Vantage Point | MBA Admissions Consultants

Melody Jones at Vantage Point MBA is a wonderful consultant and I am very fortunate to have worked with her.

Firstly, if you are on the fence about hiring a consultant in general, I was in the same boat last year and I highly recommend pulling the trigger and going for it. When I first decided to apply to business school, I had never even heard of an admission consultant. The concept was foreign to me and as such I was reluctant to pay up for one. However, once I started my essays, I realized that they were nowhere near the standard required for the schools I was targeting. I was really struggling to express my “story” in a cohesive and compelling manner. Given that the MBA is such a large investment overall, I wanted to make sure that I wouldn’t be leaving anything on the table, and I ultimately decided to bring in a professional.

I researched most of the firms and interviewed consultants from each of them, but I was immediately drawn to Vantage Point due to its smaller size, which I felt would be most conducive to a genuine, personalized experience. When I spoke with Melody on the phone, I just knew that she was the one. Not only is Melody brilliant, but she is friendly and down-to-earth. I felt like she really understood where I was coming from and where I wanted to go. Having Melody in my corner curbed my anxiety tremendously and increased my confidence – that alone was worth every penny.

I had a 700 GMAT and not-so-great GPA and I was applying to some of the very best schools. On our kick-off call, Melody kept it real with me and was upfront about where my weaknesses were (later, she helped me develop a game-plan to directly address each of these challenges), but she NEVER attempted to discourage me from applying to the programs I’d set my sights on. I believe that it is crucial to work with a balanced consultant like Melody, who makes a point to manage your expectations but then puts in an insane amount of effort to elevate your application to the highest possible level as if your weaknesses didn’t exist.

Melody is an MBA expert and if I hadn’t worked with her, I’m certain my application strategy would have been all wrong. Admissions folks only spend ~15 minutes reviewing your entire application and I was surprised to learn that most of them do not have business backgrounds. Therefore, you must present yourself and your materials in a way that is drastically different from a job interview, for example. MBA essay-writing requires a significant amount of introspection and Melody possesses the rare skill of helping you spin life experiences (that to you may seem mundane) into captivating stories. Melody worked tirelessly to help me put together seriously killer essays (I’m talking 10+ drafts each). She will not do any of the work for you, but she asks very pointed questions that force you to dig deeper and she will not let you off the hook until every single sentence is perfect. There were many occasions when, after 5-8 drafts, I thought my essay had finally reached perfection and I had mentally checked out of it, only to receive yet another completely red version from Melody. I cannot stress this enough — if you work with Melody, she will not simply check the box by providing a few iterations of useful feedback. Rather, she will be totally personally invested in you and your success. On that front, this review would not be complete without a shout out to Katherine Canning, who graduated from Wharton and works in my industry. She took time out of her vacation (!!) to do a final, last-minute review of my Wharton essays before submission. The consultants at Vantage Point are passionate about what they do and are seriously dedicated to you.

Finally, pretty late in the process, I realized that one of my 4 target schools actually wasn’t the best fit for me and I decided to switch it out for another top 10 school (which I will be attending in the fall!!) just a few weeks before the deadline. I NEVER would have had the courage to take such a big turn so close to the end without Melody’s encouragement. When it came time for interviews, Melody held several mock interviews with me. I went from being terribly awkward during the first mock interview to absolutely rocking it at the real thing! Also worth mentioning that throughout the process, I experienced several SNAFUs (the kind you never expect to happen), and if I didn’t have Melody to guide me and calm me down, I would have had a meltdown and handled the situation incorrectly.

TLDR: Do something special for yourself this year and hire Melody Jones from Vantage Point MBA!

To start, Molly was a critical component of my MBA application process. Without her help, I do not think I would have put forth nearly as strong of an application and ultimately would not have had the acceptances I received.
I came to Molly as a re-applicant. She first helped with a complete evaluation and worked with me to reposition my profile. Following this, I primarily worked with her on my essays and then on interview prep. Throughout the process, Molly was very forthcoming with constructive criticism and did not hold back any of her thoughts. This candid feedback was what really elevated my application and was critical to getting the best application to adcom. Molly was also very timely in her responses and throughout my time with her, I felt that she was ‘invested’ in my success.
At the end of the day, I was admitted to 4 schools (including my top choice) and waitlisted to a 5th. I also received scholarships from 2 of the schools. For reference, I only applied to top 15 programs.
Overall, I could not speak more highly of her and would recommend any applicant to work with her! Thank you, Molly!

I’d first admit that I am one of those who couldn’t do this without a consultant. Trained as a scientist, I knew I needed someone from the business world to polish my application package and to take the anxiety out of the process through discussions.
I had another consultant before Molly. During that time, the vision for my application was less clear and I was falling behind the schedule. It got the point that I thought I was not going to make it and I hated the process. That’s when I was introduced to Molly. Molly helped me make everything happen and she’s even turned the application process into something almost enjoyable. She first streamlined my application plan while giving me the necessary confidence to finish all the work in time. She was very responsive and usually gets back to me in just a few hours. Above all, her insight helped me find and highlight the most relevant information in my application. By the time I submitted my applications, I knew I did my best and I have shown my best of readiness for business school.
Highly recommend!

Had an excellent experience working with Alicia and with Vantage Point! I was pretty skeptical of admissions consultants when I reached out, but my initial chat with Melody (Vantage founder) and correspondence made me feel way less pressured than I did in speaking to larger firms that were just trying to upsell me some package that I didn’t really need (had been waitlisted year before so was at least close to understanding what to do). Alicia was very warm and delivered feedback in a constructive, optimistic way that made it easy to take her advice! Very glad to have gone to a small firm that clearly cares about their clients! As for Alicia, her feedback as a re-applicant to be less formal and let my personality shine through a bit more, critiques on how to restructure my resume, and the awesome advice on bringing a “hook” to my essay writing all made me feel so much more confident this year about the process! Also as a former CBS adcom, her insider knowledge of what CBS cares about and how to highlight my future contributions to them made this feel like a slam dunk. She was able to draw my attention to things that I would have never thought about in my previous app and I felt like an expert on this process by the time I clicked submit! She was very available and did not make me feel like I was less of a priority by not buying some giant comprehensive package. Would highly recommend!!!!

I worked with Katherine on my round 2 application for HBS, MIT Sloan, Haas Berkeley and Yale SOM. I was accepted to all four schools with substantial scholarships – and could not have done it without her!
As background, I come from a non-traditional background (global health) and had a mediocre GMAT score, with a low quant score. I had applied to a few of the schools last year and was rejected without an interview. I had worked with another consulting company but felt that the consultant was often rushing or didn’t seem as invested.
My experience with Katherine was completely different. She spent a lot of time with me upfront to carve a compelling narrative that was true to who I am. Throughout the process, she kept me on message and was always there when I had any questions or concerns. She was also proactive in helping me mitigate any “weak points” in my application. (Side note: Katherine is super-efficient – I don’t know how she does it!)
Most importantly, throughout the process, I felt that Katherine, Meredith, Melody and the rest of the Vantage Point team truly cared about me and helping me reach my goals.
I would HIGHLY recommend the Vantage Point team – trust me, you won’t regret it!

Eileen was the best consultant I could have worked with and I’m so happy to be heading to the perfect school for my career next steps. I recommend her 100%.

Context: As a non-traditional applicant (for reference – history undergrad, self-employed out of college, now marketing at a small nonprofit), working with Eileen was extremely helpful. Very few people in my network were familiar with business school or had an MBA, not to mention how competitive the process is these days. Eileen allowed me to focus on what matters most rather than sifting through a lot of (not always trustworthy) information online. She also worked super hard to accommodate my short timeline applying for R2; I hired Eileen in early October, hadn’t taken the GMAT, and she helped me reach the deadline to submit apps for 3 schools by early January (and I took a 2.5-week international trip in Dec!). I hustled, and she hustled just as much.

Process and experience: Eileen is really on top of her game; she was prompt, willing to help, insightful, and thoughtful in her work. I’d say if you know what you need and ask for it, Eileen will pretty much never say no. There were several instances where she went above and beyond, leveraging Vantage Point to help me find answers to my toughest questions. Eileen is also both honest and positive, so every time I talked with her I felt motivated and excited about my prospects— which is what you need in order to keep going in the midst of this grind. Sometimes I wish she were my life consultant. 🙂 As far as my application materials, Eileen was an excellent editor. She added value in making sure I described my experiences in a way that a typical adcom member would understand and feel compelled to read more. The result was my feeling 100% confident that I submitted the best representation of my experience, myself, and my vision for the future to each school— and that’s really all you can hope for.

Final note on non-traditional backgrounds: If you’re looking to hire a consultant because of a nontraditional background, I’d say look no further. Eileen helped me own the value of my work experience and my intentional decision-making, and provided incredible support as I articulated my reasons for attending b-school. Top schools are looking for certain qualities in applicants and she helped me make sure those came through in my application while staying very true to who I am and my story. Sometimes it’s challenging to know how to speak to your strengths with both precision and humility, and Eileen was excellent with this type of language. I could not have done this without her and I am so incredibly grateful for her expertise and hard work.

Thanks to Eileen, I’m going to Yale and it is the perfect school for my story and my goals.

I applied to business school in Round 2 this year and am very glad that I had the opportunity to work with Katherine — I was admitted to both Wharton (my top choice!) and London Business School. I would highly recommend her to anyone considering applying.
When I first started working with Katherine, I had initial drafts of my essays but quickly realized I was nowhere close to being submission-ready. Katherine knows exactly what each school is looking for and gave me a very clear understanding of how to shape my essays for each. She also helped me completely rework and rewrite my essays so that they addressed 1) my past experiences, 2) my personality / interests, 3) my professional goals, 4) and how the schools would help get me there. She helped me really dig deeper and write essays that truly capture where I am now & where I want to go next. The transformation of my initial drafts before working with her to the final drafts after was truly night & day. I truly could not have done it without her help!

I am so thankful to have worked with Katherine as a comprehensive client throughout the MBA admissions process! I applied to 5 M7 schools in Round 1 and am happy to say that I was admitted to 3 (2 with substantial scholarship!) I come from a traditional pre-MBA background and have a below average GMAT score, so initially was considering not even applying to these schools. I probably spoke with almost every MBA consulting firm and I felt like they all tried to fit my background into a box and encouraged me to apply to a number of “safety” schools. Katherine was the only consultant that I spoke with that actually put in the effort to help me craft my story in a unique / compelling way. She had confidence in me and encouraged me to apply to the reach schools that I was most excited about.
During the process, Katherine surpassed my expectations for an MBA admissions consultant. I had so many questions during the 7 months we worked together, from choosing my recommenders to negotiating scholarships, and she provided thoughtful and prompt feedback every step of the way. Her advice on the essays was a complete game-changer. I had no idea what was appropriate to include in a business school essay and am positive that my essays would not have been nearly as personal / effective in helping me to stand out without her guidance.
I honestly never expected to have this outcome and am confident that I could not have done it without Katherine! I felt like she was personally invested in my success and I know I would not have gotten that with another consultant. I definitely recommend her to anyone going through the MBA admissions process.

After a round of rejection, I had one free consultation with Melody. Melody is an excellent listener and was able to take all of the information I gave her and focused in on a handful of ways I could quickly improve my applications. I wholeheartedly believe that her advice on how to frame a particular weakness in my application helped me get into every school I applied to in the subsequent round, including to an M7 school. Melody helped me describe why I struggled in one college quant course in a way that seemed natural, whereas my previous writing on the subject likely came off as excuse-making. It says a lot about the company’s integrity that they have refused even token compensation from me, even though the short time I spent with Melody was so impactful.

Katherine was incredibly helpful from step 1 through the end. I only applied to HBS and Wharton, and got interviews with both. I am very happy to say that I will be enrolling in my dream school (Wharton) in the fall! I have no doubt that working with Katherine greatly increased my chances of landing the interview. Not only did she help me gather my own thoughts on if the timing was right for me to apply, she helped me decide which schools I should apply to, and how I should position myself as a candidate. Katherine is a no-bullshit kind of person who will not waste your time – which I’m grateful for given that I paid it all out of pocket. If I hadn’t been accepted this year, I would certainly rehire her next year for the process all over again.

Melody is an exceptional admissions consultant. I signed on for the Comprehensive Package and added on two other schools. We have worked together for over a year, as I began my b-school application journey early on. Melody was very helpful in helping me craft and hone my story, and she really pushed me to elevate my resume and essays to the next level required for acceptance into a top business school program. She fully understands what AdCom is looking for at each individual program, which really helps as you go through the various drafts of your essays. My GMAT scores came in a bit later than I’d hoped but Melody was extremely flexible in working through all of my essays in a condensed period of time. She also made herself available to chat anytime I felt stuck and encouraged me when I felt frustrated with the process (let’s be real, the application process is incredibly stressful). I will be heading to an M7 school in the fall with scholarship, and couldn’t have done it without Melody. This is a worthwhile investment and I’d recommend Melody to anyone thinking about applying to business school. Major props to Melody for making my dreams come true!

I had a lot of anxiety about applying for MBAs. I come from a nontraditional professional background, I’m older than most candidates, and I was not fully clear about my post-MBA goals. I took meetings with 5 other consultants and found them all to be shockingly pushy, quick to talk over me, and eager to focus on my weaknesses.

I had basically decided to go it alone when I took a final meeting with Eileen, and my whole outlook shifted. Eileen is an unparalleled listener, truly intersted in helping her clients develop their own voice and story rather than simply imposing a MBA archetype on them. She met me where I was and was extremely sensitive to my financial restrictions, hustling to make use of every minute of our time together and working overtime to get my edits back to me as quickly as possible. She is a gifted writer and editor able to turn my sometimes rambling thoughts into powerful prose. I always looked forward to our sessions, even when I knew she might deliver some tough love, and deeply appreciated that she approached my application with an open mind about how to make my story uniquely shine. Additionally, Eileen is an true interview master and I’m so happy I coached with her before meeting with schools.

Thanks to Eileen, I was accepted to my top choice program, Kellogg’s MMM dual-degree. I could not have done it without Eileen’s wisdom, organizational mastery, and constant encouragement.

I’m so thankful for Melody’s guidance and support throughout this process. I had initially begun visiting schools and crafting my personal statement for pursuing an MBA without a consultant. While I thought I had a decent educational background (college, GPA) and GMAT score, I wasn’t confident in the quality of my essays. Fortunately, through online research, I found Melody at Vantage Point. During our initial call, we aligned on how far along I was on my applications and school selection process, and she immediately worked with me to strengthen and shape my core story. I admit I was a bit nervous about how much attention I would receive as an hourly client compared to others with more comprehensive services, but I was highly impressed with Melody’s invaluable insight, along with her timely and honest feedback. I was out of practice with my essay writing skills and Melody challenged me to write in different ways that were true to my voice, yet more concise and compelling, which I believe helped to differentiate my application. I was thrilled to have gotten into one of my top choices and am appreciative of Melody’s support along the way.

I decided to apply to business school fairly late in the game (6 weeks before my first application was due). I had fortunately taken the GMAT a few years prior, but I knew I had a long way to go in order to hit my deadline: crafting a story, resume, essays, recommendations, etc. Faced with a daunting task, I determined that using a consultant would be highly beneficial. After speaking with a number of firms, I chose Katherine and Vantage Point because they took time to get to know me, did not have a one-size-fits-all approach, and encouraged me to apply to the schools I wanted. Katherine was instrumental in keeping me on track, offering me sound advice, and helping me reach my full potential. In just over a month, we established a credible story and produced essays that were, in my opinion, excellent (I hadn’t written much more than an email in 5+ years). I ultimately applied to 3 top programs with Katherine’s assistance and am happy to say that I received substantial scholarship to 1 of the 3 (I knew the others were a stretch at the onset). There is no way that I would have had the same outcome without her help – I can recommend Katherine and Vantage Point without hesitation.

I had a great overall experience working with Katherine Canning at Vantage Point, and I highly recommend her MBA admissions consulting services. I utilized the “Hourly Services” option, which was ideal as it provided me the flexibility to focus on specific components of the application process that I was most interested in seeking advice on. Throughout our interactions, I was very impressed by her candid and constructive feedback, her timely responses to my questions, and her genuine interest in helping me to identify and highlight the strongest aspects of background. Additionally, I greatly appreciated that she was very cognizant of the application deadlines and always seemed to ensure that the hours that I was purchasing were being used efficiently, so that I could get significant value from them. The outstanding level of customized and highly personalized support provided by Katherine and Vantage Point is what makes them different from other MBA admissions consulting providers. I am happy to report that I was admitted to Cornell (my top choice) and will be starting in the fall. I could not have asked for a better consultant to help me navigate through my admission process. Thanks again for everything, Katherine!

I purchased the four school comprehensive package from Vantage Point and worked with Eileen Chao over a period 6 months to complete my applications. I talked to various MBA consultants prior to choosing Vantage Point and what stood out to me the most about Vantage Point, was their genuine desire to see applicants succeed and personable touch. Eileen Chao was instrumental in helping me navigate the business school application process from beginning to end. From the start, Eileen went the extra mile to get to know me as an applicant and help me craft a unique story in my application. We started by framing my story and went through several revisions of essays to make sure they were perfect by submission. When I received my interview invites, Eileen conducted several mock interviews to make sure I was prepped and ready. Throughout this process, Eileen was extremely supportive and really helped me stay calm during this rather stressful period. After months of preparation and guidance from Eileen, I was admitted to NYU Stern (my #1 choice!) and I know I would not have been able to accomplish this goal with her by my side. I highly recommend working with Vantage Point and Eileen Chao!

The hourly services at Vantage Point were the perfect fit for what I needed in the application process. Going into the applications, I felt I had a strong GMAT score and reason for applying to school but needed help with the essays. I had a lower college GPA, so knew I needed to write really strong essays to have a chance at getting in. Melody was great at helping me from the brainstorming process through multiple drafts on different topics to the final polishing to make sure everything was “submit” ready. She was also very helpful in answering my one-off questions as I continued through the process, even after we had wrapped up our final hour. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for help and direction with the overall application!

I worked with Katherine over a period of four months to submit five applications (HBS, Wharton, Booth, Kellogg, NYU). I used a comprehensive package for one (Wharton) and hourly services for the rest. She was absolutely instrumental in my successful admission to three out of the five (Booth, Kellogg, NYU). Her approach is logical, straightforward, organized, and direct, which is exactly what I needed. I came to her after spending 5 months trying to figure out my “story” on my own, and she helped me choose the right thing after just one hour-long session together. (Seriously, she’s amazing!) Working with her, I had complete confidence that every detail of my application would be addressed on time. She does a great job editing essays without actually writing any part of them – I came out of the process knowing that my essays were mine completely, but she provided the right leading feedback to make sure that they would be received well. She is also fantastic at ensuring you get what you want out of working with her – she gave recommendations on how much time to spend on each application, how many hours to purchase, and how to use our time together to the fullest. Lastly, she’s continued to be a support to me throughout my decision-making process, even though that’s not technically part of the service, which makes me feel like she’s genuinely invested in my success.

Eileen was crucial to my application process. She really pushed me when I started to doubt myself and always provided valuable feedback. We took a lot of time upfront to hone my story based on my unique experiences and my future goals. So, when it came to the essays and interviewers I had a strong sense of my story and goals. Eileen’s experience with non-traditional students and her understanding of what reviewers were looking for helped me feel confident going into the application and interview process. In addition, Eileen is extremely flexible when it comes to scheduling review times. I had an unexpected family emergency while preparing for Round 1 applications, and she was incredibly understanding and scheduled review times that were reasonable for my situation and to meet my application deadlines. Eileen, also helped me focus in on the kind of school I wanted to attend. She helped me see which characteristics and elements were important to me and my goals and helped me find the right fit. I am happy to say that I was accepted to my first choice! I am grateful to have worked with Eileen and to have learned from her expertise. Her enthusiastic energy is contagious and refreshing. Her positive attitude and ability to calm me down during this entire process was just as vital as the actual content of my applications. I highly recommend Eileen to anyone looking for a true partner during their application process. Thank you Eileen – you’re a rock star!

Vantage Point has a very strong comprehensive school package to help craft your story and think through an individual’s strategic positioning (and how that should vary from school to school). Being a bit late in the GMAT and application process and wanting to submit applications in R1, Katherine was very supportive in proactively identifying areas that I could knock off early while preparing to take the GMAT (ordering transcripts, brainstorming for essays, etc.). Katherine was incredibly helpful throughout the entire application process and, coming from a similar work background, was able to help identify my truly differentiating experiences. Katherine applied the perfect balance of pressure as well to make sure I was appropriately prepared to meet deadlines, and had thought through anything and everything for the application and interview processes. Katherine’s guidance in that regard was very beneficial in maintaining clarity on the application process since I often get tied down in projects at work, so setting milestones and having reminder emails and catch-up calls along the way was definitely useful. In addition, Katherine only takes on a handful of MBA applicants each round, which you can absolutely feel in the level of engagement shown and support provided throughout the entire process. I have heard mixed reviews from others on their experiences with MBA consultants, but I can confidently say that in hindsight I would absolutely work with Katherine and Vantage Point again, and would highly recommend her to others.

I had the pleasure of working with Melody on two Round 1 applications to top 10 programs. I had unsuccessfully applied to several top programs last year and was unsure of why I had been rejected as my GPA/GMAT/undergrad school were strong and I felt I had interesting work experience. While I had initially been reluctant to use an admissions consultant due to the cost, it was definitely a worthwhile investment. I worked with Melody on an hourly basis, which worked well for me as I already knew the schools to which I intended to apply. I was impressed with Melody’s efficiency, as well as the quality of her feedback, and appreciated her regular updates on the time spent on various items. Melody helped me first by doing a quick review of a few my applications from last year and pinpointing that I stood to improve the most by strengthening my resume, stating career goals that better justified the need for an MBA, and writing more compelling and specific essays. We spent most of our time on resume edits, career goal articulation, and essay reviews and edits. The previous application cycle showed me just how competitive it is to gain admission to top MBA programs, and not knowing many people familiar with the MBA process, it was invaluable for me to have Melody’s insight into the admissions process and candid feedback on my resume, goals, and essay drafts. Additionally, Melody was always quick to respond and open to answering any questions I had about the admissions process. I was admitted to a top 10 program with a scholarship that more than makes up for the cost of working with a consultant and truly believe Melody’s help in developing a strong, polished application helped me gain admission with a scholarship. I highly recommend working with her!

I worked with Alicia over the course of three months during my application prep for Columbia. Having worked in admissions at Columbia Business School, Alicia was able to provide insight into the admissions process and how best to tailor my story to make me stand out. Her advice and feedback was also instrumental in helping me write a coherent and focused essay that highlighted the strengths of my application and mitigate my weaknesses. Alicia was also very accommodating and flexible in scheduling meetings or quick chats. I’m extremely pleased with how the process went and would wholeheartedly recommend Vantage Point and Alicia.

After using another consulting company, I felt that I still didn’t have a sense of how to make my application stand out for ME. Eileen took the time to talk through my experiences and goals to understand what would make me a unique candidate and to highlight that in the application. I purchased a package of 5 hours to work together which was sufficient to prepare essays for about 4 applications. She was able to help me decide between potential ideas to get essays started and then to help whittle them down to the appropriate word counts. Working with her not only improved my submitted application but also helped me to understand what I might want to focus on once interviews came around. Even if you have bright friends or family who are great at editing, it is extremely helpful to have someone with an eye for what an Admissions Committee is looking to see in an application. Eileen was very flexible and helpful to keep in touch with through the process. I ended up getting admitted to Berkeley Haas (a top choice of mine) and to UCLA with significant scholarship!

Eileen was instrumental in helping with business school applications. Before working together, Eileen takes the time to get to know you and understand your goals. She is incredibly personable, encouraging throughout an otherwise stressful process, and intelligent. She provided extremely insightful feedback that truly strengthened my essays. She also provided very constructive feedback and helpful interview tips after conducting interview prep; I had very successful interviews at both schools after following her recommendations from our feedback session. Eileen caters to whatever schedule you are on and is very timely in her feedback. She made this process less stressful and less intimidating. I was admitted to both schools I applied to with scholarships. I would undoubtedly recommend Eileen for any step in the business school application process!

With only one month for Round 1 admits and after talking to numerous consultants, I finally decided to work with Melody Jones at Vantage Point. Though the fees seemed steep initially, choosing to work with Melody turned out to be the best decision during my MBA application process. Melody is an exceptional professional and her attention to details is brilliant. Her feedback was always spot on and she urged me to think out of the box and come up with innovative ways to express myself. Submitting 4 applications in 1 month was a huge task but Melody worked with me until the end and ensured that I brought my best out in every application. The interview prep was, again, very helpful and thorough. Melody gave me a great insight on what to expect for interviews and how to bring my A-game forward. I highly recommend Melody at Vantage Point as an MBA consultant. Applying for top B-schools is a stressful experience and it’s highly beneficial to have a good consultant by your side.

I initially met Melody during Forte workshop kickoff event and was impressed by her candidness immediately. Since early May, I had been working with her on every aspect of my CBS application package – career goals, strength/weakness assessment, resume, essays and mock interview. Melody always provided to-the-point feedback on my writing and pushed me beyond my comfort zone to polish my career goals (I’m seeking to change my career vertically post-MBA, hence the challenge). On top of that, I really enjoyed doing mock interview with her: she offered super honest and constructive feedback on my responses, and helped me brainstorm prompts that I struggled with. I was eventually admitted into CBS during ED round within 5 weeks! I can’t thank Melody enough for her directional guidance in the process.

I can’t say enough about my positive experience with Melody. I reached out to her when I knew I wanted to go to bschool but didn’t have any other thoughts beyond that – what school, best practices on GMAT prep, what I wanted to do after school, how to tackle interviews, essay writing, how to engage with my recommenders, etc. She walked me through the entire process step-by-step so it didn’t seem as daunting, and pushed me each step of the way to make my application stronger than I could have ever thought possible. She was to-the-point and always available, which really helped me focus on specific areas I needed to focus on and be as efficient as possible. I’m convinced that Melody’s guidance and pushing me to improve my application beyond what I could have done myself is what led to my overall success in the bschool application process. I’m happy to note that I received 4 acceptances (of 6 schools applied), with merit scholarships to all I applied to! Long story short: Best investment ever.

I worked with Melody on 4 applications for Round 1. We started late, but she proved an excellent resource for distilling my non-traditional story into an application that would prove compelling to adcomms. She was incredibly thorough in her analysis of my materials, providing feedback that enabled me to develop materials that were authentically mine, but still ensured I hit the many benchmarks of a successful application. I’m a crunch-time worker and had a chaotic work/travel schedule, but she made a point of making availability at odd hours and for often tight turnarounds– it was a level of dedication that made me feel that she was thoroughly invested in my success. I was accepted to two schools with scholarship offers from both. I’m pleased with my experience and the results of working with Melody. I would highly recommend working with her to future applicants– my only advice is start working with her sooner and don’t wait.

I worked with Melody for over four months on my application for the J-Term at Columbia Business School and had a truly terrific experience! Melody was the only consultant I spoke with who was genuinely interested in helping me get into business school and so I was confident in choosing her as my consultant. With her wealth of knowledge and experience as a Columbia alum, she was able to help me refine my goals and essays to highlight the aspects of my candidacy that Columbia was looking for. She went above and beyond to help me tell my story in a authentic and compelling way, pushing me to explore my own motivations and aspirations. Melody was also always incredibly patient and prompt with feedback, reviewing several drafts of my resume and essays until she and I were both confident my application was in the best possible shape. After everything was complete, Melody even had my application reviewed by a former adcom member who provided insightful and honest feedback that made my application even stronger. For the interview, Melody’s coaching ensured I would emphasize the right points, clearly articulating my story, goals, and enthusiasm for CBS. She even went out of her way to schedule another interview prep session before my actual interview to make sure I felt confident and prepared! Ultimately, I was admitted to Columbia Business School! I can honestly say I wouldn’t have made it without her guidance and support. She was professional, friendly, and positive throughout the entire process. I could not have asked for a better consultant to work with! Thank you for everything, Melody!