Working with Donna Bauman was an excellent decision and helped me get into my dream school, Kellogg! From our initial consultation I knew she was going to give me the push I needed to get my application ready. I came to her less than 1 month before my application was due and she kept me on track, motivated, and calm through a normally very stressful process! She provided amazing advice on crafting my resume and essays – really challenging me to dig deep. Her experience as a Kellogg alum allowed her to provide spot-on information about the program and what they seek in applicants. She was extremely quick, providing feedback within hours, even on weekends. I can honestly say I would not have been successful without Donna’s help. Although the packages may seem a little expensive, I cannot speak highly enough of her and the support she provided during my MBA application process. 10/10 recommend!

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I was accepted into Kellogg Round 3 and without Donna, it would not have happened. I chose the hourly package, as I was in a few MBA prep programs, but without Donna, I would not have been accepted. Donna truly cared about me as an individual and not just a number. She was very candid, but warm at the same time. Her adcom experience is invaluable and she will give you the insights you need to improve your application. I felt very prepared for the video essay and my interview because of my time with her. She was so positive and encouraging it really helped to calm my nerves. I am forever thankful I chose to work with Donna. Well worth the investment.

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When I decided I wanted to pursue an MBA, I knew I was going to need help navigating the process. From the bottom of the mountain, it was a daunting task.

Enter Donna Bauman.

From our initial call, I was impressed by her professionalism, sharpness, and eagerness to get started. We discussed backgrounds, a roadmap for our journey together, and expectations going forward. Everything was well presented so there would be no surprises.

As we executed our plan, I was constantly reminded of my initial thoughts, as well as reassured that I had made a smart decision due to her level of thoughtfulness and thoroughness. I never questioned her level of commitment to my success and to leaving no stone unturned. On top of the "basic services", I feel she offered numerous hidden gems that I never would have known about had I not sought her services. I feel she went above and beyond because she cares for her clients. She has never been unwilling to schedule a quick call or reply to an email. While many services and consultants talk the talk, Donna most certainly walks the walk. Relationships are important throughout this process, and she does her best to cultivate a strong one geared toward success.

Now as I await decision, I can be confident I put forth my very best work with her assistance. I know I would not be nearly as well prepared had I attempted to walk this journey alone. She made this an enjoyable process, and well exceeded my expectations for a consultant. I have highly recommended Donna to a number of my colleagues, and will continue to sing her praises to anyone even considering an MBA.

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Before writing about Stratus, I’ll say it’s important to know what you’re looking to get out of an MBA consultant. I began the process with Stratus with only 40 days until round 2 submission, so not only was I looking for guidance on school selection, application strategy, resume and essay review, and interview prep, I also needed a project manager of sorts to clearly lay out deadlines and allow me to use the little non-working time I had most efficiently. I had talked to several consultants and it was clear that Stratus had the full package. When I first talked to Donna I knew we would work well together (while the Stratus process is great, your relationship and ability to work with your individual consultant is the most important piece).

As far as value add goes, I can’t praise Stratus, Donna and Cartha enough. The introspective application strategy is something that contributed greatly to my essays and I would not have gotten there on my own. By connecting me with former clients and knowing where my strengths played best, Donna helped inform my school selection. My professional resume was turned upside down into a great MBA resume. The school specific essay review, interview guides and mock interviews were dead on. And apart from their own gain from my success, they were truly rooting for me throughout the process.

To speak to results, I applied to 4 top 10 programs, was admitted to 3, waitlisted at 1. Even if I started months earlier and had a wide network of recent MBAs, I’m not sure I would have produced the same quality of applications.

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I worked with Donna on my US MBA applications. Donna exemplified the most essential quality needed in a consultant – being invested in client’s success. She worked beyond the time limits to give my application the best chance I could possibly get.

I worked with Donna on my school selection, essays and resume. Compared to many other consultants that I have met, she showed intimate knowledge of most schools (gained through school visits) and advised me on possibilities of cracking a given school keeping in mind my post-MBA career ambitions. On essays, she helped shape a compelling story in a manner, which only an experienced consultant could have done. But most of all, the killer-punch was the resume. She helped me completely reshape my “career-resume” to an “MBA-resume”, which I felt was an important piece of constructive feedback.

Overall I highly recommend Donna and it was a pleasure working with her.

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I will be the first to admit that I was skeptical about using an MBA admissions consultant. I went back and forth about the idea for at least six months while I did research and after talking with several consultants I finally went with Stratus. I could not have been happier with my choice. Donna Bauman was the best thing that happened to me along the way to applying to business school. Donna took the time to not only help me with the application process but also to help me make some difficult personal decisions about where to apply, decisions that were greatly assisted by her own personal anecdotes and experiences. Through a clear and concise pipeline we worked together every step of the way, with Donna taking time out of her evenings and weekends to help with my often last minute modifications and revisions. The employees at Stratus went above and beyond to help work around my schedule and timeline throughout the MBA application process, and after the hours and hours spent talking to Donna on the phone I now consider her a friend. Several months ago I was accepted to my #1 pick school, and awarded a hefty scholarship to boot, making Stratus more than worth the price I paid for their services.

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I had a really great experience working with Donna Bauman. She was exceptionally encouraging and supportive throughout my application journey. She was always willing to provide helpful, honest, and timely feedback (within 24 hours) and was able to be flexible to accommodate with our time zone differences for interview preparations. Most importantly, she really took the time to understand my unique background and aspirations and was a true advocate to ensure that I conveyed my unique story across my applications. The Stratus team is professional, personable, and has a very thorough process. I would highly recommend Donna and Stratus to anyone looking for an admissions consultant!

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I recommend working with Stratus Admissions to anyone who is serious about applying to top MBA programs. I began working with my consultant, Donna, through the MBA Early Edge Package about 18 months before I applied to schools. Through the Early Edge Package, we identified opportunities to strengthen my application profile with enough time to make important improvements. Many of the improvements became core pieces of my essays and interview answers.

Since Donna and I had already been working together for a year through the Early Edge Package, we were in a great position to hit the ground running when essays and applications were released. Donna was very responsive, genuinely interested in my success and provided excellent, school-specific feedback. Her experience as as a full-time MBA admissions officer prior to Stratus allowed Donna to provided expert advice on each application and guidance navigating the stressful application process.

With Donna’s insight and the support of the entire Stratus team, I was admitted to my dream school and look forward to attending a Top 5 MBA program this year! If you are serious about attending an elite MBA program, starting with Stratus as early as possible will help achieve your goals!

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To understand how good Donna Bauman is, I will first need to tell you a little bit about myself. I am from, perhaps, the most over-represented candidate pool (Indian male), and to complicate matters, I applied with a low GMAT, low GPA, middling extra-curricular activities, and (in my opinion) decent work experience in finance. With Donna’s help, I will now be attending one of H/S/W in the fall! Unequivocally, this would not have been possible without her.

I interviewed a lot of admission consultants, but what set Donna apart was her commitment, candor, and experience. Let me elaborate. Donna has a ton of experience working as an admissions committee member, and this gives her a unique sense of how best to position your story. Having been on the other side, she will be able to give you insights into how your application would likely be perceived by the admissions committee. International candidates, this is especially important for you. Donna has seen thousands of applications from international candidates. As an Indian male, I came from an incredibly competitive pool, but Donna’s insights helped me differentiate my application, and play up my strengths to help compensate for the low GPA and GMAT.

But there are other ex-adcoms in the admissions consulting biz, so what sets Donna apart? Her candor and commitment. From my first consultation call, she was honest with me. She straight up told me that H/S/W would be a very uphill climb, but that she would do everything in her power to help me achieve that goal. I respected her honesty, and continued to see it throughout the application process. In addition to her honesty, Donna was extremely supportive and provided me with a very personalized experience. Right from the beginning, she challenged me to introspect deeper. She took the effort to really get to know me – where I come from, where I want to go, what my beliefs and motivations were, in order to better help me tell my story.

Donna reviewed innumerable edits (on outlines, essays, resumes, emails) right until the very end, and went above and beyond what I expected– offering so much time to my story building, essays, navigating recommenders, and interview practice (even to schools I didn’t apply to with her). She was very patient with my million questions and edits. She would reply very promptly (same day), devoted an incredible amount of time to my application, and came up with insightful suggestions, edits and reviews to help me tell my story better and to tailor it effectively to each school.

I would be remiss to not mention my senior strategist, Harold, as well. Harold’s experience with finance candidates is invaluable. But more than his experience with finance candidates, he has an acute understanding of what each school wants to hear, and was so incredibly encouraging – especially at critical moments when I needed it. I very much appreciated his help in building my story, and his insightful comments on my essay outlines and the essays themselves, and would not have been able to turn out the applications I did without his help. Harold needs to be your senior strategist.

To summarize: Go with Donna! I am so grateful for everything she did for me. Yes, using an admissions consultant is pricey, but it is well worth getting into your dream school. I am confident that Donna will help you tell your best possible story. Not only is she an amazing admissions consultant, she is also such a great person, and I wholeheartedly recommend her to you.

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Stratus Admissions was exactly what I was looking for in a MBA admissions consultant. I originally signed up for the two school package with Donna Bauman and could not have been happier with my selection.

Overall, everyone from the senior strategists to the sales team makes you feel as if you are their only client. My admissions consultant, Donna, was wonderful throughout the R1 and R2 admissions process. She really pushed me to dig deep and encouraged me to slow down, reflect, and put my best application forward. During the application process, Donna was there for my every question and always available to bounce ideas off of, even on the weekends! The thoughtfulness of Donna's feedback and advice throughout my business school application process really made me feel as if I were her only client.

Additionally, what I really found unique and beneficial about Stratus was the team-based approach whereby a senior strategist and school-specific reviewer were available to share their expertise, rather than just be isolated to a single consultant.

This fall, I was fortunate enough to be accepted into a M7 MBA program. I highly recommend Stratus Admissions if you are considering applying to a MBA program. Although costly, the benefits gained from having someone to continually motivate and push you to put your best work product forward throughout the grueling admissions process are priceless.

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