I can say without hesitation that Square One Prep was an essential resource to my application process and success. Getting into a top MBA program is a long and tough journey. It requires lots of energy, determination and time. It also requires a guide who has the industry intellect, creativity, objectivity, patience, and persistence to stick with you, no matter how challenging the process may become.

Square One, Kathryn specifically, helped me a lot in this long journey in different ways.

Firstly, she really pushed me to come up with my own story and narrative. She wanted my overall story to be unique, like me. She wanted my goal narrative to be true to my passions and well constructed - she challenged me to make sure my narrative was sound. She helped make my profile more distinctive and unique. She made sure my essays and resume had a strong voice and relatable tone. Without her support my application would have been much more generic and would have hardly stood out among the high number of strong candidates.

Secondly, having someone along the way you can always ask questions gave me more confidence and motivation. In every situation both related to the application or to the interview process Kathryn was always available to answer my questions within a couple of hours. I'm in Europe and not once did I sense she wasn't even though she is in New York, NY!

Finally, Square One's mock interview part was great. Having the opportunity to simulate an interview with a person who has such a big experience in the application process and seems to know exactly what applicants are going to be asked in interviews (her mocks were surprisingly similar to my real experiences!) helped me a lot to prepare. Her extensive feedback allowed me to improve my weaknesses and shine during the real interview.

I would have no reservation recommending Square One to people who want to get into top business schools

Let me also add that even though hiring a consultant might seem initially expensive, the application cost is just a small percentage of the whole MBA cost and to me it makes sense to pay a bit more if that allows you to get into your dream school.

Admitted: Harvard Business School and Wharton

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I was deployed overseas with the US Army for the majority of my application process. I thought that could create communication issues with Square One Prep but it never did. Square One gave me the confidence and guidance I needed to prepare my applications and get accepted into HBS. My consultant brought a professional and personal approach to navigating the entire process that made the investment a bargain. I wrote about experiences I never would have thought appropriate for b-school apps. I trusted that my consultant knew better than me. The led me to trust sharing my thoughts and experience and together we crafted essays that reflected who I am and, as important, why I unique when compared to the hundreds of other accomplished military folks who apply to HBS every round.

I absolutely credit my acceptance to HBS to Square One Prep.

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Square One Prep provided invaluable guidance throughout the entire application process, particularly as it elated to my essays and interview preparation. By setting up a detailed roadmap with clear deadlines, they made the process very disciplined and effective. Their responsiveness and availability on weekends and late nights (often past midnight their time) was also tremendously helpful. I worries that because I am in Germany the time difference would be an issue. I also appreciated how they didn't rest until they felt my work was as strong as possible. Also, although it doesn't sound like much, they were always there to provide support and motivate me when I felt exhausted by juggling the process and my demanding work in banking.

Square One was indispensable. Because of them I got into my top choice, HBS, along with Wharton - the two schools I worked with them on. I am so grateful.

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Initially I was skeptical about hiring an admissions consultant but Square One Prep was highly recommended to me by a trusted source so I did the free consult - what did I have to lose? After my initial conversation with Square One Prep my concerns quickly faded - in fact I realized that I NEEDED an admissions consultant. I had less than 2 years fulltime experience, an okay GMAT score (690), and was applying Round 3...not a recipe for success. I didn't know the uphill battle that I had. Trust me when I say that Square One Prep's owner was honest with me about that battle. But its owner was also super excited about the fact that I was up to the challenge nonetheless, because she believed in me. THAT is precisely why I decided to go with them. They never sugar-coated anything, but said from the outset that they believed in me and my story. They wanted to help me succeed.

My consultant’s passion, intelligence, and work ethic were remarkable. I have a highly unorthodox background yet my consultant skillfully developed a strategy to tell my story in a nuanced and attractive manner. Our first call alone was almost six hours. Afterward, she had a better grasp of how to tell my story than I did - I kid you not. After we completely rebuilt my resume, we moved on to my essays and LORs. Every step of the way, my consultant's input made the difference between me crafting something okay and something stellar - even if that meant she had to do some heavy lifting to help me get there. She was available and eager to help around the clock. I can honestly say that had she not given me tough love about my LORs and helped me and my recommenders understand the lay of the land as it regards LORs, my recommenders would have unintentionally submitted subpar work and I would not have gotten into my dream school.

My consultant also wasn't afraid to give me a kick in the butt when needed. She was not hesitant to be tough on me. As a result together we crafted an application that exceeded my wildest expectations. Within a month of submitting my application I was admitted to my first choice - also the only school I applied to!

I would highly recommend Square One Prep to anyone who is seriously considering B-school. Even if you may think you don’t need a consultant, I urge you to reconsider. Square One Prep provided a value perspective that I would never have developed on my own. They helped me grow into someone able to talk about my experiences in a sophisticated, holistic way that is indispensable, well beyond this process. They helped me become someone who is heading to Columbia Business School this fall! Can’t wait!

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I am a former engineer who got the entrepreneurship bug in my late 20's and decided an MBA was the best way to transition into this new field. I had poor undergraduate grades but wanted to attend MIT Sloan and I knew I needed professional assistance to help overcome the shortcomings in my application. Kathryn with Square One Prep was exactly the professional I needed. Kathryn spoke to me at length about my background and helped craft a plan that would position me to get into a top 5 school. I was able to execute on this plan and was waitlisted before eventually getting into my first choice. Based on the fact that I was waitlisted I know that I was right on the edge of getting in or not. I can say with 100% certainty that if I did not work with Kathryn I would not have gotten into MIT. Since graduation I have landed a job as Director of Business Development with a small clean energy startup. Without my connections from MIT none of this would have been possible and I owe it all to Kathryn and Square One Prep!

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Square One Prep helped me understand myself better and answer, in the most provocative way, why I need an MBA. Not only did my consultant ask really tough questions that helped me discern what I want out of an MBA and my life, she also helped me tremendously improve my writing and verbal communication skills. Because of her rigorous one-on-one coaching, I gained admission into one of the world's top MBA programs, which helped me to join McKinsey & Company post-graduation. I recommend Square One Prep unreservedly to MBA aspirants who want to become more self-aware, are interested in tangibly improving their communication skills, and want to be a Top MBA.

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I never thought I had a shot at HBS and therefore had no intention of applying. I didn't see my background as particularly unique and felt I didn't have any special skills - the sort I thought you'd need to get into HBS. But Square One Prep believed in me.
First, my consultant educated me about the AdCom thought process and critically assessed my background through the eyes of the AdCom. I don't know if it's years of experience or her ability to understand people so very well that helps her think like the Ad Com, but my consultant's insights were invaluable. After she took the time to get to know me and assess my candidacy, she then helped me highlight elements of my personality and life experiences that I never thought would be the right content to include in my application. She guided me through every aspect of my application; there was literally nothing left to chance! She did countless reviews of my essays and I can tell you that there was a world of a difference between draft 1 and in some cases draft 8. If it wasn't for her, I would have stuck with draft 1 and fallen miles short of accurately representing myself in the application. Any lesser consultant would have conceded to my naive ideas about how to direct my application - they would not have probed and helped me steer my story. In addition to providing strategy, my consultant also brought discipline to the process by managing my timelines and encouraging me when I got lazy.
But more than being just an adviser, she became a friend and confidant. She helped me stay sane during the stressful process. Even when I vented, she was intently listening for clues to strengthen my application! I can safely say that I owe Square One big time! They worked their magic and enabled me to do something I genuinely thought was impossible for me!

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After bombing my first GMAT, I took a two year hiatus from even thinking about applying to any MBA programs. Over the course of those two years, Kathryn stayed in contact with me, encouraging and motivating me to study and sit for the GMAT again. Once I got a score I felt confident with, we hit the ground running.

I didn't realize what a time commitment applying would be and am so glad I made the choice to work with Square One Prep. Kathryn was there 100% of the way and available 24/7 for any of my neurotic concerns/questions. There are so many aspects to the MBA application process - it is incredibly daunting. However, working with Kathryn gave me confidence that is required to navigate and succeed in the process.

Besides her ridiculously quick response times to email, what I really appreciated about Kathryn was her tough love approach. She doesn't sugar coat anything and will be brutally honest with you. Without her guidance and support, I would most likely be applying again as a re-applicant.

if you saw the difference between my first drafts - my resume or essays - you would be amazed by the transformation they went through. My resume work with Kathryn was particularly tough because I really had to learn how to express my experiences in a more sophisticated, strategic manner that would be easy for someone who isn't in my industry to understand. Just on that effort alone Kathryn spent countless hours helping me build that capability. First she listened to me talk about my work, then she helped me think about my work in a more strategic manner, then she helped me little by little translate my experiences onto the page in my resume. I actually became better at my job because I developed the ability to talk more effectively. That skill then enabled me to write stronger essays. And by the time I got to my interviews I was more than ready to speak with confidence about my career. I was more than ready to talk about any part of my life because Kathryn had really helped me embrace my life, and without going into detail that is saying a lot because there had been things from my past that were very personal but profound in my life. I'd never thought sharing such personal experiences would be appropriate to do in a b-school application, but Kathryn made me comfortable sharing and helped me see how adcoms could see value in what I worried would have a negative stigma.

Not only am I thankful for all her help during the application process, but also for motivating me when I had thought an MBA was only a pipe dream, let alone an MBA from a top program. Once you start to work with Kathryn, you will realize what a solid investment it really is and how much time and effort she puts into it.

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I can still clearly recall the moment I received the call from Fuqua, telling me that I was cleared from the waitlist and accepted to their prestigious program. Ecstatic at the news, the first person I wanted to share this excitement with (after I called my parents and husband) was Kathryn, my consultant, mentor and friend from Square One Prep.
Working with Kathryn and Square One Prep on my MBA application process was one of the wisest decisions that I have ever made. As an international applicant whose native language is not English and as someone with nontraditional professional experience, given 5 of my 7 years of my experience was as a research associate while getting my PhD, I had hard times writing my resume and essays and preparing for interviews. I didn't know what competitive material should look like. I didn't know how to talk about myself effectively. I worried that Ii was aiming far too high, applying to top business schools in the world. But Kathryn reassured me I could do it - that I wasn't aiming too high.
I felt extremely stressfed when I found I was on the waitlist of Fuqua. Kathryn reminded me that I still had a shot - that as long as I continued to make strides in my life and conveeyed those efforts to the admissions committee I could get an offer. So, while she helped me think of ways to improve my candidacy and was a constant source of motivation and ideas, she also I helped me prepare an application to another top school. I needed to cover my bases. Kathryn’s professional opinions, encouraging talks/emails, effective strategies and meticulous revision of my ideas and work helped me relieve my stress, boost my confidence and secure the offer. One week after getting into Fuqua I also got into the other program too!
During my application process, there were times when I felt very frustrated. I am not in a traditional b-school industry. I don't know anyone with an MBA, so I would worry I was aiming too high. It was Kathryn’s firm and calm voice that brought me back on track, making me feel she’s not just my consultant, but my mentor and friend. I trusted her, and am so glad I did.
In addition, Kathryn is extremely hard-working. She has a very fast turnaround time of essay review and always replies my email within minutes, which is exceptional in the MBA consulting industry. I recommend Kathryn and her Square One Prep company without hesitation to anyone who wants to pursue an MBA degree in a top-tiered program.

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Where to start? I applied to five schools last year and didn't succeed. I took the GMAT exam four times before applying and had to apply with a 580, my best score. Aside from that, I actually thought I was a strong candidate. I came from consulting, performed well at a known university (liberal arts degree though), and had a slew of extracurricular activities, both past and present, to highlight. But I didn't get an interview anywhere.

So this year I reached out to consultants to help me. The instant I told them my GMAT score, all except Square One Prep - Kathryn - told me that I didn't have a shot at schools I planned to reapply to: Booth, Tuck, Fuqua, and Wharton. I wanted to go to a school that had a strong presence in healthcare. All the consultancies I talked to except Square One also told me when my 30 minutes were up, probably because they didn't want to work with me. And I got it. I know that score is terrible. But I didn't want that to defeat me. Kathryn was certainly candid with me about how weak my GMAT score was, but she saw so many other strong points to my candidacy as well as ways in which I could strengthen myself this year in my applications, whether through my essays, resume, or LORs, because she took the time to look at last year's applications. The other places I called didn't care about seeing my previous applications. Kathryn asked me to send them to her and did a second free consult with me to discuss them. Choosing to work with her was a no brainer. Two other firms of the 7 I talked to were also willing to work with me, but they didn't make the effort that Square One did to see me for more than my 580 GMAT score. They also told me to reconsider my list of schools. So again, choosing to work with Square One was a no brainer.

I worked directly with Kathryn. And she worked miracles. She gave a lot to our partnership and expected an awful lot from me in return. So if you work with Square One and with Kathryn, be ready to work hard. To her credit, there were times when she was more invested in my success than I was. I had my doubts along the way. For example, when I took the GMAT exam one more time and got a 580 again, I really worried. Kathryn didn't. She cheered me on. She listened to me and was a shoulder for me to cry on. She let me have a day or two to regroup, but then rallied me to stay the course. By the time our work was done, all of my materials were overhauled. I felt so confident about myself, not arrogant, just confident. A long way from where I was 9 months prior when all I got was rejections and questioned myself. This year, I knew I was going to get interviews; I just felt it. And I did. I got interviews at 3 schools. And I got offers from 3 schools (including a scholarship at Booth so that's where I'm heading)!

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