FAQ
FAQs
How do I get into a top master's or MBA programme as an international student?
Start with the reasons you want to study: connect your academic interests, your experience and your longer-term goals. And if the process makes you feel like an outsider, that feeling is more common than you think - many of our mentors felt exactly the same way when they were applying. The things that make you feel different are usually the things that make your application worth reading. Our graduate admissions support is 1-to-1 mentoring built around your story: programme selection, personal statement help and application preparation. You share your intended programmes, deadlines and academic background, and we discuss what support fits your goals. (Looking for undergraduate admissions instead? See our undergraduate admissions page.)
How do I choose the right master's or MBA programmes?
Work backwards from why: what you want to explore in more depth, and how your interests connect with the programmes you are considering. Programme selection is part of our graduate admissions support, so you choose with a mentor who understands what each path asks of you, not from a ranking table alone.
How do I write a personal statement that stands out?
Here is the honest starting point: no one in the world has lived your exact life. Your interests, your experience and the road that brought you here are yours alone, and a strong statement simply makes that visible. Connect what you want to explore with where you hope it leads, and say it in your own voice. Our mentors work through that with you 1-to-1, so the statement sounds like you on your best day, not a template.
When should I start my master's or MBA application?
Early enough that the why comes before the what - and early enough is probably sooner than your confidence tells you. Feeling behind, or afraid you are not the kind of person who gets in, is normal; most of our mentors felt it too. Once you have intended programmes and deadlines, share them with us and we discuss what support fits your goals and your timeline, and we agree the scope before you commit.
When should I start preparing for finance internship recruiting?
Earlier than feels necessary - recruiting timelines in finance run well ahead of the internship itself. In career consulting we start with your background, target roles and timeline: what roles or sectors interest you, which experiences explain what you can bring, and what would help you feel ready for the next application. A Finance 101 session is also one of the support formats you can ask for when you apply.
Can someone review my resume?
Yes, and it is okay to feel a little exposed handing it over - most people do, and our mentors remember the feeling from their own applications. Resume review is one of the support formats you can select when you apply, on its own or as a resume and cover letter review. Career consulting also looks at how you present your experience more broadly, so the review can sit inside a bigger plan if you want it to.
Will you guarantee I get in or get the offer?
No, and you should be wary of anyone who does. Admissions and hiring decisions are made by universities and employers, not consultants. What we offer is 1-to-1 mentoring from students who were once in your shoes, a considered plan built around your story, and an agreed scope of work before you commit to anything.
Who are the mentors?
Students who were once in your shoes: a global group of consultants across the US, Europe and APAC, with diverse backgrounds and great careers. Many of them felt afraid, or like they did not belong, when they were applying - that is part of why they mentor. The schools our mentors attended are shown on the team page for context only - 20% Strategy is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.
How much does it cost?
It depends on the support you choose, and you will always know before you commit: we discuss scope and price with you first, and the work and price are agreed before anything starts. If cost is a concern, ask about financial assistance - cost should not stop you from chasing your dreams, and we would love to hear from you.
How is 20% Strategy different from an admissions or career consultancy?
Three things. It is personal: ambition is personal, so the conversation is too - you work 1-to-1 with a mentor, not a sales process. It is recent: you are taught by mentors aged 25 to 30, students and recent graduates who were once in your shoes and remember exactly how daunting this felt - and who are personable, and funny. And it is yours: no one else has your life experience, so the plan we build with you could not belong to anyone else. You share your story, we talk it through together, and the scope and price are agreed before you commit.