Fortuna Admissions | MBA Admissions Consultants

Working with Rachel was wonderful! We worked together on a hourly-consulting basis. From the start, she was incredibly responsive and generous with her time, always willing to offer guidance whenever needed. Her feedback was consistently detailed and incisive, helping me fine-tune multiple aspects of my application. Rachel was particularly helpful as I prepared for interviews. She conducted an awesome mock interview that not only simulated the real experience but also boosted my confidence. She provided great feedback and tips to help me present myself in the best possible light.

An aspect of Rachel’s approach that stood out was her focus on helping me take ownership of my achievements – a part of the admissions process I struggled with. Her wisdom, edits, and encouragement improved my candidacy and helped me grow personally. Rachel has been a fantastic sounding board as I work through different visions for my career. Her probing questions and thoughts have challenged me to think deeply about my aspirations.

I fully recommend Rachel to anyone seeking external support as they navigate MBA admissions. Put simply, I believe her influence is a major reason why I got into my first choice school! Thank you again Rachel.

Jonathan was an excellent coach, and I cannot recommend him enough. With his unique experience from his many years at a top MBA program, he immediately opened my eyes to strategic moves in the admissions process that I otherwise would never have considered. We discussed my story and crafted an application that perfectly fit my target school. Thanks to Jonathan, I’m squarely in the mix for my dream school, a school that other admissions coaches told me was out of reach. If you’re preparing for MBA applications and you want an edge that will help you stand out, consider working with Jonathan.

Sharon is a great consultant! She helped me get into my dream school (T10). Sharon and I worked together on my R2 apps, and she provided me guidance from resume reviews all the way to interview prep. She helped me with seven T15 applications, and I was invited to interview for six of them, accepted into five. Her expertise from working as an admissions committee member previously really showed as we worked to craft my story not only to highlight my accomplishments/why MBA but also to preserve authenticity. Sharon also did not have a strict count on edits/times we spoke during a week. This was very important to me as I wanted my application to be absolutely perfect, no matter how many iterations it took. I am so very grateful for Sharon’s help; if you are considering Fortuna, please go with Sharon!

After struggling with addiction for most of my 20’s, I didn’t begin my career until age 28. Scott helped me craft a compelling narrative that acknowledged my personal and legal challenges as strengths, while providing crucial and insightful framework concerning how AdComs view different profiles. In addition to the application hand-holding and narrative reframing, Scott acted as confidant, and at times a therapist as well. The MBA application process is inherently stressful and time consuming, but our weekly 1 hour debrief never failed to re-charge my focus and confidence. I applied at the less-than-desirable (at least in the eyes of AdComs) age of 33 as a straight while male in finance with average hard stats, and just 5 years of work history. I will be matriculating this year at HSW in their full-time program during one of the most competitive cycles in recent memory. Explicitly stated, I don’t think my outcome would have been possible without Scott.

Melissa has helped me gain admission to HBS, Wharton and INSEAD – working with me over a period of roughly 8 months. Over that time, she was a teacher, confidant and friend and I am incredibly grateful to her for her help. I very much believe it could not have happened without her.

The most impressive thing about Melissa is that she makes a genuine effort to get to know you as a person and to build a relationship with you. I cannot stress enough how helpful this is when discussing ideas for the various essays – they are, by their very nature, incredibly personal and so it is fantastic to work with someone you trust and who can help tease the best ideas out of you.

She is incredibly knowledgeable about the schools and what they are looking for. Her feedback is honest and to the point – but always insightful and she is incredibly patient. She makes time to help, even at short notice and is obviously invested in your success.

I would very much recommend her!

Patty Keegan was absolutely amazing to work with. I am 1000% confident that it was largely because of Patty’s guidance that I was admitted to both Stanford GSB and Wharton, the only two programs I applied to.

I cannot stress this enough – if Patty is available, request her. If she isn’t, refuse to work with anyone until she becomes so. Not only was Patty uniquely generous with her time, she was insightful, encouraging, responsive, and just thoroughly helpful in every way throughout the process. She was a wonderful sounding board when I was thinking through new ideas to try, and her thoughtful advice was invaluable in helping me think through strategic decisions throughout the application process. It’s clear she leverages the full weight of her career’s worth of experience for you.

Once in a generation, someone comes along who is destined to be a legend in their field – that might be Patty. I am not exaggerating (it’s not possible to accurately describe how great she is). I’ve tried working with several other consultants before and they’ve all paled in comparison. Seriously, if you get the opportunity to work with Patty, take it. The experience itself may have been more transformational than business school!

I went into this process wanting to ensure that I put my best foot forward, and Heidi was the best consultant to work with to make sure that happened. She was super available and turned around edits very quickly, often times even in the same day. We spent many hours together talking through what I wanted to communicate in my essays and refining and revising. She also pressure tested my career vision and helped me craft a story that was authentic and appealing for admissions. We also spent a lot of time working on prep packets for my recommenders to ensure those letters turned out well, which I think made a huge difference.

I always trusted that Heidi was being honest with me on if something was working or not. By the time we got to submitting the applications, I felt super confident that it was the best that I could produce, no matter what the final results were. I purchased the 3 school package, but the learnings I got from working with Heidi helped me with the two other schools I applied for as well. The interview prep was also essential, particularly Fortuna’s mock group interviews for Wharton.

I would highly recommend working with Heidi, as she is an expert in helping you shape your application for success. I felt very supported in this process knowing that I had her in my corner for advice on every single step. It gave me peace of mind to know that what I was submitting had Heidi’s stamp of approval, which saved me a lot of time and headache in this long process. I ended up being accepted to 4 out of 5 schools I applied for and will attend HBS this fall!

Karen didn’t just help me with my application; she helped me shine through her incredible storytelling and essay ideas. These didn’t just get me into M7 schools—they also helped me understand my career path before and envision my goals after the MBA. Even without hitting the 700 GMAT score, Karen brought my personality to life in my applications and supported me whenever I felt overwhelmed or doubted my chances because of my GMAT score. Her warm mentorship throughout the process really clarified which schools were right for me and where I could thrive.

Karen was there for me anytime, anywhere, and I genuinely believe I’ve made a friend for life. Her kindness, honesty, and straightforward approach, always accompanied by a smile and positive energy, made my application journey rewarding. I’m so grateful to her because I got into my dream M7 school and even snagged a scholarship!

Choosing Karen was the best decision of my entire application journey, and I’m thrilled to have gotten to know her!

Working with Emma was not only a very pleasant experience, but it was also a very successful one. Emma’s expertise enabled me to achieve goals that seemed beyond my reach. Concretely, I applied to: Oxford (MFE), LBS(MiM), HEC&Yale (M2M), Georgetown (MiM), Imperial (Economics & Strategy for Business) and UChicago Booth (MiM). I have standing offers from Oxford, HEC&Yale, Georgetown and Uchicago, and I am waiting to hear back from Imperial and LBS after having been invited to the interview stage. In summary, I have only received positive answers, and I can hardly imagine having achieved this without Emma. From reviewing my profile and picking out the best attributes to showcase for specific programs, to correcting my essays, to putting me in contact with representatives from specific programs, to prepping me for interviews, Emma has far exceeded my expectations and helped me channel all my potential to deliver my best possible self. I can only recommend her, as a professional and also as a person.

As someone with an untraditional pre-mba background, I was looking for a consultant who could help me tell my story in a way that resonated with the admissions committee. Karla is that person! From day one, she spent hours with me to perfect my story. Karla dove deep into my childhood, work experience, extracurriculars, and the things that drive me. It was clear from our first meeting, that no other consultant was going to spend such significant time with me. Karla wants you to succeed, 100%.

Karla will also be your biggest cheerleader throughout this very stressful process. When I started my application, I was not 100% where to apply and not confident that I could get into the top schools. That changed when I met Karla! She made me confident that I could get into the school of my dreams and she was right! Throughout the highs and lows of interviews, Karla was there to pick me up, and to provide a keen insight into the process that I couldn’t have simply researched online.

If you are looking for a consultant who will never give up, and who will spend as much time with you as necessary to perfect your essays and applications, Karla is your person.

After casting a wide net of applications, I was fortunate to gain admission to 5/7 M7 schools and will be attending HBS this fall. Work with Karla, you will not regret it!!

I was fortunate to have been introduced to Fortuna Admissions through a trusted friend who had previously benefited from their services. Engaging with them proved to be an incredibly rewarding decision, one that I am immensely grateful for. In particular, I had the privilege of working closely with Emma Bond as my coach, whose unwavering support played an indispensable role in my journey.

I can’t thank Emma enough for her incredible support throughout this journey. She was there for me every step of the way, from our first chat to celebrating my acceptance into my dream EMBA program at a prestigious Top 10 University.

Emma’s calmness, patience, and strategic guidance were a lifesaver. Whenever I had questions or felt lost, she was quick to respond and provided clear direction. But what really stood out was her unwavering support. Emma’s kind words and encouragement gave me the strength to push through the tough times and believe in myself.

Emma’s support was like a guiding light, and I’ll always be grateful for her role in making my dream a reality. Thank you, Emma, for everything you’ve done. You’re truly amazing!

Going into the MBA admission process, I was confident that I would be lost in a sea of candidates with similar backgrounds to mine. Early on, Karla inspired me to search for ways I was different. We spent countless hours talking through my childhood, college experiences, and career in order to craft a compelling story that helped me stand out.

I know that admissions are a crapshoot, but I was confident from the moment I submitted my applications that they were the highest quality they could have been, all thanks to Karla. She provided tips and tricks and challenged me to step out of my comfort zone. Additionally, she understands the nuance of what each school is solving for, which was incredibly helpful while working through several applications.

If you’re reaching for a dream school and are struggling to craft your story and what makes you unique, I couldn’t recommend Karla more. She’s the GOAT.

I cannot recommend Karen enough. She was with me every step of the way, giving me personalized attention and never making me feel like a number (or just another client). Karen was my cheerleader, helping me craft a compelling story that helped me get into my top-choice school, despite being below the median scores. Her patience and thoughtfulness were evident throughout the entire process. She truly listens and provided invaluable support, especially during the most overwhelming moments. Karen is also extremely honest, which I really respected, and needed throughout the process. I am not saying this to just say it, but hiring Karen was the best decision I made. For anyone seeking a consultant, I wholeheartedly recommend her.

Emma helped me successfully get into all three schools I was applying to, including LBS. She was prompt, precise, and fun to work with. I would recommend her to anyone seeking a consultant for MBA admissions.

I worked with Melissa for R2 2024 applications and purchased the 3 school package with Fortuna. Working with Melissa changed my MBA application process from a nebulous, stressful one to one where I felt supported. In fact, Melissa believed that I could succeed even when I did not believe in myself. Melissa not only helped me reflect on my entire life basically, curate my stories, and ensure that my authentic self shined through my essays and interviews, but she also connected me to other resources outside of my essays and interview prep. She connected me to a GRE tutor whom she trusts (which made my GRE score go up exponentially) and also connected me to a colleague who is an SME on the programs I applied to. Melissa is also special because of her calm, kind energy and great attention to detail and dedication to her clients. The results of my MBA journey exceeded my expectations. I was admitted to the 3 schools that I worked with Melissa on and was able to apply to 3 additional schools with the ideas that Melissa and I came up with. I even received merit based scholarships at all the schools! It was honestly bittersweet when I got into school because I was sad to not work with Melissa anymore! I think she is a wonderful person and coach and would recommend anyone to work with her.

TL;DR: Emma is absolutely amazing at what she does. About me: Stanford GSB Class of 2026 Admit from Private Equity (re-applicant). About her:
(i) Amazing at forming a compelling, cohesive story (while fully retaining my voice and story)
(ii) Incredibly responsive (even by private equity standards)
(iii) Perfect balance of empathetic and blunt (a rare find)

Full Review: Emma was absolutely incredible to work with. As mentioned above, I was a re-applicant to Stanford GSB (waitlisted previously, admitted this year with Emma’s support), and can confidently say Emma’s a best-in-class advisor. I reached out to her with less than 2 months to go before the app deadline, and in that time, she helped me put together the absolute best package I possibly could. She has this incredible ability to retain every story I told her (even from our first call prior to our engagement). Without changing my voice, she guided me towards a cohesive story and application I couldn’t be happier with. The whole time, she balanced being unbelievably supportive with challenging me productively (did I really need that extra detail in my story? Of course not…). All of the back and forth drove a concise, compelling, and cohesive package – something I missed last time. As crunch time approached, she always had my back. I believe in the peak sprint, we worked through over 4 revisions of each essay and impact story in parallel in just 1-2 weeks – she never missed a beat. Overall, just an incredible experience – if I had to do it again, I’d pick Emma every time.

Heidi lent her guidance, support, feedback, direction, and redirection throughout what ended up being a 2.5-year-long application process. She supported me on my applications to HBS, the Stanford GSB, and Harvard Kennedy School. While I was not admitted to these programs (I am 34 and had below-average test scores and grades), I can enthusiastically affirm that Heidi helped me put my best foot forward in my applications.

Heidi provided specific feedback that drove the repeated rewriting of my essays and kept me on track from a timing standpoint, helping to minimize stress. She was consistently kind, thoughtful, and encouraging.

While Heidi did not partner with me on preparing my application to MIT Sloan, she did support me during the interview process, delivering crucial input on my interview essays and providing feedback that I believe helped secure my admission to MIT Sloan.

Given her dedication and compassion, I wholeheartedly recommend you choose to work with Heidi as your admissions coach. She is an invaluable partner in the often-daunting marathon that is applying to graduate school.

I could not recommend Karen more to prospective clients. I was committed to applying but was not sure where to start with my story. While I needed to reflect myself, Karen asked very thoughtful and pointed questions and was able to draw a story out of me, highlighting unique experiences and pulling them together into a cohesive message. Beyond working on application materials, I found Karen’s knowledge of the admissions process and behind the scenes insights incredibly helpful in navigating the admissions process over the long run. Karen is invested in her clients and I don’t want to think about what my outcomes would have looked like without her partnership.

I had the pleasure of working with Heidi Hills as my MBA application coach, and I cannot recommend her services highly enough. With her guidance, I successfully gained admission to prestigious business schools such as Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, Saïd Business School at Oxford, and Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management.

Heidi’s approach is meticulously tailored and highly effective. She not only assisted me in finding the right GRE coaching—which significantly improved my scores—but also played a crucial role in refining my application essays and CV. Her insights into storytelling transformed my applications, allowing me to present a compelling narrative that truly stood out. She always made time to talk to me and answer all my questions. she was always available even during her leave time.

Thanks to Heidi’s dedication and expertise, I felt prepared and confident throughout the application process. Her deep understanding of the intricacies of business school admissions and her commitment to her clients’ success are truly unparalleled. If you are looking for a coach who will invest in your success and guide you to achieving your goals, Heidi Hills is the best choice.

Karla was incredibly helpful from start-to-finish of my MBA application. With minimal lead time, she was able to 1) understand my story / candidacy, 2) assist in the structuring and polishing of compelling essays, and 3) provide expertise into the common pitfalls of the application process and the key opportunities to set yourself apart from the pack. Outside of this, she was a true pleasure to work with given the personal touch / care that she provides her clients. Her help was instrumental to my success in the process, and I would highly recommend her to anyone shooting for admission to their dream schools!

Best in the world? Let’s get the obvious out of the way first, with Heidi’s wealth of knowledge about the MBA application process and her unparalleled ability to understand you as a candidate, you will undoubtedly get into the school(s) of your dreams (from a Wharton & CBS Admit) – as seen by the reviews listed on Poets & Quants.

When you have Heidi as a coach, you’re actually getting a life coach who will guide you through perhaps one of the toughest years. Throughout the application journey, you’ll find that unexpected things will creep up, making you doubt your candidacy and if the MBA is worth the effort, especially as you’re juggling 10 other priorities. Not only did Heidi help me stay true to my goals and dreams, but she helped squash any doubt I had. Her nudges of encouragement allowed me to endure taking the GMAT until I reached my goal score. As somewhat of a perfectionist, she perhaps saved me 100s of hours pouring over every detail in my essays or producing multiple additional alternatives by giving me the confidence that I was putting my best foot forward. With the application journey complete, I’ll still be carrying Heidi’s wisdom forward throughout my life as I’ll be enacting my career vision that she helped clarify.

The best athletes usually have the best coach to help them reach their full potential. If you’re lucky enough to work with Heidi, she’s your MBA equivalent.

In summary: Call Sharon now because she is the best partner you could ask for during the business school application process!

After an initial call with Sharon, her extensive knowledge of the business school application process and specific knowledge for each program was made clear. Sharon’s perceptiveness, sincerity, and personalized approach stood out and I immediately knew I wanted Sharon on my team. I had multiple calls with other companies before finding Sharon and there were clear differences, which made choosing Sharon easy.

Sharon is strategic and immediately created a plan, specific to me. The plan and timeline clearly outlined what was needed and by when, greatly reducing the stress of this process while I worked full time. She is honest and provided constructive feedback. Sharon pushed me when I needed it and cheered me on when my test scores weren’t where I wanted them to be. She was always encouraging and quickly adjusted our timeline when I pivoted and explored a different test, to which I scored higher. Sharon is a fantastic listener and very receptive. We used the CliftonStrengths assessment to help focus on my strengths and craft my application. Her overall process helped me learn a lot about myself. She helped highlight my work experience and improve my resume, tell my story, choose recommenders, bolster my weaknesses, and prepare for interviews to name a few.

I was so impressed by Sharon’s responsive and willingness to always make herself available to answer all my questions. She went above and beyond! She genuinely cares about her clients and wants to see them succeed.

I wouldn’t have received the acceptances to my dream schools without Sharon. I even received scholarships to multiple programs. I’m so glad I chose to invest in my future and work with Sharon because she helped me achieve results, I didn’t think were possible. She has changed the trajectory of my life, and I will forever be grateful.

The moment I met with Karen it was clear that she was the right person to work with. I felt she understood who I was and how we could translate my unique story into a successful application.

From that moment we started working together her creativity and expertise were extremely evident. She was crucial in every step of the process and I am extremely thankful for all her hard work and dedication. Anyone going through the MBA application process would be lucky to have her at their side. Not only is she an amazing consultant but also an extremely kind and caring person.

Speaking to Emma in our initial call I felt right away she was the perfect match.

And that turned out to be just the case! I was a fairly late Round 2 applicant, just meeting the deadline, and I can say I couldn’t have done it without her! Emma improved my application beyond measure. I cannot stress enough the positive impact she had on my overall application – the quality of my application was levels higher as a result of her help and super expertise, and I gained an offer from my number 1 and only school choice (LBS).

Giving real steer and direction to the narrative of my background/application, piecing together the essays (I was in awe of her skill in advising on essay structure), advising on those small (but stress inducing) questions that come up during the application process, and giving me the perfect candid advice on my interview skills were just some of the numerous highlights.

Emma was also incredibly generous, supportive, responsive, and reassuring. She is really personable and you absolutely feel understood working with her. Overall, she made the whole process 100x less stressful. She was also flexible and catered to my circumstances which changed unexpectedly, which I really appreciated.

I honestly cannot recommend Emma enough – I consider myself super lucky to have had her help. She was simply a dream to work with!

Choosing Silpa was one of the best decisions, and I cannot imagine navigating the MBA application process without her. She truly went above and beyond for me

1. She’s clearly an expert. She’s candid and understands the subtle differences between top programs. Her advice is thoughtful as she considers your unique situation against different program circumstances.
2. She won’t settle. She will push you to continue to refine and iterate on your essays until they’re excellent. Even when you think you’re finished with your essays and they’re as good as they could be, Silpa will challenge and motivate you to do even better. She has a way of pulling out personal details and insights to make your essays that much more impactful.
3. She’s able to tie together life events and help you see a path that you didn’t even realize yourself. She knows where you’re coming from and where you’re doing, so her essay feedback is especially meaningful and productive
4. She diligent and responsive. I was a Round 2 applicant and the deadlines snuck up on me quicker than I anticipated. Given it was the holiday season, I expected a natural delay in feedback but Silpa, realizing the urgency, was active and present.
5. She’s calming and reassuring. To be honest, I was discouraged many times throughout my the application process with self-doubts as I’m an average candidate in a competitive year. However, Silpa continued to be a positive reinforcing presence to get me through the finish line.

I first came across Matt on Youtube (how calm he is made me look into Fortuna). I reached out for a free consultation and he replied back immediately and had a great call. A year later, I reached out to him and we had another call – Matt was so confident with my profile (even when I was not confident in myself). He linked me up with a consultant but even offered to review my HBS essay just to help me out and now I am at HBS.

Thank you Matt! You’re kind and great!

Alterell helped me build confidence around my application and acted as a trusted partner for my application. What I liked most about working with him was that he was a safe space to share my concerns and always left pumped up after our call. He was also very honest; but always kept my morale high during the process. I got into HBS!!

Thank you!!!

I reached out to Heidi Hillis for HBS, Stanford, and MIT applications, which I knew was a tall ask coming for an overrepresented candidate like me. My experience with Heidi over the last 6months was nothing short of excellent. Her expertise in understanding my profile and listing out strengths to highlight and weaknesses to address set the ball rolling. Particularly, her ability to take everything from my long journey and help me build an effective narrative was astounding. Her guidance helped me focus my energy on things that matter and cut through the clutter of information available online.

On top of all things, her deep insights into all the schools especially GSB and HBS, and their values proved to be very valuable in working through the long and challenging application where every single word makes a lot of difference. On a personal level, she was very flexible and always available to help me out when I was stuck at any point by getting on a call and over email.

Finally, on the decision date, got admits from HBS and GSB, and I cannot even begin to express my gratitude towards Heidi and Fortuna for helping this dream become a reality.

Thank you, Heidi, again for your guidance and partnership this past year!

I tried many consultants across MBAMission, Fortuna, and other boutique firms (including the P&Q favorite — Sandy aka HBS Guru). Silpa was by far the most compassionate, competent, patient and thoughtful person I worked with throughout my MBA application process. I ultimately made her my primary consultant and worked closely with her across R1 and R2.

Silpa always made time, always remembered where we left off, and always knew my applications inside-out (sometimes even better than I knew my own application). Because of Silpa’s help, I landed interviews at Harvard, Wharton, MIT and Columbia as an Indian male in a very competitive year (2024), and will eventually be going to one of these schools.

I could go on about what makes Silpa great, but I’ll focus on two qualities:

1. Silpa really helps bring out your sincerity and original perspective. If you come from an over-represented field, she can help identify something inspiring in your story, because she is a careful listener. I rarely feel proud of something I’ve written, but every time I look back at my HBS / GSB essays, I feel confident and inspired. Silpa played a part in that. She helped transform my story from something generic / preachy to something intellectually curious, inspiring and authentic.

2. Secondly, no other consultant went as granular with edits, feedback and homework / diligence as Silpa. She was efficient, always returning edits faster than I expected, and in more detail than I expected. Sometimes I would be in awe of her work! The other consultants I worked with either took more time or worse, would forget details about my application.

Silpa stayed in touch beyond the application process because she cared about my decisions, growth, etc. Ultimately, she became more than a mere MBA consultant. Silpa was a career coach, a motivational speaker, a voice of reason and even a therapist during the most anxious months of my career!!!

Heidi was able to work with me in a detailed way, accounting for my unique background (non-traditional work experience). She not only helped me craft an application that won admission to GSB and Wharton but also helped guide me on the decision-making process of what schools to attend and apply to. She is very knowledgeable and has a way of bringing the best application out.

Heidi is the absolute best coach you could ask for! I come from an entrepreneurial background and am an ‘unconventional’ candidate. Heidi helped simplify the overwhelming MBA process and worked with me diligently to craft a succinct story for each part of the application. She also assisted me with interview prep, which helped me polish my story and articulate my career goals clearly. Her honest feedback and insights helped me gain admission to both Stanford GSB and Wharton. I could not be more excited for my MBA journey, and I am so grateful for Heidi’s guidance!

Working with Sharon was money extremely well spent. She put an effective structure to our time together, gave candid and impactful feedback, and was just lovely to work with. Through working with Sharon I was given the highest merit based scholarship offered at the school that was the best fit for me.

I was applying to two top 5 part time programs while moving from a strategy role to a PM role in the music space at YouTube. Applying to top tier business schools can basically be a 2nd full time job to do correctly, and, when done well, can have have a huge ROI. It is extremely rare to get any merit based fellowships for part time programs, and I directly attribute this success to my work with Sharon.

Silpa is unequivocally the finest consultant you will ever collaborate with. Choosing to work with her will undoubtedly be one of the best decisions you make. Despite facing tight deadlines, she tirelessly commits herself to ensuring every task is completed impeccably. I engaged her expertise for five applications within a month’s span, and she delivered flawlessly. Silpa invests 100% of her energy into every aspect of your application, guaranteeing the highest quality outcome. She provides candid feedback when necessary and attentively listens to your input. With her assistance, I secured admission to three out of five top 10 schools I applied to—results that exceeded my expectations. Silpa ensures your voice resonates distinctly in your application while refining it to a polished standard. Trust me, the experience of working with her is unparalleled, and I have already enthusiastically recommended her to my friends.

I am an Indian male with a tech background, and I’m a dual admit to Stanford and Harvard. To start off, I am 100% confident that this feat would not have been even remotely possible had it not been for Silpa. If there’s one takeaway before you read further, let it be this: ‘Silpa is the best coach, mentor, advisor in this world, and you’ll be lucky to have her. ’ I say this as someone who’s met with multiple counselors and advisors both in India and the US in the past. Silpa is ideal.

Silpa is the most passionate, proactive, and highly-proficient mentor and advisor. She loves what she does, and is truly, truly dedicated to bringing out the best in you. And that’s what truly matters. I’ve had umpteen phone calls with Silpa, be it 5-minute ones, 10-minute ones, or 30-minute ones, or 60-minute ones. In every call, I have come back with a new perspective and fresh thinking, thanks to Silpa.

Next, Silpa is the most-rigorous counselor (read ‘person’) I have met. I say this because I’ve been embarrassed, at times, by how much better she knows my application and anecdotes than I do. Know that once you have submitted these “raw material” Fortuna documents (which are great too!), Silpa will process them, mull over them, and apply her accurate filter to them. (One piece of advice: Don’t second-guess what she says!)

Silpa was very kind to have had another set of calls with me, going into the deep end of each anecdote. She collaborated with me and together, we narrowed down the 25+ anecdotes to the top 5 or 6. This is hard! Finding the signal from the noise is akin to finding a needle in the haystack. Dare I say, you can still find the signal; you won’t be able to find the needle. Unless, of course, you have Silpa with you.

I’m so grateful that Silpa took so much interest in my story, helped me bring out the best, and then channeled it into the appropriate way possible, for this incredible outcome. I won’t talk about my GMAT scores or GPA here, but suffice to say that the LOR’s, essays, and the interview made it for me. In other words, Silpa’s presence made it for me. And coupled with Fortuna’s supportive ecosystem, Matt Symonds and Judith’s advice, Silpa’s initiative-taking nature, and her magic, one was able to accomplish this, as an Indian male.

What’s even more fascinating about Silpa is that she would understand you, as a human, and not merely as an applicant. Early on, after our initial call, Silpa understood me as someone who’s a “high-touch applicant”, and she was 100% right. Not only did I want more attention, I actually needed it. Add to that a mix of brainstorming e-meets, strategy sessions, “quick calls” (which were quite long), and more. You now have a recipe which would consume the entire bandwidth – physical, emotional, and temporal – of your counselor. But that’s not what happened for Silpa. Along with me, she had many other applicant-mentees, and yet, she managed the turnarounds (and more), so seamlessly. But here’s the thing: She needn’t have delivered the “high-touch”, and she needn’t have gone above and beyond.

But she did.

And that’s what’s the next thing about Silpa. She pays major attention to minor details, to the point that you may get exhausted; she won’t. She is always so specific, precise, and enthusiastic. And that’s an important quality throughout this journey. You need a guide, a friend, a mentor. For me, Silpa was this trifecta. I was able to build such an incredible rapport, foster this deep trust, and forge a meaningful relationship, thanks to her. ‘Silpa is a pleasure to work with’ would be an understatement.

Silpa also loves perfection. Ultimately, the draft is ready to go if her gut tells her it is. And this is great for you, because that gives you the opportunity to see Silpa’s magic unfold. Before your eyes. For instance, in my case, Silpa said that some essays were not ready and wanted to take “another look” at them (which often involved many comments and many edits). All of this helped because it brought out the best of the best.

Silpa’s interview prep, her insights from the interview about you, and her advice in general are unparalleled. They are all so wise. I’m grateful I got to prepare for one interview with Silpa (and another with Heidi from Fortuna). I learned so much about how best to answer questions, how best to manage subtle situations, and more, thanks to Silpa’s astute observations and incisive feedback.

At the ultimate stage, Fortuna is the best career and MBA coach there is. And Silpa is the best career advisor, MBA mentor, creative brainstormer, rigorous individual, and most-dedicated coach there is. If there is one person who was the Rock of Gibraltar during this process for me, it was Silpa.

Overall, it’s Silpa because of whom I was able to put forth the best application there is, despite all odds. Truly, truly grateful to Silpa.

Working with Heidi was a great experience, and led to an amazing result — admission into my top choice MBA program! Heidi was attentive, thoughtful, and supportive throughout the process, and her approach allowed my personal story to shine (esp. important given my decent, not great, test scores). I’m especially grateful that Heidi was able to accommodate my rushed timeline, consistently providing super helpful feedback on a quick turnaround. I’m so glad I got to work with Heidi and highly recommend her to anyone going through the process and considering a coach!

Melissa is the best! I highly recommend her. She helped me with my applications to INSEAD, Cambridge, and Oxford. Her comments were always insightful, prompt, and constructive. She is truly a seasoned expert. Without a doubt, I would highly recommend to all!

Heidi was an incredible interviewer to work with. I did one interview practice with Heidi, which lasted about 60mins. I got into Stanford GSB, thanks to her precise, insightful, and thoughtful questions!

Heidi was so diligent with her prep that when she started the interview, she dove right into the first work experience. She gave me feedback right then and there, too, and really played through how an actual GSB interview would be conducted.

The interesting thing was that the interview was both formulaic and creative, a perfect blend of predictability and uncertainty. And Heidi did incredibly well at balancing the two.

Yes, usually, GSB interviews are more predictable, but there’s still an art in the science, as much as there’s a science in the art. Heidi’s feedback was specific, thoughtful, and helpful. In addition, Heidi also validated what seemed to be working, so I could double down on my strengths, in case the actual interview goes along those lines.

It was Heidi’s foresightedness that made the entire experience a high-intensity, high-learning experience. Thank you, Heidi, and Fortuna!

Silpa is a phenomenal MBA consultant. I worked with another well rated MBA team the year prior, and Silpa is leaps & bounds better than her competition. I applied into only two schools & got into HBS with Silpa’s help. I cannot recommend her highly enough for anyone looking to attend a top MBA program.
Among her top skills are:
– Strategic thought partner: She gets to know you, your unique strengths, and your ambitions very well. She then tailors her recommendations and approach to keep the authentic you front and center. She will challenge opinions when need and push on applicants in a growthful ways. She always is pleasant and respectful, but is also a true heavy hitter when it comes to your MBA strategy.
– True expert: Silpa demonstrated detailed understanding of admissions processes (having been in the room), strategic effectiveness in discussing strategies, and comes with a myriad of helpful and relevant examples.
– Efficient collaborator: Silpa does not believe in v35’ing documents. She is a strategic in her iterations, retains your voice/authenticity, is prompt, and is also very succinct, direct, and kind in feedback. She was a pleasure to work with.

Overall, Silpa was a wonderful consultant who helped me get into HBS! I cannot recommend her highly enough & would gladly work with her again. She is strategic, kind, and has demonstrated expertise.

I wanted to share my experience with Bill, who I felt gave me the best chance possible of being admitted to the programs I applied. For those exploring MBA consultants, I highly recommend working with Bill.

Bill excelled in aligning my story to my post-MBA objectives as well as the specifics of the programs I was applying. I really felt Bill went above and beyond by providing me with relevant research and resources at the programs that matched my interests.

His ability to tailor the application process to reflect my individual story and goals made a significant difference. Thanks to Bill, I approached the application process with confidence and a clearer vision of my career path. I also did a mock interview with Bill, which I felt significantly increased my confidence going into the actual interview.

For anyone in the midst of applying to MBA programs, I highly recommend Bill.

Jonathan went above and beyond to ensure I put my best foot forward in all aspects of the application and interview process. He made himself available at all hours and highlighted aspects of the process and my candidacy that I would have never thought about. A true pleasure to work with and couldn’t recommend highly enough.

Melissa’s help has been invaluable to me being admitted into 4 top MBA programs – INSEAD, LBS, Oxford and Cambridge. I come from a non-traditional career path and would be considered older than the average candidate but, despite these hurdles, I’ve received offers for all the schools I applied to. The applications can be a daunting process however, right from the start, Melissa was excellent at teasing out my stories to tell and attributes to sell whilst shaping my post-MBA goals (which has a longer term value than just being admitted to a school)! She is deeply knowledgeable about all MBA program applications we worked on and not just INSEAD where she has previously worked. Melissa responds promptly and is efficient with her time. This is a testament to Melissa who I couldn’t recommend more highly.

At first, I was deciding whether it would be worth the $12,000 investment for the Comprehensive School package, given the amount of money it would cost. I soon learned it would absolutely be worth it, and just a few times within meeting Jessica, I knew I had made the right decision.

She was able to take my profile, someone with a low GPA and GMAT, and transform the rest of my application into its best possible form to present myself in the best light to some of the top MBA programs in the country.

She worked with me to perfect my essays, resume, and pitch, to give my candidacy the best possible chance to be admitted into at least one the schools I applied to.

Jessica coached me and worked with me in an extremely positive and encouraging way to make sure I would leave no stone unturned when presenting myself, especially given my lower numbers.

She was always kind, transparent, and an absolute pleasure to work with, and clearly knows given her experience what it takes to get into Business School.

Through all my work with her, I was able to be admitted into both UCLA Anderson and USC Marshall’s programs, with much lower numbers than both school’s average. I know for a fact I would not have gotten into either of those had it not been through my work with her to make sure my application was giving it’s best light.

I would highly recommend Jessica to any prospective MBA Candidate applicant, and especially if your GPA and test score numbers were lower than most top school averages, like mine were, as she will make sure your application is in its’ best form and give you the best possible chance to be admitted with your individual story.

5/5 experience without a doubt!

After chatting with ~5 admin consultants, I decided to go with Tatiana after a pleasant call with Judith – who believed in my success from the get-go. My experience with other admin consultants such as SBC and Menlo (which tend to downplay your achievements and encourage you to aim lower) was not good, but Fortuna seemed really positive, which is exactly what I was looking for.

For context: I’m at consultant at a T2 consulting firm and applied to 5 M7s.

Tatiana did a fantastic job – I was confident in my writing skills and had a good sense of which stories to use, so I signed up for the 8 hr program mostly for essay revision and support. Tatiana was straightforward from the start and helped estimated how much time we would need to meet my goal of writing essays for my top 3 schools.

Tatiana’s support was instrumental in understanding what each school is looking for in an applicant and I can confidently say that the essays after multiple rounds of revision with Tatiana were indeed night and day. I also really appreciated how she did not press me for time. I heard other consultants would track closely and remind you x time was remaining – which would be an added stress as apps are due. However, Tatiana never did anything remotely of the sort. Further, I was able to utilize the lessons I learned from looking at her feedback to write essays for 2 more M7 schools.

At the end of the application stage, I was satisfied with our work together and even remarked even if I didn’t get any interviews – I was happy I was able to put my best foot forward. At the time of writing, I interviewed with 3 of the M7 schools I applied to, and am waiting for results.

Huge thanks to Tatiana, who was incredibly knowledge and truly pushed me to write to the best of my ability and was with me at every step of the journey (even though I signed up for hourly)! I’m grateful for the experience and would definitely recommend her to anyone!

Working with Peter made a resounding difference in the quality of my applications and my confidence throughout the admissions journey.

Peter’s strength lies in his ability to genuinely listen and understand your personal motivations, and then crafting natural and authentic ways to showcase your strengths and characteristics carefully throughout your application. Given my circumstance, Peter was dedicated, enthusiastic, and realistic in helping me meet tight deadlines and demonstrated a true commitment to helping me achieve my goals.

I wholeheartedly enjoyed my experience working with Peter and recommend Peter to anyone seeking to enhance their application and maximize their potential. Beyond being a sincere individual, Peter’s guidance and support are invaluable assets in navigating the competitive admissions process.

It was a wonderful experience working with Melissa! I applied very late in the round and was completely stressed out when I had only few days left till deadline but didn’t have anything in place. Melissa helped me work on 3 essays and CV within in 3 days. She gave incredibly swift response and feedback, usually in few hours. She respects all my ideas while giving straightforward constructive feedback. I could not have finished my two applications in time without her. I also prepped my interview for Oxford with Melissa. She was very insightful and prepared me for questions based on my application, which was later asked in the interview. I felt very lucky that I was well prepared because I have done the mock interview with her. If you want really good energy and a collaborative process with a consultant, Melissa will be your best choice! She will root for you along the way.

My case came to Melissa on a very short notice. Despite the tight schedule, Melissa was extremely helpful, encouraging and supportive. She answered diligently to all of my questions and concerns, and her feedback was crucial in pushing my application over the finish line. And the result was that I got admitted to the program that was my first choice. Overall, it was an absolute pleasure to work with her and would highly recommend her.

I worked with Sharon for 3 school applications – all T25 business schools. Sharon was phenomenal to work with over the summer all the way through R! fall application cycle. Sharon was always available to meet weekly over zoom, call, or text if needed. Sharon always came to our meeting’s with an upbeat attitude and really made the long and sometimes overwhelming application process really simple. We went school by school working on one application at a time until completion. Sharon was always so excited as I submitted each application and moved on to the next one.

I ended up receiving admission and scholarship funds to all three of my T25 school selections. Working with Sharon was a great experience and I wouldn’t want to go through this process with anyone else!!!

Alterrell is a great coach for enhancing the depth and impact of an applicant’s profile. He had a great ability to guide me through moments of stagnation and helped unearth profound meaning from seemingly mundane situations. With his assistance, I was able to articulate my thoughts with clarity and purpose. I recommend Alterrell for anyone needing to refine their story to transcend surface-level narratives for maximum impact.

I enjoyed working with Bill, and he was nothing short of fantastic. He showed genuine interest from the beginning and took the time to get to know me. He was able to help me craft my story and succinctly tell it because he understood who I was and how I worked.

I’ve met with other consultants, and I won’t say they were terrible, but I will say they didn’t take the time to understand who I was, which made me feel like they were guessing when they made suggestions for my essays and interview practice. I never felt like that with Bill, and he helped me pinpoint areas I could improve on and areas that I should focus on.

I highly recommend Bill to anyone, especially if communicating your story is complicated. He’ll take the time to help you understand your why and how to express yourself effectively.

My first experience with admissions consultants was not a good one. When I first considered MBA plans I spoke to a number of consultants early on, one of which told me that it was very unlikely with my background that I would get into LBS or INSEAD. “It’s just not going to happen”, were the words used.

Then along came Melissa. After researching several admissions consultancies, Fortuna stood out as adopting a more personalised approach, taking the time to delve into a candidate’s background to properly understand their story and strengths for the different MBA programs. Working with Melissa was less about the applications initially, and more an exercise in deep and considered self-reflection. Who am I. What experiences shaped me. What do I want in life. And why.

It wasn’t until I started working with Melissa that I developed any confidence in my ability to attend a top MBA program. Melissa was instrumental in drawing that out. She was clear, concise, realistic and, facing tight-deadlines, firm. She kept me honest and focussed throughout the whole process, gave clear instructions as to what was expected, and, importantly, ensured the responsibility for delivering rested with me.

Melissa genuinely believes in the candidates she works with and wants them to succeed. Even when Melissa had to travel between the US and France for family emergencies, she remained online and connected through every step of the way – late night calls to match time-zones, email exchanges from airports ahead of deadlines – Melissa was unstoppable.

I hadn’t even planned to apply for INSEAD – I had already ruled myself out. After working with Melissa to understand my strengths as a candidate we were able to rule INSEAD back in.

I am truly grateful for my time working with Melissa. She was critical in helping me put my best foot forward and receiving offers that I never thought were possible. Thank you so much!