Fortuna Admissions | MBA Admissions Consultants

This was my second time applying to business school. Judith and her team helped me reflect on what went wrong the first time, hone my story, and think deeply about my goals for business school and post-graduation. Her feedback was exact and encouraging throughout the entire process. Thank you, Judith!

After having completed the GMAT, TOEFL, getting recommenders on board, etc. I found myself at a huge roadblock at writing essays and completing the remaining content for my applications. Especially as someone foreign to US-style application, it was difficult for me to hit the right tone and narrow down my key selling points for the respective schools.
After talking to some companies, I decided to get support from Fortuna Admissions as I felt they saw the person behind the application rather than just the numbers. I was lucky to have been put in touch with Karen as she cared for my success and always went the extra mile for me.
Getting her on board immediately increase the pace that I was moving forward with and elevated the overall quality by helping me to find the right personal focus points. Karen was highly efficient and I would usually get her feedback within a few hours. Sending in the applications, knowing that this was my best effort, was a great feeling. Karen was also there for me once interview invitations came in to prepare me accordingly. I am not sure I could have made it into Haas without her experience. If you have ambitious goals, I can highly recommend Karen as a coach, as she will get the best out of you!

Karen at Fortuna is an amazing consultant, and I could not have asked for a better person to help me with the overwhelming process of applying to business school. My situation was unique because my decision to work with a consultant came very late in the application process. Some consultants probably would have been turned off by me as a client in this respect, but Karen did not hesitate in taking me on. As we began working together, Karen was always very responsive to my emails; if I sent her a draft of an essay at night after work, she always provided comments by the next day. And when I received interview invitations from schools, she was proactive and available to help me prep at any time that was most convenient for me and for however long I needed. But her speed was not at the expense of the quality of her comments. Karen is extremely knowledgeable about the application processes for all the schools that I applied to, and she provided very thoughtful, school-specific advice on my essays, short answer responses, and interview responses. In our mock interviews, she helped make my responses more crisp and suggested ways that I could weave in important elements of my story. Her comments on every major aspect of my application were crucial in helping me develop and craft my story so that I conveyed it eloquently to the admissions committees. Karen is a pleasure to work with, both professionally and personally, and I highly recommend her and Fortuna to anyone applying to business school.

When I decided to apply to INSEAD, I knew that I would need expert guidance for the application journey. I reached out to a handful of admissions consultants, but Fortuna Admissions stood out for me because of its ‘dream team’ of former admissions directors from top business schools, especially from those outside the US. Who would be better placed to offer MBA admissions advice than the MBA admissions gatekeepers themselves?
After reaching out to Fortuna, I was subsequently paired with Melissa and during our first call, she thoroughly reviewed and analyzed my profile, providing a fair assessment of my strengths and weaknesses from an admissions director perspective. She then helped to develop an overall application strategy that would not only highlight my strengths but also compensate for my weaknesses.
Melissa’s insight helped me to navigate the essay writing and video interview parts of the application. INSEAD requires a relatively large number of essays – about 7 essays – some of which have no word limits. As a result, it was a challenge for me to select the best stories for these essays and communicate them in the best way possible. It was Melissa’s feedback on my draft essays that helped me to select, refine and communicate my story in a concise but impactful way. Melissa also prepped me for the video interview component of the application through a mock session. Her practical feedback, advise and suggestions helped me to improve my performance, boost my confidence and eventually succeed at the video interview stage.
I subsequently progressed to the face-to-face interview stage and although I did not purchase a detailed face-to-face interview prep package, Melissa shared INSEAD-specific interview prep materials which helped me to understand not only how to prepare for the interview but also how the interviews would be evaluated.
After the interview stage, I was placed on the waitlist and this was difficult news for me. Understanding the difficulty of the situation, Melissa offered lots of encouragement and this enabled me to maintain an optimistic outlook despite the uncertainty of the situation. Melissa then worked with me to craft and execute an effective waitlist strategy, and periodically checked in with me to monitor how things had progressed. Eventually, I was excited to receive an offer from the school with a scholarship!
Overall, I consider Melissa’s advice, insight and perspective to be critical to my successful application to INSEAD. She is a good listener, an encourager and great to work with. She showed that she was genuinely interested in my success as a candidate and I would highly recommend her services to anyone considering the INSEAD MBA.

I worked with Heidi over two application cycles (i.e., I am a re-applicant). A few things that really stood out from my engagements with Heidi: her responsiveness, her attention to detail, her genuine interest in my story. I started my 2019 application a bit late. But thanks to Heidi’s responsiveness and her relentless support in my somewhat last-minute plans, we were able to put our best foot forward. Throughout the process, I could always rely on her to be a thoughtful and productive thought partner, who could help me disentangle any roadblocks I encountered. Whenever we hopped on a call, she would ask thoughtful questions and pushed my thinking to the next level. She also pushed me to NOT think about what the adcom would want to hear but instead focus on putting the best version of myself in every element of my application.

I would highly recommend Heidi for those who are interested in putting together a reflective and thoughtful application. No, she will not write your application for you, but she will push you to think deeper and reflect on your professional and personal experiences — and how they can potentially inform the type of work, leader, and impact you would want to make to people around you. By understanding this, you would not only be able to put together a compelling application but also discover your passion and better understand yourself.

Thank you, Heidi, for all your help! I couldn’t have made it without your help.

I had been waitlisted by IMD and INSEAD and eventually admitted by both.
Caroline went through my application and gave me a great suggestion on the strategy to take. I do not believe that a consultant can do the magic and get you in your favorite program if your application is not good enough, but they can certainly help you improve a few things, and Caroline had been great at doing so!!!
Thanks a lot =)

If you’re looking to get into LBS there’s really only Emma Bond who you need to work with! I came across Emma after reviewing a couple of consultancy websites. As Emma worked as a senior member of the admissions committee at London Business School working with her was sort of a no-brainer.
I already had written all my essays and filled out most of my application, but I felt like I wanted a second pair of eyes to perfect my application and also guide me to frame my somewhat lower GMAT score, compared to the schools average. The process of working with Emma was easy and rewarding. She would send across her mark-ups and provide guidance at all times throughout the process. Emma is a perfectionist and went well out of her way to ensure that I had an application that stood out – she will ensure that by the time the application goes out that it is nothing short of perfect. I found it particularly helpful that I was able to contact her via Whatsapp throughout the day and her quick response time. Additionally, Emma is still very well connected within LBS and is well aware of what the admissions team is looking for, which is absolutely crucial in crafting a flawless application!
Joining LBS MBA program is a dream come true and I truly believe that Emma was a major contributing factor that made that dream happen!! Needless to say, I would choose Emma and Fortuna again!

I would not have been accepted without Karen’s help. When we first started working together on my applications, Karen really helped me clarify my career goals and craft a compelling, authentic personal story, and I landed multiple interviews. During interview preparation, Karen gave honest feedback and was exceptionally encouraging, and I went into every interview with a real shot. When I ended up getting amazing offers from top schools, Karen shared her perspective and allowed me to make the right decision. At every step of this journey, Karen offered me valuable insight and unwavering support. Overall, it was such a pleasure working with her. I would 100% recommend Karen to anyone who aims to join a top-tier MBA program.

I chose Fortuna because I felt like it has an unparalleled knowledge of European Business schools and I wasn’t disappointed!

Working with Melissa has been a pleasure: she was very available, responded fast and with customized suggestions. The thing I liked the best about her counsel is that the work that came out was very genuine and represented me 100%: pushing me gently, she brought out the best in me while keeping my authenticity.

Without her assistance, I would have not been as strong a candidate (admitted to all the schools I applied to) so I would definitely recommend her to any applicant.

I think the title sums it up. Sure there’s a monetary cost to hiring a consultant, but I can definitely say that for me, working with Michel was worth it. Your experience and circumstances will be different from mine, but Michel will know how to help you to bring out a more compelling story to tell the AdCom.
I did not get a comprehensive school package, but rather the hourly services for help on my essay. Her advice was valuable in making my essays more coherent and logical. She didn’t do the thinking for me since my story is really my own, but she asked me about why I chose to share certain experiences or how I could connect experiences to the overall story I was trying to tell.
She helped me take my essay from “good” quality to “admit” quality.

Oh, and she was very pleasant to work with and usually responded quickly. =)

Michel and the whole Fortuna team were thorough, thoughtful and very helpful. Michel provided valuable guidance and insight throughout the process from data forms to essays to waitlist strategy. Her deep experience helped me create a holistic application and “story” that would resonate with each of the schools I applied to. In the end, I decided on Columbia Business School, and couldn’t be more excited! I would definitely recommend working with Michel and the Fortuna team, to have a team of experienced advisors on your side throughout a competitive and often stressful process.

It has been great to work with Melissa. Without her help, I would not get through all these troubles and get admitted by several great schools. She has provided insight and vision throughout the whole process–school list, essay, interview prep–with great patience and responsiveness. Her feedbacks are candid and direct, and she would guide you through the hard times. Beyond that, she would bring the Fortuna expert team to help you in every part of the process–it really feels like you have the whole team rooting for you. At the end of the day, I know that I gave everything I can during the application–thanks to Melissa. I would highly suggest working with Melissa: she would guild you through all–things expected and unexpected.

I contacted Karen 36 hours before the merit-based deadline for Columbia Business School. I initially thought my application was strong but after getting it reviewed by one more person, they insisted that I contact Fortuna. Now typically, 36 hours is not enough time to edit 4 essays and a resume. However, Karen worked expeditiously to give me consistent feedback until we were comfortable with my admissions package. We made the deadline with much time to spare. The most impressive thing about the entire process is that Karen helped me enhance my content without changing the core of what I was trying to relay to the admissions committee. I don’t know if this can ever be proven, but I can honestly say that the input Karen provided me in those 36 hours played a significant role in my admission to Columbia. I cannot thank Karen enough for the quick and efficient turnaround! When the rest of my friends start this MBA admissions process, I will 100% send them to Karen and Fortuna.

I was always very clear that I wanted to get into Wharton. I did my preliminary research on consulting firms and consultants who had strong connections to Wharton. After I read about Judith, I was very keen on working with Fortuna. I reached out to them and finally spoke to Matt. After that, I had no doubt in my mind that they were the team I wanted to work with. Judith oversaw my essays, recommendations, and even the interview prep. She is extremely supportive and encouraging, which is something you need over and above the application work. It was a delight to work with her and I do credit the team for my success. The team at Fortuna is exceptional and highly recommended. I wish them all the luck.

Fortuna – easily one of the best admissions consultant teams, by far, if not the best.
Emma – one of the most experienced, honest, and incisive consultants.
My Fortuna team was Emma and Amy (Amy’s review written separately).

My first contact with Fortuna was an honest, in-depth, and heartfelt conversation with Emma. I knew then and there she was whom I wanted to work with. She took the time to get to know me and my story and I could see her mind working straight away.
Emma’s years of experience, solid expertise as a coach and intimate understanding of the applicant selection process (especially at LBS) shone through and through at every step of the process. As the director of my application – she guided the overall strategy and read through each and every aspect of my application as the “LBS Gatekeeper” ie with the finest tooth comb and highlighted small, subtle aspects that I would have never identified by myself. She always added that back to the bigger picture and ensured my personality was well elucidated in the application.

She took the time to get to know my personality, my story, my motivations (both personal and professional) and pushed me to always put my best foot forward in every aspect of the application and interview process. What I really loved about Emma were her helpful pep talks before the interview and her calming debriefs post interview. Further, I was a re-applicant to LBS and Emma really drilled down into each and every aspect of how I had strengthened my profile – including areas I would not have thought about. What I truly admire about Emma is her no-nonsense honesty – it helps so much and saves so much time when writing an MBA essay, which is already a very involved, reflective journey.

If LBS is your dream school, I cannot recommend Emma highly enough.
If top b-schools are among your choices, I cannot recommend Fortuna enough.
And a final word about Matt Symonds – he is as astute as he is kind, and his team at Fortuna is the same.
Whichever school, you can’t go wrong with Fortuna.

Working with Karen was a fantastic experience overall! I had worked with other consultants prior to switching to Karen and her work was more thorough and customized. Not surprisingly, the results were better as well. Karen always responded to messages in a timely fashion and was happy to dig in to the details. In addition, I had several strategy questions regarding scholarships, waitlists, and small tweaks to important emails, all of which she answered right away without pinching pennies on a few minutes here and there. Perhaps most importantly, I felt like she sincerely cared about my goals and helping me tell an authentic story.

When I started looking for a admissions consultant for the purpose of my application to Schools of Business in the US offering specialized Master of Sciences programs in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, I stumbled upon a series of articles in Forbes magazine, which specifically mentioned Fortuna Admissions. From that point, I understood that it is a serious company worth working with.

When Fortuna offered me a list of their consultants I noted that Jessica had an extensive experience with universities in the SoCal area where I wanted to apply.

After an introductory call, I realized that Jessica would be the perfect consultant to work with during my application process.

Jessica proved to be a very knowledgeable, professional and easy to communicate with a person. She correctly understood my background, career goals and motivations. This broad picture of my profile helped her give valuable advice on additions and corrections made to my CV, essays and other application documents.

Jessica’s reaction to my questions was carried out in a very prompt and timely manner.

Besides Jessica’s exceptional professional qualities I would like to highlight her polite manners and wonderful communication skills which made working with her a pleasure.

Finally, I would like to thank Jessica for her important contribution to my successful admission to the top-pick university in my list of options.

Thank you for helping my dream come true!

This was my second go-at-it. And I came to Fortuna needing help to figure out where I went wrong the first time around. Speaking with Judith and Matt, I was able to drill down to what parts of my story were lacking and how to communicate the salient parts of my personal and professional trajectory in a way that would resonate with an audience. Judith was very helpful in helping me find my story and tell it. She helped in editing my drafts and made recommendations that I would not have been capable of conjuring on my own. Thanks to her and Fortuna’s help, I got accepted at an M7 school with > 50% tuition scholarship and waitlisted at another M7 school.

Judith is easily the best consultant I have worked with so far. I applied to Wharton in 2017 and Judith guided me throughout the process. She helped me tremendously in preparing for the Team-Based Discussion and the Healthcare Management Interview. She did these practice interviews numerous times to ensure that I was very well prepared and I was. I was very impressed with her level of insight into the application process and her patience with me on getting grips on the interview and application process.

Not only did she help me during the interview process, but she also helped me in drafting a “Killer” essay to impress the admissions team ultimately getting me an interview at Wharton, which I initially thought was impossible, but Judith made it very much possible.

Besides the skill and expertise that Judith brings to the table, she was also a Head of MBA Admissions at Wharton, setting her apart from her peers. That is a position that most consultants do not have and this was one of the reasons I decided to work with her.

For me, Judith and the Fortuna Admissions Team are simply the most qualified for MBA applications. They provide an excellent service that is nonpareil compared to their peers.

I worked with Judith on the Wharton group interview and off the bat, I knew she was invested in my success and extremely knowledgeable about the process, what they were looking for, and how to prepare. I especially appreciated her patience and honesty in helping me hone my pitch. I was getting frustrated at what needed to be changed and she rallied through with follow-up calls to made sure I understood and got there. Couldn’t have gotten in without her!

Simply put, Sharon is awesome and she really knows how to navigate the MBA application process successfully and with the least amount of stress (trust me, this part is so important)! Her continuous guidance and support played a decisive role in my acceptance to Haas, Kellogg and Fuqua FT MBA programs and I am so grateful to Sharon for helping me realize my dream.
I approached Fortuna admissions about 6 weeks before my first deadline and I was immediately paired with Sharon. I was worried that we may not have enough time to complete all of my applications, but Sharon instantly put me at ease by clearly outlining our timeline and strategy for each individual application. At this point, it is worth mentioning that I worked with other consultants before and their “tick-the-box” approach really damaged my previous applications. But from my very first call with Sharon, I knew that this experience will be nothing like before and can only yield success.
In the beginning, Sharon spent time to really learn as much as possible about myself. I’m a bit of an introvert, but Sharon’s genuine goodness and desire to help put my best foot forward really helped me open up, making the process of pinning down my narrative effortless and enjoyable. This task was also helped by CliftonStrengths assessment; I never actually thought what my strengths were before taking this test and it was great having Sharon walk me through my results. Learning my strengths and weaknesses really helped me stay on track and keep a single theme throughout my application process. It also proved to be beneficial during my interview as I effortlessly answered strengths/weakness questions.
Sharon’s ability to deliver the message fully yet concisely is second to none and I have absolutely no doubt that without her guidance on my essays, I wouldn’t be moving to California this coming August! She was always honest and constructive with her feedback and I really appreciated her flexibility with scheduling our calls (we had 7-hour difference between us). Sharon had no problem with scheduling multiple calls during the week, which made an entire process very efficient and allowed us to create multiple essay drafts throughout the week. This really boosted my applications and I was able to finish all of my essays a few days before their respective deadlines, which definitely reduced my level of stress.
Sharon has an in-depth knowledge of the b-school application process, which made interview preparations very efficient. She knew specifics of each individual school, questions they may ask and theme I should focus on to really stand out during my assessment.
Every single aspect of Sharon’s service was amazing, whether it was helping me with my essays, or preparing me for the interviews, or even helping me successfully navigate a gruesome waitlist process, she was always outstanding. But one thing that really made my experience of working with Sharon stand out is the fact that she truly cared about me and, more than anything, wanted to see me succeed. Trust me, very, very few people would pause their vacation in Europe just to check how your Fuqua interview went. Sharon also gave me personal recommendations about things to do in pretty much every city I interviewed in, so I could really explore the place where I may spend my next few years of life. This genuine care about her clients, as well as her willingness to go above and beyond, are the qualities that make Sharon stand out among all other talented MBA consultants. I can wholeheartedly recommend Sharon and I will be referring Sharon to my friends who are seeking to do an MBA in the future.
Thank you, Sharon!!

I had the pleasure of working with Melissa Jones at Fortuna regarding one of my applications for a top European business school (think INSEAD/ LBS). From the get-go, I knew that working with Melissa was the right choice, given the extremely fast turnaround, time took to respond to my general inquiry and application-specific emails. In terms of content, her feedback was always spot on, detailed, and personal. I could tell that her approach was very customized to my story and that she really took time to understand my background, my motive, and personal strengths & weaknesses. Melissa and Fortuna definitely met my expectations and I recommend her wholeheartedly.

Malvina and the Fortuna Admissions team made all the difference in my business school application process. She played a significant role in my acceptance to Wharton. She spent countless hours reviewing my resume and essays. Her feedback was honest, and she was always kind in her delivery. We spoke on the phone at least once a week for two months to review my progress. She also coached me through the team based discussion interview (TBD) process. The practice TBD interview was invaluable. It greatly increased my confidence when going into the real interview. I would not be where I am today without Malvina! Highly, highly recommend.

I chose to work with Sharon Joyce at Fortuna Admissions because after our initial informational conversation, I could tell right away that Sharon was the perfect combination of kind, sharp, supportive and realistic that I was looking for. She ended up being all of these things and more, and even sprinkled in a great amount of humor and needed sarcasm that brought some joy to the process.
We spoke on the phone at least once a week for several months during the process, and outside of these phone calls, Sharon was incredibly responsive over text and email, dedicating a lot of her time to help me prep or edit my work.
I came into the application process with a good idea of “Why an MBA” and “Why Now”, but Sharon really helped me craft and refine my story to help me stand out as a unique candidate. Her CliftonStrengths certification particularly helped with this, as it enhanced my ability to communicate my strengths and weaknesses effectively to admissions committees and interviewers.
I always trusted Sharon’s advice and appreciated her thoughtful questions based on her experience and knowledge. I valued her insights about being a female candidate in the MBA world, and her general excitement about getting more women through the admissions process. One of the biggest impacts Sharon had on my admissions journey was the guidance she provided when I was finalizing which schools to apply too and focus on. She knew that I really wanted to go this year and not wait another year to be admitted to the “perfect school”, and because of her honesty, expertise, and knowledge of the schools we put together a perfect list of targets for me and I am ultimately super thrilled with my acceptances.
When working on my interview prep and essays, she never hesitated to connect me to the larger Fortuna network, allowing me to get expert advice and editing from other coaches with knowledge of specific schools very quickly. I particularly appreciated the opportunity to practice for the Wharton Team-Based Interview with a group of other Fortuna “coachees” ahead of time led by Judith Silverman Hodara.
By the time I was applying and interviewing I felt confident that I was being guided in the right direction, was well-edited and buttoned up. Sharon helped me be “admissions committee ready” in a way that I could not have done by myself. I could not recommend Sharon more for others looking for help through the MBA process!

Jessica was responsive and efficient. Her background and experience helped me stay focused on my goal and understand situations from the admission’s office point of view.

Emma is such a fantastic consultant. She was always prompt when reviewing my essay drafts which, given I had left things rather late, was the difference between b-school this year or waiting a whole other year. She knew exactly which parts of my (rather unconventional) story to highlight and helped me to join the dots into a coherent narrative. I also appreciated her honesty with regards to my chances at the various schools that I wanted to apply to. Emma is very down-to-earth and will tell it like it is but will do so with a touch of humor that is really welcome during the crazy rollercoaster that is b-school applications!

Emma has a breadth of experience; she helped me with school selection, overall application strategy, essay editing, mock interviews, and scholarship negotiation. She is super knowledgeable about LBS but I also got into two M7 schools with scholarships with Emma’s help so she has many strings to her bow. I really cannot recommend Emma, and Fortuna, highly enough!

I had a fantastic experience working with Karen and ended up admitted to my top choice R2 school (M7). After working with a different consultant in R1 who did not give me good advice, I was skeptical about hiring another consultant, but Karen immediately demonstrated a thorough and personalized approach that made a huge impact on the strength of my applications. She started by having me fill out a template with my long-term and short-term career goals. She also reviewed by R1 applications and resume and gave me feedback on where I was not showcasing my strengths and experiences as strongly as I could have. She helped me craft a much stronger narrative, and gave clear and extremely helpful feedback on my draft essays. On top of that, Karen went above and beyond to be not only a consultant but a coach — she was encouraging, genuinely invested in my success, and I know that the guidance and feedback she gave me made all the difference between R1 and R2. She was also always very flexible, responsive, and efficient throughout our process of working together. Even after I finished my hours with her, she was generous enough to be available for questions and – after I got interviews at all three schools I applied to – she sent me interview guides and checked in to hear how the interviews went. I ended up getting admitted to my top two of the three schools I applied to. I am so grateful that I found Karen, and highly, highly recommend her!

Michel was absolutely integral to my success at getting into Stanford GSB. She guided my MBA process from start to finish, be it in big picture thinking about the best way to frame my story to the nuts and bolts of the application itself. She and her team’s experience in the actual MBA admissions offices were invaluable and definitely helped me feel confident I had an insider’s view into how the process works and what traits to highlight at each school to which I applied. Michel is also a generally lovely person, and I always looked forward to our phone calls. Thank you, Michel!

I was super confused when looking for an MBA admissions consultant – I wasn’t entirely sure about shelling out a ton of money on top of the ridiculous amount that I spent already. I decided to do a handful of the “free consultations” with various companies before finding Fortuna and talking with Matt. He was super clear, transparent and genuine in how he viewed my profile in the 30-minute call – he didn’t try to sell me on the full package (even though it was the MUCH more expensive route). He was transparent that he thought I didn’t need the full-school package but rather could reach out to him/Fortuna later for a more “ad hoc” engagement. I really appreciated what didn’t seem at all like a sales pitch and rather a genuine conversation.
Onwards to me doing my applications myself…after I completed the vast majority of the applications and decided to reach out to Fortuna for a “last minute check” on the school I considered my top choice. I was connected with Judith at Fortuna and send her my entire application. She thoroughly reviewed all 4 of the essays and other “qualitative comments” sections of my application and provided very useful improvements, one of which was to entirely re-write one of the short response essays. All communication with Judith was via email and a phone call. The final application review process with her was very efficient and really did provide the outside expert view on how to make the essays really “pop”. The end result was me getting accepted to this school (my top choice) with a substantial merit scholarship. Would highly recommend Fortuna, especially with my positive experiences with Matt & Judith.

I worked with Tatiana recently to apply Round 2 to various MBA programs. I paid for a 2 school package but had enough material to use for 5 applications. Overall, I would highly recommend Tatiana. She is great not only at identifying key themes and insights to further develop during the essay writing process, but she is a great partner in the overall process and steadying nerves as they inevitably arise.

It has been a great experience working with Jessica from Fortuna!

With her help along the way, I got into my dream school with a GMAT that is 20 points below the average.

Jessica was always very professional and went beyond her way to help me during the application process. During the six month process, we had regular communication about my concerns, rewrote my essays countless times and discussed what the best strategy was in certain situations during the process.

As an ex-admission officer herself, she had tremendous insight into the schools that I applied to and was always willing to share these. Big thanks to Jessica and Fortuna Admissions!!

Thanks to Melissa I got into my dream business school (Cambridge Judge) despite my low GMAT score, coming from a nontraditional background and having less than 1 week to draft my application to meet the deadline. It all started with one phone call with Matt Symonds. Fortunately, I was partnered up with Melissa as my coach and the rest is history. I had less than 1 week to draft essays, get my recommendation letters and draft my resume. Melissa was extremely understanding of the short timeline and supportive throughout the process. She was very responsive and quick in reviewing my essays and resume. When I got the interview invitation, I immediately signed with Melissa for interview prep. She was not only insightful about the interview process/questions but also boosted my confidence so I wouldn’t feel nervous during the interview
Whenever I had doubts about my stats and weaknesses, Melissa would be there encouraging me throughout the way. I honestly could not have asked for a better coach. Melissa is an amazing person and someone I would like to keep in touch. I’ll definitely recommend her and Fortuna Admissions to future MBA applicants.

Karen helped me with a comprehensive package, an interview, and a few essays for additional schools. She took hours to go over my goals and timeline and helped me prioritize essays, resume, etc. I highly, highly recommend her to anyone looking to get into a top 10 business school. I got interview invites to all 4 schools I applied to and was accepted at my first choice. She was very helpful with all of my questions throughout the process and takes the time to make sure you are ready for each step of the application.

I decided to work with an admissions consultant because I wanted to be fully informed about the admissions process, and I only wanted to go through it once. I worked with Karen and Fortuna for eight months in what I found to be a very personalized process. From the start, Karen helped me prioritize the correct activities, which gave me confidence knowing that I was making the best use of my time. I also really appreciated how responsive Karen was, particularly closer to deadlines: she answered my questions almost immediately, returned edited documents within only a few hours (and sometimes even overnight), and I could schedule calls with her within 24h and at my preferred times. I found this invaluable because I could create much stronger essays shortly before deadlines. The edits Karen and her team offered for my essays were always substantial, constructive, and sometimes even challenging, but I always understood and agreed with the reasoning behind them. Working with experts gave me the confidence to redraft larger sections of my essays to help transform them from intelligible to persuasive while keeping them personal, genuine, and in my writing. Fortuna’s resources are current, extensive, and specific for every business school, which was instrumental for my essays and interviews. After submitting the written applications, Karen and I practiced for the interviews and video questions, and her feedback in our practices clarified my areas for improvement and made me feel more confident in the interviews.
Working with Karen ultimately helped me gain acceptance to INSEAD (despite below-average numbers on almost every metric of my profile), and I am convinced that I could not have done it without Karen’s help. I cannot be more satisfied with Fortuna’s support in the process and highly recommend Karen and her team – thank you!

I was initially concerned after reading Karen’s profile that she may not be a good fit for me because she did not have an MBA from my dream school (HBS). However, I am beyond grateful that I had the privilege of working with Karen.
Karen listens. She earned my trust by getting to know me and my application better or as well as I did. She would ponder on my resume, essay, story, and interviews in between sessions. She helped me solve problems with a fresh pair of eyes and perspective—giving me points to emphasize and prioritize in my resume, essays, application, and interviews. No platitudes or “cookie-cutter” feedback from Karen (like I got from other admissions consultants)— feedback was incredibly preemptive and specific, which took my applications to another level. She isn’t afraid to thoughtfully push back when it is needed.
Moreover, Karen was beyond efficient with the time I was billed. She is incredibly thoughtful and proactive about high-quality work within time constraints. On more than one occasion did she burn the midnight oil with me and was beyond accommodating for my schedule and very tight admissions timelines. I do some consulting work and I’ve tried to emulate this for my clients. I can’t believe how much we accomplished in the relatively short amount of time I was billed for.
Karen is one of the best communicators that I have worked with in my career. She isn’t afraid to ask the tough questions that the admissions committee will ask. My application was strong in a few areas (Work history, undergrad major/GPA) and had some gaping-hole weaknesses in others. Karen helped me understand how to prioritize and emphasize points to present my best application to the admissions committees.
Plain and simple, I believe that I wouldn’t have gotten accepted to HBS without Karen. I will recommend her to all friends and family seeking MBA admission moving forward.
Admissions counseling for Karen is a calling. She is excited and enthusiastic about her work—which is why she’s so good at it.
Also, one last point of emphasis: she is beyond organized and always shows up prepared. Every step of the admissions process happened through a CRM and communications were very prompt and thoughtfully managed between our sessions—giving me the right information at just the right time.

I would like to recommend Fortuna Admissions and especially Michel Belden to anyone who is applying to an MBA. As you will find out, getting into a top school is a long and difficult process. The people at Fortuna made me submit a confident application to five different universities. They are very professional and Michel, in particular, is a very patient, kind and smart person.

I worked with Karen on an application (and subsequent interview prep) to my #1 choice school and was very happy with the results. Yes, I was accepted, but I truly think that Karen helped me craft a “flawless” application – and I don’t think that my application materials would have been nearly as compelling without her help and I don’t know if I could have gotten in without Karen.
I think that Karen really stood out in two areas:
1 – First was responsiveness. Business school applications are extremely stressful and it’s rare to get everything done fully ahead of time. The last thing I would want is someone who takes half a day to get back to me. I was surprised how quickly Karen would respond – often within an hour. I truly felt like she was in my corner and 100% invested in my success. Aside from the major aspects of an application, I would bombard Karen with questions about small details of the process and she would respond as carefully to these small questions as she would in giving me suggestions on the big picture items.
2 – Attention to detail. Karen would be sure to point out any shaky details of my application. This could mean a few words on my resume or a rephrasing of a sentence in an essay. Although this could even get a little frustrating at times because she was so focused on making sure everything was 100% perfect, in the end, I was very happy that she took so much care with my application. I really did think that Karen was fully invested in my success in every aspect of the application, and her attention to detail only solidified this.
There is one caveat I want to add to my review. I absolutely recommend Karen and Fortuna, but do be aware that the onus will be on you to write your essays / the rest of the application. Karen will help you, but a consultant cannot substitute for your own introspection and hard work. It’s a time-intensive process and requires a lot of commitment on your end.

I had an introductory call with almost each and every one of the top admissions consulting firms for my MBA.

After my initial introductory call with Matt – I was sure that Fortuna was the one with the best knowledge of the European schools (was looking specifically at French business schools) and “got” my story and would help me best present my application. Additionally, he was incredibly considerate of my budget and worked with me to create a package that would be just what I needed.

I worked with Melissa for the application – and right from the get-go was Wow’ed by the level of professionalism and knowledge of the application process of both herself and Fortuna.

Melissa was an incredibly helpful consultant and advisor, guiding me through the key steps of the application and always making the next step clear.
She was able to help me make my application shine -highlighting parts of my experience I had not considered and really ensuring a coherent and holistic application.

When busy and applying to multiple challenging processes – having someone that knows the process was crucial to reducing the stress and ensuring I was able to submit on time and with a strong application.

The results: offers from all schools I applied to – with maximum scholarships for my top two preferences.

Karen is amazing! If you’re looking for a knowledgeable and supportive partner (not just consultant) throughout this really stressful and emotionally raw process, look no further. The business school application process is such an intense journey and if you come from a nontraditional background (non-IB or consulting), it can feel very isolating and you often find yourself meandering through it. This is why finding the right consultant is one of the many key decisions you have to make.
I’ve worked with a different consultant before (from one of the bigger companies) and I will emphatically say that the difference was night and day. I really felt that Karen cared about my journey from start to finish. If you have quick questions, she generally gets back to you within a few hours. She was available around the holidays before R2 which I really appreciated. She’s always open to discussing over the phone if necessary. If there’s anything that you’re worried about regarding your application/profile/essays, trust that she is also thinking about a solution offline – I know because this has happened many times throughout my time working with her. I never felt stressed about meeting the deadlines because she works thoroughly and quickly and I trusted that she would pull through for me if I needed to ask last minute questions/updates. She helped me prep for my interviews and gave very helpful suggestions on how to handle confrontational questions. She’s optimistic but also a logical thinker and you need someone who can think straight sans pessimism as you’re swimming in doubt and stress – yes that will happen, a lot.
I really can’t say enough good things about her and how she made this process, not only bearable but also enjoyable. Save yourself some valuable time and set up a call with her – as I’m headed to CBS this year 🙂
Also a quick review on Fortuna. It’s a shame that they are not as popular as the other companies because Fortuna really works with you throughout the entire process. I first connected with Judith, one of the founders, awhile back and she really cares and takes the time to match you with the right consultant. She’s also always available for any questions and we’ve pulled from her expertise countless times.

My conversation with Matt was the deciding factor for me. Unlike other consultants in the business, he did not give me generic/standard responses; instead gave me recommendations that were applicable to me. At that moment itself, I was convinced that I would want to work with Fortuna.

INSEAD was my top choice and I’d taken the full package for INSEAD and Wharton. I started working with Melissa and from early on found myself catching up as she was always very prompt. Fortuna’s strategy session & questionnaire is awesome. It is as introspective as it can be and sets one up quite nicely for the entire process. One thing that stands out about Melissa is that she is very keen on keeping the application as authentic as possible. She was always available and usually came back with her edits/recommendations latest by the next working day. Melissa had probably the best insight into the admissions process from her previous experience at INSEAD and that was not only helpful for the application but also in understanding and connecting with the school.

As an Indian male working in tech consulting, I was in the most competitive pool of applicants and don’t think would’ve gotten in without Melissa’s help. The tool that Fortuna uses for submissions, communication, resources etc. is also commendable. It has a world of knowledge hosted there.

I was approved for MBA sponsorship by my employer close to the deadlines for round two and was very stressed and worried due to the time constraint.
The decision to sign up for the Comprehensive School Package with Fortuna was the best decision I’ve made this year. Jenifer did a great job in walking me through the process and setting realistic deadlines for each part. She was also very responsive and attentive to my concerns and worries all throughout the application journey.
It was evident that Jenifer has A LOT of experience with top program applications and her tips and feedback regarding my essays was invaluable. My GRE scores were not the best, yet Jenifer’s help in putting together and polishing my overall application resulted in me receiving interview invitations from my top choices. I have so far received interview invitations for Harvard, Wharton, and IESE; my top schools of choice.
I greatly enjoyed working with Jenifer and the Fortuna team and would absolutely recommend their services to anyone aiming to get into a top MBA program.

I started my MBA applications quite late, around August. A good friend who got into a top 3 MBA program introduced me to Fortuna and I was very lucky to pair up with Jenifer. At first, I was not that articulate in terms of revealing myself or explaining why I want to pursue a MBA at this stage of my career. I had a hard time connecting the dots together, especially for schools like HBS, which requires a deep reflection on my past experience. Jenifer provided me some very informative and authentic feedback. Most importantly, she guided me to get to know myself in a deeper level. She was literally there for me every step of the way. Throughout this process, I had a truly reflection of who I am and who I want to be in the future. That’s why I said Jenifer is far beyond a MBA consultant. Not to mention she helped me land an interview in one of the top 3 MBA programs (FYI, I only applied to 3 programs and Jenifer is 100% supportive). Unlike other MBA consultants who tried to convince you to apply as many as schools, Jenifer understands what I really want from a MBA program. Overall, if you need a career/life/MBA mentor, I highly recommend Jenifer to anyone.

I was initially referred to Michel by a friend of mine who told me that they owed their seat at business school to her. I must admit though, at first, I was skeptical. I wasn’t sure if the services Fortuna offered were necessary- surely I could do it on my own… how wrong I was!

It was during my very first call with Fortuna that I quickly realized that I lacked the knowledge of what business school adcom look for, how to answer the essay questions and how to stand out from the sea of other applicants. I was promptly put in touch with Michel who, from the outset, demonstrated an incredible level of application knowledge that you would only expect from someone that had spent years as Wharton’s MBA gatekeeper.

Michel was a terrific choice for me. She was responsive to questions I had, possessed a great sense of what each of the schools look for and had an exceptional eye for detail. In one instance, I even remember Michel pointing out a grammatical mistake I had made in a 31 page application. Michel considers each of her clients’ applications as hers, treating them with a personalized touch.

Thank you, Michel, for getting me into the business school of my dreams! I know it would not have been possible without your support, encouragement and knowledge.

Melissa is the best coach I could ever have. She went above and beyond what I had expected. The full package is truly worth every penny.

From the initial free consultation call with Matt, I was amazed by his comprehensive knowledge of MBA programs I wanted to apply. After talking with him, unlike other consulting firms, I was able to see strengths and weaknesses in my profile and felt more confident in my application. He put together a detailed action plan very quickly and connected me with Melissa.

Melissa personally took the time to review all my data and all my drafts essays and CV. She was very responsive (within 24 hours) and insightful. Thanks to her, I was able to create killer applications that bring the best out of me and appeal to adcoms. With her honest feedback and encouragement, I overcame my fear of interviews.

I got admitted into my dream school with a hefty scholarship. Thanks Melissa and Fortuna!!

To start off: I got into my first choice school! M7 school, and I’ll be starting this fall!
My background: I’m an Asian engineer with a low undergraduate GPA. I did well on the GMAT, but I had some serious disconnects in my story. I was having some real real trouble putting my essays together, as well as a complete application.
I applied to 3 schools, and each application was more daunting than the one before. The word limits were too constraining in my opinion. How was I supposed to fit my entire life story into 500-1000 words? How was I supposed to stand-out from the rest of the crowd? What should I even write about? What makes me special?
Jenifer helped me do just that. Jenifer, alongside her colleague Judith, at Fortuna admissions worked with me for an entire 6 months, from start to finish.
We kicked it off in June whilst I was putting applications together. I’ve never worked so closely with folks before who care so much about your personal story, and are so heavily invested in your success. They asked the most detailed questions that allowed them to gain insight into who I am as a person, and what is it that will allow me to stand-out. All I had to do was talk to them! They helped me with the rest:
1) We started off by developing a story
2) What differentiates me?
3) How does my story play out, and come together?
Jenifer was with me every step of the way, and helped me in piecing my essays together, in my own words! I was having trouble conveying certain sentiments, and staying under the word count. This is my entire life in an essay, after all. Jenifer was with me through dozens of edits on multiple essays.
Fortuna’s services also completely re-did my resume.
Jenifer completed a very thorough check of every bit and piece of my final application, from career goals, resume information, to essays.
I was finally invited to interview, and the level of service from Jenifer shot-up. We had mock interviews, the feedback was phenomenal! I was able to practice feedback since she has interviewed many candidates in her experienced role as an admissions director.
Fortuna was with me every step of the way, and never did I once feel as if I was forgetting anything, or that I was mis-stepping. Jenifer, Judith, and the Fortuna folks know EXACTLY what they are doing, and their services were worth every penny.
I’m starting at my #1 choice school this fall, and I couldn’t have done it without them. To be honest, I was quite lost without their guidance through this time-consuming process, and I attribute my success to their hard work.
Huge thank you to Jenifer, Judith, and Fortuna!

I chose to work with Fortuna as I felt they would provide the individual attention I needed and offered me the flexibility to choose a consultant of my choice, and I am very happy that I chose to work with Brittany. Fortuna and Brittany were helpful in many different aspects of the process, including school selection for their comprehensive package, MBA fair prep, validating my follow-up emails to admissions officers, resume revamp, interview prep, etc. But for me the biggest value add Brittany and the Fortuna team provided was with crafting my essays, and in the process helping me gain a better understanding of what my post-MBA goals were, why those were my goals, and why I wanted to do an MBA.

Brittany spent a considerable amount of time with me initially in helping me think more about my answers to these questions as they lay the foundation for the majority of the essays. As we worked through the essays, she was not afraid to ask why I wrote something I did, which forced me to dig deeper and in a couple of cases revamp my essays. She was able to give ideas for making the essays more marketable, e.g. with phrasing my introductory story in a more catchy manner or using a different story which she felt was more unique to me, while still keeping the essay true to myself. When needed, she also reached out to other members of the Fortuna team for advice. After we worked on the essays for the first couple of schools, I had much greater clarity on what to write for the other schools I was applying to and this made the rest of the process a lot easier. In the end, I was admitted to 3 top-10 schools and now have the problem of deciding which one to join!

I had at least a dozen assessment calls with other consultants before I was referred to Heidi. I was told by all of them that my chances of getting into the two schools that I applied to were slim to none, and no one that I spoke to seemed excited to work with me. I knew that Heidi was the right partner for me for this process during our first phone call. She was encouraging throughout the entire process, and she did a great job identifying my strengths. Going into the application process, I had no idea what I wanted to write about, but Heidi spent a lot of time working with me to craft the story I wanted to tell. I was ultimately accepted to my top choice (Stanford), and I feel immense gratitude for her her help.

I worked with Jessica on an application for a highly competitive global EMBA program. Jessica took time to do a deep dive into my background to assess my strengths and areas for improvement, using her expertise in admissions and coaching to craft a clear plan and strategy to make my application shine. With less than a month before the application deadline, she helped me re-focus my narrative and broke down the application process into manageable pieces. We re-tooled my resume to make it more results-oriented and to highlight the significant impact I made across multiple functions and companies. She also provided invaluable and candid feedback on my essays and overall helped make the application process much less stressful. Ultimately I was admitted to my top choice program.
I highly recommend working with Jessica – her support, enthusiasm, and guidance were vital in this process!

After my first consultation with Matt Symonds, I immediately knew I wanted to work with Fortuna. I could tell the entire Fortuna team had a knack for noticing the most compelling aspects of an applicant’s profile and making them shine. Matt talked me through Fortuna’s platform, their experience working with clients from similar backgrounds, as well as the flexibility I would have in choosing a coach.

I chose to work with Michel because of her extensive experience working in admissions. I came to Michel with a vague idea of my “story”. She patiently talked me through how my background, past experiences, and extracurricular interests could create a cohesive, compelling application. I initially bought the three school package, but shortly added additional hours for other schools to which I was applying. I immediately saw the “edge” Michel’s guidance added to my applications, and I wanted her guidance to put my best foot forward.

Michel was with me every step of the way. She was responsive, thoughtful, and honest. Michel always found a way to make herself available, even though my work and travel schedule was very unpredictable.

Thanks to Michel’s guidance, I was admitted to Columbia and Booth, two of my top choices! I am absolutely certain I would not have arrived at this outcome without Michel’s help. I highly recommend working with Michel – you will not regret it!

As a re-applicant and a slightly ‘older’ candidate compared to the average age of MBA aspirants, many of the consultants that I initially spoke to showed half-hearted enthusiasm about my otherwise competitive profile. Of the one’s that were optimistic and keen to work together, I finally decided to go with Fortuna Admissions post the more than heartening conversations with Matt and Heidi.

It was clear to me from the start that Heidi knew what she was doing. From our association over the past few months, her knowledge, experience, perfectionism and affability have stood out!

With her experience of having served on Stanford’s admissions committee and working as an MBA consultant, Heidi had detailed knowledge of the entire application process and a keen eye for loopholes. From Day 1, she asked me to do thorough research on my post MBA plans. The Fortuna templates that she asked me to fill were extremely helpful for guiding my research. During this time, Heidi also went out of her way to connect me to her previous clients who were involved in similar career tracks. By the end of this first step, I knew that I was in good hands and that Heidi will be able to help me see the areas of improvement that I wasn’t being able to.

Once we got into the essays, I was impressed by Heidi’s perfectionism. Not only did she help me see the weaknesses that I had not spotted, but also helped me identify the strengths that I was underplaying. Through her guidance and insistence on talking about “real” experiences, my essays sounded better than my previous attempt from the very first draft. But, Heidi wouldn’t give a green signal to an essay unless she was convinced about every single example, word, punctuation! It wouldn’t matter if we had to go through 20 drafts or start again after coming mid-way with one line of thought. At the end of this process, my essays sounded so authentic! I finally understood what the MBA blogs meant when they spoke about “letting your personality shine”. My essays were 100% mine in story, language and sentiment!

A few months into working with Heidi, I realized that I felt comfortable talking to her about anything in my life. Her genuine understanding and warmth allowed me to discuss anything that I wanted to and she always gave me the most sound advice, be it on the applications or anything at all regarding the MBA experience.

This entire experience ended with me securing admission at one of the top US B-schools! I cannot thank Heidi enough for her guidance, support and encouragement. She’s phenomenal as an MBA consultant and a blessing as a guide and mentor (that’s how I started seeing her after a while).