I had free consultation with 3 companies in Jun. I felt most comfortable and engaged when talking to Matt (Fortuna), Though he also quote the most expensive package price :). Another free consultation I had was with a GSB graduate. He advised me not to consider M7, and probably not even S16. He suggested a few other schools, and i felt a bit discouraged.

I decided to follow my heart as Matt really made me feel he knows inside out the application process and sees my unique profile from the AO's prospective.

I am so lucky to be admitted to all the three schools I applied in R1 and I am going to HBS this fall!

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I signed up for a Comprehensive School Package covering two schools - INSEAD and Tuck. I was admitted into both.

The team at Fortuna Admissions played a significant role in helping me achieve this. My lead consultant was Caroline Diarte Edwards and Jessica Chung was my expert coach.

The first step of the program was a comprehensive strategy questionnaire, containing questions that kick started my process of self reflection. The questions guided me to think carefully about my values and key experiences, and this formed the core of all essays that I wrote.

Both Jessica and Caroline were always very quick to respond to my questions. Jessica consistently ensured that I was on course to complete my applications on time. I found the frequent conversations and brainstorming sessions with Jessica to be extremely useful in helping me pick the right experiences and personal qualities to focus on in my applications. I really liked that there was no spoon-feeding during the process, and instead the focus was always on helping me think in the right direction, therefore ensuring that my essays were completely authentic and reflected my own story.

The team was always supportive and encouraging, giving me the confidence to express myself in my application. As a result of their guidance, apart from having admits from my dream schools, I also have a better understanding of my own strengths and weaknesses, and what areas of growth I should focus on in the months leading up to my MBA.

I strongly recommend working with Fortuna Admissions for your MBA applications.

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I really cannot thank Catherine and Judith enough for helping me get into a top school. I was a prospective student with a low GMAT score initially. After starting to work with Catherine and Judith, I ended up delaying my application. This was because we decided I needed to get my GMAT score up in order to apply and get accepted into a top school. They could've pushed me to just apply the first time around because it was easier, but they guided me toward the longer, harder road. Because I delayed and restarted my application the next year, they essentially worked with me twice. They were so supportive the entire time and really pushed me to get my story straight. Each of our session were like a therapy session to dig deeper and bring out my true story. We looked to showcase my authentic self in my application and I cannot thank Catherine and Judith for pushing me on this.

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I decided to work with an MBA admissions coach 12 weeks before the HBS Round 1 application deadline.
From the first minute of my 1,5h application kick-off call with HBS expert Malvina, I felt that she shared my desire to win. I felt so lucky to work with someone who is passionate about coaching, and even though we would only spend 8 hours together, Malvina clearly considered my application her Full-Time job. Malvina developed a highly customized essay framework based on the “key selling points” that she had identified from my responses to the “Fortuna questionnaire”. Already during my second call, I felt like if Malvina had known me for over 20 years. Between our calls, Malvina reflected in depth on my application and thanks to her excellent essay editing skills and her continuous availability, we managed to come up with a picture-perfect essay in less than four weeks.
Malvina also played a crucial role in helping me to complete the application questionnaire (employment history, additional information, etc) and to select the right recommenders.
The interview-prep call with Malvina was very similar to the actual interview, and she shared extremely valuable HBS insider tips that no-one else (eg. HBS alumni,…) would provide me. Working with Malvina - who knows HBS inside out - really made the difference.
Five months after I started working with Fortuna, I can call myself a proud HBS admit, and I don’t know how I would have done without Malvina’s help.

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Michel, Judith and the Fortuna team, helped me get into Anderson and wait-listed at Haas. The Fortuna team helped me at every step of the process and I would highly recommend working with them.

From a high level, Michel and Judith worked with me on a timeline to successfully apply round one 2016. I initially reached out to Fortuna in early 2015, but due to several prior commitments I was not able to apply until Round 1 2016. Despite this delayed timing, Michel and Judith started working with me in June 2015 on a game plan so that we could hit the ground running in 2016.

Michel and Judith referred me to an excellent GMAT tutor who helped me break the 700 mark. Fortuna's in-house resume expert got my resume into excellent shape. By the time essay questions got released, I was feeling very organized thanks to Fortuna.

To help me develop my story for applications, Michel and Judith put me through several exercises to hone in on my thesis. These exercises helped me flush out my story, and Michel and Judith challenged me at every step of the way to support my story with evidence. Michel and Judith were extremely responsive, and were always available via email, call and even text message. I was ready to submit my essays in advance of the deadlines, making it a stress free process.

When it came time for interviews, Michel and Judith helped me prepare by pointing me towards sample questions (shared by previous clients) and putting me through a mock interview. I felt very confident going into both interviews as a result.

Over the past 1.5 years, Michel and Judith have dedicated a lot of their time to helping me with the applications. Michel and Judith were truly invested in my success, and when we got the news they were the first people I called. If you are looking for a partner to guide you through the process and help you get into top-tier schools, Fortuna is the way to go.

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Having gone through the application process unsuccessfully the previous year I am able to especially appreciate the constant support and guidance that I have received from Catherine throughout my application journey this year. We worked together on three schools and I received admission offers from two of them while being wait-listed for the third.

I daresay I actually enjoyed the application process this time around as Catherine not only helped me identify the right schools but also helped me present my best case as to why I should be a part of their class. Her suggestions and interventions made all the difference in my applications and interviews and her constant availability and support helped make this a stress-free experience.

Looking back I do not think I could have asked for a better guide. Going to Business School is a significant investment of time and money and is probably one of the most important decisions I have made. I am glad to have had Catherine's advice, encouragement and support during this journey and could not recommend her and Fortuna highly enough.

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Summary:
I could not have been happier with the service I received at Fortuna, from my main coach, Karen Ponte and also from one of the partners, Emma Bond who provided input the final stages. I would 100% recommend them, especially Karen and Emma for LBS, though I have no doubt their other advisers and knowledge of other schools is as good.

About me:
- Non-traditional background
- Indian Male
- Post MBA aiming for consulting or healthcare industry
- 2.5 year work experience
- Top 20 UK university for undergraduate degree (First Class)
- GMAT 710

About my circumstances:
- I retook the GMAT a second time to improve my score to 710 from 690 in about July
- Started shortlisting schools around the same time and doing some research
- Reached out to Fortuna and other coaches towards the end of July, beginning of August.
- Matt Symonds responded and was the key differentiator compared to others, his quick understanding of my situation and helpful advice in targeting specific schools but also his realistic and open approach helped me decide on Fortuna.
- Engaged Fortuna for their CSP for London Business School (my top choice)

About my experience:
Writing applications is difficult and requires high levels of energy. I was not quite sure what to expect from the coach. But when I spoke to Karen for the first time on Skype, it was a very pleasant and informative conversation. We got set up using an excellent bit of project management software, which made the whole process a 100 times easier (than having to email things back and forth).

What I particularly liked was that neither Karen nor Emma were writing the essays or adding any content, but instead were drawing out the best (but true) version of myself to present to the admissions committee. They took time to understand my background (which was non-traditional) and we were able to turn this into a strength. Another area was bringing their own experiences in having read applications and knowing the right amount of information to include (for example I wasn't sure if I should talk about my family and that side of my life, or if I should keep it professional). They gave me the confidence in knowing that I was including the right information both my short answer questions and in the essays.

LBS threw in a surprise video interview this time around for the first time, but the coaches handled it very well and were able to provide some important feedback on how to handle this new assessment. The mock interviews with both Karen and Emma were also particularly useful in identifying commonly asked questions where my answers were not convincing or a little too generic.

Turnaround times were excellent with Karen more often than not replying within an hour of my posting a question etc. I was quite worried because I wasn't sure that one month would be enough (while working full time), but it worked out fine and I felt I had submitted the best application I could have.

I am thankful to them both, and would happily recommend their services to anyone, especially those that may have unusual backgrounds for MBAs.

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Life has not been the same since being accepted at INSEAD, and I don't want to imagine what it would have been like if I hadn't been accepted.

Prior to applying, my goal to get accepted to INSEAD was clear and I did not intend on taking any chances in this process, so I went with Fortuna.


The full package is a little bit on the pricier side, however keep in mind that the consulting team that you will be working with have in depth insider knowledge regarding the application process and will safely guide you past many easy traps along the way. The package also includes one on one preparation for interviews with your consultant, a full resume review, and a lot of cheering from the sidelines! I am eternally grateful to the dream team. Thank you Melissa, Matt and Caroline!

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Nonie has been with me from day 1 of my application preparation for INSEAD MBA. And this is the best decision I have made!

Whether you think your application is already solid or that you have to start from scratch, Nonie will play a key role in building the best possible application with you.

Nonie has been available all the time and her turnaround was all always very quick and of top quality. She consistently provided detailed comments, explaining her reasoning and thoroughly helping me to rethink all the details of my application until perfection. She has demonstrated her outstanding knowledge of the application process, of the school profiles and of the best way to put oneself forward. Her commitment and empathy were so high that I sometimes had the impression it was her own application and this gave me even more motivation.

A very important difference with other consultant is probably that Nonie call into questions all your arguments and examples to make sure that they are absolutely bullet proof. This forces you to think again and again but also prepares you for the interviews.

Finally, Nonie has been a very enjoyable person to work with. It is rare to show such top class professionalism and expertise and to be such a friendly and nice person. When you feel a bit down after weeks of working on your essay or when you are waiting for your results, Nonie is also even here to cheer you up!

I extremely happy that I have been admitted to INSEAD MBA, and I owe a big part of it to Nonie. But even if I hadn’t made it through, I would start the application adventure with Nonie again and again, as she no doubt helped me put my best feet forward! Thank you!

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I was very overwhelmed by the thought of facing mba applications. Especially for INSEAD, which has one of the longest applications of any MBA program. Fortuna really helped me get organized from day one, making sure I took adequate time to reflect on my background/motivations and develop a cohesive story, and then guiding me through each hurdle of the process. With my advisor, Nicola Sandford, as well as Caroline (former Admissions director at INSEAD) I had the confidence that I was submitting an application that not only displayed my story in the best possible light, but also directly targeted INSEAD. Because Fortuna has years of experience on both sides of the admissions process (both as admissions consultants and admissions gatekeepers), they really know how to get the best out of you. For example, while I did not have a ton of international experience prior to applying, Fortuna helped me successfully emphasize the things that were most relevant to the INSEAD admissions team. Nicola and the Fortuna team know INSEAD better than anyone, and I am forever thankful for their guidance over the past year.

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