I am from Europe and I belong to one of the over represented groups. From the outset, I knew I needed a concrete and balanced plan to get into business school, which led me to believe that some help would be extremely useful.

I looked at quite a few Admission Consultants but mbaMission’s feedback and their 30mins free consultation won me over. Though I would not be able to comment on other consultants, my decision has definitely worked out for me. I worked with John Sisk for my applications and he was extremely helpful in me securing a place at one of the top business school’s in the World.

I took the two school package and John’s insights into which schools to choose were spot on as I was able to use my application experience for my other applications. John began by dissecting my profile and making sure my motivations were correct. We then meticulously went through the Brainstorming document I had written to flush out my stories. He understood the chaotic world of MBA admissions and he helped me make sense of it by guiding me to tailor my stories towards specific schools.

Once I started writing the essays, it was a constant to and fro between John and me. He was very patient and tolerated my over the top writing and always provided feedback to get me on track when needed. His patience and constant support pushed me to bring out my best. He showed me what the admission committee looks for and worked with me to bring out those exact qualities in my essays. He drilled in me that every statement in the essays should count. Lack of space entails that one should make the most out of the word limits. After about 7-8 iterations per essay, we were satisfied enough to submit the applications.

I got quite a few admission interviews and I really appreciate John’s help during this incredibly stressful period. We did mock interview rounds a few times and he definitely went out of his way to ensure that I am fully prepared for all eventualities. Thanks to him, I had multiple interviews and two confirmed admits. I would highly recommend John and mbaMission.

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I spent around 10 hours with John over the course of several months to work on application essays. John was fantastic during the application process. He was a great resource from providing a sounding board for essay ideas to guiding me during the interview processes.

Brainstorming: In the beginning, there were so many times when I was getting frustrated about finding a story. I knew I had a story, but I wasn't sure how to find a specific one. John was able to ask the right questions and probe my answers to help me come up with essay topics.

Essays: Since I had been out of touch with writing essays for years, he also gave me great feedback on ways to tighten my writing style and approach. I didn't think this was going to be an experience I would gain from the application process, but I learned how to communicate much more efficiently from John.

Interviews: I wish I had asked John for mock interview help, but he provided some great material on prepping for the interviews. I used those to structure my interview answers.

Waitlist: Despite my disappointment in getting waitlisted at one of the schools, John remained optimistic and helped me navigate the waitlist process. I used the tips he gave me to reach out to the admissions committee.

While we never spoke on the phone, John's response time over email was great. He usually responded within 2-3 days of my emails. John was such a huge help during the application process, and I couldn't have survived it without his support.

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John was incredible in guiding me through all aspects of the admissions process. I had just taken the GMAT for the 2nd time when I first talked with John towards the end of October and was fairly happy with my score but unsure of the best way to move forward in the process. John and I worked together on our game plan from there, and because I was adamant about going to business school in Fall 2016 we decided to move on from the GMAT (although my score could've used a little bit of a boost) and start focusing on the applications instead. He was instrumental in helping me choose which target schools to apply to and I appreciated how up-front and honest he was about my candidacy strength for some of the programs I was considering. I'm glad he talked me out of applying to a couple that would've definitely been too much of a reach for me based on my below average GMAT score. John and I completed four applications from late October to early January, and he was great in putting in the extra effort as needed to help me successfully meet the aggressive timeline we had put together. He was especially helpful around the application deadlines, too. I would say that John's biggest strengths were to help put together a strong story and personal statement, helping tie all of my life experiences together for the more creative personal essays and video essays, his feedback/encouragement during interview prep, and his level-headed voice of reason throughout the ups and downs of the process. I am 100% confident that I would not have been admitted to the schools that I was admitted to and that I would not have received any of the scholarship offers that I was awarded. John was instrumental in helping me make the final decision on where to attend business school this fall, too, and I'm very grateful for that as well. John seemed to genuinely care about me and my future plans and I really liked how passionate he was to help me be successful in getting into my target schools. I now consider John a friend after going through this process with him and I'm confident that we'll stay connected moving forward. Overall it has been a great experience working with John and I highly recommend him for anyone considering applying to b-school.

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As a re-applicant, I needed my second application to be the best it could be. Even though I have a strong, decade-long professional resume and was able to raise my GMAT over 60 points, I wanted to make sure I took advantage of any help that was available to me. Because I took the Manhattan Prep course, I was entitled to a 30 minute free consultation with mbaMission. After reviewing their consultants I scheduled a time with John Sisk because we have similar backgrounds in terms of our professional experience and I felt he would, more than anyone, understand where I am coming from and know how to best use it that would interest the AdComs. During the consultation he was frank with his assessment of my original applicant profile and provided me a bullet point of what he advises I should do to strengthen my candidacy regardless of if I went with him or not. I was really impressed and appreciative with his thoughts. What sealed the deal was when I told him I wanted him to be completely open and critical with me and my applications. If he felt I was overreaching applying to a certain program or my essays were junk I wanted to know. I’m an adult and straight-to-the-point and won’t take anything personally. He was on the same page and I chose the hourly service because John and I agreed that with me being a re-applicant to more than one school, applying to new schools and my primary help was with my resume and essays, the hourly “a la carte” service would be the best way to go. He would be available to me for any questions/edits/etc. I needed from the application though the interview process.

We first started working on my resume and the first revision was already a huge improvement, cutting it from two pages to one and still keeping all the important details and accomplishments in. After finalizing the resume we started working on the essays. Luckily, most of the programs I applied to last year that I planned to reapply to this year had the same essay topics so I did not have to start from page one for most. I edited my originals before I sent, integrating some ideas from books regarding business school application essays I read but still kept a lot from my first applications. I received John’s revisions and was blown away by his edit. I come from a creative background so my writing tends towards the superfluous. John made my words succinct and, most important, he described to me who my audience is and what they are specifically looking for which helped me steer my following edits. After several back and forths we finally agreed on the best, final versions of each essay I had him review for me. The most important essay we tackled together was my re-applicant essay where we were able to best explain the steps I took over the past year that improved my candidacy.

After all the applications were submitted I received more interview invites than the first time around, from programs I reapplied to and new programs. Most important, I received an interview to my top choice program and was admitted, with a scholarship, which I happily accepted.

Working with John was easy. He was both personable and professional and was readily available. I would send him an essay and he would return with his thoughts and revisions. Ultimately it would be up to me to decide if I would keep the edits, go with my original writing or figure a combination of both and when I felt it was finished. He was very amenable and we would regularly bounce ideas off each other.

I am 100% certain I would not have gotten into my program of choice, or even received multiple interviews to several top-25 MBA programs, without John’s help. Of course there were things I have done personally to better raise my candidate profile such as raising my GMAT, but John’s knowledge of the process and guidance was a difference maker. He enabled me to understand the thought process of the Admissions Committee and was 100% responsible for helping develop my story that successfully resulted in my goal of getting into the business school I wanted. I felt hiring a consultant is an investment and John is totally worth the investment.

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I used the complete start to finish package from mbaMission. John not only gave me fantastic guidance and feedback but also meaningful support and encouragement. He helped to keep me on the right track during the brainstorm process, and helped me to view the application as a whole, as the admissions board would. He helped me to market and capitalize on my strengths and ensure these were communicated in my application. During the essay writing process, John asked all the right questions to direct my focus on the right topics and pushed me to perfect my essays. John also helped me tremendously during the interview process which was the most stressful part for me. He gave clear and constructive feedback, helped me to stay focused and calmed my nerves. Lastly, John was always available via phone and email for quick questions and support. I got into both of the two schools I applied to with John's assistance.(CBS and NYU) I highly recommend his services!

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Ok, so I cannot overstate how much I recommend mbaMission for anybody seriously applying to top MBA programs. I eventually got into Harvard Business School with below-average numbers, but even during the application process I was telling everybody I knew that mbaMission was a MUST-do if you're serious about business school and can afford it (not cheap). Also, the Start-to-Finish package is the way to go 100% - and probably cheaper than the other options in the long run. Trust me, I broke this down and probably spent 2-3x less than I would have with the hourly rate. You have no idea how much you will reach out to your consultant, and you will thank yourself many times over for biting the bullet in the beginning. My consultant was John Sisk, and he was fantastic. I chose him because I knew I would struggle with telling "my story" and John seemed to be strong in that category. He led me through the process in a clear, honest, productive, and efficient way that was ultimately very successful and enjoyable. I was no-doubt stressed during the process, but that's just part of it. John took the stress WAY down for me and he was my partner in crime during the entire process. My expectations were exceeded at every level (from essay editing, to resume crafting, to strategies visiting campuses) and I can't recommend mbaMission or John Sisk enough. EVEN IF I had not been accepted to ANY of my schools (Stanford, HBS, Sloan, Haas, Anderson) I would have been 100% glad I used mbaMission.

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I used John during the essay & short answer portion of my application process. He was very diligent and thorough with his feedback and insights on building the best narrative that would draw the attention of the AdComm. John would not only edit my essays but also offer ideas on the structure of my story to make it efficient and effective. He was very timely in his responses as we worked through 3-4 versions of each essay. From the first draft to the final submission, I saw an incredible improvement in my story that I honestly would not have achieved otherwise. Highly recommended and worth the investment.


responding within 48 hours

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I was applying for schools while living abroad, so the hourly service was the best way for me to receive the support I needed while halfway across the world. John really helped me shape my story from the beginning, making it more logical and concise. He also challenged me in areas of my application that needed to be challenged. Moreover, I am happy that I elected to do the hourly services, because once I had the initial direction I was able to apply to my remaining schools on my own (I was admitted to both schools). My only qualm would be that it was sometimes hard to rectify stylistic differences via email, which due to our geographical limitations was my only means of communication. Overall, John was a great help and I would recommend him and mbaMission to other prospective MBA students.

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I cannot think of enough great things to say about mbaMission! The school package really helped me navigate the entire MBA application process from start to finish.

My consultant, John, was phenomenal to work with and exceeded all of my expectations. He provided thoughtful, constructive feedback for every element of my application, his turnaround times were always quick and he was more than patient with me, willing to answer any and all questions I had. After working with him for nearly 7 months I was accepted into my #1 school choice, something I truly believe I could not have schieved without his guidance.

If you are looking for some support during your application process, mbaMission is the absolute best way to go!

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