Square One Prep
MBA Admissions Consulting
Built Around You
Square One Prep guides you through every step of the MBA application process — from your first call to your acceptance letter — with a dedicated 4-person team and a transparent, day-by-day plan.
Investment
Application Services & Pricing
Pricing varies by advisor tier (Elite, Senior, or Standard). Each tier is available in two services: Premium and Premium Need-based . Prices below show first-school cost; add-on schools are billed at a reduced rate.
Standard Advisor
STANDARD
0–4 years experience with Square One Prep
First school
Premium Need-based
$5,900
Premium
$7,900
Each additional school: $1,800–$2,200
Hourly: $330–$430
MOST POPULAR
Senior Advisor
SENIOR
5+ years experience with Square One Prep
First school
Premium Need-based
$7,400
Premium
$8,900
Each additional school: $2,000–$2,600
Hourly: $330–$430
Elite Advisor
ELITE
Maintains 85%+ success rate at HBS and Stanford
First school
Premium Need-based
$8,900
Premium
$10,900
Each additional school: $2,600–$3,100
Hourly: $430–$500
Payment options: 75% upfront / 25% on completion, or interest-free monthly plans. See full pricing & payment details →
Our Process
How Are We Different?
We're not just another admissions consulting firm. Here's what sets us apart.
92%
Success Rate
40%
Secure Scholarships
$113K
Avg. Scholarship Amount
Quality Over Quantity
Our full-time advisors take on no more than 4–6 clients at a time; everyone else takes only 1–2. Our focus isn’t volume; it’s you. We’ve worked with 1,500+ clients since 2009.
Full Transparency
We publish a full track record showing our clients’ profiles, test scores, GPAs, career gaps, and outcomes — no hiding behind vague promises. See real results from real students.
Unlimited Support
No limits on number of reviews or how often we’re available. We work mornings, nights, and weekends, with a general protocol to reply to emails within 4 hours (and often within minutes).
Superior Advisor Ratio
Our full-time advisors work with a maximum of 4–6 clients at a time. All other advisors (those who consult alongside other careers) take only 1–2 clients at a time. You’re never one of dozens.
Fair, Flexible Pricing
Start with one school and add more as you go — the price to add later is the same as it is now. If we think you should work hourly instead of comprehensively, we’ll tell you. Interest-free monthly payment plans available.
Innovative Technology
Our portal includes your day-by-day schedule in real-time, all files/activities, embedded samples, and school data. We give you transparency while guiding you proactively. No other firm offers this.
Your 4-Person Expert Team
Top business schools teach that diverse teams create the most impactful solutions.
Your Advisor
Helps you build all your work for schools you work on with us.
Career Narrative Expert
An M7 MBA and current Wharton or Anderson MBA Career Management team member who helps craft your career goals. No other firm has CNEs.
Leadership Team Lead
Our Founder and a Former M7 Admissions Officer; selects schools, recommenders, and reviews your resume and essays comprehensively.
Partnership Manager
Oversees your partnership logistically to ensure you meet all deadlines and have a great experience.
What We Offer
End-to-End MBA Application Support
From your initial assessment to your final scholarship negotiation, we guide every component of your application.
Square One Assessment
A 4–5.5 hour kick-off call with your advisor to understand you as an applicant academically, professionally, and personally — and to define your strategy.
Career Narrative Development
Your Career Narrative Expert helps you craft short-, mid-, and long-term goals with continuity and ambition — the foundation of your goals essays and interviews.
School & Recommender Selection
Your Leadership Team Lead works with you on a 30+ trait school matrix and structured recommender selection — honest assessments of fit, reach, and risk.
Resume & Essay Development
Iterative essay and resume building with multiple Leadership Team Lead reviews. No draft limits — most essays go through 4–8 review rounds before submission.
Interview Preparation
40+ rotation questions, a 45-minute full mock with extended debrief, and unlimited follow-up sessions. Custom prep for HBS, Wharton, Booth, and Sloan-specific formats.
Waitlist & Scholarship Strategy
If you’re waitlisted, we build a full strategy and craft every response. If you’re admitted, we help you draft the emails that secure (or grow) scholarship offers.
Who is Square One Prep?
Square One Prep is an MBA admissions consulting firm founded in 2009. They’ve worked with 1,500+ clients from all over the world — 57% from outside the US — with a transparent, team-based approach to every application.
What sets them apart is the 4–5-person team behind every client: a dedicated Advisor, a Career Narrative Expert (a current Wharton or Anderson MBA Career Management team member), a Partnership Manager, and Leadership Team Leads including the Founder and a Former M7 Admissions Officer.
Bespoke, Team-Based Guidance
Full-time advisors take on 4–6 clients at a time; everyone else, 1–2. You’re never one of dozens.
Transparent Track Record
92% of clients invited to interview are admitted; 40% receive scholarships averaging $113K.
Built-in Career Narrative Work
A dedicated Career Narrative Expert helps you define a 15+ year roadmap that anchors your goals essays and interviews.
Admitted to HBS and Wharton — heading to HBS this fall
Initially planned to tackle the application process solo before realizing how nuanced it is. After consultations with several of the biggest names in MBA consulting, Square One stood out for combining a dedicated single consultant with the support of a whole team. Allison kept pushing the application forward; Kelsey’s final reviews nailed the essays and post-interview reflection.
Read Full Reviewiheartpapaya
GMAT Focus 705 (Q84 V87 DI84) · Premium Service · Consultant: Allison Nelson
Stanford GSB admit in Round 1
Kathryn responded almost immediately to a first outreach and mapped out a tailored, day-by-day plan on the Square One portal — before any commitment. Lara led the day-to-day work on resume, essays, and interview prep, pushing hard on framing and detail; Wendy led career narrative, Pat managed logistics. Lara works with no more than 5–6 clients per cycle, and it showed in the depth of feedback.
Read Full Reviewveritatiscorporis
Stanford GSB R1 admit · Premium Service · Consultant: Lara Avsar
8 of 9 schools (M7 + T15) with significant scholarships
Used both Premium packages and hourly services with Kathryn and Kelsey. After several intro calls with big-name consultants who suggested aiming lower, Kathryn and Kelsey believed in the candidate more than the candidate did. Round 1 results: offers with significant scholarships at 8 of the 9 schools applied to, across a mix of M7 and T15 programs.
Read Full Reviewtheaveragestudent
8 of 9 admits + scholarships · Premium Service · Consultants: Kathryn Lucas, Kelsey
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Have Questions?
Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers to common questions about Square One Prep services
Both services include the same 4–5-person team and full scope of work
— assessment, school and recommender selection, career narrative,
resume, essays, LORs, interview prep, and online application review.
Premium Need-based is offered at a reduced price for clients with budget
constraints. Each service is also available at three advisor experience
tiers: Standard (0–4 years), Senior (5+ years), and Elite.
Across 1,500+ clients since 2009: 94% are invited to interview,
and 92% of those invited are admitted. 40% of admits receive scholarships,
averaging $113,000. Full breakdown is available on their track record page.
You’ll work directly with an Advisor, a Career Narrative Expert (a
current Wharton or Anderson MBA Career Management team member), a
Partnership Manager, and one or two Leadership Team Leads — the
founder Kathryn Lucas, plus, on Premium, a Former M7 Admissions Officer.
Yes. The price to add a school later is the same as it is when you sign on
— no penalty for starting small. Most clients build 2–4
schools comprehensively while applying to 6–8 total; their schedule
accounts for the full list.
Hourly is for targeted help — one-off resume reviews, essay critiques,
candidate assessment — and starts at one hour. They’ll tell you
if comprehensive is a better fit, and if you cross the break-even point
they’ll convert you (if comprehensive was the original recommendation).
Hourly rates: $330–$500 depending on advisor tier and service.
Two options: 75% upfront with 25% due when written work on your final
school is complete, or an interest-free monthly payment plan that ends in
August (for September deadlines), December (January deadlines), or March
(April deadlines).
Ready to start your MBA journey?
Schedule a free consultation with the Square One Prep team. They’ll respond within 24 hours.
MBA admissions consulting since 2009 · Based in Miami, FL · 1,500+ clients worldwide