Stratus Admissions

Stratus Admissions Counseling is a United States-based admissions consulting firm focused primarily on MBA admissions. According to its own materials, the firm has served thousands of clients from more than 50 countries since 2006, helping applicants gain admission to leading business schools and earn merit scholarships. Its stated mission is to give MBA applicants a 360-degree, team-based review of their applications rather than relying on a single counselor. The firm's signature approach assigns each client a Primary Counselor plus an MBA Strategist, School-Specific Reviewers, and Proofreaders, so that multiple experts review application components at key checkpoints. Stratus says this mirrors how business school admissions committees read applications, with several reviewers examining materials repeatedly. Services span full team-based MBA admissions packages, hourly consulting, a starter strategy program, interview preparation, and profile building for candidates applying one or more years out. Stratus markets itself on client satisfaction and recognition. It reports an 83 Net Promoter Score and hundreds of five-star reviews on Google, GMAT Club, and Poets&Quants. In 2024 it was named the #1 medium-sized MBA admissions consulting firm on Poets&Quants with a 9.9/10 client satisfaction rate. Its Director of MBA Admissions Counseling, Susan Cera, was named the top MBA admissions coach by Poets&Quants in 2021 and has been recognized as a top admissions coach every year since; Senior MBA Admissions Counselor Donna Bauman has also topped the Poets&Quants list, and Melisa Prevost has been recognized with perfect 10/10 ratings. The firm's counselors are regularly cited by media outlets including U.S. News & World Report and Poets&Quants on topics such as MBA application essays, application timelines, and what admissions committees look for. Stratus positions itself as a premium, high-touch consultancy distinguished by its multi-expert team model and its MBA Four-School Guarantee.

Stratus Admissions Counseling was founded in 2006 and has since served thousands of clients from more than 50 countries, according to the firm's own account. From its beginnings, the company built its practice around a team-based model of MBA admissions consulting rather than the single-counselor approach common in the industry. Under this model, each client works with a Primary Counselor plus an MBA Strategist, School-Specific Reviewers, and Proofreaders, giving applicants multiple expert perspectives on essays, resumes, short answers, and interview preparation. Over the years, Stratus expanded its service line beyond full team-based packages to include hourly consulting, a starter strategy program, interview preparation, and profile building for candidates applying one or more years in the future. The firm reports that its clients have gained admission to top-ranked business schools worldwide, including Harvard Business School, the Stanford Graduate School of Business, UPenn Wharton, MIT Sloan, Columbia Business School, and INSEAD, and that they have earned millions of dollars in merit scholarships. Stratus has also built a public profile through industry recognition and media commentary. It reports an 83 Net Promoter Score and hundreds of five-star reviews on Google, GMAT Club, and Poets&Quants. In 2024, Poets&Quants named Stratus the #1 medium-sized MBA admissions consulting firm, citing a 9.9/10 client satisfaction rate. Individual counselors have earned repeated recognition: Director of MBA Admissions Counseling Susan Cera was named the top MBA admissions coach by Poets&Quants in 2021 and a top admissions coach every year since, while Senior MBA Admissions Counselor Donna Bauman has also topped the Poets&Quants list and Melisa Prevost has been recognized with perfect 10/10 ratings. Stratus counselors are regularly quoted by outlets such as U.S. News & World Report and Poets&Quants on MBA essays, application timelines, and admissions strategy.

• 2025

  Stratus counselors are featured in U.S. News & World Report and Poets&Quants; Susan Cera is recognized among the top 15 MBA admissions consultants of 2025.

• 2024

  Stratus is named the #1 medium-sized MBA admissions consulting firm on Poets&Quants with a 9.9/10 client satisfaction rate.

• 2021

  Stratus Director of MBA Admissions Counseling Susan Cera is named the top MBA admissions coach by Poets&Quants with a perfect 10/10 client satisfaction rating.

• 2006

  Stratus Admissions Counseling is founded and begins serving MBA applicants.

Premium, team-based MBA admissions consulting with multiple experts reviewing each application; emphasizes client satisfaction and recognition by Poets&Quants.

• Team-Based MBA Admissions Consulting Packages

  Unlimited work with a Primary Counselor on introspection, personal strategy, school selection, brainstorming, essay development, resume strategy, recommender/short-answer coaching, interview prep, and waitlist navigation, plus review by an MBA Strategist, School-Specific Reviewers, and Proofreaders.

• Hourly MBA Admissions Consulting

  Choose to work on any task relating to MBA applications, including school selection, outline/essay review, resume rework, short-answer review, recommender strategy, and interview preparation.

• Starter MBA Strategy

  Over four to five weeks, work with an admissions counselor on holistic introspection exercises designed to create a personalized MBA application strategy.

• MBA Interview Prep

  Practice for MBA interviews with an expert Stratus admissions counselor, who conducts a mock interview and provides one-on-one feedback; includes an interview guide.

• MBA Profile Builder

  For candidates applying in one or more years, an admissions counselor assesses the business school profile across relevant dimensions and creates a strategy to strengthen it.

1. 1MBA Consulting Services | Expert Admissions Counselors | Stratusstratusadmissionscounseling.com
2. 2About Stratus | Admissions Counseling Firmstratusadmissionscounseling.com
3. 3Stratus Admissions Counseling Servicesstratusadmissionscounseling.com
4. 4About Stratus | Pressstratusadmissionscounseling.com