Status: First-time applicant
Pre-MBA industry: Banking and Venture Capital
Years of experience at time of matriculation: 5
GMAT/GRE score: 670
Undergraduate GPA: 3.4/4.0
Admitted to: Kellogg
Prior to working with Square One Prep I interviewed numerous other consultancies and went with SOP as it was clear that it was the best place to get the most individualized advice to get into my dream schools. I cannot reaffirm strongly enough that my initial rationale was validated after working with the SOP team. I worked numerous hours hand-in-hand with both my consultant and Kathryn herself. This includes spending hours on the phone with Kathryn from my hotel in Evanston the night prior to my interview with Kellogg. I can unequivocally say that working with Kathryn helped me open the doors to getting into my dream school. I received such tailored advice to highlight the uniqueness of my qualities despite coming from an overrepresented demographic. I was pushed to soul search and write truly genuine essays that actually helped me progress personally, in addition to getting into Kellogg.
Key takeaways:
I had subpar performance on my GMAT and was able to get into Kellogg despite the unflattering score. Kathryn helped me articulate my unique story in such a way that adcoms were able to look past my GMAT score to see the valuable addition that I would be to their class and their alumni base.
I was waitlisted originally yet, once again, Kathryn gave me the insight to navigate the process from everything to writing follow-up correspondence with the admissions department to getting additional and follow-up recommendations. Had it not been for her guidance, I am confident that I would have made missteps that could have resulted in me not getting off of the waitlist.
I cannot recommend a partner to help you navigate the entire process from resume construction through waitlist follow-ups more strongly than Square One Prep.
Update on 6/4/19:
I wanted to shoot you a note as I approach graduation from the Kellogg 1Y program in a couple of weeks. I have two classes left before graduation and then will be moving to Boston to work full time in healthcare private equity for XXXX. Coming into school I dreamed of working at a multi-billion dollar private equity firm that had a healthcare team and I could not be happier with my outcome. I remember two years ago being on the phone with you in my hotel room in Evanston before my interview and feeling very appreciative for your help. I hope all is well with you and Square One and wanted to pass you another note of my appreciation for your help in my application process. I could not have envisioned a better experience at school or a better employment outcome and I owe part of that to you and the Square One team.