Menlo Coaching | MBA Admissions Consultants

Pascal is a phenomenal consultant and I would not be in the position I am today without him.

From my first meeting with Pascal, I knew I had made the right choice. He takes the time to get to know you on a personal level and asks insightful questions to curate your story for MBA AdComs. He brings his unique perspective as someone who has studied an MBA, worked as an Admissions Director, and hired MBAs in the industry. He is very knowledgeable about all the top MBA programs and what they look for in candidates. He also knows the application process of each school inside and out. He is able to focus your time and energy in the right place through the entire application process, which is huge when you are applying to multiple schools with multiple essays required for each.

Pascal is very generous with his time and was involved in everything from identifying the programs that offered the experience I was looking for, to negotiating scholarships between multiple admissions offers, and ultimately accepting my #1 choice.

Pascal possesses every quality you would look for in an MBA consultant. He is an absolute joy to work with, and knows when to be supportive and empathetic to the stresses of the process, and also when to push you to get the best out of your application. He is realistic and honest when it matters, and is patient in reviewing essays countless times and conducting mock interviews.

I know that my application would not have come close to his caliber had I submitted it on my own. I would recommend Pascal to anyone applying to a top MBA program.

After a year of applying to a variety of MBA programs without any guidance or coaching and seeing absolutely no success, I wasn’t sure if my goal of earning an MBA was ever going to come to fruition. But from the very first introductory call, I knew that Rebecca was truly a world-class consultant, and there was no better person to help me reach my goals. With her assistance, I was accepted to multiple T10 programs with significant scholarships. She provided fantastic feedback and instruction at every step of the process and was always available to answer any question or concern that came up. I cannot say enough good things about my experience and would whole heartedly recommend her to anyone who is serious about pursuing an MBA.

Her process starts at the very beginning with school selection. She showed me how to evaluate a program and look holistically at its offering to determine if it was really the right fit for my professional goals. After developing a broad list, together we honed it down to a few schools in each of the reach, target, and safety categories. At this point we transitioned to networking; Rebecca showed me different ways of connecting with each program so that I could gather the necessary information that I would need when writing my essays. From there we moved to honing my resume and developing a personal master story that I would use to shape many of my application essays. To create this master story Rebecca sat on a call with me for a few hours asking me questions about my background, personal/professional experiences, and goals for the future. From this, she pulled out key insights to help me craft a cohesive narrative that I would tell through my application. At this point in the process, we moved to writing the actual application essays. Having already put lots of time into information gathering and developing a personal story, it felt as if many of the essays almost wrote themselves. I have no doubt this is entirely because of the fantastic process Rebecca has in place. After rounds of back and forth where Rebecca always delivered kind, but honest feedback (as somebody who is not a confident writer, I really appreciated this), my essays and application package were finalized. At this point we moved into interview prep. Each week we would prep stories that could be used to answer a variety of questions until we held multiple complete mock interviews from start to finish. This gave me a lot of confidence going into the actual interview process. Even after interviews were complete and decisions were released, Rebecca helped me review my options and apply for additional scholarships.

Rebecca, thank you so much for all your help throughout this entire process. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, none of this would have been possible without your help and I’m so incredibly grateful.

When I found Alice, I was a reapplicant to many of the top MBA programs in the US. Having endured the process for a year before I met her, I had worked with a handful of admissions consultants that were good, but not exceptional. I was looking for that one consultant that could not only get me across the finish line but also make sure I did so with a podium finish. Alice was that consultant for me. And here are three reasons why.

1. Organization: Alice and her team’s standout basecamp platform provides you with dashboard access to personalized modules that cover the entire application journey – resume building, networking with current students/alumni, essay drafting, GMAT prep, interview prep, and upcoming deadlines. In my months of experience with top MBA consultants, I have never come across a platform so seamless that kept me on top of not only application requirements, but also highly recommended efforts like networking and admissions events that give applicants an extra edge. The platform also facilitated communication between me, Alice, her team, and other applicants.

2. Knowledge: Have a blemish on your profile? Alice knows how to fix it. And in some cases, even make it look like a strength. She spent countless hours working with me to understand my background, my weaknesses, and my strengths and used the information to highlight and package the good (work experience, initiatives, awards, etc) and find strategic ways to explain the bad (low GPA, recommenders, etc). The end result – an application that presents the most compelling version of myself possible.

3. Persistence: Alice will not let you submit an application that she thinks will get dinged. In fact, she will meticulously work with you to ensure your essays (including short answer responses and the fill-in-the-blanks you think don’t matter) are in the best possible shape. One of my essay drafts was rewritten, edited, and proofread 21 times before she finalized it (and yes, it resulted in an admit).

Alice is a godsend. I could not possibly recommend her more. In my first cycle (without Alice) I was rejected from USC Marshall. And this fall (with Alice) I’m going to Harvard.

If I’m being perfectly honest, I don’t think I would have gotten into my dream program (Chicago Booth EMBA in London) if I hadn’t worked with Pascal. Before I talk about how good he is at what he does, I just want to mention what a joy it was to work with him. I’m very disappointed that I won’t be speaking with him as frequently now. He is very respectful, always wears his heart on his sleeve, and is extremely intelligent. I am very happy to have gained a friend in him; he is someone I will continue to be in touch with for many years to come.

When it comes to the provision of his professional services, Pascal is expert an expert at what he does. I do not say that lightly – Pascal is an expert at what he does. There is no way I could have put forth a better application if I had worked alone. He is very knowledgeable about the top MBA programs in the US and Europe and knows exactly what they look for in candidates. That, in particular, was evident both when he was providing guidance in my drafting of the personal statement and when he was coaching me for the interview. He prepared me for both the expected and unexpected questions (he asked me so many unexpected, but still relevant, questions during our practice that I got used to being thrown off). This came in handy during the actual interview with Booth as I was asked questions I wasn’t expecting but thankfully managed to maintain my composure.

I am a very happy client and cannot recommend him enough.

If you are looking for an understanding consultant to bring the best out of you, look no further than Pascal. He genuinely wanted to get to know me as a person and was very patient throughout the entire process. His passion and genuine interest allowed him to provide insightful comments on my essay and helped improve the overall flow of my applications.

Pascal spent countless hours with me, working on every aspect of the application. He was also extremely helpful in navigating the post-acceptance process. I was accepted into five schools, all with varying levels of scholarships. Ultimately I chose a T-15 school with a full tuition scholarship.

Without any hesitation, I fully recommend Pascal to anyone looking for a top consultant that genuinely cares about you as a person. I could not have asked for a better person to help me through the process, and I would not have been able to make it without him.

Working with Yaron was an absolute pleasure and made manageable what was initially a daunting process. Yaron’s expert advice helped shape my applications and stand out with a ‘dime a dozen’ background in the overrepresented finance industry.

Given that I was applying while simultaneously working a demanding job, I appreciated the efficiency with which the Menlo process allowed me to complete my applications. The process started with a series of helpful videos which provided the background insights that I would have otherwise had to gather through days of sifting through forums. Next, Yaron made it a point to understand my background and motivations through a series of discussions/interviews. Yaron ultimately leveraged small bits of background he gathered during these interviews to help craft my story once we started on the applications – this is where my I found my Menlo experience to be the most differentiated as, knowing how cheap I am, I would have never taken the time to let an hourly coach get to know me.

I really enjoyed working with Yaron and am proud not only of the results but of the application submitted to get there. Don’t think there’s any higher praise I can give – I recommend Yaron highly.

Going into the MBA application process, I knew that I would struggle with my personal essays and was looking specifically to work with someone that could help me with that. After a consultation session, I knew Yaron was the one! Yaron provided super helpful insights into how to tell a genuine and memorable story and stayed with me every step of the way. I ended up producing 50+ drafts for one of my essays and Yaron was extremely patient and thoughtful with his edits. He provided feedback within 24 hours and his comments were always practical, to the point, and effective. Coming from an extremely overrepresented field, I do not doubt that it was the stories and the narratives that helped me stand out. I truly could not have done it without Yaron and the Menlo team!!

Yaron’s guidance made a world of difference – it made the whole MBA application process so much easier and more efficient for me. I felt like he was always available to answer my questions and provide feedback every step of the way. The biggest undertaking in the process was the essays and Yaron was as helpful here as you would expect from his glowing reviews. He helped me keep things in perspective and always made me look at the big picture. This also meant omitting some ideas which I thought were great at the time, but in hindsight it all makes sense. His experience with the process and his attention to detail with every draft allowed me to write my story with a specific direction in mind. Yaron helped me to shape my story into a compelling narrative that combined my diverse work experience with my many passions/extracurriculars. The end result? I got into my dream school! I couldn’t be happier with Yaron and with Menlo Coaching.

Alice has been absolutely instrumental in my MBA application journey. I have received offers from all European schools I applied for (LBS/INSEAD/IMD) and this would not have been possible without Alice’s help.

Alice has been extremely valuable from day 1. Early in the process, we had worked out a game plan, with clear objectives and identifying strengths and weaknesses.
Alice is also a fantastic person to work with and has an ability to motivate and keep one’s focus throughout the entire application process. With her background, she is very well placed to assist anyone in their quest to get into top business schools across the globe.
Very effective and extremely professional, she also has a great team who equally assisted me on GMAT/GRE, with success.

I warmly endorse Alice and highly recommend working with her (she was recommended to me by several friends and I have already recommended her to some of my closest friends).
Alice is goal-oriented and knows the ins and outs of the application process. In addition, she is a great and genuine person, which makes the quite burdensome preparation and application process a pleasure!

I worked with Obinna at Menlo coaching to prep for my MBA admissions interviews. I had 3 mock interviews with him for 3 different schools and his expertise in MBA interview prep really helped me during the interview preparation! His mock interviews and feedback were customized by different schools, which were super helpful to me. For example, he alerted me that one behavioral story is not very convincing and I might want to restructure my answer. Another example, he spent time working with me developing answers to some tricky questions got asked during those interviews in the past, which I found was super helpful. I spent day and night, trying to come up with something, and he was able to provide me with totally new perspectives and ideas. In general, when he provided feedback, he included specific examples and also gave me ideas on how to make the answer better. He was very patient, really calmed my nerves, and gave me the confidence for the real interview. Obinna was also detail orientated and focused on the big picture as well. He made notes on each of my answers, and he also provided high level feedback on how I should behave and talk in general. His mock interview was very similar to the real interview. I was so grateful I had the mock interviews with him.
I also had the communications training, which was also super valuable. I really built on my confidence and improved the way I talk. David (the founder of Menlo) also answered a few strategic questions for me, which is totally out of the scope of the services. In the end, I received an offer from Booth! I would definitely recommend Menlo to anyone who is looking for MBA consulting services!

Alice is the best partner to have in the MBA process – she helped me get into my dream school (along with other top MBA programs)! Prior to working with Alice, I had worked with our consultants and, without a doubt, Alice is the best consultant. She helped me think through my story and narrative, the schools I was applying to, and how to best craft my entire application. She is definitely the consultant you want throughout the grueling MBA application process, especially while balancing a busy job – she is incredibly detailed oriented and organized, responsive (to a host of questions), and knowledgeable in her craft. I highly recommend hiring her!

Rebecca was absolutely critical to my success in the application process and has been nothing short of amazing since the minute I met her. I started late in the process for 2021 Round 2 applications (I hadn’t even started studying for the GMAT in September!) and only wanted to apply to three schools. I wasn’t sure I could get into a single one, but with Rebecca’s help, I was accepted to Columbia, NYU Stern, and London Business School with a full scholarship to one and two Forté Foundation scholarships.

Part of the reason I wasn’t confident in my chances was that I didn’t believe I had a story to tell. But one of the key differentiators for Rebecca and the Menlo approach was the personal story call – a session over two hours long during which Rebecca listened to me talk about my life experiences and took notes. I’ve always thought that I have a very disjointed set of experiences that I couldn’t weave into a compelling story, but Rebecca found threads that I hadn’t been able to see. Her thoughtfulness, insightfulness, and background in journalism make her uniquely talented at this. Throughout the process, she challenged me to highlight different experiences and aspects of my story that not only improved my essays but also helped me really understand my own motivations for business school and my career. By the end of the application cycle, I felt like I had an impactful narrative that was authentically mine.

Rebecca also really personalizes her approach. When I changed my first choice school to LBS, Rebecca went into the Menlo archives to see what previous applicants who were accepted into LBS had done with their applications so she could give me data-driven guidance on how to improve my own application. She suggested I write the LBS Optional Essay (different from other optional essays in that it isn’t just about clarifying employment gaps or academic performance etc) and also suggested that I touch on a pivotal but personally traumatic experience I had described to her during our personal story call. I was reluctant to cover such a personal topic in a business school essay, but Rebecca helped me see how the story was in service of my larger narrative. She got my consent to have Alice from Menlo review the essay as well, went back into the archives to see if other applicants had covered such personal topics and been successful, and never made me feel pressured into writing something I wasn’t comfortable sharing with an admissions committee. It turned out to be a really great essay thanks to Rebecca’s guidance, and on a personal level, she helped me come to terms with a story that I had never really shared before.

Besides being a rockstar admissions consultant, Rebecca is also one of the kindest, warmest, and loveliest people I have had the pleasure of working with. I am eternally grateful for her time, attention, and help, but also just to have met her.

If you’re considering Rebecca as your coach – take the leap! You won’t regret it for a second, and your future will be forever changed.

I lack the superlatives to describe my experience with Rebecca Anderson.

I give Rebecca five stars; six if that is allowed. She proved repeatedly that she is a master of the challenge. If one genuinely believes that education is important and that the quality of education is critical, then one should go straight to Menlo Coaching and on bended knee beg for Rebecca.

To say I am a non-traditional student is beyond an understatement. I am a 77-year-old executive, who came to Menlo with the goal of obtaining admission to the finest EMBA programs in the country. I wondered if my applications would even garner serious consideration.

Last year, I had challenges applying to a top EMBA program on my own. This year I applied to Columbia, Wharton, and Yale. With Rebecca’s guidance, I was thrilled to make it through the application process and gain acceptance into all three of the Ivy League EMBA programs. The difference and success I had were clearly due to Rebecca’s expert guidance. I will begin my studies at Yale in July.

Rebecca helped me select recommenders who knew my work well and guided the recommenders through the submission process. She also helped me to articulate my story about why I was applying for the EMBA program. With Rebecca’s help, I was able to show that it is critical for the long-term success of my business that I receive an EMBA now, while also creating a narrative that pulled in unique elements of my life. Additionally, the comprehensive interview prep meant that I could confidently connect with the interviewers and share just the right points in my responses.

I am thoroughly convinced that none of this success would have been possible without the services of Menlo and Rebecca’s expertise. She was my sensei and strategic partner throughout the entire process. Her advice on everything proved to be spot on, and I will forever be indebted to her.

I had an amazing experience working with Leslie. Being from Belgium and willing to embark on an MBA on the west coast of the United States, I reached out to Menlo quite late in the process when I realized that I knew too little about this very particular environment. Knowing that the competition is fierce to embark on a top MBA program in the US, I wanted to improve my odds and this is exactly what Menlo will provide you. With their intimate knowledge of the different MBA programs and their very professional planning, Menlo coaches like Leslie will walk you through the tricky and stressful application process with confidence and professionalism. Leslie, via her countless feedback, will definitely encourage you to elevate yourself and make the difference between a good and a great application.
Even though Leslie and I had a time zone difference of 9 hours, it never impacted the tight schedule to get my applications ready in time. It felt like Leslie was available 24/7. I could reach out to her during weekends, early mornings, evenings, and even during the holiday period which was particularly important since I applied in round 2.
Menlo Coaching is a full-service package with no limit on the hours they spend to help you. They only select candidates in which they believe and will do their uttermost to have you admitted to your dream school. This goes from the school selection, the essay writings and edits, the very important and sometimes forgotten interview preparations with multiple coaches, and finally the scholarship application. This full-service package implies a premium on the fee that made me first hesitant to embark on this journey with Menlo. But looking back, I’m confident that I made the right choice to get support from Leslie who pushed me to surpass myself and go to the essence of my story. The outcome was very positive. I was admitted to my dream school, Haas, as well as another program with an impressive merit-based scholarship. With the counsel of Leslie, I was able to negotiate my scholarship at Haas which offered me a generous amount covering more than all the costs of my application. Applying for a top MBA program is a long and tedious journey and the support of a coach like Leslie is definitely worth the price.

I sincerely recommend Leslie and the Menlo team to anybody serious about getting into his or her dream program. It makes the difference!

Obinna is an absolutely incredible interview coach. His guidance made a huge difference in the quality and structure of my answers, as well as in my confidence level going into the interview process. I was ultimately accepted to all four schools I interviewed at.

I was admittedly completely unprepared going into my first mock interview. I was extremely nervous, which was reflected in my answers. Obinna was very patient and understanding, striking the perfect balance of being thoughtful and supportive while also extremely structured and thorough. He first suggested a more effective high-level way to approach the interview. He then provided very detailed feedback for every one of my answers to make them higher impact. What really struck me was his level of structure and specificity. Instead of merely saying, “You need to structure this part more clearly”, for example, he’d say, “I really liked the first part of your response. I think you should highlight that more by mentioning XYZ. The second part is a bit too long and has too much overlap with the first. I suggest cutting ABC and instead just focusing on EFG.”

After implementing his suggestions, I could feel a major improvement in the quality and structure of my next run-through. Ultimately, I was admitted to every school I interviewed at. Obinna is really an exceptional interview prep coach — so eloquent and meticulous. I couldn’t recommend him highly enough!

When I first met Pascal, he gave me a very candid and realistic overview of my profile and how he could help me show the best version of myself to admissions. He is not shy to point out my weaknesses, which I really appreciated because it still gave me time to improve on them.
Throughout the application process, Pascal had been very supportive. We would schedule periodic catchups and review my progress on my applications and preparations. He was also very encouraging during my GMAT prep and gave a lot of advice.
After spending time to know me on a personal level, Pascal gave me meaningful comments and insights on my essays. Pascal was able to strategically find ways to improve the overall flow of my essays and tailor the message I want to deliver to the schools. I couldn’t have asked for a better counselor and wouldn’t be able to make it without his guidance and support!

I got into Wharton with a Joseph Wharton Fellowship and could not have done it without Pascal. What can I say that has not been said here?! My experience was flawless. Pascal is truly outstanding – an excellent coach and advisor, and an absolute pleasure to work with. Beyond his support with essays and general application (always incredibly responsive and helpful), Pascal spent hours helping me practice for the interviews, the part of the process I was most concerned about. I probably had a good chance of being called for an interview, but am 100% certain I would have not made it out with an offer had I not worked with Pascal. Other than that, having the Menlo team was a great asset as well, for all the resources they shared, the help in reviewing my resume, a mock TBD, etc. – all of which were included in the one-time fee.

I worked with Rebecca for Round 2 in the 2021-2022 app season. Evaluating myself, I think I have the profile to get into a single M7 caliber school if I worked hard myself and used a service like ApplicantLab. Rebecca’s help really pushed me to take my apps to that next level and my results speak for themselves. I’m currently looking at admits to Wharton, Kellogg, Booth, Haas, and Ross with multiple scholarships and couldn’t be more thrilled! I’m confident you’ll get an amazing ROI if you work with her that will more than pay for itself. I don’t think I would have done nearly as well without her and firmly believed she helped change my life.

The process starts with refining your resume and creating master stories for professional and personal essays. After lots of hours working with her, I was astounded at how strong my stories were and I’m confident I couldn’t have gotten nearly as strong on my own just following generic advice online. After that, we went school by school and found specific things that would really stand out to adcoms and convince them I did my research and loved their schools, but also resonated with who I am, my story, and my goals. The end essays were incredible and I’m extremely proud of the work we did together. I’m confident that working with her, your end apps will be far stronger than what you’d be able to do alone.

From a more personal standpoint, Rebecca was extremely warm and amazing to work with. I’ve had multiple instances that could’ve derailed my app cycle (major problems with my recommenders) and having her there to talk me through it really helped keep me grounded and push through it. I really enjoyed spending time with her and am sad that our time is coming to an end (but I’m happy to be on the admitted side!).

Wrapping up, I recommend working with Rebecca in the strongest terms. You’ll be in amazing hands and will be shocked at how strong your apps are at the end of the process. Good luck!!

With the help of Alice, I was admitted to my #1 choice M7 MBA program with a technical background and limited managerial and business experience, so I was far from a shoe-in candidate. Even though we started working together one full year before starting an application, Alice dedicated a significant amount of personal intention early on to identify my strengths and weaknesses. In order to compensate for any weaknesses, Alice went about helping me optimize my candidacy by advising me on how to build my extracurricular profile. Alice worked with me to find a pro-bono consulting organization, and we prepared for the intensive interview together. Therefore, I highly recommend working with Alice and her team as early as possible to tailor your story to maximize your chances of getting into your dream school.

I believe that Alice and Menlo’s methodology for interview prep is the best part of working with them. Far from being the best interviewer, Alice put me through rigorous preparation that was far more challenging than the real interviews themselves. In addition, Menlo sets you up with a Fearless Communication Workshop to give you strategies for being an effective and confident communicator. After all the interview prep I went through with Alice and her team, I was able to perform at my absolute best level in my interviews with minimal nerves, despite the stakes being the highest in my whole life. I intend to use these strategies for future interviews as well.

Alice was with me every step of the way. I could not have achieved my dream without her help!

Pascal is a phenomenal consultant whom I had the pleasure of working with as a re-applicant. I was apprehensive about working with an admissions consultant again, but Pascal is truly in a league of his own.

For some context, I had worked with a different admissions consulting company in the previous application cycle and was roundly rejected. It was admittedly a tough application year but I was devastated and demoralized. I was apprehensive about working with an admissions consultant again; the process can often feel so transactional and impersonal.

Pascal completely changed the experience for me. He is markedly different from any consultant I’ve spoken to or worked with before. He is so compassionate, thoughtful, and insightful. He really takes the time to get to know you and your past experiences, both professional and personal. I really felt like he cared, which made the application experience so much better. He’s great at delving into your life story and picking up on things you might not have even realized are important. He helped me craft a clear, compelling story to tell to AdComs, which I struggled with previously because my career path is non-traditional and a bit scattered.

For anyone who might be concerned that his professional experience is primarily in Europe, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. He is extremely experienced with top American MBA programs, as he is with European ones. The vast majority of his students apply and are accepted to US programs, myself included.

I am pleased to report that this cycle, I was offered interviews at multiple M7 schools and accepted to every one I interviewed at. A complete 180 from my experience last year, when I received zero interview invites. Pascal was a key difference-maker and I could not recommend him enough.

From the first time I spoke to Pascal, I could tell he was different from other consultants. During the free 30-minute consultation I had with him I could tell he cared. Pascal took the time to get to know me and what I was looking for. I can’t say the same about the other consultants I spoke to. I had a terrible undergrad GPA and was currently working in a sales role which isn’t exactly the most attractive job in a top MBA program. I had no idea what I was going to write about in my essays but using his experience as an admissions director Pascal took the time to help me craft a story that was appealing to top MBA programs. Pascal was also more than generous with his time. He was available anytime I needed him and the turnaround time on my essay drafts was amazing. The longest it ever took Pascal to get an essay back to me was two days! Other consultants I spoke to charged extra for such a quick turnaround time. He also had no issues going through the same essay 5+ times until it met his high standards. Pascal even took the time to personally prepare me for the many interview invites I received. Not only that but Pascal was a pleasure to work with. I actually found myself looking forward to our meetings. In the end, I got into multiple top schools that I no doubt wouldn’t have been able to without his help. I even received a $90,000 scholarship at one of them! If I had to give Pascal a rating of 1-10 I would give him an 11. If you need that extra push that will get you into the school of your dreams Pascal is the guy for you. I can’t recommend him enough.

If you are reading this message, just stop. Begin working with Alice and the Menlo Coaching team immediately.

It is truly difficult to put into words the value of working with Alice. From the very moment I decided to apply to business school through to when I put down my deposit, Alice has been there every step of the way, and it has been quite the journey. Some highlights:

After taking a number of generic GMAT classes for months, I was topping out on practice tests around a certain score. Thanks to Menlo Coaching’s GMAT services (which I desperately wish I had started using right from the beginning), I improved my score by an additional 40 points to land in the top 1%. The study plans and guides (and Chris’ humor) made all the difference, but Alice’s support is also what got me through, which she doesn’t even know (surprise Alice!). After my first GMAT (upon which I did not perform as well as expected), Alice gave me a call to check in. Unbeknownst to her at the time, I was feeling very disappointed / frustrated with the insanity of the whole process and doubting myself / my decision to even apply to business school, but Alice’s advice and words of encouragement inspired me to keep pushing and achieve my desired score.

Additionally, about a month before all applications were due (and before any of my essays were final), I came down with a bad case of COVID, landing me in the hospital, at which point I assumed my dream of applying to business school was dead. Often you hear the phrase “I couldn’t have done it without…” but I LITERALLY could not have crafted and completed my essays under such circumstances without Alice. She helped me make a revised timeline/plan, turned around essay editing in insane time, and didn’t let one ounce of quality suffer. I cannot express the relief I felt being able to focus on my healing, knowing with 100% certainty that Alice would help me get this done and submit nothing less than perfection.

Lastly, a third highlight was interview prep, which I was not expecting. With interview prep, I imagined prepping types of questions I might be asked or practicing how I present myself (all of which was covered too of course), but what was so remarkable about Menlo’s interview prep is how I FELT by the end. Understanding how to structure an answer to “walk me through your resume” is one thing, but going into every interview actually feeling confident is priceless.

I could go on and on. Alice’s knowledge about the process and these schools is unparalleled. She pushes you towards what she knows are the highest of standards, yet also brings humanity and perspective to the process. Her professionalism, strategic mindset, and storytelling skills are felt throughout every interaction (no doubt a result of her unique background getting a Ph.D. in Classics and working at Bain as a Consultant).

In short, I am the one who feels grateful Alice worked with me. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU, Alice, Leslie, Obinna, Chris, Dave, Amy, and David!!!!

If you have not listened to my advice and are still reading, then one last bit of information to still try to convince you: after the entire process was over and I began to dream up my travel bucket list during business school, the Netherlands immediately came to mind so I can visit Alice, whom I am now lucky enough to call a friend.

I worked with Obinna to prepare for the HBS interview. He conducted a very realistic mock interview and provided extremely relevant and helpful feedback. Obinna is personable and patient and really calmed my nerves. When I went into the HBS interview, I felt prepared and had a plan – and it went great and I was admitted – many thanks to Obinna! I would recommend working with him 100 times over.

I cannot speak highly enough of my experience with David and the Menlo Coaching staff! I started working with David 1.5 years before applying for my MBA, and all of the time and money was well worth it – I got into my top choice, the Stanford GSB!

I pivoted from wanting to apply to graduate school to business school, and so the MBA admissions process seemed daunting and overwhelming. David and the team at Menlo Coaching supported me through the whole thing, with structured resources, test prep, unlimited one-on-one coaching, and comprehensive mock interviews. From helping me craft my story of wanting to move from engineering to management positions, to helping me identify weak spots in my application and how I could use the time before applying to address them, to reassuring me when I felt overwhelmed, David had my back. I could not have done this without his expertise, support, and keen eye for bringing out the best in my application materials!

Obinna’s approach to mock interviews ensures maximum impact in a short amount of time.

Before working with Obinna, I had worked on high level interview prep with my main Menlo Coaching consultant and was then referred to Obinna as the interview expert. In just two sessions, Obinna took me from novice to expert as it pertained to alumni interviews at Kellogg.

During each session, Obinna was prepared with commonly asked questions during MBA interviews and questions the school was known to have asked applicants previously. Obinna gave both specific advice, such as ways to reword a response to be clearer and more succinct, and thematic advice based on habits he had observed across multiple questions. After just an hour, I could see how small changes could significantly impact how my responses were received.

After listening to the recording of the mock interview sessions and incorporating his feedback, Obinna pushed me during the second session to further improve my communication style and responses, and included a few curve ball questions to keep me sharp. Finally, Obinna provided me with a list of questions for my interviewers that I was able to adapt based on my background and interests.

It was only with Obinna’s experience and comprehensive approach to interview preparation that I gained acceptance to one of my top choice schools.

If you are coming across Alice’s profile, consider yourself lucky. She is the best person to have in your corner as you take on the MBA admissions journey. I worked with Alice targeting schools in Europe and Asia. Alice is not just someone with great insights into what works and what doesn’t in an application, but also someone who would never give up on you. Let me give an example here: I struggled in keeping my nerves calm during the GMAT test despite doing very well in the official mocks. I missed many internal deadlines working on my GMAT score (I seriously felt it is only fair for her to move on with others after my extended tussle with GMAT), but Alice always had my back and you want such a person in your corner during this roller-coaster ride of MBA admissions. I cut too close to the deadlines and if it was not for Alice I wouldn’t have even been able to submit them in time. I ended up with 3 admits from top schools including an admit from the most prestigious university based in the UK.

Alice and her team put in genuine efforts to understand me and my background, they identified valuable experiences which I never really realized I had myself and molded them into great application essays. Menlo Coaching is a one-stop for all your admission needs. Be it GMAT (which if aren’t yet done with then blindly work with her team-mate Chris) or Interview coaches, Alice is supported by the best in the industry. Alice made me feel as if I was her only client and I got all the attention I wanted.

Alice always and every time tried to get me the very best that I could achieve. She never compromised on my application. I am sure Alice puts more thought and effort than her applicants themselves. She was worth every cent I spent and more, I walked away knowing I showed the best version of myself to the adcoms.

Picking an admission consultant can be very confusing, I have been there. If you want to maximize your chances at your target schools, I suggest working with Alice. Thank you for everything Alice.

I started to work with Pascal a year before I actually applied. He has been incredibly patient and helpful throughout the entire process. Despite being busy with more pressing deadlines for other candidates, he carved out time to have weekly discussions with me.

Through these meetings, we got to know each other quite well and I believe that served as a key advantage as we drew out stories in my life and career onto papers.

Moreover, when an unforeseen opportunity presented itself during that time, Pascal served as a sounding board and more importantly, directed Menlo’s resources to help me to fully take advantage of that opportunity.

Finally, with Pascal’s help, I received 9 out of 10 interview offers from the schools I applied to and was accepted into my dream school, HBS.

I cannot say enough positive things about my MBA application experience with Alice. As a member of the military serving on active duty, my planned application timeline was interrupted by deployments and further disrupted by an irregular work schedule. However, having worked with veterans before, Alice created a custom and holistic approach to my application designed to maximize our time together and be proactive. Throughout the entire process, Alice was always accessible by email or zoom, and she was incredibly prompt with her replies to my inquiries. Also, her comments on my application were incredibly detailed and insightful. Simply put, Alice is a master of the creative process who never misses a deadline. Leveraging Alice’s expertise, I was able to find my voice and create a truly compelling narrative that resonated with Adcoms at multiple prestigious MBA programs. Ultimately, I was accepted to all six MBA programs I applied to, including Booth, Kellogg, and HBS. Alice is an amazing consultant and a wonderful person–you will not be disappointed if you choose to work with her, and I would recommend her to anyone.

Many other reviews here capture the value that Rebecca delivers to her clients, but I thought I’d highlight a few things that I think are important.

I highly recommend Rebecca Anderson and the Menlo Coaching Team. Rebecca was my primary coach, and David White and Obinna Arizor also helped advise me at points during the application and interview processes. With Rebecca’s help, I was able to secure admission to Stanford GSB (enrolled) as well as Wharton.

From the outset, the Menlo process brings structure into what is a chaotic process. The Basecamp modules Menlo produces for clients combine their years of institutional knowledge with a tried-and-true workflow, covering every step of the process, including school selection, the GMAT, networking, letters of recommendation, essays, interviews and more. A combination of short videos on each topic as well as calls with Rebecca prepared me well to tackle each step of the process efficiently. The Basecamp workflow also helped me track my progress with each individual school, as it outlined not just essays, but short answers, and other small aspects of the application.

While there is structure to the process, working with Rebecca was an extremely individualized process. There was no templated, borrowed, or otherwise genericized content, which is necessary for a high quality application. From the beginning, Rebecca spent many hours deeply understanding my personal and professional background as well future aspirations. She helped me turn my application from a collection of experiences into a well-crafted story that anyone, including admissions officers, would find interesting and impressive. What stands out working with Rebecca was that there were many times that we agreed on something in a call, then as I thought about it, I would have another idea or change my mind. Rebecca would always quickly respond (via email or Zoom call) with her honest thoughts and ideas, but never once forced me to go down a road I wasn’t comfortable with. She also was instrumental in helping me generate ideas for essays, short answers.

While the Menlo process is thorough in every aspect, a few places Menlo shines should be explicitly discussed. The first is recommenders. Despite having strong relationships with my recommenders, discussing the content of the letter is a tricky task at best. Rebecca stepped into this process, skillfully working with my recommenders so that they could write the best letter possible without keeping me in the loop so that my recommenders felt comfortable. Afterward, one of my recommenders commented that working with Rebecca helped him deliver the strong recommendation that he wanted to, avoiding a few pitfalls that he wasn’t aware of. The second is the resume. It is easy to deliver a B-quality resume, but Rebecca helped me see my resume from the POV of the admissions officer, so that I could convey my true achievements in a way that the audience would understand. Finally, I loved the wealth of experience that Rebecca has access to via the Menlo team. When I wrote an essay that went into the details of some of my technical work as a software engineer, she did not hesitate to bring in David White (who has a tech background) so that I could strike the right balance of demonstrating my technical prowess as well as making sure admissions officers would understand. As a given, Rebecca was instrumental through all parts of my essay writing process, as well as helping prepare for interviews.

If you are considering applying to a top-tier MBA program, working with Rebecca and Menlo Coaching will elevate your application and allow you to present the best version of yourself.

Yaron is an amazing MBA consultant.

As an applicant primarily applying to dual-degree MBA programs (HKS Partnerships, Wharton-Lauder, etc.), I wanted a consultant who helped me think critically about my long term career goals, capitalize on the unique aspects of my background, and build a compelling narrative in my essays. Yaron absolutely delivered. He was a great sounding board for reflection and an exceptional essay reviewer often suggesting new ideas or alternative structures that helped me consistently improve my essays. Yaron strikes a great balance of giving direct, candid feedback while being empathetic and encouraging in his guidance.

I’d absolutely recommend Yaron to any prospective MBA applicant.

To say it plainly – I was terrible at interviewing before I worked with Obinna. In just a few sessions, I saw tremendous improvement in my ability to communicate my message clearly. Obinna was extremely knowledgeable and went above and beyond to make sure I was prepared for any possible questions thrown at me during my interviews. I would not have been successful without Obinna’s help and support. With my improved skills, I earned a range of scholarships from all five schools I applied to.

Obinna’s mock interview is super helpful and insightful. I highly recommend it!!!

First, Obinna tailored the mock to each school’s format and frequently asked questions. He helped me with 2 schools’ mock interviews and covered almost all questions in my real interviews.

Second, for each feedback, he provided me with examples (in my second mock, he went through each of my answers in detail!!) that taught me how to make my answer clearer and better structured. Instead of simply saying something like “your answer is far too long”, he told me where I should keep the same, where I should shorten and how, and where I could include more details and how.

Third, for questions that I did not answer very well or were difficult to answer, he taught me how to think about and provided his answer for my reference.

Fourth, he collected sample questions to ask the interviewer. My interviewers loved the questions I picked from his sample!! They found each question super interesting and shared lots of their stories/experiences accordingly.

Last but not the least, he is very patient, encouraging, and supportive. He helped me build my confidence for the interview. He is also very flexible, and spent his weekend helping me.

Obinna is a thorough and thoughtful Menlo Coaching consultant who led me through interview prep ahead of interviews at 10 schools. His expert counsel left me well equipped to present my story in a compelling way that was authentically me and tailored to the spirit of each program. I performed better than I ever could have hoped and was admitted to 7 of those 10 schools. Obinna didn’t stop there, though. He was incredibly generous with his time in sharing a few important differences between MBA programs that really helped to guide my decision-making process. If you are looking for a professional, detailed, and experienced consultant, look no further – Obinna is your guy!

I worked with Rebecca for 2021 Round 1 applications for the full-time MBA Class of 2024. I applied to six top-tier schools, received five interview invitations, one waitlist offer, and three offers of admission. I’ve ultimately decided to attend Harvard Business School!

In a nutshell: Rebecca was a total game-changer. It’s hard to understate how critical Rebecca was to my success, particularly related to my essays. If you are looking for the highest caliber of MBA admissions coaching, seriously look no further than Rebecca. Working with her was one of the best decisions I ever made.

Starting in March 2021, Rebecca advised me on all aspects of my application: GMAT strategy, MBA program choices and networking, defining my career goals, refining my personal story, picking recommenders, preparing my applications/essays, and preparing for interviews. Perhaps similar to many candidates reading this review, I had no clue what I was getting into… just take the GMAT, decide on a few schools based on rankings, throw together a few essays, hit submit and get accepted, right? WRONG! There is so much to this process that I wasn’t aware of, and Rebecca was crucial to helping me understand how it all works. Whenever she asked me to change something in my applications, she was also able to explain WHY. It’s clear she knows the ins and outs of the admissions process and that context was extremely helpful. Rebecca gave me the roadmap to the process, which gave me the confidence I needed.

Rebecca was an excellent project manager. She kept my entire admissions process highly organized, allowing me to focus on one step at a time throughout the year without worrying that I’m missing anything. A few times during the year, my work would get crazy, but Rebecca kept me on track when I started to fall behind. Without her politely and consistently nudging me along, there’s no way I would have had enough time to submit my best work.

While Rebecca was hugely impactful to all aspects of the process, her biggest contribution was her feedback on my essays. Her background in journalism is apparent in her unique approach. She was incredibly effective at helping me pull out the most important and unique aspects of my personal story and professional experiences. Once we had those raw materials, we iterated numerous times on each of my essays; on every turn, Rebecca would push me even further to expand on important details, cut the fluff, and nail the delivery. As a result, my essays were impactful, concise, and polished. I consider myself a decent writer, but Rebecca is at another level entirely. I will forever be a better communicator because of Rebecca’s incredible coaching and generous personal dedication to my applications.

At every point in the process, Rebecca was an absolute pleasure to work with. Rebecca was always courteous, personable, and insightful. When your coach is just a great person to be around (like Rebecca), it’s easy to build a strong rapport. Rebecca and I built a high level of trust and candor that made the process incredibly effective and enjoyable. I think the ability to build a strong relationship with clients is the most important quality in a coach, and it sets Rebecca apart from the rest.

Overall, Rebecca was crucial to my outcomes. Without her help, there’s no way I would have had the same level of success.

If you’re reading this because you are considering Rebecca as your MBA admissions coach, I’m confident you’re making the right choice. Get on her client list ASAP before her slots fill up, and never look back!

Yaron has been a great help and support throughout my application process. Since I started talking to Menlo Coaching early, almost a year ahead of my actual application, Yaron helped me set my GMAT goal according to my targets and connected me to a tutor when I was stuck in a bottleneck. Despite my initial lack of confidence on my portfolio, Yaron boosted my confidence by encouraging me to apply schools that I had once thought would be too much of a reach.

During the application process, after conducting a very in-depth interview with me to learn almost everything about me, Yaron provided some really good suggestions on what stories I could tell in my applications. He is a very experienced consultant with knowledge on how to best present information and tell stories. While I was successful in putting down good ideas in my first drafts, Yaron really helped me on the structure, gave very constructive feedback, and pushed me to dig deeper into my story. After the interviews, while Menlo offers additional interview preparation resources, Yaron went above and beyond to help me prepare before each interview and video essay. He made some great suggestions on interviews, which I find helpful for all kinds of interviews, not only for the MBA.

I really enjoyed working with Yaron and appreciated all his help and effort to make this process less stressful. I highly recommend Yaron as a consultant.

I interviewed with 6 programs and was accepted to 5 including my dream school Wharton thanks to intense preparation with Obinna! We worked together in 3 hourly sessions. During the first session, I was quite new to MBA interviews and he broke down the answers to key questions one by one and reorganized my answers each time after I gave them. I was quite surprised that he was able to tell the story I just told him better than I did myself, which provided me with great examples on how to re-answer these questions. After each session, he provided me lists of past questions from each of the schools I was going to interview with and even questions to ask my interviewers, which really boosted my confidence going into the interviews. During the second and third sessions, we mostly rehearsed school specific questions as I’ve improved enough to not worry about the typical questions. I would say that one hour’s prep with Obinna was probably worth three hours doing it on your own or with a friend as he’s really the pro here with 500+ sessions under his belt.

I knew that getting into a top 10 MBA program is important for me to even consider getting an MBA when I started my MBA admission journey in 2020. After breaking the 700 GMAT barrier, I decided to work with the best admission consultant out there and Pascal’s name came up multiple times during my due diligence. After our introductory meeting, I realized that Pascal would be the right person to work with to attain my goal.

And I was proven right. During our weekly calls, Pascal took the time to listen to my stories. The best part about him is that he encouraged me to go in-depth in every facet of my life during those sessions. This is important because writing essays become much easier when a student explores every aspect of his/her story.

During the essay writing part, Pascal’s guidance was very essential. He pointed out the part of my stories that are unique and helped me focus on those aspects during my writing. Also, Pascal was always available in giving his feedback even during hectic times. For example, Pascal once responded to one of my questions late at night when I was not expecting him to answer me.

Beyond essays, Pascal and I did plenty of mock interviews before my MBA admission interviews; those mocks really helped me go into the interviews with a lot of confidence. He also utilized other resources from Menlo Coaching because he really wanted me to get into my top schools of choice.

The result of all his efforts is me getting into my top choice school in 2021. At the end of the process, I must say we have become great friends and I am grateful for all the work Pascal has done for me.

Pascal has a unique, holistic approach to admission counseling. He possesses a deep understanding of the admission process and is there for you throughout the entire process. Business school applications are stressful and to me, an international student, quite unfamiliar.
Backed by Pascal’s guidance and knowledge, I was able to navigate the ambiguity a lot better. He greatly helped me to identify the MBA programs that fit me best and were able to estimate my chances at any one of them. Furthermore, whenever I had questions, he always responded immediately with clear guidance. Perfection is in the details and I personally felt that all these little tips and to-do’s made a significant difference in the end. MBA applications are much more than a GMAT score and some essays.
That brings us to the inevitable question: “Can he help you to write a stellar essay?”. The answer is yes, undoubtedly so. He helps you to understand your profile, to identify your strengths and weaknesses and those aspects that make you unique as a candidate. By doing so, he enables you to craft a unique story with resonates strongly with the admission committee.
I come from a rather non-traditional background and was struggling to match those traditional profiles. Pascal really helped me to realize that there was no need to and, together, we were able to tell my story in a very sympathetic and compelling way.
Of course, an application does not end there. Compelling essays are usually followed up by an interview. I already mentioned the holistic approach. We took our time to practice. Possibly, even too much since, in all honesty, once your story is clear and compelling, delivering a strong interview is only a small step. It did pay off however, every interview invite was converted into an offer.
In the end, I greatly advise anyone who is seriously considering an MBA to hire an admission consultant. For me, Pascal was a great stress relief and helped me to stay on track. Moreover, we booked incredible results together. I applied to 6 programs and got accepted into 4, waitlisted at another. Among my offers are top international programs, an M7 program and a scholarship at a top 10 program.

I am very fortunate to have had Rebecca as my coach throughout the MBA application process. I am in my 30s and have a non-traditional background without million-dollar deals or multi-national marketing experience. I knew I needed a coach who is experienced but creative to guide me through this process. Together with other supports from Menlo Coaching, Rebecca helped me land offers from top programs.

Structural and efficient process
Rebecca has a very good sense of application timing and what process it takes to craft a good essay. This is important because an MBA application is extremely stressful and can impact daily work and life. With an experienced coach, I could multitask six schools in one round and had each application ready at least a week ahead of the deadline. Rebecca is compassionate and provides emotional support by not only understanding but solid professional experiences to relieve stress.

From story brainstorming to essay completion, we kept tracking all working processes. Without formulated methodology (i.e. finding a personal brand or label etc.), each version was headed in the direction that made the essay and application better, without wasting time swinging between versions. Of course, we did have differing viewpoints at times, and sometimes new ideas popped up along the application. However, all the decisions were upfront and finalized through conversations. For example, we had different thoughts on how to put extracurricular activities on my resume. I was finally convinced not because I did not know which was better, but because Rebecca had a clear thought to highlight my unique experiences together with other components in my application.

Both my recommenders were from non-traditional backgrounds without any experience in my MBA recommendation letters. Rebecca showed me high-level communication skills interfacing and guiding them to write strong letters through just two rounds of interactions. Except for a briefing document covering deadlines and suggested examples, I was blind in the process, but I felt confident that the final letter would be strong with Rebecca’s help.

Detail, detail, detail!
Application is a holistic evaluation, but holism is a sum of numerous details. When working with Rebecca, we never let a single detail slip. Rebecca pushed me to do thorough research about my career goal using whatever available resources, such as summarizing key findings from LinkedIn profiles, networking with alums who went on similar paths, and deep-diving into potential employer’s websites. Each of these served as pieces of evidence making a compelling career goal argument.

When talking about school resources and contributions, Rebecca suggested to me to find target alums and current students to validate my thoughts. Each name mentioned in the essay was deliberately chosen to support my understanding of the school programs or clubs. Rebecca may spend hours helping me work on one essay ending. She did research from school blogs, relevant websites, and came up with ideas; we discussed, and I reached out and talked to alums and students to pitch ideas and get feedback.

Let’s talk about outcomes
First, and this probably happens to almost every applicant, but not many will talk about rejection. I got five acceptances from the six schools that I applied to, including HBS, Sloan, and Kellogg. While the rejection was a surprise and we put a lot of effort into my target school, the process isn’t a guarantee for a clean sweep of 100% acceptances. I did not have any regrets about my application package (I would have submitted the same one if I had a second chance).

More importantly, I am very excited to get a yes from HBS! Rebecca guided me on how to tell a story that tied my personal experience, professional achievements, and future, to show not only my capability but also my human side. I believe it was the winning combination that led to my acceptance.

In the end, I truly recommend Rebecca as an admission coach. Besides the application, I learned so much from her: writing, communicating (my recommenders are pretty hardcore), and project management skills. Rebecca makes the application process an incredibly joyful and fruitful life experience!

I had an amazing experience working with Alice. Wanted to pivot out of my middle office job, I reached out to Menlo early in the process, more than a year before the Round 1 deadlines. During our initial assessment, Alice provided pivotal advice that proved critical to my admission success, including retaking my GMAT and beefing up my volunteering experience. The former ensured that I had a score that was competitive among the very competitive Asian male and finance demographic pools and the latter helped me develop my overall story and showcase my social consciousness to the AdCom. Throughout the process, Alice and I built a genuine connection. She knew the elements of my life story very well and pieced them perfectly together during the brainstorming process. The turnaround of the essay edits was incredibly efficient, with clear and actionable feedback. The interview prep also got me very comfortable in front of the interviews throughout all my interviews, and answers often came right out because of how familiar I was with elements of my story. The outcome of the application season was more than I had hoped for. Booth as my top choice offered me $50000 in scholarship. I wholeheartedly recommend Alice to anybody who is serious about getting into his or her dream program.

Alice is a fantastic consultant and, most importantly, a great person. All through the application process, I felt very comfortable working with Alice. She made a great effort to connect at a personal level, which ultimately resulted in an outstanding outcome. I highly recommend Alice as a top consultant and someone you can trust who will have your best interests in mind.

I could not have asked for a better consultant and a smoother application process, all thanks to David! I applied R1 this year and got into HBS, Sloan ($) and Stern (full scholarship). I started working with Menlo Coaching two years ago through the comprehensive Early Bird program but had to defer my plans for a year due to my partner’s relocation. David and his team were super understanding and supportive! The things I like most about David:

1) 100% focused on you – even before we started writing essays, David spent hours talking to me about my background and childhood story. After these conversations, I realized there were so many things I had forgotten or thought were unimportant, which ended up being instrumental for my essays later on. I also came into the process not sure what my post-MBA plans should be. David went above and beyond to connect me with his previous clients in different industries. Thanks to these conversations, I was able to talk confidently and genuinely about my post-MBA plans.

2) Expert feedback – writing personal essays has always been my weakest point, and David really worked hard to make sure that my narrative was the strongest, pushing me to think beyond my limits. We had over 5 to 10 iterations for every essay that I wrote, and the end product was so much better than I could ever come up with by myself!

3) Extremely knowledgeable about MBA programs – in the beginning, I used to feel overwhelmed with all the application info available online. With his years of experience in the field, David always cut to the chase and gave me honest feedback. This was extremely helpful when interviews rolled around since I was prepared to talk about the strengths of each school. Also, David had several mock interviews with me, some tailored to each school’s style of interviewing, which helped me feel soo much more confident going into each interview!

4) Super organized and responsive – every time I sent a draft over to David, he had his feedback ready in one day or less, and it was pretty extensive feedback, too. I never doubted that I wouldn’t be able to reach David in times of need, even during peak periods. Leading up to the R1 deadline, he started having weekly 1:1 sessions with me to make sure that I was making good progress on my drafts, which really helped me not procrastinate and have the easiest and smoothest application process I could ever hope for.

Looking back on my experience with David, I realize that it was so much more than just a consulting service – David brings a humane side to his job that allowed me to be introspective and figure out what exactly I want to do with my life after MBA. I highly recommend anyone who knows they want to do an MBA in the future to reach out to Menlo Coaching and join the Early Bird program, which made it so easy for me to prep for applications on top of my full-time job. Although the price can feel a little steep, you definitely get what you pay for and beyond – I have a friend who was able to negotiate her scholarship to a full ride thanks to David, which more than offset the cost of the service. I also recommend their new in-house GMAT prep course with Chris Kane, which helped me get a 730 in 5 weeks of studying. If you are looking for a consultant on top of his game, David is the one!

As a straight Asian male I was told by many consultants that I had incredibly slim odds at an acceptance to HBS or GSB. Alice not only believed in me but saw an opportunity to transform my application. She spent countless hours helping craft my story, adjust my essay, and prep for interviews. She was integral to my success, ultimately helping me get accepted to both HBS and GSB! Thanks, Alice!!

I’m really grateful to work with Alice and the rest of Menlo Coaching team for my R1 application this year. Like a lot of people who have been through this process, I felt really overwhelmed at the beginning, facing a tight schedule to prepare for the GMAT while having a quite busy job. Alice not only helped me to figure out the timeline that perfectly fit but also offered tremendous guidance on how to relax and be focused. She has been such an insightful and effective mentor along the way!

As we were drafting the essays, it was beyond my expectations of how responsive and patient Alice was to whatever questions or worries I had. Her expertise and dedication in crafting compelling essays are incredible and so effective. Rounds after rounds of editing have improved my essays to an entirely new level. And she’s always willing to even give it a final little push. As she said, she wanted it to be as perfect as possible. And most importantly, I can tell that Alice truly cares about my story and she can always help me to discover the deeper side of it. This is just invaluable as I’ve learned more about myself during the past few months and felt more confident facing the upcoming challenges.

Alice has been a professional coach, an inspiring mentor and a great friend! She’s is the top in the business and someone you can truly count on during your MBA application. I can’t recommend Alice and Menlo Coaching team more strongly and it’s going to be a great journey working with Alice!

I got connected with Obinna through Menlo Coaching. He helped me prepare for the interview, specifically for CBS, and the prep session was a lot more thorough than I ever expected. His feedbacks allowed me to enhance my responses with more personalized/ program-specific examples. I felt very well-prepared during my actual interview and received an offer after the interview. The interview prep with Obinna was also very helpful for interviews I had with other schools. I would 100% recommend him.

If you are looking for an MBA consultant, look no further, David is your man! David was absolutely critical to my MBA admissions success. I am 100% certain my MBA application would not have been as strong without David.
David was a great listener and was able to quickly understand my background and my story. David’s willingness to take the extra step to know his clients enables him to provide amazing feedback and guidance as I crafted my story for the MBA process. Not only was David available all hours of the day, but his turnaround for feedback was never more than six hours.
David became a trusted advisor for not only my MBA journey, but he provided me with great guidance on a few career options I was facing.

I worked with Obinna on my interview prep. He took time and explained nuances in interview processes b/w schools I applied to. Throughout the prep session, he didn’t even miss a single point. Very good listener. Came-up with great suggestions on rephrasing some of my points. After each question, he explained from the interviewer’s point of view. I got admitted into my top school of choice. I highly recommend him.

If you are on the market for an MBA consultant, look no further than Pascal of Menlo Coaching. I spent weeks interviewing various MBA consultants and could not be happier that I decided to work with Pascal. From my experience, the three key differentiators between Menlo Coaching and other consultants are the following: (i) personalization of the consulting process, (ii) time invested, and (iii) complementary resources.
First, Pascal recognizes that every MBA applicant is different. As a female from a “non-traditional” sales background, Pascal encouraged me to lean into the parts of my life that make me unique. Throughout the application process, he so adeptly helped me create a narrative that highlighted these differences. Pascal ensures that the admissions committees are presented with a 360-degree view of you as a person, not just you as an applicant. Pascal spends the requisite time (and then some) understanding his clients so that he can help you present your best, most holistic self in your applications.
Second, and most importantly, Pascal cares. He demonstrates this by investing as much time and energy as is necessary to help you present your best possible self to the adcoms. There were countless times I sent Pascal panic emails asking him to hop on a call to discuss a component of an application or to review one last essay or email. He was there to assist no matter the time or situation.
Lastly, outside of the one-on-one time that is spent with your consultant, Menlo offers group applicant sessions, coaching from external communication coaches, and mock interview prep with Menlo consultants. During the group sessions, I was able to ask questions to other Menlo applicants and receive valuable feedback on my essays and resume.
To help applicants prepare for interviews, Menlo facilitates one-on-one sessions with professional communication coaches and provides mock interview prep with Menlo interview consultants. If you are someone that struggles with interviews I would 10/10 recommend Menlo for these resources alone.
Candidly, I underestimated how arduous the MBA application process would be for me. If it weren’t for Pascal and his constant encouragement I’m not sure I would have been able to hit those submit buttons! Now I have acceptances from Kellogg and Columbia and on the waitlist at Stanford (fingers crossed!). I cannot recommend him and Menlo Coaching enough.

I worked with Rebecca Anderson throughout my MBA application process, and I could not be happier. She made a process that is long and full of self-doubt, one that was exciting and hopeful. I cannot stress how grateful I am to have had her by my side. With Rebecca’s guidance, I was able to secure admission to Booth (attending), Kellogg, Columbia, Fuqua, Tuck, and Stern with ~580K in scholarship funds! This was surprising because I had an average background (tier 2-3 consulting, top 50 school, interested in consulting/banking) relative to the MBA applicant pool. Rebecca helped me stand out by supporting me in understanding and telling my story. I’m confident that this is what helped me secure the acceptances I did and I don’t think this cycle would have been successful without her and the broader Menlo team. Looking back, a few things stood out to me about Rebecca and Menlo.

Rebecca-Specific Feedback

Intake: When I was “shopping around” for an MBA admissions consultant, I came across numerous consultants who asked 15-20 questions in rapid-fire style and wanted to make my profile fit into those they previously found success with. Rebecca is the first admissions consultant I met who (1) listened with warmth and (2) provided me with honesty. Rebecca listened to me talk about my background (personal + professional), what I wanted out of the application process and an MBA, and what I was nervous about. She asked probing questions and her ability to “read the person” and be comfortable with silence gave me the space I needed to be vulnerable and brainstorm out loud (versus pivoting to the next question for the sake of time). When I asked other consultants if I should “beef up” my extracurriculars, they encouraged me to add a few more things to my plate at the last minute. Rebecca, however, told me that my efforts were better spent on the GMAT and digging into why I chose the career/extracurriculars I did and how they connect to my personality traits (especially because starting new activities 5-6 months before application deadlines could seem insincere). Rebecca’s willingness to listen, prioritize, and not force-fit her clients into rigid boxes made me confident that she’d want the best for me and help me draw my story out in the most convincing and authentic way possible (which she did!).

Pre-Application Preparation: When I began this process with Menlo, I was working 80-90 hours/week and was extremely overwhelmed, but wanted to get my MBA ASAP. Rebecca recognized this and broke up tasks into bite-sized pieces so that I could get through school research and networking on time. At multiple points, I was still afraid of having to push my application cycle back by a year. Whenever this happened, Rebecca took the time to schedule a call with me to work through my anxiousness, encourage me to keep my ‘eyes on the prize”, and prioritize “must-have” versus “nice to have” activities so that I could be as efficient as possible with my time. Rebecca also adapted to my schedule – she made herself extremely available and provided comments/guidance as fast as possible so that I could have more flexibility with timelines. Even before essays were released, she put immense effort into making sure that I could hit the ground running. Additionally, Rebecca brought in other members of the Menlo team (i.e., David) to get their perspective on how to best position me. By the end of this “preliminary” process, I felt very comfortable with where I was headed and my trust in Rebecca became incredibly strong. 

Personal Story / Essay Writing: 

When I first started with this process, I wasn’t sure if and how personal events impacted my professional and personal interests and overall outlook on life. I also didn’t know if the experiences I had were worth sharing in an admissions essay. During this process, Rebecca not only functioned as my admissions consultant but also as my “therapist”. She talked to me about the events that had happened in my life with warmth and without an iota of judgment, and she helped me connect those events to the professional and personal decisions I later made. To this day, I have never shared as much about these situations as I did with Rebecca. She created a safe, trusting environment in which I could brainstorm with her to understand myself and the impacts of what I had experienced better. By the end of the process, I had a lot more clarity on who I was as a person and what I care about. I became more comfortable and confident in myself – something that I think will serve me well as I start school in the fall. 

From a timeline perspective, I had a month off between jobs while writing essays. Rebecca had the foresight to know that my next job would be busy / that I might need time to re-take the GMAT, so she encouraged me to complete all my essays that month while studying for the GMAT. Although this was a bit of a mad dash, Rebecca made it manageable. She set up daily, 15-minute touch-points with me for 4 weeks straight to align on priorities for the day and ensure that everything was getting done in a timely fashion. She also made sure to provide comments/edits overnight (including weekends) to make sure that I used my time off well. The time difference was also great – it enabled me to work on edits in my evening and receive edits from her in the morning (via email and Zoom call). 

I’d also like to add that I am not a big fan of writing / not very good at it. Rebecca did an amazing job of helping me make my thoughts more cohesive, coherent, and concise. My writing at work has also improved as a result! Overall, Rebecca’s background in journalism, listening skills, and ability to ask the right questions at the right time is what ultimately enabled me to get into my dream school with a large scholarship. 

Additionally, I did have to move my applications from R1 to R2 to allow time to retake the GMAT. Even when this happened, Rebecca provided ample feedback in updating my resume/essays to account for my latest professional experiences (and even if this might have been logistically challenging for her, she still made sure that she had my back). 

GMAT Retake: The GMAT was a long process for me and I ended up having to push my applications from R1 to R2 to buy time to increase my score. Throughout the process, Rebecca provided me with references to tutors, ample encouragement, and honesty (she made it clear that increasing my GMAT score is what would make the difference at my dream schools….even if it was a painful process in the short-run). She never sugar-coated things, but she also made sure that she provided me with the moral support I needed to do my best. When I was re-taking the GMAT, I had also just switched jobs and was working 70-80 hours/week. Having her support during this time was invaluable in driving to the result.

Menlo-Specific Feedback

Menlo provides a “surround sound” experience that is worth every penny. I came into the process knowing nothing and Menlo helped me come up to speed rapidly and supported me throughout the way. The team is extremely detail-oriented (e.g., welcome packets, interview notecards, the thorough organization in Basecamp) and brings in additional team members, as needed (e.g., Obinna for mock interview prep, Fearless Communicators training, Chris the in-house Menlo GMAT coach (also the best tutor I’ve worked with!)). What I loved about Menlo is the (1) “humanized” approach and (2) their support for others. Menlo never tried to cut corners with me or fit me into a box. They wanted me to do my best and provided the resources necessary for me to do so (including connecting me with a few previous Menlo clients). Additionally, Menlo knows when they need to bring in experts, outside of the “core” team (e.g., interview prep, Fearless Communicators). They never compromise on quality!

Hiring Rebecca and Menlo was one of the best decisions I’ve made and I highly doubt I’d be matriculating at Booth with >50% scholarship without them. The dedication Rebecca shows to her clients is astounding and she is a phenomenal person to boot! I felt like I was in good hands the entire time, and gained a friend in the process. Although Menlo was more expensive than some other consultants, I knew the application process would be grueling. The option to work without time limits made a huge difference in my case. I highly recommend you join the Menlo ecosystem – they will have your back and this is a one-stop-shop for MBA success!

When I started my consulting search, I anticipated applying to nine schools in round two and was attracted to Menlo’s all-inclusive package. Rebecca and the entire Menlo team did not disappoint and now that I’m on the other end of my application cycle, I have no regrets working with them! In particular, Rebecca was incredibly professional yet personable and helped me assemble the best applications I feel possible.

Rebecca helped me in a number of ways: pushing me to improve my GMAT, aiding me in developing my personal story, managing timelines across various application items, and interfacing with my recommenders. Starting in the summer before my application cycle, I was scoring in the low-to-mid 700’s and Rebecca continued to push me to retake the exam and even recommended GMAT tutors until I got my score up to 770. Had it not been for Rebecca, I might’ve given up and settled for my previous score instead of pushing for my very best.

At the early stages of preparing my essays, we combed through my personal story and discussed introspectively about my experiences. While I was reticent to discuss sensitive subjects from my childhood and past, I felt like Rebecca was genuinely invested in my outcomes and was tactful in her handling of such issues. Also, since I chose to apply to MBA programs without my employer’s knowledge, I was dreading having to ask co-workers and work with them on my recommendation letters in secrecy. However, Rebecca made the process seamless in helping answer my recommenders’ questions and time-management across so many schools.

While it seemed unrealistic to apply to so many schools, we were able to finish all my applications on time and I am thrilled with the results. Out of the nine schools I applied to, I was interviewed at eight and accepted into seven including the following schools: HBS, Wharton, Booth, Haas, Columbia, Yale SOM & Duke Fuqua. Combined across those schools, I was offered $400,000 in merit scholarships, which I don’t think I would’ve received otherwise.

I am incredibly grateful for Rebecca’s help and guidance in the process. I would unquestionably recommend her to other prospective applicants!