Who We Are: mbaMission Reviews

Having Harshad on my side during the application process was key – I don’t think I would’ve received an admit into my top school without his guidance.

While his perspectives on crafting my resume and identifying schools were very helpful, his expertise really shone in selecting and crafting the stories that were highlighted in the essays. His ideation process is very methodical and it was where he helped me identify which stories to best convey my story.

His tremendous knowledge of each school’s qualities and what they’re looking for was astounding. There were so many occasions when after I thought an essay was finished, Harshad would review and push me to submit the best possible version of myself. His turnaround time and review quality are excellent and even when I delayed on my end, he ensured we stayed on track through the entire process.

Overall, I would definitely recommend anyone to work with Harshad to sharpen their stories and submit the best possible application!

HBS admit (via Poets&Quants)

I highly recommend working with Harshad to help you with your business school applications. Through his help and a long few months, I got into GSB, Wharton, and Booth!

I actually started a little late (in November) for Round 2 deadlines but Harshad was more than up for the challenge. He set expectations upfront – we knew going in this is going to be an uphill battle.

From the onset, it was clear that Harshad was highly organized and methodical in his approach. Harshad is definitely not someone who will beat around the bush and/or sugarcoat. He is direct but thoughtful which is the exact duo you will need while going through this process, especially when you get to a point where every day matters. I did this application process while working full time which definitely made my availability difficult but Harshad was very flexible and available for late nights and weekends, whenever I needed him! He is unparalleled with his turnaround time which definitely surpassed my expectations.

Part of the challenge of building out your application is not just having a good story but showing the story rather than telling the story. This is where I found Harshad to be a differentiator – he takes the time to get to know you, your interests, your passions, and who you are as a person and makes sure to reflect that in his process to help build out your application. He will steer you away when you think certain information is valuable to have but is really just fluff (which was extremely useful when trying to meet those pesky word counts!) and push you to write more impact even when you think there isn’t anything left. During the mock interviews, he falls into school-specific persons that allow you to really practice through different styles of interviews.

Overall, Harshad genuinely wants you to succeed and will do his best to get you to the best place you can be. I recommended Harshad without reservation and to the fullest extent!

Stanford, Wharton, and Booth admit (via Poets&Quants)

Harshad helped me get through what ended up being a two-year process of applying for an MBA and I would not have got into an M7 school without him. I got the start to finish package, and deferred the first year due to having to retake the GMAT, and honestly, due to not feeling professionally or personally prepared. When I reconnected with Harshad last year to apply in R2, he was so encouraging by mentioning that he could tell that I had matured. During our first session, which ended up lasting three hours, I was able to unload everything that had happened in the past couple years and we were able to get a handle on the best areas of my application (short of essays and recommendations) and the areas that would require the most attention. I felt that I was in good hands.

Harshad is sincere without sugarcoating, helpful without being harsh. It's the reason I sought him out. Once we completed brainstorming, he not only went into depth in reviewing essays for my top choice school, but also reviewed my ideas/outlines for the other schools. His concise, honest advice was much appreciated, down to simple formulas for each type of essay question. Harshad is incredibly kind, but will not mince words in telling you what will work and what will not work. Applicants can greatly benefit from trusting his broad experience with MBA applicants and course corrections. He clearly explained how certain ideas would come off to the adcoms, and what needed to be corrected in my essays, and even what to leave in and what to leave out in my optional essay. He also gave me a quick breakdown.

Harshad is also incredibly encouraging. I can recall at least two occasions that I was simply feeling overwhelmed and not confident, and he set up a quick call with me to provide me with perspective. He reiterated that he was impressed with the work I had put in and the strengths of my application, and that he is confident in me.

In short, if you appreciate someone who can deftly balance encouragement with constructive criticism, and someone who can help you stay focused on the prize, I highly recommend Harshad as your MBA consultant.

Wharton admit (via GMAT Club)

Harshad was there for me in every step of the process, from explicitly choosing the schools with the best academic and social fit to getting interview invites from 3 M7 schools, and eventually, an admit from one.

Given the reflective nature of the MBA application, I wanted to work with someone who genuinely understood my history and vision, i.e. I wasn’t just another client for them. After talking to several consultants (who constantly suggested that I shouldn’t aim for M7 schools), Harshad was the only consultant who highlighted the positive aspects of my applications during our first consultation. After that, it was an easy choice. He and I worked on five schools, and I eventually got into the school of my choice.

Harshad believed in me, pushed me to give my best, from essays to interviews and was a constant support during the emotional rollercoaster of the application process. He went above and beyond and took calls even on the weekends as we pushed closer to the deadlines. Not once did I have any issues with turnaround time.

His stellar advocacy has exceeded my high expectations. I highly recommend him!

CBS admit (via Poets&Quants)

Harshad is truly one of a kind. His abilities as an amazing MBA consultant start with the genuine care he has about your life, your career, and your pursuits in the short and long term. Through the questions and discussion Harshad and I had, I felt he truly understood my background, the academic, professional, and personal decisions I had made in my life, how important an MBA was to me, and how these all fit into the story of my life.

Because he took the time to truly understand who I am, Harshad helped me tell extremely compelling stories about my life and make them shine in my application in ways that I couldn’t have done on my own. From full-length essays to short answers, to the resume, to interviews, Harshad gave me a fantastic structure to approach the daunting task of an application. He helped me take the accomplishments, values, and stories from my life and use them to represent myself well to the admissions committee.

I was so impressed with Harshad’s ability to help make my essays concise yet powerful in delivery. Time and again through several revisions, Harshad found ways for me to hit my word count, organize ideas in ways that make sense, and convey the core of my message in response to the essay prompts. Harshad is an amazing essay writer and editor, the best I have ever met or worked with. I was similarly impressed with his communication and work style. Harshad’s reviews were not only thoughtful and thorough, but timely as well: I received prompt edits and comments on my essays, and they always contained extremely valuable guidance with no fluff.

It is because of Harshad’s mentorship through every step in the process, from school selection to requesting recommendations to writing essays to interviews, that I can proudly say I have gotten 110% out of my MBA application experience. That is exactly the feeling you want to come out of this process with.

And it is because of Harshad that I can proudly say I’ve been admitted to Kellogg!! Harshad has enabled me to achieve a long-standing career goal and dream of mine, as I know he has done for many before me and will undoubtedly do for many who come after. He has truly been a great friend through this process as well, and has been reassuring without sacrificing honesty and trustworthiness; this is an incredible skill and one that few have. If you are pursuing an MBA, you will truly make the most of your opportunity by working with Harshad. His services are worth every penny (and more)!

Kellogg admit (via Poets&Quants)

I chose to work with Harshad because of his direct communication style. From the onset of our partnership, Harshad never minced words about my strengths and weaknesses, making it easier to focus on executing a coherent strategy to maximize my candidacy. With Harshad's support, the application process went more smoothly than I was expecting - he pushed me to unearth stories and anecdotes to use in essays that I wouldn't have thought about on my own and was receptive/supportive when I (on multiple occasions) asked for his perspective on differing drafts for the same prompt. Overall, if you are willing to put in the work to make your application shine, I highly recommend Harshad. His support greatly helped me gain acceptance to a couple of M7 programs!

MIT Sloan admit (via GMAT Club)

After some dismal results in the previous application cycle, I wanted some guidance and sought out professional help. During my 30 minute consultation with Harshad, we went over my choice of schools and some of my previous essays. Harshad gave me a clear analysis of where I had gone wrong and what I could do to improve my chances. His no-bullshit and can-do approach were just the things I needed and I decided to work with him.

Harshad brought structure to my application process. He provided me with a lot of material about what to expect during the application process and also during and after my MBA. He helped me organize my thoughts and together we reasoned out which schools would be best given my background and my goals.

Harshad also provided context about what schools look for in applicants, demystified the essay prompts and helped me create a strategy to approach the applications.

More importantly, Harshad made an effort to get to know me on a personal level which helped me craft more effective narratives in my essays which ultimately led to high-quality applications.

Seeking Harshad’s help was the best thing I did!

Haas admit (via Poets&Quants)

From my initial free consultant with Harshad, I knew I had found the consultant I wanted to work on. As a prospective dual degree student, I was looking for a consultant who would be able to help me navigate through the application process for both programs, and went through many initial consultants with various MBA consulting companies. Harshad was realistic with my strengths/weaknesses and school choices, and encouraged me to look at potential programs I had not even considered. It was very clear to me that Harshad was the consultant I was looking for – somebody with emotional intelligence, honesty, and an ability to see one’s story from just a 15-minute chat. Using the hourly plan, I was afraid that I would not be able to receive the same support that one would get with the comprehensive school package – but I was quite mistaken. Harshad was quick on feedback, direct, and constructive – always happy to hop on a call if need be. He helped me completely revamp essays, knowing exactly what the admissions committee is looking for in terms of content and structure and helping me refocus my story/goals. Harshad was also able to shed light on the differences at various schools, and what each school is looking for in their incoming class. Harshad was extremely timely and considerate of the fact I was on the hourly plan – never going over and keeping his reviews/work with me succinct yet extremely helpful. Even after my hourly plan ended, I continued to receive check-ins from Harshad where he would provide me advice on the schools I had been waitlisted at. Harshad truly cares about you as a client, and most importantly, as a person – he will do his best to make sure you succeed and obtain the results you want.

Ross admit (via Poets&Quants)

Working with Harshad has been the best decision I took during this admissions cycle. I worked with Harshad through mbaMission's four school package and his work was worth every penny. Right from the first brainstorming session, Harshad has been extremely interested and passionate about my background and goals. As we went through my applications, he has become my most trusted advisor and even a close mentor. I can always trust Harshad to never sugarcoat any advice. This has consistently ensured that my applications were of the best quality. Working with him has also made a better writer in general - even when I write reports at work, I find myself asking “What would Harshad say.”

Harshad has always exceeded his turnaround time and I am actually in awe of how hard he works. Additionally, the meticulous detail of his work came through all the edits and suggestions he made for my resume and essays. He will continue editing and asking for revisions right until the draft is perfect. I also appreciated the fact that every time Harshad recommended changes, he always took the time to explain why such changes were needed.

Most importantly, it is abundantly clear that Harshad truly cares about getting the best outcome for me. With his help, I got into a truly amazing MBA program and I would highly recommend him to anyone starting out on their MBA journey.

Darden admit (via Poets&Quants)

I was dinged from the 3 schools I applied to the previous year without interviews. This left me feeling unmotivated and unworthy of getting into a top program. Then Harshad entered into the picture. Not only did he help me get into the school of my dreams (one I was previously dinged from before), he helped to instill in me the confidence that I truly deserved it and was capable of getting there. Simply put, he believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. So, thank you Harshad. Thank you for the time and energy you put into helping me craft my best stories. Thank you for your patience in my emotional struggles. And thank you for helping me push my limits and get into the school I always knew I belonged at.

Yale SOM admit (via GMAT Club)

Applying to business schools can be a testing experience that requires a lot of self-reflection. I started using Harshad as a pay by the hour consultant to help tighten my stories. After working with him for a few sessions, I realized that I was going to need more help in coming up with my unique stories that would stand out in my applications. I upgraded to the full time package, and it was the best decision and money I spent in the application process.

Harshad has a unique ability to connect with the people he works with. We have only communicated over the phone and email, but I found myself quickly trusting him. I opened up about events in my life that I have told few people. He brought out powerful stories and emotions, some of which I had buried deep down inside myself.

Harshad will also very honest with you and is a great communicator. He will let you know if you produced a strong piece or a piece that needs more work. If he does provide constructive feedback, he does so in a way that never feels personal. I always felt that Harshad was rooting for me every step of the way.

All in all, I cannot recommend Harshad enough. He will bring out the best version of yourself and help you distill that version onto paper.

UCLA Anderson admit (via GMAT Club)

I had decided to submit my applications early in the cycle and hence started researching and talking to consultants. I spoke with few of the highest rated consultants but the level of comfort I felt after my conversation with Harshad stood out. Considering the genuineness of the conversation with Harshad, I decided to work with him.

Coming from a highly overrepresented demographic, I was worried about standing out as an applicant. Harshad understood my story very well and helped me bring out my uniquenesses and my strengths. There were many occasions when I was satisfied with my content but Harshad felt we could do better and pushed me to submit the best possible application. Harshad’s style of reviewing documents and giving feedback is highly organised and this ensured that we stayed highly productive at all times. Harshad’s turnaround time was excellent throughout the process and he made sure we stayed on track throughout the process and submitted all the applications before the deadlines. Later, Harshad also took my mock interviews for all the schools from where I was invited for the interview and this helped me build further confidence before my interview day.

As a result, I got into one of my dream schools. I am sure that I couldn’t submitted such high quality applications without Harshad’s help. I am really grateful to him for being a partner in my MBA applications journey.

HEC Paris admit (via Poets&Quants)