
Melanie Espeland
MBA admissions and executive coach, former McKinsey consultant
| Hourly rate range | $70 to $150 an hour |
|---|---|
| Focus areas | MBA admissionsIvy League and top schoolsExecutive presence and communicationTransitions and new rolesStrategy and decision makingCareer changeJob searchConsulting and finance recruiting |
| Works with | Professionals and Executives |
| Also coaches | Executive coach and Career coach |
| Credentials | ICF certified coach; Columbia MBA alumna; MBA admissions interviewer; Trained in Somatics, Reiki and energy work |
| Experience | 19 years coaching |
Melanie Espeland is an MBA admissions consultant who also coaches executives and professionals on careers, communication and life goals. She is a Columbia MBA alumna and an MBA admissions interviewer. She has helped 200+ applicants get into top schools, including every M7 program. Before coaching, she worked at McKinsey and as a voice actor. She created the Espeland Method for building executive presence and has coached more than 1,000 clients.
What Melanie helps with
Melanie helps clients get into top business schools, make career moves and build stronger leadership skills. She also works on confidence, mindset and purpose.
- Getting into M7 and Top 25 MBA programs
- Applying to joint-degree programs like JD/MBA and MPP/MBA
- Applying to Masters programs in computer science and finance-related fields
- Landing jobs at firms like BCG, Amazon and Google
- Building executive presence
- Making strong career decisions
- Public speaking and communication
- Overcoming mental blocks and building confidence
Who Melanie works with
Melanie works with MBA and Masters applicants, professionals and business leaders. Her clients have included people from Google, Meta, IBM and Morgan Stanley. She has also coached influencers and Olympic athletes.
How Melanie works
Melanie uses the toolkit she built at McKinsey along with coaching methods to help clients make clear decisions and plan their next career step. For executive presence, she teaches her own Espeland Method. She also offers wellness work that draws on her training in Somatics and Reiki.
Background and qualifications
Melanie has coached for 19 years and has worked with more than 1,000 applicants and professionals. She studied at Columbia Business School and worked at McKinsey and Company. She is an ICF certified coach and an MBA admissions interviewer. She trained in Somatics, Reiki and energy work. She was a voice actor with CESD Talent Agency and gave a TEDx talk on executive presence. Her work has been featured in Forbes, NBC, ABC, CBS and Business Insider.
Melanie Espeland pricing
Programs and services
- MBA and Masters admissions coaching
- Executive and career coaching
- Communication and public speaking coaching
- Life coaching
- Wellness and healing arts sessions
- Custom coaching packages
Melanie Espeland reviews
Melanie Espeland has a 5.0 out of 5 rating from 86 reviews on Leland, as of September 2026.
The CoachVouch take
She is a former McKinsey consultant and voice actor who created the Espeland Method for executive presence.
Best for MBA applicants aiming for top programs and professionals who want stronger executive presence.
Common questions
How much does Melanie Espeland charge?
Coaching with Melanie runs $70 to $150 an hour. Request an intro for an exact quote.
What does Melanie Espeland help with?
Melanie Espeland helps with getting into M7 and Top 25 MBA programs, applying to joint-degree programs like JD/MBA and MPP/MBA, applying to Masters programs in computer science and finance-related fields and landing jobs at firms like BCG, Amazon and Google.
Does Melanie Espeland have reviews?
Melanie Espeland has a 5.0 out of 5 rating from 86 reviews on Leland, as of September 2026.
Is Melanie Espeland certified?
Melanie Espeland lists: ICF certified coach; Columbia MBA alumna; MBA admissions interviewer; Trained in Somatics, Reiki and energy work.
Does Melanie Espeland help with joint-degree programs?
Yes. She has helped clients get into joint-degree programs such as JD/MBA and MPP/MBA. She also helps with Masters programs in computer science and finance-related fields.
What is the Espeland Method?
It is Melanie's own method for building executive presence. She also gave a TEDx talk on the topic.
How do I contact Melanie Espeland?
Request an intro on this page. It's free, and we'll connect you with Melanie and, if you want, 2 or 3 similar coaches to compare.
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Last updated September 2026. Request a correction.