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London Business School
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English
Director of Fortuna Admissions
Fortuna Admissions
United Kingdom
Net Promoter Score: 9.99
An expert in coaching and interviewing techniques, Emma has a strong track record in recruiting and selection. As a senior member of London Business School’s MBA admissions committee, Emma was responsible for full-time MBA selection and marketing. In addition to reviewing thousands of applications she also developed and allocated the program’s scholarship portfolio. Emma subsequently joined The Boston Consulting Group’s London office, managing LBS’ talent pipeline into the company’s global offices and recruiting undergraduates from Oxford and Cambridge universities.
Emma maintains strong links with LBS, is a freelance writer for a number of business schools and publications, and is also a regular interviewer for Imperial College Business School’s FT, Weekend and Global MBA programs. She has a BA (Hons.) and an MA (Dist.) in English Literature from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand.
Fortuna Admissions possesses unique insider knowledge of how admissions committees work, because we have been the gatekeepers in the admissions offices of top business schools. Our entire team comprises of former business school professionals from top-tier institutions including Wharton, INSEAD, Harvard Business School, Stanford GSB, London Business School, Chicago Booth, NYU Stern, Duke Fuqua, IE Business School, and UC Berkeley Haas.
We have personally reviewed tens of thousands of applications from candidates all over the world. We have also shaped admissions policy, devised the application processes, and had the final say on who got in. We know the inside track – what goes on behind the closed doors of admissions committees, how your candidacy will stand up versus the competition, and how you can best maximize your chances of gaining a coveted place in a top MBA program.
Our experience and passion for coaching gives you a level of MBA admissions insight that you won’t find anywhere else. And with our passion for coaching, we can help you bring out the best in yourself so you truly shine in your application and interviews.
Goal development. Candidacy positioning. Essay strategy. Interview coaching. Designed to guide you carefully through the entire application process, our MBA packages draw on our team’s industry expertise as former Directors and Associate Directors of Admissions at the world’s best business schools.
FREE CONSULTATION
Curious about your chances of getting into business school? Looking for ways to stand out from the competition? Book a free, 30-minute consultation with a Fortuna Admissions expert today!
FEATURED SERVICES
One-School Package: starting at $6,200 Two-School Package: starting at $8,200
Three-School Package: starting at $10,000 Four-School Package: starting at $11,700 Five-School Package: starting at $13,400
Location: United Kingdom
Email: info@fortunaadmissions.com
Website: https://fortunaadmissions.com/team-member/emma-bond/
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I had the pleasure of working with Emma for deferred (2+2) MBA applications. I knew deferred MBA programs were highly competitive, and I wanted to work with an admissions consultant to navigate the daunting process. I spoke to multiple consultants from different firms before finding Fortuna, but after my fit call with Emma, I knew she would be the one to help me achieve my MBA goals. With Emma’s help, I was accepted at multiple M7 schools! I could not have achieved this without Emma’s support. Emma helped me with every part of the application process, starting by helping me craft my narrative about why I wanted an MBA and how to present that story to each school. She helped me brainstorm essay content, proofread my essays line by line, and also helped me with each and every question I had about filling out the online applications. When interviews came around, she also prepared mock interviews, making sure I could walk into my interviews with confidence. Beyond her help with the applications, Emma has also been a great mentor throughout the entire process, and I know she’s still rooting for my success. Emma is truly the best coach out there!
Emma has been an incredible mentor and coach over the duration of my applications. We went through multiple iterations of the essays, and she was always incredibly involved. The edits could be as big picture as how the storyline could be enhanced and what parts of my experience could enrich the draft or as detail-oriented as missing commas. I started the process a little late, so it was incredibly helpful to have Emma be super prompt in her edits, sometimes reverting in just a couple hours.
Beyond the essays, Emma also helped me prepare for the interviews. Working with her over the course of a couple applications gave her a sense of my personality beyond my CV, and she motivated me to bring that out in conversations. She suggested how I should feel comfortable making a joke, if need be, and need not be in corporate mode 100% of the time. I strongly believe that this advice helped me get my scholarship. While her guidance helped me convert 2 M7 schools (with scholarships from both schools), she also analyzed my experiences and preferences to continue guiding me, choosing the school and giving inputs on post-MBA career choices.
Throughout the process, she was incredibly encouraging, which helped me keep going, and structured, which allowed me to get things done. I’d decided to work with Emma because a friend recommended I do so, and I couldn’t have been happier with the outcomes. She wasn’t a consultant but a true coach. Though I may be done with my admissions, I definitely will stay in touch with Emma and seek guidance consistently!
Absolutely thrilled to share my experience with Emma! Her exceptional support and expertise were instrumental in my successful admission to a top school. Emma’s attention to detail, thorough approach, and deep knowledge were truly unparalleled. She guided me with kindness and patience, making a daunting process manageable and even enjoyable. Without her dedication and insightful advice, this achievement wouldn’t have been possible. Emma’s exceptional help made all the difference, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Highly recommend her services to anyone looking to navigate the complexities of school admissions!
Emma turned a 2.8 GPA, 311 GRE, 32-year-old into a top 10 MBA admit. Need I say more?!
After SIX different fit calls with various advisors (see obstacles above), I could not have made a better decision on who to partner with through the application journey than Emma. She was everything you could want in an advisor: immediately responsive; exhaustively thorough; intrinsically thoughtful; and inherently compassionate. I paid for a consultant to improve my chances of admissions but received a therapist, life coach, and MBA advisor all in one that helped me successfully navigate the dark and stormy sea that is the MBA application process.
I would typically recommend to everyone that they do extensive research to find the best possible advisor, but save yourself the time – you already found her.
I spent a significant amount of time researching and speaking to several MBA advisors before deciding to go with Emma. My interactions with most advisors were very transactional, and many told me I was unrealistic in applying to a Top 10 MBA programme, given my profile. Emma (and Fortuna) was the complete opposite. Emma managed to strike a perfect balance between being human, empathetic (and funny), highly professional, efficient, and incredibly knowledgeable. Most prospective students, including myself, found the application process quite overwhelming and time-consuming, as well as a full-time job, but Emma was incredible at putting my mind at ease with the whole process. The result was that I got into the Top 10 school/programme of my choice and received a significant scholarship, all as a Round 3 applicant; it is safe to say that she was monumental in getting me across the line. Emma was incredible to work with and I cannot recommend her more highly!!!
I had an exceptional experience working with Emma from start to finish. From the initial profile screening to strategizing the application components, Emma’s guidance was invaluable in building a strong application package.
Emma approached every detail I shared and gave me her full attention during our live sessions. Her genuine interest and empathy made me feel comfortable and safe to be vulnerable, which was crucial for our discussions. She never tried to direct my essays or interview answers into “model answers” or imposed her own experiences. Instead, she aimed to bring out my most authentic voice with strength. In short, Emma provided insightful advice while allowing me the autonomy to be creative with my answers.
Emma was a skilled coach, a trusted advisor, and a supportive friend. The strategic approach and framework she taught me paved the way for my successful application to Cambridge Judge, which was the only package I initially worked on with her. I then applied the same concepts and mindset to my applications to LBS, INSEAD, and Oxford.
The results speak for themselves: I was admitted to all four schools, each with a scholarship. Most notably, I received a full tuition fee scholarship for the LBS MBA and will be joining the MBA2026 cohort this August.
Working with Emma was not only a very pleasant experience, but it was also a very successful one. Emma’s expertise enabled me to achieve goals that seemed beyond my reach. Concretely, I applied to: Oxford (MFE), LBS(MiM), HEC&Yale (M2M), Georgetown (MiM), Imperial (Economics & Strategy for Business) and UChicago Booth (MiM). I have standing offers from Oxford, HEC&Yale, Georgetown and Uchicago, and I am waiting to hear back from Imperial and LBS after having been invited to the interview stage. In summary, I have only received positive answers, and I can hardly imagine having achieved this without Emma. From reviewing my profile and picking out the best attributes to showcase for specific programs, to correcting my essays, to putting me in contact with representatives from specific programs, to prepping me for interviews, Emma has far exceeded my expectations and helped me channel all my potential to deliver my best possible self. I can only recommend her, as a professional and also as a person.
I was fortunate to have been introduced to Fortuna Admissions through a trusted friend who had previously benefited from their services. Engaging with them proved to be an incredibly rewarding decision, one that I am immensely grateful for. In particular, I had the privilege of working closely with Emma Bond as my coach, whose unwavering support played an indispensable role in my journey.
I can’t thank Emma enough for her incredible support throughout this journey. She was there for me every step of the way, from our first chat to celebrating my acceptance into my dream EMBA program at a prestigious Top 10 University.
Emma’s calmness, patience, and strategic guidance were a lifesaver. Whenever I had questions or felt lost, she was quick to respond and provided clear direction. But what really stood out was her unwavering support. Emma’s kind words and encouragement gave me the strength to push through the tough times and believe in myself.
Emma’s support was like a guiding light, and I’ll always be grateful for her role in making my dream a reality. Thank you, Emma, for everything you’ve done. You’re truly amazing!
Emma helped me successfully get into all three schools I was applying to, including LBS. She was prompt, precise, and fun to work with. I would recommend her to anyone seeking a consultant for MBA admissions.
TL;DR: Emma is absolutely amazing at what she does. About me: Stanford GSB Class of 2026 Admit from Private Equity (re-applicant). About her: (i) Amazing at forming a compelling, cohesive story (while fully retaining my voice and story) (ii) Incredibly responsive (even by private equity standards) (iii) Perfect balance of empathetic and blunt (a rare find)
Full Review: Emma was absolutely incredible to work with. As mentioned above, I was a re-applicant to Stanford GSB (waitlisted previously, admitted this year with Emma’s support), and can confidently say Emma’s a best-in-class advisor. I reached out to her with less than 2 months to go before the app deadline, and in that time, she helped me put together the absolute best package I possibly could. She has this incredible ability to retain every story I told her (even from our first call prior to our engagement). Without changing my voice, she guided me towards a cohesive story and application I couldn’t be happier with. The whole time, she balanced being unbelievably supportive with challenging me productively (did I really need that extra detail in my story? Of course not…). All of the back and forth drove a concise, compelling, and cohesive package – something I missed last time. As crunch time approached, she always had my back. I believe in the peak sprint, we worked through over 4 revisions of each essay and impact story in parallel in just 1-2 weeks – she never missed a beat. Overall, just an incredible experience – if I had to do it again, I’d pick Emma every time.
Speaking to Emma in our initial call I felt right away she was the perfect match.
And that turned out to be just the case! I was a fairly late Round 2 applicant, just meeting the deadline, and I can say I couldn’t have done it without her! Emma improved my application beyond measure. I cannot stress enough the positive impact she had on my overall application – the quality of my application was levels higher as a result of her help and super expertise, and I gained an offer from my number 1 and only school choice (LBS).
Giving real steer and direction to the narrative of my background/application, piecing together the essays (I was in awe of her skill in advising on essay structure), advising on those small (but stress inducing) questions that come up during the application process, and giving me the perfect candid advice on my interview skills were just some of the numerous highlights.
Emma was also incredibly generous, supportive, responsive, and reassuring. She is really personable and you absolutely feel understood working with her. Overall, she made the whole process 100x less stressful. She was also flexible and catered to my circumstances which changed unexpectedly, which I really appreciated.
I honestly cannot recommend Emma enough – I consider myself super lucky to have had her help. She was simply a dream to work with!
As a US applicant, I applied to multiple top full-time US programs with Emma’s help. It was 1,000% worth every penny, and I’d recommend you stop reading this review now and hire her immediately. I got into a variety of M7 and T10 schools with extremely generous scholarships, proving that Emma has obvious expertise over the American schools, in addition to the European ones. She was responsive, informative, and all around delightful to work with. I don’t think there is anything she could have done throughout the process to make it go smoother. If she’s not ranked #1 in the 2024 Poets & Quants ranking for MBA consultants (after being ranked #1 in 2023), we riot. 10/10, simply the best consultant on the planet.
Working with Emma on my MBA application was an incredible experience. Her extraordinary expertise and outstanding work ethic surpassed my expectations, going above and beyond in both time and effort. From our first fit call to waiting to hear back from schools, Emma continued to support and guide me, easing my nerves during moments of discouragement. Her commitment to my success went beyond the transactional, and I always felt reassured knowing she was on my side. Emma’s personalized approach, taking the time to understand me, contributed significantly to the strength of my application.
With Emma’s help, my application spoke authentically to who I am and my aspirations. Despite initial stress due to a lower GMAT score than I was aiming for, Emma’s guidance allowed me to secure admission to three out of four schools (all top 15 schools) I applied to in round one, with competitive scholarship offers at two. Ultimately, I will be attending UVA Darden in the fall. Engaging with Emma was a transformative experience, and I consider myself fortunate to have had her as my MBA consultant.
If I have one piece of advice for someone who is starting the MBA application process, it is work with Emma!
Emma was truly a dream to work with – she was extremely helpful in guiding me through the MBA application process and making the applications much less daunting than they seemed. She is dependable, very responsive, structured and personable too. I always looked forward to our consultations and felt much more assured and confident of my application after each call. I applied and got in to a top 10 school, and couldn’t have done it without Emma!
One of the best decisions of my life was to work with Emma, and I am extremely happy to write this piece for her. I worked with Emma on 3 applications and got an admit to my dream college. From the get go, Emma was super empathetic, methodical and approachable. Her expertise in what goes into putting together a complete application makes her the best in the business.
Before our first call, I was both nervous and in awe (Emma is a Guru). As soon as we talked, I knew that things would work out, not just because she is an expert but because she was the sweetest and most understanding person ever. The way she took out time to understand both my background and me was really appreciable. Managing applications can be really challenging at times, and I can say with the utmost confidence that Emma is the most supportive person you can ever work with. Her deep knowledge is really reassuring.
Not only did she guide me on how to approach b-school applications, but she also helped me beyond. Her way of working, expertise, and knowledge are truly commendable. She was always just a message away, which made the whole process really easy and smooth. A 360-degree consultant, Emma helped me unearth my strengths that I didn’t know existed, and for that I will be forever grateful.
One really special quality that stands out about Emma and makes her a cut above the rest is her emotional ownership and how she treats every application as if it’s her own. She is someone who truly has everyone’s best interests at heart and wants people to succeed. Needless to say, throughout this whole process, I gained a true mentor and a friend in Emma.
If you are someone who is looking at top b-schools anywhere in the world, look no further. I cannot emphasis enough how much I would recommend Emma to anyone who is looking for not just a phenomenal consultant but a true mentor and friend. She really makes dreams come true 🙂
Lastly – Every head must bow and every tongue must confess, Emma is the greatest of all time.
I work in a top tech company with quick progression, run a non-profit, and have mentors supporting my MBA decision. Despite this, I approached my profile with a significant concern: a low university GPA resulting from challenging personal circumstances. During this process, I consulted with three different companies. Jennifer spoke highly of Emma, and Emma was already the top consultant for 2023, so it was an easy decision! Emma is simply the best because of the following qualities: 1) a high level of understanding and empathy, 2) an extremely strong sense of ownership and high quality, 3) strong expertise (she is the best in the market, to be honest), 4) profound knowledge of MBA programs, the school selection process, etc., 5) a strong track record of delivering results. Emma dedicated extensive time to comprehensively understand my profile—my education, experiences, challenges, and successes. She then crafted an exceptionally strong branding and positioning strategy. Emma effectively highlighted my strengths and skillfully leveraged my weaknesses as areas for growth. Her attention to detail, unwavering dedication, and diligent approach contributed to the development of incredibly compelling applications. Emma’s commitment remained consistent throughout the essay writing, interview preparations, offer selections, and scholarship applications. We worked together over nine months, and she maintained high quality and level of support. With over 20 years of experience, Emma stands out as the premier consultant in the market. She is the best out there in the market. Her deep understanding of the ideal personas and profiles sought by each school was invaluable. Furthermore, she was highly responsive, an excellent communicator, a strategic thinker, and a caring consultant. I worked with her on a 3-school package, but the application outputs and mentorship she gave allowed me to scale my application to more schools and increase my chances. My MBA journey was as much hers, and we received offers from 1xT7 US school and from 5x Top Europe MBA Schools (with offers for scholarships)! Emma wasn’t just an MBA consultant to me; she became a mentor, advisor, and an immensely capable partner throughout this journey. She was advising me as if she were in my shoes, and she gave me incredible strength to go through the applications. She changed my life forever, and I am truly grateful! Looking back, I will work with her all over again, and can only highly recommend her to everyone!
I feel truly fortunate that I got to work with Emma on my application because she is an extraordinary admissions consultant and I can say without any doubt that I couldn’t have done it without her expertise! She has an outstanding work ethic and consistently went above and beyond what I expected of her, in terms of both time and effort. I’m so glad I trusted my instincts and chose her as my consultant because not only did I get accepted but I received a scholarship as well on the only program I applied to – LBS Sloan.
Emma is a true expert at this. She knows exactly what should and shouldn’t go into your application to make it stand out. She is sharp and crisp and knows how to cut the fluff. Not only did she help make my application so much more cohesive but she was there to support and guide me through my extended waiting period even after I had submitted my application. During moments when I felt discouraged, she helped ease my nerves. Just knowing that I had her on my side on my journey made me feel so reassured.
Her support was so much more than just transactional, she really wanted me to succeed and she put in extra effort to that end. I’d say you’re really lucky if you get to work with her on your applications.
I was fortunate to work with Emma on submitting a strong R3 application for LBS. Given my older age, I was determined to apply in R3 and did not want to wait for another year. Although I was late in my application prep, Emma was very supportive and encouraging throughout the entire process. Emma has a real insider’s view of LBS and knows exactly what the school is looking for in applicants, which was extremely helpful in submitting a strong application in R3. Emma was always quick to provide feedback and insights in relation to all aspects and stages of my application. I was admitted in R3 to LBS as an international student and I can’t recommend Emma enough! Thanks, Emma!
Emma has been monumental in the success of my applications – admits from Kellogg, Tuck (40K scholarship), Fuqua (80K scholarship) and LBS. Due to being late in the application process, high cost of admissions consulting and a general lack of direction, I was quite overwhelmed till even a few weeks before the application deadlines. Emma proved to be a knight in shining armor who brought that much needed direction with her expertise in the process which is otherwise a black box. She was so diligent and methodical in reviewing the essays and storyline. Even with the time crunch and last minute notices, she was able to take something raw and help make it into a strong story. From essays to job description to video essays, the perfectionist in her sharpened every aspect of the application to make it holistically attractive to the Admission committee.
But her expertise aside, what set her apart from most consultants was her investment in me beyond a transactional relationship. Her genuine concern and warmth was so crucial in getting through a process which is otherwise very daunting.
I would say I couldn’t have found a better consultant to go on this journey with because she cuts across the transactional relationship between a client and consultant, while bringing such depth of knowledge and understanding of the process that one can’t help but feel safe and reassured.
During my journey before applying to the two top business schools I wanted to attend, I worked with 3 other consultants and firms until I found Emma with Fortuna and I can say she is the best by wolrds apart. I now feel I was cheated before, because of the amazing effort, advice and work she put into my applications. I can surely say that it is because of her that I got accepted into both programmes and will be at a top 5 MBA next year. Do not search for another consultant, Emma is the one you need.
Emma was fantastic to work with, she helped me with applications to multiple top business schools, and with her help I was fortunate enough to gain acceptances to all of them. She is incredibly knowledgeable of course, but also approachable, reassuring and patient. She is uniquely skilled at mitigating a lot of the stress and anxiety that is typically associated with the application process. She also does an outstanding job of helping to craft and convey your personal narrative which is invaluable for effective essay writing.
There was absolutely no friction in working with Emma as a North American applicant, she was extremely flexible and accommodative as well as highly responsive, particularly around key deadlines. She made a world of difference for my applications and I don’t believe I would have gained acceptances that I did without her help and guidance.
When I first decided to pursue an elite MBA program, I was truly skeptical of admissions coaches. I asked myself – Did they really make a difference? How much would their experience matter? Was their value worth their cost? After recently being admitted to my top-choice school off of the waitlist, I now know the answer to my questions. Without a doubt, Emma Bond was absolutely critical to my MBA application’s success.
I met Emma as one of three intro calls with coaches (via Fortuna), and her experience, honesty, and encouraging demeanor immediately set her above the pack. Notably, when facing the setbacks of the waitlist, it was Emma who encouraged me to re-take my standardized test and provide admissions updates for my application. I cannot recommend Emma highly enough!! She deserves 100/10 rating!!!
Emma Bond was instrumental in my successful application to LBS’s MiM program. Her expertise in essay writing and interview prep was invaluable. She was always responsive, providing prompt feedback and support throughout the process.
Emma’s interview coaching helped me build confidence and deliver a genuine performance. I highly recommend her to anyone seeking guidance in their educational pursuits.
Thank you, Emma, for your dedication and support!
I had the pleasure of working with Emma on my LBS MBA application. Her LBS admissions committee experience and personal links to the existing LBS adcom shone through. She was very aware of what LBS was looking for specifically in each of the application questions and tailored my application to align with LBS’ values perfectly. She also pushed me to think out of the box and took my application to a much higher level than what I would have produced on my own. To top it all off, she is an extremely lovely person and was an absolute joy to work with.
I was thrilled to receive an LBS MBA offer and scholarship and highly recommend Emma to anyone on the same journey.
Emma has been nothing less than phenomenal to work with on my MBA application journey. I consider myself to be a bit of an odd bird in the applicant pool since I have a varied professional background that spans consulting, F500 corporate, founding a startup, VC, and international experience for a smaller PE-backed company. My greatest challenge was piecing together a coherent career odyssey that made sense to the adcoms. While all my career progressions made perfect sense to me, I struggled to present a coherent case.
This is where Emma came in and was able to piece together from beginning to end a thread that really made sense and stood out to the outside observer evaluating my candidacy. Emma’s creative storytelling ability, but also the pragmatism with which she pointed out the most salient parts of my experience allowed me to pull everything together and create an intriguing, coherent storyline that was compelling to adcoms. Emma is also very responsive and is a genuinely nice person. I’m a terrible procrastinator and was in the middle of moving between a few countries as I was applying. Emma was still able to accommodate me across multiple time zones and somehow I completed my application well before the R1 deadline.
LBS was my top choice and thanks to Emma I was admitted. She really knows the institution inside out, particularly the intangibles. For LBS, you really have to go with Emma. Lastly, I will add that if you’re not HYP, MBB, FAANG, XYZ, etc., but you know you are capable and believe in your own ability, get with Emma and go for it! The odds are in your favor.
“These b-schools are hyper-competitive and I don’t see components that meet the bar.”
This stupendously demotivating piece of advice is the first piece of feedback that I received from an admissions consultant. Partly, I can’t blame them – I’m a part of the infamous IT Indian male cohort. And I’m a reapplicant.
Emma, on the other hand, went against the grain, took a step further, and dove deeper into my profile. What she really excels at is understanding which parts of an applicant’s character, work experience, and extra-curricular appeal to the folks sitting in the admissions office at the absolute top-notch international b-schools. From our very first meeting, I saw her experience stand out. With the dexterity of a well-seasoned surgeon, she cut into my character to understand which parts of the story can be tailored to craft the perfect reapplication and stand out in an over-represented group.
She infused my application with, as a Gen Z faithful would say, “main-character energy” (words from my little cousin, not me.) I was reassured that I was in good hands, especially given the financial burden of such services.
The essays were as smooth as can be – each iterative feedback loop was productive, with clear TODOs and the reasons behind proposed changes.
The video essays were the highlight of the service – Emma, being an interviewer herself, was exceptional at giving me a blunt assessment of my mannerisms, for e.g. telling me when my body language was off. This piece of advice seeped into my in-person interviews as well.
At the end of this process, I’m proud to say that I got to choose between 3 top business schools, including INSEAD, and LBS. And with scholarships from INSEAD and LBS! A privileged position to be in, a position that couldn’t have been reached without Emma.
I wasn’t planning on working with an admissions consultant, but when I got to the application essays, I hit a roadblock. I struggled with developing a cohesive story and expressing my passion for the programs. I also had difficulty finding a balance between sharing my true self and highlighting the key attributes that I knew the Admissions Committee would be looking for.
Based on my needs, I decided to work with a consultant on an hourly basis. After speaking with a few firms, I chose to work with Emma due to her deep knowledge of European business schools, but also simply because I thought we connected well. Throughout the process, Emma provided prompt and honest feedback. However, what struck me most was how much she cared. Despite having a busy schedule, I never felt that she was rushing through my edits. Emma took the time to truly understand the story I was trying to convey and then helped me refine and package it.
Emma and I primarily worked together on my essays for LBS and Cambridge. However, I was also able to apply her feedback to my other applications. Thanks to her help, I received offers of admission from all four of the schools I applied to and fellowships from three of them.
Working with Emma was an absolute pleasure! I sought her out specifically for help with my LBS application and interview prep because as an American applicant, I felt like I had less insight on the LBS MBA process relative to US programs. I purchased the admissions director review package, and Emma provided multiple rounds of direct, candid, and invaluable feedback that helped refine my essays, resume, and short response answers. She has intimate knowledge of exactly what the LBS adcom likes to see in applicants and certainly spent more time with me than what was included in my package. Emma truly cares about the quality of her clients’ applications and went above and beyond to help me put my best foot forward. She is absolutely deserving of her reputation as one of the top LBS consultants out there, and I could not recommend her more highly.
I worked with Emma on a 2-school package offered by Fortuna Admissions. First, I had a fit call with her wherein we discussed my past experiences (both personal and professional), goals, MBA programmes I am interested in, and preferences. She came across as an empathetic, honest, friendly, and highly knowledgeable professional; working with her through the admission process I can guarantee you she is all this and much more!
1. After the fit call, Emma and I had a comprehensive discussion to shortlist the programmes I am interested in. She not only discussed the timelines for each application but also made me aware of her working style and was interested to learn about my style as well to make sure we were on the same page. I also filled an exhaustive questionnaire to help Emma understand my experiences and achievements.
2. I was in parallel preparing for my GMAT when we started work on my first application. Emma was highly thoughtful in deciding the to-do tasks as I balanced my job, GMAT prep, and application work.
Coming to the essays, Emma really understood my story and knew exactly the things we need to highlight (this varies from school to school as we had a brainstorming session for each school before starting work on its application). I always had an issue with going over the word limit, but with Emma’s magic, each essay of mine was concise, conveyed the story, and made an impact. When you work with Emma, each word in the essay is there for a reason and she always pushes you in the right direction to extract the so-what aspect of the story and keeps a check on how it aligns with your overall application. She doesn’t shy away from multiple reads and edits of the same essay (resume and LoRs as well) until it is in the best shape. You will never waste time in the process since Emma is super responsive and her turnaround time is commendable.
3. Emma made sure to leverage multiple avenues to portray the various positives in my story. With 16+ years of experience and front-end knowledge, she has unique insights into the admission process and is aware of what the schools are seeking. She judiciously placed content in my essays, resume and LoRs – each of these reflected different attributes of mine but provided a holistic picture of me and my story. Special shoutout to Jody Keating from the Fortuna Admissions team for all the resume help!
4. Once I received an interview invite, Emma prepped me for both the video and main interview. For both the interviews, she first conducted a mock with me to assess my responses and then provided actionable constructive feedback to refine my responses. Leveraging her experience, she also helped me with smart tricks to enhance the answers and make them relevant to the school. Her guidance isn’t limited to just the content of the answers, but also includes tips on body language, camera setting, pace of speaking, etc. Needless to say, many of the questions which Emma discussed with me were part of the interviews.
5. I applied to LBS along with one of the top 3 European schools and a T15 US school (I took hourly support from Emma for the 3rd school). I received an admit with scholarship from both LBS and the European school but have been waitlisted at the US school. I worked with Emma to appeal for scholarships as well and she totally understood my financial situation and did her best here too. In my opinion, there is no one better than Emma to help you with LBS and the European schools; but the main advantage of working with Fortuna Admissions is the wealth of knowledge they have of every top B-school. When I was applying to the US school as well, Emma reached out to her colleagues who are well aware of the school and got my application reviewed so that we were not missing out on anything.
I consider myself luckiest to have worked with Emma for my MBA admissions. She is much more than a professional consultant and the best thing about her is how real and humane she is. I have been extremely comfortable discussing sensitive personal experiences with her and love the fact that she understands the place I am coming from and doesn’t judge. Through this journey, there have been multiple phases of anxiety (be it work travel or hardware issues during my interview), but Emma has ALWAYS been a message away and never made me feel guilty about my mistakes – rather she comes with a practical solution to counter the challenge. She is a thorough professional and makes sure your applications are a top priority even when she is taking a well-deserved break to meet her family after 3 years. She has done much more than just applications for me, including checking the emails I write to the schools, giving me contacts to connect with, or clearing my countless silly doubts. Don’t think twice and just go ahead with Emma – you’ll gain a coach, a mentor, and a friend!
I couldn’t have achieved this without you, so THANK YOU, Emma. Forever grateful to you and the Fortuna Admissions team!
Emma helped me with my R1 LBS and HEC applications. I reached out to her after realizing I was somewhat out of depth with the process and had a million questions on how to begin. She immediately broke everything down for me and laid out the process in clear and concise steps. She helped with everything from reaching out to recommenders, school outreach, application questions, and interview prep. Emma answered all of my questions and concerns with patience and really made me feel supported and secure throughout the process. Her edits and advice were invaluable in helping me receive offers and scholarships at both schools. I highly recommend Emma to anyone applying for MBA programs, particularly if you are interested in LBS or other European schools.
I was first introduced to Emma by Jenifer Raver from the Fortuna Admissions Team as a Director for my application to LBS. To be completely honest, I was initially very intimidated before my first conversation (she’s a legend!), but 2 minutes into the call, I realized that she’s probably the sweetest and most empathetic person you’ll ever meet. She’s honest, direct and makes you dig deep into your soul to craft the perfect application. Any material I sent across to Emma (even after getting it through my coach), was promptly replied to with even deeper questions, which when pondered upon added exponential impact to my application. Sadly, I didn’t get through the first time I applied in 2021, it was a very competitive cycle and I’m sure I probably didn’t make the cut by a very small margin. But I was set on going to LBS and I promised myself that I would reapply. Even though she was not contractually obligated to, Emma offered to help out with my reapplication strategy. She helped me reflect on what went wrong, introspect about what needs to change, structure how I could improve my profile over the next year and also review my submission material again the next year. I came back in 2022 much stronger, clearer and way more confident than my last application, and I got through! I felt genuine pain in her voice in our post-ding conversation last year, and witnessed tears of joy in our conversation this year after the admit – you don’t have that with an admissions director, you have that with a genuine, caring mentor! Two years of hard work, and Emma never stopped believing in me. Thank you for your undying faith in me Emma, I’m going to make you proud!
I worked with Emma on a 3-school package. Going into the MBA applications process, I was extremely stressed and skeptical about engaging a consultant. I spoke with 15+ consultants/firms and made a comprehensive excel of my conversations with them. After my first call with Emma, I knew that she cared! LBS was my top school, and having conversations with Emma during the course helped me narrow down a list of schools I’d apply to. I ended up with an admit offer from LBS and a US Ivy league school! And on the waitlist for two others – but I got into my dream school, and it wouldn’t have been possible without her help and guidance.
She wasn’t just a consultant – she was a coach and a mentor to me, and at many points, helped me think through some important career opportunities that came my way. She didn’t hold back on feedback – even when I thought I had written my best draft, she would encourage me to go deeper and think through the prompt to bring out my best story. Belonging to an over-represented category, I knew it was important to showcase all aspects of my profile in a balanced way, and Emma helped me through all that. She was extremely responsive, and super-organized and I ended up taking an hourly pack to get my other applications reviewed too. She was more than happy to get on calls, exchange emails promptly and reach out to her colleagues for insights on schools she knew they were experts on. Her knowledge of LBS is unparalleled, and she was great at the other schools I worked on with her too, from knowing what the question is aimed at, to school-specific insights.
During my interview prep, I knew I wasn’t great, but she encouraged me to be better. A great mix of honest feedback and positive reinforcement, and after a few mocks, I could see the change in the way I approached questions – in a more structured and natural manner.
At the end of the day, I needed someone to coach me through the process and be there as a guide, nudging me in the right direction, and Emma did exactly that. I had a wonderful experience working with her, and believe I gained a mentor for life!
I worked with Emma this year on a top business school MiF (MBA equivalent) application. Before deciding to rely on Emma’s professional service on this application, I had a few calls/meetings with other MBA consultants/firms, I finally chose Emma because of her unique insight into approaching the school application! Emma addressed all my questions and concerns in this application, and her essay edition and interview preparation really made a difference to help me get there, I am finally admitted to my dream school. I recommend Emma to all the top b-school applicants, as I am sure she will provide excellent guidance and support to help you achieve your dream! I will certainly refer Emma to my friends and colleagues!
Emma has been extremely helpful throughout the MBA admissions process and EXTREMELY responsive. I cannot stress how important this is, especially on application deadline dates. Emma’s insights into UK schools are second-to-none. She will breathe life into your story and is not afraid to challenge your ideas. When I was finding consultants in the beginning, too often did I find ones that would stick with the status quo and suggest only minor changes. Being in professional services, I also understand the temptation of admissions consultants to steer clients towards more costly packages. Emma does none of this. In fact, she was extremely generous with her time and did not charge for bits and pieces. Emma treats your application like her own. I really felt as if I had (an extremely MBA-knowledgable) family member guiding me along and giving me honest feedback.
First of all, I would like to acknowledge the incredible support before and after payment for the service was arranged. I was on a budget, nevertheless, the level of support I received from Emma and her team was invaluable. While eventually I was accepted by LBS, I was surprised by how humanly they treated me, especially considering the fact that I am from Ukraine I received comprehensive assistance in all formal and informal stages of my preparation for my essay, interview, etc. The strategy of forming essays as well as a clear understanding of the purpose and vision for my goal school encouraged me to reveal my strengths in the right expression through discussions with Emma. I’m sure there are quite a few alternative candidates/firms to be found with assistance to price and the same service, however, I’m convinced few are able to provide the incredible 24/7 support I’ve received and I’m sincerely glad to meet Emma and the Fortuna team. Regardless of your level of preparation to form the necessary strategy for your admission, I advise you to make at least one call with Emma, undoubtedly you will find a way to solve for your weaknesses and position them correctly.
I have been working with Emma since June 2021 until being admitted into LBS, and I believe that this would not have been achieved without her help. We began by outlining the strengths and weaknesses of my applications, and Emma assisted with the self-reflection process. She then helped me to develop school applications in a way that would present me in the best light, stressing my strengths, while also being tactical about areas of development and aligning those to the solutions that the school has to offer. In the end, I probably had the best application essays in my life 🙂 I highly recommend working with Emma to everyone who really wants to get into a top business school.
Emma exceeded my expectations in every way and working with Emma was a pleasure from start to finish.
With a GMAT score that was well below the average for my top target school, Emma coached me to ensure that my unique experience was at the forefront of my application. With Emma’s guidance and first-class coaching, I received offers from two of Europe’s top business schools.
Emma genuinely cares for her clients and she really took the needed time to understand me, my story, and my goals. I constantly felt that I was working with the industry’s best.
From the support on my essays to the final interview prep, Emma was always extremely responsive and always ensured that I was producing my best work.
I wouldn’t hesitate to work with Emma again and would highly recommend her services to anyone hoping to join the world’s top MBA programs.
Emma made my dream come true. Thanks to her I managed to get accepted to LBS. She walked me through a long and difficult process. She reviewed every detail of the application until it was perfect, even giving me extra hours for some issues where I needed to improve (like the video assessment and interview). She taught me to trust myself and to believe until the end. This gave me the strength to continue improving and trusting myself in the final stages of the application. She also gave me very specific advice that was key to my final admission. Without her, I would not have made it in any way. Thanks, Emma!
I worked with Emma directly with my LBS application from the beginning to the end at R3, the most difficult round with a lower GMAT score to start. She is the best you can get for LBS and/or any other TOP MBA school, and I honestly think your research is over! A few highlights for Emma and reasons for me to work with her after speaking with over 10 consultants from Spain, Netherland, US big and expensive MBA consulting firms, and some well-known independent consultants. 1) Emma is super insightful on matching your background and skills and bringing the best/shiny part of you among all of your life stories and career path with the school. She really spent time getting to know me and helped me to bring the best story no matter if it was leadership, professional achievement, or my motivation to pursue MBA with LBS. 2) Emma challenged me and really pushed me to give the best essay through her coaching and soul-searching on the essays and short answer questions for LBS! (Oh, yes, they are super-long). She is super detail-oriented and straightforward, which is why I love her so much. S, she knew my potential and was always be my cheerleader through all the difficult times: work stress, re-take GMAT stress, company re-organization…. I’ve been through a lot in the past application season, and knowing that Emma was always there for me to support me, offer me the best possible strategy to tackle those problems, and to address all the potential shortcomings of my application just gave me lots of confidence and peace of mind. 3) Emma cares about her clients! When I was working with her to prepare for the mock interviews, she went beyond and above to help me create narratives, and actually, all of her mock questions were asked during my interview! It took years of experience and second-to-none insight to achieve this, and for all the people who want LBS, you need someone like her, who truly cares about you and knows the school inside out. 4) Her lovely personality! While experience and knowledge are important when choosing a consultant, I do also believe chemistry is essential between clients and consultants. Emma is very patient, caring, and fun to work with. I think she is an ‘over delivery and under promising’ type of person, which is extremely rare in the MBA consulting industry. Her turnaround time for essay edits or questions is usually just within a day or so despite the 10-plus hour time difference. You can rely on her detailed edits, honest and fun personality, and first-class professional attitude. Last but not the least, I do think it was Emma who helped me to get into LBS, and I wouldn’t have got get the result I have without her support.
I worked with Emma on a 2 school package as well as purchased hourly time with her for other schools. My experience working with her was amazing. I am someone with a unique profile in the sense that my scores (GPA & GMAT) were both relatively low but have several years of work experience as a management consultant. Although I was not able to push my GMAT/GRE scores to be as high as many of the schools required Emma guided me through the entire process and ensured that I excelled in my story, essay, video interview, and in-person interview. As a result, I was able to secure a spot at my top program of choice!! I cannot recommend her enough, she is super personable, fun to work with, and extremely caring.
A side note is that both my boyfriend and I worked with her and applied to the same program which we both got accepted into!!
Emma was a valued expert and guide for everything in the admissions process. She provided support in many areas, including understanding what school values and how to frame essays, ideating content for responses, line-by-line editing, interview prep, and more. She clearly possessed a deep knowledge (including personal relationships) of the target schools. I was accepted to both MBAs that Emma helped with, in no small part thanks to her critical eye and guidance.
Emma was incredibly professional and supportive throughout my R2-3 applications. After my unsuccessful R1 applications which I had decided to do solo, I worked with Emma on my R2-3 LBS & INSEAD apps (I was accepted to both, and received scholarships too). She edited my essays, helped me prep for interviews, and also gave me useful advice to decide which school to eventually go to based on my personal needs. I wish I had worked with her from the very beginning! Definitely worth the money and time.
I reached out to Emma after being waitlisted for LBS and immediately realized I had made the right decision (and regretted not having used her earlier). I sent her my completed application and over the weekend she thoroughly went over it making notes and suggestions on areas I could expand upon and address in my follow up interview with the waitlist manager. She also made great suggestions on additional steps I could take to show and demonstrate my excitement for the LBS program. Emma went above and beyond by mock interviewing me and left me feeling confident as I went into my follow up interview. During my follow up interview with LBS we touched upon each of the points Emma and I had discussed and I received my admission just two weeks later. There is no doubt in my mind that it was in large part due to Emma’s guidance and knowledge of the LBS program.
Her response time was also fantastic, often within hours, despite an 11 hour time difference.
I worked with and talked to multiple consultants and Emma stood out clearly as the best. I highly recommend!
Back in 2021, when I started applying (for the second time) to b-schools, I was very certain that I wanted to work with someone who was high on EQ and would understand my profile and goals. Emma was a wonderful consultant and someone I could reach out to whenever I needed some structure and calm – be it while working on essays, prepping for interviews, or waiting for the schools to release their results.
I worked with Emma for 2 top b-schools (one in the EU and one in the UK) and got into the school of my choice. She ensured my goals were crystal clear, helped me edit my CV & essays, and did not hesitate while pointing out ambiguities. Talking to her (on Zoom or via email) always calmed me down and her strategies to navigate the admissions process made me even more confident in my candidacy. What more do you need?
I am so grateful to Emma and I cannot stress enough on how wonderful it was to go through this journey with her!
Emma takes a very structured approach to a b-school application process. She spends a lot of time initially to understand you personally before diving into the application. My essays, and other application questions, went through a number of iterations before we were both satisfied with them. The final drafts are always so much better than the initial ones. Emma knows how to get the best out of you and suggests ways through which you can make your application stand out. She even helped me connect with her past students to get more insights on my target schools. I can confidently say that had it not been for Emma, I would have not been able to get an admit into my target school.
One of the most important aspects of the process is the level of comfort you can have with your counselor – in extremely critical situations of the applications, I always got off a call with Emma feeling very relaxed with clarity on the next steps. Emma is someone who would go that extra mile to help you – be it the application, interviews, or scholarships. She is easily approachable, very quick to turn around with her reviews, and would often even take out time on weekends/public holidays if required.
Working with Emma has been a partnership in a process that can get very challenging at times. It is extremely critical to work with someone who is there for you throughout this 6-7 months long process and constantly helps you move forward in the right direction. Emma was not my coach, but a partner in this journey, and the admit was not just mine, it was ours!
I would wholeheartedly recommend Emma to anyone looking to get into top 10 business schools.
I was very fortunate to have chosen the Fortuna team for my MBA application. Emma Bond made my application journey absolutely pain-free. Not only did she guide me through the lengthy process but also provide me with a very useful methodology to present myself in business situations in general. More importantly, she filled me with confidence which is absolutely vital in this kind of application. With her help, I have been admitted to a global top-ranking MBA program.
I will recommend Emma and the Fortuna team to anyone who aims at the highest and wants to work with top professionals.
Emma was absolutely amazing! She made sure to listen fully to what I was intending before she provided solid advice. From school selection to tips on the essay/interview, to even supportive words of encouragement. I definitely would not have gotten into my school without Emma’s help and I am forever grateful to her. She was able to help me get into multiple schools across both the US and UK. I was so lucky to have been placed in her capable hands. She is someone that is so responsive, and will always try to do her best to make time for you. Her feedback was always candid which I appreciated and also helped me to improve in all aspects of my application. Again, I could not have asked for better. Emma and Fortuna are the way to go
I engaged with Emma less than four weeks from my R2 Application deadlines, and one conversation later, I realized I had hit the jackpot, and got a mentor for life! Emma Bond turned out to be my savior at the 11th hour, highlighting key points in my backstory I had never even thought of. While her suggestions for my CV, essay questions and interview prep were thorough and meticulous, her polite criticism every step of the way turned out to be a real game-changer. She literally breathed life and clarity into my applications, with unbelievably quick response times (often within hours in spite of the time difference), and gave me the much needed confidence and direction in applying to the B-Schools of my dreams! Her constant endeavor to fine-tune all aspects of my applications while retaining my authentic voice is truly praiseworthy.
I ended up getting a full-ride admit to the London Business School, an incredibly rare feat and honestly something I did not even expect. This would have been impossible without her relentless support, genuine advice, her prompt responses to my most trivial doubts, and her complete confidence in my potential. With Emma Bond backing you, you know you are going only to the best of places in the world – she has my 100% recommendation!
I reached out to Fortuna Admissions after I got rejected by an MBA school. I chose Fortuna after researching many admission consultants. Fortuna is a unique team of MBA admission directors who provide you with first-hand insider info. My experience with Fortuna has been flawless. They are very efficient, informative, and professional. Even before my 30 minutes free consultation, the sales consultant (Jenifer) was very efficient and asked me to fill out a short questionnaire so she could prepare for the consultation efficiently. Jenifer was also very kind, smart, and truly understood what I needed.
Now I want to talk about Emma. It’s a pity that I can only give her 5 stars, she deserves 100 stars truly! Before I chose which admission consultant I wanted to work with, I didn’t only consider experience and choice of school expertise (Emma is LBS and some European schools expert) but I also wanted to make sure that the consultant was passionate, informative, and truly cared about my admissions journey. I chose Emma after a fit call with her and reviewing her YouTube video on the Fortuna channel. I’m so glad that I chose her! A lot of reviews mentioned choosing Emma if you want to go to LBS, but I got admitted to M7 school with Emma’s help! Fortuna Admissions shares the school insider info internally, so you don’t necessarily need to choose the consultant based on their school expertise, but also on their personal qualities. Emma is very, very, very informative, detailed, highly strategic, empathetic and truly cares about you. She made sure everything was done correctly from the start, including how I communicated with the admission team. She was able to formulate my story and my unique selling points so that my application was flawless. She advised on everything, from my cv, essay, recommendation letter, interview, and email communication. Everything! All this was done efficiently. you should also know that she’s not just a coach, she’s at the director level, all her guidance is strategic which set her apart from other coaches. When Emma had to take a few days leave due to illness, she told me to email her if anything happened during that period and she still replied to my emails just like usual. Have I mentioned that she replies to emails in a flash? I sometimes wonder if she sleeps at all!
I can honestly tell you that I would not make it to this MBA school without Emma’s help. You should also know that Emma’s satisfaction rate is 10/10 and she is one of the most experienced admission consultants out there. I can say with utmost confidence that you won’t regret working with Emma. She is the best admission consultant out there.
Emma reviewed, edited, and oversaw all the work that I did with Jenifer, my primary coach. She provided insightful feedback as to how I could structure my essays so that they would come across as truly authentic and pack the most powerful punch. She helped me to highlight aspects of my past stories and bring them to life in a way that would resonate with admissions. A great coach all in all.
Emma has helped me to secure the LBS MBA program offer! She has been incredibly helpful in the process and the coaching methodology has proven to be the most effective and efficient. I started my application in October 2021, which is quite late to the game, while preparing for my GMAT, Emma has helped edited my application and later prepared me for the interviews. Without Emma, I would not be able to secure the offer from the top business school.
I have worked closely with Emma Bond for about two months, from the initial goal assessment session and all the way through getting accepted. Emma has been extremely helpful offering invaluable advice on all submitted material as well as the interview process. Her guidance along the way was key and all the advice has been top-notch. She is always super responsive and she goes above and beyond for her students, being available all the time on evenings and weekends too. I am most grateful.
I highly recommend Fortuna and Emma and I would work with them again anytime. If you want to maximize your chances of getting accepted with valuable feedback from top insider professionals, Fortuna is your top choice.
I first learned about Emma through the Fortuna Admissions YouTube channel. After watching many videos and researching many similar companies, I decided to reach out to Fortuna by submitting a request for a free consultation. Following that 1 hour conversation I had, I decided to seek Emma’s guidance as to how I should approach my b-school applications, and I can safely say that I made the right choice 100%, and if anything, I should have reached out earlier. Through Emma’s help, I managed to get accepted into some of the world’s leading b-schools. It goes without saying that she played a crucial role in helping me find the best way to approach the challenge of applying to highly selective programmes. Having worked with Emma for a little over half a year, I would define her as an extremely professional and warm person. Here are some of my key takeaways of the whole experience and of Emma in general:
Very professional and kind, yet clear and honest (Very responsive to whatever kind of enquiries I have had [many], Always managed to find time and worked diligently around my schedule, Quick replies). She’s also genuinely invested in the whole process as she will always look out for your best interest and, in turn, make the process feel a lot easier.
As mentioned above – honest. Emma has always been ‘straight up’, especially with one of the schools that I was re-applying to. This is definitely a valuable trait as it reassures you that you know what you’re paying for and that everything is as transparent as it can get.
Very knowledgeable of different programmes across the US, Europe and more. On that note, if you are thinking of applying to LBS there isn’t anyone that can do a better job, in my opinion, at helping you understand the intricacies of the school and manoeuvre through the process.
In terms of the service itself, I would say that I got my money’s worth and would definitely recommend exploring which of the options best fit your need. On an end note, I would also like to say – thank you, Emma. With your help, I managed to learn a lot about myself, and I ended up receiving admission to the school that I wanted. I’m very grateful.
I was very lucky to have worked with Emma, I couldn’t have had a better experience. Emma is exceptional at what she does. I engaged with her for some hourly consulting to help review my essays and prep for the interview in applying to a top Executive MBA Program. Emma was super responsive, quick to review things and did so incredibly thoughtfully. Her feedback on my essays without a doubt guided me to make them above and beyond, and she really appreciated the message I was trying to deliver when giving feedback. My interview with the school was scheduled pretty unexpectedly, and Emma made time in her evening to ensure I got in a mock interview with her beforehand. I wish the review allowed me to give her more than 5 stars, because she deserves more. Emma’s guidance resulted in a really strong application and acceptance into my target program! Thank you, Emma!
Emma is an exceptional consultant.
Given her background, I was always keen to work with Emma, as London Business School was my top choice. I worked with Emma and Karen across LBS and USA MBA applications, and the experience was fantastic, ending with me securing an R1 admit from LBS.
Emma inspires tremendous self-belief, an underrated but essential attribute in a consultant during the stressful application process. It felt like I had someone in my corner through and through. She was deeply invested in understanding my story and motivations to ensure I presented the very best version of myself to schools.
Emma always seemed available – from minor procedural questions to turning around material – the response time was always quick and the quality of the response was always excellent! She is also an editor par excellence.
Emma also holds herself to a very high bar and encouraged me to do the same – working on materials/tasks multiple times to ensure high-quality output.
Emma has been instrumental in my journey to an MBA. If you are researching consultants, your search is over, Emma should be your pick!
Simply put, Emma is outstanding.
She has a real insider’s view of LBS and provided constructive, informative and tailored advice through the application process. Emma made the application process, which could otherwise seem daunting, seamless and went above and beyond my expectations (notwithstanding having read the rave reviews beforehand!).
I was amazed at how quickly Emma provided feedback on the various parts of the application, from the written aspects to the interview stage (both video prep and mock interviews). I was admitted in Round 1 to LBS and couldn’t recommend her enough!
Emma was a coach, mentor and cheerleader throughout the process. Aside from Emma’s experience, she really helped me focus on the narrative of my application, and challenged me (positively) as to why did I want to do an MBA.
As a coach, Emma trained me to think like an MBA candidate, not just through the language I used, but also in my decorum for interviews.
As a mentor, Emma’s experience was invaluable. She guided me through the application process by getting me to focus on examples of my work experience, which truly reflected who I am as a professional and a person. Emma asked probing questions to really get to the root of specifically what my role was within certain projects, what was the output and how did it develop personal traits.
Finally, as a cheerleader, Emma genuinely wants to see you succeed on a personal level, and although being admitted I know that Emma would have been there in the same way as if I had been rejected.
The services of Fortuna really stood out from the very beginning. The team set up meetings with three consultants until I was sure I had found a good match. I worked with Emma and chose the comprehensive school package with added on hours for 2 more schools. Emma exceeded all my expectations throughout the process! She was able to draw out points in my story that I had wrongfully deemed unimportant for an MBA application and really helped me round out my profile. She is an excellent editor and helps get your story across with the greatest impact without burying your authentic voice. I was really surprised by how quickly she reviewed my work. She usually turned things around in 24 hours (sometimes just a couple of hours!), did as many reviews as required (even during weekends towards the application deadline) and was personally invested in my success. As someone who was extremely stressed about the application process, I really appreciated how easy Emma made things for me. I do not think I would have succeeded in my interviews without Emma’s help. She helped me see that I was having trouble being my best self over virtual platforms and did multiple mocks with me until I improved significantly. I now have admits with scholarships and fellowships to all the three colleges I applied to. Even though I was really sceptical about paying for an MBA admissions consultant, I can now honestly say that I would not have made it without Emma in my corner 🙂
When I was searching for an admissions consultant, I looked for two criteria
1) The admissions consultant should be incredibly knowledgeable about LBS 2) The admissions consultant should have a personal interest in my success and that I shouldn’t just be another number in a sea of clients.
Given Emma’s experience of working as part of the LBS AdCom, it became clear after our first introduction that she knew LBS inside-out. What surprised me was how personally invested she was in the whole process and made me feel like I had someone in my corner on whom I could rely on.
Emma is insanely dedicated. She turns around material within 24 hours so I never felt like I had to hurry. Before many school admission deadlines, she even worked over the weekends to make sure that I was putting my best application in. No matter the number of revisions, she keeps working with you to make sure that your application is the very best it can be.
Where I was really blown away was Emma’s guidance on essays. She helped me develop a strong essay strategy that would bring out the strengths in my application. She even connected me with an alum from LBS who had a similar profile to me so that I could gain additional perspective for my essays. I can confidently say that without Emma’s help, there is no chance that my essays would have ended up as powerful and impactful as they did.
Emma is an incredibly kind person but she is also very candid about your profile and where you need to improve. She does not waste time beating around the bush and I really appreciated this honest approach. I found that having those candid conversations allowed us to create a strategy to accentuate my strengths and diminish my weaknesses.
I got admitted to London Business School and I couldn’t have done it without Emma’s support and encouragement. If LBS is your #1 choice, I strongly recommend working with Emma to make studying at Regent’s Park a reality!
I was first introduced to Emma Bond by my sister, who relied on Emma in the course of her own MBA journey years ago. Working with Emma has been a joy, as throughout the application process, she has been extremely professional, responding as quickly as one could reasonably do so, providing in-depth insights into the admission process by virtue of her experience, and was able to provide helpful feedback and tips in areas where she thought I could better express and demonstrate my strengths. In conjunction with her and one of her colleagues’ joint (and tireless!) efforts, I have managed to secure admissions to all the programs that I applied to. I am extremely grateful to Emma and the Fortuna team for their professionalism and their outstanding performance. I would gladly recommend Emma and the Fortuna team to prospective MBA applicants!
I worked with Fortuna and Emma was the supervisor for my application with Karen Ponte. I was thoroughly impressed by the service from Fortuna and was able to achieve an admit to my dream school LBS. Emma was thorough in checking my application package and offered some great insights to help me refine my story – it was great to be able to leverage her in-depth knowledge of what B-schools are looking for – thank you, Emma!
I was skeptical to begin after my friend recommended Fortuna, but after speaking with Emma I realized how valuable her experience would be, and what it would bring to the table in helping me apply for my EMBA. To be honest Emma was fantastic, without her knowledge and advice I would not have made it in successfully to my number one school pick. We worked very hard and Emma really had great advice and input all the way through the application process. From CV write-ups to essays and interview prep, she covered everything to the smallest details even my Instagram account! It was the best money spent and I highly recommend Fortuna Admissions in general and Emma Bond in specific. Thank you.
I was a round 4 LBS applicant and purchased ten hours of coaching with Emma Bond at Fortuna. Working with Emma was, I am convinced, the deciding factor in my successful admission to LBS.
In the four or so months that we worked together, Emma was faultlessly professional, flexible and, above all, fun to work with. Emma has an astonishing level of insight into the LBS application process and remains extremely close to the goings-on within the school.
My time with Emma started with a detailed discussion around my plans to apply for an MBA, in advance of which I’d completed an extensive written questionnaire that Emma had clearly read thoroughly in advance of our discussion. This allowed our conversation to be focussed and highly beneficial in helping to firm up my application strategy and proposed approach to LBS’ written application.
As I progressed through the written application, Emma was extremely helpful and responsive in allowing me to put my best foot forward. Emma rightly set very high standards for the application questions and in particular around using the limited space in the essays effectively. Without Emma’s guidance and insight at this stage of the process my written materials would have been significantly weaker.
When I was admitted for interview, Emma and I worked together on interview prep (both for the interview itself and the additional pre-recorded video question). Emma was immensely effective in helping to improve my weaknesses and again – rightly – set high and challenging standards while remaining very constructive and fair. Beyond improving areas in which I knew I was weak already, Emma helped me to identify and rectify weaknesses I didn’t know I had, and I was able to attend my interview feeling as well-prepared as I possibly could be. One of Emma’s real strengths is in the quality of her feedback – clear, constructive and readily actionable.
I couldn’t recommend Emma to prospective LBS applicants highly enough – I immensely enjoyed our time working together and was continually impressed by the strength of her insight and level of support throughout the process.
If you want a consultant who is meticulous, supportive, knowledgeable about both top US and European schools and who will walk with you through the long haul I highly recommend Emma!! I finally made it into an M7 US Business School and Emma was absolutely instrumental to my success. I first met Emma in 2020. When it was time to apply in 2021 I knew I wanted to work with Emma because of how supportive she is. Emma went above and beyond the services I had paid for. She gave me detailed feedback on my previous application as I was reapplying to an M7 school. Her review of my essays and resume was comprehensive and on time. I was waitlisted and she helped me come up with my waitlist strategy and reviewed all my correspondence to the waitlist manager. Thank you so much, Emma! I am super excited to start my MBA journey at an M7 school next year!
Working with Emma Bond has been an amazing experience and far beyond my expectation in almost all aspects. With her enormous support, I have been successfully rewarded with several great offers from the world-leading business schools (top 10 in the world).
Not only with invaluable insight and constructive advice, Emma Bond is also incredibly responsive, dynamic, and super responsible. She was able to work around my schedule in order to meet the tough deadline (less than two weeks since the first consultation), even actively supported me during the Easter Holiday.
The mock interview was of great value, definitely, you would be more confident in the real interviews.
A great “gatekeeper”! I strongly recommend!
Choosing Emma was the best decision I made! She is immensely experienced, was always available and advised me patiently and spot-on during the whole process. If you want to get into a top business school, I can highly recommend working with Emma!
I am an R2 admit to London Business School, class of MBA2023. I applied to both Stanford, and LBS in R2 and gotten interview invites for both and got an admission offer from LBS.
Before working with Emma, I had done a ton of research on the consulting services and had quick calls with various established consultants. Emma and the Fortuna team were extremely supportive yet customized in their engagement approach. Even before formally engaging with the team, she made sure to understand my background to give solid advice on approaching b-school applications.
Throughout my MBA application journey, Emma was always responsive to my questions and turnarounds on essay edits. There were periods during the whole journey where the MBA application process had to take a step back for work; Emma was very understanding but also gave strong reminders on progress. Thanks to Emma’s help, encouragement, and quick turnaround, the stress was manageable and she made the whole process even enjoyable.
One of the key highlights of the Comprehensive School Package is that she reviews every aspect of your application holistically to make sure your profile and branding are consistent across all inputs (essay, resume, etc) and the impact of this really shines through after working with Emma; she made sure to use different inputs to enhance different aspects of my profile valuable to the LBS. This is also incredibly helpful given it’s tough distilling your life story into a written application and making yourself shine among other outstanding candidates! Coming from Asia, I have the natural tendency to understate my profile; Emma was absolutely instrumental in ensuring my achievements shine through while keeping the appropriate language and voice intact.
After receiving the interview invites, she also coached me on interview prep to highlight my candidacy to business school – balancing between showcasing both my professional and personal fronts and weaving in the LBS support through her second-to-none knowledge of LBS. I was quite nervous in my first round of interview prep and Emma was generous to conduct another round for me to internalize the comments and improve. This generosity spirit also shows during the Stanford application process. With just a few days to the application deadline, we realized my essays did not highlight my profile well after multiple rounds of editing. She did not hesitate to give me the feedback despite the time pressure, and we worked closely to rework the essay for final submission. I credit her candor during the application process, for my Stanford interview invite in spite of my low(er) GMAT score and typical consulting profile.
I strongly advise that anyone keen on LBS or business schools work with Emma; her advice is invaluable not just for business school application but re-evaluating your career & life aspirations in the process.
First let me preface this with my experience at Fortuna, when I contacted the company, after shopping around with other 5 firms, Fortuna set me up a few calls with some consultants. Due to the competitiveness of this application cycle (dubbed the most competitive ever), low scores (lower than average GMAT/GRE) and getting older (over 30, over 7 yrs of experience) I worked with 2 consulting firms so I had the chance to compare Fortuna with another top consulting firm. I used Fortuna’s services, or more precisely Emma’s services, initially for 2 applications and then, after working with Emma on the first applications, I saw the quality of her work and I decided to do 5 applications with her. I worked on an hourly basis as I was aware of the process (HBS re-applicant) and needed help with a few things. From the first moment I spoke with Emma I knew she was extremely aware of the admissions process and understood my story 100%. Emma is caring, flexible, big picture but detailed-oriented, always on top of her game, extremely polite but also realistic and candid. Some of the most unique things that I found working with Emma were the following: 1.- She doesn’t charge you “extra” for small questions you may have and is always ready to provide advice to us, anxious applicants, about the process, essays or interactions with schools (other consulting firms do charge you even for the slightest question or e-mail, which I find insulting). Her response time is soooo fast, it was amazing. I remember sending questions at 3 am and getting an answer almost immediately. 2.- She really understood my story, my motivations to pursue an MBA, and she really listened to me whenever I wanted to change my essays in an X or Y narrative. 3.- Emma is so good at being big picture and detailed oriented that it was just sort of crazy (my other consultant was not like this let me tell you!) Emma sometimes remembered a small story that I vaguely remembered 3 months prior and then out of the blue she told to me include that story I barely mentioned. Her ability to recall small details about me, let alone all her clients, is just really impressive. 4.-She gave me a few crucial scholarship tips that I did not receive from any other consulting firm (think Forte, consortium-like) and told me to apply. This became crucial in my app as I got money and a fellowship from applying to these programs. 5.- I could not have unfolded my story the way I did to HBS/Wharton without Emma’s help. I was so proud of my application and it was so skillfully well-done that I sort of did not care so much about the outcome of my application. Nonetheless, I had good outcomes. 6.-She helped and knew what things to highlight in Essays and in the written application. She actually gave me many comments on my application and how that fit within the essays, it was truly a holistic service. 7.- She knew the process for European programs and USA programs inside out. Make no mistake Emma is great at knowing all top programs around the world. Another aspect is that she sometimes checks with other seasoned consultants with Fortuna and gets advice from the larger pool of consultants, not all consulting firms do that, and in fact, Fortuna was unique at that comparing against the other firms I worked with. 8.- Emma was candid about my chances to get in at HBS (after 2 terrible applications in different cycles with another consulting firm, making this my 3rd attempt), and Wharton (first time applicant with lower scores, but also a really competitive application season). I wish I would have met Emma 2 years before (when I was a bit younger) to get true advice on my applications and the chance to have improved my scores, unfortunately, I was borderlining the age where some adcoms pushed me to apply to the EMBA train (which I really did not want to do, and I think is a diluted MBA) or I could apply to 1 year programs (I did not want a 1 year experience). Allow me to say that I was not going to apply to Wharton but Emma really pushed me on applying to Wharton with a great app. Ultimately, I got interviewed at Wharton. 9.- I think the thing I loved the most working with Emma is that she was a great consultant and allowed me to share my inner self with her, and I truly think after working with Emma I found a really good advisor and someone I connected with on a personal level. I could write on and on about how great Emma is. I would say, it is hard, almost impossible, to find someone as good as Emma. In fact, after having hired Emma, a current student told me to contact Emma (I never asked the student to give me consultant recommendations). Emma will help you to get into a great program and will make the process easy-peasy. I ended up being admitted to 1 top 10, 1 Top 15 program (with a nice fellowship and scholarship money), waitlisted at 2 top ten programs (In this application season waitlisted almost means in another cycle admitted, and even at waitlist Emma knows the process there too!) and dinged at 2 (after interview). If you want to have a competitive, candid, and friendly consultant go with Emma, after having had bad experiences with another consulting firm I could make comparisons among consulting firms and consultants. Emma is a Rockstar, I can attest to every single thing that was posted by other people here on P&Qs. I think my review still does not make justice by how good she is. Emma will help you to attain your MBA application goals! Thanks Emma!!!!!!!!!
Emma worked with my primary coach to support my bid towards LBS MBA admission. After many drafts of application essays, Emma could still pick up things to adjust that ultimately helped me to showcase myself as a perfect candidate. Emma has been so responsive that at times even my husband was impressed when she reviewed and sent back her comment in less than an hour after I submitted my writings. Emma’s in-depth knowledge of LBS has also been incredibly helpful to ensure I think and plan strategically with my ongoing career. I am truly lucky to have her as my coach!
Overall experience with Fortuna Admission team was great and would definitely recommend using their services if you need help with shaping your story! First, I had a meeting with Matt Symonds, who lifted my hopes and tried to highlight the features of my story that business schools would love. This was a ~45 minutes call which helped me take a different perspective on my profile and reflection! (Also, it is free) Once I committed to Fortuna, I started working with Emma on my MiM application. She was very responsive and very helpful whenever I needed her. I would never be able to pull through that process without her help. The specific features I liked about Emma: – First, we met up to get to know each other and discuss the essay topics and short answer questions. Emma is a great listener and at the same time she challenges your ideas to make sure you express yourself in the best possible way. – Once I got into writing the essays, Emma did an amazing job! She corrected the grammar, flow, and overall message of the essays. Emma has a really great understanding of what the b-schools are looking for in your essays! I was actually surprised by the amount of help I received since the MiM package is only 4 hours – Emma definitely spent more than that on my application! – After I got an interview invite, I purchased an additional hour to do a mock interview. Emma asked me basically the same questions I was asked during my actual interview and provided me with great feedback. She took notes of everything I said and once we were done she went through each of the questions providing me with weak and strong points of my answers.
To summarize, I doubt I would be able to do it on my own (especially that I started my application 2.5/3 weeks before the deadline!). Emma structured my approach to the application and provided me with great feedback on everything I did. I would definitely recommend Emma and Fortuna if you are looking into MiM programs or b-schools in general! My best investment of 2020!
Emma was a dream to work with, and with her help I was accepted to one of the top MBA programs in the UK! I connected with Emma late in the Round 2 process, about 2 weeks until the deadline! I had written all my essays already, but Emma helped improve them by an immeasurable amount. In such a short time it felt like she had known me for years and knew exactly the point I was trying to get across. Without changing any of my points, she gave amazing advice on how to enhance my essays and posed thoughtful questions that helped me identify the areas I needed to work on. Emma was incredibly supportive and so comforting during this stressful process and gave her candid and honest opinions on how to improve my profile. With only two weeks until the deadline, Emma was so great at being responsive and supporting me through the process. She is so reassuring and kind, and was my biggest advocate! She was also amazing at helping me to prepare for the interview and gave great constructive feedback via mock interviews. Regardless of where you are in the application process, Emma is an expert and is skilled at understanding you and your motivations, and helps you to present the best version of yourself! She was an absolute pleasure to work with, and I can’t thank her enough!
I worked with Emma to apply to an early careers program at one of the top universities worldwide.Emma guided me and helped make the application process easy and simple. Without her I know that I would have been lost and confused. I loved working with her and her help has been instrumental to my acceptance at my dream school. I cannot thank her enough and really recommend her to anyone that is thinking of applying to a masters program. I convinced all my friends and family to apply through her.
I recommend her because she is very thorough and has a lot of knowledge on what the universities are looking for. She has a lot of experience and that experience is invaluable to anyone applying to a top university. She has helped me edit my Essays and CVs while not taking away my voice. She helped me enhance my application and for that I am very grateful. I also worked with her on interview prep and our mock trial was exactly like my interview. Her comments and suggestions made my interview go smoothly and helped me make a good impression.
I am a recent admit to LBS and could not have achieved that without Emma’s help. She really is one of the best in the business and was top notch in every aspect in my dealings with her. In particular, Emma is extremely responsive (eg, when reviewing drafts of applications under tight timelines), has second-to-none knowledge of LBS and the key people there (on account of her background as a former admissions officer) and really goes the extra mile to help you perfect everything in your application. I also did interview prep with Emma a few days beforehand which was invaluable in helping me be less nervous on the day and identify points where I could improve. Emma is also just very down to earth and made what was a stressful application process much more simple and fun – I always felt like I had a huge advantage with her in my corner. I am delighted that I went with Emma and I really can’t recommend her enough – particularly if you are applying to LBS.
I opted for the Admissions Director’s Evaluation over the Comprehensive Package because I already covered a lot of ground with MBA research and applications when I started researching consulting services. I was really just looking for a service that could help get me across the goal line. If you are pressed for time with applications or unsure where to start your MBA journey, I believe the Comprehensive Package with Emma could be very useful.
Emma was an absolute rock star throughout the whole process and knows LBS inside and out. She was INCREDIBLY responsive and did a great job of explaining what LBS is looking for in its applicants. Trying to distill my entire life’s experience into 2 essays and an application form was an incredibly difficult task, but Emma knew exactly how to showcase the aspects of my life/experience that LBS values. This is an exceptionally difficult year for admissions, so your essays and your “story” are more important than ever – Emma will help you make your best self shine on the page.
Emma did such a great job with the Director’s Evaluation that I also signed up for the interview prep with her. LBS has a much different interview process than most programs, so there’s a lot of value in getting more bespoke tutoring.
If you’re applying to LBS (or any top 10 global program), Emma/Fortuna is an investment you will not regret.
Throughout my life, there are only a few individuals I have met who have made me feel so incredibly blessed to have come across them and to have on my side, and Emma Bond is one of them. Coming from a non-traditional MBA background, I applied (with some nerves!) in the final round of the admissions cycle when there were not many spots remaining. Thanks to Emma’s guidance, not only did I manage to get admitted, but I also received a SUBSTANTIAL scholarship to attend my top choice school – London Business School. As a late-round admit, I believe that receiving such a scholarship would have been impossible without Emma’s help and guidance with my application.
Simply put (as I am quite a demanding individual), I already had high expectations for admissions consultants, but Emma’s level of insight, contribution, and the sheer difference she made to my application COMPLETELY blew my mind. Thanks to Emma, there were many things that DRAMATICALLY strengthened my application that would not even have crossed my mind without her, and would have been impossible to know without Emma’s unparalleled experience and passion for LBS (these are not things that you can find out by reading articles online – they really are UNIQUE and UNPARALLELED insights into the admissions process that only someone like Emma with deep experience can provide). It is my honest opinion that there is surely no one else on the planet that could be comparable to working with Emma for LBS. Emma’s knowledge about the LBS admissions process and her way of guiding me through the entire application was absolutely incredible.
From the moment I spoke to Emma, I felt that I was in great hands: she is a tremendously friendly, intelligent, and hardworking individual, with a deep passion for helping her clients succeed. Emma helped me shape my essays (as a former member of the admissions team, she really knows EXACTLY what LBS is looking for) and she provided many rounds of input on my entire application, with extremely helpful and impressive feedback, and always replied with incredible speed! She did not hesitate to work on weekends, and I always felt prioritised, like I was the only person she was working with. Each time when she provided feedback, she helped take my essays and application to another level, and she even cleared her schedule to provide feedback all the way up until my application was submitted (even providing valuable feedback on all the minor details). I felt like Emma was with me every step of the way and it was enormously comforting!
When I received an interview invitation, Emma helped me prepare for the interview and made a massive difference in getting me ready for anything that could be asked by the interviewer. As an MBA interviewer herself, her feedback was incredible and really gave me a lot of confidence. When I sat my interview, using what I had practiced with Emma, I was lucky (and overjoyed) to nail the interview with her help.
It has really been an amazing experience working with Emma, and as I think will be clear by now, I feel so lucky to have met her! I can’t thank you enough Emma, and the rest of the Fortuna team! As I hope I have made clear from this review, I really can’t recommend Emma any higher. She is simply out of this world amazing. Anyone who gets the chance to work with her, I would say you’re a very lucky person and you have a MASSIVE advantage over the competition! THANK YOU SO MUCH EMMA!!
I had the pleasure to work with Emma, having heard rave reviews from family friends about her as a consultant but also as Fortuna Admissions in general. I would not have had the success I had without her help.
From the first free consultation call, I knew that Fortuna Admissions’ approach is of the highest standard and their strength in LBS admissions stood them apart from others. Emma took the time to listen to my story, understand my objectives, background, plan/timeline, and provided me with very objective and sincere advice.
Emma’s help added tremendous value in every step of my application to business school. Emma really challenged me to think broader and deeper to produce the most compelling and memorable articulation of myself, experience, and drivers in the admissions essays. Emma was meticulous and ensure no stone was left unturned. Thanks to Emma’s invaluable experience and insights, I was able to narrow down and pick the best topics for each essay, some of which I previously thought were not “big” enough for MBA application materials. Emma particularly helped me be more concise and impactful in everything that I wrote and said in the interviews. I did a mock interview with Emma which was hugely beneficial and really helped me prepare the best I could for the final stage.
Emma was approachable, positive, and dedicated throughout the process. She ensured that the process was easily followed, kept on track, and helped me break down what can at first glance seem quite a lot to undertake alongside work / personal life.
I am extremely pleased that all the hard work paid off and I will be attending LBS this August! And this was largely the result of Emma and Fortuna’s quality guidance and support. I would recommend them to anyone who seriously wants to get into a top MBA program, not just LBS (but I can certainly speak from experience that they have a specialty in LBS).
Thanks for everything, Emma!
Emma is such a wonderful consultant that very much cares about you as a person and in helping you get to your dream school.
As a former member of the admissions committee at LBS, Emma has an insightful perspective of what the admissions committee are looking for when reviewing a candidate. After reviewing my application, she helped pull everything from my experiences to show me in the best light and make my application truly shine.
Emma is incredibly easy to talk to, funny, and goes above and beyond to make herself available to provide guidance and advice. She encourages, but at the same time, she is honest about the things that you need to hear and the weaknesses that you’ll need to find solutions for through other parts of your application. The application process is a tough process —so having someone in your corner like Emma with all of her knowledge and experience as a sounding board made me feel as if I had an outside perspective on whether I was pursuing the right path and narrative.
In terms of working with Emma – she was incredibly helpful and prompt in her responses. Emma is an essay editing queen and takes a lot of pride in her work, which absolutely showed. She turned around my materials quickly, usually in 24 hours, and always came back with a lot of detailed notes on how I could improve and make things better. Even when I changed parts of my application at the last minute on the day of submission, she cleared out time to provide mark-ups and guidance at the last second. She was also great at providing constructive feedback that made it easy for me to understand how to move forward. My essays and short answers were significantly stronger because I had her guidance. She was also super helpful with interview prep and gave great detailed feedback on what you do well and where to improve.
With Emma’s help, I was able to get in my top school in R3 even though I had an area of weakness in my application. If you are looking for a consultant, I highly recommend working Emma, especially if you are looking at LBS. She brings so much expertise, but more importantly, she cares and is invested in her client. I’m glad to have had her in my application process!
I was interested in schools in the UK – and working with Emma was the absolute best decision I made! She has years of experience working on the admissions team at London Business School, in addition to experience at other schools including Imperial. Right away, Emma took the time to get to know me on a personal level. It was clear she has mastered the admissions process and was able to provide strong direction, insight, and strategy. I was waitlisted at my top school (LBS) and Emma helped me through this stressful process every step of the way. I ended up getting admitted, and I honestly could not have done it without Emma’s help and support! If you’re applying for MBA programs (especially in the UK), I highly recommend Emma with a ringing endorsement. In addition to her talent and experience, she is truly wonderful to work with and is so thoughtful and caring!
I took the premium package service with Emma Bond. I received an offer from my number one target – LBS. Overall, my experience working with Emma has surpassed my expectation.
Emma is a superb writer. As a former admissions director who has reviewed hundreds of thousands of applications, she knows exactly how to turn your thoughts into words that the admission officers like. Her use of words is beautiful but concise. I often struggle with the word limit, and every time she was able to help me get down to the requirement without impacting the depth of meaning I wanted to convey. Sometimes I even felt that I only needed to simply write down my thoughts and Emma would always have the magic to turn them into pieces of art.
Emma helps you come up with the right story. We had a brainstorming session for each school that I applied and each session was pleasant for me. Emma is a good listener and helps you identify the spotlight in your story. She also has a great attitude. I remembered I wanted to change the entire logic and structure of my HBS essay midway through the process and she had no complaint about it. She worked diligently with me on that essay and we were able to achieve a satisfactory piece of work in the end.
Emma is professional and responsive. I remember even when she was in the middle of her vacation at a place where WIFI is super limited, she still got back to me as soon as she can. At normal times, she returned work within 1 day even though the official turn-around requirement is 2 days. It really helped me achieve my tight timeline. Additionally, many other consultants usually took recommendation letters lightly, but Emma spent time with me and my recommender to come up with the right materials in application.
If you’re applying to LBS, Emma is no doubt THE best consultant you can find in the market. As a former admissions director, she knew the inside out of LBS. She still maintained direct contact with insiders. I was not very confident after my 1-on-1 interview, and she was able to ask feedback from the current admissions director which gave me a huge comfort. Emma knows exactly what LBS looks for and will give you the best chance to get that offer.
Finally, Emma prepares you well for interviews. The LBS video interview is tricky and high demanding as it requires candidates to respond promptly on the spot. Emma went through the interview process with me twice and made me confident enough to face the challenge. I still remembered the feeling when I was doing the real thing – I felt calm, well prepared, and excited to answer the questions.
If you’re looking to get into LBS there’s really only Emma Bond who you need to work with! I came across Emma after reviewing a couple of consultancy websites. As Emma worked as a senior member of the admissions committee at London Business School working with her was sort of a no-brainer. I already had written all my essays and filled out most of my application, but I felt like I wanted a second pair of eyes to perfect my application and also guide me to frame my somewhat lower GMAT score, compared to the schools average. The process of working with Emma was easy and rewarding. She would send across her mark-ups and provide guidance at all times throughout the process. Emma is a perfectionist and went well out of her way to ensure that I had an application that stood out – she will ensure that by the time the application goes out that it is nothing short of perfect. I found it particularly helpful that I was able to contact her via Whatsapp throughout the day and her quick response time. Additionally, Emma is still very well connected within LBS and is well aware of what the admissions team is looking for, which is absolutely crucial in crafting a flawless application! Joining LBS MBA program is a dream come true and I truly believe that Emma was a major contributing factor that made that dream happen!! Needless to say, I would choose Emma and Fortuna again!
Fortuna – easily one of the best admissions consultant teams, by far, if not the best. Emma – one of the most experienced, honest, and incisive consultants. My Fortuna team was Emma and Amy (Amy’s review written separately).
My first contact with Fortuna was an honest, in-depth, and heartfelt conversation with Emma. I knew then and there she was whom I wanted to work with. She took the time to get to know me and my story and I could see her mind working straight away. Emma’s years of experience, solid expertise as a coach and intimate understanding of the applicant selection process (especially at LBS) shone through and through at every step of the process. As the director of my application – she guided the overall strategy and read through each and every aspect of my application as the “LBS Gatekeeper” ie with the finest tooth comb and highlighted small, subtle aspects that I would have never identified by myself. She always added that back to the bigger picture and ensured my personality was well elucidated in the application.
She took the time to get to know my personality, my story, my motivations (both personal and professional) and pushed me to always put my best foot forward in every aspect of the application and interview process. What I really loved about Emma were her helpful pep talks before the interview and her calming debriefs post interview. Further, I was a re-applicant to LBS and Emma really drilled down into each and every aspect of how I had strengthened my profile – including areas I would not have thought about. What I truly admire about Emma is her no-nonsense honesty – it helps so much and saves so much time when writing an MBA essay, which is already a very involved, reflective journey.
If LBS is your dream school, I cannot recommend Emma highly enough. If top b-schools are among your choices, I cannot recommend Fortuna enough. And a final word about Matt Symonds – he is as astute as he is kind, and his team at Fortuna is the same. Whichever school, you can’t go wrong with Fortuna.
Emma is such a fantastic consultant. She was always prompt when reviewing my essay drafts which, given I had left things rather late, was the difference between b-school this year or waiting a whole other year. She knew exactly which parts of my (rather unconventional) story to highlight and helped me to join the dots into a coherent narrative. I also appreciated her honesty with regards to my chances at the various schools that I wanted to apply to. Emma is very down-to-earth and will tell it like it is but will do so with a touch of humor that is really welcome during the crazy rollercoaster that is b-school applications!
Emma has a breadth of experience; she helped me with school selection, overall application strategy, essay editing, mock interviews, and scholarship negotiation. She is super knowledgeable about LBS but I also got into two M7 schools with scholarships with Emma’s help so she has many strings to her bow. I really cannot recommend Emma, and Fortuna, highly enough!
I can’t imagine what the application process would have been like without the Fortuna team. They made everything tangible, and much more enjoyable even from the first call. The entire process was an adventure in itself and helped me gain a better understanding of myself including my strengths and weaknesses as well as my goals. I worked with both Melissa Jones and Emma Bond- a great duo. They are both extremely professional and helpful, had great insights on the process, paid great attention to detail and knew how to position my profile in the best way possible. They went above and beyond to help me prepare for my interviews and always available for questions. I know I was successful with my applications because of Fortuna and am extremely thankful I made the decision to work with them. I highly suggest working with them.
It has been an absolute pleasure working with Emma Bond and the Fortuna admissions team. I have worked with another service in the past and the insights, diligence and thoroughness from Emma are at a completely different level! Emma was an admissions officer herself and she provides great understanding into how the admissions teams work and how best to tell your story. In spite of a great GMAT I had a major disadvantage which we were able to overcome and led to an offer from a top school. We worked through the whole process together from the initial planning phase to submitting the essays, to conducting realistic mock interviews. It is one of the best investments I have made and I recommend working with Emma and Fortuna for your whole application process.
I’ve spent the duration of my professional career (over 5 years in total) working to separate myself from my lackluster undergraduate performance. So, when I decided to apply to institution ranked in the top 10 globally, I researched extensively how I could overcome my >2.9 GPA as a social science major. After unsuccessful attempts (both on my own and with a well-known MBA consultant), I opted to take a chance with Fortuna based on overwhelmingly positive feedback on this site.
After an initial consultation, I was paired with Emma Bond which turned out to be match made in heaven. I came to Emma with a high-level understanding of “my story” and how a MBA could help me achieve my career goals. However, Emma strategically poked holes in my story where required and skillfully helped to fill in any crucial details. Additionally, Emma provided a depth of information across all programs that was a result of her and her colleagues direct experience. Her expertise on how each program evaluates candidate could not be replicated by other means. Her insider knowledge allowed me to put forth the most compelling body of work to each program.
Throughout our engagement, Emma was incredibly pleasurable to work with. She was willing to accommodate my rather demanding work schedule and turned around drafts very promptly. But, I could also rely on Emma to politely push me when necessary to stay in sync with our aggressive timeline. It became apparent that Emma was genuinely invested in my success. Emma set a high standard for work because she knew that’s what it took. I found myself digging deeper to turn around stronger drafts so I wouldn’t disappoint Emma. When I put forth work that she didn’t think was up to par, she didn’t hesitate to roll up her sleeves and masterfully guide me on how the work could be improved. Most notably, Emma helped me interject my personality into the essays and short answers in a professional and charismatic way. Emma’s involvement helped to cultivate applications much stronger than I believed were possible. As a result, I was invited to interview at multiple schools that I was repeatedly told were “out of my league” from other consultants.
When it came time to prep for interviews, Emma was well-prepared to make the mock interview best replicate the actual experience. She asked refreshingly challenging questions and spent extra time ensuring that my answers were as sound as possible. With her preparation, I marched confidently into my interviews and nailed it.
Ultimately, I gained admission to my dream school and punched well above my weight. If you want to maximize your odds at gaining entry to a top MBA program, especially London Business School, you need to work with Emma. She cares about her clients on a whole different level and has the experience to push you above & beyond your capabilities. I’d best sum up our time together as transformational.
I highly recommend working with Emma. For me, it resulted in admission to LSE, IESE and Warwick. Emma opened my eyes to how a successful application should look like. I’m an attorney-at-law, and I hadn’t either studied or applied to a business school before. Emma helped translate my experience from a legal industry and NGO into achievements recognizable for b-schools. She also taught me how to structure my application documents, present my future goals and related them to the school’s programme. Importantly, as I’m seeking a career change, Emma also helped me reflect on my background and skills, which not only contributed to my admission success but will also benefit me in transition I’m about to start. Last but not least, I was impressed how efficient working with Emma was and how fast we managed to improve my application documents. She is definitely the expert who knows what questions to ask you, how to determine your strengths and how to mitigate potential weaknesses in your profile.
I have worked with Emma for ‘Director’s Evaluation’ service as well as ‘Hourly Consulting Service’ after I was invited for the interview. I sincerely enjoyed working with her because of her expertise and knowledge about LBS, insights in admission process (behind the scene), responsive and enthusiastic attitude toward my application and me. If consultants can provide information that I can find from the web (or even worse, not knowing about the information I find), I think there is no value. In that matter, Emma, due to her time at the school, knows every bit of the school that outsiders cannot really find out. Also, even though she left the school some time ago, she is up to date with all the history and changes to the programme (curriculum, events, culture, etc.) because she is still closely connected with many LBS people. When she received my full application for the ‘Director’s Evaluation’, she was quick to recognize all the details about the programme I put in (even though some of the things were new this year), and provided more insights and details so that my application and essays looked like someone within the LBS community had written them (in my opinion). I was also able to demonstrate my fit with LBS in interviews with additional inside knowledge Emma provided. Also, as an applicant, I was always curious about what happens behind the scene with admission team when they are making a decision, and I could not really find the answer because most people can only guess (although some people/consultants are arrogant enough to say they know when they have never sat at the table). Because Emma has made the admission decision with the team before, she exactly knows what’s happening behind the scene and what the admission team is looking for. This was helpful in many ways: carving out irrelevant information in my application that would only bother admission officers to read, changing perspectives in telling my story so that I can showcase my qualities that admission team is looking for, recognizing my weakness and addressing it properly, even helping my mind to be at peace as I know what will happen when I hit the submit button, etc. Lastly, her passion for LBS applicants is tremendous! She tried to help me in any way possible and was willing to communicate at all times. For the past 2 months, we’ve had more than 100 emails going back and forth. She got back to me by the next day, and this is at the latest! She sometimes just emails me back in a real-time. Her comments and actual edits are so detailed and insightful as well. For example, I think my CV initially had all the good contents, but only with her edit, the reader could actually see and easily recognize the great content (I believe this is so important for CV!). Also, just working with someone who is so willing and passionate about my admission definitely helps when I am so tired working on applications. And I can actually build trust toward with her so that we can truly become a team! All in all, I believe I wouldn’t have received my admission if I have not worked with Emma. With Emma’s input, my initial work has improved (more like evolved) to shine! If anyone is interested in LBS, I am 100% confident that Emma is the best consultant on the planet!
Having worked with multiple admission consultants, Emma is definitely the best I had. She helped me with my interview preparation for LBS and gave me great advice when I was on the wait list. I think the first and most important thing is that your consultant is responsible and truly cares about you. Emma gave me her best advice and took the initiative of providing me with additional thoughts even after our prep session was done. Emma knows the school extremely well that she was able to provide me great insights of the school and the programs offered. When I was waitlisted for the MBA program, Emma was also able to give me good feedbacks with realistic expectations throughout the process. Her advice was great and I got off the wait list at the first round of review. I strongly recommend Emma!
Reapplying from an over-represented applicant pool within six months of being waitlisted sounded tough enough, till I reached out to Emma and the team at Fortuna admissions made me feel better about the process. I’d worked with Emma on an Admissions of my prior application followed by Hourly consulting on the essay and interview prep. Emma’s prior consulting & LBS experience meant she w as able to relate to my personal/ career progression, and highlight experiences that made me stand out. Our interactions were informal yet candid, which made working with her very easy even through a tight timeline and juggling multiple pieces of the application packet. Her feedback pushed me out of my comfort zone and towards crafting something that spoke less about only what I do, and more about who I am. Similar to the experience nearly everyone has had with Fortuna, Emma’s turnaround was both super-quick and super-detailed (I still can’t figure out how both go together 🙂 ). From my first draft to the final version, I was able to clearly see the difference in story that Emma’s inputs helped craft. Similarly during interview prep, Emma’s inputs helped me better project who I am and brought a sense of informality to my story, as opposed to a linear approach that I’d typically have followed. I definitely feel Emma’s inputs helped me in crafting a better, more rounded and personal application second time around, and was the biggest influence in helping me secure a place at LBS within six months of a prior application decision. If you’re applying to LBS, Emma should be your go-to person!
My initial conversation with Matt Symonds was the most informative of the many consultancies I reached out to. He was very knowledgeable despite my non-traditional background, and ultimately was the reason I chose Fortuna over others. I used the CSP for the major business school in the UK, and was accepted. Emma was part of the team at Fortuna, and was involved in the later stages of the application process. She came in once the entire application was close to finalised and looked at the whole applications (essays, short answers, CV, etc.) and provided some key insights. I did a mock interview with Emma and also with Karen, and this variety of interviewers was very helpful. Fortuna also used a project management software which was very intuitive and really helped the overall process (vs. traditional email). I am grateful to Emma, Karen and Fortuna for their help, and would thoroughly recommend them especially to anyone who may have a less traditional background for an MBA.
Emma and Melissa were key and instrumental in my successful applications to both INSEAD and LBS (and a few other schools across EU and US!). I always felt like I had their full attention when working on my essays and interview prep. Even after I received my offers they continued to guide me through my decision of school and things I should consider. I highly recommend Emma and Melissa not only for their expertise, but they are essentially providing a peace of mind as all Fortuna consultants have actual admissions experience in top b-schools. Great service and highly, highly recommended!
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