I can?t say enough great things about Cartha and Stratus. I got into 3 M7 schools and I was worried I wouldn?t even get into a single school!

Cartha really went above and beyond while she was working with me. It felt like she was fully dedicated to me and my applications. Cartha has been doing Admissions consulting for 10+ years I believe and it shows because she is so fantastic at what she does. 100% of her clients got into at least one school this year so that says a lot about how she works. She was very responsive and I could always count on hearing back from her very quickly.

Something that I really liked about the experience was that every time I thought my essays were perfect there was another person from Stratus who would read it and give comments to help me improve my essays. I didn?t even know it was possible to do that many versions of a single essay but it paid off 10 fold because I got into my dream school!

In addition to being a huge help with my essays she also helped to work with my recommenders to keep them on track and helped me with the interviews. She gave me many of the questions that I could expect at each school and did a practice run with me.

Cartha also helped me to understand the differences in the programs and would point me to some programs that I may not have known about.

Overall, even had I not gotten into any schools I know that Cartha did everything that she could to put me in the best light. It was clear that she really cared about my applications and even has kept in touch after I already enrolled in a school. I highly recommend Cartha and would hands down work with her if I were going through the process again.

I had the chance to work with Temi as a counselor at Stratus, and I can say that her help was critical to me ultimately getting into my dream top-10 school.

I found that her guidance through preparation of my materials and the subsequent formation of an application strategy gave crucial structure and nuance to developing my candidacy for grad school.

There were times where we disagreed on content to be included, and where I initially became frustrated by our differences in viewpoint and/or opinion. However, Temi did an excellent job of listening to my frustrations when we disagreed, and then presenting her case. More often than not, I agreed with her fully articulated viewpoint.

When all was over, we managed to complete 6 applications to top tier MBA programs, and I managed to get the result I wanted: a spot at an elite MBA program.

Thanks Temi, and thanks Stratus!

I had the unique experience of working with Donna and Stratus for two application seasons. In 2016, Donna helped me get accepted by three elite MBA programs. However, unforeseeable circumstances forced me to postpone my plans to pursue an MBA. Because I had such a great experience in the past, when I was ready to reapply, I contacted Donna immediately to ask her if she was willing to help me again. This had proven to be one of the best decisions that I have ever made, as I was accepted by five elite MBA programs this year with scholarships from four of them.

During this journey, Donna was always super responsive, even during weekends and holiday seasons; the average turnaround time was around 12 hours. She managed to help me prepare seven high-quality applications within one month! She was also always thinking about what was best for me; I felt I was treated not as a client but as a friend and a family member. When things were not going as planned, she was there to encourage me and help me brainstorm new ways to improve my candidacy. When I was behind schedule, she was to push me so that we could move forward. When I was accepted by my dream school, she was there first to congratulate me. Nowadays when the application season is over, we still chat regularly to discuss my progress. I am extremely grateful for her dedication and commitment to my success.

I honestly think I could not achieve what I have achieved without the support from Donna and the entire Stratus team. I would recommend her to anybody I know who is interested in pursuing an MBA education!

I recommend working with Stratus Admissions to anyone who is serious about applying to top MBA programs. I began working with my consultant, Donna, through the MBA Early Edge Package about 18 months before I applied to schools. Through the Early Edge Package, we identified opportunities to strengthen my application profile with enough time to make important improvements. Many of the improvements became core pieces of my essays and interview answers.?

Since Donna and I had already been working together for a year through the Early Edge Package, we were in a great position to hit the ground running when essays and applications were released. Donna was very responsive, genuinely interested in my success and provided excellent, school-specific feedback. Her experience as a full-time MBA admissions officer prior to Stratus allowed Donna to provided expert advice on each application and guidance navigating the stressful application process.?

With Donna?s insight and the support of the entire Stratus team, I was admitted to my dream school and look forward to attending a Top 5 MBA program this year! If you are serious about attending an elite MBA program, starting with Stratus as early as possible will help achieve your goals!

I would highly recommend the profile development services offered. I'm a fairly organized person but I know that having some external accountability and guidance is valuable which is why this service appealed to me. The great thing about Stratus is that they have a comprehensive framework that they guide prospective applicants through so that you know there isn't anything you are forgetting in terms of making sure you're presenting a well rounded self to admissions committees. This is a worthy investment and a great way to make sure you get yourself ready to apply to grad school. Your advisor will check in with you occasionally and you'll get an updated document from them showing what you've done and what you're working on by the next time you connect. If nothing else, you will be much more confident in yourself going into your applications.

I applied for my MBA after only 2 years of work experience so I knew I would need help developing my story. I did initial consultations with a lot of programs but Stratus was one of the few who believed I could do my MBA despite having only a few years of work experience and a biology background.

Donna and the Stratus team helped me overcome my low work experience to not only get admitted to 3 of the 4 schools I applied to but also receive scholarships to all of them.

Donna was easily accessible via email or phone and responded to my inquiries within a few hours. With her help, I was less stressed and was able to finish applications well before the deadline. Donna went above and beyond to help me not only with applications and school choices but also with interviews. She even took the time to meet me in person before an on-campus interview and coached me in person.

I had a fantastic experience with Donna and the rest of the Stratus team. They pushed me to dig deeper and present a story I was proud of. Donna was really invested in my applications and I am so grateful for her help. Overall, Stratus Prep exceeded my expectations and I would definitely recommend them, especially Donna to anyone who is applying for business school. I?m not sure I would have gotten in without her help.

Susan and the team (other consultants who reviewed essays, etc.) did a great job:
- managing my expectations while being supportive
- helping with introspection and subsequently reviewing essays
- reaching goals both in terms of short term (application deadlines) and long term (school location preference, etc.)

Susan was very responsive to my emails and were happy to set up chats via phone or Skype whenever I needed it. Thanks Stratus!

Susan was amazing to work with! From reflecting on why I truly wanted to go to business school, finding the right school for me, and the fast response to my questions (and I had a lot), I would recommend Stratus Prep to everyone!

I highly recommend working with Stratus Admissions. I had the pleasure of working with my consultant, Jennifer Jackson, beginning in June 2017. At the time (similar to many prospective applicants!), I was juggling full-time employment and GMAT studying. Facing the applications themselves seemed daunting. Working through Stratus?s introspection activities with Jennifer gave me a starting point and was an incredibly helpful way to frame my ?story? and clarify my MBA and post-MBA aspirations.

Jennifer worked with me to set a realistic timeline given the large number of schools I was planning to apply to and, while she was always flexible when work or life got in the way, was great about keeping me on track throughout the process. She was extremely responsive and knowledgeable about the programs I was applying to ? if I ever had a question about a program that she couldn?t answer, she would reach out to her peers at Stratus to help me get the needed information. I particularly recommend the comprehensive counseling package. Having the opportunity to receive structured feedback from multiple sources at Stratus, including my assigned senior strategist Susan Cera (who was also fantastic to work with!), a proofreader and a school-specific specialist for each program, ensured I was putting forth the best possible application.

Thanks to the help of Jennifer and the Stratus team, I was ultimately accepted to three top-10 programs and will be headed to my dream school this fall!

Thanks to Stratus' guidance, I recently was accepted into the Wharton MBA this year (after 2 prior rejections!). I had the opportunity to work with Harold Simansky and I couldn't have wished for a better experience. Harold takes the time to understand you as a person, professional, and MBA applicant and truly helps you form your best application that highlights your individuality and that positions you in the best manner possible. In addition to this, other Stratus' process brings along other consultants for various steps of the application process to help review and refine your application (and add another great perspective). All in all, if you are serious about applying to a competitive MBA program- I highly recommend Stratus to maximize your prospects of acceptance. Cheers!

I had a really great experience working with Donna Bauman. She was exceptionally encouraging and supportive throughout my application journey. She was always willing to provide helpful, honest, and timely feedback (within 24 hours) and was able to be flexible to accommodate with our time zone differences for interview preparations. Most importantly, she really took the time to understand my unique background and aspirations and was a true advocate to ensure that I conveyed my unique story across my applications. I would highly recommend Donna and Stratus to anyone looking for an admissions consultant!

When I started on my MBA application journey two years ago, I was pretty far from being the ideal candidate. I did not graduate from an ivy league university, I didn't come from a traditional business school industry, and my story was nothing remarkable, or so I thought. Working with my Senior Strategist, Susan, first in the MBA Early Edge program and then in the MBA Admissions Counseling package (along with my MBA counselor, Jamie) infused me with a confidence I can't describe. With their guidance and support, I was able to start thinking next-level about my applications, my mission and my future. I will be starting at a top-20 school in the fall full-time program and I couldn't be more proud of the hard work it took to get here!

I started using Stratus Consulting in Spring 2017 with the goal of applying by Fall 2017 for Round 1.

tl:dr Stratus was incredibly helpful. The introspection templates, essay feedback, and school guidance gave me insight into a process I was new to. Like anything, you get what you put in, and money isn't enough. But if you are really willing to work, Stratus will take that effort and focus it into a top application for your top schools. It worked here as I was recently admitted to the Stanford Graduate School of Business with an undergrad GPA below 3.0 and a GMAT score of 710.

More detail:
Stratus helped to frame my experiences in a way that not only helped me pick the best ones to share, but to craft my own goals/trends through them. Like most of you, I imagine, I am going to business school to make a specific move in my career. That move isn't coming from no where but has showed itself throughout my early career. That is easy to say but often very difficult to show in 250-750 word essays while also getting the tone, grammar, and writing style down. So firstly, Stratus was crucial in helping my instrospection process occur early and thoroughly.

Take that introspection and turning it into essays is difficult, however. Nonetheless, my Stratus advisor helped me do just that. We must have gone back and forth (I chose a package that had them help me with two schools, but ultimately I applied to 9) at least 10 times on each schools essays. She always provided helpful insight, guidance, and was not afraid to challenge my assumptions. Additionally, when the time was right, my Stratus POC gave my essays to others on her team to get additionally invaluable feedback.

For me, I tend to procrastinate and with work, personal life, and building a side business, I knew that if I didn't commit to an investment like Stratus, I would not be able to stick to a timeline to apply with high quality essays. I ultimately applied R2 (wanted/needed to get my GMAT score up) and Stratus stuck with me through the entire process. I highly recommend them to students who are ready to work, excited about business school (and other graduate schools, btw), and know they need a little fire to keep them going through the long haul.

Overal, I am happy with my decision regardless of what school I got into, but certainly ecstatic that I was afforded this opportunity to attend Stanford. My advice: if you are going to commit to this process, go all in. Commit. The worst feeling you will have from this process (worse than the long GMAT hours of studying) is realizing at the end of it that you could have done something more. Don't let that happen. Act now, organize, and make 2018 your year to do this! Good luck!

I will be the first to admit that I was skeptical about using an MBA admissions consultant. I went back and forth about the idea for at least six months while I did research and after talking with several consultants I finally went with Stratus. I could not have been happier with my choice. Donna Bauman was the best thing that happened to me along the way to applying to business school. Donna took the time to not only help me with the application process but also to help me make some difficult personal decisions about where to apply, decisions that were greatly assisted by her own personal anecdotes and experiences. Through a clear and concise pipeline we worked together every step of the way, with Donna taking time out of her evenings and weekends to help with my often last minute modifications and revisions. The employees at Stratus went above and beyond to help work around my schedule and timeline throughout the MBA application process, and after the hours and hours spent talking to Donna on the phone I now consider her a friend. Several months ago I was accepted to my #1 pick school, and awarded a hefty scholarship to boot, making Stratus more than worth the price I paid for their services.

When I first considered using a consultant, I was hesitant to commit to the price of a comprehensive package without truly understanding what working with a consultant would be like. The Application Fundamentals and Strategy option with Stratus was a relatively low-risk way to start the process and gave me the flexibility to choose how I wanted to proceed (i.e., working solo, purchasing hours, or upgrading to a comprehensive package) thereafter. I was worried that in using a consultant, I would lose my "voice" trying to fit into some consultant mold, but the outcome was quite the opposite. The Introspection process forced me to think about how different experiences in my life have shaped me personally and professionally and to examine post-MBA career options that fit with both my experiences and aspirations. Susan helped me identify themes across these different goals and experiences. The upfront work I did with Susan laid the foundation for my application strategy, kept my story grounded, and was directly applicable to several essays and even interview questions. It also helped guide my conversations with supervisors when I asked them to write my LORs. For me, the Application Fundamentals and Strategy option was a great way to "try out" working with a consultant while still moving the ball forward on my applications. I did end up upgrading to a comprehensive package. Susan, Harold, and the rest of the Stratus folks were great resources throughout the process and gave quality feedback on essays and interview prep. The application process is a grind, no matter what. There really aren't short cuts. But for me, it was helpful to have a knowledgeable sounding board/resource throughout the process. I overall had a great experience working with Stratus, and I am excited to be attending an M7 school in the fall.

I recently used Stratus Admissions for round 1 applications to business school. I was paired with one of their top counselors, Cartha. Looking back (and having been accepted to my top choice), I can confidently say that her guidance was absolutely instrumental in my bid. From brainstorming essays to preparing for the interview and everything in between, I could always tell Cartha had taken the time to think critically about my story/application and she ultimately provided excellent advice every step of the way. She was always responsive and made herself available around a challenging work schedule. I would enthusiastically recommend Stratus (and Cartha if she is available!) to anyone who is seriously interested in maximizing their chances of getting into their dream school.