My first experience with admissions consultants was not a good one. When I first considered MBA plans I spoke to a number of consultants early on, one of which told me that it was very unlikely with my background that I would get into LBS or INSEAD. "It's just not going to happen", were the words used.

Then along came Melissa. After researching several admissions consultancies, Fortuna stood out as adopting a more personalised approach, taking the time to delve into a candidate’s background to properly understand their story and strengths for the different MBA programs. Working with Melissa was less about the applications initially, and more an exercise in deep and considered self-reflection. Who am I. What experiences shaped me. What do I want in life. And why.

It wasn’t until I started working with Melissa that I developed any confidence in my ability to attend a top MBA program. Melissa was instrumental in drawing that out. She was clear, concise, realistic and, facing tight-deadlines, firm. She kept me honest and focussed throughout the whole process, gave clear instructions as to what was expected, and, importantly, ensured the responsibility for delivering rested with me.

Melissa genuinely believes in the candidates she works with and wants them to succeed. Even when Melissa had to travel between the US and France for family emergencies, she remained online and connected through every step of the way – late night calls to match time-zones, email exchanges from airports ahead of deadlines – Melissa was unstoppable.

I hadn’t even planned to apply for INSEAD – I had already ruled myself out. After working with Melissa to understand my strengths as a candidate we were able to rule INSEAD back in.

I am truly grateful for my time working with Melissa. She was critical in helping me put my best foot forward and receiving offers that I never thought were possible. Thank you so much!

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I enjoyed working with Bill, and he was nothing short of fantastic. He showed genuine interest from the beginning and took the time to get to know me. He was able to help me craft my story and succinctly tell it because he understood who I was and how I worked.

I've met with other consultants, and I won't say they were terrible, but I will say they didn't take the time to understand who I was, which made me feel like they were guessing when they made suggestions for my essays and interview practice. I never felt like that with Bill, and he helped me pinpoint areas I could improve on and areas that I should focus on.

I highly recommend Bill to anyone, especially if communicating your story is complicated. He'll take the time to help you understand your why and how to express yourself effectively.

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As a US applicant, I applied to multiple top full-time US programs with Emma's help. It was 1,000% worth every penny, and I'd recommend you stop reading this review now and hire her immediately. I got into a variety of M7 and T10 schools with extremely generous scholarships, proving that Emma has obvious expertise over the American schools, in addition to the European ones. She was responsive, informative, and all around delightful to work with. I don't think there is anything she could have done throughout the process to make it go smoother. If she's not ranked #1 in the 2024 Poets & Quants ranking for MBA consultants (after being ranked #1 in 2023), we riot. 10/10, simply the best consultant on the planet.

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Silpa was an amazing consultant for me. She helped me get into some top programs and was willing to go above and beyond in helping me. I really appreciated all her help and would definitely recommend her to others! If it wasn't for her help and strategy, I probably wouldn't have gotten some of the MBA offers that I received. She was very kind and supportive along the way. Initially I was skeptical of whether or not I should spend money on this service but it was well worth it. Navigating business school apps is tricky and it always helps to have a consultant.

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I am an applicant in the final round of the MBA application process. Among the various consultants available, I chose Melissa. I made this choice because she responds promptly and has a very organized approach to structuring my essay. She meticulously reviewed my life and work experiences and provided tailored advice for the schools I wanted to apply to. She also understood the potential weaknesses in my experiences and helped me address them in the optional essay, allowing the admissions team to better understand who I am through my application documents. The essay was completed in just about two weeks, which put my mind at ease for other application matters.

During the interview process, Melissa also shared some interview tips to help me prepare with confidence. I am genuinely thrilled to have successfully applied to my dream school in the final round, and I am very grateful for seeking Melissa's assistance from the beginning.

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I consider myself incredibly fortunate that I got to collaborate with Emma as my admissions consultant. Her expertise in this field is truly exceptional, and I can confidently say that my achievement wouldn't have been possible without her guidance. She has an outstanding work ethic and consistently went above and beyond what I expected of her, in terms of both time and effort. I'm immensely grateful that I trusted my instincts and selected her because not only did I get accepted but I received a scholarship as well on the only program I applied to - LBS Sloan.

Emma is a true expert at this. She knows exactly what should and shouldn't go into your application to make it stand out. She is sharp and crisp and knows how to cut the fluff. Not only did she help make my application so much more cohesive but she was there to support and guide me through my extended waiting period even after I had submitted my application. During moments when I felt discouraged, she helped ease my nerves. Just knowing that I had her on my side on my journey made me feel so reassured.

Her support was so much more than just transactional, she really wanted me to succeed and she put in extra effort to that end. If you have the opportunity to work with her on your applications, consider yourself extremely fortunate.

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I worked with Matt on my Round 3 application to the Stanford GSB, MIT Sloan and the Wharton School. I was a non-traditional applicant with a government background, applying a bit later in my career than the average - and had previously received some less than enthusiastic advice from consultants encouraging me to consider safety schools or delay applying. This made sense on the face of it: the odds are very low for those schools as a R3 applicant, and they didn't want to set me (or themselves) up for failure. But Matt took a totally different tack: I felt he took a real interest in me as a person, understood my goals and rationale, and went beyond the stats to see the strength in my application. He totally understood the reasoning behind going for it in R3, put himself on the line to tell me what he honestly thought, and provided me the vital encouragement to keep going. Close to the deadline, he was available over the weekend to iterate my essays and review the final elements of my application. I felt that his advice was always helpful - and crucially, helped to bring out my authentic voice, not just what adcoms want to hear. Matt's advice and encouragement were crucial to getting me over the line and securing offers from all 3 schools. Thank you Matt - you're a good man and a pleasure to work with!

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I was so lucky to be able to work with Melissa Joelson. I had a difficult timeline for my applications and she worked with me to make sure we could achieve what I needed to in a short window. When reviewing my essays, Melissa was amazing at asking the right questions and prompting me in different ways to think about how to further flesh out my thoughts or to get to the heart of what I was trying to communicate. She never tried to change my voice or vision, but rather to help me present it in a more effective way. She showed so much kindness, compassion, and support along the way. I really felt like she was invested in my success and not just in the application process. Thank you, Melissa!

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I am thrilled to express my deepest gratitude for Taniel who played a pivotal role in my admission to Wharton.

From our very first interaction, it was evident that my consultant possessed a remarkable understanding of the intricacies of the MBA admissions process. He took out time to understand me, my strengths and what I bring to the table and instilled in me a newfound confidence throughout the entire process.

What truly sets Taniel apart was his unwavering commitment to my success. I reached out to him very late for the application - but he was always available and very prompt in going through numerous drafts of my application during the Christmas holidays. He had a meticulous eye for detail and he truly helped me bring out my voice in the best possible way

He also helped me through the interview process for Wharton and his feedback on the mock TBDs was extremely useful on the final day and helped me put in my best effort forward.

Thank you Taniel for all your help! Eternally grateful - really couldnt have done it without you!

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Emma has been monumental in the success of my applications - admits from Kellogg, Tuck (40K scholarship), Fuqua (80K scholarship) and LBS. Due to being late in the application process, high cost of admissions consulting and a general lack of direction, I was quite overwhelmed till even a few weeks before the application deadlines. Emma proved to be a knight in shining armor who brought that much needed direction with her expertise in the process which is otherwise a black box. She was so diligent and methodical in reviewing the essays and storyline. Even with the time crunch and last minute notices, she was able to take something raw and help make it into a strong story. From essays to job description to video essays, the perfectionist in her sharpened every aspect of the application to make it holistically attractive to the Admission committee.

But her expertise aside, what set her apart from most consultants was her investment in me beyond a transactional relationship. Her genuine concern and warmth was so crucial in getting through a process which is otherwise very daunting.

I would say I couldn't have found a better consultant to go on this journey with because she cuts across the transactional relationship between a client and consultant, while bringing such depth of knowledge and understanding of the process that one can't help but feel safe and reassured.

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