Katy Lewis is great! She gave me invaluable support and advice throughout my admissions process - from overall brainstorming to providing tactical advice on how to choose and approach recommenders. I've worked in a pretty technical and specific line of work, and she helped me translate my background into a compelling story for an admissions committee that doesn't know the field.

I applied to five top-tier schools and was accepted to four schools with generous fellowship funds. For the waitlisted school, Katy continued to coached me on how to approach the admissions office with any steps I could take to improve my chances at getting off the list. (Still waiting to hear, but I had a great meeting with the admissions director following her guidance.)

Equally important: Katy makes you laugh and keep things in perspective! It might sound minor, but I can't stress enough what a difference this made. When I was up late working on the finishing touches on my essays, her support and sense of humor was invaluable!

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I set up an initial 30 minute phone call that ended up being over an hour which is how I first 'met' Katy - she was patient and knowledgeable and made me feel very comfortable right away. Having talked to a few other consultants (at other companies) I signed up with Katy. I primarily wanted to work with her for getting into HBS, which unfortunately did not happen but I did get into Wharton/Booth/Kellogg and will be going to Wharton.

I bought a 3 school package and recommend everyone looking for a consulting advice should go for a 2 or 3 school package (anything more is a waste of money in my opinion).

Katy was a great consultant! She patiently helped me with my brainstorming, my profile and was there to hold my hand all through the process. She went above and beyond all through the steps, from editing my resume to doing mock interviews with me to even helping me negotiate for scholarships after I had gotten in. She is a genuinely nice person and I highly recommend her. Even in crunch times right close to the deadline, she was very helpful and able to turn around my essays far sooner than the mba mission policy.

I will add that since she went to HBS and worked at Stanford, a lot of people work with her on those schools (and rightly so) because she is particularly knowledgeable about them. That was fine with me since before applying HBS was my first choice, so I recommend that the consultant you choose either went to or specializes in your number one choice school.

Overall, I highly recommend Katy and encourage people to work with her if they are looking for a smart, patient and awesome consultant! I am looking forward to staying in touch with her at Wharton and beyond!!!

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From the outset, Katie quickly uncovered my story, the kind of story that would wind up gaining me admission to Haas, Ross, and Fuqua. I was amazed at how fast Katie was able to paint my life story. Katie is the kind of consultant that genuinely gets to know who you are and how your story fits into each schools criteria. Katie's expertise shined in her essay reviews as she understood how to convey my story in the most impactful way. Katie was quick to respond to every email and was always available - even on the weekends during tight deadlines. I ended up applying to 8 schools (accepted at 3, WL at 2, dinged 3) and Katie made the daunting process seamless and empowered me with confidence. Katie was also excellent at mock interviews - each of my mock interviews was almost exactly what I experienced live at each school. If you are looking for the admissions consultant who is going to get to genuinely know you as a person, who is invested in your success, Katie is the person to do that and help make your dreams come true.

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Talking to Katharine was a pleasure - from the first call, she listened to me to understand my story. She was able to pick up on small details in my life to mention in my essay that I didn't think of but that really added a lot to the overall story!

Her knowledge and familiarity with the top schools is far and away the most impressive of anyone I have talked to throughout this process (consultants, admissions officers, alumni). As an HBS alum and a Stanford GBS essay reader, she was already well prepared to be a successful consultant. But her contact with clients over the last few years has made her even more qualified – her clients made up 2% of the incoming HBS class last year! The fact that one out of every 50 students used her is the strongest testament I can see to her knowledge and skill.

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I worked with Katy off of the rave reviews of a family friend (I contacted her as soon as I decided to apply, because she books up quickly!) and I couldn't have made a better decision. I worked on a 3 school package with her (Wharton, HBS, MIT Sloan) and I received interview invitations from all 3, accepted at Wharton, waitlist at Sloan and did not get into HBS. From the start, Katy was encouraging, knowledgable, and most importantly, honest and straightforward. We began by going through every aspect of my profile in detail and discussing target schools, as well as actionable steps I could take to strengthen my chances (recommending different volunteering opportunities to get involved in, advice for the GMAT, etc).
We extensively brainstormed and discussed a plan of action before starting any applications, and it saved me so much time. Katy is incredibly talented at "weaving" the story together- connecting examples in such a way that gets straight to the point in a powerful way. I felt so confident anytime I spoke with Katy- she really spent the time to get to know me as a person and make sure that was coming through in my application.
Editing each essay was the most time intensive part of the process. Katy made it clear that no essay was done until I was 100% confident and satisfied- we went through dozens of revisions for each essay. Every revision was returned to me extremely quickly- 1 or 2 days, impressive especially considering I was turning them around very quickly as well, often sending a revision the day back the day I received it.
When it came time for interviews, Katy coached me and prepared me for each interview individually, doing mock interviews and sending me a plethora of materials. For HBS, she prepared an entire mock interview tailored to my profile exactly like the real interview was. For Wharton, the group interview, she set me up with a practice group interview with other MBA Mission students, including feedback post-interview.
Anytime I reached out to Katy, I received a response right away. The admissions process is long and exhausting, and can be incredibly stressful at times. Knowing she was there for advice and guidance anytime I needed is what got me through this process. I never would have received the interviews I did, let alone acceptance at Wharton, without Katy. I can't recommend her highly enough!

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Katy Lewis is a total rock star in my book. I started the MBA application process with no intent of hiring a consultant, as I felt that I had a good grasp on my career goals and was afraid that an advisor would take the authenticity out of my application. I just plainly didn’t think an advisor would be worth the cost.
My mind was opened when a close friend, who is now a first year at HBS, told me about what a fantastic experience she had had working with Katy. Looking back now, I am so glad that my mind was changed - Katy truly made all the difference in my application process. She is undeniably brilliant and has incredible emotional intelligence. As such, she made very tangible contributions in several areas which I still feel that, no matter how much time and effort I exerted, I would not have been able to do nearly as well on my own:
- Story development:
o This is where she really amazed me. She is an incredibly good listener, and was really good at connecting the dots between various parts of my childhood/background and personal characteristics/values/goals, in ways that were often amusingly and surprisingly insightful. She was also incredibly helpful in determining which details to keep (of course, they all seemed relevant to me), not only to stay within word counts but also to make my story more clear and impactful. At the same time, I really appreciated that Katy was very aware of not over-editing, ensuring my essays were still (despite her many edits) completely “in my own voice”.
- Big picture guidance:
o Personally, a big value add from Katy was the comfort I took her level of experience. I had not ever read a “successful” (or any) MBA application, and it put me very much at ease to know that she really knew what an “ok” versus “good” versus “stellar” application looked like.
- Insightful knowledge of MBA programs:
o I relied heavily on Katy’s deep knowledge of the programs I was considering (Harvard, Stanford, UVA Darden). She not only attended two of these schools herself but has clearly made it a priority to stay well informed of the pros/cons/changes/course offerings/etc at each –from the perspective of “what it takes to get in” as well as what students are a best fit for each program. When ultimately choosing a school to attend in the end, I really valued her nuanced thoughts and guidance, particularly given how well I felt she knew me.
A few other points that I wanted to quickly make are:
- Efficiency / value:
o I hate to bring up money so blatantly, but can’t help but comment on the cost side of things. Clearly working with an MBA advisor is not an inexpensive decision, however I can very honestly say that Katy never once made me feel as though she was doing something to bill more hours. In fact, I felt much the opposite – on many occasions, I was shocked by the relatively little time she recorded spending on some incredibly helpful feedback (I still don’t think she could has possibly have done several of these that quickly…).
- Dedication:
o Katy is undeniably dedicated to her clients and its clear she does it out of a deep and authentic desire for each of them to succeed. This was evident from certain things such as her quick response time and late nights (in the week leading up to a submission deadline, she was pulling hours that would intimidate a young i-banker!), but I was most impressed by the extent to which she was clearly working this hard because she really cared. She was always very focused on providing the above-and-beyond emotional support that most determined applicants are bound to need in what is, at many times, a taxing and stressful process. For me she went above and beyond by hopping on the phone last minute and providing un-prompted updates on interesting from-the-grapevine intel. She even made a point to meet me in San Francisco on her own time when I was in the area one weekend.
Above and beyond these things, Katy was also just incredibly enjoyable to work with. She very quickly became more of a mentor and friend than an MBA advisor. She has an extremely compassionate and giving spirit which comes through in how much she cares about each of her clients. The MBA application process was overall a great personal reflection opportunity, and Katy definitely made it all the more rewarding and enjoyable.

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I highly recommend Katherine (Katy) Lewis from mbaMission for her warmth, clarity and insider understanding of the admission process. Here is a little bit about how I found Katy - and how she helped me land a seat in the Berkeley Haas EWMBA program:

ManhattanGMAT offered a free 30 minute phone conversation with mbaMission and I was assigned to Katy - an incredibly accomplished consultant with a background in law, management consulting and admissions, and a resume featuring blue chip names like Yale, Harvard, McKinsey, Stanford and Berkeley. Given my comparatively modest background, I was anxious - but Katy immediately put me at ease with her warmth and friendly openness. When we first connected, I instantly liked Katy and felt comfortable talking with her!

Over the 30 minutes of our call, we covered my background, goals, GMAT score and target programs. Katy was then able to share which schools she thought would best align with my past experience and future career plans - and she didn’t just share the usual stuff you can garner from marketing materials - but rather, a real in-depth perspective on what these programs are like and which types of students succeed within them. This “insider’s peek” helped me clear up a lot of the confusion and noise that I was sifting through while trying to figure out which school would be best for me.

I ultimately decided to apply to the Berkeley Haas EWMBA program. And given the success of our first call, I engaged with Katy using mbaMission’s a la carte service - about three hours worth of consulting to focus specifically on my essays.

To kick things off, Katy sent me a brainstorming document that guided me me though a series of questions about my childhood, college and professional experiences. The document’s prompts encouraged me to probe my memory and remember things from my past that had fallen off the radar - but that could be helpful when thinking about my application. I then submitted this brainstorming document to Katy.

And this is where the magic happened.

Before we even had our next call, Katy thoroughly reviewed the answers I had provided, looked up my undergrad alma mater’s website, explored the companies that I had worked for and started thinking about my personal narrative - that common thread that stitched my whole life together. When we spoke on the phone, she knew my story inside-and-out and shared the elements of my background that she thought would be compelling for my Berkeley Haas application. I won’t go into the details of my story, but to summarize, she was able to distill my accomplishments and background down to a single, spot-on word; my “personal brand,” if you will. Moving forward through the process, I tied every part of my application back to that single word. This not only made the process easier, but it kept my story cohesive and strong.

Katy's magic transformed not only my application, but frankly how I thought about my past experiences in general. It was oddly therapeutic - a bonus that I never thought I would glean from an MBA application process.

After the brainstorming session with Katy, I wrote my essays - which she helped me edit for clarity. Perhaps it’s that Harvard Law degree, but Katy really knows how to get to the heart of the story in a succinct way that ensures the most salient points shine.

But I have to say, as thrilled as I was with my essays and the story they brought to life - the real magic was brainstorming with Katy. All the editing in the world can’t replace the value of a compelling and cohesive narrative. And when it comes to finding that story, that narrative - and tying it to insider knowledge of the schools and what they are seeking - Katy simply can't be beat!

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The 30-minute phone call I had with Katy for my free mbaMisson consultation completely changed my experience with business school admissions, and I am deeply grateful that it did.

I first spoke with Katy in the summer of 2013 when I was thinking about starting to put together applications. In less than half an hour, she helped me see that I was making a mistake by applying at that point in time. I had an almost perfect GMAT score, excellent grades, good extracurriculars, and fiercely devoted recommenders from the several years I had spent working in the nonprofit sector. I thought my profile seemed pretty good … but I was wrong. I had all of these boxes checked, but what I sorely lacked was the foundation of every effective application: an honest and engaging personal narrative that ties together your past and your future. In short, I had no idea why I wanted to go to business school (or, more accurately, I didn’t know how to articulate it yet). During our call, Katy suggested that I take another year before applying. She suggested that I accept the promotion I had just been offered at work, pick up a couple more extracurriculars, and above all, take the time to really reflect on what I hope to accomplish in my life and how that explains my desire to get an MBA. It was the best advice I could have been given.

For me, that piece of advice exemplifies some of Katy’s finest qualities—namely, her honesty and integrity. She had nothing to gain (and everything to lose) by giving me that advice. By suggesting that I hold off on applying, she actually risked losing a client in any number of ways—if I decided not to apply after all, if I decided to work with someone else, if I decided I didn’t need anyone as a consultant, etc. But what Katy cares most about is your success. This was evident to me from the very beginning, and it remains true today. I’m done with business school admissions, and she still checks in every now and then to see how things are going. (I’m starting at Kellogg in the fall—an outcome I’m absolutely convinced I could not have achieved without Katy’s help.)

I took Katy’s advice and spent the next year smoothing out the edges of my application and doing the self-reflection required to craft a strong personal narrative. The following summer, I hired her on an hour-by-hour basis as a soundboard for that personal narrative and for editorial feedback on essays. In our initial brainstorming session, Katy listened to my ideas, asked questions, and offered insights that helped me solidify my story and understand how to communicate it through the application. I know this will sound like an exaggeration, but that conversation was honestly one of the best conversations I’ve had in the five years of my adult life (i.e., since I graduated from college). I left that conversation feeling like no matter what happens with business school admissions, I’ll be able to look back on the process and feel that it was worthwhile if only because I learned so much about myself along the way. The process was tremendously valuable to my personal development, in large part because of the interactions I had with Katy.

I mentioned some of Katy’s best qualities already—honesty, integrity, shared goals, commitment. On a more tangible level, the list of her redeeming characteristics is long as well. Her professional background in the admissions office at Stanford GSB allowed her to give me an insider’s perspective on key aspects of my application. Her editorial advice was always helpful—when it came to essay writing, she gave me excellent feedback on everything from school-specific topic selection to grammar and syntax. Her responsiveness and availability are also top notch. mbaMission has a 48-hour response policy, but she always does way better than that. I remember one time she went off on a wilderness retreat somewhere in the Sierra Nevadas, but she was still responding to email because she had some crazy device that brings the internet to where the internet has never gone before. There was also a time when a school wanted to interview me on very short notice, and I wanted to do a mock interview with Katy that very day. She was, of course, more than happy to accomodate the short notice, and she sent me great follow-up notes soon after our call.

Looking back at the process, I can't imagine having done it without Katy’s help. Whether you need a start-to-finish type of package or just targeted help on certain pieces of your application, look no further than Katy Lewis. Deciding to work with Katy will be the best decision you make during this whole process.

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The email that I wrote to Katy after submitting my applications summarizes how I think about my engagement with her.

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Katy,

With all submissions behind us, I want to take a moment to reflect on our engagement so far.

When we started in June last year - I had already spend some time brainstorming, and was lugging this 25 page memoir that I had written and a pile of post it notes/ideas/stories. What I desperately needed was a channeling force - to help shape what my restless mind was conjuring into something meaningful. Katy, you became that channeling force to me.

Irrespective of the outcome, I want to take this moment and thank you for all your support in the journey so far.

Here are the highlights of our engagement:

-Your first green signal - "You are really ready to start writing your first draft' was pivotal. As someone who over-prepares, I had not been able to say this to myself. Seeing the first draft gave me the confidence to keep the ball rolling from then on.

-Your patience was incredible. There were so many backs and forths, but I didn't see your enthusiasm waning at any point. It is so easy and enjoyable to work with you - and your humor adds a lot. Your signature smileys :) in every email and a distinct warm and lively writing style is always such a delight to read.

-Your approach of making a clear suggestion, yet never coming across as pushy created a very respectful and collaborative space. All through the process I felt you were on my side, and really wanted me to succeed. At so many times your 'I LOVE this essay', 'I think your story is great' - gave me that right boost.

-You sharing your understanding of the DNA / culture of various schools during our phone conversations helped me develop a clearer picture of every school I was applying to. While this really helped during application write-ups, I now have a greater visibility into which school is a closer fit to my needs/goals.

-Thank god for your sanity checks. "Fashion makeovers" - that's a first! I have laughed so many times on this one :)

Thank you so much once again for being a wonderful coach - who now I can call a friend! :)

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My admission success (admitted to Wharton, MIT Sloan and INSEAD) would have never happened without Katherine Lewis. We have worked together for two years. The first year, I applied to two schools and did not get in. Katy did not let me give up. She not only motivated me to work harder but frequently went out of her way to help me submit six applications the following year. As a result, I got admission letters from Wharton, MIT Sloan, INSEAD with a substantial scholarship from Wharton. We are in touch till this day.

There are many fantastic things about working with Katy. But the following are probably the most important:

1. Responsiveness/always being there – Katy was really there for me whenever I needed her, even during the holidays and weekends. She was sending me revised essays within a day! She was always available to talk whenever I wanted to ask for her advice. When I was in Poland, she would literally work around the clock to make it work despite the time zone differences. I have always felt that she is as committed and engaged in the process as I was. I have never felt that she had other clients – although I know she had. She helped me to apply to 6 schools in 1 round!

2. Honesty and pushing back – I am educated in Eastern Europe. We are not used to writing essays in an “American way” and it took me a lot of time to adjust my style and understand how to tell my story. What I truly appreciate about Katy is the fact that she was always giving me an honest feedback, teaching me how to keep the message simple and learn how to “show” instead of “tell”. Her questions would make me think deeper about the underlying reasons and messages behind the story I wanted to tell.

3. Deep engagement and support – Katy frequently went out of her way to support me. I felt that she truly mentored me on the whole admission process, thinking with me on how to improve my GMAT score, which recommenders to choose ( I changed them from first year to the second one), which schools and programs to apply to. She did not have an easy time with me – I have sent her 40 pages of my bio before we started working with each other and she helped me to extract main massages. All of my essays had dozens of iterations. Katy's patience with me was incredible.

4. Getting to know you – I believe that trust is extremely important while working with a consultant. Katy made me feel since the beginning that I am important to her as a person. She made me feel that she was truly interested in my dreams, challenges, and career. Due to that, she was able to understand me on a much deeper level. Hence, my essays were much stronger, much more personal. I truly hope that we will keep in touch. And I more than recommend working with Katy to anyone!

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