For starters, a bit about myself - I was a re-applicant this year. Last year, I worked on my MBA applications for two weeks (yes, I was clearly not very serious) and only applied to two schools - Yale and Ross - eventually getting interviews from both but not getting through at either school. This year, I was more prepared and I worked on Round 1 applications with Krista Nannery for two schools (CBS, Wharton) and was admitted to CBS. I wanted to share some thoughts on my experience with Krista.
 
In short, Krista was absolutely amazing but I would be remiss if I didn't tell you what really made her stand out for me:
 
1. Krista was extremely structured and clearly knew what she was doing:
• Resume structure: Being an Indian male consultant at a Big 4, I felt my resume was strong but also very generic. That was before it received Krista's Midas touch. Krista had a very structured format that separated my client work from my internal projects and helped each of them shine in their own light. It was brilliant to see how easily she understood exactly what I was trying to communicate through my bullets, and enhanced them to significantly heighten their impact. I've genuinely never felt better about my resume than I did after working with Krista through it. We did three drafts of it in 5 days and it was the first "deliverable" we knocked out.
• Essay Structure: After reading my introductory document, Krista knew exactly which stories we should convey in the essays and came prepared to our brainstorming call. She not only had a clear view of the overall essay flow but she had even planned out the first and last sentence of each paragraph! She was always very clear in her instructions and laid out exactly what she needed from me well in advance so we never had to rush to meet our timelines. Krista really helped me bring out my personality and character in my essays, especially in two essays I found very challenging and could've easily gone south (CBS #2, 3). Her best practices for brainstorming and moving on to the actual essay writing made it clear to me that she knew what she was doing and made me not only feel, but also realize that I'm in very good hands.
 
2. Krista always maintained a very prompt turnaround time:
• Even though her mandatory turnaround time for anything I sent was two business days, more often than not, Krista returned the essays to me in less than 24 hours. It almost became a game at one point for me to see who could turn the essays around faster (while maintaining high quality of course). It was great to see how efficiently she was able to pinpoint areas I needed to work on and provide constructive and actionable feedback so that I could implement those changes. Having Krista based in London was a huge blessing for me (living on the East Coast in the US) as anything I sent to her at night was reviewed by her and ready for my edits again in the morning.
• I also want to add that Krista made herself available for a phone chat on each and every occasion that I requested. There were times when I wanted to speak about some resume/essay edits over the phone rather than over e-mail and Krista made sure we were able to grab 30 minutes to an hour each time. Even though she was swamped with other clients, she never made me feel like I was not her only client.
 
3. Most Importantly - Krista was genuinely interested in my success:
• Scholarship Essay: Being an international student with a management consulting background, I never thought I would be given need-based financial aid. Hence, I never kept up with the timelines. However, just a week before the deadline, I received an email from the school and I finally opened the application 3 days before the deadline to see what was required. Despite my extreme tardiness and irresponsible behavior, Krista showed up for me when I desperately needed her. She was about to leave for her vacation and was running to catch her flight when I finally managed to get a first draft of my essay to her. Even though she didn't have a chance to prop open her laptop and type up a long email to me, she read my essay on her phone, took down hand written notes, and sent me a photo of what she had written down. As always, her feedback was constructive and actionable - I knew exactly what to change and how to change it too. Once she landed at her vacation spot, she scoped out a wi-fi spot and immediately responded to my second draft, while being on vacation! Her turnaround was so quick that despite all my tardiness, I was able to submit my application more than 24 hours before the deadline. This "above and beyond" attitude of Krista's just reinforced how genuinely interested in my success she was. To top it off, I recently found out I received a $24,000 annual scholarship from CBS! I cannot describe how grateful I am to her for all her help.
• Interview Tips: Krista was so invested in my success that as I was preparing for my interview, she made every effort to help me cross the finish line with flying colors - even going to the extent of jumping on the phone with me a second time to do another mock interview. Our first mock interview went well but I was still nervous and knew I could answer a few questions better. Krista gave me some crisp and concise feedback on how to tackle those questions and when I expressed that I wanted to jump on the phone a second time with her, she did not hesitate even once before scheduling the call. Her fine tuning here was absolutely phenomenal. After our second chat, Krista helped me feel so confident that despite a crazy interview (probably the most difficult interview of my life), I got into CBS within 5 business days of my interview being completed.
 
Overall, I'm so thankful that I was paired with Krista for this process. Working with her was an absolute pleasure - she was always very professional and had great tips to share. Everyone I speak to in the future about the application process will hear about mbaMission and Krista from me in the best possible light. Thank you for all your help, Krista!

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I could not recommend Harold Simansky and the Stratus Prep team more for their MBA consulting services. Stratus Prep was incredibly professional throughout the entire process and Harold was extremely knowledgeable on the application processes at top business schools. Harold helped me refine and perfect my career story, objectives and overall application. Harold is an expert in helping people properly position themselves within their competitive category to maximize their chances of being admitted. He was immediately available any time I had questions or concerns, which was frequently throughout the process. If you want to put your best foot forward and increase your chances of being admitted to a top school then I highly suggest working with Harold and the Stratus Prep team.

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Things you shouldn't do during the MBA application process:
- Wait until 3 weeks before the deadline to start your essay
- Not have schools picked out that fit your profile

I took longer than expected to get my GMAT score to where I wanted it to be. Round 1 passed and Round 2 was quickly approaching and I freaked out. It's been ages since I've applied to schools and I wanted someone to help me through this process. With only 3 weeks until Round 2 deadlines, many other admissions consultants said that it was impossible or would refuse to help me, which was totally understandable given the short notice. I was luckily paired with Harshad and he was certainly the life raft that I needed to complete my application. We started with a brainstorming document where I listed my background and all my experiences. After reading the document and meeting with Harshad, He had a very good idea about who I was and how to present myself to each school. Since we were on a very tight deadline, he gave me a strict timeline and assured me that if I stuck with the timeline, we would be on target. He worked tirelessly to provide feedback and edits; some of his turnaround times were less than 1 day! I submitted all 3 of my applications on time and I received interviews from all 3 schools. I've already been accepted with a 75% scholarship from one school and I am still waiting to hear back from the others. I can honestly say I could not have done this without Harshad keeping me on track and helping me tell my story in a succinct, coherent fashion.

School update: Accepted to all three schools - including a 50% scholarship at a top 25 school!

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When I decided to apply to an MBA program, I spoke to several of my friends who were accepted into top-tier schools, they all suggested getting a consultant. Although consultants are not cheap, I found my experience with mbaMission, in particular with Lynn Moloney, worth every penny.
I considered buying different services a la carte, but I am glad I opted to buy the school package. Although more expensive, the school package really helps you build your entire application. The consultant knows what you have already described in your resume and your short essays. This might not seem significant, but the space in your application is limited and you want to make sure you are able to showcase everything important, including minor details that the application committee might find interesting.
After a 30 minute free consultation with a different consultant, it was suggested I pair with Lynn Moloney. I was happy that the consultant didn’t just suggest herself, but listened to what I wanted and based her recommendation on that. I would suggest starting this process sooner rather than later. Each consultant can only have so many clients, if you are joining late in the process, the consultant that might be the best fit for you might already be fully booked.
After doing my initial brain storming exercise, something that you should give yourself several weeks if not more to do and think through, Lynn discussed each story with me, helping me see different angles and picking up on different strengths/skills that I did not see myself.
My number one choice, and the hardest application, was HBS. The single open ended essay question can seem overwhelming; you have one chance to show the application committee what you are all about and what you will add to the HBS community. After the brainstorming exercise, Lynn had suggested a topic for the essay. I was very surprised as the topic was very similar to what I was thinking myself. Lynn does not write the essays for you, she provides input on which stories make sense to include and helps edit the essay, tying each story together and making sure every word has an impact.
I found Lynn to be extremely helpful in the writing process. I went through 9/10 drafts of my HBS essay. Lynn was always timely in her response and with each draft I could tell she was very thorough and took the time to make each draft substantially better than the last.
The interview prep was also very helpful. I did two mock interviews with Lynn. She helped me frame each answer in a clear way and discussed some of the techniques interviewers might use. For interviews, it’s important to practice. I practiced 3-4 times with friends, but Lynn’s feedback helped me see how to approach each answer, where my friend provided the opportunity to practice what Lynn and I had discussed.
I was accepted into HBS and believe Lynn was an instrumental part in this. Overall, not only was she professional, but I felt that the service she provided was very personalized. Lynn provided me with the tools that helped me showcase the traits that were unique to me, helping me stand out from other candidates.

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Came from a pretty blue-chip background, but was concerned about differentiating myself within the very competitive cohort of management consultants. I chose Katy after completing free 30-minute calls with several different consultants across several different firms. I chose Katy because of three main reasons: one, she had substantial experience at HBS and Stanford (alum of one, reviewed applications in the other), which were the only two schools I was planning to apply to; two, she seemed to have a thorough grasp of what business schools were looking for at a level deeper than what I was getting on forums, books, school profiles, etc.; and three, she had a much more friendly, down-to-earth attitude and approach than other consultants I spoke to, which really resonated with me.

Katy's number one strength is her RIDICULOUSLY uncanny ability to draw a trendline in your life -- to figure out "what matters most to you and why" by listening to the choices you've made in your career and personal life and the experiences that have shaped you. This is the foundation of any great business school application, and its importance cannot be overemphasized. As someone with a fairly strong writing background, I probably could have managed most of the essay writing and editing myself, but her services were worth the cost for this thematic identification alone. It was something I was struggling with, and it wasn't until she said "this is what I think matters most to you" (after two hours on the phone talking through my life) that it all "clicked." I think it's what ultimately differentiated me, and I'll be headed to Stanford in the fall. Would enthusiastically recommend Katy to friends and family.

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Last year, I came tantalizingly close to my dream schools...but could not make it. After that experience, I started looking for a consultant to help me figure out specific weaknesses/ shortcomings in my application. After reading all the reviews, choosing Angela was a no brainer. However, I had no idea then the degree of value she would add to my application and to my career.  

Her greatest strength is her deep understanding of applicants background and their aspirations. It goes beyond theoretical answers to common goal related B school questions. I am from a non traditional background (I have another advanced degree) and after learning more about my experiences and strengths, she was the first person to make me realize that management consulting will be a great fit for me. Not only that, she leveraged her own network at a top consulting firm to help me connect with people at the firm and interview there right away. The experience helped me gain lot of internal clarity about my short and long term goals! Angela's personal and professional experiences and her passion for helping people uniquely positions her to be one of the best career counsellor that anyone can hope for.  

She is also great with all the basic skills required from a good consultant- from sound editing to innovative essay edits. At the same time, she knows very well the thin line between being meticulous and overthinking it. At multiple times, she helped me relax and enjoy the process by making me realize where I was obsessed with unimportant minutiae.

And her methodology was a clear success! I made it to both of my top choice schools, including Wharton!! 

Working with Angela was an exciting journey of self discovery. I gained confidence and self belief in my career goals. Everything else followed from there. That makes her a very unique consultant and especially right for people who are pursuing an MBA as a means to self discovery and not 100% decided on their goals. Thank you Angela! 

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As I was doing my due diligence, I shortlisted a few consultants who came highly recommended on GMAT Club. After scheduling an initial trial call with a few of them, I was immediately drawn to work with Angela because of her positive energy and experience – she has been doing this for longer than I have been out of school!

As for her strengths, there are two skills that define Angela’s work with me: First, she very quickly understood my life story and had an incredible knack at drawing out the best personal traits to highlight in my essays. Second (and most amazingly!), Angela is able to weave those personal anecdotes into a cohesive and powerful narrative. In a few of our skype chats, I vividly remember Angela giving me two or three options on how to approach each essay using the same personal anecdotes we chose to use. This way, I had the chance to pick the most comfortable option, making the essay writing process much easier.

But what really defined my time with Angela was the extra hours she put in to go through the decision making process with me after the admission decisions came out. I applied to four schools among which one was my safety school. I got dinged at the three schools I was targeting, so I was struggling and very disappointed for a while. However a few skype chats with Angela, she was able to provide encouragement and, most importantly, both emotional and professional perspective to help me see the light at the end of the tunnel.

More than a great admissions consultant, Angela is an excellent professional coach!

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I was recommended by a family member to utilize Angela's expertise and services and I can honestly say that this was one of the best decisions I made through my MBA application process! I was aiming at the top 20 MBA schools. I was skeptical of my chances of getting in because I didn't necessarily have a "wow" factor. I went to a Big 10 school, graduated with a double major in Accounting and Finance with about a 3.3 GPA, had about 3 years of work experience at the time I applied, and received a low 700 score on my GMAT. As I understand, this fits the criteria of several other individuals applying every year for an MBA. But when I started working with Angela, she could identify my strengths and weaknesses and develop a story that I didn't even know existed to help me stand out in my applications. She has a unique talent of being able to hone in on one's experiences and formulate them into a interesting and compelling story. One of Angela’s most important strengths I appreciated was that she was very straight forward - there was no BS and her expectations were always very clear. If you wrote something bad, she'll tell you. If you were slacking in completing your deliverables, she'll tell you. On the flip side, if you wrote something that she really liked, she'll tell you. This was extremely valuable as I was applying to 5 schools in Round 1. I didn't have time for someone to "ease the pain" if I wrote a bad essay - I needed the blunt truth right away, and Angela was willing to do that. Overall, my experience with Angela was much more than I expected! She assisted with creating my story, the essays, the online application, and even the interviews. Because of her, I was admitted to 3 out of the 5 schools I applied to – Ross, UCLA, and Booth! Last words – I HIGHLY RECOMMEND HER!

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I did a ton of research on different consultants and honestly wasn't that impressed with any of them until I found mbaMission / Angela. The first thing that stood out to me that I loved about her was her direct, candid, no sugarcoating approach. In a process as cumbersome, stressful, and important as business school applications, I wanted someone to be my partner in the process who could tell it to me straight so that I could best set my expectations and focus my efforts. Angela was exactly that and much more!

Working with her at the beginning of my application process to strategize my story and identify my differentiators was an incredible experience. She knew exactly what questions to ask, where to focus our time, and what aspects of my experience to dig deeper into in order to create something that was genuinely mine in a unique and compelling way. It should be noted here that I'm a management consultant so certainly didn't have "uniqueness" coming from my job experience.

From there, it was all about putting that story into words in a way that resonated with each school, and here again Angela was amazing! From brainstorming the best writing frameworks that could be used to answer each question, to editing tens of versions of my essays, Angela provided thoughtful, detailed, and personalized feedback each step of the way.

In short working with Angela is the best! She knows how to work with applicants in order to generate the type of self-reflection that is required in order to succeed in this process and knows how to combine that with her world class expertise in to create a final product that is compelling and genuine. Hire her!!!!!!!

Also, for some context, I worked with her to apply to Harvard, Stanford, Booth, and Wharton's Lauder dual degree program and ended up being admitted to Booth and Wharton / Lauder.

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I had a fantastic experience working with Rachel Beck. She was easy to reach, and very clear about her expectations. To all those thinking about applying and using a consulting service, recognize that it will still be a lot of work. Ultimately, you are writing the essays. That said, Rachel did a great job of helping me organize my stories, thinking through how to structure the essays, and editing to make sure that I'm really putting my best foot forward. For me, it took out almost all of the uncertainty, and allowed me to focus on writing something that is impactful and meaningful. Totally worth it.

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