Emma helped me with my R1 LBS and HEC applications. I reached out to her after realizing I was somewhat out of depth with the process and had a million questions on how to begin. She immediately broke everything down for me and laid out the process in clear and concise steps. She helped with everything from reaching out to recommenders, school outreach, application questions, and interview prep. Emma answered all of my questions and concerns with patience and really made me feel supported and secure throughout the process. Her edits and advise were invaluable in helping me receive offers and scholarships at both schools. I highly recommend Emma to anyone applying for MBA programs, particularly if you are interested in LBS or other European schools.

Read More

Sharon, and Fortuna, were an absolute joy to work with and I highly recommend Sharon to anyone applying to MBA programs. From day one, it was abundantly clear that Sharon was an expert on the MBA application process and immediately relieved the stress I had about the process. She helped me narrow my list of schools, develop speaking points about my past experience and strengths, craft my essays, prepare for interviews and everything in between! I cannot emphasize enough the level of detail and personal attention that Sharon spends on each of her clients. We reviewed every part of the application in detail as Sharon knows that every word makes a difference. Sharon made the process so easy for me and I would not have achieved my goals without her help. From the outset, my main criteria for my MBA was receiving a scholarship. With Sharon's help, I was able to achieve this goal. Sharon helped me get admitted to Cornell Johnson (with scholarship), UCLA Anderson (with scholarship), and UVA Darden. I truly cannot speak highly enough of Sharon and everything she did for me! If you are looking for an Admissions Coach to get you into your dream school, look no further!

Read More

Sharon is the best coach that I can ever ask for! I believe that without her guidance, I would not have gotten into the schools that I applied to (Haas/Anderson). It’s been a pleasure working with her. Sharon is thorough, down to earth, and very knowledgeable. She made herself available constantly, answering all my questions and addressing my concerns. She set the timeline and developed a plan so we could have everything done before the application deadline, easing the stress throughout this process. I really appreciate that she took her time to understand my background/stories and helped me incorporate those into my essays. Sharon went above and beyond, helping me to know the real me and highlight the areas that would make me stand out as a candidate. I can’t thank her enough for what she has done for me! Amazing coach!!!!

Read More

I was first introduced to Karen by Jenifer Raver from the Fortuna Admissions team given my preferences of applying to LBS & IESE and in the first 5 minutes of the call, I knew I wanted to work with Karen. I could tell that she was genuinely interested in my story, my career ambitions, my long-term goals and believed in my potential to make it all come true. (I had spoken to multiple coaches before from other companies; hence I was sure). We kicked off the process and through every conversation involving self-reflection, CV preparation, essay drafts - Karen unlocked aspects of my personality I never knew existed. I declared on Day 1 that I work better with clear timelines and defined expectations, and she let me set my own deadlines (which had to be acceptable of course). Karen was always super prompt on reviewing any material I sent across, her feedback – very organized, relevant and thoughtful. She makes you want to ask yourself “Why is this relevant?” “How did you impact the lives of others with this action?” and so on….and that’s precisely what business schools want – to understand who you truly are!
Sadly, I didn’t get through the first time I applied in 2021, it was a very competitive cycle and I’m sure I probably didn’t make the cut by a very small margin. But I was set on going to LBS and I promised myself that I would reapply. Even though she was not contractually obligated to, Karen offered to help out with my reapplication strategy. She helped me reflect on what went wrong, introspect about what needs to change, structure how I could improve my profile over the next year and also review my submission material again the next year. I came back much stronger, clearer and way more confident than last time, and I got through!
Karen has never missed my calls (When I got the admit email, she was out on a run and she answered!). We cried together in the ding debrief last year. We laughed and celebrated together on the admit this time (and cried some more, happy tears this time). We connected emotionally – and that’s rare. All my friends and family know her by ‘Karen Didi’, because that’s what I refer to her as (Didi = moniker for ‘Big Sister’ in Hindi - someone you have profound respect for).
It was a long hard journey towards achieving my dream of going to LBS, but working with Karen has been such a pleasure. I was stupid to think I could reapply to LBS the very next year, but her confidence in my capabilities helped shape my resilience. Whatever miracle of a career I build from the LBS MBA, I owe it to her. Thank you very very much Karen!

Read More

I worked with Emma on a 3-school package. Going into the MBA applications process, I was extremely stressed, and sceptical about engaging a consultant. I spoke with 15+ consultants/firms, and made a comprehensive excel of my conversations with them. After my first call with Emma, I knew that she cared! LBS was my top school, and having conversations with Emma during the course helped me narrow down a list of schools I’d apply to. I ended up with an admit offer from LBS and a US Ivy league school! And on the waitlist for two others – but I got into my dream school, and it wouldn’t have been possible without her help and guidance.

She wasn’t just a consultant – she was a coach and a mentor to me, and at many points, helped me think through some important career opportunities that came my way. She didn’t hold back on feedback – even when I thought I had written my best draft, she would encourage me to go deeper and think through the prompt to bring out my best story. Belonging to an over-represented category, I knew it was important to showcase all aspects of my profile in a balanced way, and Emma helped me through all that. She was extremely responsive, super-organized and I ended up taking an hourly pack to get my other applications reviewed too. She was more than happy to get on calls, exchange emails promptly and reach out to her colleagues for insights on schools she knew they were experts on. Her knowledge of LBS is unparalleled, and she was great at the other schools I worked on with her too, from knowing what the question is aimed at, to school-specific insights.

During my interview prep, I knew I wasn’t great, but she encouraged me to be better. A great mix of honest feedback and positive reinforcement, and after a few mocks, I could see the change in the way I approached questions – in a more structured and natural manner.

At the end of the day, I needed someone to coach me through the process and be there as a guide, nudging me in the right direction, and Emma did exactly that. I had a wonderful experience working with her, and believe I gained a mentor for life!

Read More

I am extremely thankful to Cassandra for going through the rigorous process of submitting an MBA application and making it a smooth journey. It is extremely stressful and intimidating navigating the application process, trying to condense your entire life in 300words while working full time. Cassandra has been been my rock helping me through each step.She was candid, supportive, and extremely understanding. Her feedback to my essays and video interviews was extremely helpful. I loved how she pushed me to try dig in deeper when I was trying to build my story.

I have been impressed with Fortuna throughout, starting from determining which coach I’d like to work with, to reviewing my resumes, to building my story, to resources provided for the interviews and the application. The detailed and structured questionnaire which Fortuna requires applicants to submit allowed me to introspect about my life - personally and professionally and really helped bring out my authentic self in the application.

I’ll be starting my MBA journey with INSEAD next year and it wouldn’t have been possible without Cassandra and the Fortuna team.

Read More

Working with Fortuna was an absolute pleasure, especially working with Melissa. She really helped to get my application together and her communication was super efficient and effective .

Melissa really took the time to get to know me as an applicant and she was continuously available to support me. Her wise tips were a valuable resource during my application journey and she really gave me a good boost at each stage - from essays to interviews. I was ultimately admitted to my school of choice.

I would recommend Melissa to anyone. She is effective and also comfortable working against the clock operationally and across different time zones.

Read More

I reached out to Fortuna because I had heard how successful they were coaching you through your MBA application. I liked the fact that one would work with a coach that really knows the school and the application process. In my opinion there is no better way to apply for an MBA than with a team of people that includes former admissions committee members.

I got matched with Melissa Joelson and knew from our first meeting that she was the perfect coach for me. Melissa is amazing in getting your story across and seeing things in your profile that you did not even realize were valuable assets to your application. She will also not hold back from looking at your weaknesses and suggesting ways for you to improve.

The main factor that made Melissa an amazing coach for me is the passion that she brings to your application. I went through a busy time during my application process and Melissa did not lose her motivation one bit. Applying to such prestigious business schools can be intimidating and stressful. Having someone on your side that wants you to succeed nearly as much as you - that’s what really made the difference for me and my application. I was admitted to and can’t wait to go to my dream school. I really appreciate all the efforts that Melissa made to help me achieve my dream.

Read More

I can't over-emphasize enough how much I enjoyed working with Rachel!!! I applied as a somewhat non-traditional candidate and while interviews with other consultants made me question if I was "right" for an MBA, Rachel was supportive of my candidacy from the get-go (while also being very realistic with solid feedback). Applying for MBAs programs is an incredibly introspective (and occasionally vulnerable) experience, so I found it incredibly helpful to work with someone who I knew believed in my candidacy and set high standards. Working with Rachel, by the time I applied, I knew I had put together my most authentic and best application I possibly could.

What I enjoyed most about working with Rachel was her ability to shift between helping me articulate and refine the “big picture” narrative as well as dig into the nitty gritty details (as she said, putting together an application is kind of like “a big puzzle”). After working through my career vision, I worked with her to develop the essay, which took many many revisions. She gave me incredibly helpful feedback and pointers on how to develop a logical flow, compelling narrative, and then gave feedback on word choice, grammar, etc.

Rachel also went above and beyond to make herself available as we neared the application deadline. A day before applications were due, I was still making minor edits to my resume, essays, and short answers. Rachel was super responsive and helped me work through last minute edits (which I should have done earlier).

In short, if HBS is your top choice, I HIGHLY recommend working with Rachel.

Read More

Just having read the previous reviews on Melissa's page has put - an embarrassing big self-conscious smile on my face. I couldn't echo their sentiments more. The memories I tried to shut out in the darkness, Melissa made them shine as powerful tools for my interview. You may say my title is exaggerated, but I feel it is an understatement and here is why.

I am the worst at interviewing. I believed I did not have the “right” background and did not have a clue where to start and how to best use my time, given I was in the middle of a relocation and assigned a new programme to lead.

I did many intense interview preparation sessions with Melissa. When we were in the flow, Melissa stayed on past her paid time to ensure we got to where we needed for that session. There was homework with the right focus, so I did not have to worry about anything else.

To be able to decipher someone, break down their beliefs and build them up again to be someone that can use their setbacks as strengths in an interview and beyond takes more than skill, experience and knowledge. It is all of that, with the complete devotion that Melissa had put into my success, that made this happen.

I put my faith in Melissa's guidance, and it paid off. I am now on the INSEAD Global Executive MBA (GEMBA) programme starting in October.

Thank you, Melissa Joelson. My family thanks you too and so do my friends. See you at my graduation!

Read More