Status: First-time applicant
Pre-MBA industry: Military
Years of experience at time of matriculation: 5
GMAT/GRE score: 326 (V:160 Q:166)
Undergraduate GPA: 3.61/4.00
Admitted to: Columbia, Haas, Kellogg, Sloan, Stern
Scholarship(s): 120,000
Service Type: Premium Need-based
I was accepted to my dream schools (MIT and Columbia) solely due to Lara and the entire Square One Prep team!
I had an outstanding experience working with Square One Prep, and in particular with my advisor, Lara. I was very fortunate to receive multiple MBA admissions offers, including scholarships from three M7 programs and several T10 schools. I truly believe I would not have achieved the same results without her guidance. Beyond the outcomes, the process itself was incredibly valuable and transformative.
Lara helped transform a highly technical, non-traditional, military background into a clear, compelling, and easily understood narrative. She consistently provided honest and actionable feedback, whether it was as simple as refining a single word, or to restart an essay because she knew I could do better. We spent hours and hours talking through my life story to understand my “why MBA?” question, which made my essays stronger and more authentic.
What stood out most to me was how much Lara cared about me as a person, not just as an applicant. She wasn’t focused on simply “checking the box” for each part of the application process. She genuinely wanted to understand who I was, why I was pursuing an MBA, and what my life goals were. Having her as a sounding board as I worked out those questions myself made a (very overwhelming) process feel manageable.
That level of care and reflection translated directly into results – results that I wasn’t sure were possible before Square One. The clarity in my story and self-awareness of my goals that Lara helped me develop showed up not only in my written applications, but also in my interviews and overall confidence going into my MBA.
Lara is patient, supportive, incredibly sharp, and will always be in your corner. I would highly recommend working with her and Square One Prep to anyone looking for an admissions expert to help guide them through the MBA application process.