Stratus Admissions Counseling Admissions Consulting Reviews

I started using Stratus Consulting in Spring 2017 with the goal of applying by Fall 2017 for Round 1.

tl:dr Stratus was incredibly helpful. The introspection templates, essay feedback, and school guidance gave me insight into a process I was new to. Like anything, you get what you put in, and money isn't enough. But if you are really willing to work, Stratus will take that effort and focus it into a top application for your top schools. It worked here as I was recently admitted to the Stanford Graduate School of Business with an undergrad GPA below 3.0 and a GMAT score of 710.

More detail:
Stratus helped to frame my experiences in a way that not only helped me pick the best ones to share, but to craft my own goals/trends through them. Like most of you, I imagine, I am going to business school to make a specific move in my career. That move isn't coming from no where but has showed itself throughout my early career. That is easy to say but often very difficult to show in 250-750 word essays while also getting the tone, grammar, and writing style down. So firstly, Stratus was crucial in helping my instrospection process occur early and thoroughly.

Take that introspection and turning it into essays is difficult, however. Nonetheless, my Stratus advisor helped me do just that. We must have gone back and forth (I chose a package that had them help me with two schools, but ultimately I applied to 9) at least 10 times on each schools essays. She always provided helpful insight, guidance, and was not afraid to challenge my assumptions. Additionally, when the time was right, my Stratus POC gave my essays to others on her team to get additionally invaluable feedback.

For me, I tend to procrastinate and with work, personal life, and building a side business, I knew that if I didn't commit to an investment like Stratus, I would not be able to stick to a timeline to apply with high quality essays. I ultimately applied R2 (wanted/needed to get my GMAT score up) and Stratus stuck with me through the entire process. I highly recommend them to students who are ready to work, excited about business school (and other graduate schools, btw), and know they need a little fire to keep them going through the long haul.

Overall, I am happy with my decision regardless of what school I got into, but certainly ecstatic that I was afforded this opportunity to attend Stanford. My advice: if you are going to commit to this process, go all in. Commit. The worst feeling you will have from this process (worse than the long GMAT hours of studying) is realizing at the end of it that you could have done something more. Don't let that happen. Act now, organize, and make 2018 your year to do this! Good luck!

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I had a great experience working with Melisa. I purchased the hourly package and we used the time to work on my resume and essays. I was very much a non-traditional applicant and had no idea about the business school application process, but her guidance made the whole thing a breeze. She had extensive knowledge of every school on my list and made sure each application fit its respective school perfectly.

When it came to actually editing my resume and essays, Melisa was very efficient with her time, which I really appreciated considering I was paying by the hour. She sent back all her edits within a day, and every single suggestion was valuable. I applied in Round 2 so all the deadlines were right after the holidays, but she made herself available even then.

Most importantly, she genuinely cares about your success! She asked for and appreciated updates well past the application phase. She even introduced me to another one of her clients attending the same program as me so I could start connecting with future classmates right away. I would highly recommend Melisa to anyone looking for an application consultant.

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When I first considered using a consultant, I was hesitant to commit to the price of a comprehensive package without truly understanding what working with a consultant would be like. The Application Fundamentals and Strategy option with Stratus was a relatively low-risk way to start the process and gave me the flexibility to choose how I wanted to proceed (i.e., working solo, purchasing hours, or upgrading to a comprehensive package) thereafter. I was worried that in using a consultant, I would lose my "voice" trying to fit into some consultant mold, but the outcome was quite the opposite. The Introspection process forced me to think about how different experiences in my life have shaped me personally and professionally and to examine post-MBA career options that fit with both my experiences and aspirations. Susan helped me identify themes across these different goals and experiences. The upfront work I did with Susan laid the foundation for my application strategy, kept my story grounded, and was directly applicable to several essays and even interview questions. It also helped guide my conversations with supervisors when I asked them to write my LORs. For me, the Application Fundamentals and Strategy option was a great way to "try out" working with a consultant while still moving the ball forward on my applications. I did end up upgrading to a comprehensive package. Susan, Harold, and the rest of the Stratus folks were great resources throughout the process and gave quality feedback on essays and interview prep. The application process is a grind, no matter what. There really aren't short cuts. But for me, it was helpful to have a knowledgeable sounding board/resource throughout the process. I overall had a great experience working with Stratus, and I am excited to be attending an M7 school in the fall.

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I recommend working with Stratus Admissions to anyone who is serious about applying to top MBA programs. I began working with my consultant, Donna, through the MBA Early Edge Package about 18 months before I applied to schools. Through the Early Edge Package, we identified opportunities to strengthen my application profile with enough time to make important improvements. Many of the improvements became core pieces of my essays and interview answers.

Since Donna and I had already been working together for a year through the Early Edge Package, we were in a great position to hit the ground running when essays and applications were released. Donna was very responsive, genuinely interested in my success and provided excellent, school-specific feedback. Her experience as as a full-time MBA admissions officer prior to Stratus allowed Donna to provided expert advice on each application and guidance navigating the stressful application process.

With Donna’s insight and the support of the entire Stratus team, I was admitted to my dream school and look forward to attending a Top 5 MBA program this year! If you are serious about attending an elite MBA program, starting with Stratus as early as possible will help achieve your goals!

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I knew a lot of people worked with consultants for their application to business schools. I thought, of course, it would be useful, but wasn't entirely sure it was as necessary to have one.

After working with Joe I learnt how important it is to work with someone who has done this before and knows the ins and outs of applying to business schools. There were numerous things that I had never considered and that he pointed out, helping me boost my application. I am doing a career switch, so mine was not an easy application, but he took the challenge and helped me research potential opportunities and try to find the best field for me. He also carried out a super complete initial strengths and weaknesses analysis that was the starting point of our work together.

It was a pleasure to work with Joe for a number of reasons. He provided really constructive feedback that made me substantially improve my resume and my essays. He was also very straightforward, candid and never hesitated in telling me the weaknesses he saw and how we could improve them. This is another quality of him that I really appreciated, as these kind of comments were the ones that made me re-think certain ideas or points until I was satisfied with them.

I was pretty demanding with Joe and asked tons of questions, e-mailed him at any time of the day, even weekends, and always asked for his feedback. He was extremely patient and not one e-mail or question ever went unanswered and it was always in a super timely manner. At first I thought of doing an hourly package, but I'm lucky I did not - I could have never fit all the work I did with Joe in an hourly package.

Finally, getting feedback from school specialists and a final review from a admissions director was absolutely valuable too. After working for months with your Head Consultant, it is very useful to receive feedback from an outsider as they always provide fresh comments and ideas.

I haven't heard from schools yet, but no matter what happens, I absolutely recommend Joe and the Veritas team, especially for their incredible hard work and professionalism.

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As an MBA reapplicant to my dream school, I didn’t want to simply submit a similar application and cross fingers that it was going to be looked at with different eyes. I knew the areas that were under my control and the ones where I could use some help. I had an initial free consultation with Susan who helped me reassure that I could improve my application.

I got a 5 hour package (at the end I got an extra hour), where we worked on essays and interview prep. My consultant (Susan) was extremely responsive (always heard back in less than 48hrs) and she was able to put my story together in a way that I wouldn’t have thought. She was really good at pointing out certain aspects about my story that I was not considering or didn’t think they would add any value. I certainly felt I was submitting a much stronger application after hitting the submit button.

I got admitted to my dream school, and I know that it wouldn’t have been possible without her help. Beyond the outcome of my investment, was always very pleased with the service I received from my consultant and the Stratus team. I would highly recommend Susan and Stratus.

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Professional, accommodating, and personable. The Stratus consultants are organized, strategic and will help you obtain your goals. I could not be happier with the services they provided. They have a very methodical approach that accounts for your needs and helps you find the programs/schools that fit, and then devise a strategy to help you be successful. Their team-based approach ensures that your application materials and strategy are looked at by different eyes, each providing their input. I especially appreciated how accommodating Melisa was. We changed the rounds that I was applying for very close to the deadlines and she would turn around essay comments and respond to questions very quickly and thoroughly. Her support shepherded me through the stressful process. Stratus is an investment that is well worth it. I highly recommend utilizing the Stratus expertise!

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I will be joining Columbia Business School for FT MBA in Jan’18. Susan, Director MBA Admissions at Stratus, was my MBA admission consultant and my go-to person throughout my application journey. I owe my success to her and team Stratus. I can confidently say with no iota of doubt that I would not have got this admit without her support and guidance.

My GMAT is 720(Q50 V37) and I have ~10-year work experience in oil and gas industry. I used to work for one of the leading oilfield services providers and I have worked worldwide offshore in various setups (read remote environments with limited connectivity). Susan supported me through my unpredictable work travel plans and serious network issues and remained as an immense source of encouragement and positivity. She was always an email or a call away, which helped me keep my application process on track. This particularly was more relevant in my case as I come from a non-traditional background and not many of my peers/friends have done/applied for MBA. Susan helped me craft my story in such a way that I was able to present my candidacy in the best possible manner. Having said this, I would not shy away from mentioning that “crafting” part is not a one-day or a week job at Stratus. When I started working with Susan, I had a very detailed introspection, which was formally documented. This was the most challenging part for me. The constant struggle to decide or judge which achievement is good or not good enough for MBA applications was challenging. Fortunately, I had Susan by my side. She NEVER decided anything for me. She NEVER wrote for me. Instead, she made me THINK. This was not very obvious to me sometimes but as I progressed through the other steps of the application process (writing essays, admission interviews), I realized the importance of introspection. Having done all the thinking and brainstorming upfront, I became very adept at crafting my story and presenting my thoughts in a concise and effective manner in essays and later during mock and real admission interviews.

My introspection document became my reference to pick my stories/themes. The strategists at Stratus help you revisit your life experiences and accomplishments and discover yourself, albeit from the MBA-application-angle. With a very detailed introspection by my side, I had a joint meeting with Susan and Salma (former senior consultant at Stratus). Salma brought in her expertise and along with Susan, helped me distill my thoughts and pick the best themes from my personal and professional journey to be presented and highlighted in application essays.

Stratus follows a very structured approach to writing application essays. After Introspection and later school-selection, the second step is to write the outlines for the essays. In my case, these outlines were always first reviewed by Susan followed by the reviews by other consultants (school specific). What truly impressed me was Susan’s ability to convert my raw and very rudimentary thoughts to very powerful essay content. Harold who is another senior consultant at Stratus was my second reviewer and he always brought his unique expertise to the game. I was immensely benefitted by his dissection of my outlines and essays. Once the outlines were approved, writing essays became much simpler. What appeared to be a daunting task in beginning, became a second nature to me over a couple of months. Later during the interview preparation stage, I had access to all the knowledge and expertise at Stratus. After getting mock-interviewed by school-specific consultants and receiving a detailed feedback and great suggestions to improve, I never felt the need to look outside to fetch any information. The entire application process in itself is so taxing that diverting energy in different directions can prove to be counterproductive. Thankfully, it was not the case for me at Stratus.

The team Stratus genuinely wanted me to succeed. This was very evident in every interaction and engagement I had with the team. Susan always ensured that I have the best resources to craft and present my application material. In addition to the access to other school-specific consultants at Stratus, Susan also brought in her latest knowledge about various other schools that I was targeting. This knowledge came in from attending various MBA conferences, sharing experiences of other successful Stratus clients and from her experience of being a former Adcom at Fuqua. But most importantly, Susan's positive and upbeat attitude helped me withstand the demanding journey.

Now, as I prepare to start my new journey at CBS, I can't stop thanking Susan. This is a dream come true for me. I always thought Columbia would be a long shot for me but Susan encouraged me to dream, prepare and apply to CBS. A dream that is a REALITY now!

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I owe Stratus Prep, and specifically Susan Cera, a lot when it comes to knowing how to shape my application and convey my story into the right words for each school I applied to. I ended up getting into a dream program, even with so-so GMAT scores, an average undergraduate GPA, and under 4 years of working experience. I signed up for the 4-school package and am proud to say I'm attending a top 10-15 program this Fall!

Susan was always available to talk through email, phone, or Skype even though we had a 3 hour coastal difference (California to NC). She had a good, upbeat attitude and always had something constructive to say from the initial application process to the mock interviewing. I was even waitlisted and she gave me sound advice throughout the lengthy waitlist process. I would definitely recommend StratusPrep!

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I’ve had the privilege of working with Joe over the course of 9-10 months and I must say… what an incredible experience! From the very beginning, Joe identified my weaknesses and developed a roadmap to address them.

After I took the GMAT, I was upset with my score, as I was a full 100 points below the average of my target school. As the final rounds approached and given my work experience, I decided not to retake the GMAT and to proceed with my school application. As an applicant who was applying on the final round with a low GPA and low GMAT, one thing was certain, my whole application had to be stellar in order for me to even have a slight chance of getting into the school I was aiming for. With Joe’s guidance, we completely revamped my CV and we spent quite some time on the essay question. Joe responded in timely manner and he always gave constructive feedback. He definitely pushed me to my limits and brought out the best of me!

The application process was quite the journey and I am so gratefully that Joe was by my side. I can confidently say that, without Joe, I wouldn’t have been able to get into my target school. The Veritas MBA consulting service was without a doubt, the best investment I’ve made and I highly recommend it to everyone!

Thank you Joe !

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