Fortuna Admissions Admissions Consulting Reviews

I had an initial call with Matt Symonds, during which we discussed my background, goals, and school choices. Given my focus on Europe, Cassandra’s experience with top European schools really stood out and made me interested in having her as my coach. I therefore asked to be connected with her and ended up working together as part of a CSP for LBS and during a few additional hours for some other schools.

The greatest benefit that I derived from working with Cassandra was belief. I was nervous at the start of this process and didn’t completely acknowledge the strengths of my profile. However, Cassandra was able to not only steer me in the right direction in terms of the application but also was always available to address my concerns and questions - over messages, emails, calls, and video meetings. As someone who didn’t start with having MBAs in my network, I also greatly benefitted from Cassandra’s support, expertise, and big-picture perspective in ensuring that my essays were always logical, aspirational, and human. The nice thing about the CSP was that my full application was also reviewed by a director, who has tremendous knowledge of the school. In addition, I was able to make use of a mock interview with Cassandra, during which she gave me actionable feedback around both things that I was doing well and things that I could do better, and helped me go into my interview with confidence.

To anyone who is willing to drive their own application, but would love to have a champion and expert by their side, I would highly recommend working with Cassandra! She truly helped me in my moments of self-doubt and helped me communicate my story in the most impactful manner!

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I worked with Jenifer for my Wharton application. She was really helpful with helping me build my narrative, create a differentiated profile for myself, and working with me to build a network with the school. She is very good at seeing exactly who someone is and finding the best in them. Although I did not get into Wharton, I think she did a lot to help me create a much, much better application than I would have been able to create otherwise.

Additionally, she went the extra mile and helped me build a working plan for next year on the best way for me to improve my profile further for these highly competitive schools.

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My journey with Fortuna started a couple of months prior to the INSEAD application deadline and I worked with Jenifer throughout the entire INSEAD application process. Jenifer was able to provide a wealth of knowledge alongside bespoke advice to help me achieve an R1 offer. Through our detailed initial consultations, Jenifer was genuinely interested in my life and as such, was able to guide me in crafting my own story, showcasing and balancing both my strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, Jenifer pushed me to improve my GMAT score from 700 to 740. I would recommend Jenifer to anyone that is looking to achieve their MBA admission goals.

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Fortuna was first recommended to me by a friend, I didn’t think i would need them. It was the best thing i ever did signing with them and having them help me through the whole application process. They where superb, i had the best Emma Bond helping me along with the rest of the team. It’s money well spent , they helped me shape a strong application and their experience really helped, 12 out of 10 . Emma really put a lot of time and effort from CV prep, Essays , mock interviews and overall prep, it was a very good experience, thanks to everyone at Fortuna Admissions and Emma in specific.

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During my application, Jessica helped me define my career goals more clearly, which was essential to better decide on the schools I wanted to apply to. Jessica is extremely detailed and is always available for any questions. In addition, the support of Julia Brady in reviewing my essays was key to polishing them and giving them greater consistency.
I highlight their patience and unconditional support to guide me to show my best in the essays and interview. Without their support, I would not have managed to enter a top mba in the USA after being invited to several interviews. I totally recommend them!

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I was targeting INSEAD and had HEC Paris as back-up plan.
I was lucky to work with Nonie to refine my application strategy. Though being very positive overall, she gave substantial pieces of advice which made me change a lot both my essays and CV.
Another crucial aspect was timing. We had two weeks before INSEAD round 2 application deadline and still achieved to apply on time (though looking back I would not advise anyone to rush in a similar fashion!) thanks to her reactivity.
In the end, I was waitlisted (and later accepted) by INSEAD and accepted with 10K€ scholarship by HEC, and I have chosen to go INSEAD.
Thanks again Nonie

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Happy to say Melissa helped me get into my dream school - INSEAD! I was looking for admissions consultants to give me peace of mind throughout the typically stressful application process. Fortuna was a clear winner due to their INSEAD expertise and network. Melissa gave me confidence throughout and even went the extra mile in connecting me with alumni.

Fortuna is very structured in their counseling which worked great for me. The majority of our communication was over email or Podio software, with 3 calls. This worked for me due to my busy schedule, however if you are looking for someone to take several 1:1 calls then it may not be the best fit for you.

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Why did I seek admissions advising?
Early in my business school application journey I spoke with MBA colleagues and friends to understand what lessons could be learned from those who had already walked the path. The resounding advice: do not underestimate or neglect the non-GMAT components of the application. I would be remiss not to reinforce that same message for anyone embarking on their admissions journey.
My success and acceptance to a top program can be attributed to taking that advice to heart and putting it into action by Partnering with Sharon Joyce and Fortuna. If you are serious about your application and you want the best in the business, this is it.

Why Fortuna?
• Scalable offerings – Fortuna offers both hourly billing and comprehensive packages. My coach Sharon kindly indicated that hourly should be enough for me to achieve my goals, but I opted to go with the comprehensive one school package anyway because I felt I needed every edge I could get. This was important for me because it established a sense of trust early on. Sharon was not trying to talk me into anything I didn’t need and placed my best interest at the forefront early on.
• Top Talent – I had the please of meeting many of the coaches and directors throughout the process. Fortuna without a doubt has some of the most talented and well-connected staff in the game. Each coach has different strengths related to the application process, specific programs and geographies, so do your diligence upfront. You will also benefit from the cross-pollination of coaches e.g., I decided later in the process that I may toss an application at a European program and that week Sharon had me on the phone with the ex-admissions director for INSEAD.

Why Sharon?
If you have read Sharon’s Fortuna profile or other reviews, you know by now that she has an innate and unmatched ability to extract, polish, frame and re-frame individuality - the single most important element that your application should aim to embody: YOU. I will keep this short as other reviews have touched on this point – but if you value this trait, there is not another human being that can match her talent in this space. Period.
The reason I prefer to draw your attention to Sharon’s other attributes is that in my own coach selection, my only apprehension was in answering the question: is she too specialized in this individualization thing? What else will I get? Allow me to enlighten you:
• An exceptionally brilliant, charismatic human being: If you need as much help as I did, you are going to be spending a considerable amount of time with your coach. You want someone who you are not only comfortable with, but enjoy spending time with. Sharon is an absolute delight - her passion for her work and genuine interest in you make the long hours and difficult moments not only endurable, but enjoyable.
• A strategic thought partner: I had very little direction when Sharon agreed to work with me. I was not even able to articulate why I wanted an MBA or why I chose the schools I did. I don’t recommend anyone come in at ground zero as I did, but the point is: Sharon met me there with grace and asked the right questions to give me the direction I desperately needed.
• An insider’s perspective: Sharon has years of experience in academia, and specifically as an admissions director for a top ten program. Her ability to channel the perspective on the receiving end of the application and apply it to how your application will be perceived is invaluable.
• A source of energy and accountability: I was already working 60+ hours a week and I knew I needed someone to push me. I was upfront about this with Sharon, giving her the permission to push me hard when it was needed. She heard me and took on the role that I needed - pushing when it was time and counseling with clear eyes when I was overwhelmed and disoriented.
• Clear direction; direct and honest feedback: My favorite thing about Sharon – she is not afraid to be direct and honest. In retrospect, she saved me from some very bad essay, video, and resume ideas, and did so very quickly backing her position with strong reason and real-life examples. She is not abrasive, but she is very direct. If she senses you heading down the wrong path, she does not give you a long cryptic fable to take away chew on. Instead she gives you direct, honest, and logical feedback. When time is of the essence, this is a highly valuable trait.
• Value beyond the contract: Beyond providing the services outlined in the Fortuna contract, Sharon is willing (within reason) to operate outside of scope. This was never anything I asked for or expected. For example: I shared that I was working with my organization to further develop our Inclusion and Diversity framework and principles. Later that night I had three perfectly relevant research papers in my inbox as well as an offer to connect me to the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for a top five MBA program.

To conclude, the best way I know how to help you understand Sharon, is by referencing an artist at work - as this is what she truly is. She can step back and see your canvas from a far, coming back the next day to add some hatching there, some shadowing there, and sfumato where it’s needed. She will continue to do this, sometimes unnoticeably, until the end when you view the entirety of the application for the first time and realize just how polished and harmonic each component has become.

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I decided to work with an admissions consultant due to the demands of my job and a short application window. I had little time to manage the process alone and wanted to work with someone to keep me focused and make more efficient use of my time. I decided to work with Fortuna Admissions after receiving a free consultation with Matt Symonds as well as a few other companies. I was impressed with Matt’s knowledge of the one year programs I was interested in, as well as Fortuna’s deep bench of former admissions officers at my target schools.

After signing with Fortuna, I was fortunate to be placed with Nonie Mackie. I can confidently say that Nonie was an essential factor in my successful admission into a global top MBA program.

I applied to a small number of one-year MBA programs (think INSEAD, Oxbridge), and Nonie was very knowledgeable about what each school was looking for and how to craft my story and strategy. Nonie helped me draft and perfect my CV, my essays, my recommender strategy, and even the application forms for each school. Nonie also provided critical support with interview preparation, and our mock interviews helped me feel confident and focused for the real deal.

As a struggled with some GMAT setbacks and a full plate of work, Nonie was also able to keep me organized and focused on preparing what I needed to prepare in the time given, and took out a lot of guesswork throughout the whole application process.

If you are interested in applying to the same schools that I did, or really any school, ask to work with Nonie at Fortuna. You will be glad you did when you get into your dream MBA program.

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I was a round 4 LBS applicant and purchased ten hours of coaching with Emma Bond at Fortuna.

Working with Emma was, I am convinced, the deciding factor in my successful admission to LBS.

In the four or so months that we worked together, Emma was faultlessly professional, flexible and, above all, fun to work with. Emma has an astonishing level of insight into the LBS application process and remains extremely close to goings-on within the school.

My time with Emma started with a detailed discussion around my plans to apply for an MBA, in advance of which I'd completed an extensive written questionnaire that Emma had clearly read thoroughly in advance of our discussion. This allowed our conversation to be focussed and highly beneficial in helping to firm up my application strategy and proposed approach to LBS' written application.

As I progressed through the written application, Emma was extremely helpful and responsive in allowing me to put my best foot forward. Emma rightly set very high standards for the application questions and in particular around using the limited space in the essays effectively. Without Emma's guidance and insight at this stage of the process my written materials would have been significantly weaker.

When I was admitted for interview, Emma and I worked together on interview prep (both for the interview itself and the additional pre-recorded video question). Emma was immensely effective in helping to improve my weaknesses and again - rightly - set high and challenging standards while remaining very constructive and fair. Beyond improving areas in which I knew I was weak already, Emma helped me to identify and rectify weaknesses I didn't know I had, and I was able to attend my interview feeling as well-prepared as I possibly could be. One of Emma's real strengths is in the quality of her feedback - clear, constructive and readily-actionable.

I couldn't recommend Emma to prospective LBS applicants highly enough - I immensely enjoyed our time working together and was continually impressed by the strength of her insight and level of support throughout the process.

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