There is absolutely no shot I get into the Stanford GSB without Heidi's guidance. Heidi not only helped in the ideation of my essays and short responses, but also was essential in refining my wording and tone to best convey my thoughts. She provided the essential outside perspective that was needed to make sure what I intended came across to the AdCom's. Perhaps even more impactful than her thoughtful and diligent work on my essays, was her ability to get me to spell out, in my own words, exactly why I was unique, what my "career vision" was, and how that specific school was integral to my success. This was especially impactful for me as someone who had an extremely traditional / "non-unique" PE background, as after working with her, I truly believed I was a differentiated candidate that had a lot to offer and to gain at these programs.

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Working with Heidi was crucial to my MBA application process. I was working a busy finance job, and managing deadlines was already tough. From our very first conversation, she brought a thoughtful, strategic lens to my story — helping me not only polish the application, but rethink how I was presenting my goals and experiences to package it right

Heidi has a clear understanding of how top MBA programs evaluate candidates, and she helped me identify what truly stood out in my background. She was direct and honest with feedback — I like how she says something just isn’t up to par is directionally wrong if she thinks it, without trying to dance around it. I never felt like I was being forced into a template or told what I “should” say. Instead, she pushed me to be succinct and intentional. Her help with connecting the dots across essays, short answers, and recommendations made a big difference. Especially with recommendations as well – first draft of those were a disaster and looking over them together gave me such a piece of mind.

Throughout the entire process, Heidi was calm and incredibly responsive, and level-headed — exactly what I needed during some of the more stressful moments, especially as I navigated deferrals and waitlist, keeping me focused on what I could control. If you’re looking for someone who will take your application seriously, give you clear and candid advice, and help you bring out the strongest and most thoughtful version of your story, I highly recommend working with Heidi.

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My process was a little atypical. For those of you starting later in the cycle out there – I began my applications in earnest with two weeks to go before R2 deadlines. Despite juggling full-package clients, Heidi was very accomodating of my last-minute hourly request and came in clutch with rapid turnarounds on succinct and loaded feedback (the best kind) – I think I wrote 4 drafts of one school’s essays in as many days.

Greatest value-add: I consider myself a pretty good writer, but striking the narrative balance between the deeply personal and the professional is something very few people can manage on a short, high-pressure timeline. Heidi has that Spidey-sense and communicates it clearly.

I put my best foot forward because of Heidi. Highly recommend.

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Heidi was wonderful to work with! She really worked to get to know me on both a professional and personal level and was so supportive throughout the entire process. The initial assignments that she gave were particularly beneficial in helping me to craft a compelling and cohesive career vision and highlight leadership stories to use in my interview and application. With most of the work and reflection done upfront, I was able to go into my essays feeling confident. Even after the bulk of the work was done, Heidi continued to provide support and guidance, and it was awesome to celebrate together once I got news of my acceptance! I cannot recommend Heidi & Fortuna enough. Thank you so much, Heidi!

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Heidi is an excellent advisor, serving as an invaluable additional pair of eyes in conjunction with my primary coach. She brings deep expertise on what schools like Stanford GSB is looking for, and was able to give insightful input on how to differentiate oneself in the essays. Heidi was also very helpful with interview prep, where she conducted a thorough mock interview and gave me constructive, detailed feedback on the areas I should work on. During the process, she was able to be supportive while also productively challenging me to dig deeper and sharpen aspects of both my written application and interview responses. Heidi is fantastic at what she does and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience - I strongly recommend her, especially for those interested in schools like the GSB.

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I am beyond grateful for Heidi’s expertise and support throughout my MBA admissions journey. Heidi played a pivotal role in securing offers from Harvard Business School, Wharton, Tuck, Booth, and Darden despite a non-traditional background and below-average GRE score.

From our initial consultation I felt that Heidi was truly invested in my success and went to great lengths to understand my work experience and how best to leverage it in the applications. She also ensured I was able to effectively convey my goals and background, while tailoring them to the preferences of each admissions committee. I truly do not believe this outcome would have been possible wihtout Heidi’s gudiance and experience in MBA admissions.

I highly recommend Heidi to anyone pursuing an MBA. Although I was initially hesitant at the price of her services, I am immensely grateful that I made the investment in my future by hiring her. Having Heidi as a resource was invaluable, and I am so gratfeul she was willing to take me on as a client. I look forward to continuing my education at a top MBA program!

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As an international applicant, I had little understanding of the Stanford GSB admissions process. From the outside, it seemed incredibly daunting, and I knew I needed the expert guidance of someone like Heidi.

Heidi truly embodies the spirit of Stanford GSB. She cares deeply about your journey and your potential to make an impact on the world. Her authenticity and honest feedback made all the difference. I can confidently say that without her support, I wouldn’t have gotten in.

Together, we crafted an application that not only highlighted my strengths, experiences, and goals but also authentically reflected who I am. For an essay as personal as What Matters to You and Why, having a coach I trusted was essential. Heidi created a space where I could dig deep and tell my story in the most meaningful way.

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TLDR: Got into both GSB and HBS, and I couldn’t have done it without Heidi.

As an international student with a unique background, I knew I had solid experiences but struggled with how to present my story. Heidi was a game-changer. She took the time to really listen, helping me focus on the most important parts of my personal and professional journey.

When it came time for interview prep, she was invaluable—insisting we do a mock interview and offering insights that made a huge difference.

The MBA application process is filled with uncertainty, but Heidi helped guide me through it all, keeping my stress in check every step of the way.

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Heidi is amazing. I did a lot of research/free calls with admission consultants before Heidi was gracious enough to take me on as a client even through I was a late-starter in the application process. Heidi worked with me to accelerate my preparation. She helped me brainstorm ideas around how I should build my story that would resonate better with the schools where I applied. She also provided me with candid and constructive feedback on my resume, many essays, and other parts of the application. Although we were on completely different timezones, she was available whenever I needed help or wanted to schedule a call outside of her working hours. I believe Heidi played a big part of my acceptance to one of HSW.

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I reached out to Heidi Hillis for HBS, Stanford, and MIT applications, which I knew was a tall ask coming for an overrepresented candidate like me. My experience with Heidi over the last 6months was nothing short of excellent. Her expertise in understanding my profile and listing out strengths to highlight and weaknesses to address set the ball rolling. Particularly, her ability to take everything from my long journey and help me build an effective narrative was astounding. Her guidance helped me focus my energy on things that matter and cut through the clutter of information available online.

On top of all things, her deep insights into all the schools especially GSB and HBS, and their values proved to be very valuable in working through the long and challenging application where every single word makes a lot of difference. On a personal level, she was very flexible and always available to help me out when I was stuck at any point by getting on a call and over email.

Finally, on the decision date, got admits from HBS and GSB, and I cannot even begin to express my gratitude towards Heidi and Fortuna for helping this dream become a reality.

Thank you, Heidi and Karen, again for your guidance and partnership this past year!

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