I signed up for MER (myEssayReview) for help and guidance with my application essays for the Haas EWMBA program after a lot of research. Three of the many reasons why I signed up:
a. "myEssayReview" website– The website is very well structured and provides a lot of detailed information regarding MER services. Listing the expectations and operating procedures in advance helped build the required confidence. The website also houses insightful blogs (on several topics such as Essay, MBA Admissions, etc.) and samples (Essays, Resume) which I found immensely helpful in drafting my essays. I also used one of the blogs to draft my MBA resume from scratch.
b. Testimonials– It was encouraging to see testimonials from candidates who were accepted into the program I was targeting. I also had positive reviews from someone who I personally know.
c. Proven track record – Success stories for over a decade
Personal Experience: In the introductory Zoom call, Poonam took time to go over my personal and professional background in detail. We also went over the essay prompts to identify the right structure and approach and discuss timelines. After my first drafts were ready, Poonam scheduled a Zoom call to discuss her review of my drafts and help me critically analyze them. This session was very insightful since I realized how far I was off the essay prompts and what I needed to do to close the gap. I also liked that we worked off of ideas that I had already brainstormed for one of the essays. Important advice related to content – “Show not tell,” “Identity essay is about you” helped me draft the essays better in the later revisions.
Poonam provided me with great input and feedback in her reviews, which helped me create a compelling narrative. I was very happy with how the two essays shaped out in the end. The time spent initially on developing a structure and strategy and her excellent editing skills helped maintain essential details even after we trimmed down a lot of details from the essay in the later revisions to meet the word limit. The comments section in the document helped a lot.
Lastly, it was nice that Poonam kept me posted on when she would return with her review. She followed the 24-48 Hours response time as promised on her website. I am very happy to say that I have received acceptance from the EWMBA program of Berkeley Haas.
I would definitely recommend MER services to prospective applicants.
Click here for Saurav's testimonial on LinkedIn.
Saurav,
