I highly recommend Jennifer Jackson of Stratus. Although Jennifer advises some applicants from the very start of their business school application process, I engaged her after I had written self-reflections and begun drafting essays. I wanted someone to serve as a sounding board for my ideas, and to offer tips on expressing myself effectively in writing and in interviews.

First, I appreciated that Jennifer could adapt her approach to clients of all readiness levels. As mentioned, I came to Jennifer having already completed a fair amount of preparation. Instead of making me rewrite my thoughts in her templates or follow her usual process, Jennifer got to know me through the materials that I had already put together myself. Her adaptiveness saved me time and ensured that I got what I was seeking out of our sessions together.

Second, I enjoyed the advantages that came from Jennifer’s membership in the larger Stratus organization. As a few examples: Jennifer shared guidance from the most knowledgeable individuals in her network. She set up a Wharton practice group interview, led by another Stratus employee, alongside other applicants from Stratus’s clients. And I received encouraging emails from both Jennifer and Susan Cera, head of Stratus, as I went along. I believe that these advantages are distinct to organizations, as opposed to independent advisors.

Third and most important: Even as an applicant who had already done some preparation, I benefitted from Jennifer’s advice. As a sounding board for my ideas, Jennifer helped me to identify my most compelling stories, recognize areas where I could add depth, and cut color commentary. She also pointed out stylistic areas to improve in my interviewing style, and our practice boosted my confidence.

All in all, it was a pleasure working with Jennifer and Stratus. I would recommend them both to clients at any stage in the business school application process. (And I was ultimately accepted at two of the top five U.S. MBA programs first-round.)

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Stratus Prep was a huge assistance in helping me prepare for applying to business school and executing all of the necessary steps to submit an application on time. Their process helped challenge my application and poke holes in my story as my application and essays went through review with different individuals throughout the application lifecycle. Most notably, Jennifer Jackson was an AWESOME consultant who demonstrated MBA process knowledge, school specific knowledge, and expertise throughout the whole process. I would work with Jennifer again in a heartbeat and encourage any interested applicant to consult her! I have no doubt that my application wouldn't be successful unless I had her help.

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I highly recommend working with Stratus Admissions. I had the pleasure of working with my consultant, Jennifer Jackson, beginning in June 2017. At the time (similar to many prospective applicants!), I was juggling full-time employment and GMAT studying. Facing the applications themselves seemed daunting. Working through Stratus’s introspection activities with Jennifer gave me a starting point and was an incredibly helpful way to frame my ‘story’ and clarify my MBA and post-MBA aspirations.

Jennifer worked with me to set a realistic timeline given the large number of schools I was planning to apply to and, while she was always flexible when work or life got in the way, was great about keeping me on track throughout the process. She was extremely responsive and knowledgeable about the programs I was applying to – if I ever had a question about a program that she couldn’t answer, she would reach out to her peers at Stratus to help me get the needed information. I particularly recommend the comprehensive counseling package. Having the opportunity to receive structured feedback from multiple sources at Stratus, including my assigned senior strategist Susan Cera (who was also fantastic to work with!), a proofreader and a school-specific specialist for each program, ensured I was putting forth the best possible application.

Thanks to the help of Jennifer and the Stratus team, I was ultimately accepted to three top-10 programs and will be headed to my dream school this fall!

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Working with Stratus was the best decision I made during my MBA application process. I worked with them on a five-school package, and thanks to their fantastic team and approach, I'm going to my top choice this fall.

My primary counselor, Jennifer Jackson, was wonderful to work with. She was patient, kept me on track with the timelines for each school, and gave insightful feedback that helped me draw out my best stories for my essays and interviews. She was always positive and thoughtful in our interactions, which alleviated a lot of the stress that goes along with the application process. Jennifer was also incredibly responsive and usually got back to me within 24 hours, even over the holidays.

In addition to Jennifer's counsel, Stratus' team-based approach helped me put my best foot forward in each application. My senior strategist, Susan, was a fantastic resource. She was extremely knowledgeable about every school that I applied to, and gave great feedback on how to optimize the content in my essays for each one. Having a secondary reviewer and proofreader look over my essays in addition to my primary and senior strategists was a great value-add. They identified areas for improvement and gave me peace of mind that weren't any grammatical mistakes.

I also really appreciated Stratus' commitment to great customer service. I always felt like I was their only client and that my applications were their priority. I ended up getting into four schools and within an hour of each acceptance, I got congratulatory emails from a number of team members.

Stratus is well worth the investment and I highly recommend to anyone considering an MBA.

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