Fortuna Admissions Admissions Consulting Reviews

I reached out to Heidi Hillis for HBS, Stanford, and MIT applications, which I knew was a tall ask coming for an overrepresented candidate like me. My experience with Heidi over the last 6months was nothing short of excellent. Her expertise in understanding my profile and listing out strengths to highlight and weaknesses to address set the ball rolling. Particularly, her ability to take everything from my long journey and help me build an effective narrative was astounding. Her guidance helped me focus my energy on things that matter and cut through the clutter of information available online.

On top of all things, her deep insights into all the schools especially GSB and HBS, and their values proved to be very valuable in working through the long and challenging application where every single word makes a lot of difference. On a personal level, she was very flexible and always available to help me out when I was stuck at any point by getting on a call and over email.

Finally, on the decision date, got admits from HBS and GSB, and I cannot even begin to express my gratitude towards Heidi and Fortuna for helping this dream become a reality.

Thank you, Heidi and Karen, again for your guidance and partnership this past year!

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From the moment I had the initial consultation with Karen, I felt confident that with her, I would achieve my goals. Karen's guidance extended far beyond my MBA application. She understood my thoughts even before I voiced them and encompassed a holistic view of my career and life goals. Karen masterfully shaped my MBA application, transforming the journey into an extraordinary experience from day one. She devoted countless hours to helping me clarify my goals and motivations for pursuing an MBA, even before we tackled the application itself. Karen's deep understanding of the intricacies of MBA admissions significantly strengthened my application. She mentored me on how to reflect on my experiences and helped me connect the dots, planning my journey ahead. After receiving admission from three top schools, she was instrumental in helping me make my final decision. Even now, almost a year later, she continues to support me as I prepare for school.

I wholeheartedly recommend Karen to anyone navigating the MBA admissions process. Her dedication, expertise, and commitment to bringing out the best in me deepened my understanding of my journey and aspirations. Karen is truly amazing, I am grateful for the opportunity to work with her, and I am confident she will continue to be a vital part of my journey ahead.

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Highly recommend! I was admitted into INSEAD in R2 for the 25J batch. Melissa was very helpful speeding my process along since I had started my process a bit late for INSEAD. She made sure we both were on top of our task lists and that we were making up for lost time. She also ensured that both her and my admission officers understood who I am as a professional and as an individual. She provided constructive feedback when I was preparing for interviews. I'd suggest her to any student that is struggles to write about themselves like I do as she did a great job in expressing my thoughts into a vision.

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Coming from a non-traditional background of physical therapy, the majority of the MBA application process was foreign to me. It was like trying to learn another language. I knew I needed help from someone who was not only spoke the language of the business world, but had experience with admissions committees, what they would be looking for, and how to best sell myself to them. Sharon was the best interpreter I could have ever asked for. From our first consult call, I immediately connected with her calm and confident personality. She was kind, patient, and compassionate while also holding me accountable and pushing me to take advantage of every opportunity. She walked me through career research to figure out what my goals were. We narrowed down the list of schools I would apply to based on those goals, my preferences, and culture fit. She helped me package and brand my stories and background in a way that would translate best to the business world. I’ve never been someone who wrote multiple drafts of every essay, but Sharon helped me see the importance of using every word count available to better frame and craft my application. She pushed me to reach for schools and scholarships I wouldn’t have thought I could consider. The results? I got into 6 of the 7 schools I applied to with multiple scholarship offers, including a full ride to the school best matched for me and my goals. Sharon was just as excited I was for each acceptance and even helped me talk through my final decision making process. When I started on this path to pivot my career, I was worried it was a long shot that wouldn’t make sense to anyone else. Sharon not only validated my choice, but showed me step by step how feasible it was. She didn’t change anything about the me or the base facts of my application. She took my background and my stories, and she helped be re-package them in a way that highlighted what the admissions committees would respond best to while still being authentically me. I wouldn’t be where I am without Sharon, and I cannot recommend her highly enough.

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I started working with Karen about 5 months before applying. I was very nervous about the entire process since I had a sub-3.0 GPA and below average GMAT scores to all the schools I was applying to. Karen was quick to boost my confidence and tell me that I would get into a top program even when other consultants told me I would not get into a top program. She then helped me come up with a very compelling story, wrapping my family background, work experience, and goals in a way that showed a logical progression towards my MBA journey. I don’t think I could have come up with the same story if it wasn’t for Karen. After the story was in place, Karen helped me craft my essays for R1 decision. Even with a significant time zone difference, she always made time to meet, including during the weekend, to accommodate me. I decided to apply to the most selective schools on R1 but was not able to get any admissions. After R1 results, Karen kept reaching out to help me change my strategy for R2 even though the school package I bought was only for R1 applications. She shared my story with her colleagues and had a Fortuna Director help me with my essays and interview prep. I was ultimately admitted to Tuck in R2 and even got invited to interviewed at other M7 schools. I really enjoyed my time working with Karen and I would 100% recommend her. Try out a consultation with her, in my case after the initial 30-min chat I knew I wanted to work with her because she was very sharp and personable.

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I worked with Patty K. while applying to Wharton's EMBA program. Patty provided a wealth of knowledge and experience, helping me to craft my story into one that resonated with the adcom. I came into the process knowing exactly which program I wanted to target; for me, it was Wharton or bust and so it was the only school I applied to. Given that level of conviction, I felt going into the process that I didn't need any assistance in preparing my application. I was so wrong. Patty's advice was critical to my admittance and I couldn't have done it without her support. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her to anyone looking for help navigating the admission process.

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I highly recommend working with Heidi! I began working with her in the summer of 2023 while aiming for applications to five schools in Round 1, which was relatively late in the process. Despite the timing, Heidi proved her expertise and was pivotal in refining my narrative and offering extremely valuable insights. Prior to working with her, I lacked clarity on my career goals. However, Heidi guided me in defining my vision, a benefit not only for the MBA admissions journey but also for my future career.

Heidi's responsiveness is exceptional. Despite being in different time zones—I was in Europe for several months and then back in the U.S.—she consistently replied to my questions and returned drafts within a day, providing thorough reviews and feedback. She really ensures that you receive the dedicated attention you require!!

MIT Sloan has always been my dream school, and I am thrilled to be attending this fall. Heidi's guidance was crucial in achieving this milestone!

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Getting into GSB wouldn't have been possible without the amazing support and guidance of Rachel! She has been an absolute rockstar throughout this entire journey. From our very first conversation, I knew I was in good hands. She's been there for me every step of the way, offering invaluable advice, encouragement, and unwavering support. I am so grateful for her dedication and genuine interest to get my application and letters to the best shape possible. Rachel, you are an absolute superstar, and I cannot thank you enough for believing in me and helping me achieve my dreams. If you're considering applying to GSB, or any MBA program for that matter, do yourself a favor and reach out to Rachel—you won't regret it! Thank you, Rachel, from the bottom of my heart!

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Working with Rachel was wonderful! We worked together on a hourly-consulting basis. From the start, she was incredibly responsive and generous with her time, always willing to offer guidance whenever needed. Her feedback was consistently detailed and incisive, helping me fine-tune multiple aspects of my application. Rachel was particularly helpful as I prepared for interviews. She conducted an awesome mock interview that not only simulated the real experience but also boosted my confidence. She provided great feedback and tips to help me present myself in the best possible light.

An aspect of Rachel’s approach that stood out was her focus on helping me take ownership of my achievements - a part of the admissions process I struggled with. Her wisdom, edits, and encouragement improved my candidacy and helped me grow personally. Rachel has been a fantastic sounding board as I work through different visions for my career. Her probing questions and thoughts have challenged me to think deeply about my aspirations.

I fully recommend Rachel to anyone seeking external support as they navigate MBA admissions. Put simply, I believe her influence is a major reason why I got into my first choice school! Thank you again Rachel.

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I worked with Melissa over a period of about 8 months and she helped me gain admission to HBS, Wharton and INSEAD. I really do believe it may not have been possible without her expertise.

The most impressive thing about Melissa is the effort and time she puts into building a meaningful relationship with you. The school essays, by their very nature, are incredibly personal and so it very important to have someone that you trust and who can help tease the best ideas out of you.

She is very knowledgeable about the schools and what they are looking for. Her feedback is insightful and to the point and she is incredibly patient. She makes time to help, at short notice, and is obviously very invested in your successes.

I would absolutely recommend her to anyone!

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