Strengths:

From the consultant to the company - everyone is invested in you to succeed.

Would make the product better:

None

As I studied for my GMAT, I often lurked on Reddit and P&Q to read up on consultant reviews. But the decision couldn’t have been more challenging when the time came. After talking to 7-8 consultants, I couldn’t find a fit with anyone. Some would often sell themselves, while others would try to sell me dreams. So, I decided to talk to more consultants. This is when I stumbled upon Harshad. An individual who was genuinely interested in my story rather than trying to sell me his services. So much so that after talking to consultants for over 2 weeks, I decided to work with Harshad the same day I spoke to him.
One thing was obvious: Harshad mentioned he is “very direct,” and he means it. He understands that time is of the essence in MBA applications, so there is no time to beat around the bush.
The process was straightforward. Brainstorming sessions, school selection, Resume, essays, interviews, etc…
While looking for a consultant, I also assessed the “firm” they worked for. This became obvious when Harshad sent me the Brainstorming document to fill out. Mbamission’s brainstorming document is long, but filling it out in its entirety allowed Harshad to really get to know me. This made our essay discussions easier because all of my stories were laid out, and Harshad could pinpoint exactly how I could approach the essays.
Things weren’t always easy. Initially, I thought that I had hired a consultant, and with his guidance, I had written my essays, and my job was done. Harshad put a stop to this in our very first essay. What I had written was nowhere close to what we had discussed. He was “direct” in his approach and quick to get on a call to re-discuss, just in case I had missed any details in our initial essay call. It again became evident that Harshad wasn’t willing to settle for less. Even if it meant additional time and resources, he went above and beyond for me to craft the best essays possible.
I also liked Harshad’s “one-school” at a time approach. With 2 months to go for app deadlines, I was wary of this and thought I couldn’t submit it on time. However, he assured me that we would meet the timeline, and we did. The time we invested in our initial essays on one school, made it easier for us on the subsequent schools.
After submitting my applications, Harshad suggested I get some rest, but the job wasn’t done. Slowly, the interviews trickled in, and Harshad quickly set up mock interviews, provided resources on Mbamission’s Ontrack, and assured me I was in the best place possible during my interviews. I enjoyed Harshad’s mock interviews because he threw hard questions at me, ensuring I could think on my feet.
From the interviews to the decisions, Harshad checked in often to ensure I was doing well. He even took the time to check in on my parents during our regular essay calls, showing genuine care and understanding of the personal challenges I had shared about their health. While he is undoubtedly direct and professional, he has a very high emotional intelligence.
I knew hiring a consultant was expensive, but I couldn’t have been happier with my decision to work with Harshad. With Harshad’s help, I was admitted to Yale (with a 50% scholarship), Tuck (with a 50% scholarship), and Darden.
Also, a special shoutout to Jen (also from the mbaMission team), who connected me with Harshad!

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Strengths:

The school package made the application process significantly smoother by allowing me to collaborate closely with Susan every step of the way. With her guidance, every component of my application was thoughtfully addressed, making me feel fully supported and boosting my confidence to perform at my best. From our initial 30-minute consultation, I knew working with Susan would be a game-changer—we connected immediately, and I felt truly understood. Her ability to help me connect the dots and craft my story in a unique and compelling way was invaluable. Additionally, mbaMission's supplementary resources, such as the onTrack video modules, mock interviews, and school-specific guides, played a crucial role in navigating this rigorous process successfully.

Would make the product better:

Given the high price point of these services, I believe it would be invaluable if a portion of the fees supported scholarships for applicants from marginalized backgrounds. This would provide them with the opportunity to work with exceptional consultants like Susan, helping to level the playing field and ensure that everyone has a fair chance when applying to these competitive MBA programs.

Working with Susan has been nothing short of life changing —and I mean that wholeheartedly. After two years of feeling lost in the MBA application process as an international EU student unfamiliar with its complexities, Susan illuminated the path-my path. She empowered me to believe in myself, own my narrative, and boldly tell my story.

With patience, candor, and an unwavering sense of purpose, she coached me into someone who stands taller, speaks with clarity, and believes in herself. From the initial brainstorming to the countless essay drafts and eventually, interview preparation, she provided unwavering support every step of the way. Thanks to her guidance, I was accepted into four top MBA programs—two with scholarships. Beyond admissions success, Susan has strengthened my sense of self-worth, deepened my sense of purpose, and sharpened my ability to drive meaningful change.

If you're seeking an exceptionally smart, knowledgeable, and purpose-driven coach to guide you through the MBA journey, I cannot recommend her highly enough.

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I decided to apply to business school a little later in life than (I believe) most people do. Having started to work full time early on, in the industry I have always been passionate about, I had never heard of MBA programs until I decided to make a career change. The chance of potentially studying in a top business program was a tangible path moving forward and I decided to dive in. As an international applicant with a non-traditional background, I realized I needed support along the application process if I wanted to improve my chances of success - that is when I crossed paths with mbaMission and Julie-Anne.

From the very start, Julie-Anne shared plenty of useful insights in terms of establishing a reasonable and efficient timeline for getting things ready to submit applications. As we started working on my resume, she was able to articulate feedbacks in a candid and effective way, ensuring there was always improvement after each interaction between the two of us. However, she helped me the MOST (yes, it was a lot of help) with my essays. After going through a couple of brainstorming sessions, she was able to identify specific situations and examples to be used in my essays which I would have never been able to identify by myself. After pointing me out in the right direction, she supported me with actionable feedback in every draft along the way, helping me hone each essay based on the specific prompts of each school. After the essays were ready, we worked together on short answers, and the other parts of the application process.

In my opinion, Julie-Anne’s support was instrumental to my success during application season. I applied to 6 of the M7 schools in R1, and have just accepted an offer from one of them.

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Debbie was instrumental to my successful MBA applications. I signed up for her 3-school package, and applied to 3 schools independently. Used in conjunction with the OnTrack resource, I felt well supported in the application process for all of my applications. She was very organized and guided me through each step in the process. After each of our initial brainstorming sessions, I had the necessary guidance to start my essays for each school, and her feedback on each essay helped improve my writing clarity. I do think that in order to make the best use of these services, you need to be very committed to the process and invest the necessary time to engage with brainstorming, essay drafting, etc. With that in mind, highly recommend Debbie!

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I had an absolutely incredible experience working with Debbie! I went into the MBA applications process with very little confidence and a lot of fear given my undergraduate admission experience. I had intro sessions with a few potential counselors, but after my session with Debbie, I knew she was the one I wanted to work with. I was drawn to Debbie’s positive attitude, calmness, and pursuit of excellence. Although the price seems high, Debbie, and the structure of the mbaMission package, quickly helped me gain the confidence back and kept me on track.

I worked on 3 schools with Debbie. Debbie knows how to identify what makes you stand out as an applicant and is extremely effective in helping translate that into your essays. She is kind, understanding, intelligent, and knows exactly what each school is looking for in their candidates. For each school, Debbie gave me highly effective and practical feedback with very impressive turnaround time. As someone who is very detail oriented, I asked so many questions and refined my work often -- Debbie guided me on every single part of each application and answered every single question right up until I hit submit. She helped me find my voice and craft applications that conveyed my best story, where I didn’t even think I had one.

I was not expecting any scholarships, but received a full scholarship from NYU Stern and $50,000 a year at CBS which was my top school. This, on top of the peace of mind that working with Debbie gave me, was well worth the price. I attribute much of this success to Debbie’s guidance and can’t emphasize enough how much I recommend her as a counselor. I felt like she was genuinely invested in my journey and was routing for me along the way!

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Michael's service is exactly what you need when facing tight but aggressive timeline. He worked very hard with me on my two applications. Usually I worked early in the morning and he worked throughout the day until late night so the next day in the morning I can pick up the pace and continue. He was also very responsive, detail-focused, and patient. He holds your hands tight during the process, so stick with the plan strictly as long as you are committed to it. Eventually, I met my two first-round deadlines with a less than one-month schedule, two interviews, and was admitted to my dream program .

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I am a straight Asian male in finance. I am also a triple HSW interviewee who committed to the Stanford GSB Class of 2027 this week. Katharine Lewis is the bridge between those two statements.

When I started my MBA journey, I was intensely focused on finding “the best” MBA consultant to work with. Having heard stories about nightmare consultant experiences from other friends, I compiled a list of the Top 25 consultants I could find and “interviewed” most of them. Katy stood out as the singular consultant who best understood my story, allayed my fears around being an “ORM” candidate (what a ridiculous term), and had the most outstanding reviews. I hope to add this review to her existing pool of glowing testimonials – there is no doubt in my mind that I made the right choice. She is simply #1.

When we first began our essay writing process, I brainstormed and essentially sent her my life biography. While others might have balked at such a large amount of information, Katy simply took it in stride and read the entire thing. During our first session (she even met me in person), she sat down and immediately said, “What stood out to me was XXX theme.” At the risk of sounding cheesy, I heard her suggestion, which I hadn’t thought about myself, and it instantly resonated with me. I stuck with this essay topic for all three school applications, and the results speak for themselves. Just this session alone would’ve been worth the money.

During the actual application process (3 months this summer), I interacted with Katy more than any other human being. By all accounts, I was probably a nightmare client, filled with constant anxiety, self-doubt, and indecisiveness. Through my daily questions, pings, calls, and late submissions, Katy was my emotional bedrock of calmness, strategic advice, and brutal honesty. Katy brooked no bullshit – as a coach, she had a really good sense for when to light a fire under my ass and manage ME, and when to scale back to be patient and understanding. Her advice and edits were always thoughtful and value-additive, without feeling like they were stripping me of my own voice. It was clear she spent real time thinking through my questions and my work, never just offering cursory and generic platitudes.

The day of the Stanford submission deadline, I still had one entire short essay to write that I hadn’t touched. I finished a draft that morning and sent it to Katy, well after our agreed upon final review deadlines. If she had ignored me, I would’ve understood. It was my fault we were in this position to begin with. Instead, Katy spent the entire morning and afternoon iterating with me on this final essay. I submitted my final application at 3:59PM, one minute before the deadline. Katy believed in me when I didn’t even believe in myself. She never wavered in her commitment, even up until literally the last minute. I never once questioned that she was genuinely rooting for my success, well beyond the call of duty.

Then came the interviews – Katy prepared custom mock interviews for each of my three schools. Her mock questions probably covered 75%+ of the actual questions I was asked in each interview. I felt well prepared and confident stepping into the real things. When my decisions came out, Katy was my first call, even before my family and my friends. She was with me through thick and thin, and my successes were just as much hers as they were mine.

Katy is a not an essay copyeditor (although she is good at that too). She is so much more – a strategic advisor, an expert storyteller, a life coach, a therapist, and a friend. Deciding to work with Katy was easily one of the best decisions I made during my MBA process. Coming from someone who was deeply suspicious of paying for MBA consulting, I can tell you that Katy’s services were worth every penny – I could not possibly give a higher recommendation. I simply couldn’t have done it without her.

Katharine Lewis is the Stanford of MBA Admissions Consulting.

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Working with Debbie Choy has been a transformative experience. As a reapplicant to HBS, I was overwhelmed by the challenge of crafting a compelling narrative to convince the admissions team of my fit. Debbie’s expertise, dedication, and strategic insights turned what seemed like an uphill battle into a rewarding journey. She has an extraordinary ability to uncover and highlight the unique elements of your story, presenting them in a way that is authentic and impactful.

Throughout the process, Debbie was not just an advisor but a true partner. Her guidance on essays, interviews, and every nuanced part of the application was invaluable. She offered constructive feedback while respecting my voice and vision. Beyond her skills, her genuine encouragement and unwavering belief in me were game-changing, especially during moments of self-doubt. Thanks to her, I achieved my dream of being accepted to HBS.

I wholeheartedly recommend Debbie to anyone seeking an admissions consultant. Her expertise, warmth, and commitment are unparalleled, and she will bring out the best in you.

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Strengths:

All-encompassing start-to-finish package for clients such as myself seeking to improve and finalize each part of their application -- ranging from resume, to career goals, to essays, interviews, and finally scholarship negotiations.

Ever since the start, I could tell that Nisha was extremely well prepared and detail-oriented. In fact, this first struck me during our introductory call when she was already asking me intricate questions about my education and work history -- the wheels were turning even then during our free 30-minute call!

In the months that we worked together, Nisha fully engrossed herself into my applicant profile, helping me generate a compelling narrative about my candidacy and why I needed each particular school's help to advance my career, and what I'd contribute during my time there. By the end of it all, I felt that she knew me better than I knew myself!

Her insistence on specific details in each of my essays for each of my target programs not only helped me become a stronger writer, but also demonstrated to admissions committee members why I was a candidate that they could not pass up. At the end of it all, I got admitted to all three schools that Nisha and I worked on, and I know this certainly wouldn't have been possible without her guidance along the way. The investment in Nisha paid off as I recouped that fee several times over in scholarship amounts.

If you're seeking to elevate your applications by bringing together the disparate parts of your education, career, and extracurriculars, and synthesize them into one cohesive narrative easily digestible for admissions committee members, you must have Nisha alongside you. Do so and you will certainly be putting your best foot forward.

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I had the pleasure of working with Debbie on my MIT Sloan Round 1 application, and I couldn’t be happier with the experience. From the very beginning, she took the time to understand my unique background, goals, and challenges in depth. One of the most valuable aspects of working with Debbie was how she helped me uncover the standout elements of my story, which gave me the confidence to present myself authentically and effectively.

I initially found the MBA application process to be quite daunting, but Debbie’s expertise and encouragement kept me focused and on track. Her thoughtful feedback helped me craft a cohesive application where every component contributed to a compelling narrative. Debbie also went beyond generic advice by tailoring her guidance to my profile, ensuring that my application aligned perfectly with Sloan’s values and expectations.
Debbie’s personalized approach, insightful feedback, and unwavering support were instrumental in my success, and I wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone navigating the MBA application journey.

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