Alice and Menlo are more than just a (world class) MBA admissions consultancy. They are sincerely curious in you as an individual and want the best for you, and as a result, they will push you to reach your maximum potential. This sincere approach means that they really understand your strengths, values, weaknesses, and ambitions (and what sits behind those ambitions). Frank and honest, they will tell you when they expect more of you or when you need to take that extra step to have the best chance of getting into an MBA, which was hugely important for me at times. The working relationship absolutely feels like a partnership. Initially, you will go through a process where Alice delves deep into your story, and very skillfully she will pull out parts of your story that you may not have appreciated enough, or perhaps place too much importance on. Alice has a remarkable ability to understand your story and motivations and then reflect it back in a way that puts all the pieces together in a way that is compelling to a potential business school. Further, when I had big questions about things such as quitting my job and moving country, Alice provided honest constructive feedback. It is important for me to also say that Alice gives you the confidence to perform. She understands how to softly instill confidence in you. First for the essay writing stage and then the interview – she keeps it simple, light, and gives you a way of thinking whereby you enjoy the process. In summary, Menlo gave me absolute confidence at every stage that what I was submitting or presenting was the best that I could offer. Not quite sure how I would have done it without the Menlo team, I couldn’t speak about them more highly. They will push you but they will get the best out of you and your application.

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I’ve been very fortunate to have worked with Menlo Coaching : David, Alice and team!
As a male Indian tech applicant with a < 700 score, I knew that I was in a very competitive pool of applicants. With Menlo’s help I was able to secure admission into a top 15 school in the US (with significant scholarship) and a top school in Europe, and I’m super happy with the result!

The fact that Menlo choses to work with only a limited no of students per round, maximizes their value add and personalized attention to help you succeed. In our 30min introductory call itself, I realized that David and team really care for you and want you to succeed in getting an admit and not just help you apply to schools.

Firstly, I was very impressed by Menlo’s extremely structured approach - The process is divided into modules and each module (in the form of videos) highlights what you need to do, what mistakes candidates usually make and what are the important actionable takeaways that you need to focus on. It removes the pressure and the anxiety that you feel as an applicant and helps you focus on important things at the right time - from networking events to resume building and perfecting your essays. You won’t have to think much - just follow the steps and you’ll get there!
They also do a brilliant job of pairing you in groups with other applicants with similar backgrounds - so you feel you aren’t alone and makes the whole process fun !

Second, David’s insights into how the admissions process works, and how your profile would be evaluated (depending on nationality, industry background etc) w.r.t your applicant pool was very valuable in deciding what schools I wanted to apply this time (unlike last time where I got 0 interviews despite using a coach). He helped me introspect about my life in way that enabled me to identify and creatively write about my life experiences. It’s easy to not think of such life experiences as true differentiators or “something worthy of writing about in an MBA essay” but this is where David’s creativity comes to the rescue - crafting a compelling story in a *genuine* and simple way which makes the Adcom member reading your application remember you. This is super important - It helps you stand out!

Regarding my resume and essays - I’ve had a lot of anxiety in the past - filled with tech jargons and not having enough examples to quantify my progress (unlike someone coming from a finance/consulting background). My resume has transformed now ! We went through ~ 6 to 7 revisions to discuss each and every line/word to perfect it - convey a result in each bullet in a simple way which makes it easy to understand.
For the essays, David’s help was phenomenal. He really helped me refine my career goals so that it follows a compelling and logical story. He even shared industry trends/ links with me to help me identify trends to speak about in my goals essay. This is the level of personalized attention he gives ! The fact that David has a tech+ business background is a great advantage you have as a tech applicant - he gets the industry, he gets the jargon and then refines it in a simple way that anyone can understand! His turn around time on the essay revisions was super quick (within a day for every draft) and yes, he won’t stop until he feels he has produced the best version! If you have writing anxiety, again..dont worry! Just follow David’s advice, do the work and you’ll churn out great essays!
I completed all my essays 10 days before the Rd1 deadlines !

Finally, menlo’s support for interview prep is top notch! They partner you with a communication coach with whom you can have multiple sessions and get feedback on the way you speak, your body language etc. Super helpful tips which are applicable otherwise to your career.
David and I spent multiple sessions brainstorming how to present my stories in my interviews. I did ~ 4 mock interview sessions and had more than 1 example for each question. The practice sessions were a great confidence booster going into the interviews - no pressure since we had already practiced almost all the questions :)

@All - the investment with Menlo Coaching is worth it! You want to get into an MBA program and you will, and in the process you’ll gain a lot of useful insights and takeaways which are going to help you in your career as well! so dont think twice - these folks are the best out there!

Thank you again David, Alice and Team!

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I first began working with David as part of Menlo’s “Early Birds” program, which is designed to help candidates develop/improve elements of their application profile that require ample lead time (GMAT score, brainstorming “your story”, etc.). As someone from a very non-target background, I found this program to be incredibly helpful. I was able to hear firsthand the experiences of previous Menlo clients, and David worked closely with me to develop my story.

After finding the Early Birds program so valuable, I decided to work with David through the primary application process as well. I applied within a very competitive industry pool, and David spent hours helping me think through ways to position my profile as unique. Then, while writing essays, David continually challenged me to dig deeper and explore how my unique experiences might resonate with each individual program.

I was invited to interview at several M7 programs to which I applied. With David’s help, I went into each interview feeling calm and well prepared. After receiving acceptance letters, David helped me form a negotiation strategy for merit-based financial aid, which ultimately led to several sizable scholarships.

Working with David was a great experience. He provided highly personalized support during each step of my application. He also provided constant guidance and advice, helping me through the ups and downs of the MBA application process. For those reasons, I can’t recommend David enough.

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Applying for bschools couldn't have been a better experience with Alice and her team. They provide an all-inclusive experience, and are there for you every step of the way. For those who don't know as much about the bschool process, they have bimonthly workshops via video on various topics (e.g. GMAT prep, visiting schools, utilizing your network, resume writing).

For me, I felt like I already knew a lot about the application process due to being at a consulting firm surrounded by many bschool alumni. I was still blown away by the level of support and new insights that Alice brought. A few things that really stood out:

1. You have fewer iterations, and a tighter narrative. I wrote an average of 3 drafts for my essays, with very targeted edits after my first draft. This was due to talking through my life story with Alice & Leslie. They would then help me see the narrative, and areas to focus. When reviewing my drafts, because they knew my holistic profile, they were able to point out areas that I was not portraying as effectively, or stories that I did not initially include.

2. Alice is extremely candid (sometimes with what you don't want to hear). She's tactful but relentless to get you to your best application. There were times when I would write 2 drafts, and she would say it was good... which made me question was it actually? But then she would make me write 11 iterations of a draft... then make me compare the 2 draft vs. 11 draft essays. It was clear I had put my heart into my 2 draft one (since I was more excited to go to the school) and had used more descriptive/excited language. I fully trust her with the final pen.

3. She's there every step of the way and encourages you to do things that may be out of your comfort zone. She guides you through any question big or small. She pushed me to reach out to people in my larger network that I normally may not have. She helped me with scholarship essays and prepped me for every interview. She even looked over emails I sent to faculty members and the admissions office (I had to sort out a deferral situation).

All in all, highly recommend Alice! I just finished working with her R1 for 2019, and already referred two of my friends who are working with her now for R2.

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The journey to get admitted to top MBA programs, some including scholarship, is an arduous marathon and I couldn’t have asked for better support than David. I am admitted to HBS, Kellogg, Sloan, and Haas, including a full scholarship at one of the schools, making me humbled and elated!

Menlo Coaching’s structured approach to the admission process ensures that you submit the best possible version of your candidacy to the schools because you spent time understanding what schools are looking for and more importantly your own personal story.

Before I approached David, I already had a good GMAT score (750) and knew that I only wanted to apply to a few top 10 programs.

I appreciated that David’s involvement emphasized networking with schools heavily including campus visits and alumni chats and these upfront investments paid off in unexpected ways throughout the process in essays and in interviews, not to mention that they were also instrumental in school selection.

Then, over the course of 6 months, we covered my personal story, career goals, recommender preparation, and writing and speaking styles before we even started looking at the essays. My personal favorites were his work with recommenders and his original ‘training’ on communication.

- I really liked that my recommenders could work with David, if they chose to, to get a second opinion on content/writing style because both my recommenders were new to the process. It is easier for a trusted third-person to discuss praise/critique about me rather than having to do it myself. I was feeling pretty vain writing and talking about myself and I couldn’t have comfortably asked my recommenders to do so in addition.

- Regarding communication, I enjoyed an hour with a public speaking coach who was also an actor. Having a toolkit to loosen up, breathe, and get in the right mindset before the big interviews was priceless

I requested free consultations with numerous consultants and I clicked best with David. The rapport was also extremely important because of the deep personal reflections that are required from this process.

I whole-heartedly recommend Menlo Coaching to anyone who wants to seriously pursue an MBA at a top program. Thank you!

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My husband and I both worked with David on our applications. David really helped the two of us to create coherent and resonating stories in order to maximize the chances of us getting into the same school. Along the process, he was a true friend who always thought about our applications from our perspectives, offering advice at every single decision making point. A few things that I really appreciated
1) Timeliness: Even though he is located in Europe, the time difference actually helped to get very efficient turnarounds. He was also in NYC for quite some time so that we could have face to face meetings, which was very efficient.
2) Organized: He'll never miss any emails/questions, and all the answers he provided are well thought out
3) Resourcefulness: David always offered good ideas, and chatting with him whenever I felt stuck had a therapeutic effect -- I knew that I was in good hands
4) He's a genuine person: A lot of consultants single goal is to make money and rip people off. It never felt that way. David and Alice always tried to make this holistic experience (organizing gatherings for their clients in the same city, etc). It felt like a community

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I strongly recommend Menlo Coaching for anyone who is looking to get into top tier MBA programs.

I started my application in early 2018. After shopping around for a few consultants, I decided to go with David and Alice because of the fabulous reviews on the internet. I am glad that I made the decision as I received an offer from a few to programs including Wharton. Personally, I especially appreciated three aspects of my journey with Menlo Coaching. First, Menlo Coaching helped me to manage a hectic application timeline. I work long hours, and setting aside time for MBA application is extremely challenging. David helped me to compartmentalized the entire application progress into smaller, digestible pieces, which made my application process much more efficient. Second, I got some honest, valuable inputs from David on my essays. He and Alice are great at what they do. David helped me to brainstorm my stories, and pushed me where I could do better. I finally turned my essays into cohesive, interesting stories. Had I not had David's help, my essays would have read like mumbles at best. Third, David cares. I always felt comfortable reaching out to him for advice on my application, and I would always receive timely, candid feedbacks from him. I applied with my spouse and our application profiles were a bit unconventional. David carefully curated our stories lines; beyond that, he also gave us advice on the potential impacts of our admissions on our lives. I appreciate the thoughtfulness. I consider David not only as my consultant, but also as my friend.

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This was my second year working with David. Last year, in the first admissions cycle under the Trump administration, my best result was being wait-listed at Booth and eventually denied admission. I’m a Canadian applicant looking to pivot in to investment banking and after David analyzed R1 2017 trends, he helped me trace the issue back to schools being wary of potential H-1B Visa issues.
Despite a disappointing outcome, I had zero doubts that David and I shaped an effective narrative for my story (actuary working with pension funds on investment strategy, wanted to continue to make an impact in this space by moving in to infrastructure investing at a pension fund). David really helped my essays reflect that this was a very well thought out endeavour and that I had a high probability of succeeding in my post-MBA employment goals.
This year, I worked with David to re-apply and he advised me in two areas which made all the difference:
1. Visited CBS prior to submitting my application and had a brief chat with admissions
2. Addressed the Visa issue outright in my supplementary essays by indicating that I would look to recruit in Toronto/London instead
Finally, David also helped me prepare for the Wharton team-based discussion by organizing a group of applicants for a mock interview. In the end, I was admitted to two out of the three schools and would have zero hesitation in recommending David to future applicants.

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Investing in David, Alice, and their holistic approach to the application process is an investment in 1) admission to a program that is right for you and 2) your subsequent success there (which is to say, VERY important!).

Starting Day 1, David gave me invaluable guidance on exactly how to research each target school in a meaningful way – with this research, I painted a 75% picture of what my experience would look like at each program, which removed the uncertainty I felt about whether a program was “right” for me. The research also provided ample material for my essays, reducing the time it took to produce a usable first draft. Since David is based in Amsterdam, his feedback was almost instantaneous – I would send him a draft right before I slept, and the edits were waiting in my inbox the next morning without fail. This made the entire application process extremely efficient and much more enjoyable than I anticipated!

Outside of the application itself, what really sets David and Alice apart is how much they care about you as an individual. Without repeating too much of what other reviewers have mentioned, I can confirm that I truly felt David believed in my story (even sending me related news articles for personal interest) and worked hard to ensure my ideas and experiences came through in my essays and interview responses. I have no regrets about any aspect of the applications because everything was authentic – I’m just glad I had David on my side to ensure I could tell my story in the most compelling way.

I didn’t anticipate getting into more than two schools, but I ended up with acceptances to all my targets and with scholarships. The price tag is higher for Menlo Coaching compared to other consultants, but the ROI is unbeatable! I attribute the scholarships entirely to the quality of my applications and interview prep, and I know the quality was due to David’s constant coaching and support.

As one final proof point, I’m now a first year at Wharton and have checked off half of the items I mentioned in my application essay because I had done the hard research at the beginning of the process. While it’s still overwhelming to adjust to all the opportunities available in school, it has been very helpful to know my game plan to stay focused on my goals and take advantage of targeted resources.

I couldn’t recommend David and Alice more – I can assure that your process from start to finish (and even throughout your program) will be worth it!

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I was referred to Alice by a friend and colleague. I was planning to apply to business school and wanted to work with an experienced consultant for not only guidance on essays and applications, but because I valued the direction and insight of someone intimately familiar with the process and my targeted schools. Working with Alice was fantastic and I cannot imagine a resource more knowledgeable, helpful or supportive.

Working with Alice resulted in a very organized and methodical process, and her help was invaluable in crafting the best possible version of my story. I applied to four schools in Round 1, and this method allowed me to manage a large undertaking with minimal stress. She (and David) also helped me prepare for interviews in a way that allowed me to feel calm and prepared going into the real thing. Our process had a happy conclusion as I beat the odds and was accepted to my top choice school. I cannot thank Alice (and her team) enough for their role because without her guidance, I would not have stood a chance.

In addition to her great work, Alice’s caring and thoughtful manner sets her apart. Despite a full roster of clients, she always made me feel like a top priority. This environment facilitated an honest, transparent and supportive working relationship, which means a lot during a grueling process.

Alice is an exceptional resource for any prospective business school applicant and I cannot recommend her more strongly.

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