Yes, people can and have done the application process without consultants. But SOP’s timeline driven approach broke down this stressful process and gave me the confidence to complete high-quality applications on time. I fully utilized each day for application creation instead of worrying that I missed a step or getting distracted by life. I strongly recommend working with the SOP team with at least a portion of the schools you plan to apply to. I decided to do less than half of my schools with SOP, and they were mindful of this during the process. I never had to obscure my complete application plans from them because they cared that I had enough time to craft high quality applications. In fact, Krasina and Kathryn worked to complete portions of my application sooner so that I could apply them independently to applications that were not with SOP.

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SOP was recommended to me by another client through a mutual friend. To be honest, I was quite unsure what I was looking for or if I was even MBA material at the time. From my first meeting with Kathryn (the founder, who is very present throughout the whole process), SOP was instrumental in providing clarity and support throughout my journey. This included tangible tools such as a personalised timeline and thorough essay and interview guides, multiple edits and reviews by the leadership team, as well as advice on what to consider when selecting schools and choosing essay topics. They were also incredibly accommodating with the time difference, as they have advisors based around the world.

In my experience, SOP's leadership team (which includes a career coach) takes the time to truly understand their clients' motivations and draw out a narrative which rings true in the applications. Though the team had minimal experience with the industry I was targeting for my career path (I chose a track that was rather nontraditional), they patiently arranged multiple Skype meetings, learned about the industry, and provided valuable direction and challenge. The career narrative we crafted together would be the backbone to all my subsequent applications and interview prep, and I believe my biggest competitive advantage.

Although I only engaged SOP with a three school package, I was accepted into 5 top tier business schools (4 in were in the top 10 MBAs on US News 2021 rankings, and 2 of which offered me full tuition fellowships) using the foundational work we built together. I could never have imagined such success, and I credit the team here for helping me make that a reality.

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I began working with Kathryn after getting waitlisted from the two schools I interviewed at during Round 1. The waitlist process felt like a demoralizing black box and I did not know how to navigate it strategically. Moreover, I was afraid that after months of work on applications and interviews, I would not get in anywhere.

In our first session, Kathryn described what she saw as the key points I needed to clarify in order to go from the waitlist to an admit decision. Through her feedback, I was able to recognize some key flaws in my application, as well as how I could take action to clarify them. She not only helped me develop my narrative for business school, she helped guide critical thinking about what I really wanted and what was realistic with my background. I believe that her process was useful not just for my application, but for business school itself.

Not only was I immediately impressed by Kathryn’s incisive and experienced feedback, I was also very comforted by her efficiency. For those who are concerned by the price of a consultant, I would highly recommend Kathryn and engaging her early on. Firstly, I believe that if I had worked with her from the beginning, I would not have gotten waitlisted and had to spend all the additional time and money associated with that process. Secondly, when Kathryn works with you, she is quick and thoughtful in her feedback. Her efficiency in reviews made me feel like I was getting incredible value for the investment I was making.

Getting into business school is not easy, and I feel lucky to have been recommended Kathryn. Now, I am attending my dream school in the fall, and even received a fellowship.

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Right from the start of my experience with Square One, I loved having the ability to talk with multiple different day-to-day advisors on the phone and then choose which one I felt most comfortable moving forward with. It made me feel in control of the whole process. But I was also surprised (in a good way!) of just how hands-on the leadership team is from the first day all the way through application submissions. I was nervous at first about using an application consultant because I knew that I would be traveling and moving across many different time zones during this application process. However, the team was amazing at creating a detailed schedule that worked around my constraints and allowed plenty of time for feedback and many iterations on all of my application components.


Coming from a non-traditional background, the team at Square One first went above and beyond to help me wrap my head around my own career goals (both long-term and short-term). They did not let me get away with being vague, acting as a forcing function for me to reach out to people and do real research about roles and industries that I would actually enjoy being involved with. From here, also with their help, we were able to craft a detailed and compelling narrative that would be the driving force for both my application essays and my interviews. As my recommender choices were also slightly non-traditional, I was able to use Square One (and their resources) to provide these recommenders with all the information they needed to write clear, interesting, and honest recommendation letters for my schools. This was especially useful given the fact that every school I applied to had different requirements for these letters


After I got into multiple of my desired schools, Kathryn even took the time to help talk through this decision with me on the phone so in order to get an additional perspective beyond talking to current students! Overall, I think Square One did a phenomenal job of challenging me on things that needed to be challenged while also being accepting of my individuality and respecting the things that I felt passionately about. Instead of them using a template to tell me what to say or write, we were partners throughout my experience

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As a white male working in finance, I was nothing new or interesting to top business school admissions committees, or so I thought. Kathryn and her team at Square One Prep helped me craft an application narrative that was unique to me, which resulted in getting me accepted to my first choice: Columbia Business School. I firmly believe that without the SOP team's guidance, support, and encouragement there would have been little chance of success.

The SOP process has been refined over several years and the results speak for themselves. SOP's plan is tailored to each client in order to produce your optimal application. To put it simply, if you are going to use an admissions consultant, you are doing yourself a great disservice by choosing anyone but the SOP team.

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Square One Prep offers a dedicated and personalized support to help you identify your career goals and build a plan to identify and get into the schools that will help you achieve these goals.
I was particularly busy during my application process and my SOP team helped me navigate conflicting priorities between work, pro bono and exam prep. My team was available 24/7 for me when I needed to re-adjust my timeline and set a path forward to meet my application deadlines.
Without SOP’s support, I doubt I would have been able to navigate through the application process in time and have such and amazing outcome – I got into my dream schools with scholarships!

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My experience with Sq1P was shaped by the fact that I was reapplying. Before I started to work with Sq1P team my aim was to apply to HBS and GSB only. Thanks to Sq1P I understood how complex and difficult the application process was and that in fact I didn’t realize this. I think that the most important recommendation I personally received from Sq1P was to reshape my list of targeted schools.

Sq1P team helped me to build my application, one piece after another. We started with detailed analysis of my career and personality which later helped us to create consistent application. Working with their team was a pleasure – they were very responsive, providing me their support for 24/7 and flexible as they always were ready to fit to my schedule.

Sq1P presents open communication. They simply tell you what they think, as they truly believe that’s the only way to help you craft outstanding application. This truth is not always easy and comfortable, but that’s the way it is. Sq1P will push you to think harder than you think but deliver results. After they helped me prepare my written application they spend enough time preparing me to my interview. I think around 90% of questions were repeated during my interview what proofs their knowledge and experience with recruitment processes to the most important MBA programs.

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My experience with SOP began with a free consultation with Kathryn, the founder. I assumed it would be brief and impersonal. I could not have been more wrong. Kathryn spoke with me for over an hour, taking time to discuss my background, my goals and potential application strategies. Her honesty was refreshing. She didn’t hesitate to point out potential weaknesses in my application, but was also quick to suggest strategies to mitigate those weaknesses. I found this honesty and expertise to be constant throughout the process, and present in all members of their firm.

SOP was a critical, invaluable resource to guiding me through the ENTIRE process. They helped me articulate a career narrative, create an impactful resume, craft high-quality essays, and navigate the letter of recommendation process. Wendy, my career narrative expert, sharpened my narrative by asking tough questions. Darcy, my day-to-day advisor, constantly challenged me to dig deeper and provided untold value to my essays. Bailey, SOP’s chief of staff, ensured the process was moving along on-schedule. All the while, Kathryn remains actively engaged in the process. Every step of the way.

I would have never gotten into Wharton without SOP. There is zero doubt in my mind. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience – including even learning some things about myself along the way. To Kathryn and the SOP team, navigating the MBA admissions cycle is not a job, it’s a passion. If you’re going to apply, you’d be crazy not to work with them.

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I was ambitious and only went for M7 schools in round 1 even though I did not have the strongest gmat score and did not have an exceptional undergraduate gpa. At the end of my first call with Kathryn I can say that I had transparency into exactly how Square One would help & more importantly I felt that she was personally invested in my success - I didn’t feel that way about the other consultants I spoke with.

I was fortunate to have partnered up with Matteo Rattighieri (my advisor) who was very supportive and knowledgeable. He was quick to respond to me, ensured that I met deadlines and gave me constructive/helpful feedback. He had a great way of strengthening the way I present myself in my resume and essays without overpowering my voice.

When I was not able to get accepted into an M7 school the Square One team encouraged me to keep applying and ensured me that I belonged at a top business school. They stayed with me as I gave round 2 another shot, helping to review my essays and Matteo would hold interview prep calls with me which were more challenging than the real interviews - this helped me be relaxed and confident. Round 2 ended up being a success - I got accepted to all of the schools that I applied to and was even offered a scholarship. I cannot thank Kathryn, Matteo, Wendy & Bailey enough- they helped me fulfill my dream of going to an Ivy League business school.

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It’s been an absolute pleasure working with Beth from Square One Prep (SOP). A few things that stood out to me were firstly, the wide variety of consultants they have on-board. I actually found someone who had similar work experience as mine which made our brainstorming that much easier. It’s difficult to communicate the joys of being a teacher to someone who hasn’t been one before!

Secondly, I like the structure that SOP provides to the application process. It’s well defined and personalized at the same time, this helped articulating my career goals and drafting my essays. Also, the way they reviewed every component of my application with multiple people reading it and giving their feedback was crucial because I sometimes needed that 3rd person's opinion. This process really helped me revamp my application and from one waitlist in R1, I went to a 100% admit rate to R2.

Thirdly, I absolutely loved how invested they were in my application journey. I would receive an email from every SOP person I had worked with for every interview admit and final admit that I would receive. It made me feel like they were celebrating my successes with me and it never hurts to have to have some cheerleaders!

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