Alice van Harten Reviews

I initially got to know Alice and Menlo coaching through recommendations from two of my friends, who both worked with Alice in their respective application cycles and received great results (one HBS admit and another CBS admit). I participated in the Early Bird program and Alice has always been my primary contact. As a member of the Early Bird program, I started learning about admission basics and planning my applications way in advance (more than one year before the R1 deadline in 2019). Alice has been extremely instrumental in this process - we spent hours on the phone going through my personal stories and she pushed me very hard to reflect on my experiences and find unique angles in my story. Without the help from Alice, I would not have been able to craft a great essay which I used for my HBS application. Another perks of working with Menlo is that you get to receive inputs from other team members as well. During the summer before R1 deadline, I was able to work with Alice and Leslie at the same time. It benefited me tremendously as I can get support almost 24 x 7 - I am based in Asia and I can always get feedback on my essay / get my questions answered within a short period of time. Moreover, Alice and Leslie both have their own specialties, and I benefited from both of them.

Overall, Alice and her team are truly amazing - they are extremely knowledgable about the MBA application and they can offer you candid and sharp feedback on your plan / school selection / application materials. They are also very easy to work with, and they genuinely care about you and your applications. I would highly recommend Alice and the Menlo team to anyone who is seriously considering apply for MBA, especially for the top schools.

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I decided to start working with Menlo Coaching in January of 2019 and worked with Alice for almost a year. All throughout the year, Alice and her team really pushed me to go beyond what I thought was possible. For example, when I signed with Menlo, I had a 740 GMAT, and they pushed me to study some more and take it again. Additionally, Alice and her team were willing to work with me on a daily basis for months on end. I sent her drafts for the essays, and we went through dozens of drafts. Additionally, she helped me on 8 schools, of which I earned an interview with 6, and admission at 4.

As someone who has never worked at a particularly prestigious or attended a selective college, I was over the moon to be admitted to Tuck, Ross, Johnson, and Vanderbilt, with big scholarships (including two full rides). Menlo Coaching pushed me and hopefully my career to new heights!

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As a somewhat non-traditional MBA applicant trying to figure out how to navigate the process, I reached out to Menlo Coaching for a consultation and was recommended to join their "Early Bird" program. It could not have been a better fit for me, as I was given plenty of time (nearly a year) to understand more about the MBA in general and truly consider what I was looking for in a program and how to market myself in my applications. Through meeting with Alice and Leslie and speaking about my entire life story for nearly two hours, we were able to distill some salient points, stories, and themes from which to attack essays and shape my overall applicant profile. Further, in this earlier time period I was able to work with Alice to polish my resume and specifically tailor it towards the MBA application, visit all my target schools knowing what to look for and prepared with questions to ask, and even get a head-start on essay writing before the non-"Early Bird" clients started! For anyone still unsure about some (or ALL!) parts of the application process, I couldn't recommend the Early Bird program any more highly.

After thinking about what I was looking for in a program and working with Alice to narrow down my choices, I ended up applying to 7 programs - which might seem like a few too many - so that extra Early Bird time was extremely helpful. I was able to write at least 4 or 5 drafts of every essay without ever feeling truly rushed. Alice and Leslie were both very punctual with their feedback, rarely taking more than 24 hours to respond to my questions or newly edited versions of essays. Being based in the Netherlands, Alice usually responded to me (in California) overnight, which provided for a seamless workflow. Of the 7 programs, I received interviews for 5, and felt extremely prepared thanks to MC's provided flashcards and a 1-on-1 session with a communications coach who works with them. (Love you, Eduardo!) Eventually I walked away from the process with 3 acceptances, one of which offered a full tuition scholarship!

Lastly, working with Alice and the larger MC team was enjoyable and, dare I say, FUN...as fun as applying to MBA programs can be, anyway. Knowing how few clients MC takes on overall made me feel secure in knowing Alice would have the time and energy to devote herself fully to my success throughout the process. She really got to know me and my story, and was able to tailor her feedback to resonate with me. As the process cranked into high gear, we developed an effective working rhythm, and were able to share plenty of anecdotes and laughs along the way. Having Alice in my corner was truly indispensable, and I can't thank her enough.

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I had chatted with 15-20 consultants in the year leading up to business school, and what immediately stood out about Alice was her sense of empathy and respect for my personal story. Alice never tried to fit me into a cookie-cutter template of what a business school application should look like; rather, she carefully listened to my experiences and ensured her advice stayed authentic to who I was.

Alice took a holistic approach to my application. Beyond writing essays, Alice suggested extracurricular activities, additional experiences at work, and ways to deepen my understanding of each school. This gave us much more content to work with when it came time to writing essays and ensured each element of my application worked together to create a cohesive application.

While I worked directly with Alice, I also benefited from the power of the entire Menlo team. I worked closely with Leslie on refining each essay. Leslie provided thoughtful feedback on structure and cadence, giving each essay a passionate voice and rhythm. Throughout the year, Alice and Leslie responded promptly and never hesitated to suggest changes that would strengthen my application, even if it meant more work for the Menlo team. By the time I submitted my application, I knew my personal story inside out and how it fit into what each school was looking for.

Alice also engaged others on the Menlo team to act as sounding boards for videos and application strategies. This was particularly useful when preparing for the interviews, as it allowed me to grow comfortable with a variety of interview styles. Thanks to Alice, I received an offer from Wharton with a six-figure scholarship.

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I cannot recommend Alice highly enough because her service is mind-blowing and has resulted in a miracle: I would not have been admitted to HBS without Alice and her team, who are top-notch for a number of reasons:
1. I can always count on Alice for highly personalized advice. She was instrumental in highlighting my specific developmental areas so that I could prioritize my time and effort. There are few exercises so you can be assured that your application will be truly unique. As a result, my application stood out although I have an overrepresented background and odds are against me.
2. Alice pushed me to become better. I would not have done some of the most useful preparation without her.
3. Alice always tells the truth. Unlike every other consultant who told me confidently that I could get into a target school, she asked me to wait for one more year before applying, the best advice that I have received.
4. Alice strives for perfection and has incredible work ethic. For instance, without being asked, she made further iterations on my essays. She also works incredibly hard. She did not let her work slip one bit when a significant family member passed away.
5. Alice and her team work seamlessly together, providing prompt responses almost 24-7. I find this particularly helpful given that I live in a different time zone and that some situations require fast turnaround.
6. Alice makes an extra effort to solicit opinions from her team (particularly David). In several occasions, Alice and I decided on the best course of action, drawing upon a diverse set of ideas and suggestions.
7. Most importantly, I find Alice personally invested in my success. Working with her is beyond a professional service; it is not transactional. She goes out of her way to best prepare me. For example, she connected me to students and alumni, helping me to gain insights into schools and practice for interviews.
8. Lastly, Alice and her team are always looking for ways to improve their services. They take feedback seriously and works on initiatives to provide useful resources.

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Alice and the team helped me got into my dream school – HBS! I got to know Alice initially through my friend who also got into HBS last year. I heard so many good things about Menlo and the team really exceeded my expectations. From crafting the personal story to preparing for interviews, Alice was super involved in every step of the process. For instance, she even helped me pick the perfect outfit for my HBS interview!!

In addition, I was working on a very tight timeline, and Alice not only provided detailed inputs/feedback in a timely manner but also constantly pushed me to deliver the best possible output. She is very candid and genuine. Instead of saying what you want to hear, she tells you what you need to hear. The team, in general, is very supportive. During the interview period, I did several prep sessions, not just with Alice but also with David and other consultants on the team. The mock sessions were tailored for each school, and a lot of the questions we practiced actually came up during the real interviews.

I really enjoyed working with Alice and the team, and I would highly recommend them to anyone who is considering getting an MBA, regardless of your background. Reach out to them early because the slots get filled so fast!!

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Alice and Menlo are more than just a (world class) MBA admissions consultancy. They are sincerely curious in you as an individual and want the best for you, and as a result, they will push you to reach your maximum potential. This sincere approach means that they really understand your strengths, values, weaknesses, and ambitions (and what sits behind those ambitions). Frank and honest, they will tell you when they expect more of you or when you need to take that extra step to have the best chance of getting into an MBA, which was hugely important for me at times. The working relationship absolutely feels like a partnership. Initially, you will go through a process where Alice delves deep into your story, and very skillfully she will pull out parts of your story that you may not have appreciated enough, or perhaps place too much importance on. Alice has a remarkable ability to understand your story and motivations and then reflect it back in a way that puts all the pieces together in a way that is compelling to a potential business school. Further, when I had big questions about things such as quitting my job and moving country, Alice provided honest constructive feedback. It is important for me to also say that Alice gives you the confidence to perform. She understands how to softly instill confidence in you. First for the essay writing stage and then the interview – she keeps it simple, light, and gives you a way of thinking whereby you enjoy the process. In summary, Menlo gave me absolute confidence at every stage that what I was submitting or presenting was the best that I could offer. Not quite sure how I would have done it without the Menlo team, I couldn’t speak about them more highly. They will push you but they will get the best out of you and your application.

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Applying for bschools couldn't have been a better experience with Alice and her team. They provide an all-inclusive experience, and are there for you every step of the way. For those who don't know as much about the bschool process, they have bimonthly workshops via video on various topics (e.g. GMAT prep, visiting schools, utilizing your network, resume writing).

For me, I felt like I already knew a lot about the application process due to being at a consulting firm surrounded by many bschool alumni. I was still blown away by the level of support and new insights that Alice brought. A few things that really stood out:

1. You have fewer iterations, and a tighter narrative. I wrote an average of 3 drafts for my essays, with very targeted edits after my first draft. This was due to talking through my life story with Alice & Leslie. They would then help me see the narrative, and areas to focus. When reviewing my drafts, because they knew my holistic profile, they were able to point out areas that I was not portraying as effectively, or stories that I did not initially include.

2. Alice is extremely candid (sometimes with what you don't want to hear). She's tactful but relentless to get you to your best application. There were times when I would write 2 drafts, and she would say it was good... which made me question was it actually? But then she would make me write 11 iterations of a draft... then make me compare the 2 draft vs. 11 draft essays. It was clear I had put my heart into my 2 draft one (since I was more excited to go to the school) and had used more descriptive/excited language. I fully trust her with the final pen.

3. She's there every step of the way and encourages you to do things that may be out of your comfort zone. She guides you through any question big or small. She pushed me to reach out to people in my larger network that I normally may not have. She helped me with scholarship essays and prepped me for every interview. She even looked over emails I sent to faculty members and the admissions office (I had to sort out a deferral situation).

All in all, highly recommend Alice! I just finished working with her R1 for 2019, and already referred two of my friends who are working with her now for R2.

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I was referred to Alice by a friend and colleague. I was planning to apply to business school and wanted to work with an experienced consultant for not only guidance on essays and applications, but because I valued the direction and insight of someone intimately familiar with the process and my targeted schools. Working with Alice was fantastic and I cannot imagine a resource more knowledgeable, helpful or supportive.

Working with Alice resulted in a very organized and methodical process, and her help was invaluable in crafting the best possible version of my story. I applied to four schools in Round 1, and this method allowed me to manage a large undertaking with minimal stress. She (and David) also helped me prepare for interviews in a way that allowed me to feel calm and prepared going into the real thing. Our process had a happy conclusion as I beat the odds and was accepted to my top choice school. I cannot thank Alice (and her team) enough for their role because without her guidance, I would not have stood a chance.

In addition to her great work, Alice’s caring and thoughtful manner sets her apart. Despite a full roster of clients, she always made me feel like a top priority. This environment facilitated an honest, transparent and supportive working relationship, which means a lot during a grueling process.

Alice is an exceptional resource for any prospective business school applicant and I cannot recommend her more strongly.

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I have been recommending Menlo Coaching to everyone I know applying to business school. Alice is the most genuinely supportive consultant you could ask for, who is tastefully strategic and brings out your very honest and best self. I would encourage anyone to at least have a free trial call with her--I could tell instantly that she knew what she's doing.

It was important for me not to work with someone who fits applicants into cookie-cutter formulas. Alice and I spent a lot of time discussing my background and the experiences that defined me, finding themes for my content. Alice draws from her extensive experience in the MBA application field to help me contextualize my background against the overall applicant landscape. I found incredibly helpful and applicable her insights into approaching recommendation writers and preparing for interviews.

What I like most about Alice is that she isn't afraid to be direct in her feedback and is always willing to discuss any points I bring up--she is a true partner in the process. I also felt that she genuinely cares about her clients and their finding a school where they can actually thrive. She was there throughout my application journey and my HBS acceptance.

Sign up early (definitely before the summer) as she takes a limited number of clients to make sure she gives each enough time and attention.

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