143
Finance
Info Tech
Self-funded
HEC-Paris
MBA
Although the MBA application process was far more grueling than I had imagined, I was able to somehow make it through by working hand in hand with Round One. I would like to share what I found to be particularly outstanding about Round One.
Matriculated school: HEC Paris
TOEFL: 107
GMAT: 680
Background: 7 years at a financial institution (self-funded study abroad; virtually no overseas work experience)
I began strategic guidance sessions with Mr. Round in mid-April. From that point on, I relied on this service for everything from high-level matters such as creating an overall application schedule and selecting a target school portfolio, to more granular issues such as deciding when to take the GMAT and editing emails to admissions offices. With more than 20 years of counseling experience, Mr. Round’s advice clearly indicated “what I should be doing now” (and, conversely, what I did not need to do), which allowed me to focus calmly on the tasks at hand. Because Round One intentionally limits the number of clients it works with, they are able to respond to email inquiries within 24 hours in most cases—even during the busy year-end and New Year application rush.
Throughout the application process, I experienced many difficult periods, such as times when my test scores were not improving. Even then, Mr. Round consistently provided positive support. I believe this kind of psychological and emotional support is one of the defining strengths of Mr. Round’s services.
From September onward, I continued to receive essay counseling from Mr. Round. Because I was self-funded, it was necessary for me to develop a career plan that was both compelling and realistic, and I received a great deal of advice from Mr. Round in that regard as well.
Essay counseling sessions were conducted in principle on a fixed weekday and time slot each week, either via Skype or by email. At the end of each weekly session, I was given assignments to complete before the following session, and my days of desperately working through these tasks continued until around mid-January. Round One’s counseling style—setting weekly deadlines and requiring concrete deliverables—was an excellent fit for someone like me who might otherwise procrastinate. As a result, I was able to submit applications to a total of 10 schools by mid-January with a comfortable margin. Of course, schedules can be adjusted around GMAT test dates or busy periods at work, so there is no need to worry. Another appealing aspect of Round One’s essay counseling is that it leverages the time difference between Japan and Canada, allowing sessions to be held early in the morning, during lunch breaks, or late at night Japan time, depending on what is most convenient.
The raw material for essays must, of course, be prepared by the applicant. However, shaping that material so that it appeals to admissions committees, or assessing whether one’s essay content is strong enough to merit acceptance, is extremely difficult to do alone. In this regard, Mr. Round consistently provided support. Although my GMAT score was not particularly high, I believe that being invited to interviews by many of the schools I applied to was the result of being able to complete high-quality essays together with Mr. Round.
I began interview training around December, primarily working with Mr. Round. In the initial Type A training session (a 30-minute mock interview), I am embarrassed to admit that I could not even deliver a proper self-introduction. However, through repeated self-practice and weekly training sessions, I gradually became able to approach interviews calmly and without missing key points. Frequently asked questions were covered repeatedly in training, while interview formats and questions unique to each school were also addressed in focused sessions.
I also requested one training session with Ms. Round. As she had previously served as an interviewer for INSEAD, she posed many sharp questions. I subsequently encountered very similar questions multiple times in actual interviews, which made this training extremely valuable.
I was by no means an applicant with a particularly strong background. As I approached 30 years old, I was applying as a self-funded candidate from a Japanese financial institution, with neither GMAT nor GPA scores that stood out. There were many times when I felt like giving up along the way. However, by persevering through to the end, I was able to secure an offer of admission from one of my target schools, and I am now in the best spirits imaginable. I believe this was only possible because Round One continued to support me throughout the entire year. To everyone planning to apply for an MBA in the future, I highly recommend Round One’s services!
