I was an international applicant, with a very non-traditional background. I applied with Katy to 5 schools (HSW, MIT, Booth). As I had no previous MBA connections, Katy was instrumental in improving my understanding how to navigate the world of MBA admissions. We did a lot of brainstorming in advance and defined the strategy of the essays. She was able to work with tough deadlines and always managed to deliver the updates. 2020/21 admission cycle was tough for internationals in the US, so I applied to INSEAD on my own and was admitted. I wasn't admitted to 5 US schools with Katy but I used materials for my INSEAD application. In addition, Katy provided a mock interview for INSEAD. In general, I highly recommend Katy as a consultant.

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I suspect many MBA applicants view the admissions consulting business with a fair measure of cynicism. I certainly did. The upfront cost is high, most firms market comparable services at a similar price point, and online reviews are almost uniformly positive. Yet, after my first conversation with Katy Lewis, I immediately realized she would be a valuable partner and advisor. I am now fortunate to also call her a friend.

I write this testimonial as someone who was accepted to Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton in a historically competitive admissions cycle. Even if I did not achieve these incredible outcomes, I would value Katy’s services equally highly. Katy has received dozens of testimonials speaking to her personality, work ethic, dedication, and value for interview preparation. I wholeheartedly agree with these reviews. I now want to highlight some additional facets of Katy’s work that, while less obvious, are perhaps even more important.

Katy’s education and experience seem custom-tailored to her present role. She unites the strategic thinking of a McKinsey consultant with the discerning and critical eye of an attorney. As an HBS alum and former member of the Stanford GSB admission committee, she brings a true depth of understanding to the application process. Moreover, Katy has years of experience working with clients specifically targeting the top three MBA programs in the country. Carefully read the bios of admissions consultants from other firms; buried in a sea of self-congratulatory superlatives you might find one or two relevant substantive experiences. With Katy, every relevant skillset and experience is brought into play. If you are serious about optimizing your chances, why compromise?

Katy demonstrated a sophisticated and enthusiastic understanding of my background and career aspirations. Though we do not share a similar professional background, Katy immediately and intuitively grasped the “narrative arc” uniting my educational and professional experiences. This ability allowed Katy to provide individualized, thoughtful, and nuanced advice specific to my situation. Thus, contrary to prevailing wisdom, Katy advised me to apply in round 2, which proved to be a shrewd (and very beneficial) decision. Any consultant can provide generic advice about the various components of the application (essay, recommenders, employment, etc…) Katy’s value was most evident in those ambiguous situations that ultimately come down to a matter of sound judgment.

Katy was incredibly proactive at all stages of the application process. She volunteered to reach out to my letter writers to provide some insight into the MBA admissions process. As I come from a non-traditional background, my recommenders had never written a letter of recommendation for admission to business school. Understanding the admissions criteria helped my recommenders more effectively communicate their sentiments. Perhaps most importantly, I felt like my own voice, style, and values, and motivations were clearly present in each and every application. At no point did Katy attempt to “package” my unique story into a template.

Returning to my skepticism regarding admissions consultants, I do suspect that in 99% of cases they are ineffectual or downright harmful. Katy Lewis is the other 1%.

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As many prospective students will quickly find out, top MBA programs really want to hear your story and there is no better person than Katy to help you with the introspection process. She has this unique ability to get to know you as a person and help get that authentic self across to the admissions committee. Together, we were able to brainstorm specific themes of my life, how they were important to me, and communicated those in my essays.

Through all of her help, I was able to secure R1 interviews at 6 top programs - Stanford GSB, HBS, Booth, Kellogg, Tuck, and Yale. She spent a lot of time prepping me for my interviews and provided her perspectives on each of the different programs.

Because of Katy's help, I was able to secure multiple offers and ultimately accepted my offer to attend Stanford GSB. I truly cannot recommend Katy enough as an admissions consultant and now as a friend!

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Katy did a terrific job of helping me discern what to highlight on my MBA applications. She took the time to understand my background and aspirations, helping me grasp the cultures of the programs to which I was applying. She was incredibly responsive throughout the application process. I wrote her a panicked request for help when one of my programs scheduled an interview for a mere three days down the road: Katy responded within 30 minutes and offered me a selection of time slots for a mock interview with her the next day. She gave me the confidence I needed to represent my genuine self on my MBA applications.

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As an HBS 2+2 applicant, I knew that every little thing could make the difference between being accepted and rejected. I contacted Katharine after doing thorough research on basically every consultant available. I probably did 15-20 free consultations with different firms and consultants before deciding to go with her. Already in our first call, she showed that her knowledge about what HBS is actually looking for is remarkable. During the process, she helped me craft my application to make sure I really stood out - and that I didn’t just look like the usual male, econ undergrad, incoming consultant.

I can confidently say I think Katharine made the difference for me - and I would recommend her to anyone who wants to increase their odds of admittance to a top school!

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Katy was an incredible consultant and mentor throughout the entire process, from the initial consultation to navigating the waitlist process through the summer. I was ecstatic to get off the waitlist for Stanford GSB – my top choice – with Katy’s help, and couldn’t have done it without her! When I was waitlisted, Katy immediately helped me come up with a plan to stay engaged with schools throughout the summer, regularly and proactively checked in with me to see how things were going, reviewed all of my update posts, and gave me invaluable insights and motivation to stay committed to the process. The waitlist process can be nerve-wracking and confusing to navigate at times, and Katy’s endless support and encouragement made a world of difference in helping me ultimately get accepted. Katy is the best and I truly can’t recommend her enough.

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I initially contacted Katharine upon a strong recommendation from a friend. I thought it would be useful to have a quick consultation with Katharine to understand the process further.
After 30 minutes, I definitely knew that I wanted Katharine to assist me with my applications!

Not only did she convince me to apply to much stronger schools than I had initially planned for, during the brainstorming process, we discussed my personal and professional stories which she brought out in the best possible light!

Her organization and timing were impeccable, always returning document reviews on time. She was always happy to schedule regular calls to discuss at length. She always made me feel that I was a priority and was able to discuss at a moment’s notice.

Most importantly, her experience in Stanford GSB admissions really showed in all our discussions, and that was truly the most valuable aspect. As a Middle Eastern male in financial services, I wanted to highlight myself in a unique manner. Her experience on the other side provided me with the A-Z details of what admissions are really looking for (both within the essay reviews as well as the interview preparations) and assisted me to present my story in the best approach.

In the end, I was accepted into Chicago Booth, a dream school for me, and one that I didn’t think possible when initially applying for my MBA.

I really can’t recommend Katharine enough; it was sincerely a pleasure working with her and I can’t thank her enough for all of her valuable assistance!

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Katharine was instrumental in helping me in my goal of getting into Haas. Over the course of two years we worked together to find not only the best time to apply, but also the best way to apply. Katharine consulted me on all things about Haas, and the most important areas I would need to improve on in order to get in. The biggest factor for me though was the confidence that she instilled in me during the process. No hurdle was too big, no blemish on my application too damning. She always was there to be my biggest supporter and fan. Without her I could not have gotten into school, that I am sure of.

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As a member of an over-represented group (white male in financial services), I found Katy’s keen insight and expertise to be particularly helpful. With only a 720 GMAT (weak on quant) and a 3.7, I would not have been admitted to Kellogg (and potentially Booth!) without Katy’s brilliance. Here’s what I found helpful in list form:
– Right off the bat, Katy helped me figure out what I want from my MBA with our brainstorming sessions
– She helped me create a plan for which schools to apply to and when I would need to execute each step
– Her expertise really shined on the resume and letters of recommendation. These are without a doubt the most overlooked part of every application, and I think she’s the best in the industry at it. None of my friends applying to M7 programs got anywhere near as acute of advice as Katy gave me.
– She knew how every program interviewed and helped me prepare for each interview based on the school’s specific style
– She has an insanely high hit rate on getting clients admitted from waitlists and navigated me through the waitlist process at Kellogg and Booth.
– Her coaching has been paramount as I’ve negotiated for financial aid

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I initially was unsure whether to use an admissions consultant at all. Looking back, I'm so glad I found Katy and decided to work with her through this process -- I couldn't be happier after having been admitted to my two top choice programs, HBS and GSB. Katy truly "got" my story from day 1 and guided me through the entire process to help me put my best foot forward while staying completely true to myself -- and coaching me through a number of broader life and career choices along the way! Highly recommend for everyone, especially for others who may have very busy day jobs -- the resources and experience Katy was able to bring to bear really made the process as smooth and efficient as it could possibly ave been. Could not be happier with Katy and mbaMission.

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