Strengths:

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Would make the product better:

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Let’s get the outcomes out of the way: SOP helped me achieve admission to both HBS and Wharton! From start to finish, it took less than one month!

I had two friends who both had successful outcomes refer me to Square One Prep but I was someone who thought I could navigate the process on my own. It was December 14, less than a month before Round 2 deadlines were due and I was still debating whether I even wanted to apply to business school. I had a few half-baked essays and knew I had not strongly communicated my narrative.

Kathryn hopped on the phone with me on a Friday afternoon, walked me through the SOP process, and sent me a schedule on how we would make two schools work in less than 30 days. She was direct honest, and most importantly caring. By Saturday morning, Kathryn was my sounding board on whether I wanted to “hit the brakes on the process” or “pump the gas”. Kathryn wanted me to make this personal decision and there was no pressure on whether I pause or continue the MBA process. I decided SOP was for me on Saturday morning and by Saturday afternoon, Kathryn had me set up with intro calls with multiple advisors. This was on a SATURDAY. This was beyond anything I expected, Kathryn and her team truly go above and beyond. Any other company would say we’ll get back to you Monday, Kathryn and Lara got back to me in 10 minutes. They care about your experience in the process (not just the outcomes) and you truly feel that.

On Saturday evening (at 8 freaking PM!!), I had my first call with Lara Avsar who would change my life. Lara took the time to understand my story and my “why”. It wasn’t just let’s build an application, it was let’s know who you are, why you are who you are, and how you and the business school can fit together.

Lara was patient, caring, and helped me reflect on who I was as a person, and craft that story. She made time on the weekends, at night, and in the early mornings to make sure I was supported throughout the entire process. Her expertise in crafting vignettes and focus on storytelling was extremely impactful in my essays. I truly felt that Lara cared about me as a human being and that the application was a byproduct of the deep thought work we did together! I consider Lara someone who has changed my life and I’m extremely grateful for all of her time and support during this entire process. I do not doubt that Lara will be an advisor for life!

SOP overarching strategy was extremely effective and everything was perfectly planned thanks to Pat! Kathryn made herself available 24/7 to review the work and provide her expert guidance on where we were tracking and direction on strengths/weaknesses.

During this process, I also had the pleasure of working with Horatiu. Horatiu is
an expert at crafting a tangible career narrative and this is an element of the process that I think also sets SOP apart from the rest. Horatiu and team help you discover a career narrative that you’re passionate about and something that can be used well beyond business school.

Overall, I can confidently say I would not have achieved the outcomes without Square One Prep. More importantly than the outcomes, I know the SOP experience will pay dividends well into the future. I’m extremely grateful for Lara, Kathryn, and the entire Square One Prep team!

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I began the MBA application journey knowing very little about what to expect—what schools I should apply to, how to position myself, or how to efficiently navigate the process. A close friend encouraged me to hire a consultant and specifically recommended Square One Prep. Admittedly, I was skeptical about hiring a consultant at first. But after meeting with Kathryn, my perspective quickly changed.

That first meeting was incredibly thorough. Kathryn was patient, took the time to truly get to know me, and asked thoughtful, personalized questions that guided the conversation in a meaningful way. She never rushed me, and I felt seen and heard. I met with a few other consultants after that, and the difference was immediate. What stood out about Square One Prep was clear: this team genuinely cares. You’re not just another number.

Like many applicants, I struggled with defining what I wanted to do post-MBA. At times, the question felt overwhelming. Wendy’s process for building a career narrative helped me gain clarity and uncover new insights about myself. It pushed me to explore paths I hadn’t previously considered and to connect the dots between my experiences, values, and long-term goals.

The GMAT/GRE was not my strength, and I was genuinely worried about how that might affect my outcomes. My advisor, Allison, challenged me to bring my best to every other aspect of the application. Her support, guidance, and encouragement were invaluable—and ultimately critical to my success.

Looking back, the application process felt like a long and challenging period in my life. But Square One Prep’s guidance made all the difference. Their support was instrumental in helping me stay focused, confident, and ultimately successful. I can’t recommend this team highly enough.

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One of the aspects I valued most was how much time Kathryn and my advisor, Autri, dedicated to getting to know me as a person, not just as an applicant. They took the time to understand my personal values, aspirations, and what I was seeking in an MBA program. This deep understanding led them to recommend my school of choice during our initial conversations, an option I hadn't previously considered. This recommendation proved invaluable, as I will be attending this September!

The career narrative work was extremely helpful. Being paired with a career narrative expert allowed me to articulate a clear trajectory from my past experience to future goals and pushed me to conduct thorough industry research. This foundation made essay writing significantly easier and proved valuable during interviews when I could confidently discuss industry questions.

Working with my advisor, Autri, was exceptional as well. His superior storytelling skills consistently helped articulate my thoughts more eloquently than I could myself. Throughout the stressful application process while working full-time and preparing for multiple exams, Autri showed genuine empathy, providing not just technical advice but emotional support when I felt insecure about my chances.

The overall structured approach is another strong advantage. The systematic methodology removed much of the uncertainty from the application process and helped me feel more in control during what is inherently a stressful experience.

I highly recommend Square One Prep to anyone serious about maximizing their chances of admission to top MBA programs. I'm incredibly grateful to the entire team.

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Strengths:

Honest and direct feedback
Timeliness of reviews
Diligent and helpful

I had a free consultation with Kathryn when I wanted to start my MBA journey. She was really candid about my profile which I really appreciated. I felt like I need the support for the application process and I'm glad I went ahead with SOP! The team is incredibly diligent, timely, and cares about the individual applicant. They pushed me to think about my unique story and present it in an articulate way.

I also had a great time working with Wilson who worked with me on a more daily basis. He is incredible patient and responsive to all my questions. I had a lot of brainstorm sessions and he pushed me think about all aspects of my story. If we faced challenges in my essays, Wilson wouldn't just accept the easy way out so we can finish. Both Kathryn and Wilson put a lot of care and effort in reviewing my work, ensuring that it was always the best. Pat was consistently following up with me to ensure I met all deadlines and would flag if I was close to missing any.

The hardest part of my process was the career narrative but Wendy pushed me to think about how I can lay out a vision for why I want to pursue business school.

If you're thinking about MBA apps, do the free consultation with Kathryn! This application process is stressful to begin with so it's nice to have the extra support!

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Ten months ago, I knew almost nothing about the world of business school. Now, thanks to Square One Prep, I’m admitted to Michigan Ross with a $100k scholarship, Cornell Johnson with a $30k scholarship, and Tuck! Clearly my investment paid off, and I am so happy that an MBA is in my future.

I first spoke to Kathryn in June 2024, ahead of starting my Round 2 application process in October. At the time, I knew little about what to expect, what these schools looked for, or how to properly steer my career. Kathryn patiently walked me through Square One’s process, which I could tell would be both rigorous and thorough in solving the gaps in my knowledge, while taking a big load off my plate with prepping the materials. One of the first things that struck me was how quickly Kathryn and her team would respond to me, and how generous they were with their time when it came to answering my questions and reviewing my work.

I selected Square One’s premium tier, and after being onboarded, I worked with Kelsey, who I felt both understood me as a person and who had deep expertise in what business schools look for in their applicants. This made it easy for me to be forthright with her about anything that came to my mind and to trust her advice. Much of this was also thanks to a thorough assessment she did with me where she learned every detail of my undergraduate, extracurricular, and work experience. As we created my resume, my essays, and my application, I felt like she was my second brain. Her edits made sense, we were able to move the process along with each school efficiently, and I felt comfortable reaching out to her whenever I had a question. I especially appreciated how we were able to integrate my artistic background into my application materials, leveraging them as a strength. Our interview prep went just as smoothly given our rapport.

After creating each application component with Kelsey, Kathryn’s second layer of tweaks would give my materials an extra sparkle—ensuring that my strengths as a business school applicant stood out, even to someone just skimming through the materials. Occasionally Kathryn would send back an essay for rewrites, having me and Kelsey revisit the drawing board. But even this was something I ultimately appreciated because I could feel that the entire team was invested in giving me the strongest application possible.

What really brought it home was how I continued to feel both Kathryn and Kelsey’s investment even past the school acceptance stage. They helped me negotiate higher scholarships and they even met with me to discuss a waitlist strategy for two business schools that I am trying to convert into acceptances. They help review the monthly updates I am writing to those schools. I feel that this is well beyond what I might normally expect from an admissions consultancy, and I am deeply grateful for their dedication well past the time of my acceptance. I still feel like I have access to both of them, and am able to hear back about any questions very quickly.

I also want to give a special thank you to Horatiu, who helped shape my career narrative and guided me on what to research to become a knowledgeable and credible candidate for the industry and function I hope to enter. His insights were essential not only for my goals essays but for my interviews as well.

Honestly, I can’t imagine an admissions consulting experience more comprehensive than the one I had with Square One. They helped with the whole journey, and then some. There should be no doubts in your mind. Working with Square One was one of the best decisions I’ve made.

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When I decided I want to pursue an MBA, I did research on the admissions consulting companies out there. I scheduled a few consultations and ultimately decided to go with Square One Prep. That has been one of the best decisions I ever made (not exaggerating.)

Fast forward to today, I got accepted into my top choice school. The journey has not been smooth sailing though. I began work with SOP a few years ago, but paused it due to a new job and move. When I moved back, I picked up where I left off with SOP. I kept the same advisor, Allison. For the work I had to redo, I paid the current hourly rate. I paid for a 3 school package with SOP (and I applied to one without.) I got access to a portal to track my progress in the application process and access documents.

With a full time job and things happening in my personal life, I struggled to meet all the deadlines. Allison and Kelsey kept me on track (I’m sure I tortured poor Allison.) There were hiccups with my process (not at all SOP’s fault) leading up to submitting school apps, but Allison and Kathryn was there to advise and guide me through it. The advice they gave me allowed me not burn bridges yet also keep my progress going with an alternative approach. The year I was applying to B school, I was quite anxious all the time. Fortunately, SOP’s quick response time put me at ease. They are truly experts in what they do. They provide honest feedback and some much needed encouragement along the way.

If you are considering working with an admissions consultant, I recommend Square One Prep. Definitely at least schedule a consultation with them, you may end up choosing them, like I did. I couldn’t have done it without Allison, Kathryn, and the rest of the SOP team. I am forever grateful!

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Strengths:

The sense that you are in experts' hands. You feel this throughout the entire process, from Kathryn who is the school expert, to Horatiu who is the career narrative expert, and then your consultant (in my case Anna) who becomes an expert on YOU and getting the best out of you.
If you are willing to be guided, you are in the best hands.

Would make the product better:

I would have liked to speak more often with Kathryn. She was great with the onboarding process and school selection help, but I would have appreciated more comunication in the essay editing stage to have better comunication on to what I was trying to convey.

Working with Square One Prep was challenging in the best way possible. I applied to six top business schools, was admitted to five, and even received a $100K scholarship from one. I know for a fact that this was thanks to their incredible guidance and support.
When I started the admissions essay process, I had little clarity on what I wanted to do after the MBA. The career narrative process was pivotal for me. Early on, Horatiu (one of the most honest and straightforward persons I’ve worked with) didn’t sugarcoat things. He told me that my plan at that moment was crap, (in better more polite words), and really pushed me to visualize alternative career paths that not only made more sense for the application process but also helped me discover exciting possibilities I hadn’t considered before. It was a painstaking process, but it gave me much needed clarity.
Once I had a solid career narrative, I worked with Anna on my CV and essays. I cannot recommend her enough. Her feedback was always direct and purposeful: “You can do better” or “This essay is supposed to convey X—try again with that in mind.” But she also balanced that with plenty of “YOU GO, GIRL!” moments that kept me motivated and confident.
This combination of tough love and genuine support is exactly what you want from an admissions consultant. If all you need is someone to edit your essays, you already have ChatGPT. What makes Square One Prep truly valuable is their team of experts—each focused on areas like career narrative development, school selection, and writing—who take the time to know you and help you showcase your best self.
If you’re someone who doesn’t have a clear vision of how to showcase yourself or your plans, Square One will guide you every step of the way. Even if you already have a strong idea, it’s still worthwhile—the career narrative, résumé, and other work you develop will serve as a solid foundation for all your applications.

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I worked with the Square One Prep team on my round one applications and came away delighted at both the quality of service and result – admission to my top choice of HBS! The entire team felt highly invested in me and my success from the very first meeting I took with Kathryn when I was beginning to think through my process.

The first big differentiator of working with SOP was the level of personalization and genuine care I received from the team. Each consultant only takes on a few applicants per cycle, which leads to a high level of personal attention and responsiveness. I never waited more than 24 hours (more often it was sub-12) for an email response or for feedback on whatever we happened to be working on at the time. Moreover, the team pushes you to take the long and hard route (for everyone involved, including them) rather than signing off prematurely. They will truly push your application and thought process to the highest quality possible, even if it means jumping on more calls for them or starting an essay over entirely.

The second big differentiator of working with SOP was the team approach. Amalia, my primary advisor, brought an impressive level of empathy, creativity, and candor that helped draw out my unique experiences and express individuality in my application, which was a big priority for me coming from a traditional background. She was patient, highly committed, and most importantly, incredibly kind and pleasant to work with. Kathryn provided invaluable guidance at each step of the process and provided clear, direct, and thoughtful feedback that pushed every aspect of my application to a higher level. Wendy, the resident career narrative expert (a unique aspect of the SOP process) spent nearly a month helping me develop my career story and define short, medium, and long-term goals in a way that holds together with my past experiences and who I am. She was incredibly patient, and as time progresses, I continue to see the value of that workstream more and more and find the work incredibly important for anyone to do early in their career regardless of whether they’re applying to an MBA. Finally, Kelsey was fantastically organized and kept the entire process on track to submit in time for the round 1 deadline.

My overall experience with the team was 10/10. They followed through with everything they said they would do and helped me achieve a fantastic outcome. They pushed me harder and invested more time than I would’ve ever expected and ended up being worth every penny.

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Strengths:

Very detailed oriented and bring out the best in you. You cannot go wrong with Square One Prep!

I cannot recommend Allison and Kathryn highly enough! Thanks to their expert guidance, I was admitted to two M7 MBA programs—Columbia and Kellogg.

From the very beginning, Kathryn demystified the application process, helped me identify the right schools for my goals, and gave me an honest, strategic assessment of my profile. As an Indian male engineer, I knew that standing out in a competitive applicant pool would be crucial. Both Allison and Kathryn pushed me to dig deep, reflect on my journey, and highlight my unique strengths to craft a compelling and authentic narrative. Their honesty was invaluable—not only in refining my story but also in recognizing my potential to improve my GMAT score and encouraging me to give it another try.

One of the best aspects of working with Square One Prep is the dedicated team supporting you at every step. My career goals coach, Wendy, played a key role in sharpening my post-MBA aspirations, while Kelsey kept me organized and on track with deadlines and essay drafts. This level of structured support was instrumental in boosting my confidence and generating ideas for the many essays I had to write. When it came time for interviews, the entire team celebrated each invitation, helped me prepare thoroughly through mock sessions, and encouraged me to be my authentic self.

I’m incredibly grateful to Kathryn, Allison, and the entire Square One Prep team for their guidance and unwavering support throughout this journey. If you’re looking for expert consultants who are truly invested in your success, I highly recommend working with this team of superstars!

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Kathryn, Wilson and team are a dream team combining experience, empathy, and dedication to help me with telling my story in a way that resonates to the admissions committee... So much so that Wharton and other schools have accepted me! Kathryn was always direct (and kind) in her feedback, which I appreciate as she sees angles that we may have overlooked. Wilson is particularly patient and willing to listen to my story to understand how best to position it while retaining my voice - Important given my challenging personal circumstances at the time. Thank you very much team for your support and I highly recommend anyone to consider SquareOne!

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