to push and support you to drive the best MBA outcome, April is your girl!

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I worked with Laura on mock interview/general interview prep prior to my HBS interview. She was extremely helpful and thoughtful. My mock interview with her was nearly identical to the actual interview, and her feedback was constructive and insightful. Furthermore, it was clear that she had done significant work to prepare for the interview and was well up to speed on my entire application. With her help, I was accepted!

For background context on my profile - I graduated with a 3.9 gpa from an ivy league undergrad and worked in big 3 consulting then PE investing, and had a 730 GMAT score.

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Background: Early 30s, white male, Ivy League undergrad, Professional sports with family business background

Attending Harvard Business School in 2022.

Liza came highly recommended to me and her knowledge and ability to understand my story was almost immediate. I was coming from a “non-traditional” background after 9 years of professional sports and I was not equipped to go through the application process alone.

Liza guided me every step of the way, and was honest, motivating and collaborative. Her deadlines kept me on schedule and she truly life-coached me throughout the entire process. She challenged me to be more descriptive and show who I really was while also being concise and to the point. Liza’s honest feedback and great edits improved all my essays tremendously.

I was starting a new job, taking multiple GRE tests, and applying to business school amid a pandemic. Life was beyond stressful, but Liza’s optimism, preparation and communication left such a clear road map for me during some of the most uncertain times. I could not be more thankful to have met such a genuine, kind, and smart leader in my life when I needed it most.

You will not meet a more passionate, detailed, and charismatic individual. It was an absolute pleasure getting to work with Liza from start to finish. It was a daunting process, but Liza’s guidance and consummate professionalism was exemplary in every sense of the word.

If you have the privilege to work with Liza…DO IT!

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