Jennifer Jackson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I began working with Jennifer in June 2017. At the time (similar to many prospective applicants!), I was juggling full-time employment and GMAT studying. Facing the applications themselves seemed daunting. Working through Stratus’s introspection activities with Jennifer gave me a starting point and was an incredibly helpful way to frame my ‘story’ and clarify my MBA and post-MBA aspirations.

Jennifer worked with me to set a realistic timeline given the large number of schools I was planning to apply to and, while she was always flexible when work or life got in the way, was great about keeping me on track throughout the process. She was extremely responsive and knowledgeable about the programs I was applying to – if I ever had a question about a program that she couldn’t answer, she would reach out to her peers at Stratus to help me get the needed information. I particularly recommend the comprehensive counseling package. Having the opportunity to receive structured feedback from multiple sources at Stratus, including my assigned senior strategist Susan Cera (who was also fantastic to work with!), a proofreader and a school-specific specialist for each program, ensured I was putting forth the best possible application.

Thanks to the help of Jennifer and the Stratus team, I was ultimately accepted to three top-10 programs and will be headed to my dream school this fall!