When I decided I wanted to pursue an MBA, I knew I was going to need help navigating the process. From the bottom of the mountain, it was a daunting task.

Enter Donna Bauman.

From our initial call, I was impressed by her professionalism, sharpness, and eagerness to get started. We discussed backgrounds, a roadmap for our journey together, and expectations going forward. Everything was well presented so there would be no surprises.

As we executed our plan, I was constantly reminded of my initial thoughts, as well as reassured that I had made a smart decision due to her level of thoughtfulness and thoroughness. I never questioned her level of commitment to my success and to leaving no stone unturned. On top of the "basic services", I feel she offered numerous hidden gems that I never would have known about had I not sought her services. I feel she went above and beyond because she cares for her clients. She has never been unwilling to schedule a quick call or reply to an email. While many services and consultants talk the talk, Donna most certainly walks the walk. Relationships are important throughout this process, and she does her best to cultivate a strong one geared toward success.

Now as I await decision, I can be confident I put forth my very best work with her assistance. I know I would not be nearly as well prepared had I attempted to walk this journey alone. She made this an enjoyable process, and well exceeded my expectations for a consultant. I have highly recommended Donna to a number of my colleagues, and will continue to sing her praises to anyone even considering an MBA.

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I highly recommend Jennifer Jackson of Stratus. Although Jennifer advises some applicants from the very start of their business school application process, I engaged her after I had written self-reflections and begun drafting essays. I wanted someone to serve as a sounding board for my ideas, and to offer tips on expressing myself effectively in writing and in interviews.

First, I appreciated that Jennifer could adapt her approach to clients of all readiness levels. As mentioned, I came to Jennifer having already completed a fair amount of preparation. Instead of making me rewrite my thoughts in her templates or follow her usual process, Jennifer got to know me through the materials that I had already put together myself. Her adaptiveness saved me time and ensured that I got what I was seeking out of our sessions together.

Second, I enjoyed the advantages that came from Jennifer’s membership in the larger Stratus organization. As a few examples: Jennifer shared guidance from the most knowledgeable individuals in her network. She set up a Wharton practice group interview, led by another Stratus employee, alongside other applicants from Stratus’s clients. And I received encouraging emails from both Jennifer and Susan Cera, head of Stratus, as I went along. I believe that these advantages are distinct to organizations, as opposed to independent advisors.

Third and most important: Even as an applicant who had already done some preparation, I benefitted from Jennifer’s advice. As a sounding board for my ideas, Jennifer helped me to identify my most compelling stories, recognize areas where I could add depth, and cut color commentary. She also pointed out stylistic areas to improve in my interviewing style, and our practice boosted my confidence.

All in all, it was a pleasure working with Jennifer and Stratus. I would recommend them both to clients at any stage in the business school application process. (And I was ultimately accepted at two of the top five U.S. MBA programs first-round.)

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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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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 a great experience working with Melisa. I purchased the hourly package and we used the time to work on my resume and essays. I was very much a non-traditional applicant and had no idea about the business school application process, but her guidance made the whole thing a breeze. She had extensive knowledge of every school on my list and made sure each application fit its respective school perfectly.

When it came to actually editing my resume and essays, Melisa was very efficient with her time, which I really appreciated considering I was paying by the hour. She sent back all her edits within a day, and every single suggestion was valuable. I applied in Round 2 so all the deadlines were right after the holidays, but she made herself available even then.

Most importantly, she genuinely cares about your success! She asked for and appreciated updates well past the application phase. She even introduced me to another one of her clients attending the same program as me so I could start connecting with future classmates right away. I would highly recommend Melisa to anyone looking for an application consultant.

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Melisa was wonderful to work with! She provided great feedback on resume and essays, was always willing to help, and go above and beyond. She was always prompt at responding, and would check-in anytime I fell off the wagon due to work deadlines. I worked with her mostly over email, except for the first skype call. The communication was great (even when I was traveling with a 10+hr time difference) and timely. She really helped me stay on track and submit a stellar application. I got into the school of my choice (Berkeley Haas) and Melisa's help played a huge role.

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I had a rudimentary idea of what I wanted to write about, but working with my Stratus Prep Counselor elevated my essays to a higher level and helped me craft a unique story that wove together my passions, experiences and goals. Beyond the technical aspects, my Counselor helped me maintain sanity through the stressful MBA admissions process and gave me invaluable advice and inspiration when I needed it most. Ultimately, I was invited to interview at 7 of 8 schools and was accepted into my preferred program. I firmly believe that Stratus Prep strengthened my candidacy tremendously. I highly recommend that others consider their services!

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