David White Reviews

This was my second year working with David. Last year, in the first admissions cycle under the Trump administration, my best result was being wait-listed at Booth and eventually denied admission. I’m a Canadian applicant looking to pivot in to investment banking and after David analyzed R1 2017 trends, he helped me trace the issue back to schools being wary of potential H-1B Visa issues.
Despite a disappointing outcome, I had zero doubts that David and I shaped an effective narrative for my story (actuary working with pension funds on investment strategy, wanted to continue to make an impact in this space by moving in to infrastructure investing at a pension fund). David really helped my essays reflect that this was a very well thought out endeavour and that I had a high probability of succeeding in my post-MBA employment goals.
This year, I worked with David to re-apply and he advised me in two areas which made all the difference:
1. Visited CBS prior to submitting my application and had a brief chat with admissions
2. Addressed the Visa issue outright in my supplementary essays by indicating that I would look to recruit in Toronto/London instead
Finally, David also helped me prepare for the Wharton team-based discussion by organizing a group of applicants for a mock interview. In the end, I was admitted to two out of the three schools and would have zero hesitation in recommending David to future applicants.

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Investing in David, Alice, and their holistic approach to the application process is an investment in 1) admission to a program that is right for you and 2) your subsequent success there (which is to say, VERY important!).

Starting Day 1, David gave me invaluable guidance on exactly how to research each target school in a meaningful way – with this research, I painted a 75% picture of what my experience would look like at each program, which removed the uncertainty I felt about whether a program was “right” for me. The research also provided ample material for my essays, reducing the time it took to produce a usable first draft. Since David is based in Amsterdam, his feedback was almost instantaneous – I would send him a draft right before I slept, and the edits were waiting in my inbox the next morning without fail. This made the entire application process extremely efficient and much more enjoyable than I anticipated!

Outside of the application itself, what really sets David and Alice apart is how much they care about you as an individual. Without repeating too much of what other reviewers have mentioned, I can confirm that I truly felt David believed in my story (even sending me related news articles for personal interest) and worked hard to ensure my ideas and experiences came through in my essays and interview responses. I have no regrets about any aspect of the applications because everything was authentic – I’m just glad I had David on my side to ensure I could tell my story in the most compelling way.

I didn’t anticipate getting into more than two schools, but I ended up with acceptances to all my targets and with scholarships. The price tag is higher for Menlo Coaching compared to other consultants, but the ROI is unbeatable! I attribute the scholarships entirely to the quality of my applications and interview prep, and I know the quality was due to David’s constant coaching and support.

As one final proof point, I’m now a first year at Wharton and have checked off half of the items I mentioned in my application essay because I had done the hard research at the beginning of the process. While it’s still overwhelming to adjust to all the opportunities available in school, it has been very helpful to know my game plan to stay focused on my goals and take advantage of targeted resources.

I couldn’t recommend David and Alice more – I can assure that your process from start to finish (and even throughout your program) will be worth it!

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David was always extremely accessible and truly cared about understanding me as a candidate/applicant. I had changed my timing by pushing out applying for schools by one year and he helped me come up with a game plan in regards to timeline and key steps – including introducing me to a tutor to raise my GMAT score from a 700 to a 720. During the in-between period, he would check-in on me and send interesting e-mails that resonated with my interests. I love how personable he was.

During the application process, David was very helpful in providing feedback, pushing me to think about things and develop my ideas further to be the best essays they could possibly be. He also connected me with other people when I was trying to decide between which school to apply. Least to say, he has an amazing network!

David is a great resource and is always very candid and helpful in sharing advice and insights. I learned a lot about myself throughout the process thanks to David’s guidance. He supported me beyond the application by doing some mock interviews – had a mock with Alice as well to get additional practice and feedback! And the feedback from both sessions were valuable as it not only improved my interview content/responses but also improved the way I presented myself from a subtle soft skills perspective. The interview feedback will be applicable to beyond the MBA application.

Even after the being admitted, the Menlo Coaching team provides support post-admittance! I truly love their service as they are the complete, whole package and both David and Alice go above and beyond with their thoughtfulness. Their team truly cares about the client and this is shown by the support they provide through all facets of the MBA from application to even post-MBA career.

You cannot go wrong working with the Menlo team!

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I’m matriculating at Wharton this Fall. The Menlo Coaching experience for the mock TBD provided me with a clear competitive advantage going into the interview.

Since I started the application process a little later in the season – having messed up the GMAT and needed to retake it – both David and Alice were fully booked (if I were to apply again from scratch, it would be with Menlo Coaching, no other admission consulting service even comes close!) However, on being invited to interview at Wharton – I reached out again, to try my luck at getting a mock interview with either Alice or David – and I’m glad I did.

The mock TBD experience was seamlessly handled through a multi-person video chat. David shared expert tips and offered thoughtful advice before the mock interview started. He even brought on a current Wharton student to provide an insider perspective. During the interview, David observed each interviewee’s participation and offered candid feedback to the group as a whole, and individual feedback for each of us. The best part was that the feedback was actionable – and could be immediately put into practice. David also helped walk through some scenarios and anticipate directions in which the actual TBD could go in.

The experience took the edge off the nervousness that usually accompanies an interview. I had a really clear game-plan stepping into Huntsman Hall at Wharton for the actual TBD. Once the interview started, the prep. with Menlo really began to pay off – someone else on my team had the exact same pitch as I did – but thanks to David anticipating such a case – I was able to pivot and add details that the other person had overlooked. The result – an extremely smooth TBD, which led to an admit from Wharton.

To conclude, I’d say, shop around consulting firms if you *really* want to, but Menlo Coaching’s offerings are light-years ahead of the rest of the pack.

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Choosing David as my MBA coach was the best decision I made during the application process. I first came to David almost two years ago, and was seeking his help to submit rushed applications to USC and UCSD a couple weeks before the R2 deadlines. He talked me out of this and convinced me to wait until R1 the following year so that I would have time to put together the best application possible – I’m so thankful that he did. David was very helpful in helping me determine my career goals (one of his specialties) and making sure that my applications told a cohesive and compelling story. He is very knowledgeable about the tech industry and helped me chart my career path and the steps necessary to reach my end goal. David advised me through each step of the application process and gave tips and recommendations that I would have otherwise had no idea about. He was also instrumental for interview preparation, and during all of my interviews I was not asked a single question that we hadn’t prepared for in some form. He also referred me to an amazing GMAT tutor who helped me raise my score from 700 to 730. With his guidance, I was able to secure a full tuition scholarship at Darden! I was also accepted to Dartmouth Tuck with a sizable scholarship and will be enrolling there in the fall. I have had an amazing experience working with David and cannot recommend him highly enough.

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After speaking with a number of admissions consultants, I decided to work with David and Darren Kowitt at Menlo Coaching due to their responsiveness, professionalism, and understanding of my story and goals. I primarily worked with Darren on my application essays, and he was thoughtful and encouraging throughout. He helped me prepare with deep introspection and then convey my narrative in a compelling fashion with clear language. David was there to provide overall advice and guidance throughout the process. This included how to approach my career pivot, where an MBA fits within that, which schools fit best, and how to devise an overall strategy to tackle the application process. He also helped with interview prep through mock interviews, and I can’t imagine walking into interviews without having gone through those sessions. David was very knowledgeable about the strengths, weaknesses, and nuances of each school, and his insights were invaluable. Ultimately, I was admitted into an M7 program with a full scholarship as well as another top 10 school which was high on my target list. I couldn’t have done it without Menlo Coaching, and the costs were well worth it with the scholarship offer.

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David remained a highly reliable resource throughout my MBA application process. This was exemplified by him not only responding to nearly all of my requests within 24 hours, but also constantly thinking on my behalf. Specifically, David was very good at identifying my uniqueness among all the other well-qualified applicants in the financial service industry, and helped me brainstorm ideas and eventually construct a highly compelling, personal story. I was also impressed every time when he came back with revised versions of my essays, which were succinct and to-the-point. I ended up receiving offers from my top choices, Wharton, Columbia and Tuck. David was definitely one of the biggest contributors to this pleasant outcome.

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I decided to work with David White in the first place because he genuinely tried to understand my unusual/European background and experience. I soon realized that I made the right choice.

Working with David has been invaluable and reassuring from crafting my very first essay to pressing the submit button of my last application and sending a thank you note to my interviewers after my interviews:

- He is incredibly efficient and responsive, which is more than appreciable, especially when, after spending hours on version 7 of an essay, you start asking yourself if version 2 was not better;
- Even when I was satisfied with a draft, he kept on pushing me to go the extra mile and I feel like I eventually submitted the best applications that I could have, thanks to him;
- When I was not fully convinced about an idea, a draft etc., he never fell short of valuable ideas and advice;
- During the application process, I changed my mind a few times (sometimes last minute) and David has always been happy to take the time to (re)discuss an idea, understand the reasons of my doubts and make sure that we could move on;
- Finally, David is honest, genuinely interested in his students’ success and 100% worth his hourly rate. David’s help went way beyond preparing my applications. He had been a great career coach and happy to help me on any matter he could.

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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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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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