I chose SOP because it was highly recommended by a personal friend and former client. When I started, I didn't have a strong reason for getting an MBA. Through their introspective approach, they pushed me and challenged me to bring my application to life. The entire mindset of my application changed. I started out as a CPA with little direction or understanding of what set me apart from other applicants. I eventually understood my own personal "assets" and how I was going to get the attention of adcoms. With SOP's help, I was able to craft a rock solid narrative of how I was going to use my CPA experience to make an impact in the manufacturing/operations space. By the end, they helped me place the strongest version of myself in front of admissions committees. I'm glad I trusted my friend and SOP.

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As my current job is very demanding and requires travel in short notice, I was thinking to hire an admissions consultant to help with the notoriously daunting MBA application process in Round 1 2020. At first, I was very skeptical about engaging a consultant as I was told no one cares more about my application success than myself. However, my SOP experience proved it wrong as client-centricity and professionalism is manifested in every step of the firm’s service. I couldn’t have received the three M7 offers without the unreserved help from SOP team!

I started due diligence on 20+ consulting firms in July after finishing GMAT exam. SOP founder Kathryn is the first I spoke to. She not only assessed my profile with candid opinion, but also helped me reflect deeply. I was uncertain about my application readiness, but I felt confident and deeply committed to pursuing an MBA degree in a top school after the call. This confidence seeded by Kathryn is key to persevere the 5-month intense process. All the free consultations I had later with other firms did not match the bar she set.

I signed with SOP right after speaking with my consultant Iris Tian, an intelligent, thoughtful and patient lady. She agreed to keep open communication and promised to push me to my limits, the very things I needed from a consultant. I can say she more than delivered that promise as she turned out to understand me even more than myself at the end of the partnership. Despite 12/13-hour time zone difference, Iris is always available for me via email/WhatsApp/call and accommodates my ever-changing work and travel schedule. As I applied for 7 schools in Round 1, deadlines are approaching at around the same time, but Iris was able to deliver with consistently high standard of quality, sometimes even with several hours of notice and I feel sorry for that (e.g. I sent her a draft before going to bed in Asia time, and received her mark ups before I went to work the next day morning so that we can send to Kathryn for leadership review before finalizing to meet the application deadline in 2 days).

What also set SOP apart is that I got a whole team to support me throughout the challenging yet rewarding journey. Apart from Iris, Kathryn gives candida advice at all critical moments to help me make important decisions and controls quality of all key deliverables. Wendy, the career narrative consultant, weaves my broken thoughts into a compelling career story that I leveraged to convince every school I applied for. Bailey, Chief of Staff, not only arranged logistics in the most organized manner, but also promptly addressed my random application questions to give me peace of mind. It is the unparalleled teamwork that underpins my application success. I sincerely appreciate the partnership with SOP and would genuinely recommend it to anyone who is at square one with applying for his or her dream schools!

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I can't thank Kathryn and the team at Square One Prep enough for all their help and support. From finding which were the best schools for me, to crafting a plan on how to get the most out of school visits to ultimately brainstorming and creating a full MBA package, Kathryn was there every step of the way and I can't imagine going through the process without her help. The candid and thorough feedback I received throughout the process allowed me to create the best application possible. Kathryn worked tirelessly and was incredibly hands on as we created essays and letter of recommendation packages. Her commitment to helping me was boundless as she knew how much it meant to me to get into the right MBA program. She knew how to get the best out of me and highlight my strengths throughout the application. I owe so much to Kathryn and the Square One team!

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I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed my Square One experience. Before I started working with S1, I didn't think I had a realistic shot at any of the MBAs inside the top 25. Kathryn encouraged me to think and dream bigger, and ultimately convinced me that top 10 programs were well within reach. Kathryn and her team (a big thank you to Bailey for keeping me on track and Wendy for helping me with my career narrative) did an amazing job of working hand-in-hand with me to make sure I found a coach (Annie) that was a perfect fit for my background and admissions goals. Annie pushed me every day to craft essays and personal stories that helped me stand out during the admissions process, and made sure I was 110% prepared for my in-person interviews. Even if I had been rejected by all of my schools, the journey of thinking critically about my future and my career would have been well worth the investment. To end up getting accepted to Ross and Michigan SEAS with a $10k scholarship is more than I could have hoped for going into this process. To anyone who is doubting their chances of attending a competitive MBA program or unsure about working with S1, my success proves that the S1 team can make miracles happen!

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SOP's model of having a personal consultant and leadership team for quality check throughout the application process is extremely efficient and helpful. My consultant was really easy to talk to and would ont hesitate to tell me if my essay/idea wouldn't work. She did a great job of pushing me to self reflect to find my own voice and bring my essay to the next level. Kathryn and the rest of the team was also instrumental in keeping me on the right track. Their service is worth every penny. I would highly recommend SOP to any friends or co-worker looking for MBA application consultant.

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Picking the right consultant is tough, as there are more than a handful with great reviews and pretty similar offerings out there. I chose Square One after a long, candid conversation with the founder. I was impressed with their data-driven track record and Kathryn’s honest assessment of my potential but the need to dig deeper into my story. After choosing Square One, I enjoyed working closely with my advisor (Dan K) and the rest of the SOP team throughout the application process. They pushed me to really self-reflect, which was equal parts challenging and satisfying. I ended up only applying to three schools in Round 1 and landed a seat in Booth’s Class of 2022!

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I highly recommend SQ1. The truth is finding a good consultant is tough and can't be a very scientific process. Reason being - most people would only choose 1 consultant to partner (a sample of 1 is not representative) and a lot of times success or failure of mba application doesn't have a direct causation with the consultant you choose. But what i can tell you is - I did 14 free mba consulting calls and i am glad i partnered with SQ1. Folks at SQ1 genuinely care about their clients and the consultants here only work with 1-3 applicants at the same time.
I worked with Mike who was super patient and strategic in providing application tips, pushed me along this rough journey and applied his knowledge and rigor to lead your path.
You will find the career narrative to be super helpful as that's the starting point of your essays, the team will challenge you hard and help you to find something that makes sense and genuine.
Trust me you won't go wrong with choosing SQ1. Good luck with you application!!!

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When I was first in the process of looking at schools to apply to, I was overwhelmed by all of the information out there, and really didn't know where to start. I didn't want to waste my time applying to schools that I had no shot at getting into, and so initially just needed that guidance to understand how I compared as a candidate. Kathryn was super helpful in going down my list of schools, listing the pros and cons, and stating why each would be a good fit or not for me, based on my desired goals.

With making the decision to pursue an MBA, the biggest and most important part of the process is having a clear and concise reason for why pursuing an MBA at this point in your career is a good step for you, and how each specific school is going to help shape the path that you see for yourself. This was the hardest part of the application as you really need to dig down deep to figure out what you are looking for and whether the path you see for yourself is realistic within the scope of your career experience so far. Kathryn, Wendy, and Garry were pivotal through this process and I went through several rounds of revisions with them really honing my career narrative. This process proved to be extremely fruitful as it provided a baseline upon which I built my essays for every single school I applied to.

Along with the narrative, the incredibly structured process with regards to the LORs and the guidance that the team was consistently able to provide was incredibly beneficial as well. I am incredibly grateful for the support and guidance the Square One team was able to provide me and am looking forward to matriculating at a top MBA program next year!

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The entire Square One team has been great throughout the process including Kathryn, Wendy, and Bailey. They helped me craft every part of my application from my career narrative to through the actual applications and follow-ups. I spoke with a number of consultants and ended up with Square One because I never felt like I was being 'sold to' - they gave me a realistic assessment of my chances and I was lucky enough to be admitted to a number of the top MBA programs. I've recommended Square One to a couple of my friends also considering applying for an MBA - without them and their framework for success, I would have been much less disciplined and less successful throughout this process.

I'd like to give a special shout-out to Matteo, my day-to-day advisor. He's been a great resource and knew when to push and give me critical feedback and keep me on schedule. He was a great in providing feedback for my initial essay ideas and the interview process. I definitely appreciate all the time and effort he's put into my MBA journey and can't recommend him highly enough.

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My first call with Kathryn distinguished Square One Point from peers. Instead of giving enticing albeit impractical "we will get you into your dream B-school" promise, she continued to question me to make sure I truly understand why an MBA is necessary to me and what gaps I need to fill to receive my ideal offer. These questions helped me reflect deeper and analyze myself more comprehensively, creating long-lasting benefits throughout my applications.

My subsequent work experience with the team (Lee, Kathryn, Wendy and Bailey) further confirmed SOP is not “one of” but “the best” choice for MBA application consultancy. Everyone is so delightful to work with though I must say they do play devil’s advocate from time to time to push me to work harder on my preparation and craft a stronger application package. It was also because of their efficiency that enabled me to submit application to all 7 target schools one month ahead of deadlines.

Last but not least, I want to give special thanks to my consultant Lee, who not only provided instrumental help in every stage of my application, but demonstrated to me, with her own actions, that we should always never sacrifice quality for speed. She has also generously spent many extra hours with me just to make sure my application materials are as best as they could be. And the advice she has given me is not only valuable in MBA application but in life as well. I have truly enjoyed our partnership and always felt lucky to have met her at SOP.

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