I met Jen through the free initial consulting session and right off the bat, she was extremely organized and set out a plan for me to follow. She was extremely intelligent and understanding of my previous professional career. I had my doubts about potential weaknesses in my resume and professional story, but Jen was extremely supportive and assured me that I had the necessary qualities to be a strong candidate for my top MBA schools. She was prompt and supportive and also the nicest person to work with. I had an absolute blast working with her. I would not have been able to get into my dream schools without her help! I would highly recommend working with Jen! You will not be disappointed!

Read More

I had the pleasure of working with Julie-Anne as my MBA admissions consultant, and I can confidently say that her guidance and expertise were instrumental in shaping my successful application journey. As someone deeply entrenched in the world of Private Equity, with a GMAT score hovering around the M7 median, I knew that standing out was crucial in the fiercely competitive landscape.

Julie-Anne's keen insight into the nuances of MBA admissions was evident from the start. With her expert guidance, I was able to strategically accentuate the most captivating facets of my application, which not only complemented my scores but also highlighted my unique qualities. Her adeptness during the brainstorming phase was a game-changer. She skillfully prodded me to delve deeper into my experiences, bringing out the more inventive and creative aspects of my essays.

One standout area was Julie-Anne's adept assistance in shaping my "Why MBA" essays. Crafting a compelling narrative about my career roadmap was a challenge I initially faced. Julie-Anne's thoughtful guidance and astute feedback helped me paint a vivid picture of my aspirations, tying them seamlessly to the MBA program's offerings.

Without Julie-Anne's meticulous support, I am certain I wouldn't have achieved such a remarkable outcome. Her ability to dissect my experiences and weave them into a captivating story for the admissions committee was unparalleled. Thanks to her, I secured a spot at my dream business school.

In a sea of MBA admissions consultants, Julie-Anne truly stands out. Her strategic insights, creative essay coaching, and dedication to her clients' success are a testament to her exceptional skills. For anyone seeking not just an admissions consultant, but a genuine partner in their MBA application journey, Julie-Anne comes highly recommended.

Read More

I met Jen during the free counseling call that MBAMission provided and immediately felt that she cared and genuinely wanted to help me get into the best business school I wanted. After my GMAT, I had to fill in a long brainstorming document going through every detail of my life, and we had a call to discuss which aspects would be most relevant to my application. Jen was very creative in finding strengths in me that I did not think of as strengths, but those that would be valued in B-school.

I had initially wanted to apply to the top 15 US schools, but suddenly changed my mind in the middle of the process and decided only to apply to European schools. Jen did not miss a beat and immediately was able to give me recommendations on school choice, deadlines, and the timeline by which I should aim to finish every aspect of each school's deadline. Even when I missed some of her timeline recommendations, she adjusted her approach to suit me. Her detailed emails and advice helped me stay on track and submit applications to 5 European schools in Round 1, from which I got admits into two top European B-schools.

I truly believe that my application was made much better because of all her advice and that she made a decisive difference in my acceptance chances. I would recommend her to anyone who is looking for a consultant who can identify your own unique strengths and make them shine in your application.

Read More

I worked with Jen on a one-school application to London-based business schools, with a view that I could add an application for a second school should my first preference be unsuccessful.

I found Jen to be an extremely valuable ally to have in my corner. Not only was her understanding of the process and application demands a huge leg up, she also provided a sense of structure which helped my meet my deadlines.

Jen helped me develop and focus in on my strengths and clarify my objectives (both for the program and post). Her ability to condense my drafts into a format where every sentence had impact was brilliant and, I feel, something that would have been difficult to achieve without the kind of experience that she brings to the table.

Read More

I am thrilled to share my outstanding experience with John. I purchased a three-school Start-to-Finish Package, and John helped me successfully secure a spot at a top 15 program despite a weak GMAT score.

John was able to guide me through a structured application process that took the stress out of navigating it on my own. This allowed me to stay organized and confident throughout the journey. One of the highlights of my collaboration with John was the insightful brainstorming session and his continued effort to get to know me personally. Through this collaboration, John was able to help me develop a compelling story for me to use in my essays. He was able to uncover and help me present my unique experiences, strengths, and aspirations in a compelling way. In addition, John is a flat-out amazing writer and was able to provide suggestions on how to make my essays pop.

The other key value-add that John was able to bring to the table was his deep knowledge of each of the programs that I was applying for. He gave me direction on how to write my essays for each school that would resonate the strongest with the adcom.

I wholeheartedly recommend John to anyone pursuing admission to a top MBA program.

Read More

Katharine Lewis is one of the finest mentors I have ever met, and one of the most effective – thanks to her, I’m going to Wharton!!!

When I reached out to Katy during my senior year of college, I was concerned about my Deferred MBA chances since I was going into an overrepresented career and had been told by many mentors to wait a few years before applying to B school if I wanted better odds of getting in. But Katy stood out among other consultants because she firmly believed that I stood a fighting chance, and that I should own my authentic story around my passion for pursuing affordable and accessible healthcare, as opposed to weaving or creating a narrative more “catered” to my ambitious list of schools. I worked with Katy to apply to 7 schools via their Deferred MBA programs – Wharton, Booth, Kellogg, Sloan, Columbia, HBS, and Stanford – and it is predominantly thanks to Katy that I got into the first 5 on that list, and had the glorious problem of having to pick from these incredible choices.

Right from brainstorming, Katy pushed me to dig deep and bring out my most authentic, raw stories around what drives me – and her “tough love”-esque commitment to sharing honest and clear feedback (as feedback should be delivered to be helpful), in combination with her enthusiastic encouragement and unwavering support throughout the process, make her the perfect person for the job. I lost count of how many essay drafts I sent Katy (it was easily 50+) – but she patiently edited and sent constructive, valuable feedback on every single one. Her extensive experience in the field of MBA admissions coupled with her analytical ability to distil nebulous, wordy thoughts into short and powerful depictions, often left me thinking “thank the gods I have Katy – there is no way I could have thought to write this in that way!”. When I received interview invites, even for the schools that were not in my “package” with her, Katy went out of her way to send me incredibly detailed interview prep material that ultimately helped me get into those schools too. And whenever I hit a major obstacle, was uncertain about something or downright nervous, I knew a phone call with Katy would instantly fix the issue and make me feel better – and it did, every single time. Now, after working for 2-5 years, I’ll be headed to Wharton – and I KNOW that Katy made all the difference. I’ll always be grateful to Katy for helping me get into B school, but also for being a mentor who I know I can turn to whenever I need sound advice. If you’re thinking of applying to a Deferred MBA program, you MUST speak to Katy – I’m convinced a counselor and mentor cannot possibly get much better than her!!

Read More

Harshad had been a great support during the application process. He would be forthright in sharing opinions on schools and programs. Harshad’s biggest contribution came in the form of decoding what the essays were asking, and then suggesting structures in which to put together essay responses. That was able to help me put together my stories in most fitting ways.

On occasions of deadlines approaching, Harshad would without fail remain available to edit my essays and get me over the line. His backing was a huge mental support. He motivated me on times when I felt less confident or low in general, including discussing other matters too, that I was struggling with in general. He was diligent and respond on time, despite my being tardy often.

Read More

My spouse and I were fortunate to work with Katy as our MBA admissions consultant. Our goal was to attend an M7 program and pursue an MBA together in the same city, and we achieved it!

From the beginning, Katy demonstrated a deep understanding of the MBA application process. I called her two years ago, and she spent over an hour speaking with me, way exceeding our allotted time. She quickly grasped my story and identified key themes. My spouse also had a pleasant consultation call with her. Katy sent each of us a thoughtful debrief, and I immediately knew I wanted to work with her. Despite still having over a year before applying to business school, Katy welcomed my numerous questions and provided thorough answers. She even advised trying the GRE if I struggled with the GMAT. Although switching from GMAT to GRE was challenging due to my prior investment, I’m grateful I made the move. I enjoyed studying for the GRE more, and my score, while not extraordinary, was sufficient for admission to the schools I applied to.

Katy is a highly sought-after consultant who only works with applicants she genuinely believes have a good chance at their desired schools. My spouse and I appreciated her honest feedback throughout the process and trusted her advice completely. Working with the same admissions consultant as your spouse makes it so much easier to create a cohesive story.

Katy worked closely with us from start to finish, thoroughly brainstorming ideas, refining essays, preparing for interviews, proofreading thank-you notes, and assisting with recommenders and scholarship applications. I went through 10+ drafts for almost all my essays, and Katy never discouraged me. She provided unwavering support and helped me refine my essays until I felt comfortable.

Katy’s assistance extended beyond application essays. She provided exceptional guidance and interview preparation. Mock interviews were instrumental in boosting our confidence. Thanks to Katy, none of my interviews were a surprise. I knew exactly how to approach them and had prepared for 90% of the questions asked. Katy provided a list of past questions, conducted mock interviews, and helped refine our answers to align with our true selves, making interview preparation effortless.

Additionally, Katy’s support and expertise were instrumental in securing strong recommendation letters. She guided all our recommenders, particularly those unfamiliar with writing recommendation letters for top MBA programs, to understand the letters’ importance. Katy helped us draft thorough memos highlighting our accomplishments, ensuring our recommendation letters showcased our full abilities. I truly believe my recommendation letters compensated for my less-than-stellar GRE scores.

Katy’s dedication to helping us secure scholarships exceeded our expectations. She willingly reviewed our scholarship essays, even months after I completed my business school applications. As a result, I received a full ride at Kellogg and scholarships from other M7 programs. My spouse also received a generous 40% scholarship from Kellogg. As a first-generation college graduate from a low-income background, the financial investment in a consultant felt extremely daunting. However, for fellow MBA hopefuls in similar circumstances, I assure you that a consultant like Katy is worth it.

Completing the application process has been a long-awaited dream, and we’re overjoyed to have achieved our goals and more. The MBA application journey demands a lot out of you, and having Katy by our side, someone truly committed to our success throughout the process, will pay dividends in the future. We were expecting to pay for our MBA at a sticker price, and I can’t believe I get to say that my spouse and I are going to Kellogg together and I get to go for free! We are immensely grateful to Katy. I wholeheartedly recommend Katharine Lewis to any aspiring MBA candidate seeking a knowledgeable, honest, dedicated, and results-driven admissions consultant. Good luck!

Read More

TLDR the brainstorming and structure of a "Complete Start-to-Finish Package" with MBAMission was useful but definitely not worth the $6,900 price tag. I went into the process thinking that using a consultant would give me an "edge" in the extremely competitive process of applying for top 10 MBA programs but found that to be not the case. Overall the consultant (John Sisk) was very nice and personable. The brainstorming session and documents at the beginning of the process were definitely helpful in coalescing thoughts and providing direction. The structured process can also be a boon to someone who is less organized but I'd say any reasonably driven individual should be able to handle organization / time management on their own.

The two primary reasons for my less-than-stellar rating are:
1) in hindsight, I believe the structured essay writing style of the consultant actually hurt my chances as they likely felt too sanitized and polished; and
2) although the consultant was friendly, I didn't feel like the consultant actually cared whether I got into a good program. I had disappointing results in Round 1 (with his complete package assistance) but didn't receive any follow-up or hear from him come decision time. As a consultant, he was keenly aware of when school decisions were released but basically if I didn't reach out to him with the news, good or bad, he likely never would have contacted me again. After getting a hold of him and telling him of my rejections in Round 1 he offered to continue helping and providing advice for Round 2 but my subsequent two emails were left unanswered. Also, case in point, he never reached out or contacted me again to ask how my MBA application process was going and still does not know which schools I got into in Round 2.

I was ultimately successful in getting into a top 10 MBA program on my own in Round 2 (writing essays in my own style rather than the vanilla structure he recommended) so all is well that ends well but I simply cannot recommend spending so much money for this service.

Read More

If you’re reading this review, you’re probably asking yourself the same two questions that I did: Is it really worth thousands of dollars to hire an MBA consultant? And if so, is Susan Kaplan the right consultant to hire? I will do my best to answer both of those questions.

As some background…

I was born and raised in a small, Midwest town in the United States. I attended a good (not great) public university, where I played a Division-1 sport and graduated with a 3.9 GPA. I turned pro after college and played for two years at the minor league level. I then spent six months as an investment banking analyst at a reputable “middle market” firm. I scored 700 on the GMAT (48 quant) and I applied to HBS and Tuck, two schools that were at the top of my range.

1. Is it really worth thousands of dollars to hire an MBA consultant?

The harsh reality is that every individual that gets into a top MBA program inevitably takes that seat from someone else. The process is highly competitive, and preparation is everything. It is also binary – you either get in or you don’t – so the reality is that outcomes determine whether hiring a consultant was money well spent. I looked at it this way: Whether a consultant provided me with 50% or 1% improvement during this process, that could very well be the difference between whether I was admitted and not. I wanted my best chance at success, leaving no stone unturned, so I hired Susan as my consultant from start to finish for both programs.

This is not a simple process that you can accomplish with little to no effort. A consultant will not complete your application for you. Quite honestly, it would be a mistake to approach it with that mindset, especially considering the financial commitment. If you have the means ($), have the foundation/resume to be competitive, and have the time and work ethic to fully commit to this process, you will absolutely benefit from working with an MBA consultant. If you are halfheartedly invested in the process, your money is better spent somewhere else because you are competing against a group of highly distinguished, fully committed applicants.

2. Is Susan Kaplan the right consultant to hire?

The short answer is, with conviction, YES. Susan was instrumental in helping me better understand the MBA application process, HBS and Tuck’s expectations, and how to best present my application to each program. Initially, we spent a significant amount of time identifying my post-MBA goals and which programs would be the best fit for me, both in terms of culture and career development. We then began to craft my story based on my experiences, tailoring this story to each program. We identified the best options for recommendation letters and then started preparing for my essays and additional responses.

Susan provided critical guidance and accountability throughout the entire application process. She provides direct, efficient feedback and is quick at responding to questions. She has “been there, done that” and, thus, makes sure you are prioritizing the appropriate tasks and staying on track with your set timeline. If you are looking for someone to coddle you, Susan should not be your first choice. If you are looking for someone who is passionate, responsive, accountable, and committed to doing what it takes to get you into your dream school, then you are in the right place. When you hit “Submit Application,” you will know that you have given yourself the best chance at success.

Final Review…

I truly believe I was able to put forth my highest quality application possible with Susan’s guidance and accountability. With that said, I look forward to attending my top choice, the Dartmouth Tuck School of Business, in the fall of 2023.

Read More