Working with Silpa has been one of the most pivotal and empowering decisions I made in my MBA application journey. From the very beginning, she brought a level of empathy, strategic insight, and relentless commitment that made this intense process feel not just achievable, but deeply personal and meaningful.

Silpa didn't just help me craft strong applications — she helped me discover and own my story. She pushed me to dig deeper, question assumptions, and articulate my journey in ways I hadn't before. Whether it was late-night essay drafts, mock interview prep, or helping me reframe setbacks into strengths, she was always present with sharp feedback and encouraging words.

What set Silpa apart was her ability to balance warmth with tough love. She knew when to be direct, when to challenge me, and when I just needed someone to believe in me. She brought structure to chaos, helped me navigate moments of self-doubt, and celebrated every small win with genuine joy.

I went through some emotionally heavy narratives during this process, and Silpa never treated them as “content” — she held space for my experiences with care and respect, while guiding me on how to present them powerfully. Her intuition, editing skills, and school-specific knowledge were second to none.

Thanks to her support, I not only received admits from top MBA programs including Wharton with a merit scholarship — I also walked away from this process more self-aware, confident, and excited for the next chapter.

Silpa, thank you for being more than a consultant — thank you for being a coach, a sounding board, and a champion. I couldn't have done this without you.

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Heidi help throughout this process has been invaluable. She has a very strong 'coach' mind set: she does not push her ideas on you but provides a sounding board. Her dogged insistence on quality really pushed my application to a higher standard. At the time I might have preferred to hear that my first essay draft was fantastic, but I’m glad she wasn’t happy until 20 rounds later!

Particular challenges with which Heidi helped out:
- Building my story: particularly as an international applicant, I found it tricky to assess which attributes of your profile could really set me apart; Heidi was able to provide strong perspectives here
- Setting a schedule & priorities: I started my application relatively late & without having completed the GMAT; without her guidance on where to focus first, my application would have been dead in the water
- Pacing of the work: Heidi helped me assess when to push an essay draft to a higher level, and when to let it rest for a while; she was also helpful in understanding what GMAT scores someone with my GPA needed

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Fortuna is a relatively new name to the admission consulting scene. Its selling point of having a team of former admission directors on board was what got me signed up for their services.

I started off with an introductory phone call with Matt, the founder. Matt was very knowledgeable on all the top business schools, describing the characteristics of each school's admission process relative to their traditions and geographic locations.

Fortuna assigned both a senior coach and coach to assist with the application process. Overall, both coaches did a great job in helping me to map out my ideas and tailor my essays and applications. In terms of interview preparation, Julie also gave great advice on articulating my story and answers.

However, the idea of having 2 coaches at once would sometimes lead to confusion and seemingly miscommunication among the 3 of us. Therefore, it would be better if there were a clear division of responsibility and communication from the get-go.

Nonetheless, I believe being able to see through the lenses of former admission directors is what make Fortuna unique, and I would definitely recommend them.

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