70
Finance
General Mgmt
Sponsored
Wash-Runstad
MSRE
As a company-sponsored applicant, I decided to pursue graduate programs in real estate in Europe and the United States. However, unlike MBA or law school programs, there is extremely limited information available, and I had no clear sense of the path to admission. In this situation, I turned—almost as a last resort—to Round One, which had proven consulting experience specifically with real estate master’s programs. Now that I have been admitted to the University of Washington’s Master of Science in Real Estate program, I am convinced that this decision was absolutely the right one.
U.S. graduate programs in real estate typically admit only 20–30 students per school, making them extremely selective.
Under these circumstances, for international applicants (from a U.S. admissions perspective) to gain admission, it is essential not only to achieve appropriate test scores but also to perform at a very high level in essays and interviews. Round One provided appropriate and effective support at every stage of the admissions process.
Unlike MBA programs, real estate graduate programs do not have clear rankings. Even so, Round One provided sufficient and well-structured information and supported me in selecting schools that were a good fit for my background and profile. In addition, because each real estate program admits only a small number of students, thorough preparation is essential. From the preparation stage onward, Round One presented appropriate strategies that took into account my test scores and the relative competitiveness of each university.
In essays, applicants must express their experience and future goals in a concrete and logical manner while also clearly conveying their originality to the admissions committee. To avoid producing a generic essay, it is essential to clearly identify one’s competitive advantages. In this respect, Round One first focused on deeply understanding my background and then identified strengths and appeal points that I myself had not recognized. In addition, during the editing process, they advised on revisions toward expressions that would be well regarded even in academic contexts, helping elevate the essays to a more refined and sophisticated level.
Because the mock interviews were conducted over Skype in a highly realistic and immersive manner, I was able to approach the actual interviews in a relaxed state of mind. Moreover, the post-interview analysis was extremely accurate. Areas that lacked clarity were corrected, while advice was also provided on how to further develop my strengths, allowing me to feel tangible improvement in a short period of time.
Finally, beyond technical considerations, compatibility with one’s counselor is also a very important factor. Mr. Round and Ms. Round were consistently positive and supportive in their guidance, and thanks to their many years of experience and deep understanding of Japanese applicants’ characteristics, communication was smooth from the outset.
I sincerely hope that by working with Round One, many applicants will be able to move even closer to achieving success in their admissions journey.
