My team at Square One Prep did a phenomenal job helping me navigate the MBA admissions process.

From the very beginning, I felt like I was receiving personalized and detailed feedback tailored to my own profile. I really appreciate all the time my team took to understand my goals and my interests - from the initial intro call with Kathryn, to the SOP assessment call with my advisor Kelsey, to the career narrative brainstorming I did with Horatiu.

The SOP process might initially seem time consuming, but I promise it is 100% worth it. Thanks to the countless hours my team spent working with me, I was able to write unique and engaging essays that not only conveyed my career goals, but also showcased my personality and my interests.

I couldn’t have asked for a better advisor than Kelsey. For each school, we’d have a kick-off call to brainstorm ideas for the essays. These brainstorming sessions felt easy and productive, due to all the time we had spent introspecting into my goals and my formative experiences. Kelsey was also super responsive throughout the whole process and gave me essay feedback in a timely manner, which allowed me to iterate quickly and try out many essay ideas.

The help from the team didn’t stop after I submitted the applications. Kelsey and Kathryn were very helpful in preparing me for the interviews. Interview prep also helped me realize the value in the career narrative writing process that I did earlier with Horatiu – during the interviews, I was able to explain my career goals and justify my thought process with clarity and confidence.

I have to give Kelsey a special shout-out for helping me prep for the HBS interview, based on her own HBS admissions experience. We did multiple rigorous mock interviews, and she gave me endless tips on the types of questions to be prepared for. I’m happy to say that all my interviews went well and resulted in acceptances!

I’ve already recommended Square One Prep to my friends interested in pursuing an MBA, and I’ll continue to do so in the future!

Read More

Overall, Square One Prep’s approach to the application process is highly effective and helpful. They pace you through approachable steps, allowing your work to culminate into your strongest application and instilling earned confidence in pursuing your goals. The guidance and coaching of my Square One advisors enabled me to be my very best in applications, interviews, and interactions with schools.
Kathryn’s commitment to client success sets a dedicated tone that carries through the working relationship of the entire team. Amalia was an incredible advisor day in and day out. The application process requires you to dig deep and be authentic and Amalia not only supported me through those moments of self-discovery, but also kept me on track and motivated! Her intellect and precision made the most effective use of my time, something I value deeply as a full-time professional. I highly recommend her as an advisor. Additionally, Wendy and Kelsey K. played crucial roles in shaping my career vision into tangible, achievable business goals.
As a non-traditional applicant who was at first unsure of the right resources to leverage in applying to schools, I encourage future applicants to engage with Square One, knowing they will help in making your goals become reality.

Read More

I highly recommend Square One Prep as a resource for anyone applying to business school. My key goals during the application process were to remain true to and portray an authentic picture of myself in my applications. I communicated this upfront with Kathryn and was immediately impressed by her desire to help me achieve this goal. She answered all of my initial questions—even the most pressing ones—and was accessible throughout the process, including to hop on a call during the work day with less than an hour notice! Furthermore, my work with Kelsey W, Horatiu, and Kelsey K was essential to cultivating my authentic narrative and gaining the confidence necessary to succeed in writing essays and performing at interviews. Throughout the process, Kelsey W was and will continue to be a mentor who challenges me to perform my best!

I started the application process with little hope for admission—then I found Square One. I now move on from the business school application process with not only acceptances to all of my dream schools, but more importantly, a deeper understanding of self and clearer picture of what I’d like to do in the future. This is all thanks to the unparalleled commitment to excellence that all my advisors at Square One Prep demonstrated throughout my application process.

Read More

Certainly applying to business school is such an intense process. If I were in the same position starting my application process, I would blindly partner with Square1Prep again. You really need the right people by your side.

I knew that I had to work hard if I wanted to achieve my dream of getting accepted to a top MBA program. When I finally got the GMAT score I aimed for, I was only 2 months away of Round 2 deadlines. I didn't know if I was competitive enough or what strategy I needed in order to maximize my chances of acceptance and scholarship. Partnering with Square1Prep was the best decision I took. Kathryn and her team really know the application process and have a very structured and easy to follow planning tool that allowed me to have realistic expectations of which and how many schools to apply. I ended up with a very ambitious but realistic plan to apply to 8 schools. I managed to do it! Not only did I put a lot of effort but also the team at Square1Prep, and Kathryn specially, were really out of their way to help me achieve that goal with incredible results.

Apart from that, I would say that they also helped me grow personally. Self awareness is key in the application but it is not directly proportional with the time you invest in it. Depth and right guidance is crucial. I think that starting with Robin, my consultant, to Horatiu, my career narrative expert, to Kathryn and Kelsey as my Leadership team, all of them were instrumental in making me believe in myself, my story and my ambitions. Their guidance delivered with honesty and kindness was crucial to allow me to really understand how I had evolved over my lifetime and how that was important to who I am as a person and my potential. I stopped feeling that my lack of extracurriculars made me a bad candidate. Instead, I focused on making all those unique things about myself shine and ended up with the most personal and powerful application.

I will be forever grateful with Kathryn and her team for their kindness, honesty and efficiency. They made my application process as easy as possible (though it's very hard work), my application materials as impactful and competitive as they could get, and, finally, made me a more confident and self-aware person. Thanks team.

Read More

I had a very positive experience working with Square One Prep (SOP). I chose SOP because of how dedicated the team is. I interviewed 7 MBA / MA admissions consultancies and saw that SOP was the most dedicated to getting invested in all areas of my application upfront and early. A major highlight of the experience was working with Horatiu Stefan, SOP's "career narratives" coach. The career narrative process at SOP is important because it helps you determine 2-3 paths that you're uniquely positioned to follow in your career, and SOP helps you narrow down on a path that a) fits your personality / interests / mission and b) appeals to admissions offices (i.e., somewhat relevant to your past experiences and a promising probability of achieving / being successful). Outside of the career narrative process, my day-to-day consultant, Amalia della Paollera, spent hours with me, revamping my resume, crafting essays, and preparing for interviews. She got to know me on a personal level which was helpful in how she was able to get me to complete deadlines, stay true to myself, and balance being "human" and "professional" to admissions offices. She was dedicated to the SOP process and getting into every detail of my applications to maximize my chances of success. Ultimately, I was admitted to the Harvard Kennedy School on a full-ride scholarship, a huge accomplishment that wouldn't have been possible without the SOP team.

Read More

Square One Prep's tailored approach and deep understanding of MBA admissions helped me introspect and craft a compelling application that reflected my unique story and aspirations. The structured timelines, selecting the right schools and recommenders and realistic targets set by SOP were invaluable, making my application process seamless and successful. Their guidance not only highlighted my achievements but also clarified my goals with clarity and conviction.

Thanks to Matteo, Kelsey, Kathryn and Horatiu, I not only received admits from my dream MBA programs, but also developed a deeper understanding of myself and my aspirations. I have recommended SOP to a couple of my friends who are aiming for an admit next year.
Hope they are able to get a similar result as I did :)

Read More

Highly recommend!

Kathryn and Joey (and others) take the time to get to know you and understand your goals and aspirations. They do a great job responding quickly with sage advice.

They are honest in their assessment of your profile and where you have realistic odds of getting in (vs. reach and super reach) and help you with school selection and making sure your plan to work with them makes sense.

It is a long, difficult process, but the Square One Prep team makes it much less daunting and their support extends beyond just application and essay work. They also provide much needed moral support!

The service paid for itself with the scholarship I received!

Read More

When I decided to apply to business school, I figured I would go through the motions, but I had very little confidence that I would actually be accepted. I was older than the typical consulting applicant, and I felt like my path to date was relatively unexceptional. I asked myself, "Why would a school -- especially a top school like HBS, Wharton, or GSB -- choose me?"

My journey and perspective changed when I found Square One Prep. From the very first introduction call, Square One encouraged me and believed in me…much more than I even did in myself. From there, my consultant, Amalia, helped me find stories to tell that were authentically me, and she consistently encouraged me to not discount my unique experiences. In addition, the transparency Square One provides helped me ground this belief in data from past applicants' experiences.

The business school application process is daunting, but Square One guided me through it step-by-step, providing honest and helpful feedback and ensuring that I met all deadlines in a timely manner. The career narrative work in particular was a helpful exercise to think about my strengths, experiences, and future goals. Most importantly, Square One instilled a belief in me that changed the trajectory of my life, for which I will always be grateful. I am thrilled to be heading to HBS this fall and will continue to recommend Square One Prep and my consultant to anyone considering b-school!

Read More

I was initially introduced to Square One Prep by a friend. Right from our initial meeting, Kathryn's professionalism and genuine interest in understanding my aspirations left a lasting impression. Though pursuing an MBA felt like a distant goal, my advisor Cristina's encouragement propelled me to give it my all. From day one, both Cristina and Kathryn provided unwavering support, guiding me through each phase with precision. They ensured I stayed on target with my GRE score and helped me effectively articulate my personal and professional journey through the career narrative exercise, my essays and interactions with recommenders.

When doubts crept in, Cristina's belief in my potential was a constant source of motivation. Crafting my essays was my favorite part of the process! Cristina helped me unearth important moments that shaped my identity and experiences. She expertly managed deadlines, even when I had a few hiccups with my GRE right before the submission deadlines! The team ensured I remained focused and accountable throughout.

I am immensely grateful to Cristina and Kathryn for their instrumental role in shaping my application. Without their guidance, my journey wouldn't have culminated in such a strong representation of my aspirations and achievements. I will no doubt recommend Square One Prep to anyone considering an MBA going forward!

Read More

Square One is incredible. The entire team has deep industry knowledge and is exceptionally dedicated to their clients. They are patient, happy to answer questions, and engage in lengthy discussions. They work nights and weekends. Most importantly, they will push clients to be introspective and will provide you with their candid thoughts. They also take the time to get to know you personally - no one feels like a cog in the system. This is evident even from the free consultation that they offer. I highly recommend Square One. They are excellent; their expertise and dedication is second to none!

Read More