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Product Menlo Coaching
Consultant David White
I worked with David and the rest of the Menlo Coaching team to apply to all M7 programs in an extremely competitive application cycle. David went above and beyond to challenge and help me clarify my career goals, and communicate them through various essay formats (e.g., video, free form HBS, etc.). We iterated on each essay over 10 times until it was flawless, and all the hard work paid off: I was invited to interview at 5 out of the top 7 programs.
During these iterations, I sometimes made suggestions based on advice from friends or colleagues. Menlo always had the courage to push back on anything they thought wouldn’t work, and to explain why, rather than just rubber stamping anything just to get me out of their hair. We sometimes spent hours discussing seemingly minor details and it was clear they were committed to producing the 100% best work product, as well as making me totally comfortable that every angle had been covered by explaining the reasons behind their suggestions. David also pushed me firmly to maximize my GMAT, which was a part of my success.
These conversations ended up turning up a lot of great material for my application that I never thought would be important, like side hustles that I’d pursued during college (that demonstrated my habit of entrepreneurship), or digging into the details of conversations I had with colleagues to find the “hook” that would capture the reader’s attention.
David and the Menlo team’s support didn’t stop there. Most interviews are won/ lost in preparation – and Menlo conducted numerous mock interviews tailored to the various interview styles (e.g., team-based, behavioral, open-ended conversational, etc.). I even had a one on one session with a professional actor to better develop my communication skills. I ended up getting admitted to HBS (my top choice), along with a few other programs with scholarships. David and the Menlo team were foundational to my success.
Product Menlo Coaching
Consultant Pascal Michels
Pascal is an extraordinary coach and consultant. When I started the MBA application, I was not in a great place. I came from an international, non traditional background. I had an interesting career path, but my GMAT score and my GPA were not stellar, and I had little confidence in my application prospects.
I interviewed several consultants, and was disappointed that they tended to steer me towards "easy" schools. Speaking with Pascal and David for the first time, I felt that they genuinely believed in me, and cared about helping me craft the best possible application.
I started working with Pascal in April 2020 for a Round 1 application targeting 8 schools. At first, I was uncomfortable telling my story. Pascal has a way of putting people at ease and drawing out the best. Rather than filling out an intake form, we had twice weekly calls and developed a wonderful rapport.
Pascal was brilliant at connecting the dots and posing thoughtful questions that coalesced into a solid narrative. Going through this process, it was a breeze to craft the essays. Pascal is a wonderful writer, making the process less intimidating (and actually fun). He was incredibly responsive and generous with his time, happy to go through dozens of mock interview sessions until I felt confident and thoroughly prepared.
Pascal’s genuine warmth and kindness, his ability to draw out the best in each person, and his thorough knowledge of the different perspectives in the application process were invaluable.
Combined with Menlo’s resources and program, I could not have asked for a smoother and better application resource. Menlo’s video modules were efficient and organized, breaking the application down into manageable steps, and let me work at a pace that fit my schedule. The interview prep sessions Menlo provided were excellent, giving me tools to relax and structure my preparation. Finally, Menlo encouraged me to retake the GMAT and connected me with an amazing tutor who helped me achieve my target score of 750.
I am so grateful to Pascal and Menlo for getting me interview invites to almost all the schools I applied to, and for helping me get into my dream school, Wharton! Also, as an unexpected bonus, I thank Pascal for helping me figure out my deepest motivators and passions, and map out what I actually want to do with my life.
Product Menlo Coaching
Consultant Alice van Harten
I am very happy to have worked with Alice and the rest of the Menlo team. I am excited to write that I was accepted to a few top MBA programs, including Booth with a six-figure scholarship, and know that it would not have been possible without their support!
I have a bit of an unconventional background and was not sure how to start thinking about the application process, but Alice worked with me and helped me put together a tailored plan to methodically craft my applications.
Alice helped me find a GRE tutor to help me boost my score, ran through multiple iterations of my resume which was a long way from being ready, provided me with advice on how to network with each program (including how to approach the conversation), she helped me select recommenders, helped me articulate my career goals, and most importantly got to know me on a personal level which was key when it came down to writing the essays and preparing for interviews.
I found Alice to be very insightful in both business and the MBA application process. Alice asked me thought-provoking questions and helped me see my story from different angles as we worked through essay drafts; while not everything I wrote was submitted I was happy to find that as a result of thinking deeply through those questions I was better prepared for my interviews months later.
Alice was amazing throughout, replying to all of my emails and questions thoughtfully and quickly. I could trust that if I needed help with anything that I was working on that I would hear back from Alice by the end of the day. This was especially helpful when I was cutting it close on a few essay drafts. Alice is a pleasure to work with and I would recommend her and the rest of the Menlo team to anyone who is applying to business school!
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Product Menlo Coaching
Consultant Yaron Dahan
I had a great experience working with Yaron. I’m so excited to join Booth (with scholarship) this Fall. Overall, I think the end-to-end service provided by Menlo makes the whole MBA application process so much easier and much more efficient. Yaron gave me step by step instructions throughout the entire cycle from Nov 2019 when I first signed up for the early bird program all the way to Jan 2021 when I received a scholarship from Chicago Booth. MBA applications are a big time commitment. Yaron really helped me streamline the application process of my original 8 target schools so that I was able to effectively work on essays, network with current students, talk to alumnus, attend school events, and communicate with my recommenders while handling a demanding full time job in the finance sector. Writing essays is a big part of the MBA application and it is normally the most time-consuming part. From brainstorming and selecting stories, to editing and polishing the final version, Yaron has elevated my essays to a different level with his years of experience and expertise in the industry. I can’t imagine how much more time I would have wasted on picking the wrong topics that would have hurt my chance. The other thing that I really appreciate working with Yaron is the timely response. Even though we are in different time zones, he always replies to my questions or provides comments to my draft essay within a day, sometimes I even got my response right away!
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Product Menlo Coaching
Consultant Yaron Dahan
Working with Menlo and with Yaron was incredible and even more than I had hoped for. There is a reason people say Menlo is the top admissions consultant. When looking at consultants to work with, I was struck by how robust and informative Menlo's website was. I think I learned more from the free videos on their site than I had in all of the rest of my admissions research, and was impressed by how Menlo's approach was the "white glove" service.
Once I took the plunge and started working with Yaron, I was happy to find that the hype was real. Not only was the whole Menlo process wonderfully well-oiled and time efficient for someone working full-time and studying to re-take the GMAT (thanks to the focus on videos over reading as pre-conversation materials), but Yaron and the Menlo team pushed me to go beyond my initial story and turn it into so much more. The way Menlo structures their modules, with each one forcing me to take a hard look at a different part of my application and goals, went beyond helping me craft a good story - it helped me understand what I actually wanted to achieve in life. This made the application process far beyond a simple check the box exercise - it was a journey of self discovery.
On a more tactical level, Yaron being in Europe was very helpful for my schedule, since he would have me edits first thing in the morning US time. He was very prompt to respond, and we were able to rip through multiple drafts over the course of a few days. His edits were very thoughtful and were very clearly tailored to me, not to some stereotype of what an applicant like me should say.
After I got interview invites, Menlo had personalized interview prep sessions and a forum for other members to share their experience. I felt almost laughably prepared - by the time I got to the actual interview, I'd been through it several times in my head and knew exactly what the questions were likely to be.
Product Menlo Coaching
Consultant Rebecca Heath Anderson
I worked with Rebecca Anderson during the MBA application process, and I give her my highest recommendation. Rebecca was everything I needed in a counselor and more. She helped me get into my first choice MBA program (Wharton), which I would have never dreamed possible. Her assistance was crucial to helping me achieve the outcome I desired for the following reasons:
- Honest Feedback: I personally had to take the GRE multiple times in order to get a top score. There were many instances where I felt my score was ‘good enough’ and I was ready to stop trying for a better score. However I am lucky Rebecca never sugarcoated her feedback with me, and was direct in informing me that my scores would hinder my application significantly if I didn’t get them higher, and that I absolutely had to retake the test. Without her honest opinion, it is highly likely I may have given up much sooner, and would not have achieved my goal GRE score without her extra push. It was a lot of work, but Rebecca knew I would find the outcome worth it.
- Responsiveness: Rebecca understands that her clients are juggling a full-time job and in my case still studying every day for the GRE while still finding time to write multiple essays for multiple MBA programs. Rebecca’s extremely fast turnaround time and responsiveness made it possible to juggle all these deliverables, while still getting everything done on time. Rebecca’s reliability in this area was imperative when it came to me staying on top of my schedule as well as providing a sense of comfort in a very chaotic period of time. I knew that I could expect a response from Rebecca faster than most of my coworkers, which was extremely reassuring. Knowing I could always count on Rebecca to answer my emails quickly helped me to divide up my time between work, studying, and writing in a predictable, manageable manner.
- Organization: Without Rebecca’s assistance, it would have been extremely difficult to make sure I not only create personal application deadlines for myself, but also follow through with them. She was first to let me know when I was taking too long to complete a piece of the application, or when I needed to devote more of my time to applications. Between work, studying for the GRE, and writing applications, I absolutely appreciated her check-ins and warning regarding upcoming deadlines.
- Detail-Oriented: Like most individuals applying to top MBA programs, I took this process quite seriously and wanted to make sure my final applications were as ‘perfect’ as possible. At times this meant I might spend a whole day debating word-choice, the best way to phrase an email to an alum, the best zoom background to use for an interview, and so forth. I always felt comfortable asking for Rebecca’s advice on the smallest details, and she was willing to opine on even my most specific (and likely irrelevant) questions. On the flip-side, if n yet Rebeca felt it was not quite there, she would always get back to me letting me know that I needed to put more effort/thought into a specific deliverable, which I appreciated. Rebecca’s patience with my endless questioning helped alleviate much of the stress that I would have otherwise felt navigating a year-long, complex process. Beyond details, Rebecca helped me on a deeply strategic level. For example, she spent a lot of time helping me think strategically about which recommenders to engage. Rebecca also helped me think very critically about my network, and how to approach and leverage them throughout the application process.
Overall, Rebecca’s devotion to her clients is why I believe she is such an amazing counselor, guide, and mentor.
Product Menlo Coaching
Consultant David White
I began working with Menlo Coaching during my spring semester of my senior year of college after I completed the GMAT twice during the fall semester of my senior year (receiving a 710 at first and then increasing it to a 730). As a senior in college I was applying for deferred MBA programs. I spoke with a few groups but Menlo Coaching seemed to offer the most tailored approach, with proven results, and additional services like an acting coach for interview prep. I got to work with David for my application. He was extremely focused on my application and prompt with his feedback, and was very kind even when the stresses of the application process and school got the best of me during some meetings. I had assistance with every step of the process, overseen by David but also assisted by various others who were experts at different parts of the application such as long essays, group interview, scenario based interview, etc.. I applied to Columbia, Wharton, MIT Sloan, and HBS through Menlo, receiving niche feedback for each school. I was offered interviews for all 4 schools, and was accepted into Columbia, Wharton, and MIT Sloan, obviously in thanks to Menlo Coaching.
Joined: Jan 24, 2021
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Verified GMAT Classic score:
770 Q50 V45 (Online)
Product Menlo Coaching
Consultant Alice van Harten
I cannot say enough wonderful things about Alice and her all-star Menlo Coaching team. I could not have gotten into Stanford GSB without her.
I started working with Alice in February, and she coached me through the entire Round 1 application process. Alice's team was involved in every step of the process, incl. re-doing my resume, guiding me on school visits, preparing me for interviews, and of course crafting my essays. Most importantly, her support in my Stanford essay was invaluable. I felt paralyzed when we started the essay writing process - I had no idea where to begin and was terrified of putting pen to paper. Alice was incredibly supportive and called me every week to coach me through the process. She responded to my questions within the hour (even though she was in a different time zone). She and Leslie would turn drafts in 1 day. She was as invested in the success of this essay as I was, and she was never interested in throwing in the towel and settling for an essay that wasn't groundbreaking. She even answered my call on Labor Day to help me with the very last sentence. At the end of the process, I was happy with every single word in my essay.
Alice believed in me more than I believed in myself. She, Leslie, Ava, and the entire team were by my side day after day, keeping me on track and reminding me of what I have to bring to the table. I truly do not know where I'd be without her. If anyone is looking for a consultant who is there for you 24/7 and is a deep subject matter expert in every step of the application process, Alice is your person!
Product Menlo Coaching
Consultant Alice van Harten
From the get-go, Alice was completely invested in developing the strongest possible case for my admission to the best MBA program possible. Along the process, I was coached, motivated, inspired and even made to jump and dance (voluntarily) by the team at Menlo Coaching.
I was looking for one-on-one school-specific guidance on what can seem like a very daunting process and I got more than just that. The pre-work videos featuring Alice and David on Basecamp were a great way to get started to think about my journey, introspect and develop my line of reasoning for what I wanted out of an MBA and how I could add value to the MBA cohort.
Since I was part of the Early Bird Program at Menlo Coaching, Alice was there every step of the way as we got closer to preparing for the application essays and resume. In my case, the optional statement was a crucial part of the application, given my circumstances and I am convinced that without Alice, my submission would not have been nearly as strong.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the one-on-one sessions with Alice, the team at Menlo Coaching consisting of Ava, Leslie, Fearless Communicators and Obinna constantly encouraged and supported me to put my best foot forward. I cannot say enough about the value that Alice and her team at Menlo Coaching brought to my MBA application and to me personally. I am very happy with the result - I was admitted into two of the three programs I applied to and received a scholarship offer as well
Product Menlo Coaching
Consultant Alice van Harten
I had an amazing experience working with Alice and Leslie. Prior to choosing a consultant I spent countless hours researching the various options, and I came away with the conclusion that working with Menlo and specifically Alice would best set me up for success. Having now gone through the process I can confidently say that this proved true! We spent significant time going over items such as realistic career goals to crafting my life story that we could then leverage for my applications. At times when I was slacking on my applications, Alice got me back on track by having weekly calls with me think through what was stumping me. When it came time to interview, they provided a theatre coach to help me come across in my best light and connected me with other consultants at Menlo to have mock interviews with.