I contacted a few companies when I started my MBA journey and almost all of them told me my dream schools were not a likely possibility. Fortuna was the only exception; they believed in me from the very start! Karen took the time to really understand me, my background, and my ideal career trajectory.

Since I obtained my ideal GMAT score in late November, she helped me streamline all 5 of my applications to M7 schools in only one month. She worked around the clock nonstop and was always available when I needed her. She ultimately became the mentor and cheerleader I needed during this frustrating process.

Out of 5 applications, I received 4 interviews. She worked with me prior to every single interview, helping me clearly tell my story and why I was a good fit for each school. As a result, I was admitted to three top programs. I am absolutely ecstatic with the results and I cannot recommend Karen enough!!

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It has been a long journey but at the end I am admitted to 3 Business Schools included my dream school. I am an international candidate on the older side that never applied to a US School. Heidi helped me going through the process with a clear mindset and guidance, motivating me but always with a down to earth approach. I felt she was genuine and very experienced on how to best tackle the next steps.
After submitting my application she went through the interview process and she even recommended me to her colleagues for a second opinion.

You profile is what it is but working with Heidi and Fortuna guarantees you the best chance for your application.

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I couldn't be more thankful for Karen's (and Judith's!) support throughout the entire MBA process. I knew I was in great hands at every step of the way - from the beginning steps of my application essays, through interviews, through crafting a waitlist strategy. I received effect and timely advice, and felt that Karen helped me tell my story and illustrate my potential better than I ever could by myself. Karen kept me organized, energized, and calm throughout the entire process, and I have already recommended her to multiple people. I wouldn't have been admitted to multiple M7 programs without you -- Thank you, Karen!

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Karen brings three key things to the table: 1. stellar organizational skills, 2. deep experience in crafting compelling stories, and 3. sustained and personable support (and trust me you will need a lot of it)

My background was not the easiest to work with: management consultant with an undergraduate degree in business and a below average GMAT. To add to this, I was also only looking at top schools. Over the course of several months, Karen challenged me again and again to go deeper in my stories to find the relevant examples that would bring my story to life. I received candid feedback in a timely manner and could always count on Karen's extremely fast turnaround time for essays.

Above all, I particularly enjoyed how involved Karen was. She believed in me, my story and the hard work we put in. I always knew that Karen had my back and when I received the first rejection letters, she made sure that I would remain motivated. She went above and beyond, even going outside her mandate to help me on additional essays to get scholarships.

I have nothing but great things to say about Karen and I trust that whoever hires her will get the same service as I got. As for me, I am going to Booth this fall and could not be happier.

PS: as for Fortuna, I liked the fact that there is a 2-step process, first with your consultant and then with a director!

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I bought the 3 school package with Sharon Joyce and it was the best investment I made in preparation for the business school admission process! I strongly recommend working with Sharon as an admissions consultant.

In June/July 2019, I interviewed multiple admissions consultancies and I'm telling you right now, stop what you're doing, stop talking to anyone else, pick up the phone and call Sharon!! By the end of our first call together I already knew Sharon was different and that I was in incredible hands. She had this remarkably wide, expansive view of the world and my place in it, yet also picked up on little (most would think innocuous) details in my stories that would go on to play major roles in our future brainstorming sessions/my essays. She has this incredible empathic ability to understand you, make you feel understood, and then bring out the best in you and your work all the while making you feel calm and relaxed during one of the most stressful times of your life. 

From resume building to formulating clear career goals, from writing and editing essays to interview preparation, she was instrumental in helping me reach the most optimal and consistent presentation of myself. Her perspective and strategic guidance were invaluable, as were her 'second-to-none' organization skills and methodical preparation. She was available, flexible, undoubtedly one of the most sincere people I have ever met. In the fall, I will be attending my first choice and dream MBA/MPH program (Berkeley Haas). There is no doubt that her expertise was essential to helping me accomplish my goal. 

I will forever be grateful to Sharon for her hard work, dedication, and ceaseless belief in me.

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I worked with Fortuna on an application to a global top 10 MBA program. I sincerely believe that Fortuna, and my coach Cassandra in particular, were instrumental to my subsequent admission. To put it briefly, Cassandra is an true pro. My experience collaborating with her on this application has felt like a year’s worth of professional coaching condensed into a matter of months. She is an expert in personal branding and offered an invaluable lens on my application materials, helping me produce essays that truly spoke to my strengths. She was a consistent presence throughout the application process, swiftly responding with feedback on my drafts and carving out time in her schedule to work with me. Her investment in me gave me additional confidence in my submission. Our interview prep also proved to be a key advantage for the alumni interviews; Cassandra helped me cover all my bases and highlight my key experiences. In summary, I believe that Fortuna and Cassandra helped me paint from my professional and personal experience to produce the best application possible. I am incredibly grateful for their invaluable guidance and thankful for the opportunities they’ve helped make a reality.

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I'm extremely happy that I chose Judith and the Fortuna team to work with me on my b-school applications. I had low standards for myself going into the process, and with Judith/Fortuna's support, I was able to get into my top choice school (HSW).

I worked primarily with Karen on my applications, but Judith provided valuable support throughout the entire process. When Karen was out of office at times, Judith did not hesitate to step in and provide her undivided attention. She was amazing from the start, coaching me on my recommender briefs through a short-notice phone call over a holiday weekend, to final checking my essays multiple times for each school. I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Judith and would highly recommend her for anyone looking for an experienced advisor to boost your chances of gaining admission to the top business schools.

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I interviewed multiple admissions companies and Fortuna stood out for their attention to detail, expansive view of the world, and succinctly getting to the heart of things.

I have seen these same qualities in my every interaction with Karen, starting from our first conversation. Karen has been my cheerleader and supporter through every step of the application process, getting me essay edits back in less than 48 hours, answering all my questions big and small, and helping me really refine the essence of my story and what I can bring to an MBA program. I really appreciated her flexibility in working around my schedule (we’re in very different time zones) and in helping me think strategically when I encountered challenges in my personal life during the application process. For most of us this process is a daunting one that is a test of stamina, willpower, and self-belief, but knowing Karen was on my side really helped me manage the stress and uncertainty.

I highly recommend Karen to anyone looking for a supportive, strategic, and empathetic consultant during the MBA admissions journey.

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I bought a one-school package with Nonie and that was the best investment I have made in my MBA journey.

Before signing up with her, I have read many reviews and contacted many admission coaches only to have most of them tell me that the chance of getting into a top 10 business school MBA program is slim due to my lower than average GMAT score. The first impression I got from Nonie is that she can quickly identify the strengths and weaknesses of a candidate and come up with a very bespoke admission strategy, on the other hand, she also made me believe that I can achieve the goal.

Working with Nonie is also a pleasure, she is candid, honest and methodical. We have set many small deadlines for application materials and Nonie constantly checks in on the progress if my essays or other aspects of the application. On many occasions, she and I have worked out of office hours to deliver quality files before the deadline. The end result is, I submitted both my LBS and INSEAD applications a few days before the deadlines.

I also found my mock interview with Nonie was very helpful as well. I was initially intimidated by the idea of video interviews as I had no experience in the past, but working with Nonie who guided me through the themes of the and LBSand INSEAD video interview, I felt I was more confident and relaxed in my video interviews.

I ended up getting interview offers from both LBS and INSEAD and decided to accept the offer from LBS. I would like to thank Nonie for her hard work supporting my admission journey every step of the way and I would like to recommend Nonie to everyone who aspires to get on the same journey.

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Nonie possesses ALL the traits of an exceptional coach, she is methodical, organized, punctual, professional, flexible, candid, provides immensely valuable feedback, and ultimately empowers you to put your best application forward. On top of all this, she is also a joy to work with.

We worked together extensively on all aspects of my application, but Nonie's impact was particularly pronounced in my essays. I compared the initial drafts and final product and was amazed at the positive impact Nonie's feedback had on me and my essays. Often I found I knew what I wanted to say, but not necessarily how to best present it, and Nonie always provided her support to ensure my point was made. As it relates to interview techniques, I am quite a comfortable interviewer (making this more challenging for Nonie!) but even with a strong base, Nonie picked up on several small details which were difference makers that I had overlooked for ages - I still use them to this day. Lastly, I built a relationship with Nonie over the course of months of sharing stories, garnering her feedback and working together. I'm hoping to have the opportunity to thank her in person for her work! Nonie also draws on her experience with INSEAD, and stays in the know on updates and things to be aware of. While the MBA application process can be intense and stressful, I found myself enjoying it while working with Nonie.

Overall, I cannot recommend Nonie enough. If you are serious about ensuring you put the absolute best application forward, it is a no-brainer to speak with Nonie about how she can help you achieve your goals (and enjoy the process while working towards them).

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