When I began the process of applying, I was very confident in my ability to succeed at business school but hesitant—especially as a nontraditional applicant with a history of leaving medical school—about whether I would be able to showcase those skills effectively. Susan not only guided me through the process of applying but opened up my ability to trust myself, showcase my abilities and accomplishments, and learn how to collaborate with others to the best of my strengths.
Susan is also incredible as a consultant. She doesn’t pull punches—when my one of my essays was poorly written, she told me so and had me rework it 7 separate times, including a full rewrite at one point. However, she is always kind, respectful, and considerate of the writer’s vision and authentic voice, and she doesn’t shy away from work if it means improving the work (per her contract, I was only guaranteed 4 total drafts, but she continued working with me until it was perfect, almost double the promised work). She also took the time to talk me through my struggles, hopping on extra calls with me and helping me process what was failing about the essay so I could rewrite it to be so much stronger. At first I was resigned to the essay simply not representing me well; by the time we submitted, I was genuinely proud of the application I wrote.
Finally, Susan’s commitment to diversity shows in her every interaction. As a neurodiverse person, I requested accommodations to help me through the process. Susan did not miss a beat, adjusting her work processes to my needs. This is something that no other consultant I considered was able or willing to do, and something that has changed the last year from being stressful and anxiety-inducing to safe and easy. No matter how hard the application cycle got, I felt confident in Susan’s abilities and would highly, highly recommend her to anyone looking for a coach through the MBA application process.
S.J. Daytime MBA Candidate at Duke Fuqua
Review first appeared on P&Q
Acceptance: 5 offers & a cumulative +$500,000 in scholarship