If you want to get into your dream MBA programs, I highly recommend using Helen Summers from mbaMission. I applied to Cornell, Duke, and Darden and was accepted to all three with a full ride to Cornell and 1/3 tuition scholarship to Duke. Before working with Helen, I did not think it was possible to get into all three schools, let alone with multiple scholarship offers, and I know that would not have been my outcome if I had not worked with Helen.

Helen first encouraged me to retake the GMAT, even though I really did not want to, but I am so glad she pushed me to do so. I then had an acceptable GMAT score and strong GPA, but my work experience was very low (only 2 years).

Helen took the time to get to know me and helped me incorporate things into my essays that I would not have thought to include. She also helped me shape my story, which was very important given I only had two years of work experience and the "Why now?" question was very important to address. My first essay went through over 10 drafts, and the difference between the first draft and the final one was night and day. She also helped me with my women's weekend essays which was a huge help.

The best parts about working with Helen are listed below:

-She is extremely responsive and organized. Her turnaround time with essay drafts was often well within the 48 hour requirement (often even within 24 hours). She sometimes even worked on the weekends so if I sent something to her on Thursday or Friday I would get it back before Tuesday. She responded to emails (quick questions) even faster, typically within a few hours.

-She made the process much less stressful. When I was struggling with an essay topic or unsure about how to ask a question to an admissions person, I simply emailed Helen asking if we could have a quick call. She is so nice and calming, so even just hearing her voice on the other end of the line made me feel much better!

-She provides open and honest constructive feedback. Her comments really made me think and pull out my best experiences to incorporate into my essays. She was also very helpful in cutting out the "fluff" in my essays to help me stay within the word count. In addition, she gave my recommenders feedback on their recommendations and encouraged them to provide stronger examples which helped round out my application.

-She genuinely wants her clients to succeed and will do everything she can to make that possible. She 100% knows what she is doing (the process, the schools), so I completely trusted her advice and feedback.

Again, I would HIGHLY recommend Helen if you want to get into your dream business schools. She went above and beyond my expectations and is well worth the money. I have absolutely nothing negative to say about her and guarantee she will make your application much stronger.

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I found Rachel Beck to be highly creative, responsive, eloquent, supportive and most importantly honest during my few months working with her on my applications. I recommend her to anyone applying to business school, especially those applying to top programs.

For context, I have a somewhat traditional finance background, IB and Corp Dev, and am a white male so differentiating myself was going to be key for creating a successful application. Other stats: >730 GMAT and >3.7 GPA from a state school.

When I started the application process I interviewed three consultants from three different companies. Rachel stood out because she conveyed solid ideas off the bat and understood & summarized my background very well. Her experience as a Columbia MBA, MBA consultant and business writer shined through.

I tend to be organized and process driven and treated my applications as such. Rachel set expectations around our process - essay turn around, organizing calls and email response - and kept to her word. She executed drafts consistently; I would often wake up with new drafts in my inbox sent at 530AM EST whenever there was a draft to be processed. I found this particularly helpful because I work long hours and did much of my edits at night.

Not only did Rachel do a great job with execution, but she also offered unique insights and strategies into my essays and short answers. I organized many calls to discuss her thoughts and ideas for essays knowing that she would almost always go back to my brainstorming documents to approach my background with a variety of perspectives. I appreciated that extra leg work. Additionally, she wasn't afraid to use the mbaMission brain trust and experience from other consultants often sighting their input when communicating her ideas or confirming mine.

Rachel did very well with interview prep. Having herself interviewed for CBS, she knows how to frame the conversation as an interviewer would, simulating the experience well. She offered excellent framework for responding to certain tough questions and pointed out areas of weakness.

Finally, I would be remiss not to address her supportiveness throughout. Rachel's calm demeanor and practical approach kept me cool when I received interviews and as deadlines approached. You’d be surprised how important this is.

Again, I 100% recommend Rachel Beck as a consultant to anyone interested in applying to business school – I know I wouldn’t have gotten into Wharton without her help. She is clearly top tier.

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I signed up for a two-school package and I don't think it was worth it.

My main concerns were a.) a low undergrad GPA (I had a high grad school GPA and high GMAT) b.) I'm a few years over the average 3) I'm coming from a non-traditional industry, with a promotion system and titles that probably aren't familiar to them. I don't feel like she helped me showcase these in any way that was different than what I would have done.

My consultant walked me through essay outlines (which took about 30 min per essay), which wasn't where I needed help. Once I had essay drafts, she made a few superficial edits, but that was it. She gave me almost no guidance at all on my optional essay, which is what I was worried about. I don't feel like I ended up with an application that highlighted my strengths.

I paid over $5,000 and think I would have saved a ton of money going with an hourly package. I would estimate my consultant spent 10-15 hours total with me. Most of the services I got, I didn't really need. Most of the services I did need, I didn't get. I really don't understand what I paid for. I felt like most of the service were application guides that I could have bought or downloaded for free from the MBA mission store.

Anyway, I ended up getting dinged from both schools without interviews.

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A former colleague recommended Dan because she had a good experience working with him as she applied to Columbia Business School. With CBS as my top choice, I met with Dan to discuss my plans and immediately felt confident that the investment in his services would be a great choice.
I wasn’t breaking any records with my GMAT score or GPA, but Dan helped me to put together an aggressive, but realistic approach to applying that would not only cover all the bases, but would also highlight specific pieces of my story that set me apart from other candidates – I applied Early Decision and was ecstatic when I found out that I got into my dream school!
I was extremely happy with the results I saw from working with Dan. From the beginning brainstorming sessions, he challenged me and guided me to dig into specific examples and prioritize where I would include each piece of my story in the four essays of my application. We worked very well together. His responses were always timely and supportive – however, what I found most helpful was his ability to provide tactical edits and comments that would help to shape each of my essays into more of a narrative.
My advice for working with Dan is to set up your own plan and stick to it – because he won’t let you down on his end. The hard work is all on you, but if you prepare extensively, Dan will probe you for the additional details and make sure your maximizing your opportunities to express yourself with your essays.
While I only applied to one school with Dan, upon hitting the submit button, I wasn’t nervous. Thanks to Dan, I was excited and extremely proud of the essays and overall package that I put together. He offered to help me with every detail of the application, from the optional essay to how I worded the descriptions of my extracurricular activities. He is truly gifted at wordsmithing and I found his advice and direction to be spot on throughout the process. He was also extremely efficient with both his time and my time, maintain transparency throughout… each of my essays took about 5-6 versions and Dan was quickly returning my documents to me… often times, earlier than he had to.
By the time interview prep came, Dan had me well-prepared to answer most every question that could come up. He was also extremely thoughtful as I awaited the results – checking in on me with encouragement as the 2-week process for some reason turned into 3-4 weeks… we all know how stressful the process can be and it was great to have his support.
Overall, I was 100% satisfied with the mentorship Dan provided me and I would highly recommend him to anyone applying to a top MBA program. I truly felt like he was invested in me throughout the well-thought out and executed 3-month process (just 6 weeks to submit the application), and I was grateful to have his insight as I navigated everything from brainstorming and resume editing to wordsmithing and strategic follow-up e-mails. My story to get into CBS was always there, but Dan efficiently and creatively helped me to communicate my candidacy to the admissions team.

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I am an international applicant, a non-native English speaker with non-traditional background (Physical Therapy). Working in the healthcare industry for 4+ years I decided to go back to school for exploring management roles in my industry. It was a big and a bold step for me to consider applying to a top 5 part-time MBA program as I have no business background in school and in my professional career. I was looking for an admissions consulting firm with a strong industry reputation and MBA mission stood out in the all the online forums (GMAT Club, Beat the GMAT) .

I narrowed down to Kate as she graduated from one of my target school (Chicago Booth) and I was confident she would be able to assess my profile and my fit for the school as a Booth alumni. She also helped me to decide between applying to full-time vs. part-time programs and my chances of getting accepted into them.

Kate was very thoughtful in her approach and told me from Day 1 that getting into my target school is a realistic goal if I work hard. She was able to understand and market my story in a way I could not have done it myself. I was able to highlight my leadership potential which I always thought as my weak area and career accomplishments from a quant perspective. Working on my resume inorder to make it b-school specific was the most valuable service from the package. As an international student, my profile had many challenging and unique experiences (some of which seemed irrelevant to me in the beginning) and Kate was able to highlight them in my essays.

Kate was prompt on providing her feedback on my essays and was very open to change some of her suggestions if I did not agree on them.I was fortunate to get accepted in both Kellogg and Booth weekend MBA programs and ultimately chose Booth. Kate went over my career goals and my fit with both programs and helped me to decide on my final pick. I would highly recommend Kate to prospective MBA applicants students especially working professionals.

Thanks,
Ameya

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Signing up with MBAMission was very straightforward and I'm lucky I got paired with Harshad Mali. From our first 30 minute intro call, Harshad gave valuable insights to my overall profile. As an Indian Applicant, it is quite challenging to differentiate yourself from the applicant pool. I have a diverse background and in many different industries but Harshad understood my story right off the bat and really helped me come up with a coherent narrative that highlighted my strengths and uniqueness.

Harshad is no BS consultant and gives honest, straightforward feedback. I worked with him on polishing my resume and essays for five schools and preparing for interview at a top school. Harshad was always prompt and on-time with his reviews and there was never any delay. In fact, he often returned my essays on the same day even though MBAMission has a two day essay review policy. He often poked holes in my drafts but doing so helped me re-think what I wanted to say with more clarity and effect.

I also worked with him for interview preparation. Here too, he was direct and effective with his feedback and even took additional time out of his schedule to help me with my preparation. He was also available for Skype calls whenever I had additional questions for essays and interviews.

Working with Harshad has been very rewarding. Although we worked together quite professionally, I found him to be more like a close friend who kept my best interest his top priority. Like a close friend, Harshad often said what I needed to hear and not what I would have liked. I'm glad I trusted him with his feedback on my application.

I would recommend Harshad Mali to anyone who is serious about gaining admissions to top business schools.

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Kate and I met through the mbaMission free profile evaluation process. From the very beginning, Kate was incredibly supportive and encouraging of my MBA goals to gain admission at a top ten school (despite my concerns about a lower GPA and GMAT/GRE scores) and I knew she would be a fantastic resource throughout the process. Conversations with MBA consultants from other companies had left me feeling a bit discouraged about my chances for admission, but Kate restored the confidence I needed to push forward and achieve my goals.

Throughout the process, Kate motivated me to write essays that were unique and consistent with my story to highlight my strengths as an applicant. She challenged me to push further and convey examples from my professional experiences in a more thoughtful and cohesive way. Given I used the hourly service package, she was also incredibly mindful of what feedback I was looking for from her and maximized the time we had so she could review all the materials and essays for each school I was applying to.
Kate was also extremely helpful as I prepared for an interview with one of my top choice schools (CBS). Given her experience across several schools and her strong attention to detail to my overall story and background, I knew her help in the interview prep process would be invaluable. We spent a full hour doing a mock interview and Kate provided advice on how I could tweak my answers based on her knowledge of the program and past interview experiences. After spending this hour with her, I felt much more prepared and relaxed going into the interview and ultimately got in to the program!

Lastly, Kate went above and beyond to talk me through the decision-making process after I gained admission into a few part-time and full time options based on her understanding of my career aspirations and long-term goals. Ultimately, I chose to attend Columbia’s full-time MBA program and could not be more excited! Overall, my experience was very strong and Kate played a very important role in helping me get in to my top choice. I would highly recommend her to anyone beginning the MBA application process!

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Dan did a great job of setting up the interview by laying down the basics and sharing some behavioural tips for the final interview, personalized to my situation.

Dan asked me a comprehensive set of questions, including a few tricky ones. Each answer was followed by feedback on how I could improve my content, as well as my answer structure and sequence. All of this was personalized to my profile. Dan's tone was friendly and conversational.

MBAMission's pricing is a lot steeper than the consultants in my home country, but the value-add was higher. The only constructive feedback I can add is to incorporate video in the interview.

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I cannot say enough good things about Nisha and mbaMission overall. I was not originally planning to use a consulting service, but I am so glad I reached out for help.

I got started a little late in the application process, but felt immediately relieved after my first call with Nisha. Once she had an idea of my background and goals, we hit the ground running. I felt like I knew my story but was having a difficult time making it clear and concise on paper. Nisha really took the time to understand the nuances of my experiences and my short term and long term goals. She used this understanding to make thoughtful and tangible recommendations on my essays.

Nisha provided valuable insight on the essays, but one of the biggest benefits of working with her was her ability to view my application overall. For example, I was worried about my not-so-stellar GMAT score, but Nisha helped me think through ways to offset it throughout the application.

While brainstorming, drafting, and editing essays was the biggest reason I sought help, Nisha was willing to assist however I needed it. She made herself available for questions on any part of the process: campus visits, meeting with current students / admissions, etc. Having someone to ask the seemingly dumb questions along the way was such a relief.

From my free 30 minute consultation all the way through interview preparation, I was thoroughly impressed with Nisha’s enthusiasm and willingness to help however and whenever I needed it. Thanks to Nisha and mbaMission, I got in to my top choice and I could not be more thrilled!

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You have most likely achieved a fantastic score on the GMAT, boast an impressive GPA from your college or university, and have your sights set on an acceptance to one of the top business schools in the country. I can tell you first hand that all your hard work in undergrad, the grueling hours of your first jobs and the secluded weekends of GMAT studying aren’t enough. Some of the smartest people you will never meet will be rejected from the schools to which you will apply. They will have better grades from a better school, higher GMAT scores, and will have held jobs that makes yours look pedestrian at best. The incredible, almost unbelievable news is that while these variables matter, they are not the only ones that matter and are often not the variables that determine acceptance or rejection at the top schools.

I was a product manager at a medical device company, but before that, I was a salesperson. I had a non-business undergrad major and never considered myself to be an “elite school” kind of guy. In speaking to one of my best friends about applying to business school, he urged me to apply to some of the top programs including Harvard Business School, where he was currently enrolled. I gave a nervous laugh and politely asked him to be serious. He replied “Bud, you have done some pretty incredible stuff so far in your career, even if you don’t think you have.” That’s when he introduced me to Angela.

The chemistry between Angela and I was immediate and while I still wasn’t convinced that I would have a chance at HBS, even with her help, she agreed to take me on as a Round 2 candidate. She was completely upfront about the process. She promised that the output of our time together would be as successful as I wanted it to be, given the amount of effort that I was willing commit. I took her at her word and after a 27 page (single spaced) brainstorming document, countless discussions about what the important themes were throughout my life, and an essay that was edited down from 4500 words after 10 rounds back and forth, I hit the submit button and waited with the hope that I would be awarded an interview and a chance to tell my story in person.

When I walked into the room with my interviewers, they had questions about items in my resume that were less than clear, but mainly, they brought me in to elaborate on the stories that were the fabric of my essay. I was more than happy to relate them in person, and so proud that the stories that Angela helped me to tell were worth 30 minutes of their time.

Angela was right there with me to the end, and she (not my wife nor my mother) was the first person I emailed to celebrate the good news that I had been accepted to Harvard. There is a reason for that. So now, a few words for my friend Angela.

Angela is the greatest gift that you can receive as you look to aim for the stars with this next stage in your pursuit to change the world. She will not do the work for you, but when the world seems as though it has abandoned you and it is you alone that can dictate your fate, you look to your right and there is Angela with you in the foxhole. Throughout the process she wore many hats. She was the cheerleader, the coach, the disciplinarian when I missed an agreed timeline, and the guide that lead me through a deep examination of myself. We are all at a stage in our lives where we believe that this one more thing, this degree or collection of knowledge is the thing that will complete us, transforming us into the people we always wanted to be. What Angela did through her coaching and help in crafting my personal statement was help me realize that the person who I always wanted to be was the person I was already. She showed me through the interpretation of all my answers in my brainstorming document and in her constant probing on the core themes of my essay that this application wasn’t about convincing the admissions committee that I was worthy of their acceptance, but rather about making them aware that I was out there in the world, and that through this introduction, they would have the chance to meet me.

After I was accepted and the whirlwind of transitioning out of work and into school began, I must admit that I had mixed emotions. I was overjoyed that all the hard work had paid off and that I was moving in a direction that I had only dreamed of months before, but I was also a bit sad that the fight was over, and that the transformation and discovery of personal value that Angela had led me through had drawn to a close. Angela did much more than coach me on my personal statement and help me re-format my resume, she objectively evaluated me as a stranger and showed me that who I was deserved the effort that I was about to put in, that the world would be better if I could play a more active role in charting its course, and that my actions and decisions over the past 10 years had made me the person that I hoped that I was. She will always be special to me, and her friendship to this day is a blessing.

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