11
Healthcare
Medical
Self-funded
Michigan-Ross
MBA
Counselor: Emma Round
Background: Domestic-only experience; Work experience: 5 years; Industry: Healthcare; GMAT: 690, TOEFL: 277
Admitted: University of Michigan, among others
After completing a long period of business school preparation, I was fortunate to receive offers of admission from several schools. There are many important elements in the application process, but among them, I believe application strategy and essays are the most critical.
I felt that the advantages of Round One were as follows:
The advantages of email-based communication, in my view, lie in efficient use of time and the fact that nothing is missed or forgotten. On the other hand, the drawbacks can include difficulty in communication at times, reduced efficiency of discussion due to time differences, and occasional challenges in conveying exactly what one intends to say. Because of my profession, I had to remain on-site at my workplace virtually year-round. For that reason, being able to receive consulting services on an email basis was a major advantage in terms of time efficiency. Since it also eliminated commuting time, I felt very little anxiety or disadvantage associated with receiving counseling remotely.
For someone like me, who had no applicants around me and truly did not know where to begin, Mr. Round’s advice was absolutely critical. Constructing an appropriate portfolio of target schools is extremely important. Researching business schools that fit one’s background from scratch is a daunting task, but by systematically researching the schools that were recommended to me, I was able to save a tremendous amount of time. Mr. Round also suggested unexpected angles and themes for my essays, and by focusing on those, I was able to reuse and refine ideas efficiently across multiple applications. Being able to produce high-quality essays efficiently was entirely thanks to his guidance.
I worked with Emma Round, who at the time had relatively less experience as an essay counselor. While I cannot directly compare her work with others, I never once felt disadvantaged in my essay preparation. On the contrary, based on conversations with people who used other services, I believe Emma’s essay-writing and editing skills are truly exceptional. Her attention to wording, whether the essay actually answered the questions, and the overall logical structure of the writing were all extremely satisfying.
December is the busiest period for applicants, and the same is true for counselors. How well essays can be finalized during this period depends heavily on the counselors’ available capacity. Because Round One had multiple counselors, each managing a reasonable number of clients, I was able to complete polished essays even during the peak December period without any drop in quality. In addition, during interview training, I had a tendency to speak based on what I had written in my essays. By working with a counselor different from my essay counselor for interviews, I received fresh perspectives that helped prevent gaps or leaps in logic.
Essay writing is exhausting to the point of frustration. At times, it makes you feel weak, complain, or even lash out—very human reactions. In such moments, a counselor who provides emotional support is invaluable. Both Mr. Round and Emma shared my concerns with sincerity and took the time to listen and advise me, which allowed me to push through to the very end.
I would also add that the fact that Round One clearly informs clients in advance about which counselor they will be working with is itself a reflection of the firm’s sincerity.
This has become quite lengthy, but I hope it will be of some help to those considering their options.
