Amalia della Paolera Reviews

I don’t often write reviews, but today I am delighted to share my positive experience with Square One Prep as a successful Kellogg and INSEAD admit, crowned with a cherry-on-top scholarship award. My journey with SOP began a year before embarking my MBA applications. In fact, it all started with a recommendation from a close friend who had also secured admission to Kellogg with Kathryn’s guidance.

In our first meeting, I shared with Kathryn my aspirations and the early stage of my MBA application process, set for the following year. Despite the early stage, I sought candid feedback on my profile for the upcoming applications. Our intro discussion covered school choices, work experience, and my GMAT score. Immediately, I sensed that Kathryn was genuinely interested in my project rather than merely pushing me to sign up for her consulting services. Kathryn not only encouraged me to retake the GMAT to improve my chances but also provided follow-up support, even recommending a GMAT tutor – impressive considering I wasn’t yet an official client.

My decision to work with SOP was solidified, and a year later I signed up for the Premium-Need Based package, partnering with Amalia. Amalia’s availability, essay edits, and transparent communication stood out. Even when additional time was required, she informed me promptly, and throughout her edits I noticed a commitment to providing thoughtful and well-crafted feedback. I also worked with Horatiu to craft a robust career plan that would serve as the cornerstone of my applications. Horatiu was flexible in scheduling meetings at my convenience and shared thought-provoking ideas to build a career narrative that was aligned with my life goals. During my presentation of the career plan draft to Kathryn, her candid feedback was clear—she wasn't convinced. While this feedback was initially challenging to absorb, it prompted a collaborative effort with Horatiu to refine and develop a more compelling career plan. Looking back, I recognize that Kathryn's honesty was in my best interest, even though it meant hearing something I wasn't eager to accept at the moment.

As admission interviews approached, Amalia went above and beyond, organizing practice interviews and offering suggestions on creating engaging conversations with the admissions committee. As a persistent client, I requested multiple interview preps, and Amalia navigated the fine line between preparation and sounding rehearsed. Her inclusion of curveball questions proved invaluable, making the actual interviews feel like a breeze.

The most important lessons from my experience with SOP lies in the authenticity, transparency, and occasional vulnerability required in crafting compelling MBA applications. This process demands introspection and dedication from both the applicant and the consultant. It is a process that is time consuming, not straightforward, and your consultant must be genuinely interested in you. I feel that SOP has that advantage, and Kathryn’s passion about this is notable from miles away. If I had to repeat MBA applications a million times, I would do it with SOP with my eyes closed.

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I had a very positive experience working with Square One Prep (SOP). I chose SOP because of how dedicated the team is. I interviewed 7 MBA / MA admissions consultancies and saw that SOP was the most dedicated to getting invested in all areas of my application upfront and early. A major highlight of the experience was working with Horatiu Stefan, SOP's "career narratives" coach. The career narrative process at SOP is important because it helps you determine 2-3 paths that you're uniquely positioned to follow in your career, and SOP helps you narrow down on a path that a) fits your personality / interests / mission and b) appeals to admissions offices (i.e., somewhat relevant to your past experiences and a promising probability of achieving / being successful). Outside of the career narrative process, my day-to-day consultant, Amalia della Paollera, spent hours with me, revamping my resume, crafting essays, and preparing for interviews. She got to know me on a personal level which was helpful in how she was able to get me to complete deadlines, stay true to myself, and balance being "human" and "professional" to admissions offices. She was dedicated to the SOP process and getting into every detail of my applications to maximize my chances of success. Ultimately, I was admitted to the Harvard Kennedy School on a full-ride scholarship, a huge accomplishment that wouldn't have been possible without the SOP team.

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When I decided to apply to business school, I figured I would go through the motions, but I had very little confidence that I would actually be accepted. I was older than the typical consulting applicant, and I felt like my path to date was relatively unexceptional. I asked myself, "Why would a school -- especially a top school like HBS, Wharton, or GSB -- choose me?"

My journey and perspective changed when I found Square One Prep. From the very first introduction call, Square One encouraged me and believed in me…much more than I even did in myself. From there, my consultant, Amalia, helped me find stories to tell that were authentically me, and she consistently encouraged me to not discount my unique experiences. In addition, the transparency Square One provides helped me ground this belief in data from past applicants' experiences.

The business school application process is daunting, but Square One guided me through it step-by-step, providing honest and helpful feedback and ensuring that I met all deadlines in a timely manner. The career narrative work in particular was a helpful exercise to think about my strengths, experiences, and future goals. Most importantly, Square One instilled a belief in me that changed the trajectory of my life, for which I will always be grateful. I am thrilled to be heading to HBS this fall and will continue to recommend Square One Prep and my consultant to anyone considering b-school!

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My advisors at SOP were especially successful at helping me dig dip into my inner motivations and strengths, and putting together a cohesive narrative that reflects my personal and professional story.
Questions like why am I really pursuing an MBA? What do I want to accomplish in the next 10 years? And, what matters most to me? Are DIFFICULT to answer. SOP has a solid framework to tackle them and very expert advisors who truly devote their time and effort to make sure you get to the most honest answers.
Both my HBS and Stanford essays were complimented by the admissions office of these universities. I wrote about a very personal topic, something I was not convinced at all about writing at first! My advisor did an impeccable job at convincing me this personal story had the potential to become a wonderful essay, and looking back, it was spot on.

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After hearing about a friend´s positive experience with SOP and talking with Kathryn about her method, it was clear that SOPs approach was the right one for me. Initially with the help of the greater team as it related to my narrative, and later with Amalia´s thoughtful and careful guidance around essay drafts, I was able to accurately and strategically present the best possible application to AdComs. As all applicants know the work does not end after the application is submitted, as that is when interview work begins. This is another area where both Kathryn and Amalia were extremely helpful. Their historical experience and insight into each school's specific quirks and styles was extremely valuable in understanding how best to prepare for each interview. Ultimately, the team´s diligent approach and genuine interest in my success led me to obtain multiple acceptances to various schools, including my number one.

All in all, I am beyond glad I decided to work with SOP. Solid recommendation all throughout!

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Working with Square One Prep was the best decision I made while applying for my MBA. My husband and I both used Square One to apply to our dream school of Stanford GSB and were both admitted to the Class of 2026. We genuinely believe working with Square One gave us the strongest chance of admission, and we are thrilled with the result.

From my very first conversation with Kathryn, I felt fully supported by Square One. After agreeing to work together, I had a few conversations with different SOP consultants and decided to work with Amalia because I believed our styles would work well together. I am 100% confident working with Amalia was the right choice for me. She is interesting and kind while simultaneously pushing her clients to create their best work. She is decisive in her resume and essay edits and helped me cut out extraneous details and better frame my stories. Working with Amalia took the stress out of the application process and made it genuinely fun. I knew she wouldn't let me miss my timeline or submit sub-par work.

Something extremely useful and unique about the SOP process was the career narrative. Through nearly therapy-like sessions, Amalia and I talked through my life trajectory and future goals, eventually culminating in my presentation of my "career narrative" to Kathryn, Amalia, and Wendy. By writing out and presenting my career goals in granular detail, I gained clarity that helped immensely in my essays and interviews.

I can't recommend Square One Prep enough! They have been fantastic partners and ultimately helped my husband and I realize our dream of attending Stanford GSB together.

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It was an absolute pleasure working with SquareOne for my MBA application. The advisors have all the expertise, experience and dedication to help with anything you need for the application process. Square One offers a comprehensive process leading the applicants from figuring out their career goals with extensive research, to putting these down on paper connecting all the dots from your life experience - they truly create a top quality application.

The support and advisory also came beyond the application itself - besides getting your essays right on point for the admissions process, please also expect strong emotional support and a career narrative process that impacts beyond your application!

I would highly recommend their consulting service to anyone looking for no regrets!

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Since the day of signing up with Squareone Prep, I received tremendous support and guidance from Kathryn, Amalia, Cristina, and Wendy. The team ensured that I reached all milestones in the application process even though I started working with them late in R2. Kathryn has set an amazingly streamlined process in place for all applicants to follow since the Day-1. She and Amalia were extremely organized, and they were very dedicated in understanding my background prior to kicking off the work on the applications.

SOP team ensured that I understand and build a very thorough long-term and short-term plan post-MBA via its Career Narrative lead by Wendy. I went to them with a very bleak/blurry vision, but after multiple discussions, the team guided me to build a very strong post-MBA plan. I really do not think I could have an excellent vision without undergoing this process with the SOP team. Incredible execution by the SOP team, special thanks to Wendy – she is the expert!

Post career narration, Amalia helped me pick the right stories to be incorporated into the essays. Amalia is super friendly, and she was always willing to hop on a call and listen without worrying about time. This is where SOP’s dedication in understanding my journey was super helpful. She was extremely emphatic while listening to some of the delicate aspects of my past and helped me to carefully draft my narratives. Amalia was also great at utilizing the time difference between our locations to our advantage and we managed to build the essays for both GSB and HBS within 3 weeks. While Amalia’s expertise added in simplify the back and forth in polishing the essays, the quality of feedback provided by Kathryn on the final version of the essays was just priceless. She was very open and honest about how she felt about certain aspects of my essays. She ensured that the best of me is reflected even when we were all working together tirelessly during the last couple of days prior to the deadlines. I absolutely loved her insights and her turnaround time!

Cristina was super supportive in ensuring that I adhere to the timelines set and she worked closely with Amalia and me to ensure all deliverables are ready on time. To add further, the dynamic schedule on SOP portal was absolutely useful even before I signed up with SOP. Prior to signing up with SOP, Kathryn demonstrated how to use this schedule and it helped me to always track my progress for the various schools I planned to apply. In fact, it also helped me to pick schools wisely in interest of time available then.

The team was always available to answer all my questions throughout the process. As a bonus later on, Amalia helped me navigate through my interviews smoothly too. She performed multiple mock-interviews for both GSB and HBS and did not stop until I was 100% ready. After each mock- interview, Amalia drafted detailed feedback and ensured that I improved after each mock. Even in times when I was feely low about my interview prep, she boosted me and went out of her way to bring back my confidence levels. She genuinely cared for my success, and I owe my performance in interviews totally to her.

I feel absolutely great and lucky to have had SOP’s back during this vital process. I would definitely recommend SOP especially for applications to the top B-schools such as HSW. Super grateful for all the guidance from SOP team! Thank you, once again.

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I am a re-applicant, and this year I decided to work with an admission consultant.

After speaking with more than 10 other consulting firms, I chose SOP right away because I felt an instant connection with Kathryn the first time we spoke on the phone. She did not try to fit me into any typical candidate box, nor did she try to convince me to lower my school expectations in order to increase their success rate, as some other firms do. She recognizes me for who I am, believes in me, and wants to help me get into the school I am truly passionate about. She gave me some great advice to compensate for my low test result. She also reviewed my applications from last year, for free, before our first free consult, so she could give me better advice.

I really enjoyed SOP's team approach, where you have a professional team and eco-system to help you along the road. I worked with an amazing team, including Amalia as my personal coach, Cristina as the partnership manager, and Wendy as the career expert. Amalia was always approachable and cheerful, and I really enjoyed our conversations. She took the time to get to know me and help me brainstorm ideas. She is always there when I need her. And I learned a lot from all the calls and written communications with her. Cristina was always on top of the schedule to ensure that everything is well-paced. Wendy pushed me hard to figure out what I really wanted to do with my career, and it has been extremely beneficial.

MBA application is a tough journey, but taking it with SOP team makes it memorable, enjoyable, and successful.

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I worked with Square One Prep (SOP) in RD 1 of the 2022-23 application cycle, with the pleasure of working with Amalia as my Advisor. I could not recommend SOP enough - SOP's unwavering support, commitment, and human touch are among the core reasons why I was able to succeed in a highly competitive season (admitted to 2 of HSW, waitlisted at 1)

As an international candidate who grew up in Asia, went to undergrad in the US and spent his professional career across both US and Africa, I knew very early on I wanted to partner with a team that is energized by my story, challenges me to reflect and gain clarity on my own motivations, and is committed to my success. After speaking with ~10 firms , including both China-based and US-based firms, I chose SOP because of Kathryn's honest style and SOP's team-based approach. Kathryn was enthusiastic about my profile: telling me that I should focus my energies on M7 schools and that with work and reflection, I have the elements to develop a compelling package for any M7 school. However, she was also brutally honest: cautioning me that especially for schools like HBS/GSB/Wharton, no one is a shoo-in, and while SOP team can help me craft the best possible application materials, there is still an inherent element of luck in the highly competitive process. Additionally, I loved SOP's leadership-team approach in the Premium package, where the leadership team (incl. Kathryn) reviews each essay (and resume, career narrative, etc) after the advisor and I felt good about the content. The leadership-team approach essentially creates a stage-gate for seasoned advisors to review my application materials from an outside-in perspective (similar to how an admissions officer would read my file) - and ensure that the logic flows smoothly, the language is easy to understand, and the storyline is consistent with my overall narrative. Later on, I realized that Leadership Review is truly one of the best parts of the SOP experience.

The first step in my SOP journey is the Career Narrative process - where a former career coach at top business program helps me ideate, develop, and refine my career narrative: a vision statement that tells the story of what I want to do professionally long-term. Wendy, my Career Narrative coach was very effective in using facts to back-up my career vision. Coming into Career Narrative process, I thought it would be an exercise of storytelling - focusing more on my personal journey. However, what I appreciated most is SOP's focus on using industry facts + trends to back up the career narrative. Indeed, the process feels more analogous to building the business case for a start-up: Wendy pushed me to reflect on my personal story (the founding rationale); conduct research to validate the opportunity (the growth potential); and articulate why I am the best person to deliver my career vision (the competitive dynamic). Throughout the process, Amalia (my advisor) and Kathryn stayed engaged: including multiple rounds of presentations to ensure that my story is compelling, easy to follow, and memorable.

While I signed on with SOP relatively early in the process (Jan'22) - Kathryn and Amalia both offered me the valuable advice of not starting too early, but instead, create pace by starting at a more reasonable time. Therefore, I started the essay drafting in mid to late June - which was quite helpful as I found myself to be much more effective when Amalia and I started rapidly iterating on essays. The essay process involves a brainstorming call, where Amalia and I would go over high-level ideas and stories / anecdotes to back up the storyline, followed by me drafting the essay in the next 1-2 hours and sending the rough draft to Amalia. I found the approach to be highly efficient as it enabled me to rapidly prototype essays, and advance / kill different ideas for the essay. What I also appreciate is Amalia's willingness to work with whatever I could produce in that 1-2 hour interval - which sometimes could look more like a skeleton sketch than a nicely flashed-out essay. With the process, Amalia and I would iterate essays with

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