Meredith Shields

Admitted to Wharton (with significant scholarship) and INSEAD, and currently waitlisted at Stanford GSB! I’m ecstatic and could not have achieved this without Meredith.

After speaking with multiple MBA admissions consultants, I was blown away by my initial conversation with Meredith. She truly understood who I was, and was invaluable in drawing out my personal story. For me, this was her differentiating factor – and in turn, was key in helping me differentiate myself as an MBA applicant.

Throughout the process, Meredith fully invested herself in me, and it was clear she cared deeply about both my success and personal growth. As a strong personal advocate, she excelled in helping me to craft and articulate my unique strengths, personal story, and candidacy as an MBA student. Meredith helped me mould the most compelling and personal application that I could have put forth.

Throughout every step of the application process (from applications to interviews, through to acceptances and even waitlist), I felt completely supported by Meredith and her team. Through leveraging the diverse experiences of everyone at her Vantage Point team, I received one-of-a-kind support for each individual program to which I applied.

Meredith is an amazing consultant who is incredibly responsive, positive, and effective. I would not hesitate to recommend her to anyone looking to apply to top MBA programs. Thank you, Meredith!!

I was applying for business school in a really hectic period and Meredith helped make the process as smooth as possible. She was easy to talk to and really pushed me to go through drafts until I felt confident with my essays, which I really appreciated. She was also available to answer questions ranging from schools, essays, recs, etc… I received interview invites from 3 schools and will be going to HBS this fall. Highly recommend!

I had the pleasure of working with Meredith from Vantage Point MBA and cannot convey how much it was worth the investment.

Throughout the entire process, Meredith developed an approach catered to my opportunities, pushing me to reflect and dig deeper into my personal experiences. Ultimately, it was this that enabled me to put together a cohesive application that differentiated me from other aspiring MBA candidates.

As an engineer, Meredith helped iron out jargon from my resume/essays and helped me better illustrate the who/how/why in my professional and extracurricular experiences.

Prior to working with Meredith, I applied to three M7 programs and went 0 for 3. However, one year later, with Meredith as a thought partner, I received interview invites from five schools including HBS (admit), GSB (WL), and MIT Sloan (admit)!

Meredith rocks!

Meredith has been truly helpful for my application on multiple fronts. Firstly, she helped me uncover the themes in my experience and develop my own unique story. Also, she helped provide perspectives from her own experience seeing so many other applications, giving me mock interviews and providing valuable feedback. Knowing where I stand among the pack made it less stressful. Most importantly, she kept pushing me to sharpen my essay and my storytelling – which I wouldn’t naturally do on my own – until I believed it was the best I had to show. Thanks to all the help I got from Meredith, I’m heading to HBS this fall!

Meredith was recommended to me by a previous colleague and she completely surpassed my already high expectations.

I worked with Meredith and opted to do a comprehensive package for three schools because it gave me the most flexibility and support, which is what I was looking for. During my research process, I was initially drawn to Vantage Point’s organized approach and how they laid out and broke down every step to keep me on track (as part of their services, they provide an easy to use client portal that has great resources and templates). However, what really set Vantage Point apart for me, was the genuine interest and care for Meredith conveyed during our free consultation call.

From the get-go, Meredith encouraged me to think big with my goals and helped me frame my story in a way that was authentic yet compelling. She had a way of making me feel excited about the process (a hard thing to do) and made me feel like my goals were achievable! I always looked forward to our calls and appreciated how she pushed me to be truly thoughtful about what I wanted out of business school (personally and professionally). Meredith was a great thought partner and provided stellar edits (without putting words in my mouth or doing the actual writing) in order to showcase leadership qualities and articulate my goals all within the word count. She was efficient in returning drafts and I always felt her edits and feedback were spot-on!

During the submission and interview process, Meredith ensured I stayed on schedule and was a great cheerleader in getting me across the finish line. She had me put together an “Application Packet” for a blind review with another Vantage Point consultant, which pushed me to have everything completed well ahead of schedule. She also enthusiastically checked in with me before every deadline and did thorough prep to ensure I was 100% prepared and confident (her mock interview questions were almost identical to my interviews!)

Above all, what sets Meredith apart is that she felt like more than just a consultant. Meredith genuinely cares about each person she works with and was the first person I went to whenever I had a question about the process (GMAT vs. GRE) or about a decision I was facing at work (whether or not to take a new role). I always knew I could go to knowing that I would get only the best advice. Meredith is upfront yet optimistic in her approach and I think it’s a winning combination for the application process. I highly recommend her to anyone considering working with her!

If you are reading this review and considering an MBA consultant, I recommend you go with Vantage Point. Below are the reasons.

First, the results: for context, I am a re-applicant. Last year I applied to three schools and did not get admitted to any of the three. This year I applied to four — Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, and Booth. I RECEIVED YES CALLS FROM ALL FOUR, with substantial merit scholarships from Wharton and Booth. The results alone speak for themselves. Meredith at Vantage Point (and her team at-large) was absolutely critical to my success in this process.

Second, since I am a re-applicant, I had previously engaged two large firms in the MBA consulting space. The first big-name company was an absolute disaster of experience — my assigned consultant added significant stress to the process with a very condescending attitude, which led me to my second experience with another big-name firm. The second one was helpful more on the tactical level than strategic, which was to be expected given that I went with their hourly service.

I want to be transparent about my previous engagements with the two other firms so as to highlight why Vantage Point (and Meredith in particular) stand out in this field. At the start, she recommended that I go with the hourly service in lieu of the comprehensive (this recommendation was in my best interest despite the fact that I’d be paying her less), and throughout the process engaged my “project” as if it was her own in the sense that she never feared giving big, strategic feedback (e.g. that I should re-write an entire essay because things didn’t read right in terms of level of detail, or because it didn’t sound like my voice came through) without being imposing. This was exactly what I needed, and I believe is the most helpful approach for people in the MBA application process.

Furthermore, Meredith was a cheerleader and extremely supportive throughout the process. She REALLY cares for her clients.

The MBA application process can be grueling, and picking people who will be on your team and in your corner is crucial. I hope you make the right decision for you (for me that meant Meredith), and good luck on your journey!

I worked with Meredith and Vantage Point on round 1 applications, and I am not exaggerating that she is the best MBA consultant out there. Meredith and the Vantage Point team provide a holistic, personal and strategic approach to the MBA application process that helps you submit your best possible application.

Meredith’s approach is holistic because she brings to bear the diverse ‘vantage points’ of her entire team. When you finally hit submit, you are confident because your application has already been well-received by her team of former adcoms and battle-tested consultants. Her eagerness to leverage the perspectives of her team mirrors the collaborative spirit of the top MBA programs.

Meredith’s approach is personal because she takes the time upfront to really understand every aspect of your applicant profile, and then helps you to articulate your goals (dream big!), play to your strengths and mitigate your weaknesses. Because she understands her clients so well, she is extremely effective at helping you to tease our your very best leadership examples for essays and interviews.

Meredith’s approach is strategic and efficient. When it came time to write essays, Meredith suggested I first tackle the prompts that required the deepest reflection (and the most drafts). This helped me accumulate a database of compelling anecdotes that I was able to leverage on the balance of my applications and interviews.

Most importantly, as an advisor she is spectacular. Meredith is professional, responsive, honest, supportive, approachable and positive. For nearly 12 months, I always felt like I was her only client. I am really grateful for Meredith’s support and guidance, which helped me gain admission to my dream schools – Stanford GSB and Northwestern Kellogg. Thank you, Meredith and the Vantage Point team!!!

Meredith and I worked together on Round 1 applications, and she couldn’t have been more helpful! She coordinated my application process from my initial decision-making around the schools to apply to, essay writing, interview preparation, and through to acceptance at Wharton. She was dedicated, and was happy to go through many iterations of my essays, always providing thoughtful and helpful feedback. She was always reachable on email, and was very quick to provide answers to questions throughout the process. She was very understanding of my background, and was instrumental in helping me craft my application in a way to make me stand out and truly highlight my strengths. I can confidently say that I wouldn’t have been accepted without her. An industry-best.

Meredith came highly recommended from a friend of mine – and I am SO happy I found her! From our very first chat, Meredith was honest, warm and encouraging. She took the time to understand my desires for wanting to pursue an MBA, and challenged me to craft authentic and engaging essays. Coming from a somewhat non-traditional background, Meredith’s help was also invaluable in helping me hone each bullet point on my resume to cut through on my experience and accomplishments.

I genuinely believe Meredith’s guidance is what made the difference in helping me receive acceptances (and scholarships!!) from 4 of my top choice schools! Could not recommend her more highly – thank you Meredith!

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.