Donna is an excellent consultant and I would highly recommend her to anyone thinking about getting their MBA! She was an incredible resource and added significant value to my applications. I bought the comprehensive package and would absolutely say it was the right move. Donna helped guide me through the full process, from my introspection exercises to thoughtfully creating a story around my MBA journey and finally helping me prepare for interviews. She was extremely responsive and went above and beyond to make sure she got back to me quickly when we were bumping up against application deadlines. Most importantly, I could tell that she was genuinely excited for me when I finally got the call that I had been accepted at Columbia!

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I worked with Melisa on an hourly basis and she was worth every dollar. I chose her because she was so genuine and encouraging during our initial consultation. Since I was on a budget, she worked with me efficiently and was quick to respond to any questions I sent her way. I was a bit lost in the application process but she worked with me every step of the way and helped guide me to ensure I submit quality essays. She also prepped me for the interviews and gave me valuable feedback! No need to interview other consultants...she's all you need and more.

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I interviewed 4 different consultants from 4 different companies, and Melisa was the obvious choice for my MBA journey. I worked with Melisa via an hourly package, and she was more than generous with her time, recommendations, and resourcefulness. I chose Melisa because she was honest and thoughtful about the maturity of my story and profile, and helped focus my energy where it counted the most. She honored my voice while ensuring all my bases are covered. I appreciated how she kept me in mind, and would send me resources that she thought I would benefit from. Other consultants would try and push a story on me, but Melisa knew my super-power was owning my own story - I would highly recommend Melisa again and again.

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I cannot recommend Melisa enough. By the end of the 2020 R1 application cycle, I had not only gotten a full tuition scholarship to one of my top choices, I had learned a lot about myself and had become more confident in the direction of my career. From our very first call, I sensed an authenticity to Melisa that I hadn't sensed in other consultations. I started the application process with very little idea of why I wanted an MBA other than to pivot out of my current career or what the application process looked like. Stratus' process is tried and true. Throughout the first few weeks working together, we dug into experiences, events, and feelings that had mattered to me throughout my life, and, in doing so, I figured out what type of impact I wanted to have in my career. As a very private person, I was initially nervous to share some experiences because, while it was important to me, I didn't think anyone else would care. Melisa made me feel comfortable talking about myself and pushed me to think past the experience to examine why it was important to me. I felt like I was talking to someone I had known for much longer than just a few weeks. Initially, I told Melisa that I wanted to pursue consulting, and eventually, throughout the introspection process, I realized, thanks to Melisa, that another path was more aligned with my career aspirations.

Once we figured out my 'why' and 'how', Melisa helped me to nail down my story. I was worried I'd struggle to stand out as a male, finance applicant, but she helped me to leverage my personal experiences into a cohesive, unique story that pulled together my background, current career, need for an MBA, and future career aspirations. It was truly my story and I was proud of what we put together. Throughout the outlines and essay drafts, Melisa was always always always available to talk or ask questions. Every time I had an outline/essay returned, I felt like Melisa had really looked at it from an adcom perspective and provided thorough and thoughtful feedback that helped me to put my best self on paper.

After receiving interview invites, Melisa took me through a few mock interviews and provided some specific tips that really helped me to verbally communicate my story and experiences in a succinct, impactful manner. Come interview day, I felt prepared and confident in explaining the relevance of my experiences and story to an MBA and future career.

Melisa was a total pro all throughout the process. All edits and reviews were returned promptly, and in most cases early. She worked around my tricky schedule, and even made time on the weekend to help me brainstorm after we decided to scrap and restart one essay. Professional through and through.

More than anything, it really felt like Melisa was in my corner, and I am very grateful for that and all the work that she did. I would not have had the success that I did in the application process without her. She is the best and I highly recommend working with her!

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Susan is an excellent consultant!! I highly recommend her for anyone who is applying to MBA programs. I started working with her in the spring of 2020 with the plan to apply that fall. First, before applications, we worked on short- and long-term goals and took a deep dive into my strengths in order to begin to shape my story. We brainstormed schools that would be the best fit for me and she introduced me to students and/or alums that I could talk to about their experience. She then guided me through the entire application process, including essays, videos, recommendations, interviews (with mock interviews), etc. I found her to be extremely relatable, professional, knowledgeable, and engaging. Susan always has a positive attitude which is very refreshing as the application process can be very daunting. I cannot thank Susan enough for helping me get into my dream school and first choice, Wharton, in addition to my other top choice, MIT Sloan. There is no doubt in my mind that hiring Susan was the right decision and I have already strongly recommended her to family and friends.

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I used an hourly package to apply to 3 schools. Susan worked with me to effectively craft my unique story into a compelling desire to pursue an MBA (I am a musician by night and a strategy consultant by day — my post-MBA goals lie in bridging that gap). I had the story in my head, but Susan took my essays from ok to great. She brought out passion, specifics (that I had long forgotten), and detailed knowledge about the nuances of each school to help me tailor each application. She was also incredibly efficient with the limited time we had, turning each iteration of my essays around quickly -- sometimes within hours.

End result: 3 for 3 on acceptances (one M7 and two T15’s), plus a substantial merit fellowship option. She has also continued to coach me on negotiation strategies post-acceptances. 10/10 recommend!

Stats: GMAT 730, GPA 3.85, STEM undergrad

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From our initial call, Melisa made it clear the process was more than just helping me gain admission to my programs of choice. Instead, we spent a significant amount of time identifying my core values and how these shaped my long term goals. This in turn helped to lay the foundation for why I was looking to pursue my MBA in the first place.

In 2020 the application process was constantly evolving, but Melisa was my sounding board throughout the uncertainty. She was always very timely in her feedback and available by phone or email whenever I needed. Even small things like sending me school events or LinkedIn profiles that matched my career interests demonstrate how Melisa really goes above and beyond. Additionally, while you work with one consultant, you benefit from the collective knowledge of the Stratus team which is tremendously helpful as well.

As I write this I am deciding between two of my top choice programs with a fellowship offer. While the decision to work with a consultant is significant investment of time and money, I believe it’s well worth it as you come out of the process with a clear understanding of yourself and a roadmap for how to achieve your long term ambitions.

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It was always a goal of mine to go back and get my MBA and at first, thought I could go the cheap route and do it on my own. Big mistake. I ended up getting rejected from my top schools but I was determined, and decided to go for it the next year. I was introduced to Susan through multiple friends who had used her in the past and raved about their experience. Truthfully, the cost was a bit daunting at first but after our first meeting I could tell that Susan new exactly what she was doing. From her own experience of applying and getting into business school, coupled with her immense knowledge from working in admissions at Fuqua for over a decade, she brought insight that I could have gotten from few other sources. She was incredibly thoughtful but pushed me to think about what I really wanted and how to craft my story from my past and where I wanted to end up. I had a terrible GPA and decent GRE scores, so it was an uphill battle from the start, but I ended up being accepted to all the schools that had rejected me the previous year. Can’t thank Susan enough for all her hard work and dedication throughout the process – it sure paid dividends in the long run.

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Jennifer helped me get into my dream school and made the application process as stress-free as possible! Jennifer took the time to get to know me, my background, and what I was hoping to gain from an MBA, and she helped me narrow in on the schools that would be the best fit for me and highlight my strengths through my application. I really appreciated how she provided guidance and suggestions that helped me take my essays and applications to the next level but never tried to change my writing style or the essence of what I wanted to portray. She was so supportive throughout the process, provided an achievable timeline, and was a calming presence as I submitted my applications and prepared for interviews. She has a thorough understanding of schools and the application process, and she provided valuable insights that I never would have known without her. She made the application process enjoyable, and she even helped me learn more about myself that I will carry with me beyond business school. She was always quick to respond and accommodated my schedule for calls and prep. I am so thankful to Jennifer for all of her amazing guidance and would highly recommend working with her!

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Susan helped me get into my top choice M7. The first thing that stood out to me is that she's really fun, but also no-nonsense! She knows her stuff... you can tell she comes from the admissions world and has the expertise to steer you toward the key fundamentals that really make a difference.

I spoke with several consultants before going with Susan... they all seemed to try to sell me on their magnificent writing or deep expertise on a school... but what was compelling to me is that Susan gives you what most consultants can't: the experience of having worked in admissions. She knows how adcom ticks and can help you craft a compelling story that adcom will understand.

I used an hourly package with Susan and found it to be a great value... she was transparent and efficient, very responsive, and impressively available. She'll be your #1 fan throughout the process, and will give you the confidence that you're turning in the strongest possible application.

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