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Product Fortuna Admissions Comprehensive School Package
Consultant Melissa Kate Joelson
Strengths:
Deep industry expertise
Attention to detail
Clear process for creating application
Holistic application support (GMAT, applications, interviews)
I had the pleasure of working with Melissa extensively during my MBA application journey, starting with my GMAT prep. I initially came in with a below-average score, but Melissa took the time to really understand my MBA goals and test-taking weaknesses. She guided me to the right resources, which helped me boost my score into the 90th percentile within just a few weeks. After that, we dove into the MBA applications!
Coming from a healthcare background, Melissa helped me go through a journey of self-discovery, helping me figure out my reasons for pursuing an MBA and what I truly wanted for my future. This completely changed my mindset, from being insecure about getting admitted, to actually feeling confident. Melissa has a remarkable ability to highlight your strengths and accomplishments in a way that makes you trust yourself more. That gave me a strong foundation when writing my applications, and helped me present the strongest, most compelling case for admission.
As I applied to multiple schools, Melissa’s expertise was very clear, especially with INSEAD! She helped me navigate each school’s unique questions in the best way possible. This continued into the interview phase, where we did tailored mock interviews for each school.
I also really appreciated Melissa’s attention to detail. Every single word I wrote, including the basic application questions, was meticulously thought and reviewed.
Melissa truly goes the extra mile for her candidates and fully invests herself in their journey! I’m so grateful to have had her as my consultant, not only for the amazing success in my applications, but also for the confidence she gave me and the clarity I now have about my personal goals and aspirations.
Product Fortuna Admissions Comprehensive School Package
Consultant Heidi Hillis
Strengths:
Incredibly helpful in getting the whole package together!
Would make the product better:
Nothing!
Working with Heidi was crucial to my MBA application process. I was working a busy finance job, and managing deadlines was already tough. From our very first conversation, she brought a thoughtful, strategic lens to my story — helping me not only polish the application, but rethink how I was presenting my goals and experiences to package it right
Heidi has a clear understanding of how top MBA programs evaluate candidates, and she helped me identify what truly stood out in my background. She was direct and honest with feedback — I like how she says something just isn’t up to par is directionally wrong if she thinks it, without trying to dance around it. I never felt like I was being forced into a template or told what I “should” say. Instead, she pushed me to be succinct and intentional. Her help with connecting the dots across essays, short answers, and recommendations made a big difference. Especially with recommendations as well – first draft of those were a disaster and looking over them together gave me such a piece of mind.
Throughout the entire process, Heidi was calm and incredibly responsive, and level-headed — exactly what I needed during some of the more stressful moments, especially as I navigated deferrals and waitlist, keeping me focused on what I could control. If you’re looking for someone who will take your application seriously, give you clear and candid advice, and help you bring out the strongest and most thoughtful version of your story, I highly recommend working with Heidi.
Product Fortuna Admissions Comprehensive School Package
Consultant Silpa Sarma
Would make the product better:
Silpa tends to focus on the GSB application the most, given her background and the application's length. I feel like maybe we should've spent a little more focus on the new format of the HBS application, which was my top choice.
Silpa was great to work with through every step of the application process. She was very helpful in ideating and shaping both my essays and my recommendations from early on. She worked with my ideas while also giving clear and constructive feedback. As we moved along, I appreciated Silpa's strategic eye in making sure that the totality of my application captured all of the details I wanted to get across, and maximized every character allotted. Above all, Silpa's availability to chat live and discuss ideas, changes, and concerns was most valuable to me. I am grateful for her guidance to get through this process!
Product Fortuna Admissions Comprehensive School Package
Consultant Silpa Sarma
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.
Product Fortuna Admissions Comprehensive School Package
Consultant Michel Belden
Strengths:
Great end-to-end advisory process
Would make the product better:
Nothing - Fortuna and Michel were great
I’m very grateful for Michel, who served as my advisor through the MBA application process over the past six months. She was key to my success in getting admitted to four of my dream schools (out of six) within the M7—something I didn’t think was possible from the outset. From our very first meeting, it was clear that Michel brought not only deep expertise in the admissions process, especially given her time working in admissions, but also an incredible sense of empathy and strategic insight.
Her expertise shone through throughout every step through thorough every step of the process, from giving me guidance on how to select schools, to helping polish my resume, to the essay writing process, and finally the interviewing. In addition to great strategic coaching, she was able to give great insights from both a larger admissions lens and an individual school-specific level. Michel never applies a cookie-cutter approach; every brainstorming session, essay draft, and mock interview was tailored specifically to who I am, what I hoped to achieve, and my authentic style of written and verbal expression.
In particular, Michel was incredibly helpful in providing feedback for essays. She was a consummate professional, always responding in a timely manner with clear, actionable feedback. In addition, I really appreciated that she struck the right balance between encouraging me to write my own authentic story and challenging me to dig deeper to clarify my motivations and sharpen my story. A good example is a comment on an essay for the school I’m now about to attend, where she pushed me to strengthen my ending by “showing” how I grew from the experience, rather than “telling.” While I was responsible for identifying the right anecdote to tie the essay together, I never would have reached this level of detail had I not had her feedback, and this could have been the difference needed to get into this top school.
I had a similar personalized experience with her interview coaching. This was especially important with the rush of interviews I was fortunate to get invited to. As the interview style differs amongst the top schools, she was able to streamline my process preparing and get me focused and confident to perform my best. In particular, her experience working at Wharton, which is unlike all other interview styles, was a moment that reflected her years of expertise on the admissions side.
While it can be intimidating going into the admissions process and picking a coach, now on the other side, I can confidently say that I’m so thankful I chose Michel. Her top coaching helped me unlock my very best potential and I cannot recommend her enough as your MBA admissions advisor!
Product Fortuna Admissions Comprehensive School Package
Consultant Peter Johnson
Strengths:
Extensive experience as a former admissions.
Dedicated and proactive,
Lots of good research and materials
Working with Peter from Fortuna Admissions has been an excellent experience. As an international candidate, bridging the information gap was crucial for me, and Peter’s background provided a wealth of insights from the other side of the table.
He is consistently on top of things, providing detailed, thoughtful feedback that is actionable and clear. Despite the challenges of managing time zone differences, Pete was incredibly accommodating, often working over weekends to make sure our sessions were productive.
Beyond his expertise, Peter’s encouragement and positivity were a huge support throughout the nerve-wracking application process. His genuine care made those stressful waiting days far more manageable.
I would highly recommend Peter to anyone seeking an experienced, supportive, and exceptionally dedicated MBA coach.
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Product Fortuna Admissions Comprehensive School Package
Consultant Patty Keegan
Strengths:
Works great for someone who's looking for an in depth analysis and road mapping for a successful MBA application
Would make the product better:
N/A
As an applicant from an overrepresented background, I knew standing out was critical. Patty was instrumental in helping me craft an authentic and compelling narrative during my HBS and GSB applications, providing strategic insights that sharpened my story. Her guidance also played a key role in my successful Berkeley Haas application, where I was admitted. Patty’s deep understanding of the admissions process, personalized feedback, and ability to bring out my unique strengths made all the difference. I truly appreciate her support and highly recommend her to anyone looking for expert MBA admissions advice to maximize their chances of success.
Product Fortuna Admissions Comprehensive School Package
Consultant Peter Johnson
Strengths:
Very responsible coach with deep experience and great listening skills to elevate your story
Would make the product better:
N/A
I was quite stressed when I decided to apply for an MBA just one month before the round’s deadline. I needed a trusted advisor who could eliminate the guesswork in how to best represent myself—someone with both experience and my best interests at heart. I was very fortunate to meet Pete, who turned out to be exactly that and more, ultimately helping me gain admission to two of the three schools I applied to (Berkeley and UCLA).
Given my short timeline, Pete was an incredibly responsible and calming presence. He helped me set clear priorities and efficiently navigate school selection, recommender preparation, and the crafting of my essays and résumé—all without compromising thoroughness or attention to detail. I particularly appreciated his relentless effort in iterating on my essays and résumé. Every time I sent him materials for review, he didn’t just focus on the latest updates; he reread everything carefully to incorporate new perspectives and ensure consistency. His professionalism also kept me accountable, pushing me to submit only my best work throughout this intense process. Additionally, Pete proactively involved other consultants with specific expertise in certain schools or areas, providing invaluable additional feedback. I’m also incredibly grateful for his flexibility—he made himself available on weekends and holidays to promptly address my questions and requests as the deadline approached.
What pleasantly surprised me about working with Pete was his ability to listen deeply and work with my existing materials with both respect and expertise. Like many applicants, I found that my application stories became quite personal and vulnerable at times. Pete’s thoughtful approach made me feel comfortable sharing my experiences, and his deep admissions expertise helped me identify the stories that best represented me while staying true to myself.
By the end of my process with Pete, every word in my application felt like me—just at my very best. This became a grounding force throughout my application journey, helping me stay confident despite the overwhelming noise online about what schools are looking for. It also proved invaluable during interviews, where candidates and their stories truly come to life for schools.
Product Fortuna Admissions Comprehensive School Package
Consultant Emma Bond
Strengths:
Great platform for students, lots of good research, great set of consultants to offer views on resumes, interviews, essays.
Would make the product better:
NA
10/10 performance, I'm so glad I used Fortuna as my consultants. I connected with Fortuna at the start of my admission process and was nothing but impressed. I used Emma Bond, who was incredibly qualified in her understanding of schools in Europe, which was exactly the location I was targeting. Through her expertise, I was able to secure admission in all 3 top tier Europe MBA programs which I had applied to. Super impressed, and really really happy with the services provided by Fortuna as a whole. I would highly recommend that students look to Fortuna for consultancy services in the future. Consultancy is not cheap, but is worth it in the end.
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Product Fortuna Admissions Comprehensive School Package
Consultant Sharon Joyce
Strengths:
Very comprehensive
Would make the product better:
nothing
My consultant coach was absolutely amazing. Sharon provided me with invaluable advice and insights that I wouldn’t have fully grasped as a foreign applicant. She took the time to understand my background, strengths, and aspirations, helping me shape my thoughts and express them in a clear, compelling, and impactful way. Her expertise and personalized guidance significantly improved my application, making my story more cohesive and persuasive. I truly appreciated her attention to detail and strategic approach, which gave me greater confidence throughout the admissions process.
I highly recommend working with Fortuna and Sharon! Again, many thanks for everything. I learned a lot on myself throughout the process.