"Going with Square One Prep was the one of the best decisions I've made. They were excellent. First, the owner remained in touch with me for more than a year to help me make sure I was making the right decision for myself as it regarded when to apply to business school and where to apply. Once I signed on with Square One, their focus on me remained razor sharp and sincere. My advisor was just as engaging and devoted to me as the owner. While writing my essays it was really amazing to see how my advisor reviewed them from a different perspective every time. Her persistence, creativity, and patience were the game changer in bringing my applications to a place that made them stand out at top tier programs, and led me to get a scholarship! Without Square One's help, I know I never would have gotten get admitted to Fuqua and Kenan-Flagler. Because I made such a good decision when I chose Square One, I was faced at the end with a tough decision - which school to attend!"

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"I initially heard about Square One Prep through a friend who highly recommended the hands-on and supportive approach applied by this organization. My decision to pursue an MBA was difficult; it took a lot of time to internally justify because of the financial and personal sacrifices involved.

Square One was extremely helpful throughout my decision-making process, which was more than year, and helped me understand the merits of obtaining an MBA in today’s ever-changing marketplace. The Company’s leadership from the top-down was superb and extremely informed about what will stand out in the eyes of MBA Admissions Committees. Once I started the process, my consultant made ample time to address my needs, while at the same time challenged me to put forth my best work. What particularly impressed me was that my consultant helped me think about the assigned essay prompts from angles I would not have considered on my own and that would make me to stand out.

I would highly recommend Square One to any of my peers. With their help, I procured a spot in the one program I applied to: Stern’s Spring Part-time MBA program. Because of them I am about to start a new phase in my life journey that I am confident will help me get to the next level in my career."

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Square One Prep takes the mystery out of the application process. I came to them with Round 2 deadlines fast approaching - less than two weeks away. I had uncertainty regarding my competitiveness and overall strategy as despite being a traditional candidate (banking), I didn't attend an Ivy League school and wasn't at a bulge bracket firm or in the NE (I went to school in Texas and am still here) so I didn't have a lot of peer or in-house guidance on what I should do.
The initial consultation with the owner helped me refine my focus and make an informed decision on where and how best to apply. That alone I felt like I should have paid for, it was so thorough and spot-on.
When I started my work with my consultant I continued to be impressed. He helped me develop an overall strategy for my application and a detailed game plan to get me to the deadline with strong work. Throughout the process, my consultant was professional, responsive and insightful. I was astounded by how much content we generated in two weeks and by how much more articulate I became in that time frame about how to position myself professionally, and even just as a person. People in my life noticed.
Once I thought my work was done, with less than 24 hours before the deadline, my consultant engaged Square One's owner to review my work. It was after midnight. Yet she responded immediately, did a full review of all my work and made insightful edits that made work I was already insanely proud of better. I still remember waking up on deadline day and seeing an email from her at 3am with her attached review. Square One's dedication to me was like that from beginning to end.
I applied to only one school - Kellogg, and got in. Square One Prep definitely maximized my chances of getting that result.

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I was three years out of an Ivy League undergrad, management consulting, 780 on the GMAT, and had put in two terrible applications, at GSB and SOM. I wasn't called by either. Next year, I applied early to only Sloan, taking Squareone's exceptional and reliable advice, and was admitted first round! Kathryn helped me reflect and identify new and more compelling stories to tell. More importantly for me, they ensured I kept on my toes and put in the best application I could, or I'd have been scrambling at the last minute like the last time. (Thank you so much for your patience and intelligence Kathryn!) I'm so glad I took their help!

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Before hiring Square One Prep (SOP), I worked with a reputed MBA admission consultant on my b-school admission process. My experience was disappointing. I was rejected everywhere.
SOP was a real savior. They helped me to do a thorough introspection of my qualities, experiences, and ambitions and then helped me improve my writing skills so I could reflect my qualities, experiences, and ambitions in the most effective way. They ensured that each and every part of my applications was consistent, engaging, and additive. As a result, I have been accepted to the EMBA programs of Duke Fuqua and Columbia Business School.
There are many admission consultants making rounds on websites and offering expertise, but please be careful before committing to them! I highly recommend SOP to all MBA aspirants because their admission consultants are MBAs from top business schools who know exactly what Adcoms are looking for! They know how to coach, mentor, and write. They know how to help elevate work without making it their work. Most important, they know how to be a partner in the process. They were genuinely concerned about my success - both my consultant and SOP's owner, and that was extremely motivating.
Thank you SOP. You made a grueling application process educational and rewarding.

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As an Ivy League English major and son of a professional editor, I have had occasion to work with many editors over the years, and I can say unequivocally that my consultant at Square One Prep was the best yet. In fact, she wasn't just an editor; she was a strategist.

She helped me with applications to five schools that in total required over 20 essays. Our essay topic calls were colorful and made me dig deep. Her comments and questions on my drafts, combined with her deep knowledge of the admissions process and the schools themselves, pushed me to hone my message until, in each case, I was clearly articulating what I wanted to do with my MBA studies, why I would be successful in b-school and, most importantly, why I was a perfect fit for each target institution. I learned that it is about a lot more than showing fit through my profession and goals. My consultant's attention to detail, pulse on what committees are seeking, and excellent writing skills were immensely helpful. In the end, with each school, I put together a collection of essays that captured who I was as a person and told a compelling, memorable story. As a happy camper who is heading to my dream school, Stern, next year, I would recommend Square One Prep’s services to anyone determined to succeed with the application process.

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  I came across Square One Prep when I was looking around for an admissions consultant to help me through the application process, which was a bit of a mystery to me given my background as a medical doctor. I had no idea how to compete against the thousands of applicants who were from top consulting and financial firms and were surrounded by b-school alumni in their firms to look to as mentors. After speaking with all the top admissions consulting firms out there, I decided on Square One Prep.
        
My consultant employed a systematic approach to help me with my applications, and that structure gave me confidence. She helped me identify my strengths and then bring them to life in my essays, resume, and letters of recommendation, which would otherwise have been vague. During the entire process my consultant was always available (even after midnight), gave great feedback and offered candor, which I really valued even though it led me to start some essays over from scratch. She also helped me create and sustain a pace, and with my hectic on-call schedule that was no easy task. I had a wonderful experience, and would have said that even if I'd not gotten into a program, as I learned so much about myself, something I didn't expect even though my consultant told me that would likely happen. I got into both Wharton and Fuqua, and couldn't be happier.
        
I HIGHLY recommend Square One Prep to anyone applying to business school, especially if you aren't from a typical consulting or business background.

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Square One Prep was pivotal to my success. With an EXTREMELY tight timeline, I was concerned that I'd missed the R1 window. I started with only two weeks to prepare applications for 4 schools - HBS, Stanford, Wharton and Booth. In hindsight, that was a big mistake. I had talked with several consultancies when I still had about 3 months to work on my apps. I couldn't decide who to move forward with (or if I saw the value in working with them) and then got busy with work. A few firms stayed in touch with me, one of them being Square One Prep. Something about the owner's correspondence with me struck a chord. I felt like she actually cared about my success and worried that I was letting the R1 window pass me by. I liked that she also told me she felt I may be underestimating what the process takes and sent me application schedules - customized for me - so I could see how timelines were tightening. Her correspondence was personal, whereas the other firms' emails to me felt like boiler plate text. That is why I decided to work with Square One. I worked with them on two schools - Stanford and Booth. I thought HBS and Wharton were so straight-forward I could do them on my own.
Truthfully, if time hadn't become such an issue I would have done all the schools on my own. Because I was from Singapore, went to an Ivy League undergrad school, had done well, and was excelling in a management job with a world-class company in Japan where I'd learned the language on the job, I really thought every business school would want me. I didn't have the strongest GMAT score, but I thought everything else would more than make up for that.
I butted heads with Square One a lot because I was stubborn and uncomfortable with being introspective. Many things they urged me to do, I wouldn't - whether it was about following the schedule they put together for me, using different recommenders than I did, choosing different essay topics for Stanford than I did, talking about some of my work experiences differently on my resume, etc. Each and every time, they rolled with the punches. They dealt with me not following the schedule (I took two days off one week in I was so tired by how taxing the process was), they helped me with my LORs when both of my recommenders failed to take the endeavor seriously (getting LORs came down to the wire), they helped me make my Stanford essay ideas work even though they felt I should have explored other ideas, and they accepted it when I wouldn't change resume wording per their advice. I wasn't an easy client in the written app. work. I became a dream client once we got to the interview stage because by then I had developed humility and perspective about the process. All stuff that Square One tried to give me from the first day they talked to me.
Because Square One provided the structure, consistent guidance, and ability to adapt to my ever-changing needs and demands, I will be joining Chicago Booth with a merit-scholarship in hand!
Square One Prep was a terrific investment to say the least! I could kick myself for not working with them on all my schools and for being so resistant to their guidance. But I'm a big believer in not having regrets. Plus, again. I'm going to Booth with a scholarship!

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At first I wondered if Square One Prep, which came recommended by a friend who worked with them the year before and got into HBS, Wharton, and Kellogg, was worth my hard-earned money. In retrospect, working with Square One Prep was invaluable. From my very first conversation with Kathryn, the firm's owner, to my very last, working with them made all the difference for both my applications and my sanity. It was as if SOP shined a flashlight down a dark passageway and then guided me to safety. My anxiety for the daunting and opaque application process disappeared because I knew I was in good hands. It meant a lot due to how much conflicting information is out there on the blogs and forums.
The support I received allowed me to focus on the important things, like being myself rather than second-guessing myself. Kathryn encouraged me to talk about topics that I never would have considered appropriate for b-school applications, but in retrospect I am so happy I did talk about because I now see myself and some experiences in my life very differently, more maturely. I also think that talking about the personal experiences I did helped set me apart from the competition. One topic was particularly difficult to open up about. But Kathryn made me feel comfortable going to places in my head that I didn't even go to with my family or girl friend.
Kathryn was also incredibly accommodating, working around my i) hectic work schedule (that sometimes meant we did calls after midnight) and ii) personal vacation which was unplanned and meant Kathryn had to work with me in a VERY rushed manner upon my return to ensure I made my deadlines. It was hard work, but Square One Prep enabled me to put my best foot forward. In fact, they wouldn't let me do anything less, even if that meant going through ten iterations on an essay or doing a mock interview 2-3 times to make sure I was ready. I should add that I was interviewing when Hurricane Sandy hit the Northeast. When Square One Prep's office and Kathryn's apartment lost power for days (like most of NYC), Kathryn still found places to give me two 2-hour+ mock interviews over the phone so I wouldn't have to do my HBS interview cold. That's dedication.

I am happy to share that, thanks to the help from SOP, I was accepted into two top-5 schools, including my #1 choice, HBS. Even with a lackluster GPA in college and no extracurricular activities since college, I got into my dream school. Money well spent!

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"When I began the b-school process I was working 80 hours weeks and had less than two months to finish taking the GMAT exam and knock out my applications for round 1; to say I was stressed and overwhelmed would be an understatement. Fortunately a colleague of mine had just finished his time at Stanford GSB and strongly recommended that I work with his consultant, Square One Prep. After speaking with Square One's owner I was blown away by her years of experience and wealth of knowledge, but most importantly, I felt like she truly cared about my individual success and that I wasn't just another client.
I partnered with her specifically, and she immediately relieved some of my anxiety by getting me organized through setting a work schedule that we executed against. As we began working together I soon realized her strength was her ability to guide my writing such that I would be presenting my story and candidacy in the most effective way possible without altering my voice or message. Additionally, her honesty was an invaluable tool for improving my applications; she did not hesitate to tell me when something was weak and needed fixing. Her "on-the-ball" mentality and impressive responsiveness kept me honest and focused.
The final results speak for themselves; I received admission to Stanford GSB, my top choice, as well as admission to another great school with a sizeable fellowship. I am positive that without Square One's help, none of that would have been remotely possible."

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