Katharine Lewis Review

I first consulted Katy over the summer as I was debating whether or not to take the GMAT again (my score was significantly below the average) and apply to business school this past fall. I’m on the younger side of applicants and was on the fence about applying this year, but had been sponsored by my company to attend. Katy was very honest and rationale, laying out the pros and cons for me to consider. I decided to apply this fall anyways, despite not having enough time to retake the GMAT for a higher score and not being able to apply Round 1 due to work commitments. It was definitely a risky move given I aspired to apply to only top 10 schools without a “safety”, though Katy was 100% supportive of what I wanted to do.

Over the course of the next few months, Katy not only helped me lay out a detailed timeline to draft and complete my applications in order to accommodate my crazy work schedule, she also took the time to really get to know me personally, which substantially helped the development of my story. Through our brainstorming sessions and consistent email exchanges, she enabled me to really self-reflect and think about what has made me who I am today that I had otherwise not thought of before. This was instrumental to getting to the root of my goals, why I want to go to business school, and ensuring that I applied both professional and personal examples from my life to ground my applications.

As I began to write my essays, Katy was incredibly responsive and thorough in her feedback as I iterated on drafts and even went back to the drawing board over a few weeks. She was very honest and challenged me when needed, and at other times told me not to change a thing. I would not have been able to apply to the schools I did without her help and guidance. She made me feel at ease when I was feeling the pressure, and helped me think logically about the fact that I could always reapply given my age.

To my surprise I went 5/5 in my interviews, including at three of the top 5 schools. Katy was incredibly helpful with my interview prep and ensuring that I kept true to myself so that I was not nervous or robotic come interview day. Though now the results are not exactly what I was striving for, I can happily say I was genuinely myself in my applications and on interview day, and that I still was admitted to two schools with scholarship funding, and waitlisted at two, despite my GMAT score and potentially more junior experience. Since, I have been admitted off the waitlist to HBS, where I will be attending this fall.

Katy was extremely helpful in navigating the waitlist process, and staying proactive. She was instrumental in helping me get to where I am now, especially with regards to personal and professional development through the application process.