I can say without reservation that if you work with Menlo Coaching, 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). I achieved poor grades early in undergrad (mainly due to maturity issues). I have somewhat of a rough past, and am very un-diverse (ahem, white male). 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 top schools were pretty much zilch. But that’s how I knew I had found the right consultant. No BS or “sure, we can drop an app into Harvard!” 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. The essays were the truest reflection of myself and the highlights of my candidacy. 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. 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 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. Don’t ever count yourself out if you’re an ugly duckling. Yes, the cost of services was not insignificant, but it’s really just a drop in the bucket compared to what I will gain. David was very generous with his time.
