When I decided I wanted to pursue an MBA, I honestly had no idea what to expect from the application process. Not only I am the first person in my family to attend graduate school in the US or pursue an MBA, but I also made the decision just a month before my first application was due. A friend recommended Square One after her own wonderful experience with the team. Kathryn was quick to reply to my email and set-up a call, speaking with me for well over the 30 minutes allotted time to understand my background, discuss my goals, and provide honest feedback on my applicant profile. The advisor I had reached out to before speaking with Kathryn had responded to my request with 2 one line emails - one asking for my job title, and the second saying she would not recommend applying as my role was still “analyst.”

After our initial conversation, Kathryn and her team designed a schedule for both schools I was applying to and were extremely flexible with my busy work schedule. The team and I spent several calls discussing my career goals and introducing companies or fields I wasn’t previously aware of to help me define what I want to do over the next 5 - 15 years. Separately, my advisor, Collin, spent hours with me on everything from talking through biotech companies and trends, to answering my (likely hundreds of) basic questions on MBAs, and much in between.

What started out as a confusing, behemoth (and honestly frightening) process was made simple and well-defined by Kathryn, Collin, and the rest of the team. I’d recommend Square One to anyone considering an MBA.

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Square One Prep was instrumental in my acceptance to my top choice business school, Darden. As a younger applicant from a non-traditional professional background, I often doubted my
chances of acceptance, but Square One Prep believed in me from day one. During my initial call with Kathryn, I was immediately impressed by her knowledge of the application process and appreciated her candidness regarding my candidacy.

Working more than full-time, studying for the GRE, and applying to six schools simultaneously was not an easy feat, but the full Square One Prep team, especially Kathleen and Bailey, ensured
that I met all deadlines and provided the consistent encouragement that I needed. With support from Kathryn, Kathleen, and Luis, I crafted a compelling career narrative, defining my short-, medium-, and long-term goals, which translated into confident and strong essays and interviews.
Through many iterations and topic calls, my advisor Kathleen helped me develop essays that stood out. She was also an exceptional resource for my many questions (and worries).

Overall, I can’t recommend Square One Prep enough!

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I worked with Squareone Prerp for my MBA applications for classes starting 2021.

I was referred to Squareone by one of my friends who spoke very highly of their team and services.

I did a lot of research and spoke to quite a few international's consultants before deciding to work with Sqaureone. After my first conversation with Kathryn, I was very sure I wanted to work with Squareone. I loved the fact, that it was an entire team with specialised skillsets that was working with you on your application.

My consultant was Garry Thaniel. He is the most optimistic and confident consultant ever. He is extremely encouraging. The process of MBA applications can get stressful, but having a very strong team that believes in your true potential is crucial. Garry, strives to understands each one's strengths and ensures the application is rocksolid. I would highly recommend students applying to the top schools to definitely work with Garry.

Working with Squareone is very structured. There are no last minute delays. Kathryn is available at every step and is very approachable. The step-by-step approach comes in very handy.

Its been an absolute pleasure to work with the Squareone Team. I am very grateful to the entire team :)

I have an offer from Columbia and other schools are TBD.

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It was an absolute pleasure working with Kathryn and the SOP team through the MBA application process!

When I started researching MBA consultants, I spoke with several, but Kathryn’s expertise on the subject was apparent, right from the very beginning. From school selection to defining my goals and crafting the essays, SOP provided outstanding resources every step of the way. I started out with a vague idea about my goals, but Wendy helped me gain immense clarity on my career narrative, while Bailey ensured I stuck to my timelines. My advisor Matteo helped me come up with the strongest content on my essays, even when it meant working on several iterations, so we could achieve the best version possible. Kathryn was always available every step of the way, guiding me through moments of self doubt and pushing me to reach for the stars.

The most remarkable thing about working with SOP is the level of commitment the team exhibits towards your application, almost as if it’s their own admission they’re working towards. I cannot thank the SOP team enough for helping me gain admission into one of my dream schools with scholarship!

I truly recommend SOP wholeheartedly to all wanting the best from their application process!

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Having applied to graduate programs (non-business) in the past, I had no idea the added complexity of business school applications. From the start, Square One has made the process as straightforward, and painless, as possible. Starting with the free consultation, Kathryn set my expectations at a high-level and scheduled discussions between me and potential advisors. After several calls (each of which went well), I decided to move forward with Mary Winograd, who became a trusted source of information and encouragement when I hit roadblocks.

The work began with a seemingly, simple narrative exercise, which proved to be the basis for my whole application. After reflecting on my short- and long- term goals, I crafted a narrative with the help of Mary, Kathryn, and Wendy that encompassed not just my goals, but my background reasoning and pathways to achievement. As a prospective career-switcher, this included a lot of research and the SOP team provided a great springboard. Next up, the frameworks used to produce essays (while still maintaining a personal story and creativity), the resume, and LOR's proved perfect for creating impact with each word. At times, my essay drafts (that I believed made sense) were found to easily lose the purpose or reader. The feedback and guidance SOP provided was invaluable and Mary was a great partner as she helped me focus on the salient points of each essay while making the application as a whole tell a story.

After submission, which felt worthy of a celebration, Mary conducted mock interviews using common questions across all schools and specific questions used by the school with which I was interviewing. Believe it or not, in my first interview, 60+% of the questions had been covered in my mock-interview! This gave me a great deal of confidence that I was properly prepared and that the system SOP uses works!

I also can't say enough about the resources on the SOP portal, which include ideas for structuring essays, resumes, etc., as well as school information. Bailey was immensely helpful in digging up scholarship information and keeping track of where I stood with each school's application. The support and essay notes from Kathryn and Wendy, while at times challenging, meant four sets of eyes were critiquing each word... not something most (if any) other firms can offer! Lastly, I'd like to commend Mary for her patience, personalization and quick turnaround (never more than 12 hours), which ensured I got my message across and put my best foot forward.

In the end, I got a scholarship to one of my target schools, which I plan on accepting, and couldn't be happier with my decision to work with SOP! Thank you Katheryn, Wendy, and Bailey! And most of all, thank you Mary!!!

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I approached Kathryn after I was rejected in the earlier application cycle. My GRE was low, and many consultants refused to even speak with me until I raised my score. This was NOT the case with SOP! Since our first call, Kathryn was very supportive, and told me I was not delusional about applying to some of the top schools in the world. Within minutes, she pointed out where I went wrong in my past written applications, highlighted my professional accomplishments, strengths, and community involvement. She knew I was working hard to improve my GRE, and she explained how she typically does not take clients with my score, but knew she could help me craft a strong, compelling story.

I signed up for a 4-school package, and my first application deadline was due in one month. Kathryn warned me that it would be very intensive, but if I was up for it, SOP was ready to go. She sent me a few day-to-day advisor profiles that she felt would be ideal with my career goals and personality. I hopped on a call with two of them, and it was an incredibly hard decision to choose between both – but I continued with Ram.

The first month was incredibly intensive, but within 2 weeks, I felt more confident about my career goals than I felt before. The key is in the details, and I experienced a lot of clarity after I completed this process with Wendy, my Career Narrative advisor, Ram and Kathryn.

During the school selection process, make sure you consider Kathryn’s advice, especially when she tells you to apply to other top schools that are also aligned with your personal goals and overall applicant profile. She encouraged me to apply to Fuqua as it was closely tied with my career goals, and was a great fit with my personality.

I was accepted to Fuqua (with scholarship) – which would not be possible without the constant support and advice from the SOP team!!! I was also waitlisted at Tuck and was told by admissions to try improving my GRE scores, which I am, while SOP is helping me craft a compelling waitlist letter. I’m now waiting to hear back from the other two schools I applied to in R2. I know for a fact that SOP has helped me craft the best narrative to highlight my strengths.

My day-to-day advisor was Ram, who worked with me every step of the way and spent countless hours on the phone and over email to learn about my background and experiences, while providing insights for individual schools/essays. He’s honest, compassionate, and 100% committed to your success (not only for the applications, but in life)! He makes himself available at any time, gives prompt responses, and his way with words is unlike others. He has consistently encouraged me to be more reflective and introspective, and when coupled with his phenomenal writing skills, has helped me craft an authentic story.

Ram will encourage you to explore different perspectives and continue to dig deep until you arrive at something that can differentiate your candidacy. His interview preparation is excellent! His advice made me feel confident every step of the way, and know it will help me in the future as well.

Overall, working with the SOP team has been a wonderful experience, and every member of the team is accessible and genuinely invested in your success! Bailey and Jenny will make sure you are on track for your applications, while your career advisor, day-to-day advisor and Kathryn will help create the best application for you! You won’t regret working with SOP, especially if you want individualized attention from an intelligent and empathetic team.

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Admission into a top school wouldn’t be possible without square one. I began the program confused and scared like most MBA applicants and registered for a 1:1 session with Kathryn. As my conversation with Kathryn continued, I realized she’s the owner of SOP! For the owner of the company to be spending time learning how she can help me get into business school meant so much to me. Further, she was willing to chat for over an hour and a half, diligently answering all the questions I had about the process going well beyond the time other companies give you for a consultation. This is when I knew I would sign with Square One Prep.

I began the process a young African with 2 years of work experience and a 3.0 GPA. (hardly the ideal b-school candidate on paper) but with the help of Kathryn, Collin and the rest of her team, we were able to show my top school why I deserved to be a part of the program.

I’ll be attending Wharton this fall and I’m still giddy! SOP helped me take a major step in my life and I’m forever indebted to them!

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Right off the bat, Kathryn and the Square One team differentiated themselves through my initial consultation with Kathryn. While respectful and thoughtful, Kathryn was direct and to the point in during the call, a style that the entire Square One team embodied throughout the process.

Throughout the process, the entire team was incredibly responsive and helped me stay on-top of my deadlines, despite my complaining about my busy work schedule. In addition to hand-holding me through the specific parts of the application, Kathryn and her team were very helpful in guiding me through some of the “softer” parts of the process (e.g., willingness to jump on a call when I was suffering from writers block, debriefing after interviews, guidance on nudging my recommenders to submit their recommendations on time, etc.)

The entire Square One Team enabled me to pull together multiple business school applications in a short period of time while maintaining my sanity and I would recommend them to anyone who is considering applying to business schools.

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From my very first free consultation call with Kathryn, I knew I found the right group of individuals to help me through this process. I engaged with SOP based on the suggestion of a friend going through the application process and reached out shortly before my first interview. After my first (free) consultation, Kathryn and I had already come up with a game plan on how to get me ready (an aggressive plan but one that would position me best for my top choice school). I appreciate the level of attention and check-ins to make sure all the pieces of the application were moving forward. This was particularly helpful while life and work were picking up for me.

Quickly after my consultation, I knew I was committed and soon after interviewed my advisor. My advisor not only became a friend during this process but a real confidant. Afiya was transparent, accessible, understanding, but always kept me honest when I needed to get back on track. I really appreciated the support throughout the whole process. Overall I'd highly recommend the services of Square One Prep. Their unique portal helps organize the pieces of the application in a way that is easy to digest and keep up with during this stressful time!

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My primary advisor was Eden and I cannot speak more highly of her. From the get-go, I knew I wanted to target EU schools only, so I wanted someone with experience working with successful EU admits. I applied to three schools; Judge (Cambridge), Oxford (Said) and INSEAD.

I first heard of SOP through a referral from a peer; a Forte Fellow who got an admit from Booth. I'd spoken to 3-4 other consulting companies by this time, so I thought I have nothing to lose by setting up a 30 minute video call with Kathryn, which turned into a 60 minute call. I wanted a partner who wouldn't just help me develop my application, but was going to be 100% honest and give sincere constructive feedback throughout the process. I asked her the hard questions; "A 93% success rate for interviews overall, what about the SPECIFIC schools I'm applying to?", "How many clients have you worked with, with non-traditional backgrounds?", "These are my worry points, what would be your suggestion if we worked together?".... She answered each one perfectly, personally, and with the utmost confidence in me.

I think that was the differentiating factor throughout my four month engagement with them - Confidence.
1. Kathryn, Eden, Wendy, Bailey and Jenny had an unwavering confidence in my candidacy (even at times when I had little confidence in myself!). This rubbed off on me.
2. Confidence in their work - and they should - they know what they are doing!

I'd specifically like to highlight the below;

*ESSAYS*, essays, essays. After trawling my files, this is what Eden and I have come to...
3 schools/ 19 essays/ 188 revisions (~9.89 revisions per essay). Eden was extremely professional. Despite the time difference (US and EU), she would make sure she had each revision back to me within 24 hours (but most of the time <12hrs). Toward the completion of the essays, we would often send three versions within a 24 hour period. The hours she would have put into the essays easily would have amounted to over 100 hours. Her attention to detail, her passion to keep my 'voice'/authenticity, her professionalism was more than I expected. Eden was with me every step of the way (school selection, background analysis, essays, LORs, interview prep.. the list goes on). Honestly, she wouldn't be doing it if she wasn't passionate about who she was working with. By the end of our engagement, Eden was more of a friend and mentor than an admissions consultant and I give her credit for my success (and the many others she's helped get into top MBAs).

On top of that, each of my 19 essays were reviewed by the Leadership Team twice. I truely believe that everyone at SOP, whether an advisor or the CEO, was committed to making sure I put my best foot forward.

Career Narrative/Career Vision
I thought I knew what I wanted to do, but Wendy, Eden and Kathryn made me realise how many gaps I had in my plan. By guiding me to think deeply into who I want to be, what I want to do, and what I want to stand for, I was able to craft a strong, compelling career narrative which is 100% me. This required hours of introspection (and psychological might from all parties) but ultimately I was able to explore, research and decide on career prospects, geographical moves and timelines, the skills I'll need, and the impact I'll have.

Systems Approach
Lastly, I wanted to give credit to the strong systems that SOP has established for clients, like you and I, to utilise. This includes the personalised Schedule which visualises (in a calendar graph format) when each component of the application (each essay, LORs, Career Narrative, etc), who is currently working on it, and their deadlines. They also provide sample essays only from past successful admits (anonymously) specific to the school. Both these tools kept me accountable, while expanding my thinking and truely appreciating that not one essay/application is the same, just like not one person is the same.


I'm happy to report that I'm off to INSEAD starting in September. I am still waiting to hear scholarship decisions (I will update my review once I find out).

I recommend Square One Prep and Eden wholeheartedly for any aspiring MBA candidate.

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