Lara Avsar

I had an excellent experience working with Square One Prep and cannot imagine having gone through the MBA application process without them. I was fortunate to be admitted to my top choice, Stanford GSB, in Round 1, and I genuinely believe that outcome would not have been possible without the Square One team.

My experience with Square One was strong from the very beginning. When I first reached out to Kathryn, the founder, she responded almost immediately and mapped out a tailored, day-by-day, multi-month plan on Square One’s customized online portal (this was on our intro call, before I was even a client!) Her continued involvement until I received my acceptance added clarity and polish at key moments in the process.

While Kathryn was my first interaction at Square One, I had a full team supporting me, which was incredibly helpful and left nothing uncovered. Lara Avsar served as my primary advisor and led the day-to-day of my process, from resumes to essays to interview preparation. Additionally, Wendy focused on my career narrative development, Pat managed logistics and deadlines, and Kathryn provided strategic oversight and a second set of eyes throughout.

More specifically regarding Lara, she was absolutely exceptional, and I would recommend her without hesitation to anyone. She is extremely smart, creative, and genuinely kind, and she consistently challenged me to think more clearly and deeply about how I framed my experiences. This is critical to note – this was not a quick process, as Lara pushed me heavily by challenging assumptions, digging into details, and consequently helping to meaningfully elevate the quality of the narratives I was conveying throughout my application. This was possible for her to do because she, along with the other Square One advisors, take on only a handful of clients (no more than ~5-6) per application cycle. This was highly differentiated relative to what I saw from other advisors I had looked at, and it was what I believe drove a material amount of the value in working with Square One.

Overall, Square One is a unique, high-touch team, and I would strongly recommend them, and specifically Lara Avsar, to anyone serious about applying to competitive MBA programs!

The Square One process was seamless and truly a highly personalized experience. Working with Kathryn and Lara, my advisor, was incredible. I received admission to HBS, my top choice, and three other top schools I applied to, and I know this would not have been possible without their support.

My process began with an initial introductory phone call with Kathryn, followed by a very detailed call with Lara, where she asked thoughtful questions ranging from personal to professional. She genuinely cares about getting to know you. Square One’s process is unique in that they spend the first few weeks deeply fleshing out your career narrative and story. I had initially signed on with another advisor, and we immediately jumped into essays, which felt rushed. Square One understands that full alignment with your story creates the strongest application and ultimately leads to the most authentic interview. As a result of their process, my authenticity was able to truly shine.

Square One also stands out in how they guide you through every step. I had support from Kathryn whenever I had general questions about the business school process and support from Lara for anything related to my resume, essays, and interview preparation. They are intentional about not taking on too many applicants at once, which clearly shows in the level of attentiveness and care. Having worked with another advisor previously, the difference was immediately noticeable. My other advisor was clearly spread too thin.

Most importantly, Square One challenged me. Kathryn and Lara brought out the best in me and were honest when I needed to step up or make changes. That accountability was critical to my success. I received real time feedback and was able to improve my work daily, which directly led to my results. With their support, I was admitted to four top MBA programs, including Harvard, Columbia, Kellogg, and Booth, and received scholarships at some. I am incredibly grateful to Kathryn and Lara and would recommend Square One to anyone!

I started working with Lara a month and a half before the deadlines, while I was still due to write my GMAT.
Lara truly stands out,
– She brought out the best in me
– Held me to a high standard and made me produce work that I was proud of irrespective of the result. She did not give up when I was stubborn about inaccurate points, and work really hard alongside me even when I was being “difficult” in a traditional sense.
– Open to ideas, being challenged and taking risks together
– Mega helpful for interview prep, I did not use any external consultants for the interview
– Genuinely cares about long-term growth beyond applications. I became a better communicator and more reflective person in the process.
She’s amazing, I’d trust her on helping me on topics beyond college apps.

Kelsey worked as a sounding board to us, she is amazing as well!

Square One has a unique but very structured and thought through approach. By the time you end up writing the application you are well prepared for the interview.

I was accepted to my dream schools (MIT and Columbia) solely due to Lara and the entire Square One Prep team!

I had an outstanding experience working with Square One Prep, and in particular with my advisor, Lara. I was very fortunate to receive multiple MBA admissions offers, including full scholarships from three M7 programs and several T10 schools. I truly believe I would not have achieved the same results without her guidance. Beyond the outcomes, the process itself was incredibly valuable and transformative.

Lara helped transform a highly technical, non-traditional, military background into a clear, compelling, and easily understood narrative. She consistently provided honest and actionable feedback, whether it was as simple as refining single word, or to restart an essay because she knew I could do better. We spent hours and hours talking through my life story to understand my “why MBA?” question, which made my essays stronger and more authentic.

What stood out most to me was how much Lara cared about me as a person, not just as an applicant. She wasn’t focused on simply “checking the box” for each part of the application process. She genuinely wanted to understand who I was, why I was pursuing an MBA, and what my life goals were. Having her as a sounding board as I worked out those questions myself made a (very overwhelming) process feel manageable.

That level of care and reflection translated directly into results – results that I wasn’t sure were possible before Square One. The clarity in my story and self-awareness of my goals that Lara helped me develop showed up not only in my written applications, but also in my interviews and overall confidence going into my MBA.

Lara is patient, supportive, incredibly sharp, and will always be in your corner. I would highly recommend working with her and Square One Prep to anyone looking for an admissions expert to help guide them through the MBA application process.

I had an outstanding experience working with Lara at Square One Prep, and I credit her as a major reason I finished the MBA admissions process with two M7 offers and over $300K in merit-based scholarships. Just as importantly, I walked away with an application and a personal story that I am genuinely proud of. This was something Lara emphasized early on as the true measure of success.

From the very beginning, Lara invested deeply in understanding who I am. She spent nearly four hours with me at the outset unpacking my background, motivations, values, and long-term goals. That upfront effort created a shared understanding that made the rest of our work highly efficient, collaborative, and intentional.

Lara’s greatest strength is strategic application and career narrative development. Coming from a highly quantitative background, I initially struggled to present myself holistically. Lara helped me balance analytical rigor with leadership, emotional intelligence, and personal motivation in a way that felt authentic and compelling. The narrative we built became the foundation not only for my essays, but also for my networking conversations and broader career clarity. She also leveraged her own personal and professional connections to help pressure-test and strengthen my story.

Equally impactful was Lara’s honesty and emotional intelligence. She consistently told me what I needed to hear, pushed back when necessary, and challenged my assumptions, while also providing steady emotional support throughout what can be an intense and vulnerable process. Regardless of outcomes, I feel I grew meaningfully both professionally and personally through this journey.

Working with Lara felt like a true partnership rather than a transactional service. I would recommend her without hesitation to anyone serious about pursuing top MBA programs.

Let’s get the outcomes out of the way: SOP helped me achieve admission to both HBS and Wharton! From start to finish, it took less than one month!

I had two friends who both had successful outcomes refer me to Square One Prep but I was someone who thought I could navigate the process on my own. It was December 14, less than a month before Round 2 deadlines were due and I was still debating whether I even wanted to apply to business school. I had a few half-baked essays and knew I had not strongly communicated my narrative.

Kathryn hopped on the phone with me on a Friday afternoon, walked me through the SOP process, and sent me a schedule on how we would make two schools work in less than 30 days. She was direct honest, and most importantly caring. By Saturday morning, Kathryn was my sounding board on whether I wanted to “hit the brakes on the process” or “pump the gas”. Kathryn wanted me to make this personal decision and there was no pressure on whether I pause or continue the MBA process. I decided SOP was for me on Saturday morning and by Saturday afternoon, Kathryn had me set up with intro calls with multiple advisors. This was on a SATURDAY. This was beyond anything I expected, Kathryn and her team truly go above and beyond. Any other company would say we’ll get back to you Monday, Kathryn and Lara got back to me in 10 minutes. They care about your experience in the process (not just the outcomes) and you truly feel that.

On Saturday evening (at 8 freaking PM!!), I had my first call with Lara Avsar who would change my life. Lara took the time to understand my story and my “why”. It wasn’t just let’s build an application, it was let’s know who you are, why you are who you are, and how you and the business school can fit together.

Lara was patient, caring, and helped me reflect on who I was as a person, and craft that story. She made time on the weekends, at night, and in the early mornings to make sure I was supported throughout the entire process. Her expertise in crafting vignettes and focus on storytelling was extremely impactful in my essays. I truly felt that Lara cared about me as a human being and that the application was a byproduct of the deep thought work we did together! I consider Lara someone who has changed my life and I’m extremely grateful for all of her time and support during this entire process. I do not doubt that Lara will be an advisor for life!

SOP overarching strategy was extremely effective and everything was perfectly planned thanks to Pat! Kathryn made herself available 24/7 to review the work and provide her expert guidance on where we were tracking and direction on strengths/weaknesses.

During this process, I also had the pleasure of working with Horatiu. Horatiu is
an expert at crafting a tangible career narrative and this is an element of the process that I think also sets SOP apart from the rest. Horatiu and team help you discover a career narrative that you’re passionate about and something that can be used well beyond business school.

Overall, I can confidently say I would not have achieved the outcomes without Square One Prep. More importantly than the outcomes, I know the SOP experience will pay dividends well into the future. I’m extremely grateful for Lara, Kathryn, and the entire Square One Prep team!

I worked with Lara at SOP and her guidance and counseling not only helped me get into 2 M7 schools, but truly impacted my life outlook on my professional and personal development. Lara pushed me in all of the best ways as a writer and a thinker, she is an incredible advisor and person. I could not be more grateful for her guidance and cannot recommend SOP enough.

I recently had the pleasure of working with Lara from Square One Prep and I was thoroughly impressed with the level of professionalism and expertise they brought to the table.

My goal is to get into one of the best business programs. As a candidate in a competitive industry and demographic segment, I turned to Square One for help. Lara and the team looked into every aspect of the application and helped me craft a strong and competitive application, which I wouldn’t have been able to do by myself. Lara was not only incredibly knowledgeable about the MBA admissions process but also willing to share her candid feedback throughout the entire journey.

I highly recommend this MBA consulting firm to anyone looking for top-notch guidance and support in the MBA admissions process.

I got exceptional application results with the Square One Prep (SOP) team. I applied to two schools (M7 and S16), got admitted to both and got a full scholarship from my dream school. Besides the results, the journey itself is transformative as well. The SOP team provided exceptional advice to strengthen my application, patiently guided me through every component, and championed me to the finish line. Thanks to the SOP team’s work, I came out of the application more self-aware, communicating better, and more confident, all of which are qualities that will benefit me in the long term.

It all started with the founder Kathryn and I cannot say enough how experienced and caring she is. I interviewed multiple MBA consultancies and many of them showed reluctance to take me as a client, given that I am an older applicant and came from a less-traditional background. But Kathryn believed in me from the beginning. She did warn me how competitive MBA admission can be, yet she believed that I have a good chance of getting admitted. This trusting partnership enabled me to be genuine, introspect and reveal myself in the application, which I believe was the key to my admission success.

In the middle of the application, my first advisor and I were not working well together, resulting in serious delays in my essay work. I asked for a chat with Kathryn and she quickly jumped on a call. She patiently listened to and fully understood my concerns and struggles. Within 2 days, Kathryn helped me find Lara, who became my trusted advisor.

Lara is very experienced in MBA admission, providing crucial advice to strengthen my application. Her attention to detail is exceptional. During our essay editing and LOR-building sessions, she pointed out flaws in my drafts, big or small, with honest and actionable feedback. Sometimes we’d jump on a call to talk through the stories, trying to surface the deeper thoughts. In addition to the excellent advice for applications, Lara is also a life coach to me. She pushed me to think deeply about who I am and what I’m trying to accomplish with the MBA. All of the insights we discovered together were well presented in my application and the interview. I highly recommend working with her if you are also looking for a coach in your application journey!