About Courtney

Hi! I'm Courtney Johnson - you can call me Cojo 👋🏻 I am a Stanford GSB alum. Over the last six years, I have helped 20+ prospective MBAs get into their top choice schools (Stanford, Harvard, Wharton, Booth, Kellogg, London Business School, MIT Sloane, and more). I’m from Atlanta, went to University of Georgia for undergrad, then started in Strategy & Operations at Deloitte Consulting. Despite having a “cookie-cutter” resume, I managed to get into every school where I applied. I think the secret to differentiating an “underdog” resume (non-target undergrad, ex-consultant) is by surprising the admissions committee. I love surprising people as they get to know me, and I tried to incorporate this juxtaposition into my application: I’m a southerner without an accent, a blonde who loves esports, a formerly state-ranked tennis player who is shockingly unathletic, and a (reasonably) put together individual who lived on the road without an apartment for two years. One of the Stanford application prompts was to describe yourself in 20 words or less. I wrote, “I’m simultaneously the starry-eyed idealist and the methodical realist, a straight-talker yet fiercely loyal, and despite common misconception, an introvert!” What is something people would be surprised to learn about you? What are aspects of your personality, background, or experience that would seem to contradict each other, but instead create a unique point of view that only you have? I love helping people uncover these differentiating traits - these elements of surprise - as the foundation for their application story. I am passionate about “mining” someone’s experience for that little something special, that contradiction. Just like in any good business, we will aim to “surprise and delight” your customer (the admissions committee) together. If you’re an underdog, reach out! I can’t wait to get to know you, help get you into the school of your dreams, and act as a mentor/friend/therapist both throughout this process and beyond.