I can't thank Kathryn and the team at Square One Prep enough for all their help and support. From finding which were the best schools for me, to crafting a plan on how to get the most out of school visits to ultimately brainstorming and creating a full MBA package, Kathryn was there every step of the way and I can't imagine going through the process without her help. The candid and thorough feedback I received throughout the process allowed me to create the best application possible. Kathryn worked tirelessly and was incredibly hands on as we created essays and letter of recommendation packages. Her commitment to helping me was boundless as she knew how much it meant to me to get into the right MBA program. She knew how to get the best out of me and highlight my strengths throughout the application. I owe so much to Kathryn and the Square One team!

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I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed my Square One experience. Before I started working with S1, I didn't think I had a realistic shot at any of the MBAs inside the top 25. Kathryn encouraged me to think and dream bigger, and ultimately convinced me that top 10 programs were well within reach. Kathryn and her team (a big thank you to Bailey for keeping me on track and Wendy for helping me with my career narrative) did an amazing job of working hand-in-hand with me to make sure I found a coach (Annie) that was a perfect fit for my background and admissions goals. Annie pushed me every day to craft essays and personal stories that helped me stand out during the admissions process, and made sure I was 110% prepared for my in-person interviews. Even if I had been rejected by all of my schools, the journey of thinking critically about my future and my career would have been well worth the investment. To end up getting accepted to Ross and Michigan SEAS with a $10k scholarship is more than I could have hoped for going into this process. To anyone who is doubting their chances of attending a competitive MBA program or unsure about working with S1, my success proves that the S1 team can make miracles happen!

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SOP's model of having a personal consultant and leadership team for quality check throughout the application process is extremely efficient and helpful. My consultant was really easy to talk to and would ont hesitate to tell me if my essay/idea wouldn't work. She did a great job of pushing me to self reflect to find my own voice and bring my essay to the next level. Kathryn and the rest of the team was also instrumental in keeping me on the right track. Their service is worth every penny. I would highly recommend SOP to any friends or co-worker looking for MBA application consultant.

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Picking the right consultant is tough, as there are more than a handful with great reviews and pretty similar offerings out there. I chose Square One after a long, candid conversation with the founder. I was impressed with their data-driven track record and Kathryn’s honest assessment of my potential but the need to dig deeper into my story. After choosing Square One, I enjoyed working closely with my advisor (Dan K) and the rest of the SOP team throughout the application process. They pushed me to really self-reflect, which was equal parts challenging and satisfying. I ended up only applying to three schools in Round 1 and landed a seat in Booth’s Class of 2022!

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I highly recommend SQ1. The truth is finding a good consultant is tough and can't be a very scientific process. Reason being - most people would only choose 1 consultant to partner (a sample of 1 is not representative) and a lot of times success or failure of mba application doesn't have a direct causation with the consultant you choose. But what i can tell you is - I did 14 free mba consulting calls and i am glad i partnered with SQ1. Folks at SQ1 genuinely care about their clients and the consultants here only work with 1-3 applicants at the same time.
I worked with Mike who was super patient and strategic in providing application tips, pushed me along this rough journey and applied his knowledge and rigor to lead your path.
You will find the career narrative to be super helpful as that's the starting point of your essays, the team will challenge you hard and help you to find something that makes sense and genuine.
Trust me you won't go wrong with choosing SQ1. Good luck with you application!!!

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When I was first in the process of looking at schools to apply to, I was overwhelmed by all of the information out there, and really didn't know where to start. I didn't want to waste my time applying to schools that I had no shot at getting into, and so initially just needed that guidance to understand how I compared as a candidate. Kathryn was super helpful in going down my list of schools, listing the pros and cons, and stating why each would be a good fit or not for me, based on my desired goals.

With making the decision to pursue an MBA, the biggest and most important part of the process is having a clear and concise reason for why pursuing an MBA at this point in your career is a good step for you, and how each specific school is going to help shape the path that you see for yourself. This was the hardest part of the application as you really need to dig down deep to figure out what you are looking for and whether the path you see for yourself is realistic within the scope of your career experience so far. Kathryn, Wendy, and Garry were pivotal through this process and I went through several rounds of revisions with them really honing my career narrative. This process proved to be extremely fruitful as it provided a baseline upon which I built my essays for every single school I applied to.

Along with the narrative, the incredibly structured process with regards to the LORs and the guidance that the team was consistently able to provide was incredibly beneficial as well. I am incredibly grateful for the support and guidance the Square One team was able to provide me and am looking forward to matriculating at a top MBA program next year!

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The entire Square One team has been great throughout the process including Kathryn, Wendy, and Bailey. They helped me craft every part of my application from my career narrative to through the actual applications and follow-ups. I spoke with a number of consultants and ended up with Square One because I never felt like I was being 'sold to' - they gave me a realistic assessment of my chances and I was lucky enough to be admitted to a number of the top MBA programs. I've recommended Square One to a couple of my friends also considering applying for an MBA - without them and their framework for success, I would have been much less disciplined and less successful throughout this process.

I'd like to give a special shout-out to Matteo, my day-to-day advisor. He's been a great resource and knew when to push and give me critical feedback and keep me on schedule. He was a great in providing feedback for my initial essay ideas and the interview process. I definitely appreciate all the time and effort he's put into my MBA journey and can't recommend him highly enough.

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My first call with Kathryn distinguished Square One Point from peers. Instead of giving enticing albeit impractical "we will get you into your dream B-school" promise, she continued to question me to make sure I truly understand why an MBA is necessary to me and what gaps I need to fill to receive my ideal offer. These questions helped me reflect deeper and analyze myself more comprehensively, creating long-lasting benefits throughout my applications.

My subsequent work experience with the team (Lee, Kathryn, Wendy and Bailey) further confirmed SOP is not “one of” but “the best” choice for MBA application consultancy. Everyone is so delightful to work with though I must say they do play devil’s advocate from time to time to push me to work harder on my preparation and craft a stronger application package. It was also because of their efficiency that enabled me to submit application to all 7 target schools one month ahead of deadlines.

Last but not least, I want to give special thanks to my consultant Lee, who not only provided instrumental help in every stage of my application, but demonstrated to me, with her own actions, that we should always never sacrifice quality for speed. She has also generously spent many extra hours with me just to make sure my application materials are as best as they could be. And the advice she has given me is not only valuable in MBA application but in life as well. I have truly enjoyed our partnership and always felt lucky to have met her at SOP.

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To talk about my experience with SOP I’ll have to go back to Square One.

I learned about Square One Prep from a close friend who had worked with them. I spoke with several admissions consultants but I could tell that SOP was different during my very first call - Kathryn just wanted to understand who I was and asked me questions that made me think deeply about why I wanted to get an MBA. While other consultants told me that I ought to retake the GMAT to get into my dream schools, Kathryn explained to me the importance of differentiating myself through all the other aspects of the application process. She went beyond our stipulated 30-min to explain how the process worked. At the end of the call I received a customized plan and just couldn’t wait to begin.

The Square One Team and their process are incredible. Kathryn was available at every step of the way; she is incredibly thorough, always available (I mean ALWAYS, I don’t know when she sleeps!), and does not settle for anything less than perfection, even if it means 14 iterations on one essay. Wendy helped me build a strong career narrative by asking me pointed questions that led me to explore career paths and set ambitious career-goals that I would become truly excited about. Bailey regularly tracked my progress and updated my schedule on SOP’s excellent online portal, without which I would have never been able to stay on track as I was juggling both work and the applications. I’m also very fortunate to have been able to work with Lauren, my advisor, who was genuinely interested in my story and truly cared about my success. Lauren listened to me patiently as I narrated my experiences and gave me excellent ideas to build a compelling narrative that I believe played a massive role in my success. I’m so glad to have had America’s next great novelist as my advisor (read Lauren’s bio!)

In the end I got interview invites form all the schools that I’d worked on comprehensively with Square One. I made the interview waitlist at HBS and was admitted to Kellogg, Booth, and my dream school – Wharton – with a $120K scholarship. I can’t thank the Square One Team enough.

If you’re looking for a consultant, your search should end here, I highly recommend that you go with SOP, you simply can’t go wrong.

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I highly recommend Square-One Prep to aspiring MBA applicants. Their structured approach to the application process made it simpler and much less stressful. Their team played a vital role throughout the entire process from working on my resume to helping me with interview preparation. Wendy (square one’s career narrative expert) and Kathryn spent time helping me form my career narrative, which was crucial to the entire process. I felt that Kathryn and Mary were truly cared about me and were invested in my success.

Mary was amazing to work with. She pushed me to work harder and go the extra mile. She was always available and was incredibly quick with her replies. After countless discussions, I feel she got to understand me and my story very well, and her input was invaluable to my essays. Her ability to make me dig deeper went a long way in helping me articulate the best version of my story. Furthermore, she also provided me with moral support whenever things got challenging.

I applied to six schools out of which I received interview calls for three and was finally admitted into two schools. I want to thank Mary and Kathryn for helping me get into my dream school, that too with a good scholarship!

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