Stratus Admissions Counseling Admissions Consulting Reviews

Honestly, thank you Donna! I was admitted to 2 M7, and waitlisted at a T10 with Donna's guidance. I was rejected at 2 other M7s.

Here is the thing: I am an international student so I didn't have experience going through such a rigorous admissions process when I was in my undergrad. At the same time, I am also extremely Type A so I wanted someone who would answer the inanest questions. Donna and the Stratus team did exactly that. The package helped me reflect on my life goals, and how the MBA would contribute to that trajectory. I think this is the basis for good essays. Then, throughout the writing process, Donna offered me feedback (what kind of tone should I take for different schools, what type of essays have been successful in the past etc.), along with "school experts". Beyond the essays, we also worked on how to write an MBA resume, how to best direct my recommenders on LOR, how to cater my interviews for each school - basically, every step, I wasn't alone.

Now, let's talk about the emotional aspect of this process. I was up and down like crazy - one month, I got 2 interviews; the next, I got rejected by 2 schools. Donna was there to help with my self-doubt, and I think that was an important part of making it through this process in somewhat of a good mental mindset.

Finally, I spoke to multiple consultants when I first looked into admissions consultants. Many consultants were very hard focused on my stats (which are comparable given the schools but not anything spectacular). One consultant even told me I probably had a rough chance at the schools on my list. Other consultants were too busy and took on a lot more clients than they should. One of Donna's first questions for me was: "what is something you spend too much time on but have no regrets?". In reflection, I think it's because Donna cares to get to know her clients' stories, and ultimately, the stories are what will differentiate you from everyone else with a high GPA/ GMAT/ MBB etc.

Good luck!

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The MBA application process can be overwhelming, and in hindsight, it’s hard to imagine going through it without Donna’s support. Donna is an expert storyteller, and whenever I felt stumped by an essay prompt, it made a huge difference to be able to consult with Donna to go over the options we had to tell the strongest story to each school. Donna truly made the effort to get to know me through the introspection work we had done together early in the process, and she had advice on areas of my experience to focus on in essays and interviews that I probably wouldn’t have come up with on my own. Donna’s feedback on my work was always honest, constructive, and fast, and motivated me to stay on schedule despite other personal and professional distractions. Donna is extremely reliable and trustworthy, and I can’t recommend her highly enough!

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Jennifer Jackson has been a fantastic guide and sounding-board to me for the 2 months during which I was putting together my application at Kellogg, including the video essays and the interview. I was initially not confident to apply in Round 1, since I thought I needed more time to prepare my essays and ask for recommendations at my company, but Jennifer's confidence in my candidacy and her meticulous planning convinced me that I could indeed submit a strong application in Round 1. Kellogg is a big application, and we worked together every second day from August onwards (her professionalism is impeccable; I always got a response within 2 business days!) to refine my Resume and career goals, write strong essays that brought out my professional and personal journeys to the fullest, and to speak with my recommenders about my professional achievements and awards. Susan Cera from the Stratus Team also kept a close watch on the development of my application and helped round out the rough edges. Not only this, Jennifer also helped me prepare for the video essays, scholarship essays, alternate program essay and my interview by conducting mock interviews, where she gave me extremely detailed feedback on my answers considering their format, tone and content, which I found extremely helpful during the D-day! In general, Jennifer is kind, generous and has an ability to put anyone at ease and open up to her, a commendable quality in a consultant who needs to help you select your best stories for the application.
I had chosen Stratus as during my very first 30-minute free consultation call, Susan Cera had taken the time to review my Resume in detail and had come prepared to speak to me, something I did not see other consultants do during free chats. I am so happy with my decision, and am headed to Kellogg next year!! It'll still be some time before I believe this!

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After what I might've called a traumatic undergraduate college admissions experience, I feel confident saying I've finally moved past it after the tremendous success I've now had with getting into business school. I owe most of this success to Donna. Out of the 6 schools where she helped me, I got into 4 (Northwestern Kellogg, UVA Darden, USC Marshall and UNC Kenan-Flagler) and all with significant scholarships. I started working with her in February and feel I was really rewarded with almost a year of advice and mentorship throughout this often very stressful process. My initial drafts for my essays were very rough and Donna helped me refine them through more than 8 drafts sometimes, until we both, plus the additional objective third party reviewer at Stratus, felt they were strong - and they were! I got in! I feel very lucky to have worked with Donna and couldn't recommend her enough to anyone who is embarking on this process. Start early! It pays off in spades.

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After working with Donna, I compared the application material I first wrote on my own to the final product with Donna’s coaching and it’s like it came from a completely different person. At every step of the process of working with Donna, I knew that I was in capable hands. She showed both professionalism and profound empathy when guiding me through the application process. Her experience proved invaluable as many of the assumptions I had about the process were entirely incorrect. My successful application, and the financial aid I received with it, are a testament to her ability as an admission consultant.

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My experience with Susan Cera has been amazing and was a game-changer in my applications.

I do not have the best raw stats, but I felt I had a good background and story for wanting to do an MBA. Susan helped me visualize and translate that story into something tangible that admission officers could understand. She worked closely with me to understand my goals post-MBA and long-term while working with my previous experience to understand how to best convey my unique message to admission committees. Working with Susan and Stratus helped my story come to life and enhance my application to get me to several interviews and acceptances.

The MBA process is complicated and there are many little details that go unnoticed by the typical person that may be going through the process alone. It makes a significant difference having a trusted advisor guiding you along the way. Working with Susan for several months, I felt much more confident and prepared in my applications, interviews, and communications with admission officers. One unique differentiator about Stratus is that you are able to work with several different people across their entire team (e.g. certain interviews with schools – you can prep with another admissions consultant that has specific expertise with that particular program).

I highly recommend Susan for anyone throughout the MBA application cycle!

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Before Jennifer was recommended to me through a friend, I was hesitant about MBA consultants. Not after I met Jennifer! We connected instantly and I loved her authentic self. I valued her experiences and opinions and most importantly, I trusted that she had my best interest at heart. She helped me stay on track with my essays and applications. Most importantly, this process is wonderfully designed to discover yourself and Stratus has just the right team to make that happen. I was happy that through my stories and experiences, Jennifer helped me see a version of myself that I didn’t see before. This eventually helped me got into my dream school, Wharton! I would highly recommend Jennifer and her team at Stratus! Interview prep and offer negotiation guidance were also extremely helpful!

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I thank my lucky stars every day that I met Susan, while I was reaching out to multiple admissions consultants reviewed in forums. Susan was the only one who saw potential in my profile, connected with me at a human level and gave me hope, whilst everyone else just gave me their opinions and were marketing to me.

Susan and Stratus have a proven and time tested process to bring out the best in you. Every question asked by Susan is very deliberate during the brainstorming process to bring out your true personality, vision, successes and your growth areas. It's quite incredible how well put together and elaborate their pre-work is which leads into the applications.

Susan was there for me every step of the way, pushed me to get the best out of me, gave me tough love when needed, motivated me and cheered for my success at every turn ! Susan did not accept anything less than extraordinary from me on any essay, resume or application requirement. Let me repeat this again, " Susan did not accept anything less than extraordinary from me ! " she guided me with her deep experience to get me there. Her attention to detail is mind blowing.

The interview prep process was very thoughtful and tailored. Susan gave me feedback and pointers to improve before every interview. We even had multiple sessions as needed. I truly feel we travelled a fantastic journey together.

If you're reading this review, let me tell you this, it might be hard for you to truly hear a person you've never met. Stop your search and place your faith with Susan ! This will be one of the best decisions you make, which will transform your life. I am in awe of Susan and her team. Today Susan is more than a consultant who worked with me, she is my close friend. I never imagined I would be accepted to not one, but two ivy league EMBA programs, Columbia and Yale.

I will never forget the moment I called Susan to tell her I was accepted at Columbia Business School. Susan and Stratus are not just admissions consultants, they are changing the business landscape by helping candidates realize their dreams to change the world !

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Jennifer was incredible throughout the entire process, from start to finish. She was a fantastic professional resource, helping me with my essays, positioning, personal narrative, and interviews. She is very detail oriented and client focused, tailoring all of her recommendations specifically to me, my background, and the schools I was applying to. Jennifer was also a fantastic personal resource, keeping me upbeat and positive throughout a very difficult and arduous admissions process. Ultimately it ended in success and much of that is thanks to working with Jennifer. I would not hesitate to recommend her to any of my colleagues, personal contacts, or anyone looking for help when applying to get an MBA.

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Working with Donna and Stratus was one of the best decisions I made while applying to business school. Donna came highly recommended by a friend, and I could tell that she was fully committed to my candidacy from the get-go. The Stratus model is vastly different from other admissions consultants'. I really appreciated the time spent on introspection early on — it helped me delve deep into who I am and what motivates me. Donna provided plenty of additional resources to help me along the introspection process.
Stratus also has an external school-specific reviewer for each application, and that allows your application to be judged by an independent reviewer who knows the school well.
Over the course of my 4 applications, Donna went above and beyond. She organised a storytelling workshop for a few of her clients, and sometimes even used her personal network to help connect me to MBA students with similar backgrounds to mine. Most importantly though, she was organised, patient and always available. The application journey is stressful (with many many moments of doubt and uncertainty), and Donna is the right person to have in your corner to navigate the process.
All in all, as an overrepresented candidate with a middling GRE score, working with Donna helped me gain an admit to a top-10 MBA (also my top choice!).

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