217
Other
Other
Self-funded
Elite Japanese HS
Secondary
Support with English essays, advice on recommendation letters, and help with other materials for returnee admissions to Japanese high schools
Result: Accepted by all eight high schools to which she applied
More than ten years ago, I received essay support from Round One for my own applications to U.S. MBA programs. I was fortunate enough to achieve my goal of earning an MBA at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business through a company-sponsored study abroad program. After completing my MBA, I successfully changed jobs and then spent nine years working overseas before returning to Japan with my family.
Some of the greatest challenges we faced in returning to Japan included selecting a high school for my daughter, understanding the admissions process, and preparing effectively for admission. As a returnee student, she was required to submit English language application materials to several of the schools to which she applied, including her first-choice school.
My daughter had attended an American international school while we were living overseas, so English itself was not a major issue for her. However, when it came to preparing essays for established Japanese schools, she needed to produce highly polished English and writing that was both sophisticated and expressive. This was something she herself found challenging.
We had also asked an English teacher at a leading Japanese preparatory school, whose classes my daughter had been taking online from overseas, to review and edit her work. However, when it came to producing truly polished essays, I felt that it would be better to seek the help of a specialist. I then remembered the support I myself had received from Round One for my MBA applications more than ten years earlier and immediately contacted Mr. Stephen Round.
I believe that Round One has three major strengths.
Mr. Round, who supported me with my own applications in the past, always responds promptly, no matter how busy he may be. October through January is an extremely busy period each year because many of his clients are applying to overseas universities. Nevertheless, he provides 100% commitment to every client and student he agrees to support. When I contacted him this time about my daughter, he replied the very next day despite being in the middle of an exceptionally busy period, which helped relieve her concerns. I believe this kind of responsiveness is highly appreciated by applicants, who must manage extremely tight schedules and complete numerous tasks before their application deadlines.
Through his many years of experience supporting Japanese applicants to overseas universities, Mr. Round has developed a deep understanding of the strengths and weaknesses commonly found among Japanese applicants, as well as the qualities that individual schools seek in their candidates. After learning about a client’s or student’s background, he guides them in determining the most effective essay strategy. I have always been impressed by the sophistication of his support, and in the case of my daughter as well, his understanding of the distinctive characteristics of the schools to which she was applying enabled us to complete applications of the highest quality.
Mr. Round always maintains a proper consultant-client relationship and conducts himself in a consistently courteous and intellectual manner. Having lived in Japan for many years, he also has a very high level of understanding of Japanese cultural characteristics, which makes it easy and comfortable for Japanese clients to work with him.
I myself have been impressed many times by Mr. Round’s exceptional professionalism. From time to time, I find myself thinking back on his example and using it as a reminder to return to the fundamentals of how I should conduct myself as a business professional. In the future, when my daughter wants to study abroad at the undergraduate level or graduate level in the U.S. or U.K., we will seek Mr. Round’s support once again.
