tl:dr I was accepted at 3 T20 FTMBA programs (with money at 2), waitlisted at 2, and will be attending my dream school in the fall.

In my search for an admissions consultant, it was important to me that the reviews I read through were genuine and authentic. Though there isn’t a secret sauce to identifying these, key characteristics immediately jumped out for David’s reviews: long, detailed reviews that couldn’t have been completed in a minute; the human side of David that every single person raved about; and, reviewers specifically talking about the enjoyment of the process (and NOT, just the prestige of the admit results). But in actually working with David, I realized a few other things.

1. Full service nature - Because David and his team are with you from the moment you begin working with them until your last scholarship negotiation, you can take comfort in the fact that he is just as invested in seeing you succeed as much as you want to. And because he’s with you every step of your application journey, you can rest assured that there will be few, if any, stones unturned that will ensure who you are as an applicant is fully displayed to its potential. Because of Menlo’s expertise and resources, I was never having to second guess the comments and feedback that I received. And any qualms you can take off of your mind during this process are so vital and important.

2. Timely and thorough feedback - Because there are so many different parts to a successfully admitted application (and interview process), having to complete all of the tasks could seem overwhelming. But knowing that I didn’t have to wait many days for turnaround really put me at ease as I continued to work through. And when there were assignments I was apprehensive about doing or didn’t quite know how to approach, I simply sought out advice from David, and he’d respond in a very simple to understand way that made the task at hand far less daunting.

3. # of clients/1:1 relationship - Because David doesn’t continue to take on client after client after client just for the money grab, the attentiveness that is shown to you really shines through (as exemplified in the two prior points). It goes further than that though. There was a calmness within me whenever I interacted with David, knowing that he wasn’t taking in more clients than he could handle, thus, having less time for me, thus making me stress out even more about the application process. None of that. That to me, is one of the most important differentiators when you’re looking for an admissions consultant.

One regret that I have? Not working with David sooner. Having done so probably would have helped my long-term health in not having had to stress as much as I had beforehand.

Stop your search, and just schedule that initial consultation. Trust me.

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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 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 my 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!

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Working with Yaron has been a fantastic experience. As a business owner, I faced many challenges while applying to business schools including a tight work schedule and a less than ideal GMAT score. Despite these setbacks, Yaron provided intelligent and honest feedback in a very timely manner. I knew I wanted to get an MBA, but working with Menlo, I was able to articulate my story while connecting the dots in a very effective way. With a powerful story, I had more confidence approaching other parts of the application process such as the networking, which initially seemed daunting. With this new sense of confidence, many new opportunities opened up and Yaron, with his honesty, definitely kept me on track. With his response time being so quick, I was pushed to work faster, leading to seven well executed applications. He guided me through every phase of the process from helping me decide which schools to apply to, to negotiating scholarships with the four schools I received offers from. I was impressed with how well structured the process was and the amount of insight Menlo Coaching offered during every step. If I had to do it all over again, I would certainly use Menlo. None of the other firms seemed as good or as personal. I was so pleased with my work with Yaron that even after I got accepted, I continued to work with Menlo for recruiting.

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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) touchpoints 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 ~12 hour 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.

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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 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.

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David and his team at Menlo Coaching were instrumental in helping me get into Wharton & CBS despite the limited preparation time (started in Q3 without a first attempt at GMAT). David quickly demystified the entire process and highlighted what really mattered to the adcom team at the different schools. This allowed me to focus my time and energy on the aspects that maximized my chance of admission. What I really appreciated are:

1)100% focused on you: Starting from the initial chat, David had a genuine interest in my background and helped me identify the qualities that differentiate me from other applicants. He made sure that every part of my application was highly relevant and presented an angle of me that altogether contributed to the strongest possible application that I could have.

2) Never settle for less: There were times when I felt that I presented a well drafted essay, but David came back with more questions, probing deeper and deeper for my story. It was definitely a good introspective process. I could see how my drafts got more powerful and yet authentic each time.

3)Timeliness: I really appreciate the quick turnaround and knew that I could always rely on David.

Knowing my career goals, David has also connected me with a few people in the industry that I am interested in.

David is a remarkable MBA coach and I strongly recommend Menlo Coaching to anyone who is navigating the MBA application process.

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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 reapplicant, the results speak for themselves) and I can guarantee you won't either. 

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The last 12 months were a whirlwind: getting promoted, application essays, interviewing at ALL dual MS/MBA programs I applied to, navigating waitlists, and securing (deferred) enrollment at a top choice. David simultaneously was the subject matter expert, coach, project manager, and supporter that ensured I got the best possible outcome from my applications. David and the Menlo Coaching team were absolutely worth the price for me, with the biggest value from:

Time saved and well-spent; knowing the limited amount of time I could spend in a given week on applications was absolutely focused on the most impactful improvements. In the middle of working on applications, a family illness caused me to have to take 4x unplanned roundtrips across the country. Additionally, I was working toward a promotion at my job and didn’t have much time to spare. David and the team’s working arrangement with clients saved me; I was able to work on my essays ~1-2 hours a day and return the next day with the clear to-do list of edits or rewrites. Being able to sit down after a long day of work and have clear action items was a huge time and stress saver. Looking back, I’m incredibly grateful I was able to fulfill my family obligations, secure the promotion, and successfully apply to graduate programs; David enabled that to happen and that was more than worth the price (and objectively, Menlo’s fee was covered and more by the raise I got with the promo).

100% peace of mind that I submitted the strongest application I could: I applied to dual degree programs at the three most selective U.S. business schools. David’s expertise, particularly with my background as a software engineer, was well utilized as he was able to identify parts of my application that needed to be clarified or repositioned, depending on whether that section was to be read by an MBA adcom or the MS adcom. I was initially wary of consultants, as it was incredibly important that the essays were 100% my own; I ended up thrilled that with David, I got constructive, clear and prompt feedback on my essays but given the space to rewrite and fix in my own voice. I knew I had a decent profile with a few rough edges, but would benefit greatly from hands-on essay guidance and the result was excellent essays that I was proud of.

Guidance and coaching: throughout the process, David provided encouragement and context around the different nuances of admission. This was particularly valuable in this admissions season, as COVID-19 caused schools to rapidly adapt and change; David’s calm voice, advice, and network provided clarity as I navigated the waitlists and deferral options.

I absolutely recommend David and the team – they were a huge part of my success and sanity over the last year, and the results are undeniable.

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Working with Yaron, and Menlo coaching, was one of the best decisions I have made throughout the MBA application process. As someone coming from a lower-ranked undergraduate school without a prestigious resume, I knew that I was fighting an uphill battle from the start. However, with Yaron’s constant guidance, shockingly fast turnaround times, and his deep understanding of story, I was able to get fantastic admits at multiple programs.

Yaron’s biggest strength is that he understands how to tell a story. Yaron was able to ask me the right questions and to help me understand what my MBA goals were and how to tell my story to the admissions committee. As I started working on my essays, I realized the time zone difference was an advantage, with Yaron turning things around as I slept or while I was at work.

In times where Yaron was a little uncertain on how to advise me, he quickly brought in other consultants with subject-matter expertise. I’d recommend Yaron, and Menlo to anyone who is willing to do the hard work needed to get into a top MBA program and who needs help navigating the incredibly demanding and time-consuming MBA application process.

Another great advantage of the Menlo program I wish to highlight is the group sessions with the community of peers who are applying at the same time, and the Menlo network. Through Menlo’s network, I was able to connect with students and alumni, who were extraordinarily helpful, and this was an unexpected benefit of working with Menlo.

As a result of my work with Yaron, I was able to punch above my weight and was accepted into five of the eight top-10 programs I applied to. I couldn’t be more excited by the results, which I could not have gotten without Menlo. When I see my peers who have been accepted to the same top-tier MBA programs as I, I am often the only one in the room who didn’t work for MBB consulting, a bulge bracket bank, and didn’t have an Ivy League education. It is thanks to the guidance and insights of Yaron and Menlo that I got the results I did.

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I was accepted to Wharton, Stern (with full scholarship), and Ross (with $$). David helped make my MBA admission dreams come true!

Looking back to when I was first researching MBA consultants, I was hesitant about the price, but I KNOW now that David and Menlo Coaching were worth every penny. He exceeded my expectations as an MBA coach. Not only did he provide the services that I expected (with recommendations, essays, interviewing, etc.), but he helped me beyond what I was paying for. David helped me develop a very sensitive, personal story (that I have only shared with a handful of people including David) into essays that I am still proud of and gave me guidance with multiple, unexpected issues that came up at my job, including one that I was concerned would affect my MBA candidacy. He gave me the advice I needed to handle these problems at work and still produce the best applications with great results!

I believe in David and Menlo’s work and have been referring David to my friends and co-workers who are thinking about going to business school. One of my best friends is currently working with him now.

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