I used the Complete Package for one school with Jessica and really regretted buying that. I chose her because of all the amazing reviews posted here, but now I doubted how many of the reviews really came from real happy clients. I got dinged with no interview for the school I had her help with the application, but I got nearly full scholarship for the school I built the application myself. Both schools are top schools so it is somehow fair enough to compare. For anyone intends to use Jessica's service, please really consider my experience with her:
PROs:
- On-time turnaround
- Helpful with 1-2 first review of the essay
CONs:
- I received far less customized advice than I expected from a ~$5K package. For example, when I send the application form (not the essay), I will received the reviewed document with most of the revisions related to wording or grammar. But those wording and grammar revisions will not help me get admitted. It should be the advice such as with all the information I gave her about me, which info I should or should not choose to put in the application. Or if I showed myself as an entrepreneur, I should be aware that the valuation of my start-up is the key for the school to judge, etc. I never got her advice on the important details to make my application become a stronger one even after I tried to ask several times. All I could get was just revisions on essay, but the essay I wrote myself got me nearly full scholarship anyway so that kind of support from her was really not that helpful for me. I was very disappointed that her service is just similar to or even worse than what I got from my friends' help.
- No point using the complete package which is a big investment. I found the helpful thing she gave is mostly about 2 first reviews for my essay. For other tasks in the process, I was very disappointed. My mock interview with her is only 20 min long (and I can only have one mock interview with that package). Her comments for that was something like I did well already, no need for much improvement. That kind of comment was terrible, seriously I did not spend ~$5K for that. I found out that the mock interviews I had with other MBA students were extremely far more helpful and customized to my case than from her.

In general, I found that Jessica's service was totally not worth my investment. If you intend to choose her because of all the flattering reviews here, please be more skeptical.

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Harshad's help was incredible and put me in a position to choose between offers from Top 10 schools. I don't believe I would have been as successful without his help, and here are his strengths to support why -

1) He is exceptional at distilling your experiences and actions into clear and compelling messages that can be understood by admissions committees. For someone who has a tendency to dive right into the complexities of situations, this was incredibly helpful.

2) As other reviews have stated, his feedback is concise, direct, insightful, and constructive. He regularly suggested course corrections that ended up producing excellent application materials.

3) He is an incredibly hard worker who has your best interests in mind. He always provided feedback in a very timely manner and rest assured that when crunch time comes, he will not be the bottleneck in the process.

4) While he frequently does have strong views on materials, he was always more than happy to get on the phone for additional brainstorming and to thoroughly go over any questions or doubts I had. This combination of conviction with the willingness to discuss how to improve upon his suggestions further by taking them in new directions is a powerful combination that ensured materials were completed efficiently and effectively.

In addition to all of the skills and traits mentioned above, perhaps what I have valued most is his persistent realism and optimism. While he does not sugar coat anything, he always sees a path to success and is clear about what it will require. I have absolutely no doubts about recommending that you hire Harshad. I am thankful I did.

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I had a challenging story to communicate (white male, finance background, weak GMAT, career pivot, location pivot, etc.) but Julie did an amazing job of working with me to craft a compelling and unique story for each MBA program that I considered. In addition, I was an extremely demanding client (applied to nine top MBA programs) yet Julie always rose the occasion when deadlines arrived. She went above and beyond for me several times throughout the application process and I am very thankful that I selected her as my consultant. Highly recommend to any MBA candidates looking at hiring a consultant!

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When I came to Jen I was a reapplicant with an incredibly low GRE score and I'd been told by pretty much every other service I wouldn't be getting into any top 30 school, let alone a top 10.

Jen knew exactly what to do, she was kind, honest, and quick with reviews. She helped me to dig deep in my essays and address quantitative deficiencies in a smart way. Always encouraging and rooting for me every step of the way. She was an incredible resource for interview prep and respected time constraints, never pushing me to buy a bigger package but being realistic about what we could accomplish in our time. I never would have been prepped for my Wharton HCM interview without her!

I ended up waitlisted at Haas, Ross, and Wharton and Jen again helped to provide a unique update that helped me to stand out in the process.

I took myself off of the Ross and Wharton waitlists when I was accepted into Haas in June and couldn't have done it without her. Thank you Jen and do yourself a favor and use her to get into your dream school!

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I worked with John in 2018-2019 using MBA Mission's Start to Finish package for 5 different schools. Overall the experience was great!

John is great at brainstorming and helping you articulate your key talking points. As someone who knew almost nothing going into the process, it was very helpful to have John guide me through the process. He helped tremendously with brainstorming and editing. Also, once we got interview invites, his interview prep was particularly helpful. This was one of the most helpful features for me, because walking into my interviews I felt very calm and prepared because I had done so much practice already with John.

I come from a non-traditional background, and don't have too many coworkers or friends getting MBAs, so it was very helpful to have John's expertise along the way.

I ended up getting into Stern, CBS & Booth with John's help! I'll be joining CBS next year!

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If you look in the dictionary for the definition of PHENOMENAL, you will see a photo of Debbie Choy. All thanks to Debbie, I am headed to a top 10 program this fall and I could not be more thrilled!!! Debbie went above and beyond in every single way for me. Debbie’s talent as a coach and a partner, her ability to highlight the most compelling parts of your story, her constant cheerleading and her honest but casual style are just 4 of many things that make her an all-star MBA consultant. If you want to work with the best, work with Debbie. No contest. When I got into my dream school, she said “OMG, I HAVE LITERAL TEARS OF JOY” – that’s how close we got and how dedicated she is to your success.

I worked with Debbie on a 6 school package. I have a very non-traditional background: many years working in high technology, Humanities double major from a top public university and definitely more of a “poet” than a “quant”. I also had a well below average GMAT score. I opted to go with Debbie because 1) I didn’t want to go through the process blind, 2) I wanted to get the application process right the first time (versus re-applying) and 3) Debbie went to a school I have the utmost respect for. I also work for a startup and my schedule is crazy – I needed someone to be the “hammer” and make sure I got things done on time. I wanted to present myself in the best possible light and given how unique my background was, I didn’t really know how to shape my narrative. Enter Debbie!

My results blew me away: 2 straight admits w/ 1 scholarship, 4 waitlists (Dartmouth Tuck, UVA Darden, NYU Stern and CMU Tepper). I expected to get into 1 school max – not to have multiple options. And I cleared the waitlist at my dream school and am headed there!

I’ll never forget our kickoff call when I told her how many schools I was applying to (hint: 10+). Debbie just smiled and said “Ok, it’s all about execution then!” She was constantly positive, always up-lifting. From taking the GMAT multiple times to then taking the GRE to dealing with one of my recommenders bailing last minute, Debbie was consistently calm, cool and collected (even when I certainly was not). She always helped me find creative solutions, pushed me to produce the highest quality drafts I could and really helped me present myself in the strongest possible way. If an essay was headed in the wrong direction, she wasn’t afraid to tell me and have us start over – which was very confidence-inspiring. She remembered key aspects of my story and found new ways to tell the same story in a way that would appeal to each school. I was so impressed with the depth of Debbie’s knowledge; for instance, the way we prepped for my Darden interview was completely different than how we prepped for Tuck. In applying to so many schools, I even accidentally sent her a document for one of the schools I was not working with her on – and she reviewed it! When I offered to retroactively pay her, she declined and just said she “hoped it was helpful”. She is one of the most kind-hearted, dedicated and altruistic people I’ve worked with through my career. When I was in “waitlist purgatory” for what felt like forever, Debbie helped me figure out creative ways to update AdComs and keep the ball rolling. And, most significantly, she demonstrated boundless empathy and support for me during a year where I lost a family member midway through the application season, completely unexpectedly. I could not have asked for more from an admissions consultant - who has since become a friend.

Despite how much self-doubt I had through the process, Debbie consistently built me up and never acted like my many silly questions about short answers on the applications were silly. The application process is stressful: you feel the highest of highs and the lowest of lows and the waiting in between can drive you crazy. Debbie was there through it all – reviewing essays I had grown tired of reviewing, pushing me to produce the best possible drafts and even making herself available to one of my recommenders if he had questions. She really gets on the same side of the river as you and is side-by-side with you as you navigate this stressful and intense process. You have to work with Debbie. I would do it all again if I could – and I’m already jealous of the lucky folks who get to work with her this application season.

Knowing I want to go into tech entrepreneurship, Debbie told me: “If you ever start a company, I want to be one of your investors”. :) Well, what you invest in the process with Debbie you will get back tenfold.

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Wow! What a hardworking consultant. Harshad will spend as much time as you need to make sure you feel 100% confident in your application/ interview/ whatever really!

He does an amazing job at helping you dig deep to find your strengths and ultimately, your story. Harshad never once was late with an email or deadline and honestly exceeded my expectations in every area.

Going in to the process I was highly skeptical that a consultant would be necessary/ worth the money. After going through the process I keep recommending my friends to use a consultant/ Harshad specifically.

I used a five school package for R2 and felt like the extra push from a consultant in terms of helping you spend more time on each app was well worth the effort as well. In short, when you work with a consultant you will spend MUCH more time on apps but it will be all worth it in the end. I promise.

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I was referred to mbaMission by my GRE counselor a few months prior to submitting my application to Stern's part-time program. I was a bit reluctant to spend more money on my application, but I decided to sign on for a starter package, and I'm so happy I did (I ended up extending my time). My initial hope was that I would receive guidance on my essays and other components of my application. I ended up receiving indispensable counseling on most/all components of my application, but my counselor, Jessica, also helped me to prioritize tasks for my application. She was also very responsive and helped answer all of my questions regarding the application process, etc. (truly all of my questions). Highly, highly recommend this service...well worth the investment.

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I’ve worked with Krista Nannery for the second round of my MBA application. Words cannot describe how much Krista has helped me along the way, but I shall try. And I hope you read through this long review to understand how awesome Krista is.

Without Krista’s help, in the first round, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I have a decent profile, a good GMAT score, and I thought I didn’t need the help of an admission consultant. After all, years ago when I applied to engineering grad school, I did it myself and received admissions to all schools that I'd applied to, including household names such as Stanford/MIT/Berkeley, and some even provided me full ride. I thought applying to business school would be no different, that I would apply to a couple top schools, and some will accept me for sure.

The outcome of my first round application was disastrous to say the least. I was getting dinged left and right by top schools, and the ones that didn’t reject me outright put me on waitlist.

I knew I needed help. Applying to business school is hard. It’s more than just a good profile and good GMAT score. It’s about how you present yourself, it’s about what to put in front of the admission office with the limited amount of space, it’s about your own brand. I was lucky that I didn’t apply to one of my dream schools – Chicago Booth in the 1st round, and I started my application in the 2nd round with Krista’s help.

My essays changed drastically with Krista’s guidance. We had discussion back and forth about my experience and what to present/how to present with the limited space. Whenever I sent Krista my essay, she almost always replied in about 24 hours, even though the contractual requirement is 48 hours. Her comments are thoughtful and direct, starting from the structure and content selection of the essays, to the detail wording that would make me shine the most. You’ll be surprised by how knowledgeable Krista is about what makes the best case for the candidate, and how she helps you put your profile in the best light possible.

Indeed, the two Booth essays are the best ones I was able to put together in the entire application process. Additionally, Krista also advised me on how to better communicate with my recommenders about what might be helpful to include.

And so I received the interview invite from Booth, the first and only M7 invite I got in the entire process. Krista then helped me prepare for the interview, from my content, to my demeanor, from the traditional Why MBA/Why now/Why Booth questions, to the more specific ones for Booth from her knowledge and mbaMission’s data base. I’m confident to say that I did well in my interview.

Remember I was waitlisted in the 1st round? Krista also helped me strategized about what to do and additional material to be submitted for these waitlisted schools. But what made Krista an amazing consultant wasn’t just all the material/strategy help she provided. What set Krista apart was the fact that she truly cares about me. She cares about what I was going through, and encouraged me through the hard parts. For me, this is the most important part, because when I receive bad news in the process, I don’t want to share with my family as I don’t want them to worry. But I had no problem sharing my news with Krista, be it good news or bad news, because I knew she is my friend. I knew Krista would be ecstatic if it was good, and I knew she would give me as much support as possible if it was bad. I always felt that she was equally invested in my case, and we were in this together.

When the time came, I got into Booth! Moreover, I got off the waitlist for Haas and Yale SOM as well! Like I said, Krista has much to do with all these acceptances.

But Krista doesn’t stop here! As I said, she was truly invested in my case, and when I had trouble deciding among Booth/Haas/SOM, she even connected me with her personal connections that went to these schools so I can discuss with them! Additionally, Krista has quite an international background and a great understanding of China/Southeast Asia, and thus she was able to provide me with tremendous amount of knowledge about different schools’ resources in the international stage. If this is not caring, I don’t know what is!

Everybody says that an MBA is a life-changing experience. I haven’t gone through it yet, but I can honestly say that the application process for me has already been a perspective-changing journey. It challenges me to reflect on what I’ve done so far in my life, and what I want to do in the next phase. In retrospect, to go through this process successfully, you need hard work, you need strategy, you need preparation, and most importantly, you need supports from a friend that is equally invested in you. I can vouch that Krista has provided me with all these at the highest level and then some, and I’m lucky to have her helping me along the way!

Thank you Krista! I wholeheartedly recommend her service for future applicants!

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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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