Excellent Service by myEssayReviewI got in touch with Poonam early summer of 2021 when I was getting my application ready for NYU Stern. She was quick to respond and had an initial conversation regarding my profile and advised me I should not apply in R1 as my GMAT score was low as well as I needed more time to prepare an application. That was the best decision ever. I re-took the GMAT and got my dream score. After that, Poonam, with 15 days left before the deadline, helped me compile two school applications. She went through my essays word by word, spent hours refining them, and asked me questions that helped me even during the interview process. I will highly recommend using myEssayReview's services, especially for people who are working full-time and have very limited time to apply for MBA programs.
I got in touch with Poonam early summer of 2021 when I was getting my application ready for NYU Stern. She was quick to respond and had an initial conversation regarding my profile and advised me I should not apply......
Aalam-a 2022 applicant, accepted by all five- NYU, Rice ($60K scholarship), Foster (waived 75% tuition fee), McCombs ($30K scholarship), and UCLA ($50K scholarship). Joining UCLA.
Accepted into Tuck and Ross Co24!! WL at Fuqua!I started my MBA application journey in early July because I still didn’t have a decent enough GMAT score until June. I had gotten in touch with Poonam early on and knew how important it was to start the process early. I couldn’t follow through with her warnings and timelines because I was so underconfident given my GMAT.
When I finally started the process with her, I knew I was late, but she was more than willing to formulate a strategy with me and get going. She never made me feel like I was too late, and there was little hope left. She was encouraging and never suggested that I aim for or settle for anything less than my dream.
School Selection: Post GMAT, this was the first step. I have always appreciated her for instilling in me the understanding of school ‘fit’. As Indians, we are taught from a young age to obsess over rankings. Through her, watching her content, and speaking with her, I learned how truly important ‘fit’ is. This was showcased in my school selection list as well. Since I was so late in the process and only had a 710, I was trying to be conservative about the list, but she kept highlighting how GMAT is only ONE component. If it wasn’t for this over-emphasis, I won’t have taken my Tuck application seriously and won’t have gotten in as well.
Brainstorming: The questionnaire she shares with you at the very beginning really helps in getting your story aligned. It helps YOU more than it helps her because the stories go back so much in the past that on a day-to-day basis, we don’t even remember that some of the stuff happened with us or what we made happen! The questions are expansive and really make you think hard. Don’t consider this exercise a waste of time because this is what ultimately saves you time in different essay prompts.
Resume: The STAR method saved my life here. I sent Poonam a resume way above the word or page limit. She sat me down and explained what the Ad Com is looking for and how each point in the resume is a smaller version of the STAR method. It’s a total game changer.
Essays: I used to think I am a good writer, but boy was I wrong! My style of writing was superfluous - too many words and sentences that spanned three lines. This was a disaster for b-school apps! Poonam understood that this was a weakness for the apps, and she patiently cut short my sentences into concise ones, which delivered the point and sounded beautiful too. This is where her experience of writing for decades comes in. This is where her very well-earned Ph.D. comes in. The fact that she has edited over 10K essays enables her to retain your message and communicate it in a third of the words you used. Not only that, she guides you enough so that your future iterations and fresh versions come off better than your initial drafts. She truly empowers you. You slowly realize you’re spending way lesser time churning out drafts by the time you reach your second or third school.
I’d like to conclude by saying that while I got into 2 of the 4 schools, I worked on with her, I also got waitlisted at Fuqua. I was complacent, and since Tuck was a dream school, I didn’t focus on the waitlist too much and withdrew my application. I can guarantee that had I listened to her tips for the waitlist, I could’ve stood a chance at a positive outcome from that too. She gave me very valuable insights for the same and had a stellar record of converting waitlists too.
When it comes to apps, we already deal with enough stress as is. Be it taking and retaking the GMAT, spending years building our profiles, and then dealing with recommenders. It’s best to leave the essays to the experts as they’re a crucial part of the application! Thanks for not only your guidance but also your constant support by treating me not just as a ‘client’ but like a pupil whose future you’re so invested in!!
I started my MBA application journey in early July because I still didn’t have a decent enough GMAT score until June. I had gotten in touch with Poonam early on and knew how important it was to start the process......
Alisha Beotra- 2022 applicant, accepted into Tuck and Ross. Went to Tuck.
Admitted to Kelley with $55833 per year with a waitlist from Tepper and McCombs, Thanks, Poonam!I was specifically looking out for someone to understand my career vision and guide me not only with the essays but also with college selection. MER is a dependable brand to rely on. The reviews and results available on the website and GMAT Club made MER my first choice and hence, I approached Poonam to help me out with my MBA application.
During the free Video consulting session, Poonam evaluated my profile on my work experience, participation in extra-curricular activities, and academics. I was also briefed on the current admission scenarios in various colleges which helped me choose my future colleges.
After registration, we had two counseling sessions on Zoom:
1. To discuss resume strategy, school selection, and turnaround time where we both agreed mutually to reply within two working days.
2. On the second call, we discussed my doubts regarding the school selection. We also discussed the essay stories and the important pointers to make my essays more effective.
Both sessions were informative and helped me make concrete decisions further. Before starting with the essays, we had a brainstorming session which made me explore my life deeply and we were able to extract relevant stories for different essays. This, I believe is one of the most powerful exercises during the complete process as it laid the foundation for story selection. Along with the story selection, we also worked together organizing even the small details in my essays to make them perfect. Poonam made sure that we reach word limits without compromising on the content.
Holding over three decades of experience in teaching and helping students out, her skills in sentence structure, grammar and punctuation made my content a professional one. Every iteration of the resume made me feel more confident as my total experience of more than eight years was classified on a single page. This was beyond my imagination. Poonam’s extraordinary review skills provided me the confidence to proudly brief myself during the interview.
Poonam guided me adequately regarding the selection of recommenders and the LOR process so I could guide my recommenders about LOR requirements.
She is a proactive person when it comes to turnaround time. Because of her professionalism, her response to my draft was bound to come within 48 hours. She met all the expectations listed on the MER website showing 100% professionalism. Her over the decade of experience in admissions consulting gave me all the valuable inputs which made me strategize and execute the plan. She answered every query with all the knowledge she has which equipped me with information and enabled me to make further decisions.
In Conclusion, my experience with Poonam has been exceptional and I feel lucky that I had the honor to work with her. She is a live example of a disciplined professional and cares about every small detail in your application.
The hard work did pay off with an admission offer from Kelley with the scholarship of 55,833USD per year along with a waitlist from Tepper and McCombs. I would recommend Poonam’s amazing services to prospective students.
I was specifically looking out for someone to understand my career vision and guide me not only with the essays but also with college selection. MER is a dependable brand to rely on. The reviews and results available on the......
Karan- 2022 applicant- accepted into Kelley with a $55833 scholarship per year and Tepper with a $15K scholarship.
Admitted to Chicago Booth MBA program. Thanks, PoonamI chose MER because of the following reasons:
1. Good feedback from the public
2. 10+ years experience
3. English Ph.D. background
4. Good at storytellingI signed up for the essay review service. During our engagement, we had two long counseling sessions on Zoom. The sessions were helpful and provided me with detailed feedback for my essays and how to improve them.
Poonam provided a lot of useful comments/suggestions about my story and how to improve it and make it strong. After her editing, the structure became much better than before, and all essays were completed within the words limit. The editing process made my writing easier to understand and more concise. Also, the editing made my story stronger. Poonam’s turnarounds were also on time. She always sent me back the edited essay within two days. We finished the essays before the deadline.
I am admitted to the Chicago Booth MBA program. I would recommend MER services to prospective applicants.
I chose MER because of the following reasons: 1. Good feedback from the public 2. 10+ years experience 3. English Ph.D. background 4. Good at storytelling I signed up for the essay review service. During our engagement, we had two......
Vergil, 2020 applicant, accepted into Chicago Booth!!
Oxford Saïd – Offer received!I signed up for MER services for support for my MBA narrative and essays. Before contacting MER, I had already chosen my preferred program but was unsure of how I should present my story. In my 5-year career, I have worked in different capacities in several sectors. I was clear on the next step I wanted to take but I was not clear on which highlights from my career I should stress and how I could tie my experiences to my post-MBA goals.
After looking at several other MBA consultants, I chose MER because I wanted to work with Poonam. Her profile as a Ph.D. in English with three decades of experience helping people craft compelling stories for business school applications convinced me that she would help me define and refine my essays in a clear and comprehensive manner.
During the counseling session with Poonam, we discussed my profile, goals, and ambitions. We conducted a review of my resume and post-MBA goals. The counseling session was well-structured and productive. We discussed my overall profile and purpose for pursuing an MBA; at the end of the session, we agreed on which achievements and strengths should be highlighted to bring the two pieces together. Poonam brought a professional and disciplined approach to the session. We worked slightly over the expected session time, giving me confidence that I was working with a consultant that was invested in my success.
During the resumé building process, Poonam was patient and informative. Through helpful probing questions, Poonam helped guide me to reformat my resume to concentrate on my achievements and specific contributions to each role. Poonam’s advice helped my work experience come to life. There was a significant difference between my first and final resumé draft.
Poonam and I spent a large portion of our counseling session discussing my professional and personal profile. I proposed which stories should be highlighted and Poonam provided her feedback. Poonam’s inputs regarding story selection helped emphasize my personal values and career ambitions in my post-MBA career goals essays and additional essays. Poonam consistently provided strong technical advice to improve the structure and organization of my essays. From Poonam’s feedback, I could better understand how the reader would interpret my essays and what questions they would ask. Poonam helped me eliminate vague and passive passages from my essays and highlight my strengths and achievements. Poonam also provided valuable guidelines, such as the STAR framework for situational questions, that helped me tell my story in a clear and fluid manner.
Poonam’s editing skills are top-notch. Her input on sentence structure, grammar, and punctuation helped me to craft well-structured and compelling essays that I am proud of. For the majority of my essays, we had to trim 10-20% of the words to meet the word limit. Poonam’s advice on where to trim and where to add substance to my essays gave me confidence and helped bring out the authenticity and originality in my story.
Throughout my 4-month engagement with MER, Poonam was always very prompt and professional in responding to queries via email. The tone of our email exchanges was always friendly and productive. MER’s turnarounds and response times were consistent and reliable from the start. Each question or edit was answered within 1-3 business days. Poonam is organized and possesses strong collaboration skills. From the very start of our engagement, I felt as though I was part of a team. Poonam’s set strict turnaround guidelines compelled me to push myself to meet deadlines and produce my best work. Poonam’s organization on a tight schedule helped me to produce a final MBA package that was complementary and comprehensive.Poonam asked me to think critically about each component of my MBA application, highlighting my strengths and addressing my weaknesses. My low undergraduate GPA was the one glaring weakness in my application I was especially concerned about. Poonam advised me to address my low GPA head-on in my additional essays, describing the circumstances that led to it and assuring the admissions committee that it is not an inaccurate indication of my abilities or potential. Poonam provided me with strong technical guidance to mitigate my weaknesses and highlight my strengths throughout the editing process. Both of my recommenders produced drafts of the LOR’s. Poonam’s feedback helped align my recommendations with my qualities.
I was elated when I received an invitation to interview at Oxford Business School. The interview prep offered by Poonam challenged me during the interview prep to think critically about the “why” behind each facet of my application. Our mock interview lasted 45 minutes, and Poonam’s verbal and written feedback pinpointed specific strengths and weaknesses in my presentation and profile, helping to better position me for success during the live interview.
It was a pleasure to work with Poonam. Poonam is a skilled storyteller and possesses expert editing skills. Throughout our engagement, I was impressed by Poonam’s professional and organized approach as well as her encouraging and warm persona. I have received an offer from the Oxford MBA:) Thank you, Poonam, for your guidance throughout this process!!
I recommend her without reservations to any prospective MBA candidate who is searching for a consultant to help tell their story in a compelling and comprehensive manner.
I signed up for MER services for support for my MBA narrative and essays. Before contacting MER, I had already chosen my preferred program but was unsure of how I should present my story. In my 5-year career, I have......
John (not real name), 2021 applicant, admitted at Oxford!!!!
Accepted into UCLA Anderson’s FEMBA program. Thanks, Poonam, for your help !I wanted to work with someone who can help me articulate my story and ideas in the form of an essay. I was less than three weeks away from my deadline and wanted someone who can guide me through the short challenging time frame. I am glad I chose MER services. I chose MER services because I was very much impressed with Poonam’s profile on GMAT Club and how she had helped other students who were in similar situations like me.
The counseling session on Zoom was the most informative session. Poonam was extremely detail-oriented which really helped me to converse with her. She made me understand that there were some key aspects that were missing in my draft essay, which I should highlight. The session helped us organize our essay in a much better way. The outcome showed in our final versions. Poonam did extremely well in understanding my profile and my stories. The zoom session as stated above helped us better position my story.
Organizing details of my story was one of the most important aspects for me. Poonam has done a great job in organizing and structuring my essay. My personal experiences draft essay word count was almost 500 words above the limit. It would not have been possible to edit it without Poonam’s expertise in organizing the essay and structuring it in a way to retain the important aspects and stay within the word limit. Poonam’s editing skills are flawless. I am happy to have chosen Poonam to work on my essays. I had a ton of queries and Poonam was very patient to answer them all. Thanks for the zoom session.
Finally, Poonam’s turnaround time is commendable. She delivered the essays as promised on time and I was able to meet my application deadline. It wouldn’t have been possible without her quick response.
I am extremely happy to have chosen Poonam’s services to work on my essays. I am accepted into Anderson’s FEMBA program. I would definitely recommend Poonam to prospective students.
I wanted to work with someone who can help me articulate my story and ideas in the form of an essay. I was less than three weeks away from my deadline and wanted someone who can guide me through the......
Preetham, 2021 applicant, admitted to FEMBA program of UCLA Anderson
Accepted into all the 4 schools I applied to- Booth, Haas, Foster, and UCLA. Thanks, PoonamAs I completed the GMAT test and planned for the last round of applications to 4 programs, I was looking for some guidance on the challenging essays and other application aspects. With some amazing reviews for MER and finding great synergy in the introductory call with Poonam Ma’am, the decision was an easy one that I would love to work with MER. Poonam Ma’am was clear from the outset and really enjoyed her candid personality while ensuring we hit the right areas from the get-go. The application expectations set from the outset were just what I needed, and I think this started us off on the right footing.
I cannot say how helpful these sessions were. During the second session, I was a little lost with the essay prompt and it certainly helped clarify what the essay was asking just so I can clear my thinking in the middle of a pressure cooker application season. Following on from the initial Skype session, Poonam Ma’am clearly understood the various themes in my persona to bring out. Be it what to highlight or a fresh set of ideas, the overall guidance Poonam Ma’am provided during the applications was fabulous.
There certainly were so many occasions while working with Ma’am that I would write long-winded statements and just jot my ideas to put something together for the essays. However, the real nuance and flow, and theme came through once I received feedback from Poonam Ma’am. I can confidently say that even after completing the applications when I go back and read the essays I feel like the push from MER and the constant egging-on allowed me to produce diamonds from coal.
Editing was one of the highlights for me. There were innumerable occasions where rambling ideas and run-on sentences were written by me. Once Poonam Ma’am edited them and fixed the structure and grammatical issues, the crispness, and impact was clear to see.
The resume was my favorite assignment. When we started off working together, I felt my resume was great – little did I know there was so much work needed. I also think this is a great first project and ensures the application flows smoothly as one is forced to think about the structure of the resume and it then naturally lends to thinking deeper on the projects undertaken for stories for the essays. The review of the inputs from my recommenders was very helpful to ensure they bring out the right talking points. This greatly helped them as well.
Poonam Ma’am was always-on-top of the application process. I could not have asked for a better partner for the stressful application season. 11/10 – can I give it that rating? Always on time and to the point. I felt Poonam Ma’am provided me the much-needed personal attention with ensuring the applications go through on time. I am happy to have chosen Poonam Ma’am as my partner for the applications. I would more than recommend Poonam Ma’am to any student looking for someone who will understand your persona and achievements. Not just that, at every stage of the application process, the rich experience of working with multiple applications is something you will notice. While it may not be clear initially – trust her process. It is a tried and tested method. Be prepared to dig deep since that is what will bring out your best application. Poonam Ma’am will give you a free hand to create your own painting while also ensuring you receive candid feedback if veering off-course. I can easily say my applications turned out far better than I anticipated when commencing this journey.
I have really enjoyed working with you, Ma’am. I am thrilled to say that over the last 10 days, I have received great news from all 4 schools- Booth, Haas, UCLA, and Foster. Chicago provided an early admit just this afternoon. I have decided to attend Haas.
As I completed the GMAT test and planned for the last round of applications to 4 programs, I was looking for some guidance on the challenging essays and other application aspects. With some amazing reviews for MER and finding great......
Kunal, 2021 applicant, admit offers from Chicago Booth, Foster, Haas, and UCLA Anderson!!!!
Accepted to Chicago Booth's full time MBA program with $40K scholarship. Thanks, Poonam!I signed up with MER to receive guidance on my application for three schools. Since I was short on time when I first contacted MER, the 1-hr Zoom session for me was perhaps not as much about understanding my profile but more about reviewing my Resume and Essays for one of the Schools. I was satisfied with my experience and got some really helpful insights. However, I would have liked to have contacted her earlier and benefitted from her expertise in extracting the most effective stories from my life.
Poonam’s Resume Review service is what I consider most useful for me personally. She spent a lot of time during our 1-hour Zoom call helping me make my Resume elements sharper. There was a considerable difference between my pre-and post-MER Resumes. I feel the improved resume really made me a more confident applicant not just at the application stage but also during my interviews. Considering that I did not have much time for LoR review, I could just take one set of edits from her. If I had more time, I could have effectively leveraged her services for this application component, too.
I do not think we had much time for Poonam to understand my profile and harness that to position my stories. So, we focused more on how to better the stories/drafts I had already considered/ presented. Poonam is excellent at seeing the bigger picture and really distilling the key takeaways from an applicant’s story/ essay. This allows her to see the value of each paragraph/line and make effective improvements in the structure/ organization to present a coherent narrative. Poonam’s razor-sharp focus on cutting any clutter to show only the most impactful elements of the essay allows the essay writer to think and write freely and present the best drafts without worrying about the word limit.
MER’s turnarounds were as promised and very predictable. This was extremely important for me as I was running on a tight schedule. I really appreciate Poonam’s going beyond your call of duty on multiple occasions and reviewing two essays instead of one on a single day or working on a weekend to help me meet an impending deadline. I really enjoyed working with Poonam, found her services extremely helpful for my application, and would enthusiastically like to recommend her services to prospective applicants.
It gives me immense pleasure to inform you that I have been admitted to the Chicago Booth Class of 2023. I have also been offered a scholarship of $40,000 spread over two years. I can't thank her enough for the value that she added to my application and for her exceptionally useful guidance.
I signed up with MER to receive guidance on my application for three schools. Since I was short on time when I first contacted MER, the 1-hr Zoom session for me was perhaps not as much about understanding my profile......
Shekhar Iyer - 2021, accepted into Chicago Booth with 40K Scholarship
Happy to be accepted into M7 Program- MIT, Thanks PoonamI signed up for MER because I needed advice in choosing the right stories to tell, how to tell and make them connect properly. In the first counseling session, we discussed my background and accomplishments, which helped me a lot to improve the essay. She understood my story well and helped me effectively position them. I liked how she structured one essay to the other one and helped me align them to the LOR to make sure the complete picture looked fine. I think a proper organization is Poonam’s strongest point! She was a great help in organizing details to make the story flow better, especially because my essays were huge, and I had difficulty in putting everything together to fit on the word count. Her editing skills are excellent, and the final versions were perfect in content, organization, and grammar.
Her guidance on the LOR was excellent. My recommenders also commented that her feedback was constructive to help them improve the LORs. I did not raise many questions other than the comments on the word files; all my questions were replied satisfactorily. Everything worked fine, including turnarounds, as we agreed before starting our work. I liked the result, and I feel that my application would be definitely much weaker without her help. I am happy to be accepted into the full-time MBA program of M7 program– MIT. Overall, I enjoyed working with Poonam, and I would like to recommend MER services to prospective applicants.
Click here for Eduardo’s Interview with Poonam.
I signed up for MER because I needed advice in choosing the right stories to tell, how to tell and make them connect properly. In the first counseling session, we discussed my background and accomplishments, which helped me a lot......
Eduardo- 2019 applicant got admitted to MIT.
Accepted by Kellogg full time MBA Program. Thanks, MERI signed up with MER after reading excellent reviews of MER on the GMAT Club. MER was also recommended by e-GMAT. In the skype sessions, Poonam Ma’am discussed my profile, goals, and prospects at length. I got a lot of handholding during tumultuous times as I did not have much exposure in the application process. She made untiring efforts to finalize my resume in a way that spoke about my achievements and caliber. Also, Poonam ma’am displayed a lot of patience with up to 6 edits on my resume.
Ma’am spent a lot of time with me to better understand me as a professional and as a person. Her inputs regarding my drafts were insightful and crisp that focused on my goals and virtues. I am sure this helped Ad. Com to better value my candidature.
She was very particular about how cogent my essays were. The structure suggested by her made sure that there was a flow of information that displayed a timeline and chronology for better comprehension and understanding.
Poonam Ma’am understood the information handicap I was facing during the application process. Many times, upon finding me overwhelmed, she scheduled calls to help me better understand the situation and the demand of the school applications. She went out of the way to help me emphasize my candidature given that I have a very unconventional profile (doctor + civil servant). It was a challenging task to streamline my goals with my chosen path. Poonam Ma’am came to the rescue. She is a scholar herself. Her command over English in terms of grammar, punctuation, etc. is unparalleled. I was especially grateful to her to help me trim my responses to the prescribed word limit.
Promptness is a distinctive feature of MER. The commitments made at the time of starting the process were always adhered to. The turnaround time of MER is better than that of many other consultants.
Also, I had a very professional mock interview session with her. The insights provided at the end of the mock were beneficial. Many of the questions were in tune with my interview for Kellogg. I am happy to be accepted by an M7 program- Kellogg.
I have already recommended MER to 3 prospective candidates.
Click here to learn about Rohit's career goals, application journey, and much more.....
I signed up with MER after reading excellent reviews of MER on the GMAT Club. MER was also recommended by e-GMAT. In the skype sessions, Poonam Ma’am discussed my profile, goals, and prospects at length. I got a lot of......
Rohit- 2019 applicant, accepted into Full Time MBA program at Kellogg
