Lorraine Tong helped me get into Wharton!

Should you apply in round 1 or round 2? If you still can’t decide after reading all the MBA blogs and forums, go with the round for which Lorraine still has capacity – she’s that good. Having applied to b-school on my own before, I’m certain Lorraine’s guidance and MBA Prep School’s systematic approach to the application process are what got me results this time around.

My background:
• Top 10 UG business school, 3.6 GPA, 710 GMAT
• Non-traditional career path at little-known companies, solid international exposure
• Limited leadership experience outside of work

Never would I have thought I could get into Wharton with those credentials. Applying to Wharton was Lorraine’s suggestion. I thought she was crazy, but I’m very glad I trusted her, as I’m going there this fall.

My favorite things about Lorraine:

1. She only takes on a few clients each round and is deeply invested in every one of their applications.

2. She can help clients find dimensions that are truly unique to them because she 1) spends a lot of time getting to know them, 2) listens well, and 3) has good instincts. She saw value in things that seemed very trivial to me but really captured who I am and probably made me more memorable to the ad com.

3. She has an uncanny knack for finding the common thread among seemingly unrelated bits and pieces. There were a lot of things I wanted to communicate to the ad com. Without a strategic approach, I would’ve come across schizophrenic. Lorraine helped me figure out my core identity, thus enabling me to weave the different components of each application into one compelling narrative.

4. Her diverse experiences (corporate/nonprofit/creative) and knowledge of many different industries translate into her ability to help clients 1) best position what they’ve done and, 2) clearly define what they want to do after b-school. I struggled with the latter, but under Lorraine’s guidance, I was able to transform a vague vision into concrete goals and articulate how an MBA could help me achieve them.

5. She gets the nuanced differences among top schools. The information I gathered on the schools were a lot to digest. Lorraine helped me isolate the unique characteristics on which each school prides itself, characteristics applicants must understand if they want to craft targeted applications that demonstrate fit, which is critical. If you work with Lorraine, you won’t be doing much recycling/copying & pasting.

6. Like a good personal trainer, she will motivate you until the very end, past writer’s blocks, burnouts and breakdowns, and the point where you just want to submit what you have and “get it over with.”

7. She is very understanding. As a former MBA student and seasoned consultant, she gets how exhausting it is to apply to school while working and how frustrating it is to sit in front of the computer for hours only to write two sentences. She kept me sane and focused when I wanted to pull my hair out.

8. She is punctual with calls and quick with feedback.

9. She is a cool person with a good sense of humor and a quirky personality. Very easy to talk to.

10. She loves what she does.

No Lorraine, no Wharton. I <3 Lorraine!