Strengths:

Personalized & Tailored Approach
Comprehensive Support
Holistic Coaching
Confidence Building

When I started my MBA application process, I had consultations with other very famous online firms, but it wasn't until a friend (who is also at HBS) recommended SOP that I found the right fit. From my free consultation with Kathryn, I immediately felt a huge difference; unlike other companies, everything here felt much more personal and tailored. This gave me the confidence I needed because I knew that reaching HBS required a level of detail that could bring every nuance of my life, career, and personality to light. SOP has a dedicated team for every stage of the application, and working with Kathryn was incredible. Her feedback was extremely constructive, but she went far beyond just the application itself.
She advised me with her point of view through professional decisions that could have impacted my candidacy, truly caring about making the pre-MBA experience smoother, more transformative, and less stressful. Even regardless of being admitted to HBS, Sloan, and Tuck, I feel my experience with SOP helped me evolve and prepared me for the challenges ahead. I started this journey thinking HBS was a very long shot, but SOP gave me the confidence to own my story and face my interviews like a champ!! I highly recommend them to anyone aiming for the top.

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Strengths:

1. Personalized
2. Structured and strategic
3. Highly experienced and knowledgeable team

Would make the product better:

While SOP provided me very helpful interview prep even for the schools I did not directly work with them for, a few more mock drills would've taken the pressure off and helped me be more confident (and consistent) during interviews.

The team at SOP (especially my advisor who I worked most closely with) did an excellent job of understanding my profile, carving out my unique story and helping me stand out among other applicants. They have a deep understanding of what each school's adcom looks for in candidates, bringing a dimension to my application that I would have completely missed if I had tackled the process myself. SOP helped me tremendously by structuring my approach and timeline for the entire admission process, from application deadlines to interviews and even a waitlist strategy that was instrumental in helping me land an offer from my target school.

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After processing all of the exciting news and going 3-for-3 on schools, I wanted to take some time to share my experience with Square One Prep. I would absolutely, without a doubt, not be where I am today without their help, support, cheerleading, and constant encouragement. From my struggles with the GRE to multiple iterations of certain essays, they were in it with me until everything was absolutely perfect. I don’t have the words to express how grateful I am and how much I valued their support.

Horatiu stuck with me through my career narrative journey. Before speaking to him, I was all over the place on what I thought I wanted to do with my career and what made sense. He listened, pushed me, pressure tested me, and helped me take the time to research and really become even more passionate about my startup. I can confidently say that I feel better set up to start my MBA because of all of the work we did together in shaping my path.

Pat helped me stay on track and ensure I got everything done before my family trip in December. He was always incredibly responsive and encouraging.

Kathryn was extremely helpful in being an extra set of eyes on every single one of my essays. This helped me feel even more comfortable moving forward with them! She always pressure tested my themes and specific points and encouraged me to think differently. I will never forget the very last “essay” we worked on, the Booth interview video. That was one of the toughest ones for me, but Kathryn never gave up in helping me get it to the right spot. I absolutely felt more at ease knowing she was there every step of the way.

Last, but not least, LARA!!!!! When I was working with Lara, I told every person that would listen to me how amazing she was. She pushed me, held me accountable, worked late nights with me, made me feel like my story was worth listening to, and just truly made me a better writer. She is so skilled in what she does and I truly enjoyed all of our calls and work together. By the end of our work, I absolutely felt like a better writer and could articulate more interesting stories and moments about my career and life to date. Lara made my small stories, memories, and moments stand out and helped me connect them to the essay themes. This is something I never thought possible! Before working with Lara as I thought about business school I was concerned I wasn’t interesting enough and that my stories were not worth sharing. She made me feel heard and I can’t recommend her enough!

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Strengths:

Attention to detail, communication, commitment to success, honesty

Would make the product better:

N/A

Square One was a fantastic partner throughout my admissions journey. From day one, the team was incredibly accessible, always available to answer any questions and guide me through every step of the process. They taught me so much about admissions and made what originally felt to me a very stressful experience feel a lot more manageable.
They carefully brainstormed topics with me, and reviewed my essays in detail, all while making sure my authentic voice always came through. Their attention to detail and thoughtful feedback made a huge difference.
I was able to relax and focus on my work knowing I could rely on them to keep track of important deadlines and handle the process with a lot of care. I would 100% recommend this team to anyone!

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Going into the MBA application process, I had a ton of doubts. With my GPA on the lower side (14/20), I honestly didn't know if I stood a real chance at a top program. Choosing Square One Prep – and specifically picking Vi Mai as my advisor –was hands down the best decision I could’ve made.

From day one, SOP’s incredibly structured approach gave me so much peace of mind. Instead of just jumping blindly into essays, we spent the first few weeks doing some serious heavy lifting. Working with Vi, Horatiu (Career Narrative Advisor) and Kelsey Kephart (my Team Lead) to completely overhaul my resume and map out my actual career goals was incredible. They helped me connect the dots in my professional background to find a cohesive, powerful narrative that I never would have seen on my own. Getting that intense clarity upfront gave me a clear roadmap for all of my applications.

But working with Vi was the real game-changer. She didn't just help me find my best stories, she showed me how to actually make them compelling. More importantly, she kept me grounded and out of my own head. Balancing the applications with a crazy, travel-heavy work schedule wasn't easy, but Vi's proactive approach kept everything on track. She was incredibly responsive, making sure I hit every single deadline no matter what time zone I was in. When it came time for interviews, her prep work was also absolutely key in making sure I felt confident. I truly felt like I had a partner who was just as invested in my success as I was.

In the end, the outcome honestly couldn’t have been better. Not only did I get into Harvard, but I get to go alongside my partner – who also worked with Square One Prep! It still feels completely surreal. I’m so incredibly grateful to Vi and the entire team for their passion and professionalism.

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I enthusiastically recommend Square One Prep. Being from Latin America, hiring an admissions consultant was a huge financial commitment for me. It was a tough choice, but looking at my final outcomes, I can confidently say it was 100% worth it. I honestly don't think I would have achieved these results without their help.

Going into this, I had so many doubts. I worried that my software engineering background was overrepresented, that I was getting too old for an MBA (33 when I start school), or that I was simply aiming way too high. The team at SOP helped me see my actual potential and shared past success cases that completely shifted my mindset and gave me the confidence to go for it.

What makes their service stand out is how structured the whole process is. They don’t just rush into writing essays; they take the time to really get to know you first. They pushed me to dig deep into my motivations, my background, my past decisions, and my relationships, and they helped me build my career narrative from the ground up. I also loved that the process involves different people from their team stepping in at various stages to provide additional support and fresh eyes on your work. They see you as a whole person and dare you to keep exploring yourself, which ultimately makes the stories you tell the adcoms so much stronger.

Of course, the MBA journey has its bumps. I actually got rejected by a program we applied to early on. But honestly, I didn't even get discouraged. I was so confident in the process and the quality of the work we were putting in that I knew rejection was just a normal part of the game. That patience paid off—I ended up with several offers from schools across different tiers, secured scholarships, and most importantly, got into my absolute dream program!

There are a couple of areas for improvement. First is how they organize their past essay examples. Right now, everything is just dumped into a single folder by school. It makes it pretty hard to search for what you actually need or to easily highlight the ones that inspire you. A better-organized database would be a huge time-saver. Second, I think having all written work managed in a Google Drive would be much better. Currently, documents are sent back and forth via email, but using a shared drive would make collaborating on files and keeping track of version history so much easier.

Finally, a huge shoutout to my consultant, David Chan. Working with him on a daily basis was incredible. He is a true professional who figured me out at every single step. He knew exactly how to look at my experience and help me frame it to be as impactful as possible. We made an amazing team. I loved that he was always outspoken and direct—he never hesitated to tell me when something wasn't working, but he was just as quick to praise a good idea. He gave great advice throughout the whole process and is a fantastic mock interviewer. Beyond the technical stuff, I felt like David genuinely cared about me getting into business school. He celebrated every interview invite and admission offer right alongside me. Choosing him was definitely the best choice.

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Strengths:

Going into the process, I did not necessarily see my background as unique. Wilson (Consultant, Horatiu (Career Narrative Advisor), Kathryn Lucas (Founder & CEO), and the larger Square One Prep team Wilson helped me to articulate my MBA story in a way I never could have done alone. The SOP team helped me recognize what made my professional journey distinct and how to communicate my carrier interests effectively. I cannot say enough about Square One Prep’s upfront Applicant Interviews, Background Assessment, Resume Re-Build, and the Career Narrative pre-work. It laid the foundation of distilling my academic interests, career experiences, and passions into clear short-, medium-, and long-term goals that ultimately became the backbone of seven school applications. That level of upfront narrative development truly sets SOP apart from other consulting firms.

Would make the product better:

Kathryn and Team were with me every step of the way regardless of how many essay edits and reworks were needed. The only element of the application cycle that was higher friction were my LORs. One Recommenders felt that – even with the high degree of reference materials the SOP Team helped me prepare them with – that the time requirement from them was far higher than the SOP process claimed. This is likely due to the number of programs (seven) that I applied to. Even then, the SOP team went above and beyond to help me through this more challenging piece of the processes that relied on outside involvement from my Recommenders. They rolled with the punches right alongside me.

I was recommended SOP following a friend’s successful MBA applications the prior year. Working with Wilson and the Square One Prep team was by far the most valuable decision I made during my MBA application process. Wilson brings an exceptional level of insight into the application landscape and admissions process. I started my MBA journey with many ideas about what I wanted from an MBA, but Wilson and the broader SOP team were key to translating those priorities into a focused list of schools and a clear narrative of “Why MBA, Why Now” that connected back to my work experience.

Wilson was an incredible advisor throughout the process. Applying to seven schools felt overwhelming, but Wilson brought a level of organization, empathy, and constant support that made the process manageable (if not still a bit overwhelming). He helped break what felt like a massive undertaking into clear, achievable steps even for schools he was not directly advising me on. He was always willing to spend the time needed to talk through ideas, refine essays, or help me get unstuck. It genuinely felt like he understood my professional aspirations as well as I did; it speaks to how much he truly cares about getting the best outcomes for his counselees.

I cannot emphasize enough how integral Square One Prep was to my success. Their guidance, structure, and experience navigating the MBA process played a major role in helping me get into my dream programs. Looking back, I can’t imagine going through the application cycle without the SOP team and highly recommend them to anyone committed to pursuing an MBA.

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I had a great experience working with Kathryn and Lara during my MBA application process. From the start, Kathryn really stood out for how personally invested she was. She checked in often, kept me steady when things felt overwhelming, and made it clear she genuinely cared about me as a person, not just an applicant. That level of support mattered a lot during a high-pressure season.

On the strategy side, Kathryn and Lara helped me bring structure to my timeline and sharpen my overall story. Their feedback was clear and practical, and they pushed me to be more specific, more reflective, and more consistent across my materials. They also helped me tighten my positioning and improve the flow and readability of my writing. I appreciated how responsive they were and how easy they were to work with. I felt supported both personally and strategically, and I’m really grateful for their guidance. I’d recommend them to anyone going through the MBA process who wants a team that is truly invested in your success.

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My advisor and the Square One Prep team are in a league of their own. Choosing them was one of the best decisions ever, not just for the application process, but my career overall.

I joined Square One Prep as an unsuccessful reapplicant at top MBA programs. Past rejections made me realize that I needed professional guidance and Kathryn, who leads the team, quickly offered a call and did a free detailed ding analysis which helped me understand why I struggled. She also explained why she believed in me in a very personalized way, and after talking close to 4 hours over several calls, I started to believe again. This was all BEFORE I actually chose Square One and paid anything.

I picked my advisor as my main consultant, she is a gem and I would recommend her to anyone. My advisor is kind, empathetic and sharp as a razor. We went through countless calls and e-mails, and once she got to know me better, she was able to suggest stories before I could recall them myself. I could also learn much on my own thanks to Square One’s in-house portal with essay samples and other useful materials.

Altogether, I received support from a whole group of experts with my advisor being my stellar guide, Horatiu in charge of career narrative, Pat providing logistical support and Kathryn overseeing the process. Yes, with Square One Prep, you get a whole group of top-notch experts. And they are all very understanding about your profile, personality and time availability.
Under my advisor's guidance, I felt at peace that my application is as strong as it can be. And it paid off royally. I was accepted to the top program in my selection (and a couple others), which I honestly still can’t believe 😊I can only say — even if you’re in doubt, give Square One a shot!
Overall, not only I got to my dream program, but the consulting experience was way better than I imagined. No one felt out of place, no one was selling me stuff I don’t want, and no one was fake. Just quiet confidence of people you’d like to have a beer with. Enrolling with my advisor and Square One changed my life and that's why I’m happy to share it here.

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Strengths:

1. Personalized service
2. Patient and real
3. Personal and very close to admissions process

Would make the product better:

1. Pricing can be more encouraging

I worked closely with Kathryn Lucas on my applications. Right from a free consultation through to final admit, she and her team held the pen, translating my personality and achievements into a be spoke application that would be irresistible.
Aside from the routine organized and disciplined approach, she brought a lot of thought leadership and sense of precision that only a few could. Her team was exceptionally supportive and patient and ensured that we did not miss timelines and targets. Kept spirits up when things didnt seem very encouraging and yet help the beacon of hope.
She and her team are fully supportive of every candidate and translate their strengths and accomplishments into a perfect package that great schools cannot deny.
I sincerely reveled at the experience of working collaboratively and would strongly suggest her involvements.

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