GMAT Club

Sharon Joyce Reviews

Company: Fortuna Admissions

With over 25 years of experience in admissions and student affairs, Sharon is a seasoned professional in higher education who has been lauded for her innovative approaches in streamlining interview processes at multiple institutions and her efforts to create inclusive communities in graduate education. At UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, she served as the Associate Director of Admissions for the full-time program MBA program, while also collaborating on the overall strategic plan for Haas admissions as a member of the Senior Management team. While at Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business, she contributed to the success of the MBA program in a role that encompassed admissions and career services. Sharon received her BA from Chatham University and holds a doctoral degree in Administrative and Policy Studies in Higher Education from the University of Pittsburgh; her doctoral research was focused on first-generation college students and their rise into graduate programs. Sharon is also a Certified Coach in CliftonStrengths, and specializes in early stage planning with many of our Fortuna clients.

5.0 /5 Average Rating
Based on 53 reviews
April 24, 2024
sashok98

Joined: Aug 03, 2021

Posts: 13

Kudos: 4

Verified GMAT Classic score:
650 Q44 V36

Go with Fortuna-Great Team

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I worked with Sharon Joyce to apply for seven schools. When shopping around for consultants, I knew I wanted one with admissions committee experience. Sharon was a great consultant! She offered great insight into the admissions process and worked with me to highlight key parts of my professional and personal qualities while preserving authenticity. She didn't have a set number of edits/times to meet which I appreciate because accessibility was extremely important to me. She also provided interview coaching and resume reviews as well during this journey. Sharon helped me get into my dream school, and I am so grateful for it. If you are thinking of going with Fortuna, please go with Sharon!

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February 26, 2024
dao23

Joined: Jan 30, 2022

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Highly Recommended - Sharon Joyce

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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!!!

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February 05, 2024
mattiestokes1896

Joined: Aug 06, 2020

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Highly recommend Sharon!!! GSB admit

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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!

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April 09, 2023
sukritnarang

Joined: Apr 03, 2023

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

An amazing partnership!

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The process of applying for Master in Management programs was long and tedious. However, Sharon was there every step of the way and I could not be more grateful. She helped me select the perfect extracurriculars, research programs to apply to, and finish my applications. She had a lot of knowledge about different aspects of the applications. For example, she knew exactly what admissions boards want to see in your resume and essays. Moreover, she would help me manage my stress as I completed my applications and awaited the results. With her help, I was accepted into the Georgetown and U-Michigan MiM programs. I could not recommend working with Sharon enough!

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April 02, 2023
patelkevin1

Joined: Apr 02, 2023

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
740 Q50 V40 (Online)

Professional from start to finish

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I am very happy to have worked with the best in the business for MBA consultation with Sharon Joyce. Sharon is incredible in the way she differentiates every school and always provides meaningful feedback for each school, application and essay. She takes the time to understand your background and brainstorming ideas to set yourself apart and making you unique. She keeps you accountable with realistic timelines so that nothing is missed and everything is in order to ensure your MBA applications and letters of recommendation are submitted well on time. Sharon immensely helped in combatting my low GPA and helping me getting into Duke Fuqua School of Business (with a merit scholarship). I highly recommend working with Sharon because she is truly the best in the world; and you would want to work with her for your MBA applications before anyone else does. She truly helps candidates all the way from the application stage to the accepted stage.

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January 24, 2023
militarytomba

Joined: Jan 24, 2023

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

A true partner!

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Sharon is the best! I purchased a 2-school package and then added on hourly essay reviews for a 3rd school. With Sharon’s support, I was admitted to and enrolled at Wharton (with scholarship).

Sharon helped me balance applying, transitioning out of the military, and navigating the admissions process. She was always supportive, organized, and responsive. If you are a military veteran or someone going through a period of transition in your life, I cannot think of a more empathetic and trusting partner! I highly recommend Sharon and cannot say enough nice things about her and the entire Fortuna team.

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January 08, 2023
mbs97

Joined: Jan 01, 2023

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
720 Q44 V45

Highly recommend working with Sharon Joyce!

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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!

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December 22, 2022
nnnnnnnnnnn

Joined: Dec 21, 2022

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Dream Acceptances thanks to Sharon's guidance and encouragement!

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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!

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December 16, 2022
jr2194

Joined: May 08, 2021

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
730 Q47 V42 (Online)

Sharon and Fortuna were absolutely amazing - highly recommend!!

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Sharon, and Fortuna, were an absolute joy to work with and I highly recommend Sharon to anyone applying to MBA programs. From day one, it was abundantly clear that Sharon was an expert on the MBA application process and immediately relieved the stress I had about the process. She helped me narrow my list of schools, develop speaking points about my past experience and strengths, craft my essays, prepare for interviews and everything in between! I cannot emphasize enough the level of detail and personal attention that Sharon spends on each of her clients. We reviewed every part of the application in detail as Sharon knows that every word makes a difference. Sharon made the process so easy for me and I would not have achieved my goals without her help. From the outset, my main criteria for my MBA was receiving a scholarship. With Sharon's help, I was able to achieve this goal. Sharon helped me get admitted to Cornell Johnson (with scholarship), UCLA Anderson (with scholarship), and UVA Darden. I truly cannot speak highly enough of Sharon and everything she did for me! If you are looking for an Admissions Coach to get you into your dream school, look no further!

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December 15, 2022
jle04

Joined: Oct 10, 2017

Posts: 6

Kudos: 3

Self-reported Score:
680

Sharon Joyce is THE BEST COACH EVER!

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Sharon is the best coach that I can ever ask for! I believe that without her guidance, I would not have gotten into the schools that I applied to (Haas/Anderson). 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 highlight 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!!!!

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