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!

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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I talked with tens of coaches before working with Heidi, and I must say, it's the best decision I could ever have taken! I applied to both the GSB and HBS, and got into both!! She was so helpful as a sounding board and always gave honest, in-depth feedback on my material as well as helpful tips on how to frame my story in the most effective way. Not only was she encouraging and honest in her feedback, but she just has this ability to take the stress out of the application process. Anyone who gets the chance to work with her is very lucky! Heidi exceeded expectations in every possible way I can think of, and I can think of not a single weakness. Deferred MBA applications are thought to be even more selective than traditional applications- and the fact that she helped me get accepted to the most selective deferred MBA programs speaks for itself.

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Bill just helped me a lot in the application.
I am a young professionals on Finance and Real Estate, who is not on Executive level (Just manager grade). Every consultant that I have call with, told me that, nah, you should go to Duke/Insead or some other schools. You got no chance to get into Chicago Booth, blah bla bla.
But Bill gave me confidence, he is the ONLY consultant that affirmed my potential and thinks that I can be admitted to Booth.
Not only that, he gave me constructive advice. You can schedule any time for call from him, and he will help you shape your story, make your personality stand out, tell you how to be fit into Booth and give your prompt feedback.
He was the Associate Dean of Booth, so basically he knows everything that Booth wants.
There’s too much to say about Bill, I admire and thank him so much.
If it’s not him, I could not be admitted to Chicago Booth Executive MBA with my profile (GPA<3.2, age only 31, and managerial grade only).
If your dream school is Booth, just don't hesitate.
Bill Kooser is the BEST choice, and that's not even close.

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The application process is gruelling to say the least, as most of us here know, and through that process, you want Julie on your side. She is excellent at her job and knows how you can tell your story best. I wrote my applications while going through a lot of upheaval in my personal life, and was glad to have Julie guide me. She kept me on my toes, following up where she felt I was slacking. Most importantly, she tells it like it is, and does not mince her words or give you false hope. She promises to help you put forth the absolute best application, and she delivers precisely that. She took the time to get to know me and my story and went out of her way to put my fears at ease when I was riddled with doubts. I finally ended up at one of the best programs in the world, which I was too scared to hope for, but Julie helped make it a reality.

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I worked with Heidi last fall for my Round 2 applications with a comprehensive 3-school package, and also leveraged those resources to apply to two other schools. Heidi kept me on track throughout the process, always checking in and turning around feedback in often 24 hours or less. With her extensive experience and knowledge, Heidi’s thoughtful and candid advice was invaluable in crafting a strong and compelling story and pushing my applications to be better. When it came to interview prep, Heidi provided specific, actionable feedback that really helped me feel prepared for the real thing.

Heidi is truly invested in her clients and the results speak for themselves. With her guidance and support, I received acceptances at 5 out of 5 schools (four M7 & LBS) and will be attending HBS this fall. I could not have done it without her!

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Working with Fortuna was a crucial factor in my success. I connected with them (spoke to Matt) as soon as I had the idea of applying to b-school, and boy am I glad to have brought Fortuna onboard from the early stages, nearly one year before my submission. My coach Nonie’s help was of immense value in many areas, most notably her experience in admissions and career expertise, and her motivational spirit. Fortune’s team of ex-adcom was my number one reason for hiring them.

Working with her helped me better formulate my story; I found myself presenting my qualities in a more confident and articulate way professionally as well as personally. She helped shed light on my areas of weakness and shared with me interesting videos and articles that were crucial in my self development. I found the input from the more senior coach (ex-director of admissions) vital in some areas of my CV and story.

The turnaround time was excellent and I received feedback within only a few hours. My coach Nonie was an admission officer herself which meant her detailed knowledge of the processes and a deep insight into the school I was applying to. That knowledge was priceless as it saved me hours of research and second guessing. If you are looking to bring your A-game to the table, you need a great team around you, and Fortuna is the best in their field - definitely worth the money.

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