Menlo Coaching

Q: Tell me a little bit about the firm. Size, number of full-time or part-time admissions consultants, how long you’ve been in business, and who do you serve?

A: Menlo Coaching has been serving clients since 2012. Our team is made up of 11 MBA admissions consultants, plus eight GMAT/GRE tutors and five staff members working in operations and business development.

We serve clients targeting top business schools in the U.S. and Europe, with many clients coming from private equity and venture capital, other finance roles, management consulting, tech, real estate and health care (including pharma).

We also work with deferred MBA applicants and EMBA applicants, as well as applicants from less common industries, such as family business, military service, engineering, and law.

Beyond admissions consulting, we offer private tutoring for the GMAT and GRE, along with live group courses for the GMAT.

Q: What is your firm best known for?

A: Menlo Coaching is well-known for its honesty, transparency, and candor. In that spirit, we do not shy away from the fact that we are also well-known for our prices, which are higher than average.

We want potential clients to understand why our fees are high: delivering a superior experience for our clients requires paying enough to attract and retain the best consultants, and continuously investing in service improvements.

For example, there are several ways we invest in our clients’ success:

• We’ve built a comprehensive Applications Platform that saves each applicant dozens of hours as they research, plan, and make progress on their business school applications.
• We put all of our clients through communications training with professional actors in order to improve their interview performance.
• Our consultants have assistants who handle basic project management, freeing up the consultants to spend more time with their clients.
• We’ve built a database of 20,000+ MBA profiles to help clients identify networking contacts and provide data-based advice on MBA applications, answering questions such as “Which MBA program placed the most students last year at company _____ in city _____?”.

Q: What makes your firm unique and differentiates you from other firms, large or small?

A: Menlo Coaching’s biggest differentiator is our comprehensive, unlimited, personalized service—and the fact that this service comes default. That is, there are no package tiers or paid upgrades, and all clients receive nothing less than maximum effort from their consultant and the entire Menlo Coaching team.

This all-in approach is possible because we maintain a low client-to-consultant ratio, around 50% of industry averages.

A reduced load means that consultants can give each client more personal attention, starting from the first stages of the application process (sometimes as early as two years before submission) through to the admission decision stage.

In this way, clients are never “on the clock,” and for the entire duration of the Menlo Coaching service, every client has unlimited access to their consultant.

We’ve found that this consistent, highly personal interaction between client and consultant not only results in more compelling, successful applications, but it also leads to a deep bond.

Q: Do you have a roadmap or formula for the MBA applicant?

A: There is no formula for a successful MBA application—but our structured approach to the process enables applicants to produce their very best work. In addition to unlimited guidance from their consultant, our clients have access to a 15-module video course covering every stage of the MBA application process. The modules are paced and planned in manageable increments, helping our busy clients complete their MBA work alongside demanding full-time jobs.

Beyond this 15-module course, our Applications Platform includes custom tools for project management, centralizing and organizing all communications, documents, and progress. Time and again, our clients tell us that this system for application work helps them to feel in control of what is typically a messy, unstructured process.

Q: Since you opened doors, how many MBA seekers have you helped to gain acceptance? How many successful applicants?

A: Over the years, we have served hundreds of clients from almost every pre-MBA background. The overwhelming majority of our clients are admitted to one of their target schools. For candid video interviews with our former clients, you can visit our case study page.

Q: How can an applicant tell if your firm is a good fit for them to help them through the application process?

A: Sign up for a free consultation call! You can read through the articles on our website, watch our video testimonials, and read third-party reviews (and we encourage you to do all these things), but at the end of the day, live interactions with our team will be the best way to determine whether Menlo Coaching is the right fit. As always, we’ll be upfront with you: once we get to know you better, we’ll tell you directly whether we think you are a good match for our service.

In general, the applicants most likely to choose Menlo Coaching are the ones who care a lot about getting into their top choice schools and want to do everything they can to make that happen.

Q: Do you ever refer people to other firms?

A: We try to help all applicants who inquire with us, so when we are booked to capacity, or if someone is not the right fit for our services, we present them with our best advice on the options that are available to them.

Q: Give us one free tip for applicants:

A: Start early. MBA admissions is a lengthy, stressful, and time-consuming process. You will want to reduce time pressure as much as possible—no matter how prepared you think you are now.

Starting early may involve finishing your GMAT during a low period at work. Or adding extracurriculars to your resume to boost your overall profile. Or networking with contacts in another industry in anticipation of a post-MBA career switch. A knowledgeable admissions consultant will be in the best position to advise you on exactly what needs to happen as you begin the process.

Of course, not everyone comes across this advice at the right moment, so here’s another tip: even if you’re at a later stage of the MBA application timeline, don’t hesitate to reach out to an admissions consultant for advice—there’s always something we can do as you finish out your applications.