Michel, Judith and the Fortuna team, helped me get into Anderson and wait-listed at Haas. The Fortuna team helped me at every step of the process and I would highly recommend working with them.

From a high level, Michel and Judith worked with me on a timeline to successfully apply round one 2016. I initially reached out to Fortuna in early 2015, but due to several prior commitments I was not able to apply until Round 1 2016. Despite this delayed timing, Michel and Judith started working with me in June 2015 on a game plan so that we could hit the ground running in 2016.

Michel and Judith referred me to an excellent GMAT tutor who helped me break the 700 mark. Fortuna's in-house resume expert got my resume into excellent shape. By the time essay questions got released, I was feeling very organized thanks to Fortuna.

To help me develop my story for applications, Michel and Judith put me through several exercises to hone in on my thesis. These exercises helped me flush out my story, and Michel and Judith challenged me at every step of the way to support my story with evidence. Michel and Judith were extremely responsive, and were always available via email, call and even text message. I was ready to submit my essays in advance of the deadlines, making it a stress free process.

When it came time for interviews, Michel and Judith helped me prepare by pointing me towards sample questions (shared by previous clients) and putting me through a mock interview. I felt very confident going into both interviews as a result.

Over the past 1.5 years, Michel and Judith have dedicated a lot of their time to helping me with the applications. Michel and Judith were truly invested in my success, and when we got the news they were the first people I called. If you are looking for a partner to guide you through the process and help you get into top-tier schools, Fortuna is the way to go.

Read More

Having gone through the application process unsuccessfully the previous year I am able to especially appreciate the constant support and guidance that I have received from Catherine throughout my application journey this year. We worked together on three schools and I received admission offers from two of them while being wait-listed for the third.

I daresay I actually enjoyed the application process this time around as Catherine not only helped me identify the right schools but also helped me present my best case as to why I should be a part of their class. Her suggestions and interventions made all the difference in my applications and interviews and her constant availability and support helped make this a stress-free experience.

Looking back I do not think I could have asked for a better guide. Going to Business School is a significant investment of time and money and is probably one of the most important decisions I have made. I am glad to have had Catherine's advice, encouragement and support during this journey and could not recommend her and Fortuna highly enough.

Read More

Summary:
I could not have been happier with the service I received at Fortuna, from my main coach, Karen Ponte and also from one of the partners, Emma Bond who provided input the final stages. I would 100% recommend them, especially Karen and Emma for LBS, though I have no doubt their other advisers and knowledge of other schools is as good.

About me:
- Non-traditional background
- Indian Male
- Post MBA aiming for consulting or healthcare industry
- 2.5 year work experience
- Top 20 UK university for undergraduate degree (First Class)
- GMAT 710

About my circumstances:
- I retook the GMAT a second time to improve my score to 710 from 690 in about July
- Started shortlisting schools around the same time and doing some research
- Reached out to Fortuna and other coaches towards the end of July, beginning of August.
- Matt Symonds responded and was the key differentiator compared to others, his quick understanding of my situation and helpful advice in targeting specific schools but also his realistic and open approach helped me decide on Fortuna.
- Engaged Fortuna for their CSP for London Business School (my top choice)

About my experience:
Writing applications is difficult and requires high levels of energy. I was not quite sure what to expect from the coach. But when I spoke to Karen for the first time on Skype, it was a very pleasant and informative conversation. We got set up using an excellent bit of project management software, which made the whole process a 100 times easier (than having to email things back and forth).

What I particularly liked was that neither Karen nor Emma were writing the essays or adding any content, but instead were drawing out the best (but true) version of myself to present to the admissions committee. They took time to understand my background (which was non-traditional) and we were able to turn this into a strength. Another area was bringing their own experiences in having read applications and knowing the right amount of information to include (for example I wasn't sure if I should talk about my family and that side of my life, or if I should keep it professional). They gave me the confidence in knowing that I was including the right information both my short answer questions and in the essays.

LBS threw in a surprise video interview this time around for the first time, but the coaches handled it very well and were able to provide some important feedback on how to handle this new assessment. The mock interviews with both Karen and Emma were also particularly useful in identifying commonly asked questions where my answers were not convincing or a little too generic.

Turnaround times were excellent with Karen more often than not replying within an hour of my posting a question etc. I was quite worried because I wasn't sure that one month would be enough (while working full time), but it worked out fine and I felt I had submitted the best application I could have.

I am thankful to them both, and would happily recommend their services to anyone, especially those that may have unusual backgrounds for MBAs.

Read More

Life has not been the same since being accepted at INSEAD, and I don't want to imagine what it would have been like if I hadn't been accepted.

Prior to applying, my goal to get accepted to INSEAD was clear and I did not intend on taking any chances in this process, so I went with Fortuna.


The full package is a little bit on the pricier side, however keep in mind that the consulting team that you will be working with have in depth insider knowledge regarding the application process and will safely guide you past many easy traps along the way. The package also includes one on one preparation for interviews with your consultant, a full resume review, and a lot of cheering from the sidelines! I am eternally grateful to the dream team. Thank you Melissa, Matt and Caroline!

Read More

Nonie has been with me from day 1 of my application preparation for INSEAD MBA. And this is the best decision I have made!

Whether you think your application is already solid or that you have to start from scratch, Nonie will play a key role in building the best possible application with you.

Nonie has been available all the time and her turnaround was all always very quick and of top quality. She consistently provided detailed comments, explaining her reasoning and thoroughly helping me to rethink all the details of my application until perfection. She has demonstrated her outstanding knowledge of the application process, of the school profiles and of the best way to put oneself forward. Her commitment and empathy were so high that I sometimes had the impression it was her own application and this gave me even more motivation.

A very important difference with other consultant is probably that Nonie call into questions all your arguments and examples to make sure that they are absolutely bullet proof. This forces you to think again and again but also prepares you for the interviews.

Finally, Nonie has been a very enjoyable person to work with. It is rare to show such top class professionalism and expertise and to be such a friendly and nice person. When you feel a bit down after weeks of working on your essay or when you are waiting for your results, Nonie is also even here to cheer you up!

I extremely happy that I have been admitted to INSEAD MBA, and I owe a big part of it to Nonie. But even if I hadn’t made it through, I would start the application adventure with Nonie again and again, as she no doubt helped me put my best feet forward! Thank you!

Read More

I was very overwhelmed by the thought of facing mba applications. Especially for INSEAD, which has one of the longest applications of any MBA program. Fortuna really helped me get organized from day one, making sure I took adequate time to reflect on my background/motivations and develop a cohesive story, and then guiding me through each hurdle of the process. With my advisor, Nicola Sandford, as well as Caroline (former Admissions director at INSEAD) I had the confidence that I was submitting an application that not only displayed my story in the best possible light, but also directly targeted INSEAD. Because Fortuna has years of experience on both sides of the admissions process (both as admissions consultants and admissions gatekeepers), they really know how to get the best out of you. For example, while I did not have a ton of international experience prior to applying, Fortuna helped me successfully emphasize the things that were most relevant to the INSEAD admissions team. Nicola and the Fortuna team know INSEAD better than anyone, and I am forever thankful for their guidance over the past year.

Read More

After speaking to several admissions consultants and not being able to differentiate between them, I became weary of spending so much money for what seemed to be merely essay reviews.

But when I had my initial consulting session with Matt, I was blown away by his in-depth understanding of the MBA programmes I wanted to apply for. Unlike other admissions consultants, Fortuna was the only one that proactively suggested I apply for the INSEAD MBA programme earlier (which was very helpful for my employment situation). I instantly knew that I wanted to work with them.

With the deadline less than a month away, I doubted my ability to get an application in on time. However, having one call with Caroline enabled me to draft all my essays with points I knew would appeal to INSEAD adcom. Over the next two weeks, Melissa was a joy to work with - she responds within 24 hours (I was impressed with how responsive she was on weekends). I have a tendency to write too much in my essays, and Melissa always knew exactly what to emphasise on and what to cut out. Even when I felt that my essays, application form and CV were complete, Melissa generously offered more reviews.

If it were not for Fortuna and Melissa, I definitely would not be starting at INSEAD in three months'! Thank you.

Read More

Without ever doing the work in my place, Fortuna pushed me to do it at my best. They really helped me synthesise my achievements, and choose which ones to present to best serve my stated goals. As I knew nobody among my friends, relatives or even acquaintances who had already applied to an MBA, working with Fortuna also helped me understand the hidden rules of this universe. It was also great to count on them for proofreading, as a non native English speaker. Finally, I appreciated the "team spirit", timeline, feedback and encouragement.

The storytelling work that Nonie helped me perform was also useful to me later for job applications.

Read More

Working with Fortuna Admissions is probably the best decision I made during my MBA admission journey. I have a pretty competitive profile (Consultant / IT / Male / 30) and my GMAT was not stellar (680, well balanced) so I really needed someone to put my story in the best perspective as possible. Thanks to this collaboration I have been admitted to a top MBA! I had several free consultations with other competitors but I have to say that Fortuna made the difference since they took time to study my profile prior to our call and gave me meaningful advice even before we started working together.

I chose the full package (essay + interview + scholarships support) and I was assigned to Melissa. She is really a great coach and gives useful advice. She perfectly knows what to say and not to say, how to say it, which is in a perspective of writing essays, priceless! She was very available (2 days in average for a full review of your essays depending on the quality) and I did not feel any uncomfortable situations, I could ask any questions I had, and she is really honest with you.

The full package includes a full review of your file from Caroline Diarte Edwards, former director of admission at INSEAD, and her feedback was really important to ensure that your story is compelling enough and you did not miss anything important.

Read More

I was successful on the first attempt with both my applications, to INSEAD and LBS, the former even offering a scholarship. Without the tremendous support from the Fortuna team I could not have achieved this. I was not at all familiar with the application process and work involved, but they explained very clearly what was expected of me and guided my every single step, from the initial timeline planning all the way to the interviews and choice between programs. I used their comprehensive package for two schools, and I would highly recommend them for their professional approach, responsiveness and patience.

Read More