Square One Prep Admissions Consulting Reviews

In May 2020, I unexpectedly lost my job in healthcare operations due to COVID-19. In deciding my next step, I thought about applying to business school, as it was part of my long-term plan. But I knew nothing about the process or requirements and was worried that I did not have enough experience and knowledge to a) be accepted to a competitive program and b) be able to contribute at the same level as my peers. After hearing from a friend about Square Prep One, I scheduled a free consultation with Kathryn.
From that first conversation, Kathryn was supportive and encouraging while offering a candid assessment of my applicant outlook. She asked probing questions, laid out different scenarios, and confidently answered all my questions. She clearly had a tremendous amount of knowledge in the area and, even though it was a short timeline to the extended application deadline (7 weeks), her confidence and eagerness to help solidified my belief that this was the team for me if I was serious.
Kathryn and my advisor Mike quickly whisked me into their structured process including a four-hour call to understand me as applicant with my strengths and weaknesses, building a competitive resume, developing a career narrative, crafting thoughtful essays, etc. Their process helped me create a focused, cohesive, and compelling application. Throughout the process, my advisor Mike was engaged, thoughtful, and advocated for me, pushing me to be clearer, more succinct, and powerful in telling my story through my essays and interview. Even if I had worked on my application by myself for months, I am convinced that the quality of my application would not have come close to the final work I produced with their help.
If you are serious about applying to business school and are looking for a partner to help guide you through the process, Square One Prep is your team. In roughly 9 weeks, I went from trying to decide if I should apply to business school to being accepted to my top choice, Goizueta. I could not have done it without them and cannot more highly recommend them.

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The SOP team (Kathryn, Bailey, Garry and Wendy) is the best of the best. They take an individual approach with each candidate that they work with and genuinely care about their success. Applying for an MBA while you are balancing a full time job and other responsibilities can be very intimidating, but Bailey creates a customized schedule based on the programs you are applying to which makes each deadline more manageable. She constantly updated the schedule to ensure it reflected reality. In my case, my list of schools was dynamic for a few weeks as I applied late round and wanted to apply to schools that wouldn’t require a GRE/GMAT score. Schools were very much in a state of flux on this subject when I started my work with SOP, so the school list I started with wasn’t the school list three weeks later.

My experience started by having a conversation with Kathryn (the founder). It was supposed to be 30 minutes and we ended up talking for over an hour. She listened to my past experiences and challenges as an applicant, and then gave me reassurance that her team could help with the quick turnaround I needed to get three applications done in 10 weeks. Despite being the founder, Kathryn made the time to play an active role in my applications from start to finish and every essay was reviewed by her before being submitted.

Before starting your applications/resume/essays, you work on crafting your career narrative with a career advisor. My career advisor, Wendy, truly made my story come alive. The thing I appreciated was her ability to push me to think deeper about my individual narrative (not just a general narrative that anyone could use), asked me to expand on my thoughts, and guided me when I felt stuck. Once you have your A+ narrative, you present it to your career advisor, daily advisor, and Kathryn. This boosted my confidence and was extremely helpful for my essays and interviews.

Garry was my daily advisor and I cannot say enough good things about his approach and our relationship during this process. He brainstormed with me for my essays, helped me strengthen my resume, and made sure I was prepared for the interviews. But most importantly, I felt like we were a team. He was available 24-7 and had the fastest turnaround on my essays. If you have the opportunity to work with him as your daily advisor, you are BLESSED!!

It is hard to put into words, but I am so thankful for my entire SOP team— they helped change the projection of my life and will always hold a special spot in my heart!

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I was in the last round for MBA application, I needed to find a consultant who can help me to succeed within limited time. Then I talked to Kathryn, at the first free consultation, her passion and knowledge of the MBA world, the long time you spent for me, and professionalism made me choose Square one. Now I got admitted to both schools I applied(2/2 applications).

The first day I worked with Square One team, I was being pointed in a clear direction, which saved me a lot of time and energy, especially in a rush timeline. The team was efficient and responsible, they set and followed up every step and task for me.

Mary was my consultant, she directed me with the whole application, analyzed and advised me with a better perspective , sent me relevant materials. She always responded to me, even on weekends and holidays.
Wendy has been advised on me for career vision. It turned out to be super helpful for my interview. Bailey was also very nice and friendly.

I felt wholeheartedly that Square One has the best team.

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Working with Square One was the best decision I made in my part-time MBA application journey. I prepared my own application for Kellogg and was denied. For my Booth application, I decided to work with a consultant and talked to a few before deciding to work with Square One. There are two main reasons why I chose Square One. First, Kathryn (the founder) spent more than an hour with me on the phone for the initial free consultation and shared excellent insight and experiences. Other Admission Prep companies had 20- or 30-minute time slots and strictly held to them – they were also not that generous in sharing information/strategies like Kathryn had done. I got the vibe that Square One would go above and beyond for me and they did. Second, Kathryn is very pragmatic and logical. She won’t hesitate to point out weaknesses in your application. Other companies I talked to were very salesy – seemed like they were just after my business.

Once I got on-board, I was extremely impressed by the schedule Square One created for me. They had planned out each week with specific activities. I only had 30 days till application deadline and this schedule played a crucial role in the application preparation. Bailey is also great to work with – she sent frequent reminders to ensure everything was proceeding as scheduled.

At Square One, I decided to work with Matteo – I simply cannot compliment Matteo enough. Matteo is very knowledgeable, extremely friendly to work with, and a person with excellent strategies and insight. His communication was excellent throughout. Whenever I felt stuck, I found Matteo to be very supportive and available, even on the weekends. He’s a guy who’ll go above and beyond for you – if I had to do this all over again, I’d only do it with Matteo.

The MBA application process is haunting, there’s significant strategy and effort involved. Because of the resources that Square One provided me, and with Matteo’s help, I never felt any unease and was comfortably able to finish the entire application within 30 days. I must also commend their communication. Matteo/Kathryn/Bailey always got back to me within 24 hours – I never felt disconnected from them throughout the 30 days I worked with them. But there’s more: even after submitting the application and doing the interview, Matteo stayed in touch and kept checking up.

Lastly – there are cheaper Admission Consultants than Square One but don’t let the price dictate your decision. Square One truly is a company that will go above and beyond for you. My admission to Booth would not have been possible without Square One.

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Applying to business schools was a challenging marathon- especially for a lazy amateur like myself – and I am grateful to have had Square One Prep as my strict running coach.

I had had preliminary conversations with three prominent US consultants, before having my first conversation with Kathryn. In all three conversations, the consultants highlighted the importance of applying to ‘safe schools’, covertly implying my M7 ambition was a tad bit delusional. Kathryn- after patiently hearing my previous academic and professional credentials- gave me the much needed assurance that I should ‘reach for the stars’. In that same conversation, Kathryn was also quick to list down my weaknesses- some of which we really needed to improve, some of which we just have to live with. That conversation was the beginning of my business school journey with SOP and also my last interaction with any other prospective consultant.

Piersten- my co-runner on the marathon- was just amazing! She helped me think, she pushed me to work harder (after my 13 hour work days), she gave me the confidence to share certain vulnerable aspects of my life and she ensured I don’t get lost in brainstorming. Piersten would also very quickly switch from the role of a patient coach to that of a stern elder sister. And I would not have been able to successfully submit my application or sit for the interviews without that.

The process at SOP mandates every piece of work- the career narrative, goals, short answer essays, long answer essays- goes through two layers of supervision. Kathryn would always ensure the quality of work never gets compromised or diluted- even if the deadline sometimes is in 24 hours. The process pushes you out of your comfort zone, and really makes you think. I was very happy with the final essays and applications submitted to business school.

I have enjoyed the run- and I recommend SOP to you and to all my friends/ acquaintances applying for business schools. Thank you Kathryn, Piersten, Luis, Ashley, Bailey and the entire team at SOP.

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A good friend of mine recommended SOP and I’m so glad I decided to work with them! I had an amazing team including Kathryn, Yarden, Luis and Bailey, who guided and supported me throughout the entire journey. They were truly invested in my success, from the very first interaction to my acceptance celebrations. Applying to MBA schools certainly takes an enormous amount of time and devoted efforts. It’s an introspective process where you go through a lot of emotions as you look back into your past accomplishments and challenges. Kathryn, Yarden and Luis really took the time to understand my background and future goals to craft the most compelling and realistic narrative that showcases my strengths and passion. While working with the SOP team, you’ll quickly realize they truly care about their clients, beyond application preparation but deeply connecting with you on a personal level to bring out your unique story.

I was still preparing for the GMAT/GRE while working on my applications. The SOP portal schedule was essential in keeping track of the deadlines as I had a lot on my plate. I’m a perfectionist who puts a lot of pressure on oneself and I struggled with the test prep. Thankfully, Kathryn and Yarden were always there for me, as my biggest supporter, advisor and cheerleader.

Although I didn’t work on all of the schools I applied to with SOP, I can confidently say that the career narrative I worked on with Luis built a strong foundation for the other applications I worked on individually. I cannot recommend SOP enough, it’s an investment in yourself that you will never regret!

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The SOP team was a great resource throughout the application process from school selection and strategy development through admittance. The entire team including Wendy, Bailey, and Kathryn were always available and immediately responsive to all questions, large and small. The SOP team is extremely thorough and readily prepared with every detail throughout the process, ensuring timelines are met ahead of schedule. I believe SOP saved me an incredible amount of time throughout the application process, helping decipher "nice to know" information from "need to know" and prioritizing time spent in the areas of my application that would drive the highest value to an admissions team.

I also want to give a special shout-out to Allison Skinner for her help throughout the application process. Allison was incredibly flexible through changing schedules and application priorities, ensuring all details were accounted for ahead of submission. Allison facilitated a thorough application process, whether a particular essay took 2 drafts or 8, and always approached questions/application strategy with a 360-degree viewpoint to account for all potential perspectives and considerations.

I highly recommend any prospective MBA applicant to work with the SOP team.

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Going into the application process I knew I had a lot of work to do. With Square One Prep I had a team supporting me from start to finish. Kathryn, Wilson, and Wendy worked with me to make sure I stayed organized. The team was always there when I had questions and pushed me to do my best. The career narrative work was particularly helpful as defining your career vision is essential to craft strong applications and then do strong interviews. The team will push you to get very detailed and challenge you to think deeply about what you really want to do. I gained valuable insight about my interests and feel the vision I created with them could become my business plan post-mba!

The application process is not easy, but I’m glad I chose them to help me out with the process. Everyone is rooting for you and giving you the support you need to succeed.

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I got multiple offers (Kellogg, Stern, LBS) and I couldn't have done it without the Square One Prep team. I called up Kathryn just 1 month before my first school's applications were due - she told me I had the potential to get into some of the top schools, but I had to work REALLY hard - and she was not kidding. The first week or two were very intense - or "living hell" as Kathryn described it - especially if you are a RUSH client, but the team was super supportive and flexible with their timings to ensure you meet your tight deadlines (Bailey, who cracked the whip on your personal schedule, made sure of that).

The career narrative work was super critical to the whole process and the whole team was super involved, insightful and helpful in refining my thinking around why I wanted an MBA and how I can craft a great story for the adcom. I had 4 career narrative calls, each of them were attended my main advisor, Ram; a career narrative expert, Wendi; and Kathryn.

My main adviser, Ram, invested many hours over the phone (at every odd time time possible). The first few days involved 4-6 hours on the phone just to understand who I am, my background, education, accomplishments, and work experience. The work was so thorough that at the end it formed a very compelling resume - a resume I could have ever imagined drafting myself. Ram was always accessible and was ready to bounce around ideas and explore different paths to take on my essays. Most of all he brings a unique perspective, and thinks about positioning your experiences in angles that really differentiate your candidacy. Ram challenged me to always push myself harder and reflect deeper to develop authentic, vulnerable, and compelling essays and interview answers.

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As I began my MBA applications I wondered how I would navigate the entire process. After speaking to friends who had successfully completed the process the year before, I decided to reach out to a couple of recommended advisors. I had initial calls with 4 of them, and as soon as I completed my introductory call with Kathryn I was sure I wanted to move forward with Square One Prep.

I really valued the dedication my daily advisor, as well as the rest of the team, had. They really invested time in getting to know me, both personally and professionally, and pushed me to my fullest potential.

Working with the team I was able to successfully develop my career narrative, a process that helped me analyze and reflect on my career path up date and discover and build short and long term career goals, and complete MBA applications that truly demonstrated who I am and what I want to accomplish.

My successful MBA application process would definitely not have been the same without the guidance and advice of Square One Prep!

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