Initially, I hesitated to sign on the services of an admission consulting firm for my round 1 MBA applications. However, with over 10 months of collaboration with Square One Prep and the firm’s incredible leader, Kathryn Lucas, I am beyond happy that I did! Currently serving on Active Duty in the military and transitioning to the civilian sector in the next year, my journey will commence at Wharton in August 2024 – in case anyone is wondering about the results! I also secured admissions from Columbia, Tuck, Yale SOM, and NYU Stern.
Square One Prep, along with their remarkable team of advisors such as Kelsey Wise, Kelsey Kephart, and Wendy Bagdi-Durrua, truly brought out the very best in my application through extensive hours of reflection, conversations, and guidance derived from their immense professional and life experience. There are no “time limits” or “work hours” with Square One Prep; they are there every step of the way. Not to mention, my advisor, Kelsey Wise, spent hours on the phone between her busy consulting job, preparing me for interviews as they unfolded, random essay questions, and fielded all my questions and concerns as I went through the application process. Kelsey Wise truly is an insightful, patient, and warming spirit throughout the entirety of the long, nerve-wracking period.
Square One Prep’s team adeptly managed the approach to denials, the dreaded wait list, and the decision-making process for accepting offers whenever the need arose. For military members seeking to transition to the civilian sector through an MBA, Square One Prep will help maximize the content of your application by authentically highlighting the best in YOU. This goes for really any profession as well! Initially uncomfortable with the notion of "bragging" about myself in an application, Square One Prep showed me how to represent myself professionally and appropriately as I managed my transition from active duty to an MBA program.
Overall, Square One Prep holds a special place in my heart for diligently assisting during such a crucial time in my life. Lastly, I not only learned about navigating the MBA application process, but I also gained friendships with an amazing crew of people who are successful in all walks of life. I wholeheartedly recommend Square One Prep; good luck, and I assure you that choosing to work with their team will be a decision you won't regret!

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I still remember the time when I was researching Admissions Consultants and read a bunch of reviews on GMATClub and other MBA related websites of various companies. In the end, I decided to go with Square One Prep as a close friend of mine had worked with SOP and only had positive things to say. I am glad I took his advice!

SOP are really methodical and thorough when it comes to building applications. Following a structured approach that helped manage timelines effectively, they went the extra mile to ensure that every component of my applications is crafted to perfection.The ideation and brainstorming sessions helped lay a solid foundation for my overall career narrative and essays. The team helped me craft compelling stories and really differentiate myself.

Throughout the process, they were super responsive and always available to address any concerns. With their support, I felt the utmost confidence submitting applications and performing in interviews.

I couldn’t be happier with my results as I got my first choice university! I’m extremely grateful for this partnership and would highly recommend their services!

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As an Indian applicant with just 1 year of work ex at the time of application, I knew that my chances of getting into my dream business school were abysmal. After talking to many consultants who echoed my doubts and recommended me not to apply at the time, I had almost convinced myself to defer my plans. I vividly remember the night when I, dejected after one more disappointing call, stumbled upon Square One Prep through reviews on GMAT Club and decided to schedule this one last call to assess my chances – and I am so glad that I did!

Kathryn, in the first screening call, understood my ambitions and goals (rather than straight away writing them off as unrealistic as some other consultants had) and gave me the confidence to give it a shot, while being frank and objective about my chances given my less work ex. Kathryn’s confidence in my profile and SOP team’s vast experience were the primary reasons why I decided to work with SOP on my applications.

My experience working with SOP has been wonderful. My team, consisting of Kathryn, Kathleen, Cristina, and Horatiu, helped me present my story in the best possible way. The career narrative work with Horatiu helped me flesh out my goals in a logical manner which was not only helpful while writing essays, but in hindsight, played a crucial role in my interviews also. Kathleen, my advisor, was a huge support during the entire process. She was very approachable and always a text away, happy to answer all my big and small doubts. She nudged me in right directions and helped me highlight my best self through my essays and resume to bring together a well-rounded application. Her targeted feedback during mock interviews was pretty valuable too. She is highly experienced, has valuable insights, and is a great person to have by your side during this stressful process – I can’t thank her enough. Cristina, my partnership manager, was very responsive and always ready to answer all of my questions. Kathryn’s final reviews of all my essays and videos, and her interview advice added significant value.

Through the entire process, I appreciate how SOP emphasized on authenticity – be it in my career vision, personal essays, resume, or interview prep, my team made sure that I let my authentic voice, candor, and vulnerability come through.

Had I not talked to Kathryn, I might have not even applied, and now I have an admit from my dream B-school – Chicago Booth, that too with a $40k scholarship. This would not have been possible without SOP’s help and I am so glad I got in touch with them! I highly recommend all prospective B-School applicants to reach out to SOP.

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I can't believe that at first I was skeptical whether I should hire an MBA advisor. I thought my 760 GMAT "got me covered". Still, that's what people did and I didn't want to risk it, so I spoke with 4 advisors, two local, two American. The Brazilian advisors didn't click well with me. One of the Americans I spoke with treated me like I was trying to get a table on a Friday night at a busy New York restaurant. Then I spoke with Kathryn. 15 minutes in I was thinking "is my time up?". I told her I had an unusual background and that explaining it would take a while. She said "there is no rush". I didn't think I should use that story in my MBA apps. After a nearly 2h long chat, she convinced me I absolutely had to tell that story. I knew I had to pick SOP.

Before you sign with SOP, you get to chat to three advisors, to pick the one you like the most (if you're not going with Kathryn). First chat went well, but it didn't click. Second chat, same thing. Then comes Anna (Tsilidou). I'll summarize my experience working with Anna with this: the effort she put into my app was as if she was applying herself. And all the team behind SOP made me realize (in a positive way) how little I was prepared to write those essays and how many blunders I would have committed if left on my own.

I was incentivized by Kathryn and Anna to aim higher in my applications and applied to schools I hadn't thought of at the beginning. The MBA application process is not only brutal but also highly unpredictable. I'm still in disbelief that I got a 75% scholarship from my top school, Columbia. This was the dream result for me, and I got it. I am honestly not sure this could have happened had I picked someone else. It was worth every cent.

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In the whirlwind of my MBA journey, Square One Prep emerged as a transformative force. Having prepared for the GMAT, then applications, and then facing multiple rejections in the previous application cycle, I found myself exhausted and disheartened.

Selecting a consultant was a critical life choice I had to make, especially as a reapplicant. After a friend’s endorsement who had worked with SOP, I hopped on a call with Kathryn – the founder of SOP. I still remember our initial 1-hour call - where we talked about the process, which schools to target, and most importantly her belief that my dream schools were within my reach. What I loved about SOP approach was there would be a team of experts to support me – Matteo as my advisor, Horatiu, Cristina and Kelsey, with Kathryn also involved in reviewing.

The process is very structured (with strict timelines) – school selection, recommender selection, career narrative, resumes, and the Assessment Call with your advisor. I spent close to 4 hours on the call – with me narrating my life journey to Matteo, and then we could figure out which aspects of the journey we could highlight in the essays, resume etc.

I’m thankful to everyone on the team, but most importantly Matteo who has been my guiding light throughout the journey. Matteo made it clear that his role was not simply editing my essays or giving a lot of suggestions. Instead, he gave honest (and once brutal) feedback and encouraged me to write the best essays I could – and I’m very grateful for his approach. His attention to detail in the essays allowed me to curate very personalized essays for each school. The support of other team members Horatiu, Kelsey, Cristina was equally commendable– they’re all experienced and available to talk about anything – you just have to email them.

I enrolled on a 3-school package – but received help and resources for additional school applications as well. My top choices were Fuqua, Tuck and Kellogg – and while other consultants might encourage ‘safe’ choices, Square One never told me to settle. When I finally received interview invites from almost all schools I’d applied to, I had a mock interview with Matteo. While my first mock wasn’t good, by the 2nd mock I was ready and during the real interviews I presented my candid best to the schools.

Thanks to the Square One team, I received admits to Ross and Fuqua (with scholarship), among others. Beyond the tangible outcomes, what’s most valuable for me is the personal growth I achieved. I came out of this process more self-aware, improved my writing, structured thinking and communication skills – and I’m sure these qualities will benefit me immensely in my future career. For anyone navigating the highly competitive b-school application process, my sincere recommendation is to just schedule a call with Kathryn and understand the process. If you’re seeking top-notch guidance from a team deeply invested in your success, then Square One Prep is the way to go. SOP is more than a consultancy – it’s a partner committed to your personal and professional success in a way very few people out there are!

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From the moment, I spoke to Kathryn for 1.5 hours over the FREE consultation hour, I knew I had found people who’d actually be invested in my success. And I haven’t been disappointed one bit. I was late to the R2 application round (with less than 1.5 months to go for the deadlines), but the team worked hard on my application and my story, the consultant and reviewers responded quicker than their standard review times, and everyone was willing to work at a fast pace just because I asked them to. I really really appreciate them for it! Some other points that stood out to me:

1. I always got honesty from my consultant and Kathryn. They made me face the reality from time to time but also picked me up when I was extremely underconfident.
2. Kathryn believed in me and offered to take time out to be my senior reviewer despite it not being a part of my package. This further strengthened my belief in my ability and profile.
3. I LOOOVED that they have an extremely structured process. Everything is planned to the T and they make sure no-one involved lags behind, and even if they do, they make sure the progress is not hampered. I especially appreciate the regular check-ins and pushes from Cristina (my relationship manager) and Paula (my consultant) because I had a tendency to proscrastinate. They helped me overcome that.
4. They literally took time out to get to know me in depth and understand the kind of person I am. This helped me stay authentic to my story. Furthermore, their review process ensured that multiple eyes were going through each component of the application so different perspectives could be taken into account and there was no ambiguity in the essays.
5. Paula, my consultant, even went above and beyond when she checked on me about how I was feeling when an essay on a very personal topic had to be edited heavily because my senior reviewer could not follow the story I was trying to portray.
6. When I was contemplating between taking hourly consultation for a school vs taking the full comprehensive school package, I was suggested by the team to go for the hourly consultation option (even though that meant less money for them) because they felt that would be more cost effective and equally beneficial to me — a piece of advice I only expect to receive from a truly professional organisation.
6. When I was waitlisted by a couple of schools, Kathryn’s waitlist letter guidance was literally what got me where I am today — more than just what I should do and write for the adcoms to look at me differently, she helped me view the fact that I was waitlisted positively! That was what kept me going!
7. Lastly, even when I was done with my applications and I had already heard back from schools I had worked on with SOP, I received regular check in mails from them which made me realise that they really truly were always invested in my success!

I am extremely happy I chose to work with SOP on my applications. This entire process not only helped me get into my top choice school with a super cool scholarship, but also helped me rebuild my confidence in myself — which I know is going to be with me throughout my MBA journey and beyond! Thus, I recommend SOP to all prospective applicants wholeheartedly! Just sign up eyes closed!

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I was recommended to Kathryn by my supervisor/recommender who was also an MBA student ten years ago (!!) and he would still recall many memories for his work with Kathryn – that spoke a lot about his positive experiences back then. Many of the other MBA consultants from different regions that I talked to recommended me to apply the next year given my shorter working experiences, it was Kathryn who highlighted my accelerated career exposure and gave me confidence that I also have my unique life stories. I also like how Kathryn focuses on my personal experiences and motivations beyond my professional life, which provides a more holistic picture of myself. Kathryn’s extensive experiences in dealing with clients from all over the world and all walks of life is very valuable as well.

I enjoyed each and every step in this “soul-searching” journey (though not easy): career goal setting, resume, school assessment, life story brainstorming, essay editing, engaging with recommenders, interview preps, scholarship negotiations… We would have debates time to time but it is wonderful: I really appreciate Kathryn’s candid and convincing sharing on when it is ok for me to pivot, or when she would recommend otherwise; She provided me good preps for the interview, but also warned me not to “over practice”... She knows how to find the right balance!

I am really thankful for the journey with Kathryn and SOP.

I applied for other schools in R1 and my dream school HBS in R2. Kathryn was the best mentor and buddy throughout this journey, encouraging me to persevere when I had doubts about myself, and patiently discussing and fine-tuning the narratives many times with me. I love my final HBS application materials: it is really ME! And the answer from HBS was a YES!

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"Partnering with SOP was one of the best decisions I have made"
I am so grateful to Kathryn (Wow!!, really couldn't ask anything more from her as she really knows what she is doing and knows how to get things done), Wilson (my awesome, superb, and fantastic advisor), Cristina (who really ensured that we adhered to the timelines and coordinated the process so well), and Horatiu (who really pushed me to ensure that I have a strong career narrative - thank you so much!!).

I couldn't have achieved this without SOP and I strongly recommend it to anyone who is in the journey of MBA applications. This is one investment that you will cherish. I really did land up in my dream school and so will you!

To the entire team - thank you so very much!

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Since the day of signing up with Squareone Prep, I received tremendous support and guidance from Kathryn, Amalia, Cristina, and Wendy. The team ensured that I reached all milestones in the application process even though I started working with them late in R2. Kathryn has set an amazingly streamlined process in place for all applicants to follow since the Day-1. She and Amalia were extremely organized, and they were very dedicated in understanding my background prior to kicking off the work on the applications.

SOP team ensured that I understand and build a very thorough long-term and short-term plan post-MBA via its Career Narrative lead by Wendy. I went to them with a very bleak/blurry vision, but after multiple discussions, the team guided me to build a very strong post-MBA plan. I really do not think I could have an excellent vision without undergoing this process with the SOP team. Incredible execution by the SOP team, special thanks to Wendy – she is the expert!

Post career narration, Amalia helped me pick the right stories to be incorporated into the essays. Amalia is super friendly, and she was always willing to hop on a call and listen without worrying about time. This is where SOP’s dedication in understanding my journey was super helpful. She was extremely emphatic while listening to some of the delicate aspects of my past and helped me to carefully draft my narratives. Amalia was also great at utilizing the time difference between our locations to our advantage and we managed to build the essays for both GSB and HBS within 3 weeks. While Amalia’s expertise added in simplify the back and forth in polishing the essays, the quality of feedback provided by Kathryn on the final version of the essays was just priceless. She was very open and honest about how she felt about certain aspects of my essays. She ensured that the best of me is reflected even when we were all working together tirelessly during the last couple of days prior to the deadlines. I absolutely loved her insights and her turnaround time!

Cristina was super supportive in ensuring that I adhere to the timelines set and she worked closely with Amalia and me to ensure all deliverables are ready on time. To add further, the dynamic schedule on SOP portal was absolutely useful even before I signed up with SOP. Prior to signing up with SOP, Kathryn demonstrated how to use this schedule and it helped me to always track my progress for the various schools I planned to apply. In fact, it also helped me to pick schools wisely in interest of time available then.

The team was always available to answer all my questions throughout the process. As a bonus later on, Amalia helped me navigate through my interviews smoothly too. She performed multiple mock-interviews for both GSB and HBS and did not stop until I was 100% ready. After each mock- interview, Amalia drafted detailed feedback and ensured that I improved after each mock. Even in times when I was feely low about my interview prep, she boosted me and went out of her way to bring back my confidence levels. She genuinely cared for my success, and I owe my performance in interviews totally to her.

I feel absolutely great and lucky to have had SOP’s back during this vital process. I would definitely recommend SOP especially for applications to the top B-schools such as HSW. Super grateful for all the guidance from SOP team! Thank you, once again.

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I began my MBA application process frantic and stressed, with impending deadlines adding to the anxiety. Countless questions swirled in my mind: as a nontraditional applicant, how could I effectively convey my experience and aspirations? Which schools should I target? What aspects should my recommenders focus on? I knew I had one shot to get it right, and the whole ordeal seemed overwhelming. Exacerbating matters was that I had started work with one consulting firm, but realized they were not the right fit for me; I did not feel like a priority to them. Then I joined forces with Square One Prep.

Right from the start, the SOP team impressed me with their seamless process and remarkable responsiveness and expertise. Kathryn, Darcy, Cristina and Wendy worked closely with me, ensuring I stayed on track with timelines and nailed down all aspects of the application. They provided unwavering support every step of the way. Our journey kicked off with a comprehensive examination of my career narrative through multiple conversations and extensive self-reflection. This groundwork laid the foundation for the subsequent essays and established a solid framework for the entire process.

Following this, the essays were a breeze - I was astounded by how quickly drafts were returned and accompanied with insightful feedback. The team was always available to answer any questions, no matter how small. Within a matter of weeks, I completed eight high-quality applications. Beyond the logistical support, what truly stood out was the genuine care the team had for my success. There is no doubt that navigating through this process can be incredibly stressful but having SOP on my side truly made all the difference. When I finally hit that submit button, I felt a sense of confidence. Ultimately, I was amazed by the generous scholarship offers I received. It was beyond my wildest dreams to receive an almost full ride scholarship to one of my preferred programs, but thanks to the unwavering support of SOP, this remarkable outcome became a reality. I wholeheartedly recommend Square One Prep to anyone seeking comprehensive support and exceptional guidance throughout the MBA application process!

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