Who We Are: FAQ

What makes mbaMission the preeminent MBA admissions consulting firm?

We offer a combination of strengths and attributes that no other firm can match. Here is what you need to know about mbaMission:

  • We are the only MBA admissions consulting firm exclusively recommended by the world’s two leading GMAT prep providers, Manhattan GMAT and Kaplan.
  • Everyone on our staff is an elite, professional communicator.
  • All our Senior Consultants are MBAs from the top programs.
  • MBA consulting is a full-time commitment for our consultants, not a side project.
  • We are constantly training and improving to better serve our clients.
  • We produce in-depth research and publications on MBA-related topics.
  • We have more than a decade of profound experience in MBA admissions.

Where are you located?

Our consultants are based in cities across the United States as well as overseas. We work over email, phone, and Skype with applicants in more than 65 countries.

What are my payment options?

We require full, up-front payment for all services, which can be paid directly through our store using any major credit card. We also offer U.S. applicants the option of monthly installment payments through Affirm. Click here to learn more about Affirm.

Do you offer any discounts?

In our opinion, MBA admissions consulting is the wrong place to look for a deal. We compete on the basis of service, not price, and never discount our core admissions consulting packages or hours—ever. We provide our clients with elite and dependable service throughout the entire admissions process. When you pay less for assistance that will be crucial to your educational and career development, you have to ask yourself what shortcuts and compromises in quality have made those savings possible. We invest significantly in our consultants—as well as in our research and other offerings—so we can provide our clients with the highest quality support possible. We may be more expensive than a discounted service, but as the saying goes, you get what you pay for.

What is your success rate?

We actually do not believe in “success rates,” and after you read our views on the subject, we think you will no longer believe in them either.

Some admissions firms advertise a percentage success rate, and frankly, we have no idea how they can do that. To begin with, what defines “success”? Getting into one of the five schools you applied to? Two? What if the only one you get into is a safety school you added at the last minute? Would that still count as a “success”?

Aside from that complication, let us address the fundamental flaw with any consulting firm like ours attempting to define a success rate. Think about the consultants’ incentives. If their primary objective is simply to get clients accepted to the schools they apply to, they have an incentive to persuade you to apply to programs at which they believe you have the greatest probability of being accepted, rather than working with you to increase your chances of acceptance at the programs you actually want. Sure, applying to schools you might consider “safety” or less desirable schools would mean your odds of getting in would be higher (thereby meeting your consultant’s goals), but we focus instead on helping you get into the schools where you would be happy (thereby meeting your goals).

Our thoughts on where you might apply and your odds of acceptance at those programs are strictly input for your decision making, and that is all they should be.

Lastly, someone’s past successes have very little, if anything, to do with your unique candidacy and goals. If 95% of our clients have gotten in, does that give you a 95% chance of getting in, too? No. To us, each applicant is a person, not a statistic.

Can you guarantee that I will get into business school?

Guarantees may seem appealing but are really nothing more than a nefarious and misleading gimmick. When an MBA admissions consulting firm “guarantees” that you will be admitted to business school if you use its services, its consultants have every reason to encourage and redirect you to apply to safe schools that are easier for you to get into, rather than helping you apply to the school(s) you really want. We are not in the business of guiding candidates in a way that makes us look good—we help clients submit the strongest applications possible to their dream MBA programs. We concentrate on the schools you have chosen, have honest conversations about risks and challenges, and work tirelessly to ensure your applications are robust and compelling. A money-back guarantee will not get you admitted to your target school, but an experienced, committed consultant with your best interests in mind just might.

Have you ever successfully helped someone like me get into business school?

Our core MBA consulting services have helped thousands of candidates gain admission to their target schools. Tens of thousands more have benefitted from our free 30-minute consultations and our in-person and online presentations and workshops, many of which we offer at no cost. After more than a decade in this business, we can confidently say that we have collaborated with seemingly every possible kind of applicant, including professional athletes, chefs, comedians, politicians, bankers, teachers, consultants, techies, engineers, and everything in between. And we have helped candidates in countries around the world. Thanks to our wealth of experience and know-how, we are supremely qualified to help you grab the admissions committees’ attention and stand out from the crowd.

Have you ever helped a client get into my target school?

Over the years, we have helped MBA applicants get into every noteworthy business school in the world, from the most internationally renowned to the lesser-known diamonds in the rough. And all candidates can benefit from help identifying and telling their strongest stories, regardless of their target school’s location or its position in the latest rankings. Wherever you have set your sights, we can assist you in highlighting your strengths and conveying your distinct story to the admissions committee. Click here for a list of schools our clients have been accepted to.

Does working with an MBA admissions consultant give someone an unfair advantage?

Our full-time staff of MBA admissions consultants has worked with thousands of business school candidates over the past decade. We have hosted online and in-person admissions events for more than 20,000 applicants. We have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Businessweek, U.S. News & World Report, and other esteemed publications. We have written our Complete Start-to-Finish MBA Admissions Guide and 17 in-depth guides to top MBA programs while cultivating long-standing relationships with representatives and alumni of the world’s leading business schools. We know what we are doing and offer our clients a definite advantage in the challenging world of MBA admissions. Whether that advantage is unfair we leave for you to decide.

Will you write my essays for me?

Absolutely not. Under no circumstances will we ever write any part of a candidate’s application. In addition to obviously being unethical, acting as ghostwriters for our clients would be doing them a grave disservice. The MBA admissions committees want to hear what you have to say—not what we have to say for you. Our services are meant to hone and showcase your voice in every part of your application.

What should I expect during the free consultation?

Think of your free consultation as your initial half-hour session with an expert admissions consultant. What you discuss during the session is ultimately up to you—whether that is a profile evaluation to identify your strengths and weakness, school selection, reapplication strategies, or something else entirely. Before your meeting, take time to think about what you would like to get out of the conversation, and be ready to ask your most pressing questions. Your consultant will have already reviewed the resume and profile you submitted via our site.

How many schools should I apply to?

We want you to apply to the right number of schools for you, no matter what that number is. Although most of our package clients tend to apply to four to five schools with us, every candidate is different. We work with each client individually—evaluating needs, personality, risk profile, and other crucial factors—to help determine what that “right” number might be as well as which schools would be strong, appropriate targets. The key is listening closely and always putting the applicant’s interests first.

How much time do I need to spend on my applications?

The time you need to dedicate to your applications depends on a variety of factors, such as when your target programs’ deadlines are, your writing ability, and your other commitments. Some clients work with us for six months, others for six weeks. If you are looking for help on the entire application process—from school selection through interview prep—you will obviously need more time than if you just need assistance with certain aspects of the application, such as essay editing or resume revision. The more time you have to dedicate to the process, the better, but we will work with you to accommodate your specific timeline.

Is the start-to-finish package best for me?

Our package services are best for candidates who have committed themselves wholeheartedly to the MBA application process. Package clients benefit from no limitations on the time spent brainstorming for essay ideas, on the number of essay or resume revisions allowed, on the number of mock interviews they do, and so on. (Always read the fine print—the packages some consulting firms offer come with limits, which seems completely antithetical to the concept of a package!) If you intend to devote significant time to the application process, our start-to-finish package is most likely right for you.

Are hourly services best for me?

Hourly services are a great option for applicants who need help with discrete tasks rather than their overall application. For example, perhaps you feel your essays are strong but are unsure of how to assemble a compelling resume to accompany them. Maybe you have been invited to interview and could benefit from some practice and feedback beforehand. Perhaps just one essay is giving you trouble, so you feel you only need assistance with it. Whatever the task, we can serve your needs through our a la carte hourly services.

Which mbaMission consultant will I work with?

Our consultants often work closely with their package clients for as long as six to nine months, so we strive to ensure that candidates are paired with their best possible match. To determine the right consultant for you, we first take the time to learn about your personality, working style, goals, and other key factors. Our matches are never made blindly or randomly. Applicants can also choose the consultant they wish to work with (pending availability, of course). We encourage you to visit our Team page to read our consultants’ bios and watch their videos. We are in the service business, and our goal is for you to be happy from the start.

Keep in mind that all our consultants have the credentials and experience to help you achieve your goals. In addition, they all completed an extensive training program before they began working with applicants, and the team as a whole continues to learn and improve through twice monthly meetings, an annual training conference, and constant communication with one another.

How quickly will you return my files to me?

We always return client files within two business days, though we frequently strive to do so even faster. Our two-business-day turnaround service is guaranteed, and if you find yourself truly tight on time, expedited service is available for an additional fee. We typically respond to simple emails on the same workday they are received.

How many applicants does each consultant work with?

Every consultant on our team works with a different number of clients each round, depending on how many schools their clients are applying to, their personal commitments, and other projects they are completing for mbaMission, such as writing guides and developing presentations. We can guarantee that your consultant will never be matched with more clients than they can support at the highest possible service level. We have earned our stellar reputation by consistently delivering excellent customer service for all our clients.

Because our consultants are all full-time, they have the capacity and flexibility to offer clients the highest possible level of service. You never need to worry about your consultant trying to “fit you in” during lunch, after work, or only on the weekends. In short, this is what we do. We keep a close eye on our consultants’ capacity, and, if necessary, they will turn away potential clients to ensure their existing clients receive the attention they deserve. Some of our admissions experts are regularly booked as early as March each year and cannot partner with more clients until after Round 1. As much as we hate disappointing anyone who wants to employ our services, we would rather lose a potential client than offer a candidate anything less than our very best.

FAQ