I was a little overwhelmed by the MBA application process, so I was looking for someone who would help make the process less stressful and more manageable.  Jennifer helped keep me on track and maintain a clear head throughout the process while encouraging me to present myself in the best light. I felt comfortable sharing personal anecdotes when brainstorming essay topics and loved her ability to cut down on words to keep my writing concise (and within the word count).   I spoke to some other consultants at other firms who were more aggressive in their approach, wanting me to re-take the GMAT again or start a non-profit. I really did not want that and instead wanted someone who would be more encouraging and help me feel confident in telling my story.   I started out with their fundamentals and strategy package and then upgraded to the comprehensive package. I really appreciated that Jennifer talked through the options with me and wasn't trying to upsell me. 

Melisa was a breath of fresh air. I interviewed a few different consultants and consulting agencies before deciding on Stratus. Melisa was the deciding factor. Other consultants at other firms told me to change who I was inherently as an applicant in order to better my odds of getting in. Melisa on the other hand, saw who I was not only as an applicant but as a person. She highlighted the strengths of my application rather than the weaknesses. By doing so, I was able to craft an application that was perfectly authentic and true to myself. Every conversation we had left me feeling motivated, confident, and excited for the next steps. I really appreciated her guidance especially because I had some difficult aspects in my application (lower quant score and I am an owner of a family business). I never felt overwhelmed during the MBA process with Melisa as my guide. We had weekly phone calls throughout the entire process, start to finish. She assisted me with overcoming my test anxiety, writing out my MBA goals, thinking about my long term plans, crafting/editing my essays, supplementing my resume, and preparing for my interviews. The entire team at Stratus was friendly, incredibly responsive, and showed they cared for me. I was not just a number to add to their school “ding” data, I was a person they were rooting for to succeed as a woman in business. With the help of Melisa, I received an interview at all 5 schools that I applied to, was accepted to 4 schools and waitlisted at 1. I received scholarship money from all 4 business school programs. I am happy to report that this fall, I will be enrolling in a top ten business school with a $100,000 scholarship. Many thanks to Melisa and the Stratus Team. I already miss our weekly calls! Melisa is the best!

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!

I had a great time working with my consultant, Temi. She took the time to understand who I am based on my background and experiences both personal and professional before diving into essays and interview prep which I think was a fabulous approach. This rapport and the Stratus strategy/process helped me to build winning essays that landed me acceptance to my top choice in MBA program. I had a very busy schedule and very short turnaround time while applying for business school and Temi showed me so much patience, determination and attention to detail. I wanted to do better for myself but also as a result of her motivation. She put me in touch with many people from her Stratus team, including Susan Cera and Melisa Prevost, and past MBA candidates who gave tangible advice for my essays and interviews. I was 100% satisfied after every cent was spent on this package with no regrets. I would highly recommend working with Stratus and definitely with Temi!

At the beginning of my MBA journey I reached out to 3-5 consultants for the free consultations. My GMAT/GPA are slightly lower than the averages at the programs that I was targeting so finding someone that understood my story was crucial for me. Within the first 5 minutes of talking to Susan I knew she was the person I wanted to use. She took the time to understand my background and asked thoughtful questions to learn more – this was vastly different than my experience with other consultants who were just trying to put me into a pre-defined framework to craft my story. Susan felt more like a mentor who genuinely wanted me to succeed rather than a consultant who was focused on getting my business.  I ended up purchasing the one school package and using the ad-hoc/hourly service for essays on the other programs that I was applying to.   We first started on the “introspection” exercise which ends up serving as the basis to answer the most common questions: Why MBA, Why Now and Post-MBA Goals. Based on this information Susan helped me craft a strategy specific to each program that I was applying to. This not only helped with my essays but also with my informational chats with students and alumni. I come from a non-business background (engineering) and I felt very polished during my phone calls with students.  In addition to the introspection exercise, Susan helped me rework my resume, gave me multiple rounds of feedback on my essays, and helped me prepare for my interview. I even got positive feedback from the admissions committee regarding my interview and overall application. I was waitlisted at my top choice due to my GMAT score, but Susan helped me with my updates to the admissions committee (about 5-6 in total).  I used Susan for help on my essays on an hourly basis for two other programs. She was incredibly generous and upfront about what can be accomplished in the hours I purchased. We managed to do 2-3 drafts of my essays for each program within the 2 hours that I purchased.  I could not be happier with my experience with Susan, I would highly recommend her to anyone looking at applying to MBA programs in the future. I am headed to a Top 15 program this fall with a sub 3.2 GPA and sub 700 GMAT.

Like many people applying for an MBA, I was concerned that there was nothing special about my profile and I wouldn’t be able to stand out to the universities. Thanks to Susan and the Stratus team, I not only received multiple acceptances from top 20 schools, but scholarships as well. It was more than I could have ever hoped for, especially as a Round 3+ candidate.   Susan changed my entire perspective on the MBA process. From her I learned that the events in my life weren’t as important the lessons I had gleaned from them. I started to look at even supposedly insignificant events in a different light. This coupled with Susan’s insightful questions helped me create a strong narrative around my drivers for pursuing an MBA and my post-MBA goals.   Susan’s grasp of my personality combined with her deep knowledge of the different MBA programs made her an excellent advisor at every stage. Her feedback was instrumental in ensuring my essays communicated my qualities and plans effectively. She iterated on the drafts with me until I felt good about what I turned in. If I was having trouble finding any information on universities, she was able to suggest programs or activities I might have missed in my research.   I really appreciated Susan's thoroughness and promptness during the review process. I had been talking to her on and off for sometime, but when I decided to apply, I only had one month to turn around 5 applications. Susan gave me the confidence to meet those deadlines and hustled with me through the entire process.  She did a mock session with me before each interview and gave me feedback to better articulate my responses and boost my confidence. Once I received offers, she was quick to jump on a call and help me weigh the pros and cons. Having been on the admissions side herself, she was also able to help me communicate with the different schools during this time.   I’m now thrilled to be attending Berkeley-Haas.  I couldn’t have asked for a better counselor than Susan. She is kind and empathetic but not afraid to give you the tough love you need to reach your potential. She went above and beyond and was truly with me till the end, cheering me on. I’m so grateful and I couldn't have done it without her. I highly recommend her and the Stratus team!