I absolutely loved working with Monica!

Applying to b-schools is a very long and grueling process, filled with a lot of uncertainty and ambiguity. It’s also one of the more competitive evaluations you can go through. Combining those two factors, I knew it would be worth getting some guidance and support.

I was recommended to mbaMission from my GMAT instructor (Manhattan Prep), whom I was very happy with. I scoured their website, reading the bios of each consultant, and decided Monica would be a great fit.

My dream school to attend was HBS… Monica is a graduate of HBS and deeply understood what the admissions committee was looking for. My background was in investment banking… before b-school, Monica was also a former investment banker so she understood the strengths and weaknesses of my experience/resume. My main concern with the application process (after getting through the GMAT) was crafting compelling essays… I hadn’t written essays like this since I applied to undergrad and saying I was a bit rusty is certainly an understatement. This was where Monica really shined. Monica helped me structure the writing process, working together to unpack my personal experiences and then weave the most compelling anecdotes into a cohesive story. As I’m sure many people feel at the outset, I didn’t think I had many fascinating stories to talk about in my essay, but after working together through a handful of versions, I came away incredibly happy with how my essays turned out. I give Monica a ton of credit for this!

Each step of the application process has its challenges and Monica helped me stay organized and tackle each one diligently. I’m very grateful for her mentorship, work ethic, and undivided attention throughout the entire process. I’m happy to report that I was accepted to HBS and will be attending this fall.

I simply could not have done it without Monica!

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While deliberating whether to apply to b-schools last summer/fall, I decided to reach out to a few MBA consulting firms to test the waters and gauge my likelihood.

My initial call with mbaMission was actually with another consultant, but realized after the call that she only available in a few weeks. With the hopes of starting the application process sooner, I enquired mbaMission for consultants who were immediately available. Of the options given, I decided to go with Monica based on good reviews I read about online.

Right from our first brainstorming call, I knew that I had made the right decision. I felt comfortable breaking out of my introverted shell, and share with her everything and anything on my mind. It was clear that she had done her homework as well - she asked me very detailed follow-up questions based on the brainstorming questionnaire I had filled out prior to the meeting, and often referenced even the most minute things I had written on there to provide advice / suggestions. It was through her that I was able to fully introspect on myself - my values, aspirations, accomplishments and even failures. These provided me a strong ground to source my stories as I went on to write my essays.

Initially I was going to go for a 2-school package only, but as I got to further appreciate Monica's expertise and effectiveness as a sounding board, I decided to use her for all of my remaining 3 schools as well. Over a little more than 3 months, we had very frequent calls in addition to the back-and-forth emails with edits. I was especially impressed with how Monica could let me know when something didn't seem right to her, without making me feel offended. Her constructive feedback was always delivered in a direct and genuine manner.

I applied to a total of five M7 schools in R1 with Monica's support, and was invited to interview from Wharton, Sloan and CBS. I was ultimately accepted at Wharton (with $$) and Sloan (withdrew application from CBS).

I highly recommend Monica to anyone who's thinking of applying to b-schools. She will not only be a great advisor but also a friend to emotionally support you through the process.

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I loved working with Harold who provided me with assistance at every step of the way from helping me with structuring my essays to critiquing my cover letters.

He is a genuinely interested in making sure you go to the university that you want to and helps you make an informed decision. His greatest strength is his ability to create a conducive working environment that helped me open up to him and helped him understand what I really was looking for in an MBA program.He responds to your queries almost immediately and at the same time gives you ample time to work on your essays.

I would attribute my admission to Harold 100% and without him I know I would have had to struggle a lot more with my applications to get to where I am .

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I worked with Dan on a 3 school package in the fall/winter of 2016-2017. From the very beginning Dan was extremely transparent and honest with his feedback and it really helped me to hone my voice and create strong, competitive applications. I was starting late, still needing to take the GMAT and apply, and with Dan's help and guidance it made it so much easier for me to get it all done. Dan gets back to you quickly, usually that day and always is looking our for the client first. I'm enrolling in one of my top picks! I'd recommend Dan to anyone wanting to apply to b school.

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I had my first call with Kate in April 2016 and we matched instantly, as she immediately understood my needs and my goals.

I am going to start by the conclusion: Kate was amazing. If I had to go through the process again, I would work with her again without any hesitation.

The first step of the process was to define my profile and my development needs in order to select the schools. After a deep brainstorming, she proposed me the programs that she thought were the best fit. She even proposed programs I did not know and that matched perfectly with what I was looking for. I also really appreciated that Kate was invested in my schools choices but left the final decision up to me

Right after, we “built” a profile from my personal story. We therefore worked on highlighting the parts of my profile that would be interesting for my application. I need to emphasize on the fact that, as an international applicant with 9 years of experience, my profile was “unusual” (older age than average, very “heterogeneous” professional path, degrees very far from what one can expect to apply for a business school) and “not linear”. It was hence not an easy “profile” for Kate. However, she was more than happy to take the bet.

Then we worked on every single aspect of the applications. Her coaching was very efficient as she always found the words to motivate me even when I was completely “broken” and “sunk” in my GMAT preparation as well as in my professional and family life. Her observations and remarks were straight to the point and relevant, without being directive.

On top of that, Kate was very adaptive. As far as she could, she always tried her best to adapt her schedule or her work to deliver her comments in case of an “urgent” request.

At the end of the process, on the 6 school we applied to, I was accepted in 4 among which my dream one!

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I purchased a school package with mbaMission thinking it would be helpful to have someone edit my resume and essays. I couldn’t have imagined how much more Susan would be for me.

When I struggled to find a way to make my story interesting, Susan helped me see how I was unique and my qualities worth sharing. When I was trying to narrow down the schools I would apply to, she was honest in telling me which she didn’t feel were great fits. When I felt unprepared and unsure during my pre-interview practices, she knew how to be encouraging while providing constructive criticism.

Even more, seeing that Susan was truly invested in my success made all of the hours spent revising my applications slightly less painful!

I know Susan was instrumental in my acceptance at Kellogg. My experience makes me think how disadvantaged other applicants must be who don’t receive the same insight and support. I would absolutely recommend Susan to anyone considering business school!

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I worked with Katharine (Katy) Lewis, who was a terrific thought partner to advise me throughout the application process. I am delighted to share that I will be going to the Wharton MBA program!

I spoke to ~10 admission consultants from various firms and Katy stood out for her experience, track record and most importantly, a savvy ability to recognize my unique story.

Through a detailed brainstorming session, Katy was able to get to know me really well, elements of my story which she reminded me throughout the process. Katy was always available to speak and bounce ideas off (even multiple times a week if I requested) and provide feedback on my thoughts to guide me along. I appreciated that she also had the candor to indicate when she disagreed with my approach or felt that I was not conveying my story to the best of my ability. Through continuous drafts, she help me distill my prior professional and personal experiences and ambitions into a compelling and successful application! What was also really impressive was Katy's ability to be thoughtful about how to use all the various elements of my application (resume, short answers, etc.) together to reinforce and complement my story.

Likewise, when I received interviews (at all 3 programs I applied to), Katy was incredibly helpful in my preparation. She was very thorough on thinking through and testing me on potential questions on behavioral / leadership / experience etc. She went above and beyond offering me multiple mock interviews.

In conclusion, I am thrilled to have worked with Katy, and cannot recommend her more strongly to anyone looking to apply to a top MBA program.

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The price of mbaMission packages looks scary, but fret not, you have made a good investment. When I started the whole MBA process, I could see myself studying for GMAT and eventually getting the hang of it. However, I was scared of the essays and the admissions process. So, I decided to read reviews like this one and made up my mind to work with Susan.

Susan is a straightforward, diligent and caring person. What I really like about her is that she motivates you to give your best. The whole system that mbaMission has developed (brainstorming, outlining essays, etc.) requires lots of hours, so be prepared for some serious soul-searching and essay writing when you sign up. Susan has vast knowledge about the schools, and she is happy to discuss which schools would be a good fit for you. Take advantage of this opportunity and don’t ignore her advice! She was right from the beginning about which schools I would get into.

I won’t deny that working with Susan in the beginning was challenging, but that was mostly because I wasn’t fully prepared for B-school. Susan highlighted my strengths and weaknesses early on in the process and pushed me to think hard on why getting an MBA was important to me. Through this soul-searching, I was able to nail down the career goals part of the application (which is incredibly important). Susan is an amazing editor and will not let you walk away with BS in your essays (she will call you out on it). For my first school, I think we worked on 15 essay drafts, and each draft was significantly better than the last one because of Susan’s editing and comments. One of my biggest fears of working with a consultant was that my essays might not sound like me by the end, but with Susan, that was never the case. She will give you numerous comments in the essays, but you are the one doing all the writing. Also, the process gets easier once you write your first few essays…by the end of my applications, I would nail my essays down in 3 to 4 drafts. Susan is extremely accommodating with her schedule for calls or any last minute requests you might have. She is so dedicated to her clients that even when she takes her August “holiday”, she will still edit essays and return your work according to mbaMission’s return policy. With the flexibility of mbaMission packages, I worked on everything - from resume to my answers for the online application - with Susan along with the essays. With Susan’s help, I felt comfortable and satisfied with every application that I submitted.

Next step in the MBA game was interviewing. Susan and I did mock interviews in which she gave me good tips, based on her knowledge of schools, on how to improve my answers and make them relevant to what the school was looking for in their candidates. These practice sessions prepared me very well for the actual interviews. Funny interview story - I got super nervous in my first interview and sent a panicked email to Susan after it. She is such a positive and caring person – she wrote a long reply saying that everything was going to be fine! And she was right…I got two acceptances (with scholarship) and one waitlist from my dream schools! Another advantage of the mbaMission package – I worked with Susan to prepare an update for the school where I was waitlisted.

My acceptances wouldn’t have happened without Susan. I absolutely loved working with her, and I highly recommend Susan and mbaMission to anyone considering B-school seriously.

Thank you, Susan. You have been a great mentor!

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I have wanted to go to Harvard since I was 10 years old. Katy Lewis helped me make that dream come true.

I work at a private equity megafund in New York. A lot of people here didn’t use consultants because applying from a bigger PE firm is usually a fairly routine process. I decided to go with a consultant because my view was that if anything, it certainly couldn’t hurt. I was very happy I did; results speak for themselves - I got into HBS, my top rated school.

Hiring a consultant is expensive; I began interviewing consultants in November before the application year. After speaking multiple times to about 30 different people over a 3-4 month period, I decided that it was Katy I wanted to go with. She came with stellar recommendations and I had some very positive experiences with her before we were even under contract. I had some questions around GMAT score sufficiency and re-taking, around structuring my application process, as well as some random other items that came up every now and then – I would always shoot Katy a note and she’d always answer immediately or be available to discuss on the phone, without me having mentioned anything about wanting to go with her for sure. You could say that she was putting on her best face since she was trying to get hired by me, but I assure you Katy doesn’t need to worry about being hired. It is March now and I’m trying to have my friends who are applying round I this year work with Katy, but Katy already is hopelessly booked out for Round I! Booked out in March – way before a lot of people are even starting to think about the process. So, I truly believe that when Katy spent all that time helping me with no contract, it wasn’t some marketing plot, it was just generally her being the phenomenal and kind and caring person she is. If you’re going to share the most intimate details of your life with someone, knowing that they have a good heart (which usually tends to be accompanied with people being respectful and discreet!) is important.

I tend to be ruthless and while I appreciated Katy being a mentor and a coach who calmed me down at every point in the process, I would often shut down any supporting sentiments from her end (even though I’m sure they were well intended) to get straight down to business. My view was that her job was to tell me where I was lacking, and I wanted to work in a quick and efficient manner. Katy took very well to that desired style of mine; while I could tell that she tends to be very much of a cheerleader and someone who would act as a powerful encourager to people lacking confidence etc., she worked with me in a very financy-private equity style, completely cutting all the bullshit and just helping me produce great work in the most efficient manner possible. (at the same time, if I would have weak moments, like right after my interview, she would always be there for me with open arms and an open heart, I felt she believed in me at every point in the process even at points when I had given up belief in myself, and I felt I could always come to her – while I didn’t need this much it was nice to know it was there, unconditionally, always)

There’s a few very concrete items I want to call out were Katy decisively impacted my process:

• Initial brainstorm and continued work through the essay: a lot of people have mentioned this, but Katy has an unbelievable ability to draw a red thread through someone’s life and come up with that story to tell. I had my bits and pieces, but she provided the glue that fit it all together. She was the one who created one holistic, beautiful mosaic out of the different pieces of my life. I ended up absolutely loving my essay and simply writing it was a transformational journey. Katy has a beautiful ability to work with all the information you give to her and then arrange it in a logical manner, draw themes, etc. this had as a result that everything on paper is all mine, it’s all from deep within me, it’s my own work – but it is arranged in a logical manner, a coherent story, a story that people can follow – rather than the mess in my head. Please note by that I actually do a lot of writing in my spare time, have studied a lot of literature and consider myself very adept at language – what Katy brings is a whole different level. It’s not so much about being a good writer I think as it is her ability to understand what admissions wants to see, what you bring and what’s important to you to express, and how it can all be aligned

• Recommenders: Katy encouraged me to contact one recommender she felt strongly would be great to have. I would never have approached that person because I thought that there was a 50-50 shot that he would either write something great or meh, and I thought it was much too risky. Katy helped me put together a reach-out email that in a very diplomatically correct and polite yet effective manner asked for the recommendation and would also help crystallize right away whether the recommender would write the sort of stuff we would want him to write. Turns out the recommender was one of my biggest fans and my fears were completely ungrounded. He wrote an absolutely stellar rec. Had Katy not insisted I ask him, I would have never gotten that rec from him, and stuck to a much safer but probably less standout choice. Katy also helped me navigate another politically a bit tricky situation of getting a third person to volunteer to contact the university on my behalf and act as an informal recommender, without me actually ever asking that person to do so. Katy literally gave me instructions on how to just call that mentor person, have the catch-up conversation, mention HBS, and “wait for the recommender to offer.” Would never have thought this would work, but it did. I could barely believe it. I am convinced that it’s not just dumb luck this worked the way it did, but rather Katy helped me set it up the right way

• Reflection: HBS makes you write another essay within 24 hours of interview. Cruel. Looking back the thing that I had written initially was horrible. Katy helped me “see the light.” I need to be careful what I write, because if HBS somehow traces this back to me I don’t want them to withdraw my offer ;) but let it just be said Katy shaped this one decisively. Note she doesn’t obviously actually write anything for you (and there was a moment when I was really upset when at 1 in the morning after I had just landed back from Boston and the thing was due at 11am, she told me what I had written was bad, needed to be redone, and oh by the way she wasn’t going to line edit or give me specific detail since that was “against the rules” .. but she then in an incredibly practical and helpful way conveyed to me the sort of spirit this thing needs to be written in, and then offered to set her alarm for 4.30am (I could request any time I wanted) to do another turn). I literally went from feeling terrible about my interview, to in a confident and upbeat manner addressing everything in my reflection, to then as a result feeling pretty confident about my admission. ALL thanks to Katy.

In summary, I really cannot commend her enough, and I feel so fortunate to have gotten the chance to work with her. My only advice is book her early!!

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Working with Kate during the MBA application process was nothing short of a fantastic experience! I signed up for a complete start-to-finish package with her, and would highly recommend it. From brainstorming, to essay writing, to mock interviews, Kate was with me every step of the way, and she made the journey so much less stressful.

When I first spoke with Kate, I knew I had the grades, the test scores and the work experience for my top choice MBA program, but I had no idea how I was going to “tell my story”. The mbaMission Brainstorming guide and my 90-minute session with Kate really helped me reflect on experiences that shaped my education and career so far. Kate had this incredible way of helping me connect stories and experiences from my past to my future goals, and before I knew it, I had already outlines for all of my essays.

I usually dread essay writing, but with Kate, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Her suggestions were always so useful - she constantly probed me to dig deeper and explain “why” a program was right for me, or “why” an experience from my work was relevant. Additionally, I felt so much more prepared for my real interview once Kate completed a mock interview with me. She certainly helped calm my nerves and gave me constructive feedback that I could apply when the real interview rolled around.

I am so grateful to Kate for helping me turn my MBA dream into reality! She was an amazing support system and I would encourage future applicants reading this to choose to work with her too.

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