Going into the application process, I honestly felt like my profile was fairly mediocre for the schools I was targeting. As a white male from the finance industry and working at a largely unknown company, the competition was abundant/tough and my numbers weren’t anything special. Like many, I was initially reluctant to use a consultant because of the cost; there’s no doubt it’s a big decision. But a good friend referred me to Jessica and told me she was the best in the business and that I had to work with her. The opportunity to go to a top b-school is once in a lifetime and I’d seen it open incredible opportunities for others, so I figured I’d give it my best shot and try to get any edge I could in the application process. After all, I’d already committed to the idea of leaving the workforce for two years and spending my life savings (plus some) on school itself – so might as well do it right.

Now at Columbia Business School, I’m still pinching myself because just a few years ago this didn’t seem like a possibility. And I can say with great certainty that it wouldn’t have been without Jessica’s help. Jessica helped me tell my story in a way that took my borderline profile and made it a standout one. She’s passionate about getting the best out of her clients, and she understands the application process and the perspective of admissions committees better than anyone. Always a straight shooter, she’ll constantly push you and tell you exactly what you need to hear. It wasn’t always fun or comfortable, but I wouldn’t have wanted to do it any other way because it resulted in the best possible application. She’s truly as invested in your success as you are at each and every step of the process – she was just as excited as I was when I got accepted to Columbia. In retrospect, I can’t believe I ever considered going through the application process by myself. If your dream is to attend a top business school but you think it might be a bit of a stretch, then I can not recommend Jessica enough.

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I knew there were a lot of competitors in the MBA admissions consulting space, so I made sure to do my research. On top of reading multiple external reviews and testimonials, I took advantage of each consultant's test call to get a gut feel. Out of everyone that I talked with, Krista was really the only person that didn't act like a salesperson. Instead, she took a full hour to understand my background and my aspirations; it was easy to tell that she was caring and would pay attention to you as a person.

This definitely carried over into the entire process of 1.5 years of working with her, from several months before Round 1 all the way to the end of the waitlist process. Here are the highlights of working with Krista:

1) Thoughtful and probing in edits - She made it clear from the beginning that she was not going to be writing the essay herself, but rather that she would be a guide to help probe out my own thoughts and points. This was to emphasize the originality and uniqueness of my essay. In doing so, Krista was always thoughtful when giving updates and edits by posing various hypothetical questions in how to make a point stronger or why a certain point was necessary.
2) Direct and straightforward - at the same time, however, over 15 deep iterations of an essay, Krista wasn't afraid to be blunt and give objective feedback when needed. She deleted entire sentences and paragraphs when she felt it wasn't strong or contributed to my overall message, but was not tyrannical about it - she always explained the reasoning behind her edits.
3) Strong preparation for business school interviews - Krista provided extensive preparation for the interviews, including multiple rounds of mock interviews along with deep feedback. Not only did she help me work on the interpersonal aspect with tone and intonation to guide me with the proper delivery, she also cracked down on the concrete content of the answers to the questions to make sure they were well-structured and concise.
4) Maintained a strong personal relationship even after I got admitted into school - she referred me to MBA internship positions for a large financial services firm that she previously worked with.

I highly recommend Krista to anyone really looking for a personalized consultant with great insights into any industry and school.

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As a Canadian student applying to top business schools in the U.S., I had very little knowledge of the intense level of competition. I didn't know anyone in my immediate circle who has successfully applied to a top U.S. MBA, so I had no reference point either.

I started the process intent on using the DIY-way, but quickly found myself completely lost - what is a "narrative" or "story", and what matters most to me and why?

I knew I needed help. I set up 7 consultations with various companies and knew after my first conversation with Helen that she knew what she was doing. She pointed out my strengths, weaknesses, and told me some strategies to address my lower GPA. After our call, Helen sent a detailed follow-up email with free resources that I could use, regardless of whether I decided to work with her.

A few things to highlight about my experience working with Helen:

• Responsive: Helen never missed a 2-business-day turnaround deadline, and often returned edited drafts to me sooner. I started working with Helen in Mid-October with one application due in November. It was quite a short turnaround since I was very naive about the intensity of the process, but Helen's responsiveness made it more than manageable.
• Your personal cheerleader: Helen gave me her vote of confidence on my target schools and told me to go "full throttle" on the applications instead of suggesting that I apply to "safeties". While some consultants suggested that I apply to lower-ranked programs or schools that weren't a great fit, I'm glad that Helen pushed me to apply for my dream schools.
• Thorough and thoughtful: I did no less than 10 drafts for some essays and Helen always had good feedback and pushed me to push my own thinking. Even if I was happy with a draft or a sentence, she gently guided me towards a path of constant improvement.

I applied to 4 schools in total (H/S/W and a Top 10 program) and worked with Helen on 2 school packages. I was accepted at one of the schools we worked on together and one program where I did the application myself. However, even though we didn't work on that app together, I believe I wouldn't have put forward such a strong application if I didn't have all the back-end work that I did with Helen on the other application.

I'm off to my dream program this fall, and I would highly recommend working with Helen Summers and mbaMission.

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Jessica was beyond helpful and words cannot describe my appreciation for her. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. She was incredibly responsive, thoughtful, and held me accountable throughout the entire process. She knows exactly when to push and when to encourage. Her talent, experience, and genuine care for my success were all worth every penny. There is so much more that goes into the entire admissions process than I realized, and Jessica does a fantastic job of breaking down each portion into a manageable, organized timeline. Looking back, there is absolutely no way I would have made it into the schools that I did without her.

From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU for all of your hard work Jessica!

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When I think of Helen, five words that come to mind are honest, responsive, blunt, personal, and strategic. My goal was to gain acceptance to Harvard, and I purchased mbaMission’s “Start-to-Finish” package after a free consultation with Helen.

Brainstorming
Regrettably, I have never been an introspective person. Helen sent me an extensive brainstorming document that forced me to be thoughtful about my past, present, and future on a professional and personal level. When we had our one-on-one brainstorming session, it was obvious she had taken time to think critically about my life story. This was demonstrated by her asking very pointed questions about my upbringing, academic/career decisions, and transition points. At the end of our long call, I was certain about the story I wanted to tell HBS. To be very clear, Helen never told me explicitly what I should tell HBS. She encouraged me to be thoughtful about communicating what was truly important to me. She pushed me to make the final decision.

Essay, resume, and short answers
I purchased the “Start-to-Finish” package because I wanted to iterate each part of my application until I was satisfied. Helen was meticulous and blunt when reviewing my essay: “This isn’t clear”, “This doesn’t gel with what you said earlier”, “I like how you said this”, “Try to use less words”. Each draft progressed in flow, efficiency, and style. It was very rewarding because I maintained my distinct voice and the final product was 100% authentic. Helen never forced her thoughts on me. Helen took this same approach to my resume and short answers. She never missed a deadline and was sometimes well ahead of schedule.

Interview
I had ~10 mock interviews (Helen, current students, alumni, friends) before my official HBS interview. My session with Helen was closest to the real thing. My interview preparation with Helen gave me confidence and calmed my anxiety about the interview.

Overall, Helen enhanced my application process in every way. She was pivotal to helping me achieve acceptance to HBS. Have no reservations about working with her.

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After taking the GMAT twice, I knew I wasn’t going to score better than a 700, which was in the range of the schools that I was looking at attending but on the low end. I knew that I needed to put together the strongest application possible, so I reached out to mbaMission to work on a 4-school package.

Before talking with Melissa for our free 30-minute consultation, I knew that I wanted to apply to Kellogg but I wasn’t sure what other schools would be realistically in my range. Melissa talked to me about what I was looking for in terms of class size, instruction style and culture and told me to consider Fuqua and Ross. She was encouraging yet realistic and having her help me narrow down what schools to realistically look at and prepare for was incredibly valuable.

I originally started off working on Kellogg, McDonough, Fuqua, and Ross with Melissa. I was going to apply to HBS myself because it was a reach so I thought I would do it alone and have Melissa help me with McDonough as a safety net. After finishing the essays for Kellogg, I was so proud and confident of the application I was putting together that I asked Melissa to help me with HBS instead. Shoot for the stars! In the end I got into Kellogg, Fuqua, and Ross with incredibly generous scholarships to each. In the end I did not end up applying to McDonough because I was confident in my applications to Kellogg, Ross and Fuqua and that paid off.

Melissa is brilliant at helping you find your unique story to distinguish you from other applicants yet highlight your fit with the school’s mission and culture. One way she does this is through the brainstorming doc that she asks you to fill out when you start working together. This is just a document that asks you numerous questions and allows you to share any relevant stories including setbacks, learnings, critiques, passions, etc., I invested a lot of time in the brainstorming doc and that investment completely paid off because Melissa got to know me very well and was able to weave together a narrative made up of disparate and individual stories that I had written about, tie them together, and then package them in a way that would appeal to the different schools I was applying to. The way she brought different parts of my life and experiences together that I never would have was creative and natural.

Other than essay writing, the most game-changing thing about working with Melissa was that she revealed the strategy to applying to businesses school in general and to each one individually and together we crafted a strategy for each school. Anyone can write the essays, do the application, and attend an interview, but it’s hard to make sure that every single interaction you have with a school is cohesive, well thought-out and intentional and Melissa helped me with that. She helps you attack the application process so that you are comfortable presenting yourself in the most authentic, confident, and appealing way.

Melissa was a godsend throughout the brutal b-school application process and if there is anything that I would advise applicants and prospective applicants to do in order to achieve the best results is a) work with Melissa and b) spend serious time on the brainstorming doc. Throughout working together Melissa was understanding, encouraging, and realistic. At the end of the day there is luck involved in who gets admitted where, but I encourage everyone applying to schools that they think are out of their reach to apply and work with Melissa to put together the best application possible. I can't recommend her enough!

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I would not have gotten into Haas Business School without Jessica – period, dead stop. Her level of expertise and wisdom is unmatched. My first encounter with Jessica was during a webinar, and up until that point, I hadn’t given a personal consultant much thought. I figured I had been reasonably successful in my career and would be able to maneuver the application process myself. Having a few doubts, though, as I wasn’t the traditional candidate for a top business school, I scheduled a free 30 minute consultation. Jessica’s “presence” blew me away. She was all the things you’d want a consultant to be – intelligent, honest, succinct, great listener – but it was her passion and compassion that drew me to her. She’s the real deal, a truly authentic person. After completing my brainstorming homework, I came to our call feeling a bit defeated. I didn’t think there was anything in my story that was unique or compelling enough to get me into a top school. She disagreed and told me what she saw in my story. What she said not only touched my heart, but changed my worldview.

I could go on and on about her work. She’s efficient and quick to respond and brilliant at making sure every single word in your essay provides value. She’s stellar at listening to inarticulate ramblings and finding themes and important points. But most importantly, she’s your most valued thought partner.

To be honest, I hesitated before writing the check to mbaMission. It was a lot of money and I didn’t want to spend it if I’d be able to produce similar work on my own. What I know now is to run, don’t walk, to find yourself a consultant, and secure Jessica if at all possible. I’m in my mid-forties and she is hands down the best money I’ve ever spent. I will be forever grateful for her services.

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No matter where you are in the application process, Jessica Shklar will help you present the best and truest YOU to your dream business school.

Before using mbaMission, I applied to business schools on my own, thinking that I knew best how to present myself to admissions. After receiving only a single interview, I became worried. While I waited for a lone R1 decision, I reached out to several consulting services to see if they could help me on such short notice (R2 deadlines were fast approaching and I had not even started!). In a free one hour consultation, Jessica gave me so much great advice and really captured the essence of what I was trying to say in my application essays but in a more directed approach. Knowing that I was still waiting for a Rd1 decision, Jessica was never pushy about the services and told me she would help me on short notice as soon as I was ready.

After receiving a rejection, I called Jessica and she immediately developed a plan of action. She helped me hone in on schools to target. We had only 2 weeks to submit applications to six programs! In a whirlwind but incredibly efficient and effective afternoon conversation, Jessica helped me drill into the essays and my stories that would resonate with admissions at each school. In no way did she ever write my essays, but she helped me see the great stories that I didn't realize I had. This was especially important as a non-traditional applicant (age 33 at matriculation, worked at various blue collar jobs, military reservist). She truly will help you present the best YOU to your dream programs.

Over a busy 2 weeks, Jessica supported me and was always responsive. While I can write so many positive words about Jessica, how immensely helpful, insightful, and just plain great to talk to that she is, the results speak for themselves. My 6 applications led to 6 interviews and then 3 admits and 3 waitlists. Even with such a limited amount of time, she helped me put together my best possible applications. She is an amazing resource and a MUST for any aspiring MBA candidate!

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Jessica is a phenomenal admissions counselor. My working relationship with Jessica began over 5 years ago when I applied to the HBS 2+2 program as a college senior. During the initial consultation, Jessica and I immediately clicked and I knew that her knowledge and experience would be invaluable. I chose to go through my 2+2 application without any support and was not admitted. Five years later, I decided to re-apply to MBA programs. I submitted a request for another consultation from mbaMission and, to my surprise, Jessica emailed me back. During our chat, she was very optimistic about my profile and chances for admission. I interviewed seven other admission consultants just to make sure but with Jessica I felt the most comfortable. Over the course of 5 months, Jessica spent many hours helping to refine my application and make sure every aspect was perfect. I couldn’t be happier with the result – I was admitted to my top choice – HBS! Thank you so much Jessica – words cannot express how grateful I am to you. I recommend you highly!

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If you have the opportunity to work with Jessica, I would highly recommend it - it's truly worth every penny. I was on the fence about working with a consultant - it's an expensive investment and up to that point I had done everything on my own.

I knew I wanted to work with Jessica immediately following our consultation. Jessica managed to articulate my story better than I could after just a 30 minute phone call and was also able to point out strengths and weaknesses in my application that I hadn't thought about before. I felt confident that having Jessica's years of experience and insight would help me craft a more effective and authentic narrative - and that turned out to be absolutely true.

The three things that I enjoyed most about working with Jessica are:

1.) her ability to provide quick, candid and pointed feedback - there is no tip-toeing around feedback. She gets to the point quickly and that makes every minute you spend with her very effective and valuable.

2.) her ability to see trends in your experience/background and help you craft an authentic, powerful story.

3.) her ability to be your biggest chearleader when you need it most! Jessica always made herself available when I needed to talk to her and she believed in me every step of the way. As corny as it sounds, this is so important in the application process because there are so many ups and downs and sometimes you just need encouragement and positivity.

Ultimately, I was accepted to my two top choices. Jessica was a critical in that result!

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