129
Finance
Banking-Inv.
Sponsored
Yale-SOM
MBA
Thanks to the support of the Round siblings, I was able to gain admission to Yale SOM.
Background:
Company-sponsored; domestic financial institution; 1 year of overseas work experience; 32 years old
Scores:
TOEFL 103 (R:28, L:25, S:22, W:28) GMAT 690 (V:33, M:50, IR:3, AWA:5.0)
Admitted schools:
Yale SOM (matriculated), HEC Paris, ESADE, Emory (1-year), UW (GEMBA)
I encountered Round One about six months after being selected as a company-sponsored study-abroad candidate in September 2014. At that time, my TOEFL score was not improving as hoped, and I was truly in the midst of a difficult trial. As I was walking alone through what felt like a tunnel with no exit in sight, Mr. Round sincerely encouraged me during the initial orientation. I believe that it was because of those words that I was able to continue working without giving up until I finally achieved results.
From September 2015, once my test score preparation began to stabilize, I started full-scale essay and interview preparation. I was assigned to work with Ms. Emma Round, whose service was extremely attentive. She devoted considerable thought to helping me craft highly competitive essays. Because I decided to apply to 10 schools, the schedule became extremely tight toward the end of the year, but the weekly Skype counseling sessions also served as an effective pace-setter.
From the end of the year, interview preparation also began. This was handled roughly equally by both siblings. Drawing on their vast counseling experience, they quickly presented the questions that are most frequently asked and the most difficult to answer, which proved to be extremely rigorous training. As a result, during actual interviews I encountered many instances where interviewers asked questions that we had practiced just the day before. I believe this highly effective preparation directly led to receiving offers of admission from multiple schools.
One of the most outstanding aspects of Round One’s services is, above all, the speed and accuracy with which they respond to student questions. I experienced this most vividly during my campus visit to Yale SOM. In fact, I had not yet received the results of the document screening until the day before my visit and was preparing to go in a rather resigned state of mind. However, the day before the visit, I received notification from the admissions office that I had passed the document screening and was asked whether I would like to interview during my visit the following day. I was shocked, as I had done almost no interview preparation. When I consulted Mr. Round, he strongly encouraged me, saying that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I absolutely should take advantage of. He then sent me a compilation of past Yale SOM interviewer questions and even offered to conduct a Skype interview practice session.
This devoted support from Mr. Round was deeply appreciated and gave me tremendous courage. In the interview with admissions—which I approached with what was essentially overnight preparation—I was able to respond very calmly despite the short notice and fully demonstrate my strengths. Given my scores, I had felt that an Ivy League school might be out of reach, but with Mr. Round’s assistance, I was ultimately able to gain admission to Yale SOM.
I believe that the Round siblings’ counseling style—which draws out applicants’ motivation—together with their attentive, well-considered advice backed by many years of proven results, truly represents the core strength of Round One’s services. There are many counseling services in the study-abroad industry, but I am genuinely glad that I chose Round One.
