I had an incredible experience working with Sharon and cannot recommend her highly enough as an admissions consultant. I targeted three M7s and one T10 and was admitted to two of the M7s and the T10 with scholarship offers at two of the three.

Like many, I spent a month or so taking advantage of the many free consultations that exist to learn more about the admissions consulting process, gauge the strength of my application, and determine whether partnering with an admissions consultant could be the right fit for me. I knew going in that if I did decide to leverage a consultant that I wanted to have someone who I could trust to be a confidant and to support me throughout the process.

After going through a handful of calls, I wasn’t optimistic – I hadn’t found the right person with a working style that resonated with me. However, after speaking with Sharon, I knew that she was the right fit immediately. In that initial call, she showed a genuine interest in my story and her warmth and empathy shone through (which, if you’re lucky enough to work with her, you’ll find out quickly!).

The application process is grueling and stressful. Working with Sharon was a dream. She was incredibly supportive, insightful, detail-oriented, efficient (especially important if you use an hourly package like I did!) and unafraid to push you to do more or dig deeper when you need it most. Perhaps most importantly, Sharon can do all of this well because of her extraordinary empathy. With Sharon, you will always feel like you have someone who is in your corner and who understands your unique story. If you partner with Sharon, you will not regret it.

Read More

I can’t recommend Sharon enough. I was able to secure admission to the Haas EWMBA program, which was my top choice, thanks in large part to Sharon and Fortuna admissions.

I chose the hourly sessions from her. She tracked all our work in a spreadsheet: minute by minute, so I was always aware of exactly what she was working on. I was initially skeptical about working with a consultant due to the cost involved, but if you are having similar thoughts, I highly suggest you evaluate the cost of consultation vs opportunity cost due to missed admit, or the fees of a top-tier MBA program, and suddenly this cost seems like a drop in the bucket. Sharon was very well organized and highly responsive during the entire process. I was in a time crunch and had just 2 weeks’ time before the R3 deadline when I approached her, but she made sure that I was able to get the best version of my application submitted on time. She made me introspect what truly matters to me and that helped me immensely while crafting my main essay for Haas. If not for her counselling, I would have submitted an essay which I thought was compelling at that moment, but rather a subpar one in hindsight. Being from an overrepresented male Indian engineer category, I wanted to distinguish myself from the pool of similar applicants and Sharon’s guidance helped me do just that. This is where her rich experience of working in admissions for over 25 years and as an Associate Director of Admissions at Berkeley Haas shines. She also did a thorough review of my final application and helped me cross all t’s to ensure that I don’t have any gaps. She recognized the strengths and weaknesses in my profile and gave me pinpoint advice on how to highlight or mitigate these respectively. She even introduced me to other Haas admits, so that we can network prior to school, which speaks volumes about how determined she is in helping her clients succeed.

Read More

My experience working with Sharon was nothing short of phenomenal. Coming into the game with a sub-par undergrad engineering GPA, I knew that I was at a massive advantage from the get-go.

Sharon was incredibly easy to talk to and dove straight into the application process with me starting from the very first minute of the initial session - not a single minute felt like a waste. Sharon was able to identify my strengths almost immediately, and was really able to help me bring out my own unique perspective and voice in my essays and overall application in a way that I wouldn't have been able to do by myself. The entire process would have definitely taken me easily at least 3 times as long if I had done everything alone. I was working on a time crunch, since I repeatedly took the GMAT, up until literally one week before R2 deadlines, leaving me with less than half a week to perfect the rest of my application. Sharon was able to help me craft together EVERYTHING for a Haas reapplication - resume, essays, interview prep, and overall application - within the unbelievable span of 3 days. She was readily available, always just a text/email away, and was extremely responsive, even on the weekends. I was finally admitted to Haas, a Top 10 program, and could not be happier, given my GPA handicap going into the process.

Read More

I highly recommend working with Sharon; not only did I enjoy the process, but I felt very cared for and supported.

First, Sharon's experience was evident from the very beginning. I targeted Haas, and after talking with some other advisors, she stroke me as someone who really understood the school and program and had experience in distilling my story. Additionally, when you work with Sharon, you will get access to the Clifton Strengths assessment, which is a very valuable resource to identify new insights that can help you shape your story.

Sharon's experience as part of the admissions team was very helpful in bringing a clear perspective of what would be ignored and how best to highlight important pieces of my story. I struggled a lot with testing, and Sharon was very, very supportive through the whole process emotionally and with resources for studying. I have heard horror stories of advisors who are very rude to candidates with low scores and even had some advisors I talked to initially say, "reach out again when you have a better score." I think a good advisor is someone who will help you tell your story and overcome the barriers you will face in the process: Sharon is that kind of advisor. From her mindful follow-ups and detailed plan of action, all our interactions were very positive. I know and truly feel she cared about my success.

I felt particularly supported through my interview processes. Sharon helped me prepare very thoroughly, going over each possible question in detail and until I felt comfortable sharing my story and bringing it to life beyond my texts.

I worked with Sharon on my Haas application, and the whole process was also extremely useful as I crafted additional applications. I am currently on the waitlist at Haas, but I already see this as a success considering my GMAT score, and I am certain our work together contributed to me getting into the waitlist.

I highly recommend Sharon particularly for those who, like myself, like to have a very structured plan and clear next steps and are looking to feel supported through and through in this journey.

Read More

Sharon was the absolute BEST to work with as an admissions consultant! She was able to help me achieve my goals of getting interview invites from 3 of the 3 top-25 schools that I applied to (and acceptance letters from 2 of 3) in Round 2 of the 2020-2021 admissions cycle, arguably the most competitive cycle ever. All of this while under a serious time-constraint and with my relatively low test scores/GPA! She was quick, efficient, fair with timing, and gave helpful advice throughout the process. It was always a pleasure to speak with her, as she had the ideal personality of someone you spend hours working with! I would recommend Sharon to anybody looking for an admissions consultant.

Read More

I attribute my success to Sharon! With her guidance, I was thankful to be in the enviable position of choosing between offers from two top programs, one of which was my “dream school” in the 2020-2021 application cycle, which proved to be a very competitive year.

The efforts Sharon put forth were numerous: phone call/video chats to brainstorm, multiple iterations for each essay until we were both satisfied, many email exchanges (200+, I counted!) to discuss how to polish each elements in my application package to differentiate myself, mock interviews with comprehensive comments and notes ranging from behavioral interviewing techniques to etiquette.

As an Expert Coach, Sharon has in-depth knowledge of the end-to-end MBA application process, from brainstorming long/short term career goals, through presenting impressive stories, to conducting mock interviews. Sharon is a gifted coach who encouraged me to dig deep to find my strengths/areas for growth and then the guidance to articulate my “brand” concisely and professionally. Not once did we shortcut on any of the discovery process, which enabled me to bring out my best and most authentic self.

Sharon is timely, candid, thoughtful and provides direct feedback. Knowing that I'm from a tech background, she was conscientious in reminding me to avoid jargon and to avoid being too “in the weeds” on project details when conveying my stories. Beyond serving as a consultant, she was more of a mentor to me in the MBA application process -- she had an uncanny knack to immediately zero in on what I needed to improve and, most critically, the reasons behind those improvements.

Sharon made my application so much better and she even shaped my understanding of the MBA degree in a broader sense and what I should look to leverage in my studies to get the best return on my investment. We both had a great work rhythm and Sharon was always responsive to my emails with flexibility -- even on Thanksgiving eve! In each step of the way, I felt more comfortable and confident than ever with her coaching and mentoring.

In searching for an MBA Admissions firm, I talked to many consultants and they simply didn’t bring the same level of energy and enthusiasm Sharon displayed during our initial phone call. I signed up with Sharon thinking of her as a Coach and I am leaving the process thinking of her as a life-long friend. I give her my highest recommendation!

Read More

Sharon Joyce is an exceptional mentor and consultant, going above and beyond my expectations. I enjoyed working with her thoroughly. Her greatest strength is pulling stories and experiences to enhance the essays for greater uniqueness in candidacy. Being in an over-represented group, I thought my candidacy was more prone to weakness than others, but she helped rectify those concerns. Furthermore, she had a unique perspective compared to others, which helped differentiate her from others from the very first consultation. She helped me navigate through the deadlines and the things to do with ease. I would recommend her in a heartbeat.

Read More

I had the opportunity to work with Sharon Joyce for my MBA applications and it was a fantastic experience. When I started my MBA applications I had decided on the programs and schools, however I had a very analytical approach towards my essays and needed some help. From our very first call Sharon was warm and talking to her felt easy. She took the time to talk to me and understand my perspective and helped me think about my essays in a way that showcased my experiences which reflected my authentic self. She was efficient and super quick to respond to any questions. She helped me with essays and interviews for three schools with just the minimum hourly package. Thanks to her I got accepted to a top 10 part time MBA program with a scholarship! I highly recommend Fortuna Admissions. Their approach of consulting only for a handful of students is highly effective.

Read More

This application process has been an inspirational journey of self-reflection that made me truly think about who I was, who I am, and who I want to be. When I first had my first free consultation, I was lost. I did not know where I wanted to apply and which school suits me best. Matt showed a great deal of knowledge about the schools and quickly understood what I was looking for, and hence matched me with Sharon.
Sharon was not only an admission coach but also an emotional support system. She fostered an environment of trust, honesty, respect, and above all, faith! From our first preparation meeting, it was evident that she spent proper time in my strategy document and made sure she knew everything about me. She even made me take a CliftonStrength assessment to understand my strengths and weaknesses. Sharon pushed me to truly reflect on my past experiences and how they shaped me to become who I am today. She helped me truly present my personal brand in the best way possible and knew what each school was looking for. Because of her great attention to detail, she often reviewed my submissions multiple times before deadlines to ensure nothing slips through the cracks. When she wasn’t sure about something, she always levered Fortuna resources and availed all necessary experiences and knowledge from other coaches to help me prepare. During the interview preparation process, she absolutely went above and beyond! We must have done a dozen interviews because she genuinely wanted me to get admitted to my dream school.
Overall, I am 100% satisfied and would definitely recommend Sharon from Fortuna to everyone!

Read More

I worked with Sharon on my HAAS EWMBA application through Fortuna using their Hourly services package. Sharon’s nuanced understanding of what the Ad com looks for in a candidate was extremely useful in building my application. She was very good at identifying my strengths and did an excellent job of crafting an application strategy around them. Her attention to detail is extremely impressive and is very easy to work with. We connected a month before the deadline and her focused work helped me complete my application with a week left. I highly recommend Sharon as a MBA coach to anyone.

Read More