As a consultant with a side business, my schedule is very busy, and I was looking for someone to help me manage the extensive MBA admissions process while also providing insight on what areas of my background to highlight. One thing I was looking for was a consultant who could empathize with my story and help to craft it in a unique and compelling way.

After my initial call with Debbie, I knew she was the right one. We shared similar backgrounds and social values, and she was very open about areas to highlight in my application and helped me through the strategic decisions like choosing a school and timing my applications. I was grateful because many of these decisions were helpful in not only deciding where to apply, but also where to attend. Debbie provided a response timeline at the beginning of our relationship and she stuck to it throughout. Additionally, after I was notified by schools that were outside the ones I engaged her to help with, she continued to provide helpful advice.

I only applied to three schools – Harvard, Stanford, and MIT – interviewing at all three. In the end, I received admission into Harvard and MIT. While Debbie officially only supported on MIT and Stanford, I could use much of the guidance and even essay preparations for my application at Harvard.

I would highly recommend Debbie. Not only did she play a pivotal role in my MBA admission success, I also really enjoyed my conversations with her. Our brainstorming sessions were a fantastic opportunity to reflect on my career, personal goals and ambitions.

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As a first-timer, I felt that applying MBA was like losing my direction in a grand blue ocean, and then I got the help from mbaMission.

Nisha did a great job in helping my self-exploration. With MBAMission’s systematic approach, Nisha helped me explore my stories of successes and failures, and identified the key elements that bring up a strong application. She also helped me spot mistakes that I made in the essays and CV, avoiding elements that would confuse the readers or lead to unnecessary criticism.

With Nisha’s support, my stories in the application become more compelling, and I was admitted to Judge and Said with bursary from one of them. This totally exceeded my expectations and I am truly grateful for having Nisha’s support along the way!

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I worked with Helen for over a year and would not have been able to finish the application process without her. The brainstorming session with Helen was critical as she took the time to understand who I am as a professional and where my true passions lie. With her help, I was able to convey my "story" clearly to the admissions committees. My interview prep with Helen helped me gain the confidence needed to outperform my own expectations. I was accepted at both Harvard and Wharton. Helen is not afraid to tell it to you straight and if you're willing to listen, your application will come out very strong. I highly recommend her.

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My MBA journey started in late 2018, when I decided that I wanted to pursue my MBA. Like many, my first step was to research top MBA Consulting firms. Quickly, mbaMission and more specifically, Jessica rose to the top. I had a few friends that worked with mbaMission so I knew, at the minimum, it was a great firm to partner with. In addition, I noticed that Jessica was praised by Poets&Quants as one of the Top MBA Admissions Consultants so it was a pretty easy decision to reach out to Jessica to set up a 30 minute consultation. It was evident from the onset that Jessica was EXCELLENT at her job. Jessica exceeded my expectations and here is why:

1. Unbelievable Story-Teller: Jessica is unbelievable at helping you tell YOUR story. I was worried that I was coming from an over-represented applicant pool (IB, Consulting, PE, etc.), and that I would not be able to distinguish myself from my peers. However, Jessica mitigated that very quickly for me. Her initial brain-storming document helps you think about your entire journey up until the moment you work with her. Where you grew up, which countries you traveled to, what are your hobbies, did you have a life-altering experience meeting someone, etc.? All these questions and more helped me tell my story and why I was a unique candidate. Coming from an Investment Banking background, I would of never thought that I would talk about why I started taking acting classes, and how that translated into a second career, and ultimately how it positively impacted me at work. Jessica turns over every rock to find a gem in your story.
2. Honest Feedback: I can’t say this enough. Jessica tells you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. We went through my resume, grades, test scores and she helped me evaluate which schools were the best for me to apply to. I did not get my optimal GMAT score the first time, so she strongly advised me to re-take it even though I thought I could get in with my current score. Jessica helped me stay grounded and helped me explain that while that score might have been acceptable last year, this year’s applicant pool was much stronger, and that I needed to re-take the GMAT. Being one of the best at what she does, Jessica was able to highlight what my target school was looking for. For example, if I had a “flaw” in my resume or application, Jessica was able to focus on the positives of the setback or flaw, and focus on my strengths.

Without Jessica, there is absolutely no way I would have gotten into Columbia Business School. I am so fortunate that she had a spot open for this year’s application cycle. Her patience and guidance with me throughout the process is something I’ll always remember and be grateful for. She is truly in a league of her own.

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Debbie turned my R1 disaster into a R2 miracle, and helped me get into my dream school at an M7 with $$ (also turned down a T12 with $$$). Well worth the investment.

When I applied for MBAs in R1 I did everything myself and ended up with 4 dings at all of my M7 schools (no interview at 3 schools and waitlist at 1) with a 780 GMAT.

In R2 I decided to go with Debbie at MbaMission. She was enthusiastic, insightful, and was always timely in responding to any questions I had. She even went beyond her scope of duty and advised me on waitlist strategy for one of the schools I had applied for in R1.

As a result of her efforts I managed to get offers from 2 out of the 3 schools that I applied to (M7 and T12, both with significant $$$), with a waitlist at the 3rd school (M7).

Recommend 5/5.

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In the Fall of 2021, I'll be attending a top 5 MBA program - this was made possible because of my mbaMission consultant, Gavriella Semaya. Without her coaching, mentorship, and guidance, I recognize that I would not be in the very fortunate position that I am today.

I was nervous going into the MBA application process and doubting what schools to which I should even apply. I had the test scores, transcripts, and resume to be competitive, but I was unsure how my life experiences could be shared in a compelling fashion in the essays. During my first conversation with Gavriella she was instantly supportive of my goals while always being very honest about the task at hand. She reassured me that we could partner together and uncover experiences that would make for the most impactful applications.

Prior to even addressing the essay topics, Gavriella challenged me to do a great amount of self-discovery by answering thought-provoking questions about my personal life. I had not anticipated this experience would require such deep levels of introspection. While I was at first very hesitant to share somewhat personal details of my life, I very quickly came to trust her with anything. This openness allowed for us to truly explore all topics, so when it came time to answer the essays, we were able to weave together salient stories. Regardless of the admission outcomes, the self-discovery this exercise provided is something that I’ll never forget.

Not only was Gavriella able to help me share experiences that I would have never considered relevant, she amazed me at her ability to tie those experiences together with my work and academic history to provide a holistic perspective in my essays and interviews. Her ability to recall the most intricate details of my essays, work history, and even experiences is something that I’ve always appreciated – it truly made me feel like she was my partner in this process.

Even when I got down on myself, Gavriella always was there to support and encourage me through the process. Her feedback was always very straightforward, and she constantly challenged me to put forth my best; however, I never felt like she lost faith in me – her encouragement and coaching truly helped me push to the finish line and believe in myself.

I’d recommend Gavriella’s services to anyone going through the MBA process! I do not say this just because of her results, but the amount of which I learned about myself – that is something I’ll never forget through this journey.

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I first reached out to Jessica in early August and was aiming to apply for round 1 for just one school. I was juggling studying for the GMATs, while also trying to wrap my head around how to tell my story (not to mention all the other things like resume, letters of recommendations, short answers, etc.). Once you start the admissions process, you realize how many parts there are to it and how you would be severely disadvantaged by not having someone like Jessica on your team.

I spoke to several consultants before speaking to Jessica and she got right to the point and provided valuable feedback and insight. I knew I only had a few weeks to prepare an application for the top school so I needed someone who I could trust and count on. Jessica is so prepared, organized, and never misses a deadline. That's what she promised on the call, and she delivered 10x. I ended up applying to the top 3 schools by Round 1 and was accepted to one of them. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Jessica was the main reason I received the acceptance. Every step of the process she provided value (even to little details like how many group members I should indicate in the extracurricular group I was part of). Those little things add up and she looks at everything holistically. Jessica got to know me super well and brought up stories to use as examples for short answers that I had forgotten about. She really knows the schools that you're applying to and has the track record to know what has been successful and not. I have already recommended her and mbamission to multiple people because I TRULY believe that you are severely disadvantaged without someone like Jessica. It's worth the investment over and over again. Even if I had not gotten into any school, I know that I would not have had any regrets because I really know that we put together the best package and story that we possibly could have - I think having no regrets is more valuable than anything else.

Thank you so so much again Jessica!!!

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My MBA admissions journey has been a roller coaster, and I imagine this could be the case for a lot of other people. After a disappointing 1-school Round 1, I decided I should invest in a consultant as a sounding board. I was not someone who had been planning to get an MBA since UG, and despite a lot of my own research, I still felt lost within the application process - what was the best way for me to communicate my story to admissions? I shopped around and interviewed 5 different consultants before going with Debbie -- I could tell she was personally invested in my success, and I could also tell she would be encouraging and confidence-building while also being realistic about my strengths and weaknesses. She was all of this and more. Debbie helped me sort through all of my experiences and really pinpoint a compelling narrative, something I was missing from my original application. She also was wonderful in dealing with all of my uncertainties and was always prompt in her turnarounds and responses to emails/questions. If I was unsure about something, even a response to a school, I reached out to Debbie. With her help, I now have 3 admissions out of 4 applications, all with merit scholarships (one M7 and two T10). If you’re waffling about whether or not to hire a consultant, end your search with Debbie!

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Melissa really takes time to get to know me and pushes me to think deeper throughout the process, starting from the brainstorming sessions to essay editing. Melissa is great at connecting dots of my stories in ways I have not thought of. She provides detailed comments on where to improve and always turns around revisions sooner than the required 48 hours policy.

She is extremely friendly, energetic and a real cheerleader - especially during the interview prep sessions. She is very encouraging and helped me a lot with building confidence in myself. Melissa made the application process much less stressful and I would not be able to get into my dream school (Kellogg) without her. Would 100% recommend her!

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My journey with Rachel started in September. Coming from an extremely untraditional background and looking to pivot, I knew that choosing the right admissions consultant would be pivotal to my chances of acceptance. After our complementary 30-minute consultation, I knew Rachel would be the right choice for my needs.

Throughout my journey, Rachel worked diligently with me to really hone in on a cohesive story that would position me in the best way possible for acceptance. I struggled with the GMAT and her suggestion to take the Executive Assessment was a real game changer. Rachel swiftly answered any concern or question I had regarding to the process, and she acted as a much-needed sanity check during this stressful time.

Rachel was prompt with her edits and I found her insights and suggestions to be extremely valuable to my final application. Additionally, I especially appreciated the multiple calls we had throughout the process. Rachel's feedback was honest and logical, and her sincere advice was invaluable to me during the process. Our mock interview was very helpful and I felt well prepared going into the real thing.

Working with Rachel, I didn't feel like just another client. We shared a genuine connection and I had the utmost support from her during the process. When I got the admissions call, Rachel was equally as ecstatic when I shared the news. Overall, I would recommend Rachel to anyone seeking an MBA consultant; her professional demeanor, deep knowledge of the MBA admissions process, and honesty are just a few of the attributes she possesses that make her an extraordinary consultant!

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