I couldn't thank Kate enough for her help and support throughout the admissions process. Last summer, after speaking with a number of admissions consulting services, I decided to set up an initial 30-min call with Kate from mbaMission. On that call, Kate analyzed my profile and discussed her thoughts on my application strategy. She wanted me to put my best foot forward and be confident (and not too stressed). For the next six months, we have spent countless hours on essays, short answers, interview preps etc., and Kate has been instrumental to all that. She has been extremely supportive and always reminded me of any important deadlines or deliverables. I'd highly recommend Kate for your admissions process.

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As a career academic and Latin teacher transitioning into sustainability management, I was not your typical MBA applicant. I was making a major career shift and I’m confident that, without Katharine’s guidance, I would not have had the success I did. In just the initial consultation, Katharine helped me create a focused and direct action plan. She guided me through the creation of a narrative that both highlighted my achievements and captured my personality.
Once the applications were in, Katharine led me through mock interviews and the development of an elevator pitch. She boosted my ability to speak with confidence and clarity about my goals. Before interviewing for USC Marshall—to which I was recently accepted!—Katharine provided me with resources for both school-specific and general information and advice. Currently, I’m waitlisted for NYU Stern and Katharine continues to provide support and aid from reviewing update emails to admissions to creating a game plan to get off the waitlist.

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I worked with Michael to apply to 8 highly competitive full-time MBA programs across Round 1 and Round 2, of which I am attending UCLA Anderson. The process was grueling, but Michael and I charted a course together, working closely to meet the deadlines I set for each application. Michael always responds quickly with pointed questions designed to distill the most important aspects of my story and ensure that they are reflected in my application. Each aspect of the application is crucial and Michael ensures that each component is addressed thoughtfully and holistically captures the candidate that you are. Michael was a pleasure to work with and I would recommend him to anyone applying to business school.

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I was referred to Dan by a friend and used him on an hourly basis for my applications. He was absolutely fantastic throughout the entire process. He was always honest (which I really appreciated), helpful, and responsive. Dan molded my essays and made them that much more detailed, poignant, and meaningful. For my resume, Dan transformed what I thought to be a polished resume to a business school resume ready to be submitted. Throughout the revision process, it was clear to me that Dan's suggestions and feedback were worthwhile to my entire application. Dan consistently set realistic expectations and guided me through a constructive timeline. In the end, I got into my top choice, and I know that I could not have done it without Dan's help. I would recommend him to anyone interested in applying to business school.

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I had Susan during the initial free phone consultation and hired her for a two school package. With her help, I got into 1 of the top 10 schools she helped with and accepted at 2 other Top 10 programs I applied to on the side, admission successes for which I heavily relied on my essay work and application strategies from my work with Susan. Susan is great at identifying and pulling out stories for your essays. First and foremost, she helps you identify your "story" and makes you stick with this story throughout. In this aspect, her marketing background shines through. She really pushes you to be introspective and think about what stories you want to tell in your personal statements. For essays related to "why this school" she ensures that you do your research and, most importantly, is the reinforcement to make sure your story is cohesive and stays on track. Susan also promptly replies to emails and inquires. My advice for those deciding to hire a consultant is to really think about your post-MBA goals and story (personal/professional). If you believe you need help developing these, then hire Susan! I would also add for the cost-sensitive customers, do some research about your top choice schools - particularly focusing on what their essay questions are and what they look for in their applicants. If you are hiring her for a 2-school + package, I would hire for schools that are unique in their application processes and student qualities . Also keep in mind that this is a school-based package. While Susan will go above and beyond for the schools you hire her for, she will stick with the schools she is hired for.

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Applying to business school is a stressful and challenging process that requires a lot of commitment and reflection in order to have a successful outcome. I wanted to hire a consultant that would not only support my goals but also set realistic expectations throughout the process. After an introduction call with Melissa, I felt she was the perfect fit for me. I immediately felt I was talking to a close friend. There are not enough words to describe why deciding to work with Melissa has been one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. Melissa was honest, responsive, supportive, and motivating every step of the way.
Melissa really excelled every step of the process. Here are some observations:
Brainstorming. This is the backbone of the application process. During this stage you have to self-reflect about every milestone in your life and write about them in a brainstorming document. Even though I drafted a very detailed brainstorming document, Melissa asked me multiple follow-up questions, genuinely showing her interest in getting to know me better and understand my story. Melissa was of great help to me when it came to decide which program to apply to – she even proposed me to apply to a program I thought it was a reach for me (this shows her interest in obtaining the best outcome for the applicant and not in improving her personal stats).
Essays. Melissa made the essay writing easy, efficient, and fun. I really appreciated how Melissa constantly pushed me to dig deeper into the details of my story. During this stage she was always fast at turning over reviewed essay drafts (much faster than the 48-hour stipulated turnaround). I liked that Melissa was forthcoming and honest when she felt an essay wasn’t strong enough or required a fresh start.
Interviews. Melissa and I had one-hour prep sessions before each interview. These sessions were extremely helpful as it gave me a lot of confidence and made me feel comfortable by the time I walked into the interviews. Melissa helped me prepare my answers in advance and taught me how to adapt my answers to specific questions.
You can’t go wrong with Melissa. She was largely responsible for my successful outcome. With Melissa’s guidance, I was admitted to Kellogg, Booth, and Fuqua.

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I came to Susan while in the midst of studying for the GMAT, exploring MBA programs, and uncovering my post-MBA goals (all within a very short deadline for round 1). Susan structured the overwhelming process, ensuring I was set up for success. She contributed several key insights that helped my application become significantly more competitive, while providing thoughtful perspective and ideas for how to craft my experiences into a compelling story. She provided a deep understanding of what admissions was hoping to uncover within the essay prompts, and helped me to generate ideas to demonstrate my aptitude/qualifications and my passion. With her help, I was admitted to a top 5 MBA program.

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I started looking for an admissions counselor in March for Round 1 deadlines in September. Of the six free consultations that I did with various admissions counselors, Melissa’s really stuck out in that she was extremely genuine, acknowledged both the strengths and weaknesses in my candidacy, and was very relatable. I also liked how Melissa had her MBA from Kellogg (one of my target schools) and had ad com experience. I hired Melissa in around May.

Even though the applications weren’t due until September, I am glad that I was able to start prepping with Melissa as soon as possible. Our initial meeting was over an hour reviewing my brainstorming document, where we came up with a variety of vignettes and themes that resonated throughout all of my essays. Melissa was also able to provide tremendous value in my resume; she helped me concisely describe the variety of roles and responsibilities that I’ve had throughout my career and the “so what” factor that would resonate with the ad com.

The biggest challenge in my candidacy was my test score. I switched from the GMAT to the GRE and took the GRE twice in June and July. When I told Melissa my score, she encouraged me to take the GRE one more time….with the only availability on the day before my first application was due in September! Luckily since all my applications were complete except for the test, I had the capacity to take the test and I finally crushed it!
Melissa was also very helpful with the interview prep – she helped me figure out other elements of my candidacy that I should talk about that weren’t addressed in my resume or essays.

Ultimately, I was accepted to all four schools that I applied to (Kellogg, Haas, Ross, Fuqua) with substantial scholarship money to all but one. Melissa had more faith in my candidacy than I had in myself….as we were prepping for interviews she said she thought I would have some tough decisions in a few months. Melissa also helped me with my tough decision…we talked through the strengths and weaknesses of each school for an hour and she helped me feel comfortable with my decision.

I couldn’t have done it without Melissa! She’s the best!

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The Beginning:

Once I decided I wanted to apply to the top full-time MBA programs, I reached out to several highly-rated admissions consulting firms. After numerous conversations and profile evaluations, I chose to work with Heidi. To me, Heidi checked all the boxes and more: MBA grad (Chicago Booth), admissions committee experience (Chicago Booth), impressive background (MBB consulting), and exceptional reviews. But most importantly, during our initial phone call, I felt a strong connection with Heidi and believed she had a genuine interest in me and my goals.

Working with Heidi:

Heidi did an excellent job of turning what can be an overwhelming process into a manageable game plan. She was with me every step of the way. When we were brainstorming for essay content, she left no stone unturned. Her feedback on my essays, resume, and short answers was clear and invaluable. She was also a terrific mock interviewer. Additionally, Heidi suggested certain activities that I believe helped strengthen my candidacy.

For me, the MBA journey has been a time of deep reflection. I felt very comfortable working with Heidi and never had second thoughts about running an idea by her or sharing a story I never told anyone. In fact, she now probably knows me better than most of my friends do!

The Result:

I was accepted to my dream school (M7) and will be attending this fall! I truly believe Heidi helped maximize my chances of getting into an MBA program. Heidi is not only an amazing admissions consultant, but also an incredible mentor and person. I feel very fortunate to have worked with her. I highly recommend Heidi!

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Susan is truly an invaluable asset in the MBA admissions process. I was very nervous going into the process, as I was coming to the table with a non-traditional educational background (social sciences undergrad degree), a non-quantitative job, and good, but not amazing, test scores. From the beginning, Susan worked tirelessly to get to know me on a personal level and what was unique about me; using her background in marketing, she refers to herself as your “personal brand manager” throughout the process. As we prepared my applications, she consistently questioned and challenged my assumptions about my motivations for getting an MBA and my future career plans to help me narrow down my exact goals, which helped immensely during essay writing, networking with the schools, and interviewing. As other reviewers mentioned, Susan is tough, but in my opinion, in the best way possible. She puts so much time and effort into making your application the absolute best it can be with copious thoughtful comments and revisions to essays and pointed questions during brainstorming and interview prep. At every step of the process, Susan was by my side, simultaneously pushing me forward and cheering me on.

Thanks to Susan’s help, I was accepted to 3 out of the 3 schools I applied to with her, two of which we both agreed were reaches and one where I received a full ride. Every time I found out I got in somewhere, Susan was one of the first people I wanted to tell. If you’re considering getting a consultant to go through this process (which I absolutely believe you should), I would 110% recommend hiring Susan!

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