Kathryn Lucas Reviews

Square One Prep helped me understand myself better and answer, in the most provocative way, why I need an MBA. Not only did my consultant ask really tough questions that helped me discern what I want out of an MBA and my life, she also helped me tremendously improve my writing and verbal communication skills. Because of her rigorous one-on-one coaching, I gained admission into one of the world's top MBA programs, which helped me to join McKinsey & Company post-graduation. I recommend Square One Prep unreservedly to MBA aspirants who want to become more self-aware, are interested in tangibly improving their communication skills, and want to be a Top MBA.

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I never thought I had a shot at HBS and therefore had no intention of applying. I didn't see my background as particularly unique and felt I didn't have any special skills - the sort I thought you'd need to get into HBS. But Square One Prep believed in me.
First, my consultant educated me about the AdCom thought process and critically assessed my background through the eyes of the AdCom. I don't know if it's years of experience or her ability to understand people so very well that helps her think like the Ad Com, but my consultant's insights were invaluable. After she took the time to get to know me and assess my candidacy, she then helped me highlight elements of my personality and life experiences that I never thought would be the right content to include in my application. She guided me through every aspect of my application; there was literally nothing left to chance! She did countless reviews of my essays and I can tell you that there was a world of a difference between draft 1 and in some cases draft 8. If it wasn't for her, I would have stuck with draft 1 and fallen miles short of accurately representing myself in the application. Any lesser consultant would have conceded to my naive ideas about how to direct my application - they would not have probed and helped me steer my story. In addition to providing strategy, my consultant also brought discipline to the process by managing my timelines and encouraging me when I got lazy.
But more than being just an adviser, she became a friend and confidant. She helped me stay sane during the stressful process. Even when I vented, she was intently listening for clues to strengthen my application! I can safely say that I owe Square One big time! They worked their magic and enabled me to do something I genuinely thought was impossible for me!

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After bombing my first GMAT, I took a two year hiatus from even thinking about applying to any MBA programs. Over the course of those two years, Kathryn stayed in contact with me, encouraging and motivating me to study and sit for the GMAT again. Once I got a score I felt confident with, we hit the ground running.

I didn't realize what a time commitment applying would be and am so glad I made the choice to work with Square One Prep. Kathryn was there 100% of the way and available 24/7 for any of my neurotic concerns/questions. There are so many aspects to the MBA application process - it is incredibly daunting. However, working with Kathryn gave me confidence that is required to navigate and succeed in the process.

Besides her ridiculously quick response times to email, what I really appreciated about Kathryn was her tough love approach. She doesn't sugar coat anything and will be brutally honest with you. Without her guidance and support, I would most likely be applying again as a re-applicant.

if you saw the difference between my first drafts - my resume or essays - you would be amazed by the transformation they went through. My resume work with Kathryn was particularly tough because I really had to learn how to express my experiences in a more sophisticated, strategic manner that would be easy for someone who isn't in my industry to understand. Just on that effort alone Kathryn spent countless hours helping me build that capability. First she listened to me talk about my work, then she helped me think about my work in a more strategic manner, then she helped me little by little translate my experiences onto the page in my resume. I actually became better at my job because I developed the ability to talk more effectively. That skill then enabled me to write stronger essays. And by the time I got to my interviews I was more than ready to speak with confidence about my career. I was more than ready to talk about any part of my life because Kathryn had really helped me embrace my life, and without going into detail that is saying a lot because there had been things from my past that were very personal but profound in my life. I'd never thought sharing such personal experiences would be appropriate to do in a b-school application, but Kathryn made me comfortable sharing and helped me see how adcoms could see value in what I worried would have a negative stigma.

Not only am I thankful for all her help during the application process, but also for motivating me when I had thought an MBA was only a pipe dream, let alone an MBA from a top program. Once you start to work with Kathryn, you will realize what a solid investment it really is and how much time and effort she puts into it.

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I can still clearly recall the moment I received the call from Fuqua, telling me that I was cleared from the waitlist and accepted to their prestigious program. Ecstatic at the news, the first person I wanted to share this excitement with (after I called my parents and husband) was Kathryn, my consultant, mentor and friend from Square One Prep.
Working with Kathryn and Square One Prep on my MBA application process was one of the wisest decisions that I have ever made. As an international applicant whose native language is not English and as someone with nontraditional professional experience, given 5 of my 7 years of my experience was as a research associate while getting my PhD, I had hard times writing my resume and essays and preparing for interviews. I didn't know what competitive material should look like. I didn't know how to talk about myself effectively. I worried that Ii was aiming far too high, applying to top business schools in the world. But Kathryn reassured me I could do it - that I wasn't aiming too high.
I felt extremely stressfed when I found I was on the waitlist of Fuqua. Kathryn reminded me that I still had a shot - that as long as I continued to make strides in my life and conveeyed those efforts to the admissions committee I could get an offer. So, while she helped me think of ways to improve my candidacy and was a constant source of motivation and ideas, she also I helped me prepare an application to another top school. I needed to cover my bases. Kathryn’s professional opinions, encouraging talks/emails, effective strategies and meticulous revision of my ideas and work helped me relieve my stress, boost my confidence and secure the offer. One week after getting into Fuqua I also got into the other program too!
During my application process, there were times when I felt very frustrated. I am not in a traditional b-school industry. I don't know anyone with an MBA, so I would worry I was aiming too high. It was Kathryn’s firm and calm voice that brought me back on track, making me feel she’s not just my consultant, but my mentor and friend. I trusted her, and am so glad I did.
In addition, Kathryn is extremely hard-working. She has a very fast turnaround time of essay review and always replies my email within minutes, which is exceptional in the MBA consulting industry. I recommend Kathryn and her Square One Prep company without hesitation to anyone who wants to pursue an MBA degree in a top-tiered program.

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Where to start? I applied to five schools last year and didn't succeed. I took the GMAT exam four times before applying and had to apply with a 580, my best score. Aside from that, I actually thought I was a strong candidate. I came from consulting, performed well at a known university (liberal arts degree though), and had a slew of extracurricular activities, both past and present, to highlight. But I didn't get an interview anywhere.

So this year I reached out to consultants to help me. The instant I told them my GMAT score, all except Square One Prep - Kathryn - told me that I didn't have a shot at schools I planned to reapply to: Booth, Tuck, Fuqua, and Wharton. I wanted to go to a school that had a strong presence in healthcare. All the consultancies I talked to except Square One also told me when my 30 minutes were up, probably because they didn't want to work with me. And I got it. I know that score is terrible. But I didn't want that to defeat me. Kathryn was certainly candid with me about how weak my GMAT score was, but she saw so many other strong points to my candidacy as well as ways in which I could strengthen myself this year in my applications, whether through my essays, resume, or LORs, because she took the time to look at last year's applications. The other places I called didn't care about seeing my previous applications. Kathryn asked me to send them to her and did a second free consult with me to discuss them. Choosing to work with her was a no brainer. Two other firms of the 7 I talked to were also willing to work with me, but they didn't make the effort that Square One did to see me for more than my 580 GMAT score. They also told me to reconsider my list of schools. So again, choosing to work with Square One was a no brainer.

I worked directly with Kathryn. And she worked miracles. She gave a lot to our partnership and expected an awful lot from me in return. So if you work with Square One and with Kathryn, be ready to work hard. To her credit, there were times when she was more invested in my success than I was. I had my doubts along the way. For example, when I took the GMAT exam one more time and got a 580 again, I really worried. Kathryn didn't. She cheered me on. She listened to me and was a shoulder for me to cry on. She let me have a day or two to regroup, but then rallied me to stay the course. By the time our work was done, all of my materials were overhauled. I felt so confident about myself, not arrogant, just confident. A long way from where I was 9 months prior when all I got was rejections and questioned myself. This year, I knew I was going to get interviews; I just felt it. And I did. I got interviews at 3 schools. And I got offers from 3 schools (including a scholarship at Booth so that's where I'm heading)!

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It’s been a few months since my acceptance, but I still can’t believe that I’m going to my dream school (Columbia) and I owe countless thanks to the team at Square One Prep for their amazing support. When I began thinking about applying to business school, I thought the process would be a smooth ride after taking the GMAT. However, once I started talking to people who have been through the admissions cycle, I knew that the truly hard part was ahead – presenting a compelling coherent story to AdComs through the essays, resume, and letters of recommendations.

A co-worker referred me to SOP and at first, I’ll admit that I was leery of SOPs prices, so I decided to work with another firm. However, after 2 stressful weeks of no progress with that firm, I reached out to Kathryn again, who assured me success with my stats and background. I decided to initially sign up for a two school package (and as a testament to my satisfaction with SOP, this later turned into 5 schools). Kathryn and her team were simply extraordinary. They took the time (approximately 5 hours) to discuss my background, my goals and were very honest about my strengths and weaknesses in regards to admissions. When I was asked about which schools I’d like to apply to, I briefly mentioned that Columbia was my dream school, but that I didn’t believe that I had the right background to be accepted into such an elite program. The team at SOP said that with the right story, I would be a competitive candidate for the program and gave me the self-confidence to apply (and more importantly, be accepted) to the program. Working together, we decided on a mix of 5 schools that would be a good fit for me (2 reach and 3 match – all amazing programs in the top 15).

Immediately after the 5 hour call, we started revamping my resume. SOP and I reworked my entire resume's content and format. I immediately recognized and appreciated SOPs attention to detail and tireless effort to make all aspects of my applications as perfect as possible. The process for each school entailed a brainstorming session over the phone to discuss the school's essays and ideas that I should present in those essays. I’d like to emphasize that SOP will NOT write your essays for you (which is important as it mitigates the risk of plagiarism), but they do an incredible job of editing and offering suggestions to really tighten up the stories and ensure they resonate with schools. In my email inbox, there are hundreds of emails back and forth with my consultant discussing my essays and improvements that could made literally line by line. One aspect that set SOP apart from other firms were the Letters of Recommendations packages that SOP helped me create. My recommenders loved the packages as it assisted them with remembering projects that I worked with them on and it truly improved the quality of my letters of recommendations. Once the interview invites started rolling in (I interviewed at all 5 schools), SOP spent a couple of hours preparing me with a “mock interview.” For the first 45 minutes, the consultant asked me questions that I was to expect in an admissions interview and then took the next 45 minutes to provide feedback. The feedback provided made a considerable difference in how my interviews went (particularly with my love-hate question of “greatest weakness”).

One of my favorite aspects of SOP is that Kathryn and her team are truly your partners in the process. I spoke with SOP practically every day and they worked with my schedule to ensure the applications would be submitted on time. They were also very upfront (in a constructive manner) about ideas that I suggested which they didn’t think would work. It was support that I didn’t receive from the other firm and I am certain that this is a quality unique to SOP which results in their high success rate. In the end, I was accepted to 3 top programs (with considerable scholarships as well). I have already recommended SOP to a few friends and co-workers who are considering applying to business school in the future. SOP is an investment that has already paid off immensely in my life and I can never thank the Kathryn and her team enough for their support.

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"My experience with Square One Prep was beyond amazing! I worked directly with the owner who was extremely supportive and carefully tailored the experience to address all my concerns. I applied to four top MBA programs, was invited back for interviews by two schools and will be joining Columbia’s EMBA program. She was there whenever I needed to talk to her and provided extensive support along the process, even when I needed to do post-1am phone calls to talk through essay topics for my essays because I couldn't get out work before that time. She was very personable and made me very comfortable sharing my personal experiences with her, which is critical in developing personal essays. She helped me brainstorm and dig deeper into my life to come up with interesting topics for my essays. Whenever I felt like I was hitting a deadlock, she would talk me through things and help me discover new aspects about my life that I never realized before. The support I got from Square One extends beyond the mere application process – they also provided excellent guidance on interview preparation. Their feedback was sharp and so helpful as I learned exactly what my weak notes were and how to address them.
The impact of this experience extends far beyond the application/interview process. It helped me understand myself – what’s my forte and what I am really passionate about, which I would continue to benefit tremendously from down the road in my academic, personal, and work life."

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Working with Square One Prep was a great decision, as next year I will be attending Wharton. Square One Prep helped me throughout the application process and saved me an incredible amount of time and stress. Working with them was an enjoyable experience as they created both a professional and collaborative relationship with me. They took the time to assess my credentials and then focus my application on my strengths and differentiators. The insights they provided to help me formulate, write, and refine my essays was outstanding, as was their oversight of my process to get solid letters of recommendation. They really know what admissions committees are seeking, and I truly believe I succeeded with the process due to Square One's guidance.

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Working with Square One Prep was well worth the time and money that I invested. The owner was remarkably candid and started off by telling me I was applying a year too early. She then did the unthinkble and stayed in touch with me over the next year to answer questions I had and generally stay up to date on how my GMAT studies and things with work were going. I hadn't spent a dime, and she was already investing in me.
Once we did begin our work, she dug deep to completely understand my strengths and weaknesses as an applicant, to understand me. Throughout the process, she continually challenged me to incorporate my strengths in a concise, but impactful, sincere manner. She also helped me strategically acknowledge my challenges to show self-awareness. My essays wouldn't have been anywhere near as meaningful without her support and insights. They also wouldn't have told my story effectively. The results speak for themselves... in at all schools - Kellogg, Booth, HBS, and Stanford!

The support I got from Square One was beyond what I expected. Far beyond.

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I couldn't be more thankful for being introduced to Square One Prep. From the very first conversation, my consultant radiated a positive energy and a genuine 'grab-the-bull-by the horns' attitude to help me evolve from an anxious application writer into a confident top-MBA candidate. Her can-do spirit replaced my fears with focus and an achievable game plan. It had always been difficult for me to explain my story to people because it isn't your traditional background or MBA story. I'm from Nigeria and have had to fight hard for every success in my life. Yet my consultant seemed to instinctively understand who I was, appreciated what I had achieved, and visualized where I was trying to go. I especially liked that she remained pragmatic with her guidance - tailoring my expansive ideas into accessible essays ideas. Working with her was seamless for me because of these characteristics.
The application process felt like a joint collaboration with mutual vested interest. She makes you feel like your success matters to her and she always makes time to address your concerns or ideas, is extremely prompt with email responses, and very considerate with international time-differences. Best of all, she truly listens to you and absorbs your personal story. I remember being blown away when she would bring up experiences from my past that I had touched on in passing during much earlier conversations; she would suggest them for parts of an essay in a way that fully captured both the spirit of the experience and my goal with the essay. It was as though she had been with me through the course of my life and clearly understood how each experience fit into the microcosm of me. She was also perfectly organized in her guidance process and immediately provided me with invaluable tools that helped me get organized with my applications and time-lines. Her strict time-lines and division of tasks into bite-size pieces made the end goal appear more attainable. For 2 years I had struggled with completing an MBA application. With Square One Prep I completed my application in two weeks! My consultant was incredibly knowledgeable. She was also very talented at editing essays into half the size I'd send without losing the message, and in fact somehow making them stronger. I not only got a prompt acceptance into the one school I applied to, Columbia. but through her guidance I became more self-aware and better prepared for b-school.
Working with Square One Prep was a delightful blessing. I am very grateful for their professionalism, fun approachable nature, and genuine interest in my success. I recommend their services wholeheartedly.

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