Status: First-time applicant
Pre-MBA industry: Tech Product Marketing
Years of experience at time of matriculation: 6
GMAT/GRE score: 720 (V:39 Q:49)
Undergraduate GPA: 8.90/10.00
Admitted to: London Business School, Said
Scholarship(s): $60,000
Service Type: Premium Need-based
I enrolled with Square One Prep 45 days prior to the 1st Round 1 deadline. I applied to 8 schools, and looking back, I honestly can’t imagine going through this time sensitive process without their help.
After my initial consultations (which the team was super quick to prioritise given I had little time), the unique selling point that stood out to me about SOP was providing a very crisp, direct and personalized experience that would help me put my best foot forward in the applications. I decided on SOP because I realised that having someone who was available to me, understood my story and me on a deeper level would be more beneficial to me personally.
My consultant was Rahul Kalita, whom I chose for 3 reasons:
1. He had experience in my specific field (startup experience) that I was not sure of how to portray in my application, which meant he understood things I dealt with and could help me utilize those in my application.
2. He was an alumna of my top chop choice schools.
3. He was extremely personable, and fun-spirited, which would help me keep my calm throughout the stressful application process.
All of these reasons indeed ended up being important as we developed a great relationship.
All of these reasons indeed ended up being important as we developed a great relationship. We also got into a good working cadence: I sent him a draft late at my night (his morning), then he would send me his suggested edits and comments within next couple hours (which worked for me as I was in India and he was in US), then I would send him a new draft that night (and repeat). This was critical in completing applications for 8 schools in less than 2 months without sacrificing all the iterations that good essays require.
Another huge plus of SOP’s comprehensive services is that the founder (Kathryn Lucas) reviews all your “final” drafts (“final” because she will provide feedback that you will then need to incorporate). She is passionate about her work and cares deeply about the success of her clients (something you’ll likely sense in your conversations with her). It is invaluable to have another set of eyes (and an experienced set, at that) on all the essays.
I got my first admit to Oxford in an extreme time crunch. I am waiting to hear back on the rest of the schools. I know for sure that SOP helped me produce submissions that were much stronger than those I would have produced on my own and therefore enabled me to go through the application process with an increased chance of success. I would recommend SOP wholeheartedly to anybody who is looking to apply to a B-school, and is looking for a well-equipped companion in this journey to put his / her best foot forward.