My biggest concern while applying to business school was whether I would be able to communicate my story to the admissions committee in a compelling manner. This was partially due to the fact that my story (I felt) was quite unique, having had significant leadership experience in the non-profit sector. Hence rather than looking for an editor who would help me word my essays better I was looking for a guide who would truly understand me and help me present myself holistically. I found such a person in Dan.

The amount of efforts he took in understanding me: my passions, my worries, my ambitions and me as a person were remarkable. There were times I would push him to move to the "real deal" (writing essays etc.), but Dan being Dan would figure out a compelling way to convince me that there was more introspection required. This for me was the real deal breaker.

When I got to editing my resume and writing my essays, Dan helped me "cut through the crap" and get to the point. His ability to call a spade a spade and tell me very clearly what NOT to do helped me narrow my options and stay focused on my core story. He would never shy away from giving me a "Re-do" on the essay, and I found this attribute particularly refreshing, saving a lot of precious time for me. Sometimes I would not agree with him and we would debate endlessly on a line, a phrase and sometimes even the entire idea, this however made it clear to me how invested he was in this. We were in this together!

Fun fact: One of the things we debated on was whether I should apply to Kellogg. Dan was convinced that I should, I wasn't. End result: Today I'm going to Kellogg :)

The journey of applying to b schools is quite stressful and I guess everybody needs a friend who you can rely on, who can give honest feedback and be with you through the ups and downs. I found such a friend in Dan. Somebody I'll definitely keep in touch with and somebody I would highly recommend for anybody starting the b school application process for the coming years!

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I came to Jessica as a re-applicant and having been through the process before, I was somewhat skeptical that I needed too much more guidance other than cleaning up my story and repurposing my prior materials. However, it became very clear from our first interaction that she could help me do so much more. During our brainstorming session, she helped bring out both professional and personal experiences that I hadn't even considered talking about before. What I appreciated most about working with her was her uncommon ability to force me to form a story myself even as she helped me talk through several anecdotes, acting as a guide while allowing me to make my essays and overall application truly personal - this also speaks to her incredible patience. While she is a very nice person, she didn't let this keep her from being a tough critic of my writing, and she pushed me to go through several drafts of all of my essays, without going overboard and being too picky over minute details. While she certainly helped edit my essays, she generally stayed hands-off when it came to the content, again allowing me to make the story truly mine. Her help was especially important given my background as a relatively traditional applicant coming from finance applying to the top 3 MBA programs, of which I got into one. I truly believe she helped make a difference in presenting myself in the most effective, yet honest way and would recommend her to anyone.

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Hi,

I would like to recommend Daniel Richards from mbamission. I started working with Dan early on during the application process for top schools such as Columbia and UCLA Anderson. From the first introductory call I felt very comfortable working with Dan. He is not only a professional and expert on the MBA application process, but he was very honest from day 1 without making you feel bad for any shortcomings, to the contrary he helped me find my strengths and how to make those strengths shine through in my application. Additionally, writing essays has never been my forte, especially in English that is not my first language, Dan has a gift for ensuring that what I wanted to say came across polished and ensuring the reader felt something while reading my essays. If it wasn't for Dan and his strategic and smart advice I would not have gotten an interview invitation from UCLA, trust me my GMAT score was way below their average. I understand mba consultants services are not cheap, but working with Dan was worth every penny. Specially if you are a busy professional without any time to waste during the stressful application process. He responded promptly to all my questions, even when there deadlines nearby and he was busy with many clients. Thank you Dan for all your help during this process.

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As an applicant with a non-traditional background, I knew that I was going to need all of the guidance I could get on the business school application process. I decided to enlist mbaMission’s services, and the company’s founder highly recommended Susan. Working with Susan was the best decision I could have made. She gave me invaluable advice and asked me all of the right questions that I had no idea I needed to be prepared to answer.
When I started with Susan this past fall, I was very late in the admissions process. I intended to apply to schools for round 2, but was still studying for the GMAT and deciding which schools to apply to at the same time. Right off the bat, Susan helped me set realistic expectations for studying/working full time/applying to schools in a short time period. She helped me cut down my school list to schools that would be a good fit for me and that I could realistically get into. She advised me to stick with previous GRE scores (and helped me realize that these scores would get me into b schools) so that I would not waste any more time studying for the GMAT and actually start focusing on working on my applications.
Susan also made sure that every single minute of my time with her was spent wisely. For example, during our first brainstorming call, Susan realized that I needed to do more research on my short term and long term post- MBA career goals; specifically, how my target school would support me in these goals, before we could proceed any further. She stopped the conversation short so that we would not waste any more time, and gave my guided questions to think about as I did my own research on these topics.
Susan never missed a deadline and usually returned any items I sent to her for feedback early. Susan’s feedback was always thorough and insightful.
Susan provides very blunt criticism (as others have touched upon), but without her help I know I would not have gotten into my top choice school. She makes you work really hard, but it will pay off immensely!! She sincerely wants to make sure that you have the best application possible. I am a better business school candidate because of working with her.

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I worked with Melissa Blakeslee on a 4-school package and it was a phenomenal experience overall. I started the process extremely early, signing up with Melissa months before essays were even released. Beginning with the free consultation, I could immediately tell that she was focused on giving me as much value as she could. I felt that we immediately clicked because of her passion, knowledge about the programs, and sincerity.

Melissa coached me through the GMAT process (I scored a 710, and one month later a 740) and was very honest about how my score would play a role in my overall application profile. Once I hit a 740 she candidly told me the time investment to score higher would not be justified for the returns it would get me and we focused our efforts elsewhere.

Throughout the school selection process we spoke at least twice a week via email (frequently more), and Melissa was always extremely responsive to phone call requests. We weighed each school's pros and cons as they related to me and my personality. She even set up phone calls to go over each school after I visited them and learn what my impressions were. That was truly the best thing about Melissa - she took the time to learn who I was and what I wanted. And to be perfectly frank, I didn't even know what I wanted. We figured it out together.

As we worked through essays Melissa was a fantastic resource. Her edits were concise and thoughtful. We probably went through 4-6 iterations of the first essay, and then really flew through the next ones as I learned the process. We had an hour long brainstorming session for each one (did I mention how available she was?) that really focused on crafting a compelling story for each school. Melissa has a deep understanding of what each school is looking for.

As I received interview invites Melissa also scheduled mock interview phone calls that were very helpful. I've always been great at interviews but she gave me tips and tricks to really hit the points interviewers are looking for. Despite those tips being a huge help, I would say the best thing Melissa did was talk me off the ledge as I got nervous beforehand. Her calming reassurances showed that she truly cared about me and my success.

I could go on and on about how great Melissa is, but just sign up with her already. The results speak for themselves. I was accepted into every school I applied to (Kellogg, Ross, Darden, and Tuck) with significant scholarship offers at all but Tuck. I'll be attending Kellogg in the fall and could not be happier about my decision to hire Melissa. As great as she is at her job, she's also a fantastic person that I am still in frequent contact with and consider a great friend. If you want more than just an essay editor or someone who reiterates advice you can freely find online, choose Melissa!

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Self reflection is hard, and as it turns out, the MBA application process requires a lot of it. Each candidate comes in with different strengths, and it becomes about showcasing them in an interesting and meaningful way. I approached the application process with a lot of determination, but some hesitation because my GMAT score was right on the cusp of what is widely considered a "safe" score for the top programs. John worked with me to craft my story in a way that let my strengths shine, and showed me that the GMAT is only one data point among many in this application. Not only did he help me make my application something that I was proud of, but was always patient and available. He was willing to review everything I wrote, including emails to professors, alumni and current students, as well as talk on the phone regularly for advice. I can honestly say that John was instrumental in helping me gain admission to my top choice of program. I cannot wait to start b-school in the Fall, and am so grateful that John was referred to me. If you are considering using John, you will not be disappointed. Trust me, it is worth the investment!

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Helen was honest and ended up being very accurate about my chances of admissions for the schools I was looking to apply to. She is easy to talk to and has a tough love approach which pushed me to put forward the best application possible. I also had a low undergrad GPA and Helen knew how I could shape my application to put my best foot forward.

She was extremely timely with her responses and it was easy to set time with her to ask any question I had throughout the process. She always had answers and never steered me wrong!

A few HUGE value adds stand out to me:

1. During the brainstorming sessions, when I would get stuck, she always had ideas and examples that got my brain churning. She was honest with feedback about stories and experiences that I came up with which really helped me shape my essays/interview answers.
2. For interviews, she had great advice on how to prepare, tweak answers and make a good impression. With her help, I was confident for the in person interviews which, I believe, made a big difference.
3. Throughout the time I was wait-listed, I was in constant communication with admissions. She helped me come up with talking points for in person admissions meetings and she helped me approach every email and update. All of this really helped me get noticed and I came off the wait-list quickly.

All in all, I don't know if I would be starting at my dream school in the fall without her and I am so thankful.

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I used Katharine Lewis for a 2-school package (all-inclusive). It seems like a lot of money upfront and I didn't know if I 'needed' a consultant at first - some mentors and friends said that my profile is so good, why would I want one? but I am SO happy with my decision, and Katy definitely made it worth it.

From helping me navigate the MBA admissions process, to reading multiple drafts of my essays until they were perfect, to doing mock interviews, to coaching me through the waitlist process for HBS, Katy was absolutely phenomenal and she has truly become a great friend.

Katy has such extensive experience that she knows how to guide the essays, recommendations, application (like what extracurriculars to highlight there vs. other places in essays, etc.). Also, the mock interviews she gave me truly helped me prepare for the real interviews, and she was able to provide significant additional reading for me.

I got into Wharton (with a large fellowship), into Stanford GSB, and waitlisted after interviewing with HBS.

I am pleased with the results and a lot of it is due to Katy!

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When I began evaluating consultants, I was looking for someone with a similar background to mine. On paper, Harshad and I could not be more different. Angela assured me that he is extremely talented, but I still had my doubts about whether or not he would be the right fit for me. Boy was I wrong.

Based on my credentials, I was an underdog in the b-school admissions process. I had a number of prospective consultants break the news that I was a long shot for top-tier schools and they encouraged me to lower my expectations. Not Harshad. From the get-go, it was clear he was in my corner. Instead of trying to convince me to settle for lesser schools, he immediately focused on what I could do to best position myself to be accepted into my top choice programs. This attitude was the primary reason I chose Harshad and it was quite possibly the smartest move I made in the entire process.

Harshad’s approach really worked for me during the essay-writing process. He dug deep into my background, my motivations, and my career aspirations and made sure my essays were a reflection of who I truly am. He was masterful in pointing out my strengths for me and also in encouraging me to think about how my weaknesses could be addressed through an MBA--this self-reflection made for great essays. I was also impressed by how economical he could be with word count--all of the content was my own but he was able to really help me eliminate fluff and say what I really meant to say. Another thing I really appreciated about Harshad was his follow-through. If he said he would get you revisions on a draft by Wednesday AM, I could count on it being in my inbox when I woke up Wednesday morning. He was reliable and always made himself available for me throughout the process.

Harshad pushed me really hard, but I appreciated all of his feedback. I knew that he was challenging me to be better because he genuinely cared about my success as an applicant. Harshad was the first person I emailed when I got my GMAT score, the first person I notified when I received invitations to interview, and the first person I pinged when I got off the phone with Admissions Officers letting me know I was in. He was more invested in my success than some of my closest friends. Applying to B-school is an arduous and humbling process; there were many times I questioned my worth along the way. Harshad was always there to pick me back up when I was knocked to the mat.

I have serious doubts about whether or not I would have succeeded in this process without Harshad. In fact, I’m almost positive I wouldn’t have gotten into my top schools. With Harshad’s help, I got into my dream schools, Wharton and Columbia, but had other excellent options like UVA Darden and NYU Stern as well. I was waitlisted at Kellogg but I’m pretty sure that’s because I opted not to have Harshad help me with that one in an effort to save money :)

I can’t recommend Harshad highly enough. I direct anyone I know who is about to embark on this process to him.

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I was incredibly fortunate to work with Heidi Granner on my business school applications. I purchased the start-to-finish package for two schools, which I used to apply to HBS and Stanford GSB. With Heidi’s help, I was accepted to both, and this fall will be attending my dream program, Stanford GSB.

A bit of profile background on me: I am a white male working in finance (two years in IBD followed by two years in PE); 3.9 GPA; 730 GMAT.

Going into the application process, I knew one of my biggest challenges would be distinguishing myself within a highly overrepresented pool of applicants - white males working in finance. Heidi offered invaluable advice that helped me craft my unique story. As with any mbaMission pair, Heidi and I kicked off our partnership with a brainstorming session. I was skeptical going into the session that I would come out of it feeling good about my essay topics (after all, this was our very first call), but two hours later I had outlines for each one. I was blown away by Heidi’s perceptiveness in picking up on common themes across my life and developing them into powerful stories I hadn’t considered.

Heidi is incredibly easy to get along with. Applying for MBA programs is a fairly emotional process - applications force you to dig deep and show a vulnerable side of yourself on paper. Heidi’s friendly and approachable demeanor made this process much more comfortable. She was easy to open up to, which allowed me to probe topics I otherwise wouldn’t have considered and write about myself and my goals in an honest way.

Heidi’s feedback on my essays and resume was always prompt and clear, allowing me to efficiently edit my materials throughout the process. We stuck to each deadline she set, and she graciously made herself available for ad hoc calls. In what can often be a hectic and stressful process, I never once felt like I couldn’t rely on Heidi to provide timely, thoughtful feedback.

All of this is to say that you will get far more than your money’s worth working with Heidi. She was an invaluable guide and sounding board to me. While I’m happy to be done with the application process, I will truly miss our partnership together, and I couldn’t have accomplished what I did without her. I cannot recommend Heidi highly enough!

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