Status: Status: First-time applicant
Pre-MBA industry: Legal & IT Consulting
Years of experience at time of matriculation: 13
GMAT/GRE score: 700
Undergraduate GPA: 3.4/4.0
Admitted to: TBD (applied 2012-2013 Season)
I would like to recommend Square One Prep, which is owned by Kathryn Lucas, a Wharton MBA. Kathryn runs a tight ship and is very organized and encouraging, but honest. During our consultation, she immediately provided structure and examples from her own application experience as well as other clients with whom she has worked to show me how I could put my best foot forward and succeed.
There are many excellent admissions consultants out there, and I think it’s impossible to name a “best” admissions consultant because every applicant has unique needs and different personalities can mesh in different ways. But one thing that stood out to me with Square One Prep is the structure that they provide. Immediately after my free consultation (done on a Saturday!), Kathryn sent me a calendar with every day scheduled between my consultation call and the deadlines. As I was applying to several programs, this structure resonated with me.
The organization, support, knowledge, and skill at listening didn’t stop with the owner. My consultant was also excellent. In addition to having a top MBA, he has a background in teaching writing and also in psychology. His edits on my essays were always probing and thoughtful. He also brought in a lot of business concepts but made them relatable so that they were expressed better in my essays. He was extremely responsive, even during the craziness of the hurricane on the East Coast in October – he and I both reside in New York City.
Another thing that is unique about Square One Prep is that they have developed a system to streamline the recommendation process, which my recommenders loved. I did too, because the recommendations were stronger for it.
I talked with over 20 consultants in my process, and worked with two others before calling Square One. When I started my partnership with them, I finally felt calm. I knew I was in good hands.