Lainie Blum Cogan

Sr. Consultant & Director

In her 14-year career as an admissions consultant, Lainie has helped hundreds of candidates from around the globe gain admission to top MBA programs. A former teacher and published author, Lainie takes great pleasure in getting to know her clients personally and helping them present their unique stories through the MBA application.

Learn more about how Lainie and her personal approach to MBA admission consulting can help you achieve your goals.

Meet Lainie

I want to work with a consultant who understands non-traditional applicants.

In addition to working with candidates in traditional fields (consulting, finance, and industry), Lainie has years of experience helping military officers, engineers, lawyers, non-profit entrepreneurs, and many other career-changers make their MBA dreams come true. She truly understands the analytical, business, and leadership skills these candidates bring and helps to highlight their added value to prospective business school cohorts.

I want to work with a consultant who can help me uncover and frame the right personal story for my candidacy.

Admissions officers want to understand how your experiences and personal values have shaped your professional life and your future goals. This reflective component of the application does not come naturally to most applicants, and crafting compelling stories in an authentic voice is one of the most difficult undertakings in MBA admissions. Lainie’s patience, open-mindedness, and curiosity will leave no stone unturned in developing a cohesive narrative that ties your application together. From brainstorming and data mining to crafting unique, effective essays, Lainie will help you discover – and present to the AdComs – what makes you, your career path, and your dreams to change the world so special.

If You Want M7 – Look No Further Than Lainie!

“Lainie helped make my dreams come true – simple as that! The unconditional support, mentorship, advice, and constructive feedback that she provided me with were monumental in helping me secure an offer at my dream school – CBS in New York! Plus, she is the most organized person I have worked with and was there for me 24/7 with any questions I asked (which were a ton).”

Class of 2025 Admit

I want to work with a consultant who will accommodate my busy schedule and manage the  process to empower me to deliver my best.

Always calm, direct, and responsive, Lainie will help you cross the finish line with maximal efficiency, minimal stress, and optimal results. You will always feel that you are her top priority.

“Lainie Is The Absolute Best – I Could Not Have Done It Without Her”

“I worked with Lainie for the class of 2025 applications and had a wonderful experience. I’ve been accepted to HBS and Wharton (with a large scholarship) in R1, and could not have done it without her! Lainie is always responsive, timely, and honest. She is a perfectionist and isn’t afraid to push me on areas where I needed improvement. Her 15+ years of experience in being an admissions consultant really showed throughout the application process, because she knew what story would resonate with admissions and what would be considered ‘generic.'”

Class of 2025 Admit

I want to work with a consultant who can connect me to a network of former clients from all the best programs in a wide variety of professional fields.

Lainie’s personal network spans 14 years, a dozen countries of origin, every top MBA program, and a variety of professional fields. She will connect you with invaluable resources to advise your career path and strengthen your school research.

I want a consultant who can help me apply to a double-degree program.

Lainie has years of experience helping clients like you gain admission to such programs as MIT LGO, Kellogg MMM, Harvard’s MS/MBA, MBA programs that partner with the Harvard Kennedy School, and more. She can help you weigh the benefits of applying to specialized programs and to present your unique qualifications in the best possible way.

“You Need Lainie!!!”

“I cannot speak highly enough of my experience working with Lainie and the Menlo Coaching team! I started working with Lainie for Round 1 admissions in April 2022, and she was with me every step of the way from school selection, resume building, essay writing, interview practice, and scholarship negotiations – and all other moments of stress and nerves. It was easy to forget that I actually wasn’t her only client; Lainie is that focused on you, and becomes an expert on every facet of you throughout the time you work with her.”

Class of 2025 Admit

Hear from Lainie’s Clients


 


Meet Your MBA Admissions Consulting Dream Team



David White
Founding Partner

Obinna Arizor portrait
Obinna Arizor
Sr. Consultant

Jarrett Brandon Early
Sr. Admissions Consultant



Alice van Harten
Alice Van Harten, PhD
Founding Partner

Leslie Monstavicius
Leslie Monstavicius, PhD
Sr. Admissions Consultant

Expert MBA Admissions Consultant, Joy Pincus
Joy Pincus
Sr. Consultant & Director



Rebecca Heath Anderson
Rebecca Anderson, MBA
Sr. Consultant & Director

Pascal Michels, MBA
Sr. Consultant & Director

Brooke Mannelly
Sr. Admissions Consultant



Yaron Dahan, Expert Admissions Consultant
Yaron Dahan
Expert Consultant & Director

Maya Parikh Gandhi
Sr. Admissions Consultant

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