I worked with Jennifer Jackson at Stratus to prepare for my business school applications for Fall 2020 admissions. I was apprehensive of using a consultant at first, but after talking to many colleagues, I quickly noticed that it was more common than expected. Jennifer provided that final validation I needed in my last applications, primarily with my essays and interview preparation. I came ready with my story for school before we started working together, but she had those resources ready just in case. For my essays she ensured that my voice was consistent and authentic, and also that I highlighted characteristics in myself that the schools were looking for. For interviews, she provided guides for each school that invited me to interview and also did a couple of mock interviews. Yes, consultants are expensive and I was fortunate to be in a position to use one. If it's outside your budget, nothing to fear - you can still get into a great school. But if it is within your means, it's worth considering. read more

I worked with Susan Cera at Stratus on four applications for Masters of Public Administration type programs in the United States - including for UC Berkeley and Syracuse University. As an Australian, I was not familiar with the requirements and was worried about making a great impression. Susan provided outstanding guidance throughout this complicated process. She really helped me make it manageable and streamlined. During her process, I also learnt things about myself and my career direction that I will take with me, far beyond the applications. Susan was approachable, insightful, helpful and a reassuring presence through out. Working with Stratus you will put in the hard work but your applications will be far superior to what you can accomplished alone. I highly recommend their services if you are looking to apply for the best public policy schools in the world. read more

Donna is a fantastic resource to anyone seeking guidance and support in their MBA application journey. With her expertise, dedication, and personalized approach, Donna helped me secure an offer from one of the top MBA programs despite a below average GPA and test scores for those schools. From our very first interaction, Donna displayed a genuine interest in helping me understand my aspirations, strengths, and weaknesses. Before starting any school-specific applications, we went through a rigorous process of understanding key aspects of my profile that I could highlight and organizing those components into an arsenal that I could draw from. Thanks to this kind of preparation, when it came time to writing essays, I was able to spend less time on coming up with ideas and more time thinking broadly about the narrative I wanted to communicate. Throughout the admissions process, which can be more akin to a marathon than a sprint, Donna helped me create a strategy of regular communication with admissions committees and constantly developing areas of my application that may be viewed as weaknesses. The right strategy will elevate your candidacy above any one grade or score, and through consistent effort and willingness to improve your profile, you will stand out. To anyone who believes that the right school is out of reach for them, I strongly recommend Donna and the team at Stratus as partners in the MBA admissions process. Donna stuck with me throughout the application cycle and I couldn't be happier with the result! read more

I am so grateful for Jennifer's support throughout the MBA application process. Her guidance helped me get admitted to HBS and several other Top 10 schools with significant scholarship money. In September 2022, I connected with a few consultants from other firms, looking for guidance on how to craft my application in time for R2 deadlines. I felt incredibly overwhelmed and stressed out when speaking with consultants from other firms. At the time, I was working diligently to boost my GMAT score and really needed someone to support me and hold me accountable on my applications. When I met with Jennifer for a consultation, I could immediately tell I was in good hands. I worked on 3 schools with Jennifer and always felt that I could count on her honest, candid feedback. She is incredibly encouraging, knowledgeable, and effective in helping each client reach their goals. Jennifer pushes candidates to dig deep to reflect on what inspires/motivates them, and she provides exceptional support in clarifying your personal mission in a way that highlights your unique attributes and authentic voice. She is incredibly professional and responsive (I got always got a response 48 hours!), and a wealth of knowledge on what adcoms are looking for across MBA programs. I found Jennifer's advice to be incredibly candid, encouraging, and growth-oriented. She helped me build confidence in my story throughout the application/interview process. Her deep understanding of the HBS process in particular helped me with the interview and helped me to be VERY well-prepared for all the types of questions that they can ask. For anyone who feels unmoored by daunting MBA application process, working with Stratus will provide the structure and support you need. I am so excited to be starting at HBS in the fall -- many thanks to Jennifer! 10/10 would recommend investing in yourself and working with Jennifer. read more

Waited for days after requesting an initial consult to receive an email or phone call from Stratus to set it up, then finally I called in myself. The consultant who I spoke with for that initial consult did not seem to be able to comprehend what I was asking him about, which were just some basic things about transcripts. He prompted me to send my credentials to him by email so we could work together on the essay I needed assistance on. After sending some very personal information, including college transcripts, he ceased all contact. Stratus did not even pick up the phone when I called to follow up, which was a few times a day for 4 days. Eventually, I gave up on Stratus and called Spivey Consulting, who were absolutely fantastic and worth every penny. read more

I was in contact with a Stratus Admissions counselor after subscribing to their newsletter and receiving multiple advertisement emails. Eventually i wrote that I was interested in their services, but that due to an extraordinary situation that would affect law school admissions I was hesitant to take up their time. After multiple quick email exchanges, the person wrote kindly that s/he would do the best s/he could. After divulging my situation, I received a short email asking a question or two. Then the counselor stopped replying. In the following weeks I sent multiple emails to the counselor and other Stratus Admissions accounts. Still I received no replies. Then I posted a Yelp review complaining of their customer service. The next day I received an email both from a representative and the counselor. I was told that, despite no prior issues, my email had been caught in their spam filter. I replied that I believe in second chances and that bad things happen to good people, so I would take down the review. The representative was very courteous and said that as a gesture of appreciation Stratus Admissions would offer me two hours of free consultation, and he sent me the service contract. I was ecstatic. Until I read it. The following is the excerpt of the service contract in question: "I agree that I will not disparage, or make negative comments with respect to, Stratus Admissions Counseling or its business, the Services or any of its counselors, officers, employees, contractors or other representatives, including without limitation posing (anonymously or otherwise) online or in the media any negative comments or reviews." - Clause 14 I became wary for the following reasons: First, it seems that even if you are unsatisfied with their services you cannot say or write a review stating as such.That is, only if you praise them or state something neutral may you comment without breaching the contract. Second, the presence of a clause seems to act to suppress negative reviews regardless of whether service was actually poor. As such you no longer know whether you can trust the fact that most of their, say, Yelp reviews are positive. Are most of the reviews positive because of good service or because the contract intimidated unsatisfied clients from writing a negative review? Third, personally the clause didn't inspire confidence that they stand by their services. (Of course, that's subjective.) In the end, they struck me as unprofessional and overly-restrictive towards negative feedback. I declined to use their services and wrote this review instead. This is all my personal experience and opinion. read more

I loved working with Harold Simansky! He was prompt and accessible - even over the holidays, which was critical as a round 2 applicant. Harold was generous with his time, and always struck a great balance of practicality, efficiency, and effectiveness in his advice and comments. He went above and beyond in the drafting process by consulting with his colleagues and giving me honest feedback to ensure that I had the strongest application. Strongly recommend the standard package w/Harold for at least 1 school! I also loved working with Stratus as a whole. Their process was incredibly helpful in thinking through my career trajectory and understanding what I was looking for in my MBA experience. Additionally, the depth of resources that Stratus had to offer was extremely helpful in getting my application right. Being able to receive extra reviews from school specialists and interview prep from alumni was amazing. Great to feel like you have a whole team behind you! read more

I was accepted into Kellogg Round 3 and without Donna, it would not have happened. I chose the hourly package, as I was in a few MBA prep programs, but without Donna, I would not have been accepted. Donna truly cared about me as an individual and not just a number. She was very candid, but warm at the same time. Her adcom experience is invaluable and she will give you the insights you need to improve your application. I felt very prepared for the video essay and my interview because of my time with her. She was so positive and encouraging it really helped to calm my nerves. I am forever thankful I chose to work with Donna. read more

Incredible working with Harold Simansky. Could not recommend more highly. I struggle to emphasize just how impactful working with Harold was on my MBA application process. Starting from the first meeting, to helping me choose between acceptances, Harold's help and advice was invaluable. I started working with Harold the June before Fall Round 1 deadlines. From the beginning he was great about taking the intimidating MBA application process and breaking it down into simple steps with an achievable timeline. Harold's assistance in crafting my story and really honing in on my strengths and weaknesses and how they matched to my target schools set me up for success from the get go. Harold's impact on my application essays was extraordinary. Both in helping me with the big picture of the story I was trying to tell, and the final edits and tweaks to make the essay as specific to my target school as possible, his work was critical to my success. Harold's knowledge of top schools and what they are looking for in candidates in unparalleled, and this is most evident in his help with interview prep. I was invited to interview at three of the schools I applied to, and Harold was instrumental in my preparation, including offering mock interview practice. Finally, I want to highlight the ease of working with Harold. He is always very prompt to respond to any question or request, and quick to review and provide feedback on essays. He takes great pride in his work, and truly gives person attention to all his clients. I can confidently say that Harold's services are worth every penny. I will be starting at my top choice MBA program this fall, and could not have done it without Harold. read more

I had the unique experience of working with Donna and Stratus for two application seasons. In 2016, Donna helped me get accepted by three elite MBA programs. However, unforeseeable circumstances forced me to postpone my plans to pursue an MBA. Because I had such a great experience in the past, when I was ready to reapply, I contacted Donna immediately to ask her if she was willing to help me again. This had proven to be one of the best decisions that I have ever made, as I was accepted by five elite MBA programs this year with scholarships from four of them. During this journey, Donna was always super responsive, even during weekends and holiday seasons; the average turnaround time was around 12 hours. She managed to help me prepare seven high-quality applications within one month! She was also always thinking about what was best for me; I felt I was treated not as a client but as a friend and a family member. When things were not going as planned, she was there to encourage me and help me brainstorm new ways to improve my candidacy. When I was behind schedule, she was to push me so that we could move forward. When I was accepted by my dream school, she was there first to congratulate me. Nowadays when the application season is over, we still chat regularly to discuss my progress. I am extremely grateful for her dedication and commitment to my success. I honestly think I could not achieve what I have achieved without the support from Donna and the entire Stratus team. I would recommend her to anybody I know who is interested in pursuing an MBA education! read more

Pure avoidance recommended. I applied to 3 MBA programs in Round 1 and used Stratus' counseling service. I was rejected by all 3 of them without interviews, which really made me question my application strategy and the advice I got from Stratus given I had solid stats and work experience. I applied to 2 more programs in Round 2 without using Stratus and I got in both of them. This time around I mostly relied on my own judgment and free info I got from online forums. In retrospect, my Stratus consultant was often wrong, but never uncertain. Stratus, please remove untrue statements from your website such as "100% satisfied customers". I, for one, am extremely disappointed by the quality of your service. For example, there was a 500-word essay I asked you to edit and there is no way my consultant spent more than 5 minutes working on it given how little edits I received. I'm still giving them one star because the free emails they send you once you sign up for their newsletter is still helpful, much more helpful than any paid service I later received. read more

Admission process is complex, long, and has lots of hidden unevident aspects - getting some help from professionals would be a wise move for many prospective applicants. I would strongly recommend Stratus to anyone who needs help in applying to top-tier business schools. When it comes to succeeding in getting accepted to M7 there is simply no other company that would go above and beyond in supporting you as much as would Stratus. Before choosing this company I have done quite a selection process of different admission consultants - Stratus stood out among all due to their sharp focus on helping me as their client and their extensive expertise. During the whole process I have never second guessed my decision to go with them as Susan Cera and Donna Bauman did absolutely amazing job and, eventually, helped to get me admitted to Columbia Business School. As I said the process was long and, at times, tiring - Susan and Donna did absolutely fantastic job in helping me stay focused and advised extensively on different options and moves I should consider. I am beyond grateful to them for their help and highly recommend their service to anyone! read more

Stratus Prep is a service that takes all the natural materials of your life and teaches you to apply immense pressure to them, resulting in an amazing application for business school. My counselor, Michael, worked with me for months on analyzing my life and identifying the best stories for me to tell. We then worked on perfecting my essays over dozens and dozens of drafts. He helped steer me towards great recommendations and made sure to help remedy the weakest points in my resume. In the end, I got into my dream school! While that result isn't guaranteed, it would've been a lot harder for me to get there without the Stratus team. read more

TLDR version: Donna Bauman and Stratus are just incredible to work with and I could not be happier with my outcome of being admitted to Yale SOM. Now the longer version: I have to admit, mostly due to the high price of a typical multi-school package, I was seriously considering not using a consultant at all (in hindsight, that would have been devastating!!). Once I talked myself into hiring a consultant, I spent more time than I would like to admit reading these very reviews and obsessing over 'top consultant lists.' I finally came up with a short list of ~5 consultants to have intro meetings with and quite frankly was underwhelmed with most as they were much less personal and much more transactional than I had anticipated. It took no more than 5 minutes of speaking with Donna for me to decide that she is the one I would enjoy/benefit working with the most. Not only is she extremely well-versed in the admissions world, but also it is extremely clear that she genuinely cares about each of her clients - and that is what mattered most to me. Donna made what is a very daunting process a breeze. Add on top of that me having to take the GMAT THREE times and finally hitting a score beyond what I thought was possible for me only a week or so before R1 applications were due. She was able to connect me with the right folks in order to get my GMAT score up and, most importantly, stay sane throughout the process! I could not imagine having to go through the application process with anyone but Donna and would 1,000% recommend her to anyone that is deciding on who to work with! read more

As I began my MBA application journey almost 12 months ago, I was referred to Stratus Admissions Counselling by two of my very close friends who got into Top 10 schools with Stratus's help. Going into the process, I had only one constraint - I wanted to go into a Top 15 school this year (2017) and was not willing to wait an extra year or two. However, I had a lot of things going against me - belonging to an over-represented demographic, sub 680 GMAT score, 3 - 3.3 GPA and 10 months of full-time experience (2yrs at matriculation). Therefore, I signed up for the 4 school package and based on my friends seamless experience with Salma, I requested to be paired with her. Overall, I had an incredible experience working with Salma. She was very responsive (sometimes even working through weekends and holidays), acted more like a mentor than a consultant throughout the process, and really helped me dig deep to put together my life story. Apart from helping me with my story, essays, resume etc., she also kept pushing me to improve my GMAT (and eventually I did by over 70 points), suggested ways to overcome my low GPA and less than average number of years of work experience. Another thing I loved about Salma was the interview prep that I received from her - countless number of insightful mock sessions before each of my interviews. I ended up applying to 4 top 10 schools in R1 but unfortunately was not accepted to any. Again, Salma and Josh proved to be saviors, helped me pick myself up, and as promised (the 4 school guarantee), they offered to help me with another set of 4 schools in R2 without any charge. This time around, I applied to a mix of 4 Top 10-20 schools, and have been very fortunate to be accepted into a Top 15 program - one of my top choices. Given the things that were going against me, I am very grateful to have been accepted into a top program this year, and without a doubt, it would not have been possible without Salma and the whole stratus team - they are simply awesome. I truly believe in their process and skills to help a candidate put forward one's best foot, and hence I referred two of my other close friends to utilize their help. So, no matter which stage of the process you are in, if you are thinking about hiring a consultant, Stratus is the only way to go. read more

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! read more

I worked with Donna Bauman on my applications. Last year (2021), I took the GMAT and scored a 730. I did not want to take any chances with my MBA applications and wanted to work with the absolute best. I must have talked to at least 35 consultants across the globe. In our first conversation from the get-go, Donna blew me away. She was the first consultant who had gone over my resume and other details that I had shared with her before the call. She told me the strengths of my application and how she can help guide me in telling my story. Our call was scheduled for 30 mins. But it lasted almost 60mins. At the end of it, I knew she was the best consultant I had talked to. So when I asked her for the charges, I was slightly hesitant because I had not budgeted that much money for the applications. I asked Donna if I should buy her hourly services. She left the decision to me, but told me that if she puts in the hours, hourly services will cost me more than the comprehensive package. I slept over this for a couple of days but then decided that I needed to be in the right hands. And so I signed up for her comprehensive package. I cannot thank Donna enough to have helped me find my voice to write the most personalized story that I could ever tell. She and I spent the first month only on me sharing my story with her and brainstorming the exact reason why I even wanted to do an MBA. Then once we had my story and reasons for MBA ready, she got it all reviewed by Susan Cera. They both guided me to the main highlights of my achievements and my goals post MBA and helped me articulate it as well as I could. When it was time to work on my resume and my essays, Donna did not cut ANY corners at all. She believes in "tough love" because she wants the best for her clients. During the entire essay drafting phase, we had numerous calls and she must have put countless hours in reviewing each draft that I was writing. And she was giving me detailed feedback about each draft. Only when she was satisfied, she would send the essays to the school reviewers of that specific school in their team at Stratus. And then they  would give more detailed feedback on how to improve the application further. Never ever did she look at the clock and tell me that she has spent way many hours on my application that she would have liked. There were so many times when I needed to get on call with her on very short notice and before I would ask her, she would set up a mutually convenient time. Sometimes within 15 mins of our email conversation. She even helped proof-read the entire application with me. She will never write the essays or the application for you. Trust me, she will teach you how to craft your story. After all my applications were submitted (6 of them), she took my mock interviews and provided me with live feedback and also a recording of the entire interview for me to watch later and make specific notes in areas of improvement. Then there were days when I used to feel low and not confident if I will make it into any of my dream programs. And she would drop me a note or sometimes get on video call to cheer me up and motivate me and ask me to stay positive. She does not believe in forecasting how many and what all admits one will get. She only believes in crafting the best application and putting the best foot forward. I can confidently say that she must have put 100+ hours on my 6 applications. While I am still waiting on one decision, I have been accepted at an M7 program! None of this would ever have been possible without the help from Donna, Susan, and the rest of the staff at Stratus. I cannot be more thankful to each one of them. At this point, I am confident in saying that I was truly blessed to have been referred to by GMATNinja and that the money that they charge is way less than what Donna (and the team) truly deserve. The fact that she helped me get into a dream school and has been there for me every time I needed it, is something that I cannot be thankful enough for. She is my guiding light. My angel. I am writing this review so that it could help motivate others to join her and get the best in their applications for themselves. She is the best in the business and I wish her all the luck and love and more than she expects. I wish I could give her 10 stars. :) read more

I had the chance to work with Meridith/Stratus on my application for business school. I chose the 3 class package however only applied to one school - Stern, mainly because I knew I was going to go to a part time program in NYC, but also wanted to get the experience of networking/camaraderie. For the essay writing process, Meridith/Stratus had a very detailed rubric that they ask the candidate to fill out which forced me to dig deep into my past and why business school was right for me now. Through the process, Meridith was available around my schedule to help me formulate some of those reasons. She was able to extract details that I forgot I had, which later proved to be a crucial part of my essay. Given that it was only 500 words, I needed to make sure that my framework was concise, yet detailed enough to give the adcom color around why I was a great candidate. Meridith was able to keep me on point and paint a picture of my background that gave Stern the most transparent clarity into "why me". This rubrik took around 3-4 weeks to complete as there were 5-6 iterations and sections. While it seemed onerous at the time, it gave me the chance to extract the necessary details that eventually made it into my essay. I couldnt recommend Meridith any more highly than I do. I don't think that I couldve written the essay in a manner that was fit for Stern that wouldve put my best foot forward. This is partially because of the amount of details that are important that I didnt realize were. For anyone looking to apply - working with Meridith will position you to standout from other applicants in ways you didn't know were possible. read more

I took an LSAT course in the Fall that was a complete waste of $1200.00 The tutor was impatient, did not stop to answer individual's questions and in general had a negative attitude toward the law. On the first day of class he made sure to tell us that even though he was a law student at NYU, he had no intention of becoming a lawyer. He sneered on one occasion when I told him that I was interested in critical race theory and in general had a terrible disposition that made me not want to be there. After the 3rd or 4th class, I was so disatisfied that I tried to cancel the course and received an email from Shawn the owner threatening to sue me if I did not pay the full tuition! read more

Admissions Consulting Service Experience After debating for some time on whether I should be taking support from admissions consultants for my B-school applications, I decided to take the plunge. Having a score of 710, and being an Indian male Engineer, I was in one of the most competitive pools of B-school applicants. I got admitted into 2 out of 4 schools I had applied to. These schools were chosen by me and not by Stratus. I chose Stratus after talking to a number of admissions consulting providers. The 'free of charge next round' feature, where Stratus works with you to submit application to the school of your choice for free in case you did not get admitted in Round One, was attractive to me; a feature that I did not find in any other admissions consulting service provider. My consultant was Santosh Prasad who has an excellent personality, friendly demeanor, and thorough understanding of the application requirements. Through the initial exercises, I developed a strong understanding of what detail to be included in the B-school applications. The meetings with Santosh was set up at times convenient to me. He even accommodated weekends, which was very helpful based on the busy schedule at work. We, as applicants, need to understand that the ad coms have a limited amount of time to go through each application. Having said that, there must be something in the application that makes it stand out within that limited time. Santosh helped me carve out those unique features in my application. He also guided me on what points to include in my essays, and how to structure them. I would also like to point out that the fees in Stratus are substantial, however, the other consulting firms that I checked with had similar fees as well. The point I am trying to make is that admissions consulting is an expensive service to avail. On the whole, Stratus was a good experience and Santosh is the consultant you should look for in case you choose to go with Stratus. read more

After reading glowing reviews here and on GMAT review, and seeing that Shawn seems to be well-established in this field being a Forbes contributor and all, I signed up for MBA school counseling with Stratus Prep, and currently working with them on some applications. I've got to say, thus far, I'm pretty disappointed. I find that I need to chase quite often for a response or feedback, and questions are sometimes reverted unanswered or incompletely answered. Not hearing back for 5 days is a pretty big deal when you are trying to prepare 3 applications in one month. The quality of the actual counseling seems pretty standard as well. I wouldn't say the quality is necessary bad, but just isn't worth the $6000 I spent on getting help with 3 school. I didn't feel comments or feedback was substantially superior to those I received from my boyfriend, for example. If you are diligent about editing your essays and getting feedback from those around you, you should be just as well prepared. I haven't applied to any schools yet, but I'm not convinced what they offer will really make that much of an impact on my chances. I'm still hoping things will get better, and there are some upcoming services that I just don't know about yet. I paid for this service to relieve some stress of applying for school, but I'm actually more stressed from all the chasing and feeling that I wasted a good month's salary. If things do turn out for the better, I will update my review. If you are looking for help with your MBA applications though, I would suggest you look elsewhere. read more

I am through the roof right now cause I just found out I got accepted to my dream school with merit scholarships!!! I did all of my prep with Stratus from their class and tutoring to work on my LSATs and added their admissions counseling program also. The class I took last year with Andrew was really small and he knew my name and weaknesses the first day. I am so thankful for him and how he always challenged me to improve. My tutor, Charlie, was also incredibly supportive. I'm not naturally a great test-taker, and I know he brought out the absolute best in me. :) I can't thank Hilary enough who helped me with the application process (essays, recommendations, short answers, interviews, financial aid, etc). She was so patient and helpful. We also had meetings with Shawn who was super insightful. He is their company's founder who, no joke, knows everything there is to know about law school admissions. My GPA was pretty low, so they helped me explain that to the schools. I showed my final essays to my mom and she cried because they were so powerful. To be fair, I put in a ton of work on everything. It isn't like they do everything for you, since that would obviously be wrong. I don't want to mislead anyone, cause I put in significant effort throughout the process. Writing all of the essays takes a ton of time and is exhausting, but I know I couldn't have gotten it all done (and certainly wouldn't have gotten the same results) without help from my team at Stratus. Can't wait to start law school this fall!!! read more

Using an admissions consultant is something I would def recommend. It's expensive, but in my case it made my application much better. However, I would not necessarily use Stratus again. Initially, I had an intro call and was given a tentative plan and an estimate on how much time it could roughly take. Unfortunately, both proved to be highly optimistic. I was paired with a consultant (he's not a bad person so I'll leave his name out) who was pretty disorganized, didn't really respond to questions I had, wouldn't tell me how much time I had left on the hourly package I had bought, etc. As the deadline for the second school came closer, I was asking him if we wouldn't need to start working on the application for that second school, and he just kept on saying that everything was fine. When we finally began working on that application, it felt very rushed and I did in fact only receive his final comments 8pm the same night (the deadline was at midnight), which wasn't tons of time to rewrite and restructure the essays and application. I was going to an admissions consultant for help with my application process, not to add additional stress to it, which is how it felt. Throughout the process, I voiced my concern with another staff member at Stratus, and he was really super helpful and understanding, finding solutions around it and essentially saving my application. In the end, the essays luckily came out much better than I could've done on my own. I didn't get accepted to the schools I applied to, but I learned a lot. I have a decent background and GMAT score, 4.0 undergrad GPA, come from an underrepresented country, but in Stratus' defense, I applied in Round 3, so that's always risky. Could things have been different with another consultant/company? Maybe, maybe not. read more

I was very happy with Stratus's services. I did a first 30min free session with my advisor and felt very confident about the process. We worked a lot on it, and the progress showed more and more every week. I got to get in my dream program at my dream school, and couldn't be happier about. I am grateful for Stratus and Larry Roshfeld for helping me get what I really wanted. I recommend both Stratus and Larry 110%! read more

My experience with Stratus Prep has been good. Most of my applications were not successful but that is a result I believe of the schools I chose. Shawn treated me with the utmost respect and offered to work with me on round two schools or a reapplication strategy and even offered test prep to ensure my success. If I had to do it again, I would definitely work with them. read more

I, overall, had a very positive experience with Stratus Prep. Because I am already hyper-organized and did well on my GMAT, I didn't buy a package, but rather purchases a few hours of MBA application consulting to help me define my "story" and understand what top 10 programs were really looking for in their ridiculously open-ended essay prompts. I applied to 4 schools in R1 and got 3 dings and a waitlist. Because I ultimately started with Stratus Prep 5 weeks prior to the first R1 deadline, I blame my dings on my rush to fit in as many apps as possible into R1, at the expense of my essays - they weren't entirely fleshed out, conceptually. So with more time spent on the essays in R2 (plus a few other application boosters: promotion, accounting class, interview prep) I ended up getting into to both of my R2 schools (with fellowships!) and will be going to Chicago Booth in the fall. I'd say the most value from Stratus Prep came from (1) the upfront time my consultant put in to talk through my personal and career history to help me identify what made me interesting and unique and (2) the school-specific interview prep for both of my R2 schools. Response time was sometimes an issue when it came to the tight R1 deadlines, so I'd really recommend getting started early. Good luck! read more

When I started on my MBA application journey two years ago, I was pretty far from being the ideal candidate. I did not graduate from an ivy league university, I didn't come from a traditional business school industry, and my story was nothing remarkable, or so I thought. Working with my Senior Strategist, Susan, first in the MBA Early Edge program and then in the MBA Admissions Counseling package (along with my MBA counselor, Jamie) infused me with a confidence I can't describe. With their guidance and support, I was able to start thinking next-level about my applications, my mission and my future. I will be starting at a top-20 school in the fall full-time program and I couldn't be more proud of the hard work it took to get here! read more

I thoroughly enjoyed working with Stratus Prep. I'll admit that I did not know that using an admissions counseling service was so popular when I first decided to pursue my MBA. After attending fairs and doing some online research, it became clear to me that I only had one shot at this and I should be sure I'm putting the strongest application forward. I currently work in media/advertising, and not many of my colleagues have their MBA or were considering pursuing one. It was clear to me that I needed the advice and expertise of a seasoned counselor to help me make my application shine. Beyond being professional, responsive, and pleasant to work with, the most valuable part about working with Stratus Prep was that they encouraged me to broaden my target school list, and made me think critically about what was most important to me in an MBA program. I was initially set on staying in my home state of California, and did not want to move. My counselor told me that I should seriously consider a program on the east coast, and recommended why I would be such a great fit given my strong interest in the culture and community of a school. She ended up being right in the end, and I am so glad I followed her advice as I will be attending a top ranked program next fall. read more

Deciding to work with Harold Simansky from Stratus Admissions was the single best decision I made throughout my MBA application process. From our first consultation, he made my anxiety and intimidation associated to the whole process disappear. He patiently heard about my background and experiences, and quickly identified the big themes that he could see playing in my favor. He gave me the hope and confidence (in addition to the tactical and editing support, of course), that got me into 7 highly competitive MBA programs, despite having relatively low standardized test scores. Thanks to his incredibly valuable help, I will be heading to Cornell this fall! From the first call with him, I felt I had a team --someone with deep industry knowledge and experience that would be rooting for me in every step of the process. And, as the months went by, his work surpassed my expectations in every possible way. Not only did he help me explore my background to craft my story, but he was able understand my motivations and goals, and help me connect all the points together with a level of clarity that I would have been able to achieve on my own. I booked Stratus Admissions' 5-school deal because, after I spoke with him, I could not imagine doing any of my "top choice" schools on my own. Harold and his team were so committed to my success, that they went above and beyond to help me with those schools as well as with reviewing my final essays for a few other schools. He always answered my emails in less than 24 hours and made me feel like every question was a valid one. Not only did he review versions of my outlines, drafts, and final essays, but he also gave me advice on how to handle school visits, he read over some of my "thank you" emails, and was there to support me in absolutely any aspect I needed. Additionally, Harold gave me valuable insights regarding common interview questions for all the schools where I interviewed, and made sure that I could conduct mock interviews with "school-specific" experts from his team. To be honest, I could keep going forever, but will just summarize it in three main points: (1) Harold was not just my admissions consultant, but he actually became sort of a best friend/therapist to help me deal with the stress of the process and push me forward. (2) He has an incredible amount of experience and knows all the top schools thoroughly, so he is able to give his clients the insights and actionable feedback that helps them craft their best story, and (3) he is so invested in your success, that he will be flexible in every way he can and will work with you to make sure you achieve the best outcome, not matter the circumstances. Anyone out there trying to work with an admissions consultant, DEFINITELY speak with Harold! read more

I recently used Stratus Admissions for round 1 applications to business school. I was paired with one of their top counselors, Cartha. Looking back (and having been accepted to my top choice), I can confidently say that her guidance was absolutely instrumental in my bid. From brainstorming essays to preparing for the interview and everything in between, I could always tell Cartha had taken the time to think critically about my story/application and she ultimately provided excellent advice every step of the way. She was always responsive and made herself available around a challenging work schedule. I would enthusiastically recommend Stratus (and Cartha if she is available!) to anyone who is seriously interested in maximizing their chances of getting into their dream school. read more

I am not an avid yelper but I needed to share my experience with StratusPrep somewhere in hopes that they may be able to help others with their service in the same manner that they helped me. Preface: Was a prospective MBA candidate living in Miami, Fl. In 2014, around June, when I was studying for what I hoped to be my final time taking the GMAT I began looking at posts about the application process for certain schools that I was interested and was overwhelmed - I knew that I was going to need some sort of professional help but did not know where to begin. I began looking around for help and actually had a couple of consultations with other companies but I did not feel satisfied. Many of these companies, while being honest, made me feel like I should wait a few more years in order to build more experience and score higher on the GMAT. This was very disheartening and because of this, I actually stopped studying and searching for help with applications. It wasn't until I began lurking on the beatthegmat.com and gmatclub.com website forums that I ran into an ad for a digital webinar for StratusPrep with the company's founder, Shawn O'Connor. At the webinar, I was surprised at how he actually answered all of my questions and did not limit what he would answer, like the other companies did when I attended their webinars. I took this as a good sign and followed up with a consultation with Shawn himself. While being honest, he gave me such confidence about my business school prospects that I did not get from any other company. At first, I thought perhaps he was just being extra nice because he wanted my money, but there was a sincerity to our conversation that I decided to take a chance and sign up with them and it was the best thing I could have ever done. After speaking to Shawn about my career goals (which were not very clear at the time - just knew I wanted to study media and entertainment mgmt) and schools that I was interested in, he helped me narrow down the schools that I would end up applying to. This was before I ever paid them a penny. After signing up, Shawn selected Samantha Merton to be my adviser because she specializes in Columbia Business School (my top choice) applications. She was AMAZING! There are no words to express the gratitude that I have for her help. She helped me build my "profile" from the ground up. Throughout the process, I actually learned a lot about myself and was able to refine my career goals. This only further helped me improve my confidence about my application. She was always open to scheduling phone calls and would respond to my emails within 24 hours (mostly a lot quicker). These advisors at StratusPrep are limited with the number of clients that they can help in order to provide a much better service to individuals so you know that they will be there for you. Also, you meet with Shawn a few times throughout the process to go over certain things/drafts - his insight is priceless. After a few months of prepping, I finally submitted my applications to the 3 schools (CBS, NYU, UCLA) that I chose and I really could not have been happier with how they came out. But that is not the end.. After being invited to interview with CBS, Samantha helped me prepare for it. I am not exaggerating when I say that I was so prepared and confident during the interview that it was as if I had done it many times before. Whether I got into any of the schools of my choice or not, I knew I had given it all thanks to Samantha and Shawn's help. A few weeks later I found out that I was accepted to my dream school, CBS, and could not be happier. I cannot recommend StratusPrep's MBA application service enough. read more

I enjoyed working with Stratus Prep for my MBA admissions process and would recommend them for anyone who, like me, needed an extra push to stick to a timeline and make sure you cover all aspects of the application process. I got the two school package. I started early in the year, before taking the GMAT and by the time I finally got the score I wanted/needed, they changed my counselor. I was not very happy but in the end it worked out very well since I got along with my new counselor much better than my previous one. She was a graduate of one of my top choice schools and was very supportive through the whole application process. She answered emails in a timely manner, was always ready to give me personalized feedback, pushed me to go the extra mile and stick to a timeline. The most helpful thing, which made it a worthwhile investment, is that they really helped me tell my story in the best light possible and in my opinion this is the most valuable thing an admission counselor can do, besides proofreading your essays. The only reason I'm not giving them 5 stars is because I thought the level of help they provided for the interview preparation did not match the first part of the application. I had a very hard time scheduling my mock interview and the feedback that was provided was high level. read more

After getting into my dream dual-degree program at a top school, with the help of Stratus, I decided I wanted to share my story. They did a fantastic job of pairing me up with Salma Qarnain, after my initial conversations with Shawn O'Connor, the head of Stratus. I cannot recommend Salma highly enough! She paid very close attention to the story that we were conveying, and was able to firmly guide me in the direction needed for each application. I was the type of applicant that had a lot of big ideas for each essay, and Salma provided the solid guidance that I sought. From other friends that used Stratus - and also got into their schools - Stratus can provide smaller packages and be more hands off if you desire. For me, however, the deep dive into my background with their robust Stratus templates provided a very personal consulting experience, and ultimately helped identify what Salma saw as the most compelling aspects of my story. The interview prep once I got into the schools was also VERY helpful. Extremely responsive, friendly but firm, and very high quality work. The full package - from picking the schools that fit, to the interview. Salma was amazing, and I would recommend her to anyone! read more

If you are serious about getting accepted into a top tier MBA program, than Stratus Prep is a smart investment for your future. I decided to apply to only 3 of the best MBA programs in the country (HBS, Wharton, and Kellogg), so I wanted to make sure that I got in. My experience working with Stratus Prep was quite good, and the results speak for themselves. I was accepted into HBS and Wharton even though I had major gaps in my application (i.e. a 3.0 undergrad GPA). Stratus (and my consultant, Salma) helped me craft my unique story to highlight my strengths and enhance the strongest parts of my application. Salma was very responsive throughout the entire process, and continuously pushed me to "dig deeper" into my personal values and motivations. For me, the most valuable aspect of the Stratus Prep package was the guidance on the application essay. Since I did the 1 school package, I only had Salma's guidance on my HBS essay, but I used a very similar version for Wharton (to which I was also accepted). For my Kellogg application, I had no help on the essays, and I was waitlisted. I am very excited to be heading to HBS soon to start this new chapter of my life! read more

I used Stratus and it was an incredible process. A good consultant isn't even going to come close to writing anything for you. A good consultant is going to force you to take the time and put in the effort to generate meaningful responses to every facet of presenting yourself to Business School. Vanessa and Shawn worked tirelessly to ensure I was putting my best foot forward. For me this process started 8 months before the first application was even due. We worked each week on brainstorming and refining my story: looking at each individual application holistically. For those who believe they should have no problem getting into their target school and thus assume a consultant would be of no value, they should consider that some scholarships are awarded based on application strength. I personally believe that Stratus Prep helped the application board see my value as a future alumni, which in turn helped in their award determination. Now as Booth Alum, I can't imagine how my life would be different if for some reason I hadn't gotten into Booth or hadn't been able to go. In retrospect, the small amount the services cost was well worth the result. (I wanted to point out that I was not local to Stratus Prep and have never met Shawn or Vanessa in person - this did not matter, they made themselves available around my schedule) read more

Ok bottom line first: Stratus Prep is hands down the best school consulting service out there. Factoring every purchase that I have made in my entire life to date Stratus was the best money I ever spent. I used their MBA service and was paired with Harold Simansky (highly highly recommended!) an extremely personable and experienced individual out of their Boston office. Harold helped me refine my list, distill my key characteristics and really showed me how to sell myself from the bottom up; he's also one of the best writers I have met. I applied to 9 schools total, got into 7 and received significant scholarship support from 6; I credit the Stratus process with that. If you are contemplating going to business or secondary school you want to make sure that you are getting the most bang for your buck; you want someone that is going to be in your corner from when you first look at schools to hitting the submit button on application. Stratus can help you target the school that is most within your grasp and show you how to best sell yourself. Without a doubt my life would be going in a completely different direction if it had not been for Harold and the Stratus process. I cannot recommend them highly enough. read more

I worked with Stratus for my applications to graduate schools. Santosh Prasad- my counsellor was very responsive and insightful. He was able to give me actionable feedback in under a day for all my schools. Santosh/ Stratus really helped in streamlining my application and I got into one of my top choices. read more

Stratus Prep is your best choice when it comes to prepping for the LSAT. I've compared my experience so far with my friends who have gone to other companies, and I feel SO lucky to have chosen Stratus as my LSAT prep company. This company's standards for scores is much higher than the other companies out there. They're not trying to merely get you into a law school, they're trying to get you into top law schools. The higher standard is reflected in the culture set by Shawn-- the smaller class sizes, the strategies that help you get ahead of the game, and all the individual attention you get. Their tutoring service is also fantastic. Although it initially seems pricey, it's so valuable to get personal attention, and to partner with someone who's incredibly knowledgeable about the test. read more

Stratus Prep helped me with my MBA school applications. I got into my top choice (INSEAD) despite not having the best possible GMAT score. I think that the part that helped me most was the introspection one. Stratus Prep helped me "find myself", and refine where I see myself going. This exercise not only helped me get into INSEAD, but also helped me shape my post-MBA career. It's always good to have a plan when you enter an MBA School (even though that plan may change multiple times while in school :)). I also liked how Stratus Prep helped with the essays. Having 3 different knowledgeable people look over the essay definitely helps! read more

I would highly recommend the profile development services offered. I'm a fairly organized person but I know that having some external accountability and guidance is valuable which is why this service appealed to me. The great thing about Stratus is that they have a comprehensive framework that they guide prospective applicants through so that you know there isn't anything you are forgetting in terms of making sure you're presenting a well rounded self to admissions committees. This is a worthy investment and a great way to make sure you get yourself ready to apply to grad school. Your advisor will check in with you occasionally and you'll get an updated document from them showing what you've done and what you're working on by the next time you connect. If nothing else, you will be much more confident in yourself going into your applications. read more