Hourly Coaching
Flexible MBA admissions coaching for candidates who need targeted support with one part of their MBA application or expert guidance on their overall MBA application strategy.
Expert Support, How And When You Need It
Need expert support on specific parts of your application? Whether you’re building a school list, writing essays, or preparing for interviews, Fortuna’s Hourly Coaching gives you personalized, high-impact guidance – when and where you need it most.
What You’ll Get
With Hourly Coaching, you can add extra muscle where it helps you the most, for example:
- Strategic advice on school selection and application positioning (US and international)
- Profile development and differentiation strategy
- Essay brainstorming, structure, editing, and polish
- Resume development and optimization for MBA standards
- Recommender strategy, support, and coordination
- Interview coaching, including mock sessions with feedback
- Video question preparation and fine-tuning
- Review and critique of final application materials
- Waitlist strategy or reapplication guidance
- Planning impactful campus visits
How Applicants Use Hourly Coaching
Our MBA application coaching is flexible by design. Here are a few ways clients have used Fortuna’s Hourly Coaching:
“I have a strong draft but want expert feedback.”
A deferred MBA applicant booked 3 hours to refine her essays and resume, ensuring her story was both compelling and aligned with each program’s values.
“I’m applying to multiple schools and want help prioritizing.”
A full-time MBA candidate used 5 hours to clarify his school list, refine his narrative, and get strategic input on how to tailor materials across programs.
“I need to practice for my interview.”
An applicant to Wharton booked 2 sessions focused on the TBD format and follow-up interview, gaining confidence and candid insights to polish responses.
“I’m reapplying and want to understand what went wrong.”
A reapplicant used 6 hours to review previous materials with a former adcom coach, revise essays, and strengthen overall positioning.
“I’ve already submitted, but I’m waitlisted.”
An applicant used 3 hours to diagnose reasons for being waitlisted, craft a compelling update letter and develop a strategic plan to stay engaged with the admissions committee to maximize chances of admissions success.
Who It’s For
Hourly Coaching is a great fit if you:
- Want targeted support on specific parts of your application
- Have already started and need expert feedback to strengthen your materials
- Need help preparing for interviews or responding to a waitlist decision
- Prefer a flexible, personalized coaching experience over a full package
What a 10-Hour Plan Typically Looks Like
Many clients choose our 10-hour package to get targeted support across key elements of the application. While we provide a suggested structure, your hours can be customized to your specific goals and timeline.
MBA Strategy & Planning: 2.5 hours
- Through a deep dive into your profile, we develop a clear, cohesive candidacy positioning that highlights your unique strengths while mitigating any weaknesses.
- We outline a strategic timeline and attack plan, enabling you to stay on track.
- We guide you through an in-depth reflection process to define your career aspirations and post-MBA goals.
Recommendation Letter Strategy: 1.5 hours
- Get expert advice on choosing the right recommenders
- Create a recommender briefing document to ensure strong, aligned letters
- Learn how to support your recommenders to transmit your strengths and impact
Essay Coaching & Review: 4 hours
- Receive detailed feedback on essay structure, content, and tone
- Work iteratively with your coach to refine each draft
- Ensure your essays clearly reflect your voice, values, and differentiators
Resume Development: 1 hour
- Highlight leadership, impact, and transferable skills – even in nontraditional roles
- Align your resume with MBA standards and admissions expectations
Application Form Review: 1 hour
- Review all application details to ensure clarity, consistency, and polish
- Check for alignment across essays, resume, and app form responses
Hourly Fees
Hourly Coaching starts with a minimum of 3 hours. Upfront bookings of 10 hours or more earn a 5% discount. You can split payments for bookings of 10+ hours into interest-free monthly installments through our financing partner, Splitit. Learn more. To find out about availability and rates for working with a Fortuna Director, sign up for a free consultation.
| Expert Coach | Senior Expert Coach | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Hour | $415 | $495 |
| 10 Hours | $3,950 | $4,700 |
Ready to get started? Sign up now. Want to discuss working with us? Book a free consultation.
Interested in full-cycle support? Explore our All-Inclusive MBA Package, our most popular service to guide you through every step of the process.
Real Reviews From Real Clients
Candidates Love Working With Us
Reframed My Story Through AdCom Eyes
“Alterrell helped me translate my experience and thoughts into a cohesive narrative. He also pushed me to see my essays through the eyes of admissions—which ultimately helped me land at my dream school.”
Stanford GSB Admit
Above-and-Beyond Support, Top Choice Admit
“Emma is simply the best in the game. With her support, I was admitted to my top choice. She went above and beyond to understand my background, motivations, and goals.”
Stanford GSB Admit
Insight and Guidance to Land My Dream School
“With Rachel’s help, I got into my dream schools! Rachel was the right balance of supportive and challenging and pushed me to dig deeper.”
Harvard Business School, Stanford GSB and Yale Admit
Two Admits, $200K in Scholarships
“Working with Emma has been the most amazing experience! With her help, I was admitted to Wharton ($100K scholarship) and Yale (full tuition scholarship).”
Wharton and Yale SOM Admit
Turned Adversity into Strength
“After struggling with addiction, I started my career late. Scott helped me craft a compelling narrative that acknowledged my challenges as strengths.”
Wharton Admit
Frequently Asked Questions
Hourly Coaching provides flexible, one-on-one support from a Fortuna Admissions consultant. You can focus on whatever aspect of the application you need help with – essays, interviews, strategy, or resume.
Our coaching team is made up of former admissions decision-makers from top schools like HBS, Stanford GSB, Wharton, INSEAD, and LBS. Many have served as directors or associate directors of MBA admissions. We match you with someone who knows how to shape an application that stands out.
We match you with a personal coach based on your background, goals, and target schools. We’ll discuss which coach would be the best fit for you during your free consultation call. You’ll work directly with that coach throughout your booked hours.
It helps to come prepared with your goals, background details, and any materials you’ve already worked on. But don’t worry if you’re not sure where to start—your coach will guide you and help maximize your benefit from our support.
After your free consultation, we’ll match you with a coach and schedule your first session as soon as you’re ready—often within a few days, depending on availability.
Our minimum is 3 hours, but many clients opt for a 10-hour package to benefit from more comprehensive, start-to-finish support. It’s typically a good amount of time to craft a strong application strategy, develop standout essays, and polish every element of your submission. Plus, you’ll receive a 5% discount when you book 10 hours upfront.
Not sure how much support you need? Book a free consultation and we’ll help you assess where you are in the process – and where expert MBA admissions coaching can make the biggest difference based on your needs and priorities.
Absolutely. Hourly Coaching is ideal for focused support – whether you’re refining a single application element or looking for final polish before submission.
Yes. Your hours are flexible – you can use them for any combination of support: multiple schools, different essays, interview prep, or strategy check-ins. We’ll help you prioritize based on your goals.
No problem. You can always add more hours as needed. And if you book 10 hours up front, you’ll get a 5% discount.
Yes. If you book 10 hours or more, you can split payments into interest-free monthly installments through our partner, Splitit. Learn more during your consultation.
Hourly Coaching is ideal for targeted, flexible support when you know what you need help with—like essays or interviews. Our All-Inclusive Packages provide structured, end-to-end admissions coaching across your entire MBA application journey, including strategy, project management, and unlimited support.
Yes. If you begin with Hourly Coaching and decide you want more comprehensive support, we’ll work with you to convert your Hourly Coaching package to an All-Inclusive Package. Candidates sometimes choose to start with Hourly Coaching to try out working with their admissions coach.
Yes. Many reapplicants use Hourly Coaching to review past materials, identify gaps, and develop a stronger narrative for their next round. We’ll work with you to position your reapplication thoughtfully and strategically.
Yes! While this page focuses on MBA applicants, we also work with many candidates for EMBA, MiM, MiF, and deferred MBA programs. Just let us know your goals and we’ll match you with the right expert.
Get candid feedback and strategic advice from former MBA admissions decision-makers.