I started my free consultation with Matt, the founder of Fortuna. He is very knowledgeable about B-schools, and I think their edge is that all the consultants have working experience in top business schools. Then he recommended Karen to me, who are from the admission team of my dreaming school. First we worked out a very detailed and feasible plan for the applications. She is always prompt to reply my emails and very patient in giving advice to my essays, personal statement and video pitch. Karen also helped a lot in mock interviews, she managed to arrange two mock interviews and provided valuable feedback. I applied to two schools and got offer from one of them. With Karen's consultation, the whole process went much more smoothly.

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I worked with Nonie from Fortuna in preparing my application for the INSEAD MBA. From my initial conversation with Nonie I was confident she will help me in the best way to put through a competitive application. During our first skype call itself she was able to clearly identify my strengths and weaknesses based on the strategy questionnaire I had filled earlier. She was very well aware of the expectations at INSEAD and explained to me how well I am placed for the programme. I have had conversations with other consultants from other companies who were simply trying to sell their products and were mainly only focusing on my weaknesses and how they have different packages to help me. But they did not seem to have specific knowledge on INSEAD. But with Nonie and Fortuna, I felt the whole process was very objective, truthful and she was very knowledgeable.

The whole process was very structured and I found it most useful for me. I was pleasantly surprised when Nonie sent me a detailed plan and timeline based on our initial conversation. She had set out clearly what we had discussed in terms of my strengths, weaknesses, the points that I can include my essays, who should be my recommenders etc. She had also set out a clear timeline for me. I was initially overwhelmed by the number of essay questions for INSEAD. However my initial conversations with Nonie helped to bring out points for me to include in my essays.

Nonie was constantly ensuring that I sticked to the timeline for the various deliverables (resume, essays, online application, recommenders) which we had agreed initially. This certainly prevented me from procrastinating. Nonie was also readily available to help to review my different drafts of the application, resume, essays etc. Moreover, Nonie was also prompt in her replies when I had queries on her comments with regards to my draft essays and the application. There was also an resume expert who helped to review and fine tune my resume a few times.

Not only with the application, Nonie also provided me with tips on maintaining a positive online presence. It gave me additional confidence when she gave a thumbs up after doing a check on the web.

Nonie's assistance during the interview process was also helpful. She helped to go through a mock interview with me and gave me comments on my replies. She also diligently followed up on my first interview to give me tips on how to improve on my second interview.

Overall, I am thankful for Nonie's help in supporting me during the application process. I have been admitted to INSEAD MBA and would strongly recommend Nonie for anyone looking for assistance in preparing their MBA application.

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At first I was reluctant to work with consultant to help me with my applications as I wasn’t sure of their effectiveness, so I did a lot of research before deciding to work with Fortuna. The key factor in my decision was a Skype call I had with Matt Symonds, where we went through my resume, profile and goals with complete honesty. After this call I was able to see strengths and weaknesses in my profile I hadn’t seen before. This gave me a lot of material to boost my self-confidence and to work with in my applications. The whole process of preparing the material for each application is very smooth and well designed in order to optimize your time and show the admission officers who you really are. Working with consultants who until recently made the final decision on whether admit someone into the program is definitely an advantage, as they know exactly what the school is looking for and how to tackle each essay. I worked with Melissa Jones and I truly believe she’s the best consultant I could’ve worked with; she was extremely dedicated and she gave me awesome insight on ideas to highlight and also complete support and guidance through the whole process, even after having submitted the applications. I applied to both INSEAD and Cambridge Judge and was admitted to both. I’ll be starting next January in INSEAD with a 20,000 EUR scholarship!!

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After being rejected last year from several programs, I knew I needed to take a fresh look at my application and if I would even have a chance reapplying. So I reached out to Matt at Fortuna to see if it would be worth it to reapply. Matt spent over an hour on the phone with me and was extremely knowledgeable. He thought I had a chance, but he also mentioned that he worked with a former Wharton Admissions Director named Judith who could review my previous application to see if I had a chance. Judith reviewed my previous application and quickly provided valuable feedback about a couple of holes that could be fixed. I immediately made the decision to move forward with Fortuna and I am extremely glad that I did.

Judith was absolutely amazing throughout the process. She provided great and very specific feedback that maintained my voice, but just helped to slightly tweak the messaging and impact. She was also extremely prompt and we were able to go through multiple revisions of essays in a single week. With each iteration helping to tighten the story and flow of the essays. As an hourly client, I especially appreciated how efficient she was in her feedback and advice because I was able to pack in far more than I initially expected. Overall, I highly highly recommend Judith. She was fantastic!!

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I decided to apply to INSEAD with just over 4 weeks remaining before the next deadline. So I reached out to a few firms for initial consults and Fortuna stood out from the beginning as being most knowledgeable on INSEAD.

Matt gave me great insight on the admissions process during the first meeting and was very genuine in setting expectations. He put together an action plan very quickly and connected me with my coach - Melissa.

Melissa is an amazing coach and she previously worked for INSEAD admissions which was very re-assuring to begin with. I ended up taking her help on INSEAD as well as HEC (was admitted to both). She really took the time to understand my background and helped me identify the best talking points and come up with a strategy. She was very encouraging throughout the process and was always quick to provide feedback on essay drafts and to respond to questions. At the end Caroline gave my essays a second review and knowing that a previous director of admissions at INSEAD blessed my application was very comforting when I finally hit ‘Submit’.
Working with the team at Fortuna was the best decision in my application process and expect to take my learnings from the experience well beyond the applications. I recommend them to anyone exploring the journey of MBA applications.

Thank you for all your support and guidance!

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After working with Malvina and Judith over several months, I can definitely say that Fortuna shines in the following two regards:

1) Approachability – In order to get the best essays out of you, you have to feel comfortable bouncing ideas back and forth with your counselors. I had a million questions regarding my applications, essays and interviews, and never had any qualms about emailing or setting up a skype call with Malvina and Judith. They were prompt and gave me useful, direct advice based on their years of experience.

2) Interview prep – Fortuna not only gave me access to dozens of school-specific interview questions but also connected me with alumni and a prior admissions officer to schedule multiple practice interviews. As someone with little to no connection to any of my target schools, this access was invaluable.

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Judith and Michel at Fortuna were astutely knowledgable about the ins and outs of the application process for each of my applications. Their feedback on my personal profile and each essay draft were invaluable to my acceptance into one of my dream MBA programs. It felt like they were on the journey through the application process with me, alleviating a lot of stress along the way. They took the time to get to know my personality and story so well beforehand that they were able to make specific, nuanced comments that heightened my essays to best make my case from their perspective as former adcom members. One of the most important aspects of the consulting experience for me was to commit to a timeline for deliverables. Judith and Michel kept me on track with each of three applications, gently nudging me when I was behind but never aggressively. Each interaction was a pleasure and I would recommend Fortuna to anyone interested in getting into their business school of choice.

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I worked with Fortuna Admissions for a comprehensive 3 school package during 2015 R1 process. My experience was excellent across the board beginning with my initial consultation with Judith in May 2015 all the way through my final wait-list notification nearly a year later. I set my sights high on 3 top schools and with the help of Fortuna, gained admission to Wharton, where I'm now an incoming member of the class of 2018.

Brittany and Judith were both heavily involved in my process and they each provided valuable guidance. As my day-day contact, Brittany was responsive, constructive and really easy to talk to. I'd like to particularly emphasize the responsive piece as a huge value add because during a stressful admissions process the last thing I would've wanted was another obstacle to completing applications. Whether it was a quick question regarding recommendations, a draft of an essay, or a random musing, Brittany provided a thoughtful, timely response. Judith was also incredibly valuable to my process from the initial phone calls all the way through. Her feedback helped me organize the key points on my essays and applications overall.

I was also particularly impressed with Fortuna's Wharton interview prep process. Wharton is unique in its group/case interview format so I thought it would be unrealistic to do a true 'mock' interview. I was mistaken, however, as Fortuna organized a conference call of my peers (fellow Fortuna clients at the Wharton interview stage) to mimic the experience. The mock interview put me at ease going in. What could've been a daunting process was a breeze with the prep.

Finally, I was floored by the continued dedication by Fortuna to my success in the process. Wharton is a great result that I'm proud of, but I was waitlisted at another top school that I slightly preferred. From December to May, both Brittany and Judith continued their responsiveness to my various needs and questions on my waitlist process. Waitlists are a long shot/crap shoot and and it didn't ultimately work out. However, I feel with the continued help of Fortuna, I put my best foot forward. They easily could've stepped back once I'd gained admission to Wharton, but they never wavered in their support.

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I worked with Michel and Judith from August to November, 2015.

I come from an industry with few college grads (even fewer MBAs), and had no existing network of b-school grads to tap for information. After taking the GMAT in May 2015 and conducting initial research, I decided I should reach out to admissions consultants to verify that I was taking myself in the right direction.

I went through 8 consultations, and Fortuna stood out immediately. I spoke with Judith Hodara (former Wharton admissions director) and told her my story. She listened and spoke about my candidacy with confidence and enthusiasm I didn’t get from other firms. I told her the schools I was interested in, and she very honestly gave me “her list” of schools that I should consider. Rather than just allowing me to say, “Hi, help me get in to ‘X’ b-school,” Fortuna focused on developing an MBA path I could thrive on, while maximizing opportunities to achieve my goals.

Judith and my admissions coach, Michel Belden (former Bain recruiter), lead me through a rigorous self-discovery process and provided advice rooted in their experience from the other side of the table – not speculation based on other clients’ outcomes. We put together a list of 7 awesome b-schools (five I had not previously considered) and identified three that we would work on for Round 1. These schools were not on my radar at all before I hired Fortuna. It was through their process, that I discovered my top choices for business school.

In preparing the applications, Michel kept me on schedule and provided excellent feedback that helped me develop and convey “my story” to the adcoms. Michel was extremely accessible. Fortuna is not an essay-editing service. Instead, I received feedback from the perspectives of an admissions director and management consulting recruiter. They simply helped identify the good, the bad, the unconvincing, the unnecessary, and the incomplete areas of my application. This advice was invaluable. Michel was there to coach me through networking events and interviews, and provided advice at every touch point of the application process – even if I just needed help calming my nerves.

Ultimately, I was admitted to my top choice business school. A top-10 program I had not even considered before working with Judith and Michel. Their expertise, process, and guidance is second to none. Regardless of my outcome, I would recommend Fortuna and Michel to future applicants. What you will learn working with Michel is completely transferable to any MBA application. Fortuna Admissions totally exceeded my expectations.

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I had the pleasure of working with Catherine Tuttle and Judith Hodara, and could not have been happier with their services.

I went through initial consultations at many of the top ranked admissions consulting agencies, and I always got the feeling that I was just another name on a piece of paper, with a series of boxes beneath that name the consultant wanted to check off. "I'm going to have you meet with your recommenders, brainstorm essay ideas, submit drafts, meet with schools.." etc. etc. I never felt a personal connection, and was nervous to work with someone who had a full-time job in a different industry, where priorities could become a problem.

Fortuna separated themselves immediately by taking a step back and really trying to understand who I was before we jumped into applications - they took the time to chat with me and had me fill out a self-survey to learn what I was about. In this way, the whole process became customized, rather than the assembly line I felt the other agencies offered. It was their nuanced understanding of my personality and my goals that enabled them to give me honest and constructive feedback every step of the way throughout our working relationship, while creating honest and authentic applications. Catherine and Judith went above and beyond in establishing a trusting relationship, and made sure to push me to make sure I stayed on track.

Overall, Fortuna's team was professional, clear subject matter experts, relentless, responsive, and caring. Could not be happier with my decision to work with them, and happily on my way to CBS in fall of 2016.

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