Status: First-time applicant
Pre-MBA industry: Auditing/Financial Analysis
Years of experience at time of matriculation: 4
GMAT/GRE score: 720
Undergraduate GPA: 3.67/4.00
Admitted to: Booth, IESE, Wharton, Yale
Scholarship(s): $60,000
I am confident that Square One Prep has played a decisive role in my admission to 4 top business schools, among which Wharton and Booth. It really was money well spent.
I come from the Middle East where admission consulting services are not very popular. My background is also diverse and I don’t have the typical profile that top MBA schools usually look for. I am not a consultant and never worked in investment banking. Because of that, my confidence level was at its lowest, and everyone was discouraging me to even apply.
I had scheduled phone calls with several admission consultants from different companies, but it is the call with Kathryn (the owner at Square One Prep) that made me regain my confidence and made me believe that I could make it.
Kathryn worked with me both on a professional and personal level: besides the fact that it was entirely tailored to my situation, her approach was motivating me and pushing me to always be at my best. She would identify areas in my personal/professional experience that even I would not have thought of, and help me use them in a way that reveals my strength and fit with the programs. In a way, working with her made me discover myself and she definitely helped me think out-of-the box, never settling for average quality, always aiming for the best. I went from thinking shallowly and superficially to questioning every area and preparing for all possible contingencies.
We had frequent and thorough phone discussions during which not a single area was left out. Kathryn made herself available 24/7, and this was not easy knowing that there was a 7-hour difference.
The interview preparation was so valuable that on my first interview, I felt very relaxed and confident because I knew that the preparation with Kathryn had tackled every possible aspect and that it had considered all possible scenarios.
This is what I think is of major importance: I constantly felt in good hands because I knew that I was getting the best advice and the most spot-on comments, and I think this has no price.
Because I wanted to put all my chances on my side and didn’t feel like gambling with my applications, I chose Square One Prep, and I’m so glad I made this decision.