Who We Are: mbaMission Reviews

Debbie helped me apply for a few MBA programs. It was a truly amazing experience working with her and eventually I got the admission offer from Stanford GSB, my dream one and simply the top on my wish list. It wouldn’t have been possible without Debbie’s help.

Debbie was a good listener and she quickly got to know me as a person during the brainstorming session. She never made stories for me, but conversations with her were inspiring and they did help me find myself, and excellent essay writing was naturally a result of it. Application was a long and sometimes easy-to-lost process. Debbie was not only inspiring but strategic. Her suggestions on time arrangements, test preparations, key points in writings, etc., were practically useful. Her mental support also helped me go through this challenging period.

It wasn’t purely the good result that led me to leave this review, but it is really about her professionalism and inspirations during the process which I truly respect and highly recommend.

Stanford Admit (via GMAT Club)

Debbie helped me get into HBS (my top choice) and MIT Sloan, and got waitlisted for Stanford GSB. I applied to only these three schools, and I have no doubt these results wouldn’t have been possible without Debbie’s insight and feedback on my essays and applications.

I first talked to Debbie over [the] phone to see which service was the better option for me. Debbie walked me through the details for hourly and package options and at the end I decided to proceed with hourly service because of my limited budget.

I started working on the applications around mid August and was very concerned about the limited time I had until R1 deadlines. Debbie ensured me that I still had time to bring up solid applications if I focused on them. I started working on my essays and had no idea what to write, and even if I wrote something, I was totally insecure and in doubt about the contents and the fact that they might be unsuitable for an MBA application. I went through many rounds of reviews with Debbie—removed many contents from my first drafts, added new contents, and improved whatever I had first—significantly improving my essays at the end. Debbie’s comments and feedback gave me a huge peace of mind about both my essays’ contents and the their format, style. I can safely say that without Debbie’s comments and insight, there’s absolutely no way I could have achieved the results I got from these three schools.

Debbie was very easy to work [with], patient, positive, and flexible in the process. As mentioned before I started working my applications too late and there were many instances when I needed high-level feedback on the same day. Debbie was ALWAYS open to quick, high-level questions on certain applications questions I had or something specific in the essays I had doubt on. I remember I had MANY high-level questions just 1 or 2 days before HBS, GSB, and MIT deadlines. I sent my questions to Debbie through email and she always got back to me by the end of the same day. This alone was a HUGE help. Also, mbaMission has a policy that they would review the essay drafts within 2 days after sending them to the consultant. There were a few occasions that I needed my draft gotten back to me the same day or in just one day. Debbie showed flexibility on this when it was close to the deadline and gave the drafts back to me earlier than she had to. Again, a great help and peace of mind before final submissions.

In summary, Debbie was a huge help and source of direction both on my essays and my application questions. My experience with an MBA consultant and results I got couldn’t have been better.

HBS and MIT Admit (via GMAT Club)

I applied in Round 2 in fall 2022 for the Class of 2024 and bought mbaMission’s 5-school package. I was admitted into my top choice school, Wharton, and accepted their offer of attendance.

I did my free consulting session with Debbie Choy, and knew immediately that she would be a great fit as my consultant. I told her on the spot that I wanted to sign up with her. However, at the time, I hadn’t taken my GMAT yet. Debbie encouraged me to wait until I took the GMAT before paying for the consulting package because it is non-refundable. Debbie even offered to hold my spot with her until after I took the GMAT. That action showed me that Debbie (and mbaMission) really care about what is best for me, and not just collecting my money. I ended up signing up immediately anyways because I was tight on time before deadlines, but that action was very meaningful to me.

Debbie really took the time to understand who I was and what makes me a strong candidate. Many times throughout the process, I asked her if specific topics would be suitable for essays or short answers. My concern was, maybe these topics were too common or “not what the school is looking for.” Debbie always encouraged me to be myself while giving me tips on what parts of my story I could highlight to strengthen my application (while still being authentic)!

With her many years of experience, Debbie is a fantastic and knowledgeable consultant. I highly recommend her!

Wharton Admit (via GMAT Club)

As a consultant with a side business, my schedule is very busy, and I was looking for someone to help me manage the extensive MBA admissions process while also providing insight on what areas of my background to highlight. One thing I was looking for was a consultant who could empathize with my story and help to craft it in a unique and compelling way.

After my initial call with Debbie, I knew she was the right one. We shared similar backgrounds and social values, and she was very open about areas to highlight in my application and helped me through the strategic decisions like choosing a school and timing my applications. I was grateful because many of these decisions were helpful in not only deciding where to apply, but also where to attend. Debbie provided a response timeline at the beginning of our relationship and she stuck to it throughout. Additionally, after I was notified by schools that were outside the ones I engaged her to help with, she continued to provide helpful advice.

I only applied to three schools—Harvard, Stanford, and MIT—interviewing at all three. In the end, I received admission into Harvard and MIT. While Debbie officially only supported on MIT and Stanford, I could use much of the guidance and even essay preparations for my application at Harvard.

I would highly recommend Debbie. Not only did she play a pivotal role in my MBA admission success, I also really enjoyed my conversations with her. Our brainstorming sessions were a fantastic opportunity to reflect on my career, personal goals and ambitions.

HBS and MIT Admit (via GMAT Club)

I worked with Debbie on a two-school package and it was a great choice—I would highly recommend her to anyone! I ended up being accepted to HBS and could not have done it without her help. Debbie provided extremely helpful direction and careful revision for the essays that we worked on, and her ideas and structures translated to other schools’ essays as well, making the entire application process much more manageable. HBS was actually not one of the schools we worked on together, but Debbie was still happy to provide high-level guidance on how to structure my essay, which I deeply appreciated.

Debbie was always very responsive and happy to address specific questions on my essays as nitpicky as fine-tuning phrasing or grammatical issues. I came to Debbie with countless iterations of my essays and she worked with me to refine them until we were both satisfied. I also cannot stress enough how helpful Debbie was with the recommendation process, from selecting recommenders to helping them understand what skills and areas AdComs are typically looking for. Finally, when it came to interviews, Debbie’s advice was spot on. My interviewer actually called me after my acceptance to say that the AdCom was impressed with my answers, specifically in the areas that Debbie told me to focus on. Without her guidance I would not have been nearly as well prepared and confident going into my interviews!

More broadly, the mbaMission approach is extremely thorough and sets you up for success throughout the application process. The brainstorming document encourages you to deeply reflect on your experiences across all dimensions and consider how best to present yourself in your application. I ended up working with Debbie because we come from similar professional backgrounds, having both worked in finance and consulting, and also because of her considerate and thoughtful working style. I cannot recommend Debbie enough—she is awesome and will bring out the best in you!

HBS Admit (via GMAT Club)

Debbie turned my R1 disaster into a R2 miracle, and helped me get into my dream school at an M7 with $$ (also turned down a T12 with $$$). Well worth the investment.

When I applied for MBAs in R1 I did everything myself and ended up with 4 dings at all of my M7 schools (no interview at 3 schools and waitlist at 1) with a 780 GMAT.

In R2 I decided to go with Debbie at mbaMission. She was enthusiastic, insightful, and was always timely in responding to any questions I had. She even went beyond her scope of duty and advised me on waitlist strategy for one of the schools I had applied for in R1.

As a result of her efforts I managed to get offers from 2 out of the 3 schools that I applied to (M7 and T12, both with significant $$$), with a waitlist at the 3rd school (M7).

Recommend 5/5.

Booth and Fuqua Admit (via GMAT Club)

After working with Debbie on my applications, I was admitted to a top 10 MBA program! Debbie helped me with applying to 10 schools in only 1.5 months! I realized late in the game that I wanted to apply in Round 1, and I approached mbaMission to be paired with a consultant who could help me with my applications. I was very fortunate to have been paired with Debbie!

For my first school, I had already prepared drafts by myself. I gave these to Debbie for review and confidently told her that these drafts were “near final” and only needed a quick read before submission. To my surprise, Debbie told me that my drafts needed a complete rewrite. I was shocked but appreciated her candidness and honesty.

In the next week, I heavily relied on Debbie to provide feedback on my drafts. What I like about Debbie's style is that she didn’t sugarcoat anything, always pushed me to reflect deeper on my experiences, and provided good advice to help me be more succinct in my writing. In my essays, I sometimes found myself getting lost in the details that the writing lacked the “so what?” factor. Debbie would redirect my attention to focus on the big picture and tell me to cut content if necessary. Further, her flexibility and positive attitude helped calm me down in times of stress and focus on the execution of the applications.

After finishing my first application with Debbie, we had developed a great working relationship, and the rest of my 10 applications went rather smoothly. As a demanding client, I sent her at least 3 essays to review every day (Each school had 2-3 essays, so in total it was about 30 essays that I had sent her way). She always provided prompt, detailed and high-quality feedback. I even wondered how she was able to do all of this in so little time!

Debbie is great at all aspects of the application, from helping me brainstorm ideas to outlining the actual essay and providing feedback. She was available through phone, skype, and email. I even did a mock interview with her over Skype two days before my actual interview and it made a tremendous difference. Before the interview, I was stuttering on the basic questions such as “Walk me through your resume”. But she gave me helpful feedback that allowed me to structure my answers and practice effectively, which made me feel confident going into my interview.

In conclusion, Debbie is a stellar, seasoned, and top-notch consultant. Completing applications for 10 schools in 1.5 months was a daunting task, but Debbie maximized the limited time we had to help me craft stellar essays. If you work with Debbie, she will make sure that you are always submitting your best work! There were times when I submitted drafts that were weak, and Debbie held me accountable by asking me to rewrite the entire essay or think of new experiences to write about. I greatly enjoyed working with Debbie and definitely recommend with flying colors!

B-School Admit (via GMAT Club)

I hired mbaMission for a two school package, and Debbie is my consultant. I only applied to two schools and was admitted to my dream school. I wouldn’t be able to achieve that without Debbie’s guidance.

Why mbaMission?
After talking to all top MBA consultant firms I could find, I decided to go with mbaMission because mbaMission truly puts my interest first and cares for its consultants. This is the reason why the firm does not offer money-back guarantee, promise unprovable results, and offer discounts or sales. (Read: https://www.mbamission.com/about/?display=faq). I also like how I am paired with one consultant who will spend time to understand me, be my friend, and be with me throughout the whole process.

Why Debbie?
Besides all the great qualities that Debbie has a MBA consultant, I specifically asked Debbie to be my consultant because of the similarities in our backgrounds. I felt she could guide me to articulate my stories to the schools better, and it was the best decision I have ever made.

Here are a few reasons why I highly recommend Debbie:

1. During the brainstorming process: Debbie helped me prioritize my stories that would highlight my strengths and differentiate me from the rest of other applicants who are from the same industry. She also gave me advice on how I can arrange these stories so my essay will have a logical flow.
2. During the writing process: Debbie is very generous with feedbacks and willing to ask tough questions. These questions allowed me to think more strategically and improve my essays significantly. She continued to challenge me until we are both happy with the essays.
3. Throughout the process: Applying to top MBA programs is hard, and there were times I felt like giving up and thought I might not make it. Debbie never gave up on me. She was always there to support me and helped walk me through the process. This is why I really appreciate the one-on-one working relationship that mbaMission offers.

B-School Admit (via GMAT Club)

I got into my dream school all thanks to Debbie!! After hours of research, I decided to go with her and I’ve had no regrets. Before signing on with her, I felt a bit lost as to how to approach the essays after I got through the GMAT, and our first conversation was excellent motivation to get off my butt and start getting serious about thinking through my b-school story. The best thing about Debbie is that I got the feeling that I could talk openly and honestly about myself, which is so important in writing compelling essays. After a very detailed conversation about myself, she pin-pointed exactly what my selling points were and gave me great ideas for each of my essay topics. Of course, it was all on me to write the outlines and all the essays from start to end, but Debbie was always there to make sure I stuck to those initial outlines and helped keep me on track. Another great thing about working with Debbie is that she always made time to review my essays as many times as I needed until I felt comfortable with submitting them — and trust me, we went through A LOT of revisions. It was to the point where I felt bad about asking for one last revision, but she always came through for me. She told me in the beginning that she limits herself to a certain number of clients each year so that she could dedicate enough time to each one, and I could really tell that it was true! She’s also a great straightforward writer, which helped a lot in refining my sometimes convoluted writing style. I don’t consider myself a bad writer so the writing style of admissions consultants was what worried me most, and I definitely feel like I lucked out with Debbie. Debbie is such a kind, approachable person, but at the same time she’s extremely honest and a no-BS type of consultant. Don’t expect her to do your work for you — show that you’re serious about this and dedicated by doing all your work on time and putting a lot of hard work into it, and I have no doubt she’ll do the same.

B-School Admit (via Poets&Quants)

I honestly don’t think I would have gotten into Stanford without the help of Debbie. I was hesitant about using a consultant at first just because of the price, but I have to say that it was worth it. For me, it kept me on track with deadlines, forced me to brainstorm and think through my experiences, and in general helped my essays be better than I ever thought that they could be. Everything exceeded all my expectations.

Essay help:

1. The brainstorming that you do is the most important thing. They will help you better present your experiences, but there’s nothing that you can make up. You have to put in a great deal of work.
2. I only did one school, but the process in general still requires a great deal of commitment. Debbie is amazing at editing and can help you find concise ways to present yourself, but you have to take a stab at trying to do so yourself first. The misconception with some people is that consultants will do your work for you. This is absolutely not true, as they just give you more suggestions and additional perspective on the school.
3. The 2 day turn around is great, but the issue here is that it is a 9pm deadline, which made it difficult for me personally. I start working at 10pm a lot, so it forced me to do more rushed editing than I would have liked.

Debbie is very efficient, as I had expected there to be much more back and forth and many more drafts. However, I was happy with my essays much earlier than I had expected to be. I would recommend that anyone applying to Stanford GSB at least speak with Debbie, as she is incredibly knowledgeable and understands the culture well (She went there). She’s very honest and will give you direct feedback, and there’s no time wasting with paragraphs or sentences that don’t work.

Stanford GSB Admit (via GMAT Club)

I have long known that I would need some experts help to get into a top MBA program. With a well-below-average GMAT score and a relatively young age (25 years-old), I was already down the list for the admission committee. I knew I needed some real extra effort to stand out. This is when I made the decision to sign up for a free 30-minute consultation call with MBAMission. I specifically chose Liza Weale coz I trusted she would know what I must do. Liza felt and suggested that I should sign up with Debbie Choy to help me out with my application. Though I never knew or talked to Debbie, I trusted that Liza saw a chemistry between me and Debbie. And boy, was she right! It was by the far the best decision I made. From application to interview, everything is nice and smooth with her honest/effective/constructive/candid feedback and golden suggestions. No detail is too small with Debbie. You would seriously be surprised with how fast and smart you start getting. Debbie was the exact definition of going above and beyond. She’s even sent me her feedback at times when it was a weekend or a holiday, something I agreed on the contract not to expect at all. I am really a different and a better person now after knowing and working with Debbie.

To give you an more of an idea on how awesome Debbie was, I have signed up for 4 packages and I winded up needing to use one only (Because the first was to my dream school). This is how super good she was. Working with Debbie Choy was the real secret behind going into my dream school.

Again, choosing to work with Debbie Choy was be far the best decision I made.

Duke Fuqua Admit (via GMAT Club)

I engaged mbaMission after vetting a few other companies and was matched with Debbie Choy (note I chose her out of 3 potential matches). I was looking to submit applications to 3 very top schools in the first round, and engaged Debbie about 6 weeks before the first app was due. Below is more detail on the key things she helped with:

• Debbie provided a brainstorming document, which I then spent a long time filling out. We had a 1.5 hour call where we discussed all kinds of stories about me. This is where Debbie helped me identify what was important and what we wanted to convey to the admission committees.
• I personally think this is beneficial outside of the application process because you learn more about yourself and what really matters to you, and Debbie forces you to think about what you honestly want to do for a career.
• Debbie also helped me create a resume (B School resumes are a bit different than work resumes, so I had to create a new one). She helped with wording, formatting, and deciding what to include/exclude.
• Then we started on the essays, and Debbie first helped me structure the essay (I was very impressed at how quickly she could pull together an effective structure after just getting to know me), and then I would create a more detailed outline based on the agreed upon structure.
• Once we finalized an outline (sometimes this took one attempt, and other times it took a few revisions), I would write the first draft. Debbie would review and provide comments, questions, suggestions, better syntax etc. and ultimately we would go back and forth until we both liked the essay.

Overall, I completed the 3 applications on time and got into one school, and got interviews or am still in process at the others. Debbie helped me from beginning to end (even after I was accepted). Debbie is rock solid on all aspects of MBA consulting, but I also think her true value comes from her ability to quickly understand someone and then provide legitimate personal and professional advice. Highly recommend Debbie!

Wharton Admit (via GMAT Club)

I applied to 5 schools in total (HBS, Wharton, Kellogg, Booth and Columbia) and used a 2 schools package.

I really enjoyed working with Debbie, she was incredibly friendly and I feel that she really made the effort to get to know me as a person which came through in the feedback she gave to shape my applications.

There are three specific reasons that I would recommend Debbie:

1. Brainstorming and prioritising stories: With 8 years work experience and many extra curriculars I had so many things that I wanted to say but it was not possible given the tight essay word count. Throughout the brainstorming sessions she was able to distil my stories down to the few that were really impactful while making sure there was minimal overlap of attributes displayed so the schools could still get the ‘full picture’. The brainstorming sessions left me with very specific (paragraph by paragrah) content to write.
2. Taking my first ordinary first draft and making it great: I am an Engineer, not a writer, I knew what I wanted to say but could not craft it in an entertaining or persuasive way. I feel that Debbie assisted me most when I sent her a content rich but quite ordinary sounding first draft and it came back, in some cases with more edits than original content, sounding more like an extract from a storybook. It was still my words and content but just sounded a whole lot better.
3. She stuck with drafts long after I was bored with them: I think my CV ended up at version 16, Debbie’s attention to detail and discipline forced me to keep polishing my essays and documents to give me the best possible chance of getting an interview.

I received a number of acceptance’s (with scholarships) and decided to matriculate at Wharton.

Wharton Admit (via GMAT Club)

I highly recommend working with Debbie Choy at mbaMission, because she is the reason I got accepted to my dream b-school.

Last year, I applied to five b-schools on my own and I got dinged from all of them even without any interview invitation. I have a successful professional resume in healthcare industry with low GMAT and I did not know how to tell my story for my application.

So this year, I decided to work with a consultant. And I found mbaMission and luckily I started to work with top-notch consultant, Debbie Choy. I applied to 6 b-schools in total and used a 2-school package.

Because of Debbie’s help, I came out of the application process feeling confident and armed with much clarity. Debbie really helped my story stand out.

Her turnaround for essay reviews was so fast, and she pointed out weaknesses that I could not have noticed before. Because I am an international applicant, it was hard for me to figure out what to say during my interviews. Mock-interviews I had with Debbie were hugely helpful for me, she addressed flaws and weaknesses that helped me polish my answers and determine which stories to emphasize. Her help and feedbacks for interviews will be helpful for my future job interviews, as well.

After all my applications were submitted, I got into 4 b-schools with scholarships. Most importantly, I received an interview to my top choice program and was admitted with a scholarship and an assistantship.

I am pretty sure that I would not have gotten into my program without Debbie’s help. I have been extremely pleased with mbaMission’s services. And I would HIGLY recommend–Debbie Choy- to anyone who wants to work with enthusiastic, creative and experienced consultant, and who makes the application process enjoyable.

B-School Admit (via GMAT Club)

I hired mbaMission for the three school package. My consultant was Debbie Choy and I found her incredibly helpful. We began with identifying “selling points” and stories that I felt set me apart and showed my achievements, which we then used to mold to the questions in the essays. In particular, I found the brain storming calls very useful with Debbie. She was able to take the information I provided her with and turn it into a coherent time-line and journey which came out in all of my essays.

Having a consultant also really helped on the turn-around time with the essays. Debbie always provided thorough comments within two business days and usually after a few turn-arounds we were both happy with the essay. This was infinitely helpful when juggling applications with a full time job.

Another aspect of mbaMission that I really liked is that the consultants are happy to answer any small questions that you may have when writing the essay. There were several times when I would send an essay back and ask Debbie a few small questions or clarifications and I would always get swift and helpful responses.

I ended up getting into my first choice of school which was definitely the best fit for me and I am over the moon!! I am extremely happy I chose mbaMission and worked with Debbie and I am looking forward to starting my MBA!

Wharton Admit (via GMAT Club)