Prior to speaking with Kathryn on my initial consultation, I constantly compared myself and my application to other phenomenal applicants and truthfully thought I would not have a chance to get into any business school. Due to my subpar academic background, I relied heavily on my military experience, but did not know how to properly express my career in my resume or in my essays. After speaking to Kathryn, I had a sense of confidence going into my MBA application journey and decided to trust in Kathryn and her team's ability to help me achieve my dream to attend an MBA program.

Each member of my admissions team helped me throughout this journey and I wanted to thank them individually:
Horatiu, thank you for opening my eyes to new career fields and sectors that I previously was unaware of. The career narrative experience started with my belief that all military officers end up in consulting, but I'm grateful to be guided towards a field that better fits who I am as an individual.
Kelsey, thank you for being the final bless off on all of my products. Without your expertise and knowledge in admissions, I would still be stuck believing that I was not a strong candidate for any MBA program.
Last, but not least, thank you to Amalia! Amalia, it has been absolutely wonderful working with you as my lead admissions consultant. Your flexibility to take my calls and quick, but detailed responses gave me the confidence to create products to the best of my ability. I cannot thank you enough for (quite-literally) guiding my hand through this process.
The Square One Prep process is a proven admissions consulting practice that has the resources and team to support you as the applicant. But as the applicant, you must be able to be vulnerable, give your 110% into all of your required assignments, and put your full trust in your application team. This admissions consulting journey with Square One is a two-way street and it is proven with their 90+% success rate for their applicants.

I was shocked to have received acceptance letters from three schools, and I am extremely proud to say that I will be matriculating to the Wharton School this summer. I am confident that I would not be in this same position without Square One Prep and their admissions consulting experience. Once again, thank you all so much for helping me achieve my dream!

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Working with Kathryn, Amalia, Wendy and Kelsey has been invaluable towards getting into the schools that I did. Despite having less than average GMAT score and less than average years of work experience, I was able to build a really strong application thanks to the SOP team. Throughout this process, they not only helped me strengthen my brand but also challenged me to set realistic goals/aims in my essays which had been crucial to explaining to the adcoms why I wanted an MBA now. Most importantly, the way they were able to tie my story together by taking into account my background, unique circumstance and previous experiences to make me stand out as a candidate is what enabled me to overcome my less desirable stats. to achieve the outcomes that I did. Specifically, I really appreciated the time and effort they put into my application from the 1-hr initial consultation that Kathryn had with me from the very beginning to the quick responses that I would receive for many of my very detailed questions throughout this entire process.

I would highly recommend working with the SOP team to anyone looking to pursue an MBA, specifically at schools that you may believe are out of reach for you!

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Overall, Square One Prep’s approach to the application process is highly effective and helpful. They pace you through approachable steps, allowing your work to culminate into your strongest application and instilling earned confidence in pursuing your goals. The guidance and coaching of my Square One advisors enabled me to be my very best in applications, interviews, and interactions with schools.
Kathryn’s commitment to client success sets a dedicated tone that carries through the working relationship of the entire team. Amalia was an incredible advisor day in and day out. The application process requires you to dig deep and be authentic and Amalia not only supported me through those moments of self-discovery, but also kept me on track and motivated! Her intellect and precision made the most effective use of my time, something I value deeply as a full-time professional. I highly recommend her as an advisor. Additionally, Wendy and Kelsey K. played crucial roles in shaping my career vision into tangible, achievable business goals.
As a non-traditional applicant who was at first unsure of the right resources to leverage in applying to schools, I encourage future applicants to engage with Square One, knowing they will help in making your goals become reality.

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I had a very positive experience working with Square One Prep (SOP). I chose SOP because of how dedicated the team is. I interviewed 7 MBA / MA admissions consultancies and saw that SOP was the most dedicated to getting invested in all areas of my application upfront and early. A major highlight of the experience was working with Horatiu Stefan, SOP's "career narratives" coach. The career narrative process at SOP is important because it helps you determine 2-3 paths that you're uniquely positioned to follow in your career, and SOP helps you narrow down on a path that a) fits your personality / interests / mission and b) appeals to admissions offices (i.e., somewhat relevant to your past experiences and a promising probability of achieving / being successful). Outside of the career narrative process, my day-to-day consultant, Amalia della Paollera, spent hours with me, revamping my resume, crafting essays, and preparing for interviews. She got to know me on a personal level which was helpful in how she was able to get me to complete deadlines, stay true to myself, and balance being "human" and "professional" to admissions offices. She was dedicated to the SOP process and getting into every detail of my applications to maximize my chances of success. Ultimately, I was admitted to the Harvard Kennedy School on a full-ride scholarship, a huge accomplishment that wouldn't have been possible without the SOP team.

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When I decided to apply to business school, I figured I would go through the motions, but I had very little confidence that I would actually be accepted. I was older than the typical consulting applicant, and I felt like my path to date was relatively unexceptional. I asked myself, "Why would a school -- especially a top school like HBS, Wharton, or GSB -- choose me?"

My journey and perspective changed when I found Square One Prep. From the very first introduction call, Square One encouraged me and believed in me…much more than I even did in myself. From there, my consultant, Amalia, helped me find stories to tell that were authentically me, and she consistently encouraged me to not discount my unique experiences. In addition, the transparency Square One provides helped me ground this belief in data from past applicants' experiences.

The business school application process is daunting, but Square One guided me through it step-by-step, providing honest and helpful feedback and ensuring that I met all deadlines in a timely manner. The career narrative work in particular was a helpful exercise to think about my strengths, experiences, and future goals. Most importantly, Square One instilled a belief in me that changed the trajectory of my life, for which I will always be grateful. I am thrilled to be heading to HBS this fall and will continue to recommend Square One Prep and my consultant to anyone considering b-school!

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My advisors at SOP were especially successful at helping me dig dip into my inner motivations and strengths, and putting together a cohesive narrative that reflects my personal and professional story.
Questions like why am I really pursuing an MBA? What do I want to accomplish in the next 10 years? And, what matters most to me? Are DIFFICULT to answer. SOP has a solid framework to tackle them and very expert advisors who truly devote their time and effort to make sure you get to the most honest answers.
Both my HBS and Stanford essays were complimented by the admissions office of these universities. I wrote about a very personal topic, something I was not convinced at all about writing at first! My advisor did an impeccable job at convincing me this personal story had the potential to become a wonderful essay, and looking back, it was spot on.

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After hearing about a friend´s positive experience with SOP and talking with Kathryn about her method, it was clear that SOPs approach was the right one for me. Initially with the help of the greater team as it related to my narrative, and later with Amalia´s thoughtful and careful guidance around essay drafts, I was able to accurately and strategically present the best possible application to AdComs. As all applicants know the work does not end after the application is submitted, as that is when interview work begins. This is another area where both Kathryn and Amalia were extremely helpful. Their historical experience and insight into each school's specific quirks and styles was extremely valuable in understanding how best to prepare for each interview. Ultimately, the team´s diligent approach and genuine interest in my success led me to obtain multiple acceptances to various schools, including my number one.

All in all, I am beyond glad I decided to work with SOP. Solid recommendation all throughout!

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Working with Square One Prep was the best decision I made while applying for my MBA. My husband and I both used Square One to apply to our dream school of Stanford GSB and were both admitted to the Class of 2026. We genuinely believe working with Square One gave us the strongest chance of admission, and we are thrilled with the result.

From my very first conversation with Kathryn, I felt fully supported by Square One. After agreeing to work together, I had a few conversations with different SOP consultants and decided to work with Amalia because I believed our styles would work well together. I am 100% confident working with Amalia was the right choice for me. She is interesting and kind while simultaneously pushing her clients to create their best work. She is decisive in her resume and essay edits and helped me cut out extraneous details and better frame my stories. Working with Amalia took the stress out of the application process and made it genuinely fun. I knew she wouldn't let me miss my timeline or submit sub-par work.

Something extremely useful and unique about the SOP process was the career narrative. Through nearly therapy-like sessions, Amalia and I talked through my life trajectory and future goals, eventually culminating in my presentation of my "career narrative" to Kathryn, Amalia, and Wendy. By writing out and presenting my career goals in granular detail, I gained clarity that helped immensely in my essays and interviews.

I can't recommend Square One Prep enough! They have been fantastic partners and ultimately helped my husband and I realize our dream of attending Stanford GSB together.

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It was an absolute pleasure working with SquareOne for my MBA application. The advisors have all the expertise, experience and dedication to help with anything you need for the application process. Square One offers a comprehensive process leading the applicants from figuring out their career goals with extensive research, to putting these down on paper connecting all the dots from your life experience - they truly create a top quality application.

The support and advisory also came beyond the application itself - besides getting your essays right on point for the admissions process, please also expect strong emotional support and a career narrative process that impacts beyond your application!

I would highly recommend their consulting service to anyone looking for no regrets!

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I don’t often write reviews, but today I am delighted to share my positive experience with Square One Prep as a successful Kellogg and INSEAD admit, crowned with a cherry-on-top scholarship award. My journey with SOP began a year before embarking my MBA applications. In fact, it all started with a recommendation from a close friend who had also secured admission to Kellogg with Kathryn’s guidance.

In our first meeting, I shared with Kathryn my aspirations and the early stage of my MBA application process, set for the following year. Despite the early stage, I sought candid feedback on my profile for the upcoming applications. Our intro discussion covered school choices, work experience, and my GMAT score. Immediately, I sensed that Kathryn was genuinely interested in my project rather than merely pushing me to sign up for her consulting services. Kathryn not only encouraged me to retake the GMAT to improve my chances but also provided follow-up support, even recommending a GMAT tutor – impressive considering I wasn’t yet an official client.

My decision to work with SOP was solidified, and a year later I signed up for the Premium-Need Based package, partnering with Amalia. Amalia’s availability, essay edits, and transparent communication stood out. Even when additional time was required, she informed me promptly, and throughout her edits I noticed a commitment to providing thoughtful and well-crafted feedback. I also worked with Horatiu to craft a robust career plan that would serve as the cornerstone of my applications. Horatiu was flexible in scheduling meetings at my convenience and shared thought-provoking ideas to build a career narrative that was aligned with my life goals. During my presentation of the career plan draft to Kathryn, her candid feedback was clear—she wasn't convinced. While this feedback was initially challenging to absorb, it prompted a collaborative effort with Horatiu to refine and develop a more compelling career plan. Looking back, I recognize that Kathryn's honesty was in my best interest, even though it meant hearing something I wasn't eager to accept at the moment.

As admission interviews approached, Amalia went above and beyond, organizing practice interviews and offering suggestions on creating engaging conversations with the admissions committee. As a persistent client, I requested multiple interview preps, and Amalia navigated the fine line between preparation and sounding rehearsed. Her inclusion of curveball questions proved invaluable, making the actual interviews feel like a breeze.

The most important lessons from my experience with SOP lies in the authenticity, transparency, and occasional vulnerability required in crafting compelling MBA applications. This process demands introspection and dedication from both the applicant and the consultant. It is a process that is time consuming, not straightforward, and your consultant must be genuinely interested in you. I feel that SOP has that advantage, and Kathryn’s passion about this is notable from miles away. If I had to repeat MBA applications a million times, I would do it with SOP with my eyes closed.

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