After doing the initial 30-minute chat, I knew Melisa would be an incredible thought partner to help with my MBA journey. From the early stages of crafting school lists to the final stages, including navigating the waitlists, Melisa was so helpful! During the process, she served as a great sounding board, pushing me to improve my application and providing invaluable insight into the MBA application process and minds of admissions committees. Always responsive to my many, many questions/emails and always willing to provide feedback in a supportive but critical way. Truly, nothing but great things to say about the experience!!

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Melisa's is a true testament and exceptional blend of personalized support and genuine encouragement. From the very first call I had with Melisa about my MBA application, I could truly feel that the person on the other side knows her stuff and really wants the best outcome for you. From the outset, Melisa prioritizes getting to know you better on a personal level, fostering an environment of trust and openness. This approach made me feel that the application process is not just about ticking boxes but about authentically representing one’s personality and strengths. With Melisa's guidance, I was able to confidently put my best foot forward, knowing that my application is a true reflection of who I am. Throughout the journey, Melisa remains consistently supportive and cheering, demonstrating her sincere desire for nothing but the best, making the application process enjoyable. I would highly recommend working with Melisa if you are in the process of submitting your application for an MBA program.

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I came to Melisa with a list of schools I wanted to target and an idea of the story I wanted to tell throughout my applications. She was able to help me tighten up that story and tailor it to specific schools, providing incredibly insightful suggestions and tweaks. She also demonstrated a great deal of interest in my success, checking in frequently and offering ad-hoc tips to go along with her structured feedback. Not to mention, she is a blast to talk to and seems like a really great person. I would recommend Melisa to anyone seeking to apply to an MBA program.

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I really enjoyed working with Melisa and would highly recommend her to anyone looking for an MBA admissions consultant. She made the whole application process so much more approachable and pleasant. I felt at ease knowing I had her support and guidance throughout this journey: I felt like she was truly in my corner and wanted what was best for me. She was very generous with her time, patiently answering my (many!) questions, and taking the time to really get to know me, my values, and my goals, so that we could ensure my application was as strong and authentic as possible.

Melisa helped me with everything from my resume to preparing my recommenders to essays to interview prep. It was clear that she is incredibly knowledgeable about all things MBA admissions, and she was always very timely and thoughtful in her comments and guidance. I also really appreciated that Melisa went above and beyond, providing holistic mentorship beyond the application itself, such as by pointing me towards career opportunities for post-MBA and connecting me with others with shared interests.

In the end, with Melisa's help I was able to get into both of my dream schools, and had a very difficult decision to make! I am really grateful for all of her support, and would choose to work with her again in a heartbeat.

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I have been thinking about getting an MBA for a few years. After taking my GMAT for the third time I was unsure about my prospects of getting in with a 690 score. I met Melisa during a 30 min coffee session. She was so nice and didn't make me feel pressured into doing anything (getting an MBA or using a consultant). I started with the strategy package which EVERYONE NEEDS TO DO, even if you don't do an MBA. This 4 week exercise took a comprehensive view of every from my past (starting from my childhood) and leading up to my 5 and 10 year career goals, and boiled all of that down into a comprehensive 1-pager to understand my entire profile and what I needed to achieve through an MBA. Through this exercise I felt confident to apply this year. I purchased 4 comprehensive schools, all M7, and in total applied to 8 T15 schools. I was accepted with a full ride and several scholarships. After applying I was waitlisted from 3 schools, 1 being my safety. After having this devastating turn of events, I was completely down. Melisa helped me by having my talk to other clients she had with similar outcomes who got into great M7 schools off the waitlist. I was eventually admitted to my top choice MIT which I will be attending this fall. While I did eventually get a 710 GMAT, I wouldn't have gotten in anywhere without the guidance and support from Melisa and the stratus team!

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I'm so glad that I worked with Melisa and with Stratus more broadly. I originally opted to work with a freelance admissions consultant, and got so frustrated/overwhelmed that I almost bailed on applying to schools entirely. I decided to give one more try with Melisa and I'm so glad I did. Melisa (and the rest of the consultants I worked with at Stratus) was so helpful throughout the process - she genuinely listened and cared about my story and was incredibly helpful in thinking through the best way to structure and convey that story. She was the best cheerleader, even on schools I didn't work with her on and seemed to really care about my getting into the right school for me. Thank you so much for all of the help and support throughout this process!!

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I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor and support resource throughout the MBA application process than Melisa. As a first generation graduate student and child of immigrants, I was quite intimidated to start the application process. Melisa really took the time to get to know me as a person, understand my story and how it tied to my goals, and gave me the confidence and support that I needed to really excel at the process. I also did not have the traditional MBA background but Melisa really helped me convey my unique traits and skill sets to admissions teams.
I looked into other consulting options and did not find anyone as kind and approachable as Melisa. She went above and beyond and truly took the time to help me achieve my goals even though I felt a few programs were out of reach for me. She also has a very flexible working style that works quite well for the working professional and others juggling multiple responsibilities. She kept in touch via email throughout the process and also gladly took virtual meetings whenever I needed the extra time to talk things through.

Because of Melisa’s guidance and support, I will be attending a top 10 MBA program on a full scholarship, and I can’t think of a better outcome or fit. I strongly recommend Melisa to any prospective applicant and look forward to seeing all the great things she will continue to do!

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I had my initial consultation with Melisa in May 2021. Choosing a consultant wasn’t easy, but from our first conversation, I felt that Melisa was wholeheartedly invested in my success as an applicant.

Melisa was extremely generous with her time. There was never a limit on the number of emails I could send or questions I could ask, on top of our weekly update calls. She was instrumental in shaping my essays, and she guided me by drawing on her success with previous applicants. When It came time to interview, Melisa ensured that I was prepared for beyond just the schools we were working together on and provided valuable feedback that I took across various interviews.

When R1 decisions were released, I was unfortunately waitlisted at my dream school. I was ready to throw in the towel, but Melisa encouraged me to keep my options open for R2 and remain actively engaged as a waitlist candidate. Melisa helped me write strong waitlist updates as I juggled applying to additional schools. Even when I wasn’t sure if the extra work was being noticed by the school, Melisa remained thorough in her advice and feedback.

In May 2022, I received an acceptance from my dream school. With Melisa’s help, I was among the first batch of applicants to convert from the waitlist. It took a year to reach the goal that I had set out to achieve, and there were many unexpected ups and downs along the way, but Melisa was there for me at every step of the journey.

I have no doubt that I made the right choice in hiring Melisa as my admissions consultant, and I would strongly recommend her to anyone considering her services!

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I initially was not going to use an admissions consultant given the high cost but decided that it’d be worth the investment if I was going to go all in on the MBA admissions process. I met with many consultants from different firms but went with Melissa because she instantly put me at ease and was really warm and easy to talk to, and never made me feel like I wasn’t good enough for the schools I was targeting. We worked together starting June 2021 and she did so much more than just help me with my applications. I was also navigating a major organizational change at work, applied for a new job at a different company, and received an offer. She provided a ton of support and advice on how I should talk to my new employer about my b-school apps and they ended up being so supportive about it! Beyond that, we spent a solid few months just getting to know everything about my background and what my story would be, while staying truly authentic and never trying to be someone I wasn’t. She helped me with every stage of the application and was always so responsive, patient, and kind, especially through the several breakdowns I had along the way! She made sure I was super prepped for all the interviews, and after receiving the decisions, helped me navigate waitlists and negotiating scholarships.

I ultimately was admitted into my dream school, and 4 out of the 6 schools I applied to. Melissa was incredibly supportive throughout the entire process and really encouraged me to bring my true self to the applications. I’m happy with the results and I would recommend her to anyone!

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Choosing a consultant is a daunting task, given the number of options. However, if you care about having someone with plenty of experience, many success stories, and a personality that fills you with optimism and energy, then look no further than Melisa. I chose Melisa because of how enthusiastic she was in our first meeting and how well she made me feel about my prospects. MBA applications are daunting, and there are many things that you need to navigate, so having a structured process and someone experienced to lean on is remarkably uplifting and comforting. If you are looking for a consultant, you must be in the same boat as I was - confident that you qualify but not sure whether you can tell a cohesive and convincing story. Melisa is so skillful at recognizing the different pieces of your story and helping you put them into a captivating application that you will gain a new appreciation for your accomplishments. Thanks to Melisa, I ended up with a few options to choose from and a merit scholarship that sweetened the deal. I did not expect to receive a significant amount in scholarship, but Darden offered 1/3 and Cornell Johnson over 1/2 of the tuition, which made me choose Johnson. Whatever your dream school is, Melisa will ensure that you put your best foot forward. No one can guarantee admission to Harvard or MIT, but if you want to stand a chance and feel confident that you will have options to choose from, I encourage you to let Melisa guide you. You will not be disappointed!

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