Status: First-time applicant
Pre-MBA industry: Software Engineering/Project Management
Years of experience at time of matriculation: 8
GMAT/GRE score: 740 (V: 39 Q: 51)
Undergraduate GPA: 3.49/4.00
Graduate GPA: 3.55/4.00
Admitted to: Columbia J-term, Stern
Scholarship(s): $173,000n
Service Type: Premium
I got exceptional application results with the Square One Prep (SOP) team. I applied to two schools (M7 and S16), got admitted to both and got a full scholarship from my dream school. Besides the results, the journey itself is transformative as well. The SOP team provided exceptional advice to strengthen my application, patiently guided me through every component and championed me to the finish line. Thanks to the SOP team’s work, I came out of the application more self-aware, communicating better and more confident, all of which are qualities that will benefit me in the long term.
It all started with the founder Kathryn and I cannot say enough how experienced and caring she is. I interviewed multiple MBA consultancies and many of them showed reluctance to take me as a client, given that I am an older applicant and came from a less-traditional background. But Kathryn believed in me from the beginning. She did warn me how competitive MBA admission can be, yet she believed that I have a good chance of getting admitted. This trusting partnership enabled me to be genuine, introspect and reveal myself in the application, which I believe was the key to my admission success.
In the middle of the application, my first advisor and I were not working well together, resulting in serious delays in my essay work. I asked for a chat with Kathryn and she quickly jumped on a call. She patiently listened to and fully understood my concerns and struggles. Within 2 days, Kathryn helped me find Lara, who became my trusting advisor.
Lara is very experienced in MBA admission, providing crucial advice to strengthen my application. Her attention to detail is exceptional. During our essay editing and LOR building sessions, she pointed out flaws in my drafts, big or small, with honest and actionable feedback. Sometimes we’d jump on a call to talk through the stories, trying to surface the deeper thoughts. In addition to the excellent advice for applications, Lara is also a life coach to me. She pushed me to think deeply on who I am and what I’m trying to accomplish with the MBA. All of the insights we discovered together were well presented in my application and the interview. I highly recommend working with her if you are also looking for a coach in your application journey!