Status: First-time applicant
Pre-MBA industry: Sales & Trading
Years of experience at time of matriculation: 4
GMAT/GRE score: 750
Undergraduate GPA: 3.6/4.0
Admitted to: Booth, Wharton
Scholarship(s): $45,000
I don’t know where to begin. Wait, that’s actually exactly what I said to Square One when I first contacted them. Almost instantly, they put me at ease. I am a worrier, always restless and unsure of my next move. For example, when I decided that I wanted to go to business school, I had no idea why. I knew it was the right next move for me, but I knew that to get into a top school you have to do a whole lot more than know – you have to convince admissions committees that it’s the right move for you more than it is for literally thousands of other applicants. I couldn’t create a compelling career story if my life depended on it. In a way it did! But Square One, after listening to me for hours and after guiding me for weeks as I failed to come up with any career ideas, came to my rescue. They defined a career narrative for me that was truly inspiring and EXACTLY what I would love to do, though I never would have thought of it on my own because 1) I’d never heard of it 2) I lacked the ability the think creatively about careers and 3) I didn’t seem to know myself as well as Square One did!
My entire application process was like this – me hitting my head against a wall as I tried to work on my resume, essays or letter of recommendation and each and every time Square One coming to my rescue. To be honest, I was ashamed that I found the process so tough. A friend of mine was also working with Square One, and he just zipped through the process with no hiccups at all. Then again, he isn’t his own worst enemy. Thankfully, Square One pretty quickly sized me up. They never let me get discouraged. They seemed to have a sixth sense. Just when I would start to struggle on my end they would check in and get me back on track. Their timing was amazing. Their expertise was amazing. Their patience when I would send them 2000 word drafts when an essay has a 500 word limit was amazing. Their tough love when I would procrastinate, or not follow the rules of sending drafts that are no more than 50% over the word limit, was also amazing.
The results of all their amazing-ness: I got offers from Wharton and Chicago-Booth. Since I got a full scholarship from Chicago, that’s where I’ll be heading in the fall. I can’t wait!