41
Finance
Corp. VC
Sponsored
Berkeley-Haas
MBA
From August 2009 through March 2010, I received both essay counseling and interview training at Round One. After eight months of continuous interaction, Steve Round has come to feel like a trusted friend.
First, in order to gain admission to a top school, it is not sufficient to simply achieve satisfactory TOEFL and GMAT scores; essays and interviews are critically important. Round One provides high-quality services in both essay preparation and interview preparation, and the strength of those services is clearly demonstrated by their track record.
In addition to the capability and know-how required to deliver high-quality services, what makes Steve truly exceptional is his client-centered approach to counseling. For example, he responds to emails quickly and answers even the smallest questions with care. During counseling sessions, even matters not directly related to essays are addressed thoughtfully and sincerely whenever time allows. As an applicant based outside a major metropolitan area, I faced the disadvantage of limited access to information, and having a reliable person to consult was incredibly reassuring. Although the fee structure is time-based, the counseling never felt businesslike or rushed; I never once felt pressured by the clock.
Because I lived outside a major city, my opportunities to gather information about schools were limited, but in this regard as well, Round One proved to be a dependable partner. When I mentioned during essay preparation that my research on certain schools was insufficient, Steve introduced me to alumni from past Round One clients whose backgrounds were similar to mine. These alumni were happy to help thanks to Steve’s introduction, and took the time to speak with me by phone or Skype about each school’s characteristics and atmosphere. This was possible because Round One has earned deep trust from its former clients and continues to maintain those relationships after they return home—something that clearly reflects Steve’s character.
Even when a school that I was highly interested in placed me on the waitlist, Steve continued to support me wholeheartedly. He advised me on how to appropriately push the school and what the content of follow-up letters should be. Although the application phase had already ended and such support might normally fall outside the scope of essay counseling, he assisted me with the same level of quality and sincerity as before.
Overcoming the disadvantage of living outside a major city, I was able to gain admission to multiple schools—including Haas—and this was made possible by Round One’s support.
