“These b-schools are hyper competitive and I don’t see components that meet the bar.”

This stupendously demotivating piece of advice is the first piece of feedback that I received from an admissions consultant. Partly, I can’t blame them – I’m a part of the infamous IT Indian male cohort. And I’m a reapplicant.

Emma, on the other hand, went against the grain, took a step further and dove deeper into my profile. What she really excels at is understanding which parts of an applicant’s character, work experience, and extra-curriculars appeal to the folks sitting in the admissions office at the absolute top notch international b-schools.

From our very first meeting, I saw her experience stand out. With the dexterity of a well-seasoned surgeon, she cut into my character to understand which parts of story can be tailored to craft the perfect reapplication and stand out in an over-represented group.

She infused my application with, as a Gen Z faithful would say, “main-character energy” (words from my little cousin, not me.) I was reassured that I was in good hands, especially given the financial burden of such services.

The essays were as smooth as can be – each iterative feedback loop was productive, with clear TODOs and the reasons behind proposed changes.

The video essays were the highlight of the service – Emma, being an interviewer herself, was exceptional at giving me a blunt assessment of my mannerisms, for e.g. telling me when my body-language was off. This piece of advice seeped into my in-person interviews as well.

At the end of this process, I’m proud to say that I got to choose between Oxford, INSEAD, and LBS. And with scholarships from INSEAD and LBS! A privileged position to be in, a position that couldn’t have been reached without Emma.

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It has been such a pleasure to work with Silpa on my full-time MBA applications to Kellogg (A), Tuck (A), and GSB (WL). When I started the admissions process in June of 2022, I didn't think that I had a shot at getting into any business school with my low undergraduate GPA, average test score, and nonlinear personal and professional path. I wanted to work with an admissions coach who would encourage me to shine a light on my story instead of shying away from it. From the very beginning, Silpa was pragmatic about my chances yet invested in my success.

Silpa is super warm, easy to connect with, and an incredible listener. She'd often nudge me to lean into my personal story without losing focus on highlighting my professional strengths and career aspirations. This was instrumental in helping me write essays that were clear, concise, and accurately reflected who I am without diminishing the uniqueness of my journey.

There were times when I was overwhelmed during the application process and really doubted my ability to pull through. But knowing that I had someone like Silpa in my corner, rooting for my success and offering affirmations and guidance, really encouraged me to keep going. I highly, highly recommend her!

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I wasn’t planning on working with an admissions consultant, but when I got to the application essays, I hit a roadblock. I struggled with developing a cohesive story and expressing my passion for the programs. I also had difficulty finding a balance between sharing my true self and highlighting the key attributes that I knew the Admissions Committee would be looking for.

Based on my needs, I decided to work with a consultant on an hourly basis. After speaking with a few firms, I chose to work with Emma due to her deep knowledge of European business schools, but also simply because I thought we connected well. Throughout the process, Emma provided prompt and honest feedback. However, what struck me most was how much she cared. Despite having a busy schedule, I never felt that she was rushing through my edits. Emma took the time to truly understand the story I was trying to convey and then helped me refine and package it.

Emma and I primarily worked together on my essays for LBS and Cambridge. However, I was also able to apply her feedback to my other applications. Thanks to her help, I received offers of admission from all four of the schools I applied to and fellowships from three of them.

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Bill was so professional when he coached me to chase my EMBA. It's highly efficient under the former gatekeeper of a top business school like Bill， preventing me from endlessly guessing what the adcom wants to know from me and focusing on the truly mattered aspects. Bill always responded to my email within 24 hours and was always prepared to call when I need one. He also had a mock interview with me. I couldn't get the offer from Wharton without Bill's help. He will be your best partner on your way to the application. I would like to tell everyone that hire him, right now!

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Emma helped me with my R1 LBS and HEC applications. I reached out to her after realizing I was somewhat out of depth with the process and had a million questions on how to begin. She immediately broke everything down for me and laid out the process in clear and concise steps. She helped with everything from reaching out to recommenders, school outreach, application questions, and interview prep. Emma answered all of my questions and concerns with patience and really made me feel supported and secure throughout the process. Her edits and advise were invaluable in helping me receive offers and scholarships at both schools. I highly recommend Emma to anyone applying for MBA programs, particularly if you are interested in LBS or other European schools.

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I can't over-emphasize enough how much I enjoyed working with Rachel!!! I applied as a somewhat non-traditional candidate and while interviews with other consultants made me question if I was "right" for an MBA, Rachel was supportive of my candidacy from the get-go (while also being very realistic with solid feedback). Applying for MBAs programs is an incredibly introspective (and occasionally vulnerable) experience, so I found it incredibly helpful to work with someone who I knew believed in my candidacy and set high standards. Working with Rachel, by the time I applied, I knew I had put together my most authentic and best application I possibly could.

What I enjoyed most about working with Rachel was her ability to shift between helping me articulate and refine the “big picture” narrative as well as dig into the nitty gritty details (as she said, putting together an application is kind of like “a big puzzle”). After working through my career vision, I worked with her to develop the essay, which took many many revisions. She gave me incredibly helpful feedback and pointers on how to develop a logical flow, compelling narrative, and then gave feedback on word choice, grammar, etc.

Rachel also went above and beyond to make herself available as we neared the application deadline. A day before applications were due, I was still making minor edits to my resume, essays, and short answers. Rachel was super responsive and helped me work through last minute edits (which I should have done earlier).

In short, if HBS is your top choice, I HIGHLY recommend working with Rachel.

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The Fortuna team is very professional and helpful. Jennifer Raver knows everything you need to know about MBAs. In the one hour consulting session, she provided me with a lot of useful information even before I was committed to work with Fortuna.

I later worked with Melissa Jones. She was so encouraging that I found the whole application process not as daunting as it could be. Melissa was a good story teller. She was able to capture what I wanted to express in my essays and elevate them to the next level. She was also open-minded. She was willing to work with me in the creation of my essays with satisfying turnaround time. I'm happy to have her in my application journey.

Also, the Fortuna app, Podio is a great tool which enabled my smooth communication with my coach. Overall, perfect experience!

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I started the consultation with Nonie about 9 months before I intended to apply to INSEAD. She was able to give me some actionable advice immediately so I could craft my profile, which paid off during the application. She was very helpful and professional with her advice while writing essays and working with recommenders, and was very knowledgeable about what INSEAD looks for in applicants. This was also evident during our preparation for interviews. Overall, she was very easy to communicate with and the experience exceeded my expectations. I would definitely recommend her if you are looking to get into INSEAD, and I am sure she would be able to assist if you are applying to other schools as well.

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Emma has been extremely helpful throughout the MBA admissions process and EXTREMELY responsive. I cannot stress how important this is, especially on application deadline dates.

Emma's insights into UK schools are second-to-none. She will breathe life into your story and is not afraid to challenge your ideas. When I was finding consultants in the beginning, too often did I find ones that would stick with the status quo and suggest only minor changes.

Being in professional services, I also understand the temptation for admissions consultants to steer clients towards more costly packages. Emma does none of this. In fact, she was extremely generous with her time and did not charge for bits and pieces.

Emma treats your application like her own. I really felt as if I had (an extremely MBA-knowledgable) family member guiding me along and giving me honest feedback.

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I am really glad that I engaged Nicola’s help with my INSEAD MBA application. At first, I had many doubts on getting any help from an admissions consultant, but I had no choice because I was juggling between work, GMAT and the application within a very short timeline until the INSEAD application deadline.

To cut short, I would recommend Nicola to anyone who is preparing for an MBA application. First of all, Fortuna Admissions has a very systematic approach to evaluating my past experiences, self-reflection and putting them together in a MBA application, so following through the prep documents before I even had the first call with Nicola, I felt quite confident about the application process.

However, not everything came together all at once, and this is where the work with Nicola was the most helpful. I had so many contents written down and brainstormed, and Nicola guided me through picking the most important pieces of my past experiences for the MBA application. After 5 draft revisions of my essays, I was finally done with the whole application, and I really appreciate that Nicola encouraged me throughout this whole process.

The 8 hours I signed up initially were spent very efficiently throughout the whole process, Nicola kept track of the time very efficiently and I got to spend the time on everything I needed the help with, within the 8 hours.

Even after the hours were all used up, Nicola regularly checked in with me to see if I had any other questions and how my application process is going until I received the final admission! She even shared some tips on alumni interviews through email, which was also quite helpful.

Overall, I really could not have made the deadline with such quality of application within such a short timeline without Nicola’s help. She was the best supporter of my MBA story, yet at times pushed me for the better, which really enabled me to put my best foot forward on the MBA application process. I highly recommend anyone work with Nicola for any MBA admissions!

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