GET INTO BUSINESS SCHOOL OR COLLEGE WITH LESS STRESS AND GREAT RESULTS

“I was not asked by her to do a review of her performance, but I wanted to, considering how great of a job she did working with me. And if you’re still wondering, yes, she is worth the money.”

If you are reading this and searching for a consultant to help you get into your dream school/program, look no further. I was referred to Karen by a dear friend of mine, who was referred to her through a dear friend of his (and I’m sure the list goes on and on). Karen is truly a professional in helping prospective applicants become prospective students. Even beyond that, she is a kind and caring individual. She always speaks with optimism and a certain level of joy that cannot be taught. I was an untraditional student, with an untraditional background, looking to compete against students attempting to get into top MBA programs. Karen not only went above and beyond to work with me to make sure this dream came true, but more importantly, she instilled the confidence in me to allow me to be the best version of myself throughout this difficult process. If you’ve made it this far in my review, I truly hope you believe in the words I’m writing and consider Karen as your MBA consultant. I was not asked by her to do a review of her performance, but I wanted to, considering how great of a job she did working with me. And if you’re still wondering, yes, she is worth the money.

“There is no way I could have done it without her and I cannot recommend her enough to anyone applying to business school.”

Karen was an instrumental part of my MBA application journey. I was extremely overwhelmed with the application process and had no idea how to craft my story or where to even begin. Karen was so patient and thorough with me during the process, and helped me articulate my narrative blending both my personal/life and professional experiences. She was extremely responsive over the countless months that we worked together (literally would answer most of my emails within minutes and set up calls whenever I wanted), and helped ground me during my MANY anxious moments doing final essay edits, waiting for interviews, and making my decision of where to attend school. Karen helped me get into 2 of the 4 schools I applied to (both M7s) despite having a below average GMAT score, and I am extremely excited to attend CBS this fall! There is no way I could have done it without her and I cannot recommend her enough to anyone applying to business school.

“Despite my application having a few weaknesses, Karen’s help over a few months played a huge part in securing an admission at my dream school!”

I cannot speak highly enough about my experience working with Karen. She is intimately familiar with all aspects of the MBA application process, including the subtle nuances of each school’s differentiating factors. During times where my confidence was wavering, she was a calm guiding force that removed any doubts about my application. Despite my application having a few weaknesses, Karen’s help over a few months played a huge part in securing an admission at my dream school! She is an asset for anyone considering retaining an admission consultant, especially for someone like me in need of personalized help and not a ‘one size fits all’ approach.

“As a result, I was accepted to all seven schools I applied to, including receiving a full ride at a top 20 school!”

Karen’s expertise and support were invaluable throughout my MBA application process. Initially, I felt overwhelmed and struggled with imposter syndrome, but her guidance helped me navigate the process seamlessly. As a result, I was accepted to all seven schools I applied to, including receiving a full ride at a top 20 school! She was there every step of the way, providing career coaching, school targeting, essay assistance, and interview support. She is an incredible listener with a unique ability to transform my thoughts into something meaningful. She has a remarkable way of allowing you to be in the driver’s seat while providing honest and constructive feedback along the way. I am forever grateful for her guidance and couldn’t have done this without her!

Working with Karen at North Star Admissions Consulting transformed my MBA application journey, she is simply a joy to partner with. Her deep understanding of what top MBA programs look for enabled her to expertly coach me to match the unique ethos of each school. Karen’s commitment to diving into the details of my essays and profile (plenty of red ink), challenging me to reflect deeply, significantly elevated the quality of my application.

Karen’s exceptional flexibility and approachability stood out, always ready to address my numerous and often repetitive questions with patience and clarity. Her comprehensive coaching covered every aspect of the admissions process, from refining my profile and selecting compelling recommenders to acing interviews. Despite potential red flags in my background, like a lower undergraduate GPA and a prior MBA, Karen’s strategic guidance helped me craft a narrative that highlighted my growth and resilience, leading to my acceptance into an M7 program.

The pleasure of working with Karen extended beyond her professional expertise; her positive attitude and dedication to client success made the entire process enjoyable. I wholeheartedly recommend Karen and North Star Admissions Consulting to any MBA applicant seeking a transformative and successful admissions journey. Her impact on my path to an M7 program was invaluable, and I am deeply grateful for her support.

“I can’t put into words how incredible it was to work with Karen during my MBA application process. I could not have done it without her. She helped me hone in on my story and view my past experiences with a different perspective, and really helped me prepare for the admissions interviews. Most importantly for me, Karen helped me feel confident in my essays, interviews and overall applications. I was admitted to 6 of the 7 schools I applied to and received full scholarships to 3 of them. I’m happy to report that with Karen’s help I am attending my top choice with a full ride!”

I had been pondering the idea of enrolling for a Full Time MBA for quite some time. I felt that my career was stalling, and that the time was right for me to add extra skills to my tool box, via an MBA from a reputable program. When I finally decided to execute my thoughts however, all I could think about were the odds that were stacked up against me: I was an “older applicant”, I had a low undergraduate GPA, and just was sure how this whole process would play out. I decided that I needed the help of a coach who would keep me grounded and aligned throughout the process.

I came across North Star Admissions Consulting, and Karen Marks, after careful and extensive research on the internet. I was not looking for a business transaction as much as I was looking for an admissions consulting company with whom I could build a relationship through which my best possible applications could be nurtured, and I knew I had found THE Company when I saw North Star’s website. From my first phone call (in what appears to be a long, long time ago) to date, Karen has maintained the highest level of professionalism in our business relationship, taking a genuine interest in my story to help me craft the best possible applications. Through her very patient listening and insightful questioning, Karen was able to transform my biggest vulnerabilities into strong components of my overall application, and interview experience. The level of detail that Karen brings to the process is quite impressive; she helped me to determine what schools were the best for my post-MBA plans and my family fit, and provided insights about scholarships and my personal and professional aspirations upon completion of the MBA.

One of my personal challenges during this application process was meeting my soft deadlines (I was travelling extensively for work), and on several occasions when I thought the ship would be derailed, Karen’s easy but firm version of “tough love” kept me accountable. She also worked with my schedule such that we were able to meet all submission deadlines, delivering well thought out applications at each submission. I was AMAZED at the self-awareness that this relationship with North Star Admissions helped me to uncover about myself. When I finally got invited to interview at the schools I applied to, I scheduled mock interviews with Karen that certainly eased the anxieties of the day off. The culmination of this alliance was my admission to my dream school, and scholarship funds to boot!! Imagine my excitement!

Following my B-School admission, Karen and I have kept in touch, as she has reached out severally to check on my family’s preparation to move into B-School. I have sought her opinion through scheduled phone calls and email in the same time frame, despite the fact that our contractual agreements are since over. I found a friend in North Star Admissions Consulting to ease my B-School journey, and I am enthusiastic in my recommendations of them, should you be in need of an Admissions Consulting Company yourself! You will be glad you did!!

Working with Karen got me into one of the top business schools and made me realize how strong my personal story really is. I was arguably one of the biggest underdog applying to top business schools. My GPA and GRE were way below the average scores from top schools. Karen went above and beyond to get to know me at the personal level and helped narrate my personal story and work experience and turned it in to strongest asset in the application process. I couldn’t have done without the guidance of Karen and it was one of the best decisions I have made.

No matter where you are in terms of your future career plan and if you have ever thought of MBA, reach out to Karen for a quick chat. I promise that it will be your best decision and you will not only get guidance about related to MBA, but will really get to know yourself better. Go Karen!

I can’t express enough how instrumental Karen was to my success of getting into my dream business school. Going into the application process, I knew it was going to be a long process and one where I wanted full support. I had two big “red flags” on my application (below 3.0 undergrad GPA and low GRE Quant score) and I needed a consultant who would help me frame those weaknesses and identify my strengths. I interviewed a number of other consultants at different firms before meeting Karen and I was shocked that none of them wanted to work with me. To be candid, they were more concerned with preserving their success rate and I was too much of a risk. My initial consult with Karen was completely different. She took a more holistic approach when looking at my profile and experiences and she focused on the strengths I’d bring to a program. Put simply: she believed in me. She didn’t just look at the numbers, she honed in on who I was as a person and it made all the difference. In the end, I received two full-tuition scholarship offers — something I didn’t even think was possible for me — one of which was at a top 10 program which I’ll be attending in the Fall.Karen is the real deal — she’ll support you, be honest with you, and really get to know you so that you can put your best foot forward. She’ll partner with you to create an in-depth application strategy and give you clear, constructive feedback on your essays and short answers. Most importantly, she’ll prioritize you throughout your entire application journey, and you’ll never feel as though you’re competing for her time. I think she’s the best consultant out there.  

“I thoroughly recommend working with Karen! I thought I was ready to apply and came to Karen for some additional advice and support. Karen provided the perfect balance of tough love and support. She was honest when something could improve as well as when it was ready and we could move on and make better use of our time. She took the time to get to know me then challenged me to be more personal and vulnerable in my essays and interviews. She helped me make sure each essay was targeted to the school I was applying for and not generic. During interview practice she was tough but provided specific, actionable feedback that made me so much more comfortable on the day of. Karen was always available to talk through a question and could not have been more supportive. I got into every school I applied for (including Stanford GSB, HBS, Wharton, Sloan and Booth) which I could not have done without Karen!“

Working with Karen got me accepted early decision into my first choice college, the University of Pennsylvania . Karen’s knowledge and expertise helped make the process very smooth and low-stress, especially after I was accepted early decision. Karen understands the admissions process very well, but more importantly, she invests the time necessary to really get to know the people she works with. By doing so, she helped me incorporate my personality into my essays.  Karen helped me identify the strongest points of my candidacy and put them all together to create the best possible application, which accurately reflected my personality and ultimately got me accepted into a top university.  Throughout the process, Karen remained very positive and supportive, and helped make the process a lot faster, easier, and more relaxed than it otherwise would have been. I strongly recommend Karen; working with her was the best decision I made during college apps.“