I decided to apply to business school fairly late in the game (~6 weeks before my first application was due). I had fortunately taken the GMAT a few years prior, but I knew I had a long way to go in order to hit my deadline: crafting a story, resume, essays, recommendations, etc.

Faced with a daunting task, I determined that using a consultant would be highly beneficial. After speaking with a number of firms, I chose Katherine and Vantage Point because they took time to get to know me, did not have a one-size-fits-all approach, and encouraged me to apply to the schools I wanted.

Katherine was instrumental in keeping me on track, offering me sound advice, and helping me reach my full potential. In just over a month, we established a credible story and produced essays that were, in my opinion, excellent (I hadn't written much more than an email in 5+ years).

I ultimately applied to 3 top programs with Katherine's assistance and am happy to say that I received substantial scholarship to 1 of the 3 (I knew the others were a stretch at the onset). There is no way that I would have had the same outcome without her help - I can recommend Katherine and Vantage Point without hesitation.

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

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I purchased the four school comprehensive package from Vantage Point and worked with Eileen Chao over a period 6 months to complete my applications. I talked to various MBA consultants prior to choosing Vantage Point and what stood out to me the most about Vantage Point, was their genuine desire to see applicants succeed and personable touch.

Eileen Chao was instrumental in helping me navigate the business school application process from beginning to end. From the start, Eileen went the extra mile to get to know me as an applicant and help me craft a unique story in my application. We started by framing my story and went through several revisions of essays to make sure they were perfect by submission. When I received my interview invites, Eileen conducted several mock interviews to make sure I was prepped and ready. Throughout this process, Eileen was extremely supportive and really helped me stay calm during this rather stressful period. After months of preparation and guidance from Eileen, I was admitted to NYU Stern (my #1 choice!) and I know I would not have been able to accomplish this goal with her by my side. I highly recommend working with Vantage Point and Eileen Chao!

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The hourly services at Vantage Point were the perfect fit for what I needed in the application process. Going into the applications, I felt I had a strong GMAT score and reason for applying to school but needed help with the essays. I had a lower college GPA, so knew I needed to write really strong essays to have a chance at getting in. Melody was great at helping me from the brainstorming process through multiple drafts on different topics to the final polishing to make sure everything was "submit" ready. She was also very helpful in answering my one-off questions as I continued through the process, even after we had wrapped up our final hour. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for help and direction with the overall application!

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I worked with Katherine over a period of four months to submit five applications (HBS, Wharton, Booth, Kellogg, NYU). I used a comprehensive package for one (Wharton) and hourly services for the rest. She was absolutely instrumental in my successful admission to three out of the five (Booth, Kellogg, NYU). Her approach is logical, straightforward, organized, and direct, which is exactly what I needed. I came to her after spending 5 months trying to figure out my “story” on my own, and she helped me choose the right thing after just one hour-long session together. (Seriously, she’s amazing!) Working with her, I had complete confidence that every detail of my application would be addressed on time. She does a great job editing essays without actually writing any part of them – I came out of the process knowing that my essays were mine completely, but she provided the right leading feedback to make sure that they would be received well. She is also fantastic at ensuring you get what you want out of working with her – she gave recommendations on how much time to spend on each application, how many hours to purchase, and how to use our time together to the fullest. Lastly, she’s continued to be a support to me throughout my decision-making process, even though that’s not technically part of the service, which makes me feel like she’s genuinely invested in my success.

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Eileen was crucial to my application process. She really pushed me when I started to doubt myself and always provided valuable feedback. We took a lot of time upfront to hone my story based on my unique experiences and my future goals. So, when it came to the essays and interviewers I had a strong sense of my story and goals. Eileen’s experience with non-traditional students and her understanding of what reviewers were looking for helped me feel confident going into the application and interview process.

In addition, Eileen is extremely flexible when it comes to scheduling review times. I had an unexpected family emergency while preparing for Round 1 applications, and she was incredibly understanding and scheduled review times that were reasonable for my situation and to meet my application deadlines.

Eileen, also helped me focus in on the kind of school I wanted to attend. She helped me see which characteristics and elements were important to me and my goals and helped me find the right fit. I am happy to say that I was accepted into my first choice!

I am grateful to have worked with Eileen and to have learned from her expertise. Her enthusiastic energy is contagious and refreshing. Her positive attitude and ability to calm me down during this entire process was just as vital as the actual content of my applications. I highly recommend Eileen to anyone looking for a true partner during their application process. Thank you Eileen - you’re a rock star!

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

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I had the pleasure of working with Melody on two Round 1 applications to top 10 programs. I had unsuccessfully applied to several top programs last year and was unsure of why I had been rejected as my GPA/GMAT/undergrad school were strong and I felt I had interesting work experience. While I had initially been reluctant to use an admissions consultant due to the cost, it was definitely a worthwhile investment. I worked with Melody on an hourly basis, which worked well for me as I already knew the schools to which I intended to apply. I was impressed with Melody’s efficiency, as well as the quality of her feedback, and appreciated her regular updates on the time spent on various items.
Melody helped me first by doing a quick review of a few my applications from last year and pinpointing that I stood to improve the most by strengthening my resume, stating career goals that better justified the need for an MBA, and writing more compelling and specific essays. We spent most of our time on resume edits, career goal articulation, and essay reviews and edits.
The previous application cycle showed me just how competitive it is to gain admission to top MBA programs, and not knowing many people familiar with the MBA process, it was invaluable for me to have Melody’s insight into the admissions process and candid feedback on my resume, goals, and essay drafts. Additionally, Melody was always quick to respond and open to answering any questions I had about the admissions process.
I was admitted to a top 10 program with a scholarship that more than makes up for the cost of working with a consultant and truly believe Melody’s help in developing a strong, polished application helped me gain admission with a scholarship. I highly recommend working with her!

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Eileen was instrumental in helping with business school applications. Before working together, Eileen takes the time to get to know you and understand your goals. She is incredibly personable, encouraging throughout an otherwise stressful process, and intelligent. She provided extremely insightful feedback that truly strengthened my essays. She also provided very constructive feedback and helpful interview tips after conducting interview prep; I had very successful interviews at both schools after following her recommendations from our feedback session. Eileen caters to whatever schedule you are on and is very timely in her feedback. She made this process less stressful and less intimidating. I was admitted to both schools I applied to with scholarships. I would undoubtedly recommend Eileen for any step in the business school application process!

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Vantage Point has a very strong comprehensive school package to help craft your story and think through an individual's strategic positioning (and how that should vary from school to school). Being a bit late in the GMAT and application process and wanting to submit applications in R1, Katherine was very supportive in proactively identifying areas that I could knock off early while preparing to take the GMAT (ordering transcripts, brainstorming for essays, etc.).

Katherine was incredibly helpful throughout the entire application process and, coming from a similar work background, was able to help identify my truly differentiating experiences. Katherine applied the perfect balance of pressure as well to make sure I was appropriately prepared to meet deadlines, and had thought through anything and everything for the application and interview processes. Katherine's guidance in that regard was very beneficial in maintaining clarity on the application process since I often get tied down in projects at work, so setting milestones and having reminder emails and catch-up calls along the way was definitely useful. In addition, Katherine only takes on a handful of MBA applicants each round, which you can absolutely feel in the level of engagement shown and support provided throughout the entire process.

I have heard mixed reviews from others on their experiences with MBA consultants, but I can confidently say that in hindsight I would absolutely work with Katherine and Vantage Point again, and would highly recommend her to others.

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