Square One Prep was exactly what I needed, when I needed it – and the results speak for themselves. I got into the school of my choice, Yale SOM, with a full scholarship!

I am an older candidate with average grades and a low GMAT score. I further put myself into a difficult position by not starting the application process until late in the fall. A friend of mine attending Kellogg strongly recommended Square One Prep and I am so grateful that he did!

Using her wealth of knowledge, my Square One Prep consultant helped me narrow down my initial list of business school programs to those that really fit my interests. She also suggested that I add a few I hadn't seriously considered. Once my list was set, my consultant crafted a schedule for ALL of the schools I was applying to (even though we weren't partnering on all of them together) and helped me stick to it throughout the entire process - all while reassuring me, offering encouragement, and dispensing strategic advice.

Square One Prep’s personal approach is what really made the difference. My consultant took the time to really get to know me, which enabled her to give me the advice I needed so that I could write the essays that highlighted the best facets of my personal and professional life while helping me articulate goals for my new career path.

Thank you Square One Prep!

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I can say with 100% certainty that I would not be going to a top 15 business school without the assistance from Square One Prep.

After my initial phone assessment, Kathryn, the company's owner, put into perspective both the challenges I had ahead of me in my application process and what her company could do to help me overcome those challenges. As a military applicant, I was unsure of where I stood relative to my peers. Kathryn explained to me the value that business schools place on military experience and encouraged me to apply to schools which I perceived to be beyond my grasp. After months of resume building, countless essay revisions and mock interviews, I admit that I was drained. But if you're serious about attending the best business school you can get into, that's exactly the feeling you want at the end of the process and is the mark of an great advisor that pushes you past your limit. With help from Square One Prep, I was able to secure a scholarship to every school I was accepted into, including a $40,000 scholarship at Johnson!

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“My experience with Square One Prep far exceeded anything I could have hoped for. By the end of my first conversation with my consultant, I knew I had found the perfect admissions consultant – her optimism and positive energy were hopelessly contagious, she was genuine and sincere at heart, and her upfront feedback regarding my candidacy was sharper and more actionable than any I had ever received. I had already begun the Round 1 applications to my 5 schools of choice – HBS, Chicago Booth, Wharton, MIT, and Yale. Although I had only paid for a consultant’s help with HBS, she offered me advice for each of these schools when I asked. Her most special trait was that she cared a lot about me on a personal level – she believed in me as a person, not just as an applicant; she wanted to see me succeed not because she would share credit, but because she knew it would help fulfill my dreams. She celebrated my acceptance to HBS with as much the enthusiasm as my parents! I’m blessed to have crossed paths with Square One Prep and to now be heading to HBS in the fall!"

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"Work with Square One Prep."

That is the best advice someone gave me before starting my application journey. I had shopped around and decided to go with them because of their professionalism and structure. It was definitely the right fit for me. They were instrumental in providing a structure, schedule and strategy to the process of putting my applications together. My consultant was invaluable in providing critical and very insightful feedback as well as pushing me to meet tight deadlines. Every single comment or insight my consultant gave to me was so on point; I truly believe it made me a stronger applicant. The invaluable advice went further than just the applications. A week before my HBS interview I had my mock interview and my consultant told me: "If you say this you won’t get in. You are not prepared”. Together we dissected my approach and she helped me realize that not only do you need to be a strong applicant, you also have to be able to concisely, confidently, and consistently portray that image. At the end, I ended up getting into Wharton-Lauder and Sloan with scholarships AND I got into my school of choice, HBS - with a scholarship. I couldn’t be happier!

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Hiring Square One Prep to help me get into my #1 choice, Wharton-Lauder, was the best decision I could have made. I also got into Kellogg and McDonough (I applied there as I really didn't think I had a shot at Kellogg and Wharton: I thought wrong thanks to Square One Prep).

My consultant knows what the top business schools are looking for. Her insights into how to best market myself were thoughtful and intelligent, allowing me to play up my strengths and minimize my weaknesses, which included being an older applicant who had a major career shift that on the surface may not have made sense and a year long career gap that made me veryt nervous (but not my consutlant). She also provided a detailed timeline to make the process less stressful and ambiguous and was always available when I needed to talk about any issue---any. She pulled back the curtain and enabled me to feel confident as we navigated the process as a team. I definitely recommend hiring Square One Prep!

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Looking back, I cannot imagine applying to business school without Square One Prep. My advisor's advice, feedback and perspective served as the building blocks in my preparation. Every step of the way, her invaluable input increased my confidence, eased my concerns/anxiety and gave me the reassurance I needed. Her objective assessment of my strengths/weaknesses and guidance helped me shape my application, optimize productivity and manage my time effectively. What was terrific and comforting about my advisor was that she made me feel as if she was exclusively working for me, as she was remarkably accessible and responsive at all times of the day, night and week – she worked tremendously hard to ensure she made herself available. I am in a time zone that is 12 hours ahead of New York and yet that never hindered our communication. Additionally, her genuine desire to see me succeed spurred me on to work harder and create stronger pieces of work. Juggling a demanding job in investment banking while applying to schools was a real challenge and having a such a dedicated, knowledgeable coach encouraged me to invest the required amount of time and energy into perfecting my applications. Her affable nature and great communication skills in tandem with her sharp insights made it an absolute pleasure to work with her. She made my application process a smooth ride. She made getting into Wharton, my #1 choice, seem like a smooth ride too!

I would highly recommend Square One Prep to anyone who wants to get into a Top 3 school.

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I was a re-applicant. I did my applications on my own last year and can honestly say that within 15 minutes of my free call with Square One, I knew things would be different this time around and wished I'd made the call to them last year. Last year I was arrogant. I'd gone to Harvard undergrad and had an interesting career thus far. Not the greatest GMAT score. But I am from a minority group and thought all that would make up for it. It didn't. And boy was I humbled. I was even more humbled when I talked with Square One. I was so impressed with how much I learned on my first call and how sincerely interested in my success the owner of the firm was. She was a straight shooter with me. It was unlike my other free calls with consulting firms where I felt like I was getting a car salesman job, like I was being told what everyone else is told. With Square One, I could tell the owner put real thought into my situation before talking to me. In fact, they were the ONLY firm who asked to see prior applications before my free call. Now I'll admit I worried that once I started work with my advisor, I would no longer feel like I was in great hands, that my advisor wouldn't measure up and impress me as much the owner did. Kathryn Lucas really is charismatic and knowledgeable. I would have been ok with a slight decrease in quality since her advisors don't own the company, and I can only speak for my personal advisor. He was just as great at Kathryn.

Simply put, Square One Prep's team was instrumental in my getting into Kellogg, UCLA, and Columbia. They helped me break down the application process into manageable steps and put together a narrative of my career path that reflected my strengths and aspirations. They pushed me when I needed it. They were upfront about potential weaknesses, always spot-on when I needed something tweaked in my essays, motivating, and always available when I needed to discuss an approach to my candidacy or just talk to get a new boost of energy. As a result of our work together, in addition to getting into three schools, I received a fellowship (full-tuition scholarship) at Columbia!"

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I strongly recommend Square One Prep.
I am from outside the US and found the whole process baffling. I was unsure if my qualifications were sufficient because I had a pretty low GPA and GMAT. I didn't know where to begin with essay topics or writing as I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a strong writer. I wasn't even sure which programs were the best, in general and for me. Square One was extremely helpful in taking the time to understand my story, validate my experience was sufficient (with some shoring on my part), strategically help me select topics as well as write well on them, and suggest other programs that weren't on my radar. In fact, the school, I'm going to wasn't on my radar at first!
I am also one of those people that needs a bit of kick to move things forward. Square One will definitely will let you know if you are falling behind and encourage you to pick up the pace. They will also push you to introspect and grow as you develop your work. It really is quite a process.
Also there is so much advice out there on the internet. It's ridiculous. It was great to have someone qualified to distill down the best admissions strategy. Square One had extreme clarity about how to structure things to help showcase my best attributes. They also simply told me to stop surfing the net for advice, to just trust them. Square One didn't just offer sound advice; they really were a full-service guide to me. They did it all with personality which made the entire stressful experience less so.
I'm heading to MIT Sloan which is the perfect school for me. I definitely don't think this would have happened if it wasn't for the guidance and support of Square One."

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If you are serious about gaining admission to the most competitive business programs in the world, you need to have an edge. I am by no means the perfect candidate: I have average college grades and a slightly below average GMAT score, but I was accepted at Yale, Darden, Tuck, and Kellogg. Square One Prep's expertise helped me shape my story and portray my experiences as an Army officer in a way that was both highly relatable to the admissions committees and true to myself.

I am confident that whatever your background, Square One Prep will invest in you the way they did in me and give you the edge to succeed.

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Square One Prep has an incredible ability to help you find your voice. When I first approached the process, I was worried. I had worked in several industries and worn lots of hats. I truly was about as nontraditional as one could be. Additionally, although I had lots of ideas about what I wanted to do in the future, I didn't know where to begin with telling my story in a way that would make me seem like someone who's been working toward getting my MBA. I didn't know how to explain the career transition I was eager to make.
My consultant was indispensable. Without her, I can't imagine crafting a story as clear and compelling as my application turned out. I applied only to my top choice school, Tuck, and they admitted me in the first round.
After speaking with me for four hours--my initial assessment call, my consultant was able to help me strategically pick out key elements in my background to highlight in my resume and essays. She knew exactly what would resonate with the admission committee. She also knew how to bring focus to my various career visions and help me develop a career narrative that brought together all of my seemingly disparate work experiences. It didn't happen overnight. But my consultant was by my side, guiding me the entire way. She was not only thorough, smart, and available 24/7, but she was also incredibly friendly. I thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with her.
I would recommend Square One Prep to anyone who wants to take the mystery and fear out of the application process, enjoy what is supposed to be daunting, and is serious about getting into their top choice program.

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