At the start of the process, I reached out to 3 different consultants at different companies. Lisa and Stratus stood out as clear winners; I felt confident in the Stratus offering / backing, which included help developing my story, essay iteration with a second reader, and interview prep. More importantly, I found Lisa to be genuine and easy to work with.

The time spent working with Lisa on shaping my story before starting essays was invaluable. I would not have had as strong of an application without her guidance at this stage in particular. When it came to essays, she always returned drafts quickly and with thoughtful suggestions. Just as important was interview prep. I valued Lisa's candor and experience as a prior interviewer. I also appreciated Stratus' Wharton TBD simulation, and know that it helped me nail the actual Wharton TBD.

With Lisa's help, I gained admission to 7 top MBA programs, with scholarships / fellowships at 3. I will be attending Wharton with a partial scholarship as part of the class of 2026

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I could not have been as successful as I was in my application process without Lisa's help! From the very beginning of my journey, Lisa provided me with helpful and much needed guidance.

What most impressed me was that she took the time to get to know me as a person and fully understand my future goals before ever putting pen to paper on any of my essays. This helped me polish my overall story, and built trust that enabled Lisa to provide very direct feedback whenever my work was not hitting the mark.

With Lisa's help throughout the busy application season, I ultimately gained admission to 7 MBA programs, many of them with scholarship offers! I am certain I would not have been as successful without her advice along the way.

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Choosing Stratus, and specifically Susan Cera, has proven to be a life-changing decision. Initially torn between two options, resounding recommendations from Susan's previous clients gave me the confidence to move forward with her - a decision that exceeded all expectations.

We started off by delving into the intricacies of my past experiences, meticulously exploring every detail relevant to my business school application. What initially felt like a chaotic stream of stories and reflections was expertly curated by Susan, weaving together pertinent details to create a narrative that not only showcased my breadth as an applicant but also articulated a coherent story of my journey and distinctive qualities that set me apart from the crowd.

Her guidance was instrumental in forming a cohesive strategy, pinpointing areas of development to address through an MBA and identifying key themes that authentically portrayed my character and career trajectory. Throughout numerous iterations and feedback sessions, Susan remained steadfast in her commitment to refining and polishing each aspect, steering me back on course even when I veered off track.

We also completely remade my resume, with each word meticulously selected under her guidance, drawing from her extensive experience as an admissions committee member at Duke Fuqua. Further, once I got to the interview stage at my first choice school, Wharton, Susan arranged for a mock interview with a colleague—a Wharton graduate—who provided invaluable insights and tailored guidance specific to Wharton's interview process. Each step of this journey, from brainstorming sessions to interview preparations, was marked by Susan's dedication to excellence, ensuring that the final product was nothing short of exceptional, which in turn led to my being accepted to Wharton. I cannot overstate the impact of her guidance, and I am immensely grateful for her role in helping me achieve my aspirations.

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I really enjoyed working with Melisa and would highly recommend her to anyone looking for an MBA admissions consultant. She made the whole application process so much more approachable and pleasant. I felt at ease knowing I had her support and guidance throughout this journey: I felt like she was truly in my corner and wanted what was best for me. She was very generous with her time, patiently answering my (many!) questions, and taking the time to really get to know me, my values, and my goals, so that we could ensure my application was as strong and authentic as possible.

Melisa helped me with everything from my resume to preparing my recommenders to essays to interview prep. It was clear that she is incredibly knowledgeable about all things MBA admissions, and she was always very timely and thoughtful in her comments and guidance. I also really appreciated that Melisa went above and beyond, providing holistic mentorship beyond the application itself, such as by pointing me towards career opportunities for post-MBA and connecting me with others with shared interests.

In the end, with Melisa's help I was able to get into both of my dream schools, and had a very difficult decision to make! I am really grateful for all of her support, and would choose to work with her again in a heartbeat.

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Before meeting Susan, I truly believed there was no way I could get into a top 20 business school. However, Susan not only had a clear and structured process to help identify key and unique traits but she also helped me to regain my confidence and pride in my accomplishments to date. She helped to dig up all my accomplishments including ones that I never thought were significant. She patiently helped me revise my CV 10 times with no complaints but the mere justification that she wanted it to be absolutely perfect. She helped me navigate standardized testing anxiety and reminded me that scores are just a small part of the entire application. Susan made navigating the tricky application process easier by providing tips & tricks that someone completing an application on their own would never know. It is no question that part of the reason I got into the schools I did was thanks to Susan and her team! If you are applying to grad school working with Susan and stratus is worth every penny.

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Stratus Consulting overall offers amazing MBA admissions consulting services. I personally worked with Donna Bauman. Coming from an Indian male engineering background, I thought my chances at getting in an M7 school were pretty slim. However, Donna guided me in the right direction and helped me understand my motivation to go for an MBA. She gave me new perspectives which helped me build my story for my applications. From understanding the essay questions to preparing for interviews, Donna was there for me every step of the way. Another great aspect about Stratus admissions is that you will get inputs from multiple stakeholders which will help you mould your application for different colleges.

With Donna's help, I was able to get an admit into multiple M7 colleges, including my dream college - HBS. I understand making a choice of MBA admissions consultant can be a tough one, but honestly, you cannot go wrong with Stratus, especially Donna :)

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I was lucky enough to work with Sophie for my admissions counseling. Before I found Stratus, I had no idea how to effectively position myself to stand out to top business schools and felt lost trying to navigate the admissions process.

Sophie made the whole process very structured and easy to tackle while providing constant support and encouragement throughout the process! She helped me find my confidence and develop my story to stand out in both the essay and interviews.

Through her counseling, I received acceptances to M7, T15, and T20 schools. I truly do not think I would be where I am today without the help of Sophie! Cannot recommend Stratus Admissions enough!

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I loved working with Kelly and the Stratus team. Kelly helped me with the CBS and Stanford GSB applications. As advertised, Stratus use a team approach. During each of these applications I received guidance from Kelly, Susan Cera, and multiple editors (CBS & Stanford Alums). Kelly even connected me with her classmates at CBS during the process.

The methodology that Stratus uses not only helped me complete the applications for these schools, but the introspective nature of the process prepared me for the school interviews and will definitely help me throughout my career.

Kelly is truly a marvelous mentor. She supports you and enables you to develop your own authentic narrative. She spends a lot of time to learn about you. Many times, she nudged me to dig deeper into parts of my essays based on all the information she had gleaned from my introspection exercises. Further, she is extremely diligent and patient. I completed almost 15 drafts for both the Stanford and CBS essays with Kelly. Never, did I feel that she was not completely vested in improving the narrative or was growing frustrated with stagnation. She was extremely responsive and gracious with her time.

Finally, I want to commend Kelly on never talking about my chances or trying to sway me in applying to different school. Both Susan and Kelly were fully committed to help me create the best product possible to elevate my chances of getting admitted. They provided candid feedback in a timely manner and were never closed off to new ideas or suggestions.

Kelly was instrumental in helping me get admitted to Stanford, which was my primary choice, and I wholeheartedly endorse her as a mentor to help you through the MBA application process.

Thank you Kelly and Stratus Team!!

***Final Outcome: Admitted to Stanford, Interviewed with CBS, withdrew application after Stanford Admit. ****

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I chose to hire a consultant because of my unusual background and lack of understanding of how to translate my background in a way that is attractive to top MBA schools. I chose Stratus because of their structured approach to the application process, and I chose Jennifer specifically because of reviews I had read on different forums, including P&Q. The specific package I purchased was 2-schools. The structured approach gave me hard deadlines to make sure I was on track for getting the essays accomplished on time. Jennifer was encouraging throughout the process, but still pushed me to think harder about certain aspects of the essays, which was critical in those moments when I was simply sick and tired of writing and drafting and thinking during the application process. There is no doubt in my mind that her guidance was critical to the success of my application. With 20/20 hindsight, the only thing I might have changed is to purchase 1 school rather than 2. I felt that much of the advice given for 1 school could be carried over to any application I was working on. (I ended up applying to 7 different T20 MBA programs Round 1, accepted to 4, 2 of which with significant scholarship).

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I had the distinct pleasure of working with Donna as my admissions consultant throughout the MBA application process, and I cannot speak highly enough of her invaluable guidance.

Donna's expertise, professionalism, and dedication were evident from our initial interactions. She possesses a deep understanding of the intricacies of MBA admissions, and her insights proved instrumental in shaping a compelling and authentic narrative for my application. Donna's commitment was evident in her meticulous approach to every aspect of the application, from refining essays to providing strategic advice on recommendation letters.

What truly sets Donna apart is her ability to draw out the unique aspects of an applicant's experiences and aspirations. She not only helped me articulate my achievements but also encouraged me to reflect on my journey, resulting in a more authentic and impactful application. Donna's keen eye for detail ensured that my application presented a cohesive and compelling story, a critical element in the competitive landscape of MBA admissions.

Her support extended beyond the technicalities of the application. Donna provided insightful advice on school selection, helping me tailor my choices to align with my career goals and personal aspirations. Her personalized approach, genuine enthusiasm, and unwavering support created a collaborative and motivating environment that made the challenging process more manageable.

I am thrilled to share that, with Donna's guidance, I received an acceptance offer from Wharton's MBA program. This outcome is a testament to Donna's exceptional abilities as an admissions consultant. I wholeheartedly recommend Donna Bauman to anyone embarking on the MBA application journey. Her dedication makes her an invaluable partner in achieving one's academic and professional aspirations.

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