31
Finance
Banking-Inv.
Sponsored
IESE
MBA
The single greatest factor behind the success of my MBA challenge was my decision to choose Round One.
I began my MBA application process in earnest in February as a company-sponsored applicant. I then started preparing for the TOEFL (iBT) and GMAT, but my scores never improved as I had hoped—my GMAT remained in the low 600s until the end. Ultimately, despite these low scores, I was able to gain admission to one of my target schools ranked within the Top 30. I believe this was possible because I received comprehensive, strategic, and genuinely human-centered support from Round One.
Comprehensive and strategic advice
At Round One, Mr. Round serves as the strategic counselor, providing concrete and strategic guidance on the entire MBA application process based on his extensive past experience and up-to-date knowledge of MBA admissions trends. From test timing, time management, recommender selection, narrowing down target schools, application procedures, to post-submission follow-up, he offers the right information and advice at the right time to help applicants gain admission to their target schools. With so many tasks to juggle—tests, school research, essays, and interviews—Mr. Round’s advice proved invaluable and resulted in significant savings of both time and effort.
Meticulous, client-specific support grounded in deep understanding
This was, of course, my first MBA application, and I had never written essays in English before. My career had been centered in Japan, and initially I had no idea whether my background would appeal to admissions committees. At the same time, as a company-sponsored applicant, failure was not an option. Through our initial meeting and subsequent email exchanges, Mr. Round quickly developed a deep understanding of my situation. It was also reassuring that, because a senior colleague from my company had been a Round One client the previous year, Mr. Round was already familiar with my company and industry. This finely tuned, situation-aware advice proved extremely powerful in both essay and interview counseling.
The character of Mr. Round and Ms. Round
The relationship between counselor and applicant is truly one of running side by side—maintaining top speed throughout the long marathon of MBA applications, all while anxiety constantly looms. When my scores would not improve, when I struggled to write essays, when I was forced to reconsider my target schools, or when I felt anxious about interviews, Mr. Round always encouraged me strongly and reignited my motivation. I believe that “never giving up until the end” is the most important element in MBA applications, and I cannot count the number of times I was lifted up and sustained by Mr. Round’s words.
Essay writing was, for me, both the most painful and the most rewarding part of the MBA application process. I met with Mr. Round weekly at a fixed time for essay counseling. After aligning on the essay outline, I would draft the essay. During this outline alignment stage, taking into account my personal characteristics, target schools, and recommendation letters, we determined the appropriate essay topics and storylines while maintaining overall balance. Thanks to Mr. Round’s precise advice at this stage, I was able to minimize wasted effort when drafting essays—an unfamiliar task for me—and produce essays that were meaningfully differentiated. Although I often worked through the night just before deadlines, consistently meeting those deadlines ensured that counseling time was never wasted and helped establish a strong working rhythm.
Essay writing is a process of carefully reflecting on and organizing one’s past and future. Being able to work on essays with a counselor who truly understood me and whom I trusted turned this grueling task into something that was occasionally even enjoyable—and something that continues to benefit me even after the MBA application process. I believe this perspective was possible only because I was fortunate enough to meet Mr. Round.
For interview training, I worked with both Mr. Round and Ms. Round. Round One’s interview training consists of mock interviews conducted via Skype, followed by detailed feedback provided by email. At first, I worried that not meeting face-to-face would be a disadvantage, but through online video seminars, highly realistic mock interviews, and extremely detailed feedback spanning four to five A4 pages, I was able to prepare thoroughly for interviews. Because Mr. Round had already identified my strengths through the essay process, he was able to help me adapt my essay content into compelling interview narratives and expressions. I also benefited from receiving interview training from Ms. Round, gaining valuable insights from a different perspective.
I was taught that when interviewers ask, “Any questions?”, it is crucial to use that moment to make an effective impression. At Round One, this is addressed through dedicated “killer question” training. I used this service to prepare fully customized killer questions for each school, and I was able to leverage them to maximum effect during my actual interviews.
Challenging oneself to pursue an MBA is a comprehensive battle that tests intellect, stamina, and mental resilience. If you trust Mr. Round and Ms. Round and continue to give your best without giving up, I truly believe the path will open. Show your spirit!
