First thing I'll say is that I only worked with Sharon for 2 hours, so the fact that I'm writing a review is a testament to how amazing I found Sharon to be and how valuable I found her services.

I purchased the 2-hour hourly service package through Fortuna 3 days before the deadline for one of my schools (top 10). Given the tight timeline, Matt (the founder) immediately connected me with Sharon, and we got the ball rolling right away.

I originally only wanted an admissions consultant to review one of my three essays that I felt the most uncertain about - expecting maybe a couple of recommendations on content and a few word choice edits. However, Sharon went above and beyond. She reviewed all of my essays and helped me improve each one. She really understood the essence of each question and what the school was trying to get at. She not only highlighted aspects of my essays that she liked, which was very reassuring & a great confidence boost, but also gave me incisive feedback on places where I wasn't hitting the mark. We went though a few iterations until both of us felt like my essays was submission-ready.

Overall, Sharon was so pleasant to work with. She's funny, positive, and laid-back. She's quick to turn around comments and really flexible with her timing. I would 100% recommend Sharon to anyone looking to bolster their application.

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Simply put, Sharon is awesome and she really knows how to navigate MBA application process successfully and with the least amount of stress (trust me, this part is so important)! Her continuous guidance and support played a decisive role in my acceptance to Haas, Kellogg and Fuqua FT MBA programs and I am so grateful to Sharon for helping me realise my dream.

I approached Fortuna admissions about 6 weeks before my first deadline and I was immediately paired with Sharon. I was worried that we may not have enough time to complete all of my applications, but Sharon instantly put me at ease by clearly outlining our timeline and strategy for each individual application. At this point, it is worth mentioning that I worked with other consultants before and their “tick-the-box” approach really damaged my previous applications. But from my very first call with Sharon, I knew that this experience will be nothing like before and can only yield success.

In the beginning, Sharon spent time to really learn as much as possible about myself. I’m a bit of an introvert, but Sharon’s genuine goodness and desire to help put my best foot forward really helped me open up, making the process of pinning down my narrative effortless and enjoyable. This task was also helped by CliftonStrengths assessment; I never actually thought what my strengths were before taking this test and it was great having Sharon walk me through my results. Learning my strengths and weaknesses really helped me stay on track and keep a single theme throughout my application process. It also proved to be beneficial during my interview as I effortlessly answered strengths/weakness questions.

Sharon’s ability to deliver the message fully, yet concisely is second to none and I have absolutely no doubt that without her guidance on my essays, I wouldn’t be moving to California this coming August! She was always honest and constructive with her feedback and I really appreciated her flexibility with scheduling our calls (we had 7-hour difference between us). Sharon had no problem with scheduling multiple calls during the week, which made an entire process very efficient and allowed us to create multiple essay drafts throughout the week. This really boosted my applications and I was able to finish all of my essays few days before their respective deadlines, which definitely reduced my level of stress.

Sharon has an in-depth knowledge of b-school application process, which made interview preparations very efficient. She knew specifics of each individual school, questions they may ask and theme I should focus on to really stand out during my assessment.

Every single aspect of Sharon’s service was amazing, whether it was helping me with my essays, or preparing me for the interviews, or even helping me successfully navigate a gruesome waitlist process, she was always outstanding. But one thing that really made my experience of working with Sharon stand out is the fact that she truly cared about me and, more than anything, wanted to see me succeed. Trust me, very, very few people would pause their vacation in Europe just to check how your Fuqua interview went. Sharon also gave me personal recommendations about things to do in pretty much every city I interviewed in, so I could really explore the place where I may spend my next few years of life. This genuine care about her clients, as well as her willingness to go above and beyond, are the qualities that make Sharon stand out among all other talented MBA consultants. I can wholeheartedly recommend Sharon and I will be referring Sharon to my friends who are seeking to do MBA in the future.

Thank you, Sharon!!

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I chose to work with Sharon Joyce at Fortuna Admissions because after our initial informational conversation, I could tell right away that she was the perfect combination of kind, sharp, supportive and realistic that I was looking for. She ended up being all of these things and more, and even sprinkled in a great amount of humor and needed sarcasm that brought some joy to the process.

We spoke on the phone at least once a week for several months during the process, and outside of these phone calls Sharon was incredibly responsive over text and email, dedicating a lot of her time to help me prep or edit my work.

I came into the application process with a good idea of "Why an MBA" and "Why Now", but Sharon really helped me craft and refine my story to help me stand out as a unique candidate. Her CliftonStrengths certification particularly helped with this, as it enhanced my ability to communicate my strengths and weaknesses effectively to admissions committees and interviewers.

I always trusted Sharon’s advice and appreciated her thoughtful questions based in her experience and knowledge. I valued her insights about being a female candidate in the MBA world, and her general excitement about getting more women accepted to Top MBA programs. One of the biggest impacts Sharon had on my admissions journey was the guidance she provided when I was finalizing which schools to apply too and focus on. She knew that I really wanted to go this year and not wait another year to be admitted to the “perfect school”, and because of her honesty, expertise and knowledge of the schools we put together a perfect list of target for me and I am ultimately super thrilled with my acceptances.

When working on my interview prep and essays, she never hesitated to connect me to the larger Fortuna network, allowing me to get expert advice and editing from other coaches with knowledge of specific schools very quickly. I particularly appreciated the opportunity to practice for the Wharton Team Based Interview with a group of other Fortuna “coachees" ahead of time led by Judith Silverman Hodara.

By the time I was applying and interviewing I felt confident that I was being guided in the right direction, was well-edited and buttoned up. Sharon helped me be “admissions committee ready” in a way that I could not have done by myself. I could not recommend Sharon more for others looking for help through the MBA process!

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I cannot more highly recommend Sharon - with her help I got into Ross, Anderson, and McCombs, with generous scholarships to each school. Sharon helped me through the R1 process with resume review, essay review, gut checks for all of my communications with adcom, interview prep, and ultimately school decision-making. Sharon gave no-BS advice which made me feel like I could really trust her, and was such a pleasure to work with. She was incredibly flexible and quick to respond, which is VERY helpful when you're pushing up against deadlines. Something I really appreciated was that I never felt like she was wasting my time - she told me if she felt a review/prep could get done in 10 mins even though we had scheduled 30, which is really nice when you're spending $$ by the minute. Sharon is also certified in the Clifton Strengths Assessment tool, which was surprisingly helpful in generating wording and insights for personal strengths - it's hard to talk about yourself! Overall, Sharon is a delight and on top of her game - if you are looking for help at any stage of the application process, she's your gal!

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When I was researching into the application process I came across Fortuna Admissions. Initially I discovered them from online searches, however an old friend of mine was a former client and confirmed they were a great service.

I was paired with Sharon and it was a great fit. We started just before the Summer with a goal of first round applications being completed by start of September. I am very busy with my career so having a strong supporting team to help organize my application efforts was a tremendous help.

I work best with goals and schedules. Sharon quickly adapted to my working preferences and helped me set goals and dates to accomplish various tasks. At the end of every session I would have my "take aways" and a set date I needed to have it done by. At the start of every session we would review the work I completed on my own time in an environment and pace that worked best for me.

When I received my first interview invitation it was almost unexpected. The deadline had been a few days prior, so to hear back so soon was quite shocking (albeit a great one!). That being said, I had a business trip already planned and had to opt for their earliest time slot. This gave me a little over 24 hours to be fully prepared. Sharon was able to accommodate my rushed time frame and I walked into the interview confident.

Overall my experience with Fortuna Admissions was great, and I will be recommending them in the future to my colleagues. Thank you Sharon!

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I enjoyed working with Fortuna from my first interaction with Matt. They provided loads of advice on the first intro call - far more than other consulting firms I spoke with - and sold me quickly. My consultant, Sharon, was personable and helpful throughout the process. It was tougher than usual because we lived in time zones 14 hours apart, but she regularly scheduled calls in her evenings because it was more convenient for me. I appreciated her pushing me to re-work my essays multiple times. Would recommend the services, particularly for school selection and keeping me on a steady schedule to get my applications in on time.

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Thanks Sharon for prepping me for the interviews. I got admitted to UCLA Anderson, UC Berkely Hass, Yale SOM and MIT Sloan. Some of them offered almost full or half scholarship.

When I contacted Sharon for interview preparation, the deadline was approaching and I have nearly zero knowledge about the interview. Thank Sharon for the quick response and talking with me on such a short notice.

I truly enjoyed the 2-hour conversation with Sharon. She was able to provide insightful feedback and suggestions during the conversation, and also answered my follow-up questions via email with great patience. She gave me a good start on my interview preparation by identifying my strengths and weaknesses.

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It was only a week away from the deadline when I decided to retain an MBA admission consultant because I was struggling with the optional essay. I contacted several companies that provide MBA admission consulting service, and Fortuna was the only company that was able to meet my deadline. Sharon from Fortuna contacted me within 24 hours and worked with me over the weekend to review my admission package. Not only she provided great guidance on my optional essay, she also offered incredible insights on my other essays and the entire package. Since I had already spent more than one month writing my other three essays, I thought they cannot be any better until Sharon mentioned a few points. Looking back, I would have not got into Stern without correcting those mistakes on the essays.
I cannot thank Sharon and Fortuna enough for what they have done. Sharon sacrificed her weekend and weeknights just to make sure my work is perfect. I would highly recommend Fortuna and Sharon to any MBA applicants!!!

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I got admitted to my dream school, Kellogg at Northwestern University - HUGE THANKS to Sharon Joyce and her team.

I have lower than average GMAT and GPA, and also was in the non-profit industry. Yes, I was on the weaker side of the candidates, and it wouldn't be possible to get an admission from Kellogg without her help.

Sharon was BRILLIANT in positioning strategy and storytelling that are tailored to just myself as a unique MBA candidate.
She helped me with whole application strategy, essay draft, recommenders selection, interview preparation, and follow-up plan.
She also gave me very honest and critical feedback with the point of view admission office as a former Associate Director of Admission at HAAS.
Other things, such as quick turnaround and accessibility were also very helpful, especially when I started application process fairly late.

She also arranged with resume specialist and former Admission Director at Wharton to get a 3rd look at my resume and essays, which added a "perfection" to my whole application.

I was very lucky to find Sharon and really enjoyed working with her.

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After an unpleasantly protracted experience with a New York based admissions consultant, finding Fortuna and, more importantly, teaming up with expert Fortuna coach, Sharon Joyce, was the ultimate windfall. Sharon helped me navigate the application process every step of the way with her unparalleled expertise and insight. She is a gifted editor who turns essays around with expedience. Whether by phone, email, or text, Sharon always makes herself available. Working with Sharon was a very refreshing experience; her witty sense of humor and encouraging coaching style are game changers. Sharon was the defining factor in my acceptance to the school of my choice. Without her unmitigated help and attention, I would have struggled to meet deadlines and achieve success in applying to top MBA programs. In every regard, Sharon has the winning formula!

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