I chose to have an advisor as I began to start my application essays for Stern Langone NYU part time MBA. My friend had used Adam so I chose him based on her positive experience. I ended up choosing well as Adam himself had attended Stern full time and had really thrived there.
He was approachable, efficient and very helpful in the application process. He turned around documents in a couple days time and really had good feedback on most of my essays. If you are looking to applying to one vs. several schools he also had clear feedback and I could tell that after seeing multiple candidates and working with many students, I could trust his advice. I ended up getting admitted to Langone (not even asked for an interview, just straight acceptance), and I do not think I could have done it without him. Great coaching while still willing to listen and always available for phone or email chat.

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Honestly, I would have never been able to craft my most compelling story with the same conviction without Susan Kaplan's guidance. She was incredibly pleasant and had a knack for pushing all the right buttons to bring out the very best in me. In hindsight, I should have just purchased the entire package deal because I trusted her and sought her input every step of the way in the application process.

With Susan as my coach, my work became more efficient and targeted! And, when I strayed, she was not afraid to bring me back on point. I was so confident with the strength of my final application,and subsequent interview, that I decided to apply only to my top school and wait for a decision. I was accepted – Ivy League Executive MBA!

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Thought I'd give a quick review on my experience with mbaMission and in particular, my admission consultant Susan Kaplan.

Belonging to the over represented applicant pool, I knew it from start that I needed some guidance on my application to highlight my strengths. After an extensive research on various consulting firms via GMAT Club and other sites, I decided to go with mbaMission. Based on my profile, I already knew what school I wanted to apply to, so I decided to take the one-school package.

Susan was fantastic right from the start! She began the engagement by explaining the process, along with my candidacy strengths and weaknesses. During the brainstorming call, Susan made sure she directed the conversation to bring up key attributes, that I should focus on, in my application. Susan made sure she queried me on all possible details that I could have missed. We then started with the drafts and Susan was very willing to accommodate my schedule and kept pushing me to get it right. I think that's something we all need given our busy work schedule. I valued her direct, honest feedback. She guided me patiently even during the mock interview we had.

Without any hesitation, I'd surely recommend Susan for assistance with the application process. And yes, I did get admitted to the university I applied to.

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Choosing Jessica Shklar (and mbaMission) as my admissions consultant was the best decision I made in my application process.

After researching many admissions consulting firms, mbaMission rose to the top for two reasons: 1) the numerous outstanding reviews I read on admissions websites/ blogs 2) the recommendation from Manhattan GMAT, a company I trusted after success with their course. I combed numerous websites, and found many mbaMission testimonials that touted Jessica, so I set up my free consultation with her. I had previously completed free consults with other prominent firms, but after spending 30 minutes with Jessica, I knew I wanted to work with her. Jessica came very well prepared, having carefully studied my resume prior to our initial meeting. I was impressed by how personal she was and how she carefully tailored all her questions/ comments/ advice around the nuances that were important to my story.

Jessica’s credentials are impressive and reviews from her former clients were exceptional, but what made her distinctly valuable to my applications was her ability to help me capture who I am on paper. After brainstorming with me and reviewing some of my drafts, Jessica encouraged me to write one of my essays about a very tricky subject – my faith – because it’s a very important part of who I am. Working with a delicate topic, Jessica helped me compose a deeply personal essay that was not offensive yet remained true to what I believe. Without Jessica, I wouldn’t have even attempted to write on my faith. Yet with her help, the essay I eventually produced was outstanding because it was uniquely me. The essay Jessica helped me craft added immense depth to my application and helped me come alive from a ‘flat’ file.

The result: I was accepted – and am matriculating – to Chicago Booth with a half tuition scholarship. A year ago, I would have considered myself to be a ‘coin-flip’ decision at Wharton/ Booth/ Kellogg. With Jessica’s help, I was accepted to 2 of the 3 and waitlisted at the other.

Sure, the cost of a consultant is expensive. But against the bigger picture of spending six figures on b-school, it’s a worthwhile investment. For me, the cost of a top-notch admissions consultant like Jessica paid returns (10x), as I’m convinced I wouldn’t have received the large scholarship I did without her.

Without reservation, I highly recommend Jessica Shklar to any applicant considering a top business school.

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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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I signed up for a four school package with Rachel at mbaMission.

In March of 2012, I called mbaMission for a free consultation. I had just secured a high GMAT score, and while I thought it might be enough to get me into a top school, they pointed out that I was weak in my career and extra-curriculars. After hearing this, I decided to wait a year and work on these weaknesses, while seriously considering whether I wanted to sign up for one of mbaMission’s full school packages.

After a lot of research, I signed up for the service, and chose Rachel based on her background and reviews.

Rachel was the perfect choice. The most challenging part of the process for me was becoming comfortable talking about myself, but through extensive free-writes, Rachel forced me to dig deeper into my past and pull out things that would enhance my story. She never hesitated to honestly critique my essay drafts, and she helped me avoid topics that would have been detrimental to my application. The mock interview she gave me was also crucial. Some of my intuitive responses were the opposite of what an admissions committee would want to hear, and I definitely would have answered some of the real interview questions poorly without her guidance.

But none of that compares to what Rachel really helped me with – my story. For over a year, I had planned on applying to school with a finance / consulting angle, thinking that this would improve my chances of acceptance. Fortunately, Rachel caught this early and explained that the finance / consulting angle would actually hurt my chances because that pool of applicants is far more competitive. Instead, Rachel drew from my free-writes and my past and encouraged me to apply with a focus on media, which I am genuinely passionate about. Not only did Rachel improve my chances of acceptance, but she also helped me retool my career focus to something I truly wanted.

I was accepted to Columbia early decision. I recommend mbaMission and Rachel to anyone pursuing a top school.

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This service is worth every dime. I started out with a free 30-min consultation with Daniel. I used Manhattan GMAT for my GMAT prep course and was extremely pleased with my course material and instructor..and results :) When I saw that they partnered with MBAmission for consulting services I signed up! Daniel is awesome. It's reassuring having someone that knows their stuff talk you through the whole process. Specifically, when it comes to essays, this service is invaluable. After reading his comments and following his advice, my essay was so much stronger. Without question. I would definitely say the personal statement help is the most valuable part of this service. It really does make a HUGE difference. There are plenty of folks that freak out at the price and I get it. But there are certain things that I am willing to invest the money in. Getting into an awesome school is one of them.

Daniel also helped me prepare for a killer interview. The most useful component of the interview prep service was his ability to identify what key points i needed to cover during my interview. These are unique a specific to each person. He helped me identify mine so that I could leave the interview having added personal meaning to what is listed on my resume. It is really helpful to have an outside individual identify what these key points are for you and remind you not to sell yourself short. Daniel is just amazing. I was accepted into the perfect program---my target school. Daniel knows his stuff.

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I started my MBA application back in June/July of 2013. I found it difficult and somewhat confusing as to how I would submit a detailed, yet concise application of who I was as a person. I had never done an application like this before!

After looking around on GMAT Club, I happened to come across mbaMission. They offered a free consultation, so I decided to give it a try - can't go wrong with that! I was setup with Debbie Choy and I found her personality very compatible with mine. She did exactly what a consultant should do - give an open and honest opinion of your chances of acceptance at certain schools. She also pointed out strengths and weaknesses in my application, but not once did she ever try to sell mbaMission to me. I never felt forced or pressured into purchasing one of their services.

After the free consultation, it didn't take much thought before I signed on for a school package. My experience over the next couple months was great. Debbie is very knowledgeable about the entire MBA application process and most of all, she is very detailed. There were definitely times where I felt like the resume or essay was done, but she would always find something else to say about it and we would have to do another iteration.

After my application was submitted and I got an interview, she was able to give me a mock interview that very closely simulated what I experienced on the actual day. She gave me a strategy and gave me some extra tips to succeed on the day of the interview.

Well, it looks like it worked out because I got accepted into my school of choice and I am very grateful to have had Debbie Choy as a mentor/coach through this process. Although you might think that the price of a school package is steep, let me remind you how much a typical MBA program costs - this is a small investment to push you towards your dream. Also, with a strong application, you have a very good chance of receiving a scholarship which will be a lot more than what you paid for a school package at mbaMission.

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Jessica,

As I am preparing to head toward my target school, I want to seize the opportunity to publicly thank you.

-Thank you for the incredible support you gave me above and beyond your professional duties!
-Thank you for giving me the power to believe in myself in the good as well as in the bad times.
-Thank you for the faith you placed in me and for building-up my self-confidence by uncovering the qualities and abilities that set me up apart as a truly competitive candidate.

You played a critical role in my admissions at Wharton and Harvard and I realize that none of those accomplishments would have been possible without you.

I had the chance to work with you and I could write a whole essay explaining how potent an asset you are…but most reassuring to me is that I now know that I have someone like you by my side and that I can count on you at any time.


THANK YOU

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I worked with Angela from mbaMission this year and I have to say my experience was an EXCELLENT one!! I’m extremely happy with both the result and the process!

My background is 3.10 GPA / 710 GMAT / 3 years of work experience in a field that is not common for MBA applicants. I wasn’t one of those typical superstars on paper and to be honest, before I worked with Angela, I wasn’t confident about (and sort of intimidated by) getting into top schools. But I had big passion for my professional dream and for getting into my dream school!!

Angela did a tremendous job of guiding me to realize what is unique about me and express my uniqueness and passion through every aspect of my applications. Honestly, I don’t think I could have gotten into my dream school (Johnson at Cornell Univ.) if it wasn’t for Angela!

Here are some highlights of why I think Angela was GREAT!

-Angela REALLY cared about my success!
I wanted to work with a consultant who I can truly trust and who cares about me getting in to my dream school. With Angela, I never felt like it’s a business, but I really felt like we were a team!! From the initial free consultation, she focused on making sure that we’re a good match. She even introduced me to a couple of other consultants to compare and made sure that I was comfortable making this commitment. Throughout the process, she was very generous with her time, and she was there every time I needed support and expert advice, and she took time to reply to tons of my crazy paranoid questions! (She replied very quickly. Sometimes within 10 minutes..!)

On top of that, Angela’s personality was just amazing! While I was on 4 months painful wait list, I was almost giving up... but Angela never gave up and kept encouraging me to fight till the end!! I kept sending updates to the school and I got accepted after a long wait!!!

-Expert in story telling!!
Angela was amazing at helping me see my unique stories and tell them in absolutely effective way.
We did very thorough brainstorming sessions (both general and school specific) for my stories. During the session, Angela asked many profound questions about my life events and as I thought hard of answers to those questions and we discussed them, I started clearly seeing MY STORY of upbringing, passion, goals, setbacks, why MBA, and why now, and my story became very cohesive and it just made sense. If there were any fluffs or BS in an essay, Angela didn't hesitate to point out and asked more questions to help me clarify. Every word and every sentence in my essays became well though of and very clear. By the time I applied, I was really confident and excited about my story and application! The process of brainstorming was very rewarding; Angela helped me REALLY get to know myself in depth, owe my own success, define what is unique about me, clarify my goals, and above all be confident about talking about myself and my story!

-Expert in admission process!
I had 100% trust in her expertise and I knew following her guidance and advice would give me a great result! I was placed on a waitlist (which had 10% conversion rate to admit last year) and it was very critical for me to have a strategic wait list plan. Angela gave me a guidance of what admission officers were looking for and what additional materials (some of the ideas were just outside of box that I couldn't have thought of by myself!) to send and when to send them. I followed her guidance and I did get off the list after 4 months!! Stressful waitlist process was manageable thanks to her!!

These are just a few examples but Angela truly had such a great impact on my life and I cannot thank her enough for her service!! I STRONGLY recommend her to anyone, especially for those who not only really want to get into their dream schools but ALSO want to get the most out of this application journey!! Now, looking back, I absolutely enjoyed this process and learned so much all thanks to Angela! It was a GREAT Investment!!!

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