GMAT Club

Melissa Jones Reviews

Company: Fortuna Admissions

Melissa has successfully coached hundreds of candidates from around the world with their MBA applications to top business schools globally, including many acceptances to Columbia, Harvard, Wharton, Stern, and Yale. As one of Fortuna’s first coaches, for over a decade she has a stellar track record of helping MBA hopefuls gain admission to M7 and top 15 US schools, as well as prestigious European schools like INSEAD and LBS. Her success is rooted in a laser eye for talent and a deep understanding of what top business schools are seeking. Her expert support for Fortuna Admissions clients is rooted in her previous experience as Assistant Director for the MBA Program at INSEAD in France. During her tenure, she connected with thousands of applicants and advised them on the admissions process and their path to business school, traveling extensively and delivering countless presentations to candidates across many countries. Melissa was a member of the review committee responsible for selecting scholarship recipients, so she knows what it takes to make the cut. Melissa has also worked in marketing and communications for global brands such as Sony, InBev, and Xerox.

5.0 /5 Average Rating
Based on 57 reviews
June 19, 2018
vdsekhon

Joined: Aug 09, 2015

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Highly Recommend! Thanks Fortuna!

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I can’t imagine what the application process would have been like without the Fortuna team. They made everything tangible, and much more enjoyable even from the first call. The entire process was an adventure in itself and helped me gain a better understanding of myself including my strengths and weaknesses as well as my goals. I worked with both Melissa Jones and Emma Bond- a great duo. They are both extremely professional and helpful, had great insights on the process, paid great attention to detail and knew how to position my profile in the best way possible. They went above and beyond to help me prepare for my interviews and always available for questions. I know I was successful with my applications because of Fortuna and am extremely thankful I made the decision to work with them. I highly suggest working with them.

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June 08, 2018
Beatrice2

Joined: Jun 08, 2018

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Outstanding Experience! Accepted to LBS and INSEAD.

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I can't even put into words how amazing Melissa was during my whole MBA application process. She guided me through every step and always gave me invaluable advice. Melissa got to know me very well, both from a professional and personal standpoint, so when I started thinking about what to include in the MBA essays she was really able to help me pinpoint the most compelling stories that really showcased my strengths.
Melissa was always very responsive on email and available to help whenever I had a question. She is also extremely knowledgeable when it comes to the top MBA programs - especially INSEAD.
I would highly recommend the comprehensive MBA package.

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May 16, 2018
sunflowers484

Joined: Apr 02, 2018

Posts: 6

Kudos: 6

Verified GMAT Classic score:
670 Q42 V39

Thank you, Fortuna!

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After conversing with Matt and Melissa, it was clear to me that Fortuna would meet me where I was (schools selected and story roughly drawn out) and take my ideas to the next level. I thoroughly enjoyed working with Melissa who is efficient and proactive and provides thoughtful guidance relevant to the programs. She demonstrated knowledge of the difference between programs and connected me to resources that eventually would help me make my decision. After working hard on the applications and interviews I was able to secure a spot at my top choice MBA program in Europe. Massive thanks to Matt and Melissa for being there throughout the process!

Even if you have a strong sense of story and have zeroed onto your top choices, I highly recommend Fortuna and Melissa to hone your message and put your best possible case on the table. It makes all the difference.

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May 02, 2018
tcov89

Joined: Nov 05, 2015

Posts: 4

Kudos: 0

Excellent - Beyond worth the investment

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Melissa was a pleasure to work with from day one, and having her there to answer questions and provide feedback on my work was an invaluable "safety net" to have throughout the process. Fortuna was incredibly professional from the first evaluation call, to their comprehensive profile evaluation, all the way through essay and application stage. In the beginning, I was having trouble deciding which schools to apply to. Fortuna gave me very honest guidance and valuable insight (GMAT score minimums, etc.) that saved me countless hours of time by not applying to a school I would have had no chance of being accepted to. I also really appreciated their process in that Melissa reviewed my whole application and made sure it was perfect, then my profile was reviewed by a director who used to be a dean of admissions at an ivy league school. I felt very confident once I passed all of those reviews, and sure enough was accepted to three of my four schools! Thanks Melissa and Fortuna.

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December 26, 2017
theone100

Joined: Jul 08, 2017

Posts: 0

Kudos: 5

Verified GMAT Classic score:
680 Q49 V33

Experienced firm for Top Candian MBA programs

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After extensively looking for a consulting firm with the necessary experience to help me apply to the Top Canadian MBA programs, I finally decided to work with Fortuna Admissions.

I worked with Melissa Jones, a consultant with solid experience helping students apply to the top business schools in Canada, and who demonstrated the necessary professionalism and attention to detail to submit the best possible applications.

She used her expertise to guide me throughout the application process, from developing a compelling story that truly showcased my strengths, to helping me prepare for Skype interviews, asking relevant questions and providing feedback. Her responses were always very timely, which is a must-have in my opinion, especially when trying to meet school deadlines.

There are many consultants that claim having experience with Canadian schools, but in reallity not many do. I am fully satisfied with Fortuna's services, and I would highly recommend them.

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March 23, 2017
JackSha

Joined: Jul 25, 2013

Posts: 9

Kudos: 6

The Best in the business

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I thoroughly enjoyed working with Fortuna team. Right from the first call with Matt to, the kick-off with Caroline to preparing my application with Melissa. The team was extremely professional and informative; they know their field.

They spent a lot of time with me understanding about my journey in life and guided me to pick up the right stories. Melissa has a great attention to detail and was able to pick up the insights which even I didn't know about me. I found the whole process to be very reflective.

I got accepted for MIT Sloan and I don't think I could have made it without Fortuna.

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March 09, 2017
Prov123

Joined: Feb 21, 2017

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
650 Q44 V37

Responsive, efficient and knowledgeable

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From the initial consultation through to writing essays and preparing for interviews, the Fortuna coaches are extremely knowledgeable given their experience at admissions departments across a wide range of top US and European business schools.

Their bespoke approach (multi-step timeline for comprehensive school package) resulted in them gaining a deep understanding of my background and experiences to date and the coach that I was paired with was efficient and responsive, regularly following up and responding to emails. Indeed, one of the coaches also went above and beyond by putting me in touch with someone with a similar background to mine for additional insights and advice.

Overall the process went smoothly and the coaches exceeded my expectations.

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December 01, 2016
lucidexistence

Joined: Dec 01, 2016

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
740 Q48 V44

Do not hesitate to go with the full package.

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Life has not been the same since being accepted at INSEAD, and I don't want to imagine what it would have been like if I hadn't been accepted.

Prior to applying, my goal to get accepted to INSEAD was clear and I did not intend on taking any chances in this process, so I went with Fortuna.


The full package is a little bit on the pricier side, however keep in mind that the consulting team that you will be working with have in depth insider knowledge regarding the application process and will safely guide you past many easy traps along the way. The package also includes one on one preparation for interviews with your consultant, a full resume review, and a lot of cheering from the sidelines! I am eternally grateful to the dream team. Thank you Melissa, Matt and Caroline!

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October 19, 2016
alejandrocameroni

Joined: Oct 19, 2016

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Very useful consultation

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Working with Melissa at Fortuna Admissions was a hugely useful and cost effective component to my admission into INSEAD. I had my application largely prepared and was looking for an experienced consultant to review and provide valuable insights about how my application would be received by the AdCom. I wasn't sure I needed to pay for the full application package. Fortuna's hourly consultation was just the solution that I needed. Melissa is hugely knowledgeable about the INSEAD application process (I can't speak for other schools, but expect her to be similarly tuned in). She provided very useful insight into the AdCom thought process and highlighted the areas of my application that were relatively stronger and weaker. With only a few hours of consultation, I noticed a material refining of my application which was very useful. Melissa's consultation comes with my highest recommendation. Good luck!

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October 19, 2016
mendigou

Joined: May 31, 2016

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
730 Q47 V44

Excellent experience

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I contacted Fortuna with a tight timescale to apply for R4, less than three weeks before the deadline. I talked first to Matt and it clicked quite well. He explained everything about the process and took way more time than the allotted 30 min free consultation (as opposed to other consultancies where I felt rushed), including acknowledging the shortcomings of my application and addressing my concerns with it. After our first conversation he proposed a custom hourly service plan which seemed very sensible to me, so I went ahead with it and started working with Melissa.

Melissa took the time to go through all the data I provided and created a picture of me. During our phone and mail interactions we shaped that picture, with my draft essays and CV as starting point, to create a killer application. We chose on what to focus and dug in the areas that needed some more work. It was really easy to work with Melissa: she's a very open individual, response times were really fast (despite a 6h time difference) and the recommendations were spot-on. We even had one hour left by the time I submitted the application, so we used that for my interview preparation, which was also really useful and efficient.

All in all, A+ for Fortuna and specially Melissa!

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