179
Finance
General Mgmt
Sponsored
MIT-Sloan
SFMBA
For one year after first meeting Mr. Round in March 2019, we worked closely together—side by side—on my business school applications. The fact that I ultimately received an offer of admission from MIT, despite starting from a very challenging position with no overseas experience and an initial TOEFL score of 55, is entirely thanks to the exceptionally thorough and kind support provided by Round One.
There are countless strengths of Round One that could be mentioned, but below I would like to focus on the services that particularly impressed me.
Based on the extensive knowledge accumulated at Round One, I received precise advice on target test scores, the timing of campus visits and applications, and the construction of my application portfolio. In addition, Mr. Round reviewed and refined emails to admissions offices, thank-you messages sent after interviews, and every single item on application forms.
Recently, some schools even request applicants to include a LinkedIn profile link in place of a résumé, and I was genuinely impressed when Mr. Round reviewed that as well. I do not believe there are many counselors who provide support at this level of detail.
By conducting a thorough “inventory” of my past experiences—including my career and student life—with Mr. Round, I was able to gain a much deeper understanding of myself, which made the subsequent essay-writing process significantly easier.
Next, after completing my résumé, I worked consistently with Mr. Round to refine my short- and long-term career goals—my “future story.” As a result, the key strengths of my career background and the individual “points” raised by essay questions such as “Why an MBA?” and “Why this school?” became connected into a cohesive “line,” allowing me to write essays with real depth and substance.
Rather than simply conducting mock interviews, Mr. Round carefully recorded my responses and provided detailed feedback papers that included suggested improvements, alternative expressions, and even model answers. He also advised me on questions I was likely to be asked in interviews based on recent current events related to my company, making the support just as meticulous as the essay counseling.
In addition to all of the above, whenever I struggled with TOEFL or GMAT preparation and felt discouraged by a lack of progress, Mr. Round consistently encouraged me with warmth and positivity. Even now, when I look back, I know that this admission was something I achieved while being supported by Mr. Round’s genuinely kind personality.
