I was a client with SquareOne over two years after being referred from a former classmate and ultimately was accepted to one school out of the three where I applied. Given where I was in my career, I figured that I only wanted to attend b-school if I got into one of my three “dream” schools and three rejections would not be the end of the world. Since I was far from a shoe-in at any school I applied to, SquareOne was clearly a huge benefit to my candidacy, and there’s a good chance I would not be attending b-school this fall without their support.

I had an initial call with Kathryn where she walked me through the process and served up a well-needed dose of reality regarding my odds. This motivation was critical to me putting forth my best effort in my essays and application later on down the road. Subsequently, I was paired with an advisor (Joey) who I clicked with immediately given his similar background and great sense of humor. Combined with Kathryn’s regular check-ins, I always felt like I had a team supporting me and pushing me forward.

Given I had somewhat of a conventional background (top 25 school -> investment banking -> middle market private equity), I knew my biggest application hurdle would be crafting my story. Joey was absolutely instrumental in helping me create a story and essays that would resonate with the reader. Frankly, I was not sure where to even begin, but through hours of brainstorming and outlining on the phone together, my story became possibly my biggest application strength. Personally, SquareOne’s greatest value-add lies in this iterative process which focuses on your unique strengths, humanizes the voice behind your essay, and ties everything together in a way that admissions officers will get excited about.

When it came down to the wire in the month before the Round 1 application deadline, Kathryn and Joey were with me every step of the way (which is critical given the amount of stress during that time), and I’m still amazed at how much progress I made. In addition, Joey went above and beyond with me during my interview preparation which I truly appreciated. As a comparison, I had several colleagues who were also applying but had hired different consultants, and I am confident that I received the best level of service and value from my consultant out of the group.

All in all I would highly recommend SquareOne to aspiring b-school applicants. Given the level of competition for top b-schools today, hiring a consultant is essential, and SquareOne more than exceeded my expectations.

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Square One has been fundamental in helping me gather and consolidate my thoughts for the MBA application process. Kathryn and Amalia did an amazing job pushing me forward and taking the best out of me so that I could craft my best stories.

Applying to an MBA is a challenging process by its own nature, since you are competing with goal getters and top performers from all over the world, and I believe their support and experience with schools was key to make my application very competitive and unique. They will be very honest about your performance, personal and professional story and weakness and the process will make you more mature. They helped me from the brainstorming process up to interview preparation, and allowed me to choose what I wanted to talk about, boosting the way I presented my story.

I wholeheartedly recommend working with Square One Prep

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I started the business school process truly interested in one school, Harvard, but realizing the competitive nature of the applicant pool I decided to hire a consultant. I interviewed several firms to understand which would work best for me, and from my initial contact with Kathryn, I immediately knew that Square One was the perfect fit. I contacted Kathryn for a free consultation, within minutes she responded, and we set up a time to speak. During that conversation Kathryn emphasized her company’s unique approach to the business application process explaining how each client would work directly with her and another advisor to develop your application. I selected Amalia to be my advisor and had a fantastic experience working with her and Kathryn. Although I applied to other schools, both Amalia and Kathryn knew that I was interested HBS and helped me present the best application I could.

Amalia and I kicked things off with several multi-hour calls where she learned more about my personal / professional interests along with my career goals. Next over the subsequent months we worked on every component of my application. I found Amalia to be incredibly responsive and particularly enjoyed crafting my essays with her. She did a great job of editing my ideas to make sure that my unique voice remained intact. Even though we spent several months working on this part of the application, it never seemed like a chore. Across every other component of my application, Amalia provided great insight and Kathryn was there to check in and also provide her brutally honest feedback. I found her comments on my essays, resume, and recommendation strategy to be very helpful.

Overall, what stood out to me the most about Square One is that they really seemed to take a genuine interest in making sure I got into the school of my choice. They listened to my concerns and provided answers to all of my questions. I remember receiving “good luck” emails from both Kathryn and Amalia the day before my HBS interview and the day before decisions were released. It was these and other small gestures throughout my time working with them that made the difference and ultimately allowed me to gain acceptance to Harvard Business School. I would fully recommend Square One to anyone!

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I applied to 3 schools and got accepted to 2 including my top choice program. I agree with one of the reviews I read here; if you want a consultant who would provide sugar-coated feedback to make you feel good, then Kathryn / SquareOne may not be right for you. Kathryn and the advisors at SquareOne are honest and direct when working with you and constantly push you to take a rigorous approach to find a focused narrative for your applications. I had thought I had a pretty good career, academic record (GPA: 3.7) and GMAT (740) – so approached the process with an unhealthy dosage of arrogance. My initial interactions with SquareOne were a humbling reality check where Kathryn tapered my expectations. It was something that I needed and something that proved to be true.

My initial call with Kathryn (free consultation) was over an hour. My follow-up call with her was as long, and she took the time to walk me through the application process as well as how the advisor selection works. The advisor I worked with (John) spent close to 4 hours during the introduction call, going through every aspect of the application (academic, professional, extracurricular, outreach) and provided instant feedback on where I would need focus; after a couple days, he sent me a very detailed report of his assessment of my candidacy.

The first couple weeks were spent on drafting my career narrative detailing my near-term and mid-long-term goals as well as why an MBA degree would matter in achieving those goals. This took a few iterations that included Kathryn’s detailed feedback. I was initially getting very frustrated with this part of the process because (i) John / Kathryn repeatedly pushed me to further finetune my narrative (really have my near-term as well as mid-long term goals in synch with why I wanted to get an MBA degree) so this process took much longer than expected and (ii) John / Kathryn didn’t want me to work on the actual application or essays until we finalized the details of the career narrative. However, looking back I appreciate the detail-oriented, rigorous process they enforced which really expedited the application process post hammering out the details of the career narrative; once I had the narrative locked down, it was much easier to find a focused voice throughout different school applications.

During the essay process, John was there every step of the way; we brainstormed a few topics and John helped me find a topic that best highlighted my core competency / strengths. He helped me find focus / desired voice in the raw drafts. Afterwards, we sent the drafts to Kathryn who came back with detailed feedback; these weren’t just minor edits as she really took a detailed look at every single essay – in one incident, we had to revise most of the essay, but John and I did agree that Kathryn’s feedback was valid despite the subsequent “turn” process being onerous. The essay process was rigorous every step of the way, John / Kathryn approached every short / long answer questions as well as the brief application questions (i.e. Job description) with an equal amount of attention. At the final stages of the application, John did a final detailed review of each application and questions (including grammar / spelling check).

Kathryn was available for close to 3 hours during the interview prep where she gave very detailed feedback. Based on her experience dealing with a variety of candidates and interview situations, she provided effective tips to improve my interview skills and helped craft some of the answers to be consistent with my application. The interview prep process was a confidence booster and was very helpful during the real interviews.

Post acceptance, Kathryn has connected me with her former clients who are currently at the schools I was accepted to. I expect these connections to help my decision when choosing the program.

Overall, SquareOne has a very rigorous process that yielded great results. Appreciate the consistent, detail-oriented approach John / Kathryn took throughout the process. I highly recommend SquareOne.

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Before I started with Square One Prep I thought I had a pretty good sense of what my applications would look like. I had already taken a crack at writing one of the essays and felt that I was telling a compelling story. Yet, my friends (HBS ’19 and GSB ‘18) recommended that I schedule an intro call with Kathryn at Square One Prep. In the first minutes of my call I was blown away by Kathryn’s ability to identify the strength and weaknesses of my application and was impressed by her recommendations for how I should improve my narrative.

In the first couple of calls Kathryn pushes you to articulate and defend your story and construct a narrative that makes you a compelling applicant. Creating a cohesive narrative of my career and extracurriculars, which explained why I needed to get an MBA to achieve my professional goals, was the most difficult but most important part of the process. This narrative laid the ground work for my essays and interviews and made every part of the application process easier. My adviser, Vanessa, was key to helping me craft my essays and prepare me for my interviews. She was always accessible and provided critical feedback. Through working with her and Kathryn, I had the confidence I needed when sitting face-to-face with my interviewers.
I am happy to say that thanks to Square One Prep’s help, I will be starting at Wharton next fall.

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During the last few months while applying to business school, my best friend has been Kathryn Lucas. Kathryn goes above and beyond the role of a typical business school consultant. She becomes your editor-in-chief, confidant (who you can cry to), therapist, and best friend. I can say with full confidence that she was an integral part of why I was accepted into HBS, the GSB, and Wharton.
If you are looking for sugar coated feedback, do not work with Kathryn. She is honest and will only tell you the truth, not what you want to hear. Her critiques pushed me to write many versions of each essay until it truly told my story. She reviewed draft after draft responding to emails and phone calls any time of the day or night.
Arguably, the most valuable part of working with Square One Prep is their immense knowledge of the business school application process. Kathryn prevented me from making many mistakes that typical applicants would. She encouraged me to submit an application that demonstrated who I was rather than who I thought the business schools wanted me to be. Her wisdom and coaching were invaluable.
I wholeheartedly recommend working with Square One Prep. I cannot imagine going through the process without Kathryn!

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I received a very strong recommendation for Square One Prep and knew that I wanted to use SOP, and specifically Kathryn’s services, for my business school applications.

From our first introductory call, I knew that Kathryn was going to be tough on me in the best way possible. From shaping career goals to brainstorming essay topics, Kathryn pushed me past my comfort zone and forced me to dig deeper in order to arrive at career goals I felt passionate about and meaningful stories for my essays. I truly believe that this introspective work at the beginning of the application process was crucial in my success with admissions and allowed me to set myself apart from other applicants.

I applied to a very aggressive number of schools but with Kathryn’s schedule, encouragement, and deadlines, I was able to stay on pace working throughout the summer and finishing all my Round 1 applications without feeling rushed to submit. Even when we had essays for multiple schools going back and forth, Kathryn was organized and incredibly responsive, always making time for calls and making me feel like I was her top priority. When I received interview invites, Kathryn continued to help me with individual mock interviews and specific advice about how to improve.

With her help, I received multiple acceptances (including a scholarship!) and look forward to starting at a top business school in Fall 2018! I highly recommend Square One Prep and Kathryn’s services for anyone who is serious about gaining admission to a top business school program and ready to put in the work to make it happen.

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Going into the process my top school was Wharton. I spoke with a number of admissions consultants, but felt like SOP would in the end be most interested in helping me achieve my goal and I was correct. Kathryn was encouraging, but also realistic when it came to my chances of getting into the schools I applied to and I didn’t get the same sales pitch to lower my bar that I received everywhere else. The SOP team was genuinely interested in seeing me succeed at the school of my choice and this was clearly highlighted throughout my process.

I knew going in, that as a male in finance without any real cultural diversity, it would be particularly challenging to differentiate myself and stand-out. I also didn’t have an “inside track” or advocates for me at the schools I was applying to.

In my first attempt, to my and SOP’s disappointment I was not invited to interview at any of the three schools I applied to. Prior to signing up with SOP, Kathryn explicitly made me aware of the risk I was taking by setting the bar so high, but also worked closely with me over the next year to improve my story so I could re-apply this year with much different results. This time around I was accepted into two of the three schools, including my top choice where I will be starting this August. The process taught me that getting into a top school is a far more competitive process than I initially thought and having a team like SOP with me throughout was critical to my success. I would highly recommend their team to anyone embarking on this journey, especially if you are trying to get into a top program.

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My experience with Square One Prep has been remarkable. I can safely say that without Melissa and Kathryn, I wouldn’t get accepted to my dream school, Wharton!

When I first contacted Kathryn for free consultation, she gave me a very candid yet on-point assessment. My consultant, Melissa Chan Estrella, was equally professional, thorough, and helpful. She really took the time and effort to listen to my story, challenge me with though-provoking questions, and help me craft a strong narrative out of it. Melissa and Kathryn really struck the right balance between being rigorous and sympathetic. They wouldn’t accept mediocre work and helped me put together the strongest application. During our relationship, there was not a single time I felt that this was purely transactional. They genuinely care and want me to succeed and I think that it is their defining characteristic.

For me, this application had been a long, arduous, yet rewarding journey and I am glad to have chosen Square One Prep as my partner.

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I was initially hesitant to work with a consultant because I was concerned that the incentives for consultants were skewed as they get paid regardless of where you are admitted so have an incentive to undersell your potential and often ask you to adjust down your expectations. After reaching out to 6 consulting services (many of whom told me not to apply to my dream school), I found Kathryn was the only one I spoke with who actually took the time to understand my background. I knew for sure I wanted to use her services when I asked her “Based on my profile where do you think I should apply?” I asked this of all consultants, because it was my gauge for how aligned their incentives were with mine. She said I should only apply to schools I am excited to attend and that she would never presume to know which schools I should apply to. (she also said I hadn’t done enough work into answering this question for myself, which was a dose of the refreshing honesty I needed).

In terms of the key areas in which her assistance was crucial:

I have a nontraditional background, so was scared about how that background would be perceived by adcoms. She helped me incorporate that background into my optional essay in a way that was concise but effective (Had I not worked with her, I would likely have written something far more verbose and likely not what the adcom would like to read).

My goals were too vague and after discussing with her, I realized I needed to be more introspective and specific with my goals. Also, my resume was written with too much industry nomenclature and needed to be revised.

I had several questions along the way (should I fly to the schools to show interest in the programs I was interested in? What are admit rates in different rounds pre and post interview? Will my older age be a hindrance?) She quickly addressed all these questions and more which I would have struggled answering on my own. TBH, she provided almost as much value assuaging the emotional tension of applying to MBA programs as value provided by helping me sculpt my MBA applications.

Most importantly, she worked with me through the essays to help me find the information that most expresses who I am and what I contribute to a program.

At the end of the day you are paying a consultant to help you put your best foot forward. Kathryn helped me realize when I was falling short and therefore needed to put in more effort.

I was admitted to Columbia Business School and will be attending in the fall! I couldn't be more excited, since it has been my dream to attend CBS.

An additional note, one of my coworkers applied a year ago to the same program I was admitted to and had slightly better stats (better GPA from better school, more extracurriculars, but slightly lower GMAT). He was not offered an interview invite. I truly believe the difference was Kathryn’s guidance.

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