Status: First-time applicant
Pre-MBA industry: Financial Services/Analyst
Years of experience at time of matriculation: 4
GMAT/GRE score: 750 (V: 39 Q: 51)
Undergraduate GPA: 7.65/10.00
Admitted to: Stern, Johnson
Scholarship(s): $21,000
With Kathryn and Mary’s help, I received offers from 2 schools (one with a 30% scholarship). I would absolutely recommend them anyone going through the process.
Of all the consultants I spoke to, Kathryn was the only one who actually heard my views and very bluntly pointed out the weaknesses in my profile. While the call was scheduled for 30 mins, we ended up talking for more than 90 mins. We ended up scheduling another free consultation which lasted another good 60 mins. She cares about you (sometimes a bit too much :D)
Initially I had a fear that consultants would persuade you to target safer schools so that their record stays intact. However, Kathryn/Mary always encouraged me to aim higher (even when I was not confident I could get in).
Mary and Kathryn were both very experienced in framing cohesive stories out of seemingly unrelated incidents in your life. Sometimes, I felt they understood my life more than I did. They never back down from spending more time when required. Mary never backed down from spending more time when required. For instance, while she was supposed to spend ~9-15 hrs on my booth application, she ended up spending some good 20 odd hours.
One thing I absolutely loved: They focused a lot more on who I am as a person (my hobbies, my interests) and tried to highlight that in my essays. This helped me add a personal/funny flavor to my essays.