Testimonial Detail

What are the strengths of this product? 

Going into the process, I did not necessarily see my background as unique. Wilson (Consultant), Horatiu (Career Narrative Advisor), Kathryn Lucas (Founder & CEO), and the larger Square One Prep team Wilson helped me to articulate my MBA story in a way I never could have done alone. The SOP team helped me recognize what made my professional journey distinct and how to communicate my career interests effectively. I cannot say enough about Square One Prep’s upfront Applicant Interviews, Background Assessment, Resume Re-Build, and the Career Narrative pre-work. It laid the foundation of distilling my academic interests, career experiences, and passions into clear short-, medium-, and long-term goals that ultimately became the backbone of seven school applications. That level of upfront narrative development truly sets SOP apart from other consulting firms. 

What would you recommend to improve? 

Kathryn and Team were with me every step of the way regardless of how many essay edits and reworks were needed. The only element of the application cycle that was higher friction were my LORs. One Recommender felt that – even with the high degree of reference materials the SOP Team helped me prepare them with – that the time requirement from them was far higher than the SOP process claimed. This is likely due to the number of programs (seven) that I applied to. Even then, the SOP team went above and beyond to help me through this more challenging piece of the process that relied on outside involvement from my Recommenders. They rolled with the punches right alongside me.  

Review 

I was recommended SOP following a friend’s successful MBA applications the prior year. Working with Wilson and the Square One Prep team was by far the most valuable decision I made during my MBA application process. Wilson brings an exceptional level of insight into the application landscape and admissions process. I started my MBA journey with many ideas about what I wanted from an MBA, but Wilson and the broader SOP team were key to translating those priorities into a focused list of schools and a clear narrative of “Why MBA, Why Now” that connected back to my work experience.  

Wilson was an incredible advisor throughout the process. Applying to seven schools felt overwhelming, but Wilson brought a level of organization, empathy, and constant support that made the process manageable (if not still a bit overwhelming). He helped break what felt like a massive undertaking into clear, achievable steps even for schools he was not directly advising me on. He was always willing to spend the time needed to talk through ideas, refine essays, or help me get unstuck. It genuinely felt like he understood my professional aspirations as well as I did; it speaks to how much he truly cares about getting the best outcomes for his counselees. 

I cannot emphasize enough how integral Square One Prep was to my success. Their guidance, structure, and experience navigating the MBA process played a major role in helping me get into my dream programs. Looking back, I can’t imagine going through the application cycle without the SOP team and highly recommend them to anyone committed to pursuing an MBA.