Square One Consulting Services

Strengths:

Square One Prep’s biggest strength is the clarity and structure they brings to a very overwhelming MBA admissions process. They clearly articulated all of the nuances of the process. I remember showing up to MBA fairs and hearing very basic questions from other candidates and thinking I'm light years ahead, all due to the structure that Square One brings.

From the start, they helped me translate a technical, nontraditional background into a compelling, cohesive story that admissions committees could easily understand. My advisor's feedback was thoughtful, candid, and iterative; they didn’t just edit essays, but taught me how admission committees think to better convey my story. I also found the team exceptionally responsive and invested; I consistently felt supported and well-informed at every stage of the process.

One other unique aspect of Square One is their career counseling. Not only will they help you get all of the application pieces in place, but they will help you better understand yourself: What are your career goals? Why grad school? Why this grad school? I have a much better vision for my career thanks to working with Square One.

Would make the product better:

There's not much about the process I would improve. One minor improvement could be to front-load essay examples or templates early in the process, especially for candidates coming from a more unique background (i.e., highly technical or military). While the examples provided were excellent, having a few more tailored reference points earlier in the process could have helped me brainstorm my own essays. That said, this is a minor suggestion in an otherwise very strong experience.

Before working with Square One Prep, the MBA admissions process felt confusing and very very intimidating. I had a good profile for an MBA, but I struggled to translate my story to the page and understand how admissions committees would view my background (or how to explain a technical background to an admissions committee.) Square One completely changed that - they helped me develop a clear narrative, improve my essays, and approach the admissions process in a scheduled, paced, and strategic way. Throughout the process, I felt consistently supported, challenged, and guided. My advisor's feedback pushed me to improve and she wouldn't accept anything but my best work. It felt like my advisor and the entire Square One team (you get to work with a whole team of amazing people) truly cared about me and not just my outcome. However, thinking back on the process, I know I would not have achieved the same amazing results without Square One. I would highly recommend them to anyone serious about putting their best possible application forward.