Melanie Espeland

Consultant

Vantage Point

United States

Net Promoter Score: 9.90

Consultant Bio

MELANIE has 9 years of experience (as of 2024) in MBA admissions consulting. She pairs the ability to solve complex problems with her sharp communication skills and EQ. These rich skills allow Melanie to be an excellent admissions consultant with an eye for detail and heart for finding her clients’ unique stories.

With 17 years of experience (as of 2024) in strategy, operations, and executive coaching, Melanie started her career working in retail and e-commerce for several iconic brands including Diane Von Furstenberg, Alice + Olivia, and Elie
Tahari. She later became a management consultant with McKinsey & Company where she advised Fortune 500 companies on strategy and operational improvement initiatives. Following her time at McKinsey, she was a Senior Lead in charge of Strategy and Innovation for Macy’s. In particular, she focused on improving Macy’s e-commerce and app capabilities, product roadmap, and overall strategic execution. Most recently, Melanie founded her own executive coaching firm where she advises corporate clients on topics such as executive presence, leadership, and communications.

Melanie holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BS from Cornell University. She has been featured on NBC, ABC, Forbes, Business Insider, Yahoo Finance, California Herald, and more. She currently lives in Los Angeles (while remaining a New Yorker at heart) and enjoys painting and voice acting in her free time.

Company Information

Vantage Point’s clients are admitted to the top MBA programs at a 3x higher rate than average. Vantage Point works with clients from around the world to develop winning applications through high-touch, personalized advisory services throughout the duration of the application process.

Menu of Services and Associated Costs

One-School Package: $7,900
Two-School Package: $10,500
Three-School Package: $12,700
Four-School Package: $14,650
Five-School Package: $16,400
Six-School Package: $18,000
Seven- School Package: $19,500

The Pre-Pack (initial 5-hour package):
$2,625

The Seed Stage Package:
$2,000

The Re-Pack:
$695

4 Amplify Hourly Packages:
– Essay Enhancement (6 hrs): $2,945
– Essay Enhancement PLUS (8 hrs): $3,645
– Good to Great (10 hrs): $4,375
– Good to Great PLUS (12 hrs): $5,060

Location: United States

Email: melanie@vantagepointmba.com

Website: http://www.vantagepointmba.com

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P&Q Consultant Reviews

  • Amazing Experience!
    2 months ago
    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!
    Class of 2027 Anonymous
    All reviews are independently verified by Poets&Quants staff.
  • Melanie Is A Helpful Resource!
    2 months ago
    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!
    Class of 2025 Anonymous
    All reviews are independently verified by Poets&Quants staff.
  • Melanie Is Great!
    2 months ago
    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!
    Tori Takeshita
    MBA Application Class of 2027
    All reviews are independently verified by Poets&Quants staff.
  • Melanie Is The Best
    9 months ago
    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!
    Class of 2026 Admit
    All reviews are independently verified by Poets&Quants staff.
  • You Won't Regret Working With Melanie!
    10 months ago
    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.
    Class of 2026 Admit
    All reviews are independently verified by Poets&Quants staff.
  • Extremely Helpful & Organized
    11 months ago
    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.
    Jamie Karol
    MBA Class of 2025 Admit
    All reviews are independently verified by Poets&Quants staff.
  • Couldn't Be Happier With My Experience!
    1 year ago
    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.
    Class of 2026 Admit
    All reviews are independently verified by Poets&Quants staff.
  • Helpful & Structured
    1 year ago
    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!
    Class of 2026 Admit
    All reviews are independently verified by Poets&Quants staff.
  • Extremely Structured & Helpful
    1 year ago
    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 ...
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    Class of 2026 Admit
    All reviews are independently verified by Poets&Quants staff.
  • A True Professional
    1 year ago
    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.
    Class of 2025 Admit
    All reviews are independently verified by Poets&Quants staff.