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Product Fortuna MBA Interview Preparation
Consultant Malvina Miller Complainville
Malvina is simply the best coach you can have to advise you during your interview process. Long story short, I had practiced for my MBA interviews with other three coaches but I didn't feel comfortable working with them during the previous days before my interviews. I was nervous because I had only one week left before my interview and I didn't think I had enough time left to get ready. But luckily, I saw on P&A a post about Fortuna and Malvina, and in just a matter of hours they agreed to help me get ready in just a week for my interview. Despite the short time to prepare, Malvina walked me through the whole process with complete mock interviews and accurate feedback about my performance. Contrary to other mocks I had with other coaches, Malvina's interviews were more exhaustive and the questions were more challenging and tailored to my profile, which mimic the real MBA interview. Besides the excellent quality of Malvina's advice, I loved her positivism and friendly personality, she made me feel more calm and reduced the nervousness I had during the days before my interview. This was key to make me feel more confident and to reflect the best part of me during my interview. Needless to say, she also helped me giving excellent feedback on my post reflection essay with the university. In conclusion, Malvina is simply the best option to prepare during the interview process. I couldn't find anyone better and not only she will give you the best mock interview practice, but she will also help you build confidence during this challenging process, which is key to help you show the best version of you during the real interview. I am going to HBS in august and I couldn't be more grateful to Malvina🙂
Product Fortuna Comprehensive School Package
Consultant Rachel Erickson Hee
Rachel is hands down an AMAZING coach. She was instrumental in my application and my admission to 4 top schools including my dream school: Harvard Business School!
Early on, she invested the time to get to know me and understand my personal journey and my work experience. Because of her genuine interest in me, Rachel challenged me to dig deeper and to be introspective during the essay writing process. She was able to diligently sift through my stories to uncover recurring themes and help me refine my thoughts. She often challenged my assumptions and provided honest feedback even when it countered my initial thought process.
Looking back, I have so much admiration for the honest and tough feedback that she provided to help me craft a compelling story and find my own voice.
Her ongoing encouragement was key in helping me surmount the roadblocks encountered in a particularly challenging year (test retake, writer's block, self doubt). She was particularly helpful in our mock interviews by providing direct and actionable feedback that enhanced my interviewing skills.
She was highly responsive and flexible throughout the entire process. Her turnaround time was exceptional. Our sessions were always productive and enriching. She leveraged the Fortuna network and knowledge base to help thoroughly answer my questions about the specificities of the different school programs.
While I had some awareness of the MBA application process, I underestimated the time, effort and commitment that the process would require over a period of time. She was tactical and helped me stay on track of each step of the process. We worked through numerous essay edits and introspective exercises, even in the wee hours sometimes. Her can-do attitude, her empathy, and her attentiveness are unmatched!
Beyond being an amazing coach and subject matter expert, Rachel is a genuine and caring person who offered me support and advice as a friend would. While working with her, I have also gained an amazing advocate and mentor. I could not recommend her enough!
Product Fortuna Hourly Consulting Services
Consultant Sharon Joyce
My experience with Sharon was excellent! I struggled with confidence regarding my MBA profile; although I have a strong GMAT and high GPA, going into the process, I had very poor work experience (0 promotions, long layoff periods, no brand name companies, and low salaries), non-existent extra curriculars, and I am a male ORM. I viewed myself as pretty unremarkable, with nothing unique to write about and that showed in my essays. During R1, I got 0 interviews from any of the 6 T15 schools where I applied.
Working with Sharon, I was able to use her suggestions to pinpoint what my essays were lacking. Through her guidance, I discovered that things in my past, that I viewed as unremarkable, could be leveraged into storytelling that would appeal to admissions committees. I incorporated these experiences into my Round 2 essays, texting and emailing Sharon practically everyday as deadlines neared to quell my insecurities - she kept me in a positive mindset and kept me on the right track. I ended up with interview invitations to all 5 T15 schools that I applied to in Round 2, resulting in 2 Waitlists, and 1 acceptance with a generous scholarship. I attribute some of this success to also doing comprehensive interview preparation with Sharon - she helped me focus on what would be important to convey and what would be important to emphasize at the programs where I interviewed.
Aside from the noticeable improvements in my applications, I think the best thing about working with Sharon was the mental support she provided me. When I was looking for a consultant, I actually had a company tell me that I had no shot at any of the schools I was targeting, stating my work experience as the biggest downfall. Sharon was very supportive of my aspirations, reassuring me that my profile was solid and my story will be strong enough to gain admissions to a competitive and selective b-school.
Product Fortuna Hourly Consulting Services
Consultant Jessica Chung
I am so grateful to have found Jessica during my application process.
From our very first conversation, I felt comfortable and immediately trusted her expertise and knowledge. I didn't know where to start, and really only knew what schools I wanted to apply to. She helped me figure out what to prioritize, challenged me to think beyond my goals, and provided super applicable feedback from start to finish. She brings significant experience to the table, and was incredibly valuable when I had UCLA and USC specific questions. The insight and support that she provided, specifically with my resume, essays, and admissions decisions, allowed me to stay confident throughout the entire process. With her help I was able to get into UCLA and USC! I highly recommend Jessica for all admissions/application services!
Product Fortuna Comprehensive School Package
Consultant Michel Belden
Michel has been extremely helpful in my MBA admissions process. I entered this cycle as a deferred MBA applicant, which I knew wouldn't be easy, and I was able to get into Stanford and Wharton with Michel's help!
To begin, she broke down how I should approach the process of applying to difficult MBA programs. From helping me ideate different essay topics to conducting mock interviews, she was willing to go above and beyond in order to ensure that I felt prepared and confident in every single aspect of my application. She displayed a unique ability to help me see the bigger picture and develop a roadmap, and I felt that this was essential when I was writing my essays and preparing for interviews. Having bought the comprehensive package, another thing about Michel that I really appreciated was that she did not try to rush me through the process or set a limit to the number of hours I could ask for her help. In the heat of the essay writing period, she was willing to meet with me multiple times a week to go over numerous revisions and essay versions, which I felt was something incredibly unique about Michel and Fortuna. Having that immediate access to advice and analysis on my application was critical to my success at Stanford and Wharton. I highly recommend Michel and Fortuna to anyone beginning the MBA application process!
Product Fortuna Hourly Consulting Services
Consultant Heidi Hillis
Incredibly helpful working with Heidi Hillis of Fortuna. Very empathetic and encouraging with her advice. Extremely responsive, sometimes within the matter of just a few hours. Very rigorous with her edits.
Fortuna met my expectations. I would highly recommend them.
The application process can feel like engaging a black box, and Heidi and Judith offered insights on how to engage that box, how to understand it. I felt at the end of the journey I was better able to understand, most of all, my own self, my trajectory, and how I can contribute the most to an MBA class, and how I can most succeed in my industry and function(s) of interest.
Product Fortuna The Admissions Director’s Evaluation
Consultant Emma Bond
Working with Emma Bond has been an amazing experience and far beyond my expectation in almost all aspects. With her enormous support, I have been successfully rewarded with several great offers from the world leading business schools (among top 10 in the world).
Not Only with invaluable insight and constructive advice, Emma Bond is also incredibly responsive, dynamic, and super responsible. She was able to work around my schedule in order to meet the tough deadline (less than two weeks from first consultation), even actively supported me during the Easter Holiday.
The mock interview was with great value, definitely you would be more relaxed in the real interviews.
A great “gatekeeper”! I strong recommend!
Product Fortuna Hourly Consulting Services
Consultant Sharon Joyce
I had an incredible experience working with Sharon and cannot recommend her highly enough as an admissions consultant. I targeted three M7s and one T10 and was admitted to two of the M7s and the T10 with scholarship offers at two of the three.
Like many, I spent a month or so taking advantage of the many free consultations that exist to learn more about the admissions consulting process, gauge the strength of my application, and determine whether partnering with an admissions consultant could be the right fit for me. I knew going in that if I did decide to leverage a consultant that I wanted to have someone who I could trust to be a confidant and to support me throughout the process.
After going through a handful of calls, I wasn’t optimistic – I hadn’t found the right person with a working style that resonated with me. However, after speaking with Sharon, I knew that she was the right fit immediately. In that initial call, she showed a genuine interest in my story and her warmth and empathy shone through (which, if you’re lucky enough to work with her, you’ll find out quickly!).
The application process is grueling and stressful. Working with Sharon was a dream. She was incredibly supportive, insightful, detail-oriented, efficient (especially important if you use an hourly package like I did!) and unafraid to push you to do more or dig deeper when you need it most. Perhaps most importantly, Sharon can do all of this well because of her extraordinary empathy. With Sharon, you will always feel like you have someone who is in your corner and who understands your unique story. If you partner with Sharon, you will not regret it.
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Product Fortuna Hourly Consulting Services
Consultant Sharon Joyce
I can’t recommend Sharon enough. I was able to secure admission to the Haas EWMBA program, which was my top choice, thanks in large part to Sharon and Fortuna admissions.
I chose the hourly sessions from her. She tracked all our work in a spreadsheet: minute by minute, so I was always aware of exactly what she was working on. I was initially skeptical about working with a consultant due to the cost involved, but if you are having similar thoughts, I highly suggest you evaluate the cost of consultation vs opportunity cost due to missed admit, or the fees of a top-tier MBA program, and suddenly this cost seems like a drop in the bucket. Sharon was very well organized and highly responsive during the entire process. I was in a time crunch and had just 2 weeks’ time before the R3 deadline when I approached her, but she made sure that I was able to get the best version of my application submitted on time. She made me introspect what truly matters to me and that helped me immensely while crafting my main essay for Haas. If not for her counselling, I would have submitted an essay which I thought was compelling at that moment, but rather a subpar one in hindsight. Being from an overrepresented male Indian engineer category, I wanted to distinguish myself from the pool of similar applicants and Sharon’s guidance helped me do just that. This is where her rich experience of working in admissions for over 25 years and as an Associate Director of Admissions at Berkeley Haas shines. She also did a thorough review of my final application and helped me cross all t’s to ensure that I don’t have any gaps. She recognized the strengths and weaknesses in my profile and gave me pinpoint advice on how to highlight or mitigate these respectively. She even introduced me to other Haas admits, so that we can network prior to school, which speaks volumes about how determined she is in helping her clients succeed.
Product Fortuna Comprehensive School Package
Consultant Karla Cohen
First off, Fortuna knows its chops and is truly the best in the business. Karla is amazing.
I was a re-applicant who had worked with someone else previously and not even sure whether business school would still make sense for me. Whereas other consultants told me that I likely didn’t have a shot at some of the places I had earlier applied to, Karla had a completely different and refreshing take. She believed in me from our first introductory call. She is so insightful and knowledgeable about what top schools are looking for, something that was instantly evident to me while talking to her, and helped me present my story in the most compelling way. She worked tirelessly with me on all aspects of my candidacy from the essays to the interviews, beyond what I could imagine from any other consultant! She was my biggest cheerleader, advisor, and trusted friend through the whole process, encouraging me whenever I had any doubts and helping rein in my little worries :)
She also brought in Judith specifically to help review my materials including for Wharton and Judith was similarly a delight to work with, going above and beyond!
With their help, I got accepted to 4 top schools (M7) and even received scholarships. I am so very grateful to Karla for her support and believe that her guidance made THE difference this time around. I honestly can’t recommend her enough!!!