Status; First-time applicant
Pre-MBA industry: Investment Banking
Years of experience at time of matriculation: 5
GMAT/GRE score: 660 (V: 40 Q: 39)
Undergraduate GPA: 3.44/4.00
Admitted to: HBS
I started the business school process truly interested in one school, Harvard, but realizing the competitive nature of the applicant pool I decided to hire a consultant. I interviewed several firms to understand which would work best for me, and from my initial contact with Kathryn, I immediately knew that Square One was the perfect fit. I contacted Kathryn for a free consultation, within minutes she responded, and we set up a time to speak. During that conversation Kathryn emphasized her company’s unique approach to the business application process explaining how each client would work directly with her and another advisor to develop your application. I selected Amalia to be my advisor and had a fantastic experience working with her and Kathryn. Although I applied to other schools, both Amalia and Kathryn knew that I was interested HBS and helped me present the best application I could.
Amalia and I kicked things off with several multi-hour calls where she learned more about my personal / professional interests along with my career goals. Next over the subsequent months we worked on every component of my application. I found Amalia to be incredibly responsive and particularly enjoyed crafting my essays with her. She did a great job of editing my ideas to make sure that my unique voice remained intact. Even though we spent several months working on this part of the application, it never seemed like a chore. Across every other component of my application, Amalia provided great insight and Kathryn was there to check in and also provide her brutally honest feedback. I found her comments on my essays, resume, and recommendation strategy to be very helpful.
Overall, what stood out to me the most about Square One is that they really seemed to take a genuine interest in making sure I got into the school of my choice. They listened to my concerns and provided answers to all of my questions. I remember receiving “good luck” emails from both Kathryn and Amalia the day before my HBS interview and the day before decisions were released. It was these and other small gestures throughout my time working with them that made the difference and ultimately allowed me to gain acceptance to Harvard Business School. I would fully recommend Square One to anyone!