Decision to Hire Angela

When I first decided to apply to MBA programs, I had no idea how competitive I was, where I had a shot of getting in, or how high I should reach. While I had good stats (3.9 GPA from a top 20 liberal arts school, 760 GMAT), I worked in accounting for 3 years and I didn’t know how to differentiate myself from the other good applicants who were applying. I didn’t feel like I had a particularly interesting story. I was intrigued by the idea of hiring a consultant but, frankly, couldn’t fathom spending that much money only one year before I would be taking out upwards of 150K in student loans.

When I got an email from mbaMission inviting me to have a free 30-minute consult live in my city, I figured I had nothing to lose. I went in thinking that if a consultant would simply save me time – tell me things I could find online, save me calls to admissions offices, etc – edit my essays, and set a schedule for me, I would skip it. But if hiring one would actually increase my chances of getting in in ways that I could never do myself, then I would consider it.


Free Consult

In my 30-minute consult, Angela assessed my competitiveness at all the schools I was considering, helped me with my resume, told me I didn’t need to take the GMAT again (despite getting 70% Quant and 67% IR scores) and helped me with my “story” – my reason for going to business school and my post-MBA goals. I remember leaving that 30 minutes consult feeling already like she’d added incredible value to the process. I no longer had to stress about whether or not I should retake the GMAT or figuring out what schools I should apply to.

I realized that if I thought an MBA was worth the cost of tuition and opportunity cost of not working, it was definitely worth another $3.75K to have a consultant help me with one school. After all, applying to one school would mean perfecting my resume, my “story,” and, if I picked the right school, I’d probably be able to use the essays for other schools. So I decided to use Angela for one school.

My next dilemma was which schools to choose. I had decided to apply to Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton as reaches, Booth and Kellogg as fit schools, and Fuqua as a safety. And I couldn’t figure out which one hire Angela for. If I chose Harvard to increase my chances of getting in, I figured I could still end up rejected everywhere. If I chose a fit school, then I thought my chances at HBS/Stanford went out the window. If I was only going to get into my safety, then I thought it was worth using a consultant to see if I could get scholarship money. In the end, I decided if it was worth using her for one school, it was worth using her for all of the schools. And that $8K when compared to the cost of an MBA was a drop in the bucket, especially if I could get a scholarship that would make the consultant more than pay for itself.

Hiring Angela was the best investment I’ve ever made. I ended up with full tuition scholarships to Booth and Fuqua, a partial scholarship to Wharton, and admission into HBS. I’m not at all saying that I don’t deserve admission or scholarships at these schools, but I can say without a doubt that I would not have been this successful in my applications if I had not hired her.

One of the biggest values that Angela brought to the admissions process was making me realize how strong of a candidate I was. When I first spoke with her, I thought I was a weak candidate and that Booth/Kellogg would be a reach. I wasn’t even thinking of applying to HBS/Stanford. But Angela recognized aspects of my candidacy that made me exceptional and pushed me to be as successful as I could.


Essays

She knew what I needed to highlight in my applications. At the beginning of our work together, Angela and I had a long brainstorm session in which she got to know ALL of my stories, personal, professional, and from undergrad. Because of this, whenever we started working on a new essay, Angela was able to pull from my life stories to know how I should best answer the question. Throughout the process, I was amazed at the extent to which Angela was able to tie together stories from my life that I would not have pieced together. She was able to find themes that portrayed parts of me I hadn’t identified. For someone who believes she has lived a very normal life, I didn’t think I could put together an inspiring essay. But Angela got to know me well enough to find the things about me that would make me shine in the eyes of the adcoms.

As I wrote the essays, Angela pushed me to do what she knew I was capable of. We went through 12 versions of some essays. In the first versions, she would often tell me to scratch it and start over. While I’m a perfectionist and a hard worker, Angela pushed me farther than I could have pushed myself. She often asked for more insight into what I was thinking, what my motivation was, and what I learned in a way that helped me discover things about myself that I never would have learned without her. Also important to note is that my essays (and the rest of my application) were entirely my work. She asked questions and pushed me to success, but didn’t make direct edits or in any way embellish the truth. Still, looking at the end product, I couldn’t have written the essays on my own.


Interviews

When it came to interviews, Angela delivered a workshop for all her clients with a really novel and refreshing approach to interviews. Then for each individual school interview, she helped me feel thoroughly prepared. She not only helped me come up with answers to specific questions during mock interviews but more importantly, taught me a methodology for how to answer questions, so I would never be stumped. She built up my confidence, which is perhaps the most important part of an interview. She even sent me a youtube video of an interview with a movie star so I could learn by example how to show in an interview that I’m human without apologizing. She taught me how to highlight my strengths without sounding full of myself. These are lessons I will take with me and apply to future job interviews, and I have even begun coaching my colleagues based on what I have learned from Angela.


Overall

One of the most incredible things about working with Angela is that I always felt like I was her only client. One of my hesitations in hiring a consultant was the fear that they would give the same advice to everyone. Angela’s advice was completely tailored to me. She also responded to my emails sometimes instantly. Even when on her holiday vacation, she responded within a couple hours to any and every question I had. She could not have been more devoted or available.

Coming from an industry where we track the time spent on each client, I was also nervous that if I got a package, the consultant would cut corners and try to spend as little time with me as possible. But on the contrary, Angela went above and beyond to give her time and energy. She pushed me to write more drafts of essays. After I was accepted to schools, she initiated a call with me to discuss my thoughts and offer advice on where I should accept. After I visited schools for their accepted students events, she reached out to me to hear how they went. I truly feel like Angela cared about my success and in finding the best fit for me almost as much as I did. She was there every step of the way.

For me, as a type A perfectionist, working with Angela also considerably reduced the amount of stress and anxiety I felt during this whole process, largely because instead of worrying over details, I trusted Angela. While I had been freaking out over whether to retake the GMAT, Angela said no, so I didn’t give it another thought. There are countless questions that you will have during the application process, any of which could cause considerable doubt and anxiety. Working with Angela took all of that away. If she said to use story A instead of story B I said okay and moved on instead of second guessing myself. Angela’s fees were worth it if only because working with her during this year-long period made my life a lot easier.

I can’t express enough how valuable Angela was in this process. My friends can attest to this as I can’t count the number of times I said to them “I don’t know what I’d do without Angela.” I’ve raved so much about her to everyone I know that my friends have already referred their friends and colleagues to her.

So if I had to give those of you applying to business school one piece of advice, I would say hire a consultant, and hire Angela. The value you will get far outweighs the cost.

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I worked with Rachel Beck on my business school applications this fall, and I was accepted to all 3 of the schools that I worked on with her (all 3 are top 10 programs, 2 are top 5).

Rachel was instrumental in helping me find and tell my story. Having somewhat of a traditional business school applicant background, Rachel helped me identify my unique qualities and experiences, and worked with me to craft a story that was engaging and distinct. On top of that, Rachel was also a pleasure to work with - responsive, constructive and encouraging. She was a great sounding board throughout the process as I often bounced ideas off of her to get constructive and thoughtful feedback.

I signed up for the complete package and this was the best choice for me. By going this route, I did not feel rushed during any of our conversations and could set up phone calls as frequently as needed. This allowed me to really dive into brainstorming conversations to develop my story. I also liked that working with a consultant provided structure to the process and helped me stick to timelines, so I never felt pinched for time.

The end result of the business school application process was overwhelmingly positive for me. I have a handful of amazing programs to choose from (and many come with scholarships which may point to a potential ROI from working with a consultant).

I highly recommend working with a consultant as it provided structure and enabled me to find my story, and I would recommend Rachel to everyone. I can not imagine going through the application process any other way.

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MBA consulting packages are generally very expensive... so that aside, I would say I had a very good experience. Note that the consultants job isn't necessarily to get you into the school of your dreams but to help you reflect on your strengths and weaknesses so that you can tell a compelling story. If you don't get into a school, don't blame your consultant. They can only help you brainstorm and provide feedback as to what sounds trite or cliche... ultimately it's up to you to be open to their feedback and willing to really dig deep for your story.

Also, I gave 4 stars because that last star I think the applicant needs to earn himself/herself. I think the world of my consultant, Lynn Moloney, and can't thank her enough for pushing me to think hard about what was important to me and how I should craft my story. While I had my own person reasons for choosing Lynn, I would highly recommend her to anyone.

During my initial consultation, I had 2 choices, go with someone with a PE background or someone with an online media background (one of my interests). I chose to go with online media because there are a million PE guys looking for a place at the top bschools, and I wanted a different approach to my story. Lynn helped me brainstorm, and while all the ideas I had to dig deep for, she helped me craft well honed essays that weren't just interesting stories but had a theme and a focus that ran through my entire application. Ultimately, you have to believe in your own story to be successful. Consultants can only be helpful in pushing you to dig that much deeper by providing a different perspective or from experience they have had in the past with other applicants. Lynn definitely challenged me on every topic that I wrote about in my application. "Was I just telling them what was important to me versus showing them with a relevant and personal story?" "Why is this important to me?" "Is this idea cliche because it sounds like you are preaching, or is there something in your life that is unique that specifically addresses this topic? If so what is it?"

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Working with Angela was such an incredible experience that it makes me want to apply to business school again. She is incredibly thoughtful and positive - helping you discover yourself, your strengths, what makes you unique, and reminding you of how great you are when you're full of doubt about the entire business school application process. Angela never tried to get me to be someone other than my authentic self, further enhancing my self-confidence and enjoyment of the process. She was attentive and available, made time to chat when I needed it, and provided invaluable feedback on my essays and overall story. I would HIGHLY recommend using Angela for anyone who's nervous or just wants a leg up in the process. And, school results: I applied to HBS, Stanford, and Kellogg, got in to HBS and Kellogg, and waitlisted at Stanford.

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In 2013 I worked with Jessica Shklar from MBA Mission on four Round 1 Business School applications to ultra-competitive programs. Although I initially hoped to complete at most two apps prior to R1 deadlines, I found that working with Jessica helped me stay consistently organized, focused and productive throughout this extremely challenging period, allowing me produce significantly higher quality and volumes of content.

Going into the applications, I felt that I had a solid background (top undergraduate, good-name finance, entrepreneurship, international experience, etc.), but my profile also contained several weak points that I knew very well could derail my applications if they were not addressed thoroughly, thoughtfully and concisely. I was an on-the-fence candidate for top programs. Overall, having the opportunity to work with Jessica was one of the best investments I’ve ever made in my future and this Fall I will join my dream school, Columbia, as a Full-Time MBA student.

To anyone who’s considering working with a Consultant focused on MBA applications/admissions, I sincerely recommend Jessica Shklar. Jessica was initially recommended to me by a good friend who worked with her, had a great experience, and was ultimately accepted into Harvard Business School (along with every other school to which he applied). Below are a few of my main takeaways from having worked with Jessica on the application process.

Knowledge of Historical Trends relating to Programs & Applicant Profiles: Aside from having worked in MBA Admissions personally, Jessica went to Harvard undergrad and Harvard Business School. She has successfully navigated challenging admissions processes in her own, has firsthand exposure to the process from an AdCom standpoint, and has also held multiple managerial roles within Fortune 500 Companies. On top of this, as an MBA consultant with many years of experience and a large, diverse client-base, she possesses a (mental) archive of applicant experiences and historical trends from basically all of the top international business schools. Being able her to ask questions about curriculums, application trends, previous applicant successes/shortfalls/mistakes/etc., financial aid options, etc. all comes in very handy. Jessica can very quickly analyze your profile and is totally honest and upfront about what she thinks you may or may not be able to accomplish in this process. It’s not always what you want to hear, but it allows you to begin self-evaluating. All this being said, the MBA application process is highly unpredictable and if one doesn’t possess a strong resume, no consultant can help them overcome this.

Time Management: Jessica helped me maintain a high level of productivity, sent me reminders if I got behind, and forced me to ask questions of myself in the early stages of my essays, and to build out specific personal detail right off the bat. Without structure, one can easily find themselves spending a great deal of time spinning wheels and focusing on the wrong aspects of the application, simply because it’s less mentally grueling to do so. Jessica pushed me to continuously think deeper about the details of my essays. This can mentally draining - but it’s invaluable - AdComs need to know who you are, and what makes you unique. Jessica helped me reflect upon my life and career much more effectively than I could have on my own, while helping me keep on schedule on all of my applications from beginning to end.

Human Factor: Jessica works well with people and gets to know her applicants in a way that makes her a great sounding board for a how to approach different topics, how to phrase things. It was like having a really smart friend with super relevant personal experiences being there who was willing to take the time to hear my thoughts and give me reasons why I was or was not on the right track. She’s genuinely interested in her applicants from a personal standpoint, not solely as an applicant, and I hope to stay in touch with her going forward (just like my friend who initially referred me to me Jessica has done).

Bringing more out of you: Jessica helped me set the highest possible standards for my own quality of work. She knows how to ask the questions that will force you to recall the specific nuances of past events and will call you out if you’re taking the shortcuts and not elaborating enough – this is how you to convey the most intricate picture of who you are, and help you stand out. Having someone there prodding and not letting you off the hook with a half-baked description can mean the difference between a compelling or fluff-filled essay.

Responsiveness: No matter how busy Jessica was (she has a lot of clients), she always gave quick and thoughtful responses.

Other: Everyone has a different profile, with different concerns and questions about how their experiences might be interpreted, and Jessica has seen it all. For example, at one point I had a very specific question that I assumed was a shot in the dark and could not be answered, but Jessica replied to my email almost immediately saying she had, by chance, heard some information relating to this question through an MBA Mission colleague who had a client that attended an MBA meeting in NYC a day or two earlier and had asked several representatives from top programs the very same question. I couldn’t have attended this event since I was overseas at the time. She’s extremely plugged in, passionate about what she does, and her cumulative experiences allow her to provide guidance and perspectives in ways that I couldn't have predicted.

As a final side-note, since working with Jessica, my ability to communicate through writing has significantly improved. Even if I were to remove the goal of pursuing an MBA from my time working with her, I’d still say that my communication skills have been significantly improved - and I considered myself to be a very good writer and speaker to begin with.

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My first introduction to mbaMission was via one of their Q&A sessions in Chicago; I took the GMAT at the end of June, and was planning to apply in fall of ’13. I really enjoyed the Q&A session and signed up for the free half-hour consultation as a next step – that’s when I got in touch with Debbie, one of mbaMission’s senior consultants. I thought that the initial call went really well; Debbie sounded enthusiastic about working with me, and provided good feedback about some of my initial questions, such as pros / cons of full-time vs. part-time programs.
I ended up deciding to go with the one-school package, and then use my initial application as a template for the other schools I was planning on applying to. From the very beginning, Debbie did a great job of encouraging me to dig deeper, and focus on what makes me unique. For example, I was initially struggling with Kellogg’s essay #1 – ‘What’s the greatest obstacle you’ve overcome’ - it was too wordy, and I was having trouble tying everything together. Over the course of seven revisions, Debbie helped me polish the essay into a statement that that I was really proud of.
I also appreciated Debbie’s help in calming me down when I was stressing out about making my R1 deadlines. I remember sending her an email pretty late at night, after having spent the whole evening wrestling with some of my essays – and feeling like there was no way I’d be ready in time. She responded the next day with encouragement – and a challenge to push myself harder. The application process can be pretty brutal, so knowing that I had an experienced coach who had been through the process many times before was tremendously helpful in calming me down.
Overall, I really enjoyed working with mbaMission in general and Debbie specifically. I would highly recommend her – but only if you’re prepared to be challenged relentlessly until your application is perfect!

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Working with Angela has been great. When I was doing my search for a company and a consultant that would help me get into my targeted schools (top 10) I run across different opinions. For example, one of the top consultants in MBA admissions, from a very prestigious company, recommend me to apply in 1 or 2 years, because he felt I wasn’t ready to get admitted into any of my targeted schools this year. This really affected me and brought me down, but I was lucky enough to meet Angela, who raised my hopes, believing in me from the very beginning.
Through our journey, Angela helped me to understand which were my strengths and weaknesses and what I really wanted to do in my future professional life. This was essential in all the process, from essays to the interview, I felt confidence in a way I know I couldn’t have without Angela’s help. Finally, I was admitted into my dream school, Tuck School of Business. I can’t recommend enough Angela’s help to anyone looking for MBA admissions consulting, she really knows the game and is a great person.

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I have submitted my applications in the second round and I am currently awaiting requests for interviews.

My experience with mbaMission is a very happy one.

After having a bad experience with another company, my self- confidence and trust were pretty affected, so I didn't know if I should try again with a different company or not. A Wharton alumni recommended mbaMission, therefore I had a chat with Jeremy, the CEO of the company. He was very honest and realistic and convinced me that this time I was in good hands, so I acquired the package for 6 schools, targeting the first 6 MBA programs in the world. My GMAT was only 610 at that time but my application was pretty strong. Jeremy recommended Daniel Richards to me so I started to work with him straight away.

I have to say that I was very impressed with the quality of the work he delivered: a very good strategy in how to approach each school, a very prompt reply to all my emails and questions, and focused and professional advice regarding my entire application work(essays, resume etc).He was never late with the answers I was waiting for, on the contrary, he surprised me with his promptness. If the previous company didn't reply to my emails for weeks and I had to almost 'beg' for their support, all Daniel's answers were getting to me either on the day or in maximum two days.

Not only was Daniel very serious and professional - exactly what I needed after my previous experience- but he was also very realistic regarding my chances to be admitted to each of the schools I was targeting. This helped me a lot in establishing the final list of the schools. He encouraged me as well and helped in rebuilding my self-confidence. I took GMAT again and got a 670.

His suggestions were always very accurate and clear and I have to say that he taught me how to approach my essays so that I can highlight what needs to be known by the admission committee. My essays became stronger and stronger every day. I came to understand you can say the same thing with fewer words and obtain a more powerful effect.

I fully recommend Daniel to anyone who needs support in doing his/her application for a top school. Of course you have to do your part , but the thought that a professional consultant reviews your work helps you to concentrate much better on what you have to deliver. And if the thought that you make ten or more drafts of your every essay might frighten you, the other thought that actually your application get's better and better should prevail.

If you want to create a stand-out application, I definitely recommend Daniel Richards and mbaMission.

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Rachel was an invaluable resource for me. When I first started the process, I was unfamiliar with it and concerned that my GMAT would hurt my chances at my top schools. Rachel made me aware that it’s not just test scores that matter, but it’s your whole package and how you tell your story—and that’s where Rachel was incredible.

Through several brainstorming sessions, Rachel took the time to get know me, my experiences and career goals so that she could work with me to craft stories in my own voice. Her willingness to listen combined with her journalism background made her a vital asset to me. She’s excellent at identifying your strengths and then leveraging them in creative ways to liven up your essays and really bring your candidacy to life.

When it came time to prepare for interviews, Rachel was again immensely helpful. We did mock interviews in which she asked me most of the questions that I received in my interviews. When I answered a question poorly or even average, she provided constructive feedback on how to better answer the question. Rachel is also great at explaining to you why they ask the questions they ask and what specifically they are looking for when they ask those questions. This enabled me to better prepare because I knew what points to touch on in my answers even for the unexpected questions that popped up in the interviews.

Over the course of the process, Rachel became someone whose advice I trusted completely and someone I could go to with any question or concern about my applications. Not only is she great when it comes to telling your story in the essays and in the interviews, but she’s also a great cheerleader. Her support and belief in my candidacy motivated me to work harder and push myself to put together the best possible applications. Thanks to her help, I got into my top three schools. I would recommend her a million times over to anyone who is looking to apply to business school.

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What more can I say? Does Angela go above and beyond to help her clients succeed in every way possible? Yes. Does she exhibit professionalism and candor? Undoubtedly. Is she a rock star? Definitely.

I worked with Angela on 3 schools, and selected her to be my MBA consultant without even meeting her- she came highly recommended by numerous outlets, and thus I felt confident in working together. She didn't fail to deliver, as immediately we worked through my profile. I came into the MBA admissions game with a sense of where I wanted to go, but no gauge on my chances as a candidate. Angela assessed my strengths and weaknesses, and we put together a brand that was distinctive and written for each school. In every interaction we had, she was frank without being abrupt, and thus I had an good understanding of how to appeal to admissions departments. I utilized her invaluable input on other schools, too, and the result: A full ride to one of the best schools in the country.

As a person, Angela is someone I aspire to be like. As an MBA consultant, she is, in every sense of the word, the BEST. Even after this process, I know she is someone I can reach out to for anything- and that fact alone clearly shows she truly cares about the people she works with. She started off as my consultant, but now I can call her my friend.

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