What students are saying…
Paul S.
HARVARD UNIVERSITY Gaining admittance to Harvard Business School and the Tillman Military Scholarship would not have been possible without Jo. He helped me to clearly and concisely relate my story to the admissions committees by providing concrete feedback to my application essays. This included everything from simple grammatical corrections to macro level, thematic recommendations for how I could tell my story more effectively. He assisted me in understanding parts of my life and their significance which I did not fully comprehend. Perhaps even more important, Jo’s forthright yet relaxed manner motivated me to work hard while still feeling perfectly comfortable to ask questions and seek advice from him. A consummate professional, he is eloquent, honest, and instills confidence. Always connected and responding immediately, Jo is one of those special individuals who possesses a true gift and God-given talent for helping others achieve their maximum potential.
Jenn A.
DARTMOUTH UNIVERSITY The process felt overwhelming as it had been 10 years since I had last applied to any professional program. Jo always went above and beyond to help. He was extremely responsive, always made time to meet with me, and he took the time to get to know me as an individual. Our mentoring sessions went beyond how to format a resume or write a compelling admissions essay. He helped me navigate personal challenges as well. I struggled with how to balance a career with starting a family. His advice still guides me to this day, as I now have two beautiful children. My time as Jo’s mentee proved to be an inflection point in my professional trajectory. Jo always encouraged me to pursue my biggest goals and never faltered in his message to me that I would succeed. His encouragement pushed me to excel in ways I would have previously doubted myself capable of. I credit a lot of my success in school to his guidance and friendship. I cannot recommend him enough!
Liam R.
HILLSDALE COLLEGE The first word that comes to mind about the experience is “pushed.” Jo pushed me to think more clearly about my writing, pushed me to concentrate on the story that I wanted to tell, and pushed me to refine my English so I would communicate precisely what I wanted to say. I always felt comfortable working with Jo, despite the ways in which I felt pushed to grow. He always worked in a relaxed manner, one that allowed me to learn effectively without feeling critiqued or personally attacked. Ultimately, without his help, it would have been more difficult to write the essays. Overall, the experience both showed me the lengths I needed to go to in order to become a better writer and gave me insight into how to write effectively and persuasively.
John K.
HARVARD UNIVERSITY I found myself nearly overwhelmed by the immense task of applying to top business schools. I turned to Jo for help. He guided me in resume and essay preparation, and also provided general application guidance. Most important, however, was his fantastic assistance preparing for interviews. He made time to videoconference while he was deployed overseas, and gave incredibly helpful mock interviews with valuable feedback. Without his help I would not have been accepted into Harvard Business School. His continued guidance also helped me secure an extremely competitive internship with The Boston Consulting Group.
Jim P.
PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY The application was a huge administrative undertaking consisting of over 60 pages of records, statements, evaluations, test scores, awards and letters of recommendation. Without Mr. Guzman’s help I never would have been able to complete it all. He was always willing to help, and whenever I became discouraged by the paperwork he picked me back up and kept me motivated, always reminding me of my goal. From there I had to sit two separate interview boards. To prepare for those, Mr. Guzman scheduled mock boards where he would ask me questions. He coached me on everything from how to carry myself while walking into the board to how best answer questions with confidence, ensuring to make eye contact with the interviewers. When the results came out I was on the list. Since then Jo has been a friend and I still seek guidance from him. Through college, he persuaded me to broaden my education and take classes out of my major such as political science and humanities. I ended up earning Minors in both. I cannot overstate the impact Jo has had in my career and really in my life. I would not be where I am or who I am without his help.
Eric A.
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO In my ten years of service as a US Navy officer, I have yet to meet anyone who matches or surpasses Jo Guzman's ability to guide others towards success. I was very grateful for his peerless grasp of the written word and hours of interview preparation, grilling me with questions that readied me for my actual admissions interviews. No matter how busy his schedule, he would always find time to mentor me. Through Jo's guidance and support, l ultimately gained admission to four top business schools, including the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Gabe M.
US. SPACE FORCE Coming from Africa and speaking English with a thick accent comes with lots of challenges. Jo was never bothered with this. His self-less and kindhearted nature was his compass guiding his relationship with me. Jo is a Naval Academy Commissioned Officer and a Harvard Graduate. Such prestige didn’t dictate how he related to me. Jo is authentic! He is committed to investing everything into your future dreams and aspirations. Jo is that coaching partner who is always there to support your leap to the level you desire.
Issac H.
U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY SUMMER STEM PROGRAM (Current High School Sophomore)Whenever I emailed a draft, Mr. Jo would return it with corrections and comments within two business days. After I had completed the STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering, Math] essay, which I thought needed to be 1000 words, I tried to submit it [online] and realized it was supposed to be 1000 CHARACTERS. I immediately emailed Mr. Jo, and he cleared his family schedule on a Sunday to make sure I had it completed by the next day, which was the submission date. Mr. Jo brought out my greatest potential by pushing me to create a better product than I would have. He was very encouraging, and as I reflect on the journey, I know I could not have done it without him.
Aric M.
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY The level of individual attention sets Jo miles ahead of traditional consultants. Jo's patience, guidance, and belief in me were invaluable to my success. I cannot stress this aspect of his support enough. Jo put me in touch with people at the schools that interested me and spent time bringing forth my story in a concise manner. What originally took me one page to write, I now write in half a page. Jo was always on point. He made time for my candidacy, no matter what he had going on in his life, and was extremely invested in my success. The results speak for themselves: I received 5 admissions and 3 scholarship offers, 2 from top 5 schools. Jo's feedback was always value added and I cannot recommend him highly enough.
Tom H.
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS - SAN ANTONIOMr. Jo helped me chart a course not only to apply to schools I could not have gotten into on my own, but also to put it all into context of my career. Just like a map, Mr. Jo laid out a very clear path of milestones, timelines, and deadlines which made the process so much easier and less stressful than if I had to navigate all of this myself.
Long before even putting pen to paper, Mr. Jo got to know me on a deeply personal level which allowed us to match with schools across the spectrum, all of which I would have been happy attending. I ended up at the best school which launched me into a very successful career in my dream location.
Where Mr. Jo helped most was with the essays, resume, and letters of recommendation. Because he got to know me so well early in the process, he was able to put parts of my life and my values into the essays, and articulate them in such a way that earned success. With the resume/activities list, Mr. Jo showed me ways to communicate a lot in a very few words: to Show, not just Tell, and to do so in concise, effective phrases. He also helped craft the letters of recommendation so they weren’t simply regurgitating other parts of my application, but rather showed other aspects of me that gave admissions boards a more holistic view of me.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, is Mr. Jo’s accessibility. Whether on text, Signal, or email, Mr. Jo would respond instantaneously to me at any time of the day or night to answer my questions or give me encouragement. He also would just check in with me to see how I was doing and my stress level. My essays would be back to me within hours with corrections and suggestions that enhanced my professional communication ten-fold. I’ve never worked with a teacher, mentor, or coach who cares as much as Mr. Jo.
When I write for my job even to this day, I keep Mr. Jo’s tips front of mind. He lives and breathes higher ed admissions coaching, and I would not recommend anyone else besides Mr. Jo. Thank you!
