Vantage Point | MBA Admissions Consultants

Caryn helped me greatly in all facets of my application journey. She helped me thoughtfully define the list of schools I wanted to apply to and be able to articulate exactly why. From there, we worked on how to highlight my strengths and connect those to my future career goals – the resources Caryn and Vantage Point have are very helpful in driving the introspection necessary to craft a great application. Caryn was overall a great thought partner and supported me along every step of the journey, as did Vantage Point with their many helpful resources.

As a STEM professional reapplying to an M7 MBA program after an initial rejection, Kristen’s help was pivotal. Unlike other consultants I’d worked with, Kristen’s approach was in a league of its own. She has a unique talent for identifying and enhancing the strengths in my application, choosing the right stories, and ensuring a powerful and coherent narrative. Her ability to communicate complex ideas concisely and effectively made a huge difference. Thanks to her guidance, I turned my previous rejection into an acceptance at the same prestigious school. For anyone looking to make a significant impact on their MBA application, especially reapplicants, Kristen and VANTAGE POINT MBA CONSULTING team’s expertise is unmatched.

I had the pleasure of working with Melanie Espland for over 6mo. Vantage Point paired us up, and the pairing could not have been better.

She works around the clock to give her clients the best guidance. She will give you the tough love you need to take your applicant from good to great to excellent.

I applied to 3 schools while working full-time in consulting. Working with Melanie helped me hone my narrative and goals, allowing me to prioritize and complete my applications on time with minimal stress. Melanie always pushed me to be more specific but also provided encouragement when I needed it. Would recommend!

Caryn has been amazing and supportive throughout my whole MBA journey. I was hesitant to move forward with my applications as I received GMAT scores below average for my target schools, however, Caryn gave me the confidence I needed to craft my candidacy. I started a bit later than most applicants for round 1, but with her help, I received acceptances to all the schools I applied for with scholarship money from most as well! Thank you Caryn for all your help!

There are a lot of consultants who understand what top MBA programs admissions is looking for and what a strong application looks like. There are few like Kristen who will challenge you, force you to look into your past and your inspirations, and truly help you grow you until you reach that point.

Before I engaged Kristen, I spoke with a number of other consultants who encouraged me to apply almost exclusively to T15 schools, and only one M7 as a reach. I was a little discouraged as I had poured everything into my test scores and work progression – but said my dream school was not reasonable.

When I met with Kristen and Melody, I told them about my goals and they agreed to work with me to reach my target.

We started in the Spring with a personal branding exercise and iterated on my essays through the Summer. At each point, Kristen would ask me to dig deep and consider the root inspiration for my decisions, and how they related to my future goals etc. She also knew my personal past so well she mentioned possible connections between my actions that I had not considered but were very much true and powerful in my personal story. This process resulted in a consistent and genuine narrative within my application which was key.

In the end, we beat the odds. I was admitted to 3 M7 schools (including my dream school) and 2 T10 in R1. I was also fortunate enough to receive scholarships in many cases. All of this was only possible because of Kristen.

Do yourself a favor. Work with Kristen. You will learn about yourself and get your dream admit.

I worked with Melanie on my Round 1 applications to HBS, Wharton, and CBS in fall 2023. From the get-go, I found Melanie’s approach to working with me to be very structured. For each one of our connects, she had a plan for what we should discuss at that stage in the process – whether it be my overall story and goals, school selection, recommender strategy, essays. Melanie really helped to break down the daunting MBA applications process into digestible, understandable portions.

Additionally, Melanie is not afraid to be very candid and direct in her feedback and coaching. This is all done with the intent of making sure your overall story and essays are as compelling and airtight as they can be. She really understands what different admissions committees are looking for, and helps you craft that into your application.

What stands out to me about Gina is her ability to hone in on your strengths and unique traits as a candidate and help you tell your story in a compelling way. She gave me feedback on my essays that showed me how to think about the prompts and answer them in a way that speaks directly to the adcom. Most importantly, she’s genuinely passionate about helping people figure out their “why” and how the MBA can help them get there. I ended up with several M7 admits which I am absolutely thrilled about – can’t recommend her enough!

I worked with Melanie throughout my MBA application process on developing my ‘story’ and long-term goals, writing essays and completing all other aspects of the application (e.g. short answers, awards, recommendation letters). In our early sessions, Melanie challenged me on not only the ‘what’ behind my goals but the ‘why.’ This was critical in my being able to connect the dots between my various personal and professional experiences and ultimately lead to my long-term mission. Throughout the essay writing process, she was clear, specific and actionable on feedback. She was also timely, responsive and organized. Overall, Melanie is a true professional and her guidance throughout the process was invaluable.

I applied to 5 of the M7 business schools while working full-time in consulting. The only reason I was able to complete my applications on time & on track was due to support from Jaime at Vantage Point Consultants. She not only made sure that I centered the message of my applications on my story, vision, and goals, she made sure that I hit every milestone necessary to apply round 1 to all 5 schools with applications that were complete and well-rounded.

I was ultimately admitted to 3/5 schools, with a cumulative $250K+ in scholarship offers – thanks Jaime!

Shammi was an excellent guide and partner through the application process. As a dual MBA/MPP candidate, I particularly appreciated Shammi’s clear-sightedness and knowledge of both processes to help me stay organized and comfortably meet all of the deadlines. Together we thought through “Why MBA?” / “Why MPP?” / “Why X school?”, with Shammi asking thought-provoking questions and listening closely to help me turn jumbled thoughts into a clear and successful application story.

Katie was extremely supportive throughout the process. She definitely pushes you out of your comfort zone, but that’s exactly what you need to succeed in this extremely competitive process. She is very empathetic, helps you stay strong, and provides thoughtful feedback/advice. She was also able to accommodate short turnaround times (all reviews were <48 hrs). She’s also flexible on the level of support you need; never pushy on making you buy additional hours.

Shammi was great to work with! She did a great job helping me shape a compelling, authentic story up front, and then was very responsive as we iterated to convert that story into a set of cohesive essays. With her help, I was accepted into HBS! I highly recommend Shammi to anyone and everyone looking for admissions support.

Katie was awesome. She was blunt when needed and focused on getting me the best application possible. She clearly knew how to write an essay. It’s amazing how much changed from the first essay I wrote to the final one I submitted. Would highly recommend this progress and specifically Katie.

I reached out to Melody after having a horrible experience with a consultant and a failed attempt to get into any top 10 school. From my experience I realized that most top consultants take you into their batch but do provide the time and energy afterwards, compromising your career for their monetary gains. But this was not the case with Melody. With every discussion I had with her or with every draft of an essay I shared with her, I was surprised with the depth and breadth of feedback she covered. For the first round I worked with her on an hourly basis, and took her advice only where I was confused and every time her feedback was beyond what I could have even imagined. This was the reason I was very confident in my applications and got into Kellogg, Tuck and LBS in R1. I was so impressed with her expertise that I decided to do Stanford with her for R2, and she helped me understand and craft my story in such a way that I could have never done with any other consultant. She brainstormed with me, carefully analized my drafts, and pushed me to go deeper and deeper into my story. Finally my essay was so good that I got the Stanford GSB interview invite, and despite having a very abnormal (bad) interview experience from the interviewer’s end, I was waitlisted at GSB. I am sure that had I not worked with Melody I would have never even got an interview invite from GSB. If anyone is on the fence, I can surely say that after applying to B-schools consecutively for 2 years and dealing with many consultants, I can surely say that it is very hard that you find someone more skillful, knowledgable, willing to go the extra mile for candidates than Melody. You would see a mentor and friend in her and would look forward to speaking to her and getting her feedback every single time. You would more often than not find consultants who affects candidates’ odds negatively than positively, but I can assure you that it would never happen with Melody. I will be forever grateful to her for the efforts she put into my application from beginning till the end.

Working with Sacha and VantagePoint for my MBA application process was a great end to end experience. When I began working with VantagePoint I was already pretty advanced in the application process (I knew what schools I was applying to, had rough drafts of some essays, etc) so I was skeptical of what the value add of application consulting would be, but I’m very happy I decided to get Sacha’s support. She worked closely with me to help me take my applications from good to great (to the point that I got into my top 2 schools!). I also appreciated how much Sacha was able to adapt their process and methods to my specific needs and strengths so that I could truly get the most benefit from my time with her. Essay writing ended up being where I needed the most support and it was great to be able to work very closely with Sacha to strengthen my story. Overall, it was great to feel so wholly supported throughout every step of the application process.

Molly was super helpful in preparing essays, resumes, and building my MBA story. The part of the process I struggled with most was crafting my story and Molly was instrumental in helping me to craft my story in a way that it flowed through seamlessly in the various parts of my applications. She was very responsive and always worked with my schedule to get everything done! With her help, I went 3/3 on my top schools, one even with a full-tuition fellowship! 10/10 recommend!

When I started the process I knew I wanted to get an MBA and that was about it. Gina helped me to reflect on why I wanted to go, why now was the right time, and specifically how the degree would excel my career. Applying to business schools is a daunting process and Gina helped add structure and was available to answer any and all of my one off questions. Here feedback was not at all sugar coated, but was exactly what I needed to hear to feel confident about every application I submitted.

As a non-traditional applicant applying to MBA programs, I found Shammi’s feedback extremely helpful in presenting my story in the best way possible. She helped me identify unique aspects of my job that I took for granted. With Shammi’s help, I got into my dream school – MIT Sloan this fall. She is patient, insightful, and extremely helpful! Thank you, Shammi!

I absolutely loved working with Joy Chen from Vantage Point during my MBA application process! She helped me think through each step of the journey, from understanding the key differences between business schools and developing an action plan to crafting my story and sharpening my interviewing skills. I came away from each conversation with Joy feeling more invigorated, thanks to her positive energy, useful advice, and thoughtful questions. After a few months of working with Joy, I was thrilled to be accepted to my top two schools (HBS and Wharton). Joy challenged me to put my best foot forward, always in a kind and encouraging way, and I can’t recommend her enough to anyone who is preparing for business school!

Caryn and the Vantage team were critical in my business school application process. Caryn helped me hone my stories for the essays and provided very detailed and essential feedback that elevated both my written and video essays. She and Melody (the Vantage founder) were especially flexible and helpful for my interview. I found the interview feedback extremely useful during the actual admissions interviews. They helped me craft a water-tight story and feel very confident. Caryn used her clear experience with my selected schools to offer pointed support throughout the process. I would definitely recommend Vantage, and Caryn in particular, to any MBA applicant.

I cannot say enough good things about working with Katie. This was my second time applying to MBA programs. I had previously worked with a great consultant, but Katie is in a league of her own.

I submitted applications to four schools, three of which I had previously applied to; none of which had previously given me an interview.

One of Katie’s greatest strengths is being efficient with your time and adapting her process to best align with your working style. As a result, writing my essays and fleshing out my story was made that much easier and less stressful. When I was extended interviews, Katie was immediately ready to prep. Not only was I admitted to my dream school, but I also received a partial scholarship.

Katie was so supportive throughout this process and is exactly the type of person you want to have in your corner. I couldn’t have done it without her.

I started working on my application with Melody more than a year before the deadline. Throughout that time, Melody was a coach, a mentor, and a constructive critic. She was instrumental in finding my true passion beyond the MBA, perfecting my story along the way. I truly believe that Melody’s personalized input has uplifted my application giving me a much better chance at my target school, and it Worked!
I would also like to mention that I live in a different time-zone than Melody’s (7 hours ahead) which should have been a communication nightmare if it was not for her continuous commitment and care.

I highly recommend Melody to anyone looking for a personalized experience with a top-notch expert. Thank you, Melody, for believing in me and pushing me towards achieving my dreams.

Gina was indispensable during my business school application process. She served as an incredible thought partner to help me shape my story. While initially, I dreaded essay writing, Gina helped turn it into a great self-reflection exercise on what I really wanted to get out of my business school experience and how I will be able to uniquely contribute to the business school community. Both the quality of my writing and my ideas were improved by working with Gina.

Caryn was essential for my business school application process. Drawing from her experience on admissions committees and with other applicants, she was able to provide me with strong advice for putting together my narrative and selecting the best schools for me based on my GMAT, GPA, and background. With her help, I was able to highlight the unique parts of my story, concisely articulate my career path post-MBA, and put my best foot forward in interviews. I also greatly appreciated her positivity and moral support through all steps in the stressful process! Ultimately, I received multiple acceptances and scholarships. I could not have done it without her, and I would recommend her to friends and colleagues. Thank you for your help, Caryn!

I highly recommend working with Ilana from Vantage Point! I started working with Ilana on my pre-package, in which she helped me craft an initial story, supported me in the decision to delay applying for a year, and came up with an action plan for the next year to close gaps in my application. Months later when it came time for application support, Ilana and I picked up right where we left off! She served as a strong sounding board with insight into each school’s unique traits and pushed me to dig deeper into my essays. She was a constant cheerleader and helpful accountability partner, and I felt she was genuinely invested in my journey. I ultimately was accepted to my top choice with a merit scholarship!

Caryn was amazing! Very knowledgeable about the process and where to focus my efforts from start to finish. Caryn has clearly been advising students for years given how strong/tailored her advice was.

Caryn provided really strong advice from all altitudes – great strategic advice on which programs to apply to and strong specific essay input.

Before I began working with Gina, I knew I wanted to utilize an MBA program to make a career pivot, but I did not have a crisp “why” and had done very little to test my hypotheses of what potential industries I wanted to enter. Working with Gina grounded me – she helped me understand the ways in which my biggest career achievements could propel me into a different field and explain them in a way that would make sense to Admissions Committees. Throughout the process, she was supportive but also knew when to give me space to process and digest her feedback. Her feedback is often direct and fair from sugar-coated, but that was exactly what I needed. My acceptance to two highly selective MBA programs is largely due to her support and expertise.

I cannot recommend Katie enough to anyone considering an admissions consultant for a top MBA program. Katie helped me focus my essay writing and refine my narrative to a degree I would never have been able to accomplish on my own. She was also highly flexible with my overseas work schedule and provided valuable feedback on everything from the application process to interview prep.

I managed a hit rate of 7 interviews from 10 applications and managed to receive an offer from my number one choice school! If you’re looking for a responsive, empathetic, and considerate admissions consultant, look no further than Katie!

Molly was one of two Admissions Consultants I worked with, and she definitely set herself apart. She provided tactical feedback on how to improve my applications and what to expect at each stage. I received Admissions decisions I was happy with and felt prepared for every interview. Most of all though, Molly made sure I was at ease with the process – answering my every question and calming me down to help reduce stress so I could put my best application forward.

Kristen was an incredible resource to lean on during my MBA application process. I worked on 5 applications with her and received acceptances to 4/5 MBA programs. Her comments and guidance were constructive, direct, and extremely helpful. She helped to point out strengths in my profile that I had neglected to highlight and also gave extremely helpful points in tailoring my applications to each school. Genuinely could not have done it without her. Whatever state your application is at currently, I’m willing to bet that Kristen can bring it to the next level.

Working with Melody was an extremely positive experience – her guidance and insight throughout the application process was instrumental in gaining admission into my top choice program. Melody’s expert advice and feedback at every stage of the process – including crafting and conveying an overarching personal story, resume and essay development, and interview preparation – was invaluable and reflective of her extensive knowledge of the admission and application process at top business school programs. I was working within a fairly short timeline to meet my targeted application deadline, and Melody’s tailored, thorough feedback, often provided on a quick turnaround, really demonstrated her commitment to her clients and their goals. I would highly recommend Melody to anyone considering working with a top-notch consultant to maximize their chances of success in the business school application process.

My experience working with Melody and Vantage Point was amazing! I cannot recommend enough signing up for one of the comprehensive packages. Even during the free initial consultation, it was very clear Melody would be 100% invested in helping me put together the best application. I hired Melody in late April (~4 months before R1 apps were due) and she simplified the entire MBA application process. Before starting on my essays, she invested time in getting to know me and helped piece together different personal and professional experiences that would make sense to highlight in my application. Melody was extremely supportive throughout the process and would always make herself available whether it was for a quick question or a longer brainstorming call. Her comments were always very thoughtful, and the constructive feedback helped professionalize my essays. I felt extremely confident with the final versions I submitted and cannot imagine how I would have made it without Melody and her team. I also cannot stress the value of the mock interviews with Melody and the test run with a former M7 AdCom! This was such a worthwhile investment. Thanks to Melody I was accepted to 2 of my dream schools and am so excited for this next stage in my career!

The biggest regret I had this past admission cycle was to have not worked with Kristen sooner – I had worked with two other consultants from different companies on a few other schools before I started working with Kristen and but man Kristen was on a whole different level I didn’t even know that existed. She truly cares and does not stop at mediocrity – she will bring the best out in you. I can’t believe how big a difference she made in my applications. She is great at everything: from brainstorming and picking the right stories to set the right structure and flow of the stories to communicating in a limited number of words efficiently and effectively, and to digging out and connecting what’s special about you to what the specific school is looking for. After experiencing how amazing Kristen is, it’s obvious that my other two consultants (despite having seemingly good profiles and experience) didn’t care nearly as much and weren’t good at many of the areas I listed. I wish I went all-in with Kristen from the start, so please don’t make the same mistake I made!

Melody went above and beyond to ensure that my essays were top-notch. Her expert guidance was invaluable, and she leveled up my writing beyond my expectations. Her thoroughness and commitment to excellence were evident in every interaction, and she was always available to answer my questions. I highly recommend Melody to anyone looking for a skilled and dedicated consultant to help them achieve academic success. Thank you, Melody!

I worked with Shammi on my HKS application, and she was extremely helpful. Shammi helped me go from initial ideas to fully polished essays in less than three weeks. Her review helped me refine while still staying authentic to my original story.

Caryn was fantastic to work with and played an immensely important role in my admissions. She not only kept me on track toward my goals throughout the entire process but also provided meaningful feedback on all of my work in a timely fashion. I cannot recommend Caryn enough to anyone looking to pursue their MBA. Thank you Caryn for all of your help throughout my process!

Katie was my primary consultant for my full-time applications and I have absolutely enjoyed working with her for a number of reasons. 1) She is straightforward and candid, which is what you need when applying and forcing yourself to be so introspective 2) She was able to help me think around the school that I was applying to so that I could really hone in on the relevant skills and 3) she kept me honest, never allowing us to stray into any ethical gray-zones and ensuring we were presenting a real picture of who I am.

I have nothing but great things to say about working with Katie throughout the MBA application process. From the get go, Katie really helped me refine my story – she rightfully advised me to spend more time here (vs. diving into essays right away), even giving me tailored homework to do to get this critical thinking ‘right’. Because of this tailored approach that Katie took with me, I went into essay writing with a more clear and compelling pitch.
I also appreciate Katie’s skills in pushing for deeper insights/connections, while still allowing for the candidate’s unique style to fully shine through. Finally, I have to highlight how actionable, clear, and prompt Katie’s feedback is. Whether it was in refining my resume for an MBA application or running through many iterations of essays, every piece of feedback I got from Katie was helpful and very clear to action. Katie always made sure we used our time together as efficiently as possible, which allowed me to get the most out of my $s invested.
I highly, highly recommend working with Katie – she truly is the best!

I can’t say enough good things about Melody!! Throughout the entire process, Melody was patient, hardworking, communicative, and supportive. She is incredibly intelligent and always knows how to put my thoughts into words. At first, I used the pre-pack and quickly realized how helpful she was and how I was going to need her in the process so I upgraded to the Comprehensive package. She was always on time with her edits, was always available to call when I needed advice in the process and is so dedicated to me and the rest of her clients. Once I found out I got the interview, I had three days until the interview and she was able to fit me in for an interview prep the day before it. Because of her I was 100% prepared for the interview and had an idea of the questions I would be asked. Because of her I got accepted to my dream school! I can’t recommend Melody enough!!

I had a great experience working with Kristen on five MBA applications. She was really helpful in helping me understand what various adcoms look for in each of their essay prompts, and helping me think through how I should tailor my personal story and goals to address what each school was looking for. Working with Kristen enabled me to get into 4 of the 5 schools I applied to, including 3 M7s. Kristen also did a great job of understanding and working around my professional commitments, which made working with her very enjoyable and manageable.

I cannot recommend Melody enough! I used the Comprehensive Package and was accepted to two of the four schools to which I applied and chose to attend Wharton/Lauder. Melody was always quick to provide extremely honest and constructive feedback on each component of my application package — from the application itself, my CV, and essays, to interview preparation. Throughout the entire process, I was always so impressed with how Melody truly cared and personalized the experience to what I needed. I never felt like I was “on the clock” and she was there to help with all my last-minute anxieties. Notably, I needed to navigate a deferral process (something that is not officially included in an admissions consulting package), and Melody was quick to offer advice and help me navigate the situation, even after I was admitted to the school. I highly recommend Melody and the Vantage Point team to anyone looking for guidance in this process!

I worked with Jaime on my Round 1 MBA applications and ultimately was admitted to my top choice dual-degree program and received a full merit fellowship to the MA program. Jaime was very organized from the start and provided me with deadlines for various milestones like my resume update, essay outlines/drafts, etc. She was an incredibly thoughtful listener and made me feel as though she truly understood me and my values. She took the time to help me craft and articulate my ‘story’ and future ambitions, which ultimately became the foundation of my essays. She helped me think about my application holistically to ensure I highlighted all of the relevant parts of my candidacy and wove them together into a cohesive package. I felt so supported by Jaime throughout the entire process.

Ilana was incredibly honest, efficient, and dedicated to my application process. She helped me perfect a “personal statement” with a connected theme that made it easy to write a thoughtful essay for each school. While drafting stories to include in my essays, she helped draw out the most thoughtful conclusions and leveled up my writing ability to reduce word count and be able to fit more in. She also helped me understand what to spend the most time on, making my application process more efficient.

Gina is an incredibly thoughtful and insightful consultant who bears considerable responsibility for my acceptance. I come from somewhat of a non-traditional background and Gina helped me communicate aspects of my life and experience in a way that emphasized my leadership skills and readiness for the next step. Her feedback was often tough to hear – she’s thorough and very frank – but it was always just the right feedback to take my application to the next level. I can’t thank her enough!

I worked with Molly to develop my story and write my essays for three schools. She was dependable, responsive, and patient as I asked her tough questions. Molly was sincere in her feedback, so I always felt like she was genuinely impressed when providing a compliment. She was constructive and professional throughout!

Working with Kristen was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my MBA application journey. She was personable and willing to spend the time to learn about you. Her knowledge as a former adcom was extremely helpful – she provided clear feedback and guidance throughout the process. I couldn’t have gotten into my top choice in M7 if it weren’t for Kristen. 10/10 highly recommend working with Kristen.

I highly recommend working with Anna from Vantage Point. The personal and professional maturity I gained working with Vantage Point is something I would like to thank them for. During the process, I was pushed to analyze my values and what has helped me succeed in my life and be able to articulate that in a precise manner that convinced my top 2 MBA schools (Kellogg and Haas) to accept me.

Caryn and the whole Vantage Point team have been great resources and have helped along each and every step of the admissions process.

Personally, I found the validation and the confidence of knowing someone with this expertise to be very valuable and comforting. Having reviewed hundreds of candidates, Caryn aligns and confirms you are putting your best foot forward.

Would definitely recommend Caryn to folks who are interested!

I worked with Molly for my R1 applications to HBS, GSB, Wharton, and Kellogg. Her experience was invaluable as I crafted my essays, worked with my recommenders, and prepped for interviews. Her approach was the perfect mix between candid feedback and encouraging motivation. I’d happily recommend Molly to any of my friends and coworkers!