Debbie Choy Reviews

Working with Debbie has been such a phenomenal experience. She is super responsive with my questions over email and she also made time for my urgent requests which made working with her an extremely smooth process. Debbie is extremely detail-oriented when helping me review my application essays and gave me constructive advice that showed not only how much she knew about business schools and the application process but also the effort she made to understand me and my story. Before my school interview, Debbie also shared extremely insightful advice that I otherwise may not have taken notice of. She really helped me get a great understanding of what to expect during the interview. I would highly recommend her to anyone who is considering applying to business schools both because of her unparalleled expertise but also her patience and her thoughtfulness. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. Thank you Debbie!

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I had a fantastic experience with mbaMission and Debbie Choy! I made the decision to apply in Round 2 in early November and was able to go from not knowing which schools to apply to or even what "story" I wanted to go in with, to submitting 3 high-quality applications before Christmas. I couldn't have made it into an "M7" school without Debbie's help!

Beyond just the general quality of her feedback and mastery of the entire application process, there were a few specific things I really appreciated:

--Ability to prioritize: Debbie was great at focusing in on the areas that really mattered, and deprioritizing things that weren't value-add. This drove a high level of efficiency in my process without sacrificing quality / thoroughness at all.

--Highly structured & great communication: throughout the entire process, Debbie provided a plethora of resources and guidance. From school selection scorecards to brainstorming resources to interview prep to waitlist navigation, I never felt like I had a lack of information or tools, which gave me a high level of comfort and took a lot of the "guess-work" out of the application process.

--Fantastic at helping craft my story: One of the big unknowns for me going in was precisely what I wanted to do post-MBA and how to tie that to my "story" that weaved together my past experiences into a comprehensive narrative. Debbie was truly amazing at diving deep into everything from my upbringing to my hobbies and my work experience and crafting a clear and logical message.

--Great attitude: Debbie was always really positive, which is very helpful as you are stressed out throughout the application process. I also frequently tended to have a lot of small, random questions; while I'm sure this was annoying, Debbie answered everything thoroughly, efficiently, and never once with a hint of annoyance or animosity. Also, whenever she pushed back on an idea I had, it was always done in a positive, constructive manner which was super helpful.

Overall, I would highly recommend mbaMission and Debbie Choy specifically -- Debbie exceeded expectations and drove excellent results for me in my application process.

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A few months ago, I was stressed out about applying to a Master of Business Administration program, and with Debbie's help, I was able to get into my Dream School — Haas. I came from an untraditional background, and all my close friends didn't have any experience with business school applications. At that time, I didn't think it would be possible to get into a top business program.

When I first signed up for a free consultation with Debbie, she gave me candid and constructive feedback. From that point, I decided to work with her for my application. Even though I only worked with her on the hourly package, I was able to get tremendous help on my resume and essay. We had lots of back and forth on crafting a unique story, and she pushed me, again and again, to tell this story from my voice. This personal and intimate experience was far more than the generic consultant experience I read about on various other websites.

I would say without Debbie's help. I would not be able to get into, not one, not but two of my dream programs. I highly recommend her!

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I worked with Debbie on a two school package during the most recent extended rounds. After an initial call I saw immediately how friendly and supportive she was compared to initial meetings I had with other competitors.

Debbie worked diligently with me to focus my application and build a targeted story - something I wholeheartedly believe I would not have been able to do on my own in four weeks.

The biggest value Debbie provided was on my essays, where she went above and beyond to read multiple drafts at a time. She helped clean up my story telling and provided critical structural feedback to make me stand out. She's also there for you - I remember after getting in we went back and forth over email at 10:30 pm at night. You can tell she really cares about her clients.

The advice she provided was invaluable in shaping my applications and I wound up getting interviews at 8/9 schools I applied to and received acceptance to multiple M7, top 10, and top 15 programs.

Granted the full package is quite expensive so I'm not sure it is fully necessary, but mbaMission is comparable in pricing to many other services available. If you do decide to go with a consultancy I'd recommend Debbie.

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Super thrilled when I heard back from Haas that I got in! I shared the news first with Debbie since I knew this was a great job we completed together! I feel very grateful about her advice, supports, and efforts during this long application process and would strongly recommend you to work with her!

First of all, she was patient and honest. It was already last year near the end of November that I purchased the "1 school package" from MBAmission. I was hesitating about applying for an MBA, very lost and also doubted myself. During our first talk, I opened up with her coz I felt her sincerity in getting to know me. She asked me to think about what I wanted to do 10 years later. She used real examples to let me know an introvert personality would not be a problem to get into a business school. She also advised me on the school selection to ensure that I could maximize my chances of success. Her efforts helped me build confidence and beat the fear of the tight schedule.

Secondly, she was very creative. During our brainstorming call, although I had some ideas about the essay, it was her who helped me connect the spots and figure out the main theme. Her advice on selecting examples to support the theme were also very valuable. In addition, I highly appreciate Debbie's editing! As an engineer, I am not good at writing essays. Debbie shared me some effective tips in telling stories. She made great comments on how to improve the way I organized the essay and how to keep my flow concise and logical.

I really enjoyed working with Debbie! In the beginning, I was not sure about the big investment in admission consulting service, but after the cooperation with her, I feel everything is worthwhile!

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From the get-go, working with Debbie was a fantastic and seamless experience (and I'm not just saying that because I got into my dream school, HBS, with her guidance). When I started the process early in the summer, I had an extremely vague idea of how to approach my application. I had a rough sense of what type of work I wanted to do post-MBA, but I wasn't sure how I'd draw a direct line between my professional, academic, and life experiences and the amorphous concept of my future career.

From the moment I began working with Debbie, that began to change. During our kick-off call and brainstorming sessions, I began to delve much deeper into the experiences that I've had. I think most people (or at least would like to imagine) aren't predisposed to constantly think about how great they are, or the great things they've done, but the application process requires you to do so. Debbie expertly coaxed these details out of me and helped me construct an application narrative that still felt deeply authentic; she never tried to impose anything on me or my application that felt uncomfortable.

As we continued through the process, Debbie was responsive and respectful, and ultimately guided me through an extremely introspective period of my life. Debbie also helped me prep for my interviews and set me up with her colleague on short notice for school-specific interviews (i.e. HBS). She always felt like a genuine partner who was most interested in my success and, if I had to go through the entire process again, I would do it the exact same way with the exact same counselor. I learned a lot about myself along the way and I'm certain that my experience would have been much different (see: worse) without Debbie's expertise.

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If you look in the dictionary for the definition of PHENOMENAL, you will see a photo of Debbie Choy. All thanks to Debbie, I am headed to a top 10 program this fall and I could not be more thrilled!!! Debbie went above and beyond in every single way for me. Debbie’s talent as a coach and a partner, her ability to highlight the most compelling parts of your story, her constant cheerleading and her honest but casual style are just 4 of many things that make her an all-star MBA consultant. If you want to work with the best, work with Debbie. No contest. When I got into my dream school, she said “OMG, I HAVE LITERAL TEARS OF JOY” – that’s how close we got and how dedicated she is to your success.

I worked with Debbie on a 6 school package. I have a very non-traditional background: many years working in high technology, Humanities double major from a top public university and definitely more of a “poet” than a “quant”. I also had a well below average GMAT score. I opted to go with Debbie because 1) I didn’t want to go through the process blind, 2) I wanted to get the application process right the first time (versus re-applying) and 3) Debbie went to a school I have the utmost respect for. I also work for a startup and my schedule is crazy – I needed someone to be the “hammer” and make sure I got things done on time. I wanted to present myself in the best possible light and given how unique my background was, I didn’t really know how to shape my narrative. Enter Debbie!

My results blew me away: 2 straight admits w/ 1 scholarship, 4 waitlists (Dartmouth Tuck, UVA Darden, NYU Stern and CMU Tepper). I expected to get into 1 school max – not to have multiple options. And I cleared the waitlist at my dream school and am headed there!

I’ll never forget our kickoff call when I told her how many schools I was applying to (hint: 10+). Debbie just smiled and said “Ok, it’s all about execution then!” She was constantly positive, always up-lifting. From taking the GMAT multiple times to then taking the GRE to dealing with one of my recommenders bailing last minute, Debbie was consistently calm, cool and collected (even when I certainly was not). She always helped me find creative solutions, pushed me to produce the highest quality drafts I could and really helped me present myself in the strongest possible way. If an essay was headed in the wrong direction, she wasn’t afraid to tell me and have us start over – which was very confidence-inspiring. She remembered key aspects of my story and found new ways to tell the same story in a way that would appeal to each school. I was so impressed with the depth of Debbie’s knowledge; for instance, the way we prepped for my Darden interview was completely different than how we prepped for Tuck. In applying to so many schools, I even accidentally sent her a document for one of the schools I was not working with her on – and she reviewed it! When I offered to retroactively pay her, she declined and just said she “hoped it was helpful”. She is one of the most kind-hearted, dedicated and altruistic people I’ve worked with through my career. When I was in “waitlist purgatory” for what felt like forever, Debbie helped me figure out creative ways to update AdComs and keep the ball rolling. And, most significantly, she demonstrated boundless empathy and support for me during a year where I lost a family member midway through the application season, completely unexpectedly. I could not have asked for more from an admissions consultant - who has since become a friend.

Despite how much self-doubt I had through the process, Debbie consistently built me up and never acted like my many silly questions about short answers on the applications were silly. The application process is stressful: you feel the highest of highs and the lowest of lows and the waiting in between can drive you crazy. Debbie was there through it all – reviewing essays I had grown tired of reviewing, pushing me to produce the best possible drafts and even making herself available to one of my recommenders if he had questions. She really gets on the same side of the river as you and is side-by-side with you as you navigate this stressful and intense process. You have to work with Debbie. I would do it all again if I could – and I’m already jealous of the lucky folks who get to work with her this application season.

Knowing I want to go into tech entrepreneurship, Debbie told me: “If you ever start a company, I want to be one of your investors”. :) Well, what you invest in the process with Debbie you will get back tenfold.

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It has been a long, stressful road to get to this point, but with Debbie’s help, I got into one of my top choices – Wharton. I started the application process for round 1 with only a month until the deadlines for some of my top schools. Super overwhelmed and only having just retaken the GMAT a second time I was scrambling to get started and decided to take the leap with Debbie. Right at the get-go, we kicked it into gear- she got to know my story and helped me formulate a strategy on what schools I should apply to and when. What I like about Debbie is that she will be honest with you. A consultant can only do so much for your application, but she has a lot of good insight into what schools are looking for and what would be a good fit for you from her perspective. She might even convince you to look at a school you have not considered before. I ended up splitting applications between round 1 and 2 to prioritize my top choices. Debbie seriously knows some of the most intimate details of my life. She helped me pick and choose what stuck out to her and what sounded interesting – those things that truly represented who I am and could help tell my story. But it was always a two-way street – if I felt uncomfortable about making something the highlight of an essay or felt my evidence was not substantial, she would help me choose a different topic or spin it a different way and make it flow so much better. I trusted her. I highly recommend working with Debbie if you are considering a consultant. Even when I was waitlisted at another top school she helped me navigate that process as well. She was always encouraging me even if I heard bad news so I felt motivated to continue. Additionally, she answered ALL my questions even if they were simply logistics related. No question was unimportant. At the end of the day, with the MBA admissions process you just don’t know what is going to happen, but having Debbie there to help me along the way and have my back really helped keep me sane and focused. I also ended up using outlines/ideas we used for many other applications outside of the package I had with Debbie which saved a lot of time later on in Round 2.

Thanks Debbie!

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Debbie was extremely instrumental in my admission to NYU Stern, where I was originally wait-listed at. From the initial essay writing preparation stage to the interview practice session, Debbie was always extremely professional and goal-oriented in her approach to help me with my applications.

During the essay writing phase, I really liked how Debbie took a holistic approach to help me understand my strengths and weaknesses as an candidate, and helped me pick out the best life stories that would ultimately be the main focus of my essays. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience working with Debbie . I left our first brainstorming session with a clear story and direction for my essays,

During the interview stage, Debbie practiced with me thoroughly via Skype and helped me with many of the intangibles that are essential for a successful interview. "The delivery is often just as important if not more important than the content", as she would often remind me throughout these sessions, which was something I couldn't have agreed with more and really benefited from as an candidate.

Finally, while initially discouraged by the wait-list offer, I was even more impressed by Debbie's ability to keep me motivated and helped me strategize a plan that would ultimately gain me admission to the school. Throughout the application process, she not only delivered to me top notch professional services, but she actually made me feel that I had a cheerleader in the background that was helping me with every set back. I would wholeheartedly recommend her service to anyone seeking an incredible MBA consultant!

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Debbie is the go-to consultant if you someone to hand-hold you through the application process. She is brutally honest and gives great constructive feedback. Yes, all consultants are expensive, but since every applicant is using one, you will be at a disadvantage if you decide to embark on this journey alone. Despite not having the best work experience, I got accepted into an M7 school and even got an interview with HBS.

Debbie was great throughout the entire process and I never felt overwhelmed. In the beginning, she literally had me write my life story out and we had a great conversation about which stories/themes I should be highlighting in my essays. She was very collaborative during this discussion. At the same time, if you are going down the wrong rabbit hole, she will not hesitate to stop you and she saved me a lot of time in that regard. Once we figured out the target schools, Debbie created a timeline for me for each school so I knew how to pace myself.

In regards to the essays, Debbie had a call with me to give me some tips on how to tackle every essay question. Next, she requested that I provided her with an outline of my essay structure. After further comments, I finally got to the essay writing part. All this prep work up front really saved me time on writing the essay. There was some back and forth after the initial essay draft and Debbie always replied within two business days. She even reviewed the extra questions in the application package.

Once I got the good news on the interview invites, she will give you a sample of questions the school usually asks in preparation for the mock interview. You really need to be on top of your game on this one because it really felt like a real interview. After each question, Debbie will give live feedback and once again, she is not afraid to tell you if your answer was way off the mark. I appreciated the honesty as that helped me focus on the subset of questions I needed to hone in on.

To summarize, Debbie was a fantastic partner in this process and I couldn’t have done it without her.

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