1
Technology
Consulting
Self-funded
MIT-Sloan
MBA
Before I began the MBA application process, I had a vague sense that it would be extremely difficult—given the time and financial costs involved, as well as the intense competition at my target schools. However, as I ran this journey side by side with Ms. Round, I came to realize that the true difficulty lies somewhere much more fundamental. This may be a personal view, but I believe that difficulty resides in one’s ego and will—perhaps better described as self-awareness and the determination to change the world through business. Business schools are, after all, places for developing international business leaders. In the business world, resources—time and money included—are limited. In that sense, truly knowing oneself is critically important. Moreover, business schools attract people from around the world who genuinely believe in changing the world through business. Given the nature of such institutions, ego and will are essential qualities.
This was particularly true for me. In reality, I did not know myself very well. As a result, expressing my passion and will was an extremely difficult task. While technique is certainly important in MBA applications, I believe the essence ultimately comes down to just two things: how deeply the applicant understands themselves, and whether they possess the will to become a global leader. I was truly lucky to be able to run the admissions process side by side with Ms. Round. That is because she is not only a careful and highly skilled professional admissions consultant, but also a remarkable individual who is able to step into these deeper, more fundamental challenges and provide clear direction. Thanks to Ms. Round, I was able to gain admission to my long-held dream school, MIT Sloan.
John F. Kennedy once said, “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” Round One is the best MBA admissions consulting firm. That said, they do not simply hand everything to you. You must have the resolve to pursue your own self-discovery and the will to realize dreams powerful enough to move others—and that intensity must be conveyed to Round One as well. The fact that I can reflect on these ideas today is because Ms. Round faced me with total commitment throughout the process, for which I am always grateful.
Information about the specific services provided by Round One can be found on their website. In this testimonial, I would instead like to share my perspective on Ms. Round as a Professional Counselor, a Disciplined Mentor, an International Businessperson, and a Good Friend.
Ms. Round is a Professional Counselor. She helped me realize countless things about myself that I had never recognized before, and in that sense, she helped me grow. This may be particularly true for me personally, but I had a weak sense of how to manage limited resources such as time, and I also lacked the ability to properly prioritize. I rarely took the time to look at myself objectively. In my case, after spending a year and a half as a consultant in Japan, I felt the need to work as a consultant in the United States. I was locally hired and have now been working as a consultant in the U.S. for nearly three years. Through counseling with Ms. Round, I was able to understand far more deeply what kind of internal drive lay behind those decisions. Watching that drive gradually form into a coherent story was honestly a deeply moving experience. By looking inward so thoroughly, I was able to clarify my future career direction—how I want to engage with and contribute to people around the world, and what concrete approaches I should take. All of this was possible because Ms. Round patiently, and at times firmly, confronted me throughout the process.
Ms. Round is also an exceptionally Disciplined Mentor. She does not tolerate complacency or compromise, and she demands sincerity and seriousness from her clients. I began writing essays relatively early, around June. At that stage, however, I had only a shallow sense of what it meant to fully express myself in an essay, and the ideas and drafts I submitted were of low quality. As expected, the half-baked essay ideas I submitted were not accepted by Ms. Round, and the low-quality drafts themselves were left untouched. Paradoxically, through this experience, I came to truly understand the high quality standards of Round One. Seeing Ms. Round demand sincerity and rigor from her clients in order to meet those standards convinced me that working with her was unquestionably the right choice. I am also weak at time management, and she consistently provided practical advice in that area as well, offering comprehensive guidance at all times.
Ms. Round is an International Businessperson. I believe this is an essential quality for an MBA admissions consultant. After earning her MBA at INSEAD, Ms. Round gained management experience at both established companies and startups on the U.S. West Coast. She possesses a wealth of intelligence on global and Japanese political, economic, and technological trends. I work as a consultant in healthcare and technology, and whenever I felt stuck while writing essays, the ideas she suggested were incredibly valuable. Her constant awareness of global and Japanese trends—and her ability to provide information tailored specifically to me—not only helped me immensely, but also gave me strong motivation. Despite working with clients from many different backgrounds, she would sometimes demonstrate deeper knowledge than I had in my own area of specialization. Needless to say, this greatly fueled my motivation as a business professional.
Ms. Round is also a Good Friend. I relied on her for strategic guidance, essay counseling, and interview training (for interviews, Round One policy required sessions with both Mr. Round and Ms. Round). I always looked forward to receiving my essays back, revised along with her comments, and interview training sessions were genuinely enjoyable. After submitting applications and while waiting for decisions, we stayed in frequent email contact. Her precise advice—delivered with just the right amount of humor and encouragement—was an enormous emotional support.
I am also deeply grateful to Mr. Round. His bi-weekly Round One newsletter was always packed with valuable insights, and the essay counseling and interview training workshops he organized were reportedly very popular among other clients. Because I was living in the U.S., I was unable to attend those workshops held in Japan, but instead, he arranged one-on-one counseling sessions for me in their place.
Because Round One provides such comprehensive services, its alumni form a strong and close-knit community. Even after the admissions process ended, alumni gatherings, networking events, and social get-togethers continue both in Japan and abroad.
If you are seriously considering applying for an MBA, I wholeheartedly recommend Round One. Their services are, quite literally, first-class. The vision, mindset, and network you gain through the process will remain irreplaceable assets long after your MBA applications are complete.
