Fortuna Admissions Admissions Consulting Reviews

The decision to work with Taniel was a wonderful one. From the get-go, Taniel took the time to understand my unique experiences and how they would impact my business school application. He was able to identify my strengths and weaknesses, including many smaller details that I had not considered, and provided actionable advice based on his analysis. We worked together to develop a game plan that allowed me to put my best foot forward. In addition, Taniel provided details on each of the schools I was considering applying to that would not be found in a typical Google search and which were extremely valuable when it came time to decide which schools to apply to. I have had an excellent experience with Taniel and regardless of the outcome of my application, I am very satisfied with the service he has provided.

Read More

I highly recommend Taniel. He was very responsive and efficient throughout the process. He was always able to give me very helpful and insightful feedback for working on each draft of my essay. Since he attended HBS recently, I felt he could give me advice that other consultants could not. When I initially contacted him, I was very stressed, and had a lot of work to do on my essays. However, with every draft, it got much better, with Taniel's detailed comments for editing and continued support. My essay came a long way with his help, and couldn't have imagined applying without him.

Read More

I am an international student and I worked with Karen Hamou on an hourly basis for my R3 applications to an M7 school and a few Top 15 schools. I reached out to Fortuna because I had worked with a consultant from another company in R2 and I was disappointed with their service and my results. In contrast, Karen and Fortuna provided a very high quality of service and they were invested in my success.

In addition to helping me navigate the uncertainties associated with Covid-19 and produce high quality applications to my R3 schools, Karen also helped me strategize my waitlist approach for some of my R2 schools (i.e. test retakes, sending updates). Karen helped me structure my essays, coach my recommenders and prepare for my interviews. For my essays, she edited them repeatedly until the stories were strong and compelling. She was extremely efficient and provided high value for the money I spent on the hourly consulting services. Karen was always available whenever I needed her - turnaround time was less than 24 hours on most materials.

There are so many things to do when you are applying to over half a dozen schools and Karen helped me prioritize on the most important tasks so that I was always on top of things. As offers started rolling in, she gave me advice on how to handle them as I waited for my dream school to accept me.

Thanks to Karen's incredible support, I received an offer from Booth and I am excited that I get to attend such a fantastic school! I would not have been able achieve this without her and I enthusiastically recommend Karen and Fortuna admissions for all your MBA application needs!

Read More

I can't thank Melissa enough to make my dream of going to INSEAD come true! Working with Melissa is extremely insightful, inspiring, yet painless because she brings years of experiences, top-notch expertise, and absolutely amazing work ethic and professionalism.

First, Melissa listens. You may think that you just have a great conversation with a friend, but after the conversation, she can strategically turn your talking points into suggested key themes for the essays that fit into schools' selection criteria seamlessly.

Second, Melissa can quickly understand your strengths and weaknesses and customize her way of working with you accordingly. With limited word counts for the application, she knows clearly what stories can show your best qualities, what stories to cut/or how to make them more concise. She makes sure that what you want to convey and what makes you stand out nicely show in your essays in a way that's written in your own tone and that touches the readers/adcom naturally.

Moreover, Melissa gently pushes you. She's so experienced in the application process that she knows when to do what makes the process most efficient and effective. She always gently reminded me of the timing and the key elements in the application package. Even with a very tight deadline, I was able to turn around my INSEAD application in less than 2 weeks and CBS and GSB's application in a week. This all can happen because Melissa got back to me VERY quickly, and don't waste time on things wouldn't work in the final product.

Lastly, Melissa would encourage you while giving you very honest feedback when necessary. She makes sure that you stay true to yourself in your essays without having the pressure in trying to write what the adcom wants to read.

I can't be happier that I got into INSEAD in the last round (even with not competitive scores) and also CBS/LBS with scholarship. Thanks to Melissa that I'm heading to France and Singapore to experience my MBA adventure in a few months!

Read More

I really enjoyed working with Paul. He was very attentive during my MIT Sloan mock interview and he was able to provide thorough and significant critiques, and suggestions which I applied and used during my interview. Paul is an excellent coach because he was able to point out minor habits that I had and how to reduce those habits to better prepare me for the interview. I ultimately got accepted into MIT Sloan MBA and I would be attending this Fall. Paul has a lot of experience in MBA admissions and preparation and so I would recommend Paul to anyone looking to apply to a top MBA program.

Read More

I highly recommend working with Sharon on MBA applications, interviews, strategy, etc.

When I decided to purchase an hourly consulting package, I was expecting help with overall strategy and a few essay prompts. In the short time Sharon and I spent together, she helped me with my overall strategy, every single essay (for 5 schools!), and short answer questions. She even proofread 2 applications before I hit submit. Sharon was extremely conscious of my time and was transparent about how the hours were spent. She made the stressful process of business school applications more manageable and enjoyable.

I was invited to interview at 4 out the 5 schools I applied to. After 2 of the interviews, I decided to do an additional hour of interview prep with Sharon. I wish I had done the hour of prep in the beginning. One hour of prep with Sharon was more beneficial than days spent on my own.

In the end, I received admission offers (with scholarships!) from the 4 schools I interviewed at. I'm beyond thrilled! Even in this stage of the process, Sharon has continued to help me with my decision.

Overall, I highly recommend working with Sharon. She's honest, funny, and truly goes above and beyond to help her clients in any way she can.

Read More

I was lucky enough to work with Heidi and transform from being someone unfamiliar with the idea of business school to an admit to both Harvard and Stanford. Heidi was the perfect coach throughout the application process. She asked thought-provoking questions that helped me introspect and develop a compelling narrative. She also is mindful of details and deadlines, and she turned around comments and edits on my drafts in record time.

Heidi is very knowledgeable on the nuanced differences between different business schools and the decision criteria of the admissions committees. This helped throughout the process, but it was especially apparent when preparing for interviews. Business school admissions interviews are unlike any interview I've experienced before, but Heidi's guidance and mock interview beforehand prepared me well and kept me at ease.

Five stars for Heidi and Fortuna - if you're about to embark on the application process, you'll want to have them in your corner.

Read More

My MBA journey started with a free consultation call to many international MBA consultants. Being an Indian male engineer with an avg GMAT score, none of the consultants made me feel confident that I could make it to my dream school INSEAD. To many of them, INSEAD was not within reach and I was recommended to have a package for 4-5 schools.
And then I had a call with Matt from Fortuna. We had an hour discussion and within few minutes, he highlighted the skills that I have to secure a place in Fontainebleau. He was so confident in my profile and was so optimistic towards my dream, not for a second he made me feel that INSEAD was not in reach. That confidence I got from the call with Matt changed my outlook and made me so optimistic. It made me realize that MBA is way beyond the GMAT test and I could leverage the strong professional and leadership experience I have and turn that into a sparkling application.
Then, I got lined with Melissa, and I can’t say enough about her as a coach. She is encyclopedia for INSEAD. She knows exactly what the school is looking for. She has focussed only on my strengths throughout the process. Though the stories and achievements were mine, but the way she displayed those in the application made a real difference. She is very honest, and at all times she provided her genuine feedback and support. I was intrigued with her knowledge of INSEAD admission process. She took my mock interview and my actual interview was the replica of the mock. I can say for certain that if INSEAD is your dream school, then Melissa is a no-brainer.
Lastly, I would highly recommend Fortuna Admissions to the prospective applicants if you are looking for a consultant to go in your dream school. Fortuna has all the ingredients to make your dream true! Right from the consultation call to the final review of your application from the director is an amazing journey that one would like to be a part of.

Read More

Caroline supported me from the very beginning when I was still preparing my GMAT. After getting a lower-than-average test score (below 700), she still continued his amazing support and did her best to compensate for this weakness in my profile.
While I was getting turned down by another consultant who did not want to “touch” my application due to the low GMAT, she highlighted other strengths in my profile that eventually allowed me to gain admission in all the schools that I have applied to (MIT, INSEAD).
Caroline’s expertise about MBA admissions and extensive network has been decisive and I don’t regret at all hiring her services. She knew where to focus our efforts (essays and letters of recommendation are too often underestimated) to make my application stand out among others. Thanks to her, I am now joining my dream school!!
For anyone considering hiring a consultant, if you can afford it, please do it. This relatively small investment (in comparison to the cost of an MBA) can make a huge difference and you will never be disappointed with Caroline and the whole Fortuna team.

Read More

Despite originally not planning to work with an admissions consultant, I ultimately reached out to Heidi as I hit a wall with the "What Matters" essay at GSB - my dream school. Given that I only had limited time and much of thinking already complete, Heidi recommended the flexible hourly package (5 hours+). With the minimum amount of time, i was originally a bit nervous -- however, even with 5 hours, Heidi still managed to identify my strongest stories and themes that I could never have on my own. The overall experience was also wonderful, and it was such a joy to work with her - even though we were on opposite time zones during the holidays, she worked flexibly to meet my schedule and continued to encourage me through warmth and affirmation. For anyone applying to GSB, or anywhere really, I highly highly recommend working with Heidi.

Read More