MBA Admissions Counseling Packages Reviews

I chose to hire a consultant because of my unusual background and lack of understanding of how to translate my background in a way that is attractive to top MBA schools. I chose Stratus because of their structured approach to the application process, and I chose Jennifer specifically because of reviews I had read on different forums, including P&Q. The specific package I purchased was 2-schools. The structured approach gave me hard deadlines to make sure I was on track for getting the essays accomplished on time. Jennifer was encouraging throughout the process, but still pushed me to think harder about certain aspects of the essays, which was critical in those moments when I was simply sick and tired of writing and drafting and thinking during the application process. There is no doubt in my mind that her guidance was critical to the success of my application. With 20/20 hindsight, the only thing I might have changed is to purchase 1 school rather than 2. I felt that much of the advice given for 1 school could be carried over to any application I was working on. (I ended up applying to 7 different T20 MBA programs Round 1, accepted to 4, 2 of which with significant scholarship).

Read More

I had the distinct pleasure of working with Donna as my admissions consultant throughout the MBA application process, and I cannot speak highly enough of her invaluable guidance.

Donna's expertise, professionalism, and dedication were evident from our initial interactions. She possesses a deep understanding of the intricacies of MBA admissions, and her insights proved instrumental in shaping a compelling and authentic narrative for my application. Donna's commitment was evident in her meticulous approach to every aspect of the application, from refining essays to providing strategic advice on recommendation letters.

What truly sets Donna apart is her ability to draw out the unique aspects of an applicant's experiences and aspirations. She not only helped me articulate my achievements but also encouraged me to reflect on my journey, resulting in a more authentic and impactful application. Donna's keen eye for detail ensured that my application presented a cohesive and compelling story, a critical element in the competitive landscape of MBA admissions.

Her support extended beyond the technicalities of the application. Donna provided insightful advice on school selection, helping me tailor my choices to align with my career goals and personal aspirations. Her personalized approach, genuine enthusiasm, and unwavering support created a collaborative and motivating environment that made the challenging process more manageable.

I am thrilled to share that, with Donna's guidance, I received an acceptance offer from Wharton's MBA program. This outcome is a testament to Donna's exceptional abilities as an admissions consultant. I wholeheartedly recommend Donna Bauman to anyone embarking on the MBA application journey. Her dedication makes her an invaluable partner in achieving one's academic and professional aspirations.

Read More

I highly recommend Joe Farr to anyone aspiring to get into a top business school. Thanks to his guidance and expertise, I was admitted to Wharton in Round 2 and even received a $40,000 fellowship.

Joe's assistance went beyond navigating the Stratus process; he provided invaluable insights into what I truly wanted out of life and business school. Through thoughtful discussions and probing questions, Joe helped me clarify my goals and aspirations.

Joe played a crucial role in helping me overcome the obstacle of a low undergraduate GPA. His expertise in helping me present my strengths and weaknesses was instrumental in securing my acceptance to Ross, Tuck, Tepper, Kellogg, and Wharton. He guided me in showcasing my growth, leadership skills, and unique attributes that demonstrated my readiness for business school.

Overall, Joe's guidance and expertise were crucial to my success in the admissions process.

Read More

Donna is a fantastic resource to anyone seeking guidance and support in their MBA application journey. With her expertise, dedication, and personalized approach, Donna helped me secure an offer from one of the top MBA programs despite a below average GPA and test scores for those schools.

From our very first interaction, Donna displayed a genuine interest in helping me understand my aspirations, strengths, and weaknesses. Before starting any school-specific applications, we went through a rigorous process of understanding key aspects of my profile that I could highlight and organizing those components into an arsenal that I could draw from. Thanks to this kind of preparation, when it came time to writing essays, I was able to spend less time on coming up with ideas and more time thinking broadly about the narrative I wanted to communicate.

Throughout the admissions process, which can be more akin to a marathon than a sprint, Donna helped me create a strategy of regular communication with admissions committees and constantly developing areas of my application that may be viewed as weaknesses. The right strategy will elevate your candidacy above any one grade or score, and through consistent effort and willingness to improve your profile, you will stand out.

To anyone who believes that the right school is out of reach for them, I strongly recommend Donna and the team at Stratus as partners in the MBA admissions process. Donna stuck with me throughout the application cycle and I couldn’t be happier with the result!

Read More

I have been thinking about getting an MBA for a few years. After taking my GMAT for the third time I was unsure about my prospects of getting in with a 690 score. I met Melisa during a 30 min coffee session. She was so nice and didn't make me feel pressured into doing anything (getting an MBA or using a consultant). I started with the strategy package which EVERYONE NEEDS TO DO, even if you don't do an MBA. This 4 week exercise took a comprehensive view of every from my past (starting from my childhood) and leading up to my 5 and 10 year career goals, and boiled all of that down into a comprehensive 1-pager to understand my entire profile and what I needed to achieve through an MBA. Through this exercise I felt confident to apply this year. I purchased 4 comprehensive schools, all M7, and in total applied to 8 T15 schools. I was accepted with a full ride and several scholarships. After applying I was waitlisted from 3 schools, 1 being my safety. After having this devastating turn of events, I was completely down. Melisa helped me by having my talk to other clients she had with similar outcomes who got into great M7 schools off the waitlist. I was eventually admitted to my top choice MIT which I will be attending this fall. While I did eventually get a 710 GMAT, I wouldn't have gotten in anywhere without the guidance and support from Melisa and the stratus team!

Read More

I had a really positive experience with Stratus admissions consultants. One of the key aspects was the availability of multiple experts to engage with throughout the process, in addition to my primary consultant. This added level of expertise and diverse perspectives enhanced guidance received and Stratus made sure to introduce me to an expert on their team that had experience with my target schools. I found Stratus to be flexible and accommodating, making their services not only valuable but also affordable. If you're seeking a dedicated team that genuinely invests in your success, I would definitely recommend considering Stratus for your admissions consulting needs.

Read More

I wholeheartedly recommend Donna as an MBA admissions consultant. Throughout my application journey, Donna's expertise, dedication, and guidance were instrumental in shaping my success.

From the very beginning, Donna showcased her profound understanding of the MBA admissions landscape. She took the time to deeply understand my strengths, experiences, and aspirations, allowing her to best help me craft my tailored application strategy that truly highlighted my unique qualities and goals.

One of Donna's exceptional strengths is her meticulous attention to detail. She provided invaluable feedback on my approach to applications and essays, helping me refine my thoughts and strengthen my presentation with clarity and impact. I can’t thank Donna enough for her commitment to ensuring that my application best reflected my candidacy and goals.

Furthermore, Donna's expertise in navigating the waitlist process at my top-choice program was amazing. Her guidance on how to effectively communicate my continued interest and commitment to the admissions committee was truly invaluable and help.

In conclusion, Donna’s expertise, attention to detail, and genuine dedication to her clients' success make her an exceptional resource. With Donna's guidance, I not only crafted a strong application strategy and essays but also successfully navigated the challenging waitlist process, ultimately securing acceptance to my top-choice MBA program. I am immensely grateful for her invaluable support throughout the process.

Read More

Background: I am an Indian, who studied engineering. So I am part of the most oversubscribed demographic. The aim was an M7. With this in mind, I went into my consultant search, and after speaking to a few, I felt everyone was great, but when I spoke to Jennifer, I was really impressed with her positivity and encouragement. The whole experience felt like a mentor-mentee relationship, rather than transactional.

She made me feel very comfortable and confident, something that definitely kept me going through the tough process.

I also appreciated the Stratus team based approach, along with Jennifer, my material got reviewed by a school specific reader as well as a proofreader. Getting everything in one place made it easy to focus on the important stuff. Their documentation and guides are extremely detailed and helpful.

Jennifer was very helpful in brainstorming ideas, without influencing or changing the narrative. She always asked good questions and pushed me to think deeper about my motivations and intention, giving valuable input wherever necessary.

She helped me keep on schedule, and was always prompt with her replies and feedback. I always looked forward to speaking to her, along with discussions on the applications, she would just give that extra boost of confidence that kept me going.

When I got interview invites, she immediately scheduled mock interviews. I mock interviewed with her almost 5-6 times, each time it was school specific. She even gave me some advice for schools I decided to apply on my own. When some initial rejections hit, she was very supportive, and kept the morale high.

It was a tough application cycle. I applied to 10 schools - Got interview invites for 6, and finally got into 3 schools. I finally decided to go to Kellogg.

If you are looking for someone who can bring out the best in you and keep your confidence high throughout, I would blindly go for Jennifer. The entire Status process is very comprehensive, and the team is very credible and supportive.

Read More

I am so grateful for Jennifer's support throughout the MBA application process. Her guidance helped me get admitted to HBS and several other Top 10 schools with significant scholarship money.

In September 2022, I connected with a few consultants from other firms, looking for guidance on how to craft my application in time for R2 deadlines. I felt incredibly overwhelmed and stressed out when speaking with consultants from other firms. At the time, I was working diligently to boost my GMAT score and really needed someone to support me and hold me accountable on my applications.

When I met with Jennifer for a consultation, I could immediately tell I was in good hands. I worked on 3 schools with Jennifer and always felt that I could count on her honest, candid feedback. She is incredibly encouraging, knowledgeable, and effective in helping each client reach their goals. Jennifer pushes candidates to dig deep to reflect on what inspires/motivates them, and she provides exceptional support in clarifying your personal mission in a way that highlights your unique attributes and authentic voice. She is incredibly professional and responsive (I got always got a response 48 hours!), and a wealth of knowledge on what adcoms are looking for across MBA programs.

I found Jennifer's advice to be incredibly candid, encouraging, and growth-oriented. She helped me build confidence in my story throughout the application/interview process. Her deep understanding of the HBS process in particular helped me with the interview and helped me to be VERY well-prepared for all the types of questions that they can ask.

For anyone who feels unmoored by daunting MBA application process, working with Stratus will provide the structure and support you need. I am so excited to be starting at HBS in the fall -- many thanks to Jennifer! 10/10 would recommend investing in yourself and working with Jennifer.

Read More

I had the privilege of getting to work with Susan as my MBA Admissions consultant. Susan was recommended to me by a friend who worked with her last year and spoke so highly of her that I knew she was someone I could trust to get my MBA applications across the finish line. Prior to working with Susan, I had written my MBA essays on my own the previous year with the plan to submit my applications without an MBA consultant. I had doubts about my ability to get my story across in my applications and I ultimately decided that working with an MBA consultant and waiting another year would give me the confidence I needed to put my best foot forward. Susan was living proof that I had made the right decision.

During my time with Susan, I had the chance to start over with my MBA applications and use the Introspection exercises to really reflect on who I was, what my passions were, and why I ultimately wanted to get an MBA. She helped me identify themes that represented who I was and channeled these themes throughout my application, essays, and recommendations. There were certain experiences I shared with her that I had not considered highlighting in my application but she saw those experiences differently, which allowed me to share a unique perspective of myself. Susan also leveraged her network and her Stratus teammates, such as Melisa Prevost (huge shoutout!), to help connect me with the right resources and chat with previous clients about their MBA admissions journey.

When it came to feedback, whether it was my essays, my resume, or interview preparation, Susan was thorough and upfront, which made such an impact for me to not be afraid to change my content entirely or start over. She pushed me to go beyond my comfort zone with conveying my emotions in my essays and helped me to refine my resume bullet points and my interview responses to be succinct.

Overall, I can say that Susan was one of the best investments I could have made with my MBA admissions journey. Because of her, I was able to get into multiple M7 schools, including Wharton, my dream school, where I will be matriculating at this year! Susan walks the walk and talks the talk and I could not be more thrilled to give her the highest of recommendations.

Read More