Melanie E.

Melanie Espeland

5.0

(71)

🏆 Top Coach Award | 🎯200+ M7 Admits | 🎓 CBS Expert | ✍️ Essay Concierge

24,120 min coached

759 followers

Super Coach

Supercoach

Columbia Business School Logo

Studied at Columbia Business School

McKinsey & Company Logo

Worked at McKinsey & Company

Successful clients at

+14

Available Tuesday at 5:00 PM UTC

I’ve coached 1,000+ applicants and professionals to achieve standout results across their academic, professional, and personal lives. My work has been featured in Forbes, NBC, TEDx, and more. I’m proud to be recognized as one of Leland’s Top Coaches of 2026. I work with a limited number of clients each month to ensure high-touch support, so it’s best to reach out early. Drop me a line to get started.

Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.

Melanie's Coaching Offerings

Custom hourly · $399/hr

Get help with Recommendations, Cover Letters, and .

Melanie’s free events

Live interactive sessions you can join for free.

MBA Essays That Get You Admitted: Do’s and Don’ts from an M7 Expert
MBA Essays That Get You Admitted: Do’s and Don’ts from an M7 Expert

Apr 1 at 11:00 PM UTC

Vaibhaw K.

12 people going

Final Tips Before You Submit Your Deferred MBA Application
Final Tips Before You Submit Your Deferred MBA Application

Apr 2 at 10:00 PM UTC

Viktor D.

20 people going

🎓How to Assess Your MBA Candidacy
🎓How to Assess Your MBA Candidacy

Apr 8 at 11:00 PM UTC

Viktor D.

11 people going

Melanie’s MBA Qualifications

Coaches professionally

100+ people coached for MBA

Open to working with clients outside the U.S.

Melanie has helped clients get into these schools:

🏆 RECIPIENT OF LELAND TOP COACH AWARD 2026 🏆 ✨WHY CHOOSE MELANIE? When you work with me, you're partnering with an insider who has firsthand knowledge of what top MBA programs like Columbia, Harvard, and Stanford are looking for. As a Columbia MBA alumna, MBA Admissions Interviewer, former McKinsey consultant, and professional ICF-certified Executive Coach, I offer a holistic coaching approach that combines admissions expertise with expert storytelling, giving you an edge over the competition. Here’s why I’m the best choice for your MBA journey: • 🎓MBA, M7, & COLUMBIA EXPERT: I have proven results at every M7 school and many Top 25 programs. As a CBS MBA alumna and MBA Admissions Interviewer, I have insider knowledge of what top-tier schools seek. My experience in admissions interviewing gives me the unique perspective of understanding how to effectively position applicants for success. • ✍️ESSAY CONCIERGE: I’m not just a coach - I’m a writer and editor with an eye for detail. With years of experience writing successful MBA essays, career coaching courses, and crafting works of fiction, I bring a keen sense of storytelling, language mastery, and technical precision to every essay I work on. Whether it’s structure, flow, or word choice, I’ll make sure your essay is perfectly polished and reflects your best self. Through powerful storytelling, I help them build a brand that truly stands out in the MBA admissions process. We fine tune every written piece of your application, including essay, resumes, short-answers, and even LinkedIn profiles! • 🚀PROVEN RESULTS: I’ve helped 200+ applicants secure spots at M7 schools (as well as top 25 programs), and I’m proud to be part of the top 4 ranked firm on Poets & Quants for 2025. My clients’ success stories are a testament to the tailored strategies and guidance I provide. • 🎯PROFESSIONAL COACH: With over 10 years of coaching experience, I’m not just an admissions consultant—I’m an ICF-certified Executive Coach & Life Coach. My approach goes beyond getting you into business school; I focus on your MBA branding, leadership development, and executive presence to prepare you for the journey ahead. ✨WHO I WORK WITH: • Traditional and Non-Traditional Candidates • Diverse Applicants including POC, Veterans, and LGBTQIA+ • Candidates with High and Low Test Scores • Full-Time, Part-Time, Columbia's J-Term, Deferred, and EMBA (Executive MBA) Candidates ✨PROVEN SUCCESS AT THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS: • Columbia Business School (CBS) • Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) • Harvard Business School (HBS) • University of Pennsylvania Wharton • Northwestern Kellogg School of Management • Chicago Booth School of Business • MIT Sloan School of Management • NYU Stern School of Business • London Business School (LBS) • INSEAD • University of California, Berkeley (Haas) • Yale School of Management • Michigan's Ross School of Business • Darden School of Business (UVA) • Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth • Duke's Fuqua School of Business • Cornell University Johnson School of Management • Emory University Goizueta Business School • Jones Graduate School of Business (Rice) • University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business • University of Texas, Austin, McCombs • University of California, Los Angeles, Anderson ✨LET'S GET YOU INTO YOUR DREAM MBA PROGRAM: Ready to transform your MBA aspirations into reality? Contact me for your free consultation today. With my insider knowledge, executive coaching expertise, and essay-writing mastery, I’ll help you craft a standout application that positions you for success—both in admissions and beyond.

Melanie can help with:

Recommendations

Cover Letters

Resume

General Exploration

Supplementary Materials

School Selection

Essays

Secondary Review

Application Strategy

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Interviews

Editing

Ding Analysis

Networking Strategy

Waitlist Strategy

Melanie also coaches for Master’s Programs, Mental Health & Wellness, Life Coaching, Executive Coaching, Career Coaching, and Communication & Public Speaking. View all.

About Melanie

🏆 RECIPIENT OF LELAND TOP COACH AWARD 2026 🏆 🚀I’ve coached 1,000+ applicants and professionals to achieve standout results across their academic, professional, and personal lives. My work has been featured in Forbes, NBC, TEDx, and more. Whether you’re looking to navigate the competitive MBA admissions process, enhance your leadership capabilities, or discover your life’s purpose, I'll empower you to unlock your full potential across all areas of your life. With over 19 years of experience (as of 2026), I bring a powerful and unique blend of strategic business insight, coaching, and holistic healing arts to help you achieve your most ambitious goals. On Leland, I'm best known for my MBA admissions results, and I also work across executive coaching, life coaching, and healing arts. My Leland services include: 🎓 MBA & Masters Admissions: As a Columbia MBA alumna and MBA Admissions Interviewer, I have successfully helped 200+ applicants gain spots at top-tier schools like Columbia, Stanford, Harvard, and more. I have proven results at every MBA M7 school and multiple Top 25 programs. Additionally, I've helped many achieve admissions to joint-degree programs (such a JD/MBA, MPP/MBA) and other business, technology, or finance-adjacent programs (such as Masters in Computer Science). Let me show you the path to unlocking your best application. 🌿Mental Health & Wellness: As an ICF certified Coach and Healer trained in Somatics, Reiki/Energy, Tarot, and more, I've helped hundreds of clients achieve more happiness, passion, and peace. Let's find your flow. 🌱 Life Coaching: I'll help you to create meaningful change in your personal life by helping you overcome mental blocks, build confidence, and align with your true potential. Together, we will focus on self-discovery, mindset transformation, and purpose-driven living. 💼 Executive & Career Coaching: I harness my McKinsey toolkit and coaching methodologies to enable you to make powerful decisions, achieve your next career move, enhance your executive presence, and drive success. I've helped clients gain jobs at places like BCG, Amazon, Google, LVMH, and more. 🎤Communication & Public Speaking: As a former Voice Actor with CESD Talent Agency and McKinsey consultant, I know all the do's and don'ts of communication. I even have a TEDx Talk on Executive Presence. Additionally, I'm the creator of the proprietary Espeland Method™ for building executive presence. ****** 📺Recognition: I have been featured in Forbes, NBC, ABC, CBS, Business Insider, TEDx, and more. I've worked with prominent corporate clients including Google, Meta, IBM, and Morgan Stanley; as well as individuals such as business leaders, influencers, and Olympic athletes.

Why do I coach?

✨Coaching and mentoring is my calling! I’m incredibly grateful to have built a career as a professional coach. 💼 I am ICF-Certified at the PCC level, and have completed a variety of additional certification and enrichment programs in coaching and storytelling. My journey has allowed me to blend my passion for helping others with my deep expertise, and every day I’m inspired to help clients achieve their personal and professional dreams. 🙏

Work Experience

Columbia Business School Logo

MBA Admissions Interviewer

Columbia Business School

2020 - Present

Admissions Committee

Member of the MBA Alumni Ambassador Program, interviewing candidates for CBS.

Espeland Enterprises Logo

Executive Coach & Life Coach

Espeland Enterprises

2015 - Present

Hiring Manager

Espeland Enterprises Logo

Admissions Coach

Espeland Enterprises

2015 - Present

Macy's Logo

Senior Lead, Strategy & Innovation

Macy's

2019 - 2020

Interviewer

McKinsey & Company Logo

Consultant

McKinsey & Company

2016 - 2018

Various Fashion Houses Logo

Fashionista

Various Fashion Houses

2007 - 2015

Hiring Manager

Education

Columbia Business School Logo

Columbia Business School

MBA

2015 - 2017

London Business School Logo

London Business School

MBA, Study Abroad

2016 - 2016

Cornell University Logo

Cornell University

BS

2004 - 2007

71 Reviews

Overall Rating

5.0


Knowledge

5.0

Value

5.0

Responsiveness

5.0

Supportiveness

5.0


Melanie has helped clients get into these schools:


Melanie has helped clients get into these companies:

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Melanie E.

Melanie E.

5.0

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