GMAT Club

Emma Bond Reviews

Company: Fortuna Admissions

Emma has a unique breadth of knowledge and insight into London Business School’s programs, recruiters, and selection processes. She joined the London Business School MBA Marketing and Admissions team in 2001 with initial responsibility for recruiting from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East; quickly promoted to management level, she became one of the core senior members of the London Business School Admissions Committee, responsible for full-time MBA selection.

Emma left London Business School in 2008 to become European Recruiting Manager for the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Whilst there, she led recruitment of London Business School MBA students into BCG’s global offices, as well as recruiting the company’s associate level consultant intake from Oxford and Cambridge universities. She was also responsible for advising BCG associates applying to the London Business School MBA.

5.0 /5 Average Rating
Based on 55 reviews
December 09, 2020
dsong92

Joined: Dec 09, 2020

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Absolutely first-class experience

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by school email address [?]

I am a recent admit to LBS and could not have achieved that without Emma's help. She really is one of the best in the business and was top notch in every aspect in my dealings with her.

In particular, Emma is extremely responsive (eg, when reviewing drafts of applications under tight timelines), has second-to-none knowledge of LBS and the key people there (on account of her background as a former admissions officer) and really goes the extra mile to help you perfect everything in your application. I also did interview prep with Emma a few days beforehand which was invaluable in helping me be less nervous on the day and identify points where I could improve.

Emma is also just very down to earth and made what was a stressful application process much more simple and fun - I always felt like I had a huge advantage with her in my corner. I am delighted that I went with Emma and I really can't recommend her enough - particularly if you are applying to LBS.

Read More

verify-zero-posts
This reviewer has not participated on GMAT Club but it is a REAL person and a REAL review. GMAT Club has verified this test-taker's identity through GMAC/Pearson Vue Score Reporting system or .edu email address and confirmed that this reviewer indeed took the GMAT, is unique, and has not submitted multiple reviews.
December 02, 2020
pfon93

Joined: Jul 21, 2020

Posts: 2

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
720 Q47 V42

Admitted to LBS - Emma is a rock star

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

I opted for the Admissions Director's Evaluation over the Comprehensive Package because I already covered a lot of ground with MBA research and applications when I started researching consulting services. I was really just looking for a service that could help get me across the goal line. If you are pressed for time with applications or unsure where to start your MBA journey, I believe the Comprehensive Package with Emma could be very useful.

Emma was an absolute rock star throughout the whole process and knows LBS inside and out. She was INCREDIBLY responsive and did a great job of explaining what LBS is looking for in its applicants. Trying to distill my entire life's experience into 2 essays and an application form was an incredibly difficult task, but Emma knew exactly how to showcase the aspects of my life/experience that LBS values. This is an exceptionally difficult year for admissions, so your essays and your "story" are more important than ever - Emma will help you make your best self shine on the page.

Emma did such a great job with the Director's Evaluation that I also signed up for the interview prep with her. LBS has a much different interview process than most programs, so there's a lot of value in getting more bespoke tutoring.

If you're applying to LBS (or any top 10 global program), Emma/Fortuna is an investment you will not regret.

Read More

July 10, 2020
ssrivast

Joined: Jul 10, 2020

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Fortuna is the best in the world!

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by school email address [?]

From the moment I had the chance to speak with Matt Symonds for a free consultation, I knew that I had arrived at the right place. Matt Symonds is, in my honest opinion, probably the single individual in the entire world that has the greatest level of insight into MBA admissions in top schools around the world. He regularly hosts conferences with all the admissions directors of the top MBA schools, and has an incredible level of insight into the process. Matt was wonderful enough to connect me to a few of his incredible team - Emma Bond, and Heidi, both of whom were world class. Ultimately, although I applied in the final round and come from a non-traditional MBA background, I received a substantial scholarship to attend my top choice school.

Throughout my life, there are only a few individuals I have met who have made me feel so incredibly blessed to have come across them and to have on my side, and Emma Bond is one of them. Coming from a non-traditional MBA background, I applied (with some nerves!) in the final round of the admissions cycle when there were not many spots remaining. Thanks to Emma's guidance, not only did I manage to get admitted, I also received a SUBSTANTIAL scholarship to attend my top choice school. As a late round admit, I believe that receiving such a scholarship would have been impossible without Emma's help and guidance with my application.

Simply put (as I am quite a demanding individual), I already had high expectations for admissions consultants, but Emma's level of insight, contribution, and the sheer difference she made to my application COMPLETELY blew my mind. Thanks to Emma, there were many things that DRAMATICALLY strengthened my application that would not even have crossed my mind without her, and would have been impossible to know without Emma's unparalleled experience and passion for London Business School (these are not things that you can find out by reading articles online - they really are UNIQUE and UNPARALLELED insights into the admissions process that only someone like Emma with deep experience can provide). It is my honest opinion that there is surely no one else on the planet that could be comparable to working with Emma for LBS. Emma's knowledge about the LBS admissions process and her way of guiding me through the entire application was absolutely incredible.

From the moment I spoke to Emma, I felt that I was in great hands: she is a tremendously friendly, intelligent, and hardworking individual, with a deep passion for helping her clients succeed. Emma helped me shape my essays (as a former member of the admissions team, she really knows EXACTLY what LBS is looking for) and she provided many rounds of input on my entire application, with extremely helpful and impressive feedback, and always replied with incredible speed! She did not hesitate to work on weekends, and I always felt prioritised, like I was the only person she was working with. Each time when she provided feedback, she helped take my essays and application to another level, and she even cleared her schedule to provide feedback all the way up until my application was submitted (even providing valuable feedback on all the minor details). I felt like Emma was with me every step of the way and it was enormously comforting!

When I received an interview invitation, Emma helped me prepare for the interview and made a massive difference in getting me ready for anything that could be asked by the interviewer. As an MBA interviewer herself, her feedback was incredible and really gave me a lot of confidence. When I sat my interview, using what I had practiced with Emma, I was lucky (and overjoyed) to nail the interview with her help.

It has really been an amazing experience working with Emma, and as I think will be clear by now, I feel so lucky to have met her! I can't thank you enough Emma, and the rest of the Fortuna team! As I hope I have made clear from this review, I really can't recommend Emma any higher. She is simply out of this world amazing. Anyone who gets the chance to work with her, I would say you're a very lucky person and you have a MASSIVE advantage over the competition!

I also had the GREAT pleasure of working with Heidi on my MBA applications, and she was phenomenal throughout the entire process. Ultimately, although I applied in the final round, I received a substantial scholarship to attend my top choice school! This would not have been possible without the help from Heidi and Fortuna. From the moment I spoke to Heidi, I knew that she was the right person to help me put together my MBA application due to her supportive demeanour and incredible knowledge about the process. Putting together an MBA application really is an art-form, and Heidi helped me craft my MBA application, starting from just some vague ideas to multiple amazing applications. She was extremely responsive at all times and was tremendously helpful in brainstorming my ideas and helping me to realise which of the experiences in my life were very valuable from the point of view of an MBA admissions team. As someone who has previously conducted MBA interviews herself before, Heidi's feedback and help with preparing me for me MBA interviews was exceptionally helpful and gave me great confidence.

I cannot recommend Heidi enough - she is a tremendously intelligent, caring, hardworking, and insightful individual with a fantastic level of insight into the MBA admissions process. She knows exactly what MBA admissions officers are looking for, and is an amazing person to have guiding you along the MBA journey. Thanks so much Heidi for all your help!

Read More

verify-zero-posts
This reviewer has not participated on GMAT Club but it is a REAL person and a REAL review. GMAT Club has verified this test-taker's identity through GMAC/Pearson Vue Score Reporting system or .edu email address and confirmed that this reviewer indeed took the GMAT, is unique, and has not submitted multiple reviews.
June 14, 2020
KetoKato

Joined: Jan 07, 2018

Posts: 5

Kudos: 3

Emma is such a wonderful consultant that very much cares about you as a person and in helping you get to your dream school.

As a former member of the admissions committee at LBS, Emma has insightful perspective of what the admissions committee are looking for when reviewing a candidate. After reviewing my application, she helped pull everything from my experiences to show me in the best light and make my application truly shine.

Emma is incredibly easy to talk to, funny and goes above and beyond to make herself available to provide guidance and advice. She encourages, but at the same time she is honest about the things that you need to hear and the weaknesses that you’ll need to find solutions for through other parts of your application. The application process is a tough process —so having someone in your corner like Emma with all of her knowledge and experience as a sounding board made me feel as if I had an outside perspective on whether I was pursuing the right path and narrative.

In terms of working with Emma – she was incredibly helpful and prompt in her responses. Emma is an essay editing queen and takes a lot of pride in her work, which absolutely showed. She turned around my materials quickly, usually in 24 hours, and always came back with a lot of detailed notes on how I could improve and make things better. Even when I changed parts of my application at the last minute on the day of submission, she cleared out time to provide mark-ups and guidance at the last second. She was also great at providing constructive feedback that made it easy for me to understand how to move forward. My essays and short answers were significantly stronger because I had her guidance. She was also super helpful with interview prep and gave great detailed feedback on what you do well and where to improve.

With Emma’s help I was able to get in my top school in R3 even though I had an area of weakness in my application. If you are looking for a consultant, I highly recommend working Emma, especially if you are looking at LBS. She brings so much expertise, but more importantly she cares and is invested in her client. I’m glad to have had her in my application process!

Read More

June 11, 2020
carriechosenn

Joined: Mar 31, 2020

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Self-reported Score:
650

Emma Bond is the BEST!

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by school email address [?]

I was interested in schools in the UK - and working with Emma was the absolute best decision I made! She has years of experience working on the admissions team at London Business School, in addition to experience at other schools including Imperial.
Right away, Emma took the time to get to know me on a personal level. It was clear she has mastered the admissions process and was able to provide strong direction, insight, and strategy. I was waitlisted at my top school (LBS) and Emma helped me through this stressful process every step of the way. I ended up getting admitted, and I honestly could not have done it without Emma's help and support! If you're applying for MBA programs (especially in the UK), I highly recommend Emma with a ringing endorsement. In addition to her talent and experience, she is truly wonderful to work with and is so thoughtful and caring!

Read More

verify-zero-posts
This reviewer has not participated on GMAT Club but it is a REAL person and a REAL review. GMAT Club has verified this test-taker's identity through GMAC/Pearson Vue Score Reporting system or .edu email address and confirmed that this reviewer indeed took the GMAT, is unique, and has not submitted multiple reviews.
June 11, 2020
wzsylyhhh1

Joined: Aug 21, 2019

Posts: 1

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
740 Q51 V40

5+ Star Review for Emma Bond

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

I took the premium package service with Emma Bond. I received offer from my number one target – LBS. Overall, my experience working with Emma has surpassed my expectation.

Emma is a superb writer. As a former admissions director who has reviewed hundreds of thousands of applications, she knows exactly how to turn your thoughts into words that the admission officers like. Her use of words is beautiful but concise. I often struggle with the word limit, and every time she was able to help me get down to the requirement without impacting the depth of meaning I wanted to convey. Sometimes I even felt that I only needed to simply write down my thoughts and Emma would always have the magic to turn them into pieces of art.

Emma helps you come up with the right story. We had a brainstorm session for each school that I applied and each session was a pleasant for me. Emma is a good listener and helps you identify the spotlight in your story. She also has great attitude. I remembered I wanted to change the entire logic and structure of my HBS essay midway through the process and she had no complaint about it. She worked diligently with me on that essay and we were able to achieve a satisfactory piece of work in the end.

Emma is professional and responsive. I remember even when she was in the middle of her vacation at a place where WIFI is super limited, she still got back to me as soon as she can. At normal times, she returned work within 1 day even though the official turn-around requirement is 2 days. It really helped me achieve tight timeline. Additionally, many other consultants usually took recommendation letters lightly, but Emma spent time with me and my recommender to come up with the right materials in application.

If you’re applying to LBS, Emma is no doubt THE best consultant you can find in the market. As a former admissions director, she knew the inside out of LBS. She still maintained direct contact with insiders. I was not very confident after my 1-on-1 interview, and she was able to ask feedback from the current admissions director which gave me a huge comfort. Emma knows exactly what LBS looks for and will give you the best chance to get that offer.

Finally, Emma prepares you well for interviews. The LBS video interview is tricky and high demanding as it requires candidates to respond promptly on the spot. Emma went through the interview process with me twice and made me confident enough to face the challenge. I still remembered the feeling when I was doing the real thing – I felt calm, well prepared, and excited to answer the questions.

Read More

July 11, 2019
cwolf

Joined: Oct 07, 2018

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Emma Bond - Best LBS Admissions Consultant!!!!

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by school email address [?]

If you’re looking to get into LBS there’s really only Emma Bond who you need to work with! I came across Emma after reviewing a couple of consultancy websites. As Emma worked as a senior member of the admissions committee at London Business School working with her was sort of a no-brainer.
I already had written all my essays and filled out most of my application, but I felt like I wanted a second pair of eyes to perfect my application and also guide me to frame my somewhat lower GMAT score, compared to the schools average. The process of working with Emma was easy and rewarding. She would send across her mark-ups and provide guidance at all times throughout the process. Emma is a perfectionist and went well out of her way to ensure that I had an application that stood out – she will ensure that by the time the application goes out that it is nothing short of perfect. I found it particularly helpful that I was able to contact her via Whatsapp throughout the day and her quick response time. Additionally, Emma is still very well connected within LBS and is well aware of what the admissions team is looking for, which is absolute crucial in crafting a flawless application!
Joining LBS MBA program is a dream come true and I truly believe that Emma was a major contributing factor that made that dream happen!! Needless to say I would choose Emma and Fortuna again!

Read More

verify-zero-posts
This reviewer has not participated on GMAT Club but it is a REAL person and a REAL review. GMAT Club has verified this test-taker's identity through GMAC/Pearson Vue Score Reporting system or .edu email address and confirmed that this reviewer indeed took the GMAT, is unique, and has not submitted multiple reviews.
May 28, 2019
JuliaD

Joined: May 28, 2019

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
680 Q44 V38

The Best Admissions Consultant for LBS!

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

I highly recommend working with Emma, especially for those with LBS at the top of the list. I'm coming to business school from a non-traditional MBA background and initially felt very intimated by the process - I knew it was the right next step in my career, but still felt a bit out of place among the consultants, bankers, etc. When I came to Emma and the Fortuna admissions team, I immediately felt that I was in good hands. They took the time to become acquainted with me and my background, and knew how to translate my experience into recognizable achievements to business schools. Emma helped me reflect on my career journey, craft my story and materialize my goals -- she tested me and poked holes in my story and goals until they were rock solid. Her in-depth knowledge of LBS is invaluable and she helped me understand the behind the scenes process. Emma kept my expectations realistic throughout the process and always gave excellent feedback. In her feedback, she not only tells you to change something, but why that change is important and how adjusting will serve you in your application. I especially appreciated an instance where she pushed me to rework a particular essay -- it was a few days out from the deadline and the essay was technically fine, but she knew I was a better writer than that. The final essay was significantly stronger than what I almost turned in and that wouldn't have happened without her guidance. Most importantly, in working with Emma I gained confidence in myself as an applicant. She helped me see my strengths and understand that I had a place in a top school, despite my non-traditional background. I think this confidence showed up not only in my application, but also in my interview and interactions with the admissions committee and current students. Working with Emma and the Fortuna team resulted in admission to LBS, NYU Stern, Georgetown McDonough and McCombs at UT at Austin. While application consulting is an investment, I firmly believe that working with Emma and the Fortuna team is worth every penny and cannot recommend them enough.

Read More

verify-zero-posts
This reviewer has not participated on GMAT Club but it is a REAL person and a REAL review. GMAT Club has verified this test-taker's identity through GMAC/Pearson Vue Score Reporting system and confirmed that this reviewer indeed took the GMAT, is unique, and has not submitted multiple reviews.
May 06, 2019
an12345

Joined: May 06, 2019

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Emma is fantastic: down-to-earth, honest but extremely professional

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by school email address [?]

Emma is such a fantastic consultant. She was always prompt when reviewing my essay drafts which, given I had left things rather late, was the difference between b-school this year or waiting a whole other year. She knew exactly which parts of my story to highlight and helped me to join the dots into a coherent narrative. I also appreciated her honesty with regards to my chances at the various schools that I wanted to apply to. Emma is very down-to-earth and will tell it like it is but will do so with a touch of humour that is really welcome during the crazy rollercoaster that is b-school applications!

Emma has a breadth of experience; she helped me with school selection, overall application strategy, essay editing, mock interviews, and scholarship negotiation. She is super knowledgeable about LBS but I also got into two M7 schools with scholarships with Emma’s help so she has many strings to her bow. I really cannot recommend Emma, and Fortuna, highly enough!

Read More

verify-zero-posts
This reviewer has not participated on GMAT Club but it is a REAL person and a REAL review. GMAT Club has verified this test-taker's identity through GMAC/Pearson Vue Score Reporting system or .edu email address and confirmed that this reviewer indeed took the GMAT, is unique, and has not submitted multiple reviews.
April 30, 2019
murtuzayn

Joined: Jul 16, 2014

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Hourly Consulting

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by school email address [?]

Emma Bond is well informed, positive and a pleasure to work with. She is very well versed with LBS and the admissions.
During the essay review process she always had excellent implementable feedback. She is very cooperative and excellent in following up to make sure you stick to the plan. She responds with her feedback consistently and promptly. Most of the time she would get back to me with a ton of feedback in less than 24 hours. I especially needed that support in terms of staying on track and not losing focus and working with her really helped me stay the course.

I would highly recommend working with her to help you achieve your admissions goals.

Read More

verify-zero-posts
This reviewer has not participated on GMAT Club but it is a REAL person and a REAL review. GMAT Club has verified this test-taker's identity through GMAC/Pearson Vue Score Reporting system or .edu email address and confirmed that this reviewer indeed took the GMAT, is unique, and has not submitted multiple reviews.
GMAT ® is a registered trademark of the Graduate Management Admission Council ® (GMAC ®). GMAT Club's website has not been reviewed or endorsed by GMAC.