Nonie Mackie Reviews

I started the consultation with Nonie about 9 months before I intended to apply to INSEAD. She was able to give me some actionable advice immediately so I could craft my profile, which paid off during the application. She was very helpful and professional with her advice while writing essays and working with recommenders, and was very knowledgeable about what INSEAD looks for in applicants. This was also evident during our preparation for interviews. Overall, she was very easy to communicate with and the experience exceeded my expectations. I would definitely recommend her if you are looking to get into INSEAD, and I am sure she would be able to assist if you are applying to other schools as well.

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Working with Fortuna was a crucial factor in my success. I connected with them (spoke to Matt) as soon as I had the idea of applying to b-school, and boy am I glad to have brought Fortuna onboard from the early stages, nearly one year before my submission. My coach Nonie’s help was of immense value in many areas, most notably her experience in admissions and career expertise, and her motivational spirit. Fortune’s team of ex-adcom was my number one reason for hiring them.

Working with her helped me better formulate my story; I found myself presenting my qualities in a more confident and articulate way professionally as well as personally. She helped shed light on my areas of weakness and shared with me interesting videos and articles that were crucial in my self development. I found the input from the more senior coach (ex-director of admissions) vital in some areas of my CV and story.

The turnaround time was excellent and I received feedback within only a few hours. My coach Nonie was an admission officer herself which meant her detailed knowledge of the processes and a deep insight into the school I was applying to. That knowledge was priceless as it saved me hours of research and second guessing. If you are looking to bring your A-game to the table, you need a great team around you, and Fortuna is the best in their field - definitely worth the money.

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I was referred to Nonie Mackie from Fortuna Admissions through a friend. My first experience with the Fortuna team was via free consultation with Matt Symonds. I was very impressed by the amount of information and the insights he had about me, which showed that the team puts effort in getting to know a candidate and their candidature for MBA programs before even signing up for a package. I was thoroughly convinced during the call and signed up for the ‘Comprehensive School Package’ with Nonie Mackie as my admissions consultant.

The process of Fortuna is very well structured. After signing up, a candidate is taken through a journey of deep introspection by working on a ‘Strategy Questionnaire’. The questionnaire along with the strategy calls become the blueprint for the journey ahead. Writing essays for INSEAD seemed very daunting for me at first, but it was the questionnaire and my calls with Nonie that lighted the way while I was working on my first drafts of the essays.

Nonie is a fantastic coach, very warm and empathetic yet direct and honest when needed. Nonie was always forthcoming and asking if I needed to jump on a call to brainstorm or power through any mental blocks while writing the essays. She also kept track of our timeline and helped manage our deliverables by nudging me if we were losing pace. Regardless of the time pressure, she was extremely focused on making sure that each aspect of the application from essays, the online application form to all other materials were of the highest standard. I will say that Nonie has through and through understanding of what exactly a b-school is looking for. She always encouraged me to explore my story, and with each new facet she would refine my overall narrative to become more holistic and balanced. Her constructive feedbacks transformed all my materials into a winning application.

Her inputs along with reviews from Caroline Edwards Diarte, a former admissions director at INSEAD were absolutely key to put the best application forward. I was applying only for INSEAD, and both Nonie and Caroline were the best experts to coach me, they have consistently been my biggest cheerleaders through this journey. After working with them through multiple iterations and getting the go-ahead from Caroline, who herself shaped the INSEAD application as we see it today, I was confident that my application cannot get any better and could only get so much better because of them.

Once I was invited for alumni interviews, I was very anxious. The mock interviews with Nonie were my sole source of confidence and prepped me to have the right state of mind during the interviews. My experience with the actual interviews was exactly the same as my mocks, so I was very comfortable in the actual interviews. What I valued the most in my mocks with Nonie was her focus on polishing the rough edges while making sure that my authenticity shines through.

Regardless of the school you are applying to, my recommendation would be to have faith in Fortuna Admissions and trust their expertise. Their team has former admissions gatekeepers from all the top schools, and they know exactly how to deliver your best application. Once you are signed up, my only suggestion would be to trust each of their inputs and diligently follow their process.

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I was targeting INSEAD and had HEC Paris as back-up plan.
I was lucky to work with Nonie to refine my application strategy. Though being very positive overall, she gave substantial pieces of advice which made me change a lot both my essays and CV.
Another crucial aspect was timing. We had two weeks before INSEAD round 2 application deadline and still achieved to apply on time (though looking back I would not advise anyone to rush in a similar fashion!) thanks to her reactivity.
In the end, I was waitlisted (and later accepted) by INSEAD and accepted with 10K€ scholarship by HEC, and I have chosen to go INSEAD.
Thanks again Nonie

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I decided to work with an admissions consultant due to the demands of my job and a short application window. I had little time to manage the process alone and wanted to work with someone to keep me focused and make more efficient use of my time. I decided to work with Fortuna Admissions after receiving a free consultation with Matt Symonds as well as a few other companies. I was impressed with Matt’s knowledge of the one year programs I was interested in, as well as Fortuna’s deep bench of former admissions officers at my target schools.

After signing with Fortuna, I was fortunate to be placed with Nonie Mackie. I can confidently say that Nonie was an essential factor in my successful admission into a global top MBA program.

I applied to a small number of one-year MBA programs (think INSEAD, Oxbridge), and Nonie was very knowledgeable about what each school was looking for and how to craft my story and strategy. Nonie helped me draft and perfect my CV, my essays, my recommender strategy, and even the application forms for each school. Nonie also provided critical support with interview preparation, and our mock interviews helped me feel confident and focused for the real deal.

As a struggled with some GMAT setbacks and a full plate of work, Nonie was also able to keep me organized and focused on preparing what I needed to prepare in the time given, and took out a lot of guesswork throughout the whole application process.

If you are interested in applying to the same schools that I did, or really any school, ask to work with Nonie at Fortuna. You will be glad you did when you get into your dream MBA program.

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I bought the comprehensive package for one school - INSEAD, and I chose Nonie Mackie as my consultant. Finally, it turned out that this is the best decision I've ever made during the application journey.

Just from the first Skype call with Nonie (the free version consultation), I realized that she's the person who can help me, not just because that, as the Former Assitant Director in the INSEAD MBA Program, she is very knowledgeable about INSEAD culture and taste of admission committee.

Before the call, I researched several other admissions consulting firms and scheduled virtual meetings with their consultants. I've had no feeling that there is one consultant like Nonie who cares about YOU, not the business. It proved in the 2nd conversation with her. She read carefully about my Strategic Questionnaire and knew me better than myself. She could identify my strengths where I didn't see but where the admissions officers may want. The most important thing is that Nonie followed what inside a person and she wanted to know me and dig up unique experiences and hidden values from myself.

Nonie is very patient and humble, with much experience in INSEAD and with her previous clients. I am not a native English speaker, and I always shared my concerns and left the most difficult decisions with her. She would be very patient to ask each question timely. She even replied to me sometimes during the holiday because I started preparing in a tight timeline (please prepare in advance and give you enough time). Throughout the whole journey, Nonie guided me step by step.

I had a low GMAT score, therefore, to me, essays would be kind of game-changers. When Nonie and I worked on my essay edits, I believe that she spent a lot of time thinking strategically and thoroughly. As you know, there are many questions in the INSEAD MBA application. But, for each question, after several times fourth-and-back tweaks and edits, Nonie turned my essays into something! Because Nonie followed my experience and strengths, all the essays are shining and enjoyable to read for me. I worked full-time and had long working hours. By choosing Nonie and Fortuna, I saved time to finally achieve my goal. For example, for other various deliverables, such as resume, online application, recommenders, Nonie also consistently supported me.

About my interview preparation, Nonie’s assistance during the video interview and alumni interview process were very helpful. Such high-quality mock interviews gave me confidence for the actual interviews.

Overall, I very much appreciate Nonie’s endless help and support during my MBA application process. I got admitted to INSEAD MBA and would highly recommend Nonie for candidates chasing their dreams.

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I applied to INSEAD and was waitlisted. After reading up reviews for Fortuna online, I decided to take on their waitlist strategy package. The Fortuna coordinator was able to connect me with a senior (Director level- Caroline Diarte Edwards) member of Fortuna that deals with admissions specifically with INSEAD. She was able to give me some really good advice on my essays and most importantly, was able to provide me the email for INSEAD's director of admissions. I reached out to the director and they advised me to reapply to INSEAD for next year. I did just that! This time i took another 2 hour session with Fortuna and I was connected to an 'Expert Coach' (Nonie Mackie). This coach thoroughly went through my complete INSEAD application and advised me on what I needed to change very specifically. I carefully followed the instructions I was provided, including advice on my correspondence with the school and reapplied. Im happy to say that I was accepted into INSEAD and this would not have been possible without the guidance from Fortuna.

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It was an amazing experience working with Nonie on my application. She is extremely committed and if you are ready to put in the hard work, Nonie's guidance can turn your application into gold. She was extremely flexible and accommodating. Her encouraging words helped me stay motivated throughout the process and she helped me prioritise the many activities on my profile. Nonie's turnaround was always quick and her detailed comments were instrumental in helping me structure my experiences most effectively. She has an eye for detail and her INSEAD background helped me understand the school and my fit much better. The mock interviews prepared me for all sorts of questions. Nonie was available and supportive during the entire journey and her enthusiasm about my candidature always filled me with positivity. Working with her was effortless and fun and it was an absolute pleasure to have her as my coach.

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I bought a one-school package with Nonie and that was the best investment I have made in my MBA journey.

Before signing up with her, I have read many reviews and contacted many admission coaches only to have most of them tell me that the chance of getting into a top 10 business school MBA program is slim due to my lower than average GMAT score. The first impression I got from Nonie is that she can quickly identify the strengths and weaknesses of a candidate and come up with a very bespoke admission strategy, on the other hand, she also made me believe that I can achieve the goal.

Working with Nonie is also a pleasure, she is candid, honest and methodical. We have set many small deadlines for application materials and Nonie constantly checks in on the progress if my essays or other aspects of the application. On many occasions, she and I have worked out of office hours to deliver quality files before the deadline. The end result is, I submitted both my LBS and INSEAD applications a few days before the deadlines.

I also found my mock interview with Nonie was very helpful as well. I was initially intimidated by the idea of video interviews as I had no experience in the past, but working with Nonie who guided me through the themes of the and LBSand INSEAD video interview, I felt I was more confident and relaxed in my video interviews.

I ended up getting interview offers from both LBS and INSEAD and decided to accept the offer from LBS. I would like to thank Nonie for her hard work supporting my admission journey every step of the way and I would like to recommend Nonie to everyone who aspires to get on the same journey.

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Nonie possesses ALL the traits of an exceptional coach, she is methodical, organized, punctual, professional, flexible, candid, provides immensely valuable feedback, and ultimately empowers you to put your best application forward. On top of all this, she is also a joy to work with.

We worked together extensively on all aspects of my application, but Nonie's impact was particularly pronounced in my essays. I compared the initial drafts and final product and was amazed at the positive impact Nonie's feedback had on me and my essays. Often I found I knew what I wanted to say, but not necessarily how to best present it, and Nonie always provided her support to ensure my point was made. As it relates to interview techniques, I am quite a comfortable interviewer (making this more challenging for Nonie!) but even with a strong base, Nonie picked up on several small details which were difference makers that I had overlooked for ages - I still use them to this day. Lastly, I built a relationship with Nonie over the course of months of sharing stories, garnering her feedback and working together. I'm hoping to have the opportunity to thank her in person for her work! Nonie also draws on her experience with INSEAD, and stays in the know on updates and things to be aware of. While the MBA application process can be intense and stressful, I found myself enjoying it while working with Nonie.

Overall, I cannot recommend Nonie enough. If you are serious about ensuring you put the absolute best application forward, it is a no-brainer to speak with Nonie about how she can help you achieve your goals (and enjoy the process while working towards them).

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