Status: Third-time applicant
Pre-MBA industry: Entrepreneurship/Venture capital
Years of experience at time of matriculation: 7
GMAT/GRE score: 740 (V:41 Q:49)
Undergraduate GPA: 3.64/4.00
Admitted to: HBS, Stanford
Scholarship(s): $40,000
Service Type: Premium
After three painful rejections with previous consultants, I was hesitant to try again. Working with Kathryn completely transformed not just my applications, but my sense of self. As an Indian applicant and Bay Area tech founder applying to elite programs a third time, I was burned out. I needed someone who could energize me as well as help me find the authentic voice that had been missing from my previous attempts. Kathryn flipped the script in one cycle: Harvard Business School + Stanford GSB admits and a 50 % tuition scholarship. I cannot recommend her enough. The investment goes far beyond admissions success – it’s an investment in yourself.
Many things set Kathryn apart.
First, she has a rare balance of empathy and decisiveness. Rather than simply polishing my essays, Kathryn guided me through a process of self-discovery that clarified my personal narrative, professional direction, and unique value proposition. I felt deeply heard, and challenged, by her. She asked me “Why?” until we unearthed two personal stories I’d never have put on paper. Those moments became the spine of every essay and ended up being quoted back to me in my HBS interview. Kathryn often reminded me that admissions committees and alums are human. They want to feel something when they read your work and sense that they are truly getting to know you, whether they are reading just your resume or your full application. The materials Kathryn and I created together moved even my parents to tears – capturing an authentic, graceful power in remarkably few words.
During my collaboration with Kathryn, I experienced a profound shift in confidence that friends, family, and professional colleagues noticed before I did.
Second, Kathryn makes surgical, candid edits and has a “pen-down” discipline. Every draft—resume, essays, even recommender packets—came back dripping with color‑coded notes. Some tweaks, some brutal truth. Zero guesswork. When she felt I was over-working pieces, she stopped me. For example, because we completed our work well in advance of the deadlines, I kept unnecessarily re-working essays. I still recall making some 2 a.m. perfection-polishing revisions and sending them to her, only to get an immediate reply: “Stop and realize it is time to trust what you have created: Submit tonight.” I did—and actually slept for once.
Third, Kathryn went the extra mile at every stage. From those initial calls when I was on the fence about reapplying to working with me painstakingly and patiently on my application components ,” to coaching me for the interviews – three rounds that were tougher than the actual interviews. Her guidance was both comprehensive and precisely calibrated to my needs.
The results speak for themselves: admits to both Harvard and Stanford after previous rejections. But the true value transcended admissions results. Square One Prep’s unique approach to not just help clients build strong applications, but to help them transform and look at themselves in the mirror differently, works. I have newfound clarity and confidence that is helping me live each day better.