I chose Allison at SquareOne for my reapplication to HBS as I was not particularly satisfied with my previous consultant from another top-rated firm when I applied a couple years prior. The difference was night and day, I have no doubt Allison played a key role in getting accepted to two of my target schools, HBS and Wharton! While previously I was one of thousands of clients (each file had to be named in a special way, consultant was available only at specific times, feedback felt generic), with SquareOne it felt far more personal. Allison was always available, and super helpful. For example in drafting the HBS essay, I struggled with picking between a couple of concepts and she was immediately available for a call to give me guidance and principles on which I should chose my topic. The highlight for me was the choreographed preparation of the post-interview reflection for HBS. I received an hourly schedule ahead of time of exactly how we go from me finishing my interview, through rounds of edits, to the final product in less than 12 hours. The support gave me confidence even heading into the interview.

One other aspect of SquareOne I would point out as uniquely cool is the career narrative. I haven't seen this anywhere else and initially thought we were wasting time spending days working on a document explaining my career vision when this was not a deliverable for any school. However, I ended up going back to this document regularly when building my applications for all 4 schools to which I applied. It gave me a framework for what my story is, and forced me to develop a clear idea of what I want to do post-MBA such that I could confidently talk about it in essays and interviews.

Last but not least, it was super helpful to have drafts go for an additional review with Kathryn. Getting a fresh set of eyes on the materials helped us catch some gaps in the story multiple times, and her insight was super useful. I particularly appreciated her openness to challenge ideas which she believed weren't right, that way forcing us to rethink some parts of the materials to make them work better.

The whole team were great and I can't recommend them enough!!

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I was in a tough spot with work and wanted to get an MBA to pivot my career. I interviewed with many other well-known consulting firms, but was blown away by Kathryn's attentiveness and interest in my narrative from the get-go. Crafting my application narrative required a number of iterations since my background was complicated, but the team was incredibly patient and supportive. The large bank of work from previous students was a huge help, since I could see what worked for other students that were accepted into top programs. In the end, I was admitted into programs I thought were a long shot thanks to the team at SOP. I highly recommend their services to anyone 100% committed to getting an MBA!

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Working with Kathryn and the Square One Prep team helped me get into my dream school. The team, especially Leila, played a crucial role in the application processs. Leila was a huge help as I worked on crafting my essays and, thanks to the many calls, emails and texts we shared, I felt that my my final essays presented a holistic picture of myself, blending personal and professional experiences seamlessly. SOP’s team-based approach, leadership reviews, round-the-clock availability and dedicated advisors make their service a standout. I recommend SOP for anyone serious about applying to a competitive MBA program. Thanks SOP!

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I worked with Square One for my reapplication and they completely changed the way I built the application. Their strategic and thorough process helped me understand the application holistically, and they ultimately ensured that my applications showed the best version of myself. The whole team at SOP was extremely diligent and they demonstrated that they cared for my application, while always being sincere and managing my expectations. Through a lot of hard work, sleepless nights, and lengthy calls, I ultimately was admitted and am attending the Wharton MBA. I couldn’t be more excited and grateful for the work we put in!

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Initially, I hesitated to sign on the services of an admission consulting firm for my round 1 MBA applications. However, with over 10 months of collaboration with Square One Prep and the firm’s incredible leader, Kathryn Lucas, I am beyond happy that I did! Currently serving on Active Duty in the military and transitioning to the civilian sector in the next year, my journey will commence at Wharton in August 2024 – in case anyone is wondering about the results! I also secured admissions from Columbia, Tuck, Yale SOM, and NYU Stern.
Square One Prep, along with their remarkable team of advisors such as Kelsey Wise, Kelsey Kephart, and Wendy Bagdi-Durrua, truly brought out the very best in my application through extensive hours of reflection, conversations, and guidance derived from their immense professional and life experience. There are no “time limits” or “work hours” with Square One Prep; they are there every step of the way. Not to mention, my advisor, Kelsey Wise, spent hours on the phone between her busy consulting job, preparing me for interviews as they unfolded, random essay questions, and fielded all my questions and concerns as I went through the application process. Kelsey Wise truly is an insightful, patient, and warming spirit throughout the entirety of the long, nerve-wracking period.
Square One Prep’s team adeptly managed the approach to denials, the dreaded wait list, and the decision-making process for accepting offers whenever the need arose. For military members seeking to transition to the civilian sector through an MBA, Square One Prep will help maximize the content of your application by authentically highlighting the best in YOU. This goes for really any profession as well! Initially uncomfortable with the notion of "bragging" about myself in an application, Square One Prep showed me how to represent myself professionally and appropriately as I managed my transition from active duty to an MBA program.
Overall, Square One Prep holds a special place in my heart for diligently assisting during such a crucial time in my life. Lastly, I not only learned about navigating the MBA application process, but I also gained friendships with an amazing crew of people who are successful in all walks of life. I wholeheartedly recommend Square One Prep; good luck, and I assure you that choosing to work with their team will be a decision you won't regret!

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I still remember the time when I was researching Admissions Consultants and read a bunch of reviews on GMATClub and other MBA related websites of various companies. In the end, I decided to go with Square One Prep as a close friend of mine had worked with SOP and only had positive things to say. I am glad I took his advice!

SOP are really methodical and thorough when it comes to building applications. Following a structured approach that helped manage timelines effectively, they went the extra mile to ensure that every component of my applications is crafted to perfection.The ideation and brainstorming sessions helped lay a solid foundation for my overall career narrative and essays. The team helped me craft compelling stories and really differentiate myself.

Throughout the process, they were super responsive and always available to address any concerns. With their support, I felt the utmost confidence submitting applications and performing in interviews.

I couldn’t be happier with my results as I got my first choice university! I’m extremely grateful for this partnership and would highly recommend their services!

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As an Indian applicant with just 1 year of work ex at the time of application, I knew that my chances of getting into my dream business school were abysmal. After talking to many consultants who echoed my doubts and recommended me not to apply at the time, I had almost convinced myself to defer my plans. I vividly remember the night when I, dejected after one more disappointing call, stumbled upon Square One Prep through reviews on GMAT Club and decided to schedule this one last call to assess my chances – and I am so glad that I did!

Kathryn, in the first screening call, understood my ambitions and goals (rather than straight away writing them off as unrealistic as some other consultants had) and gave me the confidence to give it a shot, while being frank and objective about my chances given my less work ex. Kathryn’s confidence in my profile and SOP team’s vast experience were the primary reasons why I decided to work with SOP on my applications.

My experience working with SOP has been wonderful. My team, consisting of Kathryn, Kathleen, Cristina, and Horatiu, helped me present my story in the best possible way. The career narrative work with Horatiu helped me flesh out my goals in a logical manner which was not only helpful while writing essays, but in hindsight, played a crucial role in my interviews also. Kathleen, my advisor, was a huge support during the entire process. She was very approachable and always a text away, happy to answer all my big and small doubts. She nudged me in right directions and helped me highlight my best self through my essays and resume to bring together a well-rounded application. Her targeted feedback during mock interviews was pretty valuable too. She is highly experienced, has valuable insights, and is a great person to have by your side during this stressful process – I can’t thank her enough. Cristina, my partnership manager, was very responsive and always ready to answer all of my questions. Kathryn’s final reviews of all my essays and videos, and her interview advice added significant value.

Through the entire process, I appreciate how SOP emphasized on authenticity – be it in my career vision, personal essays, resume, or interview prep, my team made sure that I let my authentic voice, candor, and vulnerability come through.

Had I not talked to Kathryn, I might have not even applied, and now I have an admit from my dream B-school – Chicago Booth, that too with a $40k scholarship. This would not have been possible without SOP’s help and I am so glad I got in touch with them! I highly recommend all prospective B-School applicants to reach out to SOP.

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I can't believe that at first I was skeptical whether I should hire an MBA advisor. I thought my 760 GMAT "got me covered". Still, that's what people did and I didn't want to risk it, so I spoke with 4 advisors, two local, two American. The Brazilian advisors didn't click well with me. One of the Americans I spoke with treated me like I was trying to get a table on a Friday night at a busy New York restaurant. Then I spoke with Kathryn. 15 minutes in I was thinking "is my time up?". I told her I had an unusual background and that explaining it would take a while. She said "there is no rush". I didn't think I should use that story in my MBA apps. After a nearly 2h long chat, she convinced me I absolutely had to tell that story. I knew I had to pick SOP.

Before you sign with SOP, you get to chat to three advisors, to pick the one you like the most (if you're not going with Kathryn). First chat went well, but it didn't click. Second chat, same thing. Then comes Anna (Tsilidou). I'll summarize my experience working with Anna with this: the effort she put into my app was as if she was applying herself. And all the team behind SOP made me realize (in a positive way) how little I was prepared to write those essays and how many blunders I would have committed if left on my own.

I was incentivized by Kathryn and Anna to aim higher in my applications and applied to schools I hadn't thought of at the beginning. The MBA application process is not only brutal but also highly unpredictable. I'm still in disbelief that I got a 75% scholarship from my top school, Columbia. This was the dream result for me, and I got it. I am honestly not sure this could have happened had I picked someone else. It was worth every cent.

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In the whirlwind of my MBA journey, Square One Prep emerged as a transformative force. Having prepared for the GMAT, then applications, and then facing multiple rejections in the previous application cycle, I found myself exhausted and disheartened.

Selecting a consultant was a critical life choice I had to make, especially as a reapplicant. After a friend’s endorsement who had worked with SOP, I hopped on a call with Kathryn – the founder of SOP. I still remember our initial 1-hour call - where we talked about the process, which schools to target, and most importantly her belief that my dream schools were within my reach. What I loved about SOP approach was there would be a team of experts to support me – Matteo as my advisor, Horatiu, Cristina and Kelsey, with Kathryn also involved in reviewing.

The process is very structured (with strict timelines) – school selection, recommender selection, career narrative, resumes, and the Assessment Call with your advisor. I spent close to 4 hours on the call – with me narrating my life journey to Matteo, and then we could figure out which aspects of the journey we could highlight in the essays, resume etc.

I’m thankful to everyone on the team, but most importantly Matteo who has been my guiding light throughout the journey. Matteo made it clear that his role was not simply editing my essays or giving a lot of suggestions. Instead, he gave honest (and once brutal) feedback and encouraged me to write the best essays I could – and I’m very grateful for his approach. His attention to detail in the essays allowed me to curate very personalized essays for each school. The support of other team members Horatiu, Kelsey, Cristina was equally commendable– they’re all experienced and available to talk about anything – you just have to email them.

I enrolled on a 3-school package – but received help and resources for additional school applications as well. My top choices were Fuqua, Tuck and Kellogg – and while other consultants might encourage ‘safe’ choices, Square One never told me to settle. When I finally received interview invites from almost all schools I’d applied to, I had a mock interview with Matteo. While my first mock wasn’t good, by the 2nd mock I was ready and during the real interviews I presented my candid best to the schools.

Thanks to the Square One team, I received admits to Ross and Fuqua (with scholarship), among others. Beyond the tangible outcomes, what’s most valuable for me is the personal growth I achieved. I came out of this process more self-aware, improved my writing, structured thinking and communication skills – and I’m sure these qualities will benefit me immensely in my future career. For anyone navigating the highly competitive b-school application process, my sincere recommendation is to just schedule a call with Kathryn and understand the process. If you’re seeking top-notch guidance from a team deeply invested in your success, then Square One Prep is the way to go. SOP is more than a consultancy – it’s a partner committed to your personal and professional success in a way very few people out there are!

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From the moment, I spoke to Kathryn for 1.5 hours over the FREE consultation hour, I knew I had found people who’d actually be invested in my success. And I haven’t been disappointed one bit. I was late to the R2 application round (with less than 1.5 months to go for the deadlines), but the team worked hard on my application and my story, the consultant and reviewers responded quicker than their standard review times, and everyone was willing to work at a fast pace just because I asked them to. I really really appreciate them for it! Some other points that stood out to me:

1. I always got honesty from my consultant and Kathryn. They made me face the reality from time to time but also picked me up when I was extremely underconfident.
2. Kathryn believed in me and offered to take time out to be my senior reviewer despite it not being a part of my package. This further strengthened my belief in my ability and profile.
3. I LOOOVED that they have an extremely structured process. Everything is planned to the T and they make sure no-one involved lags behind, and even if they do, they make sure the progress is not hampered. I especially appreciate the regular check-ins and pushes from Cristina (my relationship manager) and Paula (my consultant) because I had a tendency to proscrastinate. They helped me overcome that.
4. They literally took time out to get to know me in depth and understand the kind of person I am. This helped me stay authentic to my story. Furthermore, their review process ensured that multiple eyes were going through each component of the application so different perspectives could be taken into account and there was no ambiguity in the essays.
5. Paula, my consultant, even went above and beyond when she checked on me about how I was feeling when an essay on a very personal topic had to be edited heavily because my senior reviewer could not follow the story I was trying to portray.
6. When I was contemplating between taking hourly consultation for a school vs taking the full comprehensive school package, I was suggested by the team to go for the hourly consultation option (even though that meant less money for them) because they felt that would be more cost effective and equally beneficial to me — a piece of advice I only expect to receive from a truly professional organisation.
6. When I was waitlisted by a couple of schools, Kathryn’s waitlist letter guidance was literally what got me where I am today — more than just what I should do and write for the adcoms to look at me differently, she helped me view the fact that I was waitlisted positively! That was what kept me going!
7. Lastly, even when I was done with my applications and I had already heard back from schools I had worked on with SOP, I received regular check in mails from them which made me realise that they really truly were always invested in my success!

I am extremely happy I chose to work with SOP on my applications. This entire process not only helped me get into my top choice school with a super cool scholarship, but also helped me rebuild my confidence in myself — which I know is going to be with me throughout my MBA journey and beyond! Thus, I recommend SOP to all prospective applicants wholeheartedly! Just sign up eyes closed!

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