For me, the MBA process was often very stressful, especially for the essays part. I wasn't a good writer, and I had limited time to spend on applications, out of work. Like most applicants, I also wanted some kind of assurance that if I follow some path that an admission consultant suggests, I would get into the school I wanted.

I signed up for some free consultations, and mbaMission was an easy choice among them - Jeremy Shinewald was very helpful, informed and truly sincere. Soon, I signed up with mbaMission for the school packages, and later matched me with Susan.

To be honest, two months in, something felt "off". I felt like I wasn't getting the attention I wanted, and I had no confidence in that I would succeed. Coming to think of it now, it was just a misunderstanding, but anyone can be very stressed out during the process. I confronted this problem with Jeremy and Susan, and even asked to change consultants. If they just wanted to avoid the problem, they would have done so. But Susan reassured me that changing consultants is not going to help me get the result I wanted. I think this is when I realized Susan was a professional - it proved that she really cared, and she was focused on why this process was happening.

My greatest mistake throughout the process is that I wanted to feel "safe" and to save time. No consultant is going to assure their clients 100%, because it is not only risky, but also makes the client laid back and not work as hard. Again, the admission consulting service is not a ticket to the admissions - it is a service that helps your time and effort not go to waste, which happens so often when you're not good at something. I realized this mid-process, and I have Susan to thank for it. She motivated me to the right direction, and wasn't afraid to tell me the truth. She worked really hard - there wasn't a time she was late on her comments or anything that she promised, and we went to like 12 drafts for one essay. For another essay, at draft 7, she wasn't afraid to tell me that I should scratch the whole thing and start a new one.

Thanks to Susan, I got an acceptance letter to the school I wanted. Susan is definitely the professional consultant you want if you are serious about getting in the school you want.

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Early last year, I observed Angela from mbaMission lead a seminar for MBA applicants, and I found her approach to storytelling to be very helpful. In the summer, I decided to apply to MBA programs in Round 1. After a consultation with Angela, I knew that she would help me a lot, but like many, I felt unsure of whether working with a consultant was worth the financial investment. I took the plunge because I wanted to feel that I gave my applications my all, and it was absolutely worth it.

I chose to apply to four competitive schools and started working with Angela. When we brainstormed essay ideas, I initially struggled to come up with compelling ones. I held back on discussing various experiences that I didn’t think were relevant to business or leadership. When Angela asked me to talk more about struggles, I brought up these seemingly disparate experiences, and she was able to connect them to reveal an evolution in how I approached my work. She helped develop a framework to write my first essay using these experiences, which made it easier to execute. This helped me get on a roll in crafting all of my essays and made me view my experiences in a new way. I wouldn’t have written about some of the professional experiences that affected me personally if Angela had not helped me realize I could do so appropriately and artfully.

So far, I've received admission to HBS and Wharton, 2 out of 4. It may become 3, as I'm still waiting to hear back from one school. Even if I had not gained admission, I think I would have still felt that working with Angela was beneficial, because the skills you hone are applicable beyond MBA applications. You may not have to write another essay about a time you worked in a team, but you will have to maintain a resume, interview, articulate your value, and be able to tell your story for the rest of your life. Going through this process with Angela improves your ability to do that. You will come out with better self-awareness. The MBA application process can be an intense journey, and it’s nice to have a knowledgeable, supportive friend along the way.

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I engaged mbaMission after vetting a few other companies and was matched with Debbie Choy (note I chose her out of 3 potential matches). I was looking to submit applications to 3 very top schools in the first round, and engaged Debbie about 6 weeks before the first app was due. Below is more detail on the key things she helped with:

-Debbie provided a brainstorming document, which I then spent a long time filling out. We had a 1.5 hour call where we discussed all kinds of stories about me. This is where Debbie helped me identify what was important and what we wanted to convey to the admission committees.
-I personally think this is beneficial outside of the application process because you learn more about yourself and what really matters to you, and Debbie forces you to think about what you honestly want to do for a career.

-Debbie also helped me create a resume (B School resumes are a bit different than work resumes, so I had to create a new one). She helped with wording, formatting, and deciding what to include/exclude.

-Then we started on the essays, and Debbie first helped me structure the essay (I was very impressed at how quickly she could pull together an effective structure after just getting to know me), and then I would create a more detailed outline based on the agreed upon structure.

-Once we finalized an outline (sometimes this took one attempt, and other times it took a few revisions), I would write the first draft. Debbie would review and provide comments, questions, suggestions, better syntax etc. and ultimately we would go back and forth until we both liked the essay.

Overall, I completed the 3 applications on time and got into one school, and got interviews or am still in process at the others. Debbie helped me from beginning to end (even after I was accepted). Debbie is rock solid on all aspects of MBA consulting, but I also think her true value comes from her ability to quickly understand someone and then provide legitimate personal and professional advice. Highly recommend Debbie!

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I came into the application process knowing I wanted to work with a consultant, and chose Daniel Richards at mbamission because of his candidness and efficiency. The choice definitely paid off, I was admitted to one of my top choice schools with a significant scholarship. I would highly recommend Dan, who was especially great in several areas:

1. Condensing essays--with essays becoming shorter and shorter, it was extremely helpful to have someone streamline my writing and at times make choices to cut. After a few rounds of editing content, I would have 550 words that Dan would be able to get to 500, without losing any of the information.

2. Choosing themes--I have a rather unique personal background, and the initial brainstorming left me uncertain what to focus on. As an outsider and a expert in the process, Dan was able to hone in on things I should highlight. I ended up writing about an experience I otherwise wouldn't have.

3. General advice giving--from choosing schools, to application strategy (which round to apply), to the dreaded wait, Dan was often the voice of reason, providing insight into the opaque process and many times just reminding me of things I knew but was overshadowed by the panic and uncertainty.

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My biggest concern about hiring an admissions consultant was that I would be paying $5000+ with NO guarantee of performance. If I didn’t make the cut, it didn’t affect the consultant I would never see again – he or she still got paid. However, given the importance of getting things done right the first time, I went for it.

Frankly, I lucked out with Dan. When I set up my free consultation, his availability worked better than the others. I liked what he said though and I pulled the trigger without having spoken to any others. I applied to 5 schools (1 stretch, 3 at-levels, and 1 safety) and Dan helped on 2. I got dinged on the stretch and accepted at the safety. What really speaks to Dan’s expertise is that of the 3 at-level schools I applied to, I got into 1, my dream school. Of those 3, it was the one application that Dan helped me to prepare.

Instead of just adding one more glowing review though, I’ll describe what frustrated me most about my interactions with Dan, because Dan’s strengths were most evident when I was frustrated. For instance, I had spent hours and hours working on a resume. I expected some minor edits and a pat on the back. That’s not what I got. 20 hours of work and about 5 or 6 drafts later, I finally had the finished product.

The problem with my resume wasn’t content – it was me. This was the beginning of my application process and I had spent the previous 2 years working in public accounting. In that time, I had lost sense of how to communicate. I kept drafting an accounting resume – I needed an MBA resume. Once that clicked for me, my whole application approach changed. Many would have given up on me. Dan only accepted the best possible product.

I was frustrated on another occasion when I discussed why I wanted to apply to HBS. I had a really good “connection” that I thought could give me enough of an edge to at least have a shot. I didn’t have a shot though. Dan did an excellent job of communicating this to me. He was understanding and cared enough not to crush my hopes, but he was also persuasive and saved me from wasting time and money, important resources in the application process.

Put simply – Dan is a straight shooter. If you want a friend who will coddle or babysit you, then Dan just isn’t your guy. But if you want an advisor you can trust to be honest and direct, then he is.

Though my frustrations demonstrate Dan’s expertise and skill, I really could go on and on about how many things Dan made easier on me (no frustration required!). He helped me select a list of target schools that fit my strengths as an applicant. He always answered one-off questions in a timely manner (usually no more than a couple hours). He always returned deliverables to me within 48 hours (usually 24). He always provided helpful perspectives on random questions. And perhaps most importantly, I felt confident at every stage of the application process because I knew Dan was in my corner, working to tell my story.

Again, I’m thrilled with Dan and the results he helped me to achieve. In hindsight, I would have hired him for 3-4 applications and I would have ensured that he helped on the first 2 applications to go out.

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I opted for the start to finish package with Angela Guido and I have to say, it is the best decision I’ve ever made. I had a relatively high, well balanced GMAT score, but a GPA that was well under the average for any reputable MBA program. In addition to this hurdle, I had a large employment gap on my resume.

Angela is a true story teller, and was an enormous help in working with me to craft my own personal story into nine compelling essays. She was an enormous support when working through the self-reflection process that each application requires, ensuring that my own strength of character and personality would shine through.

I would equate working with Angela to going to a great tailor. You can own a designer suit, but it doesn’t matter unless it’s been properly fit. Angela really helped me to brainstorm creative ways to approach each application by asking the right questions and providing thoughtful feedback. I was uncomfortable when one of the schools I applied to offered the opportunity to submit a creative presentation in lieu of an essay. My instincts told me to take the safer route and just submit a standard essay, but Angela pushed me to take a crack at the presentation, and with her guidance, it became something that I was quite proud of.

Angela was diligent, thorough and always responsive. I really appreciated her honesty and perfectionism, sometimes blunt but necessary. If something wasn’t working, she would tell me, and then work tirelessly to make sure it reached a point where she felt it was the best it could be.

She is very knowledgeable and has great instincts about each program. Resultantly, she was able to provide advice as to when to stretch the limits and when to be more conservative depending on school and essay prompt.

I was ultimately admitted to Booth, Columbia and Wharton. I never thought in a million years I would ever get into a top ten school, let alone three, and I know this is a direct result of Angela’s partnership.

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I am very happy I hired mbaMission and I’m very happy that Adam Grossman was assigned to me.

mbaMission provides a comprehensive package for applying to schools. They help you brainstorm possible essay topics, write your essays, edit your essays, and they give advice and recommendations throughout the process. I would have been lost without Adam because there are so many ambiguous items that need to be addressed with each application and he had a great amount of experience and knowledge about each school and application.

mbaMission has a thorough method for preparing applicants. It also has a clear protocol for communication which facilitated efficient communication between me and Adam, especially close to deadlines.

I can say only positive things about Adam and about mbaMission.

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After spending hours researching mba programs, I knew that I wanted to work with a consultant during my admissions process. Upon researching different consulting companies and reading reviews of consultants, I knew I wanted to work with mbaMission's Angela Guido as early as April 2014.

I contacted mbaMission in September 2014 and a prelimianry evaluation phone call with Angela was scheduled for the following day. I let Angela know that I was targeting the top Canadian MBA programs. Angela advised me that it would be a good idea for me to target the Round 2 deadline in January and get my GMA score closer to 700 rather than apply in the round 1 deadline of November 3rd.

On October 20th, I attended a seminar organized by my number 1 choice school. Meeting and chatting with the admissions committee and several other prospective applicants made me realize that it was in my best interest to apply in the Round 1 deadline. This gave me a little under 2 weeks to brainstorm for my essays, write rough drafts, finalize them, fix my resume and everything else that goes in between.

I came home and immediately wrote an email to Angela and asked her for her advice. Angela was quick to respond and said that I should indeed target Round 1. We set up a skype conversation the following day and laid down the groundwork and plan of action as to how we would achieve our target. What followed was a series of emails and brainstorming sessions. I would email my rough drafts to Angela in the morning and she would send me her comments in the evening. Looking back, it was like watching a well oiled machine at work and everything was very organized.

Throughout this entire process, Angela helped me bring out my strengths and weaknesses and how we could best present them to the AdCom. Angela, through her years of experience, brought with her powerful insights and a sense of calmness to this very hectic process. To start from nothing and finish a stellar application for a top MBA program in under 2 weeks is not an easy task, one that would've been impossible without the guidance of Angela.

Needless to say, the whole process was made even sweeter when I found out that I got accepted into my program of choice and Angela played a huge role in the process.

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The GMATs for me were straightforward. Study + put in the hours + practice problems galore + take the test twice = awesome score.

But when it was time to start thinking about actually applying to schools, I had no idea what I was doing. I'm naturally more of a "flowery" writer, and I strongly believed in keeping true to myself and having my voice come through. So my writing meandered all over the place and couldn't be called "succinct" in any definition of the word.

Susan Kaplan whipped me into shape.

After getting a few free consulting calls from different companies, I connected with her the most because she showed genuine enthusiasm for helping me. Plus, her background and experience in Marketing meant a natural fit for me and my career goals.

From the outset of defining my background and career goals, Susan gently but firmly guided my writing to be more professional and concise. With each essay revision, she made detailed notes and probed with pointed questions to make me truly think about the "what" and "why" of every sentence. Even when I was on the 10th version, or when I expressed my frustration at how little progress I felt I was making, she remained positive and encouraging. In addition, it helped that I could create my own timeline and force myself to revise and finish essays because I knew Susan's time was valuable.

Most importantly, with each essay I wrote, my next one got easier because I was learning how to answer the questions well. My latter applications were definitely stronger than my first essays, because I knew what I was doing! I would not have been so knowledgeable if I muddled through by myself. I pushed myself the harder knowing Susan was with me every step of the way.

Of course, I can't forget the comprehensiveness of the packages mbaMission offers either. From in-depth calls, to mock videos and interviews (individual and group), to the Insider Guides and other resources, every element helped me make my application and interviews better.

After R1, I was able to get into one of my top schools, and have other schools in my back pocket.

I definitely would not have gotten as far as I did without mbaMission and Susan, and I would highly recommend both the company and the consultant to anyone!

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At the beginning of the admissions process, a friend noted to me that consultants can help frame my story to increase the chances of admissions. With a GMAT score of only 700, I was worried that I would not receive acceptance into my school of choice, Columbia. I decided to look into the services of MBAMission. At first, the school package cost seemed like an absurd price to pay, but it was worth every dime.

Specifically, I talked to Daniel Richards on the phone who within a 15 minute call was able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of my candidacy.

I had difficulty framing my story, a vital part of the application process, to fit the Columbia paradigm. Currently, I work at a Big 4 Accounting Firm and before talking to Daniel, I had planned on focusing my essays and application on my experiences at a Big 4 firm. However, Daniel was able to redirect my story and really hone in on my post MBA goals. Because I plan to enter the family business after my MBA, Daniel helped me refocus my story to incorporate my experiences with the family business and how specifically Columbia MBA would help me achieve my goals with the family business. Without Daniel, I would have not even mentioned the family business. I wholeheartedly believe that his direction was vital to my acceptance into Columbia, without it my story was weak and not unique in any sense.

Just through short discussions on the phone, Daniel was able to refine and clarify my story with ease. Overall, I strongly recommend working with Daniel. I had decided to apply and hire MBAMission just 7 to 8 weeks before the application deadline, which exemplifies MBAMission (and Daniels) ability to provide results in a short time frame. He is very easy to work with and simplified the process in a way that reduced my stress and allowed me not to be overwhelmed. I had thought that my dream school was a long-shot, but with Daniel's help it became a reality.

Regards,

CBS Class of 2016

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