Deciding to use a consultant:

During my 1.5 years prior to working with Helen, I secured a >700 GMAT, did extensive school research, and attended a dozen MBA networking events. Although I had an idea of what story and themes I wanted to share on my applications, I was unsure how to tell my story in the most effective manner. I began researching different admissions consulting firms when I discovered Helen’s bio at mbaMission.

Soon into my introductory call with Helen to discuss my profile, career goals, and target schools, I knew I wanted to work with her. Helen displayed her knowledge of consulting applicants in applying to top MBA programs and had experience consulting applicants with a background like mine. She was also more than ready to help me shoot for my target schools – HSW.

Essay writing:

The essay writing portion of MBA applications was my biggest challenge. I am confident in my writing abilities, however producing a common theme across multiple essays and free-form application questions requires vision and skill. This is where I needed the most help.

Helen and I held discussions to brainstorm what personal and professional experiences would be most effective to share with each school. Once we settled on a strategy, including which essays to write first and which experiences to match with what essay prompts, I began to write. Helen never once missed a turnaround deadline. In fact, I can recall more than a few occasions where she delivered one business day earlier than expected. Her comments were always detailed and constructive.

What I enjoyed most about working with Helen was how opinionated she was. When she didn’t like how a story came together, she would simply tell me why and to try again. No sugar-coating. Helen reviewed each essay, which averaged 4 – 6 drafts and provided the same rigor of feedback to my free-form application questions (an often overlooked and valuable portion of the application).

Interview prep:

Once I received interview invitations to each program, Helen quickly transitioned into mock interview mode. She conducted three separate mock interviews, each proving to be accurate simulations of what I encountered. Since one program offered a team-based interview, Helen organized for her company to conduct a virtual group interview.

Final results:

In the end, I was admitted to two programs (including my dream school) and waitlisted (and withdrew before a final decision) at the third.

If you’re looking for an experienced and talented consultant, look no further. Helen was an absolute joy to work with. I highly recommend Helen Summers.

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I could not have asked for a better person to work with than Helen Summers. She went above and beyond to help me with all aspects of my applications through every stage of the process. Whether it was helping me brainstorm, editing multiple drafts of my essays, giving me feedback on video essay recordings, preparing for interviews, and managing an incredibly long waitlist process (successfully!), Helen provided invaluable support, encouragement, and insight every step of the way.

During the writing process Helen pushed me to dig deeper and convey a message that would resonate and set my story apart. She was extremely timely with her comments and was not afraid to provide the direct and honest feedback I needed to hear. After receiving interview invitations Helen helped me practice through mock interviews and understand the different interview styles I could expect from each school.

The MBA application process is a marathon. Helen's guidance helped me navigate the process successfully and achieve results well beyond my expectations. She was there for me at every step of the way. With her help, I received interviews at all of the programs I applied to, generous fellowships from top programs, and I was admitted to my dream school!

To anyone who is hesitant about working with a consultant I would highly recommend it, especially working with Helen!!

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Nisha was everything I needed and more. She was so thorough, contentious of my time, money, and needs, and supportive the whole time. I was under a lot of pressure at work and felt really limited with my time in the application process and Nisha worked with all of my challenges. She was really good at helping me schedule and make deadlines for myself and keeping me accountable. Nisha helped me from A to Z with defining my "why" and forming my story in a genuine way that would resonate with others to guiding me through the waitlist process. She was so strategic with what information I should share and when - I would not have been able to do that part on my own. She was also so enthusiastic about my prospects and truly wanted the best for me. She was honest about my application and helped me gain perspective when needed. Nisha was so clutch in preparing for my interviews - I didn't think I was as rough as I was, and she was able to help my refine my skills and answers to typical questions. mbaMission has tons of resources to use and she was able to leverage them for me. I can't thank her enough, especially since I ended up waitlisted (and thankfully accepted) to my top choice and had more work left to do. I was so frustrated and she was really there for me and helped me through it. I am so thankfully for her guidance and working through everything with me. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Nisha!

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I signed up for the Complete Start-to-Finish package with mbaMission and Kate Richardson was my assigned consultant. Kate supported me in applying to two schools (both Top 20) and I was thrilled to have received an offer from one of them! Kate is a very passionate and caring consultant. She guided me through the admission process and was very responsive - which helped take a lot of pressure off the process. It all started with a brainstorming sheet, which enabled Kate to understand my background and my career aspirations. She was very thoughtful and always gave me advice based on the points I wrote in the brainstorming sheet, which greatly helped me in crafting my unique "why MBA" story. I would definitely recommend Kate to anyone applying to a top MBA program!

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I have been admitted to one of the best MBA programs in the world, and I would like to share my decisive experience with Stratus with you – specifically with Harold Simansky and Susan Cera, who helped me made my dream come true.

First things first. If you contemplate to apply to a top MBA program, here are some questions for you:
- Are you a great test taker?
- Do you know exactly what you want to get out of your MBA?
- Do you know which school is the perfect fit for you and can you list 5 solid reasons on the spot?
- Are you lucky enough to have relatives/friends that attended your dream school?
- Do you already have a degree from a notable university?
- Are you an excellent essay writer?
- Do you have relevant work experience?

If you answered all questions with yes, you are unquestionably blessed, and you might not need to hire an admissions consultant in the first place (even though hiring one might make your life easier throughout the tedious MBA application process). In case you are not so fortunate (like me), you might want to hire someone to guide you through the whole process, and to make sure you will not only get those answers as straight as a die, but also will help you to get into your business school of choice.

MY BACKGROUND
I am an international student from Europe, female, average age, with around 5 years of work experience. I did not attend any Ivy League college, I attended a university that no foreigner has ever heard of, and I also did not exactly graduate with honors. In fact, no one in my family had ever attended any college before. I also had never written an application essay in my entire life. On top of this, I am the most horrible test taker. Yet, I had this ineradicable desire to attend a top full-time MBA program in the US.
It took me numerous attempts, plenty of prep hours, loads of money, and countless nervous breakdowns to finally hit a good result on my admission tests. I was very close to throwing in the towel a few times, and I had already given up on my dream and I had started to look for top 20-50 schools, and even gave up this dream altogether, but Harold managed to help me get back on my feed again. And guess what, I succeeded!

STRATUS
I came across Stratus when I watched some videos on YouTube about top MBA programs. I initially purchased some hours of admissions counselling with them, it was pretty late in the process back then, but for some reason I thought I should still give it a go. Back then, I knew I had a subpar GMAT and overall I did not believe I was the most competitive candidate. I was matched with Harold, who gave me some “homework”, which essentially required me to reflect on my whole life and my innermost ambitions. This step was one of the hardest and most time consuming ones in the whole process, but it laid the groundwork for my essays. I did not submit my application back then, and Stratus was so kind to credit the full amount of my initial purchase towards another purchase, which I almost gladly did. Yes, the fees for a school package raised my hackles, but I knew this would be an investment with a ROI beyond quantification. I knew that I needed their help, if I wanted to go to my dream business school anytime soon. I considered other companies, however, Stratus convinced me the most. Stratus’ consultants all come from top business schools across the country. Stratus has a great network, and very experienced and brainy consultants.
Whenever I brought up a school and area of interest, Harold always instantly provided me with a current student and alumni I could talk to, they all replied within a day or two.

HAROLD SIMANSKY
I perceive Harold as a very professional, ingenious and serene person. Throughout our collaboration, he was always very creative and honest. He did not sugarcoat anything at any time, which was disillusioning for me at the beginning, but it undoubtedly was vital to create my best possible application.
Harold was always very responsive and available - he often responded immediately, weekends and holidays included. I do not remember a time when it took him more than 24 hours to respond, unless he had announced it in advance. Harold also connected me with numerous people from different schools with backgrounds and experience in the field I was interested in; all of them gladly answered my questions. This was invaluable, as it was decisive in my decision to which schools I would apply at the end.
Harold is very invested, he really went out of his way to get me into the school of my dreams. In my case, it would have been much easier for him to convince me to apply to a less competitive program, however, together we managed to find and get me into the school that is the very best fit for me, and I could not be more grateful for that.

SUSAN CERA
Susan was the second reviewer of my essays and I had the chance to meet her in person to prepare for my interview. Susan is just brilliant, she is a very amiable person, very down-to-earth and yet very accomplished. She gave me many valuable insights, way beyond any information I could possibly find on the www. I really appreciated her inputs throughout the process and I cannot thank her enough for her help.

FINAL WORD
I want to stress how important it is for an admissions consultant to understand who you are and what you really want to get out of an MBA. When I stared my MBA journey, I had no idea what I really wanted. I initially wanted to apply to some M7 schools, just because. What I did not know back then was how important fit is. I probably would have never considered the school that finally became my dream school (and the absolute perfect fit for me), if Harold and Susan would not have taken the time to really get to know me, provided me with some very insightful information about that school and insisted that I take a closer look. Without Harold and Susan, I would not have already moved countries with mind-boggling elation, excited for this once-in-a-lifetime experience!

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John Sisk is an outstanding MBA admissions consultant and a pleasure to work with. He really knows what he is talking about regarding each facet of the application process. From start to finish, John was highly professional, easy to talk to, and driven to help me succeed as an MBA applicant. Regarding essays, I could not have been prouder of the final drafts I produced under John’s guidance. John has such a great understanding of how to write in a clear, compelling manner, he was able to really bring out the best in me as a writer, and help me frame my story using parts of my background I would not have initially thought to use. Regarding application strategy, recommendations, short answers, resume, and any questions that came to mind about the admissions process, John also provided expert advice and insight. John’s calm, supportive style also significantly increased my confidence throughout the process. This was invaluable when it came time for interview preparation. John not only anticipated the exact kinds of questions my interviewers ended up asking, but also was able to get me in the right frame of mind going into the interview: to approach the process with an enthusiastic and positive attitude, which I think really came through in terms of making a great impression on my interviewers. This showed in the results. In the end, I got into my dream MBA program: Columbia Business School. I could not have done this without John’s guidance, and I highly recommend him to anyone who wants to gain admission to a top MBA program.

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As an Indian applying to US B- Schools, I spoke to a few other consultants before deciding to work with Helen. What really caught me was her optimism and confidence in helping me put up my best foot forward in my application. While other consultants might push you to target more "safe" schools and be skeptical about targeting "reach" schools, Helen always encouraged me to go after the schools of my preference. She was EXTREMELY responsive throughout the process, which is why I never faced issues with deadlines. I also want to highlight that she will not let you put up a feeble application in any case and will keep pushing till you produce a solid output. We had hours of brainstorming calls that enabled me to really think about the experiences I wanted to present to the admission committees. I got a few admits with fellowship as a result of her efforts and have decided to attend Yale. I very strongly recommend Helen as an amazing consultant who not only will help you sail through your entire application process seamlessly, but will also constantly help you stay positive and on track.

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Let me begin this by stating that before I decided to work with Krista as my consultant, I held free consultations with a handful of other consultants/companies. I knew the application process would be long and grueling, and so I looked at it as a learning experience and a chance to grow. I really did my research to ensure I’d pick the right consultant: I wanted a consultant who would challenge me to be the best version of myself – thereby putting me in the best position to get accepted into a top business school – and who at the same time I would actually enjoy working with.

I decided to go with Krista because I felt that she would do both. And I was right.

Krista guided me through the long journey – always there to answer difficult questions (or even the most basic ones), motivate me, and provide mental support – and she really challenged me to think hard about my story and to continually improve my work – whether it was my resume, essays or interview answers. I applied to eight schools – the first four with Krista and the last four on my own – and once I worked on those first few schools with Krista, I had a great feel for the entire process and was able to do very well on the last four by myself.

Ok, so what made Krista so amazing?

1. Krista’s advice on school selection was excellent. We slightly altered my school choices based on things that came up throughout the process. In fact, I wasn’t even planning on applying to the school that I’ll be attending this Fall until Krista suggested that I apply; she knew that it was a great option based on my career goals and that I would like the school’s culture. I ended up choosing it over another school that she helped me get into that I had originally considered my top choice. I probably would not have considered the school I chose to attend had Krista not been there to offer her guidance!

2. Krista really knew which aspects of my story should be highlighted so that they would shine in front of the admissions committees. While it’s not always obvious at first, everyone has a story, or something that makes them unique – and Krista knows exactly how to pinpoint it and then come up with a plan for creatively showing this to the adcom.

3. Krista was a pleasure to work with! I knew that I was progressing every time I received her input – whether it was edits to an essay or feedback during a mock interview. But it’s not just about the results – it’s about how you get there. It was Krista’s wonderful presence that made me truly enjoy working on my applications. I would be at work and when I saw her emails come through, I’d stop everything to read her feedback – because I knew it would be enjoyable to read. And I loved chatting on the phone with her – she brought energy and enthusiasm every time we spoke.

Krista was truly invested in my success, something that motivated me to always work harder and come back stronger.

Another thing that I appreciated while working with Krista is that she never told me that I had to do something – she only gave me her advice, and left it to me to decide the best route having been told what the possible outcomes or consequences might be. Krista has worked with tons of applicants and knows the ins and outs of the process, so whatever advice she gave me I knew it was coming from years of experience.

I think the most valuable takeaway from working with Krista, however, is that not only did her expertise and guidance help me to get into top business schools, but it prepared me for business school itself and I’ll carry what I learned from her with me throughout my career. I learned how to craft my story in a convincing way and really understand which of my accomplishments to highlight in what situation, and to present myself the best way possible.

This is a valuable skill that I’ll use on resumes, cover letters, and job interviews for the rest of my career.

If I were to do it all over again, I wouldn’t think twice about who I’d choose to guide me through the process – without a doubt, it’s Krista Nannery.

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I worked with Kate Richardson from mbaMission for my applications. I knew a lot of people who graduated from different MBA schools, felt that I needed a person who is in the know, day to day, and could alleviate some of the stress.

I don't want to say MBA application process wasn't stressful but mbaMission team and Kate made it as easy going as possible, almost enjoyable.

My process was slightly unconventional, I had left my full time job and have been working on my own consulting gig. Kate helped me position that best for all the applications.

When it came to answering questions, Kate was extremely responsive, and thoughtful. She responded to my emails in a few hours at most, and most of the time followed up with more research afterwards.

I also had a long waitlist period, during which Kate cheered for me, always provided me with tips on how to move forward. She would keep me up to date, tell me what she have heard from other schools / places.

And on a personal note, I felt comfortable with Kate; she was very personable, clearly enjoyed the coaching process, and took time to connect on a personal level.

In the end, I got into one of my dream schools and Kate helped me a lot during that too. I can't recommend working with her enough.

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From the first time I spoke with Katy on the phone, the chemistry between us just worked! As a college senior looking into MBA programs, Katy and I identified two major schools, GSB and HBS. Thanks to Katy's experience in consulting and process-management, I put together strong applications despite the short lead time. She listened to my story patiently and was extremely validating to my experiences, positive and negative ones alike. From my storytelling, Katy was quick to distill the essence of my personality which was later carefully weaved into my essays. We spent a significant amount of time working on a common essay body that can be applied to both schools' applications. Katy and I spent hours on the phone trying to tease out the lessons from all my stories to construct a coherent and authentic story.

What really made Katy stand out was how supportive she had been. She never put a word in my mouth. She wanted me to tell my story. Because of her empowering my own voice, the authenticity of my application led to positive results. I was ultimately admitted to HBS' 2+2 program. Thank you Katy!!!

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