Stratus Admissions Counseling

What Stratus Admissions Counseling does

Stratus Admissions Counseling is a private U.S.-based MBA admissions consulting firm headquartered in Waban, Massachusetts, that serves prospective MBA and JD/MBA applicants applying to top-ranked business schools. The company's core offering is a team-based, 360-degree application review in which at least four experts—a Primary Counselor, an MBA Strategist, School-Specific Reviewers, and Proofreaders—collaborate on every client engagement, mirroring the multi-reader evaluation process used by actual admissions committees. The firm sells directly to consumers through a Shopify-powered e-commerce storefront at shop.stratusadmissionscounseling.com, with Acuity Scheduling handling consultation booking and HubSpot supporting CRM and marketing automation. Pricing is structured as one-time, per-engagement fees ranging from $875 for a single Ding Analysis session to $18,500 for a six-school JD/MBA team-based package, with the core MBA Team-Based Packages positioned in the mid-to-high four-figure / low five-figure range; a 3% discount is offered for ACH payment.

The product portfolio spans the full applicant lifecycle: Starter MBA Strategy (a 4–5 week introspection engagement), Team-Based MBA Packages (the flagship), Hourly Consulting (à la carte task work), MBA Profile Builder (long-horizon 1+ year advisory), MBA Interview Prep, MBA Ding Analysis (post-rejection diagnostics), and a specialized JD/MBA package addressing the dual LSAC/MBA-portal workflow. The firm is founder/management-owned with no external funding disclosed, employs 11–50 people per firmographics, and has cumulatively served "thousands" of applicants—helping clients earn "millions of dollars in merit scholarships" per company claims. Its competitive moat rests on the insider admissions-committee experience of its counseling team (the Director spent ten years at Duke Fuqua) and brand recognition through Poets&Quants, U.S. News & World Report, Forte Foundation, and GMAT Club, supported by an extensive content library of school-specific application guides. The firm differentiates further with a Four-School Guarantee that offers free Round 2 preparation if a client is not admitted to any of four or more Round 1 applications.

Name

Stratus Admissions Counseling

Legal name

Stratus Admissions Counseling

Website

https://stratusadmissionscounseling.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Stratus Admissions Counseling is a private U.S. firm offering team-based MBA and JD/MBA admissions consulting services to individual applicants targeting top business schools, selling multi-expert coaching packages through a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Consulting / MBA Admissions Counseling

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Graduate & Professional School Admissions Counseling (MBA/MD/JD/MS) (EDANAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Application Review, Proofreading & Submission Support (EDANAEAJ), Waitlist, Deferral & Appeal Strategy Support (EDANAEAO), Personal Statement / Essay / Supplemental Writing Support (EDANAEAF)

Keywords

• MBA admissions consulting
• Business school admissions
• Graduate school counseling
• JD/MBA dual degree consulting
• Admissions strategy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Waban

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. MBA Admissions Consulting Packages: Comprehensive team-based consulting packages for MBA applications with multiple schools, including strategy development, essay coaching, interview preparation, and application review
2. JD/MBA Team-Based Consulting: Specialized consulting packages for candidates pursuing both JD and MBA degrees at the same university, covering applications to both law and business schools
3. MBA Ding Analysis: Post-rejection analysis service providing feedback on rejected applications with written analysis, 30-minute session, and action plan
4. MBA Profile Builder: Long-term advisory service for candidates applying in 1+ years, with periodic check-ins over a year or more to build profile strength
5. Hourly MBA Consulting: A la carte consulting sessions for specific application tasks such as school selection, essay review, resume rework, and interview prep

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Stratus Admissions Counseling provides team-based MBA admissions consulting services where at least four experts — a Primary Counselor, MBA Strategist, School-Specific Reviewers, and Proofreader — collaborate on each client's application strategy, essays, resume, interview prep, and waitlist navigation. The firm sells fixed-scope packages, hourly consulting, and specialized offerings (Starter MBA Strategy, MBA Profile Builder, MBA Ding Analysis, MBA Interview Prep, JD/MBA dual-degree packages) directly to individual applicants through its website.

Product overview

Stratus Admissions Counseling offers a comprehensive suite of MBA and JD/MBA admissions consulting services built around a team-based approach. The core offering consists of Team-Based MBA Admissions Consulting Packages, which provide clients with access to a Primary Counselor, MBA Strategist, School-Specific Reviewers, and Proofreaders. Additional services include Hourly MBA Admissions Consulting for task-specific support, Starter MBA Strategy for early-stage planning, MBA Profile Builder for long-term candidacy development, MBA Interview Prep for interview preparation, and MBA Ding Analysis for rejected applicants. A specialized JD/MBA Team-Based package addresses candidates pursuing joint degrees. The company also offers free consultations and various free resources including blog posts about business schools, MBA deadlines, and presentations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Team-Based MBA Admissions Consulting Packages Comprehensive team-based admissions consulting service where clients work with a dedicated Primary Counselor plus an MBA Strategist, School-Specific Reviewers, and Proofreaders on all aspects of MBA applications including strategy, essays, resume, interview prep, and waitlist navigation. Aimed at individual applicants targeting top-ranked MBA programs.
• Hourly MBA Admissions Consulting Flexible, task-based consulting service allowing clients to work on specific application components including school selection, outline/essay review, resume rework, short-answer review, recommender strategy, and interview preparation, billed by the hour.
• Starter MBA Strategy Four-to-five week engagement featuring holistic introspection exercises designed to create a personalized MBA application strategy and identify target schools aligned with career goals, for applicants in the early planning stages.
• MBA Interview Prep Focused interview preparation service including mock interviews simulating each program's format and personalized feedback to improve content, delivery, and overall presence for MBA applicants preparing for upcoming admissions interviews.
• MBA Profile Builder Advisory service for candidates applying to business school in one or more years, assessing their profile across all dimensions and developing action steps to strengthen their candidacy before applying. Includes periodic check-ins over a year or more.
• MBA Ding Analysis Post-application review service analyzing a rejected or waitlisted application to identify weaknesses and provide actionable recommendations for reapplication or future applications. Includes written analysis, a 30-minute session, and an action plan.
• JD/MBA Team-Based Admissions Consulting Packages Specialized consulting package for candidates pursuing joint JD/MBA degrees, providing coordinated strategy across both law and business school applications including essay coaching, interview prep, and application management across multiple platforms (LSAC for law schools, individual MBA portals).

Quantifiable outcome

• Four-School Guarantee: If client applies to 4+ schools in Round 1 and is not admitted to any, Stratus provides free application preparation for 2 additional schools in Round 2

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform powering the company's online shop at shop.stratusadmissionscounseling.com for selling consulting packages
• Acuity SchedulingcoreTechnology or IntegrationAppointment scheduling software used for booking client consultations

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Admissionado: MBA and graduate admissions consulting firm offering full-service and hourly packages, plus free resources. Direct competitor in MBA admissions with comparable package structures.
• Accepted (formerly AcceptTec): Admissions consulting firm covering MBA, medical, law, and graduate programs with comprehensive packages. Closely comparable to Stratus on MBA services, with broader graduate-program reach.
• The MBA Exchange: Boutique MBA admissions consultancy offering full-service and hourly consulting with school-specific expertise. Direct competitor targeting similar MBA applicant segments as Stratus.
• Stacy Blackman Consulting: Long-standing MBA admissions consultancy with multi-tiered packages, school-specific guides, and a large counselor network. Competes head-to-head with Stratus across full-service and hourly MBA consulting.
• mbaMission: One of the most established MBA admissions consulting firms offering comprehensive packages, essay editing, and interview prep. Direct competitor to Stratus for MBA applicants targeting top programs, including M7.
• Ivy Consultants: MBA admissions consulting firm providing full-service application support, essay editing, and interview prep. Comparable to Stratus in service scope and target customer profile.

Emerging players

• Aringo: MBA and graduate admissions consultancy with a strong international applicant base and large consultant pool. Comparable offering to Stratus, particularly for international MBA candidates.
• PrepAdviser: International-focused MBA admissions consultancy with team-based consulting and school-specific expertise. Comparable to Stratus on methodology, with a stronger international footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Manhattan Review: Broader test prep and admissions consultancy offering GMAT/GRE prep alongside MBA admissions consulting. Overlaps with Stratus on MBA admissions but spans a wider portfolio of services.
• Veritas Prep: Large test prep and admissions consultancy offering GMAT/GRE prep plus MBA admissions consulting. Broader portfolio than Stratus but overlapping on MBA admissions services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/StratusMBA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stratus Admissions Counseling