I chose Kathryn from a number of different potential options because of her philosophy, focusing on bringing out an individual's personality. Over the course of just a few conversations she got to the root of who I am as a person, my motivations and goals, and made me realise things I didn't even know myself. I valued her insight and analysis as well as her candour, making very clear her view on any particular issue and what would be the best way to proceed, drawing on her extensive and unrivaled body of experience.

I went being rejected without interview from four schools to applying to the same four schools with two offers, including one scholarship. Kathryn was absolutely instrumental in this.

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Because I was applying to only two M7 schools for geographical reasons, getting genuine and tailored advice on my applications was a must. When I first spoke with Kathryn during our initial free consultation, she stood out above all others due to her authenticity, frankness, and approach. Our conversation lasted over one hour during which she answered every question I asked her. Her responses showed that she thought intently about my profile before even hopping on that initial phone call; I knew I was not going to get a run-of-the-mill experience with SO.

I chose to work with Eva for both schools, who provided amazing insight into what adcoms are looking for, how to best get across my accomplishments on paper, and most importantly, how to craft a succinct and logical career narrative. Looking back at the ideas I had about what a great b-school application looked like before working with Eva, I would have crafted a fairly trite application. Eva and the SO team helped me focus on the elements of my personal and professional history that would attract an adcom’s attention.

I got the sense that other admissions consultants were looking to feed me narratives that worked for their other clients; SO will not do this. I think this is what made them stand out initially and the reason that the application package I submitted felt very personal and introspective. Their process forced you to dig deeper to get across the person you actual are rather than the archetypal MBA candidate. There are not any shortcuts to getting this across to the adcom, but you can be assured that SO will let you know when you are coming across unauthentic or trying to emulate what you think is the “right” thing to say in an essay. For me, their feedback on my ideas was the most rewarding process and invaluable.

SO was there with me through every step of this, and I felt comfortable knowing I had them in my corner for the big decisions (essay topics) down to the most minute of details (grammar). I would highly recommend Kathryn, Eva, and the whole SO team to anyone looking to work with an admissions consultant.

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When I got my first interview invite, I realized that I had no idea how to prepare for MBA interviews and only a few weeks to figure it out. I heard about Square One Prep through a co-worker and was so impressed that Kathryn gave me a phone consultation the very first day I reached out. I liked that Square One was willing to spend as much or as little time with me as I wanted until I felt confident in my interview skills. The feedback I got from the mock interview was so insightful. I do not think any of my friends or family members could have given me the caliber of advice I received. Square One helped me navigate four interviews in a month and come out with no rejections, including, most importantly, an acceptance from my top choice school.

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The MBA journey was a tough one for me. After an unsuccessful attempt last year (I applied 4 schools with no interviews), I decided to work with Kathryn for a second attempt. Not only did Kathryn work tirelessly with me to put together the best materials possible, I felt like she was genuinely invested in my success.

Given that MBA applications are time consuming and extremely introspective, it's important to work with an adviser who brings both compassion and advanced expertise to the process.

Thanks to Kathryn's help, I secured interviews at all 5 schools I applied to, with acceptances from Columbia, Ross (full scholarship) and Fuqua (70% scholarship). This outcome exceeded my expectations, and I cannot thank Kathryn and SOP for making it a reality!

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Applying to business school is a stressful and involved process, which can easily take up months of your time if you don’t have the right guidance. I could not be more glad about choosing to work with Kathryn, who not only made much easier and less-stressful, but also constantly pushed me to achieve the best version of the story I wanted to tell.

I can bucket the advantages of working with Kathryn into two parts - one, process and two, content development. On the first, Kathryn had broken my application journey into a series of concrete and achievable goals, taking me through various elements of Resume, Career Narrative, Essays, App, LoRs and Interview prep in a manner that it never got too stressful or out of control. I also had the comfort her always being prompt and easy to reach for advice and turn-arounds, while she dealt very patiently with my one-too-many versions of essays!

On content development, Kathryn contributed meaningfully to helping me shape my story. While she helped me structure my thoughts and delve deeper into my experiences, she was also open to my pushing back on things I felt strongly about. The end result was that my final essays were truly, honestly, a reflection of me, and I couldn’t be happier with what we submitted.

I am admitted into two of my top schools, and I have Kathryn and SquareOnePrep to thank for that! I highly recommend working with Kathryn to any aspiring business school applicant!

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TLDR: Interviewed 5 admissions consultants. All of them (including square one prep) told me to focus on top 20 schools vs top 10. Ended up getting into MIT Sloan with Collin/Kathryn's help. (Out of applying to Sloan, Wharton, and HBS with them)

They were amazing to work with in many ways. Here are the ones that stood out the most:
1. The mix of working with the leadership team and my consultant worked out really well. The leadership team had the background of helping others through hundreds of applications, and my consultant was exceptionally well informed of my chosen industry.

2. Career Narrative discussion- Meet with your consultant, Kathryn, and the career guide to determine how to make your career path reasonable and easy to follow. They don't hold back any punches, neither should you expect them to.

3. Dedicated staff to keep everyone on task. Square One Prep never missed a deadline and also held me accountable. The chief of staff is very detail oriented.

Collin's knowledge of my industry was extremely helpful. He could understand my background better than any other consultant that I talked to, and it clearly showed when we started working on the essays.

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At first, I was really nervous about applying to a top MBA program as I had scored a good portion lower than the average GMAT scores at the programs I was considering. I also felt that writing was not my strong-suit as I hadn’t written an essay in over 6 years.
I reached out to several firms, but none of them came across as engaging and as frank as Kathryn. With Kathryn, she took her time (our first call went over by an hour!) to understand my story, my goals, and to read through my resume etc. She then made it clear that she believed that I have a solid shot at making it to my dream programs. I was absolutely relieved to hear that, given that Kathryn based her opinion on a much better understanding of who I was (compared to the other consultants I had called).
Kathryn then put me in touch with Kathleen, an awesome consultant experienced at helping people get accepted to dream schools. The process was tough, with many repeated drafts and blunt comments that hurt to hear (but were absolutely needed). It was actually at the peak of my frustration that everything clicked and my story and essays turned into their much improved near-final form. Through these frustrations, Kathleen was my rock; she kept me steady, re-assured me, and offered me advice all throughout. It meant so much to me that she was one text, email or call away at any point.
If you want honesty and hence a real shot of putting your best foot forward, but also the emotional support to navigate the frustrating application process, seriously look no further! Ultimately, I got into HBS, GSB, Sloan, and Haas! It’s a dream come true, and I can’t end this without a big thank you to Kathryn, Kathleen, and the team at S1P!
P.S. My final essays truly feel like a finished/perfected product, and I'm sure I would look back on them with much pride even years later.

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When I first started the application process, I have no idea where to start. Coming from what felt like a slightly nontraditional background (non-business undergraduate major and startup experience), I struggled with how to tell my story in a compelling way. That's where Square One Prep came in. Everything from choosing schools, to defining career goals, brainstorming essay topics, structuring my resume and interview prep, the time I put in working with Square One Prep has more than paid off. Crystal helped me to make my application a unique package that detailed who I was a candidate and my goals for attending business school, as well as how I would thrive and contribute to the programs. Working with Crystal and Kathryn on my applications gave me the confidence I needed to be successful in my interviews. They believed in me and pushed me to put my best self forward in my application. It was an incredible feeling getting the acceptance phone calls from Fuqua and Darden. I could not have done it without Square One Prep, and I am THRILLED to be admitted to two of my top choice schools!

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Square One Prep was the key that determined my success in the MBA application process. Going in, I felt very insecure about my application due to my average GMAT (680) and the highly competitive programs I wanted to apply to. Kathryn and Darcy were both supportive and demanding, a combination that led me to build confidence and work hard to craft the best application possible. They asked the right questions that led me to understand and effectively communicate my personal narrative. This was not only crucial for my MBA applications, but also for my personal growth. I felt that the time and resources I invested with Square One Prep were worth it beyond getting into my two dream schools. I came out of the process more certain about my values and convictions.

I highly recommend Square One Prep to anyone who wants to maximize their chances of getting into a top school. I got into stanford and Harvard and could not be happier. I heard from Square One Prep because 2 students I knew at GSB had hired them and had great results. Their track record is unbeatable.

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It was a wonderful experience working with Kathryn and Victor. SOP has helped me secured an offer from Wharton which I thought was not even possible at first, given my low GPA (4.01 out of 5).

I finished my GMAT in late June and spent the following two weeks looking for the right consultant. For due diligence, I have talked to representatives from 10+ firms, but none of them was as experienced, engaging and frank as Kathryn. Consultants from competing firms tend to give simplistic school suggestions based on my GMAT score, ethnicity and industry without looking at my resume. Kathryn, on contrast, patiently went through my profile with me and provided frank opinions on my strength and weakness. In spite of the 12-hour time zone difference between Singapore and the East Coast, Kathryn was exceptionally responsive and replied any emails within 30 min. If I still had any hesitation left at that moment, it was all gone after I talked to Victor, an amazing consultant with ample experience helping clients reach their dream schools. I signed up with SOP on that day.

A business school application is an ordeal that tests even the strongest nerve, not to mention when the school is Wharton. To enhance my application, I had no choice but to acknowledge the many weaknesses of my draft essays and their lack of considerations– a bitter pill to swallow. Repeated edition and blunt comments sometimes led to self-doubts or even frustration. But Victor could always help me navigate through the emotions and improve my essays bit by bit until they have reached perfection. It meant a lot to me. I have referred 3 of my friends to SOP even before I hear back from the school, because I know that I can trust SOP.

Finally, a big thanks to Kathryn, Victor and others from the firm for helping me bring my dream into reality!

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