Square One Prep: Honest, Challenging, and the Reason I Got into 5 top Buisness Schools

Strengths:

The sense that you are in experts' hands. You feel this throughout the entire process, from Kathryn who is the school expert, to Horatiu who is the career narrative expert, and then your consultant (in my case Anna) who becomes an expert on YOU and getting the best out of you.
If you are willing to be guided, you are in the best hands.

Would make the product better:

I would have liked to speak more often with Kathryn. She was great with the onboarding process and school selection help, but I would have appreciated more comunication in the essay editing stage to have better comunication on to what I was trying to convey.

Working with Square One Prep was challenging in the best way possible. I applied to six top business schools, was admitted to five, and even received a $100K scholarship from one. I know for a fact that this was thanks to their incredible guidance and support.
When I started the admissions essay process, I had little clarity on what I wanted to do after the MBA. The career narrative process was pivotal for me. Early on, Horatiu (one of the most honest and straightforward persons I’ve worked with) didn’t sugarcoat things. He told me that my plan at that moment was crap, (in better more polite words), and really pushed me to visualize alternative career paths that not only made more sense for the application process but also helped me discover exciting possibilities I hadn’t considered before. It was a painstaking process, but it gave me much needed clarity.
Once I had a solid career narrative, I worked with Anna on my CV and essays. I cannot recommend her enough. Her feedback was always direct and purposeful: “You can do better” or “This essay is supposed to convey X—try again with that in mind.” But she also balanced that with plenty of “YOU GO, GIRL!” moments that kept me motivated and confident.
This combination of tough love and genuine support is exactly what you want from an admissions consultant. If all you need is someone to edit your essays, you already have ChatGPT. What makes Square One Prep truly valuable is their team of experts—each focused on areas like career narrative development, school selection, and writing—who take the time to know you and help you showcase your best self.
If you’re someone who doesn’t have a clear vision of how to showcase yourself or your plans, Square One will guide you every step of the way. Even if you already have a strong idea, it’s still worthwhile—the career narrative, résumé, and other work you develop will serve as a solid foundation for all your applications.