Status: First-time applicant
Pre-MBA industry: Technology
Years of experience at time of matriculation: 4
GMAT/GRE score: 750 (V: 41 Q: 50)
Undergraduate GPA: 7.27/10.0
Admitted to: Columbia, Kellogg, Ross
Scholarship(s): $40,000
Service Type: Premium Need-based
When someone first referred SOP to me, I hadn’t even considered working with an international consultant (outside my home country) as I had my own reservations – would I be able to connect well with them? would they even get my story? “I just need a mentor to guide me with the applications, and not get caught dealing with some admissions firm”, I said to myself.
TRANSPARENCY! My first free consultation call with Kathryn, the founder herself, put my doubts to rest. Kathryn patiently walked me through the whole process, understood my background and my (unclear) MBA motivations, but most importantly expressed confidence with the schools I was targeting! “Would I even be able to make it to these ambitious schools with this low GPA and work ex?”, I sheepishly asked Kathryn. To which she replied in an instant, “If we knew that you can’t make it, it would be a torture for us spending 40+hrs working with you on your applications”. I then knew that SOP isn’t some black box company wanting to make money, but one really focused on their clients’ results/aspirations.
For the rest of the (stressful) journey, I knew I was in safe hands with the structured school/admissions specific knowledge and strategy that SOP team had all along – be it essays, resume, the career narrative, and eventually the interviews! The other differentiating factor, I believe, is how SOP makes a dedicated effort to get to know you, before kicking off work on applications – a shout-out to my advisor, Mike, here for being a great person to talk to and understanding my story. He was always a ping away incase of any queries, and didn’t take more than a day to revert with valuable suggestions/reviews on the seemingly never ending essay iterations. Also, the dual set of eyes (from both Mike and SOP leadership) on every application material is a real winner to get the best of perspectives and feedback!
Ultimately, the time spent initially on refining my career goals and MBA motivations helped me cross the line during the interviews! Thanks SquareOne Team!