After chatting with a few other admissions consultants, I was holding out for someone who would be a few things: realistic yet optimistic, firm yet warm, and overall kind. Rachel was all of the above, and from our first call, I knew she would be a true partner in the grueling MBA admissions process.

I felt like I had decent credentials, but I was totally lost when it came to my story. I was all over the place, and Rachel really helped me narrow my focus and pick out which experiences would fit together to form a compelling narrative. In moments where I felt like my experiences weren't strong, she'd force me to dig deeper and understand how those have actually contributed to my development.

On top of really taking the time to understand me, Rachel always boosted me up when I felt down during the process. She'd help me regain the confidence I needed to convey my strengths and my goals, and she was always on my side. After an interview I thought went poorly, she immediately answered up the phone and helped me pick myself back up and move on to the next.

Ultimately, there is simply no one I could recommend more highly than Rachel. I've seen in other reviews here that she's a motherly figure, and I'd absolutely reiterate that. She is the most caring individual and the first person I wanted to call with good news about interviews and then admissions. I was admitted to my first and second choice schools - definitely in large part due to her help. You will not regret working with her!

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Despite solid work experience, with an Undergraduate GPA in the low 2's I knew that if I was going to have any chance of obtaining admission somewhere I was going to need to be able to tell my story incredibly well.

As I scanned the profiles of consultants to work with, Rachel immediately stood out. With a background in financial journalism, I knew that if my story needed to be told well, she was the one to help me do it.

From the outset Rachel was candid and realistic about my opportunities. This was not going to be easy, and while Rachel was going to be there to assist me throughout the process, she was not going to drive the process for me.

From our initial consultation through brainstorming and mock interviews, Rachel knew almost instinctively how to interpret where I was going with something and how best to reframe it back to me.

She was there to answer my endless questions about process, or strategy, to soothe my natural paranoia in overthinking every last detail. She was there to challenge me when needed, and apply tough love, too.

I had expected a fairly impersonal process, with someone to act as a sounding board. Instead, Rachel sought to get to know me, personally, to understand my motivations, and talk through *why* I wanted to do these things to help clarify my own thinking.

Rachel half-jokes that she feels like the den-mother to her clients. She means it. She e-mailed the other day, months after we were done, just to check in amidst the COVID crisis. I find that pretty revealing.

And oh by the way, I was accepted to every school that I applied to.

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I decided to apply to business school in late December, having not taken any tests, started any applications nor reached out to any recommenders. Most of my friends thought I was crazy that I could get my application in by the January 15 deadline. Rachel proved that my ambitious dreams were possible.

I reached out to Rachel after she was recommended by a friend. I decided I was only applying to Columbia and Stern, so I opted to buy a 5-hour package with Rachel to really perfect my applications. It was the best decision I have ever made.

Rachel helped me start and finish two applications in just three weeks. When I reached out to mbaMission, Rachel got back with me within the day and we scheduled our free consultation. I gave her quite a challenge: not only did I have a fast approaching deadline, but I am a journalist and an untraditional applicant. Yet Rachel helped me brainstorm effectively and allowed me to bring out my strengths throughout the process. She helped me clearly tell my story throughout my application, and highlighted why I would be a great addition to an incoming class with my unique background. Even though writing comes naturally to me, she was a brilliant editor who allowed my personality and skill set shine through in every part of my application, from my resumes to my essays . We would exchange drafts back and forth, and though she had a guaranteed 48-hour response time, she would often get back to me within the day.

When I received an offer to interview at Columbia, Rachel conducted a mock interview with me that allowed me to further sharpen my answers and explain why I wanted to attend business school. Shortly after my interview, I was accepted to CBS.

To be clear: I don't recommend anyone apply to business school in such a short amount of time. However, I know I wouldn't have gotten into my dream school without Rachel's invaluable assistance. I'm lucky to have her as a cheerleader and friend.

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I could not have asked for a better experience working with Rachel. She came highly recommended from a family friend, and early into my 30 minute consultation call I could see why. She knew exactly what questions to ask to get the ideas flowing, and her brainstorming activity was an integral tool to the entire application process. She helped me tell MY story and I truly feel like my applications showed the most genuine, honest version of myself and highlighted what made me a strong applicant. I feel like the entire process not only helped me tell my story, but made me reflect on why I want to go to business school, setting me up for success once I actually begin. Her thoughtful approach made the process fulfilling and exciting.
Rachel gave excellent feedback throughout the process, and was prompt in responses. While mbaMission promises a 48 hour turnaround, Rachel often got back to me sooner than that. We communicated via email almost daily, but whenever I wanted to chat on the phone she was super quick to get something on the calendar, even that same day. We worked on three schools together and with each school I could feel myself becoming more confident in my story and a stronger advocate for myself. After the applications were submitted, Rachel was a huge help in my interview prep. mbaMission's insight into interviews made what can often be an intimidating process quite pleasant. I genuinely looked forward to showing off my interview skills at each school, and was saved from being stumped on some really tough questions through the firm's guides.
I would recommend Rachel to anyone. As hard as I worked, I could feel her effort mirroring mine. I only applied to three schools, and used Rachel's services for all three. I could not be more thrilled that I got accepted to all three of those schools, and now Rachel is helping with the hardest part-- choosing the best one for me! Thank you mbaMission for matching me with an awesome consultant, and a great supporter and friend (by this time, she knows me better than most!), in Rachel Beck.

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I was very fortunate to be connected with Rachel by a friend whom she had recently guided into the Columbia Business School Class of 2021. As a resident of NYC with no intention of moving, I was very focused on earning admission to CBS. Rachel immediately connected with my story, and unlike several other consultants I had spoken with, she was optimistic about my credentials. Rachel’s process is thorough – she requests a ton of information upfront to better understand the candidate’s background and she is masterful at synthesizing that information into a compelling application tailored for each program. Additionally, her superior knowledge of the CBS admissions process was invaluable for crafting an application that would ultimately resonate with the admissions committee. I was admitted to CBS, and I am forever grateful to Rachel for helping me achieve that outcome.

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I got connected to Rachel rather serendipitously: through a random 30 minute free consultation. I honestly hadn’t considered the idea of using a consultant, but my Kaplan GMAT tutor highly recommended mbamission, so I decided to give the free consultation a shot. I consider myself to be a diligent, organized, and process-oriented person, so naturally I was skeptical of the value that a consultant would add to my application. Spending $5,000+ was out of the question unless I was convinced that a consultant would be an invaluable resource throughout the process. Rachel was that and more – I can honestly say that I would have been lost without her. Within 10 minutes of hanging up our initial consultation, I had committed to working with Rachel.
I was blown away not only by Rachel’s incomparable knowledge of the process and intimate understanding of the characteristics adcoms look for in applicants, but also by her bubbly yet firm demeanor. Rachel was always friendly, but very direct and never one to sugarcoat anything. She gives her honest opinion, even if it is not what you want to hear at the time, but your application is stronger as a result.
Rachel’s main strength is her story telling ability. She has a unique talent of transforming monotonous details into a compelling narrative. Thoroughly prepared for every call, Rachel provided a fresh perspective and it was clear that she was invested in your journey. I relied heavily on Rachel to frame up my story and help articulate the message I was trying to convey.
Rachel began our intro call by saying that she is, “tough, but fair and I might not like her at times.” While there were some instances where she gave some tough feedback, she was an absolute pleasure to work with. And most importantly, I felt that she was truly invested in my success. We were a team and by the end of the process, I felt that we had built a strong professional relationship. She was one of the first people I notified when I got into my top choice and I could tell that she was genuinely thrilled for me. That meant a lot. I couldn’t have done it without you, Rachel!

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I initially wasn't planning on using a consultant due to the financial commitment, but Rachel came highly recommended by a friend who had an incredible experience, and mine was just the same. I am so grateful for Rachel - from our first phone call she not only made me feel like I had the very best guidance but also put me at ease and gave me the confidence that I could achieve my goal (and as a woman with no finance background I was not initially confident going into the MBA application process!) It was clear that Rachel knew all the ins the outs of MBA admissions, and she also made it clear that I would need to work very hard if we worked together, which I was ready for!

Rachel didn't tell me to be someone else on my application - she helped me shape my own story in a compelling way that was completely genuine and "me." The extra leg-work she required with the brainstorming document helped me get to know myself better and realize my MBA goals in the most authentic way, and in turn I ended up submitting an application that I was truly proud of and reflected exactly who I am. Throughout the process Rachel was very honest and I am so grateful for her thoughtful feedback; it was clear that every essay and thought I sent her she reviewed carefully and responded with deep consideration. She was also completely open when I came back with different ideas too - it was a mutual relationship in which we worked together on every element.

Overall, Rachel was on my team from day one and was a very helpful resource in not only the essay writing but navigating recommendations, formatting my resume, connecting with the school in an appropriate way, staying calm with the test, and prepping for the interview. She was the perfect amount involved and I could not have asked for a better coach/mentor. I also know I will stay in touch with her as I navigate my MBA experience, which in itself shows what a warm, supportive and genuinely kind person she is.

I highly recommend Rachel to anybody who is driven towards an MBA goal; the time and care she took to guide me is priceless and I could not be prouder of the results from this process.

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I was a challenging case: I was only able to apply in Round 3, I was coming in with a mediocre GRE (didn't even bother with the GMAT), and I only wanted to go to a top 4 school. (Wharton, Stanford, Booth, MIT.) Rachel was able to help me distill my unique, extremely non-traditional background into a coherent, compelling narrative.

She pushed me to dig far deeper into my motivations and story and asked far more difficult, penetrating questions than I would have asked of myself, which I think ended up being one of the most critical aspects of the entire process. Her skills as an editor were readily apparent as she was extraordinarily helpful in cutting out any unnecessary noise in my essays.

Finally, from a personality perspective, I found her to be a perfect fit for me. She is friendly but direct, encouraging but will not coddle you, and she is not afraid to call a spade a spade. She sent me back to the drawing board multiple times, and in the end I had a product I was extremely proud of. And most importantly, that end result was getting into the school of my dreams: Wharton.

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Rachel was recommended by a friend who loved working with her. My experience was exactly the same! From the beginning she was very professional, knowledgable, and honest (which is something I really appreciated). She truly helped me figure out the ins and outs of the whole application process which can be very daunting, and she constantly checked on me to make sure things were going according to plan. She pushed me to work hard and I really appreciate all her help. I’ve recommended her to a few friends thinking about their MBA and I suggest if you’re curious at all about getting an MBA, to schedule a call with her. As I mentioned, she’s very honest and will let you know if she can help you or not.

Thank you, Rachel!

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I was very back and forth on hiring a consultant for quite a while - obviously, it is a financial commitment, but then again so is B-school! After speaking with a few consultants I was pleasantly surprised by mbaMission's honesty and integrity. I saw great reviews for Rachel Beck, so I requested to have her as my consultant.

I signed up for an hourly rate and I think this was the best decision for me. I felt confident in my writing abilities and felt that I mostly needed help with determining a direction for each of my essays. I was glad I had Rachel to help me with everything along the way, from responding quickly to questions to brainstorming essay concepts. Rachel was very knowledgeable about the application process and always had creative ideas when we spoke.

It was helpful for me to take thorough notes when I spoke with Rachel to refer back to later, and Rachel was always very direct about what tasks should be done between our conversations. The application process is long and tiring - don't underestimate it! You will have to put in a lot of time, but having a consultant can accelerate the process if you are committed.

I would highly recommend using Rachel Beck if you are interested in hiring a consultant!

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