63
Energy
Engineering/R&D
Sponsored
CMU-Tepper
MBA
For the past 14 months, from April of last year to the present, I have been supported by Mr. Round.
As someone with a purely domestic background who did not understand what pursuing an MBA abroad would truly entail, I do not believe I could have come this far without his advice.
There are countless strengths I could highlight, but here I would like to introduce three aspects of Round One that left a particularly strong impression on me.
By relying on his experience when creating my portfolio of target schools and determining how to approach essay questions, I was able to save a significant amount of time.
With my test scores failing to improve, searching among countless MBA programs for ones that truly fit me was both mentally and practically exhausting. In that situation, having him suggest programs based on my goals and the image I had in mind allowed me to dramatically shorten that process.
His advice on what to address in essays goes without saying. In addition, his strategic guidance on application timing (Round 1 / Round 2 / Round 3) and interview formats (on-campus, Skype, etc.) was also extremely accurate.
This may be true of many counselors, but he appears to have alumni contacts he can reach out to directly for virtually every MBA program.
When it comes time to write essays, it is natural to want to speak with current students or alumni, and whenever that need arose, he was always willing to introduce me to alumni or current students.
What impressed me most was that, despite being extremely busy, everyone he introduced me to responded with remarkable care and generosity. Thanks to this network—through which I was able to hear candid opinions, including both the strengths and even the drawbacks (!) of Round One—I was able to gain honest perspectives and ultimately find a program I was truly satisfied with. (Of course, I would be happy to provide information in return if I can be of help, so please feel free to reach out.)
Perhaps it is to be expected since he is a native speaker, but having the opportunity to learn from someone whose writing has appeared in newspaper columns was incredibly valuable.
Through the repeated cycle of writing what I wanted to convey in my essays, reading his feedback and revisions, and then rewriting again with his advice, I believe my expressive ability improved significantly. Even recently, after the admissions process ended, he has continued to advise me on how to write professional emails, and I am still learning a great deal from him. (And the fact that this advice is free is an enormous bonus—laughs.)
These are the three key advantages of Round One that I wanted to share. I hope they will be helpful as a reference.
Whether you already have strong test scores or, like me, do not, I am confident that Round One will provide every possible form of support to help each individual achieve the best possible result. If you are still undecided, I strongly recommend that you reach out and make contact at least once.
I sincerely hope that your MBA journey will become a major step toward realizing your dreams.
P.S. Mr. Round—thank you so much!
