42
Other
Ops/Logistics
Self-funded
Maryland-Smith
MBA
Looking back, I truly believe that I would never have been able to secure admission through the MBA application process without Round One’s support. My background was quite different from that of a typical Japanese MBA applicant. I was sponsored by a regional family business, and I applied directly while still enrolled in graduate school, with no full-time work experience at all. I happened to be introduced to Round One while attending a TOEFL prep school and decided to request essay counseling, and meeting Mr. Round was truly a stroke of good fortune. In my first year, I ultimately did not receive an offer of admission, and I continued counseling into my second year, resulting in a relationship that lasted a year and a half. I am deeply grateful to Mr. Round and Round One. Below, I would like to share what I see as the key strengths and appeal of Round One.
First and foremost is Mr. Round’s character. He is truly a “good guy” in every sense of the word. You often hear stories about counselors who harshly berate their clients during sessions, but Mr. Round is never like that. He is always calm and warm, offering advice and encouragement. Even when ideas did not come easily during counseling sessions, or when I struggled to express myself in English and needed more time, he would patiently say, “Take your time,” and wait. This may depend on personal preference, but for me, meeting with him each week became something I genuinely looked forward to. His counseling helped me maintain—and even increase—my motivation throughout the process.
Next, counseling is conducted primarily via Skype. This turned out to be extremely important for me. Essay counseling is conducted in English. Mr. Round’s pronunciation is very clear, and he speaks carefully, making him easy to understand. However, for someone like me with a purely domestic background, I believe misunderstandings could still arise if communication relied solely on spoken conversation. During my first application year, the core essay counseling was conducted mainly through Skype chat. As a result, there was virtually no room for misunderstanding or ambiguity. Moreover, because our discussions were preserved directly as written chat logs, I could refer back to them when writing or revising my essays afterward. In my second year, as I became more comfortable, counseling was conducted more through spoken conversation. Even then, Mr. Round would later summarize the key points in follow-up emails, which was extremely helpful.
Another major advantage of using Skype is that geography is completely irrelevant. I lived in Tokyo at the beginning of my first year, then in Aichi Prefecture later that year, and in Shikoku during my second year. Had I relied on face-to-face counseling, it would have been impossible to continue. In addition, during peak application periods such as December—when counseling sessions became more frequent—being able to receive counseling at home saved a tremendous amount of time compared with traveling to an office.
Next is school selection and the overall flow of the MBA application process. As mentioned earlier, I applied directly from graduate school and was sponsored by a family business in the agricultural sector, which meant that information related to MBA study abroad was extremely difficult to come by. Furthermore, the type of MBA program environment I was seeking differed significantly from that of a typical Japanese applicant. Mr. Round’s depth of knowledge and experience was evident. Through Strategic Guidance sessions, he provided extensive advice on which universities would be suitable for someone intending to take over a family business in the agricultural sector. The University of Maryland, which I ultimately chose to attend, was one of the schools he suggested. After helping me determine which schools to apply to and in which rounds, he ensured that I met every application deadline by assigning weekly homework after each counseling session—essay drafts, revisions, and idea generation. By clearly presenting the immediate tasks at hand, he made it much easier to focus on each step of the process.
And perhaps most importantly, the content of the essay counseling itself. Mr. Round is truly a seasoned professional. What initially felt like a vague career plan gradually evolved into something clear and refined through repeated counseling sessions with him. As I organized my thoughts while answering his questions and receiving his advice, I came to realize what my own vision for the future truly was. This allowed me to complete a career plan essay that I myself found deeply satisfying. Because I applied without full-time work experience (and only about six months by the time of my reapplication), there were times when I struggled to write compelling essays about my experiences compared with applicants who had extensive professional backgrounds. In those moments, Mr. Round was exceptionally skilled at drawing stories out of me. More than once, as I answered his questions, I uncovered experiences that felt like “this is it.” After drafting those stories and receiving his revisions, I was amazed at how compelling the final essays became—clearly and attractively conveying my experiences. In addition to essays, Mr. Round also reviewed the entire application process, including the application forms required by each university. As someone applying to overseas universities and graduate schools for the first time, this comprehensive support allowed me to complete the process without difficulty.
Finally, interview training. Because much of my interaction with admissions offices was conducted via phone interviews, the 30-minute mock interviews conducted via Skype felt exactly like the real thing. Immediately after each mock interview, I received a detailed written review with itemized advice, which was extremely helpful for subsequent practice. Right up until the actual interviews, I repeatedly reviewed the mock interview feedback I had received from Mr. Round and Ms. Round. I also received extensive advice on what questions I should ask interviewers at each school, enabling me to confidently ask what could truly be considered “killer questions” during the actual interviews.
That said, I do not mean to suggest that Round One has no room for improvement. For example, as someone with a purely domestic background, I struggled greatly with improving my GMAT and TOEFL scores—particularly the TOEFL. While I was encouraged to raise my scores, I did not receive much in the way of concrete, practical guidance on how to do so. Moreover, as my first year demonstrated, Round One does not guarantee admission. Even so, looking back, Mr. Round’s support was absolutely indispensable for me. While I have not used other major prep schools and cannot make direct comparisons, I firmly believe that Round One is among the very best MBA application counseling services available in Japan. Those considering MBA applications in the future will surely feel fortunate to have found Round One after working with them.
I apologize for the rough and somewhat unpolished nature of this account, but this concludes my experience story. I sincerely wish success to everyone who chooses Round One as their partner going forward. Best of luck!
