Square One Prep Admissions Consulting Reviews

"I am off to Kellogg, knowing this would never have been possible without Square One Prep’s help. My consultant took the time to understand who I am, explained the process and the challenges I faced (low undergrad GPA, suspension from college), brainstormed with me to develop a strategy, and helped me execute a plan. She was passionately interested in my success. She was also always available, promptly replying to my questions and providing feedback. Although there were times when the application process felt daunting, my consultant was always there to re-energize me. She was a joy to work with, always positive and frank. If you want results, call Square One Prep."

client from: Canada

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I still can’t believe I got into INSEAD! This is a dream come true, for sure. When I first called Square One, I didn’t believe I had what it takes to get into a top school - I'm from Syria, did okay in university but didn't go to a brand-name one, have worked hard but didn't work at known companies, and didn't have a strong GMAT score. I just wanted to get confirmation of that, as it has always been a dream, but one I was content with abandoning if I was directed to do so by an expert. Square One gave me a free consultation and listened to me tell my story for several hours. The owner of the company then told me what I never expected to hear – that I certainly had an uphill battle, but that with hard work, introspection, and trust in their process, I could make this dream come true. She said they were ready to work with me to make sure I took each step in this battle steadily and strategically.

They did just that, guiding me with the utmost expertise, care, and sincerity. I freely admit that I struggled with every aspect of the application process. Although I can express myself well in speech, I lack the ability to translate that ability onto paper, but that was okay because my advisor was there to guide me and help me develop that skill. It’s a skill that I will now use extensively at INSEAD. A gift I didn’t expect out of this process. Another gift is that my advisor, Erik, has become a trusted friend.

Erik could not have been more patient and simultaneously motivating. I had many life setbacks during the process due to my refugee status and inability to see my family back home. Erik took that in stride, always adjusting my schedule and finding ways to help me make progress despite my preoccupation. He helped me transform my conceptual ambitions into a career path that was grounded and "real." Together, he and I literally rewrote my resume. He then really went above and beyond to help me get my thoughts and stories into my essays. I tend to ramble and would write three times what an essay would allow. Erik helped me chip away at my work and create pieces that felt like a psychological undertaking because I got to know myself in new ways. The owner also got re-involved along the way to opine and do reviews. Everything with Square One was like this - detailed, sincere, with a goal to help me succeed. It worked!

I recommend Square One with all that I have.

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I initially signed on with Square One Prep because it was the best personality fit for me among all the firms I spoke to and I appreciated my counselor’s straightforward manner and confidence.
Everyone looks for something different in their counselor. I work in a high intensity finance job with an erratic schedule and itinerary and I am a serious procrastinator so I needed someone who was flexible, kept long hours far beyond usual business hours, would hold me accountable to deadlines and remind me, and was available on short notice. Also, I needed someone who thought differently from me, would not be shy about sharing their own opinions, perspective, and experienced, and yet would not be dismissive of my ideas.
During the months I spent working with my counselor, she showed all of the qualities that were important to me. I was pleasantly surprised as my applications unfolded. She was very responsive, from the morning until well past midnight. There were no days of the week that were off limits; weekends were treated the same as weekdays. There were no parts of the application or interview process that were not covered and I never sensed that there was a reluctance to do work on my part because other clients were demanding my counselor’s time. My counselor was organized, and nothing slipped through the cracks. Most importantly, I was consistently pushed in directions and into areas that I would never have discovered myself, not just for the sake of doing so, but because doing so made my application better; that was the biggest value-add of working with Square One Prep. I came out of the process feeling that between all of the work that I put into the process and the significant guidance from my counselor, I did everything I could in my power to get into business school. I am happy with my outcomes and heartily recommend Square One Prep.

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Thank you Square One Prep. My consultant, Kathryn, was exactly the personal adviser I needed to get into a top business school. After a few sessions with two consultants from large admissions consulting companies, the personal dedication that I got from Square One Prep was a breath of fresh air. My consultant really took the time to fully understand my background and my career aspirations. Not only did she help me sharpen my essays and prepare for interviews, but more importantly, she helped me with the very crucial “soul searching”, before I even started working on my essays. After just a couple of coaching sessions with her, I was able to clearly articulate my career goals and aspirations, while creating a fit with my prior experience and the specific MBA programs that I was applying to.

While Kathryn was my biggest fan, she was also very direct and did zero sugar-coating, which was exactly what I needed because I was on a very tight deadline. She helped me identify my strengths and weaknesses, polish my story and present myself as a unique candidate by highlighting the relevant aspects of my work background, academics and life experiences. In a nutshell, she gave me peace of mind and took the stress out of what could have been a stressful process.

I ended up going to the Johnson School, which was exactly the right fit for me. The career path that Kathryn helped me articulate in my applications is exactly the path I am currently successfully following - so her career advice was priceless and spot on.

I highly recommend Square One Prep to anyone who wants personal and dedicated help from an outfit that knows everything there is to know about giving you a competitive advantage.

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I went to an Ivy League college, did well in class while doing sports as well, then did investment banking for a couple of years followed by PE for a couple more, had a strong GMAT score, and want to stay on the PE path. I figured getting into b-school wouldn't be too hard. Then I talked to Square One Prep and was humbled pretty fast. They opened my eyes to the fact that my profile wasn't so special for the schools I wanted to apply to, and could make the application process tougher, not easier.
Square One Prep, through a lot of patience, educating and pulling back layers I didn’t know I had, helped me see that I’d had defining moments and do have a distinct story. My consultant was indispensable from strategy through execution. The results: in at HBS, Wharton, Haas and Kellogg, with $25,000-$40,000 scholarships.

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It was a clean sweep – I’m in at HBS, Wharton, Columbia, and Kellogg!
I was initially skeptical of working with an admissions consulting company. But after my first call with Square One, I stood corrected. I thought I knew what admissions committees were seeking, but I was wrong. My career narrative was weak, my resume wasn’t balanced, and my professional experiences weren’t captured in an easily digestible manner. There was industry jargon all over and a complete lack of balance between my professional experiences and other experiences that I didn't know even carry weight with admissions committees; things like details on my extracurriculars in college. Here I was, a younger applicant and probably a little arrogant because I knew I'd done a lot in my short career, and SOP shared that I wasn’t doing anything to convince the admissions committees that I was ready for business school.
That was indispensable, candid feedback I got on my first call. Not just that, SOP immediately had insights to help me turn weak areas into strengths. Turning myself into a strong candidate wasn't going to happen overnight, and my advisor was frank about that, but also excited, which made me feel excited about the process, and humbled. My entire partnership was like this – my advisor consistently listened to me, educated me, and helped me elevate or in some cases completely turn upside down (in a good way) my work and thoughts. SOP kept me on schedule and focused. When a work deliverable got me off track, SOP was understanding. They worked with me on Christmas Day and New Years Eve, straight through midnight, to get me back on schedule. They were relentless about making sure I put my best foot forward, and it paid off.
Thank you so much SOP!

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My consultant was key in transforming rejection letters I previously received to resounding acceptances from top schools. Despite being that "typical IT guy from India" I got into both schools I applied to: Wharton and Haas! My consultant patiently reviewed my strengths and weaknesses. She then helped me present applications that highlighted my strengths, addressed my weaknesses, AND distinguished me from the competition. She guided me along each step of the process; with her vast

experience and deep insights I was able to present a strong candidacy. Through the process, I

actually became more confident in myself, not just in my applications.

         I would highly recommend Square One Prep to anyone."

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I don’t know where to begin. Wait, that’s actually exactly what I said to Square One when I first contacted them. Almost instantly, they put me at ease. I am a worrier, always restless and unsure of my next move. For example, when I decided that I wanted to go to business school, I had no idea why. I knew it was the right next move for me, but I knew that to get into a top school you have to do a whole lot more than know – you have to convince admissions committees that it’s the right move for you more than it is for literally thousands of other applicants. I couldn’t create a compelling career story if my life depended on it. In a way it did!
But Square One, after listening to me for hours and after guiding me for weeks as I failed to come up with any career ideas, came to my rescue. They defined a career narrative for me that was truly inspiring and EXACTLY what I would love to do, though I never would have thought of it on my own because 1) I’d never heard of it 2) I lacked the ability the think creatively about careers and 3) I didn’t seem to know myself as well as Square One did!
My entire application process was like this – me hitting my head against a wall as I tried to work on my resume, essays or letter of recommendation and each and every time Square One coming to my rescue. To be honest, I was ashamed that I found the process so tough. A friend of mine was also working with Square One, and he just zipped through the process with no hiccups at all. Then again, he isn’t his own worst enemy. Thankfully, Square One pretty quickly sized me up. They never let me get discouraged. They seemed to have a sixth sense. Just when I would start to struggle on my end they would check in and get me back on track. Their timing was amazing. Their expertise was amazing. Their patience when I would send them 2000 word drafts when an essay has a 500 word limit was amazing. Their tough love when I would procrastinate, or not follow the rules of sending drafts that are no more than 50% over the word limit, was also amazing.
The results of all their amazing-ness: I got offers from Wharton and Chicago-Booth. Since I got a full scholarship from Chicago, that’s where I’ll be heading in the fall. I can’t wait!

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I applied to 4 schools last year and got zero traction. When I got my last rejection, I called consultants to understand what I could do different/better next time. In retrospect, I should have called consultants before I embarked on the whole application process. I honestly didn't think I needed to work with someone, since I had a strong Ivy League pedigree and career to date (my GMAT score wasn't great). In any case, everyone was wishy-washy with me, wanting to charge me to review my applications - charge me a lot! - except Square One. I talked with the owner of the company, who asked me to send her my applications so she could do a review. I expected that maybe she'd talk to me for 30 minutes and give me only general feedback. But nope. She offered me a 2-hour feedback call free. It was so helpful that I knew exactly what to do differently this year.

For starters, I hired Square One. They started working with me immediately last April and were my partner every day until I got my decisions this year. This time? I got into 3 of the 4 schools - Wharton, Booth, and Sloan! It never would have happened had I not called Square One.

My advisor took the time to get to know me. He then worked painstakingly with me on my resume to help rebuild it. My resume this year told a story - I didn't know a resume could do that! When it came time to work on my essays, again my advisor pushed me to introspect and think about my life in ways I never had before. It was tough, but paid off. My essays this year were more honest and thoughtful. Even my goal narrative changed this year, not drastically, just substantively. My advisor had me research the industry I want to move into. He made sure I built some general knowledge so I could be more articulate and clear when writing about and talking about my ambitions. This too was tough because my advisor played devil's advocate to test me, but all the testing was worth the effort. I felt like a different applicant this year - the same person but like I had on glasses this time. I see myself in ways I never have and I can talk about myself I couldn't before working with Square One.

It isn't a cake walk with Square One. They push hard, especially if they sense you're slacking off. But not once did I wonder if I selected the right company. Thanks guys!

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Working with Square One Prep through the MBA admissions process was one of the best decisions I could have made, and it helped me get into Ross! I had a very challenging MBA application experience the first time I applied and almost gave up. My consultant’s positive (but realistic) attitude and suggestions for improving my strengths as a re-applicant kept me positive, on track, and this year I got into every school I applied to - even getting full scholarships at a few! I was helped at every step of the way from selecting schools to apply to, to clarifying my goals, to organizing my thoughts into essays that told my story in the most colorful, reflective, and effective way. I received invaluable advice on each aspect of the application and she was more than willing to spend extra time with me in areas where I was struggling. I would recommend Square One Prep's services to anyone who wants to get into a top tier school!

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