MBA Student Services Reviews

The main reason I decided to get consultant service was that I felt I needed direction to prepare a strong success story and to deal with the whole process smoothly. I had 30 minutes free consultations with multiple consultants, however I easily made my decision as I realized that MbaMission and specifically, Jen was the best person to jump into this process with.
I started working with Jen in November for R2. We were preparing the whole applications for 2 B-schools. Each of our sessions was very productive and helpful. Working with Jen was very nice and comfortable, she provided all the materials I needed during the process, she was open to answer any questions and to discuss any topic together, which was really helpful for me to make some decisions during the process. She has always been considering of my timeline and offered a flexible timeline for meetings. She was responding to all my emails and was returning all the documents we worked together on time, within the agreed timeline, which is essential, especially when you have so many things to do concurrently in a short period of time. Jen helped me to prepare for interviews. I think our mock interviews were super helpful and really close to the real ones. She gave very specific tips and made the preparation process much more easier. Her rich experience in this field, coupled with her motivation and hard work to deep dive into my story, helped me achieve the results, I could not even imagine. Thanks to Jen, I was admitted to both schools (one of them was my dream Business schools, LBS) and got scholarships from both of them.
Besides all the professional things, I think she is a very honest and super kind person. I felt her support and cheerleading on each step. It was great pleasure to work and communicate with her. Having MBA consultant during the application journey is an important investment, however it is totally worth it.

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I was paired with Michael Guttman as an advisor for my mba application journey. He helped me from GMAT all the way to being accepted to my top program and everything in between. This process is crazy with deadline management while also working fulltime but Michael helped me stay on top of everything in terms of deadlines and made sure that I completed all my application tasks at an extremely high level. We broke down and re-worked my resume to such a degree that I was able to easily take pieces from our many iterations to complete my new school resume once I was admitted in less than an hour. My school’s resume counselor said that my resume was one of the best written resumes she had ever seen on a first submission and I was able to immediately get into our school’s resume book, thereby getting a head start on recruiting. That was all because of Michael’s painstaking care when it came to helping me with my resume. Over multiple session, we brainstormed everything that could possibly go into my resume and then broken down all of those ideas into well-articulated, perfectly succinct bullets that I could easily plug into my resume depending on what my story was for each school. Ensuring I mastered my resume is just one example, Michael took an extreme level of care with every aspect of my application journey, including devising different personalized questions for each school I applied to and helping me prep for every interview. I can honestly say that the level of my applications was elevated well beyond what I would have been capable of without his assistance, but perhaps more importantly, his guidance gave me the confidence I needed to stick with the process and get into my dream school. If you are serious about putting your best foot forward in the MBA application process, then Michael is your best bet.

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I was recently admitted to Wharton R1, which would not have done it without the help and support of Dan Richards.

I began working with Dan in February. From the beginning, he was an invaluable resource and advocate who I was thankful to have in my corner throughout the overwhelming and time-consuming application process. We began working together early on in the application process, and he started by helping me narrow down my target list. Upon completing the brainstorming document, which became my foundation throughout the entire process, Dan carefully helped me position my candidacy. Dan pushed me to connect the dots into a compelling story. In doing so, he helped guide me through the essay process, crafting strong essays that added to my story while addressing key themes. Having Dan there to help edit and tighten the language was invaluable, and my application was so much stronger as a result. He was straightforward and critical, which helped me and my application monumentally.

No task was too mundane or question too small for Dan. He read through all of my in-application, short answer responses and also did a last read on my final application. Dan answered my multitude of questions with great patience and sincerity.

Additionally, Dan’s guidance in updating my resume to be more results-oriented was a game-changer. He pushed me to quantify the results and make it more action-forward, which was critical to my success and will continue to serve me well long after school.

Finally, Dan was incredibly quick in his responses. He often delivered feedback, including substantial essay edits, in a fraction of the typical MBA Mission turnaround window. I am incredibly thankful for his responsiveness and punctuality. It certainly helped move the process along and made things much less stressful.

Dan made what can be an overwhelming, exhausting and intense process a lot less painful. It was nice to have an advocate, an advisor and another person to bounce ideas off of throughout the process. While half the battle was done long before I made the decision to apply, I would not have achieved my goals without Dan. I am forever grateful to him and could not recommend him or his services. He cares about his clients and will help get you in to the top MBA programs of your dreams!

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A former colleague recommended Dan because she had a good experience working with him as she applied to Columbia Business School. With CBS as my top choice, I met with Dan to discuss my plans and immediately felt confident that the investment in his services would be a great choice.
I wasn’t breaking any records with my GMAT score or GPA, but Dan helped me to put together an aggressive, but realistic approach to applying that would not only cover all the bases, but would also highlight specific pieces of my story that set me apart from other candidates – I applied Early Decision and was ecstatic when I found out that I got into my dream school!
I was extremely happy with the results I saw from working with Dan. From the beginning brainstorming sessions, he challenged me and guided me to dig into specific examples and prioritize where I would include each piece of my story in the four essays of my application. We worked very well together. His responses were always timely and supportive – however, what I found most helpful was his ability to provide tactical edits and comments that would help to shape each of my essays into more of a narrative.
My advice for working with Dan is to set up your own plan and stick to it – because he won’t let you down on his end. The hard work is all on you, but if you prepare extensively, Dan will probe you for the additional details and make sure your maximizing your opportunities to express yourself with your essays.
While I only applied to one school with Dan, upon hitting the submit button, I wasn’t nervous. Thanks to Dan, I was excited and extremely proud of the essays and overall package that I put together. He offered to help me with every detail of the application, from the optional essay to how I worded the descriptions of my extracurricular activities. He is truly gifted at wordsmithing and I found his advice and direction to be spot on throughout the process. He was also extremely efficient with both his time and my time, maintain transparency throughout… each of my essays took about 5-6 versions and Dan was quickly returning my documents to me… often times, earlier than he had to.
By the time interview prep came, Dan had me well-prepared to answer most every question that could come up. He was also extremely thoughtful as I awaited the results – checking in on me with encouragement as the 2-week process for some reason turned into 3-4 weeks… we all know how stressful the process can be and it was great to have his support.
Overall, I was 100% satisfied with the mentorship Dan provided me and I would highly recommend him to anyone applying to a top MBA program. I truly felt like he was invested in me throughout the well-thought out and executed 3-month process (just 6 weeks to submit the application), and I was grateful to have his insight as I navigated everything from brainstorming and resume editing to wordsmithing and strategic follow-up e-mails. My story to get into CBS was always there, but Dan efficiently and creatively helped me to communicate my candidacy to the admissions team.

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Katharine (Katy) Lewis did a fantastic job advising on my application process, and I could not have been more pleased with our experience working together.

Applying in Round 3 this past spring (2016), I knew that I was going to have an uphill battle if I was going to be accepted to one of my target schools (top-10, mostly). I began working with Katy approximately six-weeks before my application deadlines after I had already taken the GMAT exam. Immediately, Katy and I set to work brainstorming, discussing my background and goals in-depth over approximately two hours of phone calls so that we better grasp and articulate my “story”.

When I began working on my essays, this investment in brainstorming really paid off. Going into my applications, I knew that my above-average amount of job movement was going to be an issue that I would need to address, and Katy did an exceptional job of helping me express a coherent career path that emphasized professional growth and a breadth of experience gathered along the way.

Additionally, an added benefit of this brainstorming work and Katy’s guidance was that I approached my applications with a more well-defined sense of my career goals after my MBA and was able to better explain why these goals appealed to me personally, as well as why they tied into my overall “story”. This concrete sense of direction was incredibly helpful, both in creating well-crafted applications, and in planning for my MBA experience going forward.

Ultimately, I was accepted to my top school after initially being waitlisted. Statistically, the odds of a successful outcome after applying in Round 3 are fairly slim, and while a fair amount of luck was certainly on my side, I can honestly say that I do not think I would have arrived at the same point without Katy’s help. I strongly recommend her service, particularly to applicants with a “story” that is unusual or not immediately straight forward.

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I began the MBA admissions process in April, when I conducted a bunch of 30 minute free consultation calls with several consultants. I instantly connected with Dan - he had carefully reviewed my resume and within 30 minutes, was able to articulate what he thought were the key strengths in my profile and where he thought I would have to work harder.

I did not regret choosing Dan and mbaMission, even for a second, as my advisors through the admissions process. I initially signed up for a three-school package, but decided to add two additional schools given how happy I was with Dan's mentorship.

Applying to five schools in R1 is a daunting task, and I would never have been able to finish it without Dan's adept guidance. We formally began our engagement with a rather long brainstorming call that dug deep into the annals of my life, and helped Dan understand the most interesting aspects of my story. From there on, we methodically worked through resumes, letters of recommendations, essay drafts, applications and subsequently interview prep. I admired Dan's timeliness, professionalism, steadfastness and his constant desire to push me towards excellence.

Over and above everything, what I appreciated most about Dan was his honesty. Dan would never hold back his feedback or mince words to placate me - black was black and white was white. There were several instances where I would be extremely proud of an outline or a first draft, only to be respectfully told by Dan that I required a total re-write. It was hard to question his sagacity and listening to him turned out to be in my best interests. What was even more amazing was Dan's mastery of taking my simple, often verbose language and turning it into something crisp and sophisticated - definitely a place where his editing background proves to be immensely useful.

Long story short - I would recommend Dan Richards and mbaMission to anyone without a hint of hesitation. Go for him - you will most likely end up at your dream school, just like I did!

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I knew I wanted to work with an admissions consultant, so when I started the process, I took advantage of the 30 minute free consultation most consulting firms offered and "interviewed" several of them, including Stacy Blackman, Stratus Prep, Expartus, Veritas and mbaMission. I ended up choosing mbaMission based on fit.

My consultant was Debbie Choy. I worked with her on a 4 school package for round 2. I personally applied to 5 schools and also the Consortium (an application on its own) and was admitted into 4 schools (waitlisted at the 5th) as well as the Consortium.

Debbie was instrumental to my success. She worn several hats and served as my:

1) Project Manager - the business school application process was extremely overwhelming and had a lot of to do's. Debbie structured the process in a manageable way and was by my side through every step of the process.

2) Supporter/Advocate - I didn't have much confidence going into the process. I didn't have a spectacular GMAT score or an impressive background. However, Debbie was able to help me tell my stories in a compelling way. I never felt uncomfortable around Debbie. Even when I felt like my essay was poorly written or my interview prep answers were not good enough, Debbie always cheered me on while providing constructive feedback and teaching me how to improve. Before I started the process, I was prepared for not getting into any schools, and I told myself that I would be happy getting into 1 out of the 5 schools I applied to. It was a true surprise when I found out that I was accepted into almost all the schools I applied to, some with scholarships.

Overall, I had a pleasant working relationship with Debbie. I would be happy to recommend her to anyone!

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I have worked with application consultants throughout my life: boarding school, college, masters’ program, law school, and business school. Out of all 5 consultants I have worked with Krista Nannery was by far the best.

More so than any other consultant I have worked with Krista took a vested interest in me and my application. She took the time to get to know me as a person and got to know my interest and passions. From that we formulated an application strategy that worked to my benefit. Her feedback and responsiveness was nothing short of amazing. I never once felt like I was anything but her most important client. What really impressed me about Krista was that if she didn’t know the answer to a question she would take the time and reach out to her colleagues to get an answer.

Furthermore, Krista never let me settle for good. Whether it was my resume, my essays, my overall application, or my mock interviews she always pushed me to go further and make each aspect of the application the best it could possibly be. Furthermore, she gave great advice on further research I should be doing and people I should be taking to in order to strengthen my candidacy – things I never considered.

I truly believe that I would not have gotten into my dream school without Krista’s help. I have recommended Krista to countless potential MBA students and will continue to do so far into the future. Simply put, Krista Nannery is the best consultant I have ever had the pleasure working with and I will be eternally grateful for her help and guidance.

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This letter serves to recommend Krista Nannery as an MBA admissions consultant.

Shopping for a good admissions consultant was overwhelming. I not only had to search for a consulting company with good reviews, but I also had to pick a good consultant. Unfortunately I was late in the game with almost 1 month left to submit my application to several schools. 

I chose MBA Mission for its rating. It had very good rating and seemed to have a very good customer base. It also had various documents that could help me research the schools I was interested in. However, most of the leading consultants were occupied by “the early birds”. I was referred to Krista to be my consultant.

I did agree to interview Krista to see if I was comfortable with her being my consultant.  To say that Krista exceeded my expectation is not giving credit enough. Krista worked hard and she was very efficient. Krista was very timely with her responses, sometimes even taking just 1 day to review a new draft, adding some comments and replying to my email. In 1 month I had to craft 3 solid applications and 6 different essays, each different than the next. With the help of Krista, I was able to meet the deadlines with remarkable essays.

We first started with a brainstorming session that really helped get the ideas flowing. She cared enough to memorize and really think about my life experiences and what they meant. More often than not, Krista would recall points from the brainstorming session that I would forget. She would meticulously work with me to craft the essay to marry my life experiences with the points I wanted to portray.

The conversation would go:
Me: I need to tell the AdCom that I have xxx. I’m thinking of using this story, what do you think
Krista:  That is a good story to tell but how about you give them this story instead. You could also angle it this way to solidify your claim.
Me: I see what you did there. Brilliant!

Krista completed her MBA at Booth. She also worked in the admissions office, so she knows exactly what the AdCom wants to hear. She also has a great skill at story telling at a professional level, which I believe helped tremendously.

The fact that Krista lived in the UK at the time I was applying, did not bother the process at all. She was very responsive to my questions, and she was very flexible with her time. We were always able to schedule appointments when I needed to talk to her, sometimes we would even schedule appointments the next day! Krista made the whole process as easy as it could be. She has lived and worked all around the world and is a very international personal, which I think helps international candidates.

I hired her for 3 schools. The first I got dinged to, it was a long shot. The second I got in to with a good scholarship, that Krista helped me make a case for and write about. The third school – my dream school -- I am happy to report I’ll be attending come August.

I have no hesitation in recommending Krista as an MBA admissions consultant. I truly believe she was my secret weapon to being accepted into the school of my choice!

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I hired mbaMission for a 2-school package and I don't feel like I received the full value I paid for. My consultant was helpful in crafting my initial story but after that, the edits were much more superficial. I ended up asking a close friend to read my essays, and he provided the type of valuable feedback I was seeking from my admission consultant.

If the services were cheaper, then I don't think it would have been as big of an issue but for the thousands of dollars I paid for, I was expecting a lot more substantive feedback. I know it may sound like I am unhappy with mbaMission's services because I was not admitted to the 2 schools I applied for but that is definitely not the case. Even if I was admitted, my opinions on the value of the service I paid for would have remained the same.

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