Melanie Espeland

I can’t recommend Melanie highly enough. She was an outstanding MBA coach and is the only reason I was accepted. Melanie helped me clarify my story, strengthen my essays, and approach interviews with much more confidence.

What really sets her apart is how thoughtful and personalized her guidance is. She asked the right questions even when I was stuck, gave clear and practical feedback, and genuinely cared about my success. Working with her not only improved my applications but also helped me better articulate my goals overall.

I’m incredibly grateful for her support and would wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone applying to top MBA programs or looking for strong professional coaching.

Working with Melanie was one of the best decisions I made in my MBA application process, in large part because of the front-loaded work we did early on and how well she carried that clarity through every step that followed.

She pushed me to clearly define my story, motivations, and long-term goals before I started writing. That foundation made everything else more effective: essays were easier to draft and refine, messaging stayed consistent across schools, and interview prep felt focused and natural.

Beyond the upfront work, Melanie was excellent throughout the process. She is direct, strategic, and highly efficient, giving honest, actionable feedback and consistently raising the bar on quality. The process was introspective and demanding, but also extremely well managed.

I would strongly recommend Melanie to anyone looking for a thoughtful, rigorous, and results-driven MBA application consultant.

I came into the MBA application process feeling overwhelmed since there were so many pieces to juggle, and I wasn’t sure where to start. Melanie’s calm presence immediately grounded me, and she helped me break down what felt like an impossible task into something clear and manageable.

What I appreciate most about Melanie is her directness. She doesn’t waste time, and she gives honest, actionable feedback that actually moves you forward. During our early sessions, she guided me through branding myself, which is something I had struggled with on my own. Once the branding was locked in, the rest of the application process, including asset development, became easier and more efficient.

I strongly recommend working with Melanie, especially if you’re feeling unsure about where to begin or how to position yourself. Her clarity and presence helped a lot and I’m grateful to have worked with her.

Working with Melanie was one of the best choices I made in my MBA application journey. She brought a clear, strategic approach to every step, from shaping my story to refining essays and preparing for interviews. Her feedback was always direct, thoughtful, and genuinely aimed at helping me put my best foot forward. I felt supported the entire way, and her guidance made a real difference in my confidence and final results. Highly recommend her to anyone looking for personalized, expert support.

Melanie was genuinely instrumental in helping me get to this point. Her push to clarify my story and understand what truly differentiates me as a candidate made a tremendous difference. I would definitely recommend Melanie to anyone applying to business school.

Working with Melanie was one of the most valuable parts of my MBA application journey. From day one, her expertise was obvious – she brought a clear, strategic approach to every part of the process, from school selection to essay writing to fine-tuning the smallest application details. I always felt supported.

Melanie has a professional background in management consulting, fashion, and entrepreneurship, which made her an ideal fit for me given my background and post-MBA goals. But beyond industry expertise, she consistently impressed me with how thoughtful, direct, and supportive she was throughout the process. She didn’t shy away from giving honest feedback (which I really appreciated), but she always delivered it with encouragement and a genuine desire to see me succeed.

Thanks to Melanie’s guidance, I was admitted to both of the MBA programs that I applied to. I highly recommend working with her to anyone navigating the MBA process!

Melanie was amazing to have during my whole MBA process! From reviewing my resume to make sure it was at quality for applications, to brainstorming essay ideas and editing/finalizing them and interview prep. The interview prep was extremely helpful and made me much more confident going into each interview. I don’t think I would have gotten the admits without her support! Fully reccomend if you are thinking about applying to MBA programs.

Melanie was great to work with! She had a lot of helpful tools that allowed me to easily think through my story / goals (which was very helpful when writing essays) and prep my recommenders adequately. She really helped me stay on track by clearly laying out the components of the application that I needed to complete and giving me a timeline but also being flexible enough to allow for my work and life schedule. She was also extremely responsive. Recommend working with her!

Melanie was very helpful throughout the entire process. Helping support all facets of the application process. Would recommend anyone looking for thoughtful and personalized assistance to Melanie.

Working with Melanie was hands down one of the best decisions I made during my MBA application journey. With her expert guidance, I was fortunate enough to be accepted into both Wharton and Columbia.

From day one, Melanie brought a perfect balance of strategy, honesty, and support. She took the time to truly understand my story and helped me craft a compelling narrative that felt authentic and powerful. Her feedback was always spot-on – thoughtful, constructive, and never cookie-cutter.

What really stood out to me was how invested she was in my success. Whether it was brainstorming essay ideas late into the evening, prepping me for interviews, or calming my nerves during moments of self-doubt, Melanie was a steady and encouraging presence throughout the process.

If you’re serious about getting into a top MBA program and want someone who’s not only an admissions expert but also an incredible coach and cheerleader, I can’t recommend Melanie enough. Her insight and support made all the difference – and I’ll always be grateful for her role in helping me take this next big step in my career.

Melanie is such an amazing consultant. I definitely would not have gotten the admits I got without her help. She was so helpful from beginning to end. From helping me clean up my resume, to essay writing, and interview prep. She really pushed me that extra step to get clarity and the most value out of my story and essays for the applications. Interview prep was also crucial and so helpful, I really saw a difference in my interview skills after a few prep sessions with Melanie. I have already recommended her to friends!

Melanie was very valuable when I was going through the application process. She provided useful insight and guidance when starting the journey, and then engaged at regular intervals to provide feedback and input as I progressed forward. Without Melanie’s help, this process would have been much more intimidating and stressful. Thank you, Melanie!

Melanie was incredibly helpful throughout my MBA application process. I decided to apply to round 1 a bit late in the game, but Melanie was very supportive in helping me build out my story. As I was pretty crunched on time, she was helpful in prioritizing my focus. Her feedback across my essays and resume was incredibly helpful and pointed, which made it very clear on next steps. Would recommend her to anyone looking to apply!

Melanie is a phenomenal consultant. She provided direction and focus to my application, gave fantastic feedback, and challenged me to go deeper on my goals and motivations which resulted in a super positive outcome – I got accepted into Columbia. I’d applied to CBS pretty late in the cycle and Melanie was able to jump in and help despite the quick turnaround. Melanie, being an alum herself, provided great insights on what CBS looks for and helped sharpen and polish my application to perfection. She is always available to answer questions and is 100% committed! Highly recommend!

I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Melanie on my MBA and master degree application. I started with only one program in a specialized master degree but decided to add a MBA about 2 weeks before the deadline. Even though the ddl was super tight, Melanie was able to help submit the application in time and i got an offer from both programs. She is extremely organized and will help push you to submit the best application.

I decided to round two to Kellogg’s 2-Year MBA on a tight timeline while in-between jobs. Melanie helped me craft my resume and my story to highlight my career transitions, challenges I faced both professionally and personally, and create a compelling narrative that got me accepted to the only school I applied to. Melanie was extremely helpful throughout the resume, application, and interview process.

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

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

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

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

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

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