Krista Nylen

I’m headed to Stanford GSB next year and I can’t thank Krista enough for her significant role in the process!! Krista held my hand through the entire admissions process. We began working together months before my application was due, and she invested a huge amount of time getting to know me as a candidate. Together, we surveyed my entire educational and professional history to find the most powerful elements and stand-out stories.

Because we had time before the application, we even identified weaknesses that I could address in the months before the application deadline. For example, I didn’t have enough hands-on volunteer work and so I found a charity that fit well with my past experience and I’m still a member of its board today.

Krista and I spent a lot of time answering the question “Why do you want an MBA?” This is something that I had just taken as given, but my first response to Krista sounded cliché and flat. She forced me to think very specifically about how I would apply my MBA after I graduated, and how the degree would improve upon my strengths and address my weaknesses. By the end of the process, I felt that not only was my story stronger, but I actually felt more confident about the value the MBA would bring to my life.

Krista’s value extended far beyond just the essays and resume work. She helped me do the right diligence on the programs. Although GSB was my top choice, she pointed me to other options that would fit me very well as a candidate and provided me with in depth insight into each of the programs. She also directed me to visit each of the schools and put me in touch with students to meet. This was particularly helpful in the interview process. I used a number of these conversations to connect with the interviewer and demonstrate my dedication. This combined with Krista’s diligent interview prep made me feel completely at ease during my interview.

Thanks for everything Krista, I couldn’t have done it without you!

Krista was instrumental in both the MBA application process and the final result. I worked with Krista last fall, when I applied to Harvard Business School and Stanford GSB. From the very beginning she provided me with clear direction that helped make the process extremely efficient and the end-product powerful.

Before we even began brainstorming about essays, Krista took the time to learn about me as a professional and a person. She then helped me craft a unique and succinct story to guide all aspects of my application. Without Krista, I never would’ve realized how important it is to develop these coherent overarching themes that tie each part of the submission together.

Krista also helped me unearth a long list of strengths and weaknesses. While listing weaknesses can be painful at times, it was invaluable as I began to develop my application story. With Krista’s help, I was aware of all potential disadvantages and able to minimize or explain them in the context of my strengths as an applicant.

Krista also kept me on-track in developing a “forward-looking” application. She steered me away from simply listing my past accomplishments and together we dug deep into the reasons why I needed an MBA and how I planned to use the degree in the future. I never would’ve taken this holistic approach if it wasn’t for Krista.

Finally, Krista helped me tailor my applications to each school, she put me in touch with numerous students and even some faculty members at my target schools so that I could get a more personal perspective. I believe this differentiated me from so many candidates who simply browse the school’s website. Together we customized my story based on what I learned about these different programs, to make my argument even stronger.

As I prepare to attend Harvard Business School this fall, I continue to be grateful to Krista every day for helping me realize my dream and making me a more confident and knowledgeable applicant along the way.

I decided to apply to business school this spring and had less than a month to prepare my applications. While I don’t recommend this short timeline, my work with Krista made the process efficient and doable in the end. Krista and I spent hours together each weekend, determining how I would present myself and then finding the perfect anecdotes to back up my story. She kept me incredibly disciplined, and we scheduled deadlines for each component of the application to make it manageable. Even though we were pressed for time, she didn’t allow me to skimp on the reflection process. At first I wanted to stop brainstorming and just start writing, but in the end, the time we spend planning out the key points of my application made writing a lot easier.

I was applying to two schools, and Krista really helped me transition from one application to the next. She knew exactly which parts of the application I could repurpose and which I needed to completely tailor to the new school. Along the way I learned even more about each program than I could’ve imagined and became more sure that I had chosen the right schools.

Time management was one of the most helpful skills Krista provided. There were moments when I wanted to give up and I didn’t think that I could finish in time, but Krista kept me on track by helping me outline each essay comprehensively to keep my thoughts organized and then going through the editing process by my side. She didn’t just make changes and send the essay back, but she taught me tricks during the editing process to improve my writing for the next one.

Finally, Krista saw me through the entire journey, right through the interview. We did mock interviews, which were actually very realistic when compared to my actual interviews for each school. Krista not only helped me complete the work efficiently, but she reassured me along the way and made the process a lot less painful. I have already recommended her to many of my friends who are now frantically starting the MBA application process.