GMAT Club

Jessica Shklar Reviews

Company: mbaMission

After graduating from Harvard College with a degree in anthropology, Jessica Shklar worked in nonprofit education, first doing curriculum development for an adult education center and then in the admissions office of a small university in Los Angeles, where she advised applicants to both the undergraduate college and several graduate programs, including business school. While there, she developed and delivered workshops around the country on Selecting the Right College and How to Write an Effective Application Essay. Having been accepted to every business school to which she applied, including Stanford, Kellogg and Yale, Jessica ultimately chose to attend HBS, where she completed her MBA with distinction (graduating in the top 10%). After starting work, she volunteered in the New York City public school system, helping high school seniors with their college applications. She has worked at several Fortune 100 companies, including American Express and JPMorgan Chase, where she was the quality leader and a senior vice president for Chase Home Finance. Jessica is also a Six Sigma Master Black Belt, with specific expertise in Six Sigma deployment and initialization.

Source: http://www.mbamission.com/about/?display=team&name=jessica-shklar

5.0 /5 Average Rating
Based on 200 reviews
April 27, 2017
Usabwarriors

Joined: Apr 27, 2017

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

An MBA admissions consultant who really cares

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I worked with Jessica while I was applying for MBA schools, and was able to get into Columbia for early decision. At the time, I was working in investment banking, and literally had no time to work on the essays and such.

During the first free consultation call, Jessica gave me real advice and the real deal while other companies whom I called gave me terrible mum answers, and told me that they wouldn't really help me until I signed up for their program. This is when I decided to go with mbaMission instead of other companies - I just felt that if the other companies cared so much about making sure that you pay first prior to helping you, then every help will be well-calculated going forward and they would not help you if they don't see an end-goal in sight.

Throughout the entire process, Jessica was very helpful in helping me craft my story. I had a few paths that I wanted go delve into (including quitting my job to start a startup), but she was direct about what she thought was a good idea and what wasn't. As I am now actually starting a startup, I've come to realize that the things which she shot down indeed were correct (she told me before that I would never have enough time to launch something given I was only 8 months away from application deadlines).

Additionally, although mbaMission has a 2-day turnaround guarantee on all products, she constantly met if not completely shattered those deadlines. Not having enough time on my plate to really focus on these applications, I would often email her questions and thoughts at 10-11pm (when I had a break at work), and she would respond within 15-20 minutes. Of note - she is very direct in what she believes, and would not give you a wishy-washy answer - even if it is something that you might not want to hear at the moment. To me, that was the most efficient method of changing/challenging my thoughts (if they were wrong). As someone who is relatively opinionated, the last thing I wanted was to have someone give me light suggestions which I could easily dismiss.

Finally, I would like to point out that the connection does not end after you get into whichever school you ultimately end up in. It has been almost 1.5 years since I last worked with her on an essay, and she still checks in on me. If you want someone who really cares and is not there just for the carrot, I highly recommend Jessica.

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January 12, 2017
somnathbabu

Joined: Jan 26, 2015

Posts: 37

Kudos: 12

Verified GMAT Classic score:
710 Q48 V38

I couldn't ask for more

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It all started with a free 30 minute consultation which is when I realized the value Jessica would add to my application. I had tried many other consultants and none of them were bad. But this 30 minute conversation blew me away. I can assure you that no other consultant will really invest so much into studying your profile and offering you free advice loaded with value and that too for free.

Then comes the next good thing. They will never press you to purchase their services. Actually, they dont need to. I am sure any applicant will be convinced about them after a single conversation.

Jessica helped me - a true mentor, pressing me to deliver my best, and supported me with her expertise and making me delve deeper at every step to discover my true potential. I will forever be thankful for her support and inspiration.

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January 04, 2017
aicliffo

Joined: Nov 12, 2013

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Highly Recommend Jessica Shklar // MBAMission

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Jessica is incredible. I was very knowledgeable about the MBA process coming in, but still wanted a professional to review my essays and help with interview prep on an hourly basis. I selected Jessica based on her glowing GmatClub reviews.

I applied to 5 M7 schools Round 1 in Fall 2016, interviewed with 3, accepted to 2 (waitlisted at 1). Due to my schedule, I was unable to begin working on my applications until July. Jessica's targeted insight into what adcoms and specific schools were looking for helped me develop a roadmap for the two months before applications were due. She's also very gifted in helping you realize the best stories and themes to showcase in your applications. Jessica is honest in all of her feedback, which is invaluable, yet supportive in making you feel like you have a real shot at your reach schools.

Jessica is very conscientious of helping you get the most out of your time with her. Even during her busiest periods, she often turned around essay edits before the standard MBA Mission 48-hr response time and responded to any questions within 1-2 hours. When I added an application to my list with less than two weeks before the deadline, Jessica worked with me to do three reviews of the essay in just over a week.

Ultimately, I was admitted to Chicago Booth, Columbia, and waitlisted at MIT. I can't thank Jessica enough for her help and highly recommend her to any aspiring MBA applicant!

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October 11, 2016
KevinRR

Joined: Oct 04, 2016

Posts: 0

Kudos: 5

Verified GMAT Classic score:
710 Q49 V39

Happy Applicant

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Like many of you, I started doing an extensive research to select the best consultant in the industry. I have a PhD degree in engineering, 5 years of professional experience and GMAT score of 670 and my goal was to attend one of the top prestigious MBA schools to pursue a career in finance. I was 32 years old and knew that this was the last year to do a full time MBA in my life. I spent countless hours reviewing the biography of more than 100 consultants and talked to consultants from 6 different companies until I found Jessica Shklar. She had an impressive resume and she impressed again when we had our 30 minutes trial session. I stopped my search after that call ! I just knew that she was the right consultant for me.
Overall I had a great experience with Jessica. She helped me uncover my best stories She actually impressed me by telling me my own stories. Somehow she knew my stories better than I did!!! :) She also rightfully advised and later convinced me to retake the GMAT to improve my chances to get into my desired schools. She really cared for my success and went above and beyond what I was expecting ( and I normally expect a lot for my money). She helped me get prepared for the interview process and then helped me stay patient which actually, believe it or not, was one of the hardest part of the whole process. I did 4 interviews and finally got admitted into one of my top choices and can't be happier today. She is one of the best in the industry. If I were to do it again, I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else.

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September 20, 2016
anilorac16

Joined: Jan 25, 2013

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Amazing value and experience for my MBA application

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Jessica was an outstanding admissions consultant and her effectiveness, guidance and straightforward counseling gave me the confidence and support to put my best self forward during the admissions process.

I decided to try out a free half-hour consultation with MBA Mission and picked Jessica - in the half hour that we spoke, I gained more insight and guidance in my candidacy as an MBA applicant than I had gained from anybody else combined. She provided feedback on my career goals and told me I needed more specificity, explained what about my background was unique, and shared gaps that she felt could use improvement.

I decided to buy an hourly package from Jessica and spent two hours - one on my resume, and one on my dream school essay. For my resume, Jessica helped my achievements shine through recommendations for a format and how to bring out and articulate impact that I had in my work, as well as helping me consider what helped me stand out next to my peer group. Her resume editing help was second to none, and it truly helped distinguish me from other candidates during the application process AND the interview process, because I had a resume to talk about that I was so excited about!

And for essay feedback - WOW! In only one hour of essay feedback, Jessica was able to help me bring out the best parts of my story through her thoughtful questions and suggestions. I truly believe that her expertise and, truly, her GIFT is in helping you see the best parts of your writing and ideas and bringing that out.

Did I mention how fast Jessica is? She packs SO much knowledge and insight into every single interaction and every single email. She helped me move quickly at a time for me when every hour was crucial - she went above and beyond to get back to me quickly.

I ended up with over $160K in scholarships from two top 5 schools and an admission to my #1 dream school. I couldn't be happier with my experience. Thank you Jessica!

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August 07, 2016
Techmba18

Joined: Jan 02, 2012

Posts: 0

Kudos: 5

Struggles in R1, Success in R2

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Jessica was incredibly fast, responsive, and detail oriented. She was patient to work me through more drafts than normal to get to clean and concise stories for my resume and essays. She was also dedicated to creating the best outcome, even if it meant starting an essay over with a new story.

The process was less stressful than it would have been alone, but unfortunately I was not accepted by any of the R1 schools we felt comfortable about, so I had to apply to more than I was planning to in R2. I don't hold Jessica responsible for selection, but perhaps we could have done better there or landed on better stories to include in those essays. The additional applications did add to the stress, but I was very happy about the acceptances I received in R2.

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August 05, 2016
lasinger

Joined: Aug 05, 2016

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
430 Q27 V22

mbaMission + Jessica Shklar .. A MUST!

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I can honestly and wholeheartedly say that without the support of Jessica Shklar and mbaMission, my journey throughout the MBA application process, and perhaps even the outcome, would have been quite different. After an “aha” moment, I decided to go full force on a very tight timeline and apply for my Global MBA at Temple University’s Fox School of Business. After speaking with the admissions office regarding deadlines and what was realistic as I pushed forward, I had only two months to complete my application materials, most importantly the two required essays, and study for and take my GMAT.

I dedicated the first month to writing my essays. Having a communications background and six years of professional, full-time working experience, I had in mind the story that I wanted to tell and knew that I could formulate my ideas well enough to get a decent outline. What I knew I would need help with wasn’t grammar or content so much as – am I really giving them what they are asking for? I enlisted the help of a friend of mine who also had success with mbaMission and is starting her MBA program in the fall 2016 at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business. My friend recommended Jessica Shklar, saying “she’s the best, but you might not be able to get her because she’s in really high demand.” In a panic for this last minute help, I reached out to mbaMission, and Aimee replied back almost immediately that she would personally check with Jessica regarding availability. As luck should have it, since I only required mbaMission’s a la carte services and because I was catching Jessica slightly prior to peak season, she was kind enough to accept me as a client. During my Manhattan GMAT course, I had the pleasure of meeting mbaMission’s President and Founder, Jeremy Shinewald, when he came to speak to our class. I introduced myself and spoke very highly of my experience with Jessica, which did not at all come as a surprise to him – what did surprise him was that Jessica was able to take me on with her demanding schedule!

Jessica was attentive to my goals and sensitive to my time constraints. With only two hours of her time via electronic communication, she quickly demonstrated an understanding of my writing and my intention, and did not want to alter my story at all. She gave positive reinforcement with useful and enlightened responses that triggered my creativity throughout the writing process, enabling me to reposition significant points and highlight important areas that should have been at the forefront of my essays but were void in my initial drafts, and that were essential to truly answer what was being asked of me. Every edit that I received from Jessica included thoughtful responses, and even questions so that she could understand the story that I was trying to tell, or my thought process on a particular topic. When I would steer off in one direction, Jessica would give me objective feedback that got me back on track. All of this feedback was crucial as I continued to write and edit, and because of Jessica, I am incredibly proud of my final essays. In fact, I am making an effort to continue to embrace the valuable tools that I learned from Jessica today in my writing and communications.

I highly recommend mbaMission’s services, and if you are able to get on Jessica Shklar’s roster, consider yourself one of the lucky and privileged! If I had to do this again – and I’m glad that I don’t – I would have used Jessica’s services for the entire application process. A true professional that means business and cares!

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August 05, 2016
anejehci

Joined: Mar 29, 2015

Posts: 7

Kudos: 28

Verified GMAT Classic score:
740 Q47 V45

My dream wouldn't have been possible without Jessica

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I was a non-traditional applicant with a liberal arts major from an Ivy and work experience in startups. I'm a female Asian-American. The weaknesses I knew I had to overcome were a sub-3.5 GPA, lack of quantitative background, and scattered work history due to the nature of the startup world.

As I searched for a consultant, the first mistake I made in the application process was seeking a consultant with a high "success rate." After all, my ultimate goal wasn't to write a bunch of essays; it was to be admitted to my dream school! When I spoke to Jessica, she made me realize that the firms that boast about their numbers push applicants towards safety schools in the interest of keeping their numbers high. She politely explained that her own success rate included having countless clients who felt as though they were her only client, glowing testimonials, and half of her business from referrals. The fact that her own incentives were in line with mine, not against them, was a refreshing break from other consultants - many of which told me straight up that I had no chance at my dream schools, so I shouldn't even try.

When I asked Jessica about my weaknesses, she was nothing but positive. Unlike other consultants, who continued to harp on the fact that it would be difficult to overcome the GPA and work history, Jessica instead focused on my upward trend in grades and how fascinating the work I did in each of my jobs was. She encouraged me to apply to my dream schools. I could feel her genuine excitement upon hearing my story. This is what sold me.

Our first brainstorming session was unforgettable. I'd prepared a 22-page document full of answers to questions about my upbringing, work history, and personal values - not just my numbers and resume points. Jessica read every single page in order to touch upon the most poignant details about my life in our conversation. She eventually drew so much "content" out of me (that I didn't even know I had!) that we were able to come up with an outline for a very personal story.

This story ended up forming the foundation of our relationship. For three months, I'd lock myself in my room to finish a draft, send them to Jessica, anxiously wait for her response, open her document full of thoughtful and honest edits that matched my own effort, and repeat. I was shocked by how far every draft progressed. In just 6 drafts, my essay went from scattered to polished. I'm confident I couldn't find another person that puts as much care into her review as Jessica does, especially considering how personal the story was to me.

In the end, I used the final essay as my main introduction for 5 out of 6 applications to Top 10 schools. I secured 3 interviews, was accepted to all 3 with Jessica's help (2 with scholarship), and I'm now at Wharton - a dream!

Before I had secured any interviews, I told Jessica that no matter the outcome, she had helped me be more introspective about myself than ever before. The story she helped me write helped me come to terms with something I hadn't had the courage to face. If you work with Jessica, you'll be getting so much more than an acceptance letter to business school.

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August 01, 2016
KobeBeanBryant

Joined: Aug 01, 2016

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Amazing experience working with Jessica!

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Working in investment banking, I did not have time and was unfamiliar with the MBA application process. I selected MBAMissions because of their affiliation with ManhattanGMAT, a company that I have trusted through my GMAT preparations. Further, I selected Jessica because of her outstanding reviews, in addition to the 30-minute free trial. I evaluated several consultants at the time and, after talking with Jessica, I felt that she was the right person. In the 30-minute free session, Jessica genuinely tried to help me instead of selling me on her products as many other consultants whom I spoke with had done. I purchased the 3 school start-to-finish package and was accepted into Columbia Business School through its early decision program. Looking back, Jessica was the best option for me. Below are the key features that I would like to highlight about Jessica:

1. Genuine care – throughout the process, Jessica not only cares about your essays (which she demands excellence from, as per other reviews), but she also genuinely cares about her clients’ paths and progress. This showed throughout the essays, as it made them that much more personable and real. To this day, Jessica still reaches out to check on my progress.

2. Rapid response and patience – I have asked Jessica a thousand questions throughout my MBA application process (and afterwards as well), and she has always responded within the agreed-upon timetable, often times well within the timetable (in less than an hour for quick questions). Having had long hours, I would often email her at 10-11pm only to see a new reply from her 10 to 15 minutes later. If you want someone who puts your needs first and takes her job seriously, Jessica would be the person.

3) Direct and authentic – Jessica is a no-nonsense person who will let you know the truth, a characteristic which I found to be the most efficient and rewarding. It provides me with the ability to make my decisions without thinking whether she filled it up with fluff or not. With her guidance, I was prepared for exactly what to expect – no surprises.

As such, I would like to strongly recommend Jessica. You need experts who can look into your stories and express independent opinions. It is an investment, and ensures that you don’t look back and question whether you gave the opportunity your best shot.

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July 16, 2016
stormsfly

Joined: Dec 15, 2015

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
730 Q48 V41

MBA application service review - Jessica Shklar

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In summer 2015, I decided to hire MBA Mission’s Jessica Shklar to work with me to apply for top business schools in the U.S. Jessica really lived up to her reputation – she turned out to be the most professional, insightful & empowering coach I could imagine to guide me through the hectic application process.

In previous year, all the top schools I applied for dinged me. I was very insecure about my chances as an older Asian male who has never lived outside Asia. MBA Mission has a well-established process to make sure the consultants gain a holistic understanding of each applicant. On top of the process, Jessica is insightful – I felt that she immediately understood me, my stories & the vision I had to become the best possible version of myself. I started the application process only one month before the R2 deadline, but Jessica gave up her personal time to make sure I could meet all the deadlines. Some of my friends read the essays Jessica worked with me to develop - they were moved to tears.

In the end, I got offers from 4 very good business schools. Out of the offers, I decided to go to Austin with one year deferral.

From no offer to 4 offers – Jessica really made a difference for me and to me, she is much more than a consultant – she is more like a well-trusted mentor that any young professional would be lucky to have.

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