Sharon Joyce

Coming from a non-traditional background of physical therapy, the majority of the MBA application process was foreign to me. It was like trying to learn another language. I knew I needed help from someone who was not only spoke the language of the business world, but had experience with admissions committees, what they would be looking for, and how to best sell myself to them. Sharon was the best interpreter I could have ever asked for. From our first consult call, I immediately connected with her calm and confident personality. She was kind, patient, and compassionate while also holding me accountable and pushing me to take advantage of every opportunity. She walked me through career research to figure out what my goals were. We narrowed down the list of schools I would apply to based on those goals, my preferences, and culture fit. She helped me package and brand my stories and background in a way that would translate best to the business world. I’ve never been someone who wrote multiple drafts of every essay, but Sharon helped me see the importance of using every word count available to better frame and craft my application. She pushed me to reach for schools and scholarships I wouldn’t have thought I could consider. The results? I got into 6 of the 7 schools I applied to with multiple scholarship offers, including a full ride to the school best matched for me and my goals. Sharon was just as excited I was for each acceptance and even helped me talk through my final decision making process. When I started on this path to pivot my career, I was worried it was a long shot that wouldn’t make sense to anyone else. Sharon not only validated my choice, but showed me step by step how feasible it was. She didn’t change anything about the me or the base facts of my application. She took my background and my stories, and she helped be re-package them in a way that highlighted what the admissions committees would respond best to while still being authentically me. I wouldn’t be where I am without Sharon, and I cannot recommend her highly enough.

Sharon is a great consultant! She helped me get into my dream school (T10). Sharon and I worked together on my R2 apps, and she provided me guidance from resume reviews all the way to interview prep. She helped me with seven T15 applications, and I was invited to interview for six of them, accepted into five. Her expertise from working as an admissions committee member previously really showed as we worked to craft my story not only to highlight my accomplishments/why MBA but also to preserve authenticity. Sharon also did not have a strict count on edits/times we spoke during a week. This was very important to me as I wanted my application to be absolutely perfect, no matter how many iterations it took. I am so very grateful for Sharon’s help; if you are considering Fortuna, please go with Sharon!

In summary: Call Sharon now because she is the best partner you could ask for during the business school application process!

After an initial call with Sharon, her extensive knowledge of the business school application process and specific knowledge for each program was made clear. Sharon’s perceptiveness, sincerity, and personalized approach stood out and I immediately knew I wanted Sharon on my team. I had multiple calls with other companies before finding Sharon and there were clear differences, which made choosing Sharon easy.

Sharon is strategic and immediately created a plan, specific to me. The plan and timeline clearly outlined what was needed and by when, greatly reducing the stress of this process while I worked full time. She is honest and provided constructive feedback. Sharon pushed me when I needed it and cheered me on when my test scores weren’t where I wanted them to be. She was always encouraging and quickly adjusted our timeline when I pivoted and explored a different test, to which I scored higher. Sharon is a fantastic listener and very receptive. We used the CliftonStrengths assessment to help focus on my strengths and craft my application. Her overall process helped me learn a lot about myself. She helped highlight my work experience and improve my resume, tell my story, choose recommenders, bolster my weaknesses, and prepare for interviews to name a few.

I was so impressed by Sharon’s responsive and willingness to always make herself available to answer all my questions. She went above and beyond! She genuinely cares about her clients and wants to see them succeed.

I wouldn’t have received the acceptances to my dream schools without Sharon. I even received scholarships to multiple programs. I’m so glad I chose to invest in my future and work with Sharon because she helped me achieve results, I didn’t think were possible. She has changed the trajectory of my life, and I will forever be grateful.

Working with Sharon was money extremely well spent. She put an effective structure to our time together, gave candid and impactful feedback, and was just lovely to work with. Through working with Sharon I was given the highest merit based scholarship offered at the school that was the best fit for me.

I was applying to two top 5 part time programs while moving from a strategy role to a PM role in the music space at YouTube. Applying to top tier business schools can basically be a 2nd full time job to do correctly, and, when done well, can have have a huge ROI. It is extremely rare to get any merit based fellowships for part time programs, and I directly attribute this success to my work with Sharon.

I worked with Sharon for 3 school applications – all T25 business schools. Sharon was phenomenal to work with over the summer all the way through R! fall application cycle. Sharon was always available to meet weekly over zoom, call, or text if needed. Sharon always came to our meeting’s with an upbeat attitude and really made the long and sometimes overwhelming application process really simple. We went school by school working on one application at a time until completion. Sharon was always so excited as I submitted each application and moved on to the next one.

I ended up receiving admission and scholarship funds to all three of my T25 school selections. Working with Sharon was a great experience and I wouldn’t want to go through this process with anyone else!!!

I worked w/ Sharon on a two school package – CBS J-Term and NYU Stern’s part-time (Langone). The bottom line is while I don’t have credible comparison, I thoroughly enjoyed and found value in working with Sharon on my MBA applications.

As an older re-applicant with a very low (we’re talking <3.0) undergrad gpa, I knew I had the odds stacked against me, but Sharon was great at helping me look at any of these perceived weaknesses as strengths or complements to the strengths I brought to the table (domain expertise, leadership).

What I really appreciate is that while 90% of the work is about true self-discovery, her vast experience in admissions and as a consultant use that last 10% to, put it bluntly, craft it in a way that the adcom wants to hear, without losing your true voice and authenticity. Every time I thought I was getting deep, Sharon pushed me more – she truly made me feel like my essays were her essays.

I k there are a number of consultants who are great at working with candidates who are "flawless" on paper, good undergrad, high gpa, blue chip experience, high test score, etc. While I have no doubt Sharon would work well with those candidates, there's a particular skillset that Sharon brings that I think is uniquely beneficial to a candidate who might have one or more blemishes on their candidacy – that is an intense desire to get to know you at a personal level and what drives you, and her even greater desire to evoke that voice in your application.

My end results were getting on the waitlist at CBS after interviewing (when I truly had no business even interviewing) and getting accepted into Stern Langone, where I matriculated in Jan 2024. I give Sharon a lot of credit for me getting as far as I did in the CBS process.

Excited to share my experience working with Sharon Joyce from Fortuna Admissions as I get ready to embark on the exciting journey of pursuing my MBA at my top-choice T10 program.

From the moment I decided to pursue an MBA, Sharon played a pivotal role in guiding me through every step of the challenging admissions process. Her commitment to excellence, responsiveness, and personalized approach truly set her apart. Sharon’s ability to adapt to the evolving nature of my aspirations and preferences was invaluable, as the MBA application journey is rarely a linear path.

Sharon’s strength lies in her thoughtful and strategic insights. She really took the time to understand my story, aspirations, and experiences, something that is invaluable if you want to make a strong application. Her attention to detail and genuine interest in my success were evident in every interaction, making the entire process feel not only manageable but also empowering.

What makes Fortuna Admissions truly exceptional is the extensive ecosystem of professionals and data they bring to the table. Working with Sharon meant I had access to a wealth of knowledge and expertise beyond a single consultant. Fortuna’s team of seasoned admissions consultants, all hailing from the admissions committees of top-tier MBA programs, ensures that you receive specialized guidance tailored to the specific nuances of your target schools and domains.

The collaborative and interdisciplinary approach at Fortuna allowed me to tap into the collective wisdom of experts, enhancing the quality of my applications and interviews. This level of support and expertise is a testament to Fortuna’s commitment to excellence in MBA admissions consulting.

In conclusion, I cannot express enough gratitude for Sharon Joyce and the Fortuna Admissions team. Their professionalism, dedication, and depth of knowledge were instrumental in securing my admissions to my top choice T10 MBA program. I wholeheartedly recommend Fortuna Admissions to anyone aspiring to pursue an MBA, confident that they will receive the same exceptional guidance that has been pivotal in my own success.

I recently had the pleasure of working with Sharon Joyce through the two-school package for my applications to HBS (Round 2) and Stanford (Round 1). The outcome was beyond my expectations, securing interviews at both prestigious institutions and ultimately gaining admission to Stanford, my dream school. This achievement was, without a doubt, significantly bolstered by Sharon’s exceptional coaching and support.

From the outset, Sharon was a beacon of positivity and encouragement. Her approach was not just professional but also personal, making me feel supported and confident throughout the application process. Her insights and guidance were invaluable, especially in helping me to articulate my story in a way that was both authentic and compelling to the admissions committees.

Sharon’s commitment to excellence was evident in her timely and thorough feedback on my applications. She always made herself available for questions, big or small, which was incredibly reassuring during the stressful periods of the process. Her accessibility and promptness in communication meant that I could rely on her not just for advice on my applications but also for moral support.

One of the things I appreciated most about working with Sharon was her ability to instill confidence in me. She has a special talent for identifying and highlighting strengths in a way that I had not considered, which was instrumental in presenting myself in the best possible light to the admissions committees.

I am over the moon with my admission to Stanford and cannot thank Sharon enough for her role in making this dream a reality. Her kindness, expertise, and dedication are truly remarkable, and I wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone looking to navigate the MBA admissions process successfully. In fact, I have already recommended her to some of my colleagues, confident that they will benefit from her guidance as much as I did.

I highly recommend Sharon as an admissions coach, and I am immensely grateful for her guidance!

Sharon has been an amazing coach throughout the entire MBA application process. She is a pro at digging deep into your life to find those pivotal moments that helped transform you and then putting them into your essays and application narrative. As a military applicant, I had a very unique and unusual career/education path and she really helped me articulate my story clearly and concisely. She has a unique set of tools and resources to help you every step of the way, there wasn’t a moment working with her that I felt unsure of my application. She has truly been a blessing and I couldn’t recommend her enough. Thanks to Sharon I was accepted to 4 of my dream schools in the M7 and T10 with scholarships. Thank You!

Sharon was a true partner in my MBA journey. She gave her 100% and was committed throughout with me. Given her experience, I wasn’t surprised at all about how organized she was – she made the entire process less intimidating and made me feel like I’m doing my best. She’s great at getting back to me via text or email and she only wishes the best for you. I’d highly recommend Sharon for your MBA journey. She helped me get into Duke with scholarship which was my Top 3 preference.

Sharon provided the professional perspective that allowed me to choose which details would shine in the application and how to position myself best in the admissions process. While I had some ideas on what admissions looked for, Sharon’s deep understanding of the process guided my thought organizing process to align particular strengths to particular schools/essays for optimal cultural fit.
I received help from Sharon in Round 1 and 2. I thought I could excel beyond results of Round 1, so requested additional help in Round 2. Sharon was very willing, energetic, and thoughtful in assisting me in reframing my profile to stand out to different schools. The biggest help on the essay was her attention to detail which saved me from awkward and unclear phrasing – my biggest weakness in writing process.
I got accepted to Yale SOM and Northwestern Kellogg, both with scholarships.

Sharon Joyce is truly the best! Sharon takes the time in understanding your background and making yourself unique in the whole application process. Timelines and a structured process are in place to help keep candidates accountable so that the applications and letters of recommendation are submitted on time for the round submission. She helped a lot in brainstorming ideas and information to make my applications unique.
Sharon thoroughly goes through each school and what differentiates each of them so that the best essays and applications are sent.
She helped me immensely in combatting my low GPA and getting an acceptance to Duke Fuqua School of Business (with a merit scholarship).
I highly recommend working with Sharon for your MBA applications as a lot of other people have; she helps candidates from the application stage all the way to the accepted stage.

Sharon is the best partner you can have on your MBA application journey. I opted for a 2 school comprehensive package, working with her on my R1 applications. With her guidance and support, I was admitted to Berkeley Haas (with a scholarship)!

Sharon played an integral role each step of the way – especially at the beginning, holding multiple brainstorming sessions (and incorporating insights from specialized tools like CliftonStrengths) to help me craft my larger narrative. Committing that initial time and effort paid dividends down the road, making subsequent essay writing (and interview prep) much more straightforward. This was even more so the case because she helped organize the entire process into bite-sized tasks with clear timelines on my calendar, so I can focus on each aspect of my applications one at a time without being bogged down by thinking about the whole.

Sharon is direct and transparent, which I found valuable for a few reasons: (1) we were able to efficiently reshape/trim down my essays avoiding unnecessary back-and-forth (in fact, she once helped me cut >1,000 words from a first draft in the span of a single call, which I don’t think could have been possible had it not been for her brutal honesty), and (2) I could trust her compliments / positive feedback when she liked something out of the gate. That being said, she always exuded optimism, warmth, and kindness in our interactions, occasionally sending notes of encouragement to ease stress / keep me motivated.

Finally, as an ex-Haas adcom, Sharon was able to enrich my understanding of the school’s norms and culture as well as their evaluation criteria. Thanks to her direction, I was able to network with a diverse group of students and staff to tailor my application and sharpen my interview responses to perfectly align with Haas’s ethos. That insider’s edge was instrumental in making me feel confident and place my best foot forward.

I am deeply grateful to Sharon for her expertise, patience, and down-to-earth support – don’t think I could have just as easily navigated this journey without her. If you are looking for an excellent MBA coach who can help you get into the best schools possible, you cannot go wrong with Sharon!

I could not recommend working with Sharon Joyce more highly! I purchased a 1-school package and then added on hourly essay reviews as needed. With Sharon’s support, I was admitted to Wharton, CBS, Dartmouth Tuck (with scholarship), Yale SOM (with scholarship), Duke Fuqua (with scholarship), UVA Darden (with scholarship), and NYU Stern (with scholarship).

Sharon helped me with the lift of applying to 8 schools R1. In addition to helping me get acceptances at 7/8 of these schools, Sharon made me feel supported throughout the entire admissions process. I was particularly impressed with how she took the time to get to know me as a person outside of my career journey alone. It meant a lot to me that she remembered what I shared and later brought up these points as I was crafting essays or preparing interview answers. This made me feel she was truly invested in my success.

In our first few meetings, Sharon helped me think strategically about how to position my story. During this phase, she shared exercises to think about my strengths and brainstorm what career environments would be most appealing to me (ex: more established firm vs. startup, etc). This foundational work became the basis for my application and paid dividends throughout the entire process.

Beyond the initial application crafting, Sharon eliminated a lot of stress by helping me engage with my recommenders most effectively, craft the most impactful essays I could, and prepare for interviews. She gave me a lot of tips I could not have found anywhere online, which removed anxiety from each milestone in the application journey.

I would recommend Sharon to anyone applying to top MBA programs for not only her expertise, but also for her kindness, empathy, and dedication to what she does. You can’t go wrong working with Sharon!

Working with Sharon made applying for B-School an absolute breeze. I knew that this would be a big task to take on, on top of a busy work schedule. I was also applying to a good amount of reach schools – so I knew I wanted to do the process right! Sharon made it so easy – I knew what I needed to complete each week and breaking down the process into these bite-sized pieces made the process much more manageable. Sharon helped me with the monumental task of applying to 5 schools R1. We had a few brainstorming sessions, then jumped into essay drafting and revising. It felt easy to get my ideas down and refine them after we had the brainstorming sessions and I complete Fortuna’s assessments. Sharon’s use of the Gallup profile is also very helpful in the process. Then she helped me with the form submissions and refining my online presence. After submissions, Sharon helped me prepare for each one of my interviews with a recorded mock which really helped me nail my interviews.

I got admission offers to 4/5 schools, most with a substantial scholarship. (Duke Fuqua w/ scholarship, Michigan Ross w/ scholarship, UCLA Anderson w/ scholarship, Northwestern Kellogg)

The most important is an offer from my DREAM school Kellogg. I truly did not even consider applying to Kellogg until Sharon suggested it, I never thought I would get in and was expecting a waitlist decision at best. I’m thrilled at the outcome of an R1 admit here and would work with Sharon again in a heartbeat! You can’t go wrong!

Sharon was an absolute joy to work with and I highly recommend her services to anyone looking for an MBA Coach! From day one, it was abundantly clear that I was in great hands with Sharon. She is an expert on every part of the process and relieved any stress I had about applications. Sharon worked with me to narrow my list of target schools, refine my personal story, articulate my goals, review my essays, prepare for interviews, and everything in between. I cannot emphasize enough the personal touch that Sharon brings to this experience. Every detail in every application is accounted for and reviewed in depth. My goal during the application process was to receive a scholarship to relieve the financial burden. With Sharon’s help, I was offered significant scholarships to Anderson and Cornell Johnson. These achievements would not have been possible without Sharon’s expertise and guidance. If you are looking for an MBA Coach to get into your dream school, look no further!

Sharon is the best coach that I can ever ask for! I believe that I would not have gotten into the schools that I applied to (Haas/Anderson) if weren’t for her. It’s been a pleasure working with her. Sharon is thorough, down to earth, and very knowledgeable. She made herself available constantly, answering all my questions and addressing my concerns. She set the timeline and developed a plan so we could have everything done before the application deadline, easing the stress throughout this process. I really appreciate that she took her time to understand my background/stories and helped me incorporate those into my essays. Sharon went above and beyond, helping me to know the real me and highlighting the areas that would make me stand out as a candidate. I can’t thank her enough for what she has done for me! Amazing coach!!!!

After talking to three other MBA consultants I chose Sharon because a friend had recently taken her help and she seemed most empathetic to my situation. She was realistic and encouraging, something which some other consultants did not possess. Being a male Indian software engineer, I was told my chances of getting into Haas to their EW MBA program are slim (this in spite of the fact that I scored 163 in EA and other strong credentials).

Sharon helped me structure my essay and also performed the duty of a therapist to keep my spirits up. Additionally, her coaching was paramount when it came to the video interview.

I strongly recommend Sharon to anyone and esp. people from a similar background as me.

I happened to connect with Sharon through Fortuna Admissions. Sharon has been extremely insightful while reviewing my credentials and my life story. She gave my application a unique perspective and a highly personal touch. The best part of working with Sharon was that she is very detail-oriented and laid stress on the impact every single word would have on my application. She has a lot of experience consulting and helped highlight aspects that could bring out the best in my profile, increasing the admission chances. She pushed me at times to delve deeper into my life experiences and think from an alternate perspective, bringing out more examples to aid my application. I, without a doubt, highly recommend her for the MBA admission process!

I cannot express enough how fortunate I was to consult with Sharon as I navigated the MBA application process. Sharon has a vast wealth of knowledge and experience to leverage, and her insights were always incredibly helpful whether it was regarding my essays, letters of rec, or resume. In addition, Sharon was wonderful in terms of flexibility and ability to help me build out a plan of attack for my applications. Further, Sharon really took her time in getting to know me and my goals so that she could help craft the best application and what school would be the right fit for me. By the end of the whole process, I got into both of my target schools (Anderson and Haas)! I truly don’t know how I could have gotten through everything without her. I highly recommend her to anyone who wants help with any part of their MBA application!

I cannot say enough good things about Sharon and the Fortuna team. She has an awesome wealth of knowledge about the process and did a fantastic job articulating what each school individually was looking for at every step of my applications. What really stood out to me about Sharon is the time and effort she dedicated to getting to know me on a personal level, which made the whole process feel really personalized and genuine to me and my goals, values, and strengths. She (and the whole Fortuna team) went above and beyond – whether it was bringing in different experts from Fortuna to give me feedback or spending 2.5 hours on a Friday night to talk through an essay, she really pushed me to put out the best, most creative applications I could. I ended up with multiple scholarship offers from T15 schools – I cannot recommend Sharon and Fortuna enough!

I made a good decision to work with Sharon to apply to 6 universities (Admitted on 4/6). She cared so much about my applications and she set a good rhythm and weekly meetings to ensure that we are on track. I recommend her to work with especially if you plan to apply to Wharton, Sloan, and Hass where she has shown strong experience in those schools’ applications. Also, she is a wonderful person that turns zoom calls into friendly and enjoyable conversations.

Sharon Joyce is an excellent coach. I believe I would not have even had the number of interviews I received if not for her guidance, let alone acceptance at CMU Tepper and Alliance Manchester Business School. She listens very well and provides informed and accurate advice. What impressed me the most was that she took the time to get to know me as a person and incorporate that information into her guidance during essay writing and interview prep. Sharon did what I’d expect most coaches to do:
– review my essays, LinkedIn profile, and resume
– set a clear timeline for each step in the process
– help with interview preparations
BUT it was the extra steps that she took that make her such a good coach.

She not only helped by providing guidance about how to leverage my experiences to create a unique and intriguing story for the applications, but she also pushed me to reevaluate myself and my experiences in order to get down to the “who”, “what”, and “why”. Helping me to understand my own motivations for applying to an MBA program in the first place not only helped me craft better essays and interview responses but motivated me to truly apply myself to the application process.

Overall, Sharon was supportive, positive, and someone I enjoyed working with. She has all the knowledge and experience of the MBA admissions process to help an applicant be successful, AND the ability to translate that knowledge to the applicant in such a way as to allow them to best showcase themselves to the schools they are applying to.

Sharon is an excellent coach. Without her guidance, I would not get into Berkeley Haas. I am grateful for her guidance during my application process. She is very friendly, easy to communicate with, and has excellent leadership qualities. She spent a significant amount of time with me on Zoom, phone, or email. In addition, she reviewed my application diligently in each section, like supplementary information, resume, essays, and interview.
Some of the actions that she took that made a difference in my application:
– She listened to my stories and reviewed my resume, LinkedIn profile, and draft essays.
– She provided strategy action steps with a specific timeline
– Her approach provided accountability for me to stick with the timeline.
After learning about my life experience, Sharon guided me to write my essays with a unique vision and objective. With her suggestions, I identified a few weak points in my essays. In addition, she helped me identify a few of my life stories to write as storytelling, which would appeal to admission committees. Finally, being from an overrepresenting engineer category, I wanted to distinguish myself from the pool of similar applicants; Sharon’s suggestions helped me do that.

She also helped me immensely with interview preparation:
She delved into each possible question and spent a lot of time preparing for an answer, and then we did a dry run.
She pointed out a few weak points in my responses, such as my voice, pronunciation, and filer words.
She asked me to practice, practice and practice.

I had a fantastic experience with her, and I strongly recommend her to other applicants who want to get an excellent return for the bucks that you would spend with a consultant.

I had the absolute pleasure of working with Sharon Joyce during the Fall 2022 R2 application cycle, during which I was accepted to A. my top choice, top-tier MBA program, and B. every program to which I applied.

As a dual-degree applicant from a non-traditional background, I knew I had to dive a bit deeper to understand how admissions committees think, and go about the process of building a diverse class. Our time working together has left me with a far deeper understanding of the MBA admissions process than I will make any attempt to retain now that the application cycle is, thankfully, over.

Sharon was punctual, responsive, and supportive, but more important than any of this, she had a genuine desire to build a collaborative relationship. Instead of writing out cookie-cutter essays, we worked together to develop my own unique story and brand as a candidate. She encouraged me to be myself, but the best and sharpest version of myself. That’s the true benefit of working with a coach, and it’s gotten me to where I am today.

I cannot recommend her highly enough.

UMICH Ross, class of 2024

This is Sourya Mukherjee from India. I worked with Sharon my MBA applications to a few schools this year. I had a great experience and have received offers from the Kellogg MBAi program, and full-time MBA programs at Haas, Ross and Tepper.

It was great working with Sharon. I felt that her understanding of what the schools are looking for was extremely thorough. This was escpecially relevant for my reapplicant essays to Haas, Kellogg and the MBAi essay at Kellogg. We started out by doing an online evaluation that helped me identify my key strengths, which formed the foundation for a lot of my essays. We then worked on strategies on how to highlight growth and development in reapplicant essays.

The process was very smooth and Sharon made me feel extremely comfortable. She gave me the confidence to truly express the creative side of me (as a musician) and I feel that made my essays and application very genuine and unique. I’m really thankful to her for this. Although we had an 8-hour package, which was exhausted pre-application, she continued supporting me post-admit as well, helping me secure a $40K scholarship at Tepper.

Overall, I had a great experience and would highly recommend Sharon and Fortuna Admissions!

Despite stats below the medians at every school, I applied to, with Sharon’s help I was accepted to 1 M7 and 2 T10s!

Sharon was incredibly easy for me to talk to, and was available through all forms of communication throughout our time working together (and in the leadup to deadlines almost 24/7). As a non-traditional applicant, I was worried about the process and Sharon made it easy for me to understand exactly what I needed to work on to put my best foot forward. She was very specific and nuanced about her edits and advice, and I feel like without her touch I would not have been even close to successful. Also as someone who leaves things to deadlines a little too often, her very direct but respectful approach and clear and effective timelines were incredibly helpful.

Sharon truly goes above and beyond for her clients. I worked with Sharon throughout the Round 1 application cycle (2022 start class) and could not have picked a coach more in tune with my needs. I purchased the 3-school package from Fortuna (includes resume review, essay crafting, and interview preparation). I knew early on in my journey that I wanted to hire a coach to help me to navigate the process, brainstorm essay ideas, and stay on top of my deadlines. However, I had no idea how much introspection the essay portion would require. This is where Sharon’s services became invaluable. She has such a knack for extracting and uncovering nuggets from her clients’ lives to build a strong foundation for their essays then crafting those hidden gems into a unique, highly personal, and compelling narrative to share with admissions committees. Sharon establishes an honest and candid repertoire and trusting relationship with her clients early on in the process, so her clients can be comfortable digging deeper into their experiences through the essay crafting process.

Aside from the essays, Sharon contributed to my application success through:
– Ensuring that my application told a cohesive, but a not redundant story. There are a lot of moving pieces to the MBA application (GMAT/GRE score, essay, recommendations, etc.). Sharon carefully strategized what each component would highlight about me personally and professionally to convey my multi-faceted strengths.
– Developing a clear and personalized timeline and strategy that was stringent enough to hold me accountable, but flexible enough to pivot when I encountered some bumps in the road (i.e., I had a recommender fall through at the last minute and Sharon was so quick to help me select a replacement)
– Her consistent and unwavering positivity. This is a stressful process and having her optimistic, yet realistic perspective kept me on track and focused
– Being proactive in engaging the expertise of other coaches. She helps her client to take full advantage of the breadth of the Fortuna coaches’ professional experiences. She does not hesitate to reach out to other coaches who potentially had more insight into a school based on their professional backgrounds/experiences when I had a school-specific application question or concern.

Overall, it was an immense pleasure working with Sharon and I highly recommend her services to anyone looking to engage an MBA application coach. This journey was an extremely personal one with numerous unknowns and stressful moments but having Sharon in my corner to guide me through it, put my mind at ease and made the process as seamless as possible.

Sharon Joyce is the best MBA consultant. Fact Check: TRUE. If you want to win, put Sharon in!! I can’t say enough great things about Sharon Joyce. She is the reason I was accepted to M7 schools among others. She is thorough, available, encouraging and also precise in her coaching. Sharon has an incredible systematic method that got me brainstorming and got my MBA narrative flowing. She also set out a timeline that enabled my resume, essays, LORs, portal, and additional information to be completed well before the application deadline which eased the stress inherent in the application process. With Sharon, you will have your best self placed in front of the Adcom and you’ll also work with one of the most gracious, kind, and genuine persons that I’ve ever met. Sharon is truly one of a kind and while she is the reason I got into M7 schools, I truly enjoyed the months we got to know each other as people.

I worked with Sharon Joyce as a re-applicant in the 2022 season applying to three schools within T10! Despite it being my second time applying, she was thoughtful in her approach, provided critical feedback on my applications and essays that took it from a B- to an A+! In addition to her amazing guidance, she also is a wonderful person who cares about you and keeps your stress level low during a physically and mentally draining process. I couldn’t recommend Sharon enough!

Sharon helped me through my application process while I was traveling for work! She was amazing! I got into every school I applied to, including HBS and Sloan!

I worked with Sharon during Round 1 applications for the current cycle (2022 start). I bought the 3-school package from Fortuna which meant that I had support all the way from refining my resume to essay editing and interview prep. I targeted 2 M7 schools and 1 T10 school and got into 2 of them, including my top choice (1 with a significant scholarship; waiting for the scholarship decision from the other).

Based on my experience, Sharon was amazing to work with and one of the main reasons I got in!

I was paired with Sharon on the recommendation of my contact at Fortuna and never actually spoke to her before we started working together. From the get-go, her working style resonated with me and I knew I made the right decision. Sharon took the time to get to know me and understand my reasons for pursuing an MBA. She was organized, detail-oriented and had a clear plan for helping me refine my application and have everything ready to submit based on our internal deadlines. Through Sharon’s previous experience working in admissions offices, she was able to provide unique insights into what schools were looking for and helped me refine my story to help me stand out.

I had spoken to one other MBA admissions consultant and felt that they were distant, unapproachable, and pessimistic about my odds of getting into a T10 school. Sharon and the whole Fortuna team were the total opposite. Sharon truly understands the MBA admissions process thoroughly and was able to provide honest feedback regarding my chances of getting into my target schools. As someone from a non-traditional background, there were many moments when I was unsure whether I made the right decision. Sharon’s optimism and empathy helped me during these tough situations and helped me get through the draining MBA admissions process.

Overall, I highly recommend working with Sharon!

Why did I seek admissions advising?
Early in my business school application journey, I spoke with MBA colleagues and friends to understand what lessons could be learned from those who had already walked the path. The resounding advice: do not underestimate or neglect the non-GMAT components of the application. I would be remiss not to reinforce that same message for anyone embarking on their admissions journey.
My success and acceptance to a top program can be attributed to taking that advice to heart and putting it into action by Partnering with Sharon Joyce and Fortuna. If you are serious about your application and you want the best in the business, this is it.

Why Fortuna?
• Scalable offerings – Fortuna offers both hourly billing and comprehensive packages. My coach Sharon kindly indicated that hourly should be enough for me to achieve my goals, but I opted to go with the comprehensive one school package anyway because I felt I needed every edge I could get. This was important for me because it established a sense of trust early on. Sharon was not trying to talk me into anything I didn’t need and placed my best interest at the forefront early on.
• Top Talent – I had the please of meeting many of the coaches and directors throughout the process. Fortuna without a doubt has some of the most talented and well-connected staff in the game. Each coach has different strengths related to the application process, specific programs and geographies, so do your diligence upfront. You will also benefit from the cross-pollination of coaches e.g., I decided later in the process that I may toss an application at a European program and that week Sharon had me on the phone with the ex-admissions director for INSEAD.

Why Sharon?
If you have read Sharon’s Fortuna profile or other reviews, you know by now that she has an innate and unmatched ability to extract, polish, frame and re-frame individuality – the single most important element that your application should aim to embody: YOU. I will keep this short as other reviews have touched on this point – but if you value this trait, there is not another human being that can match her talent in this space. Period.
The reason I prefer to draw your attention to Sharon’s other attributes is that in my own coach selection, my only apprehension was in answering the question: is she too specialized in this individualization thing? What else will I get? Allow me to enlighten you:
• An exceptionally brilliant, charismatic human being: If you need as much help as I did, you are going to be spending a considerable amount of time with your coach. You want someone who you are not only comfortable with, but enjoy spending time with. Sharon is an absolute delight – her passion for her work and genuine interest in you make the long hours and difficult moments not only endurable but enjoyable.
• A strategic thought partner: I had very little direction when Sharon agreed to work with me. I was not even able to articulate why I wanted an MBA or why I chose the schools I did. I don’t recommend anyone come in at ground zero as I did, but the point is: Sharon met me there with grace and asked the right questions to give me the direction I desperately needed.
• An insider’s perspective: Sharon has years of experience in academia, and specifically as an admissions director for a top ten program. Her ability to channel the perspective on the receiving end of the application and apply it to how your application will be perceived is invaluable.
• A source of energy and accountability: I was already working 60+ hours a week and I knew I needed someone to push me. I was upfront about this with Sharon, giving her permission to push me hard when it was needed. She heard me and took on the role that I needed – pushing when it was time and counseling with clear eyes when I was overwhelmed and disoriented.
• Clear direction; direct and honest feedback: My favorite thing about Sharon – she is not afraid to be direct and honest. In retrospect, she saved me from some very bad essay, video, and resume ideas, and did so very quickly backing her position with strong reason and real-life examples. She is not abrasive, but she is very direct. If she senses you heading down the wrong path, she does not give you a long cryptic fable to take away chew on. Instead she gives you direct, honest, and logical feedback. When time is of the essence, this is a highly valuable trait.
• Value beyond the contract: Beyond providing the services outlined in the Fortuna contract, Sharon is willing (within reason) to operate outside of scope. This was never anything I asked for or expected. For example: I shared that I was working with my organization to further develop our Inclusion and Diversity framework and principles. Later that night I had three perfectly relevant research papers in my inbox as well as an offer to connect me to the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for a top-five MBA program.

To conclude, the best way I know how to help you understand Sharon, is by referencing an artist at work – as this is what she truly is. She can step back and see your canvas from afar, coming back the next day to add some hatching there, some shadowing there, and sfumato where it’s needed. She will continue to do this, sometimes unnoticeably, until the end when you view the entirety of the application for the first time and realize just how polished and harmonic each component has become.

I was fortunate enough to work with Sharon as I navigated the MBA application process. I worked with her during Round 2 of this past cycle (2020 – 2021). From the start, I decided to apply to five of the “Top 10” MBA programs in the US. With her help, I was able to get interviews at three of them getting accepted into my target school!
Sharon’s support and honest feedback allowed me to portray my uniqueness in my essay and through the rest of my application. Additionally, because of my experience in admissions, I was able to tailor my applications to each of the schools I targeted.
Some of the major actions Sharon took for my success were the following:
– She reviewed my profile and helped me come up with a strategy for each of the schools I was targeting.
– She defined a clear timeline for my application deliverables (especially helpful with recommendation letters).
– Her approach and coaching strategy provided accountability for me to stick to my deadlines.
– She went above and beyond providing extensive feedback to the multiple iterations of my essays.
All of the above Sharon did while being positive, supportive and someone who I really enjoyed working with. Again, I couldn’t recommend more working with her. She was organized and clearly on top of things.

My experience with Sharon was excellent! I struggled with confidence regarding my MBA profile; although I have a strong GMAT and high GPA, going into the process, I had very poor work experience (0 promotions, long layoff periods, no brand name companies, and low salaries), non-existent extracurriculars, and I am a male ORM. I viewed myself as pretty unremarkable, with nothing unique to write about and that showed in my essays. During R1, I got 0 interviews from any of the 6 T15 schools where I applied.
Working with Sharon, I was able to use her suggestions to pinpoint what my essays were lacking. Through her guidance, I discovered that things in my past, that I viewed as unremarkable, could be leveraged into storytelling that would appeal to admissions committees. I incorporated these experiences into my Round 2 essays, texting and emailing Sharon practically every day as deadlines neared to quell my insecurities – she kept me in a positive mindset and kept me on the right track. I ended up with interview invitations to all 5 T15 schools that I applied to in Round 2, resulting in 2 Waitlists, and 1 acceptance with a generous scholarship. I attribute some of this success to also doing comprehensive interview preparation with Sharon – she helped me focus on what would be important to convey and what would be important to emphasize at the programs where I interviewed.
Aside from the noticeable improvements in my applications, I think the best thing about working with Sharon was the mental support she provided me. When I was looking for a consultant, I actually had a company tell me that I had no shot at any of the schools I was targeting, stating my work experience as the biggest downfall. Sharon was very supportive of my aspirations, reassuring me that my profile was solid and my story will be strong enough to gain admissions to a competitive and selective b-school.

I highly recommend working with Sharon; not only did I enjoy the process, but I felt very cared for and supported. First, Sharon’s experience was evident from the very beginning. I targeted Haas, and after talking with some other advisors, she stroke me as someone who really understood the school and program and had experience in distilling my story. Additionally, when you work with Sharon, you will get access to the Clifton Strengths assessment, which is a very valuable resource to identify new insights that can help you shape your story. Sharon’s experience as part of the admissions team was very helpful in bringing a clear perspective of what would be ignored and how best to highlight important pieces of my story. I struggled a lot with testing, and Sharon was very, very supportive through the whole process emotionally and with resources for studying. I have heard horror stories of advisors who are very rude to candidates with low scores and even had some advisors I talked to initially say, “reach out again when you have a better score.” I think a good advisor is someone who will help you tell your story and overcome the barriers you will face in the process: Sharon is that kind of advisor. From her mindful follow-ups and detailed plan of action, all our interactions were very positive. I know and truly feel she cared about my success. I felt particularly supported through my interview processes. Sharon helped me prepare very thoroughly, going over each possible question in detail and until I felt comfortable sharing my story and bringing it to life beyond my texts.

I worked with Sharon on my Haas application, and the whole process was also extremely useful as I crafted additional applications. I am currently on the waitlist at Haas, but I already see this as a success considering my GMAT score, and I am certain our work together contributed to me getting into the waitlist.

I highly recommend Sharon particularly for those who, like myself, like to have a very structured plan and clear next steps and are looking to feel supported through and through in this journey.

Sharon was the absolute BEST to work with as an admissions consultant! She was able to help me achieve my goals of getting interview invites from 3 of the 3 top-25 schools that I applied to (and acceptance letters from 2 of 3) in Round 2 of the 2020-2021 admissions cycle, arguably the most competitive cycle ever. All of this while under a serious time-constraint and with my relatively low test scores/GPA! She was quick, efficient, fair with timing, and gave helpful advice throughout the process. It was always a pleasure to speak with her, as she had the ideal personality of someone you spend hours working with! I would recommend Sharon to anybody looking for an admissions consultant.

I attribute my success to Sharon! With her guidance, I was thankful to be in the enviable position of choosing between offers from two top programs, one of which was my “dream school” in the 2020-2021 application cycle, which proved to be a very competitive year.

The efforts Sharon put forth were numerous: phone call/video chats to brainstorm, multiple iterations for each essay until we were both satisfied, many email exchanges (200+, I counted!) to discuss how to polish each element in my application package to differentiate myself, mock interviews with comprehensive comments and notes ranging from behavioral interviewing techniques to etiquette.

As an Expert Coach, Sharon has in-depth knowledge of the end-to-end MBA application process, from brainstorming long/short term career goals, through presenting impressive stories, to conducting mock interviews. Sharon is a gifted coach who encouraged me to dig deep to find my strengths/areas for growth and then the guidance to articulate my “brand” concisely and professionally. Not once did we shortcut on any of the discovery process, which enabled me to bring out my best and most authentic self.

Sharon is timely, candid, thoughtful and provides direct feedback. Knowing that I’m from a tech background, she was conscientious in reminding me to avoid jargon and to avoid being too “in the weeds” on project details when conveying my stories. Beyond serving as a consultant, she was more of a mentor to me in the MBA application process — she had an uncanny knack to immediately zero in on what I needed to improve and, most critically, the reasons behind those improvements.

Sharon made my application so much better and she even shaped my understanding of the MBA degree in a broader sense and what I should look to leverage in my studies to get the best return on my investment. We both had a great work rhythm and Sharon was always responsive to my emails with flexibility — even on Thanksgiving eve! In each step of the way, I felt more comfortable and confident than ever with her coaching and mentoring.

In searching for an MBA Admissions firm, I talked to many consultants and they simply didn’t bring the same level of energy and enthusiasm Sharon displayed during our initial phone call. I signed up with Sharon thinking of her as a Coach and I am leaving the process thinking of her as a life-long friend. I give her my highest recommendation!

I would recommend Sharon Joyce to anyone and everyone, full-time and part-time. I got into my top school, Indiana Kelley, and I could not be happier. First and foremost, she has a unique perspective, which I valued throughout this process and became abundantly clear during our first conversation. It was also abundantly clear after having conversations with quite several other MBA consulting firms. And, she can bring out unique talking points in essays, such as personal life experiences, and ensure that they fit well with the overall essay. I applied to four of the top online programs and got into three. If any of my friends were applying to MBA programs, I would recommend her in a heartbeat.

Sharon is an amazing consultant. Right from our first call she was supportive and easy to talk to. She has great intuition for what works in an essay and has extensive experience in the workings of admission committees in different schools. She was efficient and smart and helped me finish essays for 3 schools and practice for interviews with just the basic hourly package. Thanks to her I got accepted to a top 10 part-time MBA program with a scholarship! I highly recommend Sharon as an MBA coach.

This application process has been an inspirational journey of self-reflection that made me truly think about who I was, who I am, and who I want to be. When I first had my first free consultation, I was lost. I did not know where I wanted to apply and which school suits me best. Matt showed a great deal of knowledge about the schools and quickly understood what I was looking for, and hence matched me with Sharon.
Sharon was not only an admission coach but also an emotional support system. She fostered an environment of trust, honesty, respect, and above all, faith! From our first preparation meeting, it was evident that she spent proper time in my strategy document and made sure she knew everything about me. She even made me take a CliftonStrength assessment to understand my strengths and weaknesses. Sharon pushed me to truly reflect on my past experiences and how they shaped me to become who I am today. She helped me truly present my personal brand in the best way possible and knew what each school was looking for. Because of her great attention to detail, she often reviewed my submissions multiple times before deadlines to ensure nothing slips through the cracks. When she wasn’t sure about something, she always levered Fortuna resources and availed all necessary experiences and knowledge from other coaches to help me prepare. During the interview preparation process, she absolutely went above and beyond! We must have done a dozen interviews because she genuinely wanted me to get admitted to my dream school.
Overall, I am 100% satisfied and would definitely recommend Sharon from Fortuna to everyone!

I worked with Sharon on my HAAS EWMBA application through Fortuna using their hourly services package. Sharon’s nuanced understanding of what the Ad com looks for in a candidate was extremely useful. She was very good at identifying my strengths and did an excellent job of crafting an application strategy around them. Her attention to detail is extremely impressive and she is very easy to work with. We connected a month before the deadline and her focused work helped me complete my application with a week left. I highly recommend Sharon as an MBA coach.

I was connected with Sharon with less than a month before my applications were due and she helped me push to the finish line! She helped me mainly with my essays, pushing me to really consider what my point was and how to use the word count to my advantage. Her response time was incredible and she worked efficiently to make the best use of her time. I have no doubt that working with her helped in my admission acceptance. I HIGHLY recommend working with her and will always be grateful for the value she provided to me.

Sharon was a joy to work with! Not only is she professional, she is also personable and fun. She truly tailors her services to your needs and encourages you to think introspectively as you navigate your interview prep, your essays, etc. Life will continue after the MBA and I have no doubt that Sharon’s advice will serve me well long after I graduate.

I highly recommend Sharon due to her ability to help me be more introspective in my essays and to find the right story/voice in my materials. I didn’t have a strong understanding of what business schools are looking for and Sharon was able to help fill that gap. With her phenomenal knowledge of the schools on my list, she helped me understand how my unique background aligned with the mission of the schools I was targeting and how to bring those stories out in my application essays and while on interviews. Please note I am an engineer by training, so not a storyteller by nature! Her continuous encouragement and positivity bolstered my confidence during the MBA application process and her prompt replies to me, whether over email or text, were appreciated during what is typically a stressful time. There were a few occasions when I urgently needed her assistance and she always responded in a timely manner, even when she was traveling. I appreciated the genuine care she placed on the success of my application and I am thrilled to have been admitted to a top program on the East Coast and was also awarded a generous scholarship.

I had an exceptional experience working with Sharon Joyce and I highly recommend her as an admissions consultant.

Sharon and I began our work together in early 2020 with only months to go before the April submission deadline and a single Top-10 MBA program in my sights. Her deep knowledge about process and timing paid dividends from the start – within days of our first meeting she had prepared an action plan that made our ambitious goal seem not just achievable but downright reasonable.

As we executed on said plan, Sharon’s feedback was always thoughtful, well-informed, and refreshingly direct. She identified my strengths and weaknesses as a candidate and knew precisely how to showcase the former and “buttress” the latter, all while making authenticity a top priority. Each iteration of my application improved dramatically with Sharon’s input, even over the course of just a few weeks, and her guidance ultimately helped me achieve my goal: I applied to a single Top-10 school and was accepted into its Class of 2022.

Sharon provided all of the above help with extraordinary flexibility. Whether related to pricing, timing, or other logistical matters, Sharon was understanding, generous, and gracious. I am extremely thankful to have found Sharon and to have had her help throughout the process, and I recommend her enthusiastically.

I worked with Sharon on my Fall 2020 MBA applications and I highly recommend her. Since the beginning of my journey to enroll in a top program, I was very anxious about the process due to my lower undergraduate GPA. Sharon not only guided me through the process by developing a systematic plan of action, but she also helped me gain confidence in my chances for admission. Looking back, the best decision I made for applying to b-school was partnering with Sharon – I couldn’t have done it without her help and support in the process. She was less of a consultant and more of a mentor to me – to not only guide me towards efficient ways of networking and crafting essays but she also thoroughly prepared me for interviews and how to approach interacting with b-schools in a more sophisticated manner. She was extremely patient with me, understood my shortcomings deeply, and then helped me recognize my strengths and taught me how to leverage them in applications and while on interviews. She has a very warm and welcoming personality and a great experience as a Fortuna Coach. Those who have doubts about themselves and those who aspire to be successful MBA candidates should definitely talk to Sharon! She will work with him/her to bring out the best in their background/create the best positioning possible. I wish I could add 5 more stars to this rating because in working with Dr. Sharon Joyce, I found the mentor I desperately needed. Thanks a lot!

I first worked with Sharon during the summer of 2019 and she helped me massively overcome hurdles I faced in the application process. Working with Sharon on the “early-stage planning” MBA process aided me tremendously in strategizing my weaknesses and strengths in applying for full-time programs. Sharon’s expertise with top programs, Clifton Strengths, and her ability to give sound and cogent advice make her a great consultant to work with!

Since working with her I’ve proudly applied to several top MBA programs (full-time) with confidence and am currently awaiting final decisions. If your certain you want to pursue an MBA however need help in the planning and strategizing piece I cannot recommend working with another consultant but Sharon!

Working with Sharon and Fortuna has been an incredible experience.

Through a friend’s recommendation, I reached out to Sharon to learn more about her experience and Fortuna. Specifically, I was curious on how I fared against other applicants and to discuss my chances of admission considering my background, undergraduate experience and career.

Sharon recommended doing the Early Stage Planning (ESP) package to have a clear path ahead to gain admissions to a top MBA program and to focus on bolstering my overall profile. This is where Sharon’s analysis and experience in the field truly shined. After completing a simple questionnaire detailing information about my past, as well as future goals, and a CliftonStrengths assessment (she is a certified coach for this), Sharon and I reviewed my strengths, weakness and the factors in my candidacy that I should leverage.

I was initially planning to apply for the 2021 cycle, but Sharon provided the confidence and support I needed to apply for this year’s round instead, given some of the extended deadlines. I took a leap of faith and successfully landed my dream school…with a generous scholarship!

Early Stage Planning with Sharon is an absolute must if you’re on the fence about when to apply, what b-school programs you should consider and learning more about your standing as a candidate. I highly recommend this package if you’re planning to pursue an MBA at any time in the future – it’s a holistic and thorough review that was more insightful than I thought possible. Everything covered in ESP came handy at many points in the application. A lot of what we discussed was very helpful for building my admission essays, prepping for my interview and finally submitting.

I would absolutely recommend Sharon and Fortuna!

Working with Sharon has been a really positive experience. She asked good questions during our first trial consultation, got a sense for my professional and leadership experiences, and clearly articulated how she could help me with the application.

The school I was applying to really values a candidate’s journey and aspects of their candidacy beyond academic performance. And Sharon really helped me best represent my leadership experiences and accomplishments. She also knows, having worked with many clients on applications to multiple B-schools, how best to tell one’s story, and which aspects to prioritize shining the light on. I had many leadership experiences in my past, but choosing the right ones and how to articulate their value and impact in the best possible way, was something that Sharon was really helpful with.

She’s also really organized, we had the right cadence to our meetings and we were able to collaborate well offline as well given how technologically able she is.

Lastly, given how stressful the process is, Sharon’s positive attitude was really valuable for me. In moments when I was feeling down or exasperated, she helped lift my spirits up and had some really encouraging things to say about me that led me to submit a strong application.

I highly recommend working with Sharon on MBA applications, interviews, strategy, etc.

When I decided to purchase an hourly consulting package, I was expecting help with overall strategy and a few essay prompts. In the short time Sharon and I spent together, she helped me with my overall strategy, every single essay (for 5 schools!), and short answer questions. She even proofread 2 applications before I hit submit. Sharon was extremely conscious of my time and was transparent about how the hours were spent. She made the stressful process of business school applications more manageable and enjoyable. Even more than that, I felt that she genuinely understood me and sincerely brought the best of me forward in every part of the application.

I was invited to interview at 4 out of the 5 schools I applied to. After 2 of the interviews, I decided to do an additional hour of interview prep with Sharon. I wish I had done the hour of prep in the beginning. One hour of prep with Sharon was more beneficial than days spent on my own.

In the end, I received admission offers (with scholarships!) from the 4 schools I interviewed at. I’m beyond thrilled! Even in this stage of the process, Sharon has continued to help me with my decision.

Overall, I highly recommend working with Sharon. She’s honest, funny, and truly goes above and beyond to help her clients in any way she can. I honestly don’t think I could have gotten this far without her.

Who am I? I am a military pilot with a good GPA from a state school and an average GRE score for my target programs.

My success: 2019-2020 application cycle, applying R2, I had done zero work on my applications or essays and had roughly 45 days until the R2 deadlines. Sharon was instrumental in my ability to complete applications to 7 Top 10 MBA programs within 45 days— I was working full time. I received 6 admits, 1 waitlist, and ultimately accepted an offer to attend Wharton w/$.

How she helped:
1) Identifying the characteristics, each school was looking for and the underlying questions each essay was asking.
2) Selecting my best story to tackle each question.
3) She changed my writing style from procedural to creative writing, AKA good storytelling. Also, she corrected grammar mistakes and improved my word choice.
4) Helped me avoid applications landmines, that would have otherwise suck my applications.
5) Supporting and kept me on task, on schedule (accountability).

I worked with Sharon on an hourly basis, which was the most cost-effective route given my situation. She was very generous with her time. I felt as if she was there anytime I need help, and that my money was well spent.

I contribute much of my success to Sharon. My name is Eric; if you contact her, she can pass you my contact information and I would gladly chat 1:1.

I have worked with Sharon from start to finish on a number of applications and I can safely say that it was the best decision I made. I was admitted to Yale SOM, UCLA Anderson, NYU Stern, USC Marshall and other schools on my list and I could not have done it without her excellent guidance and help during the admissions process. She knows the business school application process and different programs really well and thoroughly cares about her clients. She dedicated an incredible amount of time getting to know me (including discussing my strengths after a CliftonStrengths assessment) brainstorming my professional goals, gave detailed feedback on my resume, all my essays (including many drafts) and all parts of the written application and worked extensively on interview prep with me which I believe made all the difference in my applications. Despite our time difference, she was very flexible and responsive over phone, Skype and Google Docs and was available at very short notice close to the deadlines. Even at most stressful times during the application process, she kept me on track with her support, positivity, and mentorship. I 110% recommend her to anyone looking to apply to the top MBA programs because you will not find a better teammate than Sharon in this process, she is a rockstar!

I am so grateful that I found Sharon early on in this process. Fortuna gave me a candid assessment of my chances at my target schools and then paired me with Sharon based on the schools I was applying to. From the first phone call, I knew I’d found a good match and that she GOT me, and we proceeded with hourly consulting after that. I appreciated that in every essay, short answer, interview prep session, etc., she helped me show myself to my full potential, rather than trying to make me out to be something different than I am. She’s organized, caring, funny, savvy, and will be your ultimate cheerleader during this process. She’s also efficient and would never waste your time or money, which is so important to me. I thrilled to be able to say that I was admitted to UCLA Anderson, NYU Stern, Yale SOM, and Northwestern Kellogg–all with at least $40k in scholarships at each. THANK YOU, Sharon, for helping me through this arduous process–I’m forever indebted to you! 

I bought the 3 school package with Sharon Joyce and it was the best investment I made in preparation for the business school admission process! I strongly recommend working with Sharon as an admissions consultant.

In June/July 2019, I interviewed multiple admissions consultancies and I’m telling you right now, stop what you’re doing, stop talking to anyone else, pick up the phone and call Sharon!! By the end of our first call together I already knew Sharon was different and that I was in incredible hands. She had this remarkably wide, expansive view of the world and my place in it, yet also picked up on little (most would think innocuous) details in my stories that would go on to play major roles in our future brainstorming sessions/my essays. She has this incredible empathic ability to understand you, make you feel understood, and then bring out the best in you and your work all the while making you feel calm and relaxed during one of the most stressful times of your life. 

From resume-building to formulating clear career goals, from writing and editing essays to interview preparation, she was instrumental in helping me reach the most optimal and consistent presentation of myself. Her perspective and strategic guidance were invaluable, as were her ‘second-to-none’ organization skills and methodical preparation. She was available, flexible, undoubtedly one of the most sincere people I have ever met. In the fall, I will be attending my first choice and dream MBA/MPH program (Berkeley Haas). There is no doubt that her expertise was essential in helping me accomplish my goal. 

I will forever be grateful to Sharon for her hard work, dedication, and ceaseless belief in me.

I worked with Sharon on three sets of essays. She is candid and provides excellent feedback, and has an excellent ability to bring to life the ideas I had. She turned around feedback very quickly and was always available to reach during the weeks I worked with her. She was able to help me bring my essays to a whole new level through her in-depth understanding of the process and her thoughtful feedback. Sharon is outstanding and I would certainly recommend her to others who could use her help!

I was on the fence about whether to work with a consultant for my MBA applications and finally made a decision to go for it just 3 weeks before my Round 1 deadlines. Working with Sharon was such a great experience and I am so glad I made the decision to do it. I was thrilled to hear that got into MIT Sloan which was one of my top choices!!

Sharon is incredibly perceptive and did a great job at getting up to speed on what I was thinking. I had already done quite a bit of the prep work at getting applications ready so really appreciated her honest take on how many hours would be helpful and what type of support might be the most useful to get me over the finish line. It was great to have her as a sounding board to get answers to my random questions and think through the final details.

I got interviews at both schools I applied to in Round 1 and went back to Sharon for a few more hours of interview prep. She gave really insightful feedback on how to position myself for a few questions I had been struggling with in my independent prep and notes on personal presentation that were great to keep in mind during the interviews.

Overall, I highly recommend working with Sharon – she is super organized, offers quick and thoughtful responses, and could not have been easier to coordinate with even though I was in Kenya. It was a really great experience and helped so much with making the stressful process of applying to schools much more manageable!

The first thing I’ll say is that I only worked with Sharon for 2 hours, so the fact that I’m writing a review is a testament to how amazing I found Sharon to be and how valuable I found her services.

I purchased the 2-hour hourly service package through Fortuna 3 days before the deadline for one of my schools (top 10). Given the tight timeline, Matt (the founder) immediately connected me with Sharon, and we got the ball rolling right away.

I originally only wanted an admissions consultant to review one of my three essays that I felt the most uncertain about – expecting maybe a couple of recommendations on content and a few word choice edits. However, Sharon went above and beyond. She reviewed all of my essays and helped me improve each one. She really understood the essence of each question and what the school was trying to get at. She not only highlighted aspects of my essays that she liked, which was very reassuring & a great confidence boost, but also gave me incisive feedback on places where I wasn’t hitting the mark. We went through a few iterations until both of us felt like my essays were submission-ready.

Overall, Sharon was so pleasant to work with. She’s funny, positive, and laid-back. She’s quick to turn around comments and really flexible with her timing. I would 100% recommend Sharon to anyone looking to bolster their application.

Simply put, Sharon is awesome and she really knows how to navigate the MBA application process successfully and with the least amount of stress (trust me, this part is so important)! Her continuous guidance and support played a decisive role in my acceptance to Haas, Kellogg and Fuqua FT MBA programs and I am so grateful to Sharon for helping me realize my dream.
I approached Fortuna admissions about 6 weeks before my first deadline and I was immediately paired with Sharon. I was worried that we may not have enough time to complete all of my applications, but Sharon instantly put me at ease by clearly outlining our timeline and strategy for each individual application. At this point, it is worth mentioning that I worked with other consultants before and their “tick-the-box” approach really damaged my previous applications. But from my very first call with Sharon, I knew that this experience will be nothing like before and can only yield success.
In the beginning, Sharon spent time to really learn as much as possible about myself. I’m a bit of an introvert, but Sharon’s genuine goodness and desire to help put my best foot forward really helped me open up, making the process of pinning down my narrative effortless and enjoyable. This task was also helped by CliftonStrengths assessment; I never actually thought what my strengths were before taking this test and it was great having Sharon walk me through my results. Learning my strengths and weaknesses really helped me stay on track and keep a single theme throughout my application process. It also proved to be beneficial during my interview as I effortlessly answered strengths/weakness questions.
Sharon’s ability to deliver the message fully yet concisely is second to none and I have absolutely no doubt that without her guidance on my essays, I wouldn’t be moving to California this coming August! She was always honest and constructive with her feedback and I really appreciated her flexibility with scheduling our calls (we had 7-hour difference between us). Sharon had no problem with scheduling multiple calls during the week, which made an entire process very efficient and allowed us to create multiple essay drafts throughout the week. This really boosted my applications and I was able to finish all of my essays a few days before their respective deadlines, which definitely reduced my level of stress.
Sharon has an in-depth knowledge of the b-school application process, which made interview preparations very efficient. She knew specifics of each individual school, questions they may ask and theme I should focus on to really stand out during my assessment.
Every single aspect of Sharon’s service was amazing, whether it was helping me with my essays, or preparing me for the interviews, or even helping me successfully navigate a gruesome waitlist process, she was always outstanding. But one thing that really made my experience of working with Sharon stand out is the fact that she truly cared about me and, more than anything, wanted to see me succeed. Trust me, very, very few people would pause their vacation in Europe just to check how your Fuqua interview went. Sharon also gave me personal recommendations about things to do in pretty much every city I interviewed in, so I could really explore the place where I may spend my next few years of life. This genuine care about her clients, as well as her willingness to go above and beyond, are the qualities that make Sharon stand out among all other talented MBA consultants. I can wholeheartedly recommend Sharon and I will be referring Sharon to my friends who are seeking to do an MBA in the future.
Thank you, Sharon!!

I chose to work with Sharon Joyce at Fortuna Admissions because after our initial informational conversation, I could tell right away that Sharon was the perfect combination of kind, sharp, supportive and realistic that I was looking for. She ended up being all of these things and more, and even sprinkled in a great amount of humor and needed sarcasm that brought some joy to the process.
We spoke on the phone at least once a week for several months during the process, and outside of these phone calls, Sharon was incredibly responsive over text and email, dedicating a lot of her time to help me prep or edit my work.
I came into the application process with a good idea of “Why an MBA” and “Why Now”, but Sharon really helped me craft and refine my story to help me stand out as a unique candidate. Her CliftonStrengths certification particularly helped with this, as it enhanced my ability to communicate my strengths and weaknesses effectively to admissions committees and interviewers.
I always trusted Sharon’s advice and appreciated her thoughtful questions based on her experience and knowledge. I valued her insights about being a female candidate in the MBA world, and her general excitement about getting more women through the admissions process. One of the biggest impacts Sharon had on my admissions journey was the guidance she provided when I was finalizing which schools to apply too and focus on. She knew that I really wanted to go this year and not wait another year to be admitted to the “perfect school”, and because of her honesty, expertise, and knowledge of the schools we put together a perfect list of targets for me and I am ultimately super thrilled with my acceptances.
When working on my interview prep and essays, she never hesitated to connect me to the larger Fortuna network, allowing me to get expert advice and editing from other coaches with knowledge of specific schools very quickly. I particularly appreciated the opportunity to practice for the Wharton Team-Based Interview with a group of other Fortuna “coachees” ahead of time led by Judith Silverman Hodara.
By the time I was applying and interviewing I felt confident that I was being guided in the right direction, was well-edited and buttoned up. Sharon helped me be “admissions committee ready” in a way that I could not have done by myself. I could not recommend Sharon more for others looking for help through the MBA process!

When I was researching into the application process I came across Fortuna Admissions. Initially I discovered them from online searches, however an old friend of mine was a former client and confirmed they were a great service.
I was paired with Sharon and it was a great fit. We started just before Summer with a goal of first round applications being completed by the start of September. I am very busy with my career so having a strong supporting team to help organize my application efforts was a tremendous help.
I work best with goals and schedules. Sharon quickly adapted to my working preferences and helped me set goals and dates to accomplish various tasks. At the end of every session I would have my “take aways” and a set date I needed to have it done by. At the start of every session we would review the work I completed on my own time in an environment and pace that worked best for me.
When I received my first interview invitation it was almost unexpected. The deadline had been a few days prior, so to hear back so soon was quite shocking (albeit a great one!). That being said, I had a business trip already planned and had to opt for their earliest time slot. This gave me a little over 24 hours to be fully prepared. Sharon was able to accommodate my rushed time frame and I walked into the interview confident.
Overall my experience with Fortuna Admissions was great, and I will be recommending them in the future to my colleagues. Thank you, Sharon!

I enjoyed working with Fortuna from my first interaction with Matt. They provided loads of advice on the first intro call – far more than other consulting firms I spoke with – and sold me quickly. My consultant, Sharon, was personable and helpful throughout the process. It was tougher than usual because we lived in time zones 14 hours apart, but she regularly scheduled calls in her evenings because it was more convenient for me. I appreciated her pushing me to re-work my essays multiple times. Would recommend the services, particularly for school selection and keeping me on a steady schedule to get my applications in on time.

If you want someone who is going to give you efficient, no-BS advice and who is a genuine delight to work with, choose Sharon! With Sharon’s help I was accepted in R1 to Ross, Anderson, and McCombs, with generous scholarships to each even with a low GMAT quant score! Sharon helped me with resume review, essay review, all of the questions and gut-checks I needed for communicating with the schools, interview prep, and ultimately school decision-making. Something I especially appreciated about Sharon was that I never felt like she was wasting my billed hours – she was incredibly efficient and honest if she thought I only needed 10 minutes to review/prep when we had scheduled 30, for example. She also was very flexible in terms of when we touched base and when she would review my work. Sharon is certified in the Clifton Strengths Assessment tool, which was a surprisingly helpful assessment to provide me with talking points about my personal strengths (talking about yourself is hard!). She was a genuine pleasure to work with, but always gave me no-bullshit advice which was so, so helpful – I really felt like I could trust her. I can’t recommend her more highly and think she would be helpful to anyone no matter where they are in their application process!

Thanks Sharon for prepping me for the interviews. I got admitted to UCLA Anderson, UC Berkely Hass, Yale SOM and MIT Sloan. Some of them offered almost full or half scholarship.
When I contacted Sharon for interview preparation, the deadline was approaching and I have nearly zero knowledge about the interview. Thanks Sharon for the quick response and talking with me on such a short notice.
I truly enjoyed the 2-hour conversation with Sharon. She was able to provide insightful feedback and suggestions during the conversation, and also answered my follow-up questions via email with great patience. She gave me a good start on my interview preparation by identifying my strengths and weaknesses.

I worked with Sharon during Round 2 of the 2017 – 2018 season and could not have had a better experience. I got a late start on applications and Sharon was crucial in not only getting my applications completed, but perfecting them before submission, helping to present the best and most honest version of me to admissions committees. Due to this time constraints and the difficulties inherent to the application process, I ultimately selected Sharon and Fortuna because they gave me an honest, no-BS perspective on my candidacy (as compared to other consultants I spoke with that were just happy to take my money), saving me time by helping me target my strengths and avoid schools that weren’t a good fit.
I initially purchased a 3-school package from Fortuna but added on essay editing for a fourth school after I saw how valuable Sharon’s insights and edits were. Sharon was constantly available, even for the smallest question, and always within 24 hours. I consider myself a good writer/interviewer, but Sharon’s talents for editing took my essays and interviews to the next level. With all of her experience working on various admissions committees, Sharon helped me avoid school-specific pitfalls and highlighted important themes relevant to each school that made my applications stronger. Sharon went above and beyond in helping me explore all of the areas that made me valuable as a candidate, providing activities and psychological exercises to get to the “real me.”
Sharon constantly provided the honest feedback I needed, as well as immensely helpful essay and interview ideas that highlighted the uniqueness of my application. I’m confident I would not have gotten as far in the admissions process if it wasn’t for her unique insights and ideas on how to present my story. With Sharon’s help, the immensely stressful and time-consuming application process was made much easier. I was ultimately admitted to a top 10 program and am on the waitlist at Stanford ( what I would consider a moonshot that never would have been possible without Sharon’s help).

It was only a week away from the deadline when I decided to retain an MBA admission consultant because I was struggling with the optional essay. I contacted several companies that provide MBA admission consulting service, and Fortuna was the only company that was able to meet my deadline. Sharon from Fortuna contacted me within 24 hours and worked with me over the weekend to review my admission package. Not only she provided great guidance on my optional essay, she also offered incredible insights on my other essays and the entire package. Since I had already spent more than one month writing my other three essays, I thought they cannot be any better until Sharon mentioned a few points. Looking back, I would have not got into Stern without correcting those mistakes on the essays.
I cannot thank Sharon and Fortuna enough for what they have done. Sharon sacrificed her weekend and weeknights just to make sure my work is perfect. I would highly recommend Fortuna and Sharon to any MBA applicants!!!

I got admitted to my dream school, Kellogg at Northwestern University – HUGE THANKS to Sharon Joyce and her team.
I have lower than average GMAT and GPA, and also was in the non-profit industry. Yes, I was on the weaker side of the candidates, and it wouldn’t be possible to get an admission offer from Kellogg without her help.
Sharon was BRILLIANT in positioning strategy and storytelling that were tailored to just myself as a unique MBA candidate.
She helped me with whole application strategy, numerous essay drafts, recommenders selection, interview preparation, and follow-up plans.
She also gave me very honest and critical feedback with the point of view admission office as a former Associate Director of Admission at Haas.
Other things, such as quick turnaround and accessibility, were also very helpful, especially since I started application process fairly late.
She also arranged with a resume specialist and a former Admission Director at Wharton to get a 3rd look at my resume and essays, which added a “perfection” to my whole application.
I was very lucky to find Sharon and really enjoyed working with her.

After an unpleasantly protracted experience with a New York based admissions consultant, finding Fortuna and, more importantly, teaming up with expert Fortuna coach, Sharon Joyce, was the ultimate windfall. Sharon helped me navigate the application process every step of the way with her unparalleled expertise and insight. She is a gifted editor who turns essays around with expedience. Whether by phone, email, or text, Sharon always makes herself available. Working with Sharon was a very refreshing experience; her witty sense of humor and encouraging coaching style are game changers. Sharon was the defining factor in my acceptance to the school of my choice. Without her unmitigated help and attention, I would have struggled to meet deadlines and achieve success in applying to top MBA programs. In every regard, Sharon has the winning formula!