Rebecca Heath Anderson

I worked with Rebecca to apply to five top MBA programs. She supported me throughout the entire application process from school selection all the way to interview prep. In the end, I was accepted to my first choice, HBS!

There are lots of admissions consultants, but Rebecca is unique for a variety of reasons. Her background in journalism allows her to help you dig for your best stories. She has a warm, friendly demeanor, and is always thinking about how she can support your unique needs as you navigate a challenging process. She is flexible, and accommodated my time zone halfway around the world. But most of all, beyond the MBA applications, she truly cares about helping you chart the long-term career you aspire to. Working with Rebecca allowed me to gain self-awareness and perspective about myself as a person, and that will help me long after business school.

I strongly recommend working with Menlo Coaching and Rebecca Anderson!

I signed up for the early bird package with Rebecca, and I would definitely say working with her was instrumental in helping me secure multiple m7 admits while coming from an over-represented applicant pool.

Rebecca and the Menlo team as a whole have a wealth of experience with MBA admissions and will provide comprehensive support with anything you can think of, from identifying gaps, determining your goals, networking/research, essays, interview help, to even deciding between offers. They provide a structured approach that makes it easy for you to focus on adding value to your application.

What set Rebecca apart for me was that she invested time in really getting to know me, including a two hour call dedicated to you sharing your life story, and ensured that my voice and authenticity shined through in the application. It never felt like she was just following a formula or a checklist. She was open to push back and was happy to go the extra mile and through additional revisions to ensure I was happy with the final application. It felt that Rebecca genuinely cared about my success and it showed in her great attention to detail.

I firmly believe that wherever you may be in your MBA application journey, working with Rebecca and the menlo team will lead to better outcomes.

I cannot speak highly enough of Rebecca who guided me through the daunting process of applying to business school. From the moment I connected with her, it was clear that she possessed a combination of thoughtfulness, efficiency, and expertise that proved invaluable throughout the application process.

Rebecca’s guidance during the essay-writing process was truly exceptional. Not only did she provide insightful feedback and suggestions, but she had a skill for helping me articulate my thoughts and experiences in a compelling manner.

One of Rebecca’s standout qualities was her ability to keep me on task, despite my busy schedule. She understood the demands of my professional life and ensured I stayed focused and met crucial deadlines without feeling overwhelmed.

Beyond Rebecca’s professional expertise, she was kind, approachable, and incredibly smart. She took the time to understand my aspirations and motivations, offering personalized guidance every step of the way. Rebecca’s professionalism and dedication were evident in every interaction, and I always felt supported and encouraged.

Thanks to Rebecca, I achieved an amazing outcome – acceptance into all three business schools to which I applied. I am immensely grateful for Rebecca’s contributions to my journey and would wholeheartedly recommend her services to anyone applying to business school.

I decided to apply for my MBA in August and had to balance an extremely demanding job, taking the GMAT/GRE multiple times, and working on applications for the R2 deadline. Applying from an over-represented ethnic group and career background with a less than stellar GPA, the process felt very discouraging, but Rebecca helped me navigate my perceived obstacles and put my best foot forward.

Rebecca helped me highlight the strongest parts of my background and experiences and craft a strong and cohesive narrative. She was instrumental in refining my story to make sure that I emphasized the many unique and positive aspects of my application. Her encouragement and supportive communication style made our working sessions seamless and productive. Most importantly, I could tell that she genuinely cared about my success and outcomes, and she was extremely motivating every step of the way. Rebecca’s personal and empathetic approach to this process was the key differentiator in helping me highlight my true, authentic self in my applications. When she thought additional input would be helpful to my case, she proactively collaborated with David from the Menlo team to help further shape my career goals essay. Overall, Rebecca worked in a very organized manner and kept me accountable.

I truly believe working with Rebecca enabled me to submit my strongest application and ultimately earn acceptance to my dream MBA program. I cannot recommend Rebecca and the Menlo team enough, especially if you want to feel confident that you’ve showcased your best self!

Working with Rebecca was a life changing experience – I truly couldn’t have done this application process without her. Menlo has the MBA process down to a science: from the initial consulting call to the project management of application tasks to prepping for the interview; I felt supported every step of the way. Rebecca is the incredible consultant that I had the privilege of working with; she brought the right balance of positivity and feedback to each call we had. Rebecca has a gift of being able to work with each candidate and pull out their unique story and the details that come with it. Rebecca pushed me to explore stories about myself that I never previously gave a second thought, and she worked with me to expand and provide details to form a great narrative. In low moments, Rebecca never lost her confidence in my candidacy; she never failed to give me the support I needed, even when I didn’t ask for it explicitly. Rebecca was my biggest cheerleader! She celebrated each of my acceptances to b-school, and even provided tips on how to weigh out schools and scholarship advice. My partner, who is in medical school, envied my close collaboration with Rebecca and the Menlo team, and often commented how he wished Menlo offered services for medical school admissions and residency applications. I couldn’t have asked for a better consultant to help me with this process and would recommend Rebecca to anyone looking to boost their application!

I decided to apply for MBA fairly late in the process (fully committed end of August for December R2) and had to balance between studying / taking the GMAT and working on applications, all while being at a full-time job in PE.

Rebecca was instrumental in not only the project management aspects of the process (e.g. organizing workstreams, to-dos, and when to do what), but also in the journey of refining my MBA story to make sure I put the absolute best foot forward in my applications. Her supportive communication style made our working sessions absolutely fluid and seamless, and her flexibility made it extremely easy for me to work within my own schedule and working style. Most importantly, I can tell that she genuinely cared about my success and outcomes.

In the end I got accepted at Wharton, Booth, CBS, and Kellogg. Really couldn’t have done it without Rebecca’s support and mentorship!

Working with Rebecca and the Menlo team truly changed my MBA application experience for the better. I couldn’t have done it without her! Being a nontraditional applicant with a less than stellar GPA, I needed a lot of support crafting my story in a way that would appeal to adcom. Rebecca helped me highlight the strongest parts of my experience and craft a narrative that was cohesive and strong. Working with Rebecca ultimately resulted in 5 admittances to top programs, including 2 M7s and over $400K total scholarship awards.

Support from Rebecca begins as early as helping to select schools that are both strong fits and a mix of reach/target programs. Rebecca helped me navigate networking conversations in a way that allowed me to collect valuable information that was later used in my essays and interviews. She reviewed each of my applications in extreme detail and spent countless hours with me preparing for each of my interviews. She was also incredibly patient and understanding in answering all of my questions and anxieties about the application process. Rebecca truly brings a personal and empathetic approach to the process that is difficult to find amongst MBA consultants and it was comforting to feel like I had a friend in my corner.

Reflecting back on the process, I absolutely believe that working with Rebecca was one of the primary factors that contributed to my numerous acceptances and large scholarship awards. Thanks to her help, I had the privilege of choosing between a number of top programs and committing to the one I think is the best fit for me.

Working with Rebecca and the Menlo team was worth every penny and I cannot recommend them enough if you are beginning your application journey!

Despite a good GPA in undergrad, I had yet to secure a good GMAT score and had mediocre work experience (3 different jobs without an increase in pay or promotions). While all other consultants told me that a top 10 MBA program would be impossible (which was quite demoralizing), Rebecca, on the other hand, was honest about the parts of my application I needed to improve to stand any chance. At that moment I knew she was the right consultant for me.

In addition to having all the qualities of an exceptional consultant, I thought I’d mention some personal examples that made working with her truly unique:

1. She takes a genuine interest in making sure her clients stay focused and committed to the process. When I was struggling to get a good GMAT score, she kept an entire session with me to teach meditation techniques to calm exam anxiety. Even when I couldn’t focus on writing essays due to personal reasons, she was very mindful, not only allowing me to take some days off but also sharing some personal examples of how she continues to write through distracting periods.

2. I was moving to another country right around the application deadlines and Rebecca ensured that my applications were reviewed and submitted in advance. She works in a very organized manner with clear deadlines and a roadmap of what needs to be achieved. This helped me feel accountable, plan my tasks, and ensure I wasn’t panicking closer to application deadlines.

3. When I first met Rebecca, I truly had no idea of what my post-MBA career plans were. Working with her helped me determine my post-MBA career goals. In addition to providing me with helpful resources about different career paths, she also connected me with past clients.

4. When one of my interviews didn’t go too well, she took time to meet within a day’s notice to help me prepare for my other upcoming interviews. Even after my acceptance, she has kept in touch and has been giving me tips on how to best prepare myself before joining.

5. For interviews and video essays, she makes sure to perfect even the smallest details (background, attire, camera angle, zoom level, lighting), truly maximizing the interview ROI.

6. Finally, I found the writing process with her to be so introspective that interview preparation became much easier. The majority of the interview questions I got asked were ones we had already discussed during our writing process.

Thank you, Rebecca!

Six months before the R1 deadlines, I started the application journey grappling with self-doubts. Coming from an over-represented ethnic and career background with limited extracurricular involvement due to a demanding job, I received discouraging feedback from many MBA consultants who tried to paint a bleak picture, until I met Rebecca. With her gentle and caring attitude, she listened to my goals (which were HSW), acknowledged them and gave me very objective advice on how we can try to achieve them together, without overpromising or downplaying the likelihood of success. Finally, it felt like I’ve found a companion who will stride through this journey with me.
During the process, I really liked the structured step-by-step approach, which made each stage a lot easier to achieve. I deeply appreciate Rebecca’s insights in helping me discover more about myself and past experiences, and how those experiences shaped me as a person. She made me realize that there are causes I truly care about and that I’ve done a lot more than I thought. Rebecca is a talented writer, however she tailors her approach for different applicants and under different circumstances. She made sure that the voice coming across my essays was authentic, giving me enough freedom yet critical guidance to draft cohesive and powerful pieces. At the end of the application process, I even built confidence in writing which has always been a painful activity for me being a non-native English speaker. On the other hand, when it is time sensitive (for example when I had to submit my post-interview reflection for HBS in 24hrs), she did not mind working on the weekends and gave me top-notch editing advice.
This process can be daunting, but I’m grateful to have chosen to work with Rebecca, who has helped me establish confidence, paved the path to my dream school and enabled me to mature as a person along the way. If you are looking for a first-class consultant, a friend and a counsellor, Rebecca is the one. Hope your application journey is as fruitful as mine.

Working with Rebecca truly made the R1 application process a breeze. Balancing a demanding career in consulting, Rebecca provided guidance throughout every stage of the application process, ensuring I stayed focused and on schedule. She pinpointed essential aspects for me to emphasize in my essays and assisted in crafting a cohesive life narrative. As the interview approached, the backing of the entire Menlo Coaching team was indispensable in ensuring I felt self-assured and thoroughly ready. Ultimately, I was accepted to 5 out of 6 schools I applied to (Booth, Kellogg, Sloan, Tuck, Yale SOM), and I could not have imagined having the same outcomes if I hadn’t had Rebecca guiding me at each step of the process. For me, working with Rebecca was a worthwhile investment I do not regret making. Thank you Rebecca!!

Working with Rebecca should be a no-brainer decision. I was initially very nervous starting this process as I was coming from an overrepresented applicant pool, but throughout the admission cycle Rebecca was always in my corner. I could always go to her with any question and she would promptly answer. She also helped me stay very organized throughout the application process, making sure that I completed every part of my application with a lot of time to spare for reviews. She always kept the bar for all my essays really high but was also always there with me when I needed to dig deep to craft compelling stories. Rebecca is a super woman who will be your biggest supporter while providing you with the tools to succeed on your applicant journey. Thank you so much Rebecca, couldn’t have done this without you.

Kellogg was my “far-fetched” fantasy, because I’m a male engineer with a below-average GPA and GMAT/GRE in an overrepresented pool. I still remember how shocked I was when my Kellogg acceptance came, and I credit all my success to Rebecca. Working with her is one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. She steers and advises on every single detail that’s related to my application, and she is extremely responsive on every big or small question I have – a way of working that’s not common in the industry.

Understanding my profile, Rebecca proactively suggested extracurricular activities aligned with my true interests, making me a more interesting applicant in the eyes of the adcom. When it came to crafting my story, Rebecca dedicated numerous hours solely to listening and understanding my life experiences. She then suggested stories tailored for prompts from
different schools. Despite numerous essay revisions, Rebecca consistently provided quick and helpful feedback.

What surprised me the most about Rebecca is her attention to detail. She not only advised on major components like resumes and essays but also on minor details like my outfit and conversation during campus visits, the background and chair setting for interviews, the content in my application forms, and even my email communication with the adcom. While each detail alone may not be a deal-breaker, their cumulative impact carries significant weight. Following Rebecca's tips, I believe these details were critical factors that helped me stand out in such a
competitive round.

Another aspect that sets Rebecca apart is her dedication to engaging and guiding my recommenders in writing strong Letters of Recommendation – not a typical service in the industry. Since my recommenders had never written an LoR for an MBA application, let alone a strong one, Rebecca's help was invaluable in ensuring they understood the level of recommendation needed.

Even after securing my admissions, Rebecca continued to provide advice on scholarship requests and waitlist strategies, proactively laying down a decision strategy in the end. Reflecting on my journey, I feel incredibly happy and lucky to have worked with Rebecca. To me, she is truly a magician who has changed my life for the better.

I first decided I wanted an MBA ~14 months before the R1 cycle. I had a low GPA (<3.3), low involvement in extracurriculars, below average GMAT, mediocre work experience and came from a very competitive demographic, but wanted to go to a top 10 business school. I had initial consults with various top MBA consultants and was told that (1) a Top 10 program was not possible with my stats and (2) to come back closer to the cycle.

My initial interaction with Rebecca from Menlo Coaching was very different. She took time to get to know my story, my career goals, and my background before working with me to research and create a school list. She told me what we would need to accomplish over the next 12 months that could help us get more aggressive with that list – and more importantly the process and structure that we would take on.

Over the next 12 months, I followed Rebecca's processes and advice to get my GMAT up, work on my extracurriculars, interact with schools/students, and even switch teams on the career front. Rebecca's strong writing background helped me carve a narrative from our career and personal story sessions together, a portion of the applications I was most worried about as I had nothing special in my personal story.

I ended up applying to 6 schools – all in the Top 10 – and getting into an M7, and I attribute this success to Rebecca. I couldn't recommend working with her highly enough. She truly cares as a coach and has always advised me on what is best for me, MBA or otherwise. Even after the decision, she continues to help me navigate waitlists and negotiate scholarships. The entire process of working with her not only left me with an MBA admit at a dream school, but also deeper clarity on why I was pursuing one and where I want to be longer term.

Working with Rebecca is a no-regret decision!

I spoke to many counsellors beforehand, but Rebecca stood out due to her comprehensive knowledge on B-Schools and her warm and friendly attitude. She has been both a mentor and friend throughout the application process. Rebecca ensured that each step of the process was approached in a structured manner and completed before time. She helped me make difficult decisions and even scheduled a 2-hour personal call to craft my personal story. From selecting schools to refining my resume, crafting my essays, and ultimately submitting my applications, Rebecca’s guidance was indispensable. And the results speak volumes – I received admits from 5/5 schools (HBS, GSB Stanford, Wharton, Kellogg, MIT Sloan).

Thank you Rebecca for believing in me. I could not have done this without you!

Working with Rebecca was one of the best decisions that I made during the MBA admissions process. From our initial call in which Rebecca and I spoke for 2 hours about my background, undergraduate experience, and work experience, Rebecca was able to pull bits and pieces to help shape my story that ultimately would be crafted into the heart of my essays. This was no easy task as I had a bit of a nontraditional background, but Rebecca was able to do so seamlessly. Going through the essay writing process, Rebecca was supportive of me letting my voice shine through while helping to provide the necessary structure that adhered to the requirement set forth by prompts from each school. It was this collaborative process – and Rebecca’s deep understanding of my story and background – that allowed us to move through and improve on each iteration, culminating in top-notch essays for all 6 of the schools I applied to.

My recommendation process was more difficult than usual, as I had a recommender that was unable to complete their letter just a week before the application deadlines. Rebecca made herself available immediately to talk through a game plan for my backup recommender and ease any concerns I had. There was a chance that because of this, I wouldn’t be able to complete my applications in time for round 1. However, with Rebecca’s guidance, I was able to secure a strong letter from a backup recommender and avoid a potentially unfavorable situation.

As part of working with Menlo, I had access to the entire Menlo ecosystem (David, and Obinna, to name a few) who were available to help with interview prep and any questions I had along the way. Rebecca as well would bring in David on certain topics, to help provide a second opinion when appropriate. I very much appreciated the extra advice, which was incorporated into several parts of my application.

In all, I interviewed at 5 of the 6 schools I applied to, and received admission to 4, several of which were M7 schools. I also received $480k in scholarships among those 4 schools – a fantastic outcome and one that I couldn’t have hoped for any better.

For anyone considering applying to an MBA program, I would not hesitate to work with Rebecca or the Menlo Team. Thank you again.

Deciding to work with Rebecca has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! Before committing to Menlo Coaching, I screened multiple consulting services and I found Menlo Coaching to be the best for me because they offered comprehensive services like interview preps and an entire scheduling platform to keep you on track. Not needing to track hours used was especially critical for me since my background in tech though isn’t traditional, it is also not unique. Through Rebecca’s help and brainstorming, we were able to pull out my story and connect the dots from my upbringing to my passion and to my career. Rebecca is an absolute superwoman who is not afraid to push you to do what’s needed, especially when it’s out of your comfort zone.

A bonus of Menlo Coaching is being based in the EU (I am based in the US). The time zone difference works out very well as I can work on my essays during my day. Rebecca then provided feedback while I was sleeping. This enabled very efficient and rapid drafting of essays.

Having Rebecca in your corner with the entire Menlo Coaching team, you can be absolutely confident that you’ve put your best foot forward in your applications.

MBA Class of 2025 Admit

Working with Rebecca truly changed my life. I had a below-average undergrad GPA and without a standout application, I wouldn’t have had any chance at my dream schools. In the beginning, even just breaking into the M7 seemed like a reach. Rebecca helped me with every step of the application. She identified forgotten areas of my life to highlight, helped weave a comprehensive life story, and pushed me to meet all the various deadlines that the MBA application requires. She was a mentor, a therapist, and a friend. My countless essay drafts were turned around within 12 hours and Rebecca had seemingly endless hours to meet with me and help me work through problems, wording, and strategies. When it came time to interview, she made sure that I was 100% prepared and my situational examples were rock solid, oftentimes conducting multiple sessions with me until I had it perfected. Overall, Rebecca and the rest of Menlo Coaching are white-glove consultants that do everything in their power to help you achieve your goal. For me, the experience was life-changing. I would recommend Rebecca to anyone who wants to guarantee themselves the best chance at getting into their dream school.

After contemplating business school for a few years and having a less than positive experience with an hourly/part-time MBA consultant, I entrusted Rebecca in guiding me through the MBA application process during R1 of the 2022-2023 application season. Coming from a family with little to no business experience (let alone any former MBAers), Rebecca helped make the goal of business school feel attainable. Rebecca was candid from the start, highlighting the strengths in my application profile as well as some areas of concern. She provided realistic feedback on my target list of schools and helped me narrow down my final list. While I appreciated (and needed) Rebecca’s honesty, she balanced that honesty with a warm and supportive demeanor. She clearly wanted what was best for me and was only giving advice that she believed would help me find the most success in my MBA application process.

After starting with endless turns of my resume, Rebecca helped me identify unique characteristics about my life and career that would enable my personal story to stand out. Differentiating myself from my peers was one area in Rebecca that brought out the best in me as I was struggling to communicate what unique abilities and perspectives I could bring to the b-school classroom. I have a fairly “cookie-cutter” business school background (top public undergraduate institution and Big 4 consulting firm), but Rebecca helped my story come to life by highlighting life experiences from my upbringing and family dynamics that had previously unknown parallels to my professional career and goals.

Once my personal story was well defined, Rebecca was a guiding light as I worked through various MBA applications. She shared nuanced differences between the program’s applications and the different approaches I should take depending on what specific schools look for in their students. Having Rebecca, along with Basecamp (Menlo’s software platform), keeping me on track with deadlines made the process much more digestible and doable while balancing professional and personal responsibilities. Rebecca also advised me on how to approach and support my MBA recommenders while respecting the integrity of the MBA recommendation process. Additionally, Rebecca and the Menlo team supported my interview prep process, allowing me to feel borderline over-prepared for all of my MBA interviews. Interviewing is an area I typically feel very comfortable with, but Menlo improved my approach and messaging, leaving me feeling even more confident for this phase of the process.

Thanks to Rebecca’s help, I was admitted to Tuck, Ross, and Kellogg with a combined $230K in total scholarships! While reflecting on such a positive end result, giving credit to Rebecca is natural. However, I believe it is important to highlight how I felt leading up to the admissions decisions. Once my applications were submitted and interviews were complete, I felt that I had truly delivered the best version of myself to the admissions committees. I knew I could not control the final outcomes, but Rebecca’s support gave me the peace of mind that I could not have put together a better application!

Please consider Rebecca and the rest of the Menlo team (David White, Maya Parikh, Obinna Arizor, etc.) as you prepare for your MBA applications. Rebecca helped me realize a new level of confidence through a vulnerable MBA application process and I am more than grateful for my admission/scholarship outcomes!

Rebecca was an absolute pleasure to work with and really helped me put my best foot forward for all my applications. I can confidently highly recommend Rebecca to any prospective student who is considering an admissions consultant.

From the start, Rebecca spent a lot of time ensuring she understood my story and could relate it back to my short and long-term goals in a cohesive manner. This formed the bedrock of my CV, and personal and professional essays and, ultimately, even helped in the self-discovery process of identifying my true professional goals. Without Rebecca, I truly would have been ‘shooting in the dark’ to figure out what my most impactful stories were.

Rebecca was someone who I developed a rapport with very quickly, she was both thoughtful and insightful in her approach to working through big questions or roadblocks as I was crafting my applications. Rebecca enabled a lot of “aha moments” for me in the application process that I simply wouldn’t have gotten from any amount of online research. Rebecca was also extremely responsive, and I was amazed at how available Rebecca made herself to me. She helped me prioritize the right things at the right times throughout the application process, which helped me submit all my applications early.

Ultimately, I got into my target M7 school. Thanks, Rebecca!

I worked with Rebecca on MBA applications in Round 1. I had an amazing experience working with her, and the larger Menlo Coaching team (David White, Obinna Arizor). The thing that truly sets Rebecca apart is how supportive she is in writing the application YOU want to write (vs prescribing or using templates of the past); At every step of the way, she ensured that she worked together with me. At the same time, she kept me honest about timelines and gave me candid feedback on my essays. I think MBA applications are stress-inducing, and having someone like Rebecca in your corner, who can really help you calm down and support you when you’re feeling low, is crucial. For example, 10 days before my Stanford GSB deadline, I wanted to try a completely new direction for my essay. Although we had one fully drafted essay ready as a backup, Rebecca took out the time to work with me and draft a completely new essay from scratch 10 days before the deadline (and GSB essays are arguably the toughest to write). She did this just so that I felt comfortable with what I submitted. I got her undivided attention, at a time when many of the other applications she would’ve been working with also had their deadlines approaching. Rebecca also spent a lot of time in the beginning few months getting to know me deeply – my motivations, background, and upbringing. She used this to work with me and create some essays that I’m really proud of. In the end, because of Rebecca, I made it to my dream schools – Harvard Business School, Stanford GSB, and Kellogg. I would highly recommend working with Rebecca and Menlo Coaching for your business school applications!

Rebecca has been instrumental in my success during the 2022 R1 application cycle. I have a fairly average profile with few bright spots (no-name undergrad, work at a company that isn’t a b-school feeder). However, with her guidance, I was admitted to all my target schools in the T15 (with scholarship) and my reach school in the M7. Rebecca’s extensive knowledge of all the top MBA programs was invaluable in helping me craft a compelling narrative for essays that resonated with each school, wordsmithing to meet the pesky word count, and answering all my late-night random questions about the schools. My lowest point was when one of my recommenders was apparently not going to meet the deadline despite my numerous attempts at reminding him. I was on the verge of giving up and preparing to apply in R2 but Rebecca went above and beyond by tactfully diffusing the tense situation – a few days later I received an email notifying me that the LoR was received. Besides that, she has been pleasant to work with and attentive throughout the process. I’ve never had to wait long for a response to a quick question or feedback on essays.

Based on my experience, I can confidently recommend her services to any prospective students reading this review. I would not have been half as successful in this round without her help.

I worked with Rebecca for R2 admissions when applying for part-time and Executive MBA programs at M7 schools. Looking at my overall background and personal and professional commitments at the time, I knew that I needed help from someone who really knows the application process in and out and was absolutely thrilled to have found Menlo coaching. From my experience, David White and the entire Menlo coaching team are highly knowledgeable and the absolute best to work with – they truly knew what all went into the application process and hence they were my trusted advisor at every step of the game! After a brief discussion with David – I was paired with Rebecca to help me in my MBA journey as she was the best advisor when it came to helping experienced candidates! From the very first introductory call – my experience with Rebecca has been awesome!

Rebecca was a perfect coach who is not only knowledgeable about the MBA process for experienced candidates but she was also creative in the way she helped me formulate my personal and professional story. Throughout the time I spent with Rebecca which was a 5little over a year – I noticed that she was extremely detailed and completely dedicated to helping me succeed. She is definitely not someone who is interested in cutting corners or jeopardizing the quality of the deliverables i.e. essays, resumes, etc. even though you might sometimes feel that it is not necessary. Unless and until she is satisfied that there is nothing else in the application that cannot be improvised – she will relentlessly try to push you harder to keep working. Consistency was key all throughout the course of my application process – she would schedule check-ins at regular intervals to track progress and highlight any areas that needed my urgent attention. She was incredibly personal yet extremely professional throughout my experience with her.

Below are just some of the highlights of the areas where Rebecca helped me:
Personal and professional story – she helped me evaluate what areas from my personal and professional story needed to be highlighted and how the narrative could be put together that best reflects my personal and professional goals in the most concise and succinct manner. Rebecca helped me put together a personalized timeline to keep me organized in navigating around my schedule, which ultimately helped me with the planning and feeling less stressed especially as I was considering applying to multiple schools whose deadlines fell in the same timeframe. There were several instances where she would help me with pointers from our brainstorming session whenever I would struggle with essay topics. I found her to be a great sounding board and I really valued her feedback as it was honest (even though I wanted to hear something else).
Identifying recommenders – she assisted me in identifying who my recommenders should be. The brainstorming sessions we had in this area were very helpful in helping me finalize who to seek the recommendation letters from as it was a very important part of the application.
Resume Review – she helped me tirelessly to ensure that all the relevant job experience was captured within a page and hit all the key highlights to drive the most impact.
Interview Preparation – she was a huge help in assisting me in framing my responses concisely as I have always struggled with it. She would identify areas where I could improvise and it made a huge difference in how I performed during the interviews.
Leveraging my existing network – Rebecca made me realize how strong of a professional network I already had within my firm so she truly helped me unlock several avenues and guided me towards being a better influencer.

With Rebecca’s expert guidance and mentorship – I was able to successfully interview in all the top 5 schools of my choice and eventually secure admission from 4 schools – Columbia Business School, UC Berkeley Haas, Chicago Booth, and Kellogg. The all-inclusive package that I had chosen with Menlo coaching only covered 4 schools but Rebecca was extremely kind and generous to assist me with how to repurpose content for the essays and overall application for the additional school i.e. Kellogg without any additional fees! To summarize, Rebecca helped me exercise all the required levers to amplify my applications; one such example is the issue with a previous MBA that I had completed from a local school several years ago. She helped me address the challenges in my applications head-on via the optional essay and it really boosted my chances of getting an admit as a result of that.

I knew that I had the potential of getting accepted into one of the schools and was willing to do whatever it took to get in; however, all that hard work would have been meaningless without the strategic direction that Rebecca brought to the table. If you are a prospective candidate and want to improve your chances of getting an admit to the top 10 business schools then you surely will not be disappointed with the quality of services Rebecca and the entire Menlo coaching team will both offer and deliver. They have covered every possible area of the business school applications that you can and cannot think of.

After a year of applying to a variety of MBA programs without any guidance or coaching and seeing absolutely no success, I wasn’t sure if my goal of earning an MBA was ever going to come to fruition. But from the very first introductory call, I knew that Rebecca was truly a world-class consultant, and there was no better person to help me reach my goals. With her assistance, I was accepted to multiple T10 programs with significant scholarships. She provided fantastic feedback and instruction at every step of the process and was always available to answer any question or concern that came up. I cannot say enough good things about my experience and would whole heartedly recommend her to anyone who is serious about pursuing an MBA.

Her process starts at the very beginning with school selection. She showed me how to evaluate a program and look holistically at its offering to determine if it was really the right fit for my professional goals. After developing a broad list, together we honed it down to a few schools in each of the reach, target, and safety categories. At this point we transitioned to networking; Rebecca showed me different ways of connecting with each program so that I could gather the necessary information that I would need when writing my essays. From there we moved to honing my resume and developing a personal master story that I would use to shape many of my application essays. To create this master story Rebecca sat on a call with me for a few hours asking me questions about my background, personal/professional experiences, and goals for the future. From this, she pulled out key insights to help me craft a cohesive narrative that I would tell through my application. At this point in the process, we moved to writing the actual application essays. Having already put lots of time into information gathering and developing a personal story, it felt as if many of the essays almost wrote themselves. I have no doubt this is entirely because of the fantastic process Rebecca has in place. After rounds of back and forth where Rebecca always delivered kind, but honest feedback (as somebody who is not a confident writer, I really appreciated this), my essays and application package were finalized. At this point we moved into interview prep. Each week we would prep stories that could be used to answer a variety of questions until we held multiple complete mock interviews from start to finish. This gave me a lot of confidence going into the actual interview process. Even after interviews were complete and decisions were released, Rebecca helped me review my options and apply for additional scholarships.

Rebecca, thank you so much for all your help throughout this entire process. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, none of this would have been possible without your help and I’m so incredibly grateful.

Rebecca was absolutely critical to my success in the application process and has been nothing short of amazing since the minute I met her. I started late in the process for 2021 Round 2 applications (I hadn’t even started studying for the GMAT in September!) and only wanted to apply to three schools. I wasn’t sure I could get into a single one, but with Rebecca’s help, I was accepted to Columbia, NYU Stern, and London Business School with a full scholarship to one and two Forté Foundation scholarships.

Part of the reason I wasn’t confident in my chances was that I didn’t believe I had a story to tell. But one of the key differentiators for Rebecca and the Menlo approach was the personal story call – a session over two hours long during which Rebecca listened to me talk about my life experiences and took notes. I’ve always thought that I have a very disjointed set of experiences that I couldn’t weave into a compelling story, but Rebecca found threads that I hadn’t been able to see. Her thoughtfulness, insightfulness, and background in journalism make her uniquely talented at this. Throughout the process, she challenged me to highlight different experiences and aspects of my story that not only improved my essays but also helped me really understand my own motivations for business school and my career. By the end of the application cycle, I felt like I had an impactful narrative that was authentically mine.

Rebecca also really personalizes her approach. When I changed my first choice school to LBS, Rebecca went into the Menlo archives to see what previous applicants who were accepted into LBS had done with their applications so she could give me data-driven guidance on how to improve my own application. She suggested I write the LBS Optional Essay (different from other optional essays in that it isn’t just about clarifying employment gaps or academic performance etc) and also suggested that I touch on a pivotal but personally traumatic experience I had described to her during our personal story call. I was reluctant to cover such a personal topic in a business school essay, but Rebecca helped me see how the story was in service of my larger narrative. She got my consent to have Alice from Menlo review the essay as well, went back into the archives to see if other applicants had covered such personal topics and been successful, and never made me feel pressured into writing something I wasn’t comfortable sharing with an admissions committee. It turned out to be a really great essay thanks to Rebecca’s guidance, and on a personal level, she helped me come to terms with a story that I had never really shared before.

Besides being a rockstar admissions consultant, Rebecca is also one of the kindest, warmest, and loveliest people I have had the pleasure of working with. I am eternally grateful for her time, attention, and help, but also just to have met her.

If you’re considering Rebecca as your coach – take the leap! You won’t regret it for a second, and your future will be forever changed.

I lack the superlatives to describe my experience with Rebecca Anderson.

I give Rebecca five stars; six if that is allowed. She proved repeatedly that she is a master of the challenge. If one genuinely believes that education is important and that the quality of education is critical, then one should go straight to Menlo Coaching and on bended knee beg for Rebecca.

To say I am a non-traditional student is beyond an understatement. I am a 77-year-old executive, who came to Menlo with the goal of obtaining admission to the finest EMBA programs in the country. I wondered if my applications would even garner serious consideration.

Last year, I had challenges applying to a top EMBA program on my own. This year I applied to Columbia, Wharton, and Yale. With Rebecca’s guidance, I was thrilled to make it through the application process and gain acceptance into all three of the Ivy League EMBA programs. The difference and success I had were clearly due to Rebecca’s expert guidance. I will begin my studies at Yale in July.

Rebecca helped me select recommenders who knew my work well and guided the recommenders through the submission process. She also helped me to articulate my story about why I was applying for the EMBA program. With Rebecca’s help, I was able to show that it is critical for the long-term success of my business that I receive an EMBA now, while also creating a narrative that pulled in unique elements of my life. Additionally, the comprehensive interview prep meant that I could confidently connect with the interviewers and share just the right points in my responses.

I am thoroughly convinced that none of this success would have been possible without the services of Menlo and Rebecca’s expertise. She was my sensei and strategic partner throughout the entire process. Her advice on everything proved to be spot on, and I will forever be indebted to her.

I worked with Rebecca for Round 2 in the 2021-2022 app season. Evaluating myself, I think I have the profile to get into a single M7 caliber school if I worked hard myself and used a service like ApplicantLab. Rebecca’s help really pushed me to take my apps to that next level and my results speak for themselves. I’m currently looking at admits to Wharton, Kellogg, Booth, Haas, and Ross with multiple scholarships and couldn’t be more thrilled! I’m confident you’ll get an amazing ROI if you work with her that will more than pay for itself. I don’t think I would have done nearly as well without her and firmly believed she helped change my life.

The process starts with refining your resume and creating master stories for professional and personal essays. After lots of hours working with her, I was astounded at how strong my stories were and I’m confident I couldn’t have gotten nearly as strong on my own just following generic advice online. After that, we went school by school and found specific things that would really stand out to adcoms and convince them I did my research and loved their schools, but also resonated with who I am, my story, and my goals. The end essays were incredible and I’m extremely proud of the work we did together. I’m confident that working with her, your end apps will be far stronger than what you’d be able to do alone.

From a more personal standpoint, Rebecca was extremely warm and amazing to work with. I’ve had multiple instances that could’ve derailed my app cycle (major problems with my recommenders) and having her there to talk me through it really helped keep me grounded and push through it. I really enjoyed spending time with her and am sad that our time is coming to an end (but I’m happy to be on the admitted side!).

Wrapping up, I recommend working with Rebecca in the strongest terms. You’ll be in amazing hands and will be shocked at how strong your apps are at the end of the process. Good luck!!

Many other reviews here capture the value that Rebecca delivers to her clients, but I thought I’d highlight a few things that I think are important.

I highly recommend Rebecca Anderson and the Menlo Coaching Team. Rebecca was my primary coach, and David White and Obinna Arizor also helped advise me at points during the application and interview processes. With Rebecca’s help, I was able to secure admission to Stanford GSB (enrolled) as well as Wharton.

From the outset, the Menlo process brings structure into what is a chaotic process. The Basecamp modules Menlo produces for clients combine their years of institutional knowledge with a tried-and-true workflow, covering every step of the process, including school selection, the GMAT, networking, letters of recommendation, essays, interviews and more. A combination of short videos on each topic as well as calls with Rebecca prepared me well to tackle each step of the process efficiently. The Basecamp workflow also helped me track my progress with each individual school, as it outlined not just essays, but short answers, and other small aspects of the application.

While there is structure to the process, working with Rebecca was an extremely individualized process. There was no templated, borrowed, or otherwise genericized content, which is necessary for a high quality application. From the beginning, Rebecca spent many hours deeply understanding my personal and professional background as well future aspirations. She helped me turn my application from a collection of experiences into a well-crafted story that anyone, including admissions officers, would find interesting and impressive. What stands out working with Rebecca was that there were many times that we agreed on something in a call, then as I thought about it, I would have another idea or change my mind. Rebecca would always quickly respond (via email or Zoom call) with her honest thoughts and ideas, but never once forced me to go down a road I wasn’t comfortable with. She also was instrumental in helping me generate ideas for essays, short answers.

While the Menlo process is thorough in every aspect, a few places Menlo shines should be explicitly discussed. The first is recommenders. Despite having strong relationships with my recommenders, discussing the content of the letter is a tricky task at best. Rebecca stepped into this process, skillfully working with my recommenders so that they could write the best letter possible without keeping me in the loop so that my recommenders felt comfortable. Afterward, one of my recommenders commented that working with Rebecca helped him deliver the strong recommendation that he wanted to, avoiding a few pitfalls that he wasn’t aware of. The second is the resume. It is easy to deliver a B-quality resume, but Rebecca helped me see my resume from the POV of the admissions officer, so that I could convey my true achievements in a way that the audience would understand. Finally, I loved the wealth of experience that Rebecca has access to via the Menlo team. When I wrote an essay that went into the details of some of my technical work as a software engineer, she did not hesitate to bring in David White (who has a tech background) so that I could strike the right balance of demonstrating my technical prowess as well as making sure admissions officers would understand. As a given, Rebecca was instrumental through all parts of my essay writing process, as well as helping prepare for interviews.

If you are considering applying to a top-tier MBA program, working with Rebecca and Menlo Coaching will elevate your application and allow you to present the best version of yourself.

I worked with Rebecca for 2021 Round 1 applications for the full-time MBA Class of 2024. I applied to six top-tier schools, received five interview invitations, one waitlist offer, and three offers of admission. I’ve ultimately decided to attend Harvard Business School!

In a nutshell: Rebecca was a total game-changer. It’s hard to understate how critical Rebecca was to my success, particularly related to my essays. If you are looking for the highest caliber of MBA admissions coaching, seriously look no further than Rebecca. Working with her was one of the best decisions I ever made.

Starting in March 2021, Rebecca advised me on all aspects of my application: GMAT strategy, MBA program choices and networking, defining my career goals, refining my personal story, picking recommenders, preparing my applications/essays, and preparing for interviews. Perhaps similar to many candidates reading this review, I had no clue what I was getting into… just take the GMAT, decide on a few schools based on rankings, throw together a few essays, hit submit and get accepted, right? WRONG! There is so much to this process that I wasn’t aware of, and Rebecca was crucial to helping me understand how it all works. Whenever she asked me to change something in my applications, she was also able to explain WHY. It’s clear she knows the ins and outs of the admissions process and that context was extremely helpful. Rebecca gave me the roadmap to the process, which gave me the confidence I needed.

Rebecca was an excellent project manager. She kept my entire admissions process highly organized, allowing me to focus on one step at a time throughout the year without worrying that I’m missing anything. A few times during the year, my work would get crazy, but Rebecca kept me on track when I started to fall behind. Without her politely and consistently nudging me along, there’s no way I would have had enough time to submit my best work.

While Rebecca was hugely impactful to all aspects of the process, her biggest contribution was her feedback on my essays. Her background in journalism is apparent in her unique approach. She was incredibly effective at helping me pull out the most important and unique aspects of my personal story and professional experiences. Once we had those raw materials, we iterated numerous times on each of my essays; on every turn, Rebecca would push me even further to expand on important details, cut the fluff, and nail the delivery. As a result, my essays were impactful, concise, and polished. I consider myself a decent writer, but Rebecca is at another level entirely. I will forever be a better communicator because of Rebecca’s incredible coaching and generous personal dedication to my applications.

At every point in the process, Rebecca was an absolute pleasure to work with. Rebecca was always courteous, personable, and insightful. When your coach is just a great person to be around (like Rebecca), it’s easy to build a strong rapport. Rebecca and I built a high level of trust and candor that made the process incredibly effective and enjoyable. I think the ability to build a strong relationship with clients is the most important quality in a coach, and it sets Rebecca apart from the rest.

Overall, Rebecca was crucial to my outcomes. Without her help, there’s no way I would have had the same level of success.

If you’re reading this because you are considering Rebecca as your MBA admissions coach, I’m confident you’re making the right choice. Get on her client list ASAP before her slots fill up, and never look back!

I am very fortunate to have had Rebecca as my coach throughout the MBA application process. I am in my 30s and have a non-traditional background without million-dollar deals or multi-national marketing experience. I knew I needed a coach who is experienced but creative to guide me through this process. Together with other supports from Menlo Coaching, Rebecca helped me land offers from top programs.

Structural and efficient process
Rebecca has a very good sense of application timing and what process it takes to craft a good essay. This is important because an MBA application is extremely stressful and can impact daily work and life. With an experienced coach, I could multitask six schools in one round and had each application ready at least a week ahead of the deadline. Rebecca is compassionate and provides emotional support by not only understanding but solid professional experiences to relieve stress.

From story brainstorming to essay completion, we kept tracking all working processes. Without formulated methodology (i.e. finding a personal brand or label etc.), each version was headed in the direction that made the essay and application better, without wasting time swinging between versions. Of course, we did have differing viewpoints at times, and sometimes new ideas popped up along the application. However, all the decisions were upfront and finalized through conversations. For example, we had different thoughts on how to put extracurricular activities on my resume. I was finally convinced not because I did not know which was better, but because Rebecca had a clear thought to highlight my unique experiences together with other components in my application.

Both my recommenders were from non-traditional backgrounds without any experience in my MBA recommendation letters. Rebecca showed me high-level communication skills interfacing and guiding them to write strong letters through just two rounds of interactions. Except for a briefing document covering deadlines and suggested examples, I was blind in the process, but I felt confident that the final letter would be strong with Rebecca’s help.

Detail, detail, detail!
Application is a holistic evaluation, but holism is a sum of numerous details. When working with Rebecca, we never let a single detail slip. Rebecca pushed me to do thorough research about my career goal using whatever available resources, such as summarizing key findings from LinkedIn profiles, networking with alums who went on similar paths, and deep-diving into potential employer’s websites. Each of these served as pieces of evidence making a compelling career goal argument.

When talking about school resources and contributions, Rebecca suggested to me to find target alums and current students to validate my thoughts. Each name mentioned in the essay was deliberately chosen to support my understanding of the school programs or clubs. Rebecca may spend hours helping me work on one essay ending. She did research from school blogs, relevant websites, and came up with ideas; we discussed, and I reached out and talked to alums and students to pitch ideas and get feedback.

Let’s talk about outcomes
First, and this probably happens to almost every applicant, but not many will talk about rejection. I got five acceptances from the six schools that I applied to, including HBS, Sloan, and Kellogg. While the rejection was a surprise and we put a lot of effort into my target school, the process isn’t a guarantee for a clean sweep of 100% acceptances. I did not have any regrets about my application package (I would have submitted the same one if I had a second chance).

More importantly, I am very excited to get a yes from HBS! Rebecca guided me on how to tell a story that tied my personal experience, professional achievements, and future, to show not only my capability but also my human side. I believe it was the winning combination that led to my acceptance.

In the end, I truly recommend Rebecca as an admission coach. Besides the application, I learned so much from her: writing, communicating (my recommenders are pretty hardcore), and project management skills. Rebecca makes the application process an incredibly joyful and fruitful life experience!

I worked with Rebecca Anderson throughout my MBA application process, and I could not be happier. She made a process that is long and full of self-doubt, one that was exciting and hopeful. I cannot stress how grateful I am to have had her by my side. With Rebecca’s guidance, I was able to secure admission to Booth (attending), Kellogg, Columbia, Fuqua, Tuck, and Stern with ~580K in scholarship funds! This was surprising because I had an average background (tier 2-3 consulting, top 50 school, interested in consulting/banking) relative to the MBA applicant pool. Rebecca helped me stand out by supporting me in understanding and telling my story. I’m confident that this is what helped me secure the acceptances I did and I don’t think this cycle would have been successful without her and the broader Menlo team. Looking back, a few things stood out to me about Rebecca and Menlo.

Rebecca-Specific Feedback

Intake: When I was “shopping around” for an MBA admissions consultant, I came across numerous consultants who asked 15-20 questions in rapid-fire style and wanted to make my profile fit into those they previously found success with. Rebecca is the first admissions consultant I met who (1) listened with warmth and (2) provided me with honesty. Rebecca listened to me talk about my background (personal + professional), what I wanted out of the application process and an MBA, and what I was nervous about. She asked probing questions and her ability to “read the person” and be comfortable with silence gave me the space I needed to be vulnerable and brainstorm out loud (versus pivoting to the next question for the sake of time). When I asked other consultants if I should “beef up” my extracurriculars, they encouraged me to add a few more things to my plate at the last minute. Rebecca, however, told me that my efforts were better spent on the GMAT and digging into why I chose the career/extracurriculars I did and how they connect to my personality traits (especially because starting new activities 5-6 months before application deadlines could seem insincere). Rebecca’s willingness to listen, prioritize, and not force-fit her clients into rigid boxes made me confident that she’d want the best for me and help me draw my story out in the most convincing and authentic way possible (which she did!).

Pre-Application Preparation: When I began this process with Menlo, I was working 80-90 hours/week and was extremely overwhelmed, but wanted to get my MBA ASAP. Rebecca recognized this and broke up tasks into bite-sized pieces so that I could get through school research and networking on time. At multiple points, I was still afraid of having to push my application cycle back by a year. Whenever this happened, Rebecca took the time to schedule a call with me to work through my anxiousness, encourage me to keep my ‘eyes on the prize”, and prioritize “must-have” versus “nice to have” activities so that I could be as efficient as possible with my time. Rebecca also adapted to my schedule – she made herself extremely available and provided comments/guidance as fast as possible so that I could have more flexibility with timelines. Even before essays were released, she put immense effort into making sure that I could hit the ground running. Additionally, Rebecca brought in other members of the Menlo team (i.e., David) to get their perspective on how to best position me. By the end of this “preliminary” process, I felt very comfortable with where I was headed and my trust in Rebecca became incredibly strong. 

Personal Story / Essay Writing: 

When I first started with this process, I wasn’t sure if and how personal events impacted my professional and personal interests and overall outlook on life. I also didn’t know if the experiences I had were worth sharing in an admissions essay. During this process, Rebecca not only functioned as my admissions consultant but also as my “therapist”. She talked to me about the events that had happened in my life with warmth and without an iota of judgment, and she helped me connect those events to the professional and personal decisions I later made. To this day, I have never shared as much about these situations as I did with Rebecca. She created a safe, trusting environment in which I could brainstorm with her to understand myself and the impacts of what I had experienced better. By the end of the process, I had a lot more clarity on who I was as a person and what I care about. I became more comfortable and confident in myself – something that I think will serve me well as I start school in the fall. 

From a timeline perspective, I had a month off between jobs while writing essays. Rebecca had the foresight to know that my next job would be busy / that I might need time to re-take the GMAT, so she encouraged me to complete all my essays that month while studying for the GMAT. Although this was a bit of a mad dash, Rebecca made it manageable. She set up daily, 15-minute touch-points with me for 4 weeks straight to align on priorities for the day and ensure that everything was getting done in a timely fashion. She also made sure to provide comments/edits overnight (including weekends) to make sure that I used my time off well. The time difference was also great – it enabled me to work on edits in my evening and receive edits from her in the morning (via email and Zoom call). 

I’d also like to add that I am not a big fan of writing / not very good at it. Rebecca did an amazing job of helping me make my thoughts more cohesive, coherent, and concise. My writing at work has also improved as a result! Overall, Rebecca’s background in journalism, listening skills, and ability to ask the right questions at the right time is what ultimately enabled me to get into my dream school with a large scholarship. 

Additionally, I did have to move my applications from R1 to R2 to allow time to retake the GMAT. Even when this happened, Rebecca provided ample feedback in updating my resume/essays to account for my latest professional experiences (and even if this might have been logistically challenging for her, she still made sure that she had my back). 

GMAT Retake: The GMAT was a long process for me and I ended up having to push my applications from R1 to R2 to buy time to increase my score. Throughout the process, Rebecca provided me with references to tutors, ample encouragement, and honesty (she made it clear that increasing my GMAT score is what would make the difference at my dream schools….even if it was a painful process in the short-run). She never sugar-coated things, but she also made sure that she provided me with the moral support I needed to do my best. When I was re-taking the GMAT, I had also just switched jobs and was working 70-80 hours/week. Having her support during this time was invaluable in driving to the result.

Menlo-Specific Feedback

Menlo provides a “surround sound” experience that is worth every penny. I came into the process knowing nothing and Menlo helped me come up to speed rapidly and supported me throughout the way. The team is extremely detail-oriented (e.g., welcome packets, interview notecards, the thorough organization in Basecamp) and brings in additional team members, as needed (e.g., Obinna for mock interview prep, Fearless Communicators training, Chris the in-house Menlo GMAT coach (also the best tutor I’ve worked with!)). What I loved about Menlo is the (1) “humanized” approach and (2) their support for others. Menlo never tried to cut corners with me or fit me into a box. They wanted me to do my best and provided the resources necessary for me to do so (including connecting me with a few previous Menlo clients). Additionally, Menlo knows when they need to bring in experts, outside of the “core” team (e.g., interview prep, Fearless Communicators). They never compromise on quality!

Hiring Rebecca and Menlo was one of the best decisions I’ve made and I highly doubt I’d be matriculating at Booth with >50% scholarship without them. The dedication Rebecca shows to her clients is astounding and she is a phenomenal person to boot! I felt like I was in good hands the entire time, and gained a friend in the process. Although Menlo was more expensive than some other consultants, I knew the application process would be grueling. The option to work without time limits made a huge difference in my case. I highly recommend you join the Menlo ecosystem – they will have your back and this is a one-stop-shop for MBA success!

When I started my consulting search, I anticipated applying to nine schools in round two and was attracted to Menlo’s all-inclusive package. Rebecca and the entire Menlo team did not disappoint and now that I’m on the other end of my application cycle, I have no regrets working with them! In particular, Rebecca was incredibly professional yet personable and helped me assemble the best applications I feel possible.

Rebecca helped me in a number of ways: pushing me to improve my GMAT, aiding me in developing my personal story, managing timelines across various application items, and interfacing with my recommenders. Starting in the summer before my application cycle, I was scoring in the low-to-mid 700’s and Rebecca continued to push me to retake the exam and even recommended GMAT tutors until I got my score up to 770. Had it not been for Rebecca, I might’ve given up and settled for my previous score instead of pushing for my very best.

At the early stages of preparing my essays, we combed through my personal story and discussed introspectively about my experiences. While I was reticent to discuss sensitive subjects from my childhood and past, I felt like Rebecca was genuinely invested in my outcomes and was tactful in her handling of such issues. Also, since I chose to apply to MBA programs without my employer’s knowledge, I was dreading having to ask co-workers and work with them on my recommendation letters in secrecy. However, Rebecca made the process seamless in helping answer my recommenders’ questions and time-management across so many schools.

While it seemed unrealistic to apply to so many schools, we were able to finish all my applications on time and I am thrilled with the results. Out of the nine schools I applied to, I was interviewed at eight and accepted into seven including the following schools: HBS, Wharton, Booth, Haas, Columbia, Yale SOM & Duke Fuqua. Combined across those schools, I was offered $400,000 in merit scholarships, which I don’t think I would’ve received otherwise.

I am incredibly grateful for Rebecca’s help and guidance in the process. I would unquestionably recommend her to other prospective applicants!

I am so happy to have had Rebecca by my side throughout the MBA application as she was my MBA rock. I selected Menlo Coaching for their expertise and insight but I didn’t realize how important the emotional support would be during this process. The MBA process makes you question your sanity sometimes. It was so nice to have a cool, calm, level-headed person like Rebecca by my side to keep me grounded. The MBA process is a very intimate process and it requires you to dig deep so you want someone you can trust. Rebecca is approachable, warm and I never felt judged. By nature, I am not a writer and do not particularly like it. Rebecca did a great job of helping to edit and shape my essays into a cohesive story that highlighted my strengths. The benefit of Menlo Coaching’s consulting package is there is no limit on the amount of coaching you can receive. We worked on my essays and MBA resume until it was in a state where we were both happy with it and I never once needed to worry about counting hours.

Menlo Coaching provides a top-notch white-glove experience. Every step and detail in the process has been thoughtfully planned out. I enjoyed the welcome package I received at the beginning (comic + interview flashcards) and all the different modules in basecamp with videos and attachments. Different specialists were pulled in at different stages of the application process to help but Rebecca was there the entire time for a seamless experience. In the beginning, David, Rebecca, and I all talked about my school selection together. Later on, I worked with Fearless Communicators on my interviewing skills (body language and presence) while Obinna helped me with interview answers (content).

I applied to a mix of part-time and full-time programs and was admitted to 3 of my 5 schools, including my top choice program Chicago Booth. I was able to negotiate a scholarship at Booth with Rebecca’s help which I ended up accepting.

Hiring Rebecca and Menlo Coaching was a great decision and I know I wouldn’t have gotten as far as I did without them.

I am so glad I decided to work with Rebecca and the Menlo Coaching team for Round 2 admissions, they were phenomenal! They made the process so enjoyable and removed all of my stress. As someone who didn’t know anyone who had gone through the MBA admissions process before, it was helpful to have an admissions consultant to walk me through it. And Rebecca had such an amazing eye for everything I needed. From finding a GMAT tutor, to providing information about writing styles and helping edit essays, to just knowing how to reply to an email from an interviewer – Rebecca helped me through every step in the process, with unlimited support and calls as I needed.

One of my favorite parts about working with Rebecca was that she was able to listen to my story to help me put together my interests and passions to figure out potential career goals, and then was able to help find “Menlo alumni” to talk to about those positions/functions. She listened to every word I said and helped tremendously to help me shape my story, and know what portions to pull out that would be most interesting to the Admissions Committee. Additionally, the entire Menlo team was so well structured. I was able to work with an individual twice who was knowledgeable specifically in interview prep, an acting company to help my on-camera presence, to working directly with my recommenders to ensure they had help with the process as well.

Not only was she incredibly professional, but she was a genuinely kind person who really cares about you, your success, and your career progression, and that really shows with the amount of support and guidance she provides. I knew I wanted to work with Menlo as they were top of the line and helped start-to-finish with the process, but Rebecca was truly the cherry on top who made the usually grueling application a really enjoyable experience. I cannot recommend Rebecca and the Menlo team highly enough – they are an absolute joy, create an amazing ecosystem, and are rooting for your success from Day 1. It is absolutely worth the investment, and you won’t be sorry with your choice to work with Rebecca at Menlo Coaching!

I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Rebecca at Menlo Coaching. With her help, I was able to secure admission to Kellogg, my top choice, with total scholarship funds amounting to $240k across five programs. I have fairly average stats (top 50 undergrad, mid-tier work experience, average GMAT and cohort), so I am thrilled with the results. If you are serious about your MBA application, I would highly recommend working with Rebecca and the Menlo Coaching team.

Rebecca sought to deeply understand me and my life story, and her guidance was invaluable in drafting values-based essays and preparing answers for fit-based interview questions. I was concerned that my story wasn’t “memorable”, but Rebecca helped me connect significant events in my life to write compelling essays. Rebecca is an incredibly effective writer, and beyond helping me ideate the story I wanted to tell, also provided invaluable guidance on shortening essays to meet word count while retaining meaning and impact. We wouldn’t move on until we were both 100% satisfied with the final product, sometimes working through 10+ versions on a single prompt.

More broadly, Rebecca provided structure to what felt like an overwhelming process by helping me organize deadlines, maximize networking, and tailor my approach for each individual program. She set forth challenging but achievable timelines to ensure that I wasn’t falling behind or losing focus despite a hectic year at my work. She was incredibly responsive, even over weekends and time zones; most times, I would share essays late evening my time and wake up to feedback the following morning.

Menlo Coaching’s services come at a premium to other consultants’, but were a very worthwhile investment because of the degree of service, professionalism, and experience offered. I appreciated that Menlo offered a comprehensive service (rather than paying on a per-school basis) because Rebecca was a point of consistency throughout the process, from helping me find GMAT tutors to navigating the applications and negotiating scholarships. Overall, I believe that Rebecca and the MC team had a meaningful, positive impact on the final results of my applications.

I worked with Rebecca Anderson during the MBA application process, and I give her my highest recommendation. Rebecca was everything I needed in a counselor and more. She helped me get into my first choice MBA program (Wharton), which I would have never dreamed possible. Her assistance was crucial to helping me achieve the outcome I desired for the following reasons:
– Honest Feedback: I personally had to take the GRE multiple times in order to get a top score. There were many instances where I felt my score was ‘good enough’ and I was ready to stop trying for a better score. However, I am lucky Rebecca never sugarcoated her feedback with me, and was direct in informing me that my scores would hinder my application significantly if I didn’t get them higher, and that I absolutely had to retake the test. Without her honest opinion, it is highly likely I may have given up much sooner, and would not have achieved my goal GRE score without her extra push. It was a lot of work, but Rebecca knew I would find the outcome worth it.
– Responsiveness: Rebecca understands that her clients are juggling a full-time job and in my case still studying every day for the GRE while still finding time to write multiple essays for multiple MBA programs. Rebecca’s extremely fast turnaround time and responsiveness made it possible to juggle all these deliverables, while still getting everything done on time. Rebecca’s reliability in this area was imperative when it came to me staying on top of my schedule as well as providing a sense of comfort in a very chaotic period of time. I knew that I could expect a response from Rebecca faster than most of my coworkers, which was extremely reassuring. Knowing I could always count on Rebecca to answer my emails quickly helped me to divide up my time between work, studying, and writing in a predictable, manageable manner.
– Organization: Without Rebecca’s assistance, it would have been extremely difficult to make sure I not only create personal application deadlines for myself, but also follow through with them. She was first to let me know when I was taking too long to complete a piece of the application, or when I needed to devote more of my time to applications. Between work, studying for the GRE, and writing applications, I absolutely appreciated her check-ins and warning regarding upcoming deadlines.
– Detail-Oriented: Like most individuals applying to top MBA programs, I took this process quite seriously and wanted to make sure my final applications were as ‘perfect’ as possible. At times this meant I might spend a whole day debating word-choice, the best way to phrase an email to an alum, the best zoom background to use for an interview, and so forth. I always felt comfortable asking for Rebecca’s advice on the smallest details, and she was willing to opine on even my most specific (and likely irrelevant) questions. On the flip-side, if I felt ‘done’ with an application yet Rebeca felt it was not quite there, she would always get back to me letting me know that I needed to put more effort/thought into a specific deliverable, which I appreciated. Rebecca’s patience with my endless questioning helped alleviate much of the stress that I would have otherwise felt navigating a year-long, complex process. Beyond details, Rebecca helped me on a deeply strategic level. For example, she spent a lot of time helping me think strategically about which recommenders to engage. Rebecca also helped me think very critically about my network, and how to approach and leverage them throughout the application process.
Overall, Rebecca’s devotion to her clients is why I believe she is such an amazing counselor, guide, and mentor.

Rebecca and the Menlo team were the consultative experts I needed to advance my MBA aspirations. Going into this process I knew that I was facing an uphill battle to get into the top-tier programs I was looking at; my undergraduate GPA was less than stellar, I am in an over-represented applicant pool and I just turned thirty. Rebecca’s help in framing my story, which in part explained my GPA troubles, was a key part of me not only getting into Booth, Kellogg, Stern and Jones but also being offered scholarships at three of the four. The process Rebecca and Menlo have created is challenging and highly structured in order to keep things moving and ensure that the final product best represents each applicant they work with. This process encompassed all aspects of the application, including working with my recommenders to help them create the most impactful letters.

Rebecca took the time early on to learn my story and motivations. With that insight, she helped me identify an MBA path that worked for me as I was advancing at work (part-time over full-time or EMBA) and what schools I may fit best with. When it came to the applications and essays, Rebecca truly differentiated herself. I lost track of how many iterations we went through for each essay but it was significant. Her expertise in taking what I now realize was a rough starting point (but at the time thought was a near finished essay) and condensing it down to the points I was really trying to convey within the wordcount that I was given was exactly what I needed and worth every penny. Later on in the process, Menlo’s interview prep gave me extreme confidence going into a nerve-wracking situation.

The cost is significant but having full access to a responsive and engaged consultant is worth it. Interestingly enough, as I look back on some of the discouraging times in my application process with the exam, I question if I would have given up had I not already made that initial investment in a consultant and myself. My only other hesitation with engaging Rebecca was her European location but after going through this entire process, including dozens of calls and significant digital communication, I can say that the time difference was no issue at all. Rebecca made the times I and other stakeholders in my MBA were available work. If you are serious about getting your MBA at a top school, particularly if you know you are a less than perfect applicant, Rebecca and Menlo will give you the best shot at getting to where you want to be. I cannot recommend them enough!

I knew that I was applying later on in my career and wanted to ensure I put my best foot forward in order to secure an acceptance to a top MBA program. From my first conversation with Rebecca, I knew she was the perfect person for the job- she immediately came across as down-to-earth, authentic, and very knowledgeable about the admissions process. These were all values that were extremely important to me. While I knew the MBA process was competitive, I never wanted to sacrifice my values to secure a spot. Rebecca proved over the course of the 9 months we worked together that our first call wasn’t a sales pitch but rather her true self.

The stresses of everyday life don’t stop while applying to MBA programs and I can’t emphasize enough around the importance of being able to connect with your consultant. Rebecca was extremely empathetic with me throughout the process, even at times when I’d become down on myself and want to give up on the application process. Rebecca would continuously check in on me to ensure that not only was I getting my application work done, but also to make sure that I was doing okay with other stressors going on in my life. She was able to break down the applications into bite-size chunks that allowed me to never become too overwhelmed with the process (even while re-taking the GMAT!).

Due to personal circumstances around COVID, I felt it was best for me to request a deferral. Rebecca was a great sounding board for thinking through this decision and on the best way to present my case to the admissions team. As a result, I was able to successfully and seamlessly secure my spot for the Class of 2023.

Menlo Coaching (and Rebecca) are truly exceptional consultants that leave no detail unturned. They provide you with a roadmap and give you honest feedback in order to make sure you have the best chances at securing an acceptance from a top MBA program. I have no doubt that choosing Rebecca made all the difference in me receiving offers from top MBA programs despite weaknesses in key areas of my application. While their price point might be higher, I can assure you that you will not regret it.

I highly recommend working with Rebecca from Menlo Coaching. Rebecca’s guidance throughout the MBA admissions process was unparalleled. Admittedly, I was slightly apprehensive to hire an admissions consultant given the high price tag, but I have absolutely no regrets. I was admitted to all but one of my top 10 MBA programs (including my #1 choice) despite having a subpar GMAT score and a non-prestigious academic background. Here are the top reasons you should strongly consider working with Rebecca:

1) I was extremely impressed with her commitment to helping me put my first foot forward in the application process. She showed extreme attention to detail for all of the materials she reviewed, and not once did she compromise on quality, even though we were working on a compressed timeline. Some documents that required significant feedback went through 20+ rounds of edits.

2) Rebecca’s core competency is writing (journalist by training), which is exactly what you want from your MBA admissions consultant. Even if you already feel comfortable with your story, the other half of the battle is communicating it in a way that is clear, compelling, and authentic in the word count limits. I still apply some of the guidance Rebecca provided on written communication in my day-to-day job.

3) If you are in North America, the time difference (Rebecca is in Amsterdam) works in your favor – I got into a great routine of spending 2-4 hours in the evenings after dinner working on drafts and sending to Rebecca for feedback before going to bed (which she would provide during her workday while I was sleeping).

4) Rebecca is also a very pleasant person to work with – inevitably you will end up spending a lot of time talking to your consultant, so it is important that whoever you work with is easy to get along with. I felt comfortable opening up to her about my personal life very early in the process, allowing us to put together a very compelling narrative about my personal and career journey thus far and where I see my future going. I plan to stay in touch with Rebecca and hope that our paths will cross someday.

I decided to apply to business school shortly before I turned 28; I, therefore, did not make decisions in my undergraduate training, early career, or extracurriculars that would directly funnel into my MBA applications. At the same time, I had an immense passion for my experiences leading up to the MBA application. Having decided I wanted personalized help to make sure I put my best foot forward, I Initially expected only to turn to Rebecca for help communicating my excitement effectively. In practice, Rebecca guided me to a critical second prong in my overall application strategy: doubling down on the parts of my profile still under my control.

Without Rebecca as a coach, I would not have reached a high-700 GMAT score, pivoted my application strategy due to new information at work, pushed beyond 3-4 essay drafts, connected personally with each of my target schools, or performed extensive interview prep. Each of these very concrete efforts, informed by Rebecca’s strategy, proved critical in my applications, and drove my overall outcomes. Rebecca helped me shift focus from PT programs to FT during re-orgs at work and as the outlook for the overall job-market changed (just prior to the start of Covid-19). These insights proved very prescient; I now will be attending Kellogg FT in fall (which happens to be Rebecca’s alma mater). I was also admitted to McCombs, Tepper ($70K scholarship), and Ross ($30K scholarship). I ultimately canceled waitlist decisions at Haas and SOM.

The combination of these two focus areas — making sense of my pre-MBA experiences and doubling down on the application — also produced outstanding results off-paper. Having now turned my professional experiences inside-out and examined my interests from many different angles, I am much more confident in both where I came from and where I want to go. The process of expending tremendous amounts of effort and achieving a top outcome also encouraged me to continue setting reach-goals as I begin to plan for my post-MBA trajectory. This growth, in addition to the above results, came as direct results of working with Rebecca; both she and the team at Menlo have my strongest recommendation!

I cannot stress enough how amazing it was to work with Rebecca throughout my business school application process. For me, Rebecca was not just an MBA admissions consultant. She was also my career coach, my cheerleader, and at times, my therapist. While I am ecstatic to be heading to the Wharton HCM program with a fellowship, what I found truly rewarding was the 12 months+ journey discovering who I was and how I wanted to shape my career. Without Rebecca, I would not have earned that acceptance, and more importantly, I would not have the clarity that I currently feel towards what I want to do with my life.

To be more specific, Rebecca was an outstanding partner during my application process for the following reasons, to name a few:
1) Pre-application preparation: Rebecca guided me through school selection, networking, and thinking through my personal story and potential career goals. Based on the conversations I had with other potential admissions consultants, I got the sense that they were trying to fit me into a particular mold and emphasize aspects of my life that fit their narrative. Rebecca was differentiated because she truly got to know me as a person right off the bat. We spent hours going over different aspects of my life, my previous roles, and medium and long-term aspirations. Rebecca went above and beyond and spoke with a close friend of mine and my little sister to get a better sense of who I was. She always asked insightful questions and put in hours of thoughtful time prior to essay prompts even being released.

2) Empathetic Communication: Rebecca is an exceptional storyteller and communicator. She had an uncanny ability to help me shape my story and give form to what I was trying to say. I had complete ownership over my story, never once did Rebecca try to mold me into somebody I am not. Because of her background in journalism, I felt like Rebecca was able to approach my story with the right amount of creativity and clarity. Beyond that, Rebecca is an incredibly empathetic person – a difficult part of the essay writing process involved honestly revealing my passions and motivations. That level of introspection was made easier because of Rebecca’s deep listening and skilled digging. She would ask questions in such a way that helped me arrive at what I truly wanted to convey in a succinct and coherent manner.

3) Responsiveness: Rebecca’s responsiveness went beyond table stakes. Throughout the process, I consistently felt like I was the only client that Rebecca was working with. We had a regular weekly (at times, multiple times per week) touch points during the months spent essay writing. These meetings were always productive as Rebecca came prepared with the directions that she wanted to see me further explore in my story. No matter the hour or day, Rebecca was always available within under 24 hours to check in on how I was progressing or answer my questions. There were many times when I asked for a ~12hr turnaround to optimize for writing time on business trips and Rebecca was always accommodating of my internal deadline, sending back thoughtful edits and changes in short order.

4) Menlo Ecosystem: Being part of the Menlo ecosystem was helpful because the team genuinely wants its clients to be successful and provides as much support as possible. Throughout my application process, David, the co-founder, and others would help out when appropriate (e.g. further 1:1 interview prep, team-based discussion simulations, connections to others with similar career goals). Because Menlo has unparalleled access to those involved in the business school admissions process, the team was always able to give timely advice – e.g. Menlo was able to articulate the different plans and deferral policies associated with each business school in the spring.

Without too much disclosure, I had a challenging year because of events in my personal life that distracted me from many of my goals and affected my performance at work – by all evaluations, I should not have been able to receive a business school acceptance. Yet, with Rebecca’s help, I not only was able to secure a spot at one of the best MBA programs in the world but have also been able to feel more confident in myself again. Menlo Coaching is at a relatively higher price point, on an absolute basis. However, if you are able to afford the service, I cannot emphasize enough how foolish it would be for you to not meet with Rebecca at least for an initial consultation to see if there is a good fit. The ROI on my investment has been immense, and I feel as though I have found a coach and friend for life.

Rebecca helped me get into 3 top EU MBA programs with £52,500 in total scholarships
, of course including my dream school. I knew I wanted to work with her the first time I spoke with her on the phone. Although there’s ton of material you can read online and obviously there are all sorts of calculators you can play with to see how likely you are to get into a certain business school, talking with someone like Rebecca who has the expertise, experience, and confidence to tell you where you stand in your application is something else. One thing that I appreciated the most from Rebecca, as well as the rest of the Menlo Coaching team, was their absolute honest. Unlike the case with some other MBA consultancy firms who’d only tell you what you want to hear, you can always count on Menlo to be 100% transparent and honest – they won’t sugarcoat anything they tell you, and they will tell you directly if you are overestimating or underestimating yourself.

Rebecca did a great job exploiting the biggest values from me as an MBA candidate – some of the values that I didn’t even realize myself. We worked on my resume for more than a month and went through more than 10 rounds! Throughout the process, I not only learned more about myself but also confirmed that I chose the right coach to work with. Rebecca wanted the best for me – she asked very detailed and specific questions on every single bullet point on my resume, just so that she understood everything I was trying to say. She guided me to tell the story in a clear way, effectively showing my strengths and achievements and why those things were valuable. For essay questions, she patiently explained what story I could write about for each question and why, which was very helpful and honestly, I would’ve chosen to write about something else if I was working on my own (not sure if I’d still be able to get into my 1st choice if I did that!).

My relationship with Rebecca didn’t end after I got my offers. As 2020 has been such an interesting year, I felt comfortable reaching out to her and asking for advice on potential deferral. I see Rebecca as a friend, and her professionalism and sincerity makes her a great coach. I recommend anyone who wants to get into a top MBA program to work with her.

With Rebecca’s help, I got into Kellogg, Columbia, Yale, Ross and NYU with $560,000 total in merit scholarships. Every school gave me money, including two full rides and two $100k scholarships. 

The year before I had also applied; I was rejected or waitlisted by every top school I applied to. I had also worked with a different well known consulting firm. Their help was somewhat rushed and impersonal, and I didn’t really feel like it provided any edge in the process. 

As someone in his 30s with a winding career history that included some substantial gaps, I was undoubtedly an atypical business school candidate.  I was starting to wonder if I’d ever “fit in” at a business school. 

Rebecca’s help along with the broader Menlo ecosystem was the highest value and most comprehensive service I have ever received in my life. There’s no question about it: they were fundamental in the success I experienced during this second attempt to apply to school. 

If you’re like I was prior to working with Rebecca, you’re probably looking for tangible, specific evidence of how she and Menlo drive success. Rebecca stands out because: 

1. She has a true informational edge: Rebecca and the broader Menlo crew are incredibly well networked with admissions departments, students and alumni at the top business schools. Rebecca quoted recent conversations she had with admissions committee members at top schools while helping me. Down to the specific anecdotes I mentioned in my essays, Rebecca helped me target the tone and specific content that she knew each individual school would be looking for. Plus, she was able to bring knowledge from her peers at Menlo to the conversation too. 

2. She has a strong, consultative point of view on… everything. Rebecca provided strategic advice on everything from checkboxes on applications to how to write thank you notes to students I met while visiting schools. I sent Rebecca hundreds of e-mails, worried about every detail and interaction in the process. She provided quick, sharp advice, no matter the question. This was a lifesaver for someone as detail-oriented and neurotic as me! 

3. She helped me develop a holistic, strategic plan for success, given my atypical profile. Rebecca stressed that due to my profile I would need to gain an edge by networking intensely with the schools. I am not a natural networker. So: from choosing the events to attend, admissions members to speak to and professors to contact… Rebecca helped me build a networking plan for success. The results: Admissions committee members knew me by name and cited our relationship as part of their decision to admit me. Students I met volunteered to write me letters of support to admissions. And with Rebecca’s guidance on how to ask the right questions to the right people, I learned enough to weave very specific anecdotes about students and schools into essays and interviews. Multiple interviewers said that my ability to name specific students, classes and professors was a key reason they strongly recommended me for admission.

4. She is an incredible storyteller and editor. I am not concise; I also struggled to build a story that made sense around my winding and atypical career history. Rebecca worked with me to build multiple, ultra concise pitches that conveyed my interest in business school, career goals, and personal history within minutes. Not only did these immediately resonate with admissions committee members (every AdComm member I met responded quickly and favorably to these pitches), but they became the backbone of my essays. Rebecca’s incredible ability to help you build a strategic story about yourself — both the good and the bad — that exposes the essence of who you are, while still appealing to the admissions committee… and then edit it down to a powerful but concise narrative is savant-like and undoubtedly changed the course of my applications. Plus she helps you tailor these narratives to each school and what they are looking for in candidates. 

5. She is rooting for you every step of the way. Rebecca brings such warmth, care and support to her consulting process that you can’t help but feel true confidence in yourself and your story. This helped me wow admissions committee members, ace interviews, and leave a favorable impression on everyone I met during campus visits. Menlo initially seemed expensive to me. Now I wonder how they don’t charge more. 

Rebecca is so comprehensive, so knowledgeable and so responsive — for months on end — that you’re going to wonder how she has time to do anything else in her life. You’re also going to be so well prepared, write such awesome essays, and wow every student and admissions committee member you meet.

I haven’t once questioned my decision to work with Rebecca (for an older re-applicant, the incredible results speak for themselves) and I can guarantee you won’t either. 

There are few decisions in life that are truly life-changing, that help you learn about yourself, discover new opportunities, and vault toward your potential. Working with Rebecca at Menlo Coaching was my life-changing decision, and I could not feel more grateful for the experience nor more excited about my future prospects.

Rebecca brings a personalized touch to the experience rather than pushing you through the gauntlet of an application checklist. She takes time to get to know you, and from our first conversation, Rebecca’s empathetic and thoughtful disposition put me at ease and encouraged me to open up and tackle difficult but important topics. Her feedback was always frank and direct, and it was a relief to be able to get straight to the point in a process that requires the applicant to be extremely honest with him or herself. Rebecca went above and beyond in every aspect, and I came away from this process not only with 7 Round 1 applications I was immensely proud of and admission to my top school but also with a deeper understanding of myself and my goals. I could go on and on, but I will instead summarize just a few key areas below.

Essay Feedback:
– Kicked off the process by encouraging me to do a free-write of my life story, which was invaluable later on when addressing specific questions in essay prompts or short answers
– Helped me approach essay prompts from the lense of the admissions reader so that my message was communicated clearly, precisely, and emphatically
– Asked insightful questions to extract or discover a deeper meaning to what I was trying to say
– Never compromised quality, even if it meant patiently answering my questions or providing feedback repeatedly on the same short sentence
– Never compromised my identity, guiding me to craft essays that were the purest expression of myself

Networking Connections and Guidance:
– Provided guidance on how to get the most out of networking events and school visits, which can be overwhelming with so many people to talk to and a day jam-packed with programming
– Introduced me to past clients at my target schools, current clients in industries that interested me, and more senior professionals that had successfully navigated a similar path to the one I had in mind

Wealth of Resources:
– Connected me with a body language coach, since an interview is not all about words
Provided countless informational videos covering every topic related to MBA programs, career opportunities, and the application process
– Organized a clear and thoughtful approach with a calendar and to-do list available online
– Encouraged collaboration with her other current clients, creating a network of peers we could rely on for school visit reports and interview feedback
– Facilitated 3 mock interviews, with opportunities for more if I needed them

Personalized Approach:
– Brought a customized approach, not cookie-cutter at all. I applied with my partner, so Rebecca tailored her approach to consider both of our goals and likely outcomes
– Helped me and my partner negotiate offers with schools
– Was literally always available and responsive. I was concerned the time zones would be a problem, but it is actually an advantage for US clients since she always had lots of feedback for me when I woke up in the mornings
– Accommodated my busy work schedule and helped me create a plan that took advantage of my mornings and late evenings
– Helped me navigate a difficult political situation that arose while networking with alumni
– Gave me peace of mind knowing that an experienced professional was guiding me through the very involved and often overwhelming process of applying to top MBA programs

If you are looking for an MBA admissions coach who will elevate your applications, guide you through the process, and help you realize your potential, look no further than Rebecca at Menlo Coaching. I guarantee you will also have a life-changing experience.

Rebecca’s help made all the difference in the world. As a reapplicant, I was no stranger to disappointment. I had applied to several schools in the top 10 rankings on my own in 2018 and only managed a few waitlists where I remained all summer with no success. I signed up with Rebecca the following year, and I can confidently say every aspect of my application improved. First, she recommended I improve my GMAT score. It took a lot of work, but with the help of resources she recommended I ultimately boosted my score from 730 to 780. Next, she helped me compile a list of target schools based on my interests and feedback. She taught me how to extract information from students and alumni to learn what certain programs were really like. 

Throughout the summer, Rebecca’s help was instrumental when drafting application essays. We spoke for several hours up front, where she got to know me and heard my many stories. Going forward, her feedback was crucial as I drafted my essays. She helped me decide which examples to use and which stories to tell. Rebecca was great working with me–I never felt as though I was mindlessly following her direction, and she always listened to my preferences when advising. For those worried that Menlo’s location in the Netherlands could be problematic–don’t be. It’s actually a benefit for clients in the U.S. Every night when Menlo closed it’s the doors for the day, I’d be home from work and drafting/editing, and by the time I woke up the next morning, feedback would already be waiting for me!

Once interview invitations came in, Rebecca conducted numerous mock interviews with me. She helped me package my story and main points in several succinct responses that made me feel so much more comfortable once interviews actually came. These mock interviews familiarized me with certain schools’ unique interview formats, such as Wharton’s TBD. Menlo also has additional resources, such as a recent graduate from Tuck named Obinna, who conducted mock interviews with me to help me bone up in certain areas (i.e. school-specific or behavioral questions). By the time the interviews came around, where the previous year I felt unprepared and nervous, this time around I felt confident and calm. I can honestly say that I walked out of each interview with no regrets.

In terms of results, Rebecca’s help speaks for itself. This year I’ll be enrolling at Wharton, my top choice program, and also where I was rejected without an interview the previous year. For those looking for financial assistance, Menlo is a great choice as well—I was awarded a full scholarship at my safety school. Working with Rebecca was also personally rewarding–I feel more prepared to take on the next two years in school than I ever have!

The structured program that Rebecca and her colleagues at Menlo Coaching employ is truly unparalleled. It is comprehensive – from school selection to mock interviews – and intensive – unlimited touchpoints and essay drafts with hours set aside to hear your personal story. Rebecca’s ability to connect with her clients and overwhelming interest and dedication in your applications make me grateful to have worked with her, got me several amazing offers, and made me so thankful I chose Rebecca and Menlo. What sets Rebecca apart:

1. The program uses a project management tool to track the numerous elements of the application. Rebecca kept me on schedule even when I got bogged down at work and was working 80 hour weeks. I don’t believe I would have been able to get through the process without this. And she was always available and there when I needed her. I did not wait more than a few hours to hear back from her, and she kept very regular communication with me.

2. Rebecca took a genuine interest in hearing my personal story – asking about and listening to my story from childhood to present – and left no stone unturned. She is incredibly approachable and easily got to the core of what makes me, me. This made me feel absolutely confident that I was “authentically me” in my essays.

3. Rebecca is a talented writer and REALLY pushed me with my essays. She did several iterations for content – pushing me to add narratives and examples – and then several iterations for word count, syntax, grammar, etc. I learned so much in the process that I’ve taken with me and applied since. On the more important essays, we did 10-20 iterations, and this made me feel fully confident in the end result.

4. Ultimately, the greatest impact Rebecca & Menlo had is that I have NO regrets or doubts with my applications. I submitted something better than I could have imagined and have great results to show for it – including scholarships (even a full ride + stipend at Top 15 school) that I never anticipated. I prepared for every touchpoint with schools, doing mock interviews and even mock conversations with Rebecca and others on her team – and consequently felt confident that I did my absolute best with every interaction. I know that I submitted the best applications I possibly could. And that is invaluable.

Rebecca truly went above and beyond in helping me get into my dream school.

A few of the many things that Rebecca did that stood out to me are:

1) She set a very detailed plan for me to help accommodate my work schedule. I knew I was going to be extremely busy at work during the summer so she helped me get ahead, especially doing my due diligence with all of the programs I was interested in. All of the extra effort upfront made the work later on a LOT easier.

2) Rebecca had multiple calls (one of which was two hours long) with me to improve her understanding of my personal story. She showed genuine interest and was empathetic. She used that information to help me bring in key moments from my life into my application in a way that didn’t make the essays sound like pity stories, something I was concerned about.

3) The application process can be quite stressful. Even after you’re done applying, it’s easy to become anxious while you wait for interview invites and/or decisions. Rebecca was like a friend and supported me through the emotional ups and downs.

4) Rebecca’s feedback on my essays was super helpful. She never compromised on quality, even if it meant that we’d have many rounds of review.

5) Regarding interview prep, Rebecca didn’t use a cookie-cutter approach towards my preparation. She knew that I’d be a strong interviewer so she focused my preparation around specific areas. The goal wasn’t to have sufficient responses. The goal was to have exceptional responses to each and every potential question.

I cannot stress enough how grateful I am for Rebecca and Menlo Coaching. I am going to my dream school, Wharton, with scholarship money, and I could not have done it without her. When I first started thinking about business school, I never thought I would get the results I did. Out of the 6 schools I applied to, I got in five, with a full scholarship at Booth, another full scholarship, one partial scholarship, and I was waitlisted at the other school.
After working with her on my applications, I also have a much better understanding of myself, my story and my goals. When I first started thinking about applying, I talked to a few applications consultants before settling on Rebecca and Menlo. I have a non-traditional work background, and while many consultants told me that weakened my chances to get in the schools I wanted to, Rebecca immediately saw it as a strength. From our first intro call, I knew I wanted her and the whole Menlo team on my side. I was blown away by Rebecca’s level of engagement with my application from the start. Unlike other consultants I spoke to when I first talked to Menlo, I never felt like it was a sales pitch. Instead, I felt a genuine willingness to listen to me, gather insight on my story, and offer candid feedback on my career goals, my candidacy, and the process.
From selecting schools and networking with current students and alumni, to helping me craft my story and reviewing my essays, prepping me for interviews, and finally helping me negotiate scholarship money, Rebecca was by my side every step of the application process. She leaves nothing to chance, she was incredibly thorough and on top of everything that was going on with my applications. She encouraged me to visit and network heavily with the schools (which turned out to be a huge game changer) and set up calls before my visits or coffee chats to discuss strategies and how to make the most out of them. Even though I went with the 3 schools package and applied to 3 other schools on my own, Rebecca knew what was going on with all of my applications, and helped me choose which schools made the most sense to have her more involved from start to finish. For the other 3, Rebecca still offered invaluable advice on networking, bounced off some ideas for essays and application strategies, and helped with the interview prep. In short, I felt extremely supported, whether it was a school I was “officially” working on with her or not. In addition, I really loved that my recommenders were able to work with her. One of my recommenders had never written a letter of recommendation before and he told me that he really enjoyed her guidance. It also ensured that while I didn’t have access to the content of the letters, Rebecca was on top of it, making sure my application was well rounded and truly the best possible.
The Menlo approach to the application process is incredibly effective. Their in-depth, hands-on and holistic approach has amazed me. While the application process seems daunting, they break it down into smaller modules and make it manageable. There are videos explaining each part of the process, accompanied by assignments that hold you accountable and on track to deliver while forcing you to think really hard about your goals. And this is all before the essay writing! On our kickoff call, Rebecca and I spent a couple of hours on the phone diving deep into my story. She patiently listened, offered her perspective on some of the challenges I’ve faced and was able to extract key themes and defining moments from my life, that not only helped shape my essays but also helped me develop a deeper understanding of myself. It felt more like a therapy session than brainstorming for essays. In the end, every essay reflected who I am, and Rebecca was able to get the best version out of me. I was also very impressed with her responsiveness; every edit usually took less than 24hs to turn around.
One of my favorite things about working with Menlo is that you get to work with a whole team of professionals. And they are truly the best in the game, not just as professionals, but also genuinely great people. David jumped in at different stages of the process and offered me invaluable career advice and introduced me to people in the industry, and later helped me choose which school to attend and negotiate scholarship money. I now feel a lot more confident in my MBA plan (and beyond). Alice also helped me with a particularly challenging personal essay. When it was time to prep for the interviews, I worked with a communications coach who helped me with public speaking, techniques to relax, articulate my speech and voice (and it was also a fun experience).
On a personal level, working with Rebecca helped take a lot of anxiety out of the process. Rebecca really goes above and beyond for her clients, and I could tell she cared and was genuinely rooting for me. Working with her felt like a partnership, and I trust her completely. One time, when deadlines were approaching (I applied in Round 2, so it was right around the holidays) and I was feeling extremely anxious and unsure about the application, Rebecca went out of her way to immediately hop on a call to talk me through it. I always felt like I was her only client, even though she had many others because that’s how dedicated and responsive she was. She is also the kind of person that you just really want to be friends with.
Working with Rebecca and the Menlo team was easily the best decision I’ve made, and I can’t recommend them enough. As stressful as it was, I actually enjoyed the application process and look back at it fondly, as strange as it might sound, and that is all because of Rebecca. Her and Menlo were fundamental in making my dream school a reality and helped me grow professionally and personally. With Menlo, you get what you give. So, if you are truly committed to your application, willing to work insanely hard and make sacrifices, then so are they, they will reciprocate the commitment and hard work and the results will follow!

Rebecca Anderson at Menlo Coaching is a coach who can see the big-picture strategic direction yet also focus on the details, who essentially served as the best project manager I could have had throughout the application process. During our first conversation, Rebecca immediately set me at ease and made it easy to open up and share my background and experiences. These stories and insights were necessary to understand and highlight who I am, but Rebecca’s talent lies in her keen ability to leverage these candid conversations to present the fullest, most compelling picture of her client, which allowed my application to stand out. On top of presenting my best authentic self to the admissions committee, Rebecca ensured that I actively made connections with admissions officers, student groups and current students to both leverages in the application process and help me know that the school of my choice was right for me. Rebecca encouraged me to network consistently and with a broad group of people, prompting me to make numerous connections that have served me well as I build a network with my cohort and alumni. I firmly believe that Rebecca’s help throughout this process was integral to my success and would highly recommend her consultancy.

Rebecca helped me get into my no.1 choice. She was professional, patient and compassionate. She genuinely cares about her client and is a great pleasure to work with. I really appreciate Rebecca’s guidance and support that made my application process more manageable and less stressful. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for top-notch MBA coaching.
Rebecca gave very thoughtful comments and asked good questions that lead me to find new angles and connect the dots. She also gave excellent advice on writing styles. I made multiple iterations of my essays and each time her response time was exceptional, sometimes even at nights and during weekends. Her dedication was a life saver especially when deadlines were approaching.
One time, Rebecca came out of her way to schedule an extra meeting with me to share her personal experience with prioritizing an important deadline and convinced me to make a trade-off between work and application preparation when it became absolutely necessary. I’m really glad that I followed her advice because it would not have worked the other way around given my extensive work hours.
In addition, Menlo’s platform and processes are also exceptional. I found Basecamp to be very intuitive and user-friendly. Alice and Rebecca held a joint call to brainstorm creative ideas for a video essay, and Alice and David helped to give second opinions when needed. Overall I feel extremely supported and well prepared for the essays and interviews.

I highly recommend Rebecca Anderson at Menlo Coaching. Rebecca is extremely knowledgeable, strategic and meticulous. Rebecca had the expertise and experience to identify my unique value proposition and really took the time to help me craft my applications so that my personal and professional qualities shined through. In an environment where the top business schools have thousands of qualified applicants, standing out from the pack is imperative. Rebecca expertly crafted my story in a way that helped the admissions committees see me as the unique individual that I am, and all that I had to offer! In addition, she pushed me to network with the admissions officers to give me an extra edge on top of other applicants. Most importantly, I could tell that Rebecca truly cared about my applications, going above and beyond to help me reach my goals. For instance, she reviewed my choices for recommenders and was able to confidently tell me why I should reach out to and go with others that I hadn’t considered. This turned out to be the right approach due to my unique situation and was something I wasn’t able to identify myself. With Rebecca’s help, I was able to get admitted to 3/3 of the MBA programs that I applied to, including my stretch school. Additionally, I received scholarship money, which is rare for part-time and executive programs. Once I received my offers, Rebecca continued to be involved, helping me with my communication strategy to negotiate decision dates and offers. I can’t recommend her enough. You only get to go through an MBA program once, so make sure you’re not short-changing yourself by not working with someone like Rebecca.