138
Energy
General Mgmt
Sponsored
Irvine-Merage
MBA
I was able to overcome the long and demanding MBA application journey thanks to the support of Mr. Round and Ms. Round.
After passing my company’s internal selection process for company-sponsored MBA study, I began preparing for MBA applications around February. Having heard strong recommendations for Round One Admissions Consulting from colleagues with MBA experience within my firm, I immediately contacted Mr. Round and requested his support. Looking back on the MBA application process, I strongly feel that I was able to persevere thanks not only to professional support such as essay and interview preparation, but also to the detailed care provided by Mr. Round and Ms. Round at every stage—offering optimal guidance on how to proceed, reviewing emails, and even helping with campus visit scheduling.
My counselor was Mr. Round. When I first began preparing, I had no idea where to start, and for someone like me, Mr. Round’s advice—grounded in many years of experience and deep familiarity with the MBA application process—served as a true guidepost. I believe that I was able to focus on what needed to be done without anxiety, even while navigating an uncertain process, thanks to Mr. Round’s precise advice and encouraging words.
By establishing a detailed overall schedule at our initial meeting, it became clear what needed to be done at each stage. Mr. Round also regularly shared information gathered through his network (such as school event schedules and changes in application procedures), which was extremely helpful in covering areas that would have been difficult for me to manage on my own. Moreover, because he carefully filtered and shared only the most important information, I was able to focus efficiently on test preparation and essay drafting.
With regard to campus visits, he advised me strategically on which schools to visit and when, and also provided tailored guidance on interview scheduling—for example, “You should interview with this school during this period, and with that school next week”—based on my individual situation.
Mr. Round handled my essay counseling. Because I had no prior experience writing essays in English, I was very anxious about whether I could produce high-quality essays. However, through weekly Skype counseling sessions with Mr. Round, I was able to effectively refine and improve my content. Since I applied to 10 schools, I needed to prepare a large number of essays and application materials, but because Mr. Round is deeply committed to each individual applicant, he advised me on what content should be included for each essay prompt. This allowed me to work efficiently on essay writing while still allocating sufficient time to test preparation and interview practice. As a result, I was able to complete competitive essays and, despite relatively low test scores, received interview invitations from many schools.
As with essays, I had never experienced an interview conducted in English, so I was extremely anxious about whether I could get through them successfully. For interview training, I worked with both Mr. Round and Ms. Round. They taught me not only what to say during interviews, but also fundamental elements such as opening and closing greetings, how to break the ice, appropriate attire, and the timing for presenting business cards and résumés, which was extremely valuable. Once the foundational training was complete, they also provided school-specific interview preparation, which was immensely helpful. By informing them in advance of which schools I wanted to focus on, they researched interview question trends for each school and advised me on how to respond. In fact, at one school I was asked an unusual question during the interview, but because Round One had already advised me on it, I was able to respond calmly.
In every interview, applicants are given an opportunity to ask questions at the end, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that the quality of these questions has a major impact on the admission decision. One of Round One’s key strengths is that they provide guidance to tailor these questions for each school and applicant so that they leave a strong impression on interviewers. Thanks to Round One’s interview preparation, I was able to approach interviews with confidence and ultimately received offers of admission from all five schools where I interviewed.
Start studying for TOEFL and GMAT as early as possible
MBA admission outcomes are heavily influenced by TOEFL and GMAT scores. While essays and interviews can be prepared to a highly competitive level by trusting Round One’s guidance, low test scores may prevent schools from even extending interview invitations, meaning you may never have the opportunity to demonstrate what you have prepared. In other words, if you can achieve strong TOEFL and GMAT scores, then by following Round One’s advice, admission to top schools is well within reach. I personally struggled with my GMAT score, and as a result, there were some target schools that did not even invite me to interview. For those considering applying in the future, I strongly recommend starting TOEFL and GMAT preparation as early as possible. According to Mr. Round, it is ideal to begin studying for TOEFL and GMAT as early as two years before MBA applications (even before obtaining internal company approval).
