I began my application process by working with the same well-known company I used for GMAT prep but became unsatisfied with the level of personalized strategy I was receiving. Within one week of switching to Square One Prep, I was further along than over 2 months with the previous company.

Working with Square One Prep was much more than just a contracted service. It was a fully-engaged, team-oriented partnership that resulted in me receiving a half-tuition scholarship from my target school. The team at Square One Prep went above and beyond to help me navigate the application process while also putting in the time to get to know me on a personal level.

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I was really nervous about my 640 GMAT score being the determining factor of why I didn’t get into the Anderson program at UCLA. I spoke with many consultants, and asked their professional opinion because I REALLY did not want to take the test again. Out of all the companies I had my original consult call with, Kathryn at Square One Prep was the only one to immediately ease my emotions. Although the initial consult was only supposed to be an hour, we definitely went over. Kathryn really spent the time getting to know me and my story rather just focusing on the numbers. In the end, her suggestions on how she would highlight other areas of my application really sold me, I was also lucky enough to not have to retake the GMAT.
Throughout the process, both my advisor, Annie, and Kathryn really pushed me to my limit to craft a stronger narrative. I definitely was not one of those applicants who got it right the first, second, or even fifth time, but I did eventually get there! The application is NOT easy, and there were times when I felt defeated and even shed a few tears, but Annie was always there to give encouragement and continuously help me move along.
I have no regrets over using Square One Prep. They know what they’re doing, and they know what the adcoms want to see. They fully understand that applications are not easy, and that frustrations experienced during the process is normal. It’s hard to focus your narrative into 500 words, but they know how to do it! In the end, I got into the school of my dreams and will be starting in the Fall!

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Kathryn at SquareOne Prep came highly recommended from several colleagues who gained admittance at top business schools, and after completing my application process I now know why... she and her colleague Matteo were instrumental in helping me through the business school process.

Their expertise was instrumental in managing the deadlines for six schools, they helped improve my resume and cater it towards traits business schools are looking for to create a well rounded applicant package. They helped me find my voice and tell my story. They helped guide me through the decision process when faced with several competing offers.

Throughout the whole process they were extremely helpful and professional. Ultimately I received a full merit scholarship from one of my top schools and am so glad that I invested in expert advice from Kathryn and her team. Can not recommend enough.

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I got into my dream program with a fellowship and am very grateful for all the support I got from Crystal (my advisor), Kathryn, and the team!

When choosing a consulting service, I called at least 6 different companies but no one was confident with my choice of schools - a very well-known company even advised me to go with a (far) safer school which I’m not interested in at all. And after those initial calls, their reports are flooded with ads and pricing for their service rather than focus on my competence and the plans ahead. Kathryn is different. She immediately addressed strength and weakness based on my CV in the free, initial call, and respected my choice of schools even it could hurt their published record.

I chose Crystal as my advisor and this was an excellent match! I’m a procrastinating kind of person, and Crystal was there to push me all the time. She gave me tough love and very honest feedback during the entire process. I used to think that with a consulting service, I would find it more relaxing in applying for top schools. Right and wrong! Wrong because your advisor and Kathryn challenged you constantly to aim for the best, which means you have to spend more time researching for the career narrative, improving your LORs while working with your recommenders, or practicing your mock interviews until they are perfect. Right because it would have been impossible for me to achieve such a very high quality of work without SquareOne.

You can find all the positive feedback for SquareOne here and there, and while I certainly agree with most of the reviews praising the team for helping people get into their top choice schools, there is one thing I want to add which is totally unexpected and I’m glad I chose Kathryn’s service - that I’ve learned a lot throughout the process.

I’ve learned to think more critically about whatever I said or wrote - in the career narrative or in the essays. That’s why my writings usually have 6-7 rounds of revision with many comments like “this doesn’t make sense.” I believe it will continue challenging my thinking in the business school and beyond.

I’ve learned to be more self-confident! Some people told me that if my work title isn’t “Something Manager,” my chance to a top-10 school is very slim! Through discussion, Kathryn made me believe such statement is invalid! And my leadership skills are proven through many experiences/activities that I would totally overlooked if SquareOne weren’t there evoking them.

I’ve learned to push myself harder to achieve the best result. There were many times I honestly just wanted to hand in a mediocre piece of writing, but Crystal and Kathryn were there to ensure everything submitted had to be in its best shape! And we did just that - they were both committed to my application no less than myself and I’m so grateful to have them with me.

Coming from a developing country, I know that it’s a lot of money for a consulting service, but trust me it’s worth it. Even before the schools’ decision dates, when I asked my wife “How if we get rejected for all schools we applied for, do you regret that we used SquareOne,” and she replied “No, I think you’ve learned a lot along the way.” Yes I’ve learned a lot in my MBA application journey, and the happiest moment of this journey was when I got the midnight call from my dream school, congratulating me for the admission and a fellowship!

Thank you SquareOne!

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I can't stress enough how much SOP not only made my MBA dreams a reality, but also really helped me discover so much more about me and what I want. I honestly don't think I would have been awarded an interview to all 7 schools I applied to and be matriculating, with scholarship, to my top choice without their aid. Kathryn was able to laser focus on who I was from the get go and Wonita was unbelievable beyond measure.

Let me preface by saying I had NO intention of hiring any consultant. I didn't even know that was a thing until I started trolling around GMAT club. When I learned that all companies would give you a free 30 minute consultation and that there were at least 10 companies to talk to, my cheap devious side saw "5 free hours of aid, and I could figure out the rest." After talking to a couple advisors at different companies, they drilled into my head that my GMAT score was too low for my overrepresented demographic. One even refused to speak with me when they saw my GMAT score and target school list. I was getting quite disheartened. Then I spoke with Kathryn. Our "free 30 minute consult" last well over an hour and she quickly broke down all the bs other advisors had put in my head. She was the only one I spoke to who I felt really understood me and how to use that to make me stand out.

I knew I had to find a way to hire them. In the end, the cost was nothing compared to bombing out. That was a risk I could not take. I signed onto a 1 school package (later added 2 more schools) and was matched with Wonita. I couldn't have been luckier. Wonita helped craft my story and helped me understand what I was really interested in. She was brilliant and became my biggest fan through the process. I was most excited to call her and give updates even before my own family haha. SOP was always available, always fast to turn drafts, and a great sounding board as I went through many bouts of doubt.

I could go on all day, but in the end I'm going to Fuqua this fall, my dream school. I don't think I would be without SOP. Couldn't be happier and more excited for my future.

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Working with Kathryn and Ariane from Square One Prep was essential to my success in applying to business schools. I began the process feeling overwhelmed – not knowing what angle to take on difficult essay questions, how to structure a business school resume, or what to expect from interviews. Kathryn and Ariane immediately put my fears at ease, providing a wealth of knowledge to guide me through the process and helping me to navigate challenges such as my GMAT score.

What really made SOP stand out to me was the time that Kathryn and Ariane took to get to know my personality, my story, and my career goals. The initial calls, being asked “why” to every aspect of my goals, helped me to hone in on what I actually wanted out of business school, and in turn helped to focus my list of schools. Ariane kept me on schedule despite my demanding job – without her help I know I would not have been able to complete as many applications as I did! She was also able to help me find unique angles to essay questions and edit essays down to word count while maintaining my voice.

Overall, I definitely felt that Kathryn and Ariane were invested in my success. They stayed positive and encouraging even when I was feeling overwhelmed, unsure or feeling discouraged by disappointing news. I am so appreciative of all of their help and support and would absolutely recommend SOP to anyone applying to business school!

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I initially approached Kathryn and team pretty confident in the essay ideas and career narrative I had in mind, and thought I’d get some “edit help”. However, my ideas crumbled after rounds of “pressure tests” with Kathryn and my advisor. Kathryn and team are brilliant in playing devil’s advocate and really pushing me to think deep and hard about fundamentally why I am pursuing an MBA and why I am a good fit for the schools. At the same time, they understand the anxiety and emotions involved in the process, and gave me the peace of mind I needed to focus on giving my best shot at the application, knowing that my advisor is always on top of things.

Kathryn and team also encouraged me to think more broadly and to apply to more than the 2 schools I had in mind. I believe it’s fair to say that as candidates we become a little obsessed with our top choices and are often reluctant to explore new schools – I am so glad I listened to Kathryn and my advisor and explored additional schools, as through the process one of them became my clear top choice, where I was also accepted to.

The application process has definitely been an emotional and intellectual rollercoaster, but I am so glad I had Kathryn and my advisor as sounding boards. They were great at helping me craft my best application, but every more amazing at help ME grow personally through the process and become the strong MBA candidate I wanted to become.

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I was unsure of myself going into the process, knowing that this MBA journey would be a defining point in my career. I fussed over my test scores, background, GPA, undergrad, basically everything. Kathryn and Cassandra put many things into perspective, identifying my weaknesses as a younger candidate and then using my background to help mitigate that weakness. We developed a plan to systematically tackle each school and every requirement in the most effective and efficient way. They worked with me to put my story in simpler, understandable terms that strengthened my candidacy. When I received interviews, they spent time preparing with me and noting key points for improvement, which helped me in the actual interview. Cassandra's tips on my answer structure allowed me to craft a better response to the questions thrown at me. Our hard work was worth it--come decision day, I received offers from my top programs!

I strongly recommend Square One as your partner in this MBA process. They are an amazing group of people and will stand by you through every step, even if it requires late nights. Schedule an intro call with them, you will not regret it!

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Kathryn and Lara were absolutely instrumental to my business school application process. Being somewhat late to the game, I only started to consider attending business school 4 months before the R2 application deadline. Kathryn had to counsel me through (1) deciding whether to apply this year or next year and (2) figuring out which schools to apply to. At that point, I had called 4-5 different consultants and received 4-5 different recommendations. I eventually went with Square One because Kathryn's advice made the most sense to me and I really felt like she believed in me.

Coming from a traditional investment banking/private equity background, my main concern was crafting a story that would differentiate me and make-up for my lack of post-college extracurricular activities. Kathryn and Lara were with me every step of the way, from brainstorming ideas to editing my essays for grammar. Lara, especially, had to deal with chasing me down to hit the interim deadlines, hopping on the phone at various hours of the day to troubleshoot writer's block, and responding to mildly panicked emails. She was always encouraging, patient, and responsive. I have no doubt that Square One was the reason why I got the interview and was eventually admitted to two top 3 business schools.

I was very lucky to be able to work with Kathryn and Lara and would recommend the Square One team to anyone who is considering business school.

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It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Kathryn and Joe (my Square One Prep "SOP" advisor) were the sole reason I got into business school. Coming off an unsuccessful attempt at business school applications in the previous year, I was ready to give it one more shot and SOP was exactly the right company to partner with. Having had worked with another b.school consultant in the past and after talking to a few others on the phone, its clear to me that SOP is worlds apart. This is because Kathryn applies a very methodical/process driven approach to the b.school application experience which includes a 4-hour call to get to know you, a career narrative session (which will guide your essays), a strict timeline and a 2 level review approach to the essays. This process helped me avoid allot of the mistakes I made in my first attempt at business school apps. But over and above this, you can tell that SOP really cares about you and wants you to succeed. Kathryn would always push me to stay on schedule and wouldn't give the final thumbs up on my essays or career narrative unless it was up to her very high standards, even if it meant getting on multiple calls and re-writing my entire essay(s). Joe was incredible to work with; hard working, smart, supportive and its safe to say that the strategy he provided me for the Wharton case study interview helped me win that interview.

Overall, I would highly recommend SOP for anyone who wants to get into their dream school. In fact, if Kathryn does decide to work with you, you're pretty much more than half way there.

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