Made the right choice with Karen
I got into every school I applied for (including Stanford GSB, HBS, Wharton, Sloan and Booth) which I could not have done without Karen!
Accepted Early Decision to Penn
Working with Karen was the best decision I made
One great part of working with Karen is that she truly takes a personal approach, taking time to really understand both you as a person, as well as your biggest needs in terms applying to school. I have heard that many consultants are tactical in nature, preferring to become involved after one has initial essay drafts. This couldn’t be further from Karen’s approach, as she invests in every detail, guiding you from choosing the right schools to apply to, to helping solidify your career goals long before you even start writing. As a result, I was much more confident in my approach, producing more meaningful and genuine application essays.
Relatedly, Karen became an incredible support structure for me throughout the process. She is readily available to her clients, and frequent touchpoints both helped me stick to a timeline, as well as provided me the support needed through an otherwise fairly isolating process.
Karen is a pleasure to work with. She is encouraging, energetic, and was a huge part of my ultimate success in being admitted to Tuck. If you are thinking about applying to MBA programs, call Karen! This will certainly be one decision you won’t regret.”
Her guidance is the best investment I have ever made and has set me up for a bright future.
I perceived my academic history as a blemish yet Karen saw it as an opportunity to tell my story of perseverance and personal growth. This shift in thinking was only possible because Karen took the time to get to know me, my story, and my dreams. Karen’s nuanced and bespoke approach transformed what I thought was my greatest flaw into the cornerstone of my MBA story. With her unique perspective and guidance I was able to create a compelling application that landed me at my stretch MBA school in the Ivy League.
Karen’s dedication to understanding me and my story along with her deep knowledge of MBA programs, truthful feedback, and guidance made the application process painless. Her guidance is the best investment I have ever made and has set me up for a bright future.“
I could not have done it without her!
We Highly Recommend Karen
Personal and Reflective Experience
With Karen’s help, I got through the business school application process while staying sane and confident that I had given it my very best effort. In the end I got into my top choice schools including Tuck, Kellogg, and MIT Sloan. I also received almost full funding from five of the eight schools to which I was accepted – making the work I had put in all the more worthwhile.”
Karen is the real deal
A few months ago after being denied admission from all the schools I applied to the previous year and despite having worked with a « famous » consultant from a « famous » firm, I decided to reapply to the same schools and also to apply for the first time to my dream school, which was a stretch considering my stats. I decided to « audit » possible consultants and came upon Karen. Any free consultation could only give a glimpse of what it would be like working together but from the first call, you can hear in Karen’s cheerful voice that she is on your side. Karen was the first person to believe in me and to push me to apply to my dream school. As I mentioned, I did not apply to my dream school in my first round of application last year because the previous consultants told me I would never make it, they just looked at my profile and analyzed the stats and concluded I could only make it to a top 15 schools at best. Karen had a very candid and holistic look at my profile and concluded that both of us could make it to my dream school with some hard work of course.
So here are the best part of working with Karen:
– she understands that all prospective applicants are rough diamonds and that with some hard work: you can go to your dream school! Unlike other consultants who are not willing to go the extra mile with you but just to make you fit in a box;
– Karen will be your coach from day one until you put your deposit in the school you aimed to get to, at no point she will let you down (trust me on this point, if you are Rocky Balboa, Karen is Mickey Goldmill);
– take it from someone who worked with other consultant and who heard from friends working with consultant: you might think: ok that’s nice feedback from my consultant but was it worth the money? With Karen you will never have this feeling: all her inputs and prep will make you think: oh I could have never do so good without her inputs.
This is just my opinion, but after going through two admission cycles and working with several consultants before Karen, I can tell you this: Karen is the real deal. I am going to my dream school: Tuck!
Good luck to all of you, you can all make it!”
Took some of the angst out of this process
Found a way connect with me
What Got Me Into Business School
Took The Stress Out Of The Process
Professional & Personable
Karen's Help Made All The Difference
Karen takes the time to learn as much as possible about a candidate. She pointed out the qualities and experiences that would help differentiate my candidacy and craft a compelling story. It’s through this personalized process that helped me completely re-vamp my application from the previous year.
The business school process is stressful but Karen made me feel much more relaxed. She quickly turned around materials, answered all my questions, and always had time for a phone call.
Not only was I admitted to my dream school, but I also received scholarship offers from two other top schools. Without a doubt in my mind, it was Karen’s help that made all the difference!”
Single Best Decision
Unbelievable & Necessary Resource
Understanding And Trusting
“Being an international student, I knew I would need some help with my application process for my MBA application in the US, so I reached out to a few admissions consultants. However, after my first interview with Karen I was convinced she was the right person. She immediately struck me as someone who truly seeks to understand her clients and she seemed to genuinely have my best interests at heart.
Over the last couple of months, Karen has helped me refine my career goals and taught me how to communicate in a direct and effective manner. Her calm and inviting nature also promoted an environment of trust where I always felt comfortable knowing I had someone to whom I could go with any questions or problems I had about the application process.
Karen constantly encouraged me to focus on my own unique experiences, which ensured my application was a true reflection of my values and attributes rather than merely what I thought the adcom wanted to hear. Her insight into the various universities and their differences also helped guide me towards which B-School I thought would be the best “fit” for me.
Having now been accepted into an Ivy League school, I am certain that it was Karen’s assistance that enabled me to put my best foot forward and eventually get in. I would highly recommend North Star Admissions to anyone who is looking to get into a top tier B-School. Karen’s insight was invaluable to me and there is no one else I would rather have had on my team throughout the process.”
Changed The Course Of My Life
“Karen has changed the course of my life. This is not an overstatement or an exaggeration. If you are reading this review that means you are lucky enough to have found her. Do not pass this opportunity up!
To say I was not the ideal candidate was an understatement. I found her 2 months before my first (and most important) application was due. At that point I have not even taken the GMAT yet. I come from a non traditional background, have low GPA at 3.02, my undergrad was piecemealed together because I worked full time while completing my degree, and my chosen career trajectory suddenly took a depressing turn as the plant I worked at was shut down. I also was a mom with two small children and a working spouse.
Karen excels at many things. She is equal part a detective combing your life experience for attributes and achievements you yourself forgot about or felt were unimportant or not pertinent, and equal part your most ardent cheerleader. Her knowledge on the application process and dynamics at play is unparalleled. Karen has an uncanny ability to reframe your experiences in way relevant to business school. She will push you to reach for your best product, she will make you work for it and you will work hard. She is an absolute master of her craft.
When you work with her you will have her undivided attention and will feel like she has no possible other place she needs to be even though you know she is extremely busy. She always honors her dead lines. If she says she will do something by this date and time you can set your whole life around it as she will deliver without fail.
But the results are unprecedented. I got accepted into my first choice school Ivy League Business School, and got two full ride fellowships to two lower tiered schools.
Ironically the hardest decision was still ahead of me. Given the fact that I was an older applicant with a family I did not see how I could possibly assume the financial burden of attending my first choice school and would have accepted the full ride to a lower tiered school. Karen would not have any of it. When I felt it could not be done she persisted and guided me, way beyond what our contractual relationship obligated her to. She was that dedicated to my success. The only thing I can credit myself with was having the good sense to listen to her.
I sincerely hope you do the same!”
Getting Accepted To Harvard
“I was very happy with Karen’s service and ended up getting accepted to Harvard. This is my second time applying to MBA programs, and the first time with consultants. After talking with Karen, I knew I wanted to work with her the most when compared to all the companies I had talked to. I ended up purchasing 10 hours. As she was running her own thing, I knew that the person I was talking to was the person I’d work with (unlike the other companies). I would recommend her to anyone looking for consulting help. She listened. I cannot emphasize this enough, especially in comparison to the other people I talked to. She took time to understand me, my candidacy and truly listened. I found her admissions experience extremely helpful. She gave me her perspective and guesses as to what other schools were looking for. She was generous with her time. With the other consultants I used, they were marking essays sent back to me with time it took to read, they were very much “counting hours.” With Karen, I never felt that way. Karen was very positive and provided a lot of encouragement.”
Big Ripple Effect
Immediately Encouraging And Positive
“After my son was deferred from his first choice college in December, we went to North Star Admissions Consulting to help us through the regular admissions process. Karen was immediately encouraging and positive. She helped us identify target schools that were a great fit for my son. She helped my son write essays that truly explained why he was genuinely interested in each school he targeted. Rather than edit or rewrite the essays, she talked him through the essay writing process and gave pointed feedback that drew out writing skills that he didn’t even know he was capable of. Her method resulted in sincere essays that accurately reflected his interests, goals and personality. She also reviewed his common application to make sure it told his unique story. In addition, she gave us advice about enhancing my son’s application to his top choice to increase his chances during the regular admissions cycle. After he was deferred, we thought he had no chance of admission. But Karen did not let us give up and helped my son effectively convey to the school the reasons why he was a good fit. My son was ultimately admitted to his top choice Ivy League college! In addition, he was admitted to many of his other top choices. After receiving disappointing news in December, my son ended up in a great position, having to choose among a list of excellent schools, including his top choice! Karen assuaged our anxieties about the entire college admissions process with her sage advice, wealth of knowledge, and most of all, her calm, supportive and enthusiastic demeanor. My son is looking forward to enrolling in his first choice college next year thanks to Karen and North Star Admissions Consulting!”
Strongly Recommended
“I am fortunate to have Karen as my mentor of MBA applications. I got to know Karen because my good friend, who was admitted to a top MBA program with the help of Karen, strongly recommended her. As a prior Associate Director of Admissions at Tuck, Karen has unique experience in top business school applications. When reviewing essays, she is able to quickly identify the pros and cons of your essays, proactively explore your potential selling points, and strategically provide you with suggestions from an insider’s perspective. All these expert advices saved me lots of time and boosted the quality of my essays. In addition, Karen is nice, supportive and responsible. It was always great experience working with her. To help me catch up with the application deadline, she sacrificed her weekend time to review my essays and cared about my application progress. As an international applicant, I was quite impressed by her quick responses in spite of the time difference. Sometimes I received her responses at her night time. I could easily tell that she treated my application as her own stuff and helped me with all her heart, rather than simply handle a task. Another thing that impressed me was that she is familiar with many top business schools. With her help, I was admitted to my two “dream schools,” Kellogg and Tepper, both with scholarship. Karen is far beyond my expectation. I strongly suggest that business school applicants consider her services. You will harvest not only an experienced mentor but also a lifelong friend.”
Exceptional Qualifications
“I chose to work with Karen due to her exceptional qualifications and the fact that I get to work with her directly, rather than another employee. She had very fast response times, and was a huge help in perfecting my essays. I was able to receive admission to my top choices of graduate schools within weeks of submitting my application! On top of that, I was offered scholarships to my dream school! I honestly would not have been able to be so successful in my endeavor without help. I would definitely be working with Karen again when pursue further education.”
Accessible And Responsive
Invested In Your Success
Having Karen’s experience in admissions and her willingness to really learn about my professional background helped me highlight my true strengths as an applicant. She helped add a genuine tone to my essays, which were too polished and proper. With her help, I applied to my only two “dream schools” in the final round of admission and was accepted to both. Needless to say, Karen was elated to hear about it. She’s truly invested in your success and has the knowledge and resources to help give you the best chance for admission.”
Top MBA Program
One of my fears of working with an admission consultant was that I would be overly coached and pushed to represent myself in an inauthentic way; this was the exact opposite of my experience with Karen. Karen’s approach is focused, consistent and personal. Karen is incredibly approachable and she took time to get to know me. I was surprised to experience so much personal growth throughout the application process as Karen helped me to clarify my goals and articulate my story. I also really valued Karen’s perspective and advice on finding the best “fit” with an MBA program. Karen helped me align my background and goals with potential programs, and I ended up applying to and being accepted to many schools that I had not previously considered, including the program I will attend this fall! Karen was instrumental in building my confidence and tapping into my strengths, especially when crafting my essays and preparing for interviews.
Karen helped me define a final list of schools, create a timeline and manage action items to keep me on track. I was able to rely on regular check-ins, clearly defined expectations and an always calm, reassuring tone throughout the chaotic application process. As an added bonus, the interview and resume prep have proved invaluable for the start of recruitment season.
I am so grateful for Karen’s services and the support she provided me through this process. Karen is truly wonderful to work with and if you are able I would highly recommend seizing the opportunity to have her guide you through your admissions process.”
Unlike other consultants, Karen does not do the work to just check the check boxes. She caps her client list, losing out on potential income, so she can give each client’s application a thorough review and provide real actionable feedback. Most of all, I felt that Karen genuinely cared about my success. She wanted me to be happy with my essays and the application I produced. She edited one of my essays for grammatical errors, even when I didn’t ask her to, just so I would submit a better essay. When it seemed like the time I had purchased was not enough, she went above and beyond what I expected any consultant to do—she committed to working with me until the end, no matter how long it took. Having Karen’s help was like having a friend in my corner rooting for me, rather than having a consultant working for me. I could not be happier with Karen and North Star Admissions, and would recommend her to all my friends and anyone looking for MBA Admissions consulting!”
Furthermore, Karen is always very prompt and conscientious with response times and is not afraid to tell you that something isn’t working. With her background in Admissions, she gives you the perspective of how an admissions officer would read your application.
I’d say also that Karen is particularly helpful with reapplicants. She is able to take what you submitted already and work with that and specifically point to areas and give actionable “to-dos” to re-work your application. One of my pet peeves with any sort of consulting is vague/high-level advice. Karen does not do that. As a result of my work with Karen, I will now be entering a top-tier business school this fall.”
The results were overwhelmingly great: I was accepted to three top MBA programs, two of which offered me a full-tuition scholarship. I am happy to say that I will be attending my dream school, a Top 10 MBA program with a full-tuition scholarship offer. None of this would have been possible without Karen’s help. Because of her, I am one step closer to achieving my dreams and goals in life. Thank you Karen!”
I initially was told about Karen by a Tuck alumnus after I failed to receive acceptance from any of the schools I applied to in the previous year. Hearing Karen’s great insight into the application processes and her strategies, through which she fully applies her experience as an admissions officer at Tuck, I decided to work with her immediately after the first 20 minute consultation.
While I worked with Karen, I realized the essential part of her instruction. It is “selection and concentration” As a business school applicant, it is very important to balance your essays, scores, other application requirements, and of course your professional work. However, your time and money are limited. Some counselors tell that you should “work hard” and “do everything”, but Karen does not. She distinguishes important parts from others. I was convinced that her strategy worked greatly through having satisfying results.
As a result, I received an offer letter from one of my dream schools and decided to go and study there. I deeply appreciate Karen’s accurate instructions, enthusiasm, and positive attitude which always empowered me. Now, with confidence, I am honored to recommend her as the best counselor.”
“Over the two years that I have known Karen, both as a prospective and current MBA student, she has proven to be that rare combination of tireless advocate and sharply perceptive advisor that every business school applicant needs. Her many years of experience as an admissions officer admitting a diverse array of students at one of the world’s most prestigious business schools uniquely positioned her to recognize strengths that I could contribute to a top management program – strengths that I could not have articulated or recognized on my own. I benefitted immeasurably from her strategic approach to admissions, honesty, and in-depth knowledge of the application process. Having Karen on your side will set you apart in ways that top schools will find hard to resist!”
— AJL
BA, University of Pennsylvania; MA, UCLA; MBA, the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College; MPA, Harvard Kennedy School
“I have had the pleasure of connecting with Karen in many different roles. I interacted with her as a prospective student seeking admissions advice, as a Tuck Student Admission Associate helping to interview candidates, and as a friend. In every interaction I have always known Karen to be genuine, honest, and caring. Her knowledge of the admissions process, coupled with her commitment to helping others, ensures that you will find a business school environment that is right for you professionally and personally. When I was a prospective student, Karen not only helped to guide me through the admissions process, but also displayed patience and honesty when helping me choose a school that was the right fit for me. She helped me think through the pros and cons of my MBA admission choices without bias. I was fortunate to have Karen in my corner through this difficult and stressful time. If you work with Karen during your admissions process, you will be partnering with an expert in MBA admissions, an expert in the consortium process, and a person who will make your personal and professional interests her priority.”
— A.W.
BS, Wesleyan; MBA, the Tuck Business School at Dartmouth College
“Karen is an admissions expert with years of experience in a decision-making role at a top-ranked business school. But what distinguishes Karen is her EQ [emotional quotient]. Karen understood me quickly. She appreciated the things that made me special and guided me through the process of communicating them in the most effective way possible. She immediately saw, what others may have missed without her help. I was lucky to have her guidance. I could not imagine a better coach.”
— JG
BS, Columbia University; MBA, the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College
“My interaction with Karen Marks through the MBA admissions process was particularly helpful because I was not a traditional candidate. One area of my application was lacking, and Karen saw other areas of my application that still made me stand out as a great candidate. My GMAT score was not particularly strong, but Karen allowed my work experience, recommendations, and natural fit with the Tuck community weigh more heavily. As a student who has since done well at Tuck and graduated, having an admissions director who can see the value in other areas of an application outside of raw data is crucial to building a great class. For this reason, I am very confident that as an admissions consultant, Karen will help candidates bring out other parts of their applications to offset some areas that are not in the top percentiles. She will be a very valuable asset to help candidates stand out regardless of weaker areas in their applications.”
–AK
BA, Brown; MBA, the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College
“I have known Karen for the two years I was a student at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. She is impressively intelligent, a complete perfectionist, affable, and enthusiastic, which makes it an absolute pleasure to work with her. She is culturally sensitive and has unique insights regarding the application process, which would be highly beneficial to any prospective student. Further, she exemplifies the spirit of Tuck in terms of collaboration, ethics, and responsibility, which makes her a unique admissions consultant.”
— VN
B. Com., Delhi University; Institute of Chartered Accountants of India; MBA, the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College
“Karen has the unique ability to hone in on the distinctive qualities of her clients and help translate those attributes into their application. Combined with her insider knowledge of the business school application review process, she will prove invaluable to those applicants looking to best present themselves to an admissions committee. I highly recommend working with her!”
— JM,
BS, United States Military Academy at West Point; MBA, the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College; MPA, Harvard Kennedy School
“I can confidently say that my life would be very different today had it not been for Karen. Several years ago, I took a crack at applying to business schools on my own – Kellogg, Tuck, Cornell (Johnson) and a few other top programs. I had good grades, a decent GMAT score and “non-traditional” work experience. While I worked incredibly hard on my application and essays, and prepared diligently for interviews, I was disappointed to have been rejected from all but one school. I truly believed that my application would speak for itself, but sadly it had not. Worse, I didn’t understand what I was missing! I deferred admission to the business school that accepted me and chose to give the entire process another shot. In our very first meeting, Karen helped me better understand the things that made me special, unique and capable of positively contributing to the schools’ communities. Once we had identified these elements, she gave me the tips and tools to perfectly position myself and communicate my “story” effectively. Further, Karen worked with me extensively on my interviewing skills. To say that Karen maximized my candidacy would be an understatement. The following year, I submitted applications with a whole new outlook and strategy. I was accepted at Wharton, Kellogg, Tuck and Johnson. Working with Karen ensured that I could attend the institution that was right for me, with a scholarship.”
— JM
BA, Cornell University; MBA, Kellogg
“Karen understands people—she listens, truly cares, and wants her students to succeed and achieve. Karen’s knowledge of the admissions realm, coupled with her focus on the individual, makes the school search a positive, fulfilling, and rewarding experience.”
–CJS
BA, Mt. Holyoke; Associate Director of Admissions at an independent high school