Good experience!

While I had a high-level idea of what my story would like, SOP’s unique value proposition is that the team knows exactly which parts of my story to highlight to send in a strong application. I remember how Wendy was on phone with me for hours till I nailed my career narrative. Being an engineer with an analytical bent, I have the habit of putting answers in the right boxes, but she and Kathryn forced me to think deeper and connect the different ends of my narrative together.

Thinking back to undergraduate applications, there were times then when I realized that I should have talked about an activity until it was too late or didn’t realize they were meaningful to include except they were. But for my MBA applications, Garry’s help in framing up my activities list at the start of the process was super helpful as it allowed me to take a step back, see this Excel sheet, and decide what I do want the admissions committee to know and what I can choose to ignore. This enabled me to build a resume that reflects my best achievements.

I was the happiest with how my essays turned out – truth be told, I am not a good storyteller. I remember being on long calls with Kathryn and Garry. I would get frustrated at times but I loved how Kathryn and Garry patiently helped me synthesize a good story that reflected my true self and experiences and how those could be connected to my MBA and post-MBA goals. Garry’s turnaround times on my essay helped me stay on track and maintain momentum.

Additionally, the SOP portal and Bailey’s quick responses, coordination with the team, and flexibility with schedule helped me be on top of application timelines. I ended up completing my HBS and Wharton applications 3 weeks before deadline!

I did talk to quite a few consultants before I started the process, but it was Kathryn’s straight talk, and belief in my story that led me to choose SOP. While I felt other consultants wanted to play it safe, Kathryn encouraged me to go with HBS and Wharton; and choose more schools later if need be. The confidence I got knowing there was an entire team pushing me - SOP’s team - was reassuring. If you are on the fence, not sure if you want a consultant or which one to choose, I encourage you to schedule a call with SOP and have an honest conversation with them. Those first few calls with Kathryn snow-balled into me being in a privileged quandary of choosing between Wharton and HBS.