mbaMission Admissions Consulting Reviews

I'm an Asian male applicant with average to below-average GMAT score for HSW (was worried about this). I am also extremely picky (spoke to ~10 consultants before going with Gavriella based on strong recommendation from friend at HBS who had worked with her). My personality is also the highly proactive and detail-oriented type, so it was important that I worked with someone who is highly communicative/responsive as well and wouldn't make me feel like I'm being too demanding when I'm asking questions that I feel are necessary for me to know to feel confident in our process.

Gavriella was the perfect consultant for me. Three things I'd like to highlight. (1) She was very practical and always gave it to me straight. I'm the type to want the honest truth. I'd want to know my chances at a certain school so I don't waste resources. I'd also want to know how bad or good my essay draft is so I can revamp efficiently. (2) She is an impressive writer and storyteller. My HBS friend mentioned this as the main reason she had liked Gavriella and I can confirm this. (3) She is highly communicative. This was important to me as mentioned above. She'd also always make time for me for Zoom calls on the day of. She certainly made me feel like I was one of 1-3 clients when she probably did have more because she's so highly demanded. I do know she makes sure to take less than she can take on so she can dedicate herself fully to her clients. (4) I know I said 3 things but one more...she passed the vibe check...! You spend so much time with your consultant especially if you do an all-in package so I think it's so important you work with someone pleasant and with whom you'd, for example, grab dinner with. 4 months after my Wharton acceptance, I still think about how fun it'd be to treat Gavriella and her beautiful kids for a dinner (or Toys r Us) with the merit-based scholarship money she helped me earn. Unfortunately we do not live in the same city :)

I told her BEFORE the results came out that the ROI on my investment had already checked out, largely because her process helped me better understand what I want to do professionally and find confidence.

I strongly recommend Gavriella. If you're on the fence and would like to speak with me directly about my experience, please feel free to reach out to Gavriella and we can discuss setting something up.

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With Debbie’s help, I was accepted into 5 top MBA programs (including 4 M7s) all with scholarships! With less than two months until the application deadline and not yet at my desired GMAT/GRE score, I was panicking and needed a partner who could help me cross the finish line. Debbie was a partner I could trust who never doubted me for a second. We worked on two schools together and she helped shape my unique story, polish up my essays, and ensure that every part of my application was as strong as possible. What makes working with Debbie special is that she can quickly identify what makes you stand out as an applicant and ensures that your authentic voice shines through. Applying to business school is an intense process, so having the right support system is crucial. I never in my wildest dreams could have imagined such amazing outcomes. If you put in the work under Debbie Choy’s guidance, you cannot go wrong!

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Thanks to Kim, I was truly able to put my best foot forward in the MBA admissions process. With all the unknowns and mixed information out there about the application process and MBA programs in general, it was so helpful to have a seasoned expert to go to for questions on everything from GMAT vs. GRE scores to school culture and essays. Kim is thoughtful, highly organized, supportive, and encouraging. I even shot Kim a few mid-existential-crisis emails during the process, to which she quickly responded with reassuring guidance. She felt like a real teammate in this process!

While I consider myself a strong communicator, responding to broad application prompts with tight word limits presented a real challenge. Kim helped me to bring out the strongest examples in each of my essays, and tailor my experience and aspirations towards the elements of each program that interested me, producing genuine and enticing applications for each school. As a result of Kim's support, I was accepted to all the top programs I applied to, receiving scholarships at 3 of 4.

If you are hesitant to engage a consultant given the price tag, I highly recommend signing up for a free 30-min consultation, just as I did. During those 30 minutes, I could tell Kim truly wanted to give me the most value, speeding through my many questions, and even following up with a thorough email of recommendations and guidance. I felt no pressure to move forward, and did so only because I was shown how much value she would add to my admissions process - I was 100% correct!! I am incredibly grateful to have had Kim's support during my MBA admissions process, and cannot recommend her more!

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Kate came highly recommended to me by several friends who had overwhelmingly positive experiences with her helping them gain admission to top / M7 schools. After being admitted to my top choice schools, I can safely say the experiences of my friends were not a fluke.

It's obvious that Kate cares about the success of her clients on a personal level. Aside from providing thorough feedback of my resume and essays, she kept me in the loop about information and happenings relevant to my choice schools. She administered a mock HBS interview which I ultimately found to be highly representative of the actual interview. I come from a relatively niche career background, but she performed thorough research to give specific, focused questions and feedback.

Well past the application reviews and interviews, she remained in constant contact to provide thorough answers to my questions and updates. Ultimately, I gained admission to my top choice / M7 schools - despite my GPA starting with a "2".

I strongly endorse Kate to anybody pursuing admittance to the MBA program of their choice.

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From the moment I first spoke with Rachel, I knew she was the perfect MBA consultant to work with. She is a natural storyteller and helped bring together different pieces of my life, both personal and professional, into a cohesive story that felt authentically like me. I found the MBA application process daunting and complex and couldn’t have navigated it with my head above water without Rachel’s help.

Rachel’s structured approach from the get go, including a brainstorming document, and dedicated support through multiple iterations of essays and short answers were instrumental to getting me into my dream school. She took the time to get to know who I am and what I’m passionate about, and is the best coach and mentor I could ask for.

Rachel also understands the waitlist process at an intricate level - when I got waitlisted, she helped me bring to life my progress since I’d applied in a compelling way and helped me discover strengths I didn’t know I had. She guided me through this process, and helped me get off the waitlist!! Would highly recommend working with Rachel if you’re interested in an MBA.

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Harold is not only an exceptional coach and advisor but also a genuinely great person. I couldn’t have imagined a better advisor for my MBA journey. Right from our first meetings, Harold showcased a perfect mix of professionalism and friendliness. During the brainstorming phase, he dedicated significant time to understanding my background and asked super insightful questions that turned out to be super important in later stages when drafting different applications.

Initially, I underestimated the complexity of MBA applications, assuming a straightforward process. I soon realized the intricate nature of tailoring applications to various programs. Harold’s expertise was invaluable here; his knowledge of each program's nuances proved to be extremely helpful.

Although our initial agreement was to focus on five MBA programs, Harold's flexible and collaborative nature led us to expand our scope. In the end, I applied to 10 MBA programs, got accepted at 5, all within the top 15, was waitlisted at 3, and received only 2 rejections.

Lastly, what sets Harold apart is his responsiveness and availability. He returned emails almost instantly and provided feedback even on the 25th of December, Christmas Day - a level of dedication beyond what one might expect from an advisor.

In summary, Harold is a prime example of professionalism. He’s always ready to assist—even during holidays—and offers prompt, insightful feedback. For anyone seeking a friendly yet professional MBA advisor, Harold is the ideal choice.

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I am an international student from Russia, working in tech. I’ve been working with Katy for Round 2 application cycle, and I could not wish for a better partner to guide me. There are several points to support this statement.

First, Katy is incredibly knowledgeable about the subject area and realistic. I first contacted Katy in late May, looking to apply in Round 1 and she, having realized that I had not had my GMAT taken at the time, discouraged me from applying in Round 1, because I simply won’t be able to craft a strong application, juggling GMAT prep, applications and full-time work. Also, before we kicked-off Round 2 application, she made sure that even with a high GMAT score I keep my expectations realistic. She helped me to brainstorm the application strategy and select schools I would be better off given my career ambitions.

Second, Katy is incredibly dedicated. She really delved into my background from the get-go, and took time to understand me, my personality, my motivation and career journey — and she managed to did it better than I understood it myself. She helped me to look at my career as a side observer and pick up the themes about me that I had not realized myself. That new perspective was really instrumental in the preparation process as it helped me to write candid and personal responses to the schools’ essay questions.

Third, Katy is very structured and methodical with her approach to work. She has all the materials ready to help you think about yourself, she is upfront with turnaround times and her work/holiday schedule months in advance, relentless in constant quality improvement (if time permits), she helps you to gather the thoughts in the right form in preparation for the interviews, and, finally, provides relevant consideration points as you get the good news from several schools.

Finally, Katy has an amazing personality, she is very open, kind and funny. I considered several other consultants, and I am so happy that I decided to proceed with Katy. I applied to 5 schools, got accepted into 4 (with scholarship in Wharton) and waitlisted in Chicago Booth, I certainly would not be as successful without her.

Be prepared to work a lot with Katy, but it’s worth it.

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I approached Debbie in October 2023 for interview training. Unlike some consultants who prefer to read a script of the “walk me through your resume” answer, after reading my application materials, Debbie asked me to do a mock-up right away. The first mock-up certainly felt stressful, but I found myself making progress very quickly after the first session. After 3 sessions with Debbie, I believed I was fully prepared for the interviews.

What I truly appreciate about Debbie’s work is her detailed feedback - I have done multiple mock-ups with current students but often their feedback are way too general. Debbie’s feedback, on the other hand, ranges from the structure of my answer to my facial expressions. She truly pays attention to my performance and gives useful advice that are also beneficial for my job interviews in the future.

More importantly, whenever Debbie pointed out a problem, she almost always suggested her solution. I also had worked with a freelancer to prepare for my essays and resume before I found Debbie. My freelancer consultant charged me a lot less compared with Debbie. However, I would spend a lot more hours with her than with Debbie. In a word, I understand that Debbie, at her level, charges more than many other consultants, but it is absolutely worth it. Debbie’s feedback and suggestions are always very sharp, constructive and on-point.

For example, I struggled to put my story together as someone with an engineering degree and an art degree, and Debbie suggested that I position myself as someone who prefers to use both sides of her brain - right hand side and left hand side, meaning quantitative and qualitative. And a weakness (lack of cohesiveness) suddenly became a unique strength of mine. There are a couple of other similar examples, and I benefit so much from Debbie’s solutions.

I was eventually admitted to Ross with 20k scholarships. In addition, I was admitted to Tepper and Johnson with half scholarships, and Darden and UNC with full scholarships.

In the zoom call where I received the great news from Ross, the AdComs specifically mentioned that the interviewer (a Ross alum) gave high praises on my interview performance. Obviously I performed well because Ross was my second last interview, but I also could never have done it without Debbie’s professional instructions and continuous support.

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When I was looking for an admissions coach, I was immediately drawn to Debbie's candor, her commitment to excellence, and her positive and pragmatic attitude. As an Asian-American female pivoting out of finance, I also connected with Debbie at a personal level given her background, and I believed she would best understand and help me craft my unique story. Reflecting on a highly stressful and exhausting year-long process (April 2023 to April 2024), I feel EXTREMELY FORTUNATE AND HAPPY (CAPS LOCK REQUIRED) to have worked with Debbie. Debbie truly partnered with me and rooted for me every step of the way, pushing me to put my best foot forward while always providing a safe space for me to be honest and authentic.

I applied to 4 schools (H/S/W/MIT), and Debbie was critical to helping me structure and advance my applications. Completing 4 applications can feel super daunting, but Debbie set progressive timelines that made everything feel manageable. One of Debbie's many strengths is her ability to balance detail orientation with strategic guidance: for EVERY essay and short answer, she provided highly effective feedback, from sentence phrasing to essay flow, that allowed me to best convey my story and my voice.

I ended up applying R2 due to a lower than median GMAT score that I was trying to increase ahead of the R1 deadline, but I couldn't, and I didn't even end up achieving my target score. It was brutally disappointing, but I still applied R2 and was very worried that my test score would be the gating factor. I was rejected from H/S/W but accepted to MIT. If it weren't for the thoughtful, strategic brainstorming that we did together for EVERY part of my application for EVERY school in order to best showcase my personality and my experience as a candidate, I wouldn't have been able to pull it off. Without Debbie, I would not be going to my dream school. Full stop, period.

Debbie's THE BEST. Work with Debbie.

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I remember telling Harshad mid-way during applications that I was very thankful I worked with him irrespective of the outcome. A few weeks later, receiving interview invites from almost all schools I applied to, we had exceeded my expectations. Today, after receiving an admit with scholarship from my dream school, all I can say is I am glad I worked with him.

When I started the application process, I was anxious about applying in R2 as an applicant from the overrepresented pool of Indian consultants with an engineering background. While many admissions consultants either said "round doesn't matter" or "You have no chance", Harshad was honest in his views on the matter - presented facts, nuanced perspectives without judgement. I knew he was the right fit and trusted him as my advisor.

He was not just my consultant, but became a trusted friend in the process. He was always available, gave me his honest feedback, helped me brainstorm, ensured I met all the deadlines, but most of all helped me portray my authentic self, was thoughtful and considerate in bringing out my life experiences through my essays. He understood my background, my passion, and my goals and together, we built my applications. Right from selecting schools, to essays, to choosing and managing recommenders, to additional forms. He mentored me so I understood the application process, presented his nuanced views on various aspects empowering to make decisions in my narrative. He went above and beyond to support my business school endeavors! In addition to all of this, we would have insightful and fun conversations that kept my morale high throughout the process.

You can't go wrong with choosing Harshad for your BSchool applications :) I am more than happy to answer any questions that prospective applicants have about his working style. Feel free to DM on LinkedIn.

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