I was what you would consider an untraditional applicant - I didn't come from a business background and didn't know anyone who was familiar with the MBA process. I had no idea where to start and I really needed someone who would be there to guide me every step of the way. That's when I requested to work with Melissa Blakeslee, and it was by far the best decision and investment I've ever made.

I signed up for a seven school package with Melissa, which was a huge investment, but one that was worth every penny and every social outing I had to say no to over the summer. I didn’t have the most amazing stats (690 GMAT, 3.3 GPA) and I had no idea how to approach the essays, but Melissa placated all my worries from the start while still being honest about my candidacy. Prior to our initial brainstorming call, she had me complete an intense questionnaire/brainstorming doc that really forced me to think deeply about who I am, what makes me tick, and what I want out of an MBA. Melissa and I discussed my responses at length and even got into some of the more personal experiences in my life, which would ultimately serve as inspiration for many of the essays I would write. She was amazing at weaving my stories (professional or personal) into a cohesive narrative that got to the heart of every essay question. It was not easy at first – I had to delete and re-write a lot of things to really show the HOW and WHY, but it was so worth it when I had the finished product. It was almost addicting to see an email from Melissa with her thoughtful revisions. She is truly a word ninja – I have no idea how she does it, but she is an amazing storyteller. She’s also lightning fast and always available for help via email or phone. She sends revisions back much sooner than the 48 hour turnaround time, and I never had to worry about waiting to hear from her.

Of the seven schools I applied to, I applied to one Early Action and the rest in R1. I received invites to interview at five including my EA school (the remaining two did not release interview invites until much later), and Melissa was right by my side helping me prep for each interview. I was so scared and shy when it came to interview prepping, but Melissa was a rockstar and walked me through every question that could possibly come up for each school. She helped me gain confidence in myself and ultimately crush every interview.


By mid-October, I was accepted to my EA/top choice school with a scholarship! I immediately withdrew from the other schools, but did keep myself in the running for one super reach M7 school I applied to and another school that would have been close to family for me. Although I got dinged from the M7 school, I did get an acceptance call from my final school (Anderson) which was still extremely exciting!

Melissa was instrumental in not just helping me craft my story and guiding me from start to finish, but keeping me sane and positive throughout the entire process. She is totally dedicated to you and is the best wingwoman you could ask for. You will be doing yourself a HUGE favor by working with Melissa. Take it from someone who comes from a laid back, non-traditional industry who thought they had little chance of being admitted to b-school. Melissa is not just an amazing consultant, but she is an equally funny, non-judgmental, and wonderful human being as well. I’ll always be grateful to her and will think of her when I start at Fuqua this fall!

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To summarize simply, Katy is amazing. You won’t find anyone more supportive, kind, and knowledgeable. She is truly invested in your future and success from beginning to end. I was a Round 1 applicant and I, like many applicants, had lofty goals of attending some of the top schools but with the fear that I wasn’t good enough: typical finance & strategy experience, below average scores and non-pedigree state school for my undergrad.

When I filled out my “brainstorming” document, I wondered how unique I could possibly be. However, during our conversation, as she asked in-depth “Why?” questions, she got to the core reasons of why I made the decisions I had made. Katy was instantly able to pinpoint unique themes in my story – something I would have never been able to do on my own. By the end of that call, I knew that Katy was truly my friend, ally, and part-therapist.

In all, the application process is no-joke. I went through many ups-and-downs wondering if I would even get an interview at these schools, but Katy was there for it all. It’s a long process but she breaks down the marathon into clear deliverables over the course of a couple of months. Katy knows what these schools are looking for, how to position your story the right way, and what to do to prepare. She's always on call to answer any question you may have.

In the end, I was accepted to Harvard (my first choice) and two other top 5 programs. I truly am thankful for all of her help and cannot recommend her highly enough to anyone who’s looking for not only a consultant but a cheerleader and friend throughout the process.

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In April, I signed up for a 3-School Round 1 package with Melissa. Melissa was amazing throughout the whole process. She wasted no time getting all the information she could from me and assigning me homework in order to get for us to get the best essay stories possible.
It is worth noting that I was also studying for the GMAT while working on my essays with Melissa, and she was very conscious and respectful of my study time. She often helped push me to study more and do better by providing words of encouragement. After I took the GMAT, she was one of the first people to reach out asking how the test went, but never applied too much pressure to make me feel as though if I didn’t do well on the test that we were in trouble.
Melissa and I worked on 3 schools together, but I applied to 6 programs in total. Melissa was a huge help when deciding which programs to apply to, whether she was going to help me with that school or not. We immediately got to work writing for my target schools, which actually was pretty fun compared to typical essay writing. Melissa always responded with in depth comments, and structural notes that really helped my essays paint a clearer picture. Communicating with Melissa is seamless. Our phone calls always felt very relaxed and natural while being extremely informative. I believe MBAMission has a 48 hour turnaround period for all materials, but Melissa usually responded to all my requests with a day, sometimes in just a few hours for random questions and asks.
After receiving my interview requests, Melissa and I would spend an hour on the phone a couple days before each meeting. I was always very nervous about these interviews, but Melissa really helped calm these fears, while also helping me prepare. I think this was a huge reason I ended up getting admitted to my programs.
Melissa is definitely worth the investment. I believe my time with her made me a better writer, and a stronger candidate. I believe she was a huge reason I ended up getting a scholarship from my school of choice, and admitted into multiple programs. Melissa really helped calm my nerves during this extremely anxious process. Melissa is a great asset to any MBA application process, and I would absolutely recommend her to any and all people looking for someone to help their application make a splash.

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When I was considering business school, I had a lot of questions about whether it was the right next move. I was already working in investment banking, so I knew that for the return on my investment to work, it would have to be a top school. After doing some research, I scheduled a call with Melissa and she helped walk me through every aspect of the process and figure out if the schools I was interested in were attainable. I could tell that she really knew what she was talking about, and she definitely was on my team from day one. After our discussion, I knew that despite the somewhat off putting price tag, it was worth it given my busy schedule.

Once I was signed up, Melissa was by my side every step of the way. She was incredibly responsive and kept my application process moving very efficiently. She played a key role in helping me narrow down a list of schools into a targeted application strategy, and then craft a compelling story tailored to each program that would really highlight my strengths. I was surprised a few times when even after several months, she would recall facts or stories that I had mentioned and prompt me to work them into my apps--she made me feel like I was her only client. Melissa did a great job of pushing me to improve areas that were weak and to really focus my essays on "showing" and not "telling". I leaned on Melissa every step of the way, and by the time I was ready to submit applications, I knew that I was putting my best possible foot forward.

A few key parts of the process where Melissa really shined:

- School Strategy: Melissa really helped me pick realistic and stretch schools, offering insights on culture and recruiting that gave me a lot of confidence in my ultimate choices
- Brainstorming: I found it hard to translate my experiences and background into a cohesive story, and Melissa was fantastic at working with me to filter out the unnecessary parts and keep the good stuff
- Essays: Melissa was very prompt, almost always flipping drafts back to me next-day (sometimes the same day) and helping me make consistent progress
- General Support & Advice: Any time I had an application-related question (seriously, any time... I had a ton of questions), Melissa was more than happy to talk and help me work through it. She was 100% on my team, and gave me a ton of confidence in my processes

Overall, I couldn't recommend her enough! Melissa pushed me where I needed it and supported me the entire way, and definitely played a key role in my admissions (with fellowships) to Wharton and Columbia.

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The MBA application process was a lot more work and stress than I anticipated. Luckily, I had Melissa to help guide me through.

I worked with Melissa on two schools and her advice and guidance was extremely helpful. She really pushed me to think deeply about what was unique about my background, and how to best demonstrate this in my application. From the initial brainstorming session through interview preparation, Melissa always provided prompt and valuable feedback.

I was admitted to an M7 program (one of the two schools that we worked on) and will be attending this summer! I am really happy I decided to work with Melissa and would recommend her to anyone.

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When I first met Katy, I wasn’t sold on using an admissions consultant. I am so fortunate I did, as Katy was invaluable in my admissions journey. She made a genuine effort to get to know me and understand how my background influenced my passion for social impact. Katy provided tremendous insight into the thought process of admissions officers. Her brainstorming sessions helped me clearly articulate my background and aspirations.

Katy helped me craft a complete application, from start to finish. She paid tremendous attention to every detail of the application, which was particularly helpful in the short answers and in preparing my recommenders. Katy’s insider knowledge into the admissions process was extremely helpful in bringing my passion for social impact to life. Thanks to Katy I received admissions offers to Wharton and Booth, with merit scholarships. I would highly recommend Katy to any applicant.

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A friend suggested I enlist a consultant to help me with my business school applications, in order to increase my chances of success. When I started doing my research, my initial reaction on finding out about the cost of MBAmission was ‘no way’; it felt too expensive and I was convinced I could write a decent essay or two on my own. How lucky I was that, despite my initial hesitation, I decided to stump up the money and chose Krista.

From the early brainstorming stage I knew I had found the right person. Krista challenged me to be really reflective and dig deep into why I’d made the choices I had, which helped me develop a genuinely introspective approach to my applications and the wider question of ‘why business school’. She then created a map of my experiences, which enabled us to select the best examples and craft detailed essay outlines, in a way that made the essay writing itself feel very enjoyable. I cannot tell you how much time this saved! By the end of my first draft I honestly felt I had something that was nearly ready to submit. However, Krista continued to help me refine my thinking to ensure each example was well rounded and delivered with impact. Her favorite phrase – ‘more specificity’ – helped me continue to work at my application and ensure I was really proud of the streamlined clarity of the final versions.

Throughout our four months working together Krista was incredibly responsive, making me feel like I was her only client. She pushed me choose a stretch school and helped me craft applications that got me an offer to both my target and stretch school. After my wife, she was the second person I told that when I was offered a place. Words cannot do justice to the value of the support she gave me and I would, and do, recommend her to anyone!

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I approached Katy for a two school package about a month and a half before the round 1 deadlines for HBS and Wharton Lauder. As a Latin American applicant coming from a traditional finance background, I wasn’t very clear on the messaging that I wanted to convey in my applications. Katy was HIGHLY recommended to me by 2 Latin American HBS alums and she definitely exceeded all of my expectations.

Although I was relatively late to begin preparing my application materials for round 1, Katy was an incredible resource. She was very knowledgeable about both programs and always made herself available to answer all of my questions. We did a very thorough brainstorming session before beginning to write my applications which was key to the messaging I transmitted throughout each of the applications I submitted. She also worked closely with me to device a strategy on how approach my recommenders.

Once I began writing my essays and preparing my resume and other required materials, Katy was always available to review each draft and very quick to provide feedback until I had the perfect application for each school. After I received my interview invites for both programs, Katy's mock interviews were on point and her advice was critical to my preparation for that last piece of the application process.

I would HIGHLY recommend Katy to anyone applying to a top MBA program. I am very pleased with my final results and have to admit that Katy was instrumental to my acceptance to HBS and Wharton Lauder!

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I absolutely loved working with Melissa on a 2 school package. I did a lot of research on consultants, and Melissa stood out as a great fit based on mbaMission's reputation, and Melissa's professional experience and similar school selection. The biggest area she helped with was creating my story. mbaMission sends over a huge document to fill out your personal and career path, and Melissa spent 2 hours going through the document, asking probing questions, and by the end we had a consistent story that I was able to use at each school. I had an idea in mind of how I wanted my story to look, and she was able to point out the parts which might be problematic when applying, as well as the key areas to highlight when applying. We also had a school-selection discussion before this, where I was able to list what I was looking for in a school, and Melissa went through the pros/cons of each school which would be a fit. Melissa was incredibly knowledgeable and was able to provide school-specific insights that I don't think I would've been able to find myself. She was able to provide best practices in all areas of the application too, including how best to prime your recommenders, how/when to show interest in each school, and a clear timeline. One area I would like to see a bit more focus is on some of the "formatting" best practices, such as making all essays into PDF. Some of these are probably pretty self-explanatory, but I would want them to be more explicit. I was ultimately admitted to two schools and waitlisted at the third (I only applied to three schools).
Consultants are obviously very expensive, but I would 100% recommend Melissa to anyone who is looking.

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I purchased a two school start to finish package with Nisha and it was worth every penny. Her resume critique is the gold standard. She helped me develop a resume that allowed me to fully explain my story but still remain concise and not long winded. With the essays she helped me realize the nuances with every essay question. She also helped me realize that every essay must be as concise and to the point. Her interview prep was invaluable. After doing mock interviews with her, going into the real interviews was like doing it a second time, that's how good she is. In addition to that Nisha was very speedy when it came to essay feedback, even when she was traveling abroad! When it came it to scheduling for interview prep she was very flexible. I am on the east coast and she is on the west and the time difference did not prove to be an obstacle. Overall she exceeded my expectations, I did get into both of the schools I bought the package for.

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