Cassandra Pittman

I will be attending Wharton ’25 and this is a feat I couldn’t have achieved without Cassandra. I was also able to be accepted at INSEAD and several other schools with scholarships.

Cassandra made sure my life wasn’t “ordinary,” which is a way of thought many applicants tend to have while preparing for their essays. Cassandra listened intently to my stories and connected the dots to how my character developed, my motives and dreams, and the rarity I brought to the table. She assured me that my story was uniquely mine, and weaved a magical story out of the “not-so-special” materials I had. (I thought my life was boring, but who knew, Cassandra made me realize it wasn’t!)

Cassandra is very acute in analyzing how each applicant fits into each school. Her myriad years of experience strengthened my application and she was my admissions coach and mental support throughout the process. Together we were able to make tailor-made applications for multiple schools, and I am beyond glad to have met her. One thing I particularly remember as something extraordinary was when Cassandra drafted a 300-word optional essay with a few sentences I briefly mentioned during our call. Cassandra was able to remember a story I didn’t find interesting enough to write out in words and re-designed it into a beautiful anecdote that showed my true colors. This was a shock to me. Cassandra does not miss a single word and treats all of your stories with extreme care.

Above all, she is also an amazing leader in her own space! She was someone I can genuinely look up to – personally getting to know her was an experience I did not expect to have. She guided me to down the right paths, was a magical wordsmith with my essays, and was an excellent coach throughout the process.

Hence, I would 100% recommend Cassandra as an MBA admissions consultant.

I am extremely thankful to Cassandra for going through the rigorous process of submitting an MBA application and making it a smooth journey. It is extremely stressful and intimidating navigating the application process, trying to condense your entire life into 300 words while working full time. Cassandra has been my rock helping me through each step. She was candid, supportive, and extremely understanding. Her feedback on my essays and video interviews was extremely helpful. I loved how she pushed me to try to dig deeper when I was trying to build my story.

I have been impressed with Fortuna throughout, starting from determining which coach I’d like to work with, reviewing my resumes, and building my story, to resources provided for the interviews and the application. The detailed and structured questionnaire that Fortuna requires applicants to submit allowed me to introspect about my life – personally and professionally and really helped bring out my authentic self in the application.

I’ll be starting my MBA journey with INSEAD next year and it wouldn’t have been possible without Cassandra and the Fortuna team.

Cassandra was brilliant throughout the application process. I applied successfully to INSEAD and I know that Cassandra’s guidance had a strong impact in helping me to present myself in the best way.

I was working to tight timescales which Cassandra was able to adapt to, and I really felt she was invested in my success throughout. I always came away from our calls feeling better set up to tackle the challenge of applying to highly competitive MBA programmes.

I strongly recommend Fortuna and Cassandra in particular!

Cassandra went above and beyond to help me get into my dream B-school! With a non-traditional background, below-average GMAT and a very tight timeline (less than one month before the application deadline), Cassandra offered an invaluable source of knowledge, helping me to craft a compelling narrative and providing a huge amount of support from my initial application and interview to finally making it off the waitlist.

Cassandra’s guidance was crucial in making sure I had a competitive application that played to my strengths, while her compassionate, encouraging and extremely responsive approach is something I will always be grateful for. I can’t recommend Cassandra enough!

I was fortunate enough to find Fortuna and Cassandra after a couple of rejections from other admission consultants. The key difference was obvious from day one – Cassandra is compassionate and cares about who you are as an individual instead of your stats. I have an unusual background and am slightly older than the typical MBA applicant and definitely do not belong to the “right” pedigree. Fortuna and Cassandra did not rule me out. Instead, they listened to my story and wanted to get to know me as a person in order to find my strengths and X factor. Throughout the application journey, Cassandra has been on my side continuing to encourage me and making me believe in myself. She is a magician with words who helped turn my essays into compelling and emotional stories. I was told by one of the admission consultants (quite present online) who refused to work with me that the best shot I have got is Top 40. They could not be more wrong. With the support and guidance from Cassandra, I gained admission to a Top 10 program with a full ride. If you are searching for a consultant who genuinely cares about you, look no further!

Cassandra is the best admission consultant if you are interested in getting into the London Business School FT MBA programme. I come from a very non-typical country as an MBA applicant and had my fair share of weaknesses in my application. Cassandra was extremely empathetic and showed tremendous understanding as to how I can highlight my strengths and unique experiences that would overpower the relatively weaker areas of my application.

Cassandra also has a great understanding as to what LBS actually seeks in applicants. That said, she also kept the perfect balance of keeping my application authentic by at the same time framing my authenticity and my profile in a way to be my best presentable self for LBS adcoms.

In the end, with her help, I got into one of my dream schools.

I started working with Cassandra after I applied unsuccessfully three times to a top-5 school. From day one, she took the time to really understand me, and what I could do to (re)position myself in this year’s application. After fine-tuning my resume, drafting briefs for my recommenders, and a lot of deep introspective work with her, it was time to write the essays, and wow – Cassandra is a master editor and wordsmith. She made my words come alive! Then when it came to prep for the interview, Cassandra met with me several times to make 100% sure I was ready. Throughout the entire process, she was available any time I needed to call or chat. My reapplication was successful, and I also received offers to two other top programs. My only regret is not working with her sooner.

I came to Cassandra 1 week prior to my target school’s round 2 deadlines. I was unsure whether to apply now or wait for round 3. However, Cassandra advised me to take a week off work and give it a shot: should the application not look coherent or strong, she would recommend I postpone.

The week was a real marathon during which we nailed every essay and question from scratch. Cassandra was reading and reviewing my drafts within a couple of hours per iteration. We submitted on time and then did a mock interview during which she gave me precious insights to help me excel in the interviews. I ended up being admitted into one of the top MBA programs in the world! This journey would have not been possible with anyone else.

Cassandra proved to be an excellent consultant, especially when helping me to transform my reasoning to get an MBA into an immersive and compelling story.
Also, the instant feedback I received during the interview training (both for video and face-to-face) really helped to crack the last 10%.
11/10 would recommend!

The reason I found Fortuna and chose Cassandra to help me with my application process was prompted by a very confusing experience with a rejection that I completely didn’t expect to happen in R1. Cassandra really helped me to turn the tide and we ended up getting an offer from my dream school. Through coaching sessions Cassandra was able to 1)throw away my self-doubt 2)strategically direct my focus on storytelling and make sure I make stories fit and stand out in the pool. Her advice on a very few points during my interview preparation made a huge difference. Sometimes it is really those nuances change the way people read us, and being able to guide someone to get those small details right tells the experience a truly great coach. I can’t recommend Cassandra more!

The headline says it all. Cassandra was such an important part of my admission into CBS. She was helpful during each and every stage of my application. Above all else, she was honest, thoughtful, and genuinely caring.

We worked on a very tight schedule as I only had one month to get my application submitted; but at that time, I only had the first drafts of my essays completed. Knowing this, along with how competitive this year was, Cassandra was candidly realistic yet optimistic about my chances. In a short period of time, Cassandra learned my story inside and out. She helped me identify the most important pieces of myself and properly articulate them in my essays. My mock interview with her played a vital role in ensuring that I put my best foot forward.

I am very grateful to Cassandra for helping me get to where I am and highly recommend her for anyone looking to put together a competitive application.

I honestly cannot recommend Fortuna enough! I interviewed with 3 different consulting companies prior to deciding on Fortuna. They don’t pressure you into working with someone but instead are extremely active in helping you set up coach interviews and finding your best match. The team at Fortuna was extremely helpful and would leverage each other’s expertise to help me craft the best application. Each of my applications/essays/school choices received attention from ~3 directors/consultants.

Cassandra was amazing since our very first call! I reached out to her in mid-July with zero progress on my applications, and we submitted all my applications by October. From the very beginning, she was very honest in providing feedback and the realistic programs to apply to. From there, she recognized my strengths and made sure my applications really highlighted them. I most valued her ability to help me craft a compelling story and her WRITING SKILLS (!), something that I knew I needed help with. I received offers from HEC Paris (with scholarship!) and Cambridge Judge.

The entire process was surprisingly enjoyable, all thanks to Cassandra!

I applied to London Business school during an extremely competitive year (in take of Aug 2021) working in a high demanding job. I connected with Cassandra early on in the process while Fortuna was hosting a session on MBA admissions. At the very beginning I didn’t really understand the value of a good consultant but as I went along the process, I realised a consultant is more than just someone who reviews/reads your application material and gives feedback. The best way to define a consultant in this process is an extended family member/a life coach, who gets to know your life story in a short time and basis that advises and helps you to secure a MBA admission. Cassandra motivated me (emotionally and mentally) and kept me going through some very anxious and nerve racking moments (there are way too many of these along the road), I know the value of this motivation might not make sense but it goes a LONG WAY! Getting my interview invite from London Business School (LBS), Cassandra immediately got me ready for the interview and even had Emma (former Senior Manager at LBS admission) prep me for my interview. Emma and Cassandra’s inputs really helped me and 95%+ of the questions in my interview I had already covered with them helping me give a more confident interview. LBS also has 2 video questions to be answered and Cassandra went above and beyond to both provide me a wide question bank they asked in the past and further reviewed my answers to help me improve that played a major role in securing my admission at LBS. Fortuna has an in-depth understanding of each school with comprehensive analysis of student profiles/geographies represented, etc. (beyond just what is there on school websites) which is very very helpful while choosing schools. At the interview stage Cassandra shared a comprehensive list of 50+ questions divided by segment that the school asked potential admits (this again helped a lot). Cassandra is the cornerstone for my LBS admission and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Cassandra and am looking forward to meeting her in person in London.

I initially reached out to Fortuna Admissions via their website early on in my admissions process, before I’d even decided exactly which schools I should apply to. Fortuna’s intake process begins with setting up a few “fit” calls between you and some of their consultants based on your target schools. You’ll then decide who is the best fit for you. For me it happened to be the second person I had a “fit” call with, Cassandra Pittman.

Cassandra was amazing throughout the entire process. On our first call, she made me feel confident about my chances while being realistic as well. My profile was very unique, and after speaking with her I knew she would be able to help me craft a compelling narrative for my target schools.

Additionally, once we began the process and started getting deeper into my motivations and goals, she also helped me re-shape my list of target schools. Franky speaking, both the schools I ended up gaining admission to were not on my initial target list! So I am grateful for Cassandra having the breadth of knowledge on all the programs out there and suggesting those which she thought would be the right fit for me.

Now onto the actual process… You’ll submit your first draft of each application essay to Cassandra and she will work with you to help bring things within the word count and ensure your narrative is coming through in the strongest way possible. Additionally, she has a nuanced knowledge of the characteristics that each school is looking for and will help ensure that is coming through as well. You can go through as many of these revision cycles as you like until you feel the essays are ready. At this point, you will send the entire application draft to one of the Fortuna Directors (former ad-comm members from your target schools), and they will weigh in with any feedback on the overall application. I should also add that Cassandra has an extremely quick turnaround time, which comes in handy if you’re working against a tight deadline.

Fortuna also has an in house MBA-CV expert who is ex-Wharton ad-comm and will help you get your MBA CV perfect. It’s worth noting that an MBA-CV is completely different from your traditional CV. Furthermore, they also provide you with excellent frameworks on how to approach your referees and provide them all the information they’ll need to write your LOR’s with ease.

Last but not least, Fortuna went above and beyond what I’d paid for when I got to the interview stage at one of my target schools, by setting up a 1:1 meeting for me with one of their Director’s who used to be part of that school’s ad-comm. It was extremely helpful for me to speak with them before my interview, and gave me a sense of how I should prepare and put my best foot forward. Of course, Fortuna also provides you with a wealth of school-specific interview preparation materials, and you can book 1:1 interview prep sessions with Cassandra as well.

In the end, I got into 2 out of the 3 schools I worked with Fortuna for so I’d highly recommend them!! There’s no way I’d have ended up at LBS without their help!

I fully recommend the comprehensive package from Fortuna Admissions; from the first sessions to get to know me and my goals, to the final mock interviews, Cassandra was the best! I truly felt she was invested in my application and wanted me to get accepted into my dream school. Cassandra helped me identify the strong points of my profile, and bring them out in the best possible way to show how I could succeed in the INSEAD classroom. She also challenged my short and long term goals, resulting in me thinking them over and over. I still have the same goals as before I started the application process, but now I am more convinced than ever of the path I want to take. I would not have this conviction and determination without all the sessions I had with Cassandra. The application process is truly a self-discovery period, and I am glad I navigated through it with the help of Fortuna Admissions.

I worked with Fortuna and Cassandra for LBS MBA application (One-School Package). I am extremely satisfied with the service Cassandra provided. To summarise, Cassandra helped me with all application materials from idea-collection, application strategy, application materials review, and interview preparations. Cassandra reviewed my draft application at least 5 times and she was able to bring additional values and unique selling points tailored to my application upon every review. This is incredible!

Cassandra is very responsive over phone, email, and Zoom. She was always there for me whenever I needed. During the mock interview stage, Cassandra provided huge support to coach me better storytelling. And she made sure I was confident and ready before the Alumni Interview. Another huge credit to Cassandra is that she almost reviewed every single email communication I made to the school across numerous contexts and application stages. I found this to be extremely beneficial.

Another benefit of working with Fortuna (one-school package) is that you get a second-level review by one of the Fortuna Directors, i.e. Emma for my LBS application. Emma has tremendous experience with LBS admissions and her review was also super detailed. We constantly received invaluable inputs from Emma upon her every review. After numerous re-drafting and communications among Cassandra, Emma, and myself, we made a stellar LBS application!

In a nutshell, I am very satisfied with the service Cassandra and Emma provided and highly recommend Fortuna to future MBA applicants.

Before starting applying for business schools I was against the idea of having a consultant as I felt I could have done it by myself and with the help of friends. After a long reflection I decided to give it a shot and today I can definitely say it would have been foolish of me not to work with an MBA consultant, especially Cassandra as it’s an experience totally different from the one you have when you work alone. It helps for deep introspection, linking thoughts together, and learning more about yourself.
Cassandra was crucial in my road to obtaining admission to a top 10 business school. By asking the right questions, being emotionally connected to my story, and invested in the process, she was able to push me in the right direction and we were able together to bring the best possible forthcoming application.
I loved working with Cassandra and I praise her leadership skills as she was able to help us navigate through the application process seamlessly.
I believe Cassandra’s coaching skills are great and she’s an amazing consultant. Keep up the excellent work Cassandra! I couldn’t have done it alone, so thank you for helping me get into the MBA at HEC Paris.

Cassandra has been the most important piece of the very intricate puzzle that is the HBS application. From start to finish she has been there not only in the application related issues but also in the more personal decision I had to make in the last 18 months as a professional and (incredibly) as a friend.

Crafting a convincing application takes a lot of time and effort, and it is crucial to have someone guiding you each step of the way which is able to look at your profile from an external (expert) view.

Cassandra will be the most important investment you’ll make to get into your dream school!

I worked with Fortuna on an application to a global top 10 MBA program. I sincerely believe that Fortuna, and my coach Cassandra in particular, were instrumental to my subsequent admission. To put it briefly, Cassandra is a true pro. My experience collaborating with her on this application has felt like a year’s worth of professional coaching condensed into a matter of months. She is an expert in personal branding and offered an invaluable lens on my application materials, helping me produce essays that truly spoke to my strengths. She was a consistent presence throughout the application process, swiftly responding with feedback on my drafts and carving out time in her schedule to work with me. Her investment in me gave me additional confidence in my submission. Our interview prep also proved to be a key advantage for the alumni interviews; Cassandra helped me cover all my bases and highlight my key experiences. In summary, I believe that Fortuna and Cassandra helped me paint from my professional and personal experience to produce the best application possible. I am incredibly grateful for their invaluable guidance and thankful for the opportunities they’ve helped make a reality.

Applying to 3 schools next to an extremely busy job (IB) seemed like a “scary” idea. Fortuna took away this feeling from minute one and guided me smoothly through the whole application process from strategizing and outreach to essay writing and interviews and today I’m admitted to my top choice INSEAD for 2021.

Cassandra was there from the start and with her kind and empathetic character she took time and truly understood me and my story from the inside. She helped me craft an application that I was really proud on and which 100% represented me while making me shine in just the way that the respective adcom teams are looking for.

Throughout the whole process, but particularly in the heated times before the deadlines, Cassandra was extremely responsive with reviews or answering questions. During the interview prep she tested me with all the difficult questions and pushed me as much possible, which set me up to sail smoothly through the actual interviews.

Finally, I can only say: Big THANK YOU!!! 🙂

I am extremely grateful for Fortuna Admission’s contribution to my recent acceptance to the INSEAD MBA program. As this was the only program I was interested in and applying to, I wanted to make sure every aspect of my application was as good as it could be. After an introductory call with Matt, I was paired with Cassandra as my coach.

Cassandra was extremely easy to talk to and helpful right from the start. Through an in-depth learning phase, she got to know my whole story. Afterward, she was in a great position to tell me what to highlight and what to focus on in the different components of the application. I think having an outside, experienced view was extremely helpful when structuring the flow and focus of the many essays.

After a few rounds of iterations, I was able to submit an application I was proud of. Additionally, she was able to give advice and help me practice for the video and in-person interview parts of the process.

I would definitely recommend Cassandra and Fortuna for those looking to go to INSEAD!

A colleague who got admitted to INSEAD recommended Fortuna to me. Cassandra made me feel very comfortable during our first conversation and I thought I could work well with her. Cassandra and the entire Fortuna team have superb insight into the admissions process, particularly for LBS and INSEAD, and work very hard to bring out your story and differentiate it from other applicants. This was particularly relevant for me as I come from an overrepresented applicant pool. The process was very intense and comprehensive – Fortuna asks you to fill out a positioning doc before you start which is really helpful later on in the process. Despite tight deadlines and multiple iterations, Cassandra was always available on email and phone to provide inputs and guidance. Even during the interview phase, Cassandra took several mock interviews to make sure I was comfortable with all sorts of questions. No one can substitute the hard work that candidates themselves have to put into a successful application but Fortuna can definitely help you utilize your time efficiently and give your effort the right direction.

As I was planning to apply in the last round of INSEAD, I looked for a consultant that would help me make my application and profile stood out from the candidate’s pool. As I searched for the perfect match, I found Fortuna Admissions. Their experience with my target school and the good reviews of each consultant convinced me to go sign up with them.
I was matched with Cassandra. During our sessions, she worked with me to find the right words to show the admission committee that I was a great fit for the program. Cassandra nailed it when it came to present my essays. Even though I spent time working on them, they still lacked the “Wow” effect I needed. Cassandra asked me insightful questions and did her best to understand my professional history.
During the interview mockups, she asked me thoughtful questions that were like the ones I had during the real interviews.
Thank you Cassandra, for your help and advice which made me gain admission to my dream school.

Whether you’re just starting to work on your applications for your dream school, or you’re well down the line of writing applications, the thought of working with an admissions consultant has probably crossed your mind. It certainly crossed mine. After speaking meeting Matt Symonds about my MBA goals at Centre Court MBA Festival in London (an excellent event!), he recommended I work With Cassandra Pittman.

I started off with an 8-hour package to work on my application in Round 4 at my top schools. After securing interviews at both my top schools, I then decided to keep working with Cassandra for my interviews. Aside from helping me with the ‘basics’ like my revamp my CV and giving me valuable insights into the admissions process at my top schools, Cassandra helped me shape and build my application story. This last part was invaluable, not only in my applications but also once I started my MBA. I am happy to say I was offered a place at both my top schools!

Cassandra goes above and beyond to help you bring the best possible application. From day one we worked on highlighting and identifying my unique skills and profile and translating them into a stellar application. I highly recommend Cassandra and the Fortuna team!

Cassandra was pivotal in developing my story for my MBA applications. Coming from an over-represented background with below average GMAT score at my target schools, I needed significant help to make up the gap for admissions. Cassandra helped me create stand-out applications that got me an acceptance at my target school.

Developing a coherent and persuasive story for the traditional 2-year MBA programs in the U.S. was critical for my application process. Cassandra, with the occasional inputs from Emma Bond, spent a lot of time and effort in creating an effective narrative based on my diverse work history, skills and multi-cultural background.

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

Cassandra was with me on my MBA journey from the very start until being accepted to top schools including INSEAD and Stanford. She was tremendously helpful all along the way. She not only encouraged me to apply to the world’s most prestigious MBA programs but also helped me showcase my very best to each school. Together we crafted unique stories for each school, connecting the dots of my personal life and matching it with the specific qualities the schools are looking for in prospective students. I highly recommend working with Cassandra to anyone who is looking for best in class help to get into their dream B-School!