Admissions & Career Advisory Testimonial #71 (English)

Testimonial #

Industry

Function

Funding

School

Program

Manufacturing

Mktg/Sales

Testimonial #: 71

Industry: Manufacturing

Function: Mktg/Sales

Funding: Sponsored

School: UNC-KF

Program: MBA

Introduction

MBA admissions are a long, long journey—far longer, at the outset, than one can possibly imagine—and unfortunately, an extremely painful process. I sincerely hope that everyone who has begun this journey will keep running all the way to the finish line, for their own sake.

Looking back, I truly believe it would have been impossible to complete this admissions process on my own. Round One supported me throughout as a trusted and invaluable friend. (In particular, my main counselor, Stephen Round, felt like an older brother to me!)

Because Round One operates on a limited-enrollment basis, I strongly recommend that you take the leap and contact them first. If you feel a sense of fit at that point, the path that follows will be fully guided by Round One.

Admissions Results

I am writing this testimonial in early April 2012. I applied to 12 top U.S. business schools (1 in Round 1 and 11 in Round 2). As of now, I have received 2 offers of admission, 2 waitlists, 3 rejections, 2 pending decisions, and I declined 3 offers. Even now, I am continuing to fight alongside Round One for movement off the waitlist at my top-choice school.

Scores

TOEFL: 107

GMAT: 650

GPA: 2.6 (Private university, humanities)

Looking Back

In hindsight, simply having encountered Round One was itself a stroke of luck. Back in May 2011—when I had no real understanding of what MBA admissions entailed—I casually decided, “Let’s start with campus visits!” and visited a prestigious school in Chicago. (At the time, my TOEFL score was 69, I had never taken the GMAT, and I did not even know the term “campus visit.”)

While wandering into this school with little preparation, I was overwhelmed by a world I had never known. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to speak with some incredibly impressive current students. One of them kindly asked me, “Are you using a counselor?” My answer was neither “yes” nor “no,” but rather, “What is a counselor?” They replied, “Every Japanese student here used a counselor to get through the admissions process. A counselor is absolutely necessary. These three individuals, in particular, are exceptionally accomplished counselors—contact them immediately before their capacity fills up.” One of those names was Round One. Since then, I have communicated with them almost daily via Skype and email.

The Strengths of Round One

Why Round One among so many counseling services? Based on comparisons with fellow applicants using other services, I would highlight the following:

They never say negative things—ever. They are always positive and motivate you relentlessly.
They respond to any inquiry within 24 hours.
They manage your time. Since MBA admissions are unfamiliar territory for first-time applicants, most people have no idea what to do or when. Round One leads you step by step and clearly tells you when something must be accelerated.
They are true professionals whose sole objective is to help you get admitted. I never once felt that they were “doing this as a business.” In fact, when I tried to sign up for excessive counseling out of anxiety, they firmly told me, “You don’t need that much. Time should be used efficiently.”
You will never miss an application deadline. Even when I was panicking close to deadlines, they reassured me: “In 16 years, we have never missed a deadline. Trust us.”
They proactively teach you everything you need to know, no matter how small—such as campus visit scheduling or interview etiquette.
They have a powerful network known as the “Round One Community,” consisting entirely of Round One alumni and current students. This network was invaluable during school research. Going forward, I hope to support others as a member of this community myself.
There were countless instances where fellow applicants told me, “My counselor never told me that,” in response to advice I received from Round One. (I will refrain from sharing specifics, as these are likely proprietary know-how.)

In Closing

Round One publishes a bi-weekly newsletter called the R1 Gazette, filled with advice and motivational messages. Just yesterday, I received the final issue. Its contents were deeply moving, and as I reflected on the year we spent fighting together, I found myself on the verge of tears.

Last summer, when we were discussing school selection, Steve said, “Admissions always involve risk. That’s why portfolio strategy matters. You will get into at least one of these schools.” When he showed me the list, my only reaction was, “What? They’re all top schools!”

And yet, while being repeatedly encouraged with words like, “Trust me. You are MBA material”—phrases I barely understood at the time—I somehow managed to gain admission to top schools despite my mediocre scores. Looking back now, I can only say: this is what true professional work looks like.

I sincerely hope that all of you will experience a meaningful and fulfilling admissions journey. Please keep running until the very end. The results will come—so absolutely, no matter what, keep running until the finish line.