Stratus Prep did a great job with me - I was incredibly grateful to have gone to them to begin with and thought that they were worth every penny. I went into the process feeling very overwhelmed but they helped me through every step.

I opted for the hourly consulting package as opposed to the total, all-in variety; I found that the hourly package was sufficient for me. I found them extremely responsive and supportive and they helped me with the content of my essays as we went through many iterations until we found the exact right mix of topics. They also have school-specific knowledge and helped me tailor my applications; I wouldn't have known how to do this otherwise. I was nervous, because I am a white male, but ended up being accepted to HBS and Wharton (and waitlisted at Stanford). I would not want to go through this process without them.

I recently worked with Stratus Prep (Shawn + Vanessa). My experience was exceptional and resulted with my successful application to Harvard Business School. For context, I am a white male, slightly sub-700 GMAT, older than the mean, and work in finance (a tough demographic).

Shawn + Vanessa had a very thoughtful approach to applications but customized it to my schedule and goals. Highlights include:

1) Stratus’ Introspection process required me to outline and dive into deep details of my past – professionally, academically and personally. It was an incredibly valuable use of time. The end result was a map of my story that became the backbone of the material that I used for my essays, applications and interviews

2) School Selection and Strategy: I had a targeted list of schools. Shawn and Vanessa did a great job of setting expectations, focusing on the schools that were important to me, developing the right application strategy, picking the best person to write a recommendation, etc

3) Essay Outlining + Writing: Shawn + Vanessa helped me outline content before writing the actual essays. A few times I embarked down the wrong path, but they were there every step of the way to get me back on track. I can’t emphasize enough how helpful they were here – unlimited editing / review, tactical advice, constructive feedback, etc.

I give Stratus Prep my highest recommendation. They instilled the confidence and focus that were absolutely critical to my success at HBS. They both clearly have deep insight and rich experience, which showed in how they handled all of my questions throughout the process. They were always available for questions - whether in person, email or phone. I would recommend Stratus Prep to any one.

I couldn't possoibly have better things to say about Shawn O'Connor and the Stratus Prep team.

To give you my profile, I'm a white male with four years of finance experience (banking and PE). I had a 3.65 from a liberal arts (non Ivy) college and a GMAT in the high 600s. Given that my profile was not that unique from my peers in finance (which I heard was one of the hardest demographics for HBS), I considered Harvard a huge stretch. Based on a recommendation, I decided to splurge and worked with Shawn directly on 4 schools.

It was quite pricey, but worth every penny (what I learned in finance was that you have to spend money to make money - that definitely paid off in this case). I was admitted to all of my target schools (like Columbia) and to HBS. While I obviously did all of my own work on the essays, it was Shawn's insightful, strategic perspectives and thoughtful comments that separated me from the pack. I have since recommended many friends to Stratus Prep (some who have worked directly with Shawn, others with his colleagues. If you can afford it, you should work with Shawn. If not, work with one of his colleagues, because he will still be really involved in looking over your essays and strategy, even though he isn't your direct contact.

There is a huge difference out there when it comes to MBA Admissions consultants. Having checked out just about all of them (and hearing some of my work colleagues tell me about other programs) I would say either work with these guys or just go at it on your own.