Working with Jeremy Shinewald from mbaMission was a gift and a pleasure. I signed up with him a mere 3 weeks before my Round 2 deadlines. I figured “the leverage” of using a somewhat pricey consultant made sense for a couple reasons – (1) If I get into my dream school, it leads to huge dividends for my future and (2) If I get awarded financial scholarships, on an immediate monetary level, the consulting services pay for themselves…I am fortunate to say that both outcomes happened to me. I got into my dream school and with a $25k+ scholarship.

I chose mbaMission because they were referred to me by ManhattanGMAT which I had an amazing experience with. I chose Jeremy because he is the founder of mbaMission and happened to be the only consultant available for my very short 3-week timeline.

Jeremy in particular, added a phenomenal amount of value to me personally and my applications. On a personal level, he helped me do some soul-searching and gain clarity on what I wanted, my past experiences and my strengths. As a “Type A” type of person, I can often be hard on myself and Jeremy helped me see a bigger and wider picture. On application materials, Jeremy truly went above and beyond, turning around tons of work back to me on tight deadlines (i.e., hours) without charging me an extra penny and despite the “two-business-day response” in our contract. The quality of Jeremy’s writing skills are tremendous and he understood the schools I was applying to on a much better level than I could from my own research.

In short, I highly recommend mbaMission and Jeremy. Whether you choose to go with them, I highly suggest taking advantage of the free 30-minute session as that short call on its own added a lot of value to me plus gave me a feel of their services without having to pay anything.

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My stats: 740 GMAT/3.3 GPA/5 years WE in tech. I applied late in the game (took the GMAT end of Otc, applied for Round 2 to 5 schools starting in late Nov).

I took the Manhattan Prep course and they recommend mbaMission so I signed up for the 30 minute free consultation with Monica. She was absolutely on-point, pointing out weakness in my EC and providing feedback on my target schools. It was such a productive session I signed up for a package deal for hourly consulting. Given the price of business school, the price of consulting seems absolutely worth it, especially given the potential pain and price of having to apply again if you don't get in to a target school.

I worked with Brian Eng, who was really helpful in a number of key ways:

1. He listened to my story, helped me understand and reflect on what exactly I wanted, and how I could fine-tune my goals and express continuity from where I was to where I wanted to go. He didn't re-write my story or push me to change anything so much as say something to the effect of "it sounds like you want to be involved in X in the long term, why not spell that out as your long term goal?"

2. He provided very pointed feedback about line items in my essays as well as general thoughts on gaps I needed to fill or directional issues in my essays. This was always according to my asks however. I would generally request either high level review to start with, and then ask for more line item reviews when I got to a later draft.

3. He would match my quick pace during phone calls so we could get the most out of our time. I really appreciate that because there were some essays I would have a lot of questions about and others I would have just a few pointed questions about. Some of my questions were really broad e.g. of these 5 ideas, which one do you think best addresses this prompt and shows a new side of me? He was great at getting to the point and moving quickly from topic to topic as per my request.

4. He helped me figure out what each essay questions was really trying to "get at" in terms of what schools wanted to find out about me. Rather than telling me what kind of stories to use, he would point out that certain essays were better answered with personal rather than professional anecdotes, or constantly explain how much more school-sspecific and tailored I would need to make my essays. Ultimately the big questions are why b school, why now, why this one, short term goal, long term goal. And Brian helped me determine which essay or place in the application I would be best served putting each answer since it's not always possible or advisable to answer all those items in one prompt.

If I had any constructive feedback, it would be that I was expecting a touch more hands-on help in terms of help brainstorming essay ideas and responsiveness, but those were both mostly driven by the fact that I was in a time crunch and very stressed. That said, it was fairly minor and I appreciated that he encouraged me at every turn and mentioned he had been in a similar situation when he applied for schools. Ultimately, he helped me get accepted to 2 top 10 schools, both my top choices.

In terms of how "worth it" the service is, I definitely think from a price perspective it is worth it given how much you're already paying for business school and applications. The best way to optimize the service's worth is to brainstorm questions and ideas before calls/emails and hit all your concerns at once. From an application management perspective, it's absolutely worth it if you don't have a lot of people who have previously applied to help you out. I also really appreciated all the free school guides the website provides!

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I would definitely recommend mbaMission and specifically John. He was always timely with his edits to my essays and provided in-depth commentary & edits to every draft. For me, it was helpful to know someone who is an expert in the space had viewed my documents, almost giving them a seal of approval before sending off to schools. Since I applied Round 2, my essay writing/reviews fell over the holidays but John was still checking emails and communicative about drafts etc. Last, mbaMission has so many helpful documents and white papers to help you navigate the process - I found them really helpful and reassuring as I faced each step of the admissions process.

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I had a great experience working with John Sisk from mbaMission on my essays, resume and short answers. It was great to have a third party who really knows what he is doing and has no bias towards my writing/content. With his support, I was accepted into my top two schools (HBS and Columbia). I would highly recommend working with him.

(1) John pushed me. Each time that I thought I’d nailed it, he’d reply with insightful feedback, always asking why….why did I want to do X in my career, why does Y motivate me...He challenged me, pushing me to take each aspect of my essays to the next level, really examining my motivations and how they play into my overall story. He is an expert in the space and helped me to dig deeper to product essays I was really proud of.

(2) That said, he never stressed me out. He consistently offered great advice, stayed patient, kept me calm and on track, and helped me get my essays across the finish line. He was honest, straightforward and optimistic.

(3) I was late to the game and I wish I’d allowed for more time. John was always responsive, but 2 business day turnarounds can add up when you’re close to deadlines (and holiday breaks are upon you). We had a lot of essays going back and forth (and ended up wasting costly $$ b/c I was sending John multiple versions to review at a time due to the pending deadlines). Make sure to take this into account + reach out as early as possible.

(4) Before I began working with mbaMission, I spent a lot of time reading sample essays and brainstorming. I ended up overwhelmed and wasting time. I wish that I had reached out to John sooner in the process for his guidance in how to approach the essays and structure my thinking.

It was costly, but entirely worth the investment. To have an unbiased expert was invaluable

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Before I get into the review, a few items about myself:
1.) American who was born/raised in the Chicagoland area.
2.) I'm at a company that works with utilities and renewable energy developers across North America. My job function is a structural engineer.
3.) Undergrad GPA: 3.30, Masters GPA: 3.28
4.) GMAT: 750 (6.0 AWA, 7 IR, 50 Quant, 42 Verbal)
5.) I'm extremely involved with a structural engineers association and other engineering societies.

I'm a somewhat unorthodox candidate (given that I'm a structural engineer as opposed to a mechanical or electrical) who really needed help. While I knew that I wanted to get into business school, I wasn't quite certain I could do it by myself. So, I enlisted Monica to help me craft my story. As some here have echoed, she won't do the work for you. You will need to do the brainstorming and the writing of the essays. She will help you craft your story as well as edit the essays to really bring out the best person you can be so that the admissions staff sees a polished candidate.

I knew that I couldn't really articulate why I wanted to go to b-school and Monica helped me find the real reasons why I wanted to go. When I got done with the essays, she would tear them apart (in a good way) and ask all the questions to prod me towards finished and cohesive essays that presented a consistent narrative. She also looked at my weaknesses (relatively lower GPAs for undergrad and grad school) and we were able to be proactively address those in optional essays to go on the offensive instead being reactive. She also made certain that I understood the industries that I was going into, so that I had a clear idea of what I was talking about. Before I submitted my applications, she did a final review of my applications (after I had done it 3-4 times) to make certain I didn't miss anything. After I got interview requests from multiple schools, she helped me with interview prep so that I properly communicated what my passions were and how I felt I was going to be an asset to the schools that I applied to.

Bottom line, Monica helped me tremendously. She helped a seemingly hopeless structural engineer figure out what the next steps were so that I could get to where I needed to be. While the hourly rates were truthfully very highly, I felt as though it really helped me get to where I wanted to be and I wouldn't have done it any other way.

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I really enjoyed working with Monica as I applied to b-school for the fall of 2017. After looking through a couple of consultants across a few different companies, I chose Monica given client testimonials online, her prior experience in banking/finance (my field), and the fact that she had earned her MBA at HBS (my #1 choice). I planned to be very efficient and focused as I applied, and accordingly chose to go with the hourly service to keep me on track.

Right off the bat, Monica's background came in very handy as we edited my resume, since she knew what industry jargon to cut out and how best to highlight my accomplishments / achievements in the workplace.

Regarding my essay, I thought I had a fairly good idea of what wanted to say and submitted my first draft. Monica sent back her first revision with very honest feedback, pointing that though my essay was fine for an initial draft, it lacked a cohesive message or theme to make it easy for the reader to understand my story. A bit discouraged, I called to discuss her feedback, and Monica calmed me down and let me know that we had a lot to work with and that we would be able to craft an essay that spoke to my strengths in a more cohesive manner. After discussing my background in some detail, we identified a theme that ran across different points in my life, and we put together a writing plan based on that theme.

With the more focused plan, the writing process became much more seamless. Monica returned all revisions promptly and really helped me to dig deep and refine the examples that drove home my points. Her warm personality came through in her comments, and she helped me feel relaxed and much more in control of the application process. Since I chose the hourly service, she also kept me regularly posted on how much time I had used up, so that I knew when to buy additional time or when to focus on self-editing instead.

With my much improved essay and resume, I submitted my HBS application and was invited for an interview some weeks later. To prepare, I scheduled a mock session with Monica. Since HBS interviews are customized for each applicant, Monica had read my application and tailored my practice interview to mimic the real thing, instead of asking run-of-the-mill questions. Her feedback on my responses helped me feel better prepared for interview day, and ultimately, some of the questions we practiced came up during my actual interview! This is a testament to how well she understands the admissions process.

For the good news: I was admitted to HBS in December, and can attest to the important role that Monica played in getting me there! I am excited to be enrolling this fall, and appreciate all of her hard work in helping me get my application to where it needed to be. I truly recommend her services for applicants looking for a warm, honest, experienced consultant who's in their corner!

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Selecting the appropriate consultant is not an easy task. Some of you may have the luck to get someone refer a good consultant; but for others, you will have to select someone blindly.
In my case, I was lucky to know about Monica thanks to a friend of mine, who highly recommended me to contact her. He basically told me he got admitted to his top choice thanks to her. So, I trusted him and reached to Monica.
It is important to add that I had a low GMAT (640), so I knew I was starting the process with a disadvantage.
After having the free 30min consultation with Monica, I knew she was the perfect consultant I needed. First, she encouraged me to apply, regardless of my low score, but she made clear that I needed to have an outstanding application to offset the GMAT score. But she was confident we could achieve this if I dedicated time and effort. I accepted the challenge!
As you probably know, the application process is complex and time consuming. You are required to elaborate several essays, short answers, update your resume, elaborate on extra-curricular activities, etc. Basically you need to think carefully every answer. If you first think about it, you might get overwhelmed, overthinking what to say or write, and may be at risk to prepare an application without the proper structure or guidance.
Thanks to Monica, she helped me to straighten my thoughts, brainstorm, dig deeper not only in my professional life, but also in my personal one. This helped getting to know more about myself. She also managed to extract more interesting anecdotes, challenges, that I initially thought weren´t relevant to the essays. Another very favorable point is that her previous experience in HSB admissions helped me understand the viewpoint of the person from the admissions office who would read my application. So, my application ended up like a holistic description of myself. I can even say that she basically ended up knowing me more than some of my family members.
Another favorable aspect is that she helped me prepare with mock interviews which really helped me to loose nervousness, prepare myself, and know which kind of typical questions I would be asked during the actual interview. Thanks to this, I felt confident and when ended my interviews, I felt great!
In retrospect, I can personally affirm that I enjoyed the whole process. I think this should be the whole point, in order to happily dedicate a considerable amount of time, without getting overwhelmed or frustrated.
In the end, I got admitted to the top schools I applied: GSB and Wharton! A dream come true, that I can assure you; it would have never happened if I had not been coached by Monica.
Thank you Monica for everything!

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I decided to work with an admissions consultant mainly to (1) help me tell my overall story in the best way possible, and (2) keep me on track as I was applying to 6 schools all in Round 1. Overall, I was looking for support and a formalized structure to help me through what is by and large a pretty overwhelming process.

I purchased a two-school package and prioritized my top 2 schools of the 6 I applied to. Here are the primary ways that Monica helped me:

(1) Essay brainstorming and editing / refinement process: Going into the MBA admissions process, I knew the gist of what my story would be and had a lot of possible personal and work experiences to pull from. However, where Monica played a huge role was pushing my brainstorming process and lending her admissions expertise to determining the appropriate pairing of specific school essay prompts to the right stories. She also provided very on-point feedback -- through multiple rounds of essay edits -- to sharpen each essay so that it directly answered the prompt and very distinctly highlighted particular strengths or takeaways that would shine in an MBA admissions context (which is different from what most people think is typically "good essay" writing). She would call me out when my writing could be better, but my original voice and intent were never compromised. I believe that Monica really took my essays from good to great, and that was where her guidance helped me the most.

(2) Structure and guidance throughout the entire admissions process: Working with Monica as well as MBA Mission helped to provide a very clear structure and timeline through the entire process, from brainstorming --> essay writing --> interview prep --> post-interview strategy. In addition to the standard MBA Mission resources that you're given (which are all excellent), Monica provides her own tailored guides and supports. Interview prep was also great with Monica, since she delivered necessary feedback in a way that was warm and empathetic, yet still called out clearly what improvements could be made.

(3) Overall support and positive attitude: Throughout the entire process, Monica struck a great balance of providing guidance and insightful, firm recommendations while also maintaining positivity and serving as a supportive sounding board. It was important to me to work with someone whom I could trust and who I enjoyed working with, especially given how stressful the admissions process is. She felt more like a coach and thought partner as opposed to a consultant.

Result: I applied to 6 schools (all ranked in the top 12), interviewed at 5 and was accepted at all schools that I interviewed with, including the two that Monica helped me with. I will be starting at my dream school with a full scholarship in the fall and couldn't be more thrilled. For the other 4 schools that I did not work directly with Monica/MBA Mission on, I wrote slightly different essays but was able to translate overall concepts from Monica's essay feedback and her interview preparation to those programs as well.

Overall, I really enjoyed working with Monica. She was very thorough with her feedback, responsive to all of my emails and questions, and thoughtful about her edits and advice. I'm incredibly grateful to have worked with her through the admissions process.

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I worked with Nisha Trivedi on an hourly basis throughout my application process. She primarily helped me with resume review, essay review and managing my acceptance letters. One of the best parts of her help, was the efficiency. I was able to have one resume reviewed, three essays and the acceptance letter work done in under two hours.

The service was well worth the money and I would absolutely use it again. I applied to four schools and with Nisha's help, was accepted at all of them. I found it incredibly valuable to have a professional to help me navigate the admissions process and would highly recommend to any prospective students.

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I had a great experience working with Kate from mbaMission! She was extremely responsive and guided me through everything I asked for. I was never stressed out during the process and felt a lot more confident about my application after working with Kate.

I started off the MBA process early and did a lot of research and prep on my own but decided to try out a free consultation with mbaMission just to see what they had to say. After 30 minutes with Kate, I learned so much about what it really takes to be a strong applicant and realized I had much more work to do.

I used the hourly services because I was already at the resume and essay stage of the process when I first started working with Kate. I was a little worried about using the hourly services given I had no control over how long someone else took to look over my material but Kate was quick and timely with all her responses! I never felt like she was wasting my time and trying to get me to buy more hours.

Kate provided great feedback on both my resume and essays - she gave me tips to help me come up with better examples and stories that really showed the type of candidate I was. Having a third-party, especially one so experienced and smart, read my essays was invaluable. Kate's unbiased feedback helped me better understand which examples to use for which schools. Her notes were very easy to follow and she also got back to me with feedback way ahead of our set deadlines - allowing me to constantly make updates.

I'm very grateful to Kate for helping me get into one of my top choices. I'm glad I used an admission consultant because Kate's prior experiences gave me new perspective into how to tackle the process.

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