Menlo Coaching Reviews

While I have had the plan of attaining my MBA since high school, only recently did I have an idea of why I wanted to do so. David helped me immensely in crafting my story for the application process especially considering my non traditional (engineering) background. He provided me with an unbiased opinion of areas to improve to give me the greatest results from the process. While I had done my own research initially into application strategy, David helped to clarify the goal of each individual piece, i.e. what I should be communicating in the essays or how to present myself in the interview. Even from the initial sessions I could tell that David was concerned with my success throughout the entire application process. David is also extremely knowledgeable about the different programs’ strengths and weaknesses, providing observations that are not biased by the lens of current students or the admissions office. This led me to apply to programs that I had not originally considered. Overall I cannot recommend David enough!

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In round 2 of last season, I applied to several top full-time programs with limited success, being waitlisted and eventually accepted at one top 10 program but not my top choice. In 2018, I re-applied and was admitted to my top choice Booth. I improved my GMAT score; however, working with Alice and Menlo Coaching drove my success. I don’t think I’d be in my fortunate situation without their help. There are several benefits working with Alice and the Menlo team, which I’d distill into two major buckets. First, they help peel back the layers of your life story and help craft a unique and compelling story. When it comes to packaging your story into essays, they guide you with achieving the perfect balance of building a narrative and the necessary details while adhering to the prompt’s constraints. Second, they coach you with how to best position yourself to adcoms throughout the admissions process, including avoiding pitfalls that can be repellant (many of which I unconsciously did my first attempt). The preparation makes you very confident. Beyond the valuable support and coaching, working with Alice and team was a truly pleasurable experience in every aspect. They are empathetic, responsive, thoughtful and invested in your success. Also, and while I didn’t need it to be sold, it’s hard to have more impressive credentials than Alice and her team (all went to M7 schools, Alice is a GSB grad who received offers from each MBB firm and received a scholarship for her PhD – she knows how to navigate the process) Without getting too in the weeds, Menlo’s business model also is the best economically. I applied to multiple schools and would have paid 2x if I went down the route of the fixed cost model other organizations offer. If I were to go through the process again, I wouldn’t do anything differently. I couldn’t have stronger praise for Alice and the Menlo team.

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Like many others, I spent quite a bit of time researching various consultants and deliberated on who to pick once I had narrowed the list down. I chose Alice because I found her to be both knowledgable and committed to my success. Right from the free consultation, Alice focused on identifying the gaps in my profile and how to weave a successful story. Most importantly, she did this in a professional yet thoughtful way where I always felt comfortable and in control of the process. What truly set her apart for me was her ability to understand who I am and what makes me unique. When submitting my application, I was confident that I was submitting a strong and truthful narrative about myself that was not at all obvious to me when I first started the process. While I had the suspicion that other consultants approached my application as business transaction or tried to sell my achievements back to me for their service, Alice always listened first and answered honestly. She replied very promptly (often after work hours) and often went the extra mile. Pick Alice as she will advise you with integrity and provide sound guidance. The application requires hard work and dedication but Alice (and David) will match what you put in. Having now been accepted to 4 of the 5 global top 10 schools that I applied to, I am confident Menlo Coaching can get you wherever you want to go.

Note - I had reached out to Alice directly when looking for a consultant as she was referred to me by an acquaintance. However, during the admissions process, I also worked with David and am entirely confident you would be in good hands with any of their consultants.

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I should have turned to David as soon as I started working on my applications!

David is one of the most professional, knowledgeable, and experienced admissions consultants I know. His help and guidance stretched beyond our work on interview prep. Alice and David are very nice people and offer help to their alumni before and after the schools starts.

Although initially I reached David in June during my initial DD, we only started working together when I received first interview invitations. I was too late to become Menlo’s “full package” student (places fill very quickly!), but David was accommodating and, in my case, agreed to do interview mocks for one of the Top-3 US schools. Moreover, he agreed to look at the essays for the schools I prepared earlier in the process and provided valuable feedback. I wish I turned for his help before sending those essays to the schools! After receiving offers from the schools, David offered extensive feedback on the results, and provided support as I was making this (very tough) decision.

Enough said, Menlo are the right guys doing the right thing. Some things they tell you might make you feel uncomfortable, but that’s exactly why you want to hire them, as Alice and David will show how to strengthen your weaker areas. So don’t make the same mistake I made, and reach David and Alice as early in the process as possible to learn how they can help you.

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I simply cannot recommend David enough. When I began the MBA application process I felt that my career background and demographics were going to lead me on an uphill journey with questionable success. Initial conversations with other consultants went one of two ways: sugarcoating my chances or telling me I was wasting my time applying to top full time programs. From the first conversation with David I knew I was in good hands. He helped me clarify my career path and demonstrate the transferable skills that I had from my previous career experience. His feedback on school selection was always tailored to what was important to me, the experience of attending school with a family, and making a significant career switch. Our work on my essays was efficient and authentic. I never felt that I lost my voice in the process, David simply showed me how to get my story on paper in a way that was only possible because of the significant work done ahead of time to get to know my background, strengths, aspirations, etc. Having been invited to interview with 5 top programs I can also confirm that everything David did to prepare me for interviews was spot on. I can now happily report that I was offered spots at multiple top programs, with scholarships at each school, and will be attending Darden on a full scholarship, which is absolutely incredible for someone who comes to the table with a previous career that was far from lucrative as well as attending school with a family. For anyone coming from a non-traditional background I can say that you can work with nobody better than David and Menlo Coaching!

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I would like to share my experience working with Menlo Coaching and David White.
Executive Summary
I can say without reservation that if you work with Menlo Coaching, whether it's David or Alice, you will be able to craft your story in the best way possible to elevate your candidacy and produce writing that you can truly be proud of. You'll have someone in your corner who sees you and your MBA candidacy far more accurately than you can see it yourself- and you'll have someone who can help you shape your application materials to be the best they can possibly be. This, along with a little luck, can get you results that will surprise you (in the good, life-changing way).
About me
I’m far from being the perfect candidate for a top-MBA program. I achieved poor grades early in undergrad (mainly due to maturity issues). Although I made my best attempt to pull my grades up my final two years, I still came out with a GPA that would be significantly lower than a top-MBA program’s average. I have somewhat of a rough past, and am very un-diverse (ahem, white male). Currently I’m an engineer working in the defense industry. I’m good with numbers, but not words, and MBA applications use a lot of words. I knew it was going to be an uphill battle, and I needed a tailwind. I read some incredible reviews on this site for Menlo Coaching, contacted them, and was lucky enough to get David White as my consultant. David has spent several years working in tech in Silicon Valley, and knows the landscape of the tech world quite well- so our working relationship was a good match, professionally and culturally, since my goal was to make it into the tech industry.
Intro Call
David gave a clear picture of exactly what is going on with top MBA programs: elite employers rely on MBA programs to pre-screen the pool for top candidates, so they know they’re not wasting time when it comes to recruiting those candidates. Yes- you learn extremely useful practical business knowledge and build the all-important network- but I’d say the main thing is that elite employers use it as a screen.
Kickoff
Our first order of business was to find out everything about me, and get all of my cards on the table. This took the form of an hour kick-off phone call with David, where I shared with him the story of my life (seriously, starting from early childhood): how I decided that engineering was for me, why I chose the undergrad that I did, any struggles I had, and what I wanted out of my career. This laid the foundation for essay material, and also helped with school selection- which came next.
School Selection
David and Alice have a pretty good idea about how the schools differ, and intuitively know where your best chances may be. I thought I knew the schools I wanted to apply to, but I didn’t hear what I wanted to hear from David. He gave an honest assessment that my chances at the tippy-top schools were pretty much zilch. But that’s how I knew I had found the right consultant. No funny stuff or “sure, we can drop an app into Harvard!” I didn't want to choose the 'wrong' school and one that wasn't a good fit for me. David and I chose schools that I truly wanted to attend, and I think this sentiment came out in my essays and helped me. Yes, it's important that you go to a great top-ranked school to be successful, but you'll be even more successful if you go to a top-ranked school that's the right fit for you.
Essays and Applications
The material shared in our initial conversation was combined with my goals and the product was a goal statement of sorts, which ALL of the applications required, whether it was 150 characters or 150 words. This was an important piece- "packaging" me such that it made sense that I'm transitioning to the career I wanted. David knew that schools cared about this, because ultimately they are concerned with employment numbers, which are important metrics that go into their rankings. David helped take my engineering and programming background and craft it into a palpable statement arguing that I'm a good candidate for the technology sector but I lack business knowledge needed for product management (true). David also helped me craft a resume that concisely communicated the best of my professional accomplishments and my competencies as an engineer. Menlo Coaching's approach to essay and short response writing is very efficient. I'd start with some bullet points (shooting in the dark) of what I thought were good topics or points to make, and David would filter those to the 'best' items. Then came a few drafts, each becoming more polished and concise and natural with diligence between myself and David and the editor. I was particularly fascinated with the quality of my essays in the end. I was also impressed that the essays were the truest reflection of myself and the highlights of my candidacy. Additionally, getting down to the right word count (a pain in the ass) was something that David and I working together were able to achieve with relative ease.
GMAT
During all of this, David kept encouraging me to retake the GMAT based on my practice test scores, and directed me to a tutor that ultimately proved to be the best decision I made with respect to GMAT prep. I studied hundreds of hours for the exam (I know because I kept track!) and my efforts finally came to fruition with a score that was above every school’s average except Stanford’s.
Visits and Interviews
David encouraged me to visit all the schools I was applying to ahead of time (before interviews), something I'll admit was a big expense but something that definitely moved the needle for me. It helped me speak with authority about why that school was the right fit for me. David also prepped me for interviews (I interviewed at all 4 schools I applied to) via skype, and we got my responses to where I was confident to field any question, but not at all canned or scripted. It helped. David has executive experience in the tech world, and been on both sides of the interview table a LOT.
Outcomes
So back to my main point: I was somewhat of a longshot at the schools I applied to- I have some obvious holes in my candidacy that would make it easy for an admissions director to throw me in the ding pile without second thought. But with David and Menlo Coaching I was able to do each little thing right- the visits, the essays, the GMAT, the interviews- and while individually those things may not have moved the needle enough, together [I believe] they turned the tide. I applied to four schools, interviewed at all four, and was accepted to 2 out 4 of those schools- one top-12 program and one top-10 program. This fall I will be attending a top-10 school that was absolutely a reach for me and is my dream. I'm amazed and proud of what David and I were able to accomplish with a shit ton of hard work and competent execution. I'm convinced that I gave it my best shot and got into a first-rate school that's a terrific fit for me. I left everything out on the battlefield and at the same time I had a lot of help from David. Don’t ever count yourself out if you’re an ugly duckling.
Other Thoughts
Yes, the cost of services was not insignificant, but it also wasn’t far off from the average of what other consultancies charge. But I’m in this thing for the long haul, and it’s really just a drop in the bucket compared to what I will gain, pecuniary and otherwise. David was very generous with his time, and the services ended up being cheaper than what I had projected.
I'd recommend contacting David or Alice ASAP (at least 5-7 months before deadlines) to land a coveted spot on their client list. My journey began about 12 months ago, when I was in your shoes, reading this same thread from 2017. Good luck, and reach out to Menlo Coaching.

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David and I first made contact around last March. I had talked to a few other consultants beforehand, and I told myself that I wasn’t going to let the stellar reviews for Menlo bias my approach – I was committed to talking to each consultant with a blank slate and pick the one that was the best for me. It quickly became apparent that there is a reason that Menlo is rated so highly – David showed a deep understanding of my story and I could already tell that he would help me craft a compelling narrative.

After confirming my intent to work with him, we narrowed down a list of a few schools to apply to Round 1 and began working on the essays in June. I appreciate that David really took the time to understand my story and helped me craft a narrative that was both genuine and compelling. I appreciate that David sets an extremely high bar – there were many times where I felt that my essay was good enough, only for David to ask me to write a few more drafts, and the result was noticeably better. When I submitted my applications, I genuinely believed that I had a chance to get admitted to each school that I applied to because of the high quality of the applications. After submitting the essays, I received interview invites to several of the top schools and felt that the interviews all went well.

So I was somewhat surprised on the downside when I didn’t get into some of the schools that I felt confident in. David continued to encourage me and picked me up when I was feeling down, and I did eventually get admitted into a M7 school with money. Although I did eventually get into a great school, I got dinged by several schools that I had confidence in and I think my process was probably tougher than that of some of the others that have written reviews here. So I wanted to write the review to paint a full picture and emphasize that there are no guarantees – it’s almost like a game of poker in that one could do everything right and still not get the desired result. But I do believe that I submitted the best application that I could’ve and there was nothing more that I could’ve done, and I attribute much of that to David and I could not recommend him more.

Finally, David sent me a complimentary bottle of wine to celebrating getting an M7 acceptance. For those of you reading and contemplating, I would recommend reaching out to David ASAP and I hope that you will eventually get a bottle of wine from him too!

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I could not have made it through this process without David’s guidance. David was highly effective in making certain I put forward the best application possible and that I was fully prepared for each of my interviews. For me, going into the process my highest concern was lack of a cohesive, personal story. David helped me pull this narrative from my experiences and career trajectory and helped me to realize the importance of personal branding and presenting stories in a compelling fashion. Additionally, he took the time to speak with one of my friends to help get an understanding of how others view me. Importantly, he balanced constructive feedback with support.

Personally, I went into the process with the expectation that I may be able to “get away” without having to pay for a consultant. Pairing a strong support network of individuals willing to read and edit essays, with friends at each of my target programs, I wasn’t certain the investment would pay off. Looking back after my process I couldn’t have been more wrong. David helped me to put my best foot forward at each of the individual programs (landing me interviews at Kellogg, Booth, Wharton, GSB). This is an important distinction, particularly for people applying to more than three schools. Each of the programs is different and it’s important for you to highlight the pieces of your story that are most compelling to the individual programs – I couldn’t think of anyone better than David to help with that personal, reflective process. Highly recommend.

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I had the pleasure of working with Alice for my deferred MBA applications.

From the very start, Alice was extremely realistic and candid about my chances at the schools I was targeting, which I appreciated. Before working on the essays and the bulk of the application, I liked how Alice spent time strategizing our approach, getting me to put thoughts on paper, and really getting to know me (beyond just my resume / activities / profile). I would look forward to my calls with her, and within a few weeks I felt like I was conversing with someone I would consider more than just a coach or mentor. Her guidance is what allowed me to come up with a story that captured the essence of who I am, and her warm personality made the (long) process of figuring that out enjoyable.

Alice and her team work on EACH and EVERY aspect of the application, whether that be selecting recommenders, proofreading the final application, or preparing you for the interview. It was very easy to bounce ideas off her and get her advice for somewhat unrelated stuff as well; e.g. she helped me out with some of my job-related stuff, because she cared about me beyond my applications.

Everything worked out splendidly in the end, and I got an acceptance from Booth! This definitely would not have been possible without Alice. I cannot recommend Alice and Menlo Coaching highly enough!

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