Stratus Admissions Counseling | MBA Admissions Consultants

Last year (2021), I took the GMAT and scored a 730. I did not want to take any chances with my MBA applications and wanted to work with the absolute best. I must have talked to at least 35 consultants across the globe. In our first conversation from the get-go, Donna blew me away. She was the first consultant who had gone over my resume and other details that I had shared with her before the call. She told me the strengths of my application and how she can help guide me in telling my story. Our call was scheduled for 30 mins. But it lasted almost 60mins. At the end of it, I knew she was the best consultant I had talked to. So when I asked her for the charges, I was slightly hesitant because I had not budgeted that much money for the applications. I asked Donna if I should buy her hourly services. She left the decision to me, but told me that if she puts in the hours, hourly services will cost me more than the comprehensive package. I slept over this for a couple of days but then decided that I needed to be in the right hands. And so I signed up for her comprehensive package.

I cannot thank Donna enough to have helped me find my voice to write the most personalized story that I could ever tell. She and I spent the first month only on me sharing my story with her and brainstorming the exact reason why I even wanted to do an MBA. Then once we had my story and reasons for MBA ready, she got it all reviewed by Susan Cera. They both guided me to the main highlights of my achievements and my goals post MBA and helped me articulate it as well as I could. When it was time to work on my resume and my essays, Donna did not cut ANY corners at all. She believes in “tough love” because she wants the best for her clients. During the entire essay drafting phase, we had numerous calls and she must have put countless hours in reviewing each draft that I was writing. And she was giving me detailed feedback about each draft. Only when she was satisfied, she would send the essays to the school reviewers of that specific school in their team at Stratus. And then they would give more detailed feedback on how to improve the application further. Never ever did she look at the clock and tell me that she has spent way many hours on my application that she would have liked. There were so many times when I needed to get on call with her on very short notice and before I would ask her, she would set up a mutually convenient time. Sometimes within 15 mins of our email conversation. She even helped proof-read the entire application with me. She will never write the essays or the application for you. Trust me, she will teach you how to craft your story. After all my applications were submitted (6 of them), she took my mock interviews and provided me with live feedback and also a recording of the entire interview for me to watch later and make specific notes in areas of improvement. Then there were days when I used to feel low and not confident if I will make it into any of my dream programs. And she would drop me a note or sometimes get on video call to cheer me up and motivate me and ask me to stay positive. She does not believe in forecasting how many and what all admits one will get. She only believes in crafting the best application and putting the best foot forward. I can confidently say that she must have put 100+ hours on my 6 applications.

While I am still waiting on one decision, I have been accepted at an M7 program! None of this would ever have been possible without the help from Donna, Susan, and the rest of the staff at Stratus. I cannot be more thankful to each one of them. At this point, I am confident in saying that I was truly blessed to have been referred to by GMATNinja and that the money that they charge is way less than what Donna (and the team) truly deserve. The fact that she helped me get into a dream school and has been there for me every time I needed it, is something that I cannot be thankful enough for. She is my guiding light. My angel. I am writing this review so that it could help motivate others to join her and get the best in their applications for themselves. She is the best in the business and I wish her all the luck and love and more than she expects. I wish I could give her 10 stars. 🙂

Donna was instrumental in helping me prepare for my interviews and essays. I felt ready for each of my interviews thanks to her tailored interview preparation techniques. Stratus’ essay review process provided excellent feedback and helped me emphasize the elements of my application that would resonate the most with each of the respective MBA programs. Donna’s professionalism comes across immediately. She is very timely with her email responses and is always willing to set up a quick call to discuss your application. If you are looking for an MBA tutor I highly recommend you look at Donna and Stratus. They helped me get into the top 3 European MBA programs and a top 10 American MBA program.

In such a high-pressure process, it’s important to work with a coach who can not only identify your strengths as a candidate but can also keep you level-headed and grounded. As a “nontraditional” applicant coming from PR, Melisa made the process as enjoyable as possible and played an instrumental role in my Columbia acceptance.

Even before we started officially working together, Melisa sent me a number of test and quant prep resources to show me that there were multiple ways to demonstrate my quantitative reasoning capabilities to admissions. Throughout the onboarding and essay writing process, she was thorough, empathetic, and constantly suggested fresh ways to frame my MBA story. She took the time to fully understand my personal story and long-term goals which made my application more authentic and convincing.

What really stood out about Melisa’s approach was her ability to guide her clients to what’s actually best for them. When I was interviewing other potential MBA consultants, I often felt like they were either trying to upsell me by convincing me to apply to as many schools as possible or were so focused on my application stats that I felt discouraged from the get-go. By contrast, Melisa was warm, never dismissive of my goals, and worked with me to find schools that were actually the right cultural and professional fit, regardless of the program’s ranking.

I feel fortunate to have worked with Melisa who made this daunting task extremely approachable. She went above and beyond to make sure I felt supported and prepared for each step by either doing additional research in her own time or connecting me with former clients in her network who could provide better insight on a specific topic. This is a worthwhile investment for anyone who is passionate about their academic and professional goals and wants to make sure all their bases are covered during the application process.

After what I might’ve called a traumatic undergraduate college admissions experience, I feel confident saying I’ve finally moved past it after the tremendous success I’ve now had with getting into business school. I owe most of this success to Donna. Out of the 6 schools where she helped me, I got into 4 (Northwestern Kellogg, UVA Darden, USC Marshall and UNC Kenan-Flagler) and all with significant scholarships. I started working with her in February and feel I was really rewarded with almost a year of advice and mentorship throughout this often very stressful process. My initial drafts for my essays were very rough and Donna helped me refine them through more than 8 drafts sometimes, until we both, plus the additional objective third party reviewer at Stratus, felt they were strong – and they were! I got in! I feel very lucky to have worked with Donna and couldn’t recommend her enough to anyone who is embarking on this process. Start early! It pays off in spades.

I came across Ms. Jackson’s profile while looking for another consultant at Stratus. I spoke to Ms. Jackson and immediately felt I was in the right hands. She’s admirable in her mannerism, her Harvard pedigree shows.

Ms. Jackson created milestones for me, her technique and format truly hit the target. She made me really get to know my school and each step of the way she lead me to step up my representation through my essays.

She carefully assessed each art of my application, from resume to interview preparation.

She was truly dedicated to my success as if it was hers. Even when I ran short of hours she didn’t care but led me to the finish line. I felt like working with a parent/a friend. Her interest was never what package I bought, but if I was doing a good job in my application.

I only wrote one application with her and it landed me where I wanted. Working with Ms. Jackson was a rewarding experience.

Jennifer Jackson has been a fantastic guide and sounding board to me for the 2 months during which I was putting together my application at Kellogg, including the video essays and the interview. I was initially not confident to apply in Round 1, since I thought I needed more time to prepare my essays and ask for recommendations at my company, but Jennifer’s confidence in my candidacy and her meticulous planning convinced me that I could indeed submit a strong application in Round 1. Kellogg is a big application, and we worked together every second day from August onwards (her professionalism is impeccable; I always got a response within 2 business days!) to refine my resume and career goals, write strong essays that brought out my professional and personal journeys to the fullest, and to speak with my recommenders about my professional achievements and awards. Not only this, but Jennifer also helped me prepare for the video essays, scholarship essays, alternate program essay, and my interview by conducting mock interviews where she gave me extremely detailed feedback on my answers considering their format, tone, and content, which I found extremely helpful during the D-day! In general, Jennifer is kind, generous and has the ability to put anyone at ease and open up to her, a commendable quality in a consultant who needs to help you select your best stories for the application.
I had chosen Stratus as during my very first 30-minute free consultation call, Stratus had taken the time to review my resume in detail and had come prepared to speak to me, something I did not see other consultants do during free chats. I am so happy with my decision, and I’m headed to Kellogg next year!! It’ll still be some time before I believe this!

I come from a nontraditional background and underestimated my strengths when comparing myself to other candidates with traditional MBA backgrounds. Lisa understood who I was and what I would bring to an MBA class immediately. She helped me formulate a pitch that was true, cohesive, and compelling. She gave me the (often tough) feedback I needed to hear and always got back to me quickly and with concise notes. With Lisa, I was able to create essays that I was extremely proud of and certainly wouldn’t have iterated to on my own. I truly feel like I submitted my absolute best application possible school thanks to Lisa’s help. I would highly recommend Lisa to anyone who is serious about putting the work in to craft their best possible application.

After working with Donna, I compared the application material I first wrote on my own to the final product with Donna’s coaching and it’s like it came from a completely different person. At every step of the process of working with Donna, I knew that I was in capable hands. She showed both professionalism and profound empathy when guiding me through the application process. Her experience proved invaluable as many of the assumptions I had about the process were entirely incorrect. My successful application, and the financial aid I received with it, are a testament to her ability as an admission consultant.

I’m really grateful to have met Susan Cera and for her support during my application to the Fuqua School of Business. I specifically selected Susan for her background working with Fuqua’s admissions committee and her knowledge of the application process, essay questions, and interview prep. In less than 2 hours Susan helped me to craft compelling essays, answer difficult interview questions, helped build my self-confidence and also, encouraged me to have fun in the process! I not only got into Fuqua, but I also received a substantial merit scholarship – which I do not believe I would have received without Susan’s help to make my application as strong as possible. I highly recommend her, especially if you are considering Fuqua.

I had been thinking about pursuing an MBA for some time, but I was nervous to apply because my quant skills weren’t strong, and I didn’t feel like I was the type of candidate MBA schools wanted. My main work experience has been for my family’s small business that isn’t well known, and I thought that put me at a disadvantage. Susan helped me see how wrong I was about that and pointed out the unique experiences and opportunities I had, that would actually benefit me as an applicant. If you want to work with someone that makes you feel like you have a personal cheerleader in your corner, then Susan is your best bet. From encouraging me while I took and re-took the GMAT, to helping me find a supplementary math course to prove my quant skills, and to helping me build my experiences into a story, Susan was there every step of the way! I can’t thank her enough and I am so excited to start my MBA this fall in the Foster Hybrid MBA program (my top choice!).

My experience with Susan Cera has been amazing and was a game-changer in my applications.

I do not have the best raw stats, but I felt I had a good background and story for wanting to do an MBA. Susan helped me visualize and translate that story into something tangible that admission officers could understand. She worked closely with me to understand my goals post-MBA and long-term while working with my previous experience to understand how to best convey my unique message to admission committees. Working with Susan and Stratus helped my story come to life and enhance my application to get me to several interviews and acceptances.

The MBA process is complicated and there are many little details that go unnoticed by the typical person that may be going through the process alone. It makes a significant difference having a trusted advisor guiding you along the way. Working with Susan for several months, I felt much more confident and prepared in my applications, interviews, and communications with admission officers. One unique differentiator about Stratus is that you are able to work with several different people across their entire team (e.g. certain interviews with schools – you can prep with another admissions consultant that has specific expertise with that particular program).

I highly recommend Susan for anyone throughout the MBA application cycle!

Before Jennifer was recommended to me through a friend, I was hesitant about MBA consultants. Not after I met Jennifer! We connected instantly and I loved her authentic self. I valued her experiences and opinions and most importantly, I trusted that she had my best interest at heart. She helped me stay on track with my essays and applications. Most importantly, this process is wonderfully designed to discover yourself and Stratus has just the right team to make that happen. I was happy that through my stories and experiences, Jennifer helped me see a version of myself that I didn’t see before. This eventually helped me got into my dream school, Wharton! I would highly recommend Jennifer and her team at Stratus! Interview prep and offer negotiation guidance were also extremely helpful!

Deciding to work with Donna and Stratus admissions was the best decision I could’ve made in applying to business school. I could not have done it without her and her team.

I came into this working relationship with a baseline expectation of what I would receive: guidance on application strategy, essay editing, and a counselor for this process. However, in the best way possible, I could not have been more wrong. I came out with something even greater: someone who made me believe in myself in the toughest moments, someone who took the time to understand and learn my story, and a mentor who cared and was in my corner every single step of the way.

It was not always easy, but I’d do it over and over and over again because the feeling of getting into your target MBA program is so so worth it. Donna helped me achieved my goal and believed in me and was always there for me throughout this process. It was not easy, but Donna and Stratus made it easier and I will always be forever grateful for that.

If you are interested in working with an MBA consultant, there are no other options you should consider. Donna and Stratus have the entire package, offerings, and dedicate the time to you to help you achieve your goals.

I thank my lucky stars every day that I met Susan, while I was reaching out to multiple admissions consultants reviewed in forums. Susan was the only one who saw potential in my profile, connected with me at a human level and gave me hope, whilst everyone else just gave me their opinions and were marketing to me.

Susan and Stratus have a proven and time-tested process to bring out the best in you. Every question asked by Susan is very deliberate during the brainstorming process to bring out your true personality, vision, successes and growth areas. It’s quite incredible how well put together and elaborate their pre-work is which leads into the applications.

Susan was there for me every step of the way, pushed me to get the best out of me, gave me tough love when needed, motivated me and cheered for my success at every turn! Susan did not accept anything less than extraordinary from me on any essay, resume or application requirement. Let me repeat this again, “Susan did not accept anything less than extraordinary from me!” She guided me with her deep experience to get me there. Her attention to detail is mind-blowing.

The interview prep process was very thoughtful and tailored. Susan gave me feedback and pointers to improve before every interview. We even had multiple sessions as needed. I truly feel we travelled a fantastic journey together.

If you’re reading this review, let me tell you this, it might be hard for you to truly hear a person you’ve never met. Stop your search and place your faith with Susan ! This will be one of the best decisions you make, which will transform your life. I am in awe of Susan and her team. Today Susan is more than a consultant who worked with me, she is my close friend. I never imagined I would be accepted to not one, but two ivy league EMBA programs, Columbia and Yale.

I will never forget the moment I called Susan to tell her I was accepted at Columbia Business School. Susan and Stratus are not just admissions consultants, they are changing the business landscape by helping candidates realize their dreams to change the world !

Jennifer was an incredible resource – both professionally and personally. Her insight into what top schools are looking for and helping to shape my narrative made a world of difference for my application. Outside of the actual application, Jennifer kept me upbeat and positive despite a very tough application cycle – ultimately ending in success thanks to her! I would absolutely recommend Jennifer to anyone who is applying to any MBA program.

Working with Donna and Stratus was one of the best decisions I made while applying to business school. Donna came highly recommended by a friend, and I could tell that she was fully committed to my candidacy from the get-go. The Stratus model is vastly different from those of other admissions consultants. I really appreciated the time spent on introspection early on — it helped me delve deep into who I am and what motivates me. Donna provided plenty of additional resources to help me along the introspection process. Stratus also has an external school-specific reviewer for each application, and that allows your application to be judged by an independent reviewer who knows the school well.
Over the course of my 4 applications, Donna went above and beyond. She organized a storytelling workshop for a few of her clients, and sometimes even used her personal network to help connect me to MBA students with similar backgrounds. Most importantly though, she was organized, patient, and always available. The application journey is stressful (with many many moments of doubt and uncertainty), and Donna is unequivocally the right person to have in your corner to navigate the process.
All in all, as an overrepresented candidate with a middling GRE score, working with Donna helped me gain an admit to a top-10 MBA (also my top choice!).

Susan and the rest of the Stratus Admissions team were instrumental in helping me identify my strengths and shape my narrative for business school. When you begin working with Susan, she takes you through several introspection exercises, which alone are worth the interaction and are tremendously helpful in creating your unique story. Susan and Co. also bring in-depth knowledge of the individual characteristics of each school to ensure you find the right program for you. Additionally, Stratus deploys a team effort. While Susan was my main counselor, she brought in many of her colleagues at various stages of the application to get a fresh set of eyes. Susan also connected me with some of her old clients at the schools I was interested in, providing me an opportunity to learn even more about the various schools. I fully recommend working with Susan as she helped me better understand myself and, just as importantly, get into my top choice program.

Working with Donna has been an amazing experience from beginning to end. Right from the start, she helped me identify my story and my goals and we worked closely together along the entire process. Donna is super responsive and always ready to help. Her insights are extremely valuable and she has a very personalized approach. Applying for Round 2, Donna made herself available during the holiday break to support me in my application. The results speak of themselves: 2 acceptances (Anderson with Scholarship! & Tuck) and 4 waitlisted (LBS, Haas, Stern, Fuqua). I highly recommend Donna as a consultant and it was a pleasure working with her!

I was introduced to Susan by a friend who got into an M7 program two years ago. After talking with three other consultants, I decided to work with Susan because I felt that she had my best interests at heart. SPOILER ALERT: I was right!

We started working on my stories and reasons for applying for MBA. I had a few directions I wanted to go with my career, and with Susan’s guidance I found one that best suits my strengths & experience and can get the most boost from an MBA.

After deciding on recommenders and programs, I started writing school-specific essays. This step felt not as daunting thanks to all the prep works. Susan and the team were very helpful and prompt in providing feedback on pretty much everything related to the application package (essays, resume, data forms, etc).

Susan also helped me prepare for interviews and gave me some much-needed encouragement when I got rejected by programs. In the end, I got into two programs I really liked and ultimately picked one that I clicked with more.

Throughout the process, I felt very blessed to have worked with Susan who’s willing to learn about me and help craft a story that best suits my personality and career interests. I would highly recommend Susan and Stratus to anyone interested in getting into a top MBA program!

I got into my two top schools and could not have done it without Melisa’s guidance. I was very confused at the start of the process but she was super organized and guided me meticulously through every step of the process right from choosing your recommenders to interview prep. She was also very efficient with time and got back to me the next day in most cases. Highly recommend!

Jennifer came highly recommended and exceeded expectations. The MBA admissions process can be intimidating, but Jennifer made me completely comfortable with the process. She took the time to understand my past and what I was hoping to accomplish with an MBA. The positive feedback she provided made me comfortable expressing myself in my essays and highlight my passions. I highly recommend her and the entire Stratus team.

Working with Melisa was the best decision I made. I had chatted with a few other consultants but felt the most at ease with Melisa after our intro call. She seemed genuinely excited about working with me, and I really appreciated her energy and encouragement. Since I was only planning to apply to two programs, Melisa was very flexible with pricing and we worked on an hourly basis for my top school’s application. I was able to leverage the same essays and resume for my backup program. Her detailed feedback and thoughtful suggestions helped me to highlight the most important parts of my story in the essays. Melisa is extremely knowledgeable about the process and working with her made me feel very confident about my applications when the time came to hit submit. I was admitted to both programs I applied to with significant scholarship money. After our allotted hours were used, Melisa was more than willing to respond to my calls and emails as I worked to make my final decision. She is an absolute rockstar, and it was a pleasure working with her.

I had a somewhat unconventional application being an international student with an average-ish undergraduate GPA, a decent GRE score, and 4 jobs in 5 years due to traveling around the world.

Donna motivated me to get a higher GRE score and guided me from the ground up in terms of my career direction and school alignment. The discovery exercises were very beneficial to help you explore what you want to do and how that matches up to each school.

In a competitive COVID year I managed to get three round 2 responses; including a scholarship. I am very excited and thankful for Donna’s help which definitely lifted my applications.

The essay team was amazing!!

As a first-generation college graduate, the MBA admissions process was daunting, and I was skeptical about working with a consultant. I talked to several consultants who tried to push me to apply to “safety” schools that I wasn’t interested in or tried to push me to pay for their all-inclusive packages. Melisa was the only person who not only gave me critical feedback and opinions but also, trusted my vision.

I worked with Melisa on an hourly basis on essay reviews and interview prep. She was efficient and always provided clear and thoughtful feedback. My application included many personal experiences, and I always felt that she cared for the story I was trying to tell. The MBA admissions process requires deep reflection, and it was important to me that the people reading my stories honored them.

Now, I’m so excited to attend a top, full-time MBA program with a scholarship (especially after a highly competitive application cycle) and can’t thank Melisa enough for her support. I highly recommend her, especially if you come from a similar background.

TLDR version: Donna and Stratus are just incredible to work with and I could not be happier with my outcome of being admitted to Yale SOM.

Now the longer version: I have to admit, mostly due to the high price of a typical multi-school package, I was seriously considering not using a consultant at all (in hindsight, that would have been devastating!!). Once I talked myself into hiring a consultant, I spent more time than I would like to admit reading these very reviews and obsessing over ’top consultant lists.’ I finally came up with a shortlist of ~5 consultants to have intro meetings with and quite frankly was underwhelmed with most as they were much less personal and much more transactional than I had anticipated. It took no more than 5 minutes of speaking with Donna for me to decide that she is the one I would enjoy/benefit working with the most. Not only is she extremely well-versed in the admissions world, but also it is extremely clear that she genuinely cares about each of her clients – and that is what mattered most to me. Donna made what is a very daunting process a breeze. Add on top of that me having to take the GMAT THREE times and finally hitting a score beyond what I thought was possible for me only a week or so before R1 applications were due. She was able to connect me with the right folks in order to get my GMAT score up and, most importantly, stay sane throughout the process! I could not imagine having to go through the application process with anyone but Donna and would 1,000% recommend her to anyone that is deciding on who to work with!

I was a little overwhelmed by the MBA application process, so I was looking for someone who would help make the process less stressful and more manageable.

Jennifer helped keep me on track and maintain a clear head throughout the process while encouraging me to present myself in the best light. I felt comfortable sharing personal anecdotes when brainstorming essay topics and loved her ability to cut down on words to keep my writing concise (and within the word count).

I spoke to some other consultants at other firms who were more aggressive in their approach, wanting me to re-take the GMAT again or start a non-profit. I really did not want that and instead wanted someone who would be more encouraging and help me feel confident in telling my story.

I started out with their fundamentals and strategy package and then upgraded to the comprehensive package. I really appreciated that Jennifer talked through the options with me and wasn’t trying to upsell me. 

I was so overwhelmed from the onset of the journey and began to look for an admissions consultant to see if I could find someone to help. I found Stratus and was introduced to Jennifer. We had a similar career background and I immediately felt that she understood my goals for the future.

From the brainstorming sessions to the essay reviews I was always blown away by Jennifer’s commitment to my journey. She truly cared and was always a phone call away to talk through things (there were multiple calls after particularly tough GMAT results).

I could say 100 great things about Jennifer, but I will just say this: If you are considering Stratus/Jennifer I say DO IT. I got into all 4 of my schools with scholarships and I know that I could not have done that without her. The process was a positive, self-reflective, and growth-oriented journey thanks to her and their process.

I would highly recommend working with Melisa and Stratus. Melisa helped me get into four of my top-choice schools, with substantial fellowships at three of them. She supported me from the beginning of my application process to the end. Melisa was always very responsive and was available to answer any questions I had about schools and applications, no matter how trivial they seemed. She helped me shape my story and goals so well that I had a clear idea of how to approach each essay question. Her detailed advice and feedback on my resume and essays were instrumental in my admissions.

Melisa also helped me prep for interviews. I really benefited from Melisa’s experience in this area, and she helped me present my story in a way that was well-defined, but still genuine. I was admitted to every school I interviewed with, which I could not have done without Melisa’s help.

Something I really liked about Melisa was her positivity throughout the process, as it can be daunting at times. I had a non-traditional professional background, and Melisa helped me present it in the best possible way. Her encouragement, positivity, and support are what set her apart from other MBA admissions consultants I’d considered, and I’m so glad I was able to work with her. Highly recommend!

When applying for business school, I was most anxious about writing essays that had the power to tell admissions exactly who I was in the matter of a few hundred words. Working with Stratus, and Lisa in particular, gave me confidence knowing I put my absolute best forward in a clear and coherent way for admissions. Lisa was an easy choice given her extensive experience working in admissions herself. Her feedback not only gave me a second set of eyes on my essays but more importantly, comments and questions an admissions rep at my target school would also have. Lisa was instrumental in keeping me on track in terms of deadlines and really lessened my anxiety around the process, knowing I had someone to provide unbiased, holistic feedback on my application. Lisa took me through every step of uncovering my whole story for “why business school” so by the time I interviewed I could recite my true “why” like the back of my hand with confidence. Outside of essay and story strategy, Lisa also helped me finetune my resume and interview skills – both things I already felt really strong in. She added value where I did not think I needed any help and was there as my support cheering me on through the daunting process. I worked with Lisa on 3 schools and was accepted at all 3 (Tuck, Booth, Kellogg). Finally, I would say Lisa is flexible in her working style and will tailor her approach to your needs (i.e. working independently, following strict deadlines etc.) which really helped to be able to personalize the process. I would highly recommend Lisa and the full Stratus team.

I spent a significant amount of time researching MBA consultants. I was overwhelmed by my options and wanted to ensure that I picked the right partner given the time and financial investment required. I read hundreds of reviews and set up at least 15 phone calls with different people before finding Lisa Cummings. Initially, I was skeptical but after reading her reviews, it became apparent that Lisa is a critical thinker and excellent communicator with a proven record of helping candidates get into top MBA programs. Her relevant experience working in admissions for more than 15 years at MIT and graduating from my dream school (Cornell Johnson) was enough to catch my attention – I had to contact her. Her and I spoke on the phone. She was kind, a great listener, non-judgmental (I was embarrassed to let her know what schools I wanted to attend thinking that I’ll never get in, but she instilled a level of confidence that I hadn’t received), and extremely effective in her communication. Immediately after our phone call, I knew she was the right partner for me.

Lisa immediately understood my background, my story, and my future goals to help me craft a compelling application that presented me authentically. She was exceptional in helping me brainstorm and come up with ideas that would showcase me through each part of my application. She answered all my questions and provided quick turnarounds on all my materials. I remember handing my essays to Lisa thinking “I don’t see how she can fix them. They are pretty good!” but her critical thinking skills and honest feedback were instrumental in crafting and fine tuning my best responses. She provided me with on-going edits, feedback, and ideas until each part of my application was exceptional (essays, short answer questions, Statement of Purpose, Resume, and interview prep) and she was fantastic at keeping my writing, concise, clear, but still genuinely authentic.

I was impressed with Lisa’s ability to dig deep to help uncover my unique story and develop my strategy to stand out amongst the thousands of MBA applicants. I was confident with my applications and felt even better after working with her on interview prep. I was provided with on-going support from the start to the end by both her and her firm (Stratus Admissions) and felt I presented myself in a unique, humble, and genuine manner to the adcoms.

Lisa and her entire team’s efforts throughout the entire process were superb. I felt supported by a collective village that rooted for me and looked out for my best interest. My essays were looked at by multiple consultants at Stratus and an editor, so I was confident that I submitted my best application. This was a huge advantage of working with her and the firm.

I received interviews at both schools that I applied to. Lisa’s interview prep resources helped me tremendously by feeling confident going into the final day. I ultimately got accepted to my dream school (Cornell) and I could not imagine having gone through this process without her and the team.

My advice to those searching for the top MBA consultants – you will not regret working with Lisa and if I could do it again, I would. She is extremely competent with a magnificent eye for detail and story development. This is what separates a great candidate from an exceptional one (remember the adcoms reads thousands of applications). Selecting a consultant is overwhelming but I assure you that if you work with her, you will feel as confident as I did walking into your interview at your dream school!

Donna and the rest of the Stratus team were a joy to work with. Donna’s assistance was crucial in making sure that I submitted the best possible application and helped me find tutors to increase my quantitative GMAT score. Her honesty, organizational prowess, and experience within the field were what helped me get into my target schools and set clear goals for myself. I will not hesitate to recommend their services to anybody that is going through the MBA application process as I know she is the best available consultant on the market.

First, I worked with Donna for two schools and got 1 admitted (Darden) and 1 invited to the interview (Wharton) all thanks to her help (given my low test score, you could tell how she was great to make my application shine)

When it comes to my decision making, I wasn’t sure whether I really needed to get some help from a consultant (specifically when it has a high price tag per hour). But now I can 100% assure that working with Donna is absolutely worth the investment. She’s super responsive all the time during the process and you will see how this is important given a tight timeline with the MBA application process. Also, she made herself available whenever I need her help so having no pressure on how many hours I could take with her was a big plus. Speaking of this availability, please don’t simply look at the hourly price tag because she puts in the extra effort and hours with you. This was the most critical part for me. I needed a real partner who could be with me when I needed it.

Also, I got a huge help to develop my story from her. Please take a look at her experience as she was leading the admissions process, which was a huge plus as I was able to gain the perspectives of adcom and decide what topic I need to put or approach on any questions. Donna was really helpful for me to connect the dots among many topics and themes in my life so that I could develop my story to best fit the school I applied to.

One more great thing with Donna was that I heard from multiple consultants not only her. She has great team members who can share their thoughts and reviews on your application. I really enjoyed this team-based approach because I felt I got many more services than I actually paid for, and was able to take multiple perspectives on my essays. In fact, the admission process and review were done by a committee not by an individual. I think this team approach makes much more sense to me.

Optional comment for international applicants. As I am an international applicant, it was important for me to work with someone who had experience with international candidates so that my characteristics and stories with cultural context could be fully discovered. Donna has ample experience with candidates from multiple countries – both on reading their applications as a committee and consultant – which allowed me to evaluate how strong my stance was in applications.

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

Donna is an excellent consultant and I would highly recommend her to anyone thinking about getting their MBA! She was an incredible resource and added significant value to my applications. I bought the comprehensive package and would absolutely say it was the right move. Donna helped guide me through the full process, from my introspection exercises to thoughtfully creating a story around my MBA journey and finally helping me prepare for interviews. She was extremely responsive and went above and beyond to make sure she got back to me quickly when we were bumping up against application deadlines. Most importantly, I could tell that she was genuinely excited for me when I finally got the call that I had been accepted at Columbia!

I worked with Melisa on an hourly basis and she was worth every dollar. I chose her because she was so genuine and encouraging during our initial consultation. Since I was on a budget, she worked with me efficiently and was quick to respond to any questions I sent her way. I was a bit lost in the application process but she worked with me every step of the way and helped guide me to ensure I submit quality essays. No need to interview other consultants…she’s all you need and more.

Meeting Melisa via Stratus to help me with my admissions process to a top part time MBA program was hands down one of the most memorable experiences. Having worked with Melisa for over 6 months on my application, simply saying I found one of the best admissions counselors is an understatement. Melisa took a genuine interest in not only my application but made the entire process a self exploratory process about oneself. She places emphasis on the initial process which eventually makes the other parts of the application much easier to put together.

I was focused on applying to only a single MBA program. Coming from a technology background, I was not sure how I would make my deep technical experience understandable to an admissions reviewer. Melisa was super insightful, taking an interest in understanding my background and making me answer my own questions about how my experiences might be translated to something more understandable by everyone.

Melisa was super responsive with helping me with reviews on my essays, resume and would usually get back to me within a day or two. She not only communicated with me via emails but was available to chat via phone at a time suitable to both of us. Melisa went above and beyond in getting my essays to the best version of themselves even if it meant 4-5 extra edits. Melisa spent so much time and energy on my application, it made me feel confident at every step in the process. She really brought out the best version of myself throughout not only the essays and resume but the interviews as well.

Having managed to get into a top EWMBA program, I attribute an equal portion of this stepping stone of success to Melisa. I will miss working with Melisa. I am very blessed to have gotten the opportunity to work with Melisa and the Stratus team. Melisa was not only super helpful in helping me with admissions but her wealth of knowledge, experience, and having gone to a top MBA school herself, helped me with providing for a mentor who ensured that I made the right choices even after admissions. I highly recommend Melisa to anyone looking for an awesome person to work with, and a super friendly, genuinely caring, super informative, admissions counselor.

I interviewed 4 different consultants from 4 different companies, and Melisa was the obvious choice for my MBA journey. I worked with Melisa via an hourly package, and she was more than generous with her time, recommendations, and resourcefulness. I chose Melisa because she was honest and thoughtful about the maturity of my story and profile, and helped focus my energy where it counted the most. She honored my voice while ensuring all my bases are covered – I would highly recommend Melisa again and again.

I cannot recommend Melisa enough. By the end of the 2020 R1 application cycle, I had not only gotten a full tuition scholarship to one of my top choices, I had learned a lot about myself and had become more confident in the direction of my career. From our very first call, I sensed an authenticity to Melisa that I hadn’t sensed in other consultations. I started the application process with very little idea of why I wanted an MBA other than to pivot out of my current career or what the application process looked like. Stratus’ process is tried and true. Throughout the first few weeks working together, we dug into experiences, events, and feelings that had mattered to me throughout my life, and, in doing so, I figured out what type of impact I wanted to have in my career. As a very private person, I was initially nervous to share some experiences because, while it was important to me, I didn’t think anyone else would care. Melisa made me feel comfortable talking about myself and pushed me to think past the experience to examine why it was important to me. I felt like I was talking to someone I had known for much longer than just a few weeks. Initially, I told Melisa that I wanted to pursue consulting, and eventually, throughout the introspection process, I realized, thanks to Melisa, that another path was more aligned with my career aspirations.

Once we figured out my ‘why’ and ‘how’, Melisa helped me to nail down my story. I was worried I’d struggle to stand out as a male, finance applicant, but she helped me to leverage my personal experiences into a cohesive, unique story that pulled together my background, current career, need for an MBA, and future career aspirations. It was truly my story and I was proud of what we put together. Throughout the outlines and essay drafts, Melisa was always always always available to talk or ask questions. Every time I had an outline/essay returned, I felt like Melisa had really looked at it from an adcom perspective and provided thorough and thoughtful feedback that helped me to put my best self on paper.

After receiving interview invites, Melisa took me through a few mock interviews and provided some specific tips that really helped me to verbally communicate my story and experiences in a succinct, impactful manner. Come interview day, I felt prepared and confident in explaining the relevance of my experiences and story to an MBA and future career.

Melisa was a total pro all throughout the process. All edits and reviews were returned promptly, and in most cases early. She worked around my tricky schedule, and even made time on the weekend to help me brainstorm after we decided to scrap and restart one essay. Professional through and through.

More than anything, it really felt like Melisa was in my corner, and I am very grateful for that and all the work that she did. I would not have had the success that I did in the application process without her. She is the best and I highly recommend working with her!

Susan is an excellent consultant!! I highly recommend her for anyone who is applying to MBA programs. I started working with her in the spring of 2020 with the plan to apply that fall. First, before applications, we worked on short- and long-term goals and took a deep dive into my strengths in order to begin to shape my story. We brainstormed schools that would be the best fit for me and she introduced me to students and/or alums that I could talk to about their experience. She then guided me through the entire application process, including essays, videos, recommendations, interviews (with mock interviews), etc. I found her to be extremely relatable, professional, knowledgeable, and engaging. Susan always has a positive attitude which is very refreshing as the application process can be very daunting. I cannot thank Susan enough for helping me get into my dream school and first choice, Wharton, in addition to my other top choice, MIT Sloan. There is no doubt in my mind that hiring Susan was the right decision and I have already strongly recommended her to family and friends.

From our initial call, Melisa made it clear the process was more than just helping me gain admission to my programs of choice. Instead, we spent a significant amount of time identifying my core values and how these shaped my long term goals. This in turn helped to lay the foundation for why I was looking to pursue my MBA in the first place.

In 2020 the application process was constantly evolving, but Melisa was my sounding board throughout the uncertainty. She was always very timely in her feedback and available by phone or email whenever I needed. Even small things like sending me school events or LinkedIn profiles that matched my career interests demonstrate how Melisa really goes above and beyond. Additionally, while you work with one consultant, you benefit from the collective knowledge of the Stratus team which is tremendously helpful as well.

As I write this I am deciding between two of my top choice programs with a fellowship offer. While the decision to work with a consultant is significant investment of time and money, I believe it’s well worth it as you come out of the process with a clear understanding of yourself and a roadmap for how to achieve your long term ambitions.

My experience with Stratus has been nothing short of amazing. I applied to schools last application cycle and did not feel like the firm I hired to help made my application personalized enough – I felt like I was treated like a number. Obviously I was not accepted last cycle which is why I turned somewhere else. After a few consultations with Susan – I knew she would be the right fit for me moving forward. She really spent time to get to know me and my story and why I wanted to apply for business school. She also helped me understand more about the business world as well- which was a great help since I am coming from a STEM background. I feel like Susan was very thorough and really got to know me on a personal level. She gave me advice on what to do to make my application stand out and extra things or classes I can do. She helped me revise my resume from an overcrowded page that was hard to read to a beautiful, simplified page that was easy on the eyes. She helped me with both my essays and helped me craft a story to explain why I needed an MBA and given what had happened to me this past year in my life why I needed the MBA more. Before writing the essay she made us do a few reflection/ intersection exercises to get to know myself better and determine the qualities I want to write my essays around. After that we used those qualities to shape my draft which then turned into my essay. This writing process was a great way to make sure everything I wanted to include in my story was there. She also looked over my application before I submitted it to make sure everything looked good. After I submitted my application, I reached back out to her when I had an interview invitation. Susan helped me prepare for the interview and then connected me with a school specific counselor to have a mock interview. A few days after my interview, I got accepted to my dream school. I could not have done this without Susan. I felt like she truly cares about me and my mission and am so grateful we were able to work together. I am so blessed that I had the opportunity to work with her. When in doubt go with Susan!!

I am so glad that I worked with Susan on my MBA applications. She was a great partner and very invested in my success. Susan strategically led me through the application process and helped me to effectively put my goals / thoughts to paper. She helped to make the essay writing more efficient by providing me with frameworks and was detail oriented in her review. Her comments were thoughtful and offered such value to the end result. Susan challenged me during mock interviews which better prepared me for the real interviews. I ultimately landed 2 acceptances and am very excited about the outcome of the process. I definitely recommend working with Susan!

I used an hourly package to apply to 3 schools. Susan worked with me to effectively craft my unique story into a compelling desire to pursue an MBA (I am a musician by night and a strategy consultant by day — my post-MBA goals lie in bridging that gap). I had the story in my head, but Susan took my essays from ok to great. She brought out passion, specifics (that I had long forgotten), and specific knowledge about each school that helped me tailor each application. She was also incredibly efficient with the limited time we had, turning each iteration of my essays around quickly.

End result: 3 for 3 on acceptances (one M7 and two T15’s), plus a substantial merit fellowship option. She has also continued to coach me on negotiation strategies post-acceptances. 10/10 recommend!

Stats: GMAT 730, GPA 3.85, STEM undergrad

I always wanted to go back and get my MBA and at first, thought I could go the cheap route and do it on my own. Big mistake. I ended up getting rejected from my top schools but I was determined, and decided to go for it the next year. I was introduced to Susan through multiple friends who had used her in the past and raved about their experience. Truthfully, the cost was a bit daunting at first but after our first meeting I could tell that Susan new exactly what she was doing. From her own experience of applying and getting into business school, coupled with her immense knowledge from working in admissions at Fuqua for over a decade, she brought insight that I could have gotten from few other sources. She was incredibly thoughtful but pushed me to think about what I really wanted and how to craft my story from my past and where I wanted to end up. I had a terrible GPA and decent GRE scores, so it was an uphill battle from the start, but I ended up being accepted to all the schools that had rejected me the previous year. Can’t thank Susan enough for all her hard work and dedication throughout the process – it sure paid dividends in the long run.

Jennifer was an incredible person to work with, super experienced and punctual. Firstly, I went into this process as a nervous, not-very-confident non-traditional applicant. From the get-go, Jennifer provided me with so much confidence by helping me highlight my greatest strengths and selling points and hence laying a really strong foundation for my story while making sure I keep my own unique voice. Second, she’s an amazing editor; she really helped me make my essays more succinct and easy-flowing. Ultimately, all of this helped me get into three top schools, including a top-5!

It all started a few years ago after I had completed my Bachelor’s degree. After my undergraduate degree, I absolutely wanted to do a Master’s degree, but I didn’t know exactly which Master to do. So I applied for a Master in Finance and a Master in Management at different universities in the UK and got accepted. Although I had several offers, I postponed my degree plans. But why? At the same time, I spoke to a colleague at work, who studied for an MBA at WHU in Germany. He advised me that I should take my time, reflect, look ahead to what I would like to achieve in the future, and most importantly look for a university with a great reputation. At that time, I didn’t think I have the chance to get into a highly reputable university. To make a long story short – this year I got offers from my two dream universities inter alia with the help of Stratus Admissions Counselling.

Starting my application, I knew that there will be parts of the application I need help with. But on the other hand, I wasn’t sure if it’s worth the bunch of money you have to pay an Admissions Consultant. I somehow came to the opinion that it is worth engaging an Admissions Consultant and, in the end, I chose Stratus Admissions Counselling. The consultant I worked with was Susan, a Fuqua alumni and former member of Fuqua’s AdCom. During the whole process, I worked with her on my story, my CV, and my essays. From that point in time, we worked closely and consistently toward the goal of an MBA offer. During the whole process, Susan was super helpful, provided me with insightful feedback, and made me dig deeper. Moreover, Susan really had the perfect balance between enabler, challenger, and recommender. I felt that I had control of my own story at all times and didn’t have to take any story made by an Admissions Consultant. I would like to highlight the solution approach of Stratus: At first, I didn’t know why I did specific exercises (e.g. introspection), but in hindsight, it made so much sense and now I totally know why we did all these exercises. The whole journey was like a soccer game. I was a player and could do my own game as well as emphasize my features. Susan and Stratus were like a coach who watched the game and expressed recommendations pointedly.

To sum it up, I can totally recommend engaging with Stratus and especially Susan to work on your MBA journey. I don’t regret it a single penny or a single second because I got offers from my dream universities and the process and help of Susan are so great. If you feel you might need help on your MBA application just give it a shout and set up a free call with Susan to discuss your ideas. I am sure she and Stratus can help you achieve your dreams. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.

Jennifer helped me get into my dream school and made the application process as stress-free as possible! Jennifer took the time to get to know me, my background, and what I was hoping to gain from an MBA, and she helped me narrow in on the schools that would be the best fit for me and highlight my strengths through my application. I really appreciated how she provided guidance and suggestions that helped me take my essays and applications to the next level but never tried to change my writing style or the essence of what I wanted to portray. She was so supportive throughout the process, provided an achievable timeline, and was a calming presence as I submitted my applications and prepared for interviews. She has a thorough understanding of schools and the application process, and she provided valuable insights that I never would have known without her. She made the application process enjoyable, and she even helped me learn more about myself that I will carry with me beyond business school. She was always quick to respond and accommodated my schedule for calls and prep. I am so thankful to Jennifer for all of her amazing guidance and would highly recommend working with her!

I recently worked with Joe Farr and he made my experience amazing! When I started the process I was so worried about my Essays because I am from Cuba and never wrote an Essay before, even more concerning applying for a top school. Joe worked with me for very long hours going back and forward with reviewed Essays. I haven’t seen a person with such professionalism and integrity. I would recommend Joe to anybody looking to work with a consultant that has a brilliant mind and feels the process as his own. After working in a very tied schedule because I wanted to apply for round 1 and started the process very late, I told Joe I felt like going to war with him on my side and winning. We were both very tired but victorious!

I had a fantastic experience working with Jennifer, I highly recommend working with her enough if you’re looking for someone who will strengthen your essays and your overall application approach. Jennifer is a fantastic editor and all my essays were clearer and stronger with her review, but most importantly for me, Jennifer guided me through the process and my confidence in the applications grew over time. As someone new to this process, Jennifer helped me so much as a sounding board who believed in me getting through the process.

Susan helped me get into my top choice M7. The first thing that stood out to me is that she’s really fun, but also no-nonsense! She knows her stuff… you can tell she comes from the admissions world and has the expertise to steer you toward the key fundamentals that really make a difference. I spoke with several consultants before going with Susan… they all seemed to try to sell me on their magnificent writing or deep expertise on a school… but what was compelling to me is that Susan gives you what most consultants can’t: the experience of having worked in admissions. She knows how adcom ticks and can help you craft a compelling story that adcom will understand.

I used an hourly package with Susan and found it to be a great value… she was transparent and efficient, very responsive, and impressively available. She’ll be your #1 fan throughout the process, and will give you the confidence that you’re turning in the strongest possible application.