Strategic Guidance

At the outset, I was interviewed by Mr. Round, after which we held a kickoff meeting to build a holistic application strategy together. Being able to clearly define my goals at this stage proved to be a tremendous positive throughout the entire application process. I had initially been considering Asian schools and programs with slightly lower admission difficulty, but while incorporating these into my portfolio, I ultimately set my sights higher, including dream schools. Setting more ambitious goals led me to change my mindset, reassess my tasks, and re-commit to studying for the GMAT and TOEFL. This became a major turning point in how I approached the application process. Without this guidance, I believe I would likely have settled for schools that were attainable with only moderate effort. As a coach and mentor, Mr. Round had a profoundly positive impact on my application journey. Whenever I encountered uncertainties during the MBA application process, I made it a point to consult with Mr. Round before making decisions. MBA applications are like a game of chess—each move must be made with an understanding of its implications—and having access to someone who truly understood this was extremely valuable. Even though I asked many detailed questions, I always received responses within 24 hours, which was immensely reassuring.

Time Management and Time Differences

Once I began working with Round One, the burden of time management and schedule coordination was significantly reduced. I needed to juggle essays, application forms, and interviews while continuing to retake the GMAT, and having this load lightened allowed me to focus more effectively on GMAT preparation. Initially, I scheduled appointments about once a week, which made it easier to establish a steady rhythm for the application process. Because there is a time difference between Manila and Canada, I was able to schedule early-morning appointments, making very efficient use of my time. Even interview training sessions could be scheduled before work, allowing me to train on weekdays and then head straight to the office. This was particularly invaluable toward the end of the process, when time was extremely limited. Even in situations where I felt that I absolutely needed feedback on a specific day, the promised feedback was always delivered, enabling the process to move forward smoothly.

Essay and Application Preparation

I worked with Ms. Round on my essays and application forms. My essays were built around core experiences such as directly negotiating with my company’s president to secure an overseas assignment, the challenges of launching a business in Manila, and my involvement in local literacy improvement initiatives. At first, however, I struggled to find the right expressions and structure, and rewrote my essays many times. When I finally read the completed version, especially the story about negotiating my overseas assignment, I was overwhelmed with emotion and found myself recalling those moments with tears in my eyes. The version I initially wrote simply could not convey the same depth and nuance, but through Ms. Round’s advice, I was finally able to express what I had truly wanted to say. This, I believe, was possible because Ms. Round genuinely understood my experiences. Reaching a point where I could honestly feel, “If this doesn’t work, then there’s nothing more I can do,” was immensely important to me. Because I was the only Japanese employee at work and also preparing for applications entirely on my own, having someone who deeply understood my struggles and supported me throughout the process became a tremendous source of strength.

Interview Training

My interview training was conducted by Ms. Round, all via early-morning Skype sessions. Since I usually conduct interviews in my professional role and felt reasonably confident using English at work, I initially underestimated the difficulty of admissions interviews. However, after my first trial interview, I was shocked by how poorly I performed. From that point on, I developed structured answers, practiced shadowing daily, and continued to refine my performance through regular interview training sessions leading up to each school’s interview. After every session, I received detailed feedback and concrete suggestions on how I should have answered, and with each session I could clearly feel my improvement. Once I internalized the structure of strong responses, I became able to speak more calmly and consistently, regardless of the question. On the day before each school’s interview, I received school-specific training, during which Ms. Round asked questions that were highly likely to come up. In fact, many of the questions she flagged as highly probable were asked in the actual interviews. Because interview performance can often improve significantly in a relatively short period of time, I highly recommend interview training.