I decided to apply to business schools in the middle of the pandemic, and knowing that the application season was going to be an unprecedented one, I wanted to enlist the help of an admission consultant. I spoke with a number of places (i.e. SBC, Admissionado, etc.) and went with mbaMission/Debbie not just because of Debbie's track record, but also because I felt she understood my background and motivations. Debbie was to be my "strategic project manager" - someone who could keep me on track and help me present the best version of myself.

While Debbie did her absolute best for the 4 applications that we worked on together, I was ultimately dinged by all 4 M7 schools. That said, I am still giving a 5-star rating to my experience because of the following reasons:

- I understood from the start that a consultant was not some sort of "magic bullet" who could get me into any school, especially during a crazy year like 2020/2021. I wanted a strategic project manager, and Debbie delivered perfectly
- Debbie and mbaMission as a whole had a very streamlined, well thought out and structured process when it comes to helping applicants navigate the application cycle. I also appreciate the plethora of written resource (detailed documentations about the schools, FAQs on how to work with my recommenders, etc.) that they had created
- Debbie was able to look at my blindspots and constantly provided valuable feedback that I believe strengthened my applications
- Debbie has always maintained a good spirit throughout the process, even as the rejections started to roll in
- Finally, because Debbie was able to help me finish my applications almost ahead of schedule, I had time to work on 1 additional application to a top UK program by incorporating much of the material from my 4 applications, and that is where I am headed!

All in all, I was happy with mbaMission and Debbie. This is my advice to anyone reading this: Understand what you are signing up for, and everything will work out.

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As a consultant with a side business, my schedule is very busy, and I was looking for someone to help me manage the extensive MBA admissions process while also providing insight on what areas of my background to highlight. One thing I was looking for was a consultant who could empathize with my story and help to craft it in a unique and compelling way.

After my initial call with Debbie, I knew she was the right one. We shared similar backgrounds and social values, and she was very open about areas to highlight in my application and helped me through the strategic decisions like choosing a school and timing my applications. I was grateful because many of these decisions were helpful in not only deciding where to apply, but also where to attend. Debbie provided a response timeline at the beginning of our relationship and she stuck to it throughout. Additionally, after I was notified by schools that were outside the ones I engaged her to help with, she continued to provide helpful advice.

I only applied to three schools – Harvard, Stanford, and MIT – interviewing at all three. In the end, I received admission into Harvard and MIT. While Debbie officially only supported on MIT and Stanford, I could use much of the guidance and even essay preparations for my application at Harvard.

I would highly recommend Debbie. Not only did she play a pivotal role in my MBA admission success, I also really enjoyed my conversations with her. Our brainstorming sessions were a fantastic opportunity to reflect on my career, personal goals and ambitions.

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As a non-traditional candidate, I needed a lot of help in clearly articulating my career goals and addressing weaknesses (namely low GPA). I couldn't afford school packages so I had to be sure that the hours I could afford were well spent.

I did a couple of free consultations and immediately knew that Debbie was the right choice for me. She is honest, kind, highly intelligent, and always responsive. We worked diligently to update my resume and improve my essays. I appreciated how straightforward she was without condescension, and felt that she maximized our time.

Overall, she helped me secure interviews at 4/7 of the T15 schools I applied to. After a rough R1 (WL'd to 2 schools), Debbie encouraged me to relax, reset, and consider applying to more schools in R2. I was initially unsure but mustered the energy to follow her advice. Lo and behold, I got into a T12 (Tuck/Ross/Fuqua/Darden) with a scholarship and fellowship! When I told Debbie, she was over the moon. She was as excited for me as my family was.

I truly believe that my outcomes would've been worse, potentially non-existent, had it not been for Debbie. She is genuinely invested in your growth and success. Her feedback made a huge difference in the quality of my apps. I know that fit is an important part of selecting a consultant, but Debbie exceeded my expectations in every way. 11/10 would recommend.

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Debbie turned my R1 disaster into a R2 miracle, and helped me get into my dream school at an M7 with $$ (also turned down a T12 with $$$). Well worth the investment.

When I applied for MBAs in R1 I did everything myself and ended up with 4 dings at all of my M7 schools (no interview at 3 schools and waitlist at 1) with a 780 GMAT.

In R2 I decided to go with Debbie at MbaMission. She was enthusiastic, insightful, and was always timely in responding to any questions I had. She even went beyond her scope of duty and advised me on waitlist strategy for one of the schools I had applied for in R1.

As a result of her efforts I managed to get offers from 2 out of the 3 schools that I applied to (M7 and T12, both with significant $$$), with a waitlist at the 3rd school (M7).

Recommend 5/5.

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My MBA admissions journey has been a roller coaster, and I imagine this could be the case for a lot of other people. After a disappointing 1-school Round 1, I decided I should invest in a consultant as a sounding board. I was not someone who had been planning to get an MBA since UG, and despite a lot of my own research, I still felt lost within the application process - what was the best way for me to communicate my story to admissions? I shopped around and interviewed 5 different consultants before going with Debbie -- I could tell she was personally invested in my success, and I could also tell she would be encouraging and confidence-building while also being realistic about my strengths and weaknesses. She was all of this and more. Debbie helped me sort through all of my experiences and really pinpoint a compelling narrative, something I was missing from my original application. She also was wonderful in dealing with all of my uncertainties and was always prompt in her turnarounds and responses to emails/questions. If I was unsure about something, even a response to a school, I reached out to Debbie. With her help, I now have 3 admissions out of 4 applications, all with merit scholarships (one M7 and two T10). If you’re waffling about whether or not to hire a consultant, end your search with Debbie!

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Debbie was instrumental in my MBA application process. I am a reapplicant from the R4 (Summer of 2020 Covid) who successfully got into schools in R2 or 2021. When it came to reapplying this year, there was no doubt in my mind that I would continue working with Debbie. She took the additional steps to ensure my application was better than the first, ensuring that any blind spots or weaknesses would be covered.

What I enjoyed about her was the transparency and the hands on help she gave with feedback and coaching. I remember one time after I did a mock interview and felt unsure of my performance, she gave me the reassurance verbally, even telling me to not purchase another hour since that is how confident she felt in me. That showed me that she genuinely cared, beyond the scope of a generic client, and that is why I would highly recommend working with her.

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Revisiting this review because apparently I'm not the only one that feels this way. Be very skeptical when you see all the 5 start marketing.

https://www.reddit.com/r/MBA/comments/1eumo7u/debbie_choy_from_mbamission_for_hsw/

I hate writing reviews but this felt like such a scam that I feel like I have to help future MBA applicants feel informed by what they are signing up for. I want to be fair by giving the good and the bad, but ultimately you're going to be paying $5,000 not for "consulting" or "expertise" but for some broad-brush edits that would be indistinguishable from (or inferior to) the help you would get from a colleague or friend.

I worked with Debbie Choy on the introduction and brainstorming session. Style-wise, it felt like I was on the clock all the time and she is quite good at ending discussions. The content of the brainstorming session was perplexing as we focused a lot on high school things that weren't really relevant to the MBA application or the essays. Lastly, I was hoping to get a lot of candid feedback from an admissions perspective but it felt like pulling teeth to get answers to basic questions like what schools would be competitive. On the plus side, some of the materials she shared were relevant and helpful.

I ended up working with John Sisk for the essay portion. The positives were that the revisions were very timely and the first round of feedback was fantastic to get in the right direction. After that, however, each subsequent revision felt pretty low-effort, with unanswered questions, grammar mistakes, and generic template-like feedback. At the end the essay had all the soul written out of it and felt more like a "list" than any individual behind the story. Schools stress the important of being authentic but the result read more like a husk of a product.

At the end I'm not really sure what I paid for. My guess is that these guys are too busy or too successful and don't really put the time into your individual application. The timeliness and initial direction were nice (maybe consider their hourly) but I wouldn't recommend against anything beyond that.

Best of luck in your applications!

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Debbie was invaluable in helping me with the weak points in my application: making my essays shine and polishing my interview. With her help, I applied to four schools early, got into two (including my top choice) and got waitlisted at two.

I'll admit I was not a believer in spending money on an application consultant at first but Debbie tangibly improved my essay and helped guide me through my crazy ideas for re-writes to ultimately craft a really strong and compelling essay that got me interviews at all four schools. I really appreciated her process: saving time on my five hour package by providing a quick gut feedback over email and letting me rewrite, and knowing when to give broad structural feedback versus detailed edits.

The interview prep I did with Debbie was also so well-structured and helpful, and probably the best hour I spent. Practicing with my friends alone would never have gotten me the level of polish and preparation that I realized I needed. I'll never forget her advice - no one ever sounds too prepared for a question!

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My consultant, Debbie, was very helpful at every part of the application process. She took time to understand my background, strengths, and goals, and we worked together to tell a compelling story through my application. She responded to my emails promptly, and she did a very thorough review of all parts of my application. Debbie also guided me in brainstorming themes for my essay, and she edited my essay extremely thoroughly. She preserved my voice in the essay, while also ensuring that the essay was concise and hit all of the points that business schools are looking for. The mock interview with Debbie allowed me to practice my answers to common questions and feel confident as I went into the actual interview.

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I definitely recommend Debbie to anyone looking for an ally in the application process. From our first conversation to getting admission decisions, Debbie believed in my candidacy and calmed my anxieties. She was instrumental in helping me craft a story that was unique to me. I started with a basic goal statement that she poked and prodded until it was a compelling and achievable. She took all the ambiguity out of writing my essays. She provided structure to follow and key points to hit while always insisting on quality - no matter the number of revisions. Having an expert’s opinion and guidance throughout essay writing process was essential for me to feel confident about my essay topics and how they were conveyed. I’m very proud of the essays I wrote and I know they were instrumental to my entire application package. Thanks to Debbie, I was admitted to a top business school with a FULL scholarship!

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