I'm so glad that I worked with Melisa and with Stratus more broadly. I originally opted to work with a freelance admissions consultant, and got so frustrated/overwhelmed that I almost bailed on applying to schools entirely. I decided to give one more try with Melisa and I'm so glad I did. Melisa (and the rest of the consultants I worked with at Stratus) was so helpful throughout the process - she genuinely listened and cared about my story and was incredibly helpful in thinking through the best way to structure and convey that story. She was the best cheerleader, even on schools I didn't work with her on and seemed to really care about my getting into the right school for me. Thank you so much for all of the help and support throughout this process!!

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I got accepted to my dream school and received a generous scholarship offer, despite having a GPA and GMAT score lower than the school's average and I could not have done it without the help from Sophie and the rest of the Stratus team.

Sophie was an incredible mentor throughout this whole process, she help me frame my story in a way that was genuine but also highlighted characteristics that would leave an impression on the admission committee.

Stratus was the best investment I made during this whole application process and I would absolutely recommend Stratus Consulting to anyone who wants to get into the best B-school possible.

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Like many aspiring MBA applicants, I "shopped around" for an admissions consultant by listening to webinars, capitalizing on free consultations, and reading online reviews. Stratus immediately stood out to me not only because of their team-based approach and proven track record of success, but also because they were the one counseling team that encouraged me to apply to reach programs and didn't try to use scare tactics on me. I had a 'fit' call with Lisa and knew that her experiences and personality were exactly what I wanted from an admissions consultant.

I could easily write paragraphs upon paragraphs about how truly invaluable she was to my application process, but I'll focus on what I found to be the four greatest benefits of working with Lisa.

1. Refining My Story - Whether MBA hopefuls like to admit it or not, your story is a major part of your application. Lisa pushed me to develop an air-tight story that logically conveyed where I'm at (pre-MBA), where I want to be (post-MBA), and how I'm going to get there (through the MBA). I had moments where I was tired of answering the constant "Why? Why? Why?" questions that seemed to follow every statement of mine, but it was these questions that built the foundation of my applications. She also helped me strategize how to best incorporate my story throughout my application, not just the essays. Without Lisa, my story and subsequently my applications would not have been near as strong as they were.

2. Polishing Essays - I wrote an average of six drafts for every essay I submitted (note that I didn't even start drafting until multiple iterations of an outline were reviewed). Lisa provided timely and THOROUGH feedback for every single draft. Her feedback went beyond surface-level comments and provided real value to my essays - she told me where I needed to show versus tell, pointed out if my essays didn't reflect enough school research, noted where phrasing needed to be improved, etc. There were times at which I was very close to accepting an essay that was "good enough," but Lisa pushed me to submit the best version possible of every essay. I can look back at this application cycle and be proud of everything I submitted because Lisa challenged me to do my best work.

3. Interview Prep - Though getting an interview invite from a school is something to celebrate, my happiness would quickly turn into panic. I have always struggled with interviews and knew they would be a major challenge for me. I shared my concerns with Lisa and she went above and beyond in helping me prepare for them. She sent me interview guides, which included commonly asked questions, for every school I was interviewing with. Additionally, she set up multiple mock interviews to provide me with the opportunity to practice answering interview questions. She provided excellent feedback during these sessions, which helped calm my nerves during the actual interviews.

4. Genuine Care - If there was a single reason I'd recommend working with Lisa, it is because she genuinely cares about you as both an applicant and a person. I lost both my uncle and grandma while applying to business school and consequently fell behind on some of my applications. Lisa (and other member of the Stratus team) were so understanding and worked overtime to help me submit my applications by the deadline. I can't put into words how much it meant to me when the Stratus team rallied behind me to help me through what was a very difficult time.

I applied to 6 schools across the T15 and was ultimately accepted by 4 of them (with over $340,000 in scholarship, collectively) and waitlisted by the other 2. I'll be attending an M7 (with scholarship!) this fall and I could not have done it without Lisa or the Stratus team. I know the thought of hiring an admissions consultant can be daunting as they do come with a price tag, but I can personally attest to Lisa being more than worth it. You only do your MBA once and I knew I wanted to get into the best school I could, and Lisa helped me do just that.

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I am very grateful for Donna's support and guidance. I absolutely could not have done this without her assistance. I truly appreciate Stratus' structured approach to writing essays and ensuring that I am appropriately following the timeline to submit my essays in a timely manner.

They made sure that I followed my choice of school's theme so that I had the best shot of getting an admit. And, they helped me save a lot of time when structuring themes to tackle the essay prompts head on!

The editing of my essays was great too! The grammar and spell checking polished my ideas.

I was admitted to an M7 with a healthy merit scholarship!

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I am immensely grateful for Susan’s guidance, which helped me get admitted to my dream MBA program at Stanford!

Susan was instrumental in working with me to sift through essay ideas and find my “voice.” Susan prepared me thoroughly for my MBA interview, providing critical feedback on how my responses would be perceived from an interviewer’s point of view and helping me to gain the confidence to succeed. As a former admissions officer who has also coached so many other candidates, Susan brings a level of insight and judgement that friends, family, and colleagues cannot replicate. Furthermore, Susan encouraged me to apply for a merit scholarship, which I would not have considered on my own. Susan has helped me better understand myself even beyond the MBA application.

Looking back, I remember browsing these forums when trying to decide whether to work with Susan and her team at Stratus. I would say to my old self without hesitation to work with Susan – see it as a worthwhile investment in yourself!

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As the header says, I would not have succeeded without Susan. I came into the process with a good GMAT score, my heart set on one M7 program, zero preparation, no backup plan, and a 4-week deadline. Luckily, I found Susan who took me on as a client and righted the ship immediately. Not only did I get accepted, but Susan helped me articulate my character and personal narrative in ways that I still use today. I owe a huge part of my admissions success to Susan and recommend her to anyone who wants to maximize their business school application.

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I started the MBA application process with tremendous imposter syndrome - I knew I needed someone to guide me and hold me accountable to get to the finish line. I heard about Jennifer from a friend of a friend, and somehow clicked with her through my first consultation. At the time, I was speed dating with a bunch of consultants at other firms and came to the conclusion that Jennifer and the greater Stratus team were genuinely supportive of my MBA pursuits, not simply upselling services for the sake of business.

I worked with Jennifer from June 2022 through January 2023 comprehensively with 2 schools in R1 and 1 school in R2 (all M7 schools). She is the perfect sounding board (honest and supportive) when it comes to ideas and helps you build confidence in your story. I initially started the process very concerned about how to build my story and quite frankly, figuring out what it even was. Jennifer makes sure you put in the work, and in the end, you'll be very happy with the novel you've written for yourself. She goes above and beyond making herself readily available especially when I was feeling very defeated and needed an ear - her feedback is never sugar coated, it's real talk, but always enough to nudge you back on track. I appreciated her flexibility (sometimes last minute edits for deadlines) and attentiveness in interview prep (I was able to stress test my answers/stories with other coaches, an amazing plus!) and ultimately deliberating between multiple offers! Thanks to Jennifer, I was able to land $300k in scholarships across three top 10 programs (the foundation you build in introspection/strategy phase really sets you up for successful applications at other schools even if you don't work with Stratus comprehensively on all your schools).

I'm super excited to be starting my MBA journey at Wharton in the fall - a million thank you's to Jennifer!

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Lisa was an absolute superstar through this entire process, and beyond. She did an amazing job of guiding me through voicing my own story that not only helped me create an amazing application for school, but also aided me as I reflected on life and what I wanted from my future, all without being overly hands-on. I cannot thank her enough for everything. After I was accepted, she then continued to make herself available as I spoke through a few important decisions. It felt as though she were a mentor and even a friend by the end of the process.

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I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor and support resource throughout the MBA application process than Melisa. As a first generation graduate student and child of immigrants, I was quite intimidated to start the application process. Melisa really took the time to get to know me as a person, understand my story and how it tied to my goals, and gave me the confidence and support that I needed to really excel at the process. I also did not have the traditional MBA background but Melisa really helped me convey my unique traits and skill sets to admissions teams.
I looked into other consulting options and did not find anyone as kind and approachable as Melisa. She went above and beyond and truly took the time to help me achieve my goals even though I felt a few programs were out of reach for me. She also has a very flexible working style that works quite well for the working professional and others juggling multiple responsibilities. She kept in touch via email throughout the process and also gladly took virtual meetings whenever I needed the extra time to talk things through.

Because of Melisa’s guidance and support, I will be attending a top 10 MBA program on a full scholarship, and I can’t think of a better outcome or fit. I strongly recommend Melisa to any prospective applicant and look forward to seeing all the great things she will continue to do!

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When I started my process, I was unsure on if I even wanted to apply, let alone where I should apply or what my post-MBA goals were. Donna helped me tremendously through providing school insight, focusing my professional goals, and curating a cohesive personal story. She was also incredibly flexible with my unpredictable work schedule and was able to tailor a structured deliverable timeline around what worked for me. The process can be incredibly daunting and stressful and having a cheerleader and guiding hand like Donna in your corner is so important! She played a pivotal role in my acceptance to multiple schools, and I am very grateful. Thank you, Donna!

Stratus overall is a helpful network, especially if you are applying to several schools or are unsure of how many/which programs you intend to apply to. They have a review process and network that leverages individuals' specific knowledge on programs, even if your counselor may not be an expert for the specific school.

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