I partnered with Jessica during my reapplication process to prepare for the HBS interview and post-interview reflection. Her contributions were critical in me getting admitted to HBS.

I first spoke with Jessica when I was putting together my essay for HBS reapplication. While I came to the 30-minute free consultation with multiple, half-baked ideas, Jessica quickly grasped the essence of the story I wanted to convey and shared a couple of powerful narratives to shape my story better. She cut through the noise and helped me find the central theme for my essay. As a reapplicant, I had a bunch of questions that she answered extremely patiently and more importantly, candidly.

I reached out to Jessica again once I got invited to interview with HBS for interview preparation. During the mock interview, Jessica's diligence and preparation were visible as her questions covered the depth and breadth of my application. She has a great pulse of the admission committees’ though process and some of the mock interview questions came up in my final interview! Her feedback was well-rounded, focusing on the content of my answers as well as the softer aspects of communication. Thanks to her I felt confident walking into the interview.

However, the thing that stood out the most for me was Jessica's "at-cause professionalism". In a process that can be stressful due to tight timelines, she ensured timely discussions and delivery of deliverables. Even the one instance where she was unavailable, she let me know months in advance and ensured that I was tagged to another consultant for support. Jessica always went out of her way to share material/suggestions, irrespective of whether I was working with her or not.

While we worked together for only a few months, I wish I had come to her in my first year of applications. She is a wonderful thought partner to have by your side as you navigate through B-school applications.

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My overall experience with mbaMission and especially my consultant, Gavriella, was excellent!

I elected for the hourly service, for the flexibility and because I knew which schools I wanted to apply to, but in no way did this detract from the highly personalised guidance I received.

My busy work schedule and different time zone were also no impediment; Gavriella was able to work around me and help with essay editing, deciding on which stories to discuss and eventually on interview preparation as well. I received first-class coaching for every step of the application, tailored specifically to me.

Gavriella was very knowledgeable about the idiosyncrasies of each school's application process and took time to understand my background, my goals and exactly how I should present my narrative.

I found most useful the open and honest feedback. I felt Gavriella really wanted my application to be the best that it could be. I am very excited to start business school later this year and am sure I could not have been successful without the help of mbaMission.

Gavriella is a fantastic advisor and a lovely person - I could not recommend her services high enough!

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I first started with Jessica for CBS and Wharton. The best part about working with her is the first Brainstorming Session. After this session, your more or less in great shape for your essays.

Ultimately, I got accepted to both schools in Round 1. With a scholarship from Wharton!

Because of my confidence in getting into two schools, I thought I would apply to HBS myself in Round 2. Big Mistake! The essay was the most challenging, especially when there is no word limit. I was too verbose and was losing the plot.

I decided to take her up one last school with literally a month to go for my deadline. She was really accommodating to take on this application despite her prior commitments. She mentioned " I always have time for my clients", which was really sweet. Her advice was exactly what I needed and ultimately led to my acceptance.

In short, pick Jessica at mbaMission as she is a great listener and at the end of the day, you want someone to hear you out completely before they advise you on structuring your application.

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Helen was very patient in guiding me through the whole process. She was super responsive to emails and I got feedback usually the same day/next day. She was also very flexible with phone calls, even if I was just perplexed or wanted a quick mock. Overall, I found Helen's style to be encouraging, frank and not pressuring at all, which worked well for me. She really helped steer me in the right general direction and was able to spot interesting elements from my drafts to make sure I've highlighted them. I got into both M7 schools I worked with Helen, and definitely couldn't have done this without her help!

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TLDR: Do yourself a favour, choose Jessica Shklar and forget everything else.

First Impressions:
Meeting Jessica via the free consultation (4-school package for R2 apps) sold me on working with her. I had had preview sessions with two other top firms, but those felt cold and artificial compared to Jessica’s style. At the time, I was in the process of studying for my GMAT and one other firm was unwilling to start working with me until I completed the exam. I was running out of time for R2 apps, and Jessica understood that the application process more often than not is a messy and haphazard process. Coupled with experiencing her deep insight over the 30-minute call, Jessica accommodating the real-world circumstances of busy applicants was yet another mark of her competence in my opinion.

Consultation process:
She was extremely organized which was key in knocking down 4 B-school applications to M7 schools in the period of 4 months, while also providing morale support as I studied for the GMAT. There were established rules in place to maintain the organization and flow of essay reviews, brainstorming chat etc, but when it mattered, she was willing to go above and beyond, working day and night and even with at one point with a badly sprained wrist (on her dominant hand)! And she came through more than once.
Regarding essays, Jessica is not merely an editor - she is storyteller and muse. Initially, when you do try your best to describe your own life, you realize how it pales in comparison to the final draft. This is not because it is embellished or anything like that; it’s because she helps you tease out your motivations and cogent reasons behind the key plots in your story and stitches it in a way that is amazing. I know she is a habitual reader (sometimes finishing books in a single day) and so story telling isn’t just a job - it’s part and parcel of who she is, and this benefit is reflected in the essays she helps you with.

Conclusion:
One of the first things she helps you with is review any pre-existing school choices you’ve made. She gets to know you and then accessed for compatibility with your POST-MBA goals, your dreams and your personality. Clearly, she isn’t just trying to crank out essays, or maximize admit rates for her firm. She genuinely wants to mold your application to represent the best version of yourself. She cannot guarantee outcomes (no consultant can), but you leave with a feeling of extreme satisfaction in the effort put towards application. I got into one of them, but it was not my dream school unfortunately. But the fact that I still write this review is testament of the positive force that is Jessica Shklar. I gained more than just an elite application package; I also gained a renewed understanding of myself.

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I had started working with a different consultant when I had started my application process for the 2021 intake. However, a few weeks before the deadline, I was not very convinced with my application and decided to reach out to MBAMission based on a trusted friend's recommendation. I had the opportunity to work with Devi over R1 and R2, and I must admit that I was super-impressed with what she did to my application. Apart from highlighting my key work achievements, she was able to identify aspects of me that added uniqueness to the overall application. She was always quick to respond to my emails, and our interactions were crisp and effective. Devi had great clarity on my strengths and weaknesses, and she used to keep responding with suggestions till she was convinced with the final output. I am extremely thankful to Devi for helping me make it to my dream school - Kellogg.

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I worked with Devi from MBAMisson for the R2 2021 app cycle. I was applying to the top 7, schools. I ended up getting interviews for Harvard, INSEAD, and Chicago. I received an offer from INSEAD.

I delayed getting a consultant until the very last minute, thinking that I was able to go through this process on my own. The truth is, there is a lot of general information out there, but without a consultant, it is hard to narrow down the specific advice relevant to your application. Thankfully, the team at MBAMission was able to match me with Devi pretty close to the deadline (12/24). Although it was the holiday season, Devi put in work every day to make sure that my application was as strong as possible. She didn't have to do that, and I really appreciate it.

What I liked most with Devi, is that she will push you to the very end. Her feedback was candid and straight to the point. Admissions consultants are expensive. I appreciated her sensitivity to time and straightforwardness. In the two weeks that I worked with her, I managed to squeeze in over 5 revisions for my essays, and I applied to 6 schools. It really was a lot of work. In all honestly, I was sleep-deprived and exhausted by the end of the process. Without Devi telling me that there was still room for improvement, I wouldn't have been able to push myself that hard. Revision #5 on my Harvard essay was done 4 hours before the deadline. It was Devi that pushed me to rewrite that thing one more time.

Harvard is my dream school. But in truth, my credentials are a bit weak. I did manage to get an interview but was not able to get the offer. Despite this, I don't regret any second spent working with Devi. I am 100% confident, that without her help, I would not have gotten that interview in the first place. Devi knows her stuff very well. I look at the essays I wrote before and after her help, it really is a world of difference. If anyone reading this is interested, PM me, and I will show you the before and after.

Overall, despite my disappointing outcome, I still highly recommend working with Devi. The interview experience alone has given me the self-confidence that I am so-called 'Harvard calibre'. And I'm sure, this sort of self-confidence will continue to pay dividends for the rest of my career. Thank you, Devi.

Best of luck with your applications.

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When I first started looking for a consultant I had many different phone chats with different consultants at different companies and most felt so cookie-cutter & scripted or scorched earth and interested in bending my story to fit what they thought would combat my overrepresented background of white male / private equity.

Immediately upon chatting with Melissa I knew she would be my pick. She genuinely take a deep interest in understanding your whole story and is great at helping you find a way to authentically tell it while also focusing on the aspects that will be most impactful to the adcoms.

Working with Melissa made what at baseline is a grueling process that much better. She kept me on my timeline, was always super encouraging and helped me tell a story in my essays that we both felt strong about. With that said, she also wasn't afraid to stand her ground and tell me when she thought I needed to change something, which was very helpful.

I would not have gotten into HBS and Wharton without her help!!

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I had a frustrating start to my application season, I hired another major consulting firm for Round 1 and struggled significantly to work with my consultant. I turned to mbaMission and Nisha for Round 2 and everything changed. She immediately identified some obvious gaps in my materials, laid out a timeline, and helped me through each step. Her response time was near-immediate on every draft, and she calmed me down so much from my previous state. The hourly service was perfect and I felt like I got even more from her than the comprehensive package I had previously. I got into an amazing school with a large scholarship and I know it's due to mbaMission. All of the free materials alongside the service were super helpful too.

Having gone through this with two major companies I can say confidently that Nisha is the best in the business!

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Rachel was the first MBA consultant I spoke with, and immediately I felt she and I would be a good match. She had a strong ability to be supportive in areas where I didn't feel as comfortable, as well as realistic about what my chances would be for the different schools I was applying to.

Her feedback throughout the process was really honest, and I always felt like she had my best interests at heart and really took the time to get to know me to help me present the best version of myself, which still felt true to who I was as a person. Additionally, her feedback was always timely and I felt she really "got" who I was as a person.

Applying to business school is a lot of work - you're really only going to get as much value out of an admissions consultant as you put in. Having Rachel as a partner throughout the application process was truly an advantage in every way, as she put her all into the entire process from considering schools to interviewing.

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