Charlene You

Consultant Bio

Every person is unique, and I want to help you tell your story. As a former Kearney consultant and Wharton/Lauder admissions insider, I help candidates cut through the noise and present their authentic selves—because the best business leaders aren’t carbon copies. My approach blends seven years of management consulting rigor with hands-on recruiting and admissions experience. At Kearney, I led teams through complex transformations while honing my talent-spotting skills through recruiting efforts (turns out identifying great candidates isn’t so different from building high-performing consulting teams). And as a Wharton Admissions Fellow, I learned what really makes applications click (hint: it’s not just GMAT scores or fancy job titles).

I strongly believe that diverse perspectives fuel innovation—a principle I now bring to my advisory work. As a Wharton Admissions Fellow and Lauder interviewer, I saw firsthand how powerful storytelling can bridge gaps in representation. I’m particularly passionate about helping underrepresented candidates navigate the MBA maze. Whether you’re switching industries, coming from a non-traditional background, or just don’t see yourself in those glossy MBA brochures, I’ll help you translate your unique experience into a compelling story.

I am well-versed in global cultural immersion: I hold an MBA from Wharton and a Master of Arts in International Studies from Lauder, as well as Bachelor of Arts degrees in Communications and French from the University of Pennsylvania. Fluent in English, Mandarin, and French, I’ve seen how languages and identities shape leadership, and thus can help candidates turn their unique experiences into competitive advantages. Business schools need leaders who reflect the world—and I’m here to help you prove you belong in the room.

When I’m not advising, you’ll find me traveling, practicing and teaching Pilates, or hunting for obscure international films—always seeking stories that challenge the status quo.

Company Information

Square One Prep has partnered with 1200 clients since 2009. 90% have succeeded; 35% have secured unsolicited scholarships (avg.: $91,000 as of April 2022) due to the quality of their applications.

Our clients come from all types of professions – from financial services, product management, engineering, operations, and consulting to professional sports, entrepreneurship, non-profit, family businesses, and teaching. They come from all parts of the world; 54% are from outside the US. They’re all imperfect, as there’s no such thing as a perfect applicant. And they’re all unique, with compelling stories to tell. So are you, even though you may question that right now. With an unmatched team and approach, we’ll guide you through the increasingly competitive application process and make the time you spend on applications transformative so you grow in ways that benefit you far beyond getting offers. Hard to imagine, right? Trust us. Take a deep breath and relax.

Top business schools teach that diverse teams create the most impactful solutions. Our diverse team ensures our clients craft the most impactful applications. In addition to being the most diverse among admissions firms, our team is the most rigorous and hands-on.

We are selective about who we guide, as our focus isn’t revenue; it’s you.

Menu of Services and Associated Costs

OUR SERVICES:
Comprehensive Guidance
Hourly Support (on any aspect of your applications)
Ding Analysis
HBS Mock Interview Package
Career Coaching
Roadmap To Your Apps

With comprehensive guidance, we offer two service levels: PREMIUM (P) and PREMIUM NEED-BASED (PNB). Whether you choose P or PNB, your team will have 30-80 years of diverse, expert experience.

With PNB service, your team is:
– An Advisor (a top MBA with proven coaching and writing skills)
– A Career Narrative Expert (a current/former MBA Career Management professional)
– A Former MBA Admissions Officer (no further description necessary)
– An Editor (a writing professional with a creative writing MFA)
– A Partnership Manager (an MBA with operations and client relations expertise)

With P service, your team is everyone above, plus:
– A Current MBA Admissions Officer (yes, you read that right)
– Square One’s Founder (to amplify your relentlessly supportive SOP team)

You may choose a standard advisor (has 1-4 years advising experience) or a senior advisor (has 5+ years advising experience). Some of our advisors do this fulltime, some are entrepreneurs, and some have traditional 40hr/wk careers. Some clients want their advisor to be dedicated to this fulltime while others value their advisor having a wider spectrum of present-day expertise than admissions. None of our advisors work with more than 6 clients at a time. Most work with only 1-2. Again, our focus isn’t volume; it’s you.

There is one more asset on your team when you work with us: our portal. It includes your customized, dynamic, day-by-day schedule, which is always in real-time, reflects your bigger objective (not just the schools you’re building with us), shows your actual pace, captures everything you must do or have done
as it regards your application effort, and includes embedded samples of everything imaginable as well as school data to help you. We give you transparency while guiding you proactively.

OUR COVERAGE:
Assessment of your candidacy
School selection
Career narrative strategy
Resume development
Essay topic selection and essay development
Recommender selection, letter of recommendation (LOR) package development, LOR construction
Online application
Interview preparation (includes pre- and post-interview essays/videos)
Scholarship negotiation
Waitlist work (if necessary)

OUR PRICING:

PREMIUM PACKAGES

PREMIUM NEED-BASED PACKAGES

Location: Miami, Florida, United States

Phone: 9178416833

Email: charlene@squareoneprep.com

Website: https://squareoneprep.com/