Status: First-time applicant
Pre-MBA industry: Technology
Years of experience at time of matriculation: 6
GMAT/GRE score: 740 (V: 44 Q: 48)
Undergraduate GPA: 3.6/4.0
Admitted to: HBS, Sloan
I cannot say enough about the Square One Prep team and the guidance they provided during what was a stressful application process. I was initially wary of working with a consultant on my application and thought I could do it on my own, however, after a strong recommendation from a friend, I decided to check SOP out. Kathryn was able to get on a call the same night the intro was made and spoke at length with me about my background and aspirations. It was clear from this first call she was trying to get to know me and honestly advise me on what made sense over just selling their services. From there, I had the option to choose to speak to any of the available consultants to see who I connected with most, which I found very helpful. I was also provided with an incredibly detailed 2-month plan for applying to the 4 schools I had in mind (all this over 3 days and before any payment was made).
Throughout the actual process, the team’s level of engagement took me by surprise as they ensured I didn’t miss a beat on any of the application work, despite my best efforts at procrastinating every step of the way. Most important to me was how invested the team was in helping craft a story and career narrative that was true to me. When they felt I was not fully engaged in the initial story I was building, they took extra time to take a step back and really help me self-reflect and get to the core of what I really wanted out of the MBA experience and in the years that followed..
I also want to give a special shout to Garry, my consultant, who was a pleasure to work with – from the multiple essay revisions to my countless questions to the interview guidance, I felt he was truly invested in my success as both a friend and mentor, and really appreciate all the work and effort he put in for me during the process.
In the end, I got accepted to my top schools in HBS & Sloan, but can truly never imagine having been able to do so without the help of Kathryn, Garry and the SoP team. I’m thankful I chose to work with Square One and highly recommend it for anyone who is considering applying for an MBA.