Meredith Shields

I could not recommend Vantage Point enough, as I can confidently say their guidance significantly improved my odds of getting into a top 20 school.

When I began to consider an MBA, I had no idea what to expect in regards to the application process. On the surface, it seemed straightforward. However, I realized that creating a compelling story requires a well thought out strategy that is woven into the entire application.

Meredith and the Vantage Point team have a proven method for helping applicants create this strategy, as they are intimately familiar with what the admissions team is looking for at each school. They are experts at taking your work and life experiences and helping you mold your application into a unique and cohesive story that ultimately helps you stand out from the rest.

As part of this story building, they provide an excellent critique on your essays and resume, as well as, host an in-depth interview prep.

Meredith was with me every step of the way and was an excellent partner throughout the entire process. If you’re looking to get an MBA, Vantage Point is a must.

Meredith was recommended to me by a friend that is a current student at GSB, and the friend could not have praised Meredith’s services more highly. Upon initially chatting with Meredith, I completely understood why. Meredith is incredibly warm and engaging, and challenges prospective students to dictate an honest and compelling narrative for every application essay. Her turnaround time was impeccable, and I knew she was always willing to bounce ideas back and forth via email. When I was accepted to my top choice schools, I was unbelievably pleased, and I owe much of the success to my time spent working with Meredith. Thank you, Meredith, for your support and guidance. The help you provided was worth every penny!!!

I worked with Meredith and have only positive things to say. Meredith was pleasant, professional, and responsive – very easy to work with. She helped me refine my story and write my essays, as well as improve my MBA application resume. She also worked diligently with me across time zones while I was working abroad.

While MBA consulting services are certainly an investment, it is one I would make again 10 times out of 10. I really believe working with Meredith helped me submit a vastly better application than I would have otherwise. The guidance was especially helpful for me in writing essays and crafting a coherent story across my applications. The experience and advice she provided was instrumental to me getting into both Wharton and Columbia. Overall, I would highly recommend.

I was accepted to 3 out of 4 of the schools I applied to, including HBS, and received substantial merit-based scholarships. I owe this success to Meredith and her team! As an international applicant who was completely new to the daunting MBA school application process, I reached out to Vantage Point based on their stellar reviews. From my very first call with Meredith, I knew I was in great hands. She was very open and honest with me, and incredibly encouraging. I have a very “unconventional” background and a mediocre GMAT score, and she still encouraged me to apply to my dream schools. We corresponded at least once a week, and her feedback was always on point. Most importantly, she worked with me in a way that kept everything authentically in my voice, which is incredibly important to keep the process ethical and in compliance with school policies. In addition to her hands-on guidance, all of the Vantage Point resources (essay examples, interview questions, etc.) we much more helpful than anything else I found online. I walked into my interviews with confidence knowing that I was well prepared, and this made all the difference.

Meredith’s guidance did not stop once the applications were submitted. She stayed involved with my progress as I received acceptances and helped me evaluate which school was the right fit. She was truly my partner for this process, and I cannot recommend her and her team more highly!

I can’t say enough good things about working with Meredith on my MBA applications. My top choice school was a reach given a low GPA and average GMAT score, but Meredith helped me identify strengths and craft my own story. She was dedicated and attentive when going through rounds of reviews on my resume and essays, and she responded quickly to any email. Meredith also went through mock interviews and many other conversations that really helped me hone in on my strengths and unique story. Coming from consulting, I worried that I would sound like a lot like other applicants. Meredith coached me on how to highlight my contributions and strengths. I really enjoyed attending sessions that Meredith organized with current MBA students and prior clients who shared their thoughts on the unique culture of the schools they now attend. Meredith’s emphasis on writing an application that was tailored to the specific school’s academic program and culture was so important and really helped me stand out in my interview. Through all of Meredith’s advice and wisdom, I was accepted to my top choice program with a significant scholarship. I so enjoyed working with Meredith and highly recommend her to any student looking to strengthen their application!

I was referred by a friend who got into HBS after working with Meredith. Going into the application with unimpressive stats, I knew I needed to deliver a stellar story. The help and guidance I received from Meredith and Vantage Point did not disappoint. Meredith’s incredible work ethic was only matched by her positive attitude. We must have gone through well over 20 revisions of my essays (for GSB alone!) to get it right. The process that Meredith sets ups ensures that you are telling YOUR story so that you can stand out among the crowd of applicants. Throughout the whole process, Meredith did a great job providing candid feedback that was not condescending or made me feel stupid. As a quant, writing was not (and still isn’t) my forte so I found this extremely valuable as Meredith helped me improve my storytelling abilities. As long as you keep an open mind during the process, Meredith will help you create an application that you will be proud of. Furthermore, Meredith’s encouragement helped me get through some of the more stressful parts of the application process. I remember when other professionals told me that getting into a top school was a long shot while I was applying. Thank you for believing in me Meredith and keeping me on course. GSB has always been my dream school and I’m forever grateful!

I worked with Meredith on a batch of ‘competitive’ and ‘reach’ schools. Initially, I thought I would be lucky to end up at one of the ‘competitive’ schools since I had lower-than-average GMAT and GPA for almost all the schools. Instead, I was accepted to Kellogg’s MMM program (my top choice)! I even got some money from Kellogg! In retrospect, investing my time and money with Vantage Point (and Meredith) was a no-brainer. Meredith spent a ton of time helping to craft my story in a way that played to my strengths. We must have worked through at least 8 edits for each essay. It was a ton of work, but I enjoyed that she wouldn’t tell me exactly how to write my story and always asked me to dig a bit deeper into each edit. So, each time I would work on an edit, it seemed like I learned a bit more about myself and absolutely helped me reflect on my career path in a way I wouldn’t have otherwise. Looking back, I can tell that my writing and story-telling skills improved a whole bunch after working on my applications with Meredith! I highly recommend working with Vantage Point- you won’t regret it!

I interviewed about ten consultants seeking the best and most realistic (and honest) strategic partner to guide me through this rigorous application process. I can undoubtedly say that opting to work with Meredith is one of the best decisions I’ve made to date! Not only was her pricing incredibly reasonable, but she gave me much more time/attention than any other consultant would have on a basic “3-school package.” She made herself available at all hours of the day, night, and weekend to ensure my needs were met. In fact, Meredith had a 48-hour turnaround policy for revisions, but typically got things back to me same day (very impressive). From day one, I emphasized my struggle with standardized testing and rather than hounding me to keep retaking the GRE/GMAT as many consultants would do, Meredith helped me focus on the other key aspects of my application. We went through 10+ drafts of my CV, and probably more with each essay draft throughout the process. While she was ALWAYS extremely encouraging, she made sure that the product I was delivering to the adcom was absolutely flawless; more importantly, she continually challenged me to “be true to myself” rather than changing stories to yield to what I thought schools wanted to hear. There were also numerous occasions that Meredith passed my application materials to former admissions committee members and other experienced essay-readers to make sure I was getting more than one perspective. Additionally, she hosted video chat sessions with some of her previous clients so I could ask questions about their experiences and get a better feel for several programs. Most notably, about 2 months before decisions were released, my employer found out I intended on going to business school and I was extremely concerned about losing my job. So, Meredith spent hours helping me to strategize different gameplans and helped me to effectively manage my stress during such an obstacle-filled time. Overall, as a white male working in finance with a less than stellar GRE, my chances at a top program were looking grim prior to finding Vantage Point. Teaming with Meredith improved every aspect of my application and helped me nail all of my interviews. Ultimately I was admitted to 2 of my top 3 schools (1 with scholarship) and credit Meredith entirely. For those applying to B-school moving forward, the question shouldn’t be “which consultant should I work with,” but rather “how many schools can do I want to work on with Meredith?”

Meredith was absolutely integral to my business school application process. It’s not an exaggeration to say that I couldn’t have done it without her. I got into HBS, my dream school, in large part because of her. She really went above and beyond what I envisioned the role of an admissions consultant to be. Yes, Meredith provided invaluable guidance on aspects of my application, but she was also there for me as a supportive mentor and friend during a stressful time. I originally planned on applying round 1, but then switched to round 2, and Meredith was completely open to helping me through both rounds, even though it meant more time, effort and energy. She has an unbelievable enthusiasm and she really spent a lot of time getting to know me and my story, and that all showed through my essay and application. I am truly blown away by my experience working with her. I would absolutely highly recommend Meredith for any school you are applying to – it will change the application process dramatically.

After being burned from one of the larger consulting houses, I was wary of hiring another admissions consultant. However, as a re-applicant, I knew that I needed to find a professional who was going to be honest with my application, and I was referred by a friend to try Meredith and Vantage Point. Meredith understood my story well and helped me craft my story in a way that truly brought out the essence of who I was as a candidate. Her guidance was invaluable throughout the entire experience and really helped me understand the mindset of the adcom as well as how to approach the application process. Her honesty and guidance throughout the admissions process led to interviews for all of the schools I applied to (including schools that I reapplied to) and multiple admits. Thank you so much Meredith!