Fortuna Admissions | MBA Admissions Consultants

When I was researching into the application process I came across Fortuna Admissions. Initially I discovered them from online searches, however an old friend of mine was a former client and confirmed they were a great service.
I was paired with Sharon and it was a great fit. We started just before Summer with a goal of first round applications being completed by the start of September. I am very busy with my career so having a strong supporting team to help organize my application efforts was a tremendous help.
I work best with goals and schedules. Sharon quickly adapted to my working preferences and helped me set goals and dates to accomplish various tasks. At the end of every session I would have my “take aways” and a set date I needed to have it done by. At the start of every session we would review the work I completed on my own time in an environment and pace that worked best for me.
When I received my first interview invitation it was almost unexpected. The deadline had been a few days prior, so to hear back so soon was quite shocking (albeit a great one!). That being said, I had a business trip already planned and had to opt for their earliest time slot. This gave me a little over 24 hours to be fully prepared. Sharon was able to accommodate my rushed time frame and I walked into the interview confident.
Overall my experience with Fortuna Admissions was great, and I will be recommending them in the future to my colleagues. Thank you, Sharon!

I enjoyed working with Fortuna from my first interaction with Matt. They provided loads of advice on the first intro call – far more than other consulting firms I spoke with – and sold me quickly. My consultant, Sharon, was personable and helpful throughout the process. It was tougher than usual because we lived in time zones 14 hours apart, but she regularly scheduled calls in her evenings because it was more convenient for me. I appreciated her pushing me to re-work my essays multiple times. Would recommend the services, particularly for school selection and keeping me on a steady schedule to get my applications in on time.

Tatiana excels as a listener. She probes fertile areas of your past and helps to make sense of the decisions you’ve made and the path you’ve taken. She is expert in understanding what makes you unique and in helping you to tell that story in a clear and compelling fashion. She is patient, thoughtful, and caring, and she has an uncanny knack for helping you to bring out the best in yourself.

I am lucky that I began working with Tatiana, and I am incredibly grateful for her assistance in gaining admission to my top choice school. I highly recommend Tatiana to anyone looking for assistance throughout the application process. She is wonderful!

If you want someone who is going to give you efficient, no-BS advice and who is a genuine delight to work with, choose Sharon! With Sharon’s help I was accepted in R1 to Ross, Anderson, and McCombs, with generous scholarships to each even with a low GMAT quant score! Sharon helped me with resume review, essay review, all of the questions and gut-checks I needed for communicating with the schools, interview prep, and ultimately school decision-making. Something I especially appreciated about Sharon was that I never felt like she was wasting my billed hours – she was incredibly efficient and honest if she thought I only needed 10 minutes to review/prep when we had scheduled 30, for example. She also was very flexible in terms of when we touched base and when she would review my work. Sharon is certified in the Clifton Strengths Assessment tool, which was a surprisingly helpful assessment to provide me with talking points about my personal strengths (talking about yourself is hard!). She was a genuine pleasure to work with, but always gave me no-bullshit advice which was so, so helpful – I really felt like I could trust her. I can’t recommend her more highly and think she would be helpful to anyone no matter where they are in their application process!

Michel is a wonderful coach who is responsible, dependable, patient and informative.

She thoroughly understands a student’s personality, life stories and goals. Then she helps to invite your true ideas about your career path and life plan so that you can be very confident and genuine when stating that in your essays.

She knows the schools well (with a professional Fortuna team supporting her) and so you will be quickly able to navigate down to your favorite schools and their specific styles/ requirements. Michel will help you formulate your strategy of which ones to tackle first that provides you a better experience of the entire procedure.

Michel is patient and she helped me with 6 drafts for the three essays respectively. There’s no end unless we both are satisfied with what we are presenting.

Last but not least is the interview rehearsal. She gives friendly guidance and detailed feedback so that student won’t feel unconformable/unexpected during the formal interview.

All in all, I got to my dream school and am very grateful for having her in this journey.

I wrapped up my first MBA application season with overwhelming disappointment. I was rejected from 2 top MBA programs and it was a huge hit to my confidence. I did my research and started to reach out to admission consultants i.e. 4 different firms, and yet without high expectations started to consider reapplying to business schools. After my first call with Brittany it was obvious she would provide the support I needed at that point to figure out the rationale of a compelling story. After a thorough exercise of self-reflection and questionnaire that stimulated my thinking, I started to approach the essays with more passion tapping into my accomplishments, values and drives leading to my post MBA goals.

Brittany helped me find out how my attributes and aspirations converge with certain schools’ cultures to decide which school would prove invaluable to my career progression. She was willing to keep reviewing my drafts multiple times and ask thought-provoking questions even when I was already satisfied with the level we reached. Working what seemed to be around the clock, she will reply very fast allowing maximum number of drafts within short time. Brittany is very honest, and her advice was candid; that helped me develop strong essays strategies and stand out in the interviews. She made every effort to know me at a personal level and was reachable at a short notice. I always felt her top priority was to maximize my chances of getting into my top choices and never felt a desire from her to maximize the billable hours as she would tell me when I did not need them.

After months of hard work and continuous support, I was admitted to my dream school, Wharton, and I attribute this success to the positive mindset Brittany instilled in me throughout this daunting process. I highly recommend having her by your side; she will help you put your best foot forward, and most of all, she will make sure you will stand out from the crowd.

I had a great experience with Heidi and the Fortuna team – I got into my top choice program and received an almost full fellowship at another M7 school. In my experience, Fortuna’s greatest strength is that they have consultants who have worked for the admissions teams of many of the top schools. As a result, there was always someone available to answer my school-specific questions in a very insightful way. Everyone I interacted with at Fortuna was professional, helpful, and reliable.

Heidi specifically was amazing! She did a great job perfecting my “story”, coaching my recommenders, and helping me understand and articulate my goals. Heidi seemed to know more about my story than I did and she had great ideas and edits for all my essays. She’s very good at constructive criticism – we rewrote my HBS essay probably 50 times. She was easy to communicate with (despite being in different, and constantly changing, time zones) – she always responded within a day and scheduled meetings whenever I asked. My applications were a million times better than they would have been without Heidi. Highly recommend!

I approached Fortuna Admissions wanting to work with the best consultants and resources to maximize my chances to attend a top business school. After interviewing multiple consultants, I was paired with Cassandra. From our first meeting to the last, she engaged me and my story on a personal level. She pushed me to understand my own story and challenged me in a positive way at every stage of the process. Outside of her genuine interest in understanding her clients at a personal-level, Cassandra is a master wordsmith. Through interfacing on multiple iterations of essays, we worked collaboratively on creating intellectually and personally-rewarding statements. Together with Judith, the team that I worked with at Fortuna exceeded my expectations. Every meeting was helpful, every question was answered thoughtfully with an underpinning of experience, and, most importantly, every interaction was a joy. I would recommend them to all.

I didn’t have the chance to work with Malvina on my applications, but had the pleasure of working with her on my HBS interview. Despite her being located in London, she was highly responsive and flexible in accommodating to my work schedule to speak with me on the phone and answer my questions. Malvina was extremely knowledgeable of the HBS interview and was able to make the whole prep process very tailored. Based on my application, she was able to suggest areas of my profile I should highlight, what the interviewer may ask, and how to respond to those questions. The interview process is daunting, but Malvina was patient and honest yet supportive which made it all the more enjoyable. I couldn’t have gotten into HBS without her help and I 100% would recommend Malvina!

I worked with Michel from early on my decision to apply for B-school. I knew that I was going to apply Round 1 and that I would be on the younger side if accepted by the schools I wanted to get into. So I did my extensive research and chatted with 6 different consulting agencies before finally choosing Fortuna.

What really set Fortuna apart from the other agencies is the level of care and detail Michel went into crafting my story. I come from a traditional consulting background but I was looking to make a career pivot with my MBA to go into something a lot more untraditional. Michel spent hours on the phone with me really dissecting why and how I came to the conclusion that business school is the right move at this stage of my career. Once that was set, we went about creating the right narrative for my applications.

Throughout the process, Michel was extremely responsive and provided strong feedback on my essays, resume, video interviews, in person interviews, recommender selection, etc. Along every step of the process it became very obvious how experienced and knowledgeable Michel was with this entire MBA process. And because we started very early in the year, the pace was very manageable and at no time was I overwhelmed or stressed out.

I found it very helpful that Michel knew me very well and was able to call back on all of my extracurriculars in order to help prep me from the essays to the interviews. After each interview, Michel and I called to debrief and prep for the next one.

Ultimately I was admitted to 2 schools and waitlisted for my third! All top 10 programs! I’m thrilled and could not have done this without the expertise of Michel. If you’re looking for a compassionate, understanding, patient and knowledgeable MBA consultant, Michel is the way to go!

I worked with Karen the whole R1 season. We worked together on three things – resume, essay, and interview. Throughout the process, I was impressed by her responsiveness, trustworthiness, and flexibility. When I have questions, she usually will get me back with her answers in 4-5 hours, 60% of the times she would get me back within 1 hour. She makes me feel supported alongside.
Karen is also experienced in coaching. I had my interview with CBS right 3 days after I got the invite. Karen did 2 mock interviews with me. In each of the session, she listened carefully my answers and would identify the inefficiencies in my communication style. The comment she gave me was right to the point and helped me structure my answers in later interviews.
She’s also an inspiring coach but someone who won’t make you feel pressured. This quality makes me return to her one time after another. I couldn’t imagine how many more hours I would spend on the application if were without Karen.

The MBA application process is pretty intimidating and somewhat overwhelming on top of a full time job and unlimited online resources claiming to have the secrets to MBA admissions. When I decided to apply, I talked to many different consulting firms for fit, and was struck immediately by the demonstrated knowledge and candid approach of Fortuna and Brittany.
From the start, I was extremely impressed with Brittany. She got to know me as a candidate immediately, asking questions and digging into various aspects of my past I considered unimportant. She also demonstrated a clear understanding of my goals and the different programs that were out there. She was committed to providing candid and honest assessments of my chances and fit at many different programs. She also helped lead me to discover a few programs I had not additionally considered.
Throughout the process, she provided clear and useful advice to help me best articulate the goals and past experiences in my applications. The idea making and editing process was extremely iterative and challenged me to concisely and clearly articulate myself. Her process helped me produce the strongest essays possible. Not to mention, my elevator pitches and interview answers befitted as a result.
When interviews came around, Brittany ran a mock with me for every school, providing feedback and insight on what to expect for each school’s interview process. As a result, I was never blindsided or surprised by an interview.
At the end of the process, I walked away with 3 acceptances from schools that had originally felt like reaches. I do not think I would be choosing between three great programs without her guidance.
On top of her expertise, Brittany is a pleasure to work with. She responds quickly and thoughtfully and is readily available. I remember at one point in the process, I had an interview and was nervous 10 minutes before. Brittany called me immediately to remind me of clear points and what to expect- she calmed me down and it truly helped me succeed. Brittany provided an objective lens, but also was supportive and caring through one of the more personally challenging phases of my life. The entire process was more manageable and more enjoyable because of her, and I don’t think that I would have achieved the outcome I did without her.

Karen helped me on my application for five schools from essay building to mock interview. When I came to her, I had already drafted several versions but still feel I was not there. She really spent her time listening to my stories, analyzing my case and building up an application strategy for me. She immediately pointed out my strengths and weaknesses in my academic and working experience and crafted different strategies for different applications. She always has different perspectives and advice to my essay and other application materials to really bring my whole application to the next level.
I truly appreciated her timely feedback on every version of my application. I was under extreme pressure when finishing application for five schools within a relatively short period of time. She was able to give back her comments and advice very quickly, even during the weekends, to help me catch all the deadlines.
Also I have done several mock interviews with her. For each mock interview, she did plenty of preparations in advance and really imitated styles of different schools. She covered various perspectives in the mock interviews and gave good suggestions to my answers and also my body language.
I highly valued and recommend Karen’s coaching on MBA application. She helped me to get into my dream school (HBS).

From the initial consultation, Michel and Judith took the time to understand my story, answer my questions. They spoke with me about my candidacy with confidence and enthusiasm, which I really appreciated. I spoke to a number of other consultants prior to deciding to work with Fortuna but my initial conversations with Michel and Judith really stuck out. I worked with them over the course of 5-6 months on my application to Columbia.

From the strategy questionnaire to my essays and interview prep, Michel took the time to understand my background, strengths, and interests to help me craft a compelling story. Michel provided constructive feedback on my essays to ensure they highlighted my personality and experiences. Michel kept me on schedule and provided valuable advice at every point of the application process. She went above and beyond and took the time to speak with me about a job change mid-way through the application cycle and how to frame that in my business school applications and interviews.

When I received an interview with a tight timeline to prepare, Michel was quick to make herself available to put me through a mock interview and I felt confident going into the actual interview as a result of that.

I felt Michel was truly invested in my success and was very excited for me when I was accepted to Columbia. I would highly recommend Michel, Judith, and Fortuna to future applicants!

I had signed up for the Fortuna school package and was very fortunate to have Melissa as my coach. She certainly has unparalleled insight into the admissions process which is clear in her invaluable feedback on the essays.

However, I believe that Melissa’s true strength as a coach was her ability to get me through the self-doubt, writer’s block and the numerous other obstacles that had almost caused me to give up on the application entirely.

Melissa showed a balance of patience and persistent encouragement, intuitively knowing to send amazing motivational videos and mental hacks that helped me work through the things that were holding me back.

With her support, I actually ended up enjoying the application process and was very proud of the final result. I also got admitted into my dream school!

I could not have asked for a better coach.

She genuinely cared, was very insightful and knowledgeable, and showed diligent attention to the slightest detail.

Melissa, it was wonderful to work with you. Thank you so much!

I had spoken to a couple of other consultants before I spoke with Karen. Unlike the other consultants, Karen did not make me feel like my dream school was out of reach. She immediately told me what my weaknesses were and put forth a strategy on how to deal with them in the application process.
I came to Karen later on in the application process, but never once did she make me feel stressed about my time crunch. She was EXTREMELY responsive all the way through till the end.
At the start of my partnership with Karen, I had very little idea of what the “story” for my essays was going to be. After a long conversation on the phone, Karen helped me come up with a story that made sense with my background, but also felt extremely genuine.
Numerous times while writing my essays I would get complete writers block. This never seemed to be an annoyance to Karen as she would simply tell me to write something out (basically just get anything down on paper), send it to her and then we would discuss ways to enhance and work on what I had.
Karen also did multiple mock interviews with me. In my essays I wrote about switching industries, but I had a very surface level knowledge of the industry I was hoping to switch to. Karen went above and beyond to first discuss with me the trends and buzzwords of this industry, and then ask me industry specific questions. Without this preparation I would have completely fallen apart in my interviews.
Not only was Karen helpful with crafting my story, helping with my essays, and prepping for my interview, but she also offered unwavering emotional support. Often times when we would speak, I felt like I was talking to a friend, which is something I found to be VERY important during this stressful process.
Karen ended up helping me get into my dream school (Columbia), and I would not have wanted to go through this process with anyone else!

My Background: Asian-American male in finance with a strong GPA and GMAT score. Generally, I had a very strong profile on paper in terms of academics and career.

My Top Choice: Wharton.

Results w/ Fortuna: Accepted to Wharton and Columbia ($100,000+), and invited to interview at HBS. I only applied to these 3 schools.

Reason for Choosing Fortuna: During my initial free consultation with Matt Symonds, I found it refreshing to speak with a consultant who provides an honest assessment of the services that would be of most value to me. Matt took the time to understand my profile and suggested an hourly package to help hone my messaging. He also ensured that I could retain my voice and give full freedom to my recommenders. In contrast, many other consultants insisted on having a heavy hand in the essays (basically writing it for me) and controlling the recommendations – not my cup of tea.

Experience w/ Michel Belden: I highly recommend Michel and can’t give her enough praises. Michel’s proven experience with the Wharton process was one of the key reasons that I chose to work with Fortuna. Michel really helped me articulate and structure my message and made sure I wasn’t leaving any stones unturned in my story. She was incredibly thoughtful and gracious throughout the process, going above and beyond during the holidays by remaining accessible when I was in a time crunch. I can’t thank her enough and highly recommend you consider working with her.

I am from a non-traditional MBA background and believed a coach is necessary to help me navigate the highly competitive and complex process of MBA application. Thanks to Nicola, Matt and Caroline, the journey was instead really enjoyable. I chose Fortuna because of the recommendation from a good friend and the fact that, as ex staff from INSEAD, some of the coaches have deep insights about my dream school. Nicola and I are in nearby time zones across the Tasman Sea (AU and NZ, allowing the communications to be very timely and convenient. As I said, the entire process was very well planned with a clear timeline. I was able to focus on tasks in hand and knew everything was under control. There are specific tools and guidance for each step along the way. For example, the initial comprehensive questionnaire was extremely valuable as a tool for self-reflection and gathering material for essays. For the whole time, Nicola was extremely helpful. She had enlightened me to discover the meaningful stories of my life. In terms of the application, the essays and forms were carefully reviewed by Nicola and Caroline dozens of times. Nicola also helped me with interviews and the scholarship application. In summary, Nicola is a great coach and I highly recommend anyone choose her and Fortuna Admissions. Without their help, I probably wouldn’t have survived the admission competition and eventually receive an offer from INSEAD. A big thank you to the team. Lastly, I have to mention the Youtube channel and the website of Fortuna Admissions, which are great resources for MBA applications.

Julie was exceptional. As candidate from a small firm and a tier two liberal arts college, Julie worked diligently to help me stand out in wholly unexpected ways. She showed me how a weekend hobby wasn’t just a hobby, but a way to make my candidacy standout.

Where Julie shines is the essay. About five times, per essay I’d find myself stuck, but each time Julie was there with some wild idea that was just enough to get me going. She diligently edited the barrage of drafts I threw at her. The essays we produced were the cornerstone of my application. Admissions officers from three separate programs highlighted my essays as the key strength of my application.

Like working with any great coach, if you put in the work, you will see outstanding results.

Going into the MBA admissions process, I had a lot of questions and uncertainty despite hours upon hours of research. I depended on Michel to answer my never-ending stream of questions and vet my scatterbrained essay ideas, guiding my thoughts and application to the best ones. She helped keep me stay organized, particularly in terms of not spending too much time on workstreams I kept going back to. Having her experience, as well as the extra opinions from the rest of the Fortuna team, provided me peace of mind.

I came into the process with fairly low expectations but Michele bolstered my confidence, which I needed to execute on my applications. I ended up getting interviews at almost every school I applied to, and eventually ended up in the program that best fit me. The MBA admissions process is tough, but having Michele and Fortuna at my side made it almost enjoyable, as I was able to spend more of my time reflecting and executing instead of worrying over details and uncertainties.

Thanks Sharon for prepping me for the interviews. I got admitted to UCLA Anderson, UC Berkely Hass, Yale SOM and MIT Sloan. Some of them offered almost full or half scholarship.
When I contacted Sharon for interview preparation, the deadline was approaching and I have nearly zero knowledge about the interview. Thanks Sharon for the quick response and talking with me on such a short notice.
I truly enjoyed the 2-hour conversation with Sharon. She was able to provide insightful feedback and suggestions during the conversation, and also answered my follow-up questions via email with great patience. She gave me a good start on my interview preparation by identifying my strengths and weaknesses.

I could not have asked for better experience working with Jessica. We focused on my top choice only and I ended up being admitted to the school. Throughout the few months we worked together, Jessica was always responsive, discerning and honest. She provided valuable insight of what the program’s admissions committees are looking for, which helped me keep my essays in the right direction. I also appreciated her providing clear timeline of how the application should move forward and making sure I was on track. With Jessica’s help on my interview skills, I was able to walk into the actual one feeling confident.
I would highly recommend her to any future applicants. Thank you Jessica!

I can’t imagine what the application process would have been like without the Fortuna team. They made everything tangible, and much more enjoyable even from the first call. The entire process was an adventure in itself and helped me gain a better understanding of myself including my strengths and weaknesses as well as my goals. I worked with both Melissa Jones and Emma Bond- a great duo. They are both extremely professional and helpful, had great insights on the process, paid great attention to detail and knew how to position my profile in the best way possible. They went above and beyond to help me prepare for my interviews and always available for questions. I know I was successful with my applications because of Fortuna and am extremely thankful I made the decision to work with them. I highly suggest working with them.

I can’t imagine what the application process would have been like without the Fortuna team. They made everything tangible, and much more enjoyable even from the first call. The entire process was an adventure in itself and helped me gain a better understanding of myself including my strengths and weaknesses as well as my goals. I worked with both Melissa Jones and Emma Bond- a great duo. They are both extremely professional and helpful, had great insights on the process, paid great attention to detail and knew how to position my profile in the best way possible. They went above and beyond to help me prepare for my interviews and always available for questions. I know I was successful with my applications because of Fortuna and am extremely thankful I made the decision to work with them. I highly suggest working with them.

Throughout my application process, Julie was supportive and provided excellent guidance. She helped me refine my “story” and weave it throughout each of my applications in a way that would appeal to each school. She is very knowledgeable, dedicated, and keeps things fun! I strongly recommend Julie to anyone looking to apply to top-tier schools.

Thank you, Julie, for all of your help!

I worked with Sharon during Round 2 of the 2017 – 2018 season and could not have had a better experience. I got a late start on applications and Sharon was crucial in not only getting my applications completed, but perfecting them before submission, helping to present the best and most honest version of me to admissions committees. Due to this time constraints and the difficulties inherent to the application process, I ultimately selected Sharon and Fortuna because they gave me an honest, no-BS perspective on my candidacy (as compared to other consultants I spoke with that were just happy to take my money), saving me time by helping me target my strengths and avoid schools that weren’t a good fit.
I initially purchased a 3-school package from Fortuna but added on essay editing for a fourth school after I saw how valuable Sharon’s insights and edits were. Sharon was constantly available, even for the smallest question, and always within 24 hours. I consider myself a good writer/interviewer, but Sharon’s talents for editing took my essays and interviews to the next level. With all of her experience working on various admissions committees, Sharon helped me avoid school-specific pitfalls and highlighted important themes relevant to each school that made my applications stronger. Sharon went above and beyond in helping me explore all of the areas that made me valuable as a candidate, providing activities and psychological exercises to get to the “real me.”
Sharon constantly provided the honest feedback I needed, as well as immensely helpful essay and interview ideas that highlighted the uniqueness of my application. I’m confident I would not have gotten as far in the admissions process if it wasn’t for her unique insights and ideas on how to present my story. With Sharon’s help, the immensely stressful and time-consuming application process was made much easier. I was ultimately admitted to a top 10 program and am on the waitlist at Stanford ( what I would consider a moonshot that never would have been possible without Sharon’s help).

I can’t even put into words how amazing Melissa was during my whole MBA application process. She guided me through every step and always gave me invaluable advice. Melissa got to know me very well, both from a professional and personal standpoint, so when I started thinking about what to include in the MBA essays she was really able to help me pinpoint the most compelling stories that really showcased my strengths.
Melissa was always very responsive on email and available to help whenever I had a question. She is also extremely knowledgeable when it comes to the top MBA programs – especially INSEAD.
I would highly recommend the comprehensive MBA package.

It was only a week away from the deadline when I decided to retain an MBA admission consultant because I was struggling with the optional essay. I contacted several companies that provide MBA admission consulting service, and Fortuna was the only company that was able to meet my deadline. Sharon from Fortuna contacted me within 24 hours and worked with me over the weekend to review my admission package. Not only she provided great guidance on my optional essay, she also offered incredible insights on my other essays and the entire package. Since I had already spent more than one month writing my other three essays, I thought they cannot be any better until Sharon mentioned a few points. Looking back, I would have not got into Stern without correcting those mistakes on the essays.
I cannot thank Sharon and Fortuna enough for what they have done. Sharon sacrificed her weekend and weeknights just to make sure my work is perfect. I would highly recommend Fortuna and Sharon to any MBA applicants!!!

I really enjoyed my time working with Catherine. She coached me through three round two applications and I was admitted to two schools – UNC and Emory which included a scholarship for half of my tuition. I’m from an over represented applicant pool with a 700 GMAT and less than a 3.0 GPA from an unknown undergrad. I truly believe Catherine made a huge impact, and I highly recommend her to any potential MBA applicant.

The first thing I did was complete a very thorough worksheet that spelled out my background, my career accomplishments, career path, extra-curriculars, recommenders and my general strengths and weaknesses. Then we had a long phone-call so I could explain anything she still had questions about. I really thought this was a tremendous way for us to get to know each other.

In addition to helping me pick my mix of target schools, Catherine gave me tips and tricks to help me network better with students and alumni. I immediately reached out to student’s at all three schools and scheduled visits. Without her direction, I would’ve skipped this crucial step.

Catherine’s help with my essays was by far the most helpful aspect of this whole process. I had struggled round one, unsure which themes to focus on or what aspects of my background I should highlight. Catherine helped me not only select which topics/essays I should write, but also helped me condense them down into the tight word limits. I can’t stress enough how helpful this was. I was losing sleep over the essays I’d done on my own and probably re-wrote them 10-12 times. That totally changed working with Catherine.

She also kept me on target for my deadlines. Everything was reviewed closely by her and Judith in advance of the deadline. None of my applications were fire drills. This made the process considerably less stressful.

Finally, when I signed up with Fortuna, I had already received an interview invitation from Georgetown. Judith was kind enough to offer a complimentary interview prep session even though we hadn’t worked on the school together which gave me a ton of confidence going into the interview.

I can’t recommend Catherine and Judith enough. They really made the MBA application process easy and enjoyable process. My only regret is that I didn’t start sooner!

The whole process was as smooth as it possibly could. Catherine took all the time I needed to make sure that every single part of my application was perfect. I had a low GMAT score, well below my dream schools’ average, however, we were able to highlight the right aspects of my background and tell a very good story. I got admitted to all the schools I was targeting, even the one that I thought was way out of reach for me.
Catherine’s and Judith’s input was invaluable for me since I hadn’t studied in the US and hadn’t even had a chance to visit the campuses! I can’t thank Catherine enough for going above and beyond along the whole journey.

I got admitted to my dream school, Kellogg at Northwestern University – HUGE THANKS to Sharon Joyce and her team.
I have lower than average GMAT and GPA, and also was in the non-profit industry. Yes, I was on the weaker side of the candidates, and it wouldn’t be possible to get an admission offer from Kellogg without her help.
Sharon was BRILLIANT in positioning strategy and storytelling that were tailored to just myself as a unique MBA candidate.
She helped me with whole application strategy, numerous essay drafts, recommenders selection, interview preparation, and follow-up plans.
She also gave me very honest and critical feedback with the point of view admission office as a former Associate Director of Admission at Haas.
Other things, such as quick turnaround and accessibility, were also very helpful, especially since I started application process fairly late.
She also arranged with a resume specialist and a former Admission Director at Wharton to get a 3rd look at my resume and essays, which added a “perfection” to my whole application.
I was very lucky to find Sharon and really enjoyed working with her.

After an unpleasantly protracted experience with a New York based admissions consultant, finding Fortuna and, more importantly, teaming up with expert Fortuna coach, Sharon Joyce, was the ultimate windfall. Sharon helped me navigate the application process every step of the way with her unparalleled expertise and insight. She is a gifted editor who turns essays around with expedience. Whether by phone, email, or text, Sharon always makes herself available. Working with Sharon was a very refreshing experience; her witty sense of humor and encouraging coaching style are game changers. Sharon was the defining factor in my acceptance to the school of my choice. Without her unmitigated help and attention, I would have struggled to meet deadlines and achieve success in applying to top MBA programs. In every regard, Sharon has the winning formula!

After conversing with Matt and Melissa, it was clear to me that Fortuna would meet me where I was (schools selected and story roughly drawn out) and take my ideas to the next level. I thoroughly enjoyed working with Melissa who is efficient and proactive and provides thoughtful guidance relevant to the programs. She demonstrated knowledge of the difference between programs and connected me to resources that eventually would help me make my decision. After working hard on the applications and interviews I was able to secure a spot at my top choice MBA program in Europe. Massive thanks to Matt and Melissa for being there throughout the process!

Even if you have a strong sense of story and have zeroed onto your top choices, I highly recommend Fortuna and Melissa to hone your message and put your best possible case on the table. It makes all the difference.

I worked with Michel for an intensive 4 month period and got complete support from her in all aspects of the application process. This was my second time applying to B-schools and second time working with a consultant. My experience the first time was not that great and working with Michel and Fortuna really made realize the importance of having a strong and supportive admissions consultant. The area I needed most help with is really bringing out my strengths and crafting my story so that it all tied in to why I was going to do an MBA at this stage of my career. 30 years old and a Senior Director at the company I was in. Some consultants told me I was pass the period of applying to an MBA. Michel provided me with continuous support and guidance to really get my story right and was open to giving continuous feedback on my essays. And “real” “constructive” feedback that was actionable and you can really work from. This is key as you don’t want someone just reviewing your grammar. This feedback was extremely valuable and made my life a lot easier when it came to turning comments. She also helped me in navigating all aspects of the application process (prep for interviews, guidance on answering app questions, preparing recommender materials) she has a wealth of experience working with most of the top schools and she doesn’t hold back in sharing all this information. Extremely happy with my engagement with her and definitely recommend utilizing her as an advisor for your application process. She knows, gets it and is willing to help on all fronts. Also for those that are really busy she provides pretty practical feedback that will help you approach the process without diving too deep unnecessarily. Really grateful for all the support I received from her and the team at Fortuna. Definitely made a difference in my application process!

Melissa was a pleasure to work with from day one, and having her there to answer questions and provide feedback on my work was an invaluable “safety net” to have throughout the process. Fortuna was incredibly professional from the first evaluation call, to their comprehensive profile evaluation, all the way through essay and application stage. In the beginning, I was having trouble deciding which schools to apply to. Fortuna gave me very honest guidance and valuable insight (GMAT score minimums, etc.) that saved me countless hours of time by not applying to a school I would have had no chance of being accepted to. I also really appreciated their process in that Melissa reviewed my whole application and made sure it was perfect, then my profile was reviewed by a director who used to be a dean of admissions at an ivy league school. I felt very confident once I passed all of those reviews, and sure enough was accepted to three of my four schools! Thanks Melissa and Fortuna.

It has been an absolute pleasure working with Emma Bond and the Fortuna admissions team. I have worked with another service in the past and the insights, diligence and thoroughness from Emma are at a completely different level! Emma was an admissions officer herself and she provides great understanding into how the admissions teams work and how best to tell your story. In spite of a great GMAT I had a major disadvantage which we were able to overcome and led to an offer from a top school. We worked through the whole process together from the initial planning phase to submitting the essays, to conducting realistic mock interviews. It is one of the best investments I have made and I recommend working with Emma and Fortuna for your whole application process.

Heidi’s ability to help you hone in on what makes you stand out was outstanding! She helped me highlight my strengths and understand how my weaknesses were viewed. Ultimately, I gained admission to my top program. With my new perspective, I was also admitted to my second choice. Overall, a very rewarding experience. I highly recommend working with Heidi, especially if you are coming from a non-traditional background.

Before choosing to go with Fortuna, I had conducted Skype interviews with about a dozen admission consultants. Most looked at my dry credentials and concluded I have little to no chance of being admitted to an M7 B-school, disregarding what I had though were some appealing elements of my prospective application.

The first time my “story” was essentially and holistically examined was during my first Skype call with Judith, who offered a complex, data and experience driven analysis of my chances of being admitted to several target schools. 6 months after that initial call, I can wholeheartedly say that I have made the right call in choosing the most professional, experienced and amiable admission consultancy firm I possibly could have asked for.

From the moment I started working with Heidi and Judith, I have received their full and undivided attention. Whether it was rethinking my application strategy, seeking advice on timelines and task prioritisation, or most importantly, the relentless editing of my application materials until they were absolutely flawless – Heidi and Judith were there for me and at no point did they cut corners or shy away from hard work to be done. As far as they were concerned, as long as I wanted to further perfect an essay, even for the 15th time, they were enthusiastically up for the task. They continuously made me feel like they were worth every cent I had paid for their superior service and extremely valuable baggage of MBA admissions experience.

When I first interviewed admission consultants, a consultant from one of the most established firms in the industry told me that I “was not even in the ballpark for an M7 school”. Thanks to Fortuna, enhancing and streamlining my work, I was accepted to the Columbia Business School MBA program, an M7 school.

Heidi is an expert at recognizing your strengths and getting the best out of you!

1) I was not very confident with my essay writing, so having Heidi’s help and encouragement was invaluable.

2) I had a relatively hurried application timeline and was traveling for business a lot. Heidi was able to accommodate.

Heidi is very well-rounded and she played key role in defining my career goals and polishing my essays. I would recommend Heidi to prospective applicants.

I’ve spent the duration of my professional career (over 5 years in total) working to separate myself from my lackluster undergraduate performance. So, when I decided to apply to institution ranked in the top 10 globally, I researched extensively how I could overcome my >2.9 GPA as a social science major. After unsuccessful attempts (both on my own and with a well-known MBA consultant), I opted to take a chance with Fortuna based on overwhelmingly positive feedback on this site.

After an initial consultation, I was paired with Emma Bond which turned out to be match made in heaven. I came to Emma with a high-level understanding of “my story” and how a MBA could help me achieve my career goals. However, Emma strategically poked holes in my story where required and skillfully helped to fill in any crucial details. Additionally, Emma provided a depth of information across all programs that was a result of her and her colleagues direct experience. Her expertise on how each program evaluates candidate could not be replicated by other means. Her insider knowledge allowed me to put forth the most compelling body of work to each program.

Throughout our engagement, Emma was incredibly pleasurable to work with. She was willing to accommodate my rather demanding work schedule and turned around drafts very promptly. But, I could also rely on Emma to politely push me when necessary to stay in sync with our aggressive timeline. It became apparent that Emma was genuinely invested in my success. Emma set a high standard for work because she knew that’s what it took. I found myself digging deeper to turn around stronger drafts so I wouldn’t disappoint Emma. When I put forth work that she didn’t think was up to par, she didn’t hesitate to roll up her sleeves and masterfully guide me on how the work could be improved. Most notably, Emma helped me interject my personality into the essays and short answers in a professional and charismatic way. Emma’s involvement helped to cultivate applications much stronger than I believed were possible. As a result, I was invited to interview at multiple schools that I was repeatedly told were “out of my league” from other consultants.

When it came time to prep for interviews, Emma was well-prepared to make the mock interview best replicate the actual experience. She asked refreshingly challenging questions and spent extra time ensuring that my answers were as sound as possible. With her preparation, I marched confidently into my interviews and nailed it.

Ultimately, I gained admission to my dream school and punched well above my weight. If you want to maximize your odds at gaining entry to a top MBA program, especially London Business School, you need to work with Emma. She cares about her clients on a whole different level and has the experience to push you above & beyond your capabilities. I’d best sum up our time together as transformational.

Coming from a generally overrepresented profile – management consulting, Asian American male, average undergrad GPA, and solid (but not especially high) GMAT – I wanted an admissions consultant that could help me to stand out. I chose Fortuna for the dedication of their consultants and depth of experience they brought. Most other admissions consulting firms simply connected me with recent graduates of MBA programs who were doing admissions consulting on the side (translate: very busy day jobs and limited availability), but Fortuna’s consultants were dedicated specialists with direct experience in the admissions offices. My focus was Wharton and I worked with Michel (Wharton alum, former Wharton Associate Director, former management consulting recruiter) and Judith (former Wharton Director) – I could not have asked for a better fit.

Throughout the process, Michel was super responsive and provided insight into not just the essays but my whole application, from recommenders to interviews to even the wording of each extracurricular activity description. She helped me to structure my story upfront and challenged me to really think hard about my writing by constantly pointing out things that were unconvincing, unnecessary, and/or unspecific. Over the three-month period working with me, Michel patiently talked me through every last question/concern floating around in my head, steering me away from pitfalls and fostering confidence in my decisions.

The perspective she (and Judith) provided from being on the other side of the table at Wharton was invaluable. I successfully got into Wharton and am excited to start the program this year. Thank you Michel and the Fortuna team!

I looked to Fortuna for help with my HBS admissions process after I was deferred in Round 1. I was paired with Malvina for interview coaching, and I really couldn’t have asked for a better guide. She was compassionate in approaching the often stressful process of interview prep, and curious to understand me as an applicant. Moreover, she was clearly very knowledgable about the subject matter of HBS, and what specifically defines their interview process.

We started our coaching with an introductory call in which she sought to better understand my application and goals, while also providing a thorough summary of what I should expect in my interview (a robust written guide with tips and practice questions was also provided). She followed up with an hour-long practice interview with specific questions tailored to my background and the “HBS way.” I’d note that there was an incredible amount of overlap between the questions she asked in my practice interview, a nd the questions asked in my actual interview, which allowed me to feel confident and well-prepared.

I engaged her services for the post-interview reflection as well, where she continued to offer incredibly useful support and direction.

In the end, I received offers to HBS and Wharton, and certainly feel that I have Malvina to thank!

I highly recommend working with Emma. For me, it resulted in admission to LSE, IESE and Warwick. Emma opened my eyes to how a successful application should look like. I’m an attorney-at-law, and I hadn’t either studied or applied to a business school before. Emma helped translate my experience from a legal industry and NGO into achievements recognizable for b-schools. She also taught me how to structure my application documents, present my future goals and related them to the school’s programme. Importantly, as I’m seeking a career change, Emma also helped me reflect on my background and skills, which not only contributed to my admission success but will also benefit me in transition I’m about to start. Last but not least, I was impressed how efficient working with Emma was and how fast we managed to improve my application documents. She is definitely the expert who knows what questions to ask you, how to determine your strengths and how to mitigate potential weaknesses in your profile.

Malvina is phenomenal. We worked together to prep for the HBS interview. Her feedback was detailed and honest, and her optimism was refreshing. Malvina encouraged me to, as cliche as it sounds, be authentic. Her vote of confidence helped ease the nerves natural to this process. Definitely recommend the investment!

Contacting Fortuna Admissions is easily one of the best decisions I have made in my business school journey. I had been skeptical of the value from consultants in the past. However, after facing four rejections, I decided to contact several consultants as a means of revamping my strategy and tactics. Caroline stood apart in being an active listener, empathetical, and neutral in offering comprehensive advice from the beginning, which continued throughout the entirety of my engagement with Fortuna. She was genuinely vested in my success and accessible in all stages, from pre-application school consideration, profile fit, to admissions committee communication and negotiations. As a matter of fact, she instructed me on how to leverage offers to maximize my position and secure scholarships. In the end, I was able to achieve two scholarships and a waitlist from top-ranked European schools and could not be more pleased with the outcome! I feel indebted to Caroline and her team for their pivotal support and enthusiasm. I would highly recommend Caroline and Fortuna Admissions to any and all business school applicants, as I have already done so to numerous friends and acquaintances.

After four rejections from top-ranked business schools, I decided that I needed to adjust my approach towards applications. After contacting Fortuna Admissions, I was impressed by the level of transparency, direct knowledge, objective advice, and depth of interest in my candidacy (especially in light of other consultants). From the onset with Karen, she proved candid, clear, and exacting on the areas that needed my attention. We discussed my profile at length during our first session, wherein she took detailed notes to help translate my objectives, strengths, and weaknesses in a coherent and concise manner for my applications. She offered strong insights into the thinking of admissions officers and how to present a unified front as an applicant. We jointly addressed problems and revised my essays to paint a focused and aligned picture that articulated my vision, reasons for an MBA, and specific rationale for individual schools in a compelling manner. We were able to jointly leverage content matter and tailor sections unique to each university, which altogether amounted to an enormous amount of value and impact in a relatively short amount of time. Karen demanded excellence (i.e. dozens of interactions and iterations for each school) and grasped both the granular details and holistic big picture to help me deliver my best in final drafts and interview preparation. And the results speak for themselves — I was offered two scholarships and a waitlist, a turnaround from four rejections! Karen was invaluable in my process and I would emphatically endorse her to others to drastically improve their odds of success!

I worked with Jessica to help me with admissions to multiple schools. I wanted to the best chance at getting into an MBA program and Jessica was the perfect person to help me! She broke down the overwhelming application process into much more manageable chunks. She helped me clean up my resume so it was less wordy and more to the point. She helped me through several drafts of essays to multiple schools. Not an easy feat considering the number essays per university. She was always there to guide me in the right direction anytime she found out my essays were going off topic. She was there to prep me for my interviews to make sure I was prepared with content, help me get over my nerves and also mentioned over-the-top gestures to avoid during a video interview. She was super positive throughout the entire process and that kept my spirits up. Jessica is very thorough with her work and had an answer to every question I had! In the end I was able to score multiple interviews with the universities I applied to and was able to get into a top program! I couldn’t have done it without her. If you are serious about getting into an MBA program I highly recommend Fortuna and Jessica Chung!

I worked with Judith Hodora right before my group interview. From my first touch point with Judith, she was compassionate and encouraged me to focus on my strengths which definitely helped me calm my nerves. We also discussed specific ideas I could undertake on the interview day to tackle aspects I had missed. She was definitely invested in my success and even volunteered to go out of her way to give me extra coaching on the Sunday afternoon right before my interview !! This was quite heart warming and really made me feel like I was ready to ace D-day. Her experience having seen numerous candidate profiles really comes through. I would 100% recommend working with her throughout the process. Great mentor to have !

Heidi helped me take my application to the next level and ultimately gain admission to HBS & GSB. Together we drilled down into what made me a unique applicant and then put those qualities front and center through my essays and interviews. Heidi is honest, encouraging, and detail-oriented. She sets a high bar and relentlessly pursues excellence; I can say confidently that the applications I delivered were my best work. I highly recommend working with Heidi if you want to achieve the best possible results for yourself.

I worked with Heidi Hillis through the Fortuna Admissions Comprehensive School Package, and I am extremely excited to say that I was accepted to my top choice program, HBS!! I highly recommend Heidi as her insight, advice, and encouragement helped me highlight leadership examples and craft a thoughtful application despite my non-traditional and very technical background. She helped me reflect deeply on my past experiences and pushed me through numerous drafts to compose an application that I was extremely proud of. She also made the intense and overwhelming application process very manageable — providing a clear roadmap for approaching recommenders, completing essays, and surviving the interview process. Heidi is extremely insightful, invested, caring, and very responsive, and I ultimately couldn’t have successfully completed this process without Heidi\’s invaluable support. Thank you so much, Heidi and the Fortuna team!!