interested in hearing what people have to say about Stratus prep, given their reported track record and the lack of information/reviews on them. Positive/negative/neutral feedback?
note that I'm ONLY interested in the opinions of established forum members who have had some form of experience with them (admissions consulting, diagnostic calls, friends who have used them) - I've already seen the existing threads with their reviews (which are almost all populated by new accounts that have only posted about Stratus), and I also don't want to talk to anyone affiliated with the company
5-Day Free Trial
5-day free, full-access trial TTP
Available with Beat the GMAT members only code
MORE DETAILS
Stratus Prep Reviews?
This topic has expert replies
-
benjiboo
- Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
- Posts: 60
- Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 2:38 pm
- Location: NYC
- Thanked: 33 times
- Followed by:9 members
- GMAT Score:710
Nicole,
As you can see, I have been a member of BTG since 2009 and have posted more than 50 messages about the GMAT and my prep. I completed my entire GMAT prep process as a member of the BTG community and then decided to work with Stratus Prep on my applications this last season. I was admitted to Wharton, one of my stretch schools even though I had a relatively weaker profile as I did not attend an Ivy/near-Ivy college, had only a reasonable GPA, and only had about just two year of substantive real work experience. As you can see from my profile, I fortunately had a 710 on the GMAT, but I doubted that would be enough to get me in. Just for your information, I am a white male in finance from the Northeast. I felt the need to write this post because I get so many PM's from people asking about Stratus and now I can just refer them to this post.
From my initial research, Stratus Prep is unlike any other admissions consulting firm out there (and I did my due diligence on about 10 other firms before signing up). Even though I had previously taken an LSAT class with Stratus, I did not want to risk anything with the MBA admissions process so I spoke to all the major companies in the "MBA consulting" industry... Including Manhattan GMAT's partners [I used MGMAT for some GMAT Prep].
From my research, at most admissions consulting firms, you talk to the head of the firm , who is usually incredibly knowledgeable, when you are first thinking about signing up, and he or she presents you with a bunch of bios of potential consultants, but that is the extent of the head of the firm's involvement. Once you sign up, you are on your own with that consultant for better or worse. There may be a final review by someone else but at that point it's really too late. I was really not comfortable with that model at all. Why should I pay $5K+ (I did a school package with several schools) and not get regular access to the head of the firm? Also, unlike any other firm I could find, Stratus has a professional, detailed methodology that they give you when you sign up with the firm that guides you through all of your work with Shawn and your counselor. I found this document which focused me and kept me on schedule to be invaluable. [Btw, just a side note, Shawn is a literal genius. Check out his background, Harvard MBA, consulting at a big 3 firm, perfect LSAT score I believe.]
I shared some of your concerns about the lack of reviews of Stratus so before I signed up I spoke with a few friends/classmates that had used Stratus for MBA counseling (going back to 2007). I also asked for and got two references of other former clients from Shawn. Though these were guys who got into good schools, point is, I was more asking them about the process/interactions with Shawn/Stratus, not about the end result of their acceptances. [Note: I told Shawn to feel free to pass me along as a reference too now, as its just what you do when someone gives you good service].
At Stratus, you work with a FULL-TIME counselor (beware many other firms have counselors who work for top consulting firms and banks and for whom you are an afterthought - I would never spend thousands of dollars for that) as well as directly with Shawn, the founder of the firm, throughout the entire admissions process. Stratus strictly limits the number of applicants per counselor and the overall number of applicants per round so that Shawn and your counselor have more than ample time to help you. Shawn and my counselor were always available at nights and weekends when I needed them. There is also an independent, school specific blind reader who reviews your essays and gives you really frank feedback. Shawn and my counselor, Vanessa, helped me with every part of the admissions process including pushing me to come up with best examples, developing my story/strategy (which proved to be the most challenging part), picking and advising my recommenders, outlining and editing my essays to perfection, preparing me relentlessly for the group and individual interview, and helping me with the financial aid process. They could not have been more knowledgeable or accommodating to my often crazy schedule.
You are more than welcome to contact me directly with any questions you have about Stratus. I would also recommend asking Stratus for references if you have doubts. I found them really helpful as you can verify their name and where they go to school so you know the firm is absolutely legit. Last year, after I chose Stratus, I referred some friends to Stratus and I think all of them ended up at top 5 MBA programs [top 15 if you go by FT... but who goes by FT lol!! Sorry had to throw that in there]. Based on their results, I have no doubts about Stratus's published success rates. I never thought I had a shot at Wharton with my GPA, but I am headed there next month.
Ok really quickly I need to finish up then go: In the end... I felt that a lot of those other places are just self-promoting essay factories [people who used other companies and found this not to be true should write reviews for BTG members]; Stratus cares deeply about each client and gives them the attention they need and deserve (and I say this as a client who was admittedly pretty [very] needy).
Lastly, just as a warning: Make sure you use a real company like Stratus, because some of the firms that arent as well known made offers to do unethical things like help write my essay. Note: good firms only consult with ideas, and do ZERO of the writing. It is unethical to have someone else write for you or edit your paper.
Again, feel free to private message me if that would be helpful.
Good luck on your GMAT and B-School journey! [and in any event, don't cheap out on consulting because everyone else is using them...]
Mr. Boo
As you can see, I have been a member of BTG since 2009 and have posted more than 50 messages about the GMAT and my prep. I completed my entire GMAT prep process as a member of the BTG community and then decided to work with Stratus Prep on my applications this last season. I was admitted to Wharton, one of my stretch schools even though I had a relatively weaker profile as I did not attend an Ivy/near-Ivy college, had only a reasonable GPA, and only had about just two year of substantive real work experience. As you can see from my profile, I fortunately had a 710 on the GMAT, but I doubted that would be enough to get me in. Just for your information, I am a white male in finance from the Northeast. I felt the need to write this post because I get so many PM's from people asking about Stratus and now I can just refer them to this post.
From my initial research, Stratus Prep is unlike any other admissions consulting firm out there (and I did my due diligence on about 10 other firms before signing up). Even though I had previously taken an LSAT class with Stratus, I did not want to risk anything with the MBA admissions process so I spoke to all the major companies in the "MBA consulting" industry... Including Manhattan GMAT's partners [I used MGMAT for some GMAT Prep].
From my research, at most admissions consulting firms, you talk to the head of the firm , who is usually incredibly knowledgeable, when you are first thinking about signing up, and he or she presents you with a bunch of bios of potential consultants, but that is the extent of the head of the firm's involvement. Once you sign up, you are on your own with that consultant for better or worse. There may be a final review by someone else but at that point it's really too late. I was really not comfortable with that model at all. Why should I pay $5K+ (I did a school package with several schools) and not get regular access to the head of the firm? Also, unlike any other firm I could find, Stratus has a professional, detailed methodology that they give you when you sign up with the firm that guides you through all of your work with Shawn and your counselor. I found this document which focused me and kept me on schedule to be invaluable. [Btw, just a side note, Shawn is a literal genius. Check out his background, Harvard MBA, consulting at a big 3 firm, perfect LSAT score I believe.]
I shared some of your concerns about the lack of reviews of Stratus so before I signed up I spoke with a few friends/classmates that had used Stratus for MBA counseling (going back to 2007). I also asked for and got two references of other former clients from Shawn. Though these were guys who got into good schools, point is, I was more asking them about the process/interactions with Shawn/Stratus, not about the end result of their acceptances. [Note: I told Shawn to feel free to pass me along as a reference too now, as its just what you do when someone gives you good service].
At Stratus, you work with a FULL-TIME counselor (beware many other firms have counselors who work for top consulting firms and banks and for whom you are an afterthought - I would never spend thousands of dollars for that) as well as directly with Shawn, the founder of the firm, throughout the entire admissions process. Stratus strictly limits the number of applicants per counselor and the overall number of applicants per round so that Shawn and your counselor have more than ample time to help you. Shawn and my counselor were always available at nights and weekends when I needed them. There is also an independent, school specific blind reader who reviews your essays and gives you really frank feedback. Shawn and my counselor, Vanessa, helped me with every part of the admissions process including pushing me to come up with best examples, developing my story/strategy (which proved to be the most challenging part), picking and advising my recommenders, outlining and editing my essays to perfection, preparing me relentlessly for the group and individual interview, and helping me with the financial aid process. They could not have been more knowledgeable or accommodating to my often crazy schedule.
You are more than welcome to contact me directly with any questions you have about Stratus. I would also recommend asking Stratus for references if you have doubts. I found them really helpful as you can verify their name and where they go to school so you know the firm is absolutely legit. Last year, after I chose Stratus, I referred some friends to Stratus and I think all of them ended up at top 5 MBA programs [top 15 if you go by FT... but who goes by FT lol!! Sorry had to throw that in there]. Based on their results, I have no doubts about Stratus's published success rates. I never thought I had a shot at Wharton with my GPA, but I am headed there next month.
Ok really quickly I need to finish up then go: In the end... I felt that a lot of those other places are just self-promoting essay factories [people who used other companies and found this not to be true should write reviews for BTG members]; Stratus cares deeply about each client and gives them the attention they need and deserve (and I say this as a client who was admittedly pretty [very] needy).
Lastly, just as a warning: Make sure you use a real company like Stratus, because some of the firms that arent as well known made offers to do unethical things like help write my essay. Note: good firms only consult with ideas, and do ZERO of the writing. It is unethical to have someone else write for you or edit your paper.
Again, feel free to private message me if that would be helpful.
Good luck on your GMAT and B-School journey! [and in any event, don't cheap out on consulting because everyone else is using them...]
Mr. Boo
Stratus Prep is great if you work with Vanessa Gil who is the best admissions counselor anyone could ask for!
Here is how I came to work with her. After interviewing Stacey Blackman, Clear Admit and Stratus Prep for MBA admissions counseling, Shawn O'Connor, the founder of Stratus Prep, convinced me to use his firm.
I had obtained a 720 on my GMAT which was good, but below average for the 2 schools I had targeted: Stanford GSB and Harvard Business School.
Knowing those were the schools I wanted to apply to, Shawn placed me with a counselor who was an alum from both schools (NOT VANESSA).
And here I was... getting into the annoying process of business school applications. The first deadline was HBS in early September (Round 1). The counselor and I spent 3 months working on positioning, outlines and essays for Harvard. However, she and I didn't have the same perspectives at times. Every time I came up with a creative idea for my essays, I got turned down. I felt my application was going to be pretty standardized. Another thing she would do was coming back to me with edits within 10 minutes of me sending my drafts. This annoyed me as I had paid a pretty big amount to get her advice, and I felt I wasn't getting the level of attention I deserved. I was disappointed and thought I would ask Shawn for another counselor. However, I had less than 2 weeks left before submitting HBS and I thought I wouldn't that risk so close to the deadline so I decided to stick with her and apply to HBS.
The day after I submitted HBS, however, I asked Shawn to reassign me with a different counselor for my Stanford app which was due 3 weeks later (early October, Round 1). By doing so, I also thought I would diversify and increase my odds of getting into at least one of the two.
Shawn understood my concerns and paired me with Vanessa Gil. And here comes Vanessa. I didn't know it at the time, but working with Vanessa was the best thing that could have happened to me. Vanessa and I got along immediately. I told her about my concerns with my former counselor and she gave me the ability to be my true self in my applications. She and I spent hours on the phone discussing the most detailed items of my application from positioning, wording, approach, what works and what doesn't to what Stanford specifically likes in candidates. Literally everything. She was so accessible, nice, competent and open-minded. It was night and day.
Vanessa and I worked hard in those 3 weeks I worked on my GSB application. I found out later on that she had a lot more clients than I thought. Yet I felt like I was the only one she was working with. The level of attention she gave me was unparalleled. She understood who I was as a person, what I stood for, and what I wanted to convey in my applications like no one else. Her perspective was invaluable.
Vanessa and I finally submitted Stanford early October.
Mid-October, I found out I got declined from HBS, without an interview.
Early November, I got notice that I got an interview with the GSB. Vanessa and I prepped for it in a rigorous manner with 3 mock interviews and detailed question by question feedback. I went into the interview feeling confident, and aced it.
Mid-December: I found out I got into my dream school, the Stanford GSB �
The bottom line is that none of this would have been possible without Vanessa. Her trusted advice, intelligence and amazing personality made this stressful process an enjoyable experience. When you think about it, Vanessa only helped me with one business school, and it turns out that the school is actually the hardest one to get into. With Vanessa, my hit rate was 100%. I know, "impressive" you would say. However, the minute you meet her, you will realize it's not all that surprising. Vanessa is an unbelievable person who simply gets it. If you're driven, focused and dedicated, she will get you into your dream school. That's what she does, and she does it better than anyone else in the industry.
Here is how I came to work with her. After interviewing Stacey Blackman, Clear Admit and Stratus Prep for MBA admissions counseling, Shawn O'Connor, the founder of Stratus Prep, convinced me to use his firm.
I had obtained a 720 on my GMAT which was good, but below average for the 2 schools I had targeted: Stanford GSB and Harvard Business School.
Knowing those were the schools I wanted to apply to, Shawn placed me with a counselor who was an alum from both schools (NOT VANESSA).
And here I was... getting into the annoying process of business school applications. The first deadline was HBS in early September (Round 1). The counselor and I spent 3 months working on positioning, outlines and essays for Harvard. However, she and I didn't have the same perspectives at times. Every time I came up with a creative idea for my essays, I got turned down. I felt my application was going to be pretty standardized. Another thing she would do was coming back to me with edits within 10 minutes of me sending my drafts. This annoyed me as I had paid a pretty big amount to get her advice, and I felt I wasn't getting the level of attention I deserved. I was disappointed and thought I would ask Shawn for another counselor. However, I had less than 2 weeks left before submitting HBS and I thought I wouldn't that risk so close to the deadline so I decided to stick with her and apply to HBS.
The day after I submitted HBS, however, I asked Shawn to reassign me with a different counselor for my Stanford app which was due 3 weeks later (early October, Round 1). By doing so, I also thought I would diversify and increase my odds of getting into at least one of the two.
Shawn understood my concerns and paired me with Vanessa Gil. And here comes Vanessa. I didn't know it at the time, but working with Vanessa was the best thing that could have happened to me. Vanessa and I got along immediately. I told her about my concerns with my former counselor and she gave me the ability to be my true self in my applications. She and I spent hours on the phone discussing the most detailed items of my application from positioning, wording, approach, what works and what doesn't to what Stanford specifically likes in candidates. Literally everything. She was so accessible, nice, competent and open-minded. It was night and day.
Vanessa and I worked hard in those 3 weeks I worked on my GSB application. I found out later on that she had a lot more clients than I thought. Yet I felt like I was the only one she was working with. The level of attention she gave me was unparalleled. She understood who I was as a person, what I stood for, and what I wanted to convey in my applications like no one else. Her perspective was invaluable.
Vanessa and I finally submitted Stanford early October.
Mid-October, I found out I got declined from HBS, without an interview.
Early November, I got notice that I got an interview with the GSB. Vanessa and I prepped for it in a rigorous manner with 3 mock interviews and detailed question by question feedback. I went into the interview feeling confident, and aced it.
Mid-December: I found out I got into my dream school, the Stanford GSB �
The bottom line is that none of this would have been possible without Vanessa. Her trusted advice, intelligence and amazing personality made this stressful process an enjoyable experience. When you think about it, Vanessa only helped me with one business school, and it turns out that the school is actually the hardest one to get into. With Vanessa, my hit rate was 100%. I know, "impressive" you would say. However, the minute you meet her, you will realize it's not all that surprising. Vanessa is an unbelievable person who simply gets it. If you're driven, focused and dedicated, she will get you into your dream school. That's what she does, and she does it better than anyone else in the industry.
Stratus Prep not only helped me through the admissions process, but also helped me gain close to 100 points on my GMAT score! They were very accommodating; after not being happy with my first tutor they quickly set me up with another tutor within the same day! After such a good experience with the exam I knew I had to use them for application counseling. They answered all of my questions prior to signing the contract, including providing me with references to speak to and setting up a call with my potential admissions counselor! I would point out the following as strengths of Stratus Prep throughout the admissions process.
1. Brainstorming. They really have a great template / process designed to get you to brainstorm ideas for your essays long before you start drafting them. I realize how crucial it is now, after having gone through the process. Not only does the counselor provide you with feedback on your brainstorming but so does Shawn! And they go through and tell which schools are within your limits (although I would make sure you do your own homework here too).
2. The actual essay process was very well structured. They have you run through several drafts with your counselor and then they have an outsider look at each essay as well to make sure the story flows, and then a proofreader for grammar. I found it to be extremely helpful to hear each of their viewpoints
3. Interview prep. They really take the time to make sure you are prepped for your interviews, as well as video questions. I recall my counselor suggesting I do a mock interview with Shawn himself before one of my interviews (something I did not even suggest).
At the end of it all, I got interviews for two out of six schools and was accepted to one (still waiting to here from the other). It was a good experience and I definitely recommend Stratus Prep!
1. Brainstorming. They really have a great template / process designed to get you to brainstorm ideas for your essays long before you start drafting them. I realize how crucial it is now, after having gone through the process. Not only does the counselor provide you with feedback on your brainstorming but so does Shawn! And they go through and tell which schools are within your limits (although I would make sure you do your own homework here too).
2. The actual essay process was very well structured. They have you run through several drafts with your counselor and then they have an outsider look at each essay as well to make sure the story flows, and then a proofreader for grammar. I found it to be extremely helpful to hear each of their viewpoints
3. Interview prep. They really take the time to make sure you are prepped for your interviews, as well as video questions. I recall my counselor suggesting I do a mock interview with Shawn himself before one of my interviews (something I did not even suggest).
At the end of it all, I got interviews for two out of six schools and was accepted to one (still waiting to here from the other). It was a good experience and I definitely recommend Stratus Prep!
-
stockone50
- Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Thu Jun 09, 2011 6:27 am
- Thanked: 3 times
- Followed by:6 members
- GMAT Score:730
I would steer clear of Stratus. I used them for my HBS app and, although I was accepted, the essay i submitted was drastically different than what they thought was appropriate. They don't really help on anything else, so it was a waste of money.
Admissionado was a much better experience
Admissionado was a much better experience
-
dinosaur63
- Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Sun May 31, 2015 8:06 am
Stratus Prep was flexible enough to allow me to "defer" to the 2015 application season if I, together with my counselor, felt that it would be in my best interest to do so because of my relatively low GMAT score during the 2014 season. I couldn't get my score up in time to apply and decided to defer to the 2015 season. My original counselor Oscar left the firm after the 2014 season and I was assigned a new counselor. My Stratus Prep counselor Jeff Mroz was really patient with me guiding me every step of the way and encouraging me to work harder on my application. Shawn O'Connor was also instrumental in his feedback in the entire process, from selecting schools to final preparation for my interviews. While I didn't get into my top school choice, Stratus Prep helped me get into a top-15 school even with my low GPA and below average GMAT score. These guys definitely know what they're doing! A++!
