Testimonial Detail

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174

April 02, 2017
Client from: China
Status: Re-applicant
Pre-MBA industry: Military/Consulting
Years of experience at time of matriculation: 7
GMAT/GRE score: 710
Undergraduate GPA: 3.09/4.00
Admitted to: Foster, McDonough, Ross

I am a re-applicant, and I am very pleased to say that with Square One Prep’s help I will be enrolling at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor Ross School of Business this fall.

Starting the application process this year was even more stressful and hectic than my previous attempt, as I could not afford to fail again. Working with Square One Prep was a life saver. After the first call I had a feeling this year was going to be different. They reviewed last year’s applications as a courtesy to help me understand that there were absolutely things I could do differently to introduce myself to the admissions committees in a more compelling way. The first step was to select the schools which fit me. Working with my consultant, I was able to find the right balance – a mix of “reach schools” and “safety schools,” all of which were targets that appealed to me. We then overhauled my resume – we better captured my accomplishments and impact/influence and included elements I was unaware committees cared about like extracurricular involvements and interests. Next came the all-important essays. I had some decent essays from last year, but my consultant helped me sharpen them and bring out the important points; she also wasn’t shy about telling me to discard some essays and start fresh, as she helped me see that my essays should tell a cohesive story, not several short stories. With each school’s application, my essays were so much more convincing this year as a collection, and should have been, as my consultant spent time talking with me about my area of interest – marketing – and helped me understand how to better position myself as a career changer. I had been an electrical engineer for the past five years.

There were also major changes to the way I obtained letters of recommendation. Last year I did not provide my recommenders with any guidelines, resulting in some inconsistent letters. This year with my consultant’s help, I drafted comprehensive guidelines for my recommenders which enabled me to better manage that part of the process and get very strong letters.

Finally, my consultant helped me overcome my biggest challenge, the interviews. I can be shy. Through her mock interviews – she gave me several, I built confidence and learned how to answer common questions, prepare for unexpected questions, and even direct the interview even though I was the one being interviewed.

Due to all of the above, I got into several schools. Thank you.

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