I am delighted with my mbaMission experience. I chose the hourly services option and was matched with Kate Richardson. My main goal with Kate was to ensure that the story I shared with the adcom was genuine, interesting and compelling. Kate helped me do just that.

As many reviews about Kate have already mentioned, I felt extremely comfortable sharing my story with Kate. I started the application process with a strong GPA and solid work experience but a low GMAT score which, I feared, may lead to my consultant writing me off as an unlikely b-school admit and not worth much time and effort. I never felt that way with Kate; she was extremely supportive and provided fantastic feedback from the very beginning. I particularly appreciated that her feedback was always to-the-point but that she conveyed her suggestions in a non-offensive way. I really felt like she was an ally in my fight to get into b-school.

I particularly remember how well she ‘listened’ to my story both during phone calls and through e-mail. She helped me tighten up and add ‘umph’ to my resume simply by listening to how I explained my experiences to her. She made comments like “this bullet point doesn’t really convey all that you did on that particular project – how about adding these details” (details that I had described to her but hadn’t thought relevant to include on my resume). The same was true for essay writing. She by no means wrote essays for me but rather listened intently throughout our time working together to help me identify the best stories to share and, later on in the writing process, helped me to make these stories strong and concise.

I only applied to one school (something I wouldn’t recommend!) and was placed on the waitlist in December. I retook the GMAT twice and managed to improve significantly on both tries. Kate continued to be my ally through my 6 months on the waitlist and she helped me hone my waitlist update letters to the adcom.

I received the call I had been hoping for less than a month ago and will be heading to Tuck in the fall. I know my application was greatly strengthened thanks to Kate’s guidance.

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This past fall, I worked with Kate from mbaMission, and she helped me get into my # 1 school!

I used hourly services and asked Kate to edit/polish my resume and personal statement. Her revisions/comments to my personal statement made all the difference and really helped my story shine through. I also did a mock interview with Kate which 100% prepared me for my alumni MBA interview. Kate gave me lots of tips and helped me prepare compelling answers to difficult questions.

Kate's honest feedback, support, and interview prep were invaluable. I would definitely recommend Kate and mbaMission to anyone beginning the stressful MBA application process.

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The best part about mbaMission is the fact that you can work with all of its consultants. Knowing that I wanted to attend Chicago Booth, I requested Kate (an alum) and could not have been more pleased with the experience. I started with the 30 minute free consultation and quickly realized I would need some assistance reviewing my essays. After Kate described all the available services, I purchased the hourly package due to the flexibility – under this option, the consultants work on anything you need (resume, essays, interview prep, etc.). There is a standard two business day turnaround on essays, so factor that into your schedule.
Kate was personable, honest, candid and extremely efficient (very important in the hourly package option). She not only corrected grammatical issues, but also improved the flow and content of my essays. Kate challenged me to increase the personalization of my essays and I could clearly feel that she was an advocate of mine; she did everything she could to bring out the best in my application to Chicago Booth. After feeling comfortable with my essays, I used the remainder of my time for interview prep – again, this is a great feature of hourly services. Kate had a few practice questions to go over, and shared some of her experiences as an alumni interviewer. Throughout the entire process I learned more about myself and why I am pursuing my MBA – Kate was an invaluable asset during the application process and she is one of the main reasons I will be starting at Chicago Booth in June!

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After failing to score as highly on the GMAT as I had hoped, I sought the help of an admissions consultant to discuss my options. I scheduled two, 30 minute free consultations, one with Stacy Blackman, and one with mbaMission. The first consultation, with Stacy Blackman, lasted 12 minutes and I was treated as nothing more than a statistic. I was essentially told, with my GMAT score (620), I wasn't worth their time. I was distraught.

I decided to go ahead with the second consultation, and I sure am happy that I did! I spoke with Kate Richardson at mbaMission, and from the very beginning I could feel that her interest in helping me was genuine. She assured me that I had a unique and compelling story to tell, and that the GMAT is not the end all be all component of an application. While she didn't assist me with the GMAT, simply hearing her assurances provided me the confidence boost I needed, and 1 month later I had increased my GMAT score by 70 points.

I purchased the hourly services option as I was primarily interested in having my essays reviewed/edited. I worked with Kate on almost every application I prepared, and, with her help, was able to prepare concise and compelling essays that capitalized on the uniqueness of my situation. I was able to submit each application with the utmost pride and confidence in my work. She was honest, efficient (as I was paying by the hour, this was extremely important), and genuinely cared about my success. Thanks to her help, I was admitted to every school I applied to in round one, including the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon, with substantial scholarships from some, and just completed my interview with the University Of Michigan Ross School Of Business for round two.

Whether I get into Ross or not, I’m so extremely pleased with my success in this process. Having come from a non-prestigious university, with only a mediocre academic record, I never thought I would be able to attend a top 15 institution. I cannot recommend Kate and mbaMission highly enough, as without her help, none of this would have been possible.

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