Heidi Hillis

TLDR: Got into both GSB and HBS, and I couldn’t have done it without Heidi.

As an international student with a unique background, I knew I had solid experiences but struggled with how to present my story. Heidi was a game-changer. She took the time to really listen, helping me focus on the most important parts of my personal and professional journey.

When it came time for interview prep, she was invaluable—insisting we do a mock interview and offering insights that made a huge difference.

The MBA application process is filled with uncertainty, but Heidi helped guide me through it all, keeping my stress in check every step of the way.

Going into the admission process, I wasn’t entirely sure how to best position myself to standout — resume, the essays, interviews etc. were overwhelming, and doing that with a full time job proved to be even more difficult. Without Heidi’s help, I wouldn’t have been able to do it. She was professional but also very personable, she always made time to meet, and she knew exactly how to position my application and stories to make me standout. I couldn’t have done this without her and would highly recommend Heidi as a consultant!

Heidi proved to be an invaluable resource for me in my MBA application process. In particular, I appreciated Heidi’s knowledge, approach, patience, and gifted ear for storytelling. She applied personal attention to my candidacy, strategically covered my blind spots, and worked diligently with me to strengthen all aspects of my application. This touch meaningfully helped me articulate and connect intimate details of my life to reasons for pursuing school. Put simply, Heidi was the secret weapon that helped me unlock Stanford GSB. Follow my lead! Thank you, Heidi!

I highly recommend working with Heidi! I began working with her in the summer of 2023 while aiming for applications to five schools in Round 1, which was relatively late in the process. Despite the timing, Heidi proved her expertise and was pivotal in refining my narrative and offering extremely valuable insights. Prior to working with her, I lacked clarity on my career goals. However, Heidi guided me in defining my vision, a benefit not only for the MBA admissions journey but also for my future career.

Heidi’s responsiveness is exceptional. Despite being in different time zones—I was in Europe for several months and then back in the U.S.—she consistently replied to my questions and returned drafts within a day, providing thorough reviews and feedback. She really ensures that you receive the dedicated attention you require!!

MIT Sloan has always been my dream school, and I am thrilled to be attending this fall. Heidi’s guidance was crucial in achieving this milestone!

I went into this process wanting to ensure that I put my best foot forward, and Heidi was the best consultant to work with to make sure that happened. She was super available and turned around edits very quickly, often times even in the same day. We spent many hours together talking through what I wanted to communicate in my essays and refining and revising. She also pressure tested my career vision and helped me craft a story that was authentic and appealing for admissions. We also spent a lot of time working on prep packets for my recommenders to ensure those letters turned out well, which I think made a huge difference.

I always trusted that Heidi was being honest with me on if something was working or not. By the time we got to submitting the applications, I felt super confident that it was the best that I could produce, no matter what the final results were. I purchased the 3 school package, but the learnings I got from working with Heidi helped me with the two other schools I applied for as well. The interview prep was also essential, particularly Fortuna’s mock group interviews for Wharton.

I would highly recommend working with Heidi, as she is an expert in helping you shape your application for success. I felt very supported in this process knowing that I had her in my corner for advice on every single step. It gave me peace of mind to know that what I was submitting had Heidi’s stamp of approval, which saved me a lot of time and headache in this long process. I ended up being accepted to 4 out of 5 schools I applied for and will attend HBS this fall!

Heidi lent her guidance, support, feedback, direction, and redirection throughout what ended up being a 2.5-year-long application process. She supported me on my applications to HBS, the Stanford GSB, and Harvard Kennedy School. While I was not admitted to these programs (I am 34 and had below-average test scores and grades), I can enthusiastically affirm that Heidi helped me put my best foot forward in my applications.

Heidi provided specific feedback that drove the repeated rewriting of my essays and kept me on track from a timing standpoint, helping to minimize stress. She was consistently kind, thoughtful, and encouraging.

While Heidi did not partner with me on preparing my application to MIT Sloan, she did support me during the interview process, delivering crucial input on my interview essays and providing feedback that I believe helped secure my admission to MIT Sloan.

Given her dedication and compassion, I wholeheartedly recommend you choose to work with Heidi as your admissions coach. She is an invaluable partner in the often-daunting marathon that is applying to graduate school.

I had the pleasure of working with Heidi Hills as my MBA application coach, and I cannot recommend her services highly enough. With her guidance, I successfully gained admission to prestigious business schools such as Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, Saïd Business School at Oxford, and Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management.

Heidi’s approach is meticulously tailored and highly effective. She not only assisted me in finding the right GRE coaching—which significantly improved my scores—but also played a crucial role in refining my application essays and CV. Her insights into storytelling transformed my applications, allowing me to present a compelling narrative that truly stood out. She always made time to talk to me and answer all my questions. she was always available even during her leave time.

Thanks to Heidi’s dedication and expertise, I felt prepared and confident throughout the application process. Her deep understanding of the intricacies of business school admissions and her commitment to her clients’ success are truly unparalleled. If you are looking for a coach who will invest in your success and guide you to achieving your goals, Heidi Hills is the best choice.

Best in the world? Let’s get the obvious out of the way first, with Heidi’s wealth of knowledge about the MBA application process and her unparalleled ability to understand you as a candidate, you will undoubtedly get into the school(s) of your dreams (from a Wharton & CBS Admit) – as seen by the reviews listed on Poets & Quants.

When you have Heidi as a coach, you’re actually getting a life coach who will guide you through perhaps one of the toughest years. Throughout the application journey, you’ll find that unexpected things will creep up, making you doubt your candidacy and if the MBA is worth the effort, especially as you’re juggling 10 other priorities. Not only did Heidi help me stay true to my goals and dreams, but she helped squash any doubt I had. Her nudges of encouragement allowed me to endure taking the GMAT until I reached my goal score. As somewhat of a perfectionist, she perhaps saved me 100s of hours pouring over every detail in my essays or producing multiple additional alternatives by giving me the confidence that I was putting my best foot forward. With the application journey complete, I’ll still be carrying Heidi’s wisdom forward throughout my life as I’ll be enacting my career vision that she helped clarify.

The best athletes usually have the best coach to help them reach their full potential. If you’re lucky enough to work with Heidi, she’s your MBA equivalent.

I reached out to Heidi Hillis for HBS, Stanford, and MIT applications, which I knew was a tall ask coming for an overrepresented candidate like me. My experience with Heidi over the last 6months was nothing short of excellent. Her expertise in understanding my profile and listing out strengths to highlight and weaknesses to address set the ball rolling. Particularly, her ability to take everything from my long journey and help me build an effective narrative was astounding. Her guidance helped me focus my energy on things that matter and cut through the clutter of information available online.

On top of all things, her deep insights into all the schools especially GSB and HBS, and their values proved to be very valuable in working through the long and challenging application where every single word makes a lot of difference. On a personal level, she was very flexible and always available to help me out when I was stuck at any point by getting on a call and over email.

Finally, on the decision date, got admits from HBS and GSB, and I cannot even begin to express my gratitude towards Heidi and Fortuna for helping this dream become a reality.

Thank you, Heidi, again for your guidance and partnership this past year!

Heidi was able to work with me in a detailed way, accounting for my unique background (non-traditional work experience). She not only helped me craft an application that won admission to GSB and Wharton but also helped guide me on the decision-making process of what schools to attend and apply to. She is very knowledgeable and has a way of bringing the best application out.

Heidi is the absolute best coach you could ask for! I come from an entrepreneurial background and am an ‘unconventional’ candidate. Heidi helped simplify the overwhelming MBA process and worked with me diligently to craft a succinct story for each part of the application. She also assisted me with interview prep, which helped me polish my story and articulate my career goals clearly. Her honest feedback and insights helped me gain admission to both Stanford GSB and Wharton. I could not be more excited for my MBA journey, and I am so grateful for Heidi’s guidance!

Working with Heidi was a great experience, and led to an amazing result — admission into my top choice MBA program! Heidi was attentive, thoughtful, and supportive throughout the process, and her approach allowed my personal story to shine (esp. important given my decent, not great, test scores). I’m especially grateful that Heidi was able to accommodate my rushed timeline, consistently providing super helpful feedback on a quick turnaround. I’m so glad I got to work with Heidi and highly recommend her to anyone going through the process and considering a coach!

Heidi was an incredible interviewer to work with. I did one interview practice with Heidi, which lasted about 60mins. I got into Stanford GSB, thanks to her precise, insightful, and thoughtful questions!

Heidi was so diligent with her prep that when she started the interview, she dove right into the first work experience. She gave me feedback right then and there, too, and really played through how an actual GSB interview would be conducted.

The interesting thing was that the interview was both formulaic and creative, a perfect blend of predictability and uncertainty. And Heidi did incredibly well at balancing the two.

Yes, usually, GSB interviews are more predictable, but there’s still an art in the science, as much as there’s a science in the art. Heidi’s feedback was specific, thoughtful, and helpful. In addition, Heidi also validated what seemed to be working, so I could double down on my strengths, in case the actual interview goes along those lines.

It was Heidi’s foresightedness that made the entire experience a high-intensity, high-learning experience. Thank you, Heidi, and Fortuna!

I am beyond grateful for the exceptional support and guidance provided by Heidi during my MBA admissions journey. Her dedication and expertise played a pivotal role in securing admission offers from Harvard Business School, Wharton, and MIT Sloan, all while navigating the challenge of a below-average GRE score.

Heidi demonstrated unparalleled commitment from our first consultation to the final application submission. Her deep understanding of MBA admissions intricacies, coupled with a meticulous eye for detail, elevated the quality of my applications. She worked tirelessly on refining my essays, ensuring they effectively conveyed my unique story and aspirations.

What truly sets Heidi apart is her ability to tailor her guidance to my individual strengths and challenges. Despite my below-average GRE score, she strategically highlighted other aspects of my profile that showcased my potential for success in the MBA programs. Her insights into the preferences of each school’s admissions committee were not only accurate but crucial in securing my acceptance letters.

One unique aspect of my experience was Heidi’s flexibility in working from Australia. As a new parent juggling a demanding job, her willingness to accommodate evening consultations made the process accessible and convenient for me. This thoughtful consideration of my schedule enabled me to receive valuable guidance during times that suited my commitments, ultimately contributing to the success of my applications.

I wholeheartedly recommend Heidi to anyone pursuing an MBA. Her commitment to excellence, personalized approach, and proven track record make her an exceptional partner in achieving academic and professional goals. I am immensely grateful for her role in helping me secure admission to three top business schools and eagerly anticipate thriving in this new chapter of my academic and professional journey.

Thank you, Heidi for being the catalyst for my success!

I owe so much of my success to Heidi. Under Heidi’s guidance, I felt completely prepared for the application process every step along the way. From career visioning, to resume building and essay writing, to letters of recommendation, Heidi expertly and confidently guided me through the process with patience, thoughtfulness, and generosity in her time and feedback. I was admitted to three M7 schools and one T15 school and received $560k in scholarship total.

Working with Heidi Hillis to shape my MBA application was an amazing journey from day one. Heidi invested numerous hours helping me understand my story and the reasons behind pursuing an MBA. In every conversation, I felt like she lived my experiences, displaying keen insight and intelligence. Heidi grasped all my concerns and thoughts and helped me navigate my way and decide which school to apply. Her approach surpassed the typical application process; it was about uncovering my passions and articulating a compelling personal story. Her expertise not only made the entire process seamless but also turned it into an empowering and enjoyable experience where I felt I gave my best.
She possesses a remarkable ability to build all my diverse experiences into a cohesive narrative. Her deep understanding of the nuances of MBA admissions significantly strengthened my application.
I wholeheartedly recommend Heidi to anyone navigating the MBA admissions process. Her dedication, expertise, and commitment to bringing out the best in me not only secured my place in the CBS, NYU, and UCLA MBA programs but also enriched my understanding of my own journey and aspirations.

My experience with Heidi Hillis was nothing short of excellent. I ended up applying to only HBS and Stanford, and her guidance proved crucial in my acceptance to both. Heidi’s expertise in tailoring essays and overall applications was exceptional. In particular, she excelled at bringing to light and helping me fix weak spots in my application without ever overshadowing my personal voice. On top of that, she had rich insight into both GSB and HBS, with an extra emphasis on Stanford’s somewhat more complex application. Her flexible scheduling was also a significant plus — she maintains Australia hours, which meant that for me on the U.S. West Coast, she was just about always free all afternoon/evening, which worked great).

Thank you, Heidi, for your partnership this past year!

Heidi helped me a lot through the MBA application process. She started with picking the schools, then helped me explore my motivation and storyline for my application profile. She has a deep understanding of the multiple schools of my target. She was always very quick with responses and her feedbacks were so on point. I truly appreciate her and would love to introduce her to anyone who wants to apply for MBA programs.

I worked with Heidi on my MBA applications, and she helped me get into my top choice school. I’m so grateful for her advice and guidance. She has a very deep understanding of the process and how to create the strongest possible application, and this helped take much of the anxiety out of the process for me. I was able to approach my application and my story with much more confidence because Heidi took the time to understand me/my interests and help me solidify the themes I wanted to highlight. Heidi provided thoughtful guidance every step of the way (and helped me identify where my application could stand out). She was was able to be constructive and provide feedback while always being supportive and helping me believe in myself. I highly recommend working with Heidi!

I would HIGHLY recommend Heidi! She is truly experienced and super easy to talk to and work with. I first met Heidi 2 years ago when I first considered applying to MBAs but later decided not to. Heidi was very understanding and said we can pick up whenever I’m ready to apply again. I started to work with Heidi again this year and she helped me get into LBS! What I appreciated most in working with her was that beyond the applications themselves, her worksheets and processes helped me reflect on my skills and what I want to do. Throughout the process, Heidi was extremely responsive – always there to answer my questions and help me improve my writings. She really hears what I’m saying and helps me frame my stories in the best way. I truly enjoyed working with her and I would highly recommend her to any MBA applicants.

During my MBA application process, I worked Heidi on my Stanford GSB essays as well as interview prep. I can unequivocally say it was a pleasure working with Heidi as she surpassed all my expectations with her knowledge and expertise. I was ultimately admitted to Stanford GSB!

For my essay, I had already iterated through many drafts and thought I was mostly done, but after speaking with Heidi, I realized I had a meaningful opportunity to bring in more authenticity into my storytelling I hadn’t thought of before. Given her intimate familiarity with Stanford GSB, she helped me reflect and bring out those missing pieces that I think ultimately tipped the admission scales in my favor.

For my interview prep, Heidi was incredibly thoughtful and prepared, asked probing questions and provided thorough feedback and advice. She went above and beyond to learn about me in order to be as effective in our meetings as possible.

If you’re applying to Stanford GSB, I 100% recommend you work with Heidi!!! There is no better expect on the school than her.

Heidi truly is an expert in the B school admissions space, and I am extremely grateful I was able to work with her. I ultimately got into HBS which I am over the moon about, but I think the more important thing I would stress here is that by working with Heidi I am 100% confident I put together the best application I could have. Even if I got dinged from HBS, I would feel no regrets because there is literally nothing else we could have done to make my application any stronger. And I think that’s the ultimate goal when applying to B schools.

Heidi is patient, caring, smart, and highly experienced, particularly when it comes to HBS and GSB. She made me do a lot of work upfront on the career vision, but this really paid off later when we were drafting essays, and even now as I prepare to enter my MBA, that vision really was true to me. She also has a really strong sense of what essays ‘work’ and what may not, and this proved invaluable when we were in the thick of the essay writing phase – there was a point when I was doubting our direction and almost scrapped our idea, but she gave me the confidence to stick with our vision, and in hindsight, this was absolutely the right move.

There were also numerous times when Heidi brought up points I could add to my application or things I should remove from my resume to avoid red flags, and I 100% would not have been able to see all of this without her. If you are serious about putting together the best possible application you can, and especially for the very top programs, I highly recommend working with Heidi.

I hired Heidi for my application to Harvard and Stanford, and eventually got into both!! Thank you so much Heidi for all the brainstorming sessions on my essays and recommendations. I am a re-applicant, so I witnessed the tremendous improvement in my application package this year. I really enjoyed working with her and will highly recommend her to anyone looking for a consultant!

Heidi has been phenomenal at every stage and is an incredible resource. I’m thrilled to have been admitted to an M7 school and would recommend Heidi to anyone looking to apply to a top business program and needing help! In particular, I had a low GPA but a high GRE and Heidi knew exactly how best to address this across my essays – I couldn’t have done the whole process without her!!!

I started working with Heidi as a very nervous and unknowledgeable client – I didn’t know much about how to sell myself, write essays, or what the AdComs were looking for. Honestly, I didn’t know much about the process in general. And so, when I started looking for a consultant, I not only wanted to work with someone who could fill all these gaps, but I also wanted to feel heard and honestly, have a bit of emotional support in the journey. Heidi not only met all my expectations but excelled at them in all. She is kind, patient, professional, and super clever. She definitely knows how to bring someone’s best story forward and how to make you shine for the AdComs and all of that in very strict word limits! I’m very happy to say that I was admitted to a dream school with an 80K scholarship that I could not have gotten without Heidi’s guidance. I’m very grateful that I chose to work with her. Thanks, Heidi!

I was an applicant with a non-traditional background. I didn’t do my undergrad at Harvard/Stanford/Ivy League/Oxbridge etc. I came from a humble academic background in terms of my alma mater. There was no MBB on my resume etc. So I always felt the odds were totally against me of gaining admission to any MBA school let alone HBS and Stanford GSB. I spoke to various people in my run-up to beginning my application to gauge what they thought my chances were and all of them told me I had no chance of getting into HSW. Time started to pass as hope dwindled and I was only a few months away from the application deadline. Then I met Heidi…

Heidi listened to my story carefully, she didn’t interrupt me as I opened my heart out, told her about my fears, why I thought I didn’t have a chance but still wanted to give it a go, and what my hopes and aspirations were for the future. She took the time to understand me, made no assumptions and after half an hour of the first chat Heidi was the first person to not only encourage me to apply in that application round but also provided a realistic understanding of where I stood- no raising false hopes/ no exaggerating my accomplishments to make me feel good or destroying my self-confidence (whatever I had left of it) by highlighting weaknesses in my profile.

Heidi was the guiding light I needed- highly structured, enthusiastic, methodical, detailed, and caring. I never once felt that I could not open my heart to Heidi. She was the consummate professional, happy to be challenged, willing to listen, open to ideas, and flexible in her approach. I was able to start from the beginning with her breaking down my entire life story and through that process came a self-realisation and awareness of how to tell my story. The process with Heidi was more than just an application it was a process of enlightenment. I learned more about myself in a few months than I had done over my entire life and that helped unlocked my application potential. She guided me through the entire process as an inspirational mentor and talented teacher. I was able to draw on stories in my life that I had forgotten about and others I hadn’t realized the significance of both to me and the application, all thanks to Heidi.

I beat the odds and the naysayers. I got into HBS and GSB. There is only one person that believed in me, who never lied to me, never falsely raised expectations or belittled my chances, the only person that was real and committed to helping me put the best application forward that I could muster, only one person that was willing to take a chance on me- Heidi. This is something I will forever be grateful to her for.

What else can I say? Heidi is a superb admissions consultant. Anyone would be lucky and blessed to have her as a consultant.

Heidi is very experienced and definitely gives great advice that is spot on. It is very pleasant working with her and she helps me explore and present my true self in the application, which I think is very crucial. I often get inspired after exchanging ideas with her. I have talked to another coach who was kinda pushy and made me feel anxious about the whole application process. But Heidi empowers people. I trust her and feel like I am in the right hands. She helped make the process more enjoyable than I expected.

Any student who wants to succeed in the admissions process should work with Heidi – no one is more professional, serious, and pleasant than she is!
In my case, I began the process at a late stage after I had already started a process with another consultant who I found unprofessional and incorrect. Heidi guided me through the process in a kind and sincere way, listened to what I had to say, and guided me in the best way. The initial process we had to go through (which was very arduous) paid off in the end when I was able to write excellent essays in a short time and fill out the forms for five different schools – in the end, I was accepted to four of them!
My experience with Heidi was invaluable, and I highly recommend working with her. There is no doubt in my mind that you will not be disappointed.

Heidi helped me throughout the process and was really a partner in brainstorming my essays and helping me think through the best stories to use throughout my applications. I really appreciated the fact that she let my voice shine through my essays, and that she helped me manage my time throughout the whole process. She was also super responsive and easy to work with, which I really appreciated given my work schedule. Working with Heidi was so critical in my application process, and I could not recommend her more!!

Highly highly recommend Heidi as a consultant. She helped me throughout the process – all the way from brainstorming which business schools to helping me develop my story to getting admitted into CBS/Wharton and making a final pick. I really enjoyed working with her. I purchased a 3 school-MBA package and added on a fourth school later as well, and got personalized consulting help for all the applications I submitted. She struck a great balance of providing honest and candid feedback, while also being super supportive in helping me curate an application that I was proud of. Couldn’t recommend working with her enough!

It was an amazing experience working with Heidi on my MBA application process. I worked with Heidi for a 3-school comprehensive package and first spoke to her in April last year. She very clearly outlined the different steps of the application process and made me feel equipped to remain on track. I am very thankful for how she pushed me to not only better narrate my experiences but really search for “my why” in my experiences. As a result, I applied to 6 M7 schools in Round 1 and received admissions from 4 of them. She has been an incredible listening ear and partner in the MBA application process and I will 1000% do it again with her if I could.

Heidi was integral to my MBA application success! I didn’t even have a good idea of what schools I wanted to pursue when I initially approached Heidi. She pushed me to get more tactical in understanding my MBA goals and selecting the schools that would allow me to achieve those goals.

I purchased a 3-school comprehensive package with her and one school on an hourly basis, and she carefully thought through what application to start with to make sure I had a good template essay for the remainder of my schools (even the one I didn’t get the comprehensive package for). I really appreciated her candid and responsive feedback throughout the entire process. She made sure that I was happy with the personal narrative I wanted to tell these schools and even when I was waitlisted at one of my schools, she helped me through the process, and I was eventually admitted!

If I had to do this process all over again, I would 100% choose Heidi! I was so insecure about my GMAT score, but she made sure other areas of my profile shined and never made me feel that I was a lost cause because of my score.

I had such a great time working with Heidi on my applications and eventually get an offer from my dream school, HBS!! Apart from being super supportive and always encouraging me to bring all that I have into the application, Heidi’s insights and details into my essays and overall story were highly valuable. She helped me discover and demonstrate areas of strength that made a difference in a pool of competitive candidates. I highly recommend working with Heidi for those who would like to take their application to the next level and make sure they present the best angle of their profile.

I reached out to Fortuna at the beginning of September to work on an M7 application. I had a goal of submitting by the end of September and this meant that the turnaround and follow-up needed to be fast. I worked with Heidi almost every day over the course of the month. She was available every step of the way and was very prompt in her responses. Heidi focused on understanding my goal and profile, which was crucial in putting my application together and identifying the strengths in my application. Heidi helped me highlight my profile through the essays and painstakingly provided a great deal of feedback.

Overall I would say that Heidi was an excellent resource to have, she was straightforward with constructive criticism and beyond kind during the process. Her knowledge of the admissions process was invaluable and she was incredibly thorough in her feedback.

I would highly recommend recruiting her service, it was a pleasure to work with her and her diligence and professionalism were exceptional.

I got accepted into the program of my choice and I couldn’t have done it without her!

I worked with Heidi last fall for my Round 2 applications with a comprehensive 3-school package, and also leveraged those resources to apply to two other schools. Heidi kept me on track throughout the process, always checking in and turning around feedback in often 24 hours or less. With her extensive experience and knowledge, Heidi’s thoughtful and candid advice was invaluable in crafting a strong and compelling story and pushing my applications to be better. When it came to interview prep, Heidi provided specific, actionable feedback that really helped me feel prepared for the real thing.

Heidi is truly invested in her clients and the results speak for themselves. With her guidance and support, I received acceptances at 5 out of 5 schools (four M7 & LBS) and will be attending HBS this fall. I could not have done it without her!

I talked to quite a few consultants before deciding to work with Heidi. A lot of them discouraged me from applying due to me not having a clear “reason to apply to the more competitive deferred admissions pool”. However, Heidi encouraged me to give it a shot and believed in me. Not only did she work with me to help clarify the “why” behind applying, but also she was extremely good at drawing out the stories that clearly persuaded the admissions committees of the most competitive business schools. I was impressed by her supportive attitude and her ability to connect with me and my perspective. I applied AND got admitted to both the GSB and HBS, and it would not have been possible without Heidi. She is absolutely amazing and I would 100% recommend her!!! The fact that I got into the deferred MBA programs of both these schools after working with Heidi speaks for itself.

I highly recommend Heidi! As a reapplicant, I came to Heidi after working with several companies/consultants so I can confidently say that Heidi is definitely the best of the best! I chose Heidi after reading all of the raving reviews about her and I’m glad to find that they are all true. I worked with her on several schools and eventually got into my dream M7 school with scholarships. It was a dream come true!

We had a very pleasant working relationship. She first spent ample time and asked lots of questions to get to know me. We brainstormed about my career paths and future goals. When it comes to essay editing, she had a way to help me tie my stories together and make sure my past stories and future goals are aligned. I was amazed at how she was able to do magic on my essays every time I got my drafts back. The interview prep with her made me more confident with the actual interviews. Moreover, she was extremely supportive and encouraging throughout which definitely helped in this emotional rollercoaster process.

One tip for consultant selection is to ask how many clients they take on and whether she/he would spend the time with you to do the reflection work before essay writing. If you work with the right consultant, it will be a very fulfilling and reflective experience. I came out with much better self-awareness and I’m very grateful that I went through it. I would definitely recommend Heidi to anyone who’s on this MBA application journey.

I worked with Heidi for the past year while applying for the M7. I could have not asked for a better coach than Heidi. She has gone above and beyond in her support, and she was responsive and extremely flexible in finding a good time for our calls. (I took a 5 school package with Heidi, however, when she found out I’m applying to two more schools, she helped me prepare for the interviews of these two additional schools).

Her detailed and honest feedbacks were an integral part that allowed me to get accepted at HBS. I truly appreciate all of her work and effort that allowed me to get into my top school choice.

My wife used Heidi during her MBA application process and got into HBS and Lauder. Having seen her up close through my wife’s experience, Heidi was a no-brainer for me when it came time for me to apply as well. She was patient with me through the process, providing the strategic review I needed early on about the pros and risks of my profile for my target MBA programs. This helped me to prioritize and tailor my key messages to my schools. When I was receiving conflicting messages in the late stages of finalizing my essay, she made time on short notice to speak through the options and coached me to make the decision that was right for me – I deeply appreciated that her style isn’t to tell you what she thinks is best but to coach you to find your voice. She was also invaluable in my mock interview prep sessions, providing focused and tactical feedback on how I needed to approach them. I was accepted to HBS and am grateful to Heidi for her support through the process.

Heidi is fabulous and I highly endorse/recommend her!

I applied to three top 5 schools and was accepted into one and waitlisted at another. Heidi was instrumental in helping me achieve these results: she really helped me go deeper and show my best version. Although I knew how I wanted to position my application and why I wanted to study for an MBA, she was a great soundboard to discuss alternatives, making my application much stronger. She’s a great thought partner with excellent knowledge of what schools are looking for.

Beyond being an amazing professional, she’s an excellent person – kind, open, and easy to talk to. All in all, I highly recommend anyone considering applying to business school to work with Heidi.

After conducting thorough due diligence of +10 admission consulting firms (basically, I had a 30-min call with those +10 admission consulting firms), I decided to work with Fortuna for two reasons. First, Fortuna has a lot of experience in this industry and, contrary to other consulting firms, Fortuna was really trying to understand my need from the initial call vs. other consulting firms were trying to sell me their packages/offers during the first call… I disliked this second approach. Second, I was pleased to work with Heidi because I saw on P&Q that she was among the top consultants with a perfect score (10/10).

During the last 7 months, Heidi has helped me to prepare my applications for round 2. Now, I totally understand why she got a perfect score from her customers. Heidi is very knowledgeable about the top MBA programs (Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, MIT, etc.). She was of great help at each step of the application process!

What impressed me the most with Heidi was her responsiveness. She was able to get back to me in less than 24 hours! In such a stressful process, it is great to have a coach like Heidi who can get back to you in such a short timeframe.

Also, something I really liked about Heidi is that she always provided me with insights in a subtle way. It was never “I think you must do like this or like that” but it was “I believe X or Y… let’s discuss it and you can decide what you prefer”. I really liked this approach.

Finally, Heidi has been totally honest with me regarding the strengths and also weaknesses of my profile. She never tried to make things look more or less beautiful. She was very transparent and pragmatic.

I will be joining Stanford GSB next September 2022. I am so happy!

Thanks, Heidi!

I got a late start to my applications and the guidance and structure from Fortuna was instrumental in helping me and my recommenders meet the deadlines to apply to 4 schools. I didn’t have enough time to take advantage of a full school package, but still got a lot of assistance with strategizing, editing and interview prep. Heidi was extremely responsive and straightforward, often sending back actionable comments to me within a few hours. She came to understand my background, stories and strengths to highlight and encouraged me to create detailed and well rounded responses. She clearly knows the MBA landscape very well and was a valuable resource throughout the process.

I worked with Heidi for S & W out of the “HSW”. When I mentioned I’d also be applying for Booth and Sloan, she was able to adapt the package and help me with those too. With her help, I was able to get in at Booth! She was extremely helpful in helping me craft my story and tackle weak points. The interview prep was also essential!

I worked with Heidi for my applications to H/S/W and could not be happier with the decision I made to work with her (I interviewed a lot of coaches before deciding to go with Heidi!).

Heidi is the perfect mix of thoughtful, articulate, candid, and encouraging. She always came prepared for our calls and provided very quick feedback on my essays. I also really appreciated the way she took the time to really get to know me and understand my story! This proved to be super helpful as we iterated on essay drafts.

I ended up interviewing with 2 of the 3 schools, got accepted to one, and waitlisted at the other!

I can honestly say……if you are wanting to get into Stanford GSB, Heidi is worth every penny!!!!!!! TLDR: admitted to GSB with a lower GMAT/GRE score and started my application late. Can honestly say Heidi was integral in that result.

I was someone who came into the process deeply skeptical about the value of admissions consultants following a less-than-impressive experience with another company on an application where they added little value to my essays other than grammatical/word choice corrections and seemed to be actively trying to chew up my purchased time. Heidi was the COMPLETE opposite. Right off the bat, she completely changed the direction and style I had in mind for my essays for Stanford compared to those I had prepared for other schools. Each review of a draft, she would mark up detailed comments with clear, actionable comments on how I could strengthen this particular paragraph or needed a new story – extremely helpful. Not only that but she was very efficient and would actively try to conserve our remaining time by pointing out when a 10 min review and email back was sufficient vs when a 30 min call was needed for a more complex draft critique. I actually ended up purchasing additional hours with Heidi willingly because I was getting so much value out of our time – she really has an innate sense of what Stanford GSB is looking for. Yes, Fortuna is expensive compared to other consultants but I actually do think the price reflects the value in this case. If you are serious about getting into the GSB, invest in Heidi.

I worked with Heidi for HSW applications this past autumn, getting into H and W. I got the 8-hour package for ~$3.5K and thought it was fantastic value for money. Heidi was a big value add in being a first sounding board for my ideas. Her experience in the field lets her give instant feedback about what’s actually unique and what’s in fact rather generic. She’s also refreshingly “no bulls***” and will tell you her thoughts straight up, letting you make faster progress. In particular, we did a lot of work articulating a post-MBA career vision, which was a weak spot of mine coming in. The mock HBS interview that she did was also super helpful in prepping me for the real thing.

I cannot emphasize enough how lucky I feel to have worked with Heidi. My story was unique and tricky to tell. We re-wrote my first essay several times, and then one day Heidi sent me a message after waking up in the middle of the night with an idea of how to write my story! Her solution was perfect! Even before this event, I knew that Heidi truly cared about my success and that I could trust her. She helped me craft a beautiful authentic story that I am beyond proud of.

I recommend her to any and all of my friends going through this process. She was always accessible and responded/turned around edits quickly. I loved our calls and I already miss them.

She was amazing during interview prep as well. I felt extremely prepared in all 4 of my interviews. After my first two interviews, she recommended that we get a different perspective for my third and we had another coach do my practice interview. Heidi wanted me to succeed and knew when to pull in someone else so we could make sure I was always putting my best foot forward.

I could not have asked for a better coach/ advisor/ resource during this process. I cannot wait to attend my dream school this fall!! Thank you, Heidi!!!!!!!!!!!

I have known and worked with Heidi for a little less than two years. Throughout that time, she has been the best MBA application coach and partner that I could have asked for. Starting with results, I applied to four of the M7s, and I got into three of them – one of them my dream school which I will be attending this fall! I certainly put in the blood, sweat, and tears to make this happen, but Heidi was there for everything.

When I decided to pivot my application year due to COVID, she was incredibly supportive and helped me think through the decision and what it would mean. When I struggled through the GMAT, she identified prep programs that could help me improve my score.

She helped me think about my application holistically and really helped me tell my story in a very compelling and authentic way. She was patient, supportive, and extremely accessible when I iterated again and again on my essays and application wording. Heidi was willing to meet with me however often I needed and customized her approach to how I liked to review and receive feedback. She was willing to work on my schedule and helped keep me on track.

I really couldn’t recommend Heidi enough! She is an amazing coach, storyteller, and partner in this incredibly stressful process.

Heidi was a true pleasure to work with! She helped me diligently through every part of the application process, from brainstorming how I wanted to pitch my Career Vision to providing very detailed and thoughtful feedback to my essay drafts. Heidi is an incredible writer/editor, which really helped me transform my essays into convincing and interesting pieces of writing. I also particularly appreciated how her feedback was very candid – enabling me to focus my rewrites/edits in the places they were most crucial. Heidi also provided really useful perspectives on how to approach recommenders, and how I may want my strategy to differ by different schools. I was admitted to one of my two top schools, and am really thrilled with the outcome. I can’t recommend Heidi highly enough!

I would recommend Heidi to anyone applying to business school! She is supportive, patient, and a great source of advice throughout the process. I really appreciated how readily available she makes herself – she is quick to turn around comments and easy to reach for feedback. I am so grateful to have had Heidi’s support throughout my application process!

Loved working with Heidi. She goes above and beyond for her clients!

I honestly could not have navigated the business school process without Heidi and the Fortuna team. I started the process for applying to b-schools pretty late in the game and was working 2 demanding jobs at the time and still had yet to take my GMAT when I found Heidi. I vetted over 6 different firms and felt the most comfortable with Heidi.

While I do not recommend waiting as I did, Heidi was phenomenal in keeping me on track, focused, and helping me focus on what would move the needle in the process. I was coming from a background in startups and venture capital and a complicated story of what I wanted to do and why. She took the time to understand what I did, why I did, and ultimately who I was. She was very responsive and honestly fun to work with. I wrapped up the process feeling good about my body of work and who I was and it’s tough to say that about a grueling application process. She helped bolster my confidence and challenged me in the right areas such that I put my best foot forward. All in all, I ended up applying to 3 schools (HBS, Wharton, and GSB) and ended up getting an interview with HBS and Wharton and getting an acceptance from Wharton. One of the things that really stood out to me was the mock interview for Wharton — it’s a team-based interview and challenging to practice on your own and Fortuna’s mock interview and Heidi’s analysis and feedback after was crucial in my positive outcome. Heidi is still helping me post-acceptance to understand my options and prepare for what’s next. You can’t go wrong with Heidi, my only recommendation is that you start early and really take your time with her seriously because it’s a really valuable learning experience.

Overall, as many others have said below, with Heidi you get a coach, advisor, and mentor and it’s truly an unparalleled experience.

Heidi was absolutely incredible. She helped me present the best image of myself. Heidi helped me get into Wharton MBA despite my non-traditional background and low GRE.
Heidi was a true team player and always available, so I was able to meet all the submission deadlines.
I couldn’t recommend her enough.

I have known Heidi since this April. I am truly grateful to meet her and have her accompany me on this journey!
The MBA application is filled with ups and downs–moments when I doubt whether I can make it or whether these efforts are worthwhile. Heidi is a true listener when I felt lost and a mentor who will give me the most useful advice when I got hesitated.
I have a very nontraditional background, which makes the application very difficult. Heidi and I have had a weekly call during the entire process: we discussed the details of my essays, the resume, the rec letter, and she always gives me the most honest feedback. Calls with Heidi are these memorable bits during this period.
What I value the most is that she makes me realize how AWESOME I am. She always encourages me to believe in myself and be more confident.
Each MBA applicant has his or her story and challenges. But working with Heidi will be one of the most right choices you ever make!

I’m incredibly grateful to have worked with Heidi from start to finish during my MBA application process, and I’m excited to attend Kellogg thanks to her guidance! It was clear from my introductory call-through calls even after submitting my applications that she cared so much about me. She consistently pushed me to dive deep into my experiences to make my story as unique and strong as possible in such a thoughtful way. I was amazed how she’d share feedback within 24 hours consistently that was always so detailed and mindful of the other parts of my application.

When deciding on a consultant, I thought about individual consultants versus larger groups like Fortuna. I’m so happy I chose Fortuna as a group because I got 100% individual and dedicated attention from Heidi (she was always available to provide advice via messaging or zoom) AND guidance from a director at Fortuna, in addition to leveraging the learnings and experiences from Fortuna’s entire network of clients.

Without hesitation, I’d recommend Heidi. Almost a year after my first call with her, I can say that I have a far better grasp on my goals and values thanks to her guidance and even if I hadn’t gotten into business school, my time with her and Fortuna’s support were incredibly worthwhile.

Heidi was a pleasure to work with – she was extremely responsive, warm, and helpful.

As for many, the business school admissions process was extremely stressful, anxiety-provoking, and time-consuming for me. By working with Heidi, I was able to truly reflect on my past experiences and then create a story that highlighted my authenticity and personality. Not only did Heidi enable me to craft my story, but she also worked with me to combine my story with my career vision.

Throughout the entire process, Heidi was extremely responsive and communicative – I would send her a question or an updated version of my essay at night, and then she would respond by the next morning.

I can’t thank Heidi enough for everything she did for me, she prepared me for both the business school process and the next life steps in my life/career. My biggest regret is not using Heidi sooner!

I am grateful to have known Heidi, who has helped me gain acceptance into my dream school (M7). She is a spectacular coach who deeply cares about you, your application, and your persona. When I started my journey with Heidi, I was lost. My background felt normal and bland. Although I had made numerous accomplishments in my career, none of them felt like they stood out. Heidi thought otherwise. She pointed me in the right direction, making me realize my full potential by challenging me on my stories, values, character, career goals, and overall narrative.

What I liked about Heidi is that she did not hesitate to provide honest feedback. This is usually overlooked when selecting a coach. Having your assumptions challenged is an extremely important part of coaching to steer your application in the right direction. Even though at times this feedback contradicted my internal logic, I took it as an indicator of growth and trusted her instincts completely.

What made the experience even more remarkable was her speed of turning around comments (typically less than a day), leaving me with an impression today that Heidi is an immensely reliable person running on a bottomless well of energy. Heidi played an important part not only in shaping my application but also in making me realize what was important in my life through reflections of my value system. No matter how challenging your situation is, I am most certain working with Heidi will leave you with wonderful memories.

I did a comprehensive package with Fortuna and worked with Heidi over the last 7-8 months. She did an amazing job – she was incredibly helpful and supportive throughout the process. Even though I only started my applications in July for a Round 1 submission in September, Heidi helped structure the 2 months so that they were productive and everything got done in time and at a high quality. She also helped me differentiate myself, given my common background in finance / PE. Heidi is a full-time consultant and made herself available at all times, as much as I needed and answered as many questions as I had, which really helped put my mind at ease throughout the process. Thanks to her help, I’ll be joining HBS in Fall 2021!

I have made it to two of my top choices – Harvard Business School and Wharton!

This would not have been possible without Heidi’s expertise, patience, encouragement and support. I come from an extremely competitive demographic and had a below-average GMAT score for all the M7 schools I wanted to apply to.

There wasn’t a moment when Heidi didn’t have faith in me. She was extremely helpful in helping me cull out themes in my stories, fine-tuning my thoughts, and most importantly, helping me think about my story.

She isn’t just an expert at her work but also a wonderful person to have by your side as you go through what will be a stressful but introspective and fulfilling stage in your life.

I chose to work with Heidi after speaking with a dozen of consultants and she proved I was right. She is extraordinarily supportive, always available, and superbly experience with the MBA application journey. She guided me through every step in the process from the very beginning, and her presence just eased my anxiety away.

She helped me the most with my essays – walking me through my experiences to find the theme, offering insights about my characteristics that I wasn’t self-aware, giving me the freedom to test out different ideas, and offering great feedback on each one. She’s definitely an amazing partner to work with and a key contributor to my multiple offers!

I had the pleasure and privilege to work with Heidi for my applications to 6 top MBA programs in the US, and ultimately got accepted by 4 schools. As an applicant of South Asian origin working in finance, my two biggest concerns were presenting a differentiated enough story amongst what tends to be one of the most competitive pools in the application process + being able to put my best foot forward given the demanding nature of each application and the limited time I had with my job to focus on the application process.

Heidi made the process incredibly seamless. I found her to be a great listener, where she gave me the freedom to craft my own story, while constantly challenging me on bits that needed more work/clarification. Once we developed the general narrative, Heidi had specific, pointed feedback on how to modify the story for each school, thereby allowing me to put my best foot forward and obviously typifying her differentiated understanding on what different schools are looking for. The application process is ultimately a game of margins, and I felt that Heidi’s knowledge and expertise brought an additional element of specificity to my applications which I could have never achieved on my own.

Heidi was also extremely methodical in her approach and we did a lot of legwork around putting different aspects of my personality, interests, past experiences etc. into tangible narratives, prior to starting the essay writing process. The impact of all of this work was that by the time I had finished writing my applications, not only had I internalized my “business school story” fully, but also fully internalized the dozens of other things that then came handy when the interviews started rolling in a few months. I cannot stress enough how easy it made the interview process, where I did not feel the need to do dozens of mocks or anything, because the fundamentals of my story were so clearly laid out owing to the work I did with Heidi. This is a testament to Heidi’s experience and vision as a coach, where the path from application inception to interview is fully clear in her mind, and the work she makes you put in the beginning goes a long way in the application cycle.   

The other standout quality for me was Heidi’s incredible work ethic and how available she made herself to make the process easier for me. Turnaround time for every single draft was almost always less than 24 hours, and if for some reason there was a conflict on her side, the communication around it was super clear and significantly well in advance. Furthermore, Heidi’s calendar was always open to schedule a call to discuss literally anything, brainstorm ideas etc. There were never any limitations on phone/video calls – she was always there. Going into the application process this was the type of unbarred access and support I had hoped to receive, and Heidi simply over-delivered on this aspect.

Five stars all the way for Heidi. The business school application process is an incredible commitment on so many fronts, and Heidi could not have been a better mentor and coach to not only make the process seamless but incredibly rewarding in itself. 

When I started my MBA process, I had already worked in admissions consulting myself for 4+ years, albeit at the undergrad level. Even though I was very familiar with personal essay-writing, interview prep, etc., Heidi *still* added tremendous value to my MBA applications.

First, I was applying from a “non-traditional” business background, and Heidi was instrumental in helping me capture and articulate my experiences in a clear, concise way that would make sense to an admissions reader. From there, with thought-provoking questions and comments, Heidi guided me to develop a coherent and compelling application “narrative” that connected my past experiences with concrete post-MBA goals. At first, I signed on with Fortuna to do a one-school package. But I quickly realized how helpful Heidi was and began adding on more hours, more interview prep, etc. Ultimately, I was very proud of the applications I submitted, and I can’t imagine having achieved such high-quality without Heidi’s advice and expertise.

In terms of working style, Heidi is reliable and attentive. She checked in on my progress regularly, responded to my questions in a timely manner, and always turned around essay edits within a day or two (even faster, as we got close to deadlines). On several occasions, she sent me articles/online events that she thought I might be interested in given my career goals. In such a fundamentally stressful process, working with someone as reliable and thoughtful as Heidi went a long way in helping me (mostly) preserve my sanity!

So, my best advice to you: work with Heidi, and get a multi-school package from the get-go. If you’re anything like me, you’ll find yourself wanting Heidi’s sage input on as many application materials as possible.

(Lastly, including this info because I know some people look for it as they read reviews: I was admitted to several top 10 programs, including Wharton and Kellogg.)

I used the comprehensive package with Heidi, which definitely paid off. I came into the MBA admissions process without a solid understanding of how schools evaluate candidates, and how to position my story in a compelling way. Heidi helped guide me through the process and highlight the unique parts of my background, and her advice was incredibly useful to get a better understanding of how I could stand out in a well-represented pre-MBA demographic (finance). Her feedback on my essays and help with interview prep was the most critical piece, and made me come away feeling that I was putting my best foot forward. Overall, the results speak for themselves – I was accepted to two of my top choice M7 programs.

Fortuna was excellent in supporting me to apply to MBA programs. One of the best things about Fortuna is how their consultants work collectively to support each applicant (utilizing each of their consultants’ strengths). I worked mainly with Karla throughout the application process and had a mock interview (and feedback session) with Heidi prior to my Stanford GSB interview. The mock interview with Heidi was extremely useful, particularly because her feedback was direct, specific and actionable. This enabled me to act on her feedback ahead of the actual interview. I believe this was critical in my success. Thank you.

I had a full package with Heidi and she has been instrumental in my MBA application process. Through conversations, she was able to pick up the highlights of my experience that I wasn’t aware of. She’s very responsive and patient, we have worked on so many iterations of the essays and I am very glad it worked out in the end. She could always tell my story in a better way through her reviews. The Fortuna team has been also very helpful to my application. Heidi asked her colleague Rachel to help me with an additional mock interview after Heidi has done several mocks with me. Their feedback helped me better prepare for the interview, something that wasn’t a strength of mine.

Heidi prepped me on a day’s notice (and around-the-world time zones) and did a great mock interview with me for GSB. I hadn’t worked with a consultant until the very end of my application process, so our conversation primarily centered around honing the pieces of my story I wanted to tell. Her knowledge of the GSB’s alumni interview process was invaluable, as she helped prepare me for multiple different types of interviewing styles.

I had the pleasure of working with Heidi as I was applying to both GSB and HBS, and I can’t say enough great things about her support in my journey.

From the beginning, Heidi helped me to dig deep and distill the narrative authentic to me and my experiences. She offered invaluable advice as I struggled with different combinations of stories and iterations of my essays. She was extremely responsive throughout the entire process and frequently asked thoughtful, probing questions that pushed me to make my application better. Her attention to detail and dedication was reflected in the 20+ drafts we iterated on as well as her support on the broader application (optional essays, extracurricular details, etc.).

She kept me on top of the deadlines and had valuable insight into the differences between what HBS and GSB were looking for. When it came time for interviews, my mock interview with Heidi prepared me to expect the real thing. Thanks to her support, I was accepted to both schools.

Heidi, it was a pleasure to work with you, and I’m grateful for all your help!

I worked with Heidi on my business school applications and she was extremely supportive, responsive, and knowledgeable throughout. She played a pivotal role in all aspects of the process, including recommender strategy, application form strategy, essay planning and revisions, and interview prep.

She paid attention to the various stories in my life and helped me uncover key themes that really highlighted who I am. Once I began drafting essays, she provided thoughtful feedback with very quick turnarounds. I felt supported throughout. Overall, it was amazing working with her and I recommend her to anyone applying to competitive business schools!

I had the great pleasure of working with Heidi on my MBA applications, and she was phenomenal throughout the entire process. Ultimately, although I applied in the final round, I received a substantial scholarship to attend my top choice school! This would not have been possible without the help from Heidi and Fortuna. From the moment I spoke to Heidi, I knew that she was the right person to help me put together my MBA application due to her supportive demeanor and incredible knowledge about the process. Putting together an MBA application really is an art-form, and Heidi helped me craft my MBA application, starting from just some vague ideas to multiple amazing applications. She was extremely responsive at all times and was tremendously helpful in brainstorming my ideas and helping me to realize which of the experiences in my life were very valuable from the point of view of an MBA admissions team. As someone who has previously conducted MBA interviews herself before, Heidi’s feedback and help with preparing me for me MBA interviews was exceptionally helpful and gave me great confidence.

I cannot recommend Heidi enough – she is a tremendously intelligent, caring, hardworking, and insightful individual with a fantastic level of insight into the MBA admissions process. She knows exactly what MBA admissions officers are looking for, and is an amazing person to have guiding you along the MBA journey. Thanks so much Heidi for all your help!!

I was lucky enough to work with Heidi and transform from being someone unfamiliar with the idea of business school to an admit to both Harvard and Stanford. Heidi was the perfect coach throughout the application process. She asked thought-provoking questions that helped me introspect and develop a compelling narrative. She also is mindful of details and deadlines, and she turned around comments and edits on my drafts in record time.

Heidi is very knowledgable on the nuanced differences between different business schools and the decision criteria of the admissions committees. This helped throughout the process, but it was especially apparent when preparing for interviews. The business school admissions interview is unlike any interview I’ve experienced before, but Heidi’s guidance and mock interview beforehand prepared me well and kept me at ease.

Five stars for Heidi and Fortuna – if you’re about to embark on the application process, you’ll want to have them in your corner.

Heidi played such an instrumental role in my acceptance to the GSB! Originally not planning to work with an admissions consultant, I reached out to Heidi only a month before the deadline. Given that I had already put a lot of thinking into my essay, she worked with me for the min. 5-hour consultation package. Even in the limited time we had together, she made sure we were making the most of the time with focused feedback, and still managed to help me draw out a strong story and narrative I could have never thought of myself. It was clear that she also knew GSB’s perspective with so well – and with her warm empathy and ongoing encouragement, I felt so much more at ease throughout the daunting application process. For anyone — especially anyone applying to GSB — I highly recommend working with Heidi.

I have just been admitted to my top three schools (including my dream school Stanford GSB)!!!

As an international candidate with an untraditional background, I was not sure where to start or how to move throughout the MBA application process. On top of that, I did not have a lot of time as I started working on my application only two months before the deadlines. However, I was fortunate enough to have Heidi on my side.

Heid was super knowledgeable about every element in this process, to the smallest details in every school I planned to apply. Sometimes it seemed as if Heidi completed her MBA at all M7 schools (and not only at Stanford GSB). Heidi’s experience, down to earth well-structured approach, and crazy response times (less than 24 hours, even on holidays!) made the difference.

In addition to being a great admission consultant, Heidi is a great interviewer. As a nonnative English speaker, I was stressed by having to interview in English. However, Heidi was able to provide some great feedback and tips throughout the mock interviews that we conducted. She even introduced me to her colleagues in Fortuna, who gave me extra practice and insight.

As a closing mark, I have to say that Heidi is not only super professional but also the nicest person. Applying to business schools can be an intense and stressful process, yet when you have Heidi on your side, it gets much better.

I met Heidi before my GSB interview. And she gave me a real interview experience that helped me to better prepare for the real one! Very worth experience!

It has been a long journey but at the end I am admitted to 3 Business Schools included my dream school. I am an international candidate on the older side that never applied to a US School. Heidi helped me going through the process with a clear mindset and guidance, motivating me but always with a down to earth approach. I felt she was genuine and very experienced on how to best tackle the next steps.
After submitting my application she went through the interview process and she even recommended me to her colleagues for a second opinion.

You profile is what it is but working with Heidi and Fortuna guarantees you the best chance for your application.

I could not have been happier with my experience working with Heidi at Fortuna, especially after having been accepted to my top choice of school, the Stanford GSB!

Starting off the application process, I was very worried that there was nothing “special” about my story, which was concerning as an applicant from an over-represented background (banking to PE). After some helpful brainstorming sessions, Heidi bore with me as I went through at least half a dozen completely different ideas for my main essays. While most of these initial ideas / drafts needed to be scrapped, Heidi was able to pull out an anecdote, characteristic, or theme from each one, and bit by bit she helped to connect the dots and turn seemingly unimportant and unrelated events from my life into a cohesive story!

The actual process of working with Heidi was also very seamless. She made herself available to speak at extremely convenient times for me, which was especially helpful given my busy work / travel schedule. When I provided her with outlines or drafts, she was always very quick to turn them back to me with edits and thoughtful feedback – often helping distill my (lengthy) writing into a much more efficient use of word count. Her knowledge of the key differences between the HBS and GSB applications and what their respective AdComs were looking for was invaluable, especially when it came to interview strategies and mock interview prep.

In the days leading up to my decision dates, I would often re-read my entire application and become more and more confident with each pass. I knew that they were simply the best I ever could have made them… and I have Heidi to thank for that!

I signed up to work with Heidi several months ago after an initial video call. Coming from an over-represented background with a “traditional” career path as a South Asian male engineer, I knew that it was not going to be easy. Heidi helped me focus on my career vision/why MBA story and worked with me on bringing out and selling my strengths. This definitely allowed me to stand out in the admissions process.

The best part about working with Fortuna was that through Heidi I was connected to the resume review expert and my profile/application strategy was vetted by other veteran consultants. The access to the entire team and their opinions is extremely helpful.

Heidi also brainstormed essay topics with me and focused on my voice and what I believed in rather than what the admissions committee wanted to hear. She also prepared me for my admissions interview and I was super ready on interview day!

In the end I was admitted to a M7 program where I will be matriculating next fall. Thank you for your help!

I was fortunate to work with Heidi in preparation for my Stanford GSB interview preparation. Up until this point in the process, I had not used a consultant. But having secured an interview, I wanted to ensure that I maximized my chance to seal the deal. Heidi is clearly well versed in the MBA application process generally, but particularly so in the nuances of Stanford’s evaluation process. We did two video sessions. She first gave me a clear picture of what to expect, what particular questions Stanford often asks, etc. We then went through an interview and debrief where she candidly highlighted my best anecdotes and in what contexts they may apply, along with potential pitfalls or dead spots to avoid. I generally feel pretty good about interviewing, but nonetheless went into the GSB interview feeling more confident and prepared than I otherwise would’ve. This past week I received my admissions offer from GSB and am grateful — I am budget-conscious, but the investment I made with Heidi absolutely paid off.

I worked with Heidi over two application cycles (i.e., I am a re-applicant). A few things that really stood out from my engagements with Heidi: her responsiveness, her attention to detail, her genuine interest in my story. I started my 2019 application a bit late. But thanks to Heidi’s responsiveness and her relentless support in my somewhat last-minute plans, we were able to put our best foot forward. Throughout the process, I could always rely on her to be a thoughtful and productive thought partner, who could help me disentangle any roadblocks I encountered. Whenever we hopped on a call, she would ask thoughtful questions and pushed my thinking to the next level. She also pushed me to NOT think about what the adcom would want to hear but instead focus on putting the best version of myself in every element of my application.

I would highly recommend Heidi for those who are interested in putting together a reflective and thoughtful application. No, she will not write your application for you, but she will push you to think deeper and reflect on your professional and personal experiences — and how they can potentially inform the type of work, leader, and impact you would want to make to people around you. By understanding this, you would not only be able to put together a compelling application but also discover your passion and better understand yourself.

Thank you, Heidi, for all your help! I couldn’t have made it without your help.

I had at least a dozen assessment calls with other consultants before I was referred to Heidi. I was told by all of them that my chances of getting into the two schools that I applied to were slim to none, and no one that I spoke to seemed excited to work with me. I knew that Heidi was the right partner for me for this process during our first phone call. She was encouraging throughout the entire process, and she did a great job identifying my strengths. Going into the application process, I had no idea what I wanted to write about, but Heidi spent a lot of time working with me to craft the story I wanted to tell. I was ultimately accepted to my top choice (Stanford), and I feel immense gratitude for her her help.

As a re-applicant and a slightly ‘older’ candidate compared to the average age of MBA aspirants, many of the consultants that I initially spoke to showed half-hearted enthusiasm about my otherwise competitive profile. Of the one’s that were optimistic and keen to work together, I finally decided to go with Fortuna Admissions post the more than heartening conversations with Matt and Heidi.

It was clear to me from the start that Heidi knew what she was doing. From our association over the past few months, her knowledge, experience, perfectionism and affability have stood out!

With her experience of having served on Stanford’s admissions committee and working as an MBA consultant, Heidi had detailed knowledge of the entire application process and a keen eye for loopholes. From Day 1, she asked me to do thorough research on my post MBA plans. The Fortuna templates that she asked me to fill were extremely helpful for guiding my research. During this time, Heidi also went out of her way to connect me to her previous clients who were involved in similar career tracks. By the end of this first step, I knew that I was in good hands and that Heidi will be able to help me see the areas of improvement that I wasn’t being able to.

Once we got into the essays, I was impressed by Heidi’s perfectionism. Not only did she help me see the weaknesses that I had not spotted, but also helped me identify the strengths that I was underplaying. Through her guidance and insistence on talking about “real” experiences, my essays sounded better than my previous attempt from the very first draft. But, Heidi wouldn’t give a green signal to an essay unless she was convinced about every single example, word, punctuation! It wouldn’t matter if we had to go through 20 drafts or start again after coming mid-way with one line of thought. At the end of this process, my essays sounded so authentic! I finally understood what the MBA blogs meant when they spoke about “letting your personality shine”. My essays were 100% mine in story, language and sentiment!

A few months into working with Heidi, I realized that I felt comfortable talking to her about anything in my life. Her genuine understanding and warmth allowed me to discuss anything that I wanted to and she always gave me the most sound advice, be it on the applications or anything at all regarding the MBA experience.

This entire experience ended with me securing admission at one of the top US B-schools! I cannot thank Heidi enough for her guidance, support and encouragement. She’s phenomenal as an MBA consultant and a blessing as a guide and mentor (that’s how I started seeing her after a while).

I had a great experience with Heidi and the Fortuna team – I got into my top choice program and received an almost full fellowship at another M7 school. In my experience, Fortuna’s greatest strength is that they have consultants who have worked for the admissions teams of many of the top schools. As a result, there was always someone available to answer my school-specific questions in a very insightful way. Everyone I interacted with at Fortuna was professional, helpful, and reliable.

Heidi specifically was amazing! She did a great job perfecting my “story”, coaching my recommenders, and helping me understand and articulate my goals. Heidi seemed to know more about my story than I did and she had great ideas and edits for all my essays. She’s very good at constructive criticism – we rewrote my HBS essay probably 50 times. She was easy to communicate with (despite being in different, and constantly changing, time zones) – she always responded within a day and scheduled meetings whenever I asked. My applications were a million times better than they would have been without Heidi. Highly recommend!

Heidi’s ability to help you hone in on what makes you stand out was outstanding! She helped me highlight my strengths and understand how my weaknesses were viewed. Ultimately, I gained admission to my top program. With my new perspective, I was also admitted to my second choice. Overall, a very rewarding experience. I highly recommend working with Heidi, especially if you are coming from a non-traditional background.

Before choosing to go with Fortuna, I had conducted Skype interviews with about a dozen admission consultants. Most looked at my dry credentials and concluded I have little to no chance of being admitted to an M7 B-school, disregarding what I had though were some appealing elements of my prospective application.

The first time my “story” was essentially and holistically examined was during my first Skype call with Judith, who offered a complex, data and experience driven analysis of my chances of being admitted to several target schools. 6 months after that initial call, I can wholeheartedly say that I have made the right call in choosing the most professional, experienced and amiable admission consultancy firm I possibly could have asked for.

From the moment I started working with Heidi and Judith, I have received their full and undivided attention. Whether it was rethinking my application strategy, seeking advice on timelines and task prioritisation, or most importantly, the relentless editing of my application materials until they were absolutely flawless – Heidi and Judith were there for me and at no point did they cut corners or shy away from hard work to be done. As far as they were concerned, as long as I wanted to further perfect an essay, even for the 15th time, they were enthusiastically up for the task. They continuously made me feel like they were worth every cent I had paid for their superior service and extremely valuable baggage of MBA admissions experience.

When I first interviewed admission consultants, a consultant from one of the most established firms in the industry told me that I “was not even in the ballpark for an M7 school”. Thanks to Fortuna, enhancing and streamlining my work, I was accepted to the Columbia Business School MBA program, an M7 school.

Heidi is an expert at recognizing your strengths and getting the best out of you!

1) I was not very confident with my essay writing, so having Heidi’s help and encouragement was invaluable.

2) I had a relatively hurried application timeline and was traveling for business a lot. Heidi was able to accommodate.

Heidi is very well-rounded and she played key role in defining my career goals and polishing my essays. I would recommend Heidi to prospective applicants.

Heidi helped me take my application to the next level and ultimately gain admission to HBS & GSB. Together we drilled down into what made me a unique applicant and then put those qualities front and center through my essays and interviews. Heidi is honest, encouraging, and detail-oriented. She sets a high bar and relentlessly pursues excellence; I can say confidently that the applications I delivered were my best work. I highly recommend working with Heidi if you want to achieve the best possible results for yourself.

I worked with Heidi Hillis through the Fortuna Admissions Comprehensive School Package, and I am extremely excited to say that I was accepted to my top choice program, HBS!! I highly recommend Heidi as her insight, advice, and encouragement helped me highlight leadership examples and craft a thoughtful application despite my non-traditional and very technical background. She helped me reflect deeply on my past experiences and pushed me through numerous drafts to compose an application that I was extremely proud of. She also made the intense and overwhelming application process very manageable — providing a clear roadmap for approaching recommenders, completing essays, and surviving the interview process. Heidi is extremely insightful, invested, caring, and very responsive, and I ultimately couldn’t have successfully completed this process without Heidi\’s invaluable support. Thank you so much, Heidi and the Fortuna team!!

I had such a great time working with Heidi – she was thoughtful, attentive, and knew exactly how to connect the dots among my seemingly disparate set of experiences. I was a non-traditional applicant, and Heidi did a fantastic job at helping me craft a compelling story that wove together my personal and professional sides and that highlighted the unique parts of my candidacy. I started my R1 applications a bit late, and so I appreciated Heidi’s quick turnaround on my essays and candid feedback. I signed up for the 1-school package, and I was able to reuse much of the content we developed for other schools. I’m proud to say that I’ve received admits from several top M-7 programs. From the first call I had with Judith (director at Fortuna), I got the sense that the team really treats you like their own. This has proven to be true even after the application process, as Heidi and Judith have played a crucial role in helping me decide among several great programs (a good problem to have!). I’m extremely grateful for their guidance and expertise!

Heidi did a great job of probing my mind and helping me figure out what matters most to me. In addition to acting as a consult, she doubled as a fantastic “life coach” whose mentorship I will cherish for the rest of my career. And to top it all off, I was given services to put together a very comprehensive and compelling application package that allowed me to stand out (even as “Just another engineer”). I now know what my overarching goals are for both my pre and post-MBA timeline. I believe this is more important than even the MBA itself. I’ve learned that the MBA and “training” is only a means to an end….the “will” and “passion” is literally everything. I would 100% recommend her to everyone I know – including those who don’t plan on pursuing MBA’s.

From start to finish, Heidi was a great sounding board who really helped me think about how to structure the thoughts and messages I wanted to put across within my applications. She was always readily available and really proactive in checking in on my progress. Her feedback was almost immediate and working with her felt like a very personalised experience. I felt she knew me inside out by the time applications were due and will always be thankful for her guidance and suggestions – no stone left unturned!

I can’t express enough thanks to Heidi who worked with me on both the abstract story that my application would tell to differentiate me from the plethora of other candidates with good scores/brand name firms and the minutiae of my essays (29 drafts in total across 3 schools!), my resume, and outlines to guide my recommenders. They were able to add a layer of structure, experience and project management to an otherwise intricate and idiosyncratic process. The entire Fortuna team has my gratitude and full endorsement.