After a career of 7+ years. I decided to pursue an MBA on a whim, with only 4 months left to get a competitive GMAT score and submit a competitive application to a top MBA program. With no room for “what-ifs” and “maybes”, my friends suggested that I engage an MBA Admissions consultancy. Square One Prep was the clear choice after my free consultation with Kathryn because of her experience, warm personality and commitment to answering all questions without ever looking at the clock. After a few introductory calls, I picked Kathleen as my advisor to guide me through the process.

As my decision to pursue an MBA was made on a whim, the struggle to fully crystallize my long-term goals felt insurmountable. Fortunately, I had Wendy who set a very high bar and didn’t settle for a run-of-the-mill narrative template. My thought process and ideas were critiqued until I backed up every assumption with industry research and data. Eight drafts later, I not only had a strong logical career plan, but also improved awareness of myself and my target industry.

Such exacting requirements are Square One Prep’s trademark and were placed throughout the process, be it crafting the resume, shortlisting schools, or writing application essays. I’ll admit that there were times it felt disheartening to have my best drafts critiqued and sent back with comments. But Kathleen’s encouraging presence and commitment helped me persevere. Always available to talk, she even accommodated many last-minute requests, despite conflicts with her personal commitments and ensured that I stayed on schedule throughout the process.

And of course, everything occurred under the watchful gaze of Kathryn who never settled for even at-par and kept pushing until every deliverable met her exceptionally demanding standards. All in all, I can confidently say that without this grueling journey, I’d never have received admission offers from both INSEAD and HEC Paris.

Square One Prep is an onerous experience for sure. I However, if you desire to build outstanding applications and secure offers to top schools, while also growing as an individual, Square One Prep is a no-brainer. My only piece of advice: start early to make the most of Square One Prep’s amazing team!

Read More

I spoke with almost a dozen consultants before landing on Square One. From the moment I spoke with Kathryn on our initial consultation call, I got the feeling that they were the most transparent organization and really had my best interests in mind. I didn’t feel like they were pushing me to buy more services than I needed like a lot of other companies. Additionally, Kathryn gave me the encouragement to pursue my dream schools on our call.

After I decided on Square One, it was time to choose an advisor to work with. I was initially planning to hire a standard advisor but after speaking to Kathleen Danoher, I was blown away by not only her rich professional experience but also her extensive experience of working with clients of diverse backgrounds. Most impressively, her earnest attitude shined throughout our interactions. I knew from that moment that I would not want to work with anyone else but her.

I was on a tight deadline applying to 12 programs in round 2. I really should’ve started earlier but it was the difficult situation I had gotten myself into due to putting off applications for far too long. However, Square One managed the deadlines beautifully and guided me on my MBA application journey amid my busy work/life schedule. They were on top of everything and made sure I needed to be where I need to every step of the journey. They were also able to fit in calls between my busy weeks of work travel and they were always there whenever I needed, typically getting back to me within just a few hours. I feel like the structured process Square One has built for building a career narrative, resume, recommendation letters, and individual essays really brought out the best version of myself on my applications.

I ended up doing 3 schools comprehensively with Square One and the applications I built with them gave me a solid foundation and the confidence to build the rest of my schools. My results were exceptional given my background, the selectiveness of the programs I applied to, and the competitiveness of the 2023-2024 cycle – I interviewed at 9 out of 12 schools (which included almost all T10 programs) and have been accepted to 6 so far, including two full scholarships, and a few other programs are still pending and/or I’m still on the waitlist for. I’m extremely grateful and lucky to have work with Square One and I would highly recommend applicants to work with them. I could not have done all this by myself.

Read More

Kathryn, Kathleen, Wendy and team have been phenomenal in supporting me through my MBA journey. I still remember my first call with Kathryn back in 2020 when I was first exploring pursuing an MBA – it has been an extremely fulfilling journey from then to today, having received 2 MBA admits from my dream schools. Throughout this process, Kathleen, my first point of contact, ensured I was comfortable with the pace of my applications. Kathleen and Wendy pushed me to think critically about my post-MBA goals. The team helped me bring out extremely unique aspects within my application that I would not have otherwise been able to do on my own. Lastly, the team always went above and beyond to support me during this process – be it early morning/late night calls, quick turnaround for review of essays, reviewing additional elements beyond essays or moral support every time I questioned my own abilities. Even now that I’ve secured my admit, Kathryn has been extremely graceful in guiding me as I decide between schools. All in all, you can’t go wrong with Square One Prep! 😊

Read More

As an Indian applicant with just 1 year of work ex at the time of application, I knew that my chances of getting into my dream business school were abysmal. After talking to many consultants who echoed my doubts and recommended me not to apply at the time, I had almost convinced myself to defer my plans. I vividly remember the night when I, dejected after one more disappointing call, stumbled upon Square One Prep through reviews on GMAT Club and decided to schedule this one last call to assess my chances – and I am so glad that I did!

Kathryn, in the first screening call, understood my ambitions and goals (rather than straight away writing them off as unrealistic as some other consultants had) and gave me the confidence to give it a shot, while being frank and objective about my chances given my less work ex. Kathryn’s confidence in my profile and SOP team’s vast experience were the primary reasons why I decided to work with SOP on my applications.

My experience working with SOP has been wonderful. My team, consisting of Kathryn, Kathleen, Cristina, and Horatiu, helped me present my story in the best possible way. The career narrative work with Horatiu helped me flesh out my goals in a logical manner which was not only helpful while writing essays, but in hindsight, played a crucial role in my interviews also. Kathleen, my advisor, was a huge support during the entire process. She was very approachable and always a text away, happy to answer all my big and small doubts. She nudged me in right directions and helped me highlight my best self through my essays and resume to bring together a well-rounded application. Her targeted feedback during mock interviews was pretty valuable too. She is highly experienced, has valuable insights, and is a great person to have by your side during this stressful process – I can’t thank her enough. Cristina, my partnership manager, was very responsive and always ready to answer all of my questions. Kathryn’s final reviews of all my essays and videos, and her interview advice added significant value.

Through the entire process, I appreciate how SOP emphasized on authenticity – be it in my career vision, personal essays, resume, or interview prep, my team made sure that I let my authentic voice, candor, and vulnerability come through.

Had I not talked to Kathryn, I might have not even applied, and now I have an admit from my dream B-school – Chicago Booth, that too with a $40k scholarship. This would not have been possible without SOP’s help and I am so glad I got in touch with them! I highly recommend all prospective B-School applicants to reach out to SOP.

Read More

GRE: 319

Accepted schools: Columbia, Stern, Anderson, Mcdonough (60K Stipend).

Waitlisted schools: Sloan and Berkeley. I can post an update once I finalise the process.

I was first introduced to Square One Prep by a friend that had a positive experience with Kathryn and recommended that I reach out. I honestly had no idea at the time that people actually used advisors for MBA applications. I had a first call with Kathryn, without having much idea of what the actual process for MBA applications was as I had been focusing on preparing for the GRE. The MBA application process is really demanding and stressful given that you have to juggle it with a full-time job and most likely with standardized test preparation as well (in my particular case). Hands down I can say that it really helps to have an advisor that can be there every step of the way to guide you. Square One is very structured, they help you from creating your CV to navigating the waitlist in the later stages. Their structure and expertise facilitate your life a great deal as an applicant. Throughout the entire process I have had a team of SOP giving me advice and giving me guidance. I consider myself a very demanding client, and the SOP team (Kathryn, Kathleen, Cristina, and Wendy) helped me navigate everything smoothly. There were several times when I wanted to give up on the GRE and Kathryn motivated me to keep going. A special thanks to Kathleen and Cristina as well who answered all of my questions and were an incredible resource! I was really happy when I was accepted to Columbia, Stern, Anderson, and McDonough (with a 60K Stipend)!

Read More

Square One made my MBA application process seamless and enjoyable. The entire process is very structured and multilayered ensuring there will be no stones unturned by the time you hit submit.

I felt Kathryn and her team were very experienced and knew exactly what the school was looking for from an applicant. The kind of questions that I encountered during the career narrative session with Wendy helped me reflect deeply on what I want to do in future and how I would go about achieving it. My advisor, Kathleen was a pleasure to work with and made herself available whenever I needed help. I also felt that she genuinely cared about getting to know me which helped bring out the best stories from my life in the application. Kathleen also helped me with the mock interviews ensuring I aced the real interviews. I am very thankful for Kathryn's honest and ruthless feedback on my essays, which certainly set me up for success. I remember fully rewriting one of INSEAD's 7 essays but looking back, I understand why it was necessary.

Overall, I am very happy to have landed the INSEAD admit and had a great experience working with SOP. As for anyone seeking help with their application, I can tell with certainty that SOP will help you put together your best application forward

Read More

I started preparing for an MBA application in September 2021, which was a month away from my M7 target school's deadline. I knew I was on a tight schedule and therefore selecting the right advisor would be crucial. While I was doing the initial consultation calls among a few consultancies, Kathryn and the Square One Team immediately stood out. My initial call with Kathryn lasted more than one hour and she showed that she truly cared about me when she really tried to understand my story and my goals and shared her insights and experience. I was impressed by their multi-layer process which meant that I’d have expert opinion throughout every single step of my application, and their commitment to the applicant as there was no cap on hours of help that you could get from the team - both are rare at other consultancies.

After deciding to work with Square One, I was able to talk to three senior advisors before I decided to partner with Kathleen, a decision I couldn’t be happier with. Not only was she experienced and knowledgeable about what the schools are looking for, she was also very responsive and was able to jump on a call within a few hours’ notice. She really tried to know me as a person, and helped bring out my best self and curate a story that was both strong and authentic to me. She also provided invaluable advice on recommender selection and managing their timeline.

I was super stressed in meeting the school's deadline, but the Square One Team made sure that I stayed on top of my deadline (sometimes by doing multiple turns of essays a day) and provided emotional support to help me manage stress. I wouldn't have been admitted to my target school without their help and I couldn’t thank the entire Square One Team more!

I would definitely recommend partnering with Square One to make your dream come true!

Read More

For applicants who are overwhelmed with business school applications, SquareOne Prep is a top choice.

After speaking to numerous consultants, I decided to work with SquareOne Prep because of the extensive support being offered by the team. I had an amazing advisor (kudos to Kathleen Danoher), a super thorough Career Narrative expert (Wendy- you helped me figure out what I wanted to do) and of course Kathryn (Team Lead) and Samuel (Lead Editor). My diligent team was as invested in my success as I was.

SOP was very methodical from the get-go; they took the time to get to know me (over a span of ~4 hours) before moving on to the Resume and Career Narrative sections. I felt very comfortable throughout the application process, which enabled me to be as honest as possible in my essays. Our efforts bore fruit as I was accepted to 3 amazing programs- Kellogg, Haas, and Tuck!

I genuinely recommend SquareOne Prep and urge a potential applicant to reach out to Kathryn for the first call.

Read More

The business school application journey is a whirlwind of a process but SquareOne were with me through every step. They truly try to get to know you and in the process of going through self-discovery, help bring out your strengths to show what's unique to you and ultimately build a solid narrative that helped define my application in the most concise and impactful way.

They were available for a quick call whenever needed and responsive, even at times when I felt I was struggling. Every part of the application would go through various iterations with the team to get multiple perspectives. My mentor guided me through each part calmly and provided honest feedback, truly wanting the best outcome for me. Despite the applications being extremely competitive this year due to COVID and having an average GMAT, through the partnership with SoP, we were still able to strengthen the rest of my materials, bringing out the strengths in me as a candidate and ultimately helping me get admitted!

Read More

Square One Prep was instrumental in my acceptance to my top choice business school, Darden. As a younger applicant from a non-traditional professional background, I often doubted my
chances of acceptance, but Square One Prep believed in me from day one. During my initial call with Kathryn, I was immediately impressed by her knowledge of the application process and appreciated her candidness regarding my candidacy.

Working more than full-time, studying for the GRE, and applying to six schools simultaneously was not an easy feat, but the full Square One Prep team, especially Kathleen and Bailey, ensured
that I met all deadlines and provided the consistent encouragement that I needed. With support from Kathryn, Kathleen, and Luis, I crafted a compelling career narrative, defining my short-, medium-, and long-term goals, which translated into confident and strong essays and interviews.
Through many iterations and topic calls, my advisor Kathleen helped me develop essays that stood out. She was also an exceptional resource for my many questions (and worries).

Overall, I can’t recommend Square One Prep enough!

Read More