Outstanding Service

Summary:
I could not have been happier with the service I received at Fortuna, from my main coach, Karen Ponte and also from one of the partners, Emma Bond who provided input the final stages. I would 100% recommend them, especially Karen and Emma for LBS, though I have no doubt their other advisers and knowledge of other schools is as good.

About me:
- Non-traditional background
- Indian Male
- Post MBA aiming for consulting or healthcare industry
- 2.5 year work experience
- Top 20 UK university for undergraduate degree (First Class)
- GMAT 710

About my circumstances:
- I retook the GMAT a second time to improve my score to 710 from 690 in about July
- Started shortlisting schools around the same time and doing some research
- Reached out to Fortuna and other coaches towards the end of July, beginning of August.
- Matt Symonds responded and was the key differentiator compared to others, his quick understanding of my situation and helpful advice in targeting specific schools but also his realistic and open approach helped me decide on Fortuna.
- Engaged Fortuna for their CSP for London Business School (my top choice)

About my experience:
Writing applications is difficult and requires high levels of energy. I was not quite sure what to expect from the coach. But when I spoke to Karen for the first time on Skype, it was a very pleasant and informative conversation. We got set up using an excellent bit of project management software, which made the whole process a 100 times easier (than having to email things back and forth).

What I particularly liked was that neither Karen nor Emma were writing the essays or adding any content, but instead were drawing out the best (but true) version of myself to present to the admissions committee. They took time to understand my background (which was non-traditional) and we were able to turn this into a strength. Another area was bringing their own experiences in having read applications and knowing the right amount of information to include (for example I wasn't sure if I should talk about my family and that side of my life, or if I should keep it professional). They gave me the confidence in knowing that I was including the right information both my short answer questions and in the essays.

LBS threw in a surprise video interview this time around for the first time, but the coaches handled it very well and were able to provide some important feedback on how to handle this new assessment. The mock interviews with both Karen and Emma were also particularly useful in identifying commonly asked questions where my answers were not convincing or a little too generic.

Turnaround times were excellent with Karen more often than not replying within an hour of my posting a question etc. I was quite worried because I wasn't sure that one month would be enough (while working full time), but it worked out fine and I felt I had submitted the best application I could have.

I am thankful to them both, and would happily recommend their services to anyone, especially those that may have unusual backgrounds for MBAs.