David White

Overall David was an incredible resource. He knew the answer to every single MBA-related question I had throughout the process. I could not have asked for a more knowledgeable resource to help me through this process. He was also very patient during our conversations and pushed me in the right direction to make some incredible essays, and, quite frankly, better understand my own desire for getting an MBA. With his help, I was accepted to Columbia Business School with an $80K scholarship which was an extremely exciting result!

I highly recommend Menlo Coaching! I was accepted into the HBS 2+2 program, and working with David made the whole application process so much more manageable and less stressful. David is extremely intelligent and creative. He knows exactly how to bring the best out of you and craft an extremely compelling story. He has highly keen insight and intuition into what admissions officers are looking for with his vast experience.

I also visited their office in person in the Netherlands. It was an awesome experience and greatly boosted my productivity. Not only is David highly gifted, but he is also just an extremely pleasant and generous person. Even though we were under significant stress to hit deadlines (since I decided to apply only a couple of months before the deadline), David’s lighthearted sense of humor kept me laughing and my spirits up through the intense grind to finish my application. He also really went the extra mile to make sure my application was completely ready to submit and gave me peace of mind by promptly responding to any concerns I had over email.

I can’t recommend David enough! He’s the man!

I worked with David at Menlo Coaching in the 2021-2022 admissions season based on the recommendation of another family member, who got into Stanford GSB after working with David.

Early in the decision period, I got into Wharton with a $130,000 scholarship! This was great news and made it easy to wait for the other decisions.

And then a week later I got into Stanford!!! Kirsten called around 7:30 pm right as my 5-hour flight was departing, so I couldn’t tell anyone for forever! I still can’t believe it, I am so so lucky and so so grateful to David and his team.

Given my busy work schedule, David was great at keeping me on a weekly schedule. This helped me break down the application into manageable chunks and I always had someone I could e-mail if I had any questions. David is very responsive – almost always responding to questions or feedback within 24 hours. Overall, I am really happy I got to work with David. The MBA process can often times feel like a black box of uncertainty, and David’s experience helps demystify the process.

Getting into my dream school makes it easy to say goodbye to the east coast. Thank you for everything David, I’m still in disbelief!

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!

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!

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 used David for the interview prep for HBS because I heard how great he was from prior applicants. David’s knowledge of the MBA admissions landscape shines from the minute you have a conversation with him. His feedback is honest and direct, which is greatly appreciated. My mock interview with David prepared me for the intensity of the HBS interview — he asked probing, detailed questions at a rapid pace, and the largest takeaway for me was to develop a stance on all questions. Consequently, I went into the actual interview feeling a lot more confident, and I ended up being admitted!

David was instrumental in my successfully receiving an offer to my first-choice top MBA program, and he exceeded my expectations in every sense of the word. My MBA application process was longer than expected, taking place over several years due to a diagnosis of bipolar, which caused me to postpone applications until I received treatment and felt ready to apply. David and the Menlo team were very supportive and understanding about the unexpected pause in the process and helped me complete very thorough applications to four top schools.

David went above and beyond every step of the way, making sure I had strong career goals and well-written essays and was very prompt with his feedback; after submitting an essay draft in the evening, I would wake up the next morning to find feedback already in my inbox! I felt very prepared for my interviews based on his input and feedback. I would highly recommend David and the Menlo team to anyone looking for the best in the business.

I worked with David and the rest of the Menlo Coaching team to apply to all M7 programs in an extremely competitive application cycle. David went above and beyond to challenge and help me clarify my career goals, and communicate them through various essay formats (e.g., video, free form HBS, etc.). We iterated on each essay over 10 times until it was flawless, and all the hard work paid off: I was invited to interview at 5 out of the top 7 programs.

During these iterations, I sometimes made suggestions based on advice from friends or colleagues. Menlo always had the courage to push back on anything they thought wouldn’t work, and to explain why rather than just rubber-stamping anything just to get me out of their hair. We sometimes spent hours discussing seemingly minor details and it was clear they were committed to producing the 100% best work product, as well as making me totally comfortable that every angle had been covered by explaining the reasons behind their suggestions. David also pushed me firmly to maximize my GMAT, which was a part of my success.

These conversations ended up turning up a lot of great material for my application that I never thought would be important, like side hustles that I’d pursued during college (that demonstrated my habit of entrepreneurship), or digging into the details of conversations I had with colleagues to find the “hook” that would capture the reader’s attention.

David and the Menlo team’s support didn’t stop there. Most interviews are won/ lost in preparation – and Menlo conducted numerous mock interviews tailored to the various interview styles (e.g., team-based, behavioral, open-ended conversational, etc.). I even had a one on one session with a professional actor to better develop my communication skills. I ended up getting admitted to HBS (my top choice), along with a few other programs with scholarships. David and the Menlo team were foundational to my success.

I’ve been working with David on my MBA application since almost two years ago. Coming from an over-represented demographic and a finance background, I wouldn’t have gained admissions to Stanford GSB without David’s help in picking out the pieces in my experience that can connect to make a great story. I had a lot of questions and David was always patient and had a point of view. He exceeded every bit of my expectations coming into the process (and I had high expectations!). I highly recommend David and recommend getting in touch with him early so you have enough time to address points on your profile that may come across as weakness (I’m glad I did!)

I worked with David exclusively in R2. David is extremely knowledgable about MBA application from school selection to scholarship negotiation. I was successfully admitted to two M7 schools with scholarships.

I strongly recommend to work with David, because he doesn’t use a cookie cutter approach for everybody, instead, he helped me craft a unique and compelling story. I come from a very untradtiional background with below average GPA and average GMAT. He still managed to help me create a very strong application.

David is very resourceful. He has sent students to almost every top MBA school in the world and kept in touch with most of them (this tells how satisfied we are with his services!). I had a last minute school-specific question when I was working on an application, he reached out to one of his students at that school and answered my questions.

If you come from an untradtionanl background or have less impressive stats, David will discover your most unique story/strength and help you create a strong application package.

tl:dr I was accepted at 3 T20 FTMBA programs (with money at 2), waitlisted at 2, and will be attending my dream school in the fall.

In my search for an admissions consultant, it was important to me that the reviews I read through were genuine and authentic. Though there isn’t a secret sauce to identifying these, key characteristics immediately jumped out for David’s reviews: long, detailed reviews that couldn’t have been completed in a minute; the human side of David that every single person raved about; and, reviewers specifically talking about the enjoyment of the process (and NOT, just the prestige of the admit results). But in actually working with David, I realized a few other things.

1. Full service nature – Because David and his team are with you from the moment you begin working with them until your last scholarship negotiation, you can take comfort in the fact that he is just as invested in seeing you succeed as much as you want to. And because he’s with you every step of your application journey, you can rest assured that there will be few, if any, stones unturned that will ensure who you are as an applicant is fully displayed to its potential. Because of Menlo’s expertise and resources, I was never having to second guess the comments and feedback that I received. And any qualms you can take off of your mind during this process are so vital and important.

2. Timely and thorough feedback – Because there are so many different parts to a successfully admitted application (and interview process), having to complete all of the tasks could seem overwhelming. But knowing that I didn’t have to wait many days for turnaround really put me at ease as I continued to work through. And when there were assignments I was apprehensive about doing or didn’t quite know how to approach, I simply sought out advice from David, and he’d respond in a very simple to understand way that made the task at hand far less daunting.

3. # of clients/1:1 relationship – Because David doesn’t continue to take on client after client after client just for the money grab, the attentiveness that is shown to you really shines through (as exemplified in the two prior points). It goes further than that though. There was a calmness within me whenever I interacted with David, knowing that he wasn’t taking in more clients than he could handle, thus, having less time for me, thus making me stress out even more about the application process. None of that. That to me, is one of the most important differentiators when you’re looking for an admissions consultant.

One regret that I have? Not working with David sooner. Having done so probably would have helped my long-term health in not having had to stress as much as I had beforehand.

Stop your search, and just schedule that initial consultation. Trust me.

David and his team at Menlo Coaching were instrumental in helping me get into Wharton & CBS despite the limited preparation time (started in Q3 without a first attempt at GMAT). David quickly demystified the entire process and highlighted what really mattered to the adcom team at the different schools. This allowed me to focus my time and energy on the aspects that maximized my chance of admission. What I really appreciated:

1)100% focused on you: Starting from the initial chat, David had a genuine interest in my background and helped me identify the qualities that differentiate me from the other applicants. He made sure that every part of my application was highly relevant and presented an angle of me that altogether made me a strong applicant.

2) Never settle for less: There were times when I felt that I presented a well-drafted essay, but David came back with more questions, probing deeper and deeper for my story. It was definitely a good introspective process. I could see how my drafts got more powerful and yet authentic each time.

3)Timeliness: I really appreciate the quick turnaround and knew that I could always rely on David.

Knowing my career goals, David has also connected me with a few people in the industry that I am interested in.

David is a remarkable MBA coach and I strongly recommend him and his team to anyone who is navigating the MBA application process.

The last 12 months were a whirlwind: getting promoted, application essays, interviewing at ALL b-schools I applied to, navigating waitlists, and securing (deferred) enrollment at a top choice. David simultaneously was the subject matter expert, coach, project manager, and supporter that ensured I got the best possible outcome from my applications. David and the Menlo Coaching team were absolutely worth the price for me, with the biggest value from:

Time saved and well-spent; knowing the limited amount of time I could spend in a given week on applications was absolutely focused on the most impactful improvements. In the middle of working on applications, a family illness caused me to have to take 4x unplanned roundtrips across the country. Additionally, I was working toward a promotion at my job and didn’t have much time to spare. David and the team’s working arrangement with clients saved me; I was able to work on my essays ~1-2 hours a day and return the next day with the clear to-do list of edits or rewrites. Being able to sit down after a long day of work and have clear action items was a huge time and stress saver. Looking back, I’m incredibly grateful I was able to fulfill my family obligations, secure the promotion, and successfully apply to graduate programs; David enabled that to happen and that was more than worth the price (and objectively, Menlo’s fee was covered and more by the raise I got with the promo).

100% peace of mind that I submitted the strongest application I could: I applied to dual degree programs at the three most selective U.S. business schools. David’s expertise, particularly with my background as a software engineer, was well utilized as he was able to identify parts of my application that needed to be clarified or repositioned, depending on whether that section was to be read by an MBA adcom or the MS adcom. I was initially wary of consultants, as it was incredibly important that the essays were 100% my own; I ended up thrilled that with David, I got constructive, clear and prompt feedback on my essays but given the space to rewrite and fix in my own voice. I knew I had a decent profile with a few rough edges, but would benefit greatly from hands-on essay guidance and the result was excellent essays that I was proud of.

Guidance and coaching: throughout the process, David provided encouragement and context around the different nuances of admission. This was particularly valuable in this admissions season, as COVID-19 caused schools to rapidly adapt and change; David’s calm voice, advice, and network provided clarity as I navigated the waitlists and deferral options.

I absolutely recommend David and the team – they were a huge part of my success and sanity over the last year, and the results are undeniable.

I worked extensively with David White of Menlo Coaching and have to say it was an incredible experience. I particularly found his coaching on perfecting the essay interviews invaluable as well as the prep for both the video interview essay and the video interview (COVID times). Menlo Coaching provides not only a comprehensive set of resources for getting into your desired MBA (I ended up getting into the top school I was targeting) but also offers the opportunity to work with a variety of experts to perfect your interview skills.

I was accepted to Wharton, Stern (with full scholarship), and Ross (with $$). David helped make my MBA admission dreams come true!

Looking back to when I was first researching MBA consultants, I was hesitant about the price, but I KNOW now that David and Menlo Coaching were worth every penny. He exceeded my expectations as an MBA coach. Not only did he provide the services that I expected (with recommendations, essays, interviewing, etc.), but he helped me beyond what I was paying for. David helped me develop a very sensitive, personal story (that I have only shared with a handful of people including David) into essays that I am still proud of and gave me guidance with multiple, unexpected issues that came up at my job, including one that I was concerned would affect my MBA candidacy. He gave me the advice I needed to handle these problems at work and still produce the best applications with great results!

I believe in David and Menlo’s work so much that I have been referring David to my friends and co-workers who are thinking about going to business school. One of my best friends is currently working with him now.

If you want to work with the best consultant in the game, look no further. I worked with an admissions consultant for undergrad, and then again to apply for deferred MBA programs while still in school, and most recently for full-time MBA applications with David. The experience working with David when compared to the others I have worked with or friends have worked with is astounding.

David and I started working together about a year before I submitted my first application. He did a great job helping me make professional decisions that would improve my candidacy. Unlike other consultants I’ve worked within the past, David is continually available to meet via Zoom.

David doesn’t just help with the tangibles (resume/essays etc), he works to learn about you and help you write your story. I think we spent 3-4 hours just discussing my “story”. I truly feel like David got to know me (and that I got to know David) and it made working together more useful and more interesting.

David’s no bullshit attitude is refreshing. He won’t pull any punches and isn’t afraid to tell it like it is, which is important when working on MBA applications. David forced me to think not only about where I wanted to go to school but what I truly wanted to do after. He even connected me with multiple of his previous clients so I could learn about what work they were doing.

End result: CBS admit with 100k merit scholarship, Wharton admit with 80k merit scholarship

I could not recommend David (and the rest of his team who helped with interview prep) any more highly. If you are here looking for the best, you’ve found him.

I first started working with David White back in 2016. I had just started my first job out of college and wanted his help in strategizing my career while I plan to apply for MBA programs in the next 2-3 years. From the first time we chatted, David demonstrated that he was committed to helping me achieve my dreams. Always responsive, professional, and structured, he spent so much time helping me craft my story, advising me on making the right career moves, and even connecting me with great GMAT tutors.

I was definitely not the easiest client to work with: I had a lot to juggle along with my job and extra-curricular, I had a below-average GMAT/GPA, came from a non-orthodox background, and went through family hardships during the process. David was there in my corner every step of the way, continuously encouraging and advising me on how best to move forward. I had even applied during the 2018-2019 cycle when I only applied to H/S/W with only a 640 GMAT – though I was able to secure an interview at Wharton, I, of course, didn’t make it into any schools. It didn’t stop him from continuing to help me during the next admissions cycle.

I had a lot going against me. I started in community college and even went through a job layoff during the process – Menlo Coaching was kind enough to waive fees for me during this cycle because of the layoff. Despite all this, I was able to make it into four top 10 programs. I’m excited to be starting at Wharton this fall (with $$$ on top of it!). This would not have been possible without David there constantly backing me up. He became more than just a consultant, he was a trusted advisor and friend. I cannot recommend him and Menlo Coaching enough – he was absolutely vital in helping me make my dream come true.

He stuck with and never gave up on me, even when I almost did – for that, I am eternally grateful. If you’re looking to maximize your chances of making into one of these programs – you can rest easy knowing this man will be there to guide you all the way.

My only regret was that I wish I started working with David and his team earlier in the process! Not to say that I ran out of time or felt rushed, but David referred me to a fantastic GMAT tutor that I wish I started with earlier and has great insights on how to approve your application. Menlo coaching has put together a thorough set of materials that lays out the application in a very structured way, making it tough to procrastinate.

I required a lot of attention throughout the application process and David always responded within one day, even on weekends. I was persistent and non-orthodox in my approach and appreciated David’s support. He continued to assist me while I was wait-listed at Wharton and even supported me in my appeal to HBS.

At each step of the way David has prepared materials, additional resources at your disposal and unique insights that allow you to put your best foot forward.

I enjoyed working with David during my EMBA application process. He was responsive and provided excellent feedback in order to help present the strongest application possible.

David has built an efficient, well-run company and am proud to have worked with him throughout the process. He did a great job, enjoys what he does, and is genuinely invested in your success. I would recommend to future applicants.

David made the whole MBA admissions process much easier.

First, he worked with me to understand my true motivations for applying. It began with a multi-hour video call in which I walked him through my background and reasons for wanting to attend business school. He was quick to point out trends in my life that even I hadn’t noticed. Then, he helped me to conduct the necessary research to understand each program to which I applied. I learned so much through the process, and David’s nudge forced me to really connect with a plethora of current students. Next, David helped me find my voice in my essays, always probing with questions to force me to confront my weaknesses. My essays ended up being deeply personal but incredibly true. Finally, David was a huge assistance in the interview stage, coaching me through some practice interviews so that I could gain the confidence needed to succeed. I felt truly prepared when I entered into my admission interviews. Additionally, as others have noted, David is very responsive and available, answering emails very quickly.

Thanks to David, I received admission at my first choice school (HBS), among others, and couldn’t be more thrilled!

Deciding to work with Menlo Coaching and David was the best decision I made in my MBA admissions journey. I came from a scientific background in the pharmaceutical industry and really had no idea how to market myself or the process involved in MBA admissions. David was instrumental in my success and overcoming the many challenges I had throughout the process.

I did not have the best score on the GMAT for my demographic (white male) and I ended up losing my job right in the middle of the admissions process last fall. His advice during this time was critical to my success. His feedback was always honest and thorough, and he really helped me craft my story for both essays and interviews spending hours on the phone with me just hashing out the details.

Working with David:

-David does not beat around the bush in his feedback. The hallmark of working with him is that you will always receive pragmatic advice that is not sugar-coated.

-He knows the schools inside and out. He knows what each school looks for in their applicants and how to tailor your strategy for each school. He will provide details that many of the blogs and sites will not.

– I very much enjoyed working with David. I always had the feeling that he was invested in my success and deeply cared about how I was doing in the process. Menlo Coaching does a great job of limiting their consultants to a handful of clients so a good working relationship can be formed with the consultant.

-He responds to issues very quickly. Whenever I had a question for David (which was almost every day) he would be very quick to respond to emails. Either he would respond immediately or within a couple of hours of me sending it to him and the next day at the very latest if I sent it at night. We had a great system worked out where I would send a new draft of an essay to David at night and I would say 95% of the time I would have the draft back with his comments the next morning. It would always be back to me by the afternoon of the following day with comments and questions I never thought about.

-His feedback on essays and interview responses was always extremely thorough and well thought out. It was great having someone look at my essays who was not related to me and provide me honest feedback.

Working with Menlo Coaching:

Menlo coaching had a very structured process for all their clients. It can be easy to get lost in the shuffle with everything you need to work on in the application process, but Menlo Coaching’s program takes all the worries out of the process. We used a great website to keep track of all our work that was very easy to use.
In the end, I would 100% recommend working with David and Menlo Coaching if you are on the fence about it. His advice was critical to my success and I would not be in the position I am today without him. My GMAT was a weakness I could not overcome (David had always told me this and I knew it would be an issue) to get into my dream school but I was admitted to a great program and I am excited to finally be attending business school in the fall! From not knowing how to market myself as a scientist looking to transition to business to now, David was instrumental to my success along every step of the insane journey that is MBA admissions.

I worked with David and was very satisfied. He was supportive, responsive and he made the process more interesting than I thought would be. He always replies within one day. He also would push me when I am procrastinating.

Menlo itself provides an extremely structured and also interconnected process. I felt less stressed knowing the pace is under control, and every step I make, every material I wrote will, in the end, support my application in some way.

I would like to highlight also the interview training and preparation. They have a special communication program that I think I will be able to make use of beyond B-school applications.

If you are close to Europe or have the time during your application process, I would recommend making a trip to their office. It would condense a lot of work in a short period of time while giving you the chance to meet your coach face to face.

Results: I applied to multiple schools and was able to secure multiple offers, including M7s, with various fellowships.

I was wary of working with a consultant at all during the MBA application process, but by the end of the process, I was so glad I went with David at Menlo Coaching. He pushed me to dig deep and find the right story to tell instead of settling to tell the story everyone already knew. He pushed me to talk about uncomfortable things in my application which I think played a huge role in getting me interviews at two top MBA programs. If you want someone who will give you his full time and attention, I highly recommend David. He is incredibly well-versed in every aspect of the MBA application process and served as major support for me during the grueling process (he even called to give me a pep talk before my first MBA interview!).

Going into the application season I was clueless about the process. Being an Indian male engineer I was in a very competitive cohort. Being a ground-level social worker I also had a couple of unconventional career choices in need of explanation. I felt a connection with David from the very first time I spoke to him. Working with him was effortless. He listens but never imposes. He would make sure I had all the data points, but he always left the final decision to me. He took me to great depths in my own story to ensure that I had the most compelling narrative. Every consultant portrays that they have a finger on each school’s pulse. Maybe they do. David definitely does. He has intuitive knowledge of subtleties that would escape most. He wasn’t satisfied until each of my applications were on point. His turnaround times are fantastic. I often conversed with him several times a day. I had never heard of any consultant doing this regularly over extended periods of time. He was always available when I needed him irrespective of the time difference. His mock interviews made me more confident of myself and it showed during the actual interviews. The mock TBD prep for Wharton perceptibly differentiated me from my group when it counted.

Bear in mind that he will make you work hard. Working with him will not be a cakewalk as he will expect you to put in the legwork, do your research, and not leave any stone unturned. But all of that will ensure your application stands out and the interview process goes smoothly. The most important thing that I can say about David is what was told to me by someone else who had worked with him before me. He genuinely cares. I never felt that I wasn’t his top priority. With him in your corner, you can be sure that you will put your best foot forward. Because of him, I secured interviews from 4 M7s and admits from 3 M7s and 2 T10s, including my dream school of Wharton and a full-tuition scholarship at Kellogg.

David and the Menlo Coaching team are the real deal and I couldn’t be happier with their services and my admissions results. Despite my feeling that I had a generic pre-MBA story, David helped me highlight my strengths and unique experiences that I had overlooked. Thanks to David’s guidance and support, I was admitted to 4 top ten programs, with scholarships from all 4, totaling $380,000.

Menlo Coaching is a well-oiled machine, with a boutique, personalized feel. The process was well-orchestrated from start to finish, with an interactive project management software. Having Menlo Coaching based in Europe is actually a big advantage for US-based applicants; while you sleep, they work, and you will have feedback by morning.

David is truly an expert when it comes to MBA admissions. He has years of experience and is in the know on MBA admissions trends and shifts. But what sets David apart is his willingness to go above and beyond to support his clients throughout the process. Here are a few examples of how he helped me, beyond my expectations:

– He connected me with an outstanding GMAT tutor in my city who helped me raise my (already good) GMAT score by 20 points
– He created a community among his clients through video chats and in-person meet-ups so you had peers to reach out to for support
– He connected me with various members of his personal network as I explored different post-MBA careers
– He connected me with previous clients at my target schools that were in clubs/internships of interest to me
– He rearranged his schedule to video chat with me 2x/day to give me real time feedback when I took a couple of days off of work to write essays
– He helped my fiance and I create a cohesive and compelling story that landed us 4 joint offers
– He facilitated mock interviews with 3 different interviewers and continued to offer more until I felt prepared
– He helped me navigate a tricky political situation that came up when I was networking with a school
– He coached me through scholarship negotiations, helping me double my scholarship offer at my #1 school

The list goes on… and in every example, David’s responses were unbelievably prompt, thoughtful, and thorough.

I wholeheartedly recommend David and Menlo Coaching. Worth every penny and I had an enjoyable experience.

Working with David from Menlo Coaching has been a huge factor in me getting accepted by Kellogg, MIT, and Tuck, all with scholarships. I chose to work with an admissions consultant well before starting my applications, primarily because 1) my undergrad and firm names aren’t as impressive as many other applicants, and 2) I’m not a sponsored student and wanted to maximize my chances of getting a significant scholarship. David’s been a fantastic partner through the entire process, from helping me make decisions to beef up my resume, to working to structure and convey my story in a compelling way, to preparing me for interviews and even helping with scholarship negotiations after the fact (I managed to get additional money from 2 top schools). David’s dedication to his work is immediately apparent; I worked with David for over a year and through much of it felt like I had a private coach. For anyone interested in applying to top programs I highly recommend speaking to David – you won’t be disappointed!

Working with David & Menlo Coaching is one of the best decisions I’ve made through the MBA application process. He demystified the process, kept my application on track, and ultimately helped me put my best foot forward. I worked with David on 3 schools and was admitted to two: Stanford & Wharton (with $$$). Here are a few key reasons why I recommend David & team:

Expert advice:

– It’s so easy to fall down the rabbit hole of blogs, testimonials and well-meaning friends who might all offer conflicting advice. David cut through that noise. I can’t count the number of times I fact-checked a piece of advice with David, only to find out it didn’t apply to my particular profile or situation.

– David has a deep understanding of each school, and he was able to give me frank and honest feedback about my impressions of each program so that I could make a decision with eyes wide open.

Structured process:

– The application process can feel really overwhelming, particularly if you’re working a demanding full-time job. Menlo makes this less overwhelming by breaking down the application into modules to ensure clients give every component of the application the attention they need to shine.

Thorough & FAST:

– David was incredibly thorough, pushing me to get specific so that my experiences and stories had more impact. I believe my resume went through 10 iterations alone! Importantly, David was really really fast in providing feedback, which was huge for me – I tend to work in sprints, so his quick turnaround time meant I could crank out large chunks of the application out at a time.

Personal touch:

– It was extremely important to me to feel like I was true to myself through the application process. David & team not only respected this, but encouraged it. They spent hours on calls with me learning about my background and experiences, drawing the best stories out of me, and helping me tell those stories in a way that did service to my experiences.

– With David, I feel like I received bonus career coaching, too! He pushed me to think about the types of companies I wanted to be a part of, what impact I wanted to have, and what path made the most sense to getting there.

Business school is a huge investment, and one that I wanted to do the right way. David & Menlo Coaching made sure I was getting the most out of my money, time and energy, and I would 10/10 recommend him to anyone applying to business school.

At the beginning of my MBA Application process, I spoke with Menlo Coaching and another MBA admissions counseling firm and ended up going with the second firm only because it was slightly cheaper (admittedly a roll of the dice as I felt like Menlo would have provided the most intensive, hands-on service). I kept in touch with David and, after I got an interview at my top school, I reached back out to get some additional interview prep so I would be confident that I would really nail it. It was very last minute but they managed to squeeze in a couple of sessions with me and the sessions really boosted my confidence going into the interview. Evidently they also prepared me well because I got a phone call from the admissions office the very next day with an offer (it was rolling admissions).

I really enjoyed working with David as I went through the application process. The structure of his methods makes the entire application process easy and not overwhelming. My GPA is on the lower end and I had a solid GMAT score coming in, but David was adamant that I could improve my score with a retake (was able to raise my score another 30 points). I felt like we were able to get my personal story out well and he positioned my overall application with care to make sure each aspect of the application was consistent with the others in telling a compelling story. Very happy with how it turned out as I was interviewed and admitted to my top choice rapidly.

When it came to the application process, I knew I really needed to nail the essay-writing and interviews; although I felt good about my GMAT score, my GPA was less impressive at a 3.4. David was great about figuring out how to position me in the big picture, what stories to tell, and how to communicate most completely.

My application process ended up extending a bit longer than I’d expected. Though I’d been admitted to Stern, I was waitlisted by Booth (among my top choices) and Ross, and frankly, given that Stern offered no merit scholarship, I knew that to invest so much money into b-school, I wanted to attend a school with an attractive enough offer to leave my job that I still enjoy. David was crucial here. He knew exactly how to supplement my initial application, from editing more essays to providing feedback on video essays.

It worked – I was admitted to both Booth & Ross, and will be attending Booth! Throughout the process, David was clear, concise, and collaborative – qualities that met exactly what I needed.

80% interview-acceptance conversion. 100% thanks to David.

I worked with David just for interview preparation. Effective communication has always been a personal area of improvement, and I knew a bit of guidance would go a long way. As many others have attested to, David’s support has been absolutely incredible. He was always quick to respond to inquiries, and his knowledge of the MBA admissions process was immense. Through multiple live online sessions that included communication coaching and mock interview deep dives, I was able to significantly improve my delivery and sharpen my responses. The accuracy of the rehearsed questions was spot on and allowed me to focus on things other than just answering the question in the interview (such as a building rapport and managing non-verbal cues). Also, rather than simply matching example narratives to particular questions, David’s training helped me get comfortable applying a handful of stories to a number of different questions – which turned the interview into a fluid conversation and not a series of questions and answers.

Even if one didn’t use consultants in the application stage, I highly recommend anyone hoping to improve their odds to consider partnering with David post-interview invite. By the time you are at the interview day, interacting with students and sitting down for the interview, you won’t be thinking about the monetary investment you had to put up with. What you will be mulling over (for days) is how much you could have done better had you just been more prepared. David will help you put your best foot forward until the very end.

Having a very non-traditional background with a less than stellar undergraduate GPA as well as an average GMAT score, I was terrified to go through the MBA admissions process. How would I stack up against other candidates with amazing work experience and stats? How could I make myself stand out?

Given these concerns, I decided to partner with an admissions consultant, and am so glad that I partnered with David. From the get-go, he was honest with me about my chances at top schools and pinpointed areas of weakness for me to address. There was nothing I could do about my undergraduate GPA, but he pushed me to raise my GMAT score. Despite my initial hesitation, I decided to move forward with the process and worked tirelessly with a tutor David recommended, ultimately bumping up my score by 50 points!

In terms of the remainder of the application process, I found Menlo Coaching’s process to be highly streamlined and organized, where there are separate modules, each with their own due dates. As long as I followed those prescribed instructions, I felt confident I would complete the application process in a timely manner without having to scramble right before the deadlines.

I had heard horror stories from other MBA applicants about their consultants, where they would either take ages to make edits to an essay or even return edits with multiple typos. With David, I never once ran into any of these issues. Given that the Menlo Coaching team is based in Europe, I would often submit my essay draft in the evening (US time), and by the time morning rolled around, I would already receive their feedback. In a particularly stressful time, knowing that your consultant will answer your questions and return feedback within hours helps immensely.

David was also incredibly thorough when it came to helping me craft my personal story. Early in the process, we spoke on the phone for 2 hours, where we discussed every facet of my life, starting from my childhood all the way through where I am currently in my life. He even went so far as to speak with my partner as well as my cousin to further understand if they could provide a different perspective or fill in some of the gaps. This was a nice touch that I really appreciated.

All in all, the MBA application process is incredibly stressful, but having David and the Menlo Coaching team on your side makes things far more manageable. I had a fantastic experience working with David, and would highly recommend anyone looking for an admissions consultant to do the same.

David was an amazing person to have in my corner throughout the application process.
As someone coming from a non-traditional background with an underwhelming profile for the top business schools, I knew that I needed all the help I could get on bolstering my resume and story. One of the greatest things about David is the time he takes to learn about you and your situation. It’s a huge difference maker in the quality of service he provides. Because of it, his insight was spot on as it related to my industry, story, and career goals.
David is also extremely responsive. He’s very receptive and easy to talk to, but he won’t beat around the bush when it comes to giving you honest feedback, which is something I appreciate. David definitely did more than what was asked of him, and I would not have had the same success without his help. Thanks, David!

I first contacted David in March of 2018 after reading some of his reviews on various sites and forums. At the time, I was still studying for the GMAT and beginning this process with no idea of what to expect. Fortunately, I was able to set up a call with him in which I discussed my career aspirations and gave him a bit of my background. David immediately shortlisted a few schools that matched my goals and that he thought were attainable based on my profile and potential GMAT score.
I decided after that call that I was going to go with David and Menlo Coaching. He was honest and didn’t tell me what I wanted to hear. He was realistic about what was achievable for me, and I greatly appreciated his candor. Based on where I was in the process, we decided that Round 2 made the most sense for me since I still needed time to do schools visits and lock in a GMAT score. David was supportive during my GMAT journey and periodically checked in on me as I was studying and taking practices tests, offering advice and connections to GMAT tutors along the way. David also set up weekly Skype sessions with other Menlo applicants so we could keep each other honest during the application process and could openly ask questions to other people going through the same process. In late July, I finally took the GMAT and got a score that would make me competitive at the schools that David and I had discussed.
As soon as I finished the GMAT, the applications began. I started setting up schools visits to all of the schools that I was applying to so that I would have a good feel for what the school culture was like and so that I could have more material to write about in my applications. This was a part of the process that I had not previously considered and I’m glad David pushed me to make these visits, it really was an eye-opening experience.
The essays and applications themselves were a difficult, but manageable process thanks to David and the Menlo team. We started the writing process with a “kick-off” call to come up with material and stories from my personal and professional experience so that I could present my best self to all of the programs that I was applying to. During this call, David realized that I hadn’t lived up to my potential in my undergrad or during my recruitment from undergrad, and decided that it would be best to lean into that, rather than present my academic and career achievements thus far as the best I could’ve possibly done. I think this was singlehandedly the most impactful advice that David had on my entire application cycle. I then began meticulously writing one to two hours a day after work, coming up with essays that were based on the material that we came up with on the call. I would then usually email my drafts to David right before I went to bed. With David being based in Amsterdam and me in the US, I would usually wake up to David’s edits to my essays, which was really nice. The responses were always within 24 hours, but it felt instantaneous because I would send the drafts before going to bed and wake up with responses in my inbox.
After submitting my applications, I was lucky enough to interview at all 5 schools that I applied to. David and Rebecca (another consultant at Menlo) both helped prepare me for my interviews. In fact, David helped me go over school-specific content before every school that I interviewed at; we must’ve had 6 – 7 mock interviews.
The Results. I had a bit of a bland profile (white-male-finance) and average scores for my cohort, but with David’s help, I was able to receive offers from Darden and Stern and was waitlisted at Tuck and Ross. I’m very happy with my results and wholeheartedly recommend David (and Menlo Coaching) to anyone that is looking to begin their MBA journey.

I approached David end of April 2018 while planning to apply in Round 1 2018 and told him that I am aiming for the lower half of the top 10 MBA programs in the U.S.

Even though David already had his slots for R1 applicants filled he took me as his client because I was living in close proximity to his office and was able to work with him in person. Shortly after, he began to intensively work with me on my applications. His services went far beyond what I expected to get when I approached him. He invited me to the Menlo office in Baarn and basically discussed (almost for an entire day) my personal life, academic path and professional career up to a point where he really understood what was driving me, what I am passionate about, what I am aiming for and what expectations I have when it comes to an MBA program. Based on that discussion, he thoroughly reviewed my school selection and helped me to identify schools that better fit my profile, highlighting all the, sometimes subtle, differences in seemingly similar programs, like recruiting of certain sectors, student body and club activities, culture or quality of classes. It was incredible how much he knew about all major programs and how well he understood what I am looking for. After we reviewed my school selection, he helped with school networking, preparation for campus visits, finding suitable MBA fairs for networking with admissions officers and providing me with contact details of student clubs I could reach out to. In parallel, we worked on my essays, CV and the next GMAT attempts. Throughout the process, he was always available and answered emails promptly.

With regard to the GMAT, I was surprised how much support David had to offer in that respect. He identified my weaknesses and got me to touch with outstanding GMAT tutors to work on those. Furthermore, since he knew about a medical condition I have, he made me aware that I might qualify for accommodations. He helped me finding suitable medical experts in the US and supported me with my application. Due to his help, I got 50% extra time on the GMAT, which resulted in a 50 point increase (from 690 to 740).

Ultimately, I was invited to an interview with four schools. David immediately took action and invited me again to Baarn where he and another Menlo consultant, Rebecca, practiced interviews with me. He flagged weaknesses in my application which the interviewer might raise, went through potential questions and did several practice interviews with me. The accuracy with which David predicted interview questions was incredible. For some of the interviews (e.g. Tuck and MIT) he has prepared me for almost 80% of the questions that were eventually asked. I basically only had to repeat what I rehearsed with David and Rebecca. Thanks to their amazing preparation I was calm, confident and attentive throughout each interview and didn’t have to deal with nervousness.

After the first offers came in David supported me on scholarships. We developed a strategy to approach the schools and also reviewed external scholarship options. He reviewed my applications, suggested changes and brought in many new ideas. With his help, I was not only able to get into a top program but also to secure full funding for it. I got two external scholarships each worth around $75k and a $100k Columbia scholarship, therefore, the entire fees and living expenses are covered. The only costs I have to cover myself are David’s fees, which was the best investment I could have made. This summer I will join the Columbia Business School community, my first choice!

I approached David with a poor GMAT score, no clear plan or strategy, a career that lacked any type of leadership experience and was purely technical, and no network when it comes to MBAs (I literally didn’t know a single one as it’s not that common to have an MBA in my industry). David identified and helped me to improve all these issues in my candidacy and gave me the right guidance to craft essays in which all my shortcomings became meaningless parts in a compelling story.

After graduating from college I had always had plans of attending a top business program. I decided to reach out early in my career to seek advice, so set up a few initial phone calls with admissions consultants. Although I wasn’t looking to sign up for any formal programs, I was so impressed with Alice and David during the initial phone call that I decided to hire them 3 years ahead of applying. Their initial thoughts about my background, story, and goals were extremely helpful and I was excited about working through their comments the next few years.
However, something unexpected happened soon after. I was fired from the company I was working at. It was a stressful experience, and I knew this would leave a blemish on my employment history that could potentially sink my MBA dreams. I felt comfortable opening up to David about this new development, and he jumped in to help me land on my feet in a new industry that I was very passionate about and that he had experience in. In addition to helping me fix my resume to highlight the transferable qualities and skills that would be attractive to my new employers, he also shared his perspective about the industry and where I should focus my efforts to achieve my long-term goals. David did not mince words and was very honest and objective with his feedback. But I could tell he always had my long-term interest in mind and so I paid special attention to all his suggestions. After a few twists and turns I managed to secure my dream job, and finally felt like my career was back on track. This would not have been possible without David’s mentorship.

When I began applying to business school, you can guess who I turned to. However, I knew it was a long shot. An admissions officer looking at my resume would wince at my incongruent path when compared against candidates with more pristine and understandable career progression. There was less associated risk. David helped me use the personal essay to explain who I was, the events that led up to the firing, and the subsequent decisions and actions that led me to where I am today. It was delicately done, something I am confident I would have botched on my own. But because David had taken the time to get to know me over the years, he was able to give me the important feedback I needed to write my story. He was very professional and instrumental throughout the process, responding back within the same day. By the end, and after back and forth revisions with David, I came away with a story I felt was uniquely my own and that I was proud of. Working with David gave me peace of mind that I put everything on the table. I applied to the top 5 schools, and received interview invites from two of them. When the dust settled, Booth gave me a call congratulating me on my acceptance and thanking me for my honesty in my application. All things considered, I was a risk and they took a chance on me. I could not have been more grateful and I know I would not have the chance to write this had it not been for David’s guidance, encouragement, and diligence through this long journey. He is a great person who will always have my thanks. Anyone looking to overcome obstacles in the admissions process would be extremely lucky to have him on their side.

I highly recommend everyone to consider a consultant especially if you are applying internationally (like I did). There are SO many ill-informed “facts” out there and what you should/should not do. Firstly, I just could NOT get anywhere near my target GMAT/GRE scores and ran out of time to even consider it further (do not recommend!). I was well aware that this was a huge risk submitting with a low 600 score, gave up hope many times, BUT throughout the whole process, David went above and beyond to ensure I was equipped to do my best in other parts of the application. With a low test score, it meant truly bringing out the best parts of my story in my essays and smashing those interviews (David does mock TBDs with real humans, other clients, and it was amazing). Everyone has a unique story (even when I did not think so and I bet you do too!) and David will help you bring this out. There are SO many more reasons I can write to recommend David further but I truly would not have been admitted into Wharton with a low 600 score if I did it alone and I would be very happy to use David/Menlo again but thankfully I don’t need to!

I can’t speak highly enough about David. I came to David with a lower GMAT score, an average GPA from a top 50 undergrad program, and an untraditional background. As I couldn’t rely heavily on my scores or well-known company names to prove myself, David helped me to tell my story in a convincing way. I got an offer from my top choice school (Wharton) with scholarship money, and I also received offers from Columbia and Kellogg.

Throughout the five months I worked with David, he responded quickly, answered all my questions with care, gave me honest feedback and kept my expectations realistic. This made the process feel smooth and less stressful. He had invaluable insights into what schools are looking for, and he helped me to craft and communicate a genuine story to each school. David is also a positive and friendly guy, so it was always enjoyable chatting with him. He hopped on the phone several times on late notice to respond to general worries I had and help me prepare for the next step.

Beyond this, I feel more prepared to enter into MBA and start prepping for job interviews, as David helped me to define and a specific career goal, as well as target classes, clubs, etc. that I could benefit from to get closer to my goal. The interview prep process was not only helpful for the MBA interviews but for life, as well! I feel way more prepared to speak about myself and convince others of my value than I had before working with David.

If you want to put your best foot forward, there is no doubt that working with David and Menlo is the way to go.

Coming from a tough professional and demographic cohort, and finding it initially challenging to adequately differentiate my application from my peers, I looked to admissions consultants to provide the guidance and expertise needed to tell my story best and make my application stand out.

David came highly recommended and he certainly did not disappoint. There is an excellent online portal with weekly video modules, assignments, message boards, and other resources. The program was structured and organized, which was particularly useful during times when work or other life commitments were taking up a lot of my time and energy. David was always patient, but also not afraid to remind me of my pending to-do’s or offer up his time for a phone call. When I needed something from David it seemed like he was always available within the next 24 hours, though typically sooner.

David’s value really shined when we worked together to identify the key aspects of my application to highlight, which ultimately serve as the foundation for each of the various components of the application (resume, recs, essays, etc.). In many cases, David identified certain experiences, personal strengths, and accomplishments of mine that I had either previously ignored or did not adequately explain in my application. By leveraging David’s thoughtful approach and perspective, based on years of real-world and admissions consulting experience, I was able to present my target schools with a truly differentiated and clearly defined candidate profile.

Another important component of David’s process is the multitude of resources available to you, which may just be the needle-mover you need. For example, the interview prep work was excellent. From mock interviews with several of David’s colleagues and friends to multiple sessions with Eduardo, an actor who assists with physical and verbal presentation, expression and messaging, I felt totally prepared for my interviews, particularly at HBS, where the interviewers are intimately evaluating how the candidates will fare and actively participate in the case study method.

As the title indicates, I was eventually accepted to HBS as a member of the Class of 2021 and David was with me every step of the way. It was an enjoyable and absolutely worthwhile experience.

Before deciding to work with David, I had applied to several schools and not gotten the results I was expecting. My best offer was acceptance at NYU Stern with $60k in scholarship, but I had a feeling that I could do better with a little help on my messaging.

I contacted Menlo Coaching and had my introductory phone call with David, who, after reviewing my previous applications thought he could help me get much better results. Even before paying him a dime, he pointed out several areas for improvement in my applications.

After deciding to go ahead with Menlo Coaching, I could immediately tell that I had made the right choice. They laid out the upcoming tasks for the roughly 8 months before application time, and the major tasks were grouped together in Modules (with concrete deliverables and due dates) which really helped reduce anxiety about having so much to do!

One of my first actions was to network extensively at my target schools, something I had not spent much time on before. He gave me guidance on who to reach out to, and above all made me feel comfortable that I was not being inappropriate when contacting professors and current students.

Another of the most helpful services he provided was essay editing. I had struggled with striking the right tone in past applications, so David’s experience in having read hundreds of other MBA application essays was crucial. I was able to use his input on essays for schools with which he wasn’t even officially helping me. Also, having done a lot more networking and school outreach in the early stages of the application process, I was able to provide more specifics and a more informed plan on how I wanted to contribute to each school’s particular culture.

In the end, I went from acceptance at NYU Stern with $60k to acceptance at Columbia (with $40k), Yale (with $60k), and Kellogg (with $100k)! Well worth the investment!

I’ve been very fortunate to have worked with Menlo Coaching: David, Alice, and Team!

As a male Indian tech applicant with a <700 score, I knew that I was in a very competitive pool of applicants. With Menlo’s help I was able to secure admission into a top 15 school in the US (with significant scholarship) and a top school in Europe, and I’m super happy with the result! The fact that Menlo chooses to work with only a limited number of students per round, maximizes their value add and personalized attention to help you succeed. In our 30min introductory call itself, I realized that David and team really care for you and want you to succeed in getting an admit and not just help you apply to schools. Firstly, I was very impressed by Menlo’s extremely structured approach. The process is divided into modules and each module (in the form of videos) highlights what you need to do, what mistakes candidates usually make and what are the important actionable takeaways that you need to focus on. It removes the pressure and the anxiety that you feel as an applicant and helps you focus on important things at the right time - from networking events to resume building and perfecting your essays. You won’t have to think much - just follow the steps and you’ll get there! They also do a brilliant job of pairing you in groups with other applicants with similar backgrounds - so you feel you aren’t alone and makes the whole process fun! Second, David’s insights into how the admissions process works, and how your profile would be evaluated (depending on nationality, industry background etc) w.r.t your applicant pool was very valuable in deciding what schools I wanted to apply this time (unlike last time where I got 0 interviews despite using a coach). He helped me introspect about my life in a way that enabled me to identify and creatively write about my life experiences. It’s easy to not think of such life experiences as true differentiators or “something worthy of writing about in an MBA essay” but this is where David’s creativity comes to the rescue - crafting a compelling story in a *genuine* and simple way which makes the Adcom member reading your application remember you. This is super important - It helps you stand out! Regarding my resume and essays - I’ve had a lot of anxiety in the past - filled with tech jargons and not having enough examples to quantify my progress (unlike someone coming from a finance/consulting background). My resume has transformed now! We went through ~ 6 to 7 revisions to discuss each and every line/word to perfect it - convey a result in each bullet in a simple way which makes it easy to understand. For the essays, David’s help was phenomenal. He really helped me refine my career goals so that it follows a compelling and logical story. He even shared industry trends/ links with me to help me identify trends to speak about in my goals essay. This is the level of personalized attention he gives! The fact that David has a tech+ business background is a great advantage you have as a tech applicant - he gets the industry, he gets the jargon and then refines it in a simple way that anyone can understand! His turn around time on the essay revisions was super quick (within a day for every draft) and yes, he won’t stop until he feels he has produced the best version! If you have writing anxiety, again...don't worry! Just follow David’s advice, do the work and you’ll churn out great essays! I completed all my essays 10 days before the Rd1 deadlines! Finally, Menlo’s support for interview prep is top notch! They partner you with a communication coach with whom you can have multiple sessions and get feedback on the way you speak, your body language etc. Super helpful tips which are applicable otherwise to your career. David and I spent multiple sessions brainstorming how to present my stories in my interviews. I did ~ 4 mock interview sessions and had more than 1 example for each question. The practice sessions were a great confidence booster going into the interviews - no pressure since we had already practiced almost all the questions 🙂 The investment with Menlo Coaching is worth it! You want to get into an MBA program and you will, and in the process, you’ll gain a lot of useful insights and takeaways which are going to help you in your career as well! so don't think twice - these folks are the best out there! Thank you again, David, Alice, and Team!

David was a remarkable coach. He was equally helpful on the macro items (which schools were a good fit, what the full application cycle looks like, etc.) as he was on the small details that were unique to specific applications. Menlo has a structured program that helps you understand the very basics and then David makes himself available to answer as many questions you can think of… and then a few more.

Coming from eight years in a niche form of sales David helped me to clearly articulate my accomplishments in an easily understood way, explain how the skills and knowledge I had acquired would be helpful in an MBA (and add value to an MBA community), and why the MBA was a critical next step towards my career goals.

Although David is based in Europe he was incredibly responsive. We had great back and forth exchanges via email, google docs and several voice/video calls. The time difference was in no way a hindrance and if anything meant that I was almost guaranteed responses by the time I woke up in the morning.

David’s deep understanding of each school’s personality along with his ability to hone in on what makes an applicant’s story compelling absolutely transformed the application/admissions process for me. This would have been a very different (and much less fruitful!) experience without him and Menlo in my corner.

I first began working with David as part of Menlo’s “Early Birds” program, which is designed to help candidates develop/improve elements of their application profile that require ample lead time (GMAT score, brainstorming “your story”, etc.). As someone from a very non-target background, I found this program to be incredibly helpful. I was able to hear firsthand the experiences of previous Menlo clients, and David worked closely with me to develop my story.

After finding the Early Birds program so valuable, I decided to work with David through the primary application process as well. I applied within a very competitive industry pool, and David spent hours helping me think through ways to position my profile as unique. Then, while writing essays, David continually challenged me to dig deeper and explore how my unique experiences might resonate with each individual program.

I was invited to interview at several M7 programs to which I applied. With David’s help, I went into each interview feeling calm and well prepared. After receiving acceptance letters, David helped me form a negotiation strategy for merit-based financial aid, which ultimately led to several sizable scholarships.

Working with David was a great experience. He provided highly personalized support during each step of my application. He also provided constant guidance and advice, helping me through the ups and downs of the MBA application process. For those reasons, I can’t recommend David enough.

Tl;dr;
a) Brings structure to an unstructured process.
b) Great work ethic. Usually got responses to questions within an hour or two (unless it’s super late for them) and usually responds to all of your essays within 8 hours. The time difference (I live in the US, David in the Netherlands) really worked to my advantage as I got input on my essays at least twice a day – once before I woke up and once before evening.
c) Gives solid advice and is always there to listen to your ideas and concerns.
d) No room for complacency. Will not sign off on any essay/topic until the final product lives up to his expectations.
e) Structured program breaks the application into 15 bite-sized modules to make it easy to know where to begin.
f) Nice people.

I am in the dreaded {Indian, Male, IT} genre and was also a re-applicant. Working with David, I interviewed at four of the seven schools where I applied (H/S were two of the three where I didn’t get an interview), and I have been waitlisted at Wharton and accepted at LBS.
We went 21 rounds on my Resume before he was finally satisfied with the result. Some of the later topics took less to and fro as I got more used to writing but he never let me submit a less than perfect essay even if I were satisfied with it.

Sometime in the second month of the schedule, David set up a 2-hour call with me and we basically talked about my whole life story including about how different interactions with my parents and grandparents influenced some of my choices. David took notes throughout the call and sent me a few observations after the call. Fun fact: My mom was impressed with how insightful those were!?
The thing that most impressed about this whole process is how committed David is to your success. I applied to seven schools so I am sure it was by no means easy to maintain such high turnover with such low latency.
I used to write up 2-4 drafts in the morning and sent it to him by 6 AM my time. He used to respond with his edits and comments by about 1 PM my time. I, then, worked on those edits in the evening after work and sent him a second version by 9 PM my time and voila by 4:30 AM the next day, I received the V3 version. This went on the whole of June, July, and August with the result that I was mostly done with my essays before September rolled in. I had a relatively stress-free September.

Along the way, we had group calls with other fellow applicants so we could learn from each other. We also had guest speakers in the form of current students at Harvard, and Booth. He also arranged for a public speaking coach to work with us so we can appear confident during the interviews and the video essays.

It was a lot of money but I would do it again. I made great applications, was accepted at a great school, and even now, David is helping me negotiate the waitlist at Wharton, getting funding from LBS and with Pre-MBA internships.

The journey to get admitted to top MBA programs, some including scholarship, is an arduous marathon and I couldn’t have asked for better support than David. I am admitted to HBS, Kellogg, Sloan, and Haas, including a full scholarship at one of the schools, making me humbled and elated!

Menlo Coaching’s structured approach to the admission process ensures that you submit the best possible version of your candidacy to the schools because you spent time understanding what schools are looking for and more importantly your own personal story.

Before I approached David, I already had a good GMAT score (750) and knew that I only wanted to apply to a few top 10 programs.

I appreciated that David’s involvement emphasized networking with schools heavily including campus visits and alumni chats and these upfront investments paid off in unexpected ways throughout the process in essays and in interviews, not to mention that they were also instrumental in school selection.

Then, over the course of 6 months, we covered my personal story, career goals, recommender preparation, and writing and speaking styles before we even started looking at the essays. My personal favorites were his work with recommenders and his original ‘training’ on communication.

– I really liked that my recommenders could work with David, if they chose to, to get a second opinion on content/writing style because both my recommenders were new to the process. It is easier for a trusted third-person to discuss praise/critique about me rather than having to do it myself. I was feeling pretty vain writing and talking about myself and I couldn’t have comfortably asked my recommenders to do so in addition.

– Regarding communication, I enjoyed an hour with a public speaking coach who was also an actor. Having a toolkit to loosen up, breathe, and get in the right mindset before the big interviews was priceless

I requested free consultations with numerous consultants and I clicked best with David. The rapport was also extremely important because of the deep personal reflections that are required from this process.

I whole-heartedly recommend Menlo Coaching to anyone who wants to seriously pursue an MBA at a top program. Thank you!

This was my second year working with David. Last year, in the first admissions cycle under the Trump administration, my best result was being wait-listed at Booth and eventually denied admission. I’m a Canadian applicant looking to pivot in to investment banking and after David analyzed R1 2017 trends, he helped me trace the issue back to schools being wary of potential H-1B Visa issues.
Despite a disappointing outcome, I had zero doubts that David and I shaped an effective narrative for my story (actuary working with pension funds on investment strategy, wanted to continue to make an impact in this space by moving in to infrastructure investing at a pension fund). David really helped my essays reflect that this was a very well thought out endeavor and that I had a high probability of succeeding in my post-MBA employment goals.

This year, I worked with David to re-apply and he advised me in two areas which made all the difference:
1. Visited CBS prior to submitting my application and had a brief chat with admissions
2. Addressed the Visa issue outright in my supplementary essays by indicating that I would look to recruit in Toronto/London instead

Finally, David also helped me prepare for the Wharton team-based discussion by organizing a group of applicants for a mock interview. In the end, I was admitted to two out of the three schools and would have zero hesitation in recommending David to future applicants.

My husband and I both worked with David on our applications. David really helped the two of us to create coherent and resonating stories in order to maximize the chances of us getting into the same school. Along the process, he was a true friend who always thought about our applications from our perspectives, offering advice at every single decision making point. A few things that I really appreciated

1) Timeliness: Even though he is located in Europe, the time difference actually helped to get very efficient turnarounds.
2) In person interactions: He was in NYC for quite some time (and actually camped in our apartment for almost a week) so that we could have face to face meetings, which was very efficient. We also got to know many other applicants from these in person sessions, and were able to learn about our contemplated career from those who have those roles currently
3) Organized: He’ll never miss any emails/questions, and all the answers he provided are well thought out
4) Resourcefulness: David always offered good ideas, and chatting with him whenever I felt stuck had a therapeutic effect — I knew that I was in good hands
5) He’s a genuine person: A lot of consultants’ single goal is to make money and rip people off. It never felt that way. David and Alice always tried to make this holistic experience (organizing gatherings for their clients in the same city, etc). It felt like a community.

I strongly recommend Menlo Coaching for anyone who is looking to get into top MBA programs.

I started my application in early 2018. After shopping around for a few consultants, I decided to go with David and Alice because of the fabulous reviews on the internet. I am glad that I made the decision as I received an offer from a few to programs including Wharton. Personally, I especially appreciated three aspects of my journey with Menlo Coaching. First, Menlo Coaching helped me to manage a hectic application timeline. I work long hours, and setting aside time for MBA application is extremely challenging. David helped me to compartmentalized the entire application progress into smaller, digestible pieces, which made my application process much more efficient. Second, I got some honest, valuable inputs from David on my essays. He and Alice are great at what they do. David helped me to brainstorm my stories, and pushed me where I could do better. I finally turned my essays into cohesive, interesting stories. Had I not had David’s help, my essays would have read like mumbles at best. Third, David cares. I always felt comfortable reaching out to him for advice on my application, and I would always receive timely, candid feedback from him. I applied with my spouse and our application profiles were a bit unconventional. David carefully curated our stories lines; beyond that, he also gave us advice on the potential impacts of our admissions on our lives. I appreciate the thoughtfulness. I consider David not only as my consultant, but also as my friend.

Simply put, David was instrumental to the success of my Round 1 applications and I’m grateful I had the chance to work with him. A few things really differentiate David/Menlo:

1) Timeliness – David gets back to you right away with meaningful and concise feedback, whether it’s for small, informal questions you have on how to approach a recommender, or with edits on an essay you are drafting.
2) Efficiency – When you sign up with David, you get the full benefit of the program he and Alice have crafted, which starts several months in advance of deadlines. They’ll make sure you visit schools, prep your recommenders, etc. – this helped me stay on track while balancing a demanding job and never feeling too overwhelmed by the process.
3) Experience – As I was only applying to three schools, I wanted to work with folks who knew those programs inside and out, and had seen what works and what doesn’t. David knows how the top programs operate and understands what resonates with them. Things played out almost exactly how he predicted they would with each program.

Investing in David, Alice, and their holistic approach to the application process is an investment in 1) admission to a program that is right for you and 2) your subsequent success there (which is to say, VERY important!).

Starting Day 1, David gave me invaluable guidance on exactly how to research each target school in a meaningful way – with this research, I painted a 75% picture of what my experience would look like at each program, which removed the uncertainty I felt about whether a program was “right” for me. The research also provided ample material for my essays, reducing the time it took to produce a usable first draft. Since David is based in Amsterdam, his feedback was almost instantaneous – I would send him a draft right before I slept, and the edits were waiting in my inbox the next morning without fail. This made the entire application process extremely efficient and much more enjoyable than I anticipated!

Outside of the application itself, what really sets David and Alice apart is how much they care about you as an individual. Without repeating too much of what other reviewers have mentioned, I can confirm that I truly felt David believed in my story (even sending me related news articles for personal interest) and worked hard to ensure my ideas and experiences came through in my essays and interview responses. I have no regrets about any aspect of the applications because everything was authentic – I’m just glad I had David on my side to ensure I could tell my story in the most compelling way.

I didn’t anticipate getting into more than two schools, but I ended up with acceptances to all my targets and with scholarships. The price tag is higher for Menlo Coaching compared to other consultants, but the ROI is unbeatable! I attribute the scholarships entirely to the quality of my applications and interview prep, and I know the quality was due to David’s constant coaching and support.

As one final proof point, I’m now a first year at Wharton and have checked off half of the items I mentioned in my application essay because I had done the hard research at the beginning of the process. While it’s still overwhelming to adjust to all the opportunities available in school, it has been very helpful to know my game plan to stay focused on my goals and take advantage of targeted resources.

I couldn’t recommend David and Alice more – I can assure that your process from start to finish (and even throughout your program) will be worth it!

I could not have made it through this process without David’s guidance. David was highly effective in making certain I put forward the best application possible and that I was fully prepared for each of my interviews. For me, going into the process my highest concern was lack of a cohesive, personal story. David helped me pull this narrative from my experiences and career trajectory and helped me to realize the importance of personal branding and presenting stories in a compelling fashion. Additionally, he took the time to speak with one of my friends to help get an understanding of how others view me. Importantly, he balanced constructive feedback with support.

Personally, I went into the process with the expectation that I may be able to “get away” without having to pay for a consultant. Pairing a strong support network of individuals willing to read and edit essays, with friends at each of my target programs, I wasn’t certain the investment would pay off. Looking back after my process I couldn’t have been more wrong. David helped me to put my best foot forward at each of the individual programs (landing me interviews at Kellogg, Booth, Wharton, GSB). This is an important distinction, particularly for people applying to more than three schools. Each of the programs is different and it’s important for you to highlight the pieces of your story that are most compelling to the individual programs – I couldn’t think of anyone better than David to help with that personal, reflective process. Highly recommend.

David & Alice were both imperative to my success in the application process – from the start of our engagement together, David wanted to understand my entire background and career history in order to craft a unique profile for my application. He was especially helpful keeping me on track and attuned to how my application should have been progressing, and provided insightful views into the application process that he learned from meeting frequently with admissions staff at various programs. I would not have been nearly as successful without his constant help and support.

I could not have gotten into these four top MBA programs and received a total of >$100k scholarship without David’s guidance.

David had proved to be an invaluable resource since our very first session. Because I am based in Europe, David invited me to Amsterdam for a full-day kick off meeting, and kindly helped with travel logistics. It was an extremely productive day. In the morning, I shared my stories in detail with David, who asked follow up questions and took pages of notes. By the afternoon, he already sifted through the notes and identified a few highlights that would differentiate me from others. I left Amsterdam with a near final selection of schools, a concrete plan of the application process, and a list of stories to work with. Thanks to this session, I felt inspired when tackling essays and preparing for interviews.

David is an exceptional MBA consultant – I highly recommend you reach out to him ASAP!

David was an incredible resource throughout my business school application process. He typically starts his sessions by getting to know you over the course of a 2 hour phone conversation. After our initial conversation (which I found to be incredibly helpful and almost like therapy), he sent me a summary of some of his key takeaways from our conversation and suggested topics for my essay. My background is in investment banking / private equity and I found that David did a great job of helping to select an essay topic for me that would differentiate me from the other candidates who would be applying with a similar background. I iterated through a number of drafts of my essay with David and he provided candid and thoughtful advice throughout the process. David was highly organized and helped to keep me on track as I applied. Additionally, I found that David was able to help me on a number of the softer elements of the application process that were specific to my firm. Overall, I would highly recommend David.

I’m matriculating at Wharton this Fall. The Menlo Coaching experience for the mock TBD provided me with a clear competitive advantage going into the interview.

Since I started the application process a little later in the season – having messed up the GMAT and needed to retake it – both David and Alice were fully booked (if I were to apply again from scratch, it would be with Menlo Coaching, no other admission consulting service even comes close!) However, on being invited to interview at Wharton – I reached out again, to try my luck at getting a mock interview with either Alice or David – and I’m glad I did.

The mock TBD experience was seamlessly handled through a multi-person video chat. David shared expert tips and offered thoughtful advice before the mock interview started. He even brought on a current Wharton student to provide an insider perspective. During the interview, David observed each interviewee’s participation and offered candid feedback to the group as a whole, and individual feedback for each of us. The best part was that the feedback was actionable – and could be immediately put into practice. David also helped walk through some scenarios and anticipate directions in which the actual TBD could go in.

The experience took the edge off the nervousness that usually accompanies an interview. I had a really clear game-plan stepping into Huntsman Hall at Wharton for the actual TBD. Once the interview started, the prep. with Menlo really began to pay off – someone else on my team had the exact same pitch as I did – but thanks to David anticipating such a case – I was able to pivot and add details that the other person had overlooked. The result – an extremely smooth TBD, which led to an admit from Wharton.

To conclude, I’d say, shop around consulting firms if you *really* want to, but Menlo Coaching’s offerings are light-years ahead of the rest of the pack.

While I have had the plan of attaining my MBA since high school, only recently did I have an idea of why I wanted to do so. David helped me immensely in crafting my story for the application process especially considering my non traditional (engineering) background. He provided me with an unbiased opinion of areas to improve to give me the greatest results from the process. While I had done my own research initially into application strategy, David helped to clarify the goal of each individual piece, i.e. what I should be communicating in the essays or how to present myself in the interview. Even from the initial sessions I could tell that David was concerned with my success throughout the entire application process. David is also extremely knowledgeable about the different programs’ strengths and weaknesses, providing observations that are not biased by the lens of current students or the admissions office. This led me to apply to programs that I had not originally considered. Overall I cannot recommend David enough!

I decided to work with David White and Darren Kowitt in the first place because they genuinely tried to understand my unusual/European background and experience. I soon realized that I made the right choice.

Working with David has been invaluable and reassuring from crafting my very first essay to pressing the submit button of my last application and sending a thank you note to my interviewers after my interviews:

– He is incredibly efficient and responsive, which is more than appreciable, especially when, after spending hours on version 7 of an essay, you start asking yourself if version 2 was not better;
– Even when I was satisfied with a draft, he kept on pushing me to go the extra mile and I feel like I eventually submitted the best applications that I could have, thanks to him;
– When I was not fully convinced about an idea, a draft etc., he never fell short of valuable ideas and advice;
– During the application process, I changed my mind a few times (sometimes last minute) and David has always been happy to take the time to (re)discuss an idea, understand the reasons of my doubts and make sure that we could move on;
– Finally, David is honest, genuinely interested in his students’ success and 100% worth his fees. David’s help went way beyond preparing my applications. He has been a great career coach and happy to help me on any matter he could.

David helped me a lot during the preparation for interview and I see the main impact in two areas.

First, he challenged my application and my story and asked tough questions. That really helped me to think every aspect of my profile deeper and add a new dimension to the story. His approach is really thorough, analytic and no-bullshit.

Second, the mock interview was an experience that was actually harder than the real one. I believe that’s what you need before the real interview because the stress caused by the situation itself will balance it.

Besides David responds really quickly and it’s pleasure to work with him because of his punctuality and accuracy.

P.S. I started to work with David a few days before the application submission date so we had time only for a few last changes.

The results speak for themselves. David was very effective in ensuring that I had the best application package possible. In the end, I got into both Executive MBA programs at Haas and Wharton. For me, going to a consultant of David’s caliber is a no-brainer. If you want the peace of mind that your application package is the best reflection of who you are, and provides a compelling argument for these schools to admit you, go to David. Your application will be in good hands. After a good discussion, David was able to glean specific details of my personal experiences that would resonate strongly with the Adcoms. This provided me with the clarity and focus necessary to ensure that my essays had significant impact. His constructive feedback were meaningful and ensured that my personal voice and perspective were preserved, while maximizing their impact. David also provided interview coaching, which gave me the confidence to excel at my interviews, and also offered assistance to my references, if desired. In the end, the question of whether to go with David will ultimately come down to the question of whether his services are worth the investment. For myself, I would definitely say that it is and would highly recommend him to anyone who is serious about getting into a top MBA program. Even if you feel that you may not need his services, is you application package the best, most impactful application that it can possibly be? My guess is that for the vast majority of us, we can use a little feedback. Why risk getting into the school of your dreams? Go with David. He will ensure that you will have your best shot of getting in.

In 2016 I was waitlisted at Booth after an interview. After talking to various other consultants I was fortunate to come across David White. He asked for all my previous application materials to go over them before our consultation call. Unlike other consultants, who wouldn’t take a look at my previous material to do a ‘ding analysis’ unless I opted for a package, David really wanted to assess my situation to help me figure out the best way forward. During our call, he pointed out that my application materials went into too much technical detail (I am an engineer) and needed to be tailored for the adcom. He was kind enough to give a first-pass list of schools that I should target if I were to apply next year, but his suggestion was to definitely give the waitlist a shot as it would save me a year along with the fees that I might be paying a consultant. We put together a video that showed off a well-rounded profile (as opposed to the somewhat one-dimensional profile that I had on paper earlier). He was very candid in providing feedback, and also pointed out that I might well have to raise my GMAT and re-apply. He was right about that, and by the next year when I approached David he was already booked up, but he still gave me brief further advice. Between his insights about retaking the GMAT (I did!), showing a more well-rounded profile, and targeting the right schools, I was admitted at six top schools. Two things stood out about David. He was genuinely interested in my success and that showed by the level of interest he took and the candid discussions we had, be it my application, the chance of its success or even declining me because of his prior commitments. Unlike other consultants, in my experience, he wasn’t trying to make a ‘sale’ at any time. He wanted me to get to business school in the way that would be most logical and would work best for me, even if it meant turning me down and still helping me out!

After careful research on MBA consultants, I choose to work w David White as I was a re-applicant to HBS (2014, was not invited to an interview). Without any doubts, this was one of the smartest choices I ever made. From the first phone call, I felt support, care, and a very tailored approach. David not only studied my background, interests, and values, he also helped to understand my true passion and encouraged to follow my calling. He was with me every minute that I needed him and helped me to jointly think on many topics and make right decisions. David also brought completely new perspective on how I can tell my story in different ways and helped to pack everything I wanted to say to the admissions in a very concise and appropriate manner. In the end, I was accepted both to HBS and Haas. Without David’s help (sometimes like the help of a very good “psychologist”) I couldn’t have done it. Definitely exceptional service and great attitude along the way.

After speaking with a number of admissions consultants, I decided to work with David and Darren Kowitt at Menlo Coaching due to their responsiveness, professionalism, and understanding of my story and goals. I primarily worked with Darren on my application essays, and he was thoughtful and encouraging throughout. He helped me prepare with deep introspection and then convey my narrative in a compelling fashion with clear language. David was there to provide overall advice and guidance throughout the process. This included how to approach my career pivot, where an MBA fits within that, which schools fit best, and how to devise an overall strategy to tackle the application process. He also helped with interview prep through mock interviews, and I can’t imagine walking into interviews without having gone through those sessions. David was very knowledgeable about the strengths, weaknesses, and nuances of each school, and his insights were invaluable. Ultimately, I was admitted into an M7 program with a full scholarship as well as another top 10 school which was high on my target list. I couldn’t have done it without Menlo Coaching, and the costs were well worth it with the scholarship offer.

David and I first made contact around last March. I had talked to a few other consultants beforehand, and I told myself that I wasn’t going to let the stellar reviews for Menlo bias my approach – I was committed to talking to each consultant with a blank slate and pick the one that was the best for me. It quickly became apparent that there is a reason that Menlo is rated so highly – David showed a deep understanding of my story and I could already tell that he would help me craft a compelling narrative. After confirming my intent to work with him, we narrowed down a list of a few schools to apply to Round 1 and began working on the essays in June. I appreciate that David really took the time to understand my story and helped me craft a narrative that was both genuine and compelling. I appreciate that David sets an extremely high bar – there were many times where I felt that my essay was good enough, only for David to ask me to write a few more drafts, and the result was noticeably better. When I submitted my applications, I genuinely believed that I had a chance to get admitted to each school that I applied to because of the high quality of the applications. After submitting the essays, I received interview invites to several of the top schools and felt that the interviews all went well. So I was somewhat surprised on the downside when I didn’t get into some of the schools that I felt confident in. David continued to encourage me and picked me up when I was feeling down, and I did eventually get admitted into a M7 school with money. Although I did eventually get into a great school, I got dinged by several schools that I had confidence in and I think my process was probably tougher than that of some of the others that have written reviews here. So I wanted to write the review to paint a full picture and emphasize that there are no guarantees – it’s almost like a game of poker in that one could do everything right and still not get the desired result. But I do believe that I submitted the best application that I could’ve and there was nothing more that I could’ve done, and I attribute much of that to David and I could not recommend him more. Finally, David sent me a complimentary bottle of wine to celebrating getting an M7 acceptance. For those of you reading and contemplating, I would recommend reaching out to David ASAP and I hope that you will eventually get a bottle of wine from him too!

I can easily say without hesitation that David is one of the best coaches to work with, if not the best. I’d already applied to business schools multiple times in the past but, because I wasn’t good at crafting an application, had found no success. The prior processes had left me with lingering doubts about what admissions personnel look out for, what I should / shouldn’t say, what was / wasn’t important, etc and online forums had just confused me further. David, right from the get-go, was perfect in putting me at ease and convincingly addressing all my concerns. From our very first consultation, I knew he was different from others because he asked for my resume and prior applications beforehand, came into the consultation prepared, and during the consultation gave me very specific and useful free advice. When preparing my applications, he was always quick to respond, diligent in providing comments, and because he had really tried to understand my background, was able to help me find strengths in me that I hadn’t noticed myself. For the interview, knowing that it’s a weak spot for me, he referred me to Eduardo Placer who taught me not just great relaxation techniques, but also gave me a much better mindset ahead of the interview. Overall, knowing that David had reviewed my entire application and had approved it, gave me a lot comfort because I knew he had high standards and knew what he was doing. Ultimately, I was waitlisted at a top 10 school and admitted to a top 5 school, and I couldn’t be happier. I couldn’t have done it without you, David!

I can say without reservation that if you work with Menlo Coaching, you will be able to craft your story in the best way possible to elevate your candidacy and produce writing that you can truly be proud of. You’ll have someone in your corner who sees you and your MBA candidacy far more accurately than you can see it yourself- and you’ll have someone who can help you shape your application materials to be the best they can possibly be. This, along with a little luck, can get you results that will surprise you (in the good, life-changing way). I achieved poor grades early in undergrad (mainly due to maturity issues). I have somewhat of a rough past, and am very un-diverse (ahem, white male). I thought I knew the schools I wanted to apply to, but I didn’t hear what I wanted to hear from David. He gave an honest assessment that my chances at the top schools were pretty much zilch. But that’s how I knew I had found the right consultant. No BS or “sure, we can drop an app into Harvard!” Menlo Coaching’s approach to essay and short response writing is very efficient. I’d start with some bullet points (shooting in the dark) of what I thought were good topics or points to make, and David would filter those to the ‘best’ items. Then came a few drafts, each becoming more polished and concise and natural with diligence between myself and David and the editor. The essays were the truest reflection of myself and the highlights of my candidacy. During all of this, David kept encouraging me to retake the GMAT based on my practice test scores, and directed me to a tutor that ultimately proved to be the best decision I made with respect to GMAT prep. I studied hundreds of hours for the exam (I know because I kept track!) and my efforts finally came to fruition with a score that was above every school’s average except Stanford’s. So back to my main point: I was somewhat of a longshot at the schools I applied to- I have some obvious holes in my candidacy that would make it easy for an admissions director to throw me in the ding pile without second thought. But with David and Menlo Coaching I was able to do each little thing right- the visits, the essays, the GMAT, the interviews- and while individually those things may not have moved the needle enough, together [I believe] they turned the tide. I applied to four schools, interviewed at all four, and was accepted to one top-12 program and one top-10 program. This fall I will be attending a top-10 school that was absolutely a reach for me and is my dream. Don’t ever count yourself out if you’re an ugly duckling. Yes, the cost of services was not insignificant, but it’s really just a drop in the bucket compared to what I will gain. David was very generous with his time.

I contacted Menlo Coaching early in the admissions process (among other consultants) and was put in touch with David. This turned out to be one of the most fortunate relationships I formed while applying to full-time MBA programs. From the first conversation, it was evident that David was different from other consultants. We spoke at a time that was convenient for me, for longer than the expected 30-minute time slot, and by the end I felt well on my way to a successful application season. I was given realistic assessments of my chances for multiple programs, and David helped me define an application strategy. From that point on, things only got better, and eventually I was rewarded with admission to Harvard Business School. I would highly recommend David White as someone with integrity for the process and an ability to you realize your full potential!

Choosing David as my MBA coach was the best decision I made during the application process. I first came to David over a year ago, and was seeking his help to submit rushed applications to USC and UCSD a couple weeks before the R2 deadlines. He talked me out of this and convinced me to wait until R1 the following year so that I would have time to put together the best application possible – I’m so thankful that he did. David was very helpful in helping me determine my career goals (one of his specialties) and making sure that my applications told a cohesive and compelling story. He is very knowledgeable about the tech industry and helped me chart my career path and the steps necessary to reach my end goal. David advised me through each step of the application process and gave tips and recommendations that I would have otherwise had no idea about. He was also instrumental for interview preparation, and during all of my interviews I was not asked a single question that we hadn’t prepared for in some form. He also referred me to an amazing GMAT tutor who helped me raise my score from 700 to 730. With his guidance, I was able to secure a full tuition scholarship at Darden! I was also accepted to USC Marshall with a sizable scholarship. I have had an amazing experience working with David and cannot recommend him highly enough.

David and I worked on the application for 5 schools (Top 10 MBAs in the US). HBS being my dream school we focused on this application. David is extremely well organized and he doesn’t not only focus on the essays but on the whole process. David helped me tailored my essays to an MBA level, the words were 100% mine but the text is tailored in the best way possible. David knows the particularity of every school and helped me translate that in the essays. I was absolutely delighted with the final results. I got an invitation from 4 out of those 5 schools and did blank interviews with David and his colleague Alice. They both provided me a lot of feedback and it helped me nailed the interview. I got admitted in HBS and 2 other schools. The MBA application journey was a very long one but David made it much easier. Choosing him as my MBA consultant was the best decision I took during this whole process and I couldn’t agree more with all the positives comments I read and that made me choose him. He helped through the entire process and when he couldn’t do it himself like for the GMAT he provided me with an introduction to the best GMAT consultant available. David was always available for all my questions (even the silly ones) at every step and helped during every step of the process from the essays, to the resume or to the last minute application questions.

I can’t say enough about David and the team at Menlo. From my first conversation with David, it was apparent that he would be honest and realistic about my profile. For many aspects of my application, I worked with Darren, a member of David’s team. In a short time, he was able to understand who I was and help me find my voice. Ultimately that’s what differentiated my experience from my peers’ who went to other firms – Menlo Coaching clearly values each of their clients and provides individually tailored advice. As for the outcome, I was accepted to Booth with scholarship! I absolutely wouldn’t have been able to get here without David or the team at Menlo. I strongly recommend him to anyone in the application process!

I simply cannot recommend David enough. As an over 30 year old white male coming from a background with zero business experience I knew I was facing an uphill climb. Initial conversations with other consultants went one of two ways: sugarcoating my chances or telling me I was wasting my time applying to top full time programs. From the first conversation with David I knew I was in good hands. He helped me clarify my career path and demonstrate the transferable skills that I had from my previous career experience. His feedback on school selection was always tailored to what was important to me, the experience of attending school with a family, and making a significant career switch. Our work on my essays was efficient and authentic. I never felt that I lost my voice in the process, David simply showed me how to get my story on paper in a way that was only possible because of the significant work done ahead of time to get to know my background, strengths, aspirations, etc. Having been invited to interview with 5 highly top programs I can also confirm that everything David did to prepare me for interviews was spot on. I can now happily report that I was offered spots at multiple top programs, with scholarships at each school, and will be attending Darden on a full scholarship, which is absolutely incredible for someone who comes to the table with a previous career that was far from lucrative as well as attending school with a family. For anyone coming from a non-traditional background I can say that you can work with nobody better than David and Menlo Coaching!

When I started the round one application process, I interviewed 7 different consulting firms to see who I thought would be most helpful. Out of everyone I talked to, David and the Menlo Coaching team stood out as incredibly insightful, responsive and organized. My initial positive impression was exceeded during my experience working with David on my application. I’m very thankful that I made the decision to work with Menlo Coaching – they made a potentially stressful process very enjoyable! The various application deadlines can sneak up on you and it’s important to be chipping away at your essays and application forms well in advance. David helps you to manage this progress by sending you automated reminders and keeping track of the various deadlines via electronic calendar. As a result, I was able to get my application in early and did not feel the last minute stress of having to do substantial essay re-writes close to the deadline. From a content standpoint, David went above and beyond to help me convey the key themes I wanted to highlight in my application. We had an initial consultation call that lasted several hours, and I felt as though David got to know me and understood the aspects of my personality that I wanted to portray. After the call, he helped me to frame the theme of my essay, and sent me some friendly reminders to make progress on an initial draft. Each time I sent him a draft of my essay, he responded instantly to acknowledge receipt and then spent a day or two providing thoughtful and detailed comments both on clarity of content (highlighting where the point wasn’t coming through) and punchiness of language. When I wanted to discuss a particular question or comment, David was immediately available and was always very articulate in explaining his thought process behind the feedback and very flexible in finding a solution that ensured my voice and personality came through in the essay. David was also incredibly responsive after the application submission – he helped me to practice for the interview process and provided moral support throughout the anxiety-producing waiting periods. He was positive but also very realistic, and I appreciated that combination. I have nothing but great things to say about my experience working with him, and I would recommend him to anyone considering applying to business school!

David remained a highly reliable resource throughout my MBA application process. This was exemplified by him not only responding to nearly all of my requests within 24 hours, but also constantly thinking on my behalf. Specifically, David was very good at identifying my uniqueness among all the other well-qualified applicants in the financial service industry, and helped me brainstorm ideas and eventually construct a highly compelling, personal story. I was also impressed every time when he came back with revised versions of my essays, which were succinct and to-the-point. I ended up receiving offers from my top 2 schools, Wharton and Columbia. David was definitely one of the biggest contributors to this pleasant outcome.

If you want personalized and thorough attention to your unique situation and needs, look no further than David and his team. He helped me get accepted to HBS, GSB, and Wharton. David was right for me because he only took me on as a client once he was positive he could devote the time not only for our meetings but for the intense preparation he wanted to do beforehand to offer highly personalized and effective coaching. David is flexible on schedules, brings a lot of experience to the table, and has unique nuggets of insight that you can\’t get elsewhere. His interview prep was so intensely tailored to my application that I felt very confident going into the real thing. He\’s continued to be a resource even after the process is over. I highly recommend him for this important step in people\’s career.

David is a reliable and knowledgeable coach that will support you wholeheartedly throughout the admissions journey. I worked with David to prepare for my interviews and was impressed by how closely he mirrored the actual experience. Along with the questions he asked, he shaped the environment to help me stay focused, concise, and impactful. His feedback was priceless and helped me perform well during my interview. I wouldn’t hesitate to work with David again and would certainly recommend him to others.

I came to David late in the game—after receiving rejections in Round 1 I knew I wasn\’t bringing my best to the admissions process. Luckily for me, I was able to work with David just in time for Round 2. David helped me with my school selection and provided great feedback on my prospective career path. He helped me refine my overly-technical resume to fit an admissions audience. He and his partner, Alice, prepped me to ace my interviews. Finally, taking advantage of his central European time zone, he gave me timely, detailed, and effective feedback on my essays. He provided a structure for me to finish my applications in time, a feat I didn\’t think possible at the beginning of the process. And while many admissions coaches can provide the above, David is singular in his sensitivity and commitment to his clients. From our first call, David showed sensitivity to my background and the goals I set for myself. After calls with other coaches that I felt were sugarcoating my chances, David\’s candor and thoughtfulness earned my trust. Throughout the process, I knew David had my best interest and was there to help me along my career. With his help, I was not only accepted to both of my dream schools (Kellogg and Haas), but also received scholarship money! I know I wouldn\’t be in position without David\’s help. If you\’re looking for an effective and smart MBA coach who will do the very best for you, I can\’t recommend David and Menlo Coaching enough. Thank you, David!

With David’s help, I finally got admitted to my reach schools – HBS and Wharton. Throughout the process, David worked with me closely to plan out an achievable career path that fits my background and motivations. He took his time to understand why I wanted an MBA and how it could help me succeed. Every time David reviewed my essay drafts, he always provided thoughtful advice and feedbacks, encouraged me to do more research and dig deep into the schools – the essays turned out much stronger after all the twists and tweaks. David was also extremely professional when working with my recommenders. He can always grasp important information and helped my recommenders to highlight my strengths and focus on the point. For interview prep, David helped me with mock interviews and really pushed me to work on the content and presentation. He is professional, knowledgeable and super easy to work with! I can’t recommend David more highly!

David was great with helping me figuring out my story and what differentiated myself from others, and he was very flexible, readily adapting to my needs with the admissions process. Without him, my applications wouldn’t have been as well-rounded and focused. He also provided plenty of constructive criticisms on my essays– his comments allowed me to understand what was wrong and what direction I should focus on with various parts of my applications, and with his help, I was able to get admitted at a top 3 business school. Thank you David!

I worked with David and Alice for my business school application. David provided an amazing level of support with essay strategy and interview prep. I used David’s essay idea for my top choice business school (Harvard), worked together with him and Alice through multiple rounds of revision, and ultimately got the interview for HBS! After receiving the interview notice, I held numerous Skype-based interview practice sessions with David, and thanks to those practice sessions (where David provides very clear and actionable feedback), I was able to nail my actual HBS interview. Last week I got the admissions notice from Harvard and I’m sure that I couldn’t have done it without David’s help!

David was an essential resource throughout the application process. I was late to the game in getting my applications underway but David was there every step of the way. He helped he realistically whittle down school choices and set up an efficient plan to complete the applications. He helped me craft a narrative about my experiences and goals that I would have struggled to do on my own. That narrative was very effective. Despite applying in Round 3, I was accepted at Berkeley-Haas and Chicago Booth and waitlisted at Northwestern Kellogg. I certainly would not have been successful without David’s help.

I found David through a friend’s referral, after he was able to get into his dream school. Even coming to David after the “normal” time to start prepping for applications and essays, David still took the time to lead me through everything I needed. Time management became clearer because he kept track of every important date for every school (4 in total). I can easily say that without David my essays would have been a completely unfocused mess. Interview prep as well went extremely smoothly – David found time to practice over Skype, even changing his schedule to fit in last-minute sessions. But you’re here to hear about results: I applied to HBS (knowing I was a heavy underdog), Booth, Kellogg, and Sloan. Of the four, I was waitlisted at Sloan, and I was not only accepted at Booth & Kellogg, but partial scholarship as well. What had seemed like a slim chance of maybe one admittance became incredibly successful. And that’s definitely thanks to David’s advice. David’s style is exactly what you want it to be: if that’s hands on, David can walk with you step-by-step. If you prefer only the occasional check in like me, he’s great with that too. He’s knowledgeable, friendly, very fair in his criticisms, and most of all, good at what he does.

David went above and beyond anything I expected out of an MBA coach. I was blown away with how much he was invested in me and the outcome I wanted. David doesn’t treat you as just another client – he became intimately familiar with my background, motivations, aspirations and failures and was able to use this to provide incredibly insightful feedback as I crafted my narratives. I have moved between a couple of industries and given David’s dynamic career in various sectors he had an amazing understanding of my roles which allowed him to help me better articulate not only my career but also articulate what I want to do after business school and why. David’s support did not at all stop after I had submitted my essays. I figured I would do a little prep for the interviews and would be good to go. But David really pushed me to invest the time into preparing for them and helped me think through concise answers. We did quite a few mock interviews where David assisted me in refining my responses and worked with me until my answers flowed comfortably. I got into my top 3 schools and am 100% confident I would not be in the position I am today without David. If you are serious about getting into a top school, having David in your corner is a must.

After interviewing multiple big name admissions consultants, and not finding anyone whom I felt was worth the money (or the time), I found David (& Alice) through online reviews. Their reviews revealed extremely satisfied clients, and a far wider variety of acceptances (all at the top 5-10 schools), whereas the other larger firms I had been speaking to either had very mixed reviews, or only seemed to get people into specific institutions. With Menlo, I was sold after our first call. As promised, David remained incredibly reliable, sensitive to my goals, punctual, and encouraging throughout the 9 months that we worked together. He provided extremely helpful feedback on a regular basis, kept me on track, turned edits around extremely quickly, and was always willing to discuss over the phone. I wanted to write a very personal essay, and David helped me to do so effectively. Unlike many of the big name consultants, Menlo Coaching provides very personalized thorough guidance through every step of the application process. David and Alice clearly view their clients’ success as their own. It is thanks to David (& Alice and Menlo Coaching!) that I got into Stanford, my dream school!

I worked with David and Alice during the 2016-2017 admissions season and was accepted to CBS, Stern, and Tuck. David worked with me on all aspects of the application, from figuring out career goals and drafting essays to interview prep. By the end of the very personal and individualized process, he could remember aspects and details of my applications that I myself had forgotten. The interview prep sessions I had with David truly helped me figure out and tighten my answers to common questions to the point where the actual interviews felt almost like another practice session. David also helped me to reach out to the Admissions committee regarding the possibility of a fellowship, which proved very successful. I can’t recommend David more highly and know that the results wouldn’t have been anywhere as good without his help.

With his tech background, David was very helpful in providing ideas and suggestions to help me decide my post-MBA goal. He was very patient when I asked a lot of questions and went back and forth on my decision. After I decided on my post-MBA goal, he urged me to write essays early, and was crucial in making my essay easy to read and concise. He also gave critical feedback for my mock interview. In general, I find him very sharp.

David was recommended to me by a colleague who was recently admitted into a top US B-School. David’s best asset is his ability to quickly tune into your experience and goals, and help present a clear and compelling application. This combined with prompt communication resulted in an efficient application preparation timeline. David’s experience working with many successful applicants also showed in the pre-interview phase, specifically in simplifying my responses. Based on my personal constraints, I applied only to CBS and was admitted. Working with David has returns far beyond the b-school admit – I have renewed my approach to written and oral communication after this experience. Based on my collaboration with David, I can easily see how he can also be a great executive/career coach. I strongly recommend David for admissions counseling and professional guidance at any stage of your career.

I worked with David White on my post-MBA career plans after attending Stanford GSB. He is an incredible value-add to anyone seeking tailored career guidance. I highly recommend David White at Menlo Coaching to those seeking well-thought out advice and direction. He’s reliable for personalized feedback and guidance on actionable steps. His advice is detailed and up-to-date, which informed the way I looked at other career opportunities. Over the course of 10 months, David provided thorough feedback of my career choices and gave detailed counsel on the next steps I should consider. His comprehensive feedback helped me pursue a slight career change with much more confidence, which led to new opportunities I hadn\’t initially considered. His knowledge of the tech and search marketing industry provided yet more guidance, as I looked ahead to to the future. It goes without saying that he is a professional and totally committed to ensuring the best possible outcome for his clients. He was always prepared to discuss the tradeoffs and challenges of one career path versus the others, which ultimately helped me make a choice. For those seeking a dedicated counselor/coach to help them achieve their goals, I highly recommend David White at Menlo Coaching.

I enjoyed working with David very much and I highly recommend him to anyone needing guidance through the process. The idea of working with someone who doesn’t ‘know me’/‘my story’ was daunting but I can now say that it was the smartest investment I have done this year. David’s was professional, organized and very thorough. He helped me achieve the best version of my personal story because he took the time to understand all its angles. He always provided the extra push when I needed it, and it was often! I am certain that the quality of my application wouldn’t have been the same had I not worked with him.

I worked with David on my application to Wharton and I highly recommend him to anyone else looking for specific application support services. I came to David with a strong understanding of how I wanted to portray myself in my application and had already completed drafts of my application. David quickly validated which sections of my drafted application resonated well and which sections required work. His approach was structured, detailed, collaborative, and most importantly, highly critical, resulting in a strong application that wove a single theme/thread throughout. I was a accepted at Wharton and, in hindsight, value the worthwhile investment I made in David to help secure my spot in the class of 2019.

I worked with David over a six-month period during my applications to US B-schools and he helped me with almost every step of the process. Throughout our interactions I found him to be very professional, knowledgeable and experienced in the admission process & always willing to go the extra mile to help ensure that I turned in my best work. Our interaction started with a long discussion around my career goals & what I wanted to achieve post B-school. David not only helped refine my professional objectives but given his deep knowledge of Technology industry, also provided pros & cons of each route. In the next phase we shortlisted schools which were a good fit for my objectives and David & I spent a lot of time thinking through & refining my story. Throughout the process David would keep checking in to ensure I was on track with my deadlines and given my demanding job, sometimes I needed the extra push! He also has an amazingly short turn around time and in most cases I’d hear back in less than 24 hours. Another aspect I really liked about David is that he is very consistent in his quality of work and very organized. He provides a lot of support in what can be a very hectic & exhausting process. After I took my GMAT, David encouraged that I take it again to aim for a higher score & connected me with a fantastic GMAT tutor who helped me achieve my target score! Towards the end, David conducted mock interviews via Skype & gave really good feedback on my preparation as well as non-verbal aspects such as body language etc. I strongly believe that without his support & constant motivation it would have been really hard for me to get accepted at both my target schools. In fact, he even offered to talk to me (for free) & help in choosing the right school! Overall, I’m really happy with my experience working with David (& Menlo Coaching) and would strongly recommend him! He is totally worth the time & money! I’m also open to answering any questions if you are considering working with him.

David was a phenomenal MBA coach and came highly recommended from the GMAT tutor I used. He was beyond helpful at every stage in the process; from selecting schools, cleaning up my resume to be “MBA” ready rather than “job seeking” ready, brain storming how to tackle various essay topics, and overall making the daunting task of applying to business school structured and seamless. Once you get interviews to your school, David ensures you are completely ready by doing various mock interviews and going over dos and donts. He was extremely responsive and accommodating through the entire process, which turned out to be super clutch towards application deadlines. I would not have been able to get into my dream school (top 10) without the help of David. 100% recommend him to anyone looking to apply to an MBA or other graduate programs. And yes, he is 100% worth his hourly rate which seems to be standard for the best coaches.