Stratus Admissions Counseling | MBA Admissions Consultants

I worked with Susan for about a year on my applications. More than just guiding me through the admissions process, she was always there to answer my questions, give me candid feedback, and even picked me up at the airport when I visited Fuqua. I still use the materials from my application essays, knowing it was high quality and tripled checked by her and the Stratus team. With her help, I was able to secure a 30% scholarship to one of my top schools.

I had the pleasure of working with Jennifer for my MBA applications and I highly recommend her to everyone who is applying to business school. I come from a non-traditional background and was applying during R3. These two factors combined made it an uphill battle for me. But Jennifer was able to guide me through the entire process, while still allowing me to show my authentic self. She helped me perfect my essays, develop a plan to interact with the school, and practice interviewing. It was never once overbearing and I still felt that my application was very much my own. With Jennifer’s help, I got into my first choice M7 school!

Susan played a critical role in helping me make my dream of getting into Stanford MBA program a reality. She supported me all the way through the application process, from deciding which Round to apply, to crafting essays and preparing for the interview, and helped me with every single question I had – even the most stupid questions that were on my mind.

It was important to have Susan’s shoulder early on, as she helped me work out a powerful strategy and point my efforts in the right direction. In the brainstorming process, she came up with novel ideas that I somehow did not come up with on my own. Those ideas turned out to be key to my application strategy. Strategy is important, but so is implementation.

Susan was surprisingly fast to reply to my emails, especially given the amount of value her emails contained. I feel it’s important to reemphasize this – every single piece of correspondence from Susan contained HUGE value for me! Her feedback on the essays helped me focus on the most impactful points, leaving non-value-adding details aside, thus making the most out of the limited word space I was allowed in the essays.

I cannot overestimate the importance of Susan’s help on the so-called stupid questions. Honestly, I did not expect that I would have so many of those. Turned out, the application file itself was so lengthy and contained so many little questions that seemed to be tricky. I felt that, when combined, answers to these little questions could make a difference between being admitted and being rejected. Luckily, Susan had the kind of empathy I needed to feel comfortable asking her these stupid questions.

When it came to the interview stage, Susan once again helped me focus on the most impactful parts of my story so that I felt confident sharing my story with the interviewer. It was important that I was prepared for the interview in advance, since this preparation translated into my confidence during the actual interview. I definitely would not have this courage if I was not sure I was telling the right stories to the interviewer. Susan made me believe I was.

Simply put, I would have never gotten into the Stanford MBA program without Susan’s help. And I am forever grateful to her for helping me make my dream a reality.

Jennifer really helped me flesh out my ideas during the essay writing process, and provided very valuable feedback. With her help, I got into my target school during the last round of admissions, and I even received a fantastic scholarship offer.

Working with Donna was an excellent decision and helped me get into my dream school, Kellogg! From our initial consultation, I knew she was going to give me the push I needed to get my application ready. I came to her less than 1 month before my application was due and she kept me on track, motivated, and calm through a normally very stressful process! She provided amazing advice on crafting my resume and essays – really challenging me to dig deep. Her experience as a Kellogg alum allowed her to provide spot-on information about the program and what they seek in applicants. She was extremely quick, providing feedback within hours, even on weekends. I can honestly say I would not have been successful without Donna’s help. Although the packages may seem a little expensive, I cannot speak highly enough of her and the support she provided during my MBA application process. 10/10 recommend!

At the beginning of my MBA journey I reached out to 3-5 consultants for the free consultations. My GMAT/GPA are slightly lower than the averages at the programs that I was targeting so finding someone that understood my story was crucial for me. Within the first 5 minutes of talking to Susan I knew she was the person I wanted to use. She took the time to understand my background and asked thoughtful questions to learn more – this was vastly different than my experience with other consultants who were just trying to put me into a pre-defined framework to craft my story. Susan felt more like a mentor who genuinely wanted me to succeed rather than a consultant who was focused on getting my business.

I ended up purchasing the one school package and using the ad-hoc/hourly service for essays on the other programs that I was applying to.

We first started on the “introspection” exercise which ends up serving as the basis to answer the most common questions: Why MBA, Why Now and Post-MBA Goals. Based on this information Susan helped me craft a strategy specific to each program that I was applying to. This not only helped with my essays but also with my informational chats with students and alumni. I come from a non-business background (engineering) and I felt very polished during my phone calls with students.

In addition to the introspection exercise, Susan helped me rework my resume, gave me multiple rounds of feedback on my essays, and helped me prepare for my interview. I even got positive feedback from the admissions committee regarding my interview and overall application. I was waitlisted at my top choice due to my GMAT score, but Susan helped me with my updates to the admissions committee (about 5-6 in total).

I used Susan for help on my essays on an hourly basis for two other programs. She was incredibly generous and upfront about what can be accomplished in the hours I purchased. We managed to do 2-3 drafts of my essays for each program within the 2 hours that I purchased.

I could not be happier with my experience with Susan, I would highly recommend her to anyone looking at applying to MBA programs in the future. I am headed to a Top 15 program this fall with a sub 3.2 GPA and sub 700 GMAT.

Like many people applying for an MBA, I was concerned that there was nothing special about my profile and I wouldn’t be able to stand out to the universities. Thanks to Susan and the Stratus team, I not only received multiple acceptances from top 20 schools, but scholarships as well. It was more than I could have ever hoped for, especially as a Round 3+ candidate.

Susan changed my entire perspective on the MBA process. From her I learned that the events in my life weren’t as important the lessons I had gleaned from them. I started to look at even supposedly insignificant events in a different light. This coupled with Susan’s insightful questions helped me create a strong narrative around my drivers for pursuing an MBA and my post-MBA goals.

Susan’s grasp of my personality combined with her deep knowledge of the different MBA programs made her an excellent advisor at every stage. Her feedback was instrumental in ensuring my essays communicated my qualities and plans effectively. She iterated on the drafts with me until I felt good about what I turned in. If I was having trouble finding any information on universities, she was able to suggest programs or activities I might have missed in my research.

I really appreciated Susan’s thoroughness and promptness during the review process. I had been talking to her on and off for sometime, but when I decided to apply, I only had one month to turn around 5 applications. Susan gave me the confidence to meet those deadlines and hustled with me through the entire process.

She did a mock session with me before each interview and gave me feedback to better articulate my responses and boost my confidence. Once I received offers, she was quick to jump on a call and help me weigh the pros and cons. Having been on the admissions side herself, she was also able to help me communicate with the different schools during this time.

I’m now thrilled to be attending Berkeley-Haas.

I couldn’t have asked for a better counselor than Susan. She is kind and empathetic but not afraid to give you the tough love you need to reach your potential. She went above and beyond and was truly with me till the end, cheering me on. I’m so grateful and I couldn’t have done it without her. I highly recommend her and the Stratus team!

Working with Susan was an amazing experience. Her honesty, thoughtfulness, and insight made me feel immediately comfortable totally trusting any advice she gave me. She really took the time to get to know me so that she could give me tailored advice when it came to writing my essays or crafting my resume. I came into the process totally blind- I knew I wanted to apply to get an MBA but had absolutely no idea where to start. Susan lead me through personal introspection to understand why it was I wanted an MBA, what I hoped to do with it, and what qualities I already possessed that would set me up for success in the future. If I was ever overwhelmed, she was available to hop on the phone and adjust our agenda so that I always continued to make progress. Susan went above and beyond to understand me so that she could help me bring out my best attributes across the board, from the application to the interview. Susan was an invaluable coach and I definitely could not have achieved success without her. It was apparent throughout the entire process that Susan always had my best interests at heart and for that, I am very grateful. I ended up getting admitted to Columbia Business School and I couldn’t be more thankful to Susan!

I had reached out to Susan for a free consultation regarding my MBA application in April 2020. I wanted to aim for 3-4 school applications for the extended round 3 applications for a Fall of 2020 entry time frame, however, after some unexpected changes in my professional life, I expanded the number of applications to 9 schools with a determination to matriculate in 2020. I had only ~2 months to turnaround all these applications so I needed someone with great experience, empathy, and focus.

Within just 3 hours of working with Susan, I had a solid MBA goal and introspection strategy with a revised resume and the 1st draft of one essay done. Her introspection strategy extracted valuable insights from even the most minuscule experiences/interactions with colleagues and friends and was the basis of many of my essays. Susan also knew where my application weak points were and effectively helped me use the optional essay to address those points. Susan was prompt and EXTREMELY thorough in her feedback which comes from her experience in sitting on the admissions panel of a top business school. She greatly improved my technical writing while challenging me to go deeper into individual school offerings and how they would aid my career development. In the end, I ended up taking 15 hours of hourly consulting and I can confidently say, each and every hour was well worth the investment.

In addition to essays, Susan also reviewed my recommendation strategy and gave great feedback to my recommenders on how to be more specific to highlight my profile. I felt confident going into the interview, but Susan elevated my interview structure and responses to the next level.

In the end, with applications to 4 T-10 schools, 3 -T15 schools, and 2-T-20 schools, I am glad to say I got acceptances Fuqua, Tepper, Anderson, and Marshall and I will be matriculating at Fuqua (with merit scholarship) this fall!

When I decided I was ready to apply to business school, I knew I was going to need some help navigating the process. From our initial call, I knew I had made the right decision. She was incredibly thoughtful, sharp, and eager to get started. She carefully listened to my ideas and brought her professional perspective that gave us a great road map. Alone, the insight she brought to the table was worth the cost. Throughout the process, I felt her commitment to my success, and genuinely knew she was rooting for me. I was confident that I put my best applications forward. Although I remain waitlisted, I have been pleasantly surprised by how willing she is to respond to emails with quick questions. Even after everything, she is dedicated to her clients’ success. I give Donna my highest recommendation and encourage all applicants to consider working with her.

I was accepted into Kellogg Round 3 and without Donna, it would not have happened. I chose the hourly package, as I was in a few MBA prep programs, but without Donna, I would not have been accepted.
Donna truly cared about me as an individual and not just a number. She was very candid, but warm at the same time. Her adcom experience is invaluable and she will give you the insights you need to improve your application. I felt very prepared for the video essay and my interview because of my time with her. She was so positive and encouraging it really helped to calm my nerves. I am forever thankful I chose to work with Donna.

I worked with Susan for two schools package. I finally received only one offer, but with half of the scholarship. At first, I really depressed about going to apply for b-school this year because I have low GMAT score and low GPA. However, Susan did really well to guide me to highlight my work experience into an essay making the content compatible to my career goal and my CFA charter holder status. Eventually, I got my offers from various schools. Those other school offers may not be directly from a package that I worked with her, but her guideline and encouragement made me reach my top choice from Tepper CMU.

Stratus service is great. I worked with Susan completely online and I found no trouble at all working with her through Skype. She knows what she does and trust me, she is good with this work. I would like to add my comment on Donna as well. She came on board and gave us another fresh perspective that is the independence you want to know after you complete your application. Go with Stratus I think it is worth every dollar I paid for the service.

I decided to apply to business school quite late in the cycle and I spoke to over 15 MBA Admission Consulting firms before deciding on Stratus. I had no trouble choosing Susan over the other consultants after just a 30-minute conversation. Susan was honest, upfront, and thoughtful.

I had drafts of my essays written before I engaged Status’s services, and when I compare them to the final product, it surprises me to this day.

Susan worked tirelessly with me to understand my motivation, and helped distill my story into 300 words which is remarkable. I relied on her advice on everything in the applications, and her advice always led to a better quality product whether it was my resume or my interview skills. I did not feel confident going into the application cycle this late, but Susan and Stratus were able to turn that around. As a result, I was able to get admitted to a top school of my choice.

Susan will go above and beyond every time, and I could not recommend her highly enough.

Donna sincerely _cared_ about me and my application for B-school. From the first 30-minute free “introductory” call, I started learning more than I had in hours of online research. She was very knowledgable of all the schools I was looking at and had suggestions for others that matched my interests.

Yes, she is expensive (the package deal worked out to about $380/hour) which is quite the sticker shock. But when I considered that my application improved so much that I increased my chances at merit scholarships, this service will pay for itself.

She is incredibly efficient and fair with her time tracking. In the five hour package I bought, we covered every aspect of my application and interview preparation so that I went from still drafting my application to having them all submitted by the time I finished working with her. Her insights, experience, preparatory material, essay, and resume edits, and practice interviews helped me tremendously.

I met Susan after starting the Forte Launch program. At first, I was a little skeptical because it seemed too pricey. I was also an architect far removed from the business industry, with a decent GPA, but a worrisome GRE/GMAT. I am glad I made the bold step and try out the process. It is definitely a holistic approach. They guide you from what tests you should take to soul searching your ideal career. You rediscover yourself to a whole new level, you feel more confident and prepared to start B School. I was able to get into several schools and some with Forte Fellowships which is a huge return on investment. The more incredible part is that it prepares you for your career. Several steps in the processes are covered in the Career Center at my chosen school (UVA) and I can tell you I feel prepared even for the foreseeable networking season, and building my school resume.

I came into the MBA process looking to make a career change. I applied during R2. The story I wanted to convey was kind of nebulous and I had a hard time definitively describing why exactly I was making the career change and was pursuing an MBA. Jennifer quickly helped me construct and clear and compelling narrative. The team at Stratus really was thorough with helping edit my essays and they all came out remarkably polished. I could not recommend Jennifer enough as with her help on a 2 school package, I got into both schools with scholarships! I don’t think I would have gotten the scholarship without their guidance throughout the application process – from the interview prep to the essay corrections, to the overall brainstorming sessions to construct the application narrative. My sister who went through the MBA application process with the Stacy Blackman firm and remarked that Stratus was much more accessible, responsive, and had more resources than what she got. Overall I could not be more thrilled with my choice of Jennifer and Stratus, and with the scholarship, it was an investment that paid huge dividends!

I applied to joint degrees at various top 10 schools but had limited work experiences (2 years), was in between jobs, and had already been at multiple jobs. Needless to say, I needed a strong story to get into my reach program.

Susan helped me build the foundation by having me brainstorm applicable stories on different themes, as well as by identifying the kind of leader I am/want to be.

Based on these, she helped me put together disparate stories to craft quite a compelling narrative, something I certainly would not have been able to do at the same level.

She also helped me review my essays. Her astute and detail-oriented feedback proved exceedingly useful.
The result was that I got into Berkeley-Haas, my top school, and more than I could have hoped for at the outset of this process.

Thank you, Susan.

When I started on my MBA application journey nearly four years ago, I was pretty far from being the ideal b school candidate. I did not graduate undergrad from an ivy league university, I didn’t come from a traditional business school industry, and my story was nothing remarkable, or so I thought. Working with my Senior Strategist, Susan, first in the MBA Early Edge program and then in the MBA Admissions Counseling package (along with my MBA counselor, Jamie) infused me with a confidence I can’t describe. With their guidance and support, I was able to start thinking next-level about my applications, my mission, and my future. Four years later, after much hard work and persistence, I will be graduating from a top-20 full-time program in two weeks and I know that I wouldn’t have been able to get here without the support and encouragement of Susan. After all, is said and done, an MBA is an investment in you, and the programs that I participated in with Stratus were worth every penny. I am still glad to know and keep up with Susan today.

When I decided last minute to apply for schools this year, I talked to a number of consultants before finding Susan. After the initial consult, I knew that Susan would go the extra mile to really listen to my story and find ways to bring out the best aspects of it.

As part of a multi-school package, we worked together to outline important milestones and distill my motivations down to their key elements. Her guidance was crucial to putting together a compelling narrative and bridging the gap between the career I was coming from and my plans for the future. Her insight was thoughtful, articulate, and measured; she’ll tell it like it is.

When it came time to put the application together, Susan and the Stratus team were prompt to deliver feedback on my resume, essay drafts, and overall strategy. She will work with you endlessly until you have something you’d be proud to submit. Every base was covered, from developing realistic post-MBA goals to the advice in approaching your recommenders to live interview prep. I left confident that I had put forth my best effort in the limited application time I had. The result – In addition to Yale and Kellogg, I was admitted to Booth, my dream school, with scholarship! Though it’s easy to speculate on the outcome without a consultant,
I’m confident that Susan and Stratus were the difference-maker when it came to the scholarship.

In Susan, you will find a warm and generous counselor, a trusted voice throughout the process, and a champion in your corner who will help you put forth the best application possible. She is highly recommended!

I worked with Melisa on an hourly basis for essay review and it was worth every minute and every cent. She was thoughtful yet direct with her feedback and very prompt when turning around drafts. She was a great resource to bounce ideas off of and it was clear that she really understood what each school was trying to get at with their essay prompts. She also helped me through the interview process sharing key tips and question guides for interviews. It was hugely helpful as I prepared for in-person and online conversations. I will definitely be recommending Melisa and Stratus to anyone going through the MBA application process in the future.

I was able to get accepted to McCombs with Donna’s help! She talked me through my goals and really cared about my story. She was willing to answer any questions and was very prompt in all her responses. She gave succinct edits to my application essays. She provided recorded mock interviews and her feedback was extremely helpful. I was able to ace all my interviews. She prepared me with the exact questions the schools asked me!
Most importantly, I felt supported and she calmed my worries. Donna truly cares about her client’s outcome and that is what sets her apart from most.

I first met with Jennifer Jackson from the Stratus team at a prospective MBA conference in Washington DC about 6 weeks out from my first application deadline (round 1), and I’m so glad that I did. I stopped by the Stratus table and told her about my specific questions/concerns (particularly about being a non-traditional applicant and working for a small/lesser-known company), and she answered my questions specifically and tactically in a way that instilled confidence in a potential professional relationship between us. Over the next several months, Jennifer and I worked together on an hourly basis (I think totaling between 5-10 hours in total, though I’m not exactly sure), which worked out phenomenally well because the two of us had identified specific areas so that I could use my allotted time wisely. I could go on about how helpful Jennifer was, but I think the most helpful areas/exercises related to crafting my story for business school in a compelling and succinct way. I had about a million ideas of how I could speak to my interests and experience, and she provided honest, constructive, digestible, and actionable feedback about which ideas were strong, and which I should cast aside. That front end diligence helped me to build a strong foundation from which the rest of my application materials launched, and I ended up getting into 4 of the 5 schools I applied to (all but Harvard, which was a longshot from the get-go. Additionally, well after my hours had “run out”, I reached out to Jennifer to see if she was available to and interested in talking through my decision with me, and without hesitation, she offered to get on the phone with me to talk things through. If you’re dead set on business school and telling your story is one of your biggest concerns, I would definitely recommend calling up Jennifer and the Stratus team. I couldn’t be happier with the results!

After taking the GMAT at the beginning of September, I decided to move up my MBA time-frame a year and apply R2 for Class of 2022. Surfing through P&Q and other websites I scheduled two free consults. The first was with the associate of a popular admissions consultant. I am happy with direct feedback and tough love, but referring to their clients as ‘kids’ turned me off massively and soured the idea of an admissions consultant altogether. However, I had already lined up my consult call with Susan and figured it was in my interest to speak with her. Oh my god. What a difference. Susan and I clicked on SO many different things and we flew way over the scheduled 30 minutes. The moment that call ended I knew if I were to use a consultant, it would be Susan. I ended up going with the 4-school package to diversify my options but targeted Fuqua from the get-go (another plus for Susan given her wealth of experience in admissions there).

My undergraduate was in a foreign language, and I’ve worked in sales (not very strategy / corporate business-savvy role or group of people) in Asia. Zero healthcare experience, despite that being my target industry post-grad. Susan had me lay out all of my stories from birth to present, highlighting overarching stories to keep in mind throughout the entire process. While Susan was my main point of contact, Jennifer Jackson (another Stratus consultant – fantastic too btw) also popped in to give an unbiased opinion. Ultimately we nailed stories down to clearly show why a move into healthcare is logical for me.

Alongside the above, we made a robust resume, pulling on my work-stories, tweaking to highlight any sort of leadership (formal or informal).

Tackling essays was very structured. I connected with students (oftentimes Susan connecting me with previous clients at my target schools) to get info on each school. Using those notes and my own research, I created templates for each essay. Templates got a couple of edits from Susan and a final look-over from Jennifer. The actual essay drafts were then super easy to write. Having the foundation of the outline, it was easy to knock out the writing. Susan was super fast with her edits, all of which I accepted without hesitation as she knew (and knows) my voice. Any questions I had on edits we talked it out quickly and efficiently. All essays were read over a school-specific advisor, who often gave very helpful insight that I used to tweak each essay. Finally, essays got proofed by a formal third party and were ready to submit.

With the bulk of the application done, Susan looked over my final applications and caught any stupid mistakes I may have made.

The comprehensive process for multiple schools helped me also tackle other schools confidently. Interviews began rolling in. Susan provided me a list of practice questions, compiled by all of the Stratus consultants. She took the time to do mock interviews with me, giving really helpful feedback (especially given I had to do Skype interviews from Asia.)

End result? I got into Fuqua, my dream school, with a merit-based scholarship coming in at just under half tuition. Thinking things through objectively at the moment, but everything is looking to come up Duke in the end. Without Susan, Jennifer, and the rest of the Stratus team behind the scenes, I would not have achieved this result.

Anyone looking to use an MBA consultant, I highly recommend the Stratus team, and especially Susan.

Lisa is an amazing consultant and an excellent coach for prospective MBA candidates. As a Forte Foundation MBALaunch participant, I had access to various consulting companies via webinars starting in February. Through watching these webinars and doing phone screenings with multiple consulting companies, I decided that the Stratus Personal Strategy format, their four-school guarantee, and their proven success record made Stratus the best consulting partner for me to work with. I had heard Lisa speak on the Forte webinars and her personality and background made her the perfect match for me. I signed up with Stratus in February and therefore had eight months to work on my applications before the round one deadline.

Working with Lisa was a terrific experience. Lisa’s many years of experience were evident throughout the process; she understood exactly how to be supportive and uplifting while still pushing me to be more reflective in my work. While I was studying for the GMAT Lisa helped me determine what schools to send my scores to, based on my practice test scores, and what work I could focus on during study breaks. When my “why MBA” story was too fuzzy, she helped ask guiding questions to get to the heart of what I wanted to do. She encouraged me to find job descriptions of post-MBA and 10-year-old roles to help me connect the dots of how an MBA would enable me to meet my career goals. These steps made writing my application essays and answer interview questions much easier because I had a clear vision for my future.

During the application-writing phase, Lisa worked with me to ensure my personal story was as strong as possible. She provided constructive feedback on every essay while ensuring that she did not change my voice or writing. Additionally, she pushed me to research the programs in deeper detail, enabling me to write a better essay and make a deeper connection with the programs.
Lisa worked with my schedule throughout the process, always going out of her way to make availability early in the mornings or late at night to accommodate my work schedule. During interview preparation, Lisa conducted several mock interviews with me and helped ensure my answers were program-specific. Finally, Lisa was there for me as a neutral party as I made my choice between 6 top programs, giving me feedback on how each program aligned with my goals. Her support, patience, and guidance were critical to helping keep me confident and calm during the MBA application process and I would highly recommend her to others!

I could not be happier with my choice to work with Lisa Cummings and Stratus in my MBA application process! I was not ready to financially commit to a comprehensive consulting package, so I booked the 5hr package with Lisa after speaking with a few different companies. Lisa was extremely respectful of my need to make the most out of each hour with her, and even suggested ways to do so along the way. At the end of my 5hr package, I was so pleased with Lisa’s help that I purchased an additional hr to support interview prep.

In all our interactions, Lisa provided incredibly direct, specific, and actionable feedback, truly looking to maximize my gain. For example, we had a half-hour call to discuss the goals I wanted to portray in my application, and the feedback she gave me during that time was enough for me to go off and do 5+ hours of work on my own before circling back with her.

Lisa also made it very clear that she was happy to work in whatever workflow was best for me. This ended up being mainly email during the essay writing period and, with each chunk of her constructive feedback, my essay improved drastically draft over draft (the improvements were much larger than they were when I just edited my own work or sent it out to friends or family for review). Lisa took the time upfront to understand my interests, background, and goals and kept it in mind with every set of feedback she provided. She also was often able to pinpoint inconsistencies or “fluff” within my essays that I wasn’t able to identify myself – this made my submissions content-rich and still within the tight word limit.

When interviews came along, Lisa was fantastic at really making our practice interviews feel real, and once again gave me loads of concise, actionable feedback that I directly used during my various interviews.

I really appreciate Lisa for putting in the effort to at first understand where I was at in the application process, catering her approach to maximize my benefit, and providing direct feedback that I could act on right away. She was a great coach in that she did not write my essays or “hand hold” me in any way, but pushed me to carve out the best version of my applications myself. I highly suggest working with an admissions consultant, specifically Lisa, who can provide an objective third party eye to your application content. I received admissions offers from my top schools, and don’t think my applications would have been as strong without her advising.

When I was looking for a consultant, I knew I wanted someone who would help me uncover my story. Lisa did that – she would ask me questions to help figure out the best way to tell my story. Whenever I had ideas about how to structure my essays or the examples I wanted to share, she would talk through them with me and challenge me to strengthen my thoughts. Additionally, her insights into the programs I was applying to were really helpful for framing my story in the most productive way so it still felt true to me, but would make sense to admissions. Finally, Lisa is very responsive and supportive. The application process can be overwhelming, but Lisa made it feel very manageable.

I would also add that the Stratus personal strategy process is a really helpful template for reflecting and the numerous rounds of review on essays made me feel like I was truly putting forward my best possible work. I felt clear about the steps I needed to take to successfully submit applications.

I wound up with offers with scholarships from an M7 and 4 T15s, which I know Lisa played a very important role in. She really cares about the results of those she works with and puts in the extra time and effort to help us succeed. I’d very much recommend working with Lisa!

I am incredibly glad that I found Stratus and had the opportunity to work with Susan! With Stratus, I applied to 4 schools: Anderson, Haas, Darden, and Booth. In the end, I was accepted to all four programs, receiving a full-tuition scholarship from Anderson and $100K scholarship offers from both Booth and Haas. I am incredibly happy with this outcome and feel that Stratus was instrumental in achieving this result. I will be attending Haas this fall and am very excited!

My MBA journey started off a bit rocky. After hearing about MBA admissions consulting from my GRE class instructor, I decided to approach a few consultants to get their take on my candidacy. I was almost in tears after speaking to the first consultant I spoke with – she felt that I would not be a strong candidate at the programs I hoped to attend. However, after reaching out to Stratus and speaking with Susan, I felt so much more encouraged. During our first conversation, Susan was very warm. I knew she was the type of person that I wanted to support me through the difficult application process.

Susan was helpful to me in many different aspects of the application process. We started with introspection exercises that helped me think through the most important aspects of my story and clearly define my career aspirations. When I began the outlines for the application essays, I felt prepared, having done this initial legwork. During the essay writing process, Susan and the Stratus team helped me connect my story and goals to the resources available at each school. If I ever had doubts about which details to include in my essays, they were able to provide useful insights. Susan also helped me navigate difficult decisions, like how to explain a college disciplinary incident in my application. When it came time for interviews, Susan and I conducted mock interviews based on the real questions that her previous clients had been asked. I was very prepared for my interviews having had this type of practice.

One thing in particular that I especially appreciated was that Susan really got to know me and helped me to write authentically. At the advice of a friend, I wrote an essay that I thought the admissions committee would like, but that did not really reflect my values. When we spoke over the phone, Susan said: “this doesn’t really sound like you”. She could tell right away that I wasn’t being authentic (and the admissions committee probably could have too), so I am very glad she steered me away from this.

Throughout the application process, I felt very supported by Susan and the Stratus team. They were really with me every step of the way. I would highly recommend Susan and Stratus to anyone interested in MBA consulting!

I interviewed 6 MBA application advisory firms before selecting Stratus because of their proven track record of success, their team-oriented operating model, and their support for women. As a Forte Foundation member, I saw Stratus present in multiple webinars, conferences, and office hours sessions. Every interaction with one of their Stratus reps was productive and positive.

Within Stratus, Lisa had the most relevant experience with my target schools at the top MBA programs. I worked with Lisa for 6 months during my MBA application journey and was thoroughly impressed by her expertise in the industry, her targeted feedback, and her kind demeanor. She frequently responded with detailed feedback within 12 hours (well within the Stratus SLA) and, most importantly, she challenged me to produce even higher-quality results for my essays and short answers. On principle, Lisa was a true professional coach because she did not write any material on my behalf, but coached me in a tailored manner and challenged many of the initial assumptions that I had.

The MBA application process is a reflective journey that happens to produce an application as a result. I received an overwhelming amount of advice during this journey (from admissions committees, current MBA students, alumni, family, friends, non-MBA grad students, online blogs, YouTube videos…) which meant it was critical to have a trusted advisor who could cut through the noise and represent my best interest. I am grateful for the relationship that I’ve built with Lisa, and would highly recommend her! At a minimum, I recommend that you sign-up for Stratus’ newsletter and one of their webinars.

As an MBA reapplicant to my dream school, I didn’t want to simply submit a similar application and cross fingers that it was going to be looked at with different eyes. I knew the areas that were under my control and the ones where I could use some help. I had an initial free consultation with Susan who helped me reassure that I could improve my application.

I got a 5-hour package (at the end I got an extra hour), where we worked on essays and interview prep. My consultant (Susan) was extremely responsive (always heard back in less than 48hrs) and she was able to put my story together in a way that I wouldn’t have thought. She was really good at pointing out certain aspects of my story that I was not considering or didn’t think they would add any value. I certainly felt I was submitting a much stronger application after hitting the submit button.

I got admitted to my dream school, and I know that it wouldn’t have been possible without her help. Beyond the outcome of my investment, I was always very pleased with the service I received from my consultant and the Stratus team. So I would highly recommend Susan and Stratus.

When Donna and I started working together, I expected this to be a typical consultant-client relationship where I am provided with guidance and feedback on my applications. What I didn’t expect was for me to learn so much about myself and gain significant clarity through our conversations.

Overall experience:
It was evident to me that Donna has a breadth of knowledge on MBA schools and programs, and that she is committed to keeping herself up-to-date with school-specific information. I particularly appreciated her nuanced inputs and notes on outlines and essays, and the support I received at least very stage of the process, including brainstorming, mock video essay and interview sessions.

Donna not only encouraged and helped me reflect deeply and think critically about my strengths and goals but also displayed genuine excitement about my journey so far. She would remember details that I had casually mentioned in our early brainstorming conversations and help me connect the dots to bring out aspects of my story that even I had not thought to emphasize. She actively listened to what I had to say, made sure my voice wasn’t lost when she provided feedback and was truly committed to highlighting my unique story. Her attention to detail, positivity, honest feedback and authenticity made an overwhelming and daunting experience significantly easier (and even fun) to navigate!

Approach:
Stratus has truly nailed the MBA application process. I spoke to a number of firms before choosing Stratus, and it was because of their method of working. Their introspective and methodical approach, that Donna facilitates perfectly, helps you create well-thought-out and articulated applications that display your best self.

Communication:
I started working with Donna about a month before my first deadline, which meant I was on a fast track to ensure I complete all the stages and applications in time. Even with a time crunch, Donna did not leave any stone unturned. She was incredibly prompt, responsive and available whenever I needed her. I’m based in India and was unsure of how our communication would be because of the time difference, but Donna always responded within 24 hours, worked around my schedule and accommodated urgent requests when needed.

I HIGHLY recommend Donna and her team. In Donna, you will get an extremely knowledgeable consultant, an honest advisor, and a personal cheerleader. Under her guidance, I was accepted into Yale SOM, Haas & Fuqua (with Forté Fellowships and scholarships). If I had to do the MBA application process all over again, I would choose to work with Donna again in a heartbeat.

I felt extremely lost and overwhelmed when I first started the MBA application process. Although I had 6 months before Round 1 applications were due, I did not have my story down on what my career goals are and why I need an MBA nor did I know which programs were right for me, and I thought I did not have enough time to be able to submit strong applications by the Round 1 deadlines. I was hesitant at first to work with a consultant on my applications due to the cost, so I decided to try the MBA Application Fundamentals and Strategy package first. From day 1, Susan was there for me every step of the way and went above and beyond to provide me the guidance I needed throughout the process. She would give her honest opinion when she felt like I needed it most and she would give great advice whenever I asked yet she would also be hands-off enough where I still had autonomy over my work pace and the story I wanted to tell. She broke down the process into smaller steps so it felt more manageable and seamless. She really took the time to get to know me as a person in order to understand what kind of application I wanted to put forward and which areas I would need to work on more.

During the introspection process, she really challenged me to think deeper about the experiences I felt has shaped me into who I am. She took my past experiences and my initial thoughts on what my dream jobs could be, and was able to combine them and help me figure out my tangible post-MBA career goals while still staying true to who I am. During this process, she helped me craft my narrative on what key experiences have led me to where I am today, what my future career goals are and why I need an MBA, which programs are right for me, and who could potentially write my letters of recommendation. After this process, I had a clearer sense of how I want to present myself in my applications.

I decided to stay with Susan and upgrade to the comprehensive package. Susan was extremely helpful in guiding me through the school research process, editing my resume to really highlight my accomplishments, outlining and writing my essays, and packaging my entire application in ways I probably couldn’t have done on my own. She also gave me advice on how to interact with admissions committee members, alumni, and current students of the schools I was applying to, and really helped me prepare for my interviews. Her guidance continues even beyond when you submit your last application or when you finish your last interview. She was always very responsive and flexible with my schedule throughout the entire process. She wouldn’t hesitate to hop on the phone whenever I needed help with navigating the waitlist, scholarship negotiation tactics or weighing my options between different schools.
Susan really goes the extra mile when you work with her. She was always open to connecting me with people she knew from the programs I was applying to in order for me to speak with them to learn more about those programs. I was able to get accepted into my top choice program (Kellogg) as well as my second choice (Ross) as a Forte Fellow. And I strongly believe that I really couldn’t have gotten this kind of outcome without Susan’s help. Susan is amazing and I can’t recommend her enough!!

Donna was exactly what I needed during the grueling application process. She really challenged me to dive deep into introspection while taking me through the right exercises and questions that helped me create my MBA story. Not only was this incredibly helpful for crafting strong applications, but it’s also helped me hone in on areas I actually want to pursue in my career post-MBA. I had a general idea when I met Donna, but her guidance helped me gain clarity on my story and the path I want to take.

Background: Donna is a former MBA admissions officer at UNC Keenan-Flagler and MBA grad of Kellogg. Those two pieces of experience combined helps her give an invaluable insight into the MBA experience and a unique perspective to the application process.

My experience: Donna and I began working together in mid summer 2019 and I was able to apply for R1. I was in the middle of a fall public accounting busy season, so the application process was a grind. Maybe one of the most helpful things Donna did for me was being flexible with my available time and promptly responding to questions and drafts that I sent her. She created a system of deadlines for me that took the structural aspect out of the equation so that I could focus on content, a HUGE plus.

Coaching: Donna continuously kept me on track, both schedule wise and mentally/emotionally. The application process can be very draining. Having a coach there to lift you up when you feel down while also being stern enough to challenge you when you need it is crucial.

Results: I got into Foster (UW) and Anderson (UCLA). When taking into account acceptance and scholarships, there’s no question the investment with Donna and Stratus was worth it. More than anything, Donna helped me represent my best self in the applications, which is all you can ask.

Going into applying for b-school, I knew nothing. Susan made the process so easy and straightforward. Working with her was truly a fun experience and didn’t feel like extra “work” even after a long day at my day job. I truly feel like she took the time to get to know me and tailored my application experience to what I needed. I could not be happier with the results and am so glad I chose to use Stratus, and I am lucky to have been paired with Susan!

Before deciding to go with Donna, I spoke with 10 different admissions consultants. Through these conversations I realized that I needed to work with someone who really believed in my story and who could help me overcome some of the weaker parts of my application. After my initial chat with Donna, I could tell that she really cared about all her clients and I could trust her to guide me through my application process. Here are some of my takeaways from working with Donna:

Experience: Donna was able to leverage her admissions knowledge (from her time working as an MBA admissions officer) as she gave me feedback and comments on my essay. It helped me understand who my audience was and what their expectations are for prospective students. Additionally, I knew I could turn to Donna for any questions/ issues/ concerns I had throughout the process because I knew she has seen it all.

Professional: Donna was quick to respond to my emails, set regular deadlines, and went through my essays and applications with high attention to detail. This professionalism helped establish trust right off the bat.

Coach/mentor: Donna was able to successfully guide me through the application process and understand what I was going through mentally during the application process because she once sat in my seat as a former MBA applicant. Her tips and advice were key to a successful application

My Biggest Supporter: The application process can be an emotionally draining task and Donna was always there to cheer me up and give me the support I needed to get through it.

Results: Donna helped me put together an amazing application and it helped me get into Kellogg and Haas. I am very grateful for all her help and I would highly recommend her to anyone!

Working with Stratus Admissions, and specifically, Susan Cera, was one of the better decisions I have ever made. Not only did they do their job: get me into one of my dream schools (Berkeley Haas), they did so much more.
Thanks to Stratus, I have reflected on my unique career and life goals in such detail that I have gone from having a vague idea about what I want to do to knowing concrete plans that I am so excited to pursue. They also helped me figure out what my resume gaps were and find ways to address the gaps. The result has been me getting more involved with the community, creating one of the most rewarding experiences I have had in recent years.
Susan is brilliant. I don’t have a bad word to say about her. She is kind but honest. If you want to give this process 110%, Susan is the one for you. She takes the phrase “going above and beyond” to the next level. We chatted all the time and she was always available to help, whatever the question may be. She has been an incredible guiding light for me in this process and did her job perfectly. I couldn’t recommend her higher and am so grateful I found her.

I worked with Jennifer in round 1 on 3 schools in 2019. From the start, she helped me get to the bottom of what my story is, and how to best convey both my strengths and my goals. I approached Jennifer with fairly short notice to the round 1 deadlines (just under 6 weeks to the first deadline) and was able to meet all targets with ample time.

Her team provided a comprehensive support package. I received interviews at all 3 schools and heard news quickly from my top pick that I had gotten in. I believe with her help, I would have had a strong chance of getting in all 3 of those schools. I am going to a top 5 program, and another one of the interviews was a top 5 program.

I had the pleasure of working with Jennifer in 2019 and applied to 3 schools R1 and 1 school R2. I purchased the comprehensive 3 school package and then additional hours to complete my R2 application.

Jennifer is hands-on, engaging and extremely attentive to each student she works with. Jennifer was always available to meet to discuss various questions I had regarding my application.

I was admitted to both my 1st and 2nd choice schools and would not have been possible without the help of Jennifer and the entire Stratus team.

I had used MBAdmission previously to apply to schools and would 100% use Stratus over MBAdmission. The team you receive when working with Stratus are all dedicated to you, even though they have other clients, there are multiple levels of review and sincere, well thought out comments regarding your essays and strategies.

Stratus Consulting made the MBA Admissions process, which can be incredibly daunting, much more manageable through their day to day assistance with everything from creating a personal strategy, to determining appropriate individuals for recommendations, to reviewing multiple essay drafts. I would highly recommend their services.

The admissions process is long and demanding. As a foreigner and quite older than the average applicant, it was clear to me that contracting an admissions counselor was an investment, not an expense. I evaluated carefully different admission consultants: Stratus stood out among all due to their personalized approach and their substantial expertise. I feel they really listened to my personal needs and concerns; for example, I requested to interview my potential counselor to provide my approval before starting the engagement and they were happy to accommodate it.
I finally signed up for the two schools package and was paired up with Lisa Cummings as my primary advisor. I could not be happier! Lisa went the extra mile to understand my background and goals and ensured I presented my best self through the application package.
Lisa’s expertise and outstanding commitment were key to successfully navigate through Stratus sound methodology that supports the entire process – from school/program search to decision – and to take full advantage of the excellent support materials, including timelines and templates for essays.
The pieces of Stratus methodology that I valued the most are the introspection and the strategy exercises. They helped me uncover my own personal key background themes/strengths/motivations and define the best personal strategy to differentiate myself and put together a coherent and strong application.
I found this work to be not only helpful for the application but also for my future job search. I was assigned a strategy advisor as well to work on that piece with me and Lisa. My strategy advisor was Susan Cera who in my opinion did an excellent job not only with the strategy definition but also boosting my confidence.
Lisa also went the extra mile diligently and untiringly keeping my application package aligned to strategy, improving my writing, proofreading my essays and resume, coordinating additional proofreading by other experts, keeping the schedule to meet the deadlines, turning around work faster than committed to give me extra time for my own reviews and last but not least, giving me peace of mind throughout the process since I felt I was working in the right direction together with the best support there is.
I enthusiastically recommend Lisa Cummings and Stratus. I believe Lisa Cummings great empathy, commitment and expertise, and Stratus customer focus and sound methodology were key to my success.

The admission process is complex, long, and has lots of hidden, unevident aspects – getting some help from professionals would be a wise move for many prospective applicants. I would strongly recommend Stratus to anyone who needs help in applying to top-tier business schools. When it comes to succeeding in getting accepted to M7 there is simply no other company that would go above and beyond in supporting you as much as would Stratus.

Before choosing this company I have done quite a selection process of different admission consultants – Stratus stood out among all due to their sharp focus on helping me as their client and their extensive expertise.

During the whole process, I have never second-guessed my decision to go with them as Donna Bauman and Susan Cera did absolutely amazing job and, eventually, helped to get me admitted to Columbia Business School. As I said the process was long and, at times, tiring – Donna and Susan did absolutely fantastic job in helping me stay focused and advised extensively on different options and moves I should consider. I am beyond grateful to them for their help and highly recommend their service to anyone!

It was a pleasure to work with Jennifer. I started working with her close to the deadline for applications, and she was very helpful in identifying the most high-priority items and how to tackle them. She understood my professional goals very quickly and made suggestions of schools and essay topics that would align nicely. She also let me maintain my voice and personality throughout the process- something I found that other counselors did not respect as much. She was practical about what I could accomplish and demonstrated true compassion throughout the process.

While working in a foreign country, I had unexpected visa issues which dramatically accelerated my MBA timeline. I completed 3 MBA applications in one week which would not have been possible without Susan’s support. I had an hourly engagement with Susan and Stratus. She and her team were not only incredibly responsive on such a tight timeline, but more importantly, they were deeply invested in my story and candidacy. The introspection activities, essay outlining/reviewing, and interview prep that Stratus provided me led to acceptance at a top 5 MBA program, waitlist at a top 3, and rejection at another top 10 programs, all applications in the more competitive Round 3. As the headline suggests, Susan and Stratus go the extra mile to put themselves in the candidate’s shoes while being thoughtful and respectful in their guidance. Highly recommend!

Lisa is the best admissions and career consultant I’ve worked with!! Here is a brief background of mine. I went to a liberal arts college and I majored in Economics. I was hoping to get into a solid Master of Science in Finance program so that I could concentrate on gaining technical skills. Stratus seemed to have good reviews, so I thought about giving it a try by having a conversation with one of their consultants first (the first session was free) I ended up speaking with Lisa over the phone during my first session, and I knew I wanted to work with her immediately after our call.
If you are interested in going to a top business school, I highly recommend Lisa for three reasons. Firstly, Lisa truly helped me visualize my goals and understand the long-term value of a business school. Lisa has great work and life experiences. In fact, she went to work in finance also after a liberal arts education. Lisa perfectly understood my goals and concerns at this stage in life, and she guided me like a mentor. Secondly, Lisa is extremely professional and dedicated. As you know, it can take several months from application submission to admission decision. Lisa stayed on top of everything throughout the process, including a random thought of mine. For example, I had this idea of coming up with something creative to impress the admissions committee, but I wasn’t sure what would be the best form to deliver it. Lisa heard it and loved my idea of making a video. She was the person who helped me implement this idea and put it into real action. It turned out to be a big success. Finally, Lisa has a wonderful personality!! If you work with her, you will be charmed by her wisdom and thoughtfulness. I am thankful to have her as my admissions consultant and I hope to stay in touch with her!!

It was a great pleasure working with Joe! As a young applicant with a mediocre GPA, a relatively competitive but not stellar GMAT score, and a “soft-core” work experience, I had my doubts towards applying for business school. Joe helped me every step along the way in crafting up a good story to tell about myself. He was straightforward with my strengths and weaknesses and gave me detailed constructive feedback. Although none of the schools worked out in my five-school package, I got into Georgetown, which is still a top-notch program. I was well aware that my overall profile was at best neutral, if not weak, but I aced it with all the help from Joe. I would highly recommend him to anyone seeking to retain an admission consultant.

With Joe’s help, I was able to get into all the schools I applied to. Joe was a great asset to have throughout the process, as he constantly offered great advice and constructive criticism on how I could improve my application. He was able to make my application stand out. I highly enjoyed working with Joe and would strongly recommend him to anyone looking to apply to MBA programs!

Before writing about Donna, I’ll say it’s important to know what you’re looking to get out of an MBA consultant. I began the process with Donna with only 40 days until round 2 submission, so not only was I looking for guidance on school selection, application strategy, resume and essay review, and interview prep, I also needed a project manager of sorts to clearly lay out deadlines and allow me to use the little non-working time I had most efficiently. I had talked to several consultants and it was clear that Stratus had the full package. When I first talked to Donna I knew we would work well together (while the Stratus process is great, your relationship and ability to work with your individual consultant is the most important piece).

As far as value goes, I can’t praise Stratus, Donna, and Cartha enough. The introspective application strategy is something that contributed greatly to my essays and I would not have gotten there on my own. By connecting me with former clients and knowing where my strengths played best, Donna helped inform my school selection. My professional resume was turned upside down into a great MBA resume. The school-specific essay review, interview guides, and mock interviews were dead on. And apart from their own gain from my success, they were truly rooting for me throughout the process.

To speak to results, I applied to 4 top 10 programs, was admitted to 3, waitlisted at 1. Even if I started months earlier and had a wide network of recent MBAs, I’m not sure I would have produced the same quality of applications.

I highly recommend Stratus overall and in particular would recommend Lisa Cummings who helped coach me through essays, resume, and interview prep. I was accepted into MIT and believe she was essential to that process. Lisa was firm in her direction and keeping me on pace, yet patient with my more nuanced questions that came up. A good consultant is not writing your essay or resume but is ensuring you are presenting the best possible version of yourself. Lisa taught me to think of it as a branding exercise – does your story make sense, are your themes coherent, are you speaking directly to the program of interest. I spoke with a half dozen consultants plus two at Stratus before making a decision. These types of services are not cheap so it is essential you find someone that you can work well with and understands the program you’re interested in. The staff is very flexible and responsive and have a very refreshing approach to how they handle clients compared to other services – mainly that the consultants do not handle the sales and pricing conversations, which I found in other programs often made me feel like I was buying a used car. I found a package that worked best for me and do not regret it one bit.

I highly recommend Jennifer Jackson of Stratus. Although Jennifer advises some applicants from the very start of their business school application process, I engaged her after I had written self-reflections and begun drafting essays. I wanted someone to serve as a sounding board for my ideas, and to offer tips on expressing myself effectively in writing and in interviews.

First, I appreciated that Jennifer could adapt her approach to clients of all readiness levels. As mentioned, I came to Jennifer having already completed a fair amount of preparation. Instead of making me rewrite my thoughts in her templates or follow her usual process, Jennifer got to know me through the materials that I had already put together myself. Her adaptiveness saved me time and ensured that I got what I was seeking out of our sessions together.

Second, I enjoyed the advantages that came from Jennifer’s membership in the larger Stratus organization. As a few examples: Jennifer shared guidance from the most knowledgeable individuals in her network. She set up a Wharton practice group interview, led by another Stratus employee, alongside other applicants from Stratus’s clients. And I received encouraging emails from both Jennifer and Susan Cera, head of Stratus, as I went along. I believe that these advantages are distinct to organizations, as opposed to independent advisors.

Third and most importantly: Even as an applicant who had already done some preparation, I benefitted from Jennifer’s advice. As a sounding board for my ideas, Jennifer helped me to identify my most compelling stories, recognize areas where I could add depth, and cut color commentary. She also pointed out stylistic areas to improve in my interviewing style, and our practice boosted my confidence.

All in all, it was a pleasure working with Jennifer and Stratus. I would recommend them both to clients at any stage in the business school application process. (And I was ultimately accepted at two of the top five U.S. MBA programs first-round.)

Working with Joe was great! He provided very constructive feedback on how best to tell my story. He worked with me every step of the way and took the time to get to know me and my experience to make sure my story was authentic to me. I really enjoyed working with him and would highly recommend him to anyone applying to b-school!

As a non-traditional candidate, I was really nervous about making my experience seem relevant to b school admissions committees. After searching around for several different consultancy services, I decided to go with Stratus, both for their competitive price and their clearly structured plan to help candidates achieve their business school goals.

I was lucky enough to be placed with Donna, who really made my experience applying to business school eye-opening and interesting. We began with an introductory call where Donna really looked beyond my CV to see what was at the heart of my decision to apply, and made multiple suggestions on schools I previously hadn’t considered. After that, the path was very clear: we had regular deadlines, lots of e-mail communication and several calls with really useful and pointed feedback that I could easily integrate. Donna held me hand through this long process and made sure I was reflecting what was truly me at each stage.

If you are looking for a consultant that will do the work for you: this isn’t it. Donna always encouraged me to dig deeper, to re-tweak until it was perfect and to let my authentic voice shine through: guiding me as I went along this journey without ever inserting her own thoughts into my narrative. It was mine to craft, but I really valued Donna’s support to craft it in a way that would look good for business schools.

When it came to interview stage, Donna helped me by conducting a challenging yet realistic interview and by giving helpful feedback afterward. I went into my interviews feeling confident and they both went really well! I ended up getting an offer from both schools I applied to as well as a generous scholarship offer from one. Definitely recommend!