Working with Stratus Admissions, and specifically Susan Cera, was one of the better decisions I have ever made. Not only did they do their job: get me into one of my dream schools (Berkeley Haas), they did so much more.
Thanks to Stratus, I have reflected on my unique career and life goals in such detail that I have gone from having a vague idea about what I want to do to knowing concrete plans that I am so excited to pursue. They also helped me figure out what my resume gaps were and find ways to address the gaps. The result has been me getting more involved with the community, creating one of the most rewarding experiences I have had in recent years.
Susan is brilliant. I don’t have a bad word to say about her. She is kind, but honest. If you want to give this process 110%, Susan is the one for you. She takes the phrase “going above and beyond” to the next level. We chatted all the time and she was always available to help, whatever the question may be. She has been an incredible guiding light for me in this process and did her job perfectly. I couldn’t recommend her higher and am so grateful I found her.

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I bought a 10-hour package with Stratus, and Melisa Prevost was assigned as my consultant. I cannot say enough good things about working with Melisa. In the 10 hours, I was able to chat with Melisa to help choose and craft my stories, work through the essays for 6 schools, and even do a mock interview. Melisa was able to help pick out my strengths and guide me on which story to use for each essay, and her help in structuring and then editing the essays was invaluable. She was also incredibly responsive to my emails and often reviewed my essays in well under the 48 hours promised by Stratus (often turning things around in just a couple of hours). Not to mention, Melisa was incredibly kind and encouraged me throughout the process. Prior to purchasing the package, I had consultations with two Stratus consultants and found even those conversations to be very insightful, so I am sure that the other consultants are just as helpful as Melisa was for me. I recommend Melisa and Stratus very enthusiastically!

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Stratus Prep was a huge assistance in helping me prepare for applying to business school and executing all of the necessary steps to submit an application on time. Their process helped challenge my application and poke holes in my story as my application and essays went through review with different individuals throughout the application lifecycle. Most notably, Jennifer Jackson was an AWESOME consultant who demonstrated MBA process knowledge, school specific knowledge, and expertise throughout the whole process. I would work with Jennifer again in a heartbeat and encourage any interested applicant to consult her! I have no doubt that my application wouldn't be successful unless I had her help.

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I worked with Donna Bauman on the MBA Early Edge for about six months and then with Susan Cera on my applications for about eight months. Working with the Stratus team is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. At Stratus, while I had a lead mentor in Susan, so many other staff members helped me with various aspects of my application. Susan brought in different expects based on their expertise and what I needed to present my very best self.
In addition, Susan helped me craft a vision of who I am and what I want to accomplish, not just for two years in business school, but in my professional career. She asked strategic questions to bring out my true self. We developed a strong relationship and she took so much time to get to know me beyond simply my business school aspirations. She was personally invested in my success. She is also super connected with MBA students and officers. She connected me to at least one student at every school I was applying to.
Susan is also very ethical. She supported my recommenders and helped me provide them with guidance rather than simply writing the recommendations for my recommenders to submit. In essays, she provided feedback and questions and left the final decision making to me so my authentic-self shined.
From my first conversation, I knew Susan was the perfect person to help me present my best self to MBA admissions committees. She is passionate, knowledgeable, well-connected and ethical. While I am excited to be done with the admissions process, I will miss working with Susan, Donna, and the Stratus team. Susan and Donna are the best!

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I worked with Donna on my US MBA applications. Donna exemplified the most essential quality needed in a consultant – being invested in client’s success. She worked beyond the time limits to give my application the best chance I could possibly get.

I worked with Donna on my school selection, essays and resume. Compared to many other consultants that I have met, she showed intimate knowledge of most schools (gained through school visits) and advised me on possibilities of cracking a given school keeping in mind my post-MBA career ambitions. On essays, she helped shape a compelling story in a manner, which only an experienced consultant could have done. But most of all, the killer-punch was the resume. She helped me completely reshape my “career-resume” to an “MBA-resume”, which I felt was an important piece of constructive feedback.

Overall I highly recommend Donna and it was a pleasure working with her.

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I worked with Melisa Prevost through the hourly package and she was fantastic. Extremely responsive and supportive, she went above and beyond to provide helpful feedback on both essays and interview preparation. She is a pleasure to work with and I would highly recommend her. Even though we worked together on the hourly package, she really came to know my background and narrative extremely well. Her turnaround time was always incredibly efficient, usually within 24 hours. She is genuinely committed to seeing you do well, and she understands the application process deeply, as well as what different programs are looking for. The Stratus team in general is responsive and invested in your success.

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I had the chance to work with Temi as a counselor at Stratus, and I can say that her help was critical to me ultimately getting into my dream top-10 school.

I found that her guidance through preparation of my materials and the subsequent formation of an application strategy gave crucial structure and nuance to developing my candidacy for grad school.

There were times where we disagreed on content to be included, and where I initially became frustrated by our differences in viewpoint and/or opinion. However, Temi did an excellent job of listening to my frustrations when we disagreed, and then presenting her case. More often than not, I agreed with her fully articulated viewpoint.

When all was over, we managed to complete 6 applications to top tier MBA programs, and I managed to get the result I wanted: a spot at an elite MBA program.

Thanks Temi, and thanks Stratus!

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I would highly recommend the profile development services offered. I'm a fairly organized person but I know that having some external accountability and guidance is valuable which is why this service appealed to me. The great thing about Stratus is that they have a comprehensive framework that they guide prospective applicants through so that you know there isn't anything you are forgetting in terms of making sure you're presenting a well rounded self to admissions committees. This is a worthy investment and a great way to make sure you get yourself ready to apply to grad school. Your advisor will check in with you occasionally and you'll get an updated document from them showing what you've done and what you're working on by the next time you connect. If nothing else, you will be much more confident in yourself going into your applications.

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I'm from Australia and opted for a 3 schools package with Joe Farr as my main consultant. I chose Veritas because of its tailored approach in which I could mix and match my team of consultant to best suit my needs, goals and working style.

Joe was sensational! Despite the fact that I am across the world from him, I have developed a strong relationship with Joe. He took a lot of time upfront to understand my profile, goals and personality. I think that this was key for him to be able to help me successfully craft my story, identify my strengths and weaknesses and how to increase my chances of admission. He dedicated a lot of his personal time to help, and I'm truly appreciative of that. As a finance professional who also has a property development and accounting background, I will be using the MBA to transition into sports management/marketing. Joe shares my passion for sports and marketing and hence, this was a great fit. He really helped bring out my passion whether it was over our hour-long (sometimes 2 hours) Skype calls or lengthy emails.

Despite delays on my end, Joe accommodated my last minute questions and was even promptly responding to my questions via email on the due dates of applications. His customer service levels were exceptional. He also helped me work with the different school specialists to ensure the best final product.

Joe also took the time to meet me when I flew to the US for interviews. If you want a truly personalised approach and someone who will demonstrate a vested interest in your future, you definitely want Joe on your side! Aside from professional help, it was an absolute pleasure to chat with him and hear about his experiences. A great guy!

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Joe Farr, with Veritas Prep, not only helped me get accepted into many top-notch MBA programs but he also suggested I apply to the program I am now enrolled in! Yale SOM wasn't even on my radar. I never imagined being accepted to an Ivy League school! Joe thought it would be a good fit for me, and sure enough... I'll be attending Yale SOM in the fall! Veritas Prep really helps you flush out YOUR story and teaches you how to make sure the school sees your best traits. I was a very unusual candidate. Joe helped me create an application that highlighted my uniqueness while also illustrating why I would make a great fit. I am very thankful for Joe and his team!

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