Hourly Services Reviews

For those looking for MBA admissions consulting services, look no further than Lisa Cummings of Stratus Admissions Counseling. I cannot overstate how immensely helpful Lisa was in helping me apply to business schools this fall.

When it came to writing the essays, Lisa continuously pushed me to uncover my personal story for WHY I wanted to get my MBA and WHAT my career goals were. She was always candid yet constructive in her feedback, something I greatly appreciated. She also returned her insightful feedback incredibly quickly; there was not a single time I felt that I could not move forward on my essays because I was waiting for a response from her.

Moreover, before I began working with Lisa, my resume was outdated and in no shape to be submitted to MBA admissions committees. Lisa's expert insight here allowed me to expand and clarify my resume where needed, while removing all of the content that was unnecessary. Similarly, when I found out that I was fortunate enough to receive interviews at several schools, Lisa went to great lengths to ensure I was prepared. Not only did she send me detailed, school-specific interview guides, but she also set aside time to conduct multiple mock interviews with me.

In summary, from essay writing, to resume updating, to interview preparation, Lisa proved an invaluable asset during my MBA application process this fall. However, what impressed me most about Lisa is that I can tell that she truly CARES about her clients. Once my interviews were done, it would have been easy for Lisa to merely wish me the best of luck and move on. Instead, she took time to talk me through the decision I was making between two MBA programs, offering very helpful advice. Overall, for those looking into MBA admissions consulting services, look no further than Lisa Cummings. I promise you will not regret this decision.

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Donna was truly instrumental throughout my MBA application process and connecting with her was a fantastic investment for me. I interviewed 7 consultants and was ultimately drawn to Donna - she asked thoughtful questions, listened and was very transparent and honest about what she thought I needed out of a consultant. Once engaged, Donna assisted with every aspect of the application process. Most importantly, she challenged me to take the necessary time to think through my experiences and to hone in on specific examples that best fit the overall narrative of my application. After the initial introspection work, she helped me craft a cohesive story that highlighted my career aspirations in a way that also allowed my personality and voice to come through on paper. We went through countless iterations of my resume and essays, ultimately leading to a final product that I was proud of. She was always accessible, responsive, insightful, quick to make time to talk and even helped ease the anxiety of application process. Without Donna’s help, I wouldn’t have been accepted to my top choice program!

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Working with Melisa was the best decision I made. I had chatted with a few other consultants, but felt the most at ease with Melisa after our intro call. She seemed genuinely excited about working with me, and I really appreciated her energy and encouragement. Since I was only planning to apply to two programs, Melisa was very flexible with pricing and we worked on an hourly basis for my top school's application. I was able to leverage the same essays and resume for my backup program. Her detailed feedback and thoughtful suggestions helped me to highlight the most important parts of my story in the essays. Melisa is extremely knowledgeable about the process and working with her made me feel very confident about my applications when the time came to hit submit. We also worked together on interview prep, which was huge because I had not been thinking about that part of the process at all. I was admitted to both programs I applied to with significant scholarship money. After our allotted hours were used, Melisa was more than willing to respond to my calls and emails as I worked to make my final decision. She is an absolute rockstar, and it was a pleasure working with her.

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As a first-generation college graduate, the MBA admissions process was daunting, and I was skeptical about working with a consultant. I talked to several consultants who tried to push me to apply to “safety” schools that I wasn’t interested in or tried to push me to pay for their all-inclusive packages. Melisa was the only person who not only gave me critical feedback and opinions, but also, trusted my vision.

I worked with Melisa on an hourly basis on essay reviews and interview prep. She was efficient and always provided clear and thoughtful feedback. My application included many personal experiences, and I always felt that she cared for the story I was trying to tell. The MBA admissions process requires deep reflection, and it was important to me that the people reading my stories honored them.

Now, I’m so excited to attend a top, full time MBA program with a scholarship (especially after a highly competitive application cycle) and can’t thank Melisa enough for her support. I highly recommend her, especially if you come from a similar background.

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I would highly recommend working with Melisa and Stratus. Melisa helped me get into four of my top-choice schools, with substantial fellowships at three of them. She supported me from the beginning of my application process to the end. Melisa was always very responsive, and was available to answer any questions I had about schools and applications, no matter how trivial they seemed. She helped me shape my story and goals so well that I had a clear idea of how to approach each essay question. Her detailed advice and feedback on my resume and essays was instrumental in my admissions.

Melisa also helped me prep for interviews. I really benefited from Melisa’s experience in this area, and she helped me present my story in a way that was well-defined, but still genuine. I was admitted to every school I interviewed with, which I could not have done without Melisa’s help.

Something I really liked about Melisa was her positivity throughout the process, as it can be daunting at times. I had a non-traditional professional background, and Melisa helped me present it in the best possible way. Her encouragement, positivity, and support is what set her (and Stratus) apart from other MBA admissions consultants I’d considered, and I’m so glad I was able to work with her. Highly recommend!

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I worked with Melisa on an hourly basis and she was worth every dollar. I chose her because she was so genuine and encouraging during our initial consultation. Since I was on a budget, she worked with me efficiently and was quick to respond to any questions I sent her way. I was a bit lost in the application process but she worked with me every step of the way and helped guide me to ensure I submit quality essays. She also prepped me for the interviews and gave me valuable feedback! No need to interview other consultants...she's all you need and more.

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I interviewed 4 different consultants from 4 different companies, and Melisa was the obvious choice for my MBA journey. I worked with Melisa via an hourly package, and she was more than generous with her time, recommendations, and resourcefulness. I chose Melisa because she was honest and thoughtful about the maturity of my story and profile, and helped focus my energy where it counted the most. She honored my voice while ensuring all my bases are covered. I appreciated how she kept me in mind, and would send me resources that she thought I would benefit from. Other consultants would try and push a story on me, but Melisa knew my super-power was owning my own story - I would highly recommend Melisa again and again.

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I used an hourly package to apply to 3 schools. Susan worked with me to effectively craft my unique story into a compelling desire to pursue an MBA (I am a musician by night and a strategy consultant by day — my post-MBA goals lie in bridging that gap). I had the story in my head, but Susan took my essays from ok to great. She brought out passion, specifics (that I had long forgotten), and detailed knowledge about the nuances of each school to help me tailor each application. She was also incredibly efficient with the limited time we had, turning each iteration of my essays around quickly -- sometimes within hours.

End result: 3 for 3 on acceptances (one M7 and two T15’s), plus a substantial merit fellowship option. She has also continued to coach me on negotiation strategies post-acceptances. 10/10 recommend!

Stats: GMAT 730, GPA 3.85, STEM undergrad

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It was always a goal of mine to go back and get my MBA and at first, thought I could go the cheap route and do it on my own. Big mistake. I ended up getting rejected from my top schools but I was determined, and decided to go for it the next year. I was introduced to Susan through multiple friends who had used her in the past and raved about their experience. Truthfully, the cost was a bit daunting at first but after our first meeting I could tell that Susan new exactly what she was doing. From her own experience of applying and getting into business school, coupled with her immense knowledge from working in admissions at Fuqua for over a decade, she brought insight that I could have gotten from few other sources. She was incredibly thoughtful but pushed me to think about what I really wanted and how to craft my story from my past and where I wanted to end up. I had a terrible GPA and decent GRE scores, so it was an uphill battle from the start, but I ended up being accepted to all the schools that had rejected me the previous year. Can’t thank Susan enough for all her hard work and dedication throughout the process – it sure paid dividends in the long run.

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Susan helped me get into my top choice M7. The first thing that stood out to me is that she's really fun, but also no-nonsense! She knows her stuff... you can tell she comes from the admissions world and has the expertise to steer you toward the key fundamentals that really make a difference.

I spoke with several consultants before going with Susan... they all seemed to try to sell me on their magnificent writing or deep expertise on a school... but what was compelling to me is that Susan gives you what most consultants can't: the experience of having worked in admissions. She knows how adcom ticks and can help you craft a compelling story that adcom will understand.

I used an hourly package with Susan and found it to be a great value... she was transparent and efficient, very responsive, and impressively available. She'll be your #1 fan throughout the process, and will give you the confidence that you're turning in the strongest possible application.

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